Thursday, December 16, 2004
BREAKING NEWS: Symantec and Veritas to Merge
Symantec and Veritas to Merge
Symantec and Veritas to Merge
Symantec (SYMC:Nasdaq - news - research) Thursday said it will acquire rival software company Veritas Software (VRTS:Nasdaq - news - research)in an all-stock deal.
Based on Symantec's closing stock price of $27.38 on Dec. 15, the transaction is valued at approximately $13.5 billion.
The two Silicon Valley-based companies have been discussing a deal for more than a month,
Under the agreement announced by the two companies, Veritas stock will be converted into Symantec stock at a fixed exchange ratio of 1.1242 shares of Symantec common stock for each outstanding share of Veritas common stock. The deal price represents about a 9.5% premium for Veritas shareholders.
Veritas shares added 89 cents, or 3.2%, to $29 in premarket trading. Symantec fell $1.32, or 4.8%, to $26.06.
The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2005 will be accretive in the first combined year of operations.
On Monday, Oracle (ORCL:Nasdaq - news - research) announced a definitive agreement to acquire PeopleSoft (PSFT:Nasdaq - news - research) for $10.3 billion, ending the software industry's most bitter takeover saga.
Also, as previously reported by http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/12/14/symantec_buy_veritas/
Symantec eyeing Veritas for $13bn
There could be another high profile software merger on the way with rumors circulating today that Symantec will buy Veritas Software for more than $13bn.
Such a deal would create the ultimate data protection vendor. Symantec specializes in anti-virus and network security applications, while Veritas is a major player in the data backup and storage software markets. The combined company would have strong consumer and corporate plays and be able to pull off true laptop to mainframe sales.
Veritas has been mentioned as a frequent acquisition target. Companies such as Sun Microsystems, EMC, Hitachi, IBM and Oracle have been named as possible suitors. Oracle is, of course, doing its best to drive consolidation in the software industry by picking up PeopleSoft and threatening to buy more firms.
Word of the possible merger - first reported by The New York Times - sent Veritas shares up close to 10 per cent, at the time of writing. The software maker started the day with a market cap of more than $10bn. Symantec investors have seen their shares drop more than 12 per cent, at the time of this report, to $28.80.
It would be somewhat surprising to see Veritas agree to an acquisition , given that the company's CEO Gary Bloom has long said he thinks Veritas can grow at a steady pace on its own. Veritas has acquired numerous companies over the past two years, trying to build out its server software portfolio. Veritas pulled in $1.75bn in revenue last year.
Veritas, however, is attractive at the moment as its share price - $27.56 - is well below a 52-week high of $40.68. The company was hammered by investors after some accounting problems became public.
Symantec, by contrast, has seen its share price surge over the past year on the back of solid revenue growth. ®
Symantec and Veritas to Merge
Symantec (SYMC:Nasdaq - news - research) Thursday said it will acquire rival software company Veritas Software (VRTS:Nasdaq - news - research)in an all-stock deal.
Based on Symantec's closing stock price of $27.38 on Dec. 15, the transaction is valued at approximately $13.5 billion.
The two Silicon Valley-based companies have been discussing a deal for more than a month,
Under the agreement announced by the two companies, Veritas stock will be converted into Symantec stock at a fixed exchange ratio of 1.1242 shares of Symantec common stock for each outstanding share of Veritas common stock. The deal price represents about a 9.5% premium for Veritas shareholders.
Veritas shares added 89 cents, or 3.2%, to $29 in premarket trading. Symantec fell $1.32, or 4.8%, to $26.06.
The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2005 will be accretive in the first combined year of operations.
On Monday, Oracle (ORCL:Nasdaq - news - research) announced a definitive agreement to acquire PeopleSoft (PSFT:Nasdaq - news - research) for $10.3 billion, ending the software industry's most bitter takeover saga.
Also, as previously reported by http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/12/14/symantec_buy_veritas/
Symantec eyeing Veritas for $13bn
There could be another high profile software merger on the way with rumors circulating today that Symantec will buy Veritas Software for more than $13bn.
Such a deal would create the ultimate data protection vendor. Symantec specializes in anti-virus and network security applications, while Veritas is a major player in the data backup and storage software markets. The combined company would have strong consumer and corporate plays and be able to pull off true laptop to mainframe sales.
Veritas has been mentioned as a frequent acquisition target. Companies such as Sun Microsystems, EMC, Hitachi, IBM and Oracle have been named as possible suitors. Oracle is, of course, doing its best to drive consolidation in the software industry by picking up PeopleSoft and threatening to buy more firms.
Word of the possible merger - first reported by The New York Times - sent Veritas shares up close to 10 per cent, at the time of writing. The software maker started the day with a market cap of more than $10bn. Symantec investors have seen their shares drop more than 12 per cent, at the time of this report, to $28.80.
It would be somewhat surprising to see Veritas agree to an acquisition , given that the company's CEO Gary Bloom has long said he thinks Veritas can grow at a steady pace on its own. Veritas has acquired numerous companies over the past two years, trying to build out its server software portfolio. Veritas pulled in $1.75bn in revenue last year.
Veritas, however, is attractive at the moment as its share price - $27.56 - is well below a 52-week high of $40.68. The company was hammered by investors after some accounting problems became public.
Symantec, by contrast, has seen its share price surge over the past year on the back of solid revenue growth. ®
The IBM/Lenovo Deal: Victory For China? - Knowledge@Wharton
Knolwedge @ Wharton completely nailed with this article. For those following IBM/Lenovo deal closely -- must read this. Americans wont know -- but China is right there, ahead of them.
The IBM/Lenovo Deal: Victory For China? - Knowledge@Wharton
[Copyright acknowledged]
The IBM/Lenovo Deal: Victory For China?
With the sale of IBM's personal computer business to Chinese company Lenovo Group Limited, two emerging trends quickly move front and center: The increasing commoditization of technology and the emergence of Chinese companies as global players. Wharton professors say both trends warrant watching and raise some key questions. Can Lenovo become a global player and integrate IBM's U.S. managers? Will IBM's PC customers defect to rivals like Dell Computer? Can state-owned Chinese companies become dominant in the international markets?
The deal, announced Dec. 7, is valued at $1.75 billion in cash, stock and assumed liabilities. Once the agreement is finalized in early 2005, Lenovo will have three owners - the state with 46%, public investors with 35% and IBM with 19%. The Chinese government currently owns 57% of Lenovo. The company, to be managed primarily by former IBM executives working out of New York, will have 19,000 employees, with 10,000 of them coming from IBM. Of those 10,000, 40% are currently based in China and 25% in the United States.
IBM benefits from the deal by getting rid of a business -- PCs -- that defined the company in the 1980s, but later became a drag on profit margins. Over the past decade, IBM has transformed itself into a services and software company, and set its sights clearly on China as a potentially huge market. It has shed disk drives, displays, desktop manufacturing and network processor businesses while adding PricewaterhouseCoopers' services firm PwC Consulting. IBM has also acquired software companies such as Tivoli, Rational and Informix.
"Overall, this deal is another indicator of how resilient IBM is," says Wharton management professor Mark J. Zbaracki, who was a staff industrial engineer at IBM from 1982 to 1991. "IBM's strength historically has been reinventing itself." The company has manufactured everything from timekeeping devices to card sorting machines to videodiscs to typewriters and printers, only to jettison those businesses later. "This sale is symbolic of something going away -- the PC business in the U.S.," says Zbaracki.
For Beijing-based Lenovo, the acquisition of IBM's PC business signals the arrival of China as a global player in key industries. Lenovo gains access to the worldwide PC market and quickly becomes a computer maker with more than $12 billion in annual revenues. It also gets exclusive access to the IBM logo for five years and permanently acquires the "ThinkPad" brand. "If you had to pick a U.S. brand to buy, this would be a big one," says Marshall Meyer, a Wharton management professor who has studied Chinese companies and traveled extensively in the country. "Public relations is a big component of Chinese management and a lot of people will see this as a victory for China."
Michael Useem, head of Wharton's Center for Leadership and Change Management, agrees. "This is a brassy move by both IBM and Lenovo," he notes. "It's untrodden ground for a Chinese company to make a sudden, big move to operate on the world stage." Useem says the biggest perk of the deal for IBM is that, by partnering with Lenovo, it gains better access to the market for services in China. In addition, stronger relations with the Chinese government can only boost IBM's standing. "Government relationships are key in China," he says. "IBM sees this as an alliance. Maybe the price wasn't as good as it could have been," but IBM gets a definite payoff in the form of "better relationships."
So the big question is: Can Lenovo acquire the third largest PC business in the world -- behind Dell and Hewlett-Packard -- and become a dominant player?
The IBM/Lenovo Deal: Victory For China? - Knowledge@Wharton
[Copyright acknowledged]
The IBM/Lenovo Deal: Victory For China?
With the sale of IBM's personal computer business to Chinese company Lenovo Group Limited, two emerging trends quickly move front and center: The increasing commoditization of technology and the emergence of Chinese companies as global players. Wharton professors say both trends warrant watching and raise some key questions. Can Lenovo become a global player and integrate IBM's U.S. managers? Will IBM's PC customers defect to rivals like Dell Computer? Can state-owned Chinese companies become dominant in the international markets?
The deal, announced Dec. 7, is valued at $1.75 billion in cash, stock and assumed liabilities. Once the agreement is finalized in early 2005, Lenovo will have three owners - the state with 46%, public investors with 35% and IBM with 19%. The Chinese government currently owns 57% of Lenovo. The company, to be managed primarily by former IBM executives working out of New York, will have 19,000 employees, with 10,000 of them coming from IBM. Of those 10,000, 40% are currently based in China and 25% in the United States.
IBM benefits from the deal by getting rid of a business -- PCs -- that defined the company in the 1980s, but later became a drag on profit margins. Over the past decade, IBM has transformed itself into a services and software company, and set its sights clearly on China as a potentially huge market. It has shed disk drives, displays, desktop manufacturing and network processor businesses while adding PricewaterhouseCoopers' services firm PwC Consulting. IBM has also acquired software companies such as Tivoli, Rational and Informix.
"Overall, this deal is another indicator of how resilient IBM is," says Wharton management professor Mark J. Zbaracki, who was a staff industrial engineer at IBM from 1982 to 1991. "IBM's strength historically has been reinventing itself." The company has manufactured everything from timekeeping devices to card sorting machines to videodiscs to typewriters and printers, only to jettison those businesses later. "This sale is symbolic of something going away -- the PC business in the U.S.," says Zbaracki.
For Beijing-based Lenovo, the acquisition of IBM's PC business signals the arrival of China as a global player in key industries. Lenovo gains access to the worldwide PC market and quickly becomes a computer maker with more than $12 billion in annual revenues. It also gets exclusive access to the IBM logo for five years and permanently acquires the "ThinkPad" brand. "If you had to pick a U.S. brand to buy, this would be a big one," says Marshall Meyer, a Wharton management professor who has studied Chinese companies and traveled extensively in the country. "Public relations is a big component of Chinese management and a lot of people will see this as a victory for China."
Michael Useem, head of Wharton's Center for Leadership and Change Management, agrees. "This is a brassy move by both IBM and Lenovo," he notes. "It's untrodden ground for a Chinese company to make a sudden, big move to operate on the world stage." Useem says the biggest perk of the deal for IBM is that, by partnering with Lenovo, it gains better access to the market for services in China. In addition, stronger relations with the Chinese government can only boost IBM's standing. "Government relationships are key in China," he says. "IBM sees this as an alliance. Maybe the price wasn't as good as it could have been," but IBM gets a definite payoff in the form of "better relationships."
So the big question is: Can Lenovo acquire the third largest PC business in the world -- behind Dell and Hewlett-Packard -- and become a dominant player?
Saturday, December 11, 2004
'BitTorrent' Gives Hollywood a Headache
Yahoo! News - Bit Torrent and How!
Bram Cohen didn't set out to upset Hollywood movie studios. But his innovative online file-sharing software, BitTorrent, has grown into a piracy problem the film industry is struggling to handle.
As its name suggests, the software lets computer users share large chunks of data. But unlike other popular file-sharing programs, the more people swap data on BitTorrent, the quicker it flows — and that includes such large files as feature films and computer games.
Because of its speed and effectiveness, BitTorrent steadily gained in popularity after the recording industry began cracking down last year on users of Kazaa, Morpheus, Grokster and other established file-sharing software.
The program now accounts for as much as half of all online file-sharing activity, says Andrew Parker, chief technology officer of Britain-based CacheLogic, which monitors such traffic.
"BitTorrent is more of a threat because it is probably the latest and best technological tool for transferring large files like movies," said John Malcolm, senior vice president of anti-piracy operations for the Motion Picture Association of America. "It is unusual, perhaps unique, in that the moment you start downloading you are also uploading," he added. "It's what makes it so efficient."
Cohen created BitTorrent in 2001 as a hobby after the dot-com crash left him unemployed. He says the aim was to enable computer users to easily distribute content online — not specifically copyrighted content.
"It seems pretty clear that a lot of people are actively interested in engaging in wanton piracy," said Cohen, 29, of Bellevue, Wash. "As far as I'm concerned, they're just pushing around bits, and what bits it is they're pushing around is not really a concern of mine. There's not much I can do about it."
Read More
Bram Cohen didn't set out to upset Hollywood movie studios. But his innovative online file-sharing software, BitTorrent, has grown into a piracy problem the film industry is struggling to handle.
As its name suggests, the software lets computer users share large chunks of data. But unlike other popular file-sharing programs, the more people swap data on BitTorrent, the quicker it flows — and that includes such large files as feature films and computer games.
Because of its speed and effectiveness, BitTorrent steadily gained in popularity after the recording industry began cracking down last year on users of Kazaa, Morpheus, Grokster and other established file-sharing software.
The program now accounts for as much as half of all online file-sharing activity, says Andrew Parker, chief technology officer of Britain-based CacheLogic, which monitors such traffic.
"BitTorrent is more of a threat because it is probably the latest and best technological tool for transferring large files like movies," said John Malcolm, senior vice president of anti-piracy operations for the Motion Picture Association of America. "It is unusual, perhaps unique, in that the moment you start downloading you are also uploading," he added. "It's what makes it so efficient."
Cohen created BitTorrent in 2001 as a hobby after the dot-com crash left him unemployed. He says the aim was to enable computer users to easily distribute content online — not specifically copyrighted content.
"It seems pretty clear that a lot of people are actively interested in engaging in wanton piracy," said Cohen, 29, of Bellevue, Wash. "As far as I'm concerned, they're just pushing around bits, and what bits it is they're pushing around is not really a concern of mine. There's not much I can do about it."
Read More
Friday, December 10, 2004
Forbes.com: The Battle Of The DVD
Forbes.com: The Battle Of The DVD
Similar to 1980's VHS Vs Betamax the battleground for High Definition DVD has been set.
Consumers will soon find themselves in yet another quandary, thanks to the electronics and entertainment industries.
Hitting stores' shelves late next year will be two different kinds of high-definition DVD players that are designed to make the most of the high-definition televisions we're all hurrying out to buy. Each supports a different format; one is called Blu-Ray, the other dubbed HD-DVD, and their image quality is equivalent. Those encoded in the Blu-Ray format won't be compatible with HD-DVD machines and vice versa.
The consortiums backing both are marching on, despite the fact that the duel between the VHS and Betamax video tape formats is cited ad nauseum as a textbook example of a costly business blunder that angered consumers and held back the technology's adoption. And, that's not to mention the millions of dollars that consumers will waste buying into the wrong camp, and then having to go back and buy yet another player. These high-definition DVD players will start with a price tag of $1,000, while the recorders will go for $2,000.
The movie studios who are taking sides are evenly split, enhancing the unlikelihood that this matter will be settled any time soon.
Late Wednesday, The Walt Disney Co. (nyse: DIS - news - people ) announced it would support the Blu-Ray disc format, which is being backed by manufacturers including Sony (nyse: SNE - news - people ), Dell (nasdaq: DELL - news - people ), Hitachi, HP (nyse: HPQ - news - people ), Matsushita's Panasonic (nyse: PAN - news - people ) brand, Pioneer (nyse: PIO - news - people ), Philips (nyse: PHG - news - people ) and Samsung. Mickey et al have joined MGM and Sony Pictures in committing to put their film and television content in the Blue-Ray format.
In the HD-DVD camp are manufacturers Toshbia and NEC (nasdaq: NIPNY - news - people ), as well as film studios Paramount Pictures, owned by Viacom (nyse: VIA.b - news - people ), Universal Studios, which was recently acquired by General Electric (nyse: GE - news - people ) and Time Warner's (nyse: TWX - news - people ) studios, Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema.
The upshot: shoppers looking to make their high-definition homes complete will be left in the aisles of Best Buy (nyse: BBY - news - people ) to scratch their heads. "Lots of money gets wasted during format wars, and usually it's by the same group of companies," says Strategy Analytics analyst Peter King. "A lot of it has to do with pride."
"The stakes here are very large," says GartnerG2 analyst Laura Behrens. "We're talking about billions of dollars in filmed content." As such, the winning format stands to reap tremendous rewards.
Content owners haven't said whether they'll publish in both formats, and, though Disney and others have termed their deals as "non-exclusive," it's highly unlikely that they will. Instead, they'll wait and switch to the format that wins.
It's impossible to say which format that will be. Blue-Ray discs have more storage capacity--50 gigabytes, or enough for a high-definition feature film and plenty of extras. But, to manufacture them will involve the costly proposition of building the infrastructure from the ground up, with all new facilities and equipment.
HD-DVDs' 25 gigabytes of storage can also hold an HD feature film, but that's about it. They can, however, be made in the same plants that are now being used to make standard definition discs--a much cheaper alternative. "That means that they'll be cheaper for consumers, which will give HD-DVD the chance to get a lot of volume in the market more quickly," says GartnerG2 analyst Paul O'Donovan.
Although it would grease the wheels for the DVD player market as a whole and save everyone time and money, neither camp seems inclined to back down.
"To the consumer, this won't make sense," says IDC analyst Josh Martin. "But, the companies that have time and money invested in these products want consumers to be able to choose their products."
Similar to 1980's VHS Vs Betamax the battleground for High Definition DVD has been set.
Consumers will soon find themselves in yet another quandary, thanks to the electronics and entertainment industries.
Hitting stores' shelves late next year will be two different kinds of high-definition DVD players that are designed to make the most of the high-definition televisions we're all hurrying out to buy. Each supports a different format; one is called Blu-Ray, the other dubbed HD-DVD, and their image quality is equivalent. Those encoded in the Blu-Ray format won't be compatible with HD-DVD machines and vice versa.
The consortiums backing both are marching on, despite the fact that the duel between the VHS and Betamax video tape formats is cited ad nauseum as a textbook example of a costly business blunder that angered consumers and held back the technology's adoption. And, that's not to mention the millions of dollars that consumers will waste buying into the wrong camp, and then having to go back and buy yet another player. These high-definition DVD players will start with a price tag of $1,000, while the recorders will go for $2,000.
The movie studios who are taking sides are evenly split, enhancing the unlikelihood that this matter will be settled any time soon.
Late Wednesday, The Walt Disney Co. (nyse: DIS - news - people ) announced it would support the Blu-Ray disc format, which is being backed by manufacturers including Sony (nyse: SNE - news - people ), Dell (nasdaq: DELL - news - people ), Hitachi, HP (nyse: HPQ - news - people ), Matsushita's Panasonic (nyse: PAN - news - people ) brand, Pioneer (nyse: PIO - news - people ), Philips (nyse: PHG - news - people ) and Samsung. Mickey et al have joined MGM and Sony Pictures in committing to put their film and television content in the Blue-Ray format.
In the HD-DVD camp are manufacturers Toshbia and NEC (nasdaq: NIPNY - news - people ), as well as film studios Paramount Pictures, owned by Viacom (nyse: VIA.b - news - people ), Universal Studios, which was recently acquired by General Electric (nyse: GE - news - people ) and Time Warner's (nyse: TWX - news - people ) studios, Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema.
The upshot: shoppers looking to make their high-definition homes complete will be left in the aisles of Best Buy (nyse: BBY - news - people ) to scratch their heads. "Lots of money gets wasted during format wars, and usually it's by the same group of companies," says Strategy Analytics analyst Peter King. "A lot of it has to do with pride."
"The stakes here are very large," says GartnerG2 analyst Laura Behrens. "We're talking about billions of dollars in filmed content." As such, the winning format stands to reap tremendous rewards.
Content owners haven't said whether they'll publish in both formats, and, though Disney and others have termed their deals as "non-exclusive," it's highly unlikely that they will. Instead, they'll wait and switch to the format that wins.
It's impossible to say which format that will be. Blue-Ray discs have more storage capacity--50 gigabytes, or enough for a high-definition feature film and plenty of extras. But, to manufacture them will involve the costly proposition of building the infrastructure from the ground up, with all new facilities and equipment.
HD-DVDs' 25 gigabytes of storage can also hold an HD feature film, but that's about it. They can, however, be made in the same plants that are now being used to make standard definition discs--a much cheaper alternative. "That means that they'll be cheaper for consumers, which will give HD-DVD the chance to get a lot of volume in the market more quickly," says GartnerG2 analyst Paul O'Donovan.
Although it would grease the wheels for the DVD player market as a whole and save everyone time and money, neither camp seems inclined to back down.
"To the consumer, this won't make sense," says IDC analyst Josh Martin. "But, the companies that have time and money invested in these products want consumers to be able to choose their products."
Thursday, December 09, 2004
From the "as-an-aside" department
Take a look at this Vodafone Ad. Christmas sure came early for this girl.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/11/16/voda_live_ad/
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/11/16/voda_live_ad/
Entrepreneurship @ IIT k
I was at IIT Kanpur recently to deliver a talk on Entrepreneurship for the IIT Kanpur Business Club - a club we co-founded back in 2001. Here's the presentation.
PS: I found atleast 50 messages including around 20 plans in my mail the next day. Seems like we're on the right track.
PS: I found atleast 50 messages including around 20 plans in my mail the next day. Seems like we're on the right track.
Sale of IBM unit doesn't mean ThinkPads will cease to exist
My Biggest Concern
Sale of IBM unit doesn't mean ThinkPads will cease to exist
Sale of IBM unit doesn't mean ThinkPads will cease to exist
This week, IBM said it is selling off most of its PC division to Lenovo, China's No. 1 PC maker. The news is likely to rattle IBM customers — but it may end up benefiting them long term.
Excerpt:"Q: Does this mean IBM will stop selling personal computers?
A: No. IBM will continue to sell them, but they will be made by Lenovo.
Q: Will the quality of the PCs change?
A: Maybe, though only time will tell.
Sum of all fears?
Sale of IBM unit doesn't mean ThinkPads will cease to exist
Sale of IBM unit doesn't mean ThinkPads will cease to exist
This week, IBM said it is selling off most of its PC division to Lenovo, China's No. 1 PC maker. The news is likely to rattle IBM customers — but it may end up benefiting them long term.
Excerpt:"Q: Does this mean IBM will stop selling personal computers?
A: No. IBM will continue to sell them, but they will be made by Lenovo.
Q: Will the quality of the PCs change?
A: Maybe, though only time will tell.
Sum of all fears?
Tuesday, December 07, 2004
Learn Chinese while you still can
Lenovo, IBM to Announce Plans for New US-Based PC Company Tonight
While Indian domestic desktop/server companies are struggling for identity, a Chinese firm has actually gone ahead and bought IBM -- the Big Daddy of PC business, & the one which started the PC business at all.
So if the BIOS screen of your new IBM Laptop (yes, :-[ the new company will continue to use the IBM name, as well as key IBM brands like ThinkPad) is in Chinese -- don't say you were'nt warned. Learn Chinese while you still can. HP might well be the next. You Read It Here First.
I wonder if the quality of laptops would be a function of this merger. I hope not. Because if it does, the best non MAC laptop available in the market today would probably become history. Ofcourse, I am assuming that this obscure Chinese wouldn't be able to carry on the quality mantel any further.
I might be right. For eg, do you know that Lenovo, which was previous known as Legend, is China's largest PC maker and is partially owned by the Chinese government.
(PS: Further Conspiracy theorists & theories invited...)
While Indian domestic desktop/server companies are struggling for identity, a Chinese firm has actually gone ahead and bought IBM -- the Big Daddy of PC business, & the one which started the PC business at all.
So if the BIOS screen of your new IBM Laptop (yes, :-[ the new company will continue to use the IBM name, as well as key IBM brands like ThinkPad) is in Chinese -- don't say you were'nt warned. Learn Chinese while you still can. HP might well be the next. You Read It Here First.
I wonder if the quality of laptops would be a function of this merger. I hope not. Because if it does, the best non MAC laptop available in the market today would probably become history. Ofcourse, I am assuming that this obscure Chinese wouldn't be able to carry on the quality mantel any further.
I might be right. For eg, do you know that Lenovo, which was previous known as Legend, is China's largest PC maker and is partially owned by the Chinese government.
(PS: Further Conspiracy theorists & theories invited...)
IBM Ranked as e-Learning Leader...yet again!
e-Pro Magazine
Whats with IBM and creating learning content !?
1 - Gartner has placed IBM in the leader quadrant in its latest Learning Magic Quadrant report
2 - Training Magazine ranked IBM number one in its annual "Training Top 100" for outstanding learning programs within organizations. The survey ranks companies that "understand, embrace, and use training to achieve real business results, support corporate values, and enhance the work lives of employees."
3 - In October, IBM's Virtual Innovation Center (VIC), an online knowledge and enablement portal for IBM Business Partners, was the recipient of a Gold Award as part of the Brandon Hall Excellence in Learning Awards held at the Training and Online Learning Fall Conference and Expo in San Francisco
Good going IBM!
Whats with IBM and creating learning content !?
1 - Gartner has placed IBM in the leader quadrant in its latest Learning Magic Quadrant report
2 - Training Magazine ranked IBM number one in its annual "Training Top 100" for outstanding learning programs within organizations. The survey ranks companies that "understand, embrace, and use training to achieve real business results, support corporate values, and enhance the work lives of employees."
3 - In October, IBM's Virtual Innovation Center (VIC), an online knowledge and enablement portal for IBM Business Partners, was the recipient of a Gold Award as part of the Brandon Hall Excellence in Learning Awards held at the Training and Online Learning Fall Conference and Expo in San Francisco
Good going IBM!
Newbie Code Deparment
Yet another gmail-pioneered-others-suckered "invite only" noob application.
(reminds me of AOE @ zone - michi 2 vs 2 noob rookie kicked)
(reminds me of AOE @ zone - michi 2 vs 2 noob rookie kicked)
Sunday, December 05, 2004
An Idea Whose Time Has Come Back
TeleRead: Bring the E-Books Home
"NYT on e-books: 'An Idea Whose Time Has Come Back'
An Idea Whose Time Has Come Back is the headline of a New York Times Book Review article on e-books. It's good to see a major newspaper use words such as 'back' even if I'm not sure it fits. Regardless of the growth rates, e-book sales are still less than $40 million a year globally, a fraction of the billions that some analysts were predicting by now.
Missing from Sarah Glazer's article are full explanations of the 'Why?' of the pathetic numbers--such as the Tower of eBabel and DRM-based consumer abuse. At the same time Glazer apparently is unaware of the riches of sites like Project Gutenberg and Blackmask, both of which offer many times the number of public domain texts than the less-than-overwhelming collection of the mentioned University of Virginia (at least the university's public area). She also does not tell people about the $100 eBookwise-1150. Worst of all, Glazer does not mention any of the smaller e-book publishers, which account for so much of the growth and which often lack the anti-reader DRM mania of the big houses."
Must read for someone in the business of/associated with eLearning.
"NYT on e-books: 'An Idea Whose Time Has Come Back'
An Idea Whose Time Has Come Back is the headline of a New York Times Book Review article on e-books. It's good to see a major newspaper use words such as 'back' even if I'm not sure it fits. Regardless of the growth rates, e-book sales are still less than $40 million a year globally, a fraction of the billions that some analysts were predicting by now.
Missing from Sarah Glazer's article are full explanations of the 'Why?' of the pathetic numbers--such as the Tower of eBabel and DRM-based consumer abuse. At the same time Glazer apparently is unaware of the riches of sites like Project Gutenberg and Blackmask, both of which offer many times the number of public domain texts than the less-than-overwhelming collection of the mentioned University of Virginia (at least the university's public area). She also does not tell people about the $100 eBookwise-1150. Worst of all, Glazer does not mention any of the smaller e-book publishers, which account for so much of the growth and which often lack the anti-reader DRM mania of the big houses."
Must read for someone in the business of/associated with eLearning.
Saturday, December 04, 2004
IBM PC Retreat Would Shift Market Balance to Asia
IBM PC Retreat Would Shift Market Balance to Asia
By Mark Hachman
December 3, 2004
(Please read the full article @ eweek.com)
Reports that IBM might spin off or sell its PC business have refocused attention on the evolving role of contract manufacturers and Asian ODMs, those companies who actually build the PCs that are later branded as "Dell" or "HP."
The same factors that have helped "original device manufacturers" such as Hon Hai Precision Industry (Foxconn) and Compal Electronics develop their own finished products for sale in the marketplace have benefited Lenovo Group, the region's largest PC manufacturer and reportedly IBM's suitor for its PC business.
PC makers began turning to Taiwan and other Asian countries in the 1980s and 1990s to manufacture their PCs, in part because of the low cost of labor.
After a Taiwanese ODM finished manufacturing the PC, an OEM's label was added. That, in turn, led to lower PC prices and the rapid growth of the market. Other "white box" makers and the rise of the DIY market began convincing some that a PC was no greater than the sum of its parts.
PC vendors have said privately that, over time, their own responsibilities have decreased down to brand management, specification and testing of the final products. More and more ODMs and contract manufacturers are taking on more traditional engineering roles, as well as procurement responsibilities.
That has led to concerns that U.S. engineering resources may be drifting overseas, relegating U.S. companies to little more than marketing organizations.
"The market's slowly becoming aware of that," said Roger Kay, an analyst with IDC in Framingham, Mass. "It's becoming more of a factor, but it's always been a factor."
That, in turn, has placed more clout in the hands of Asian designers, rather than PC OEMs. According to a report by DigiTimes.com, for example, Foxconn's Foxsign Studios employs about 80 designers and aims to bring that figure to about 200 by year's end.
What IBM seems to be thinking, analysts say, is that there's simply no profit to be had in the PC space anymore. IBM outsourced its desktop PC and later its server and workstation manufacturing to SCI/Sanmina in 2003, and the company merged its hard-disk-drive operations with Hitachi Global Storage Technologies to essentially exit the hard-drive market.
Earlier this week, Gartner analyst Leslie Fiering wrote that the PC businesses of both Hewlett-Packard and IBM are subject to being spun off if their drag on margins and profitability are deemed too great by their parent companies.
"If IBM is exiting PCs, management is likely making a long-term call that PCs are commodities," Merrill Lynch analyst Steve Milunovich wrote Friday in a research note that was sent to the company's clients.
Commodity products, however, become subject to "churn," where commodity prices help users conclude that the products are replaceable, and therefore have little value. While this helps inflate the volume of products sold, little value is placed upon the individual item.
How would a combined IBM-Lenovo PC unit fare in the worldwide market?
By Mark Hachman
December 3, 2004
(Please read the full article @ eweek.com)
Reports that IBM might spin off or sell its PC business have refocused attention on the evolving role of contract manufacturers and Asian ODMs, those companies who actually build the PCs that are later branded as "Dell" or "HP."
The same factors that have helped "original device manufacturers" such as Hon Hai Precision Industry (Foxconn) and Compal Electronics develop their own finished products for sale in the marketplace have benefited Lenovo Group, the region's largest PC manufacturer and reportedly IBM's suitor for its PC business.
PC makers began turning to Taiwan and other Asian countries in the 1980s and 1990s to manufacture their PCs, in part because of the low cost of labor.
After a Taiwanese ODM finished manufacturing the PC, an OEM's label was added. That, in turn, led to lower PC prices and the rapid growth of the market. Other "white box" makers and the rise of the DIY market began convincing some that a PC was no greater than the sum of its parts.
PC vendors have said privately that, over time, their own responsibilities have decreased down to brand management, specification and testing of the final products. More and more ODMs and contract manufacturers are taking on more traditional engineering roles, as well as procurement responsibilities.
That has led to concerns that U.S. engineering resources may be drifting overseas, relegating U.S. companies to little more than marketing organizations.
"The market's slowly becoming aware of that," said Roger Kay, an analyst with IDC in Framingham, Mass. "It's becoming more of a factor, but it's always been a factor."
That, in turn, has placed more clout in the hands of Asian designers, rather than PC OEMs. According to a report by DigiTimes.com, for example, Foxconn's Foxsign Studios employs about 80 designers and aims to bring that figure to about 200 by year's end.
What IBM seems to be thinking, analysts say, is that there's simply no profit to be had in the PC space anymore. IBM outsourced its desktop PC and later its server and workstation manufacturing to SCI/Sanmina in 2003, and the company merged its hard-disk-drive operations with Hitachi Global Storage Technologies to essentially exit the hard-drive market.
Earlier this week, Gartner analyst Leslie Fiering wrote that the PC businesses of both Hewlett-Packard and IBM are subject to being spun off if their drag on margins and profitability are deemed too great by their parent companies.
"If IBM is exiting PCs, management is likely making a long-term call that PCs are commodities," Merrill Lynch analyst Steve Milunovich wrote Friday in a research note that was sent to the company's clients.
Commodity products, however, become subject to "churn," where commodity prices help users conclude that the products are replaceable, and therefore have little value. While this helps inflate the volume of products sold, little value is placed upon the individual item.
How would a combined IBM-Lenovo PC unit fare in the worldwide market?
Chinese takeaway for IBM's PC business? - vnunet.com
Now this is news. Chinese takeaway for IBM's PC business? - vnunet.com
Forbes did mentioned that IBM's PC Business Not Strategic To Core Strategy "Prudential Equity Group said that if IBM (nyse: IBM - news - people ) were to sell its PC business, 2005 earnings would be lowered by 5 cents per share, relative to the research firm's $5.50 estimate. Over the last four quarters, IBM's PC business has represented about 9% of its $95 billion in revenue, Prudential said. Reports Friday speculated that IBM is considering selling its PC business to Lenovo of China. Prudential said, "We believe that the PC business is absolutely not strategic to [IBM's] long-term core strategy. Over time IBM's strategy has focused more on a services and software push. To the extent that IBM does remain in hardware, they have focused their attention on areas in which they are able to differentiate themselves and add value (Unix, Linux and Windows on higher end servers, storage)." The firm rates IBM at "overweight" with a 15-month price target of $110."
But I bet no-one saw this coming. I mean C'mon -- how can these guys sell the Thinkpad line to some obscure Chinese company.
"In the past 24 hours sources claiming to be working on the alleged deal have named Lenovo (formerly Legend), China's largest maker of personal computers, as the probable buyer.
Lenovo accounts for nearly a quarter of China's PC sales, while IBM sells five per cent of the world's PCs.
"It is IBM's policy not to comment on rumours or speculation," a tight-lipped company spokesman told vnunet.com."
That would be a pity.
Forbes did mentioned that IBM's PC Business Not Strategic To Core Strategy "Prudential Equity Group said that if IBM (nyse: IBM - news - people ) were to sell its PC business, 2005 earnings would be lowered by 5 cents per share, relative to the research firm's $5.50 estimate. Over the last four quarters, IBM's PC business has represented about 9% of its $95 billion in revenue, Prudential said. Reports Friday speculated that IBM is considering selling its PC business to Lenovo of China. Prudential said, "We believe that the PC business is absolutely not strategic to [IBM's] long-term core strategy. Over time IBM's strategy has focused more on a services and software push. To the extent that IBM does remain in hardware, they have focused their attention on areas in which they are able to differentiate themselves and add value (Unix, Linux and Windows on higher end servers, storage)." The firm rates IBM at "overweight" with a 15-month price target of $110."
But I bet no-one saw this coming. I mean C'mon -- how can these guys sell the Thinkpad line to some obscure Chinese company.
"In the past 24 hours sources claiming to be working on the alleged deal have named Lenovo (formerly Legend), China's largest maker of personal computers, as the probable buyer.
Lenovo accounts for nearly a quarter of China's PC sales, while IBM sells five per cent of the world's PCs.
"It is IBM's policy not to comment on rumours or speculation," a tight-lipped company spokesman told vnunet.com."
That would be a pity.
Friday, December 03, 2004
Napster creator unveils new company
Napster creator unveils new company
Snocap (founded by Napster's Shawn Fanning) has developed technology that can identify digital music tracks shared across the internet and create a system to collect royalties on behalf of copyright owners.
Hey, that sounds Cool! No illegal file swapping anymore, eh ? If only Snocap can sneak behind .torrents/ares of the worlds and actually stop swapping from happening...as I realised, thats a BIG if. To make snocap work, users would need to use p2p service that work with Snocap as stated here "It was understood that a new file-swapping service called Mashboxx, expected to launch in January, would be the first peer-to-peer (P2P) network to harness Snocap's technology."
Grrr...why would someone use Mash* if he/she/it can get ripped music off Bit torrent in the first place !?
Moral of the story: Cool nothing. p2p will continue to grow leap & bounds & bleed the music industry (as seen on TV) to death.
[EDIT] I realised the BigDaddy of Blogs Slashdot already covered it.
Snocap (founded by Napster's Shawn Fanning) has developed technology that can identify digital music tracks shared across the internet and create a system to collect royalties on behalf of copyright owners.
Hey, that sounds Cool! No illegal file swapping anymore, eh ? If only Snocap can sneak behind .torrents/ares of the worlds and actually stop swapping from happening...as I realised, thats a BIG if. To make snocap work, users would need to use p2p service that work with Snocap as stated here "It was understood that a new file-swapping service called Mashboxx, expected to launch in January, would be the first peer-to-peer (P2P) network to harness Snocap's technology."
Grrr...why would someone use Mash* if he/she/it can get ripped music off Bit torrent in the first place !?
Moral of the story: Cool nothing. p2p will continue to grow leap & bounds & bleed the music industry (as seen on TV) to death.
[EDIT] I realised the BigDaddy of Blogs Slashdot already covered it.
Who needs it anyway
aSmallWorld
It says "aSmallWorld is an invitation-only online community which is not open to the public. It is designed for those who already have strong connections with one another. It allows you to interact more effectively with like minded individuals who share same circle of friends, interests, and schedule. We list the most popular restaurants, hotels, and night clubs in over 60 major cities, summer and winter resorts and we keep track of major events, parties, exhibitions, film and music festivals and sporting events such as motor racing, tennis, sailing, golf, and others. Our goal is to become the leading global social networking community."
Well, guess what Dorothy -- I've figured it out already. Do I need an invitation ?
Who does!
It says "aSmallWorld is an invitation-only online community which is not open to the public. It is designed for those who already have strong connections with one another. It allows you to interact more effectively with like minded individuals who share same circle of friends, interests, and schedule. We list the most popular restaurants, hotels, and night clubs in over 60 major cities, summer and winter resorts and we keep track of major events, parties, exhibitions, film and music festivals and sporting events such as motor racing, tennis, sailing, golf, and others. Our goal is to become the leading global social networking community."
Well, guess what Dorothy -- I've figured it out already. Do I need an invitation ?
Who does!
Yet Another SocialNetworking Site or YASS Update
YASS Update
asmallworld.net is yet another of those Social Networking Sites. At last count, their were more than 50. Find my best-effort list below. Social Networking Services Meta List
asmallworld.net is yet another of those Social Networking Sites. At last count, their were more than 50. Find my best-effort list below. Social Networking Services Meta List
- .node
- AudioScrobbler
- Affinity Engines
- Barnraiser
- Business Parc
- Contact Network
- Doostang
- ecademy
- eConozco
- eGrupos
- Eliyon
- EntreMate
- Friendly Favors
- Friendster
- GoingProfessional
- Growth Company
- Huminity
- I’m Not From Here
- InterAction
- ItsNotWhatYouKnow
- Join Network PLUS
- Konnects
- Link Silicon Valley
- matcheroo
- Mediabistro
- Meetup
- Monster Networking
- Multiply
- NetMiner
- Netmodular Community
- Networking For Professionals
- Online Business Networking Resource
- Open Business Club (openBC)
- OrderGenerator
- Orkut
- Point Relevance
- Polypol
- PowerMingle
- RealContacts
- ReferNet
- Reunion
- Ryze
- SelectMinds
- Shortcut
- Silicon Valley Pipeline
- Spoke Software
- StumbleUpon
- Sullivan Executive Networking Community
- Tacit - ActiveNet
- TENG
- Tribe.net
- Visible Path
- Wallflowerz.com
- WisdomBuilder
- WorldDJ.com
- Yelp!
- Zerendipity Networks
- Zerodegrees
- ZeroToNetwork
Monday, November 22, 2004
Keeping it simple.
Adam Bosworth's Weblog
Adam's KISS article kicks off a major debate on simplicity vs authority (or so I would call it). Wonderful piece of text. Must read.
And a follow-up by SmartGeek Sriram here: tyranny of the geeks . I agree.
Adam's KISS article kicks off a major debate on simplicity vs authority (or so I would call it). Wonderful piece of text. Must read.
And a follow-up by SmartGeek Sriram here: tyranny of the geeks . I agree.
Wednesday, November 10, 2004
Got Python?
This would sound strange. Most of the so-called techies I know (and I know a hell lot of them) dont have a clue about Python -- and its usability. Python, as you would know, is a great object-oriented, interpreted, and interactive programming language. & Yea, I know python is just one of 621 programming languages world has known -- but then, its one of the best -- better than a lot when it comes to data-structures et al. Then why does an average techie stare clouds when Python finds a mention. Probably because we lay a far more stress on C/++ and other "business purpose" languages. Probably Python is a bit under-sold. But then, Google runs on Python (Not exactly, but yep -- pretty much). Zope, another damn good OSS runs on python - plone too. In fact -- many: take a look at other python success stories.
Think about it.
Think about it.
Saturday, October 02, 2004
The story of Blogger
Blogger: About Us
Read This: "...funded by doing annoying contract web projects for big companies, trying to make our own grand entrance onto the Internet landscape"
That's a lesson for each of us -- aspiring entreprenuers and the likes (or call them whateveryouwant) -- if you can't fund yourself, you are better off elsewhere (writing codes for EDS, for eg). And this is how you "fund" yourself.
Read This: "...funded by doing annoying contract web projects for big companies, trying to make our own grand entrance onto the Internet landscape"
That's a lesson for each of us -- aspiring entreprenuers and the likes (or call them whateveryouwant) -- if you can't fund yourself, you are better off elsewhere (writing codes for EDS, for eg). And this is how you "fund" yourself.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)