Colin C. Haley

Another high-profile technology company has replaced scandal-tarred Arthur Andersen as auditor. Tuesday, it was e-commerce software maker Art Technology Group . Today, it’s market analyst Forrester Research . Both companies are based in Cambridge, Mass. “Although Andersen has provided excellent service in the past, we think this decision is in the best interest of the […]

SmartForce‘s planned purchase of Centra , once hailed as “a watershed event for the e-learning industry” by executives, has been scrapped as both companies suffer dismal first-quarters. Instead, the firms will settle for a reseller and co-marketing pact. When announced in mid-January the all-stock deal carried a value of $284 million. “While we continue to […]

Earnings warnings and analyst downgrades dragged on tech stocks Tuesday, while the worsening Middle East conflict pressured blue chips for a second straight day. The ISDEX dropped 8, or 5 percent, to 155 and the Nasdaq slumped 58, or 3 percent to 1804. The Dow lost 48, or a half a percentage, to 1137. And […]

Taking advantage of plummeting real estate prices, Akamai will pay $15 million to break its lease near Kendall Square in Cambridge, Mass., and look for new headquarters. The firm, which makes technology to speed delivery of Internet content, said it expects to announce the location of its new corporate offices within three months. An Akamai […]

Having navigated bankruptcy and distanced itself from its disgraced parent, Dictaphone will re-emerge with new capital and product lines. Last week, a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge approved the Stratford, Conn., firm’s reorganization plan. The ruling allows the maker of dictation, speech recognition and communications equipment to start fresh. “With the blanket of Chapter 11 lifted […]

Terra Lycos has chosen Portal Software to handle billing for a slew of new paid content and services Financial terms of the deal between the Spanish Internet network (with U.S. headquarters in Waltham, Mass.) and the Cupertino, Calif., developer were not disclosed. “Portal’s (flagship product) will play an important role in the continued deployment of […]

If Brooktrout has its way, the Pepsi generation will reach for a cell phone instead of a change purse next time they crave a soda. The Needham, Mass., firm, along with CTI Labs and Pepsi Cola Germany, is testing technology that allow customers to charge drinks to their mobile phone account. The offering is on […]

Putnam Investments said its will vote its shares in favor of the proposed merger of Hewlett Packard Co. and Compaq Computer Corp. , a hopeful sign for advocates of the $22 billion deal. “We believe the merger enhances the combined companies’ strategic and competitive positions and offers financial benefits to shareholders,” the Boston mutual fund […]

BOSTON — Don’t let the emoticons, slang and sound effects fool you into thinking that instant messaging is a novelty confined to the Britney Spears set — it’s serious business. Provided a few issues are addressed, the technology will be ubiquitous in corporate culture, according to experts at Instant Messaging Planet, a two-day conference and […]

A month after exiting dial-up, Genuity is turning its focus to storage and backup, services that are paramount in the minds of big business CIOs. Run over the Woburn, Mass., company’s Internet protocol (IP) network, the new Black Rocket Storage suite includes remote data replication, on-demand additional capacity and remote site fail-over. The new services […]

IT managers must think like hackers to stop them. That’s the premise behind a week-long seminar coming to Boston on Monday. In its fourth year, Ernst & Young’s Xtreme Hacking focuses on host and network security defense. The sold out event takes place at the accounting giant’s John Hancock Tower offices. “It’s really no longer […]

Verio, a provider of Web hosting and other Internet services for business customers, will shutter its Boston data center as part of an ongoing restructuring that will see 36 facilities closed. “In Boston, all customers have been notified and Verio is working with them if they choose to migrate servers to another Verio facility,” spokeswoman […]