Extar Stock on the Rise

SANTA CLARA, CA -- Extar Systems, the California-based software company that announced a revolutionary new online commerce management product at the recent EXcomp Technology Show in Chicago said today that it has enjoyed a steady rise in stock value since the product launch.

With online commerce growing by more than 20% year over year, the market for management software allowing companies to maximize their online efforts is hot, as evidenced by the recent scandal involving Extar and Houston-based Evans Business Solutions. Evans and Extar are fierce rivals in the online commerce management arena.

The rise in stock has attracted an impressive number of new investors to Extar, and company president Jim Tarskan is very optimistic about 2004. "The growth that we have seen since our announcement has been shocking," said Tarskan. "We knew that this would be big, but we did not anticipate this kind of growth. It is a great reward for all of the hard work that our technicians and programmers put into the development of the product."

Not everyone is thrilled about the boost that Extar is receiving. Evans Business Solutions maintains that Extar's product is identical to one that they are preparing to release, and that Extar actually built the product around code that was stolen from Evans.

"We don't yet have hard evidence that Extar was involved in the data theft," explained Evans spokesperson Daniel Thompson, "but we do know that for most of the two years that we were developing our product there was no other company working on the same technology. Suddenly Extar releases a product that is nearly identical. Something doesn't add up."

Extar defends against these claims, saying that their investment in resources—both in staff and in funding—was significant and is the reason they were able to beat Evans to market.

No doubt we have not heard the end of the Extar-Evans case, but in the meantime Extar is enjoying the wave of success that has resulted from the launch of its revolutionary software.


Low Carb Continues to be a Boon for Business

MIAMI, FL -- The latest diet craze to sweep America—the "Low Carb Revolution"—continues to gain momentum and is one of the biggest boons for the food industry in years.

At least it is a boon for those willing to adapt to the new culinary tastes of consumers. Many cafes and restaurants were quick to jump on the low-carb bandwagon, and now fast food franchises are following their lead. Chains such as Subway offer a number of low-carb menu items, and a trip to the supermarket floods the shopper with promises of low-carb eating.

From items that do require some carb reduction to be compatible with Atkins—such as deep dish pizza—to items that one would never think about making low carb—such as salad dressing—there seems to be no limit to what manufacturers will do to capitalize on the fad.

A recent investigation of the food industry uncovered some very questionable low-carb offerings. Judge for yourself:

H2Atkins
This bottled water product drawn from natural springs in the Sierra Nevada mountains promises consumers the best "low-carb water experience" they have ever had. Believe it or not, the bottler had managed to get the carb content of this water down to zero.

VinegAtkins
Available in white wine, apple cider, and rice varieties, this specially formulated low-carb vinegar will ensure that those tangy and sour dining experiences are Atkins friendly. No more worrying about bloating up after enjoying that lemon/vinegar salad dressing.

CarbWhip
This unfortunately named product sounds like fluffy, scoopable carbohydrates, but it is actually a Cool Whip-style non-dairy product that not only contains zero carbs, but also zero flavor. It may not be the most fun you've ever had at dessert, but at least Atkins would approve. Rumor has it that CarbWhip is a favorite of one of the suspects in the Evans data theft case.

Crest Whitening: Low Carb
Everyone wants shiny white teeth, and the Crest line of use-at-home whitening products has been a smashing success. But for those concerned that brushing might put them over their daily carb limit, Crest is unveiling a special low-carb version of their popular toothpaste. Available in beef, pork, and chicken flavors.

Palmolive "Low Carb Essence"
A lot of people have that bad habit of chewing on their fingernails, and some of those people are afraid that the soap residue caught under their fingernails after washing dishes could lead to an overload of carbs. To combat this problem—and to put customers' minds at ease—Colgate-Palmolive have announced a new line of dishwashing liquids that are guaranteed to be low in carbs. The first and only dishwashing liquids to carry the Nutrition Facts label.

CarBird Deluxe Seed Mix
Those who are really sensitive to carbs and really sensitive in general have begun to take the health of the animals around them into account as well. For those consumers there's CarBird Deluxe Seed Mix, a special formulation of bird seed that will keep those feathered friends slim and low on energy, just like you. Just put a few scoops of CarBird in the patio feeder and you can be guaranteed that birds will always be hanging around your place—because after a few weeks on this diet they may not have enough energy to fly away!

Intercompany Romances Can Spell Disaster

SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- We've all heard the advice that it's best not to date someone you work with. Such arrangements can often make for a tense office environment when the relationship ends. Another piece of advice that is less often heard is that employers should discourage their staff from dating workers from competing companies.



Whereas office romances can result in lost productivity, love affairs between employees of competing companies can result in the passing of trade secrets. Researchers have found that when partners see a distinct financial advantage at one company, they will in some cases begin helping that company gain an advantage with the aim of eventually becoming solely reliant on that organization.

Known as "lovetrusion," this filtering of sensitive information to the organization of a spouse or love interest has created headaches for many companies.

"Often times the information funneled out of the organization is relatively harmless," explains business psychology expert Burt Tramonds. "But highly sensitive information such as customers' personal data or even research data for projects under development could fall into the hands of the competition."

Legislation Pending?
Congress is not blind to the threat that lovetrusion poses to corporate America, and several prominent senators are working on a bill that would require harsh penalties for anyone found guilty of the crime.

The Ben-Jen Act, as it is currently called—named after the actor whose career was almost destroyed by a lethal partner—would specify mandatory prison time of 20 years and fines of up to $5 million in cases of lovetrusion.

"What the senators are trying to do is to discourage employees from undermining their companies by threatening to throw the book at them," says a spokeperson for the authors of the bill who wishes to remain anonymous. "Of course, they realize that in reality most offenders will be sentenced to three weeks of community service and a $250 fine, but we're going to keep that hush hush."

Software companies are already jumping on the legislative bandwagon, preparing marketing tactics to take advantage of the Ben-Jen storm that is sure to come. Expect "Ben-Jen Compliance" to be the catch phrase of 2005.

Back to Reality
In the real world (i.e. outside of Capitol Hill) the business community is beginning to realize that lovetrusion is a problem best dealt with internally, through employee education and internal sanctions when necessary. Realizing that lovetrusion—like love itself—will not be deterred by government regulations, companies are coming up with their own incentives and rewards for being a good employee.

With diligence, clear guidelines, and perhaps company-sponsored internal singles mixers, American business can survive the dangers of lovetrusion and the possibly devestating effects that it could have on the bottom line.



Other Business Stories

Be sure to uncover all the clues...

Issue 1

Fall in Love with Security in 2004
Bytware has developed the StandGuard Premier Customer program. The program allows StandGuard Anti-Virus customers to pick and choose the StandGuard Security products that best suit their needs, building their own custom suite, and do it at substantial promotional savings! :: View full story.

Spam Costing Companies Millions Each Year
There's virtually no computer user in the world who has not felt the frustration of unwanted commercial e-mail, also known as Spam, which floods the inboxes of millions daily and threatens to render e-mail useless. :: View full story.

U.S. Economy Expected to Hit 4.5% Growth Rate in 2004
Financial forecasters predict that the US economy could see its largest annual growth since 1984 in the coming year. :: View full story.

Issue 2

Mydoom Hits iSeries
As the original Mydoom worm (W32/Mydoom@MM) continues to spread at blazing speeds around the world, a second variant has been unleashed and is adding to the already overwhelming bandwidth consumption worldwide. In another twist that may have been unexpected by many IT administrators, Mydoom has also hit the iSeries. ::
View full story.

Evans Business Solutions Centralizes iSeries Operations
Local tech vendor Evans Business Solutions recently moved to centralize its global iSeries operations to ensure smooth business, embracing the concept of "on demand" computing. :: View full story.

IBM Enhances iSeries with New Solutions Supported by Software Vendors
Adding to its arsenal of solutions running on the IBM eServer iSeries, IBM today announced that more than 300 new Linux and WebSphere solutions have been successfully ported to the iSeries platform. The addition of the solutions over the last year is in response to demand from server customers around the world.
View full story.

Issue 3

Extar Stock on the Rise
Extar Systems, the California-based software company that announced a revolutionary new online commerce management product at the recent EXcomp Technology Show in Chicago said today that it has enjoyed a steady rise in stock value since the product launch. :: View full story.

Low Carb Continues to be a Boon for Business
The latest diet craze to sweep America—the "Low Carb Revolution"—continues to gain momentum and is one of the biggest boons for the food industry in years. ::
View full story.

Intercompany Romances Can Spell Disaster
We've all heard the advice that it's best not to date someone you work with. Such arrangements can often make for a tense office environment when the relationship ends. Another piece of advice that is less often heard is that employers should discourage their staff from dating workers from competing companies. ::
View full story.

Issue 4

Global Security Survey Results are Troubling for IT
It's no secret that security risks are widespread and growing. As technology outpaces the framework and guidelines within which it is used, the opportunities for data and identity theft are flourishing. :: View full story.

Is Jelly Belly on your Breath?
For years nutritional experts have said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Unfortunately, a large percentage of the population doesn't subscribe to this belief. Jelly Belly is considering a new approach. :: View full story.

Consumers Find Relief from Gas Prices in Unlikely Place
Soaring gas prices have been making a dent in consumers' pocket books all spring, and nowhere has the pain been felt more than in Southern California. As prices approached $3 per gallon, drivers decided to fight back. :: View full story.