Google investors "like" mobile and social results 14 Oct 2011 The Internet giant’s dazzling earnings report, showing adjusted sales up 37 pct, brought an after-hours share price jump. In mobile search, Google is making inroads the numbers don’t yet show, and its social network is gathering steam. But grappling with Facebook will be tough.
Patent litigation becoming a vicious circle 11 Oct 2011 Motorola, which Google is buying, is the target of Intellectual Ventures, a patent-holding firm backed by Google. Such tail-chasing is a bad sign for the business of acquiring invention rights and suing for dollars. Innovative pursuits might yield better returns than lawsuits.
iPhone 4S unleashes more creative destruction 4 Oct 2011 The latest version of the smartphone offers faster data processing and downloads, as well as voice-powered software. Apple investors and gadget fans might have wanted more. But companies ranging from Research In Motion to American Greetings probably hoped for less.
Patent spats getting pricier for tech shareholders 23 Sep 2011 The likes of Apple and Samsung are spending millions to sue each other. But new research shows it’s the trolls that own little more than legal rights to inventions levying the heftier toll on investors and innovation. It’s more evidence of why patent law needs to change.
New CEO wouldn’t fix dysfunctional HP board 21 Sep 2011 The tech group’s directors are thinking about jettisoning yet another boss, Leo Apotheker, after less than a year and right after green-lighting his $12 bln purchase of Autonomy and other radical changes that have rattled shareholders. But the board may be the real problem.
Next wave of patent rulings could ease tech wars 23 Aug 2011 Google, Apple and others are spending billions on invention rights. But they’re really buying legal protection. That’s because federal judges have approved broadly defined patents, exposing firms to infringement claims. The courts need to sync up the law with the real world.
HP stock sell-off looks like overkill 19 Aug 2011 The tech giant has seen about a quarter of its market value, almost $16 bln, vaporized in two days. Shareholders have fled following another profit warning, a huge and pricey acquisition deal, and a strategic U-turn. That makes for plenty of warts - but HP now looks too cheap.
Rivals unlikely to crash HP’s punchy Autonomy deal 19 Aug 2011 Autonomy would be a nice-to-have for Oracle or IBM. But Hewlett-Packard’s $11.7 bln offer for the UK software group is already rich, and rivals don’t need Autonomy quite so badly. Add in falling markets and the ugly reaction of HP shares, and a bidding war doesn’t compute.
UK should avoid handwringing over Autonomy sale 19 Aug 2011 It could have been Britain’s Google, say those who mourn the Cambridge software firm’s sale to HP. Maybe. But Autonomy’s founder has a right to an exit, while public companies have a duty to accept rich takeover bids. Its success is still an inspiration to would-be entrepreneurs.
Google’s $12.5bln insurance buy may worry partners 15 Aug 2011 Paying up for Motorola Mobility locks in patents to help ensure Apple and Microsoft can’t stifle Google’s Android mobile operating system. But the search giant’s plans for its new hardware company will be the key concern for regulators and current Android handset makers alike.
Apple, Google and Microsoft revalue smartphone DNA 29 Jul 2011 A battle among tech giants has lit up the market for thousands of patents that could dictate the future of mobile devices. Auctions, activists and further purchases certify the hype. Once appraised for their royalty streams, such invention rights now bring strategic premiums.
Apple gorges on all it can eat Chinese buffet 19 Jul 2011 The $350 bln iPhone maker's sales surged 82 pct in the past quarter from a year earlier. Much of this eyepopping increase can be pinned on Greater China, where revenue rocketed more than sixfold. Growth there shouldn't slow any time soon but keeping up could be a challenge.
History suggests Big Tech discount could linger 24 Jun 2011 Growth at Apple, Microsoft and Google isn't reflected in their market values. The phenomenon isn't a new one. In the last 40 years, investors have twice shunned the sector for long stretches, worrying obsolescence would preempt expansion. The cycle could be repeating itself.
Amid global cybercrime, accidental hacks risk jail 16 Jun 2011 A U.S. antihacking law is so broad it can make any breach of an employer's computer policy a crime. Cyberattacks on Citigroup and others are costly and understandably feed demand for stiff penalties. But prosecutors should avoid overkill with fatfingered users of PCs and Macs.
Apple throws music industry another life vest 6 Jun 2011 Its new iTunes Match service lets users listen to music on any device for $25 a year. Significantly, it also works as an amnesty of sorts for customers with illgotten songs in their hard drives. It looks a concession to piracy but it at least offers a way to more revenue.
Apple readies latest version of the halo effect 3 Jun 2011 The tech dynamo cleverly uses each introduction of a new device, like the iPad, to trigger virtuous circles where purchasers tend to buy other Apple products. Expanding its cloud offerings, where data and programs are stored remotely, could set off more favorable feedback loops.
Microsoft’s Ballmer hardly the worst veteran CEO 27 May 2011 It's true the software giant has missed many opportunities under his watch, as hedge fund boss David Einhorn said this week. But it doesn't obviously mean he will go. On a total shareholder return basis, other longterm bosses including GE's Jeff Immelt have fared worse.
IBM looks set to sustain march on tech rivals 24 May 2011 Big Blue's pitiful state 20 years ago forced it to shift from hardware to corporate software and services. After taking different paths, rivals like HP, Cisco and Microsoft are trying to find their way. IBM's market value now tops them all and shows no signs of relenting.
Mandate for HP’s newish boss just became clear 17 May 2011 Leo Apotheker stepped in for deposed Mark Hurd six months ago but it's his grim forecast today that lays out the challenge that will define his reign at the tech company. The question is whether HP can move quickly enough from PCs and printers to tablets, mobile and the cloud.
Apple’s $150 bln brand value typifies tech motion 9 May 2011 The iPad maker's distinct label accounts for about half its market cap, a new survey finds. It's also 10 times what it was in 2006. Measuring brand worth is an imprecise art, but there are good reasons why technology companies dominate and are prone to big swings in value.