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Large software developers and end users have softened their former staunch insistence that software had to be either purchased from an external vendor or created in-house. The build vs. buy debate has evolved into a shinier, happier present moment in which the super-sized software development firms ...

Unisys has been receiving a lot of attention lately, including accolades from IDC and Frost & Sullivan and a spot in the most recent edition of the book CRM at the Speed of Light. But there's been bad news as well. The company posted lower-than-expected third-quarter profits. Nearly a week ago, ...

Symbol Technologies has leveraged its experience in developing rugged personal digital assistants and other mobile devices in the creation of its newest product, the MC50 enterprise digital assistant. Priced from $925 to $1,200 and based on Microsoft Windows' Mobile 2003 platform, the device offers ...

US Airways and United Airlines are already under bankruptcy protection, and Delta Air Lines is skating dangerously close. Consumer members of frequent-flier programs are not considered creditors, but to many, they might as well be. "Consumers are absolutely, unquestionably concerned, and anyone who ...

NetSuite today announced the availability of its version 10, a unique hosted solution that links the company's proprietary CRM, enterprise resource planning (ERP) and e-commerce applications in a single Web-based architecture for small and mid-sized businesses. The version, in development for months...

A recent Gartner report predicts a 50 percent failure rate for radio frequency identification projects implemented between now and the end of the year. However, those involved in industry alliances and manufacturer projects that pull together best-in-class vendors proclaim that RFID is more than a ...

Consumer and business product manufacturers are challenged to form and maintain relationships with their end users. One-off promotions like contests or sweepstakes can help to supply manufacturers with some contact information for their customers, but most times, not much else. Unless there is a poi...

Siebel Systems launched what it calls an "end-to-end enterprise business intelligence solution." The product recognizes a need for analytics that can compile many sources of information into a single data warehouse. At its "User Week" in Los Angeles, Siebel announced BI applications for financials, ...

A new report on the loyalty of companies to their IT suppliers might change what goes on inside some of the world's IT innovators. From its survey of 51 brands, Walker Information of Indianapolis, Indiana, concluded that customer satisfaction does not equal customer loyalty. Suppliers' interactions ...

Oracle will enter a Delaware court this week to request an order for dissolution of PeopleSoft's customer assurance program and poison pill. "The poison pill is designed to make it more difficult for Oracle to take over the organization. The customer assurance program is designed to compensate custo...

For companies that don't rank among the Fortune 500, an incremental approach to CRM often feels most comfortable. These smaller companies get their feet wet with sales force automation software or call center and customer care solutions. They build or buy these applications to handle discrete parts ...

With a front-office firing, a rosy earnings report and a renewed court battle against Oracle, PeopleSoft continues to keep industry watchers busy. After the announcement Friday that PeopleSoft CEO and President Craig Conway had been fired, many observers assumed that the move was related to Oracle's...

IBM recently announced that it will pour US$250 million into the development of radio frequency identification and sensor network technology over the next five years. In addition to developing hardware, including the wireless tags and readers, IBM also plans to provide software and integrated suppor...

PeopleSoft shocked the business world this morning by announcing that it had fired Craig Conway as president and CEO, effective immediately. Dave Duffield, the company's founder, stepped into the CEO position, and the presidency will by shared by two men, Kevin Parker and Phil Wilmington. The news s...

Customer retention has always been an important issue for wireless operators, and they acquired a new problem earlier this year when users gained the right to take their mobile phone numbers with them to a new carrier. In their efforts to retain customers, most focus on services and products. Some s...

Almost one-third of the world's financial institutions have outsourced work overseas, and the practice has spawned consumer and political backlash. But according to many analysts, the benefits outweigh the negative publicity incurred by financial services giants such as American Express and Discover...

While American minds may be opening to various self-help pharmaceuticals, from Viagra for erectile dysfunction to Wellbutrin for depression, American feet aren't equally comfortable walking the aisles of brick-and-mortar drugstores to get the goods, some studies show. Enter Drugstore.com, a site lau...

A little more than a week ago, JPMorgan Chase withdrew from a seven-year, $5 billion Internet technology outsourcing agreement it inked in 2002 with IBM. It decided to pull IT inside. But this decision represents an anomaly in the outsourcing industry. All news reports verify the accomplishment of a...

The Oracle-PeopleSoft controversy has caused a ripple -- or perhaps a wave -- that has not yet reached the shore of software development, but it carries implications for many software firms. Although Oracle's hostile takeover of PeopleSoft is by no means a done deal, the very possibility signals a s...

First Chicago (now Bank One) initiated the trend of charging for face time with a teller in order to encourage the more cost-efficient use of ATMs. Competitors hastily followed suit. In December 2002, however, the bank dropped this controversial practice, concerned that self-service banking channels...