Halfway.com's final bid for fame (Baker City Herald)
An amusing reminder of Philadelphia's Internet past. I guess it worked out OK for Josh Kopelman, though.


Comcast says feeling telco, satellite competition (Reuters UK)
COO Stephen Burke speaks at Goldman Sachs investor conference.


TV for the people: Public-access cable finally coming to Phila. (Philadelphia Daily News)


Microsoft Ships PerformancePoint Server 2007
There’s a good chance PerformancePoint Server could take performance management mainstream (Enterprise Systems)


Business Objects Launches BI OnDemand
The new software-as-a-service offering provides subscribers with advanced BI features, such as formatted reporting, dashboards and ad-hoc query and analysis. (Intelligent Enterprise)


HSN on rebound, Diller assures
New "breakthrough" product lines are showing promise. (St Petersburg Times)
Barry Diller also suggests that Liberty Media's stake in his IAC/InterActiveCorp will increase at some point. Could this mean a closer strategic relationship between Liberty Media's QVC and HSN?

Heartland: Public Stock Offering Priced (Associated Press via Houston Chronicle)

mindSHIFT Technologies Merges with Invision
Invision Expands mindSHIFT's Managed Hosting and e-Business Applications Capabilities (PR Newswire)
mindShift acquired Philadelphia-based Network Alternatives, Inc. in June.


Aegis to Showcase Upcoming Version 7 Software Release at Productronica (Press Release via pcb007.com)


Drexel University Subscribes to AcademyOne Transfer Automation Services (PR Newswire)



Proscape Technologies Selected to Pilot AstraZeneca's Closed Loop Marketing Program (PharmaLive)

Mobile Monday Mid-Atlantic (MoMo-Ma) to Host Inaugural Event in Philadelphia on September 24th (LBSzone.com)


Joel Spolsky in Philadelphia (Ramble)
FogBugz World Tour

John Baer | Guv, the blonde & lobbying law (Philadelphia Daily News)

SAP Introduces Business ByDesign


SAP today unveiled its new mid-market, on-demand software suite at the Nokia Theater in New York. (I half-expected a full musical production, given the hype.) The offering was christened Business ByDesign, perhaps a less regimented name than the more strict sounding R/3. It is targeted toward a more narrow segment than some expected, aimed at firms with 100 to 500 users. Some 95% of the code is said to be completely new. The rollout will be gradual at first, starting in the US and Germany.

Here is SAP's press release, and a replay of the webcast should be found here.
I'm sure there will be more meaningful analysis in the coming days and weeks, but here are some early reviews:


SAP Launches 'New Era' With On-Demand Software
SAP Business ByDesign automates a wide range of business processes and will cost companies $149 per user per month. (Information Week)

SAP's Down-Market Gamble
The German giant's new, Web-based software targets smaller outfits than its usual corporate clients. But is it too tricky for small business? (Business Week)


SAP A1S Morphs into Business ByDesign
Business ByDesign is the new on-demand application suite from SAP, geared towards mid-market companies (eWeek)

German software giant hopes offering resource management online delivers new customers (Associated Press via San Jose Mercury-News)