Twitter and the NFL are betting that a partnership announced this month could help refine the roughly defined relationship between social media and the world of sports. The NFL set out to reclaim fans who chewed through their cable TV cords and strayed from the flock of football faithful. Twitter's motive in agreeing to stream 10 gridiron games during the 2016 season was growth and retention.

The search engine industry is constantly evolving. It seems like every other week there is news of a new announcement -- the latest innovation in search that is sure to be copied within months, or a legal issue that threatens to change the landscape. Search has transitioned from a simplistic entry point to King Content to a more interactive arena.

What will Google do next? How will Yahoo counter the move? And how will this impact MSN Search, Ask Jeeves and the scores of smaller players vying to get their share of the search engine revenue pie? Rumors abound about what will come next for major players in search. Some believe Google is preparing to launch a free Internet telephone service in the United Kingdom.

What's the next search frontier? Will some new technology transform search as we know it? Will everything under the sun be searchable by the end of the year? Will the legal landscape set the industry back? It all depends on whom you ask. As the dust settled on the Search Engine Strategies Conference & Expo in New York last week, there was more speculation than ever about where the search engine industry will go this year.

2003 was supposed to be the year of the PC upgrade -- but more than halfway through the year, a jump in PC sales is nowhere in sight. Fortunately, IT departments are likely to buck the overall enterprise trend. What sorts of computers are IT departments seeking?

Buzz about WiFi has swelled to a dull roar this year, with increasing numbers of hotels, airports and coffee shops providing "hot spots" for wireless connections. "WiFi is becoming ubiquitous," Meta Group program director Chris Kozup told the E-Commerce Times. Is this high-speed mobile networking technology poised to take off in an even bigger way?

Recently, a new value-added tax (VAT) law was enacted to level the playing field between Europe-based and U.S.-based companies in the European e-commerce market. How will the new rules affect U.S.-based companies trying to establish or keep a foothold in the European e-commerce game?

On paper, the allure of no-name PCs, or "white boxes," may seem almost irresistible. But if no-name hardware is such a bargain, why are so many businesses sticking with well-known OEMs, such as Dell and HP? Which types of organizations typically choose white boxes -- and when does it make sense for a company to consider doing so?

Macromedia Flash technology garnered a shaky reputation at the height of dot-com mania, when it was often associated with Web site splash pages that effectively barred users from accessing a site's useful content. But things have changed. How did Flash transcend its less-than-auspicious beginnings to become an appealing and useful technology?

All hail King Harry. When Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was released, Amazon.com shipped out more than a million copies, making it the largest one-day distribution of a single item in e-commerce history. What are some other notable e-commerce milestones?

Apple's new Panther Server offering, slated to launch before year's end, may put it on a level with Unix, Linux and Windows Server -- at least in technical terms. Will Panther Server also help the company gain much-needed mind share?

Despite scaled-back staffing levels and widespread hiring freezes in the past few years, there is still sometimes a shortage of qualified candidates to fill certain IT jobs, even when money is budgeted for hiring. What skills are in demand -- and are hundreds of thousands of IT jobs really going unfilled?

SAP is not complaining about its No. 1 rank in the overall enterprise software space. However, SAP spokesperson Laurie Doyle Kelly told CRM Buyer that although the company is pleased with its standing, it never takes its eyes off the competition.

It is virtually impossible, even in today's buyer's market, to get something for nothing when it comes to enterprise software. On the other hand, PC utilities -- small programs that perform specific tasks -- can be a great alternative in some cases, allowing small businesses to stretch their IT dollars. Which PC utilities are worth installing?

For many years, Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard have collaborated to make their products work together. On the surface, it seems that the two companies' symbiosis runs deep and greatly benefits both parties. The real question is, how will the relationship weather such hurdles as the ascent of Linux?

Passwords are both the universal language for network navigation and the weakest link in network security. However, any enterprise, large or small, can take steps to minimize risk without resorting to cutting-edge and costly technologies like biometrics. What are the most important things a CIO or IT administrator can do to tighten password security?

Since UnitedLinux was first previewed last November, it has not made many headlines. Meanwhile, SCO, one of the original "core four" UnitedLinux consortium members, has sued IBM for billions of dollars and is now on many open-source advocates' most-wanted list. Is UnitedLinux dead, or is SCO's participation the only casualty of the uproar?

Blame Hollywood for the glorification of the underdog if you must, but it is difficult to ignore the charm of a comeback kid, especially in today's struggling high-tech sector. In this special report at the midpoint of 2003, the E-Commerce Times focuses on several newly spiffed-up tech companies -- and explores what separates them from the pack.

Back in the IT good old days, money was plentiful, and nearly all projects were approved. What happened next has been described by Harvard University lecturer and author David Collis as the perfect storm of the IT world. The rough seas eventually will smooth out, but what can a CIO do until his or her company reaches calmer waters?

Venture capitalists may not be the heroic figures they were a few years ago, but they still have the power to decide whether would-be e-business superstars get a chance to seek the limelight. The difference between now and then is scale, Bain Capital Ventures partner Mike Krupka told the E-Commerce Times. "We now know you can only go so fast."

In macro terms, the hostile takeover has been a common, if generally reviled, tactic throughout human history. But does this art of war hold up over the long term in the business world? Amid the Oracle-PeopleSoft-J.D. Edwards melee, now seems like the right time to ask this pressing question.

Fraud on the Web may be analogous to fraud in the real world, but it seems to be far easier to defraud individuals of their bank accounts, cell phone accounts and even entire identities online. In this new medium, the black hats are outpacing the white hats, at least so far. Will law enforcement officials succeed in turning the tide?

If industry influence trumped such traditional economic considerations as market share, Apple probably would be the top computer manufacturer. Since prodigal founder Steve Jobs retook the reins in 1997, the company has revolutionized PC and notebook design, consumer electronics and digital distribution. Where will Apple be in five years?

Although the Internet burst into the mainstream several years ago, many enterprises are only just beginning to consider how world-class search capabilities could benefit their in-house infrastructure. One of the forerunners in this field is industry darling Google. As Gartner analyst Whit Andrews put it, "No one will get fired for buying Google."

Most CIOs at some point have asked: Should I outsource this IT project? The answer can be surprisingly complex, depending on the reasons for considering such a move. For starters, although savings achieved through outsourcing can be significant, outsourcing is not just about money.

Has Linux finally matured into a viable desktop alternative to the Windows monolith? And will increasing adoption of this open source OS have a snowball effect in more and more organizations?

They seem ubiquitous wherever consumer electronics, hardware and software are sold: the offers for rebates plastered on packaging, store displays and cash register receipts. However, some buyers have found that promised rebates really are too good to be true. What are the pitfalls of high-tech rebates, and why do companies offer them instead of simply lowering prices?

The economic crash, which hit telecoms and dot-coms hard, did not spare onetime high-flier Cisco. However, despite a rough 2001, the company was one of the first tech giants to recover its balance. With some recent acquisitions in what it sees as key emerging markets, is Cisco poised to regain its titanic status?

SCO's $1 billion lawsuit against IBM, which accuses Big Blue of violating its Unix licensing terms, has snowballed and is turning into "a high-tech game of Risk, with different combinations of players moving to form political alliances," Yankee Group senior analyst Laura DiDio told the E-Commerce Times. Will the suit slow the Linux juggernaut, or is it a non-starter?

Given the pace of business today, instant messaging seems like a natural fit for the global enterprise, enabling far-flung employees and contract workers to communicate in real-time throughout the workday. However, many enterprises are balking for a simple reason: IM and other peer-to-peer applications can pose serious security risks.