John Lewell

Cyber Rights & Cyber-Liberties (UK) has published a letter it sent to IBM and BT asking the two companies to limit their support for the UK government’s controversial e-commerce policy. The letter, sent August 5 to Lou Gerstner, chairman and CEO of IBM, and Peter Bonfield, chief executive of BT, welcomes the removal of “the […]

In Wednesday’s great giveaway of books, Bertelsmann subsidiary BOL received 40,000 visitors, most of whom were hoping to get one of the 20,000 free books being offered. BOL appears to be pleased with the result, although marketing experts will point out that the company merely succeeded in adding 20,000 non-paying customers, plus a further 20,000 […]

Telewest Communications, one of the UK’s leading cable TV companies, is to partner Microsoft to provide broadband and Internet services in the UK. The first stage of implementing the alliance, announced Thursday, will be the development of a Telewest co-branded narrowband portal later this year. Initially this will enable Telewest Internet customers to access MSN’s […]

Leading UK cable TV company ntl is offering a cut-rate Internet access service that will cost users just one penny per minute at all times. ntl believes the clarity of its pricing in contrast to BT’s complex charging policy will be every bit as welcome as its highly competitive rates. The company will charge normal […]

A Hong Kong magistrate ruled yesterday that a systems administrator did not commit an illegal act when he used two other companies’ networks to spam thousands of e-mail addresses. Ng Ming-sum, an employee of Karin Electronics, allegedly used the networks of public relations consultancy Euan Barty Associates (EBA) and Web design firm HKName Design Co. […]

UK-based Fletcher Research has predicted in a new report that there will be 121 million Europeans online by 2004 — representing 32 percent of the adult population. The prediction, which appears in “Internet Europe: Connecting the Consumer,” is likely to fuel still further the frenzy of Internet investment currently taking place on this side of […]

Leading European Internet bookseller BOL is giving away a selection of books between 3.30 and 5.30 pm on Wednesday, August 4, to mark its six-month anniversary. Customers will get a choice of five bestsellers and will be able to obtain a book, one per mailing address, without incurring any packing charges or other obligations, says […]

London-based Millennium Digital Communications has launched an Internet trading solution that allows brokers to establish themselves on the Internet with relatively inexpensive technology. MDC’s trading solution enables “end-to-end” Straight Through Processing (STP) in real-time of foreign exchange, stocks and other tradable products. It has already been tested on both sides of the Atlantic, at sites […]

In addition to its announcement of plans to roll out ADSL-based high speed data service, BT said it will upgrade 400 exchanges, covering nearly six million households and businesses, by next March. The initial roll-out of Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) services will take place in ten cities: London (within the M25), Cardiff, Belfast, Coventry, […]

AOL Europe has announced that it will conduct national trials of DSL technology, beginning with UK trials over British Telecom’s recently announced ADSL platform. “We will pursue relationships with broadband providers of any available technology so that we can best serve our members’ needs, allowing people to connect easily and conveniently — wherever they are,” […]

Supply chain specialist Kewill Systems has acquired U.S.-based Aristo Research and Aristo Computers, specialists in integrated e-commerce shipping and receiving software solutions, for $18 million. Kewill, which is now a global supplier of supply chain solutions with 750 employees worldwide, plans to merge the newly acquired companies into its Electronic Commerce Division. It says the […]

British Telecom, through its Internet & Multimedia Services division (IMS), plans to launch an interactive content service for consumers over ADSL, the new high speed digital service also announced this week. BT’s offering will consist of high-speed Internet access, enhanced Internet applications and what it calls “a compelling range of content services.” The whole package […]