Clint Boulton

Net communications provider Net2Phone Inc. moved to outclass typical long distance communications Wednesday with its introduction of Net2Phone version 10. The software is free and can be downloaded from Net2Phone’s (NTOP) site. Net2Phone V.10 enables free PC-to-PC voice conversation over the Net via Net2Phone’s IP telephony network. Along with the new PC-to-PC service, Net2Phone V.10 […]

Looking to guide consumers to commercial hotspots all over the country, America Online Inc. Wednesday purchased MapQuest.com Inc. in a stock deal worth $1.1 billion. MapQuest.com shareholders will receive 0.31558 shares of AOL for each share they own. The deal, which must still be approved by shareholders and regulators, is expected to close in the […]

Mobile Net software company Phone.com Inc. Tuesday bought voice portal supplier @Motion Inc. for $285 million in stock. Phone.com (PHCM) will use @Motion’s technology to voice-enable its MyPhone mobile portal and its UP.Link Server Suite Wireless Application Protocol 1.1 platform. @Motion will also add voice communications services including virtual assistant and unified messaging to the […]

Electronic billing provider CheckFree Holdings Tuesday bought billing software pioneer BlueGill Technologies for about $250 million in stock. CheckFree (CKFR) will absorb BlueGill’s open standards-based biller software products and business-to-consumer and business-to-business software solutions. Bluegill also brings its international reach to CheckFree’s e-billing and payment network in addition to a host of domestic partnerships. CheckFree […]

Enterprise Networking Systems Inc. (ENS) Monday forged an enterprise alliance with Cisco Systems Inc. to help develop more effective applications for e-tailers. Cisco also announced it will invest $90 million in ENS. ENS and Cisco (CSCO) said they plan to create network consulting services and design tools to improve the performance of applications over corporate […]

To beef up the security of its online trust services, VeriSign Inc. Monday spent more than $1.3 billion to acquire Signio Inc. and Thawte Consulting. Both stock exchanges, Signio will cost VeriSign (VRSN) about $784 million while Thawte’s price tag is $575 million. For Verisign, Signio brings to the table its secure payment-services, which connect […]

Seeking to lure colleges with an autonmous Web server, college application service provider GoCampus Friday grabbed Epicentric Inc.’s enterprise portal server as its platform. GoCampus said it took Epicentric’s portal server over other servers for its customization, rapid deployment and flexibility to deliver signature Internet-based services to academic institutions. Epicentric’s portal server enables businesses to […]

Broadening recent initiatives recognizing the growing proliferation of multimedia on the Internet, Lycos Inc. and Dell Computer Corp. Friday took a 19 percent stake in Net search company FAST Search & Transfer ASA. Lycos plans to buy 15 percent of FAST Search & Transfer. Bob Davis, Lycos president and chief executive officer (LCOS) will join […]

Autoweb.com Thursday extended an e-commerce alliance with Saturn Corp. that spans across its entire retail network. Customers of the leading Internet car shopping service have Saturn representation in every state nationwide. Based on location, consumers on Autoweb.com can choose from up to three retailers to whom they want to send a purchase request. Once the […]

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and America Online Inc. Thursday allied to create a co-branded Internet service provider to offer Wal-Mart communities low-cost access to the Net. Financial details were not disclosed. The Wal-Mart/AOL ISP will be similar to the CompuServe service and will also include controls that allow parents to determine which sites their children access. […]

Kmart Corp. and SOFTBANK Venture Capital Wednesday formally launched BlueLight.com, an e-commerce company with free Net access and the opportunity for Kmart consumers to purchase products and services online. Kmart will be the majority shareholder, with an approximate 60 percent ownership of BlueLight.com, while top venture capital firm SOFTBANK Venture Capital, will have a $62.5 […]

CMGI Inc. Wednesday continued its torrid pace of gobbling marketing and advertising companies by absorbing e-mail marketer yesmail.com. CMGI (CMGI) will issue .1252 of its shares for every share of yesmail.com. The value of the deal will depend on the trading prices of the stocks when the transaction closes, expected in March. yesmail.com (YESM) is […]