Stories by Tamara Plakalo and IDG staff

  • EDS shapes new channel

    US outsourcer EDS last week announced a joint initiative with business component information specialist ComponentSource to deliver "ready-to-use" software components over the Web.

  • IBM, Hewlett-Packard go to direct sales model

    Hewlett-Packard and IBM are stepping up their efforts in the race to provide their customers with a direct sales model. Both companies claim the change is being made in response to North American IT buyers' complaints that the reseller channel offers less value and more headaches than the direct sales model. As part of its "realignment" strategy, HP is expected to start selling its small and midsize business line of products directly on its Web site in June.

  • Oracle8i makes its debut . . .

    Oracle's battle to weaken Microsoft's monopoly in the IT industry has intensified with the official release of its new flagship database and "Internet computing" platform, Oracle8i. Launched simultaneously at the recent Adelaide and San Francisco annual Oracle OpenWorld conferences, officials claim Oracle8i is an environment for the development and deployment of applications that will become pivotal in the business intelligence and electronic commerce fields.