Stories by Jessica Davis

Driving site traffic

Four and a half years ago Miller Electric Construction, a manufacturer of welding equipment, made its first foray onto the Web with a site that many might call a "cyberbrochure." Millerwelds.com was primarily used to provide information to customers and distributors; customers could not place orders or find distributors back in those days.

IBM WebSphere 5.1 is set for iSeries AS/400 platform

IBM Corp. next Monday will announce that its WebSphere Commerce Suite Version 5.1 is now available for the iSeries AS/400 platform.

Sun, e-commerce vendor ATG bolster alliance

Sun Microsystems Inc. and customer management and e-commerce vendor Art Technology Group Inc. (ATG) Wednesday announced a deepening of their partnership from a "co-selling tactical relationship to really a strategic alliance."

Economy's woes color Spring Internet World in L.A.

In the shadow of a crashing stock market and vast uncertainty about the economy, a smaller Spring Internet World -- lacking the frenzied hype of previous years -- served as the backdrop for those serious about business on the Web.

Proctor and Gamble reworks its supply chain

Dramatic changes for industry, most recently demonstrated in the huge stock market slide Friday and Monday, has consumer goods giant Procter and Gamble Co. looking to reinvent its supply chain together with its partners. Procter and Gamble CIO Steve David offered an inside look at some of his company's goals for supply-chain management at AMR Research's Retail and Consumer Goods Executive Conference here Tuesday.

Amazon/Wal-Mart pact may show road to success

During the past few months, the retail industry has come to realize that those businesses that offer multiple channels -- physical stores, Web sites, and catalogs -- have significant advantages over single-channel businesses.

Expedia and Travelocity improve search features

Looking for a good airfare these days is almost as hard as finding venture capital for a dot-com startup. OK, nothing is that hard. But to find the right fare and the right itinerary, travelers have to shop around. And there are plenty of sites offering travel services, from Priceline.com Inc. to Expedia Inc. to Travelocity.com Inc. -- even Egghead.com Inc.

New version of WebSphere Commerce Suite embraces Java

IBM Corp. last week announced the release of Version 5.1 of its WebSphere Commerce Suite with added multicultural functions and support for mobile devices, as well as a move for the platform to 100 percent Java.

XML Creator Maps Out Search Scheme for Net

XML co-inventor Tim Bray launched a public showcase Web site last week for his new company, Antarcti.ca, offering a service called Visual Net that visually plots content on the Web and in private networks.

I2 Announces Customer Agreements

During its Planet 2000 conference here Tuesday, i2 Technologies Inc. announced several customer wins and an expansion of its alliance with Ariba Inc.

Planet 2000: Barrett Urges Open Deployment for Exchanges

Intel President and CEO Craig Barrett stressed at i2's Planet 2000 conference in San Diego that so-called open systems are needed for online exchanges to succeed and grow.

Planet 2000: HP CEO Pushes Planning for E-Businesses

Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina urged e-business leaders to get used to partnering, to get good at managing risk, and to run fast during her keynote presentation at i2's Planet 2000 conference in San Diego.

Planet 2000: i2 Unveils Updated Marketplace Platform

At its Planet 2000 conference in San Diego, i2 Technologies announced the availability of TradeMatrix 5.0 and its Customer Order Management.

Software Industry Operates Like 19th Century Craft

Although software is a trillion-dollar industry, it still operates like a 19th century craft, says Charles Stack, president and CEO of Flashline.com Inc., a marketplace and portal for software components.

U.S. Consumers Will Force No Dynamic Pricing

One of my favorite e-tailing sites, Amazon.com Inc., got caught messing around with prices a few weeks ago, charging some consumers more money than others for the very same DVD.