----

Living.com laid off 13 percent of its staff, becoming the latest e-commerce site to make cuts in an effort to trim costs.

CNET
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200-1930813.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..ni> 

High-profile online retailer boo.com has collapsed through lack of funds, becoming Britain's first big dot.com failure just six months after its Website opened for business.

CNNfn
<http://www.cnnfn.com/2000/05/18/europe/wires/boo_wg/> 

Drug Emporium and drkoop.com both said their online businesses suffered big losses, and the two companies are now said to be talking about combining the Internet operations.

Computer World
<http://www.computerworld.com/home/print.nsf/all/000516DFAA> 

This was the month that the wheels fell off the smoothly rolling bandwagon commonly known as the "Internet and Technology Sector." The Big Sell-off has turned into the Big Squeeze, and the potential ramifications are both myriad and unsettling. Some high flyers have already been shot down, and others are taking evasive action.

Netcommerce Magazine
<http://www.netcommercemag.com/may00/2.html> 

Business-to-consumer companies face a vicious enemy, say VCs at Venture 2000. Who will survive?

Red Herring
<http://www.redherring.com/vc/2000/0504/vc-b2c050400.html> 

CraftShop.com Inc. filed to reorganize under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Monday, but a bankruptcy attorney for the company said it is also considering an asset sale or liquidation.

The Industry Standard
<http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0%2C1151%2C15339%2C00.html> 

The comparison-shopping site was unable to secure enough VC funding to keep its doors open.

The Industry Standard
<http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0%2C1151%2C15406%2C00.html> 

Don't pull a sheet over the heads of online grocers yet--they may have a little life left in them.

CNET
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200-1808230.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..1007-200-1808230> 

Don't worry: A drop in growth rate is only natural.

Upside
<http://www.upside.com/Ebiz/390dc9c50.html> 

B2bstores.com may be one of the first business-to-business companies headed straight for the dotcom graveyard.

Upside
<http://www.upside.com/Upshot/392db8110.html> 

Rival Net ad firm L90 files a lawsuit alleging unfair business practices and patent infringement. 

Industry Standard
<http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,15228,00.html?nl=dnh> 

The struggling health Web site has let about 35 percent of its staff go since April.

Industry Standard
<http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,15277,00.html?nl=dnh> 

Even as its traffic continues to increase, the medical site is looking more and more like a goner.

Industry Standard
<http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,14615,00.html?nl=dnh> 

Nearly half of Americans 16 to 22 years old now use the Internet, according to one research firm. And another predicts teens will account for $1.2 billion in e-commerce spending by 2002.

ABC News 
<http://abcnews.go.com/sections/business/TheStreet/teencommerce.html> 

The number of firms betting on e-commerce is rising steadily, but a survey by IT consultants CMG suggests that expectations are "hugely divorced from reality".

BBC News
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/business/newsid_758000/758129.stm> 

Pawnbrokers, seeking to raise their industry's collective profile, are rushing to tap into e-commerce to sell the vast amount of merchandise sitting unsold on their shelves.

CNET
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200-1863857.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..ni> 

Companies are looking beyond the obvious sources of value from the Internet and e-business, according to a new report from the Economist Intelligence Unit EIUand IBM Global Services.

BizReport
<http://www.bizreport.com/ebiz/2000/05/20000516-2.htm> 

If you're an online retailer, do you also need a physical store? Are multiple channels for doing business really needed? The answer, according to a group of executives representing both click-and-mortar retailers and "pure play" Internet merchants, is a qualified yes.

BizReport
<http://www.bizreport.com/ebiz/2000/05/20000519-1.htm> 

The Terra/Lycos deal this month is just one example of U.S. e-commerce companies reaching out to Spanish-speaking markets.

Computer World
<http://www.computerworld.com/home/print.nsf/all/000523E27E> 

As if life wasn't worrying enough, a survey just completed says that the arrival of e-commerce in the marketplace has brought with it a new problem--post-transaction anxiety disorder.

Computer User
<http://www.currents.net/news/00/05/05/news12.html> 

Changes are transforming the e-retail scene at light speed, according to a study by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Computer User
<http://www.currents.net/news/00/05/12/news18.html> 

Loading trucks with the right stuff, even perishable produce, is only part of it. Software must route drivers efficiently and cope with traffic jams.

Fortune
<http://www.fortune.com/fortune/imt/2000/05/29/imt.html> 

Web merchants have set their sights on a lucrative standby of their conventional rivals: private-label merchandise. The products give them higher profit margins and better control of inventory.

New York Times
<http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/05/cyber/commerce/08commerce.html> 

Now that investors have turned their attention to profitability, old-line catalog companies that have built extensive Web operations are stepping into more favorable light.

New York Times
<http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/05/cyber/commerce/15commerce.html> 

Web sites are adding real-time chat to serve visitors, but what's the future of the instant message?

PC World
<http://www.pcworld.com/pcwtoday/article/0%2C1510%2C16747%2C00.html> 

Web retailers are turning to some new helpers to deal with the IT and logistical challenges of sating consumer demand for instant gratification.

TechWeb
<http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB20000525S0013> 

The next 10 years will consist of a sustained economic growth where e-business, global computing access, wireless data and genetic engineering will be the major influences of the expected 15 percent growth in IT markets.

ZDNet
<http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0%2C4586%2C2559484%2C00.html> 

The health care industry has splintered into several different business e-commerce camps, which could threaten efforts to build out an effective Internet trading network. 

Upside
<http://www.upside.com/News/390de5810.html> 

Guess what... customers are no different on the Internet than in the real world.

Upside
<http://www.upside.com/Opinion/39296f150.html> 

You've heard the pundits say ecommerce will kill traditional retail. Ignore them. In reality, some ecommerce categories face obstacles they cannot get around. Not this year anyway.

Anchor Desk
<http://www.zdnet.com/anchordesk/stories/story/0%2C10738%2C2563430%2C00.html> 

There are far too many transaction disputes, American Express says. Therefore, it will no longer allow commercial porn sites to accept its credit card.

Wired News
<http://www.wired.com/news/business/0%2C1367%2C36608%2C00.html>

----

ToC

• UPS opens online shipping tools shop
• Visa plans bill payment for mobile devices
• eToys not playing with just toys anymore
• After several delays, BestBuy.com set for overhaul
• Amazon expands into furniture business
• VarsityBooks.com Enrolls Time to Target College Students
• Net Stamp Retailers to Offer Tickets Online
• Amazon.com Enters the Kitchen
• Retail group plans shop search engine
• Intel turns B2B into B2-wheee
• FedEx, UPS Launch Dueling Arms Dubbed Elogistics
• New Net sense: Site smell
• Priceline.com Adds Long Distance
• Bluestone Ships Any-to-Any B2B Communications Platform
• Open Market Offers Cost-Effective Caching

----

E-commerce shipping giant United Parcel Service today unveiled a new site that consolidates its Web-based shipping tools.

CNET
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200-1801608.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..1007-200-1801608> 

Credit card giant Visa today said it has partnered with wireless services firm Aether Systems to bring credit card payment services to wireless devices.

CNET
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200-1806020.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..1007-200-1806020> 

eToys said today that it will add two new product categories this year as it continues to move from being solely an online toy store.

CNET
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200-1808049.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..1007-200-1808049> 

The online wing of giant electronics retailer Best Buy has quietly shuttered its virtual doors as it readies its long-awaited expanded Web store. After at least two delays, BestBuy.com will reopen its doors within the next 45 days.

CNET
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200-1817003.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..ni> 

Amazon.com opened a new home furnishings store today in conjunction with Living.com.

CNET
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200-1902495.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..ni> 

Online college retailer and marketing services provider VaristyBooks.com Monday said it inked a deal to integrate Time Inc. content into its Web site and on-campus services.

Computer User
<http://www.currents.net/news/00/05/16/news14.html> 

Two companies that sell postage stamps online have branched out into offering other forms of secured transactions on the Internet. Stamps.com, through its wholly owned subsidiary, EncrypTix, Inc., and E-Stamp Corporation have stated that they will be offering the ability for consumers to buy various tickets online and print those tickets using their personal computers.

Computer User
<http://www.currents.net/news/00/05/18/news14.html> 

Online retailer Amazon.com Inc. is once again expanding its reach beyond the bookshelf.  This time, Amazon has turned its attention to the kitchen, with Tuesday's launch of the Amazon Kitchen store.

Internet News
<http://www.internetnews.com/ec-news/article/0%2C2171%2C4_352421%2C00.html> 

The National Retail Federation is creating a search engine that will assist consumers in shopping for apparel and shoes online.

USA Today
<http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20000515/2260800s.htm> 

Intel Corp. plans to unveil two network devices on Monday that can makebusiness-to-business transactions over the Internet 150 timesfaster than previously possible.

ZDNet
<http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0%2C4586%2C2564607%2C00.html> 

The shipping giants are at it again. Within weeks of each other, they've announced new e-commerce fulfillment strategies, and they're both called eLogistics. The competing companies have a long history of piggybacking each other's announcements -- sometimes within a matter of hours -- with similar sounding news.

Forbes Magazine
<http://www.forbes.com/tool/html/00/May/0508/mu1.htm> 

Digiscents Inc. is developing a boxy little gadget it calls iSmell that releases small amounts of scented oils into the air with the click of a mouse.

MSNBC
<http://www.msnbc.com/news/409422.asp> 

Priceline.com Thursday added phone calls to its list of offerings.

Internet News
<http://www.internetnews.com/ec-news/article/0,2171,4_380201,00.html> 

Bluestone Software Inc. delivered Total-e-B2B, the e-business Integration Server edition of the company's standards-based Total-e-Business platform.

Internet News
<http://www.internetnews.com/ec-news/article/0,2171,4_380021,00.html> 

Open Market Inc. Thursday rolled out a new product it hopes will lure clients to less expensive caching for personalized Web sites.

Internet News
<http://www.internetnews.com/prod-news/article/0,2171,9_366571,00.html> 

----

ToC

• Europe e-commerce initiative
• Customers aren't keen on eBay-Keen.com deal
• Unhappy customers sue online auctioneer uBid
• MP3 player "sale" exposes Amazon's flexible prices
• Report: Dot.com Delays Equal Instant Customer Turn-Off
• The upside of a recession
• Kellogg Launches Internet-Based Loyalty Program
• Luxury E-tailers Face Pressures, Win Loyalty
• Breakaway pushes build-your-own marketplaces
• Commerce One to Establish B2B Site in Middle East
• Verizon to offer wireless Web price comparisons to shoppers
• Nymex launching online commodities exchange
• Lands' End Brings Virtual Swimsuits to the Net
• Barnes & Noble.com Makes Mobile Commerce Play
• Deja.com Takes Comparison Shopping Wireless
• Ecount Takes Webcertificate.com into Real World

----

The European Commission has launched a network of online helpdesks aimed at helping consumers solve cross-border e-commerce disputes.

BBC News
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/business/newsid_737000/737797.stm> 

eBay members aren't so keen on a new service being advertised by the leading auction site.

CNET
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200-1813162.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..ni> 

A group of disgruntled bidders has filed a lawsuit against uBid, charging that the online auctioneer defrauded them by canceling their low-dollar bids on high-end computers.

CNET
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200-1841243.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..ni> 

Customers are upset that Amazon.com has been offering random discounts on a popular MP3 player, revealing a little-known marketing practice that is gaining popularity among e-tailers known as "dynamic pricing."

CNET
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200-1889854.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..ni> 

A study just published warns that potentially lucrative online customers are being turned off by businesses that fail to provide adequate customer support and expect them to hang around and wait for service.

Computer User
<http://www.currents.net/news/00/05/17/news22.html> 

Maybe a recession would be a good thing, especially for consumers who want better e-tailer service.

Digital Mass
<http://www.digitalmass.com/columns/ecommerce/0511.html> 

Cereal-maker Kellogg Co. launched what it called "the industry's first Internet-based loyalty program" at www.EETandERN.com.

Internet News
<http://www.internetnews.com/ec-news/article/0%2C2171%2C4_352391%2C00.html> 

Online retailers selling high-priced or luxury goods face special challenges in establishing relationships with shoppers and suppliers, but enjoy strong loyalty after cementing the bond, industry analysts and retail executives said Friday.

TechWeb
<http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/reuters-finance/REU20000519S0010> 

Hoping to win a piece of the business e-commerce boom, Web consulting firm Breakaway Solutions launched a program today to help companies build their online marketplaces.

CNET
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200-1879110.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..ni> 

Commerce One Inc., a builder of Internet marketplaces where business suppliers and buyers conduct commerce, said on Wednesday it reached agreement with a group of Middle Eastern investors to expand into the region.

Reuters
<http://news.excite.com/news/r/000503/12/net-tech-commerceone> 

Bell Atlantic/Vodafone cellular joint venture inks a deal to provide its customers with access to a database of product and pricing information developed by BarPoint.com.

Computer World
<http://www.computerworld.com/home/print.nsf/all/000501DB02> 

The New York Mercantile Exchange plans to support Internet-based trading of contracts for physical commodities such as crude oil, petroleum products, natural gas and electricity.

Computer World
<http://www.computerworld.com/home/print.nsf/all/000504DBD2> 

Catalog-and-click retailer Lands' End has introduced a virtual spin to this year's bathing suit shopping season by making its interactive "Personal Model" available to online shoppers who want to see what different swimsuits would look like on their body type.

E-Commerce Times
<http://www.ecommercetimes.com/news/articles2000/000524-1.shtml> 

Barnes & Noble.com Tuesday leapt into the mobile commerce fray with the expansion of its B&N.com On the Go program, giving customers the ability to shop with mobile phones and handheld computers.

Internet News
<http://www.internetnews.com/ec-news/article/0%2C2171%2C4_352531%2C00.html> 

Comparison shopping company Deja.com Inc. launched a wireless application of its Precision Buying Service, an online resource for researching and buying products.

Internet News
<http://www.internetnews.com/ec-news/article/0%2C2171%2C4_356661%2C00.html> 

Online gift certificate and personal Web account company Ecount launched the Webcertificate shopping card good at any brick-and-mortar merchant that accepts credit cards.

Internet News
<http://www.internetnews.com/ec-news/article/0%2C2171%2C4_357761%2C00.html> 

----

ToC

• UPS Sketches Broad E-commerce Agenda
• Nearly 40 Percent of Home Buyers Use Web
• Half Of Web Users Are Luxury Goods Buyers
• Selling to the Global Village
• Catalogers Wise to the Net
• An E-Tail Identity Crisis
• E-tailers: Make your customers happy
• Amazon Launches Credit Card
• What Makes People Buy?
• Modeling" Your E-Commerce Efforts
• Do-It-Yourself Loyalty
• For E-tail Promotion, Portals bad as TV Says Dot-com Chief
• What Is a Dot-Com Brand Name Worth?
• Fallacies and failures: ways of thinking that doom startups
• 'E-Tailers' Look for Ways to Stand Out From Crowd

----

United Parcel Service, already the leading transporter of goods sold over the Internet, plans to push further into global e-commerce with supply-chain management services, financial services, and other Web businesses.

TechWeb
<http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB20000504S0007> 

Nearly four in 10 buyers now use the Internet to shop for their next home, according to a survey by the National Association of Realtors.

Cyber Atlas
<http://cyberatlas.internet.com/markets/finance/article/0%2C1323%2C5961_360381%2C00.html> 

Anecdotal evidence has always suggested that Internet users who shop online have tended to be better heeled than their offline colleagues, but a report just published confirms this, saying that around half of online users are luxury goods buyers.

BizReport
<http://www.bizreport.com/research/2000/05/20000523-2.htm> 

To keep their businesses growing, Internet merchants have to look outside the United States. But the merchants can hardly justify the expenses associated with rolling out international sites.

New York Times
<http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/05/cyber/commerce/22commerce.html> 

Many catalog retailers have found remarkable success online -- in some cases surpassing pure-plays and brick-and-mortar retailers that have moved online.

The Industry Standard
<http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0%2C1151%2C15270%2C00.html> 

Eric Kuhn is trapped in an e-tailing box and, like other executives who run Web sites that sell things such as books, lipstick or dog food, he's trying to break out of it. Since Wall Street has soured on what are known as business-to-consumer sites, many of these companies attempting to reinvent themselves.

Washington Post
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A1054-2000May3.html> 

A new report says online retailers need to work on their customer satisfaction if they want to lure more business.

ZDNet
<http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0%2C4586%2C2560159%2C00.html> 

Amazon.com will issue a branded credit card through a deal with NextCard Inc.

Inter@ctive Week
<http://www.zdnet.com/intweek/stories/news/0%2C4164%2C2570182%2C00.html> 

People like to talk about how technology is going to change the way we do business. Or how the launching of some new capability is going to change everything in the marketing world. Although new technological innovations affect our lives, they have little influence on the core business and marketing concepts we need to implement.

ClickZ
<http://www.clickz.com/cgi-bin/gt/cz/cz.html?article=1668> 

Before you rush head-first into B2B e-commerce and hit a brick wall, you might want to consider your current selling model. Understanding what it is, and how to apply it to the Internet, will help determine your e-commerce success.

ClickZ
<http://www.clickz.com/cgi-bin/gt/cz/cz.html?article=1697> 

If you're interested in building a loyalty program, there are basically three ways to go. You can use established loyalty programs like S&H Green Stamps, MyPoints, CyberGold or NetCentives. You can private label a generic currency like frequent flyer miles. Or you can do it yourself with PassPoints, an outsourced solution.

ClickZ
<http://www.clickz.com/cgi-bin/gt/cz/ebr/ebr.html?article=1662> 

Spending money on television ads is a colossal waste of money, and spending money on portals for promotion of an e-retail business might be just as big a waste, says one dot-com business executive.

Computer User
<http://www.currents.net/news/00/05/22/news17.html> 

Much has been made of the need for dot-coms to generate awareness of their names among  computer users. Now comes a study that tries to identify the winners and losers in the big branding struggle.

New York Times
<http://www.nytimes.com/library/financial/columns/051000computer-adcol.html> 

Inexperienced marketers can kill a fledgling dotcom.

Upside
<http://www.upside.com/Opinion/39172add0.html> 

Today, nearly every product category is saturated with competitors trying to stand out from the crowd, and many of them are running out of the marketing cash needed to make their mark.  That means expensive ad campaigns and costly giveaways and other promotions are no longer an option for many, analysts and executives at the Jupiter Communications Inc. Shopping Forum.

Upside
<http://www.upside.com/texis/mvm/news/wire?id=3925b01f9> 

----

ToC

• Despite the hype, B2B marketplaces struggle
• IBM to unveil component marketplace on Net
• Starwood, Zoho partner for online b-to-b
• Shakeout looms over B2B market
• Only Room for One Online Auto Exchange
• Clickin' for chickens
• iPlanet unveils Net marketplace tools
• IBM offers software for wireless marketplace
• Web Marketplaces Face Industry Goliaths
• Hughes Provides Prescription for Pharmacies
• ICG, IBM Create Intellectual Property Marketplace
• Intel Business MarketPlace Plays Matchmaker
• Agribusiness e-commerce seen gaining momentum
• E-bills Fire Up Exchanges
• The great B2B shootout
• Will the Net Create Auto Monopolies?
• Automakers wary of direct Net car sales
• Talkin' trash at Ground Zero
• MarthaStewart.com late on some Mother's Day orders
• Federated to Build Web Retailer-Supplier System
• Automakers Woo Suppliers to Online Exchange
• Toshiba Moves to Direct Sales
• How B2B Exchanges Threaten Old-Line Companies
• FreeMarkets Extends Electronic Marketplace
• Marriott, Hyatt Create Procurement Net

----

Business-to-business digital marketplaces sound intriguing, even revolutionary -- on paper.  But in reality, the hundreds of recently announced online exchanges might be years from reaching their bold promise of leading industries into the Internet age.

USA Today
<http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20000510/2246042s.htm> 

IBM will unveil an electronic marketplace for computer components later this month that will function similar to one announced today by a consortium that includes Hewlett-Packard and Compaq.

CNET
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-1798034.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..1003-200-1798034> 

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide will buy its hotel supplies through Zoho Corp., a new online marketplace for the hospitality industry, the companies announced today.

Upside
<http://www.upside.com/News/392aa66a0.html> 

The vast majority of business-to-business virtual marketplaces will vanish within two years  as failures and consolidation sweep through the once high-flying sector.

CNET
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200-1948332.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..ni> 

While smaller exchanges may survive in the global automotive industry, there is ultimately room for only one large online supplier marketplace, DaimlerChrysler AG's North America president said on Tuesday.

Reuters
<http://news.excite.com/news/r/000502/13/net-autos> 

Poultryfirst.com hopes for more than just chicken feed with its electronic marketplace.

Red Herring
<http://www.redherring.com/industries/2000/0525/ind-poultryfirst052500.html> 

iPlanet today announced a bundle of software, servers and services to help companies build  their online marketplaces.

CNET
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200-1881155.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..ni> 

IBM unveiled software today that allows businesses to create online marketplaces that work with hand-held devices.

CNET
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200-1885816.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..ni> 

As big companies form coalitions, b-to-b Web marketplaces revamp battle plans and wonder how much to worry.

Industry Standard
<http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,15240,00.html?nl=dnh> 

Offering a free technology package that includes computers and satellites, Hughes Network  Systems and RxMarketplace.com hope to link nation's pharmacies, all without a phone line.

Internet News
<http://dc.internet.com/news/article/0,1934,2101_367681,00.html> 

Internet Capital Group and IBM Corp. Wednesday formed a new company that will create an online marketplace for buyers and sellers of intellectual property.

Internet News
<http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article/0,2171,3_379091,00.html> 

Chip-making monolith Intel Corp. Tuesday unveiled its service provider Web collaboration tool dubbed the Intel Business MarketPlace.

Internet News
<http://www.internetnews.com/ec-news/article/0,2171,4_377661,00.html> 

Food and agribusiness sectors are lagging behind manufacturing in putting business online, but the move is expected to speed up in the next few years, a conference heard on Thursday.

Media Central
<http://www.mediacentral.com/channels//inetecomm/05_25_2000.reutr-story-L25541945.html> 

Electronic bills, long associated with consumer purchasing, are coming to an industrial trading exchange near you.

TechWeb
<http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB20000511S0012> 

Business-to-business infrastructure may not sound very glamorous, but the software industry's biggest providers are all furiously vying for a piece of the business.

ZDNet
<http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0%2C4586%2C2570596%2C00.html> 

When General Motors Corp. warned its dealers against selling to "direct" auto brokers like CarsDirect.com, the company confirmed what many analysts have been predicting: e-commerce  is forcing a restructuring of the auto industry that is going to pit manufacturers against their own
 dealers.

E-Commerce Times
<http://www.ecommercetimes.com/news/viewpoint2000/view-000523-1.shtml> 

New vehicles owned by dealers and marketed through the Internet represent a powerful combination -- except for one problem: Automakers insist that only dealers and retail customers -- not Internet sites -- may be parties to transactions.

Detroit Free Press
<http://www.freep.com/money/business/iwirh26_20000526.htm> 

Over the first two days of the business-to-business e-commerce confab, it seemed as if  every conference speaker saw it as his duty to one-up his predecessor in heaping on the negatives.

Upside
<http://www.upside.com/News/3920bbba0.html> 

The company acknowledged today that it failed to deliver some of the orders placed through its Marthasflowers unit in time for Mother's Day.

CNET
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200-1931302.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..ni> 

U.S. retailer Federated Department Stores Inc. and software maker Manhattan Associates said Monday they plan to build a real-time internet-based system to connect retailers and suppliers.

Reuters
<http://news.excite.com/news/r/000508/09/net-federated-system> 

Detroit's traditional Big Three automakers, trying to woo large suppliers to their new Internet trade exchange, have offered them a source of revenues from the venture rather than an equity stake, a top official said on Monday.

Reuters
<http://news.excite.com/news/r/000508/16/net-autos-exchange> 

Following the example of Dell and Compaq, Toshiba will sell PCs direct to consumers.

PC World
<http://www.pcworld.com/pcwtoday/article/0%2C1510%2C16624%2C00.html> 

Can you hear it? That's the sound of the bell tolling for old-line distributors, the companies that  buy stuff and resell it to other businesses. First they got whacked by B2B exchanges. Now another  brand of B2B exchange has come along with the next shovel full of dirt.

AnchorDesk
<http://www.zdnet.com/anchordesk/stories/story/0%2C10738%2C2560514%2C00.html> 

B2B online marketplace Free Markets Inc. Monday released a suite of Internet-based products for professional buyers and suppliers.

Internet News
<http://www.internetnews.com/ec-news/article/0%2C2171%2C4_376941%2C00.html> 

Two of the country's largest hotel chains will create a company to automate procurement needs.

TechWeb
<http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB20000502S0007> 

----

ToC

• AOL, Homestore.com set up Shop
• Inktomi Allies with Escalate, Vcommerce
• Forum for Trust in Online Trade Founded
• AOL, AutoNation forge deal to sell cars online
• AltaVista Trims Unsightly Flab
• Anonymous Surfer Sues Yahoo Over Privacy
• Gateway, CFN Ink Employee PC Deal
• Monster, AOL Employ Canadian Job Site
• Major Labels in Talks With Yahoo
• Portals Start to Feel the Heat
• Santana Will Jam With StarMedia
• UBid.com Accused of Defrauding 300 Users
• Yahoo eyes streaming media
• Real Estate Players Launch Online Platform
• Monster, AOL Employ Canadian Job Site

----

America Online, Inc. and Homestore.com, Inc. have inked a five-year, $200 million deal to  expand their current relationship by establishing an AOL channel to cover all aspects of finding and setting up a new home.

Computer User
<http://www.currents.net/news/00/05/02/news7.html> 

Inktomi Corp. established alliances with Escalate Inc. and Vcommerce Corp. to deliver advanced e-commerce infrastructure solutions for portals and destination sites.

Internet News
<http://www.internetnews.com/ec-news/article/0%2C2171%2C4_355871%2C00.html> 

A coalition of Internet B2B portals and an independent company that rates vendors on  transactions are teaming up to launch the Forum for Trust in Online Trade.

Internet News
<http://www.internetnews.com/ec-news/article/0%2C2171%2C4_355881%2C00.html> 

AutoNation Inc., the nation's biggest car retailer, and No. 1 U.S. Internet services provider America Online Inc. on Monday forged a multiyear deal that will allow AOL members to buy cars and trucks through a new online service.

Media Central
<http://www.mediacentral.com/channels//inetecomm/05_15_2000.reutr-story-N15413674.html> 

Hearkening back to the days when search engines were search engines and "portal" was just an overeducated word for "door," AltaVista launched a back-to-basics search site Wednesday.

Industry Standard
<http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,14770,00.html?nl=dnh> 

The plaintiff accuses the portal of handing over his personal information, without prior notice, to another company.

Industry Standard
<http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,15064,00.html?nl=dnh> 

The PC maker wants to help more businesses establish corporate portals.

Internet News
<http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article/0,2171,3_380261,00.html> 

Monster.com, the global online careers network, Friday launched a co-branded Monster.ca Career Center on AOL Canada's web center.

Internet News
<http://www.internetnews.com/intl-news/article/0,2171,6_381301,00.html> 

The portal could become a subscription-based Web distributor of the labels' music, sources say.

Industry Standard
<http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,15279,00.html?nl=dnh> 

Some commerce sites are going to have trouble paying for their pricey portal deals. The pacts are becoming a liability for everyone.

Industry Standard
<http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,14412,00.html?nl=dnh> 

The Latin American portal will sponsor the guitarist's North American tour and Webcast two concerts.

Industry Standard
<http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,14907,00.html?nl=dnh> 

The auction site is the latest in a host of portals charged with misleading business practices.

Industry Standard
<http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,14992,00.html?nl=dnh> 

Yahoo player to compete with Microsoft and RealNetworks.

Upside
<http://www.upside.com/texis/mvm/fat-free/story?id=392d6a300> 

A number of real estate organizations are broadening their embrace of the Internet.

Internet News
<http://www.internetnews.com/ec-news/article/0,2171,4_377811,00.html> 

Monster.com, the global online careers network, Friday launched a co-branded Monster.ca Career Center on AOL Canada's web center.

Internet News
<http://www.internetnews.com/intl-news/article/0,2171,6_381301,00.html> 

----

ToC

• Raiding Arab Wallets
• Building a Brand Globally via the Internet - Fundamental
• E-commerce security boon
• Two states OK e-commerce standards bill
• Compromise in the works on digital signatures bill
• Industry Asks for "Comprehensive" Net Tax Approach
• Bermuda Launches E-Commerce Code of Conduct
• Bill Would Enable States to Collect Online Sales Tax
• Net Tax Vote Shouldn't Wait For Other Bills
• White House and Agency Split on Internet Privacy
• Gradual Moves on Privacy Possible
• Internet -Tax Freeze Extension Gains Momentum
• Patent Office Takes Fresh Look At The Net
• Travelocity, agents fight airline site
• Net Tax Moratorium Moves On
• U.S. , E.U. Approach Safe Harbor
• U.S. launches anti-Net-fraud site
• Safer consumers may spend more online
• House set to vote on Net tax bill
• House OKs Net-access tax ban
• FTC gives up on Net self-regulation
• FTC report draws muffled opposition
• To sell wine on Net, retailers untangle web of vintage laws
• Regulators Target B-to-B Sites
• Priceline Shoppers Face Taxing Problem
• E*Trade Launches First Phase of Global Trading Network
• UK e-commerce bigger, say analysts

----

Thought about selling to some of the wealthier Arab countries lately? Well, according to an Internet research firm, the Gulf Co-operation Council region has more than 15-times the Internet penetration in the Arab world as a whole.

Catalog Age
<http://www.catalogagemag.com/Content/Weekly/2000/2000051807.htm> 

While many companies are focused on surviving their competition in the domestic marketplace, by 2003, 65% of all online consumers will reside in markets outside of the United States. Businesses need to figure out how to position themselves -- and build their brands -- ahead of the Internet's emerging global market curve.

Netcommerce Magazine
http://www.netcommercemag.com/may00/3.html 

The British Chambers of Commerce has linked up with the Royal Mail to offer businesses the chance to trade securely online.

BBC News
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/business/newsid_749000/749778.stm> 

A hotly contested bill aimed at unifying e-commerce standards across the country gained some momentum recently as two states adopted it despite stiff criticism from consumer groups.

CNET
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200-1803597.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..1007-200-1803597> 

House and Senate Republicans are circulating a draft proposal that they say provides some new protections for consumers.

Computer World
<http://www.computerworld.com/home/print.nsf/all/000517E00E> 

Rather than passing piecemeal Internet taxation bans, Congress should address the thorny net tax issue in its entirety, clarifying existing legislative mandates and simplifying interstate tax codes, a cadre of high- tech industry groups said Monday in a letter to congressional members.

Computer User
<http://www.currents.net/news/00/05/02/news11.html> 

Bermuda's Minister of Telecommunications and E-Commerce Renee Webb has declared that his country has initiated a 'Code of Conduct for Internet Commerce.'

Computer User
<http://www.currents.net/news/00/05/05/news16.html> 

In a lively but inconclusive debate Wednesday, a House Judiciary subcommittee considered legislation that would allow states to craft a system for collecting sales taxes for purchases made online.

Computer User
<http://www.currents.net/news/00/05/18/news1.html> 

A bill approved by the House Judiciary Committee last week that extends the current moratorium on "new and discriminatory" Internet taxes should not have to wait for companion legislation on the moratorium and Internet access taxes to catch up to it, said a spokesperson for House Majority Leader Richard Armey, R-Texas, today.

Newsbytes
<http://www.newsbytes.com/pubNews/00/148674.html> 

Clinton administration officials threw cold water on a proposal by the Federal Trade Commission for legislation to protect consumer privacy on the Internet.

New York Times
<http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/05/biztech/articles/23privacy.html> 

The head of the Federal Trade Commission told Congress that he would support a scaled-back version of the commission's Internet privacy proposal if it would help start the process of setting basic consumer protections online.

New York Times
<http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/05/cyber/articles/26privacy.html> 

The drive to extend the moratorium on Internet taxes is picking up speed with a full U.S. House of Representatives vote expected soon, a spokesman for the House majority leader said late Tuesday.

TechWeb
<http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB20000503S0014> 

As inventors rush to create new Internet and e-commerce technologies, the patent process itself may have been left standing in a cloud of dust.

TechWeb
<http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB20000512S0006> 

An ambitious air-travel Web site under development by several major airlines is facing growing opposition from competitors who want the government to take a closer look.

USA Today
<http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/tech/cth850.htm> 

The judiciary committee passes extension to legislation barring Net taxation. If the bill makes it past the U.S. House next week, there may be no Internet taxes until 2006.

Wired News
<http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0%2C1283%2C36143%2C00.html> 

Industry self-regulation among U.S. firms appears to be sufficient to satisfy European countries, which require strict data protection rules, negotiators said during a meeting of the European-American Business Council in Washington.

Wired News
<http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0%2C1283%2C36235%2C00.html> 

The United States launched a new online fraud investigative center on Monday to tackle the fast-growing problem of Internet fraud, a new area of crime affecting hundreds of people each day in America.

ZDNet
<http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0%2C4586%2C2565060%2C00.html> 

Federal laws to protect consumer privacy online are coming. That's more than a threat for e-commerce, said an ad industry panel. It's an opportunity.

ZDNet
<http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0%2C4586%2C2565332%2C00.html> 

The bill would extend the current moratorium on Net taxes to 2006 -- but an amendment could reduce the extension to two years.

ZDNet
<http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0%2C4586%2C2566164%2C00.html> 

Representatives on Tuesday passed a bill blocking the Federal Communications Commission from any attempt to set fees for using the Internet.

ZDNet
<http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0%2C4586%2C2570469%2C00.html> 

Finding Internet privacy to be sorely lacking, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission on Monday released a 200-page report recommending to Congress that new legislation be adopted to protect consumers' privacy online.

ZDNet
<http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0%2C4586%2C2574082%2C00.html> 

A privacy report released by the Federal Trade Commission on Monday advocating new laws to protect consumer privacy ought to have riled many of the folks who had pushed for continued self-regulation. But it hardly has.

ZDNet
<http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0%2C4586%2C2576390%2C00.html> 

Looking for a nice chardonnay? You could shop online, but don't get your hopes up. A thicket of regulations about shipping alcohol over state lines can leave Web wine buyers with a sour taste.

The Boston Herald
<http://www.bostonherald.com/business/technology/wine05222000.htm> 

From chemical makers to utilities, companies are discovering they can save time and money by joining with competitors to sell and buy goods over the Internet. But as critics warn of price-fixing and buying cartels, the business-to-business auction sites are facing scrutiny by antitrust attorneys and regulators.

New York Law Journal
<http://www.nylj.com/stories/00/05/050400a4.htm> 

State claims WebHouse Club bucks the law, mislabeling taxes as extra fees.

PC World
<http://www.pcworld.com/pcwtoday/article/0%2C1510%2C16725%2C00.html> 

E*Trade is taking U.S. stocks overseas.

Internet News
<http://www.internetnews.com/fina-news/article/0,2171,5_376761,00.html> 

Reports that the UK has lots its place as the European e-commerce leader have been questioned by industry analysts.

BBC News
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/business/newsid_759000/759282.stm> 

----

PARTNERS & DEALS

ToC

• iPlanet, Open Market Team Up
• E-Stamp Acquires Logistics Firms
• Doubts over Boo sell-off
• Hallmark acquires Net gift certificate merchant
• Drkoop.com layoffs indicate possible takeover
• Bertelsmann to hand shopping site to start-up
• Billionaire Buys 9.2 Percent Stake In CDNow
• A revival for digital cash?
• GreenMountain.com May Get Greener
• Akamai, F5 Networks Team to Speed Web Traffic
• NaviPath Acquires Lucent Privacy Technology
• travelbyus.com Takes Over Epoch Technology, Inc.
• Wildfire Retains TrustOne as Investment Banker
• Wit SoundView Grabs E*Offering
• Business-to-Business as Usual
• It Ain't Over Till It's Over
• QXL, Ricardo Form European Web Auction Giant
• Terra to Snap Up Lycos for $12.5 Billion
• Alcatel Sets Stock Target After Newbridge Purchase
• Lucent Is in Talks to Buy Chromatis-Sources
• Corel staff flees
• Neoforma, Eclipsys pull plug
• Boo.com may have a buyer
• Gateway, iXL team up
• Engage Acquires Virtual Billboard Network
• Akamai, F5 Networks Team to Speed Web Traffic
• Move.com Acquires HouseNet, Inc.
• Railroads form online freight service

----

iPlanet E-Commerce Solutions, a Sun-Netscape Alliance company, and Open Market Inc. said they will work together to expand and complement iPlanet's SellerXpert to deliver a standards-based sell-side solution for B2B open digital marketplaces.

Internet News
<http://www.internetnews.com/ec-news/article/0,2171,4_379991,00.html> 

E-Stamp is gaining a number of high-profile e-commerce companies as customers through the acquisitions.

Internet News
<http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article/0,2171,3_380181,00.html> 

Hopes for a quick turnaround for collapsed online fashion retailer Boo.com falter amid reports that potential buyers are dropping out.

BBC News
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/business/newsid_757000/757913.stm> 

In an attempt to boost its e-commerce offerings, Hallmark Cards said today that it has acquired Gift Certificate Center, which operates a consumer gift site and an employee incentive program for businesses.

CNET
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200-1885770.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..ni> 

Embattled Internet health company Drkoop.com said it has laid off about 35 percent of its staff since the beginning of April, and analysts said the cuts have made the company an attractive takeover target.

CNET
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200-1902483.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..ni> 

German media conglomerate Bertelsmann will sell its comparison-shopping site to start-up DealTime and form a European joint venture with the U.S.-based e-commerce service, the companies said today.

CNET
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200-1902504.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..ni> 

Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim Helu has bought a 9.2 percent stake in the troubled online music retailer CDNow for $52.8 million, a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission showed on Friday.

TechWeb
<http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/reuters-finance/REU20000505S0009> 

ProPay.com hopes to succeed where others have failed

MSNBC
<http://www.msnbc.com/news/411839.asp?cp1=1> 

The environmentally friendly power company could receive up to $100 million in funding from BP Amoco, others.

Industry Standard
<http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,14800,00.html?nl=dnh> 

Akamai Technologies and F5 Networks Inc. Wednesday paired their technologies to create a product that routes users to the closest available content on the Akamai network.

Internet News
<http://www.internetnews.com/prod-news/article/0,2171,9_365161,00.html> 

NaviPath Inc. this week announced it has acquired the technology of ProxyMate, a Web privacy technology service from Lucent Technologies New Ventures Group in return for an equity stake in the CMGI Inc. operating company.

Internet News
<http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article/0,2171,3_379171,00.html> 

travelbyus.com ltd. has acquired Epoch Technology, Inc., a Dallas-based tour wholesale software development company for US$10 million, payable in cash and common shares.

Internet News
<http://www.internetnews.com/intl-news/article/0,2171,6_381071,00.html> 

Firm to advise on mergers and acquisitions

Internet News
<http://dc.internet.com/briefs/article/0,1934,2431_366611,00.html> 

Wit Capital Group Monday acquired investment banking firm E*OFFERING for about $328 million in stock.

Internet News
<http://www.internetnews.com/fina-news/article/0,2171,5_362361,00.html> 

Another day, another pair of mergers. Business-to-business e-commerce is consolidating, and the media agree that there are many more deals to come.

Industry Standard
<http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,15359,00.html?nl=dnh> 

Consumer groups ask the FCC to stop the "dangerous" merger of AOL and Time Warner.

Industry Standard
<http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,14613,00.html?nl=dnh> 

In order to better compete with eBay, U.K.-based QXL will merge with its German rival, Ricardo.de.

Industry Standard
<http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,15141,00.html?nl=dnh> 

The new company would boast 60 million customers in 37 countries and give AOL a run for its money.

Industry Standard
<http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,15176,00.html?nl=dnh> 

The chief executive of Alcatel (CGEP.PA), fresh from wrapping up the acquisition of Canada's Newbridge Networks Corp., said on Friday he has now set his sights on doubling the share price of the French telecommunications equipment firm.

Upside
<http://www.upside.com/texis/mvm/news/wire?id=392ef8af2> 

Lucent Technologies Inc. (LU.N), the world's largest telecommunications equipment maker, is in talks to acquire optical networking equipment company Chromatis Networks Inc. for up to $5.7 billion in stock, industry sources said on Friday.

Upside
<http://www.upside.com/texis/mvm/news/wire?id=392f020e2> 

Failed merger with Inprise/Borland part of the problem.

Upside
<http://www.upside.com/texis/mvm/fat-free/story?id=392eab3e0> 

No breakup fee as acquisition deal terminated.

Upside
<http://www.upside.com/texis/mvm/fat-free/story?id=392d58740> 

Potential buyers in talks with KPMG.

Upside
<http://www.upside.com/texis/mvm/fat-free/story?id=392e9c060> 

Will market computers, training to companies offering those benefits to employees.

Upside
<http://www.upside.com/texis/mvm/fat-free/story?id=392d4eb20> 

Engage, CMGI's flagship advertising property, moved into Canada on Friday, acquiring the Virtual Billboard Network advertising network for approximately $5 million in stock.

Internet News
<http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article/0,2171,3_381141,00.html> 

Akamai Technologies and F5 Networks Inc. Wednesday paired their technologies to create a product that routes users to the closest available content on the Akamai network.

Internet News
<http://www.internetnews.com/prod-news/article/0,2171,9_365161,00.html> 

R.R. Donnelley sells home and garden site

Internet News
<http://dc.internet.com/news/article/0,1934,2101_365231,00.html> 

Four large railroads are teaming up with an Internet startup to form a Web-based service that will coordinate freight shipments across North America.

Upside
<http://www.upside.com/News/392c05b70.html> 

----

ToC

• McNealy Says Vertical Marketplaces 'Make No Sense'
• Only failures need apply
• Modem Inventor Heads New E-Business
• A Purveyor of Prestige Bets on the Web
• Entertaindom's Cliffhanger Episode
• AOL Assigns Gang to iPlanet e-Commerce Solutions
• Crane Joins AOL as VP for Education Products
• Sony Shuffles Its Top Executives
• E*Trade names new president
• SAP's New U.S. Head to Boost Efforts to Keep Staff
• Sega President Steps Down After Loss
• Fogdog loses top executive, board member

Sun Microsystems chairman Scott McNealy today told a conference audience that the fast-growing vertical marketplace segment is in for a shakeout.

TechWeb
<http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB20000503S0006> 

A Californian entrepreneur has set up a website offering help to people whose internet businesses have failed.

BBC News
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/business/newsid_762000/762481.stm> 

Dennis Hayes -- credited with inventing the computer modem in 1978 -- recently became chief executive of a new e-commerce unit of the online retailing company International Brands.

New York Times
<http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/05/biztech/articles/08haye.html> 

Bernard Arnault, who controls famous luxury goods companies like Christian Dior and Dom Perignon, has invested hundreds of millions of dollars of his own money into Internet ventures in Europe and the United States. The Internet "will change the way we buy everything," he said.

New York Times
<http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/05/biztech/articles/15bern.html> 

The top brass is officially out at the Warner Bros. site, and it's future may be nothing but static.

Industry Standard
<http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,14467,00.html?nl=dnh> 

Veteran takes role as executive VP and deputy GM

Internet News
<http://dc.internet.com/people/article/0,1934,2141_366951,00.html> 

Veteran educator to help launch AOL@School

Internet News
<http://dc.internet.com/people/article/0,1934,2141_362931,00.html> 

The Japanese electronics giant reorganizes to bolster its Net and broadband industries.

Industry Standard
<http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,14906,00.html?nl=dnh> 

Gramaglia to succeed Levinson.

Upside
<http://www.upside.com/texis/mvm/fat-free/story?id=392c7ad80> 

SAP AG's newly appointed head of U.S. operations said he would step up efforts to stem the outflow of staff which has damaged Europe's largest business software maker in the United States.

Upside
<http://www.upside.com/texis/mvm/news/wire?id=392fea162> 

The president of Sega Enterprises Ltd. stepped down on Friday after the world's third-largest home video game maker reported its third annual loss in a row, despite a 27 percent jump in sales.

Upside
<http://www.upside.com/texis/mvm/news/wire?id=392ee396a> 

Online sporting goods retailer Fogdog Sports said today that a top executive and a board member have cut ties with the company.

CNET
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200-1940020.html?dtn.head>