IBM launched mid-range data storage packages aimed at providing
one-stop shopping for business trying to protect information. The package
incorporates IBM’s FAStT 700 storage, TotalStorage disk drive systems and
integration from IBM Global Services.

Web magazine Slate.com and the Internet site of the British
Broadcasting Corp. took top honors in the second annual Online Journalism
Awards, selected from among 870 entries from 15 countries. The awards also
featured Indian Web site Rediff.com for its coverage of the Gujarat earthquake
in January, and Salon.com for a series of reports on Clear Channel
Communications.

Handspring has announced an updated version of its Web-browsing
software, Blazer 2.0. It provides Internet surfing capabilities to personal
digital assistants powered by Palm Inc.’s Palm OS operating system software.

Cable operators and satellite companies have always been rivals,
but EchoStar’s purchase of Hughes creates an even more formidable rival to
the others in the field. However, most
analysts do not expect the deal to weigh on cable operators in the near term,
but it may get the flame burning under new services.

Napster has delayed the launch of its new Web service due to
difficulties in obtaining content. The launch of the new service is
scheduled for the first quarter of 2001.

NeuStar Inc. has been awarded the control of the ‘.us’ Internet
domain by the US Department of Commerce. NeuLevel Inc. is a joint venture with
Australian telecommunications company Melbourne IT that intends to market
little-used online addresses.

Oracle Small Business, NetLedger, is targeting big companies with
its upgraded online services that help automate accounting, inventory, Web
activities, selling and customer service. NetLedger powers the small business
product sold by Oracle Corp.

Venture capital, sagging under the weight of this year’s technology
market meltdown, continues to tighten in the third quarter, and venture
capitalists face a hard time pitching cautious investors. Cutbacks in corporate
spending on information technology are rippling through the tech industry and
especially are weighing on privately held IT-related start-ups backed by venture
capital, say analysts.

HCL technologies in a deal with British Telecom will buy 90% of
its Apollo contact center unit for $11.5 million. The technology firm will pay
$1.2m for the remaining 10% after three years.

Aditya Infotech has introduced two new DualCams – the ClickSmart
310 and ClickSmart 510 from Logitech. The ClickSmart 310 and 510 offer one-click
QuickSync technology for instant and easy picture downloading, which enables
automatic image transfer once the cameras are connected to the PC.

Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation has extended its
relationship with $3 billion Schwans Sales Enterprises Inc. It has added SAP
application development to the eBusiness and large scale application management
responsibilities it already had at Schwans.

Promoted by media tycoon Subhash Chandra’s sons Amit Goenka and
Atul Goenka, the Mumbai-based Cyquator Technologies Ltd. plans to set up three
Internet data centers in India by March 2002. The investment is expected to be
Rs 82 crore.

Quantum ATL, a supplier of intelligent DLTape automation products,
has launched its P7000 and P4000 enterprise-class libraries. They deliver on the
SAN/NAS, high capacity, throughput and connectivity for shared storage
applications for companies that implement a SAN, but find capacity and
throughput inadequate for data intensive applications.

Tata Telecom posted a Q2 profit before tax of Rs 5.70 crore, an
increase of 132% from the previous period. The company has also announced its
half-yearly turnover of Rs 101.36 crore.

i-flex Solutions Limited won the Microsoft .NET Solution of the
Year award for the Asia Pacific region for developing "ComEX", based
on the .NET platform, as a proof of concept application for Commodities
Exchanges. The solution enables buyers and sellers of commodities to transact
online in a highly secure, scalable and available environment.

Cisco has announced 12 telephony products based on Internet
Protocol that run the network carrying voice, video and data. It includes the
Catalyst 4200 switch, which helps lower costs for branch offices by using
converged IP voice, video and data routing, and switching functions through a
single two-rack unit box.

Mumbai-based Zip Telecom Ltd. plans to enter the Asian and South
African telecommunications market with its pay phone network. Zip Telecom
produces the Zip Fone, a state-of-the art pay phone that is upgradable to offer
multiple payment options including acceptance of smart cards, provide services
such as voice mail, email and Internet browsing.

EchoStar Communications will buy General Motor’s satellite
television unit Hughes Electronics for $25.8 billion. The deal adds over 10
million subscribers to EchoStar DirecTV’s subscriber list in addition to its
existing 6 million.

SSI posted a Q1 net profit that fell 90% from a year ago period.
Net sales slipped to Rs 828.68 million from Rs 1.02 billion on the year ago
period.

Satyam Computers will invest $1million for a 7% stake in
MedBiquitous Services. Satyam will also provide onsite and offshore software
development services to the US-based firm.