Of the approximately 3, 000 e-commerce application program interfaces, or APIs, that define how to write programs for software and online services, he says, Siri had implemented 45.

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Several retailers including Wal-Mart, Target and Best Buy recently came together to form Merchant Customer Exchange, a company that is focused on developing a mobile commerce application which will help users pay for goods at the retailers with their smartphones.

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It plans to hire specifically for e-commerce, business analytics, application development, engineering and project management areas.

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Items such as guitars, harmonicas and microphones are listed for sale via an application from CoreCommerce, an e-commerce company in Franklin, Tenn.

WSJ: Merchants Push Sales Through Social Media

Microsoft has a long list of Windows 2000-centric products due out this year -- including Exchange 2000, SQL Server 2000, Host Integration Server 2000, Application Center 2000, BizTalk 2000, and Commerce Server 2000.

CNN: Technology - Win2000 laps business apps

This directive required the Departments of Defense and State, as well as such entities as the National Laboratories, to provide the Secretary of Commerce with a recommendation to approve or deny a license application within 30 days.

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The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers' (Icann) initial application for contract renewal was rejected the US Department of Commerce.

BBC: Net body Icann pledges to be more open

Short of protecting our persons and property from fraud, brigandage and like abuses through an impartial application of the law, government can only impede the natural flow of commerce.

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It was Icann's application to continue overseeing Iana that was thrown out by the US Department of Commerce in March.

BBC: Net body Icann pledges to be more open