shareholders

Lawsuit tries to block HP-EDS merger

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 06:59:59 -0400

There are many questions regarding the announced sale of EDS to HP, including what it means for their respective tech staffs, the direction of the new merged company and the new shape of global IT services landscape. But some people are trying to put a stop to this marriage before it is even consummated.

The Utah-based Intermountain Ironworkers Trust Fund has filed suit alleging the sale is unfair to EDS shareholders. A similar suit by an EDS shareholder has been filed in Delaware. It remains unclear how the lawsuits will develop or whether they will slow or impact the merger in any way.

For more on this merger:
- see this silicon.com article

Microsoft and Yahoo: What now?

Mehan Jayasuriya — Tue, 06 May 2008 12:31:45 -0400

It sure feels like the Microsoft-Yahoo negotiations have been going on forever, but judging by the looks of it, it seems like there isn't going to be a Microhoo to speak of after all. Sure, Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang has been making some interesting allusions in the press following the tumble that his company's stock price has experienced ("We were totally willing to do a transaction, and they walked away," he told the Financial Times) but despite his urgings that he was open to a deal, it seems that there won't be one. So, what now? According to Ars Technica, a deal of another sort. "Having failed to deliver Jerry Yang's proverbial head on a silver platter and bringing Yahoo under his domain, [Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer] needs to show his own shareholders that the whole mating dance wasn't just wasted time and money while management could have been doing something better with its talents and assets," Ars writes. "So I would be surprise--no, shocked--if Microsoft didn't announce another rather large acquisition very soon."

For more on the post deal shakeout:
- see this Ars Technica article
- also check out this article in FierceFinance

Yahoo rejects Microsoft... again

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 06:59:59 -0400

For the second time, Microsoft has become a jilted suitor. On Monday morning, Yahoo rejected Microsoft's offer to take over the company, despite a pointed letter on Saturday from Microsoft's chief executive, Steven Ballmer. "Our board's view of your proposal has not changed," Yahoo said in a statement. "We continue to believe that your proposal is not in the best interests of Yahoo and our stockholders." Yahoo turned down the offer again after it received Ballmer's letter on Saturday that threatened to lower the price of its buyout offer, which would be made directly to Yahoo shareholders.

For more on this takeover battle:
- See this New York Times article

Motorola mulling spin-off of handset unit

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 06:59:55 -0500

As unlikely as the rumors may have seemed, it looks like they were true: Motorola is considering spinning-off its handset division into a separate business. "We are exploring ways in which our Mobile Devices Business can accelerate its recovery and retain and attract talent while enabling our shareholders to realize the value of this great franchise," Motorola CEO and President Greg Brown said in a statement. Motorola's handset unit lost some $388 million this quarter, compared to $341 million in earnings just one year ago. If the company were to sell its handset business, Motorola would effectively become a government and enterprise vendor.

For more on the news:
- see this Engadget article

BEA says 'no way' to Oracle

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 07:59:59 -0400

BEA Systems turned down Oracle's bid for $6.7 billion late Sunday. BEA wanted a price of $21 per share or $8.3 billion, instead of the $17 per share offered. The company said Oracle's bid was too low, but Oracle issued a statement that did not rule out a future bid. "The BEA shareholders should not assume that Oracle will renew its $17 per share offer in the future. Over time many things can change: BEA's business might materially weaken, the stock market can fall further from its recent record highs, or Oracle may have committed its capital elsewhere," Oracle said.

For more on this story:
- see the PC World article

Crisis management requires creativity

Tue, 08 May 2007 20:01:39 -0400

Contemporary corporate wisdom says that when responding to a crisis, you should apologize, show concern and immediately recall your product. But more creativity is necessary nowadays. The name of the game is damage control, not damage disappearance. You don't reverse the damage done, you lessen the impact. So instead of soothing shareholders and investors by explaining processes, explain actions and the plan you'll put in place to prevent it from happening again. People want to be reassured that the situation is under control.

Learn more about being creative under pressure:
- read the article at ComputerWorld

Going Green in the Data Center

Tue, 03 Apr 2007 20:01:39 -0400

Between growing demand for hybrid vehicles and the barrage of bad news about global warming, it should come as no surprise that saving energy is shaping up to be an imperative that CIOs cannot ignore either. These days, shareholders and board members are putting pressure on their companies to go green. Many CIOs are looking at data centers as potential areas where energy costs can be shaved to boost the bottom line, in order to comply with greener mandates. Analysts at IDC estimate that companies spent $26.1 billion to power and cool servers worldwide in 2005. In fact, data centers account for between 1.5 and 3 percent of all electricity consumed in the United States.

For more on going green in the data center:
- see this article in DailyTechRag

To learn how the CIO of VistaPrint is cutting hosting costs:
- see this article in CIO Magazine

Nip outsourcing problems in the bud

Mon, 12 Feb 2007 19:01:36 -0500

It's not uncommon for a formerly friendly relationship to go south as an outsourcing contract progresses. Unresolved problems not only cost the company plenty of money and time but can damage reputations and cause shareholders to lose confidence. How do you nip these problems in the bud? First, keep the lines of communication open. Secondly, use adjudication or mediation--solving problems in an information setting outside the court system--when necessary. And finally, make sure the contract is managed consistently, and on an ongoing basis.

To learn more about resolving outsourcing disputes:
- read the article at Silicon.com
- more in this article from InformationWeek

SPOTLIGHT: Dell still dousing the fire from laptop incident

Sun, 09 Jul 2006 20:01:34 -0400

All it took was one flaming laptop and lots of Web exposure to give Dell executives one of the biggest branding and customer service issues in its history. The incident reveals how quickly such an incident can impact a company's reputation, and by default, its standing among shareholders and the marketplace. While the laptop explosion was tied to a battery issue, no fault of Dell's, the computer maker is still busy trying to recoup from what experts say was really a minor product incident. Article