Stacy Cowley

E-business software maker Siebel Systems Inc. is expanding its existing partnerships with Hewlett-Packard Co. and BEA Systems Inc., the company said Monday.

IBM Corp. will take the wraps off version 6 of Lotus Notes and Domino on Tuesday, ushering in the first major upgrade in three years of Lotus' flagship corporate messaging and infrastructure software.

Two new products are on the way from Microsoft Business Solutions, Microsoft Corp.'s development unit for software aimed at small- and medium-size businesses.

IBM Corp. has acquired software maker Holosofx Inc., whose technology IBM plans to integrate into its own WebSphere Business Integration software. Financial terms of the deal, announced Thursday after closing on Wednesday, were not disclosed.

Handheld device shipments to distribution channels and direct customers dropped nearly 10 per cent year-over-year in the second quarter, according to research firm IDC.

The obstacles of moving data from an old PC to a new one are familiar frustrations to many consumers and corporate IT support workers. Now, several IT vendors, including IBM Corp., Intel Corp. and Microsoft Corp., have formed a new working group to study and promote methods of improving the PC data-migration experience, the companies involved announced Wednesday.

IBM Corp. is acquiring identity management software developer Access360, whose technology IBM plans to merge into its Tivoli portfolio of systems management software, the companies said Tuesday. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

A new version of the Netscape browser with a tweaked interface and an upgraded e-mail program was released Thursday by AOL Time Warner Inc. (AOLTW) subsidiary Netscape Communications Corp.