Should Ellison’s Netsuite be part of Oracle? 5 Dec 2007 The tech billionaire isn t resting on his laurels. His new company, Netsuite, is in the sweet spot of the software market and set for a hot IPO. That should give Ellison s net worth a nice bump. Oracle investors may wonder why they don t have cause for celebration too.
TomTom goes for knock-out with Tele Atlas 7 Nov 2007 The Dutch navigation device maker has upped its offer for the digital mapmaker to E2.9bn and snapped up 28% of the shares. Outbid US rival Garmin looks like it has been left in the cold.
Nokia takes $8.1bn gamble on mobile maps 1 Oct 2007 Every cell phone user wants a map on their phone. With this in mind, Nokia agreed to pay 40 times profit for US group Navteq. Success isn t assured despite the stonking price everyone from phone operators to computer groups wants a piece of the pie. But falling phone prices leave Nokia little choice.
Google’s $30m moonshot prize is a winner 18 Sep 2007 Sponsoring a prize is a good way to encourage anything from basic research to exploration. Google s offer of up to $30m for anyone who can send a robot to the moon is both quirky and inspirational. It s also good business.
Google counters Yahoo’s blow in ad battle 9 May 2007 Yahoo claimed its new Panama ad system would close the gap with Google. But Google quietly tweaked its own system. That enabled it to maintain its lead. And Yahoo learned it s hard to leapfrog a moving object.
Jobs’ tenure atop Apple looks secure 26 Apr 2007 An exofficial fighting SEC charges claims Jobs knew of options backdating. But Apple and the SEC sources affirm he'll avoid prosecution. With this in mind, investors can properly celebrate an amazing secondquarter performance and hope for more to come.
Amazon’s valuation belongs in the fiction aisle 25 Apr 2007 The retailer's shares trade at a skyhigh multiple due to increasing revenues and optimism about future margin growth. But with steep marketing expenses pressurising margins, Amazon appears to be the most overvalued megabrand on the internet.
Redstone’s wrath plays into Google’s gambit 13 Mar 2007 By the time the Viacom boss s $1bn suit against Google wends through the courts, YouTube s lead in traffic may be beyond challenge. Sumner Redstone is wading into a legal morass when he should be building Viacom s own online media strategy. That s just fine by Google.
Have you been LinkedIn? 6 Mar 2007 Some 9m professionals already have been. The online networking service aims to be a MySpace for Suits. But most busy execs ignore emails inviting them to join. So far the online club lacks the exclusivity professionals crave.
Microsoft image-polishing campaign falls short 6 Mar 2007 By lambasting Google, the software firm is strengthening ties to the search giant s enemies and trying to improve its own battered image. But its escalating war with European regulators over antitrust issues badly dents Microsoft s campaign to be seen as the good guy.
Larry Ellison has struck again 1 Mar 2007 For the 30th time in three years, Oracle s boss has bought another company this time Hyperion for $3.3bn. He may just be getting started. Ellison has been banging the drum for rationalising the sector. And the likely returns from his latest purchase show why.
Odds stacked against McCaw’s Clearwire 28 Feb 2007 Craig McCaw is at it again, asking shareholders to join him in another leveraged bet on a speculative new technology. The IPO of Clearwire, his new wireless broadband company, may pop. But its longerterm prospects are murky at best.
Alcatel’s $1.5bn award provides a welcome respite 23 Feb 2007 Microsoft said it will appeal. And the close collaboration between the two on internet TV may prompt them to agree to a smaller settlement. But AlcatelLucent s victory ups the pressure on other companies to pay it royalties welcome news for the cashstrapped company.
Google Apps pose a distant threat to Microsoft 22 Feb 2007 Microsoft's edge in security and its large base of satisfied users means its place atop the corporate IT pantheon remains unchallenged. But on the internet, where the coin of the realm is innovation, Google s brand is chipping away at the Seattle behemoth.
Google’s obstinacy is spawning YouTube rivals 22 Feb 2007 Remember Napster? The contentsharing site was crushed by copyright litigation. And its flameout guided development of rivals like iTunes. Google's YouTube is repeating many of Napster's mistakes. It too may end up as an object lesson for successful online video rivals.
Google bows to India’s pressure 6 Feb 2007 The search giant agreed to blur images of military sites but went a step further, also obscuring VIP homes. This allows it to continue to do business in India. But Google s capitulation shows that commercial interests trump its commitment to truth.
Ebay on track with $2bn buyback 25 Jan 2007 The auctioneer's doubling of the size of its stock buyback program is smart, given the maturing of its core business and deep pockets. Even with its PayPal subsidiary holding up well against Google, reigniting ubergrowth at Ebay won't be easy.
Yahoo CEO Semel plays for time 24 Jan 2007 The internet group forecasts doubledigit profit growth for the second half of 2007. This may give its boss breathing room. But after a disastrous 2006, any hiccups on this promise and investors will be right in calling for Semel to step down.
AOL faces fight for online ad firm 16 Jan 2007 AOL's friendly $900m bid for Sweden's TradeDoubler reflects its decision to focus on ads rather than internet access. But with a Swedish pension fund decrying the offer as too cheap, AOL may need to raise its bid to prevail.
Yahoo kicks off much-needed revamp 6 Dec 2006 The internet group is breaking into three operating divisions. In theory, this should increase accountability and focus. But the divisions are still illdefined. The risk is that they duplicate efforts or, worse, squabble over the spoils.