Cablecom has cancelled their planned flotation after Liberty Media agreed to buy the Swiss communications company.
Liberty Media, the US media conglomerate controlled by John Malone will pay SFr2.83bn ($2.19bn) cash for Cablecom, which was simultaneously preparing for what would have been Switzerlands largets IPO since 1998.
Friday, September 30, 2005
Fri - WebMD stock rises rapidly after IPO
The stock of health information web site WebMD Health Corp rose as much as 71% in its first day of trading yesterday.
The New York company which operates webmd.com opened for trading at $19.80 (at the upper end of their pricing range), up from its $17-50 IPO price, then rose rapidly, hitting a high of $30 per share.
And who said the tech bull market hasn't returned. Of course it has and expect it to continues through 2006 at least.
The New York company which operates webmd.com opened for trading at $19.80 (at the upper end of their pricing range), up from its $17-50 IPO price, then rose rapidly, hitting a high of $30 per share.
And who said the tech bull market hasn't returned. Of course it has and expect it to continues through 2006 at least.
Fri - Dell struggling with customer support
In an article I recently wrote in businessuncut daily on the luxury PC, I stated that I had a concern with Dell's ability to deliver a support service worthy of such luxury products. I may have been onto something.
Complaints about Dell to the Better Business Bureau rose 23% in 2004 from the year before, and they're up another 5% this year. And Dell's customer-satisfaction rating fell 6.3%, to a score of 74, in a survey by the University of Michigan.
Dell may well be a victim of its own huge success in selling PC's to corporate and consumer America, after all, scaling customer support services is one of industry's toughest challenges. Just look at the airline sector for evidence. And, Dell also has to struggle with lower and lower margins when selling consumer computers in particular.
Dell has announced a raft of improvements, including hiring a load more support technicians and new support packages. They'll need to move fast on this issue as customer satisfaction remains consistently high for Apple, and they'll be competing more directly with Dell next year as they launch Intel computers. Plus, a reinvigorated HP have made customer service their core competitive weapon v Dell!
Complaints about Dell to the Better Business Bureau rose 23% in 2004 from the year before, and they're up another 5% this year. And Dell's customer-satisfaction rating fell 6.3%, to a score of 74, in a survey by the University of Michigan.
Dell may well be a victim of its own huge success in selling PC's to corporate and consumer America, after all, scaling customer support services is one of industry's toughest challenges. Just look at the airline sector for evidence. And, Dell also has to struggle with lower and lower margins when selling consumer computers in particular.
Dell has announced a raft of improvements, including hiring a load more support technicians and new support packages. They'll need to move fast on this issue as customer satisfaction remains consistently high for Apple, and they'll be competing more directly with Dell next year as they launch Intel computers. Plus, a reinvigorated HP have made customer service their core competitive weapon v Dell!
Fri - Red Hat has strong Q2
Red Hat, a leading open source software and services vendor has just announced a strong Q2 and has increased their revenue and earnings guidance for fiscal 2006. They exclaimed that the open source software movement is one of the few high growth areas of the corporate software sector.
They may not be that far wrong. Open source software should start to see its day dawn. We expect that 2006/2007 will see open source become more main stream amongst corporate and government buyers. Not so good for Microsoft, but good for leading open source vendors such as Red Hat and Novell.
They may not be that far wrong. Open source software should start to see its day dawn. We expect that 2006/2007 will see open source become more main stream amongst corporate and government buyers. Not so good for Microsoft, but good for leading open source vendors such as Red Hat and Novell.
Fri - Nomura to set up online unit
Nonura, Japan's biggest brokerage, has announced that it will set up an internet financial services company next spring to presumably allow it to take back lost market share in the nation's fast growing online broking market.
Internet powerhouses such as Etrade have taken too much business. Now Nomura is fighting back.
Internet powerhouses such as Etrade have taken too much business. Now Nomura is fighting back.
Thursday, September 29, 2005
Samsung to invest $33bn in chips
Samsung Electronics, the world’s second-largest chipmaker, is to spend $33bn over the next seven years on new production lines and a research centre to meet growing demand for semiconductors.
The investment plan to boost production capacity for semiconductors, which make up the lion’s share of Samsung’s profit, comes as the technology giant’s other businesses, such as flat-panel and handset manufacturing, suffer from sliding prices.
The chip sector just keeps growing, and with more and more devices needing chips there seems to be little end to this growth.
The investment plan to boost production capacity for semiconductors, which make up the lion’s share of Samsung’s profit, comes as the technology giant’s other businesses, such as flat-panel and handset manufacturing, suffer from sliding prices.
The chip sector just keeps growing, and with more and more devices needing chips there seems to be little end to this growth.
Thurs - US soon to roll-out WiMax
Samsung executives announced that they expect at least one major North American mobile carrier to roll-out WiMax next year.
Speculation surrounds Verizon and Sprint Nextel as likely candidates, given their long-standing relationships with Samsung. And this month Sprint Nextel and Samsung said they would begin lab and field trials of mobile WiMax early next year.
In Korea, WiMax technology is configured to give users up to 3Mbps with minimum rates of 512Kbps and an average of 1Mbps, similar to a fast cable or DSL internet connection. This would be much faster than the speeds available on 3G networks and could speed up the uptake of mobile data services and mobile video, as well as cheap internet based voice.
Bring it on guys, please!
Speculation surrounds Verizon and Sprint Nextel as likely candidates, given their long-standing relationships with Samsung. And this month Sprint Nextel and Samsung said they would begin lab and field trials of mobile WiMax early next year.
In Korea, WiMax technology is configured to give users up to 3Mbps with minimum rates of 512Kbps and an average of 1Mbps, similar to a fast cable or DSL internet connection. This would be much faster than the speeds available on 3G networks and could speed up the uptake of mobile data services and mobile video, as well as cheap internet based voice.
Bring it on guys, please!
Thurs - Real wins content deal with Cingular
Cingular, the US's biggest wireless service will use RealNetwork's video streaming technology to deliver video to its subscribers mobile phones.
This is important to RealNetworks as they were lagging Microsoft in the battle for streaming media technology. Verizon uses Microsoft's media player for their V-Cast mobile video service which delivers news and entertainment video clips over 3G.
Last week, Real launched its Rhapsody Radio streaming music service on Sprint Nextels mobile network.
Real explained that as part of the agreement Cingular's customers would also be able to download videos and games. Games would come from its RealArcade catalogue on a subscription basis. This service will also be available for O2 customers in the UK.
This is important to RealNetworks as they were lagging Microsoft in the battle for streaming media technology. Verizon uses Microsoft's media player for their V-Cast mobile video service which delivers news and entertainment video clips over 3G.
Last week, Real launched its Rhapsody Radio streaming music service on Sprint Nextels mobile network.
Real explained that as part of the agreement Cingular's customers would also be able to download videos and games. Games would come from its RealArcade catalogue on a subscription basis. This service will also be available for O2 customers in the UK.
Thurs - Subscriptions slow for BlackBerry
Research In Motion, maker of the BlackBerry mobile device, reported a 57% rise in second quarter earnings, but reported slower than hoped for subscriber growth and software sales during the summer.
Apparently they added 620,000 subscribers in the last quarter, rather than the 620,000 - 650,000 the had projected. RIM said demand was dampened by "summer seasonality" in all markets, especially Europe. This does make me a little suspicious, I mean, what's new about summer seasonality, particularly in Europe! Surely they factored this into their predictions.
Is this the beginning of RIM feeling the heat from greater competition in 3G handsets and a revived Nokia, Palm and Microsoft Mobile? Apparently not, according to RIM, they're predicting a strong rest of year and forecasting that BlackBerry subscriber numbers will break through 5M by next March.
There revenue and earnings numbers do look pretty good.
Apparently they added 620,000 subscribers in the last quarter, rather than the 620,000 - 650,000 the had projected. RIM said demand was dampened by "summer seasonality" in all markets, especially Europe. This does make me a little suspicious, I mean, what's new about summer seasonality, particularly in Europe! Surely they factored this into their predictions.
Is this the beginning of RIM feeling the heat from greater competition in 3G handsets and a revived Nokia, Palm and Microsoft Mobile? Apparently not, according to RIM, they're predicting a strong rest of year and forecasting that BlackBerry subscriber numbers will break through 5M by next March.
There revenue and earnings numbers do look pretty good.
Thurs - Google expands with new complex at NASA centre
Googel is expected to announce building a 1M square foot campus at a NASA research centre in California, a mile away from its existing "Googleplex" world headquarters in Mountain View.
Google's headcount just keeps soaring. It has increased by 70% in the last year, to nearly 4,700 at the end of June. The new complex would sit in a research park where NASA is linking up with universities, industry and non-profit organisations to "revolutionise the future, here, today".
Google's headcount just keeps soaring. It has increased by 70% in the last year, to nearly 4,700 at the end of June. The new complex would sit in a research park where NASA is linking up with universities, industry and non-profit organisations to "revolutionise the future, here, today".
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Wed - DreamWorks quits NBC Universal talks
DreamWorks SKG says it has broken off discussions to sell iself to GE's NBC Universal and said that it would now explore replacing the company as the international distributor of its films.
The deal, that many in the film industry had assumed would complete, apparently broke down because NBC Universal tried to reduce the studio's asking price of $1bn by $200M. Plus, it seems that Spielberg didn't like losing autonomy and creative control under the terms of the agreement.
The fact that the last couple of releases by DreamWorks, such as The Island have been flops will not have helped. Even though DreamWorks is keeping their chin up, this must call into question the future of the studio. Let's see, but this is clearly worse for DreamWorks than it is for NBC Universal.
The deal, that many in the film industry had assumed would complete, apparently broke down because NBC Universal tried to reduce the studio's asking price of $1bn by $200M. Plus, it seems that Spielberg didn't like losing autonomy and creative control under the terms of the agreement.
The fact that the last couple of releases by DreamWorks, such as The Island have been flops will not have helped. Even though DreamWorks is keeping their chin up, this must call into question the future of the studio. Let's see, but this is clearly worse for DreamWorks than it is for NBC Universal.
Wed - SanDisk launches 'gruvi' music card
SanDisk, the maker of flash memory cards generally used in digital cameras, has teamed up with EMI to launch a new music format that could eventually replace CD's and DVD's.
The new 'gruvi' music card is a finger-nail sized memory card pre-recorded with music and designed to play on mobile phones and hand-held computers. If the music cards take off, the company plans to launch movie cards next year.
Apparently, 12% of mobile handsets sold this year will have a card slot, going to 50% by 2010. The music cards can also be played on laptops and PC's that generally have a slot as standard. Both Panansonic and Sony have introduced TV's with card slots and BMW and Audi have integrated slots into their in-car entertainment systems.
Each gruvi card can hold about 6 albums, but the catch for early adopters could well be price, with a single mucsic card expected to retail at around $39.99. Saying that, I like the idea, particularly for movie cards.
The new 'gruvi' music card is a finger-nail sized memory card pre-recorded with music and designed to play on mobile phones and hand-held computers. If the music cards take off, the company plans to launch movie cards next year.
Apparently, 12% of mobile handsets sold this year will have a card slot, going to 50% by 2010. The music cards can also be played on laptops and PC's that generally have a slot as standard. Both Panansonic and Sony have introduced TV's with card slots and BMW and Audi have integrated slots into their in-car entertainment systems.
Each gruvi card can hold about 6 albums, but the catch for early adopters could well be price, with a single mucsic card expected to retail at around $39.99. Saying that, I like the idea, particularly for movie cards.
Wed - Asian telecoms increasingly shifts to VoIP post deregulation
VoIP is forcing Asian telcos to look for alternative revenue streams. Deregulation has led to increased competition, resulting in falls in service fees at a time when customer growth is slowing in maturing regional markets.
Unfortunately for telcos, there's a new popular technology that threatens to cut revenues further: cheap internet-based phone systems, such as Skype.
The prospect that phone calls could soon become nearly free with the widespread use of VoIP services poses a danger to Asian telcos that are heavily dependent on voice calls to generate most of their sales and earnings, particularly the old PTT's such as Hong Kong's PCCW, Japan's NTT, Singapore's Singapore Telecom and Australia's Telstra.
Plus, these telcos are forced to cannibalise their voice business as they promote broadband and 3G. And there is a direct correlation between the growth VoIP and these services.
In Japan alone, the number of subscribers to VoIP services has jumped from 3.1M in 2003 to 8.3M in March 2005, compared with 60M regular fixed line subscribers.
In Australia, Telstra's fat margins from fixed-line services, which account for 38.5% of revenue, are under threat as the number of VoIP providers grows to around 40, 15 of which set up in the last 3 months alone.
So, the best line of defence for these fixed-line providers is to invest heavily in bradband and 3G networks and become leaders in the war for always-on IP customers both in the home and on the road. This means that telcos revenues will increasingly come from data and video rather than voice. But the shift is inevitable, so no point dragging feet for too long!
Unfortunately for telcos, there's a new popular technology that threatens to cut revenues further: cheap internet-based phone systems, such as Skype.
The prospect that phone calls could soon become nearly free with the widespread use of VoIP services poses a danger to Asian telcos that are heavily dependent on voice calls to generate most of their sales and earnings, particularly the old PTT's such as Hong Kong's PCCW, Japan's NTT, Singapore's Singapore Telecom and Australia's Telstra.
Plus, these telcos are forced to cannibalise their voice business as they promote broadband and 3G. And there is a direct correlation between the growth VoIP and these services.
In Japan alone, the number of subscribers to VoIP services has jumped from 3.1M in 2003 to 8.3M in March 2005, compared with 60M regular fixed line subscribers.
In Australia, Telstra's fat margins from fixed-line services, which account for 38.5% of revenue, are under threat as the number of VoIP providers grows to around 40, 15 of which set up in the last 3 months alone.
So, the best line of defence for these fixed-line providers is to invest heavily in bradband and 3G networks and become leaders in the war for always-on IP customers both in the home and on the road. This means that telcos revenues will increasingly come from data and video rather than voice. But the shift is inevitable, so no point dragging feet for too long!
Wed - Sony defends their DVD format
Sony has dismissed concerns about the future of its next-generation DVD standard, called Blu-ray, after Intel and Microsoft announced their support for a competing format from Toshiba.
Sony exclaimed that the announcement from the two titans of the computer industry would have no impact on the format battle. This seems a little hard to believe. But, Sony have stated that Blu-ray offers superior features, particularly in copyright protection.
And the analysts are quick to point out that it will not be the PC industry that ultimately decides which format will win, it will be the content companies and the movie studios in particular, where copyright protection is important. But, the studios are currently split over which format to support. Proving that this format war could be long and protracted, which will be bad for all of us consumers.
Sony's Blu-ray will also get a major kick start next year when they launch the PlayStation3, which features the format. This format war gives Stringer yet another major challenge on his hands at the troubled Sony and I still find it a little hard to completely dismiss the relevance of Intel and Microsoft's clear backing for Toshiba's format.
Sony exclaimed that the announcement from the two titans of the computer industry would have no impact on the format battle. This seems a little hard to believe. But, Sony have stated that Blu-ray offers superior features, particularly in copyright protection.
And the analysts are quick to point out that it will not be the PC industry that ultimately decides which format will win, it will be the content companies and the movie studios in particular, where copyright protection is important. But, the studios are currently split over which format to support. Proving that this format war could be long and protracted, which will be bad for all of us consumers.
Sony's Blu-ray will also get a major kick start next year when they launch the PlayStation3, which features the format. This format war gives Stringer yet another major challenge on his hands at the troubled Sony and I still find it a little hard to completely dismiss the relevance of Intel and Microsoft's clear backing for Toshiba's format.
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Tues - Online ad market grows 26%
Search-based keyword ads largelly propelled the 26% growth - to a record $5.8bn - in US internet advertising revenues for the first half of this year.
This compares with $4.6bn for the same period last year, according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau.
Search ads made up 40% of the online ad revenues. Display ads made up 20% and classifieds 18%.
No wonder Googles stock keeps going up!
This compares with $4.6bn for the same period last year, according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau.
Search ads made up 40% of the online ad revenues. Display ads made up 20% and classifieds 18%.
No wonder Googles stock keeps going up!
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