Yahoo Inc said on Tuesday it had signed a search advertising deal with Google Inc, providing a potential boost to Marissa Mayer's efforts to turn around the company, which also reported revenue and profit that fell short of market estimates. The deal with Google, a unit of Alphabet Inc, builds on an existing search partnership Microsoft Corp under which Yahoo gets a percentage of revenue from ads displayed on its sites. Yahoo, whose shares were down 1.6 percent in after-hours trading, said the companies have agreed to delay implementation of the deal in the United States to allow the antitrust division of the Department of Justice to review it. Yahoo has been struggling to boost revenue from ad sales in the face of stiff competition from Google and Facebook. The Google deal was one of the few bright spots included in the company's third-quarter results statement. Yahoo said it expected fourth-quarter revenue of $1.16 billion–$1.20 billion, well below the average analyst estimate of $1.33 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Mayer, in her fourth year as chief executive, said the forecast was "not indicative of the performance we want." "We are also experiencing continued revenue headwinds in our core (advertising) business, especially in the legacy portions," Mayer said on a call with analysts. Mavens PerformYahoo said the proposed spinoff of its 15 percent stake in Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd - a key issue for shareholders - may now close in January. Yahoo earlier this year sought a private letter ruling from the Internal Revenue Service to confirm whether the transaction, worth about $27 billion currently, would result in a tax obligation. The tax agency denied the request, but Yahoo said it would go ahead with the spinoff by year-end anyway. Many analysts attribute little value to Yahoo's core business without its Asian assets, which also include a 35 percent stake in Yahoo Japan Corp. Apart from the Google deal, the only other good news came results came from Yahoo's emerging businesses, which Mayer calls Mavens - mobile, video, native and social advertising. Revenue in that area rose 43 percent to $422 million in the quarter. Native advertising refers to ads that blend into the type and style of the content being viewed. Excluding items, the company earned 15 cents per share, missing the average analyst estimate of 17 cents. Revenue after deducting fees paid to partner websites fell to $1.0 billion from $1.09 billion, and the company forecast a drop to $920 million-$960 million in the current quarter. Traffic acquisition costs, the amount Yahoo spends to attract users to its websites, jumped to $223 million in the quarter from $54 million a year earlier. GAAP revenue rose 6.8 percent to $1.23 billion, falling short of the average analyst estimate of $1.26 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Through Tuesday's close of $32.83, Yahoo's shares had lost 35 percent this year. (Reuters)
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Bose updated a wide range of its products and showcased its new SoundTouch range in India today. The company usually has separate products that come either with Bluetooth or Wi-Fi for streaming audio, but this new range finally brings both of them together to it's range of speakers and home theater systems. The SoundTouch range consists a majority of older products that have been facelifted and now support Bluetooth and Wi-Fi audio streaming connectivity options along with Wi-Fi broadcasting. The range starts at about Rs. 19,013 and goes upto Rs. 3,31,763.
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China-based multinational internet conglomerate Letv has acquired 70 per cent stake in Yi Dao Car Services, a leading transportation network company similar to Uber on Tuesday (October 20). The investment makes Letv the largest shareholder of Yi Dao Car Services, which was founded in 2010 and currently holds 17.5 per cent of China's car-hailing services market. LeTV is reportedly paying US$700 million for the stake. The investment is part of LeTV's strategy to build its own O2O (online-to-offline) local services, digital content and smart devices ecosystem. Letv's founder Jia Yueting also confirmed the news on his social media account. "After establishing cooperation with Aston Martin and BAIC Motor and investing in DZ company (a leading charging pole infrastructure company), this strategic investment in Yidao Car Services means Letv has completed its mapping in the internet-based smart electric car industry, including fields like R&D, manufacturing, sales, auto-network, charging infrastructure, after-sales, car-sharing and public running and so on." According to reports Yi dao has been financially struggling in recent times, facing up against larger, better-funded rivals like domestic ride-hailing market leader Didi Kuaidi, which is backed by Alibaba Group Holding Ltd and Tencent Holdings Ltd among others, and also from the gloabal leader, Uber of US. Yi Dao Car Services provides car-hailing services at 77 Chinese metro cities and 24 overseas cities like New York, Tokyo, Sydney, London and Vancouver. For Letv’s electric vehicle business unit, the acquisition completes the company's electric car strategy after it established cooperation with Aston Martin and BAIC Motor and invested in a string of upstream and downstream companies.
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Simar SinghThe tech world was caught off guard when Microsoft announced its first-ever entrant into the laptop race a few weeks back. The eagerly anticipated pricing details of this surprise entrant finally emerged on Monday (19 October). Currently only available for pre-order in the United States, the notebook which has been christened ‘The Surface Book’ starts at $1,499 (Rs 97,000 approx.) for its 128GB model with an Intel i5 processor and goes up to a jaw-dropping $3,199 (Rs 2,07,500 approx.) for its 1TB model which houses an Intel i7 core processor. All six variants of this laptop have a 13.5-inch touchscreen display packed with an impressive 3000 x 2000 resolution and run on a Windows 10 Pro operating system. The price point is inclusive of Microsoft’s ‘surface pen’ stylus which comes with each purchase. Presumably people will be ready to clear their banks as The Surface Book’s surprise factor extends its design which doesn’t look like anything that is currently available on the market. The most distinct feature of The Surface Book is its hinge which looks like something right out of a sci-fi movie. With a thick ribbed curvature, this hinge has been built to hold the two components of the two-in-one laptop which allows one to detach the screen and use it as a tablet. It houses a high-tech “muscle wire” which mechanically and electrically holds the pair of components together. The company which has been struggling to reinvent itself and revitalise its fortunes for the past few years has seemingly taken rival Apple’s MacBook Pro heads on with this product which is somewhat a mesh between the MacBook Pro and the iPad Pro. In terms of pricing it has even outdone Apple as the base model of The Surface Book is priced $200 higher than the “pricey” MacBook Pro. Critical reception to The Surface Book has generally been very positive with experts complementing its sleek design, power packed specs and innovative nature. But as we all know, sales figures are king and we’ll soon know how successful Microsoft’s move will be.
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HP has been busy refreshing its laptop range in all of its price segments this year and one of the most eye catching machines that the company announced was the Spectre x360. Designed in collaboration with Microsoft, the premium ultrabook is a convertible laptop wherein the display can be folded all the way back so that it can be used as a tablet as well. Upon the first glance, it seems that HP has put in a lot of effort to make it as svelte as possible, but does it deliver a great experience?
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India's YouTube Analytics and Marketing company Vidooly on Monday (19 October) has launched it latest CMS platform designed specifically for Multi Channel Networks on YouTube to cater to the operational and management needs of MCNs of all sizes and in turn help Youtubers be able to earn more revenue and market their brands in a better manner."The idea that ordinary people can make a living or even become rich and famous by recording themselves doing things might sound ludicrous to some; but YouTube has made it possible! It has created millionaires out of regular folks by giving them a platform that has the reach that traditional media can't even fathom. The number of YouTube millionaires is growing every year and so are the challenges they face. Getting hundreds of thousands of views is not a piece of cake. It depends on strategical marketing as much as it does on the quality of content. For a regular aspiring YouTube star, this can be quite intimidating.That's where MCNs or Multi Channel Networks come into picture. When a Content Creator signs up for an MCN, he/she usually gets assistance in terms of technology that can help them scale up on YouTube." said Nishant Radia, the CMO of Vidooly about the idea behind the tool.Vidooly's dashboard helps MCN's seamlessly manage their business needs with features like content creator onboarding, in-depth performance analysis of partner channels and automated account management. The MCN admins can fine-tune their partner channels' performance using actionable analytics data and also identify and reach out to new partners from within the dashboard. Another major feature of the tool is the Financial Module which allows the admins manage partner payouts and generate exhaustive earning reports with ease.Vidooly already caters to more than 3000 YouTube channels and with the launch of the MCN dashboard, it is all set to take the Multi Channel Network by storm.(BW Online Bureau)
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Traditional organizations are facing challenging times as the new digital economy or D!conomy changes the rules of the game, sending every business across every sector into a wave of digital transformation. Companies that recognised and reacted to this disruption on time, have reaped the benefits of their openness to change, while others have had the change thrust upon them. A prime example is the print news media business, which has gone through significant upheaval in the recent past because the entire industry failed to see the disruptive business changes that were being brought about by rapid digitization. Several of these old and iconic names in the newspaper and magazine industry have since shut down or been taken over and digitized to make them more relevant for present consumption preferences.A new order in business management is being brought about by the prevalence of social media, mobile apps, enterprise mobility devices and services, opening up a brand new world of customer engagement, distribution efficiencies and supply chain management and posing a serious threat to traditional organisations that refuse to change with the times. Digital transformation today is an integral step to be adopted by all enterprises and these digital changes or technological enhancements have to be embraced across all departments within the organization. According to a study conducted by MIT's Center for Digital Business and Capgemini Consulting, digitally equipped enterprises are 26% more profitable than their fellow competitors. Going digital gives enterprises the means to capitalize on the power of their people- employees, partners and customers, to build efficiencies across the organization and expand markets through customer centric measures and enhanced customer reach.In the case of Starbucks, an example of a smooth digital transformation, the globally recognized food retailer successfully went from a traditional coffee house to providing a distinct Starbucks experience. When their sales started stagnating back in 2008, the management decided to bring in a tech savvy workforce to get a fresh perspective on their business in an increasingly digitized world. A host of changes were introduced, from the myStarbucks app for locating the nearest Starbucks store or Starbucks Card Mobile app for mobile payments, Starbucks now ensured a full-fledged digital experience for their customers, and with 54 million Facebook fans, 3.4 million Twitter followers, and 900 thousand followers on Instagram today, Starbucks is regarded one of the most digitally inclined companies.With all this digitization, the Chief Digital Officer (CDO) plays a major part in an organizations future and success. Here is CeBIT India's perspective on the role of the CDO:Openness to ChangeThe CDO keeps traditional enterprises open to change. Most large corporates react to tiny start-ups with a David-Goliath like attitude, they tend to resist the idea that an old business model may not work anymore, or will soon become obsolete. There is also some amount of denial and disbelief that a small enterprise could compete with a business behemoth. This denial is dangerous as it often prevents them from identifying the disruption as a threat, sometimes compelling large companies to acquire small, would-be disruptors just to weed out potential competition. BPL Consumer Electronics, a onetime market leader with its Cathodray Tube Televisions, failed to see that the new technology of LED TV technology had the potential to steal their market leadership. As a result, competition like LG, Sony and Samsung were quick to enter the market, eventually leaving BPL far behind in market share.The CDO's primary job is in helping corporations avoid such situations by keeping them aware of the disruptions in the market place and opening them up to the threats of inaction. In a way, the Digital Officer paves the way for to an agile enterprise that is ready to face market change.Planning for the FutureMost companies get so caught up in day-to-day functioning that they do not dedicate enough thought towards what the future holds for their industry. A CDO, with his or her extensive knowledge about new technology and new market trends, has the ability to identify future trends and growth areas and turn the organizations attention towards these indicators. This gives the enterprise the first mover advantage in the industry. The acute digital acumen possessed by the CDO along with the capability of influencing and encouraging the colleagues to adopt and adapt to the changing trends in the market.Changing the Mind-set of the OrganizationThe CDO works towards bridging the gap between business and technology as he quantifies the value of data available and accordingly monetizes it for greater return on investment by determining which is more valuable for the business. It might not be possible to transform a traditional company into a digital in a day, the process has to begin from scratch, right from creating awareness about the need for digital business, and encouraging the employees to embrace the change. The CDO has to emphasise the fact that it isn't just for the benefit of the enterprise but also for the employees as well.Making the Corporate More AccessibleAccording to a 2012 Digital Survey, almost 89% of consumers turn to search engines to find information on products and services prior to making any purchase. And 79% consumers religiously follow brands on social networking sites for product updates. With the ever rising number of smart phone users and mobile apps, the boundaries of social networking are continually expanding. This helps a consumers retrieve any information ranging from the price of the product to a comparison between brands and available deals, at any point of time.In simple terms, the CDO leads an enterprise towards digital transformation. Entrusted with the responsibility of modifying the traditional IT policies and business processes of an enterprise, she/he brings them up to date with present trends in technology whilst making full use of it and reaping maximum benefits.Globally, there is emerging a rise in the number of enterprises looking for a CDO. The foremost reason why an enterprise needs a CDO is because s/he understands the opportunities awaiting to be grabbed in the digital and has a fair idea as to how to successfully achieve that goal. It is imperative that the CDO has a good working relationship with all the departments because it facilitates in breaking the isolation between the departments and successful application of the digital measures.D!conomy is the lead theme this year at CeBIT India and the show will focus upon the industry trends driving Digital Transformation.The author, Mehul Lanvers Shah, is managing director at Hannover Milano Fairs India
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Samsung’s tablets haven’t quite seen the design makeover that its top-end smartphones have, but they really have “grown up” lately, morphing from the cheap and cheesy looking iPad rip-offs they once were to something very neat indeed. The Galaxy Tab S2 comes in two sizes, an 8-inch and a 9.7-inch and we’re having a look at the latter. Very Thin And LightFor its size, the Tab S2 is surprisingly light and you feel that immediately as you lift it out of its box. This tablet is no trouble to hold in your hands for hours on end. With its almost A4 form factor, it could fit into a ladies handbag of the larger sort, and of course otherwise it will tuck away nicely into a cushioned bag for men. Putting it into a case would be advisable so that it doesn’t get scratched up or even worse. The tablet, seen from the edges, is minimalistic, flat and very neat. All the buttons – and there aren’t many – are on the right spine along with a SIM tray and memory card slot. The 3.5mm headphone jack and the usual micro USB charging slot are along on the bottom edge with two speaker grills. The back is plastic, but “good plastic,” with the look of matte finish metal brushing. But in the end it is plastic and not as premium feeling as say, the iPad. The back doesn’t display fingerprints and prevents the tablet from being slippery. All the same, I don’t think the tablet will tolerate drops and the aluminium on the edges could definitely get dented. A Beautiful DisplayThe second point of uniqueness about the Tab S2 is its lovely display. With Samsung it’s all about strong contrasts and colours and bright clarity no matter what the angle. The 2048x1536 Super AMOLED could have had a better pixel density than 264ppi but it doesn’t necessarily need more and is really nice to use just as it is. The 8 inch version actually has the same resolution but will be crisper, but choose the size based on how you plan to use the tablet and where you will carry it rather than one screen being better than the other. The 9.7-inch version will be more suited to work, when you pair it up with an external keyboard and set it on a stand or case in landscape mode. The 8-inch version is for more mobility, carrying in smaller bags and better for reading. Videos and movies look great on either. Everything ElseYou can use the Tab S2 as a phone – as long as you don’t go so far as to lift it to your ear; it’s too big for that – because it has a SIM slot and a dialer. It’s 4G enabled. Otherwise, of course, there’s always Skype. But you have only a 2.1MP front facing camera for that while the rear cam is 8MP. There’s nothing remarkable about either. For power, the Tab S2 has an octa-core Exynos 5433 chip. It has four Cortex A57 cores running at 1.9GHz and four Cortex A53 cores running at 1.3GHz. There’s 3GB of RAM and 32GB storage expandable with a memory card. It’s a powerful enough tablet and though it warms up a little if you’re doing something intensive, it doesn’t go beyond a point. It’s running on Android 5.0.1 and may not get updates as fast as you’d like, but that seems to be the case with all Samsung’s devices. Its 5,870mAh battery is ok for a day’s worth of moderate usage. The Tab S2 costs Rs 39,400.
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