HP slashes outlook as spends on service overhaul May 17, 2011 Hewlett-Packard has slashed its 2011 profit forecast as it prepares to spend heavily to revamp a troubled division that provides everything from computer maintenance to high-level tech consulting, sending its shares tumbling more than seven per cent. Chief executive Leo Apotheker, who took the helm in September, blamed the division’s “missed opportunities” under his predecessor [...]
Technology clusters at the pinnacle of success May 16, 2011 SILICON Fen is the UK’s answer to California’s tech-rich valley. The Cambridge cluster is proof that, by forming a hub of creativity, UK technology companies can compete on the world stage. Charles Cotton of Cambridge Phenomenon explains that the original catalyst for Silicon Fen came from Tim Eiloart and David Southward, chemical engineering graduates from [...]
After the May drought expect a gadget monsoon May 16, 2011 @steve_dinneen Gadget junkies in need of a fix may have to accept a few more weeks of gut-wrenching, palpitation inducing cold turkey. May has not been a good month for so-called “hero” product releases. The single most exciting thing to hit the shelves has been Motorola’s Atrix handset, which is a bit like saying magnolia [...]
RECOVERY HINGES ON IPAD 2 May 12, 2011 DIXONS Retail is pinning its hopes for a revival in fortunes on iPad 2 sales. The company issued a profit warning a month ago, saying trading had been weak since January. But Dixons has opened 60 new megastores, and sales of the iPad 2 have been soaring according to chief executive John Browett. He yesterday [...]
Strong branding needed to survive PR pitfalls May 10, 2011 UNDERSTANDABLY brands put in a lot of work to control PR but sometimes disasters happen and the impact that then has on the brand is dependent on the response and the underlying strength of the brand. Apple’s branding has been exceptional over the last few years but it has not stopped things going wrong. However [...]
Microsoft closes in on £5bn deal for Skype May 10, 2011 Microsoft Corp is close to buying Web video conferencing service Skype Technologies for $8.5bn (£5.1bn) including debt, a source familiar with the situation said, underscoring the technology giant’s growing ambition to plug a hole in its mobile offerings. Buying money-losing Skype would have no immediate impact on Microsoft’s finances, but would make clear its intention [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING May 9, 2011 FINANCIAL TIMES SAMOA TO MOVE BACK TO THE FUTURE Samoa, the tiny Pacific Ocean island state, is travelling through time to improve its economic prospects. In a vote of confidence for the Asian century, the country has decided to shift the jagged International Date Line to its east at the end of this year, which [...]
Social network bosses in line for huge windfall May 9, 2011 LinkedIn’s management stand to make a paper fortune when the firm floats later this month. Co-founder and chairman Reid Hoffman will be the biggest winner. He will reduce his stake from 21.2 per cent to 20.1 per cent, meaning he could be $660m richer if LinkedIn hits the top end of its range. The California-born [...]
Apple brand tops the table May 8, 2011 APPLE has become the most valuable brand in the world, at the expense of its increasingly bitter rival Google. Steve Jobs’ firm has an estimated brand value of $153bn (£93bn) according to WPP subsidiary BrandZ. Apple knocked Google off its perch following a run of four years with the search giant at the top of [...]
CapCo to spruce up Covent Garden site May 5, 2011 PROPERTY firm Capital & Counties (CapCo) has announced a £100m share placing, which it plans to spend on revamping and adding to its Covent Garden portfolio. The company, formed last year when Liberty International was broken up, is planning to sell 62.1m new shares, worth almost 10 per cent of its outstanding stock. CapCo’s buildings [...]