John Lewell

Procter & Gamble and Excite UK announced a partnership this week to develop a new Internet site for teenagers, to be launched later in the year. Procter & Gamble, which markets 300 brands in over 140 countries, believes the new site will enable it to build ongoing relationships with an increasingly important group of consumers. […]

European Web agency Fi SYSTEM Group announced Wednesday that it has acquired a controlling stake in Manchester-based direct marketing specialist GCP. The terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. GCP’s Managing Director Geoff Cotton said the move represented a major strategic development for GCP. “The Web is one of the critical enablers for the future […]

Inktomi announced Wednesday it has signed with the UK’s top portal Freeserve to become its search engine of choice. The two companies followed up on the announcement with the estimation that the Web now boasts over a billion documents, a statement made to emphasize the importance of search engines. John Pluthero, chief executive of Freeserve, […]

Europe’s top Internet-based recruitment firm topjobs.net plc Tuesday signed a multinational deal with AOL Europe that will put its service on each of AOL’s European properties. topjobs.net will link to the CompuServe brands across Europe and on Netscape Online in the UK, AOL’s first free ISP in the region. The deal covers the UK, Germany, […]

Internet measurement pioneer Media Metrix released statistics Monday showing that Web users explore non-domestic sites with surprising frequency. Both Demon Internet and Freeserve emerged as popular destinations for U.S. and German users. “Media Metrix’ findings illustrate what the ‘worldwide’ in World Wide Web really means: access and interaction with diverse cultures and languages throughout the […]

Scoot.com plc and European conglomerate Vivendi S.A. Monday announced the terms of the two companies’ European joint venture, including Vivendi’s decision to take a larger stake in the infomediary. Also on Monday, Scoot announced quarterly results to December 31, 1999, showing revenues up 150 per cent, while net loss per share dropped to 0.75 pence […]

Seven new international strategic partners are putting an additional $31 million into lastminute.com, the late-purchase e-commerce company announced this week. The seven partners are BAA plc, Priceline.com, Bass Hotels & Resorts, Sony Music Entertainment, Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Viventures and Mitsubishi Corp. Finance. “This is another important step in realizing our strategy to become […]

Oracle and European system integrator Cap Gemini plan to deliver integrated wireless telecoms solutions based on Oracle’s Portal-to-Go product. Cap Gemini says it has already established centers in Holland and France where development will take place, with others planned for the United States and Singapore. “Industry research has shown the wireless data services market to […]

Further consolidating its global empire, E*TRADE Thursday said it has acquired all the outstanding shares in E*TRADE UK. Shareowners of E*TRADE UK will receive 3.8 million shares of E*TRADE common stock as a result of the agreement. When launched in July last year, E*TRADE UK was a joint venture between E*TRADE Group (EGRP) in the […]

U.S. investment firm Friedman, Billings, Ramsey Group(FBR) this week forged an alliance with Dawnay, Day Lander (DDL), a U.K. venture capital company with an Internet focus. FBR has purchased a minority equity interest in DDL and is to raise $20 million for DDL’s Internet Incubator Fund. The two companies did not disclose any other terms […]

IT services company Compel Group this week acquired Pangaea, a provider of Web design and Internet-based solutions to major U.K. corporations. The terms of the takeover are that Compel will pay a total of £10.5 million ($17.01 million), of which £2.5 million ($4.05 million) becomes due immediately. The initial payment will consist of £1.75 million […]

Internet investment firm JellyWorks has announced a strategic partnership with Sweden’s EPO.COM, a company that specializes in electronic public offerings (EPOs). JellyWorks already has a shareholding in EPO.COM but with the new agreement it will increase its involvement in the Scandinavian market. The U.K. firm will operate from EPO.COM’s offices and allow the Swedish firm […]