R.I.P.com?

A leading research firm predicts not just a shakeout, but a major bloodbath in the dot-com industry in the coming months.

"We believe that the vast majority - perhaps 95 to 98 percent - of all dot-com companies will fail over the next 24 months," said Michael Fleisher, president and CEO of GartnerGroup.

However, he added that "virtually no traditional companies will be able to survive without a significant Internet component as part of its business model."

The firm sees significant gains ahead in worldwide business-to-business transactions, which it predicts will rise from $145 billion in 1999 to $7.3 trillion in the year 2004.

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