Kaz to look to overall value for Vista sell
By Tim Lohman, iTnews
Despite Microsoft’s hype about Vista’s TCO savings, services outfit Kaz says it will have to rely on more than just a TCO pitch when trying to sell the new operating system to its customers.
According to Group Manager desktop and infrastructure solutions, Grant Chapman, Kaz will look to educate would-be Vista users on the overall benefit of the new operating system.
“The OS (operating system) doesn’t get us the cost savings. It’s the broad approach – the hardware, service and OS - that does,” he said.
In particular, Kaz educating end-users on the benefits of hardware advancements such as Intel’s V-Pro technology which offers a more secure and power efficient chip.
“There is a slight cost saving when it comes to the integration of security, but desktops have become complex. There are so many applications on the desktop now that weren’t there ten years ago. Supportability is a big cost for us.”
Kaz, which has been part of Microsoft’s Technology Adoption Program for Vista, for the last 12 months has been testing the RC1 beta across Dell, HP, Lenovo and Acer desktops, notebooks and tablets.
The service outfit has also been trialing a number of connectivity clients for remote access and software distribution clients to push both the Vista upgrade and applications such as Office 2007, Chapman said.
“We haven’t had many problems at all. There was some functionality that wasn’t available on laptops, but the platform provided a very stable environment,” he said.
“Microsoft have demonstrated that they understand that Vista needs to be available to numerous manufacturers and hardware configures.
Chapman said that to date Kaz, which has about 200,000 desktops under management, had not piloted Vista with any of its customers, instead preferring to exclusively test the operating system internally.
“We should be prepared to use what we provide to customers,” he said. “That way we can make sure that when release [Vista] to customers we can make sure it’s right.”
Chapman said that Vista showed that Microsoft had undergone a cultural shift when it came to interoperability with the OS containing an extensive collection of drivers for third party applications and hardware.
“It was a happy surprise - they are now focused on getting it right for the end-user,” he said.
“Vista is also a very secure platform, especially with the level of granularity available for policy setting. There are also no issues with third party security vendors - we are working with Symantec around developing a service for Vista and the VPro platform.”
Kaz would also look to develop its range of communications-based services which it could wrap around Vista, Chapman said.
The company expects to begin rolling out Vista deployments to its smaller customers by January with deployments to larger organisations within the year.
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Applied warns of possible cut to revenues
Applied warns of possible cut to revenues
By Chris Nuttallin San Francisco
Published: November 16 2006 02:00 | Last updated: November 16 2006 02:00
Applied Materials, the biggest maker of equipment for the semiconductor industry, yesterday warned that chipmakers, as well as its flat-panel display customers, had adopted a more cautious approach to investments in their factories in the current quarter.
This "modest pull-back" would mean orders andrevenues probably falling between 5 per cent and 10 per cent, it said, with orders for display equipment down by $200m on the previous quarter.
By Chris Nuttallin San Francisco
Published: November 16 2006 02:00 | Last updated: November 16 2006 02:00
Applied Materials, the biggest maker of equipment for the semiconductor industry, yesterday warned that chipmakers, as well as its flat-panel display customers, had adopted a more cautious approach to investments in their factories in the current quarter.
This "modest pull-back" would mean orders andrevenues probably falling between 5 per cent and 10 per cent, it said, with orders for display equipment down by $200m on the previous quarter.
SharePoint deployment set to cause problems
SharePoint deployment set to cause problems
By Robert Jaques,
IT departments should prepare for serious management headaches next year as deployments of Exchange Server 2007 lead to Microsoft's SharePoint collaboration tools being rolled out "by stealth".
A poll by Quest Software claimed that 38 percent of UK companies are currently using SharePoint, but only half of these have a formal management policy in place for the application.
SharePoint is included free as part of Windows Server, but many organisations will simply switch it on without considering the potential impact, according to Joe Baguley, global product director at Quest
"The launch of Exchange 2007 sees Microsoft de-emphasising public folders in Exchange, encouraging customers to migrate this data to SharePoint," he said.
"As end users become familiar with the collaborative advantages of SharePoint, and realise they are able to create SharePoint sites themselves, there will be an explosion in usage. Unmanaged, this will create a serious headache for IT departments."
The shift towards public folders in Microsoft Exchange being migrated to SharePoint is already evident. Some 10 percent of UK companies have already made the move, according to Quest's research.
A further 29 percent are actively considering the move, while the remaining 61 percent will come under increasing pressure to migrate Exchange Public Folders as they transition to Microsoft Exchange 2007.
"The benefits of Microsoft SharePoint are clear, but this technology is also a leap ahead of many organisations' thinking," said Baguley.
"Like instant messaging, for example, the benefits will see smart end users inside organisations utilising this technology without their IT department being aware.
"Companies that fail to embrace and manage SharePoint correctly will find themselves with a major content management issue."
By Robert Jaques,
IT departments should prepare for serious management headaches next year as deployments of Exchange Server 2007 lead to Microsoft's SharePoint collaboration tools being rolled out "by stealth".
A poll by Quest Software claimed that 38 percent of UK companies are currently using SharePoint, but only half of these have a formal management policy in place for the application.
SharePoint is included free as part of Windows Server, but many organisations will simply switch it on without considering the potential impact, according to Joe Baguley, global product director at Quest
"The launch of Exchange 2007 sees Microsoft de-emphasising public folders in Exchange, encouraging customers to migrate this data to SharePoint," he said.
"As end users become familiar with the collaborative advantages of SharePoint, and realise they are able to create SharePoint sites themselves, there will be an explosion in usage. Unmanaged, this will create a serious headache for IT departments."
The shift towards public folders in Microsoft Exchange being migrated to SharePoint is already evident. Some 10 percent of UK companies have already made the move, according to Quest's research.
A further 29 percent are actively considering the move, while the remaining 61 percent will come under increasing pressure to migrate Exchange Public Folders as they transition to Microsoft Exchange 2007.
"The benefits of Microsoft SharePoint are clear, but this technology is also a leap ahead of many organisations' thinking," said Baguley.
"Like instant messaging, for example, the benefits will see smart end users inside organisations utilising this technology without their IT department being aware.
"Companies that fail to embrace and manage SharePoint correctly will find themselves with a major content management issue."
Chip and Pin deemed a success
Chip and Pin deemed a success
By Clement James,
The introduction of chip and Pin has been received positively by users of the card security technology, according to new research.
A study conducted by Harris Interactive among credit card holders in the UK found that over half of the 2,120 adults interviewed welcomed the introduction, with about two thirds agreeing that they felt 'comfortable' using the technology.
Around 46 percent of respondents agreed that chip and Pin is 'more secure', while a similar percentage said that chip and Pin is quicker than signing a receipt
Harris Interactive claimed that its findings correspond with the view reported by Apacs, which claimed that a smooth and trouble-free implementation of chip and Pin had provided a "safer retailing environment".
However, the outlook is not all positive. A substantial minority (17 per cent) of credit card holders viewed the introduction negatively, and 14 per cent felt uncomfortable using chip and Pin.
Interestingly, 68 percent of those who felt uncomfortable using chip and Pin disagreed that it is more secure than signing their name.
Furthermore, just under two-thirds (63 percent) of credit card holders said that they are conscious of people watching them enter their Pin.
Almost nine in 10 of those who felt negative about chip and Pin are conscious of being watched while entering their Pin.
Frances Green, director of financial research at Harris Interactive, said: "Levels of comfort and positive attitudes towards chip and Pin are good news for the industry.
"However, it is clear that a small, but not insignificant, proportion of consumers still feel uncomfortable and unfamiliar with some aspects of the process."
By Clement James,
The introduction of chip and Pin has been received positively by users of the card security technology, according to new research.
A study conducted by Harris Interactive among credit card holders in the UK found that over half of the 2,120 adults interviewed welcomed the introduction, with about two thirds agreeing that they felt 'comfortable' using the technology.
Around 46 percent of respondents agreed that chip and Pin is 'more secure', while a similar percentage said that chip and Pin is quicker than signing a receipt
Harris Interactive claimed that its findings correspond with the view reported by Apacs, which claimed that a smooth and trouble-free implementation of chip and Pin had provided a "safer retailing environment".
However, the outlook is not all positive. A substantial minority (17 per cent) of credit card holders viewed the introduction negatively, and 14 per cent felt uncomfortable using chip and Pin.
Interestingly, 68 percent of those who felt uncomfortable using chip and Pin disagreed that it is more secure than signing their name.
Furthermore, just under two-thirds (63 percent) of credit card holders said that they are conscious of people watching them enter their Pin.
Almost nine in 10 of those who felt negative about chip and Pin are conscious of being watched while entering their Pin.
Frances Green, director of financial research at Harris Interactive, said: "Levels of comfort and positive attitudes towards chip and Pin are good news for the industry.
"However, it is clear that a small, but not insignificant, proportion of consumers still feel uncomfortable and unfamiliar with some aspects of the process."
Softbank dragged into row over affiliates
Softbank dragged into row over affiliates
Published: November 16 2006 22:04 | Last updated: November 16 2006 22:04
By Louise Lucas in Tokyo
Softbank, the Japanese communications group, is being dragged into a row over related-party transactions by its affiliates with a Korean gaming company controlled by a vehicle linked to the brother of Softbank founder Masayoshi Son.
The internet and telecoms group, one of Japan’s most traded stocks, has previously courted controversy over its accounting practices, worries about which knocked 15 per cent off the share price in the space of two days in August.
The latest battle pits minority shareholders in Gravity, a Nasdaq-listed company based in South Korea, against its current management and Softbank affiliates who do business with Gravity. The minorities are launching a proxy battle claiming Gravity has been run for the benefit of a vehicle linked to Taizo Son, the Softbank founder’s brother, which holds 52.4 per cent of Gravity’s shares.
They allege that a slew of related-party transactions have bled value from Gravity and want to oust two directors for approving what they call “questionable actions”.
According to a proxy due to be filed within days and seen by the FT, minorities want three remaining independent directors to “install competent management ... to insure that the company is run for the benefit of all the shareholders, rather than solely for the benefit of the majority shareholder ... and its related parties: Taizo Son, GungHo [a Softbank affiliate], and Softbank”.
“We will not sit by and let these guys destroy shareholder value,” said Dan Gagnier, a spokesman for the Gravity Committee for Shareholders which represents investors owning 17.6 per cent of Gravity’s shares. “If they want to do related-party transactions and dealings with Softbank, they should take Gravity private [taking out minorities] at a fair price.”
Softbank, GungHo Online Entertainment and Taizo Son declined to comment. Gravity said confidentiality clauses precluded disclosing the terms of business agreements, but it believed it had responded to minorities “with integrity”. It blamed the poor performance of its shares on a lack of investor relations activities.
GungHo is 44.6 per cent held by Softbank. More than 80 per cent of its revenues come from a licence for an online game called Ragnarok owned by Gravity, which will not say how much GungHo pays for the licence.
The minorities’ priority is to oust two members of the board who approved the actions that, according to the irate shareholders, have destroyed value at the company. Gravity’s shares are now languishing below $6, or around half the $13.50 at which they were listed in February 2005.
Current concerns revolve around a clutch of related-party transactions which, the minorities allege, have benefited affiliates of Softbank at the expense of smaller shareholders.
Like many Asian companies, Gravity – and Softbank – operate within a network of linked companies. Softbank’s links with Gravity began in August last year when EZER, a vehicle affiliated with Taizo Son, brother of Softbank founder Masayoshi Son, acquired 52.4 per cent of the game maker.
Masayoshi Son helped fund the purchase, which took place at a huge premium to the share price, using some of his own Softbank shares as collateral.
According to the proxy, this deal set the tone for future related-party transactions. “EZER surprisingly admitted ... that the primary purpose of the acquisition of the majority interest was ‘to secure for the benefit of GungHo a continuing licence for Ragnarok. EZER’s admission makes it clear that GungHo’s two principal shareholders, Softbank and Taizo Son’s Asian Groove, stood to benefit directly from the EZER control purchase”.
GungHo Online Entertainment, which is 44.6 per cent held by Softbank, derives more than 80 per cent of its revenues from a licence for Ragnarok.
The EZER deal is one of several investors feel requires greater scrutiny. “The muted nature of the disclosure regarding the licence renewal strongly suggests to the Committee that the interests of the minority shareholders were ignored,” the proxy adds.
“We believe [Gravity directors Il Young Ryu and Seung Taek Baek] saved GungHo, for the benefit of Taizo Son and Softbank, by allowing EZER and its related entities to follow through with their plan to force Gravity into the licence renewal with GungHo.”
Gravity says it carried out an auction and made its selection based on price and relevant expertise. It says: “We concluded that GungHo Online Entertainment was one of the leading companies in the Japanese market.”
Published: November 16 2006 22:04 | Last updated: November 16 2006 22:04
By Louise Lucas in Tokyo
Softbank, the Japanese communications group, is being dragged into a row over related-party transactions by its affiliates with a Korean gaming company controlled by a vehicle linked to the brother of Softbank founder Masayoshi Son.
The internet and telecoms group, one of Japan’s most traded stocks, has previously courted controversy over its accounting practices, worries about which knocked 15 per cent off the share price in the space of two days in August.
The latest battle pits minority shareholders in Gravity, a Nasdaq-listed company based in South Korea, against its current management and Softbank affiliates who do business with Gravity. The minorities are launching a proxy battle claiming Gravity has been run for the benefit of a vehicle linked to Taizo Son, the Softbank founder’s brother, which holds 52.4 per cent of Gravity’s shares.
They allege that a slew of related-party transactions have bled value from Gravity and want to oust two directors for approving what they call “questionable actions”.
According to a proxy due to be filed within days and seen by the FT, minorities want three remaining independent directors to “install competent management ... to insure that the company is run for the benefit of all the shareholders, rather than solely for the benefit of the majority shareholder ... and its related parties: Taizo Son, GungHo [a Softbank affiliate], and Softbank”.
“We will not sit by and let these guys destroy shareholder value,” said Dan Gagnier, a spokesman for the Gravity Committee for Shareholders which represents investors owning 17.6 per cent of Gravity’s shares. “If they want to do related-party transactions and dealings with Softbank, they should take Gravity private [taking out minorities] at a fair price.”
Softbank, GungHo Online Entertainment and Taizo Son declined to comment. Gravity said confidentiality clauses precluded disclosing the terms of business agreements, but it believed it had responded to minorities “with integrity”. It blamed the poor performance of its shares on a lack of investor relations activities.
GungHo is 44.6 per cent held by Softbank. More than 80 per cent of its revenues come from a licence for an online game called Ragnarok owned by Gravity, which will not say how much GungHo pays for the licence.
The minorities’ priority is to oust two members of the board who approved the actions that, according to the irate shareholders, have destroyed value at the company. Gravity’s shares are now languishing below $6, or around half the $13.50 at which they were listed in February 2005.
Current concerns revolve around a clutch of related-party transactions which, the minorities allege, have benefited affiliates of Softbank at the expense of smaller shareholders.
Like many Asian companies, Gravity – and Softbank – operate within a network of linked companies. Softbank’s links with Gravity began in August last year when EZER, a vehicle affiliated with Taizo Son, brother of Softbank founder Masayoshi Son, acquired 52.4 per cent of the game maker.
Masayoshi Son helped fund the purchase, which took place at a huge premium to the share price, using some of his own Softbank shares as collateral.
According to the proxy, this deal set the tone for future related-party transactions. “EZER surprisingly admitted ... that the primary purpose of the acquisition of the majority interest was ‘to secure for the benefit of GungHo a continuing licence for Ragnarok. EZER’s admission makes it clear that GungHo’s two principal shareholders, Softbank and Taizo Son’s Asian Groove, stood to benefit directly from the EZER control purchase”.
GungHo Online Entertainment, which is 44.6 per cent held by Softbank, derives more than 80 per cent of its revenues from a licence for Ragnarok.
The EZER deal is one of several investors feel requires greater scrutiny. “The muted nature of the disclosure regarding the licence renewal strongly suggests to the Committee that the interests of the minority shareholders were ignored,” the proxy adds.
“We believe [Gravity directors Il Young Ryu and Seung Taek Baek] saved GungHo, for the benefit of Taizo Son and Softbank, by allowing EZER and its related entities to follow through with their plan to force Gravity into the licence renewal with GungHo.”
Gravity says it carried out an auction and made its selection based on price and relevant expertise. It says: “We concluded that GungHo Online Entertainment was one of the leading companies in the Japanese market.”
Dell delays earnings due to accounting issues
Dell delays earnings due to accounting issues
By Kevin Allison in San Francisco
Published: November 16 2006 08:42 | Last updated: November 16 2006 23:16
Dell suffered a further blow on Thursday as shares fell following news that the company would delay its quarterly results because of accounting issues that have sparked a formal investigation by US regulators.
Shares in the world’s second-biggest personal computer maker fell 2.5 per cent to close at $25.10, after Dell said the Securities and Exchange Commission had formalised a probe into revenue recognition and other accounting matters at the company. The move marked an escalation of an informal investigation that began in August.
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Dell also said it would be forced to delay its quarterly results until the end of the month because of complications arising from “certain accounting and financial reporting matters.” The company had been scheduled to report its quarterly results on Thursday. It said the decision to delay its results was not related to the escalation of the SEC probe.
Dell’s shares had risen from a multi-year low of $19.91 in July on hopes that the company could see its results bolstered by improving margins.
The twin announcements marked the latest setback for Dell, which has been struggling this year against a string of missed results.
In September, Dell’s accounting problems forced the company to postpone a big meeting with Wall Street analysts. The meeting had already been rescheduled from April after Dell said it needed more time to get to grips with changes in the personal computer market.
Richard Farmer, an analyst at Merrill Lynch, said that although Dell could benefit from a move away from aggressive pricing that has eaten into profit margins this year, its still faces significant challenges in the longer term as competitors reduce costs.
He said an ongoing fall in the average selling price of computers had chipped away at the savings customers reap by bypassing retailers to buy computers from Dell over the telephone and the internet.
“The indirect channel is seeing a resurgence,” he said. “The penalty for buying computers through a Best Buy or Circuit City is less with PC prices having come down so much over a number of years.”
Mr Farmer said there was not enough information available about the potential accounting problems to assess their likely impact.
By Kevin Allison in San Francisco
Published: November 16 2006 08:42 | Last updated: November 16 2006 23:16
Dell suffered a further blow on Thursday as shares fell following news that the company would delay its quarterly results because of accounting issues that have sparked a formal investigation by US regulators.
Shares in the world’s second-biggest personal computer maker fell 2.5 per cent to close at $25.10, after Dell said the Securities and Exchange Commission had formalised a probe into revenue recognition and other accounting matters at the company. The move marked an escalation of an informal investigation that began in August.
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Dell also said it would be forced to delay its quarterly results until the end of the month because of complications arising from “certain accounting and financial reporting matters.” The company had been scheduled to report its quarterly results on Thursday. It said the decision to delay its results was not related to the escalation of the SEC probe.
Dell’s shares had risen from a multi-year low of $19.91 in July on hopes that the company could see its results bolstered by improving margins.
The twin announcements marked the latest setback for Dell, which has been struggling this year against a string of missed results.
In September, Dell’s accounting problems forced the company to postpone a big meeting with Wall Street analysts. The meeting had already been rescheduled from April after Dell said it needed more time to get to grips with changes in the personal computer market.
Richard Farmer, an analyst at Merrill Lynch, said that although Dell could benefit from a move away from aggressive pricing that has eaten into profit margins this year, its still faces significant challenges in the longer term as competitors reduce costs.
He said an ongoing fall in the average selling price of computers had chipped away at the savings customers reap by bypassing retailers to buy computers from Dell over the telephone and the internet.
“The indirect channel is seeing a resurgence,” he said. “The penalty for buying computers through a Best Buy or Circuit City is less with PC prices having come down so much over a number of years.”
Mr Farmer said there was not enough information available about the potential accounting problems to assess their likely impact.
US shoppers buying subsidised PlayStation3
US shoppers buying subsidised PlayStation3
By Chris Nuttall in San Francisco
Published: November 17 2006 00:14 | Last updated: November 17 2006 00:14
The thousands who queued outside stores across the US on Thursday night for the midnight launch of the Sony PlayStation 3, the most expensive of the next-generation consoles, will have a bargain on their hands, according to a new report.
The PS3 costs $499 in its basic version, but its parts and manufacturing expenses are costing Sony $806 – a loss of $307 per machine, according to the research firm iSuppli.
A $599 version with wi-fi connectivity and a larger hard drive is losing Sony $240 per unit.
Both versions are already seen as costly compared to Microsoft’s Xbox 360, which has $299 and $399 consoles, and Nintendo’s Wii, launched this weekend at $250.
But iSuppli says the PS3 provides more processing power and capability “than any consumer electronics device in history. Because of this, the PlayStation 3 is a great bargain”.
Nevertheless, the substantial loss Sony is taking on the machine is far greater than that sustained by Microsoft when it subsidised the launch of its Xbox 360 a year ago. The $399 version contained parts worth $525 – a loss of $126 per unit.
The console makers expect to reduce their losses on machines over the five to 10 year life cycle of their products as parts become cheaper, making break-even or a small profit possible. The bulk of their revenues come from selling or licensing game software for their platforms.
The PS3 is the only console to include a high-definition DVD drive inside, with Sony pushing its Blu-Ray optical drive in a standards war with Toshiba’s HD-DVD version.
Surprisingly, the Blu-Ray drive is not the most expensive part of the PS3, which iSuppli took apart to price each component.
That honour goes to the Reality Synthesizer, a graphics chip made by Nvidia and costing $129. The Blu-Ray drive costs $125 and a revolutionary Cell processor from IBM is $89.
“With the PS3, you are getting the performance of a supercomputer at the price of an entry-level PC,” said Andrew Rassweiller, iSuppli senior analyst.
Sony’s loss on the console could be many of its buyers’ gain. Although genuine fans had queued to buy the PS3 at midnight there were others looking to turn a quick buck.
More than 2,000 PS3s were already being listed for sale on eBay on Thursday, with one unit selling for nearly $3,000.
The PS3 is guaranteed to sell out in stores due to production problems causing supply shortages. Around 400,000 units were expected to be available for the US launch.
By Chris Nuttall in San Francisco
Published: November 17 2006 00:14 | Last updated: November 17 2006 00:14
The thousands who queued outside stores across the US on Thursday night for the midnight launch of the Sony PlayStation 3, the most expensive of the next-generation consoles, will have a bargain on their hands, according to a new report.
The PS3 costs $499 in its basic version, but its parts and manufacturing expenses are costing Sony $806 – a loss of $307 per machine, according to the research firm iSuppli.
A $599 version with wi-fi connectivity and a larger hard drive is losing Sony $240 per unit.
Both versions are already seen as costly compared to Microsoft’s Xbox 360, which has $299 and $399 consoles, and Nintendo’s Wii, launched this weekend at $250.
But iSuppli says the PS3 provides more processing power and capability “than any consumer electronics device in history. Because of this, the PlayStation 3 is a great bargain”.
Nevertheless, the substantial loss Sony is taking on the machine is far greater than that sustained by Microsoft when it subsidised the launch of its Xbox 360 a year ago. The $399 version contained parts worth $525 – a loss of $126 per unit.
The console makers expect to reduce their losses on machines over the five to 10 year life cycle of their products as parts become cheaper, making break-even or a small profit possible. The bulk of their revenues come from selling or licensing game software for their platforms.
The PS3 is the only console to include a high-definition DVD drive inside, with Sony pushing its Blu-Ray optical drive in a standards war with Toshiba’s HD-DVD version.
Surprisingly, the Blu-Ray drive is not the most expensive part of the PS3, which iSuppli took apart to price each component.
That honour goes to the Reality Synthesizer, a graphics chip made by Nvidia and costing $129. The Blu-Ray drive costs $125 and a revolutionary Cell processor from IBM is $89.
“With the PS3, you are getting the performance of a supercomputer at the price of an entry-level PC,” said Andrew Rassweiller, iSuppli senior analyst.
Sony’s loss on the console could be many of its buyers’ gain. Although genuine fans had queued to buy the PS3 at midnight there were others looking to turn a quick buck.
More than 2,000 PS3s were already being listed for sale on eBay on Thursday, with one unit selling for nearly $3,000.
The PS3 is guaranteed to sell out in stores due to production problems causing supply shortages. Around 400,000 units were expected to be available for the US launch.
Wii and PS3 go head to head
Wii and PS3 go head to head
By Chris Nuttall
Published: November 16 2006 19:38 | Last updated: November 16 2006 19:38
In a corner of a San Francisco hotel suite last weekend, a woman was carrying out her first major heart surgery, while friends looked on sipping glasses of red wine and nibbling hors d’oeuvres.
A few yards away, a female investment banker was swinging wildly with an imaginary baseball bat and a mother was driving a turbo-charged truck off-road while, in another corner, four women whooped as one of their team scored a strike in a ten-pin bowling alley.
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The room of flailing arms and hands was mirrored by action on flat-screen TVs around the suite. All of them were hooked up to the Nintendo Wii games console, which is due to be launched in the US on Sunday and on December 8 in Europe.
This was no typical pre-launch party. For that, you had to be on a celebrity A-list in Beverly Hills two nights earlier, joining Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Chris Rock and Owen Wilson as they tried out the Sony PlayStation 3, on sale from today in the US after its debut in Japan last weekend.
The different social groups targeted by rivals Nintendo and Sony for their console launches – groups including working women, Hollywood stars and hard-core gamers – represent radically different marketing approaches for next-generation consoles that both makers tout as offering revolutionary advances in performance and functionality.
“Our mission was to go out and try to reach the people that would not consider themselves to be gamers,” explains Amy Cotteleer, president of A Squared Group, a marketing consultancy hired by Nintendo.
At the penultimate event of a 24-date tour of the US, the 30 or so women in the suite represent one of two target social groups relatively new to gaming – “the new-wave soccer moms and the multi-generation families,” says Ms Cotteleer.
“These are women who are in charge of the money and make the decisions and want to share that language of gaming with their children, but maybe feel intimidated,” she says. “They come to these events and nine out of 10 end up saying: ‘I want it for myself’.”
The women in the suite are acquaintances of Carol Dolezal-Ng, a mother of two from Berkeley who acts as an ambassador for A Squared, helping to spread the news about the Wii. “I can now see how this would work with the family. We can all be doing something together,” she says. “And I can also see this being a ‘girls’ night out’.”
Nintendo’s Wii is the least sophisticated and cheapest of the next-generation consoles. Its key selling point is its wireless controller, shap-ed like a TV remote control but equipped with motion-sensing technology and a vibrating “rumble” effect. This lets players mimic the movements of a golfer, boxer or a tennis or baseball star, feeling and hearing the impact of their actions.
Nintendo has fared badly in the current console round. It was relegated to third place in sales terms by the Microsoft Xbox, although its GameCube has proved both small and affordable enough for many to buy one as a second console.
The Wii could occupy a similar status in the next-generation console war, with its slim profile and $250 (£179; €249) price tag. But with the revolutionary controller and games that suit a wider audience it could increase its market share by reaching new audiences. “We are really excited about the Nintendo Wii. We think it will bring in the mass-market consumer and that will provide a lot of opportunity,” says Robin Kaminsky, executive vice-president at games publisher Activision.
The PlayStation 3, costing $500-$600, has been criticised for having a less than compelling opening line-up of games and for focusing too much on the in-built Blu-Ray high-definition DVD player. Blu-Ray has both pushed up the PS3’s price and caused production problems. Fewer than 200,000 units are expected to be available at launch in the US, the world’s biggest market, say Citigroup analysts.
The PS3 is appearing a year after its main rival’s Xbox 360, with Microsoft expecting to sell 10m by the end of 2006.
The PS3 does have a motion-sensing controller, though less advanced than Nintendo’s. But it is not marketing the PS3 as an audience-expanding console.
“Historically, hard-core gamers have driven adoption in the console market. PlayStation has recognised that this is an audience it needs to reconnect with,” says Jason Cieslak of Siegel+ Gale, a strategic branding firm, which has worked on marketing the PS3.
The console’s advertising campaign emphasises its geeky technical prowess, including details of processing power and storage. “Some of the components of the PS3 are going to have legs on them for years to come. That’s the big difference – the Xbox 360 and the Wii technically are really not peers of the PS3 from a longevity standpoint,” says Mr Cieslak.
If Sony hopes its latest console will recover from a slow start as consumers catch on to the benefits – such as the quality of high-definition TV and accompanying DVD drives and game systems – it is not a risk-free strategy.
Perrin Kaplan, Nintendo of America’s head of marketing, argues that it could simply take too long for the strategy to deliver results: “It’s still only about 12-18 per cent of households that have high definition, and there’s not a huge difference in the graphical quality.”
Paul Jackson, video games analyst at Forrester
the research company, says: “It’s still early stages, but Microsoft is looking comfortable with a significant lead.”
Most disturbing for Sony, a report by Merrill Lynch last week forecast worldwide market shares in 2011 of 39 per cent for Xbox 360, 34 per cent for PS3 and 27 per cent for the Wii – a doubling of share for Microsoft and Nintendo over the previous generation and a halving of the PS2 share of 69 per cent.
It all makes for gloomy reading for the world’s dominant console maker as it launches its most advanced machine yet.
By Chris Nuttall
Published: November 16 2006 19:38 | Last updated: November 16 2006 19:38
In a corner of a San Francisco hotel suite last weekend, a woman was carrying out her first major heart surgery, while friends looked on sipping glasses of red wine and nibbling hors d’oeuvres.
A few yards away, a female investment banker was swinging wildly with an imaginary baseball bat and a mother was driving a turbo-charged truck off-road while, in another corner, four women whooped as one of their team scored a strike in a ten-pin bowling alley.
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The room of flailing arms and hands was mirrored by action on flat-screen TVs around the suite. All of them were hooked up to the Nintendo Wii games console, which is due to be launched in the US on Sunday and on December 8 in Europe.
This was no typical pre-launch party. For that, you had to be on a celebrity A-list in Beverly Hills two nights earlier, joining Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Chris Rock and Owen Wilson as they tried out the Sony PlayStation 3, on sale from today in the US after its debut in Japan last weekend.
The different social groups targeted by rivals Nintendo and Sony for their console launches – groups including working women, Hollywood stars and hard-core gamers – represent radically different marketing approaches for next-generation consoles that both makers tout as offering revolutionary advances in performance and functionality.
“Our mission was to go out and try to reach the people that would not consider themselves to be gamers,” explains Amy Cotteleer, president of A Squared Group, a marketing consultancy hired by Nintendo.
At the penultimate event of a 24-date tour of the US, the 30 or so women in the suite represent one of two target social groups relatively new to gaming – “the new-wave soccer moms and the multi-generation families,” says Ms Cotteleer.
“These are women who are in charge of the money and make the decisions and want to share that language of gaming with their children, but maybe feel intimidated,” she says. “They come to these events and nine out of 10 end up saying: ‘I want it for myself’.”
The women in the suite are acquaintances of Carol Dolezal-Ng, a mother of two from Berkeley who acts as an ambassador for A Squared, helping to spread the news about the Wii. “I can now see how this would work with the family. We can all be doing something together,” she says. “And I can also see this being a ‘girls’ night out’.”
Nintendo’s Wii is the least sophisticated and cheapest of the next-generation consoles. Its key selling point is its wireless controller, shap-ed like a TV remote control but equipped with motion-sensing technology and a vibrating “rumble” effect. This lets players mimic the movements of a golfer, boxer or a tennis or baseball star, feeling and hearing the impact of their actions.
Nintendo has fared badly in the current console round. It was relegated to third place in sales terms by the Microsoft Xbox, although its GameCube has proved both small and affordable enough for many to buy one as a second console.
The Wii could occupy a similar status in the next-generation console war, with its slim profile and $250 (£179; €249) price tag. But with the revolutionary controller and games that suit a wider audience it could increase its market share by reaching new audiences. “We are really excited about the Nintendo Wii. We think it will bring in the mass-market consumer and that will provide a lot of opportunity,” says Robin Kaminsky, executive vice-president at games publisher Activision.
The PlayStation 3, costing $500-$600, has been criticised for having a less than compelling opening line-up of games and for focusing too much on the in-built Blu-Ray high-definition DVD player. Blu-Ray has both pushed up the PS3’s price and caused production problems. Fewer than 200,000 units are expected to be available at launch in the US, the world’s biggest market, say Citigroup analysts.
The PS3 is appearing a year after its main rival’s Xbox 360, with Microsoft expecting to sell 10m by the end of 2006.
The PS3 does have a motion-sensing controller, though less advanced than Nintendo’s. But it is not marketing the PS3 as an audience-expanding console.
“Historically, hard-core gamers have driven adoption in the console market. PlayStation has recognised that this is an audience it needs to reconnect with,” says Jason Cieslak of Siegel+ Gale, a strategic branding firm, which has worked on marketing the PS3.
The console’s advertising campaign emphasises its geeky technical prowess, including details of processing power and storage. “Some of the components of the PS3 are going to have legs on them for years to come. That’s the big difference – the Xbox 360 and the Wii technically are really not peers of the PS3 from a longevity standpoint,” says Mr Cieslak.
If Sony hopes its latest console will recover from a slow start as consumers catch on to the benefits – such as the quality of high-definition TV and accompanying DVD drives and game systems – it is not a risk-free strategy.
Perrin Kaplan, Nintendo of America’s head of marketing, argues that it could simply take too long for the strategy to deliver results: “It’s still only about 12-18 per cent of households that have high definition, and there’s not a huge difference in the graphical quality.”
Paul Jackson, video games analyst at Forrester
the research company, says: “It’s still early stages, but Microsoft is looking comfortable with a significant lead.”
Most disturbing for Sony, a report by Merrill Lynch last week forecast worldwide market shares in 2011 of 39 per cent for Xbox 360, 34 per cent for PS3 and 27 per cent for the Wii – a doubling of share for Microsoft and Nintendo over the previous generation and a halving of the PS2 share of 69 per cent.
It all makes for gloomy reading for the world’s dominant console maker as it launches its most advanced machine yet.
HP fills board seat with Valley outsider
HP fills board seat with Valley outsider
By Kevin Allison in San Francisco
Published: November 18 2006 01:22 | Last updated: November 18 2006 01:22
Mark Hurd, chairman and chief execeutive of Hewlett-Packard, has tapped a Silicon Valley outsider to fill the first of two board seats left vacant in the wake of the spying scandal that rocked the world’s second-biggest computer maker this year.
In a filing lodged late on Friday, HP said it had appointed G Kennedy Thompson, chairman and chief executive of Wachovia, one of the biggest US retail banks, to its board of directors.
“[Mr Thompson’s] independence, extensive experience running a large, complex organisation, and outstanding character will make him a valued asset to our company,’’ Mr Hurd said in a statement.
The decision to appoint a Silicon Valley outsider comes as HP seeks to restore its reputation for sound governance following a sensational spying scandal that gutted its board this year.
The controversy boiled over in September after HP admitted that its investigators used questionable and potentially illegal tactics to uncover the source of a boardroom leak.
The revelations led to the ousting of Patricia Dunn, HP’s former chairman, who oversaw the leak investigation. It also led to the departure of George Keyworth, a long-time director and Silicon Valley luminary who was found to have leaked details of confidential boardroom discussions to the press.
A third seat has been vacant since May, when Tom Perkins, the legendary Silicon Valley venture capitalist, quit in protest over the board’s investigative tactics. Following his departure, HP said it had reduced the number of company directors from 11 to 10.
HP said it would pay Mr Thompson an annual cash retainer of $50,000, along with another $150,000 a year in stock.
Mr Hurd, who assumed the role of chairman after Ms Dunn’s departure in September, said in a conference call on Thursday that HP’s aim was to build “the best board we possibly can, the best board on the planet”.
During his five years as head of Wachovia, Mr Thomson has presided over several big mergers, including the group’s $14.3bn takeover of SouthTrust, a deal that turned Wachovia into the fourth-biggest US bank by holdings.
HP’s shares slipped 0.9 per cent to $39.77 ahead of the announcement. The slide came a day after HP reported strong quarterly results and raised its guidance for the coming quarter.
By Kevin Allison in San Francisco
Published: November 18 2006 01:22 | Last updated: November 18 2006 01:22
Mark Hurd, chairman and chief execeutive of Hewlett-Packard, has tapped a Silicon Valley outsider to fill the first of two board seats left vacant in the wake of the spying scandal that rocked the world’s second-biggest computer maker this year.
In a filing lodged late on Friday, HP said it had appointed G Kennedy Thompson, chairman and chief executive of Wachovia, one of the biggest US retail banks, to its board of directors.
“[Mr Thompson’s] independence, extensive experience running a large, complex organisation, and outstanding character will make him a valued asset to our company,’’ Mr Hurd said in a statement.
The decision to appoint a Silicon Valley outsider comes as HP seeks to restore its reputation for sound governance following a sensational spying scandal that gutted its board this year.
The controversy boiled over in September after HP admitted that its investigators used questionable and potentially illegal tactics to uncover the source of a boardroom leak.
The revelations led to the ousting of Patricia Dunn, HP’s former chairman, who oversaw the leak investigation. It also led to the departure of George Keyworth, a long-time director and Silicon Valley luminary who was found to have leaked details of confidential boardroom discussions to the press.
A third seat has been vacant since May, when Tom Perkins, the legendary Silicon Valley venture capitalist, quit in protest over the board’s investigative tactics. Following his departure, HP said it had reduced the number of company directors from 11 to 10.
HP said it would pay Mr Thompson an annual cash retainer of $50,000, along with another $150,000 a year in stock.
Mr Hurd, who assumed the role of chairman after Ms Dunn’s departure in September, said in a conference call on Thursday that HP’s aim was to build “the best board we possibly can, the best board on the planet”.
During his five years as head of Wachovia, Mr Thomson has presided over several big mergers, including the group’s $14.3bn takeover of SouthTrust, a deal that turned Wachovia into the fourth-biggest US bank by holdings.
HP’s shares slipped 0.9 per cent to $39.77 ahead of the announcement. The slide came a day after HP reported strong quarterly results and raised its guidance for the coming quarter.
Former HP chairman pleads not guilty
Former HP chairman pleads not guilty
By Kevin Allison in San Francisco
Published: November 15 2006 18:13 | Last updated: November 15 2006 20:33
Patricia Dunn, the former chairman of Hewlett-Packard, pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to criminal charges stemming from a haywire investigation into boardroom leaks that shook the world’s second-biggest computer maker this year.
Ms Dunn entered the plea on Wednesday at a courthouse in San Jose.
She and four other defendants face charges of wire fraud, identity theft, and improper use of computer data over their alleged role in a leak investigation in which operatives working on behalf of the HP board posed as journalists, board members and employees in order to obtain private telephone records. Each charge could lead to up to three years in jail.
Controversy over the investigators’ tactics, which also included physical surveillance and an e-mail “sting” operation against a reporter suspected of receiving leaked information, led to the departure of Ms Dunn and other top HP officials, including the company’s top lawyer, Ann Baskins, in September.
Ms Dunn, who is undergoing treatment for ovarian cancer, told Congress in September that she regretted the tactics used in the probe but said she was not responsible for them.
Ms Dunn’s lawyer did not return messages seeking comment on Wednesday.
The spying controversy shook the US business community, which had long viewed HP as a model of corporate virtue. The controversy has also overshadowed a turnaround in fortunes at HP, which is set to report its quarterly results after the closing bell on Thursday.
Although HP remains a close second to International Business Machines in the worldwide computer market by revenues, the company’s shares have climbed steadily over the past 18 months on the back of a cost cutting drive and a string of better-than-expected results under chief executive Mark Hurd.
Earlier this month, HP reclaimed the top spot in personal computer shipments from Dell, its struggling arch-rival, for the first time in three years.
Shares of HP dipped 1.7 per cent to $40 on Wednesday ahead of the company’s results. They had hit a multi-year high of $40.67 on Tuesday. Dell is also set to report its results on Thursday
By Kevin Allison in San Francisco
Published: November 15 2006 18:13 | Last updated: November 15 2006 20:33
Patricia Dunn, the former chairman of Hewlett-Packard, pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to criminal charges stemming from a haywire investigation into boardroom leaks that shook the world’s second-biggest computer maker this year.
Ms Dunn entered the plea on Wednesday at a courthouse in San Jose.
She and four other defendants face charges of wire fraud, identity theft, and improper use of computer data over their alleged role in a leak investigation in which operatives working on behalf of the HP board posed as journalists, board members and employees in order to obtain private telephone records. Each charge could lead to up to three years in jail.
Controversy over the investigators’ tactics, which also included physical surveillance and an e-mail “sting” operation against a reporter suspected of receiving leaked information, led to the departure of Ms Dunn and other top HP officials, including the company’s top lawyer, Ann Baskins, in September.
Ms Dunn, who is undergoing treatment for ovarian cancer, told Congress in September that she regretted the tactics used in the probe but said she was not responsible for them.
Ms Dunn’s lawyer did not return messages seeking comment on Wednesday.
The spying controversy shook the US business community, which had long viewed HP as a model of corporate virtue. The controversy has also overshadowed a turnaround in fortunes at HP, which is set to report its quarterly results after the closing bell on Thursday.
Although HP remains a close second to International Business Machines in the worldwide computer market by revenues, the company’s shares have climbed steadily over the past 18 months on the back of a cost cutting drive and a string of better-than-expected results under chief executive Mark Hurd.
Earlier this month, HP reclaimed the top spot in personal computer shipments from Dell, its struggling arch-rival, for the first time in three years.
Shares of HP dipped 1.7 per cent to $40 on Wednesday ahead of the company’s results. They had hit a multi-year high of $40.67 on Tuesday. Dell is also set to report its results on Thursday
Dell delays earnings due to accounting issues
Dell delays earnings due to accounting issues
By Kevin Allison in San Francisco
Published: November 16 2006 08:42 | Last updated: November 16 2006 23:16
Dell suffered a further blow on Thursday as shares fell following news that the company would delay its quarterly results because of accounting issues that have sparked a formal investigation by US regulators.
Shares in the world’s second-biggest personal computer maker fell 2.5 per cent to close at $25.10, after Dell said the Securities and Exchange Commission had formalised a probe into revenue recognition and other accounting matters at the company. The move marked an escalation of an informal investigation that began in August.
Dell also said it would be forced to delay its quarterly results until the end of the month because of complications arising from “certain accounting and financial reporting matters.” The company had been scheduled to report its quarterly results on Thursday. It said the decision to delay its results was not related to the escalation of the SEC probe.
Dell’s shares had risen from a multi-year low of $19.91 in July on hopes that the company could see its results bolstered by improving margins.
The twin announcements marked the latest setback for Dell, which has been struggling this year against a string of missed results.
In September, Dell’s accounting problems forced the company to postpone a big meeting with Wall Street analysts. The meeting had already been rescheduled from April after Dell said it needed more time to get to grips with changes in the personal computer market.
Richard Farmer, an analyst at Merrill Lynch, said that although Dell could benefit from a move away from aggressive pricing that has eaten into profit margins this year, its still faces significant challenges in the longer term as competitors reduce costs.
He said an ongoing fall in the average selling price of computers had chipped away at the savings customers reap by bypassing retailers to buy computers from Dell over the telephone and the internet.
“The indirect channel is seeing a resurgence,” he said. “The penalty for buying computers through a Best Buy or Circuit City is less with PC prices having come down so much over a number of years.”
Mr Farmer said there was not enough information available about the potential accounting problems to assess their likely impact.
By Kevin Allison in San Francisco
Published: November 16 2006 08:42 | Last updated: November 16 2006 23:16
Dell suffered a further blow on Thursday as shares fell following news that the company would delay its quarterly results because of accounting issues that have sparked a formal investigation by US regulators.
Shares in the world’s second-biggest personal computer maker fell 2.5 per cent to close at $25.10, after Dell said the Securities and Exchange Commission had formalised a probe into revenue recognition and other accounting matters at the company. The move marked an escalation of an informal investigation that began in August.
Dell also said it would be forced to delay its quarterly results until the end of the month because of complications arising from “certain accounting and financial reporting matters.” The company had been scheduled to report its quarterly results on Thursday. It said the decision to delay its results was not related to the escalation of the SEC probe.
Dell’s shares had risen from a multi-year low of $19.91 in July on hopes that the company could see its results bolstered by improving margins.
The twin announcements marked the latest setback for Dell, which has been struggling this year against a string of missed results.
In September, Dell’s accounting problems forced the company to postpone a big meeting with Wall Street analysts. The meeting had already been rescheduled from April after Dell said it needed more time to get to grips with changes in the personal computer market.
Richard Farmer, an analyst at Merrill Lynch, said that although Dell could benefit from a move away from aggressive pricing that has eaten into profit margins this year, its still faces significant challenges in the longer term as competitors reduce costs.
He said an ongoing fall in the average selling price of computers had chipped away at the savings customers reap by bypassing retailers to buy computers from Dell over the telephone and the internet.
“The indirect channel is seeing a resurgence,” he said. “The penalty for buying computers through a Best Buy or Circuit City is less with PC prices having come down so much over a number of years.”
Mr Farmer said there was not enough information available about the potential accounting problems to assess their likely impact.
Bullish HP highlights the troubles at Dell
Bullish HP highlights the troubles at Dell
By Kevin Allison in San Francisco
Published: November 16 2006 21:59 Last updated: November 17 2006 00:31
Hewlett-Packard on Thursday reported a four-fold rise in quarterly profit in the final quarter of what Mark Hurd, chief executive, called a “defining year” for the world’s second-biggest computer company.
“This was a strong performance. We took share and cash flow is at record levels,” Mr Hurd said. “Looking back, 2006 was a defining year for HP.”
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Quarterly net profit was $1.7bn, or 60 cents a share, up from 14 cents a share in the year-ago quarter. Operating profit, which excludes the effects of last year’s $1bn accounting charge and other exceptional items, rose 33 per cent in the period.
HP on Thursday said the Securities and Exchange Commission had issued a formal investigation into its inquiry over a boardroom spying scandal, which has tarred HP’s reputation this year, while the Federal Communications Commission has also requested information.
“We do not believe this represents an escalation or broadening of the investigation and are continuing to cooperate fully,” the company said in a statement.
HP also raised its quarterly guidance for the fifth consecutive quarter – a sign of continuing optimism that HP’s $1.9bn cost-cutting drive and renewed focus on sales would continue to deliver bumper results.
The bullish outlook stood in contrast to continuing troubles at Dell, HP’s chief personal computer rival. Shares of Dell fell as much as 4.5 per cent on Thursday, a day after the computer maker said it would be forced to delay its quarterly results until the end of the month because of accounting issues that have sparked a formal investigation by US regulators. They recovered to trade 2.5 per cent lower at $25.10.
HP executives have said that the company may soon overtake IBM as the world’s biggest IT company by revenues following IBM’s disposal of its PC business to Lenovo last year. Two market research groups recently found that HP overtook Dell as the top PC maker by shipments last quarter. Thursday’s rise in profits at HP came a year after the company took a $1.1bn accounting charge related to the cost-cutting drive launched by Mr Hurd shortly after he took charge of the company last year.
Revenues at HP rose 6 per cent to $24.6bn in the fourth quarter, driven by a pick-up in sales across the company’s business lines. Software sales grew the most in percentage terms, with revenues up 14 per cent over the period. Net profit for the full year was $6.2bn, or $2.18 per share, on revenues of $91.7bn.
Over the past 18 months, HP’s shares have nearly doubled. Dell’s shares, meanwhile, have fallen nearly 40 per cent from a high of $41.29 in July last year.
By Kevin Allison in San Francisco
Published: November 16 2006 21:59 Last updated: November 17 2006 00:31
Hewlett-Packard on Thursday reported a four-fold rise in quarterly profit in the final quarter of what Mark Hurd, chief executive, called a “defining year” for the world’s second-biggest computer company.
“This was a strong performance. We took share and cash flow is at record levels,” Mr Hurd said. “Looking back, 2006 was a defining year for HP.”
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Quarterly net profit was $1.7bn, or 60 cents a share, up from 14 cents a share in the year-ago quarter. Operating profit, which excludes the effects of last year’s $1bn accounting charge and other exceptional items, rose 33 per cent in the period.
HP on Thursday said the Securities and Exchange Commission had issued a formal investigation into its inquiry over a boardroom spying scandal, which has tarred HP’s reputation this year, while the Federal Communications Commission has also requested information.
“We do not believe this represents an escalation or broadening of the investigation and are continuing to cooperate fully,” the company said in a statement.
HP also raised its quarterly guidance for the fifth consecutive quarter – a sign of continuing optimism that HP’s $1.9bn cost-cutting drive and renewed focus on sales would continue to deliver bumper results.
The bullish outlook stood in contrast to continuing troubles at Dell, HP’s chief personal computer rival. Shares of Dell fell as much as 4.5 per cent on Thursday, a day after the computer maker said it would be forced to delay its quarterly results until the end of the month because of accounting issues that have sparked a formal investigation by US regulators. They recovered to trade 2.5 per cent lower at $25.10.
HP executives have said that the company may soon overtake IBM as the world’s biggest IT company by revenues following IBM’s disposal of its PC business to Lenovo last year. Two market research groups recently found that HP overtook Dell as the top PC maker by shipments last quarter. Thursday’s rise in profits at HP came a year after the company took a $1.1bn accounting charge related to the cost-cutting drive launched by Mr Hurd shortly after he took charge of the company last year.
Revenues at HP rose 6 per cent to $24.6bn in the fourth quarter, driven by a pick-up in sales across the company’s business lines. Software sales grew the most in percentage terms, with revenues up 14 per cent over the period. Net profit for the full year was $6.2bn, or $2.18 per share, on revenues of $91.7bn.
Over the past 18 months, HP’s shares have nearly doubled. Dell’s shares, meanwhile, have fallen nearly 40 per cent from a high of $41.29 in July last year.
Children befriend the ugly Wii
Children befriend the ugly Wii
By Chris Nuttall
Published: November 17 2006 02:00 Last updated: November 17 2006 02:00
The Nintendo Wii looked like an ugly white duckling next to the sleek black swan of Sony's PlayStation 3 on our living room floor, where my children and their friends aged between eight and 14 sat, eager to put the latest video games consoles to the test, writes Chris Nuttall.
The Wii had as much charisma as an internet router and all the charm of an external CD-rom drive, which is what it most resembled. And yet the diminutive Wii represents out-of-the-box pure fun next to the PS3.
By Chris Nuttall
Published: November 17 2006 02:00 Last updated: November 17 2006 02:00
The Nintendo Wii looked like an ugly white duckling next to the sleek black swan of Sony's PlayStation 3 on our living room floor, where my children and their friends aged between eight and 14 sat, eager to put the latest video games consoles to the test, writes Chris Nuttall.
The Wii had as much charisma as an internet router and all the charm of an external CD-rom drive, which is what it most resembled. And yet the diminutive Wii represents out-of-the-box pure fun next to the PS3.
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