Mel Duvall

Software stalwart Siebel Systems could not avoid the impact of the current market turmoil, suffering a worse-than-expected plunge in its third-quarter net income. San Mateo, Calif.-based Siebel said on Wednesday, Oct. 17, that revenue from software license fees plummeted 38 percent in the quarter, as companies delayed or cancelled spending on customer relationship management projects. […]

Companies that have implemented hosted business software from application service providers have been experiencing eye-popping returns on their investment, a study by research firm IDC has shown. The study, one of the first detailed looks at ROI for the emerging sector, is bound to give the industry a much- needed shot in the arm. But […]

For most of the last decade, I-managers have fought an ongoing battle to recruit and keep talented technology workers. With the business revolution brought on by the emergence of the Internet, IT workers were able to dictate terms to potential employers, demanding and receiving double-digit salary increases, stock options, signing bonuses and various other perks. […]

USinternetworking has received a $100 million round of investments, which the company hopes will put an end to questions in the marketplace about its financial viability. With dozens of application service providers (ASPs) going under this year, USi said it has been hurt by concerns about its own financial status. USi CEO Andrew Stern said […]

Siebel Systems move to acquire its own analytics company could lead other major software developers to take similar steps, creating ramifications throughout the business intelligence sector, analysts said. Siebel announced at its annual users conference in Chicago last week that it will acquire privately held nQuire Software of Minnesota for an undisclosed sum. The company […]

Supply chain software firm SeeCommerce will announce today that it has signed on electronics manufacturing giant Flextronics as its latest customer. Flextronics is using SeeCommerces software to sift through massive volumes of data related to its purchasing practices, to find instances when contract arrangements are not being met. Dale Tate, finance director of Flextronics global […]

Siebel Systems is preparing to announce a new set of marquee customers at its user conference in Chicago this week, as questions surface about its ability to dominate the midmarket for customer relationship management applications. The company is the undisputed king of the large enterprise market, but has invested considerable resources into grabbing a bigger […]

Business-to-business commerce spending has been hit hard by the current economic slowdown, forcing one research firm to downgrade its earlier forecasts for the sector. Jupiter Media Metrix said Wednesday that it now projects B2B spending will grow to reach $5.4 trillion dollars in 2006. It previously expected B2B spending to top $6.3 trillion a full […]

The technology industry is bracing for a new round of layoffs and cutbacks after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks delivered a heavy blow to investor confidence and corporate spending. Analysts fear that companies will further delay or eliminate spending on technology projects on a scale that will far exceed whatever money is spent replacing equipment […]

Richard (Rick) Adams is the captain of Royal Caribbean Cruises e-business strategy. He joined the company in May 2000 from IBM, where he had a 19-year career in sales and senior management. Adams last assignment at IBM was as vice president of e-commerce solutions sales. Royal Caribbean began allowing customers to book cruises online in […]

Royal Caribbean Cruises is moving full steam ahead on a groundbreaking multistage customer relationship management and electronic commerce project that it hopes will propel the company to much higher levels of customer satisfaction. The project will cover virtually every way that customers interact with the company and serve as the foundation for a range of […]

A group representing some of the brightest minds in the computer industry is looking to establish an international consortium to oversee a new payment mechanism for goods and services purchased over the Internet. The consortium would act somewhat like a Visa International, and would make it possible for consumers to purchase a variety of goods […]