Archive for the ‘Businesses’ Category
All signs point to more e-shopping in Denmark
In a recent press release (in Danish) The Danish Distance Selling and E-business Association can see and predicts more e-shopping in Denmark.
According to the analysis 57 percent of all male internet users in Denmark have shopped online within the recent month in 2007. In 2006 that number was 43. The ladies are a bit behind with 49 percent in 2007 and 33 percent in 2006.
The numbers match those of studies elsewhere:
Another recently announced English analysis from it company Fujitsu shows a significant growth in e-shopping and a stagnation in the physical shopping. The consumers will do more shopping online expecting to do a good deal.
Let's just hope that the Danish postal service doesn't get any worse than it is now, cause that could seriously pull the carpet away under online shopping - providing that you buy goods and not software, of course.
Related postsTags: Businesses, Denmark, News, shopping
Microsoft investing in Facebook?
Just saw that The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Microsoft might be very interesting in investing in social startup Facebook.
Facebook has — according to the WSJ — 40 million users, and Microsoft (and apparently also Google) is now trying to grab a piece of the action.
Microsoft's approach to Facebook in recent weeks with proposals to invest in the fast-growing site is part of the software giant's effort to catch up with the Internet rival Google. If successful, Microsoft's talks with Facebook could give it an up-to-5% stake in the closely-held startup—a stake potentially valued at roughly $300 million to $500 million, the people familiar with those talks said.
The people familiar with the matter said that the discussions are still preliminary and Facebook could wind up not taking an investment from either Microsoft or Google. Factors in the discussions include the valuation the suitors would offer to Facebook and other business considerations they could contribute to sweeten any deal.
I wonder if there's anything else than an increase in Facebook's value in store for us, if either Microsoft or Google starts to invest in a company like Facebook. Some time ago Rupert Murdoch snatched MySpace — the far biggest social site/community.
In the past years Google and Microsoft have been in an internetish "battle of the titans". Things might get a lot more interesting…
Related postsTags: Businesses, Microsoft, Social web
Is Web 2.0 growing up?
According to The Wallstreet Journal more companies are spending more money in the field of "Web 2.0" (we SO need to come up with another term for that) — mostly social networking or blogging.
Also the investments in Web 2.0 companies has started to move outside the San Francisco Bay Arena which is "known for producing some of the most high-profile Internet companies".
In the first half of 2007 New England topped the Bay Arena with $102 million invested dollars, Bay Arena had $90.5 million.
Also companies are becoming better at investing in web companies:
Related postsTags: Businesses, Web, Web 2.0
Yet another Yahoo acquisition: MyBlogLog
I have previously written about Yahoo acquisitions in 2005 and 2006, and now Yahoo has been out buying again.
This time it's MyBlogLog a service aiming to connect like-minded bloggers in communities. You just add your blog by typing in the URL/URI. Apparently MyBlogLog also has a built in statistics module, that requires you to add a single JavaScript to your blog.
Read more about Yahoo's acquisition of MyBlogLog:
Related postsTags: Acquisitions, Blogging, Yahoo
Yahoo acquisitions in 2005 and 2006
CyberNet News has an article on Yahoo Acquisitions Over the Last Two Years.
The article sums up two years of interesting Yahoo acquisitions, seven in 2005 and three in 2006.
I can honestly say that there are some acquisitions in there, that I haven't heard anything about.
Related postsTags: Acquisitions, Yahoo
A European charter for online movies?
Apparently the European Union has just announced a "European Charter for Film Online endorsed by major industry players".
This sounds quite interesting.
In the press announcement it says:
This Charter – the first of its kind in the world – identifies the preconditions for enabling content and infrastructure providers to make film online services a commercial success. The Charter will serve as reference for future commercial agreements as well as for a broader Content Online policy of the European Commission.
I haven't read the charter yet, therefore I'm unable to write anything about its content.
Courtesy links:
Read the charter (English, PDF, 12 pages)
View the list of the endorsing companies and organisations (English, PDF, 1 page)
Tags: Businesses, Entertainment
Nothing to smile about at AOL
The Economist has an article about America Online (AOL), where the various problems and difficulties with the firm, the brand, the shares and the customers are discussed.
The article argues, that Time Warner, who owns AOL, might be considering to break off the AOL-branch of the business.
Read the article, it's interesting, and very important, stuff!
Related postsTags: AOL, Businesses, Web-portals