Microsoft, hoping to take a bite out of Apple's highly popular online music service, is gearing up to launch its own web site for selling songs over the internet.
With the planned debut, Microsoft (MSFT) will become the latest competitor in a market experts say is still in its infancy — but one that is expected to grow considerably more popular in the coming years.
Microsoft has a formidable foe in market leader Apple, which boasts both the popular iTunes music store and the iPod music player.
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Happy hunting: Privately held Copernic Technologies released free desktop search software ahead of expected offerings from Microsoft and others in a move some see as a test of the product's market viability.
The new sector is getting ever more crowded with small players such as Blinkx, dtSearch, X1, Terra Lycos' HotBot, and Enfish all appearing headed for a face-off with players such as Apple (AAPL) and Google (GOOG).
Desktop search software, as opposed to web search, promises to help personal computer users quickly find information or other items on their desktops by searching e-mail and files.
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TV team: Japan's Hitachi, Matsushita Electric Industrial and Toshiba struck a deal to jointly make displays for flat-screen televisions, starting as early as July 2006, the companies said.
The companies plan to spend a total 110 billion yen ($1 billion) on a new plant for large liquid-crystal displays on the site of Hitachi's LCD panel-assembling facility, they said in a statement. Investment by Hitachi (HIT), Matsushita (MC) and Toshiba will comprise half the cost, while investments from suppliers are expected to cover the remainder.
Annual output will gradually increase until it reaches 2.5 million 32-inch LCD displays for TVs by September 2008, they said.
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__Backup plan:__Veritas Software, the leading storage software provider, said it has agreed to acquire email backup company KVault Software for $225 million in cash.
Veritas (VRTS) said it expects the deal, to be completed by the end of September, to add to its earnings within 12 to 18 months.
KVault had 200 employees and revenue of $23 million last year. It has offices in the U.S., Britain, the Benelux countries, France, Germany and Australia. Its software helps companies store, manage, backup and archive e-mail and data, a technology that is in high demand as regulatory compliance requirements became more stringent in recent years.
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Compiled by Laila Weir. AP and Reuters contributed to this report.
