Dot Com News from Week of February 26, 2001

• 3/2/01 - In an effort to streamline its coverage of Apple Computer Inc. products, Mac Publishing LLC announced it will shut down its MacWeek.com site and integrate its content into MacCentral.com. The reorganization of online operations will mean a staff reduction of about seven people, or 8.5% of the overall Mac Publishing work force.
• 3/2/01 - Healthcare goods maker Johnson & Johnson on Friday said it will acquire Internet content provider BabyCenter from bankrupt Internet toy store eToys for $10 million in cash. BabyCenter operates Web sites including BabyCenter.com, ParentCenter.com, and Britain's babycenter.co.uk.
• 3/1/01 - Commtouch, a leading provider of messaging solutions, announced that it is reorganizing to enhance its focus on enterprise messaging solutions. As part of this reorganization Commtouch will be streamlining its global operations and reducing its workforce by approximately 50%, to about 190 people.
• 2/28/01 - CraftClick.com announced that it has sold substantially all of its assets to a group of California entrepreneurs in exchange for the forgiveness of outstanding secured loans made by the Group to the Company totaling $550,000 plus accrued interest of $9,625 and a payment of $77,275 to substantially redeem all of the Company's current obligations.
• 2/28/01 - Online games company Pogo.com has been acquired by games software giant Electronic Arts Internet subsidiary EA.com for an undisclosed amount.
• 2/27/01 - Online retailer Buy.com will lay off more than 40 percent of its staff marking the company's second round of cuts in less than a month. Buy.com plans to cut 100 positions from it 230-person staff. Earlier this month, the company announced it would cut 25 jobs while slashing its sales targets for 2001.
• 2/27/01 - Online classified ad publisher, Trader.com said it will take aggressive measures to improve growth and profitability in the North American market, including closing its continental headquarters in Toronto. The Dutch company has already handed pink slips to about 80 employees.
• 2/27/01 - LetsBuyIt.com, the biggest Internet sales site in Europe, said it will reopen portals in Britain, France, Germany and Sweden after interrupting service because of financial problems. The company said in a statement that it will concentrate on the most sought-after goods: household wares, telecommunication equipment, computer goods and the sports and leisure sectors. The company's work force of 350 will be pared to 150 workers.
• 2/26/01 - The Walt Disney Internet Group, in its drive toward profitability, announced it is streamlining its business to achieve increased efficiencies, eliminating about 135 staff positions across its organization. Positions being eliminated primarily come from the Internet group's technology organization, ABCNEWS.com and ABC.com.
• 2/26/01 - eToys said that it intends to file for bankruptcy protection and shut down its Web site by the end of next week. eToys said it would file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection within five to 10 days. In addition, the company said "it will close the eToys.com Web site on or about March 8, 2001, and that thereafter, the company will focus solely on the winding down of its business and the liquidation of its assets."