The Great Debate UK
A brave new Google-ized world
- Mia de Kuijper is CEO of de Kuijper Global Partners , author of Profit Power Economics and the Co-Dean of the Duisenberg School of Finance. The opinions expressed are her own.-
I have developed a practical approach to competitive success that defines strength not in terms of market share, but in terms of what I call “profit power.”
Profit power is your ability to hold on to your own profits and defend them against competition. Our information-loaded world is creating new sources of profit power.
You could argue that this is an age of “perfect information” – but crucially not one which has delivered perfect markets – because perfect markets would compete away profits and could not explain the popularity of one search engine over another.
from Breakingviews:
Cash, not China, is Google’s biggest problem
Cash, not China, is Google's biggest conundrum. More precisely, where should the search giant point its gusher of greenbacks?
The online advertising market recovery and increasing efficiency pushed free cash flow up 44 percent to $2.5 billion in the fourth quarter. Adding that to the company's $24 billion cash hoard doesn't make sense -- but giving it to shareholders does.
from Breakingviews:
Google cyber-complaint is tip of iceberg
Google’s cyber-complaint is the tip of an iceberg. Coordinated attacks on IT systems are common, yet companies and governments have kept largely silent. The growth of computer services that rely heavily on the Internet means the stakes are growing higher. That may explain why Google spoke up about recent attempts to steal its intellectual property -- and why the U.S. State Department has also taken China to task.
The scope of the recent attacks points to a complex operation. More than 30 companies were attacked simultaneously through an undiscovered software security hole. The incursions appear to have had the blessing of the Chinese government, if not its direct involvement. It is hard to imagine who else would be interested in the email accounts of political dissidents, which Google claims were targeted.
Are mobile networks at risk of a meltdown?
- Steve Nicholson, CEO at The Cloud. -
Five years ago the thought that we could be on the move accessing applications such as You Tube or Facebook, or watching TV or listening to music using our mobile phones was no more than a dream – today it’s a reality.
If we take a step back and assess the journey of the mobile phone over the past few years it has been nothing short of epic. It has progressed from a piece of technology for the modern business person to a must-have item.
from For the Record:
Honoring free expression online
Dean Wright is Global Editor, Ethics, Innovation and News Standards. Any opinions are his own.
A few weeks ago, I wrote about the Breaking Borders event in Berlin that marked the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The event, at which I spoke, took the anniversary as an opportunity to explore how the Internet is playing a role in advancing participatory democracy and free expression around the world.
from For the Record:
The fall of the Wall–and the media’s role
Dean Wright is Global Editor, Ethics, Innovation and News Standards. Any opinions are his own.
It was 20 years ago that the Berlin Wall, the most iconic symbol of the Cold War, fell, on Nov. 9, 1989.
from MediaFile:
Google: Don’t Fear the Cloud
Google doesn't want you to be afraid of the cloud.
The company announced a new feature on Thursday that lets people view all the personal information they've entered into Google's sundry Web-based products over the years.
The information in Google's new Dashboard covers everything from your personal account information for email and other Google services, to your viewing history on YouTube and the photos you've uploaded to Picasa. It's information that was always accessible in the past, but Google is now making it viewable in one, all-inclusive snapshot.
from Commentaries:
Gut feeling: How Google CEO valued YouTube deal
Let the second-guessing, the mock horror, the disbelief, the crowing begin.
Google CEO Eric Schmidt has acknowledged he realized upfront that he was overpaying to acquire YouTube, to the tune of $1 billion, judged by any conventional measures.
The many critics of Google's $1.65 billion deal to acquire the video-sharing site three years ago will claim this confirms everything they have always said about the deal. Not quite.
from The Great Debate:
Ex-Google China chief’s dream factory
-- Wei Gu is a Reuters columnist. The opinions expressed are her own --
Google's former China head Kai-Fu Lee wants to create China's next internet giant in a factory. He believes that by combining the smartest entrepreneurs, the shrewdest businesspeople and the brightest business ideas, he will be able to create five highly sellable companies a year. That sounds like an ideal model for venture capital, but is he being realistic?
Lee's plan, formulated while he spent time in hospital over the summer, follows a battle with Beijing regulators who wanted to censor Google searches that lead to pornographic sites. It has drawn strong support from investors.
from The Great Debate:
Collaboration is the key to economic growth
-- Aron Cramer is president and CEO of BSR, a global business network and consultancy focused on sustainability. The views expressed are his own. --
As the World Economic Forum’s “Summer Davos” meeting in Dalian, China, gets underway, it is a bit chilling to think back to how the financial crisis was unfolding in real time during last year’s event.
