FRAMINGHAM (01/28/2000) - No Plans to Use NetAlthough the number of Internet users is growing, 37% of Americans (about 75 million) don't intend to use the Internet at all, according to a study by Zona Research Inc. in Redwood City, Calif.

Of those who said they will eschew the Internet, three-fourths received a high school education or less, 71% are older than 45, more than half are women and 60% earn $35,000 or less per year.

Group: Split Microsoft Into Four CompaniesA conservative Washington think tank has come up with a novel remedy for Microsoft Corp. if the company loses its antitrust case.

The Progress & Freedom Foundation has proposed splitting the operating system component of Microsoft into three separate companies. This split "would immediately replace monopoly with competition in the market for operating systems," the foundation said.

The fourth company created under the foundation's proposal would be devoted to applications.

Computer Crackers Hit Japanese Sites

Computer crackers shut down several Japanese government Web sites last week, including those of the Management and Coordination Agency and the National Institute for Research Advancement. The attacks followed a controversial meeting on the massacre of Chinese civilians by the Japanese military in 1937.

Several of the compromised sites contained Chinese text condemning the action.

Flood of Queries

Since 1973, First American Flood Data Services in Austin, Texas, has provided flood-certification data via dial-up connections to financial institutions seeking information prior to mortgage approval. It has ported its application to the Web using the services of the Net Quotient Consulting Group in New York.

According to First American, more than 13% of its 10,000 inquiries per week are received via the Internet.

Microsoft Combines Win 95, Win 2K

Microsoft Corp. will combine two operating system projects, Neptune and Odyssey, into a single future product, code-named Whistler. The new system is intended for both consumers and business users. Microsoft had scheduled a consumer operating system code-named Neptune and a different commercial Windows 2000 follow-up called Odyssey.

Compuware Integrates CACI's Software

Compuware Corp. announced at ComNet 2000 last week that it would integrate software products acquired from CACI International Inc. with Compuware's Ecosystems application suite for performance management.

Network Management OS Introduced

RiverSoft Inc. last week announced a network management operating system, i3philosophy. It provides "a software management layer between the hardware infrastructure and the applications running on it." The operating system will create point solutions based on fault management, configuration, administration/accounting, performance and security management categories.

Informix Revenue Up

Informix Corp. reported revenue for the fourth quarter, ended Dec. 31, at a record $251.1 million, compared with $214.9 million for the fourth quarter of 1998, an increase of 17%. Pro forma earnings were said to be $45.4 million, a 121% increase over $20.5 million in 1998's fourth quarter.

Siebel Tops Estimates

Siebel Systems Inc. has reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter profits.

Revenue in the fourth quarter of 1999 was $268 million, up from $128 million a year earlier. Net income was $45 million vs. $19.9 million a year earlier.