The Cutting Edge: COMPUTING / TECHNOLOGY / INNOVATION : Former Lotus Chief Manzi to Head Online Firm

Jim Manzi, chairman of Lotus Development Corp. when it was acquired by IBM Corp., has ended a 3 1/2-month stint of unemployment by becoming president and chief executive of a company that develops online marketing for businesses.

Manzi said Tuesday that he decided to drop plans for a longer sabbatical and join Pittsburgh-based Industry.Net Corp. after considering several career possibilities.

Manzi, who said he prefers being a leader to a follower, made nearly $80 million on his Lotus stock in the IBM deal.

He said he now holds a major stake in the privately held Industry.Net, but he declined to provide details.

More than 4,000 companies in industry and manufacturing pay Industry.Net to offer their services on the Internet to more than 200,000 subscribers. Subscribers call up the service about 2 million times a month, giving Industry.Net the largest business site on the Internet, Manzi said.