Beth Cox

Aided by strong Mother’s Day sales and its own cost-cutting efforts, New York-based 1-800-Flowers.com reported a profit, albeit not much of one, for its fiscal fourth quarter. The news sent the company’s stock up at the opening, to $13.75 after closing at $13.35 on Wednesday. It was sinking back in mid-morning trading, down to $12.85. […]

The battle over sales taxes on e-commerce transactions is shaping up, with many of the nation’s governors pushing Congress for relief on perceived lost revenues, while e-tailing companies and industry associations assert that such taxes would cripple their nascent businesses. In fact, more than 40 state governors are expected to sign a letter this week […]

IntraNet Solutions Inc., which is changing its name to Stellent Inc. effective Aug. 29, delivered the Stellent Content Integration Kit, aimed at making it easier to integrate the company’s content management product with other enterprise applications. The company was up 80 cents in early trading, to $21.69. Its 52-week high is $64 a share. Eden […]

Educational publishing company John Wiley & Sons Inc. will acquire troubled “For Dummies” book publisher Hungry Minds Inc., formerly known as IDG Books Worldwide Inc., in a cash deal valued at $182.5 million. New York City-based John Wiley will make a $6.09 per share cash offer for all of Hungry Minds’ approximately 14.8 million outstanding […]

This week is starting with another sonic boom in the online travel sector as travel and real estate services company Cendant Corp. signed a deal to acquire discount airfare merchant Cheap Tickets Inc. in a stock deal valued at about $425 million. However, New York City-based Cendant said that inasmuch as Honolulu-based Cheap Tickets has […]

A new report from the Federal Reserve Bank in Dallas says that despite the meltdown in the dot com world and the ongoing shakeout involving many e-marketplaces, B2B e-commerce is fundamentally sound and continues to drive so-called new economy. The report, in the latest issue of the bank’s “Southwest Economy” newsletter, contends that improvements in […]

In a move that both bolsters and complements its offerings, online real estate network Homestore.com Inc. is acquiring Langhorne, Pa.-based iPlace Inc., which provides online credit and neighborhood information to real estate professionals and consumers, for about $150 million. iPlace is a unit of Stamford, CT-based Memberworks . iPlace says it has 600,000 paid consumer […]

Troubled Internet portal and e-commerce site Nettaxi.com called off merger discussions with Vaultus Inc., a provider of mobile infrastructure software. Campbell, Calif.-based Nettaxi, its stock trading at 17 cents on the OTC bulletin board, had announced on July 9 that a non-binding letter of intent had been signed with privately held Vaultus. “Despite our efforts, […]

Bid4Assets Inc., which operates an asset disposition Web site for companies seeking to unload their belongings, has signed a deal to auction off the assets of Commco Technology LLC, a failed wireless telecom based in Connecticut. Silver Spring, Md.-based Bid4Assets said the sealed bid sale of wireless telecom equipment will close Aug. 23. Bidders can […]

In a move that consolidates its strategy for equipping North American vehicles with wireless features, DaimlerChrysler selected AT& T Wireless to be its development partner and wireless provider. Traverse City, Mich.-based DaimlerChrysler is implementing what it calls its “telematics strategy,” offering voice and data communication tools in its cars and trucks. The deal with AT&T […]

Inktomi Corp. is teaming up with Watchfire, a Canadian provider of automated Web site management software, to offer what it calls “a higher quality search experience across corporate intranets, extranets and Web sites.” Foster City, Calif.-based Inktomi said the deal will leverage its search technology and Watchfire’s metadata management software to provide clients with a […]

In a move that significantly bolsters its real estate offerings, eBay Inc. has acquired Pasadena, Calif.-based HomesDirect, a closely held provider of foreclosure-related auction services, for an undisclosed amount. Real estate has done reasonably well for eBay, and this deal no doubt will be accretive to revenues. “Through the tail end of 2000 and the […]