HP rejects Xerox’s $33.5bn takeover bid but keeps door open for potential merger November 17, 2019 Tech giant HP today said it had rejected a $33.5bn (£26bn) takeover offer by printer manufacturer Xerox. Read more: HP plans to cut up to 9,000 jobs HP said the bid “significantly undervalues” the company, but added that it remained open to a potential merger and hoped for further engagement with Xerox management. “[The board] [...]
TSB’s IT boss ‘kept board in dark’ ahead of tech meltdown November 17, 2019 TSB Bank’s head of IT reportedly failed to warn board members about “shortcomings” with the testing of a new technology system days before it suffered a huge meltdown. TSB is facing a lengthy investigation by City law firm Slaughter and May into the botched rollout of a new IT system that caused nearly 2m customers [...]
Labour’s BT plans show ‘misunderstanding’ of broadband industry, firms warn November 17, 2019 British broadband providers have slammed Labour’s proposals to nationalise parts of BT, saying the plans show a “fundamental misunderstanding” of how the industry works. Shadow chancellor John McDonnell last week said Labour would take Openreach and other parts of BT into public ownership, and promised free full-fibre broadband for every UK household. Read more: Labour [...]
Disney Plus secures more than 10m subscribers in first day November 13, 2019 Shares in Disney rose more than three per cent today after the media giant revealed its new streaming service has nabbed more than 10m subscribers in its first day. Read more: Netflix and Nickelodeon sign original content deal in wake of Disney Plus launch The highly-anticipated launch of Disney Plus was beset by technical problems [...]
Netflix and Nickelodeon sign original content deal in wake of Disney Plus launch November 13, 2019 Netflix has signed a multi-year deal with Nickelodeon to create original animated films and TV series, just a day after Disney launched its new streaming service. Read more: Britbox launches in the UK – but can it challenge Netflix? As part of the deal, Netflix will produce new programming based both on the existing catalogue [...]
Union raises public interest concerns after reports of Newsquest bid for JPI Media November 13, 2019 The journalists’ union has issued a stark warning over a potential merger between Newsquest and JPI Media, saying the deal could harm the public interest and put jobs at risk. Newsquest, which owns a string of titles including the Oxford Mail and Brighton’s Argus, has reportedly taken pole position in the race to snap up [...]
Donald Trump impeachment: US politicians kick off public hearings November 13, 2019 The impeachment inquiry into US President Donald Trump stepped up a gear this afternoon as politicians opened the first public hearing. The House Intelligence Committee is holding the first hearing as part of a probe into whether Trump improperly pressured Ukraine to help his bid for reelection. Read more: FTSE 100 staggers under Trump’s tariff [...]
Tencent profit falls as Alibaba threat and economic woes weigh November 13, 2019 Chinese tech giant Tencent has posted a sharp drop in profit for the third quarter as rival Alibaba gears up for its Hong Kong listing. The gaming and social media firm reported net profit of 20.4bn yuan (£2.3bn), down 13 per cent on the same period last year. Read more: Blockchain startup Everledger raises $20m [...]
Ocean Outdoor grows revenue amid Rugby World Cup boost November 13, 2019 Ocean Outdoor has posted a double-digit rise in revenue for the third quarter after securing an exclusive deal with ITV to broadcast Rugby World Cup matches. The out-of-home advertising firm pulled in revenue of £29m over the period, up 12 per cent on last year. Read more: Ocean Outdoor snaps up Swedish ad firm Visual [...]
Newsquest outbids Reach in race for local publisher JPI Media November 12, 2019 Regional publisher Newsquest is said to have tabled a surprise bid for i newspaper owner JPI Media, threatening to derail the takeover efforts of rival Reach. Newsquest, which owns a string of titles including the Oxford Mail and Brighton’s Argus, is now thought to be the frontrunner in the bidding war, the Guardian reported, citing [...]