Larry Barrett

Florida Benchmark, a mortgage survey company, has become the latest victim of a Web 2.0-style sting operation orchestrated by the Software & Information Industry Association. Busted. The company agreed to pay $150,000 in damages to the SIIA after an online tipster notified SIIA officials that Florida Benchmark had installed and was using more copies of […]

After enduring a brutal six-year malaise following the dot-com implosion, venture capitalists are back on the prowl, investing billions in all types of software companies in the hopes of landing the next VMware. For the first time in more than a year, software companies garnered more start-up cash than any other industry sector in the […]

It doesn’t require a whole lot of critical analysis to figure out exactly what SAP bigwigs are thinking these days, why the company’s making the moves it has during the past few months, or where it sees the industry heading. A more important question has arisen from this week’s TechEd ’07 conference in Las Vegas, […]

IBM thinks it’s time for companies to get serious about SOA. Judging from the quantity and depth of the new software and service offerings it’s set to debut today, Big Blue is plenty serious about at least providing options for companies that have yet to embrace service-oriented architecture (SOA)  techniques, as well as for those […]

IBM on Tuesday released Lotus Forms 3.0, the company’s first Web-based application that lets users create, manage, distribute and digitally sign electronic forms through a Web browser without requiring additional software downloads. Lotus Forms 3.0, which updates its Workplace Forms application, accelerates the integration with third-party software and back-end systems. This makes it easier for […]

Call it a disconnect between reality and expectations. On Monday, eBay said it would eat about $1.4 billion in third-quarter charges to wrap up its Skype acquisition and establish a more realistic valuation for the Internet VoIP provider’s long-term prospects. eBay shelled out more than $2.6 billion for Skype in October 2005. Now, however, the […]

SAP on Tuesday will disclose the details of a new licensing model that it hopes will entice at least another 600,000 developers to start building new applications on its NetWeaver platform by the end of next year. Mark Yolton, vice president of SAP’s Community Network, couldn’t spill all the details of what’s expected to be […]

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Skype has 220 million users, but it’s still looking for more attention. For that it has turned to developers. Paul Emery, director of Skype’s developer program, pitched the company’s plans to further its transformation from an intriguing curiosity in the VoIP market to a full-fledged communications platform and announced a rash […]

Another day, another acquisition for Cisco Systems. On Thursday, the network-equipment giant confirmed it would acquire Latigent, a developer of Web-based business intelligence and analytics reporting software for corporate contact centers. Cisco and competitors like Aspect, Genesis, Nortel and Avaya are all trying to expand their software portfolios to accommodate the increasingly complex contact centers […]

After issuing a thinly veiled threat this week to customers who had the audacity to unlock their iPhones, Apple could soon be dealing with much more troublesome issues than the predictable backlash it’s already receiving from rogue hackers and Apple fans alike. Industry pundits, angry customers and loophole-seeking attorneys are now weighing in with their […]

HP today launched a trio of new products and service packages today geared for enterprises and small- to mid-sized businesses (SMB) looking for an all-encompassing suite that will optimize their datacenters, improve the way they store, access and retrieve corporate data — and keep the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) off their backs. In order […]

Attorneys representing software giants SAP and Oracle squared off for the first time in court Tuesday during a hearing to establish the ground rules and timeline for a possible trial to determine whether or not SAP stole intellectual property and customers from its chief rival. Barring a settlement or any subsequent delays related to gathering […]