Marc L. Songini

Xerox is investing in two new customer relationship management applications as part of its effort to boost sales after two years of big losses.

Alaska Airlines went live earlier this month with a full implementation of customer relationship management software that automatically notifies travellers about flight changes.

SAP AG said Wednesday it's folding its Web portal and online marketplace and procurement subsidiaries into one unit to make it easier for customers to cobble together a unified e-business infrastructure.

Baan Co. last week moved to revive its line of customer relationship management (CRM) software, announcing a rebranded and upgraded release that will be marketed as part of an integrated suite of Web-enabled enterprise applications.

Following what chief executive officer Larry Ellison called the "toughest quarter in a decade," Oracle Corp. said Monday it would be trimming its 42,000-strong workforce by as many as 800 people.

Oracle last week unveiled an upgrade of its Oracle9i application server software and pitched its latest database to users, claiming the two technologies can simplify the integration and management of corporate IT architectures.

For the second time in the last four months, Computer Associates is reshuffling its sprawling software line-up to make it easier for users to get a handle on the various data management tools and applications the company sells.

The jump in e-mail traffic to The American National Red Cross after Sept. 11 has underscored the agency