Carmaker makes infotainment deal with Microsoft
5:00AM Sunday May 18, 2008
HYUNDAI/KIA (HKAG) and Microsoft have signed a long-term agreement to co-develop the next generation of in-car infotainment systems - they will produce solutions based on the Microsoft Auto software platform.
The first product, an infotainment system that provides voice-controlled connectivity between mobile devices, will be introduced in North America in 2010.
It will further apply to Asian and European markets, and expand into multimedia and navigation devices.
The systems are comparable to mini-PCs. Even after product launch, new functions can be added or upgraded in the form of software program updates.
In a related announcement, Microsoft and HKAG, with the Institute for Information Technology Advancement, have signed a memorandum of understanding to establish an automotive IT innovation centre to promote innovation and opportunities for Korean software and device vendors.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Monday, May 12, 2008
"WHO REALLY WINS"
Boston - When Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer met with Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang earlier this month, what kept them from making a deal? With Microsoft offering $33 per share for Yahoo's stock, and Yahoo willing to take $37, was there truly an unbridgeable gulf? The $4 gap seems trivial in comparison to the potential value of the deal. So did Microsoft and Yahoo walk away from a deal that would have made both sides better off? This type of bargaining failure is hardly rare – businesspeople frequently report deals that have come within inches of closing, only to slip away at the last moment, costing their companies plenty.
In the world of litigation, settlement gaps are routinely bridged with the help of mediators. In the world of foreign policy, mediation – sometimes called "shuttle diplomacy" – is used extensively to resolve conflict. Why, then, are business transactions rarely mediated?
One theory is that the functions that mediators perform are already handled by transactional lawyers and investment bankers who work hard – and are handsomely rewarded – to close deals. The problem with this theory is that the lawyers and investment bankers often approach the negotiation from a partisan perspective in order to prove their loyalty to their respective clients.
A more promising explanation is that when conflicts arise – as in a potential hostile takeover situation such as the Microsoft-Yahoo negotiations – the parties reject compromise because they see the world through a distorted lens. Conflict can cause "reactive devaluation" (a negative assessment of a proposal because it comes from an opponent). Neuroscientists tell us that conflict triggers some of our most primitive reactions – a fight-or-flight response – as opposed to the collaborative impulse required for dealmaking.
It's not surprising, then, that people – especially in business settings, where egos, competition, and high stakes collide – are unlikely to opt for mediation unless they are forced, or strongly urged, to do so. In the world of diplomacy, it is often the superpowers that intervene when smaller nations quarrel, and court cases are often mediated because a judge insists on it. Indeed, Microsoft mediated its antitrust dispute with the Justice Department only when the court ordered it. In the setting of mergers and acquisitions, however, the key difference is that there is no outside power that can insist on mediation. Accordingly, it is often up to boards of directors or shareholders to push management to mediation.
Dealmaking mediation has been used for years to create collective-bargaining agreements and to resolve impasses in the negotiation of major league sports contracts. In a recent article, law professor Scott Peppet reported that almost 40 percent of the mediators he surveyed had mediated deals, including the sale of cable television access rights, the negotiation of angel funding, a joint venture between a small business and a Fortune 500 company, and many others.
Mediators add value by bringing a neutral and independent perspective to the table, buffering the parties' sometimes harsh communications, clarifying their underlying interests, and making sure that all deal options are considered.
In the world of litigation, settlement gaps are routinely bridged with the help of mediators. In the world of foreign policy, mediation – sometimes called "shuttle diplomacy" – is used extensively to resolve conflict. Why, then, are business transactions rarely mediated?
One theory is that the functions that mediators perform are already handled by transactional lawyers and investment bankers who work hard – and are handsomely rewarded – to close deals. The problem with this theory is that the lawyers and investment bankers often approach the negotiation from a partisan perspective in order to prove their loyalty to their respective clients.
A more promising explanation is that when conflicts arise – as in a potential hostile takeover situation such as the Microsoft-Yahoo negotiations – the parties reject compromise because they see the world through a distorted lens. Conflict can cause "reactive devaluation" (a negative assessment of a proposal because it comes from an opponent). Neuroscientists tell us that conflict triggers some of our most primitive reactions – a fight-or-flight response – as opposed to the collaborative impulse required for dealmaking.
It's not surprising, then, that people – especially in business settings, where egos, competition, and high stakes collide – are unlikely to opt for mediation unless they are forced, or strongly urged, to do so. In the world of diplomacy, it is often the superpowers that intervene when smaller nations quarrel, and court cases are often mediated because a judge insists on it. Indeed, Microsoft mediated its antitrust dispute with the Justice Department only when the court ordered it. In the setting of mergers and acquisitions, however, the key difference is that there is no outside power that can insist on mediation. Accordingly, it is often up to boards of directors or shareholders to push management to mediation.
Dealmaking mediation has been used for years to create collective-bargaining agreements and to resolve impasses in the negotiation of major league sports contracts. In a recent article, law professor Scott Peppet reported that almost 40 percent of the mediators he surveyed had mediated deals, including the sale of cable television access rights, the negotiation of angel funding, a joint venture between a small business and a Fortune 500 company, and many others.
Mediators add value by bringing a neutral and independent perspective to the table, buffering the parties' sometimes harsh communications, clarifying their underlying interests, and making sure that all deal options are considered.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
"WE ARE TAKING OVER"
BEIJING, May 7 -- Software giant Microsoft yesterday said it will invest 280 million U.S. dollars to build a research and development center in Beijing and significantly expand its research team in the country.
The new R&D campus, set to accommodate 5,000 employees, will become Microsoft's largest research center outside the United States when it is completed in 2010, said Zhang Yaqin, the company's China chairman.
"Through investments such as this, we are building on our capabilities as one of Microsoft's key global R&D centers," said Zhang.
He said the company will hire 1,000 new research employees in China in the next fiscal year, which starts in July.
Microsoft currently has 3,000 research staff in the country, with 1,500 full-time employees and another 1,500 working on a project basis, Dow Jones has reported. The company has said it will double the number of its full-time research employees in China to 3,000 in the next three years.
Last year, Microsoft invested about 280 million dollars in its R&D activities in the country, said Zhang Hongjiang, chief technology officer of Microsoft's China R&D Group. The company also recruited 1,000 new employees to its China R&D Group last year, making it Microsoft's largest research team outside the US.
About 80 percent of the company's 3,000 research staff in the country develop products for worldwide users and only 20 percent of them work specifically for demand from emerging markets such as China, Zhang said.
"But I expect this percentage to grow in the future," he said.
Microsoft started its first R&D center in China as early as 1995. The company now has research facilities in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen.
These investments are said to have helped Microsoft win support from the Chinese government and boosted sales in the Chinese market.
PC shipments in China reached 36.84 million units last year, research firm IDC has said. It predicted the number to grow at an average rate of 17.2 percent until 2011, when shipments will hit 64.94 million units.
The country also has the world's largest number of Internet and mobile phone users, offering what is believed to be huge opportunities for IT companies.
Microsoft does not disclose its revenue from the Chinese market. But Fortune Magazine estimated in a story last year that the software giant's revenue from China would exceed 700 million dollars last year, about 1.5 percent of Microsoft's global sales.
(Source: China Daily)
The new R&D campus, set to accommodate 5,000 employees, will become Microsoft's largest research center outside the United States when it is completed in 2010, said Zhang Yaqin, the company's China chairman.
"Through investments such as this, we are building on our capabilities as one of Microsoft's key global R&D centers," said Zhang.
He said the company will hire 1,000 new research employees in China in the next fiscal year, which starts in July.
Microsoft currently has 3,000 research staff in the country, with 1,500 full-time employees and another 1,500 working on a project basis, Dow Jones has reported. The company has said it will double the number of its full-time research employees in China to 3,000 in the next three years.
Last year, Microsoft invested about 280 million dollars in its R&D activities in the country, said Zhang Hongjiang, chief technology officer of Microsoft's China R&D Group. The company also recruited 1,000 new employees to its China R&D Group last year, making it Microsoft's largest research team outside the US.
About 80 percent of the company's 3,000 research staff in the country develop products for worldwide users and only 20 percent of them work specifically for demand from emerging markets such as China, Zhang said.
"But I expect this percentage to grow in the future," he said.
Microsoft started its first R&D center in China as early as 1995. The company now has research facilities in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen.
These investments are said to have helped Microsoft win support from the Chinese government and boosted sales in the Chinese market.
PC shipments in China reached 36.84 million units last year, research firm IDC has said. It predicted the number to grow at an average rate of 17.2 percent until 2011, when shipments will hit 64.94 million units.
The country also has the world's largest number of Internet and mobile phone users, offering what is believed to be huge opportunities for IT companies.
Microsoft does not disclose its revenue from the Chinese market. But Fortune Magazine estimated in a story last year that the software giant's revenue from China would exceed 700 million dollars last year, about 1.5 percent of Microsoft's global sales.
(Source: China Daily)
Monday, May 5, 2008
"WE DON'T WANT YOU ANYMORE!!!!!!!"
Microsoft Withdraws Proposal to Acquire Yahoo!
Microsoft Corp. today announced that it has withdrawn its proposal to acquire Yahoo! Inc.
Related Links
Microsoft Resources:
•
Microsoft and Yahoo! News Archive
REDMOND, Wash., May 3, 2008 — Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) today announced that it has withdrawn its proposal to acquire Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO).
“We continue to believe that our proposed acquisition made sense for Microsoft, Yahoo! and the market as a whole. Our goal in pursuing a combination with Yahoo! was to provide greater choice and innovation in the marketplace and create real value for our respective stockholders and employees,” said Steve Ballmer, chief executive officer of Microsoft.
“Despite our best efforts, including raising our bid by roughly $5 billion, Yahoo! has not moved toward accepting our offer. After careful consideration, we believe the economics demanded by Yahoo! do not make sense for us, and it is in the best interests of Microsoft stockholders, employees and other stakeholders to withdraw our proposal,” said Ballmer.
“We have a talented team in place and a compelling plan to grow our business through innovative new services and strategic transactions with other business partners. While Yahoo! would have accelerated our strategy, I am confident that we can continue to move forward toward our goals,” Ballmer said.
“We are investing heavily in new tools and Web experiences, we have dramatically improved our search performance and advertiser satisfaction, and we will continue to build our scale through organic growth and partnerships,” said Kevin Johnson, Microsoft president for platforms and services.
THATS ALL FOLKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Microsoft Corp. today announced that it has withdrawn its proposal to acquire Yahoo! Inc.
Related Links
Microsoft Resources:
•
Microsoft and Yahoo! News Archive
REDMOND, Wash., May 3, 2008 — Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) today announced that it has withdrawn its proposal to acquire Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO).
“We continue to believe that our proposed acquisition made sense for Microsoft, Yahoo! and the market as a whole. Our goal in pursuing a combination with Yahoo! was to provide greater choice and innovation in the marketplace and create real value for our respective stockholders and employees,” said Steve Ballmer, chief executive officer of Microsoft.
“Despite our best efforts, including raising our bid by roughly $5 billion, Yahoo! has not moved toward accepting our offer. After careful consideration, we believe the economics demanded by Yahoo! do not make sense for us, and it is in the best interests of Microsoft stockholders, employees and other stakeholders to withdraw our proposal,” said Ballmer.
“We have a talented team in place and a compelling plan to grow our business through innovative new services and strategic transactions with other business partners. While Yahoo! would have accelerated our strategy, I am confident that we can continue to move forward toward our goals,” Ballmer said.
“We are investing heavily in new tools and Web experiences, we have dramatically improved our search performance and advertiser satisfaction, and we will continue to build our scale through organic growth and partnerships,” said Kevin Johnson, Microsoft president for platforms and services.
THATS ALL FOLKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Monday, April 28, 2008
MICROSOFT HOLDS ALL THE CARDS
Microsoft: Pondering the alternatives to Yahoo
Microsoft’s Saturday “negotiate or else” deadline for Yahoo has passed with an eerie silence. Yahoo’s board is reportedly meeting Sunday–you’d think the company would have met before the deadline, but I guess we’re all prone to procrastination. Microsoft CFO Christopher Liddell hinted on Thursday and in a broadcast to employees Friday the software giant will respond “next week,” which happens to be now.
All the incremental data on the Microhoo saga can be found on Techmeme, but the real question is this: Who has all the leverage? Despite Yahoo’s bluster, it appears Microsoft still holds all of the cards. Microsoft controls its market cap and Yahoo’s. Yahoo hasn’t come up with alternatives to Microsoft’s $31 a share bid (if Yahoo did we would have heard about them). Microsoft may appear desperate for Yahoo but the reality is that it could–and arguably should–walk away and be fine.
Why? Microsoft has more alternatives at its disposal. With the Yahoo bid, Microsoft is going for a big bang but you can accomplish the same goal with a bunch of tuck-in acquisitions.
"Without a doubt Yahoo needs Micrsoft, they need to stop playing games and merge for both of their sakes."
http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=8626
Microsoft’s Saturday “negotiate or else” deadline for Yahoo has passed with an eerie silence. Yahoo’s board is reportedly meeting Sunday–you’d think the company would have met before the deadline, but I guess we’re all prone to procrastination. Microsoft CFO Christopher Liddell hinted on Thursday and in a broadcast to employees Friday the software giant will respond “next week,” which happens to be now.
All the incremental data on the Microhoo saga can be found on Techmeme, but the real question is this: Who has all the leverage? Despite Yahoo’s bluster, it appears Microsoft still holds all of the cards. Microsoft controls its market cap and Yahoo’s. Yahoo hasn’t come up with alternatives to Microsoft’s $31 a share bid (if Yahoo did we would have heard about them). Microsoft may appear desperate for Yahoo but the reality is that it could–and arguably should–walk away and be fine.
Why? Microsoft has more alternatives at its disposal. With the Yahoo bid, Microsoft is going for a big bang but you can accomplish the same goal with a bunch of tuck-in acquisitions.
"Without a doubt Yahoo needs Micrsoft, they need to stop playing games and merge for both of their sakes."
http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=8626
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
"THE ELEVENTH HOUR"
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Yahoo Inc (YHOO.O: Quote, Profile, Research) faces a critical week that could decide whether the pioneering Web company can remain independent or must surrender to an unsolicited takeover by Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O: Quote, Profile, Research).
Yahoo is racing to forge a credible alternative that lets it stay independent or at least forces Microsoft to raise its $31 a share cash-and-stock bid, now valued at $42.8 billion.
"Yahoo is willing to try things at the 11th hour, that it never felt the urgency to try," Sanford C. Bernstein analyst Jeffrey Lindsay said. "Shareholders win, either way."
"They are coming up with some of their best stuff now," he added. "We just wish they had done these things last year."
When it reports first-quarter results on Tuesday, Yahoo has perhaps a last chance to demonstrate some financial strength and progress it has made in stabilizing the company's Internet media and advertising business after two years of decline.
Yahoo is racing to forge a credible alternative that lets it stay independent or at least forces Microsoft to raise its $31 a share cash-and-stock bid, now valued at $42.8 billion.
"Yahoo is willing to try things at the 11th hour, that it never felt the urgency to try," Sanford C. Bernstein analyst Jeffrey Lindsay said. "Shareholders win, either way."
"They are coming up with some of their best stuff now," he added. "We just wish they had done these things last year."
When it reports first-quarter results on Tuesday, Yahoo has perhaps a last chance to demonstrate some financial strength and progress it has made in stabilizing the company's Internet media and advertising business after two years of decline.
Yahoo is holding on to get its way, it does not want Microsoft to come and bully it.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
SERVICE PACK #3
Microsoft Corp. will release Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) to computer makers and some IT professionals next week and offer it to all users via Windows Update April 29, according to an internal schedule obtained by the Neowin.net Web site.
Although others had previously pegged SP3's release to the last half of April, Neowin's dates are the most specific seen so far.
According to the site, the service pack will debut April 21, when it's shipped to computer manufacturers, offered to volume licensing customers and posted for download on TechNet and Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN), subscription services for IT staff and developers, respectively.
"THE COVERSION WILL SOON COMENSE, VISTA IS COMING"
Although others had previously pegged SP3's release to the last half of April, Neowin's dates are the most specific seen so far.
According to the site, the service pack will debut April 21, when it's shipped to computer manufacturers, offered to volume licensing customers and posted for download on TechNet and Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN), subscription services for IT staff and developers, respectively.
"THE COVERSION WILL SOON COMENSE, VISTA IS COMING"
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