Articles by Rob Spiegel

U.S. Customs agents report that American companies are losing $200 billion (US$) each year to piracy over the Internet, and that the problem is expected to dwarf every other type of crime in the new millennium The global software industry alone lost $11 billion to piracy in 1998, according to the Software and Information Industry Association. The ...

Santa-Clara, California-based Intel Corp. has furthered its move into the e-commerce equipment market by purchasing privately-held IPivot for $500 million (US$) in cash. This acquisition is the third Internet commerce equipment purchase for the chip giant over the past three years Poway, California-based IPivot designs and manufactures equipment th...

Retail powerhouse Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE:WMT) has taken direct aim at eToys and Amazon.com by focusing its redesigned Web site on toys, books and consumer electronics The company also indicated Friday that it is still considering entering the online auction business through its Sam's Club site. The site is based on Wal-Mart's Sam's Club wareho...

According to a recent study by the Annals of Internal Medicine, high drug prices and low accountability are pervasive on Internet pharmacy sites. The report was slated for the December 1999 issue, but editor Dr. Frank Davidoff felt that the study's public health implications warranted an early release The study was conducted by Drs. Bernard S. Bloo...

Winstar Communications, Inc., has announced the launch of Office.com, an online business service and product site for small and medium-sized companies CBS Corporation (NYSE: CBS) holds a one-third equity position in the Web site, which offers small business content, commerce, community and communications delivered by a group of partners and in-hous...

A recent two-month summer study by Grainger Consulting Services, a division of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE: GWW) confirms that e-commerce procurement is a significant benefit to both buyer and seller. The study shows that buyers who made investments to acquire and implement e-procurement methods averaged a return on their investment of between 245 and 400 percent, while sellers showed gains of 10 to 15 percent. Sellers did, however, receive the additional average benefit of a 300 percent increase in sales...

Tokyo-based Sega Enterprises announced yesterday that it has forged an agreement with brokerage firm Nomura to add share trading to its roster of online games. The announcement is Sega's latest attempt to bring e-commerce onto its cheap Internet access platform Beginning next month, Nomura will provide Japanese users of Sega's Dreamcast gaming gear...

Foundry Networks, Inc. surprised Wall Street yesterday by closing up 525 percent and grabbing the number two spot for all-time first day IPO percentage gainers. The Sunnyvale, California-based company produces switches that make the Internet and e-commerce more efficient Industry analysts from the Monument Internet Fund and others attributed Foundr...