Shazam secures LA backing October 14, 2009 Shazam, the London-based mobile music service, yesterday said that it has secured one of Silicon Valley’s most successful investors, Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers (KPCB) as a backer. Shazam is seeking to capitalise on the popularity in downloadable mobile phone applications. The group said that it now has 50m users, and hopes to double its [...]
SIGNED, SEALED, UNDELIVERED October 12, 2009 IN A FURTHER blow to Royal Mail’s reputation, the department chain and supermarket-owner John Lewis yesterday said it would use other firms to deliver its wares. The firm said: “We have ensured that postal strikes don’t affect our customers by switching the business to other carriers.” Royal Mail is considering a series of rolling strikes [...]
Debenhams kicks off retail price war November 16, 2009 Debenhams yesterday announced it will be slashing £250m off prices in a four-day sale this week, in a move which it predicts will spark a price war similar to the frenzied discounting seen last Christmas. Rival Marks & Spencer’s executive chairman Sir Stuart Rose, said earlier this month he did not expect a repeat of [...]
Postal union in legal fight over temps November 2, 2009 THE Communication Workers Union (CWU) will on?Friday ask the High Court to issue an injunction against Royal Mail to stop it from taking on 30,000 agency workers. The CWU believes that Royal Mail is breaking the law because it is illegal to take on staff to cover workers involved in a lawful industrial dispute, according [...]
Post strike costs London 500m as talks restart October 25, 2009 POSTAL strikes are set to cost London more than £500m in lost business, the London Chamber of Commerce (LCCI) will reveal today. The news comes as fresh talks open up between Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union (CWU), mediated by Brendan Barber, the general secretary of the Trades Union Congress. CWU members walked out [...]
NEW YORK REPORT October 22, 2009 US stocks rose yesterday after quarterly results from insurer Travelers and regional bank PNC Financial gave a boost to financial stocks. Financials were among the top gainers after insurer Travelers posted gains after it raised its full-year outlook and regional bank PNC Financial Services Group shares jumped 12.7 per cent to $50.65 on far better-than-expected [...]
NEW YORK REPORT October 22, 2009 US stocks rose yesterday after quarterly results from insurer Travelers and regional bank PNC Financial gave a boost to financial stocks. Financials were among the top gainers after insurer Travelers posted gains after it raised its full-year outlook and regional bank PNC Financial Services Group shares jumped 12.7 per cent to $50.65 on far better-than-expected [...]
Google offers rivals book access September 10, 2009 Search engine giant Google has offered rivals access to its huge digital book database, in its latest bid to counter opposition, after a landmark legal settlement with the publishing world. But critics immediately slammed the offer, saying it wouldn’t dent Google’s growing grip on the digital books business. The offer comes ahead of a preliminary [...]
TORIES TO PRIVATISE THE POSTAL SERVICE October 22, 2009 SHADOW business secretary Ken Clarke yesterday said that a Tory government would privatise the Royal Mail if it wins the next election, as the Communication Workers Union (CWU) announced a second three-day walk out next week. Clarke said that only private capital and management could give Royal Mail a new lease of life and end [...]
Google and IBM surpass expectations October 15, 2009 US technology companies were upbeat last night, with Google declaring that the worst of the recession is over and IBM raising its full-year outlook. Google, the world’s number one search engine, said that its net income rose by 27 per cent in the third quarter to $1.64bn (£1bn), or $5.13 a share, compared with $1.29bn, [...]