Storefront Bids
Auction king eBay plans to launch online storefronts in the next quarter to grab an even bigger piece of the retail market, CEO Meg Whitman said at the companys annual meeting. The storefronts will let consumers purchase products at a fixed price, as opposed to going through the usual bidding process on eBay.
IBM Signs Em Up
IBMs Global Services has been reeling in big contracts despite the economic downturn: an information technology services deal, valued at $2 billion over 12 years, with British communications firm NTL Group; a contract valued at $5 billion to $7 billion over 10 years with automaker Fiat; and a five-year outsourcing deal, worth about $50 million, with the Swedish Post Office.
Partnership Takes Flight
Hewlett-Packard is teaming up with the consulting arm of PricewaterhouseCoopers to establish a joint venture aimed at building information technology equipment and software for the aviation industry. The venture, called the Aviation Solution Center, will focus on Internet platforms, mobile equipment and intelligent technology, the companies said.