Microsoft unveils meeting software
Published 9:00 pm Monday, September 15, 2003
Microsoft Corp. rolled out a new service Monday to host online meetings and conferences for companies. The service, called Microsoft Office Live Meeting, runs virtual meetings connecting as many as 2,500 participants around the world. Microsoft says the service enhances conference calls by adding a Web component. Participants can view presentations on the meeting Web site, collectively edit or change documents, type and send questions to the moderator and perform other tasks.
Labor Ready Inc., which provides temporary manual laborers, Monday raised its third-quarter earnings, saying it has raised margins and controlled costs. For the quarter ending Sept. 26, the Tacoma-based company now expects earnings between 21 cents a share and 23 cents a share on revenue between $250 million and $255 million. In July, the company said it expected third-quarter earnings of 18 cents a share to 20 cents a share on revenue of $245 million to $255 million. Analysts had expected third-quarter earnings of 19 cents a share, according to Thomson First Call. Labor Ready plans to report third-quarter results Oct. 14.
The Treasury Department sold three-month bills at a discount rate of 0.930 percent, down from 0.935 percent last week. Six-month bills sold at a rate of 0.995 percent, down from 1.010 percent. The three-month rate was the lowest since July 21, when the bills sold for 0.895 percent. The six-month rate was the lowest since July 28, when the rate was 0.980 percent. The new discount rates understate the return to investors – 0.947 percent for three-month bills, with a $10,000 bill selling for $9,976.50 and 1.017 percent for a six-month bill selling for $9,949.70. The Federal Reserve said Monday that the average yield for one-year constant maturity Treasury bills, the most popular index for changing adjustable rate mortgages, fell to 1.22 percent last week from 1.33 percent.
Everett-based Unova Corp. said Monday that it has resolved a patent dispute over its smart battery technology with computer maker Gateway Inc. Financial terms and details of the settlement were not released. Smart batteries are rechargeable batteries that use a microprocessor chip to communicate with the host computer to monitor and regulate battery use. It extends the useful life of a rechargeable battery by 30 to 40 percent. Over the past five years, 10 portable computer manufacturers, representing more than 80 percent of the North American market, have settled with Unova, which holds patents on the technology.
Herald staff and wire services
