SanDisk Acquires Pliant in Continuation of Record Storage Acquisition Season
May 16, 2011
Sandisk agreed to acquire Pliant Technology for about $327M. SanDisk is most known for its consumer products although the company has offered several SSD products over the last decade. Pliant is a startup company founded by HDD industry veterans and has made a name for itself in the enterprise SSD space. The acquisition continues the trend of storage company mergers that have changed the landscape of the industry in the last 3 months.
Research in Motion Recalls Playbook - Deja Vu
May 16, 2011
Research in Motion announced a recall of roughly 1000 16GB Playbooks today that apparently had been shipped to Staples stores. The tablets in question are not able to properly load the initial operating system files. The severity and extent of the problem is unknown as most of the units remain in either distribution or storage. This is not the first time a RIM product launch met with initial disaster, as both Bold and Storm each suffered similar issues.
Microsoft to Roll Dice with $8.5 Billion Skype Deal
May 10, 2011
Microsoft to Roll Dice with $8.5 Billion Skype Deal | bit.ly
In an unprecedented move, Microsoft Corp. agreed to buy Internet phone company Skype Technologies SA for $8.5 billion in cash—the most aggressive move yet by Microsoft to play in the increasingly converged worlds of communication, information and entertainment.
Selling Magazine Subscriptions on Mobile Devises
May 10, 2011
Condé Nast to Sell Subscriptions on iPad | www.digidaydaily.com
This analysis deals with the use of mobile devises to sell magazine subscriptions, changes in revenue models, the good and bad points of going after this type of audience.
Microsoft Purchases Skype and Why this Makes Perfect Business Sense
May 10, 2011
Microsoft to Buy Skype for $8.5 Billion in Catch-Up Bid | www.bloomberg.com
As a UC Collaboration expert, and one experienced in the field of video acquistions, the announcement of Microsoft's $8.5B all cash deal certainly looks RICH on the surface, but fills a HUGE product void for the company. This software giant recognizes the world is getting flatter and smaller because the planet is increasingly MORE CONNECTED. At the core of consumer and enterprise connections is Unified Communication and Collaboration which will allow the greatest number of human touch points.
May 8, 2011
In this posting, I will diverge from my usual errand but instead take a shot at Chinese stocks traded in the US exchanges (most on NASDAQ). Since most of the readers are keen on Chinese stocks, you may know since May 2010, overseas IPO has become viral in China, more than 30 companies have made the plunge, most of them small and carry an eye-catching hat, such as “green energy” and social media. This unusual surge has caught my attention.
People do not pay for Radio, TV, or digital newspapers
May 7, 2011
8 in 10 Won’t Pay for Online Daily Newspaper | www.marketingcharts.com
There are plenty of business models where the content is given away. If digital newspapers attract enough readers, then they will also attract enough advertizers.
SDL Makes Play for Global Video Asset Management
May 6, 2011
Web Globalization: How Well Does Your Company Score? | www.commonsenseadvisory.com
SDL today announced the acquisition of Calamares, a technology vendor based in the Netherlands with a media asset management solution. The cloud-resident software “allows enterprises to centrally compose, enrich, publish and distribute video and other rich-media assets” and will boost the SDL Tridion product line for web content management. Terms were not disclosed for this tuck-in deal for an early stage company in an emerging category.
May 5, 2011
Research in Motion (NASDAQ:RIMM)'s business model is in trouble and the underlying problems extend well beyond selling less handsets at lower prices. Their handset/service model will come under continued pressure, forcing sales, margins and ultimately enterprise value to decline.
RPX Corporation - Fast Track IPO for NPE Insurance Policy Writer Circa 1999?
May 4, 2011
IPO Pick of the Week: RPX Corporation | seekingalpha.com
RPX Corporation is the self proclaimed NPE Fighter that 'reduces patent litigation costs'. This fledgling company, with little more than 2 years of full operating income, is poised to IPO as fast as many 'internet boom and bust' startups. Will RPX be different? Is RPX's business model sustainable? Can RPX Corp turn patent licensing, a traditionally 'lumpy' revenue model, into a smooth predictable quarter on quarter performance? How big is the market?
February 7, 2012
SOPA and the wisdom of Yogi Berra
January 19, 2012
Larger wafers present a growth opportunity for LEDs
January 6, 2012
Smartphones threaten digital camera industry
December 1, 2011
Google music launches: The end of the end for the music industry
November 22, 2011