Tech: MS acquires Great Plains, Amazon outlet
updated 12:48 pm EST, Thu December 21, 2000
Afternoon tech news: Microsoft has acquired Great Plains Software in a deal worth $1.1 billion, which it says will "create new opportunities" through its .NET foundation of small and medium business applications (last year, Great Plains discontinued support for the Mac in in its popular accounting software); Amazon.com Outlet, a discount retail website, will feature discounted books, cameras, electronics, home and kitchen tools and other excess merchandise from the Amazon.com inventory; and SmartDisk, parent company of VST Technologies, reduced its earnings estimates for Q4 2000, indicating that the shortfall was "primarily to diminished demand for Apple-based products, certain anticipated non-recurring charges and other factors, and that expects to report a significant loss for the fourth quarter.
