Articles by Chet Dembeck

According to a new study by Andersen Consulting, a staggering 27 percent of attempted online sales failed because Web sites couldn't handle the crush of holiday orders The study also had another surprise finding: Pure e-tailers like Amazon.com delivered their orders when promised 80 percent of the time, while their brick-and-mortar competitors only...

Last week, when Time magazine named Amazon.com chief executive and founder Jeffrey Bezos its "Person of the Year," I greeted the announcement with a measure of ambivalence On one hand, Time editor Walter Isaacson's reasoning for choosing the 35 year-old Bezos has some merit: "This year it was easier than most," Isaacson explained, "because there we...

According to published reports, Microsoft Corp. has forged an alliance with the largest mall owner and operator in the United States to advertise and sell its MSN online service The deal, which will be announced today, comes on the heels of a number of partnerships formed last week by huge brick-and-mortar retailers and Internet companies in attemp...

Last week, two scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) sued popular search engine Ask Jeeves, alleging that the company violated two U.S. patents that were issued to them in 1994 and 1995 A spokeswoman for Ask Jeeves said that the suit, filed Thursday in U.S. District Court by Patrick Winston and Boris Katz, is without merit...

What an incredible week for America Online In one 24-hour period, the number one online service provider announced major deals with retail giants Wal-Mart and Circuit City, which have about 4,200 brick-and-mortar locations between them.

America Online and Wal-Mart Stores announced a wide-ranging strategic alliance today that will create a new co-branded online service and numerous cross-marketing initiatives between the two companies The announcement comes just one day after AOL entered a marketing alliance with electronics retail giant Circuit City and Kmart entered into similar ...

Online consumers made a spirited run on toys, electronics and books last week, as overall online sales surged up by 35 percent over the same period last year According to Media Metrix, the three e-tailers that led the pack for the week ending Sunday were Amazon.com, eBay, and eToys.

At the beginning of this week, French and Swedish Internet executives met to focus on cooperation between the two countries' technology firms and ended up launching a full-board complaint session about the U.S. domination of e-commerce The meeting in Paris was indicative of the outrage that some European powers feel toward U.S. success in leveragin...

Working and going to school full time left Jim precious few hours to take care of ordinary chores like buying tires for his car The time shortage prompted the 31 year-old Columbia, Maryland resident to make his first purchase over the Internet about two years ago -- despite his reservations about using his credit card online.

Retail analyst Lehman Brothers Holdings is predicting that holiday season failures will cause online merchants to fold or go up for sale at a rapid rate in the new year The fact of the matter is that, despite a tripling of e-commerce spending this year, many online merchants will find themselves falling far short of the shopping season they needed ...

According to a new report from Deloitte & Touche, e-commerce will revolutionize the way that consumers will purchase energy "The Internet fundamentally changes the economics of transactions in key industries in ways that benefit both buyers and sellers," the report says. "The new dynamics of buyer-seller interactions could work fundamental changes ...

According to published reports, Yahoo! and Kmart will announce tomorrow that the two companies have forged a wide-ranging distribution pact that will include a co-branded free online service The free Internet access will be offered to all users via Kmart's Bluelight.com Web site. It will also be marketed to customers who shop at one of the company'...

This week, Canadian startup Zero-Knowledge Systems began selling a service that will allow Internet users to choose fictitious names for such activities as sending e-mail, visiting Web sites or joining newsgroups The closely held company claims that it is protecting the privacy of Web surfers and takes its name from the fact that it will not have t...

Last week, VA Linux Systems exploded on Wall Street with the largest first-day stock market gain ever recorded The stock was priced to open at $30 (US$), but incredible demand caused shares to shoot out of the gate at an amazing $299. By the time that all the dust had settled on the Nasdaq Stock Market floor, VA Linux closed at $250, up 733 percent...

Earlier this week, when privacy advocates once again took their fight against online profiling to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), they brought the specter of subliminal advertising along with them While it has been reported that privacy advocates asked the commission to label online profiling as an "inherently deceptive" trade practice, th...

According to Web traffic numbers by Media Metrix, the apparel category has continued to surprise many observers by posting a 60 percent increase in traffic for the week ending December 5th Media Metrix released its weekly report on unique site visitors yesterday, ranking sites by total traffic and growth percentage. Amazon.com topped the total traf...

The European Commission, the executive agency of the 15-country European Union, proposed specific initiatives yesterday that would cause e-commerce to skyrocket on the continent -- that is, if they are implemented Recognizing that cheaper Internet access is the key to building a strong e-commerce base, the commission is calling for all European tel...

A group of brick-and-mortar businesses from South Carolina to Michigan have united in an effort to push for the taxation of electronic commerce The E-Fairness Coalition, which includes the International Council of Shopping Centers, the American Booksellers Association and the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, is arguing that a ...

AT&T's plan to open its high-speed network to rivals such as America Online is receiving mixed reviews AT&T and MindSpring Enterprises, Inc. sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman William Kennard that outlines a plan to allow consumers who access the Internet via AT&T's cable TV lines to choose service from a number of co...

AT&T's plan to open its high-speed network to rivals such as America Online is receiving mixed reviews AT&T and MindSpring Enterprises, Inc. sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman William Kennard that outlines a plan to allow consumers who access the Internet via AT&T's cable TV lines to choose service from a number of co...