On-demand conference

SAN FRANCISCO--Salesforce.com has unveiled further details of its new "on-demand" software marketplace, part of an ongoing effort to encourage customers to conduct more business over the Web. The company officially launched AppExchange, first discussed in September, here on Tuesday at a media and customer gathering. The software marketplace, now generally available, is designed to allow Salesforce. ***

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.--A decade from now, small, energy-efficient planes will crisscross the skies, taking people directly to their destinations faster than today's jets can, a new breed of aviation start-ups say. But there are a lot of regulatory hurdles, technical issues and financial problems to be ironed out first. Pogo Jet, founded by People Express founder Donald Burr, hopes to start flying four-seater jets soon. Passengers will pay about $1 to $6 per mile and have to buy all the seats, so a 200-mile jaunt will run from $800 to $4,800. While that's not exactly People Express pricing, these new services aim to cut out lengthy delays--a serious problem on regional jaunts or long car drives. ***

IBM on Thursday said it inked a contract extension with Equifax, expanding its agreement to provide on-demand technology services to the credit-reporting agency. Based on the deal, IBM's Global Services unit added five-and-a-half years to its existing pact to support Equifax operations in the United States, Canada and Europe. IBM representatives said the extension should result in an additional $400 million in revenue, bringing the total value of its service agreement with Equifax to roughly $800 million. IBM's original deal with Equifax was set to expire in 2007. Equifax reported that the systems to be managed under the agreement include mainframes, midrange servers and a global help desk. According to the companies, IBM will also provide Equifax with an "advanced enterprise system" and asset management tools. ***