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Lucent Theft
U.S. prosecutors have accused two Lucent Technologies scientists and an executive at another technology company of stealing software. They are accused of trying to copy a Lucent product for a company mostly owned by the Chinese government. The software was for a system that enables service providers to offer a low-cost voice and data service.
Big Sales Online
The online retail market is expected to reach $65 billion this year, representing a 48 percent increase from last year, according to Shop.orgs latest study, released last week. Last year, online revenue was $44.5 billion, representing 1.7 percent of all retail sales. The cost of customer acquisition improved from $38 per customer in 1999 to $29 in 2000, the study found.
GM, Murdoch Talking
General Motors last week finally admitted it is considering selling its satellite business, including industry leader DirecTV, to Rupert Murdochs News Corp. Murdoch is seeking to add the U.S. satellite television service to his global satellite empire.
Sky Link for Earthlink
EarthLink has launched high-speed Internet access service over satellite to compete with its rivals. By adding satellite broadband, EarthLink can reach more areas, the company said. But it will be costly: $70 per month for the service, and $649 for the equipment. Meanwhile, Verizon Communications announced new DSL offerings for business, ranging from $60 to $205 per month.
Microsoft Blasts Linux
A Microsoft senior vice president said the open source software movement is flimsy and flawed. Craig Mundie said in a speech last week that “free software” poses a threat to commercial software and corporate intellectual property. But leading open source developer Miguel de Icaza disagreed. “The reality is that the market share for Linux and open source code in key areas is increasing.”
Sanrises Big Plans
Sanrise, a storage services company that announced $115 million in venture funding May 2, wont be spending all of its money in one place. The California company will fund a pair of strategic projects: software development to support its managed storage services and expansion of its global network of storage sites.