The online world is becoming a destination in and of itself -- and that has potentially big consequences for the way people spend their time.

The point of new venturing is to stimulate a range of ideas that build corporate resilience -- the ability to keep enriching core businesses by incorporating new modes (whether products, distribution channels, or markets) while discovering potential new directions that might not only be internal ventures but also an acquisition or an alliance.

The positive rationale behind a deal would be the potential to cut more costs.

The possibility of danger is there, but the realistic dangers are quite remote. People's perceived potential problems are something they have to conquer.

The potential advantages of Office 12 sound interesting, although they're hardly earthshaking. Are these the kind of changes that are going to compel companies to rush out and immediately upgrade? We don't think so.