Information Technology

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.

Soaring Apple still looks safe valuation bet

20 Apr 2011

The $315 bln tech giant's revenue surged 83 pct in the past quarter from last year and profit almost doubled. There are hiccups in its supply chain. But adjust for cash, and the stock trades at a discount to the market. That seems cheap for a firm at the top of its game.

Were Luddites the victims of 2011-style finances?

11 Mar 2011

The British weavers who destroyed looms 200 years ago thought their unemployment was due to machinery. But there's a case to be made that inflation, money supply expansion, budget deficits and trade barriers were to blame. Maybe we haven't learned much in two centuries.

HP’s boss must present repair bill to investors

11 Mar 2011

Leo Apotheker's first presentation to shareholders next week won't be pleasant. His predecessor's dealmaking and costcutting spiked up profits. Spending more on R&D, boosting quality and gluing HP's parts together is a necessary task unlikely to generate quick returns.

iPad 2 launch shows Apple’s cool with corporate

2 Mar 2011

The new tablet device is faster and lighter than its predecessor. Ill CEO Steve Jobs turned up to showcase the latest features for kids, teenagers and geeks alike. Oddly missing was anything special to tempt business customers. Apple rightly reckons they'll come around anyway.

Mystery helps Apple’s sales but not its governance

25 Feb 2011

It took more than a day to reveal that, with Steve Jobs sick, 30 pct of shareholders wanted to see a succession plan. Given the company's success, the low profile of the pension fund proposing the measure and the board's recommendation against, that should send a message.

Time for Apple to speak up on future leadership

17 Feb 2011

Steve Jobs is tech's best executive, very private and extremely ill. More information about Apple's plans postSteve could calm the overworked rumor mill. It would divorce legitimate desire for information from sordid demand for gossip.

IBM quiz-show win won’t answer innovation question

15 Feb 2011

The Watson supercomputer is neckandneck against human rivals on the Jeopardy! TV trivia challenge. But attention given to a silicon triumph would distract from the real state of US innovation. It may be in a lull. And efforts from government may not do much to help machines.

Cisco’s growth quest may be giving it sclerosis

10 Feb 2011

In its last quarter, the networking group had to extend favorable terms to customers just to get a 6 pct sales lift half its longterm target and hammering margins. It's setting up a working group to study what happened. It's not too hard to diagnose: Cisco needs a diet.

Asian tech well placed for a recovering world

9 Feb 2011

From flat panels to semiconductors, Asia's hightech exporters stand to gain from a jobless recovery in the West. Their shares are already breaking from the pack. As investors shift from hedging dollar declines to betting on corporate investment, that trend should continue.