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Adenia Partners, the Mauritius-based firm focused on investing in sub-Saharan Africa, has launched fundraising for its fourth vehicle, Adenia managing partner Antoine Delaporte told Private Equity International.
The fund is targeting €200 million, which is more than double the size of its previous vehicle, but “reasonable”, Delaporte argued, as the firm has been able to invest more than €35 million in the past 15 months.
Adenia’s previous fund is a 2012-vintage vehicle that raised €95 million, while its second fund, a 2007 vehicle, raised €37.5 million, according to PEI Research & Analytics.
The firm is also aiming to shift the balance of its commitments from development finance institutions (DFIs) to private investors. These include institutions, family offices, wealthy investors, funds of funds, banks, insurance companies and pension funds from the US, Europe and Africa.
“We are on our fourth fund and we have a received a lot more interest and inquiries from commercial LPs,” Delaporte said.
Adenia’s previous vehicles targeted investments of €5-15 million, which will stretch to €20 million at the upper end for the new fund. “It’s a little bit bigger but not a jump,” Delaporte noted, adding that its last four investments averaged €12 million in size, while its target average is €14 million.
The firm looks for majority or control investments in companies with succession issues, and also spin offs, and will also invest growth capital. “We aim to create value through operational improvements and our strong preference is for control positions,” Delaporte said.
The vast majority of its investments are proprietary deals which, Delaporte conceded, “take a lot of time but are more lucrative.”
“There are not that many players in the €5-20 million control investments space in our countries,” he said.
Adenia focuses on businesses in Mauritius, Madagascar, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, where the firm has offices, as well as neighbouring countries.
Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana are “destinations of prime importance”, Delaporte said, noting that, although the firm is sector agnostic, it sees opportunities there in the equipment industry, agri-businesses, such as fish and dairy, and fast-moving consumer goods sectors, including food.
The third fund completed its seventh investment last week, bringing it to more than 75 percent deployed with room undertake one further transaction, Delaporte said.
Its previous investments include a buyout of Cresta Paints Industries, the leading paints manufacturer in Ghana, Ghanaian outdoor advertising company DDP Outdoor and Mauritian paint and chemical company Mauvilac, according to its website.
In October the firm sold Hôtel de Louvre in Madagascar in which it invested growth capital in 2006. That exit completes the realisation of all six investments from Adenia Capital I, the firm said.
That followed the sale in September of Newpack, a Madagascan packaging company it acquired in 2008, which generated a 3x return for its second fund.
The firm is expanding and is in the process of recruiting for a senior and a junior investment manager.


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Tokyo 2020: A guide to navigating marketing opportunities and challenges of the first pandemic Games
The Games have begun
The Olympic Games are the largest sporting event in the world, watched by a global audience of billions. Tokyo 2020 takes place in troubled times, and a year behind schedule, but acts as a masterclass in technical innovation and a case study for brand resilience. OMD client brands have led with innovation and original thinking.
The Opening ceremony is typically the most viewed single event of the Games and provides a major spectacle to frame world-class sporting achievement. As the ‘pandemic Games’, the ceremony was muted and respectful. Perhaps due to the difficult setting or due to time zones, Tokyo has drawn mixed viewing figures for its launch across global markets (not yet fully consolidated).
- US – 17m viewers, a 33-year low and well below the 40.7m that tuned into London 2012. Opening weekend ratings were down between 32% and 46% vs Rio 2016
- Despite the lower viewing figures, NBC expects to exceed a record USD 1.25bn in ad sales
- As reported last week, streaming is increasingly important -NBC reports a streaming record average 746,000 viewers on Monday 26th July
- In Japan- a 10 year high for host nation Japan, despite the New York Times stating that public support for this year’s games was low
- UK – 1.8m live on TV – this figure will increase as consolidated viewing is included. For context, Rio attracted 8.1m in 2016 and London 24.3m in 2012.
Organising committees and brands have had to innovate and adapt, to mitigate safety protocols and the impact of a spectator-free event. Despite the pandemic, and risks associated with a Games that could struggle to replicate the buzz of a live crowd, brands have continued to invest heavily in Tokyo.
In Japan, the games have proven to be controversial and many local sponsors have toned down activity.
The pandemic has led the International Olympics Committee (IOC) to accelerate a range of digital transformation initiatives, driving connections between athletes and fans, as well as the development of the Olympics Channel into a digital content hub.
To generate interest within the eSport community, a pre-Games virtual event series was launched, paving the way for an increasingly digital Olympic experience.
US broadcaster, Discovery, acquired broadcasting rights across Europe for 4 games, 2018-2024, for $920m, meaning many domestic TV stations are delivering far less coverage than its viewers are used to, as reported by iNews. Many key events are now behind a paywall, meaning TV viewers may have to pay to view content.
OMD clients leading Olympic activation
The Olympic Games is a rare event in that it offers brands a chance to tap into a genuinely global moment. OMD has been helping clients tap into this opportunity in a number of core markets.
Google – Worldwide
Google has embraced the spirit of the Tokyo Olympics and created the Doodle Champion Island Games. Seven mini-games will appear as the Google logo, helping to spread the spirit of the competition to internet surfers everywhere.
AAMI – Australia
Insurance provider, AAMI, is focusing on Olympic events like the torch-lighting ceremony, hammer throw and rhythmic gymnastics, to highlight how they cover customers in the ‘Everyday Arena’.
Snapchat – USA
NBC in the US has partnered with Snapchat to create a slate of five original content pieces, as well as augmented reality lenses, to bring Olympic fans closer to the action. This is really helping to reduce the impact of COVID-19 restricted events and create a passionate global audience.
McDonald’s – Australia
McDonald’s has twinned its 50th birthday celebrations in Australia with long-time sports commentator, Bruce McAvaney. Bruce looks back
over the past 50 years and shares his favourite Olympic moments. This highlights the longevity and depth of the Olympic movement, as well as how McDonald’s have kept Australians fed for half a century.
Key learnings from Tokyo so far
The Olympics is a unique moment for global brands to establish national credentials and halo goodwill across a worldwide audience. The crowds, the backdrops, the scenes of celebrating fans –all of it is required to create a phenomenal Games (and base for brand building).
Tokyo 2020 has had to adapt due to the pandemic, through major digital investment and a focus on virtual engagement.
This acceleration of digital capability offers new opportunities for partners, for example Alibaba (parent company of AliExpress). It is the official sponsor of Tokyo’s cloud infrastructure, cloud services, ticketing and e-commerce platforms.
The future of Olympic partnerships
Due to increasing costs, the IOC has awarded the Summer Games well in advance of the official launch dates. Paris 2024, Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane 2032 are already scheduled, with French brand, Sanofi, signed as a top-tier sponsor for the next Games. Paris 2024 shows how much appetite there is for sponsorship of the event, as two-thirds of sponsorship revenue will be secured by the end of 2021, which is well ahead of the opening ceremony.
Innovations driven by the pandemic, especially in terms of virtual engagement and digital access, are only likely to accelerate –as are the battles for future broadcast and streaming rights.

domain: news


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GoBankingRates.com selected these institutions for their extra effort.
Learn how credit unions mitigate ag lending risks while supporting underserved communities.
When marketing hybrid car loans and other eco-friendly products, environmental benefits must be backed up by facts.
Two Sides U.S. says credit unions that promote e-statements and digital services could be violating federal marketing regulations.
Read how credit unions are boosting brand awareness and member engagement using St. Patrick's Day themed promotions.
From community events to promoting good savings habits, credit unions are going green this month with holiday-themed campaigns.
Non-profit group Better Markets says the DOJ did not publicly reveal settlement details, and questions its constitutionality.
Colorado-based credit union now eligible to compete for prestigious Malcolm Baldrige award.
Program is spinoff of Save to Win sweepstakes adopted in several states through Filene Research Institute.


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Overland Park, KS (PRWEB) March 14, 2017 -- Go Local Interactive has just released their report and analysis of marketing trends in the storage industry for the 2017 fiscal year. The report highlights trends over the past 10 years and specifically how much has changed in the past year alone. Through their research, Go Local has uncovered industry trends and shifts within the past year and analyzed these changes to forecast where the industry is growing in the coming months.
The storage industry has been growing consistently for more than a decade. With so much competition in the market, and no real signs of slowing anytime soon, digital marketing provides a better way to get ahead of the competition. The report details an analysis of the most successful marketing tactics, trends among the industry, and opportunities for growth that are widely undiscovered and underutilized by businesses in the industry at this point.
There are now more self storage units in the U.S. than there are Starbucks, grocery stores, hospitals, and Target stores . . . combined. Storage owners provide services to more than 32 million Americans each year and with demand continuing to increase, digital marketing is increasingly becoming necessary to fill units quickly. With the proper marketing plan, many facilities see an average of over 90% occupancy year-round. This high level of success is due to many factors and tactics outlined in this year’s report.
The report combines all sorts of information to give a better idea the big picture in a format that is digestible and actionable, such as what kinds of services need to be available online and how to market these services to various consumer groups. The report also incorporates national storage trends and economic forecasts in terms of locations, website trends, advertising and more. The report highlights how utilizing tactics such as social media can increase your likes and followers by more than 175% each month on average. And at the same time, that only 19% of small business owners utilize social ads. Understanding these nuances with specific consumer demographic groups while also tying in larger industry trends will be key to not only increasing revenue but really growing in 2017.
Go Local answers the marketing needs of national and large regional clients across a wide variety of industries including self storage, home services, retail, financial services, ecommerce, and more. They are experts in effectively implementing, managing and tracking their clients’ marketing efforts down to the local level. This recently released report contains in-depth research and analysis on where the industry is headed in 2017 and how some storage companies are learning to grow with digital marketing and really see some impactful changes, while others fall behind. To learn more and read all insights and analysis, check out The 2017 Storage Industry Report, now available online for free for a limited time only on the Go Local Interactive website.
About Go Local Interactive:
Go Local Interactive is a digital marketing agency specializing in new customer acquisition for national and regional brands. They answer the marketing needs of clients across a wide variety of industries including home services, retail, financial services, and ecommerce. They are experts in effectively implementing, managing and tracking clients’ marketing efforts down to the local level – no matter the number of locations or size of the service area. Go Local provides website development, search engine optimization, local listings management, paid search, social media, and creative services.
Morgan Erickson, Go Local Interactive, http://golocalinteractive.com, +1 (913)2136084, [email protected]


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Google, at I/O 2017 unveiled Google Lens with the ability to identify objects and, and at I/O 2018 it announced that Lens will be available directly in the camera app on supported devices from various OEMs including LG, Motorola, Xiaomi, HMD/Nokia and OnePlus.
Google Lens is already available as a standalone app on the Google Play Store and can also be accessed from Google Photos. Other than Google, OnePlus, ASUS, Nokia, Motorola and other OEMs have already integrated Google Lens inside the system camera app, and now Xiaomi has also updated its MIUI Camera app which brings Google Lens integration.
Head over to MIUI camera app on your smartphone to use Google Lens.
As of now, Google Lens integration is available in MIUI Camera app version 3.0 which may not be available on all the Xiaomi smartphones, but we can expect Xiaomi to roll out the feature to all devices in the future.


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NASCAR and iRacing have announced the formation of the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series – a sim racing exhibition format featuring the biggest names in the sport.
To supplement the series, which will race until the regular NASCAR season resumes, NASCAR has worked with its licensing partners to create an eNASCAR product assortment.
Diecasts and apparel are available now through the new product line.
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E-levy Goes 1% From Wednesday
The Electronic Transfer Levy (E-levy) rate will be reduced to 1% effective Wednesday.
This was announced by the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications.
The government proposed a reduction of the rate from 1.5% to 1% in the 2023 Budget Statement and Economic Policy and sought to scrap the daily threshold of GHC100.
The rate was approved by Parliament before it went into recession; however, the Minority resisted the removal of the daily threshold.
The chamber in a statement said it is working “assiduously with the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and other key institutions, to ensure a seamless implementation of the revised levy from Wednesday, January 11, 2023.”
The Electronic Transfer Levy initially regulated by the Electronic Transfer Levy Act, 2022 (Act 1075) was introduced in the 2022 Budget at a rate of 1.75% but was later reviewed to 1.5%.
The levy which came into force on May 1, 2022, was marked to be used to support entrepreneurship, youth employment, cyber security, and digital and road infrastructure, among others.
The 1.5% levy currently applies to mobile money transfers done between accounts on the same electronic money issuer; mobile money transfers from an account on one electronic money issuer to a recipient on another electronic money issuer; transfers from bank accounts to mobile money accounts; transfers from mobile money accounts to bank accounts; and Bank transfers on an instant pay digital platform or application originating from a bank account belonging to an individual subject to a daily threshold to be determined by the Minister of Finance.
Source: opemsuo.com/Hajara Fuseini


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University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh student named one of eight Harley-Davidson biker social media interns
A University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh student has been chosen as one of eight Harley-Davidson Inc. social media interns who will travel around the world this summer on motorcycles.
Tessa Otto is a senior at UW-Oshkosh studying project management.
She is one of eight college students, globally, who will get to ride motorcycles and document their experiences in the new internship from Harley-Davidson.
The interns will be given bikes and taught to ride. Then, throughout the summer, they will attend motorcycle events across the country and overseas, documenting their journeys through social media.
They will chronicle their summer by posting videos, pictures and stories on their personal social media channels and Harley’s channels, including on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and SnapChat.
More than 7,500 students from about 30 countries applied for the eight internships.
Besides Otto, the other seven are from Florida, Mississippi, California, North Carolina, South Africa, England and China.
Otto already has her motorcycle license, although she's only been riding since April.
She's a self-described outdoors woman who twice has won snowshoe championships and was raised on a farm in Kennan, a town of 130 people in northern Wisconsin.
"Really anything involving wearing a good pair of boots is where I like to be," she said.
In addition to a salary and riding experiences, the interns will get experience with marketing and other functions at the world’s largest manufacturer of heavyweight motorcycles.
And, of course, they get to keep the bike they rode through the summer.
Otto says she currently rides a Kawasaki motorcycle and she's looking forward to riding with the other interns.
As much as she enjoys her bike, she said, it's not as much fun riding by herself.
The internship program is part of Harley’s efforts to attract younger motorcyclists. The company has other internships, too, in areas such as engineering and human resources.
In the U.S., Harley and other motorcycle manufacturers are caught between two customer demographic trends: millennials who aren’t widely embracing the motorcycling lifestyle and baby boomers who are aging out of riding.
Harley’s 10-year strategy is to train 2 million new U.S. riders, grow international business to 50 percent of sales and launch 100 new “high-impact” motorcycles.


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Did you know that for the first time since the 1920's, American cities are growing faster than everywhere else in the country combined? That's because Millennials are moving to cities in droves- and staying there indefinitely too. This has led to Millennials using public transportation 40% more and cars 23% less. They are also twice as likely as any other generation to participate in the sharing economy, such as with ride-sharing and renting an apartment.
Want to read more? Hop on over to Fortune.com and check out Chris Altchek's article, "7 facts every business should know about Millennials."


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For years – 28 of them, to be exact – new Home Furnishings Association member Black Whale Lighting was the shop to shop for high-end lighting in northern San Diego County, Calif. Still is.
But two years ago, owner Kirsten Reece started to see her customers’ shopping habits change. More of them were shopping online. And when they shopped online, they were buying more than just lighting. Reece decided to make a change and diversify.
Reece sent Tom Buckley-Sprick, merchandising director and the store’s lead interior designer, on the road in search of a high-end line of upholstered, American-made furniture that Black Whale could sell in its 6,500-square-foot showroom. The company also beefed up its art and accessories.
“I sat on a lot of sofas, but it was worth it,” Buckley-Sprick says. “It’s the best decision we’ve ever made – knock on wood. Business has been booming this year.”
About a third of that boom can be attributed to furniture sales, Buckley-Sprick says. He’s hoping that trend continues into 2021 and beyond the pandemic.
One-stop shop for all
“We want to be that one-stop shop for designers and customers to come to and leave with everything they need for their homes,” he adds. “I think we’re off to a good start.”
Black Whale joined the HFA in August after discovering the association’s partnership with Synchrony offers members some of the lowest financing rates in the industry. Buckley-Sprick says the company has already started using Synchrony with its customers with great success. “It’s giving them another option to use when it’s time to purchase. The rates are good, but the extra option for our clients is just as important to us.”
Something else that’s important to Black Whale leaders is the connection to other furniture retailers that being an HFA member affords them. “The contacts with other retailers are going to be invaluable,” Buckley-Sprick says. “Just being surrounded by so many other retailers with that kind of knowledge and experience is going to be worth the membership alone.”


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Articles about Mobile OS
Researchers say WireLurker can infect installed iOS applications, automate a generation of malicious iOS applications and spread through enterprise provisioning.
The latest version of Google's Android, Lollipop, is now downloading to certain, select smartphones and tablets.
Microsoft has revealed that it will be renaming Nokia Lumia to Microsoft Lumia as part of its efforts to phase out the Nokia brand.
Microsoft has made available for download several new Windows 10 features to those running the Windows 10 Technical preview release.
Perhaps, the better question is: "When will they set the date?" Sooner or later, Google's operating systems will come together.
Microsoft's consumer focus for its mobile platforms has come at the expense of business features. See how Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1 will give business users more of the functionality they need...
from TechProResearch »
Trying to build platforms that are open and partner-centric, including the recently unveiled Windows 10, is a direct response to requests from enterprise customers, according to Microsoft's VP of Windows marketing.
There are believable rumors that Verizon may be phasing out the Lumia Icon Windows Phone. But so far, neither Microsoft nor Verizon is confirming.
How? By using Opera Mini as a viable alternative to traditional browsers. Why? Because the Korean electronics giant can. Who will use it? Probably very few.
We knew Microsoft makes most of its mobile operating system money from Android, not Windows Phone, but a billion dollars? From one vendor?! Microsoft's good times, however, are in danger of coming to an end.
A newly unsealed legal document indicates that Samsung paid Microsoft $1 billion in Android patent-licensing royalties in 2013 alone.
Microsoft's Windows 10 will include more than just user interface tweaks. Here are some of the expected security, manageability and Store changes coming to the next version of Windows client.
Call it 'Threshold' no more. The next and last major version of Microsoft's Windows client operating system will be called Windows 10 when it is released next year.
On September 30 at its first official Windows 'Threshold' reveal, Microsoft officials may go public with the name of the coming OS, in addition to sharing some product specifics.
Even as it expands to support iOS and Android, Nokia isn't abandoning the Windows Phone platform with its HERE mapping technology.
Apple's new mobile OS is now available, and IT managers need to know how to handle its new features. We examine what the leading Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) vendors have to offer on the subject.
After two years of waiting, the ex-Nokians' MeeGo-powered smartphone is finally here. Is it any good?
I'm not a big iPhone fan, but there's one thing it has basically right: a physical switch to go totally mute. Android is not as good and Windows Phone stinks at it.
Android rules, iOS is cool, but third place is up for grabs. With the release of Ubuntu Touch, Canonical shows that its first Linux for mobile devices may have what it takes to be a major smartphone operating system.
A new set of screenshots claim to show a version of Android OS 4.4, known as KitKat. Or is it Key Lime Pie after all?
From birth to death - with all of the icky stuff in between we wonder why you would want to have these gross iPhone apps on your phone.
iOS 7 is a major step forward in enterprise mobile security. Apple has institutionalized security techniques for which, until now, enterprises had to go to an independent MDM/MAM vendor.
While my new Android phone made my old iPhone feel old, there are some things I actually miss about having an iPhone. Here are ten that might surprise you.
Smartphone makers are looking to voice control and personal assistants to make their hardware stand-out. But are all voice control systems created equally?
From calculator watches, to smart watches, to intelligent wristbands, the wrist computer has had a storied history.
Canonical has taken the wraps off its new Ubuntu OS platform for smartphones, ushering in a new generation of Ubuntu-powered devices and paving the way for the company's one-size-fits-all approach to platforms on different devices.
A tour of the best Android smartphones currently available on the market.
And now, for your reading pleasure, the very worst from the tech world in 2012.
Here is the first wave of Windows Phone 8 smartphones, from Microsoft's launch partners Nokia, Samsung and HTC.
Microsoft has been pretty coy about letting its upcoming Windows Phone 8 devices off the leash, so we haven't seen much about them. Here's a glimpse of the ATIV S - essentially the Galaxy S III, with a different OS.
Sponsored by Sap
IDC has been surveying mobile developers for the past two years. In mid-May, it polled more than 3,500 developers in a survey sponsored by platform vendor and SAP partner, Appcelerator, to gauge their feelings about Apple versus Google in the enterprise, their interest in Windows 8/Microsoft Surface, what their pain points are, and more. Here is what they said, with my commentary.
The best of ZDNet, delivered
- 1 Lollipop 5.01 review: The Android release we've been waiting for
- 2 Amazon unveils new Kindles; updates Fire HD, Fire HDX tablets
- 3 iPad at Work: The essential guide for business users 2014
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- 5 Raspberry Pi: How I spent almost $150 on a $35 computer


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Hi everyone, this is Jenova Chen, President and Creative Director of thatgamecompany. It’s been quite a ride seeing how far Journey has come in the two and a half years since its launch on PlayStation 3.
Thanks to the many referrals of our players over the years, we’ve seen a steady flow of new players discovering the game and a community of veterans helping them along the way. Many players who bought a PS4 wrote us wondering if they will be able to experience Journey one day.
Today we are happy to share that a whole new generation of players will experience the wonder of Journey when it comes to PlayStation 4 later this year.
Thanks to the heartfelt efforts of fellow developers Tricky Pixels, players new and old alike will share in the beloved Journey experience in visually stunning 1080p. More details about Journey’s release on PlayStation 4 are in the works for future announcement.


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April 9th, 2010
(Photo: Dogwood Alliance)
The fast food industry is slow to get that it needs to move to more sustainable packaging. That’s the word from the Dogwood Alliance, which this week launched a public awareness effort called Kentucky Fried Forests campaign
to skewer Kentucky Fried Chicken’s practice of using unsustainably sourced paper.
[Read more →]


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Businesses affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic will now be protected from eviction until the end of September 2021.
As part of interventions the Welsh Government is making to support businesses, the moratorium against forfeiture for the non-payment of rent will now be extended until September 30, 2021. It was originally due to end on June 30, 2021.
This measure will ensure businesses will not forfeit their business tenancies for non-payment of rent until 30 September this year, but businesses should continue to pay rent wherever possible, and it is in the interests of both landlords and tenants to reach negotiated agreements on any arrears.
The move will help a range of sectors including retail, hospitality, leisure and tourism at what continues to be an incredibly challenging trading period, whilst Coronavirus restrictions ease.
For further information visit GOV.Wales.
Posted on: Monday 28th June 2021


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PARIS — The French government said on Friday that a new report on deforestation confirmed its opposition to the current version of the EU-Mercosur trade deal, the office of Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Friday.
France will work with other EU partners to set environmental conditions for a resumption of the trade talks, it added.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
The European Union has been holding talks with the Mercosur group of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, the world’s fourth-largest trade bloc. One worry has been the impact of the future deal on forests and the climate.
(Reporting by Michel Rose, Dominique Vidalon)


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By Xiumei Dong
Groupon Inc. is stepping up big this Valentine’s Day with promotion specials that offer lovers the chance to buy land on Mars. As the Chicago company restructures its leadership team, analysts see a slight hope for the stock in 2016.
Four analysts rate Groupon a buy, two analysts rate it a sell, and 15 rate it a hold, according to Bloomberg. The consensus target price for Groupon is $3.19. The stock closed Tuesday at $2.22, an all-time low.
“GRPN has a great shot to carry over its end-of-year momentum into 2016,” wrote Brian Nichols, research analyst at Seeking Alpha, on Dec. 27, 2015. “Not only is the stock cheap…but its Groupon Goods business continues to perform quite well.”
Groupon operates online local commerce marketplaces that connect merchants to consumers by offering goods and services at a discount. After the post-IPO stock price high of $31.41 in 2011, the stock tanked.
“Just looking at the stock chart, it says a lot about the company,” said Edward Woo, a senior analyst at Ascendiant Capital Markets, in an interview. “They had a big IPO, then had a big decline, and a big rebound, and another big decline…”
Groupon historical stock prices
The company has a market cap of $1.37 billion and a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.61, compared to 16.86 for the Standard and Poor’s 500 index.
“Given what we are today, I would still see that as a buy,” said Woo, who has a $4 price target on Groupon. Woo expects the company will have another strong earnings report from the holidays, helped by a streamlining of international operations, and by accelerated growth in Europe.
Groupon reported a 4 percent increase in active customers worldwide, to 48.6 million, in the third quarter of 2015, comprising 25.2 million in North America, 15.4 million in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and 8.0 million in rest of the world.
“Our business is actually stronger than it ever has been,” said Zachary Smith, director of Mobile Products at Groupon, at the Chicago Chief Digital Forum in November. “Last year, we sold 100 million Groupons worldwide. We’ll hopefully beat that this Q4 as well.” Groupon is slated to report fourth quarter 2015 earnings after the close on Thursday.
Groupon had a net loss of $27.6 million, or 4 cents per diluted share, in the third quarter. The loss swelled 30 percent as compared with $21.2 million, or 3 cents per share, in the year-earlier quarter. Analysts surveyed by Yahoo Finance had been expecting a quarterly profit of 2 cents per share.
Revenue declined 0.1 percent to $713.6 million from $714.3 million.
For the fourth quarter of 2015, Groupon expects revenue of between $815 million and $865 million. It reported revenues of $925.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2014. The company attributed the lower guidance to the unfavorable impact of exchange rates. Analysts expect the fourth quarter to be break-even.
Groupon rejected Google’s $5 billion offer in November 2010, and filed for an initial public offering in June 2011. Since the IPO, the company has struggled to meet the public’s expectation.
“Groupon is a misunderstood company. We’re misunderstood by analysts. We’re misunderstood by media. We’re misunderstood by consumers,” CEO Rich Williams said in a blog post shortly after he was elevated from chief operating officer last November.
As the new CEO, Williams vowed to shift the marketing strategy and simplify the business model, and has made drastic high-level management changes.
William appointed Jay Sullivan as the chief product officer, overseeing product and engineering. Sullivan joined Groupon from Mozilla where he was senior vice president of consumer product.
Aaron Cooper, who had led the company’s North American Goods business, now heads up North American Services, which comprises Groupon’s multibillion-dollar local and travel business. Jacob Hawkins, former vice president of e-commerce at Aéropostale Inc., joined Groupon to succeed Cooper in North American Goods.
“Groupon will be focused on driving a diverse assortment of product across categories,” said Steve Tzeng, a consumer electronics buyer of Groupon. “With our strength of connecting with local businesses, we’ll be able to establish a local supply for customers.”
Groupon has been pushing to drive business in North America and other key markets, while paring down operations in Asia. In May, Groupon sold 46 percent of its stake in Ticket Monster, a South Korean e-commerce business.
“They actually shrank a lot internationally, they pulled out of a lot of emerging markets. They still show interest in India and Korea,” said Woo. “So, they are really just focusing on Europe, another big market besides the U.S.”


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Listen to this article
The Tokyo District Court on Friday ruled that Hynix infringed Toshiba’s patents related to flash memory chips and ordered the South Korean company to halt imports and sales of its chips in Japan.
Under the ruling, which comes over a year since Toshiba filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Hynix in Japan and the US, the Korean chipmaker will also have to pay compensation to its Japanese rival.
The decision is a victory for the Japanese group, which claims Hynix infringed three of its patents related to Nand flash memory chips. The market for these chips is growing rapidly on demand from portable devices, including Apple’s iPod portable music player.
The court also ordered Hynix to pay about Y7m in damages and the bulk of the legal fees related to the case. A Hynix representative in Tokyo declined to comment on the ruling.
Toshiba is also suing Hynix in the US, where the Korean company has a much larger presence than in Japan. The Japanese group has also filed a complaint with the US International Trade Commission, which is expected to conclude an investigation into the matter by year-end.
Toshiba’s legal victory comes as the competition in the Nand flash memory market has intensified, with Hynix gaining share worldwide.
Nand flash memory was pioneered by Toshiba. But the Japanese group has been overtaken by Samsung, the Korean group, which has the largest share of the market with 53 per cent, according to iSuppli, the US research group.
Toshiba is second, with 22 per cent, followed by Hynix, which has gained a 12 per cent share despite entering the market only recently. However, if SanDisk, with which Toshiba has a joint venture, is included, their combined market share goes up to nearly 40 per cent, according to Toshiba.
The market for Nand flash memory chips is forecast to grow strongly, after soaring 64 per cent to $10.8bn last year, according to iSuppli. The market was $2.2bn in 2002, nearly doubled to $4.1bn the following year and rose again to $6.6bn in 2004.
However, while demand for flash memory chips has been growing strongly, manufacturers have suffered from severe price falls.
Hynix’s entry into the flash memory market has not been welcomed by competitors due to its low-price strategy. Prices fell 40 per cent in 2004 and a similar amount last year due to a sharp increase in supply.
Toshiba filed its lawsuit against Hynix after negotiations to renew a cross-licensing agreement broke down.
Get alerts on Asia-Pacific companies when a new story is published


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If you’ve paid even the slightest bit of attention to the blockchain gaming space, you’re already familiar with a three-letter word that’s come to define this growing gaming sector in the past years: play-to-earn. The world first heard about play-to-earn (P2E) games thanks to Axie Infinity, the massive blockchain gaming juggernaut that aimed to reward players with real money in return for their time and effort.
But it’s been a long five years since Axie first showed up on the radars of the terminally online. Today, the game is still reeling from a massive $615 million dollar hack, and the recent crypto downturn compounded by reports of the near-exploitation of some of its players has led to a steadily declining player base.
Despite these setbacks, blockchain game developers believe the space remains open for a new industry titan to emerge. And it won’t offer players games with explicit play-to-earn messaging. Echoing the sentiments of Brazillian game developer Mark Venturelli, there is a growing belief in the blockchain gaming sector that, indeed, play-to-earn mechanics have no place in gaming.
So what will take its place? Play-to-own gaming. Instead of offering players financial rewards as incentives to play, there is the belief that providing players real ownership of their in-game rewards, items, and characters is the way forward.
When blockchain integration goes wrong
On the ground, the play-to-earn model has left many gamers worldwide left holding the bag. When games shut down, and their community support dwindles over time, players who’ve poured in hundreds of hours onto these games are left with nothing but wasted time and worthless collectibles. Case in point, when F1 Delta Time — one of the oldest existing NFT games on the market — unceremoniously shut down in April 2022 due to licensing issues, owners of its licensed NFT cars suddenly found their utility vanish. At least you could play with Hot Wheels. With no game surrounding them, these NFT cars became useless.
However, looking at F1 Delta Time from an optimistic perspective, it’s hard to place all of the blame on the developers. Licenses are a tricky business, even more in games that hope to function as ongoing live-service platforms years after release. Sadly, you can do much worse than building an entire platform and in-game economy on a licensed product in terms of stability. The founders of NFT Worlds did so on Minecraft using an (admittedly sophisticated) mods system. Now they have to do what their more successful contemporary Decentraland did — actually build a game.
Thankfully, things move fast in Web3 — and it looks like blockchain game developers are ready to try new things. Although the NFT space as a whole remains rightly skeptical of Pixelmon’s tentative second attempt at life following the massive backlash faced following its first mint, the controversial project’s new leadership has shown some understanding of the broader blockchain gaming space. For example, this second time around, Pixelmon’s new leadership appears keenly aware of the increasingly negative optics associated with play-to-earn gaming. Instead, it has shifted toward something many developers in the space fully believe in: play-to-own.
Blockchain developers shift away from P2E
But what does ownership have to do with gaming? According to WAX’s Chief Gaming Officer Michael Rubinelli, it’s everything. WAX has established itself as a veritable hub for Web3 gaming, becoming a thought leader in the space. In an interview with nft now, Rubinelli was deeply critical of the play-to-earn game model, calling it a “failed miserable experiment.” Like Venturelli, Rubinelli believes that introducing the possibility of earning real-world money into a game inevitably leads to that becoming a player’s main focus while playing the game. Instead of, you know, having fun.
“When you have ‘earn’ in the title of a movement, that is its singular focus,” he said. “Like anybody, the only thing I’m going to care about is the ‘earn’ piece of it right? And in that regard, you’re going to attract people that only care about profit or revenue. It’s really detrimental to the [blockchain gaming] movement. It’s super hurtful. It’s terrible, it’s cancerous, it’s toxic. And no surprise, it’s doomed to fail, and everything that models itself after it is gonna fail as well.”
But from where does the spite toward play-to-earn gaming come? To start, it’s what bad actors can do when they get rolling in a play-to-earn game. “Every project craters. There are rug pulls. There are terrible things that happen because they’re built by people that are harsh and mostly focused on a profit for themselves, and maybe a little bit for the players. [The players that do profit do so] in an unsustainable [and] unhealthy way, and it creates all this scar tissue and all this blowback and it’ll never ever work,” he said.
The worst offenders, Rubinelli claims, are developers who don’t even bother trying to make their games fun, instead focusing their marketing on the integration of blockchain technology, even in the title. “You have to start with the game. It has to be fun to play. If the game isn’t fun, what’s the point? Like ‘I hate this but I do it anyway.’ Well, that sounds like a job to me. It doesn’t sound like a video game. Sounds like a video chore,” he said.
A model that works
According to Rubinelli, ownership has been a concept familiar to gamers for generations. The mainstream gaming industry just hasn’t caught up yet. Somehow. Speaking on WAX’s latest title Blockchain Brawlers, Rubinelli highlighted the pedigree of one of its key developers and the impact his past work has had on pop culture at large.
“Dude, it’s a game designed by [Magic: the Gathering creator] Richard Garfield. In [Magic], 22 billion cards have been traded since 1995 from player to player. Let’s start with that premise,” he said. Instead of blatantly modeling this upcoming title to entice players with promises of financial gain, WAX has instead set up a system that’s been proven for decades to work. “When you win stuff and when you lose stuff, it’s your own stuff that you want lost. So when you lose it, you can win it back,” he said.
Other developers in the space have bigger ideas for what play-to-own can entail. Don Norbury, Head of Studio for upcoming Web3 first-person shooter (FPS) title Shrapnel, believes blockchain technology can enable gamers to unlock more profound levels of storytelling in-game. Placing players in a damaged near-future where an asteroid collision causes the titular shrapnel to rain down on the earth, players must compete against each other in a bid to collect scarce resources.
“We believe that having strong world building — having your own theme and aesthetic that people can relate to and then, in turn, start to build their own story within it is important,” Norbury said in an interview with nft now. “We’re not making a sandbox-style game where you can make everything under the sun. You are going to be making things that are in the Shrapnel universe. […] Our goal and our vision, when we look longer term. is the community effectively takes over [the game.]”
Specifically, Norbury hopes this upcoming title will offer players that level of expression via the creation of in-game maps. Like the highly-popular Forge mode found in the Halo series, Norbury hopes that players will make full use of the tools Shrapnel will provide. “There’s a tipping point where most of the maps that are being played [will be] user-created. We think that’ll actually happen very quickly. [Eventually,] our seasonal updates and sample content [will] just be a blip on the radar. That’s how we know we’ve succeeded in doing our job,” he said.
A million-dollar idea
But what happens when an in-game map in Shrapnel goes viral? What if one of its players happens to create the next industry-defining game genre? They’ll own it — and will have fewer barriers to cross to bring it into the mainstream. Both Norbury and Rubinelli have shown a keen understanding of this possibility, since some of the most-played games in the world started out as mods of popular games.
Counter-Strike — initially a Half-Life mod — birthed a new breed of fast-twitch ultra-competitive FPS titles. PUBG — which started as an ARMA 2 mod — was the first big battle-royale shooter. However, one game might exceed all others in approaching Norbury’s vision for Shrapnel: DOTA 2.
Currently one of the most highly-played games on Steam, DOTA 2 began as a mod of Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne. It reimagined real-time-strategy gameplay, integrated it with role-playing-game stat-based mechanics, and was designed as a purely competitive endeavor. But what made it so revolutionary — and in line with Shrapnel’s goals as a title — was how it did all of that while providing millions of gamers a way to engage deeper with Warcraft characters and lore.
Through the paradigm of play-to-own gaming, ideas can finally retake center stage, ahead of the promise of in-game rewards. “For us, a true healthy self-sustaining, economy requires deeper community input and value. And a lot of that for us is the content [players make] that bubbles up to the top. It is also a super valuable piece of input from the community. So when we say production input, we don’t just mean people who are creating maps as an example. We mean actual valuable things that are being done by the community in the Shrapnel universe,” Norbury said.


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1957 Ferrari Testa Rossa goes under the hammer in Monaco
Another classic Ferrari changed hands, as RM Auction successfully sold a 1957 Ferrari Testa Rossa for a whopping US$ 6.4 million. That’s around Dhs 23,510,000, but it still remains shy of Stirling Moss’s US $35 million 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO sold last week.
Nevertheless, the rare 1957 Ferrari 625 TRC Spider topped the list in the auction. After all, only two of such models were ever built. The car also went for more than the US$ 4 million “500 TRC” that was auctioned last year, but substantially less than the record US$ 12 million it garnered for a 250 TR back in 2009.
The auction also witnessed a 1966 Ferrari 206 S Dino Spyder, a 1952 Ferrari 225 Sport Spyder ‘Tuboscocca’ and a rare factory Daytona Spyder all fetch over US$ 1 million.
The US$ 6.4 million Testa Rossa will go down as one of the most desirable rare classics, but Sir Stirling Moss’s lime-green Ferrari 250 GTO currently holds the “world’s most expensive car” title as it was sold for over Dhs 128,555,000 to billionaire businessman Craig McCaw.
What do you think?


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Update on Coronavirus’ Impact on American Travel–Week of March 30th
Author Archive for: Destination Analysts Inc.
About Destination Analysts
Our research team's collective thoughts and musings on the DMO industry.
Entries by Destination Analysts
As COVID-19 spreads, so does its devastation on how Americans feel about travel. In the latest wave of Destination Analysts’ Coronavirus Travel Sentiment tracking study (collected March 20-22), nearly two-thirds (64.3%) of the 1,200+ American leisure and business travelers surveyed said their travel had been upended by the virus. This is up 20 […]
NOTE: An enormous “THANK YOU” to our friends at the Virginia Tourism Corporation for allowing us to share this data from an ongoing American Travel Sentiment study Destination Analysts conducts on the organization’s behalf. Between February 19th and 21st, Destination Analysts fielded a survey to a random sample of American travelers which, among other […]
One of the theories the travel industry is hopeful about is that amidst the current reality of flight cancellations, travel advisories and quarantines, a deep well of wanderlust will be building amongst travelers—and like prisoners in a jailbreak, will rush to express itself once opportune to. This would be an ideal outcome, given the thousands […]
What do meeting planners love about CVBs? What services do meeting planners wish to see more of from CVBs in order to make their destination top-of-mind? And, with a constantly changing industry, what are the predominant trends? Destinations International invited us to speak at their 2019 Annual Convention on the future of the meetings industry. […]
Climate change is on the minds of many American leisure travelers. In fact, fully half (50%) say that they expect it to impact their travels in one way or another at some point in the next five years. Climate change has emerged as an impactor of travel decisions among half of American travelers. A recent […]
Travel-planning apps promise endless information to help us execute the perfect trip. Yet, our research shows us that these apps haven’t yet reached their fullest potential. How can destinations make the most out of their apps? The answer might be as simple as developing trust and personalization. Every year brings new, cutting-edge technological advancements. As […]
Search engine optimization for websites is now commonplace among companies, but image SEO isn’t as widely practiced and holds potential for unique user engagement. Whether images of your destination are used by travelers for in-market planning or merely travel inspiration, ensuring that these images are optimized across search engines is vital to destination exposure and […]
While A.I. bots are far from ubiquitous, their growing presence in American homes is undeniable. According a recent Destination Analysts’ The State of the American Traveler Survey, over 15 percent of travelers report having used such an artificial intelligent assistant device to plan their trips in the past year, up from 13.3% one year ago. […]
Global Tourism is booming. An estimated 1.3 billion persons traveled internationally in the past year, marking a robust 7 percent annual growth rate. However, it’s painfully clear that America hasn’t kept up. Our country has been losing market share, and with it, billions of dollars in tourism revenues. How much does the controversy swirling […]


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The largest cryptocurrency exchange by market volume has acquired popular data site CoinMarketCap (CMC) for an undisclosed price, the companies announced Thursday. Binance CEO Changpeng “CZ It remains a rhetorical question to ask where Binance headquarters is located. Even the global exchange firm CEO did not provide a definite answer to the question when asked. Podcast host Laura Shin in a chat with Changpeng Zhao, Binance CEO at ConsenSys’ Ethereal Summit on Thursday, asked the CEO where Binance headquarters is located. The CEO did not look pleased with the question. Binance P2P Launches Lucky Thursday Promo - $10,000 in Prizes Binance Adds Myanmar Kyat (MMK), Lao Kip (LAK), Cambodia Riel (KHR) and Sri Lanka Rupee (LKR) to P2P Trading Send and Receive EUR Instantly 24/7 Through SEPA Instant! Zero Maker Fee Promotion for BRL Trading Pairs on Binance Binance Extends Zero Maker Fee for All TRY Trading Pairs Until 2020/12/31 Zero Fees on EUR & GBP Bank Moreover, our home page, www.binance.com also came under heavy DDoS attack at the same time. This is a typical case of when you have a car with a broken window, all the burglars want a piece of it. Similar to people, how secure a system is, is often determined during crisis. Luckily, security has always been our top priority and the hackers wasted their time, effort and money to no avail. Binance.US will launch staking rewards for Harmony (ONE) on Thursday, October 22nd, 2020, at 9:00 am EST / 6:00 am PST. No action is needed for users already holding Harmony (ONE) in their wallet to begin earning rewards. ONE/USD and ONE/USDT trading pairs are already available to trade on the Binance.US app, website, and API.. Binance.US takes hourly snapshots of the user’s ONE balances to One of the largest global cryptocurrency exchanges by trading volume, Binance, is launching the BTC / USD quarterly futures contract service. The product aims to offer greater investment diversification to customers. The launch will take place on Thursday, June 11, as Binance informed in a statement shared with CriptoFácil. From then on, exchange customers will […] Binance Coin (BNB) price prediction is 56.751513 USD. The price forecast is 56.751513 USD for 2021 December 23, Thursday; and 224.300 USD for 2025 December 23, Tuesday with technical analysis. Black Thursday: How it happened. Binance service seemed to be the only customer of the cryptocurrency market that came out of this crash rather unscathed, surpassing the likes of OKEx, Huobi, and BitMEX in the charts. This was the result of their mass recruitments from other retailers which saw them experience and increase in trading volume ultimately leading to an abrupt push higher up the The Thursday and Friday sellouts pushed the market cap, and on Friday closing it was at $507.17 billion and dropping. For more crypto-related news and updates, head over to the Binance News service. We now move to updates from the Binance ecosystem and beyond. Binance Exchange Updates. 1. Binance Black Friday - $100,000 in Bitcoin Up For Grabs! Binance.US will launch staking rewards for EOS on Thursday, October 22nd, 2020, at 9:00 am EST / 6:00 am PST. No action is needed for users already holding EOS in their wallet to begin earning rewards. EOS/USD and EOS/BUSD trading pairs are already available to trade on the Binance.US app, website, and API.. Binance.US takes hourly snapshots of the user’s EOS balances to calculate rewards.
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Ilya Pozin, Founder of Ciplex, runs an internet business that's growing at a 25% - 30% clip annually. As a small business, Ciplex has "flipped" the organizational chart, "fired" its managers, and installed staff as empowered leaders. Pozin's title, for example, is now team support.
Scott Gerber, Founder of Young Entrepreneur Council, works at supporting, educating and connecting American entrepreneurs worldwide. He works at bringing entrepreneurship (i.e., self-sufficiency) up to the same level as traditional jobs, that is, as a viable option for university graduates.
Panel members respond to audience questions about ethics and controversy, new sites "popping up," and the CapitalOne switch from direct mail to social media.
Mike Darne, Senior Director Senior Media & Search Marketing with CapitalOne, views social media as "a shiny new toy." He and teams at CapitalOne look at how this toy can complement their TV campaign and come up with products that small businesses need.
Bess Wyrick, Founder and CEO of Celedon & Celery, wants to rebrand the company, after splitting with a partner. But how does she do this, and is it even a good idea to do so? More pointedly perhaps, how does she deal with the identity crisis her company is going through?
David Smith, Founder and CEO of TekScape, asks how best to work social media and grasp its ROI. Social media may be less product-determined and more customer segment-focused. But even before that, Smith learns that coming up with a strategic plan first helps to answer such questions.
Michelle Madhok, Founder and CEO of SHEFINDS Media, asks how to separate signal from noise of social media, that is, genuine followers and potential customers versus contest participants. In light of two million unique visitors a month, it's a massive, complicated question to answer.
Shane Snow, Cofounder of Contently, relates a focus shift from small business to big brands. Do research and fashion crisp messages are the advice from the panel. However, this clip didn't address his second query: Right now his sales people rely on the founders to close big deals. So how does the company scale the ability to close, because the founders aren't always going to be able to step in?
Susan Lindner, Founder and CEO of Emerging Media, wonders how to best balance marketing efforts with client work. Does it makes sense, for example, to hire someone to handle the operational moves? This way, she can focus on promoting the business. It's rethinking how and where she ought to spend her time.
Thank you for reading and watching, and let me know what you think?
Ron Villejo, PhD


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SAN FRANCISCO --
, shifting its resources toward entertainment hardware, made a price move Wednesday to compete more effectively against
Additionally, a company executive addressed the rumor mill regarding regarding whether Microsoft has plans to acquire
Research In Motion
Microsoft dropped the price of its 30-gigabyte Zune music player by $50, to $199, according to Microsoft's blog, Zune Insider. "It's part of the normal product life cycle, something we've had on the books for months," wrote Cesar Menendez in the blog.
That announcement appears timed to pick up on Apple's
launch of its new iPods with the touchscreens that have made the iPhone a hit.
The new 8-gigabyte touch-screen iPod will feature Wi-Fi and Web-browsing capabilities and sell for $299; the 16-gigabyte model has a $399 price tag. A 4-gigabyte Nano is $149, while the 8-gigabyte version is $199.
Microsoft reported in August that it sold 1 million Zunes in the device's first eight months on the market. Apple has sold more than 100 million iPods since 2001.
New customer research shows satisfaction with the 30-GB Zune is "really high," at 94%, Menendez wrote. "And we expect even more consumers will now want to discover the Zune experience at the new lower price."
"You'll see the continued evolution of that product," Mindy Mount, CFO of Microsoft's entertainment and devices division, said Monday at an investor conference. Changes to the Zune will address design deficiencies.
"People like the durability. They like to have the video screen. But maybe the device was a little heavier than people would like," Mount said.
Mount would not say whether new models will be available for the holiday buying season.
Looking beyond, Microsoft may add form factors and functions to new Zune models. "As opportunities come up, you can expect to see us expand along those ways," the CFO said. "For this holiday season, we don't have anything to announce right now."
Mount also played down rumors that Microsoft may be doing a deal with RIM, the maker of the BlackBerry phone and personal organizer popular with business users.
"I'd ask what that really gets you," Mount said of such a deal. Much of RIM's revenue comes from its hardware, whereas Microsoft's strategy is to offer its many PC-based software programs and services on mobile devices, she added.
Microsoft positions its Windows Mobile operating system as a lower-cost alternative for corporations that already own Microsoft Exchange servers. Companies usually have to install a separate server to handle traffic from corporate BlackBerry devices, Mount said.
"Mobile clearly climbs to the top of the list," of highest revenue areas for Microsoft, Mount said.
In a broad hint at integrated hardware-software devices to come, Mount said that it "wouldn't be unreasonable to expect" Microsoft to launch a mobile handset of its own.
"Doing pictures and music on a phone is something consumers want. It's a very natural thing for us to have in our product roadmap," Mount said.
Roughly 140 devices have installed the Windows Mobile OS, Mount said. "It's pretty consistently growing 80% a year." Last year, the company sold 11 million licenses. "This year, we expect to do 20 million."
Microsoft stock was down 35 cents, or 1.2%, to $28.45 in late afternoon trading.


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"BOISE — Jeri Rutherford had been a long-distance cyclist since her teens. Then something changed after age 45.
"I just couldn't ride anymore," she says. "It became more and more painful to sit on the bicycle seat." The frustration led Rutherford, who is a corporate-management consultant from Marsing, to pursue a passion to develop a comfortable bicycle seat.
And it was a passion.
"It's my life," she says of cycling.
She believes that a comfortable bicycle seat can change the world by fixing waistlines and the environment. Five years and more than 60 bicycle seat prototypes later, Rutherford is marketing the Carbon Comfort Saddle..."
I am really impressed with the inventor, going through more than 60 prototypes. Myself, I've only built about a dozen prototypes (you may have seen the pictures). I know it can be frustrating to be forced to give up and start anew. I wish Ms. Rutherford success with the business venture.


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Microsoft is tweaking the organisational structure around its Microsoft Business Solutions group to give the unit a more prominent position in Microsoft's hierarchy.
Group leader Doug Burgum will now report directly to Microsoft chief executive officer Steve Ballmer.
Microsoft also expanded the responsibilities of Orlando Ayala, who last year vacated his position as the company's top sales and marketing executive to take charge of Microsoft's small and medium-sized business sales, marketing and partnering efforts.
Ayala will continue as senior vice president of Microsoft's Small and Midmarket Solutions group, but will also serve as chief operating officer of the Microsoft Business Solutions group.
Both Burgum and Ayala previously reported to Jeff Raikes, Microsoft's group vice president of productivity and business services. With the new shuffle, Ayala's group will be part of Microsoft Business Solutions, and Ayala will report to Burgum.
The change is directly unlikely to affect customers and partners, but it signifies the importance Microsoft places on its growing enterprise applications business.
Microsoft's desktop applications are ubiquitous in the business world, but the company did not traditionally compete in the market for the expensive, complex enterprise resource planning and customer relationship management systems used for back-office functions.
Microsoft cannonballed into the space several years ago, spending $1.1bn to buy ERP maker Great Plains Software and another $1.3bn on Danish software company Navision. It then combined the two companies to form the foundation of its Microsoft Business Solutions group.
Microsoft inherited a large customer base from Navision and Great Plains, but the Business Solutions group's sales has not been up to expectations in recent quarters. Executives blamed execution problems on the group's work with its channel partners, and said a turnaround is expected soon.
The company still has high hopes for the business applications market: Ballmer forecast that the Microsoft Business Solutions group will be doing $10bn in annual sales within a decade.
Stacy Cowley writes for IDG News Service


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CEO and President of Connected Enterprise, Honeywell
America’s $800 billion trucking industry is massive and crucial to the economy — touching nearly every product we buy — but its inner workings can be unwieldy and hard to grasp.
With nearly 10 years in the industry, transportation lawyer Cassandra Gaines knows that well. She’s held senior legal positions at big names like Echo Global Logistics and Schneider National. And two years ago, she broke off to form her own law firm.
Basic business knowledge is hard to find in trucking, which is dominated largely by folks with family connections. So the Ivy League grad had the idea to start making YouTube videos to help small trucking and logistics firms learn more about the industry — putting out quick videos on basic transportation law topics like cargo claims during her lunch break to keep people informed.
“It didn’t give me business,” Gaines tells Business Insider. “It just made me feel good helping people.”
The videos quickly picked up, particularly through her LinkedIn page, where she has more than 25,000 followers across the trucking and logistics industry. She now has a podcast and a weekly live show called "MadGaines." In June, Gaines told Business Insider a quarter of a million people tuned in to see her Zoom chats with industry leaders, interviews with CEOs, and talk shop during open-mic nights.
Gaines is still a lawyer, but she’s now something of a community builder too — in a highly fragmented industry that’s at risk of splintering even more during the pandemic.
“People just want real education and people want a voice,” Gaines says. “People who are just regular folks can talk about things and learn from somebody who is grinding every day. You learn so much from these people.”


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Israeli startup Keepod has joined with NGO LiveInSlums to launch
an Indiegogo campaign that aims to bring personal computing to a
Nairobi slum using the humble USB stick. The company calls it a
sustainable, scalable operation, and wants to use it to drive an
environmentally-sound technology revolution tailored for anyone
without access to their own device.
Keepod is the security obsessed
operating system loaded onto a $7 USB stick that can turn any
computer into a personal device, leaving no trace a user was there
once the USB has been removed. Through Keep Unite, it wants to
highlight the five billion people it says are currently living
without a personal computing device around the world, preventing
them from taking advantage of the economic opportunities otherwise
available to them. The startup only joined with LiveInSlums
last week, with CEO Nissan Bahar saying: "After more than 30 years
of personal computing and many new technological innovations, there
are still more than double the amount of people without access to
personal computing than there are with. Now, with the Keepod
technology, we have the means to really make it happen.
"With Keepod each person can have his personal experience on any
PC. Implementing this approach in our communities set us free from
the daunting task of providing a PC for every person and from the
need to manufacture new cheap computers… We can re-use the millions
of computers that are thrown away each year (85,000 PCs each day in
the US only) to bridge the digital divide."
Now, together with its new partner, it has launched a $38,000
(£23,000) Indiegogo campaign to begin this revolution, starting
with the 1.5 sq km Mathare slums home to 50,000 in Kenya. Anything
can be loaded onto the USB stick, and the idea is to tailor that
data to a community's needs. So although it will give the user the
normal access to services they might use on a public device, it may
additionally include educational programmes, health advice and
information on HIV prevention or human rights literature.
LiveInSlums already has projects ongoing in Mathare, but also in
Cairo and Sao Paulo, so if this Indiegogo campaign kicks off,
expect others to follow suit.
The money will go into providing communities with 1,500 Keepod
devices, but also to refurbishing 50 old computers to set them up
in, among other places, learning hubs that could also act as
"Imagine refurbished computers, that would have otherwise ended
up in landfills, being distributed in our cities... ready to
be shared," says the Indiegogo campaign.
Keepod and LiveInSlums will keep these hubs running for a year
with the funds, and actually invite those that donate the largest
sums, $850 (£519) and upwards, to come to Nairobi to give the
devices to the people they have bought them for, and perhaps get
stuck in with building and maintaing those hubs.
By using refurbished PCs, the project will keep costs low and
provides an interesting model that boosts the local economy whilst
also reducing any environmental impact. A hard drive isn't even
needed, seen as everything is stored on the USB.
"The main reason we decided to partner with Keepod Unite was
that we realised how much can be done with a relatively modest sum
of money," said Silvia Orazi, president of LiveInSlums. "The
$38,000 we are seeking to raise in this campaign, will provide many
new development opportunities for the people in the Mathare
With the USB, many people can share just one device, but use it
as their own private PC. Privacy is also a real emphasis with
Keepod, which joined with VPN provider Private Internet Access last
December. This is ideal when bringing Keepod to communities where
government surveillance or censorship is an issue, but it's in fact
also why the startup hopes to be commercially successful --
industries such as banking have shown an interest, because of the
secure encryption it provides.
Keepod and LiveInSlums is ready to launch in March, if it
receives the funding needed.


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Government is being urged to do more to boost the number of business start-ups if it wants to stop the UK economy shrinking.
The call comes from the Yorkshire Enterprise Club, which says too few new businesses are being set up to make up for the number of companies that are closing.
Club chairman and Sheffield businessman, Gordon Millward, said: “With a 1.9 per cent reduction in the number of businesses operating in the UK, it is hardly surprising that the economy is shrinking.
“Sooner or later it will begin to dawn on ministers that the start-up of new enterprises is the Number 1 challenge facing the government. The shrinking business base is the ‘elephant in the room’ that no-one appears to have noticed.
“The UK’s economic survival depends on the abilities of a new generation of entrepreneurs to turn their ideas into commercial success.”


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Better Place: Turning Israel into electric car country
Israel could be the first country with a nationwide electric car network, thanks to Better Place. A battery swapping station just opened outside Tel Aviv.
(Page 2 of 2)
"What Better Place is doing is definitely preferable to running on gasoline or diesel, and they have a large advantage in that they are moving the pollution from city centers to the periphery," says Dana Tabechnik, a lawyer specializing in air pollution and energy at the Israeli Union for Environmental Defense. But because the electricity will come from coal- or gas-fired power plants, she says, "there is no reduction in greenhouse gases."Skip to next paragraph
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Another concern is how the majority of customers will power their cars. The Fluence ZE will be Israel's first mass-market electric car, but other importers are looking to bring in competitors. Israeli regulators are now drafting the standards for car charging, and they include a prohibition on plugging into regular home outlets. (The ban would not target Better Place's home stations.) According to the Ministry of National Infrastructures, this is for safety. But Mr. Rivlin says it gives Better Place a leg up because they already have charging spots set up nationwide.
"What we see here is a monopoly of the supply of electricity by Better Place," Rivlin says.
Better Place spokeswoman Julie Mullins says customers should not have to pay for electricity at home twice when their monthly subscription fee already includes energy for fill-ups, along with car software that helps drivers find power stations for long trips. Plugging into a system monitored by Better Place also allows the company to manage how much electricity it uses at any point, to prevent regional overloads. Further, the company uses the standard international plug for electric cars, so the cars will charge off any legal socket.
Better Place "welcomes any competitor that will enable competition and mass transition to electrical transportation," Ms. Mullins wrote in an e-mail.
Better Place plans to be completely up and running by early 2012. More than 70,000 people have visited the Better Place showroom in Tel Aviv since it opened in February 2010.
Denmark is roughly on the same track. In early March, Better Place announced the pricing scheme there, which will be about $38,000 for the car, an additional $1,909 for a home charging station, and a monthly subscription fee of between $283 to $567, depending on miles driven. Israeli prices have yet to be announced.
The electric car will not be an all-around environmental solution. But Better Place holds that there is only so much the average person will do for the planet. "Asking people not to drive is not a reality we live in," Mullins says. "People need their cars. They need to get to work. So if we can do it in a way that's cleaner and that helps create a market for renewable energy, then that's a great step forward."


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Keeping an eye on UV protection
Okotoks: Proper sunglasses as important as sunscreen
Thursday, Aug 14, 2014 10:28 am
During the hot summer months, most of us recognize the importance of sun protection and will lather on some sunscreen and throw a hat on before heading outdoors, but it’s not just your skin that needs protection. If you aren’t wearing the right sunglasses you could end up scorching your eyes in the summer rays too.
“When picking sunglasses, you have to pick glasses that say 100 per cent UVA and UVB protection,” said Dr. Asim Prasad of Okotoks Eyecare. Without the proper protection for your eyes, you can end up with the eye equivilant of a sunburn.
“Without UV protection, you can get some acute symptoms,” Prasad said. “You can develop almost like sunburn in your eyes, a form a Keratitis, which typically tends to resolve on its own but you'll get the early symptoms of scratchiness and sand-like sensation in your eyes.”
Aside from the temporary symptoms, long-term exposure can lead to more serious eye conditions such as cataracts and macular degeneration, which can ultimately lead to blindness.
To be sure that you’ve got the right shades to take care of your corneas, Prasad said to keep an eye out for the UV protection sticker, as well as stick to stores that sell name brand gear – it may be more expensive but Prasad said you’re paying for more than just fashion.
“With the Ray-bans, the Maui Jims, Oakleys, those prominent names will have the proper UV protection,” he said. “If it's not a brand name then I would definitely be skeptical.”
Prasad adds that children tend to be the group who he considers to be the most under protected when it comes to UV rays, as parents often don’t buy their kids high quality sunglasses.
In fact, Calgary EMS public education officer Stuart Brideaux said in general, kids are most likely to suffer from sun over exposure.
“Younger children are the largest risk for heat exhaustion,” he said. “They’ll feel the effect much sooner because they don’t regulate their body temp as rigorously as adults can.”
He said the best way to avoid overexposure is by keeping kids, and adults, hydrated. Brideaux recommends drinking before your thirsty, as your body is using those fluids to cool off, and when you run out of them that’s when you begin suffering from heat stroke.
“What’s happening is your body can no longer tolerate heat at all,” he said. “Your body has no mechanisms left to cool itself and will tragically continue to get hotter.”
He said the easiest way to detect if someone has heatstroke is if they appear lethargic and are hot to the touch, but their skin is dry instead of sweaty. At that point it’s important to seek medical attention so that the victim can be rehydrated.
Although heat stroke is rare, Brideaux said heat exhaustion is much more common and can be very serious as well.
“Majority of the time when people are feeling the effects of sun exposure they’re feeling heat exhaustion which is much more treatable,” he said. “It feels flu like – nausea, vomiting, it’s a very unpleasant thing.”
To avoid over exposure, Brideaux recommends staying hydrated, wearing a wide brimmed hat and finding shade. And when it comes to sunscreen, applying it before you’re in the sun allows it to take full effect, and Brideux said regular reapplication is more important than having a high SPF in your sunscreen.
“50-30 SPF have the same effect. People just tend to under apply sunscreen, and they go outside too soon,” he said. “And a sunburn, even a less severe one is still considered a first degree burn.”


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You know the EV revolution is real when educational institutions like Minnesota State Community and Technical College start offering training for hybrid and electric car technicians. Thanks in large part to a $349,652 National Science Foundation grant, M State is rolling out plans for a new training program to help meet the demand for the auto technicians of the future.
It is planning to introduce the electric car technician program on Wednesday, October 19 at 2 p.m. The presentation will take place at the new Transportation Center at the Moorhead campus and is open to anyone with an interest in the automotive industry. Community members, media professionals, auto industry stakeholders, and college faculty, staff, and students are all invited to attend.
“The energy surrounding the hybrid and electric vehicle market is surging. It’s a transformative era for the automotive industry and we’re excited to be leading efforts to prepare students for this transition,” said M State President Carrie Brimhall. “It’s important that we don’t sit back and wait for the change but rather take the wheel to lead the next generation of automotive service technicians to long and successful careers in the field.”
An array of electric vehicles will be on display during the event, including a 2022 Chevy Bolt added in June of this year thanks to another grant. There will be an announcement about M State’s upcoming Level 3 EV charging station, which will be one of only four such stations in the Fargo-Moorhead area and will be available to the public to use free of charge.
M State is developing the new hybrid and electric car technician training program under the leadership of faculty members Shannon Mohn and Allan Lineburg, with input from other college faculty, auto industry partners, manufacturers, and stakeholders throughout the region. Mohn was a key figure behind the National Science Foundation grant award and has previous experience in the execution of grant duties and curriculum development as well as close connections with the regional automotive industry.
The newly developed curriculum will consist of two complementary 3 credit “stackable certificates” that automotive technology students may complete along with their regular coursework. The certificates will demonstrate a student’s abilities in the maintenance and repair of hybrid vehicles, EVs, or both. It is expected to be implemented at M State by 2024, and after that it will be shared with other colleges across the country for potential adoption and use.
“This project will have the ability to impact the automotive industry and college automotive technology programs on a local, regional and national level,” said Mohn. “The curriculum and resulting e-textbook and lab materials we develop will be shared with multiple National Science Foundation centers around the country, allowing any automotive technology program to use them.”
Mohn will serve as an ongoing resource for those centers, answering questions and offering advice and information to educators, organizations, and schools as they implement their own similar programs.
“The goal is to address the severe lack of technicians who are trained to work on electric-powered vehicles,” said Mohn. “Currently, only 3% of technicians are trained to work on these vehicles, yet the market is growing rapidly. Fewer than 1,000 such vehicles were sold in all of 2009; today, 100,000 are sold every month, in the U.S. alone.”
That number will only continue to rise as attitudes about clean energy and electric vehicles continue to change. A 2021 survey by Yale University showed that 67% of Americans are in support of transitioning the national economy from fossil fuels to 100% clean energy by 2050 and 78% are in favor of tax rebates for electric vehicles.
Major car companies, including Ford, General Motors, and others, are reporting year-over-year increases of well over 100% in new electric car sales and have made pledges to spend billions on the development of new electric vehicles. Forbes estimates that by 2025, electric vehicle sales will make up more than 20% of the total market.
At M State, the automotive department has already procured two fully functional hybrid vehicles, as well as components and batteries, for educational lab use from several manufacturers and salvage and recycling companies. Local industry has also committed to loaning EVs to the program for short term use so students and instructors will have access to the most current technology.
It may be, as EV advocates claim, that electric cars require less maintenance than conventional cars but less does not mean none. America will need a supply of properly trained technicians who understand the ins and outs of electrified vehicles as the number of EVs on the road increases. The new program at Minnesota State is a big step in the right direction.
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The US-China Trade War is far from over and Huawei is stuck in the middle as collateral damage. The telecommunication giant has faced a plethora of challenges this year and there’s no long-term solution in sight.
In a quite surprising revelation, Huawei alleges the US Government is launching “cyber attacks” against it. The claim is one of many made in a press release, and heightens an already tense relationship between the company and US authorities.
US gov’t bullying Huawei
Huawei stressed that in addition to pushing other countries to ban its products, the US government “has been using every tool at its disposal — including both judicial and administrative powers, as well as a host of other unscrupulous means — to disrupt the normal business operations of Huawei and its partners.”
The company further added that the US Government is threatening its employees. The release went on to say the US Government has been “instructing law enforcement to threaten, menace, coerce, entice, and incite both current and former Huawei employees to turn against the company and work for them.”
Although it isn’t entirely clear what the desired outcome of this statement actually is, it is a new approach. So far, we’ve only seen Huawei take a back seat and absorb all the allegations and sanctions being thrown at it. They’ve been diplomatic in their communication and refrained from being on the offensive.
(1/4) For months, the U.S. has leveraged its political and diplomatic influence to lobby other governments to ban Huawei gear, using every tool at its disposal to disrupt normal business operations of Huawei and its partners. Read more here: https://t.co/xVDt2lzwXx pic.twitter.com/VPRfYjhveN
— Huawei Facts (@HuaweiFacts) September 3, 2019
All this on the heels of the Mate 30 launch
The company is all set to launch the Mate 30 series and unfortunately, it won’t be having Google Play services. This is a huge drawback for the company and it has already kicked-off a secondary route of creating its own operating system. But, that’s still a long way down the road.
The US Government or the President, are yet to directly respond to these allegations. There are no signs of the Trade War cooling down and we expect to see more allegations being thrown at each other in the coming weeks.
Apple is trademarking the slofie
Is the slofie a thing now?
“Selfie” will always be a part of our everyday lexicon. Even if you don’t like taking selfies, you still know what a selfie is. Since the invention of the front-facing camera, everyone has taken a selfie in one form or the other. Likewise, most people also know what a groufie is — the selfie’s group-oriented cousin. Both the selfie and the groufie have seemingly covered all the bases in the front-facing phenomenon. Besides, we have enough of these terms to last us a lifetime.
Apparently, Apple doesn’t think so. At its latest iPhone 11 launch event, the company introduced another monstrosity into our packed vocabulary — the slofie, a selfie but shot in slow motion. The slofie promotes Apple’s newest camera feature. The iPhone 11 Pro’s front-facing camera packs in a slow-motion shooting capability. The camera shoots at an astonishing 120 frames per second.
As with the Animoji years ago, Apple is going all-in on the slofie. The company has applied for a trademark on the term. The trademark application covers all software involved in shooting the slow-motion selfie. Basically, Apple wants to control the market when the iPhone 11 drops. If the slofie does gain traction, it will likely face competitors and imitators. (For example, the Animoji had its fair share of imitators.) A trademark can prevent that from happening.
In another vein, Apple is still trying to make slofies a thing. Apple, please don’t make slofies a thing.
SIM card vulnerability puts your sensitive information at risk
It’s called the SIMjacker
SIM cards are very important. However, a new SIM card vulnerability found out by AdaptiveMobile Security might be putting our information at risk. The Simjacker exploit, which was recently found out and still being investigated on, allows malicious hackers to steal sensitive information from your phone through a SIM card.
Mechanism of attack
How does the Simjacker vulnerability work?
First, a hacker sends a malicious code to your phone through SMS. Then, the malicious code is read directly by your SIM card. The code then causes the [email protected] browser to send sensitive information to an accomplice device through SMS.
According to the report pulished by AdaptiveMobile Security regarding the vulnerability, the [email protected] browser is found on most SIM cards even though its development was abandoned many years ago. [email protected] browser was never updated, so it carries the risk of sending sensitive information to hackers when exploited successfully.
Sensitive information retrieved and transmitted by the [email protected] browser include location and the IMEI of an exploited device. The IMEI is a shorthand for International Mobile Equipment Identity, which is a 15 digit number unique to your smartphone that has some information about your device including its brand and model. As such, hackers can determine your exact location if you have a compromised SIM card, regardless of what device you have.
And the worst part of the attack is that you have no way of knowing that it has already been done since it all happens within the SIM card.
Origin and scope of the attack
The purpose for carrying an attack varies. However, the report traces the origin to an unspecified private company that works with governments to monitor individuals. So, there is a real possibility that it has been used to spy on us. And rightly so, since specific individuals were targeted in a certain country.
The report also warned that over one billion smartphones across all continents could be at risk to the vulnerability — and you could be one of them.
Response to the attack
In response to the discovered vulnerability, industry association SIMalliance has already put up recommendations for network providers to secure their networks. At this point in time, you can’t do anything to secure yourself from the vulnerability, unless you decided to go SIM-free.
But as a general rule of thumb, you shouldn’t just give your smartphone number like a free lunch. It also pays to update your smartphone once in a while, since some updates are designed to secure your phone from these kind of vulnerabilities and attacks.
Huawei thinks about selling its 5G business
Will hopefully appease Western tensions
Once again, Huawei is weighing all its options. As time rolls by, the company is slowly losing its grip on the Western market. Even after a temporary wave of full support, the US government has gone cold turkey. Huawei is still on the blacklist. In the meantime, the company’s temporary operating license is merely receiving extensions. Unfortunately, extensions don’t mean much without a definitive end.
Huawei is in dire straits. According to a recent interview with The Economist, Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei is mulling over a drastic move: selling its 5G business to the highest bidder.
Throughout the entire controversy, Huawei’s detractors have often decried the company’s 5G technology as a potential security threat. According to the detractors, the Chinese government can seize control of the company at any time.
Hence, a potential sale can alleviate geopolitical pressures. If a sale is concluded, the purchasing customer will have access to the technology’s inner workings. The customer can check if the network does have a Chinese backdoor built into it. Further, they can tailor the technology in any way they want.
Since plans are plans, the Huawei boss still doesn’t have any potential customers in mind. Likewise, the company has not announced a price yet. If you’re eyeing your wallet for a huge purchase, you’ll have to wait for when Huawei announces the sale.
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Vivendi SA’s Universal Music Group is considering selling music labels such as Virgin Records to win regulatory approval for the 1.2 billion-pound ($1.9 billion) takeover of EMI Group, said a person with knowledge of the matter.
Other labels that could be offered for sale include EMI Classics, Capitol Records and Parlophone Records, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the plans are not public. Universal will present potential concessions to European competition regulators in Brussels this week, the person said.
Universal would be almost twice the size of the next largest music company in the region, European Union regulators said in March when they started an in-depth probe into the EMI deal. While the EU has blocked two mergers in the last two years, it often seeks concessions from the companies to eliminate antitrust concerns, including the sale of units.
Citigroup Inc. agreed in November to sell EMI Group’s recorded-music and publishing businesses in separate transactions. Universal will buy EMI’s record labels, home to Katy Perry and Coldplay, and a Sony Corp.-led group that includes billionaire David Geffen paid $2.2 billion for the publishing unit, according to statements in November.
The European Commission last month sent Universal the list of potential competition problems.
Details of Universal’s potential concessions were reported by the Sunday Times yesterday.