John Lewell

Le Groupe Arnault’s Internet investment arm Europ@web has acquired a 20 percent stake in art auction information company Artprice.com. At Artprice.com, visitors can search a data bank of detailed art auction results containing nearly two million entries recorded since 1987. The entries refer to the works of 170,000 artists from the 10th century until today. […]

Art auctioneers Sotheby’s and top e-commerce company Amazon.com jointly launched sothebys.amazon.com on Friday. With every lot guaranteed for authenticity and condition by recognized experts, the new site is off to a flying start, having already generated worldwide interest. Items for sale on sothebys.amazon.com range in price from $l00 to $100,000 — and even higher — […]

Broadband Internet access provider chello has announced it is taking its service to Sweden. Its Swedish partner StjarnTV will make the high-speed service available to 100,000 households on chello.se. The addition of Sweden to chello’s steadily expanding territory is a significant step in the broadband supplier’s planned growth. It is expected that by February 2000, […]

Online auction service icollector says it will launch the industry’s highest insurance coverage for e-commerce transactions on November 22. Called iGuarantee, the new insurance policy arranged by e-business consultants SafeOnLine will cover items that people purchase on icollector, up to a value of $50,000. icollector says the amount “significantly exceeds” the coverage offered by its […]

Software developer Inktomi Thursday launched its online shopping service for European Internet portals. The move will make the Inktomi Shopping Engine available to many of the top portals for integration into their sites. Recently, BT announced that it would be the first to use the Inktomi Shopping Engine for powering its web-based btspree.com service. Now, […]

Online auction technology pioneer Bid.com International has allied with Europe’s Cap Gemini Group for a joint e-commerce strategy. The two companies will jointly market e-commerce solutions and promote the deployment of online auctions in France. “The e-commerce revolution in Europe is happening very fast,” said Brett Miller, vice president, business development, Bid.com Europe.

Microsoft has launched its MSN WebCourier service in the UK, which offers “opt-in” delivery of newletters on selected subjects to the UK’s 1.2 million Hotmail users. “The launch of WebCourier complements the existing Hotmail communications services by delivering timely and relevant content that is of interest to UK consumers, underpinning our commitment in helping deliver […]

Figures issued by the Enterprise Customer Management Show reveal that the call centre boom is set to continue. Three quarters of firms that already have a call centre will expand it during the coming year. Other statistics show that while only 11 per cent of call centres in the UK will be web-enabled by the […]

The UK’s top deals site lastminute.com has signed a deal with Forte Hotel Group that will give its users access to 250 Meridien, Posthouse and Heritage hotels around the world. lastminute.com says that the deal is the first of a series intended to position the site as a world resource for hotel accommodation. “I am […]

In the second phase of its Wired for Health programme, the UK Government has launched Mind, Body & Soul, a health information web site for teenagers. Developed specifically for pupils aged 14 to 16 years, the new site addresses a wide range of health topics, including drugs, alcohol and mental health. It carries details about […]

A new Web site was launched this week to offer practical advice and appropriate software to IT managers in Europe. Called EMUbase.com, it offers expert assistance on European Monetary Union (EMU) projects and helps businesses find the consultants and tools most likely to be of use to company operations. “Whether your organisation is UK based […]

E-mail community provider ONElist announced Wednesday that the company is on its way to realizing its goal of pan-European expansion. ONElist is currently establishing sites in Germany, France and the UK and will launch local language versions in all major European markets this year. ONElist says it is also establishing a subsidiary with offices in […]