IDC is predicting 14% growth in packaged software sales this year (to $154B), and 32% growth in enterprise software (to $9B). Java software grew about 100% in 1998 (to $500M). Forrester Research predicts 163% growth in e-commerce software (to $619M). Application-integration software ("middleware") will be up 41% (to $2.4B). Web-based "help desk" or customer- contact software will be up about 300% (to $750M). [Neil Gross, BW, 11Jan99, p. 96.]

AOL's CEO Steve Case is the latest to become a billionaire, based on his AOL stock holdings. [SJM, 24Dec98, 1C.]

If the courts break up Microsoft, Bill Gates could end up 3-5 times wealthier (to maybe $300B) from ownership in the pieces. That's what happened with Rockefeller in the breakup of Standard Oil. [Mark R. Anderson , SNS, 25Nov98.]