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Posted on 12.15.05 by Nikhil @ 6:03 pm
Could Google be looking for a way to become the dominant browser for cellphones? There is a rumour circulating around that Google is considering buying Opera, which is one of the best browsers for mobile handsets. But according to Google and Opera, there is no truth in the rumour. I believe it, partly because Google is close with the Firefox community. Still, if it wants to get into mobile, Opera is one way. But the talk does bring up the issue of what Google’s larger ambitions may be in the wireless space. Wireless is growing rapidly and with high speed 3G networks now being deployed, more people want to use their handsets to find information. Browsers become critical. It’s a topic I plan to tackle soon in Forbes Wireless Stock Watch. Filed under: News and Mergers/Acquisitions Comments: None |
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Posted on 12.10.05 by Nikhil @ 12:02 am
I’ve covered Jamdat extensively in Forbes Wireless Stock Watch. In August, the stock price fell 30% on concerns about third-quarter earnings. I urged investors not to be shortsighted and said that the company’s strategic plans were right on target and that Jamdat could become a takeover target. Well, that’s exactly what happened. As you may know, Los Angeles-based Jamdat Mobile is the premier developer of games for wireless devices. The announcement isn’t a great surprise, given that Electronic Arts, based in Redwood City, Calif., has been trying to increase its presence in this booming market that now has some 5 billion wireless subscribers worldwide. Interesting to note as well is that about 40% of mobile phones are currently game-enabled, a statistic that Warren Jensen, chief financial officer at Electronic Arts, offered at a news conference announcing the deal. While EA had tried to go it alone, making games for mobile devices requires very different skills than developing games for PCs and videogame consoles. Obviously, the company decided it would do better by turning to an established pro. Filed under: Stock Watch and Wireless Gaming and News and Mergers/Acquisitions Comments: None |
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Posted on 12.08.05 by Nikhil @ 1:35 pm
NTL – a big provider of cable and phone service in the U.S. is considering a take over of Peter Branson’s Virgin Mobile. While Virgin Mobile just said today that it would not accept NTL’s offer, saying that its $1.42 billion offer was too low, it’s possible that NTL will come back with a revised offer. The result could be a giant company that would sell cable, voice, wireless and Internet services all under the Virgin brand. Of course, its not clear yet if this will happen, but some of the analysts out there say that Virgin Mobile could command as much as $1.4 billion. I will cover this in some detail, in Forbes Wireless Stock Watch if the deal actually goes through. NTL – a big provider of cable and phone service in the U.S. is considering a take over of Peter Branson’s Virgin Mobile. The result could be a giant company that would sell cable, voice, wireless and Internet services all under the Virgin brand. Of course, its not clear yet if this will happen, but some of the analysts out there say that Virgin Mobile could command as much as $1.4 billion. I will cover this in some detail, in Forbes Wireless Stock Watch if the deal actually goes through. You can read an update on the talks between the two companies at silicon.com Filed under: Stock Watch and News and Mergers/Acquisitions Comments: None |
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Posted on 12.02.05 by Nikhil @ 12:35 pm
NEW YORK - I spent some time on the phone recently with the chief executive of InPhonic, David Steinberg. The reason: Washington, D.C.-based InPhonic released its earnings for the third quarter, and they were pretty close to what the company had expected. But the stock tanked more than 25%. Here’s why. In the third-quarter, InPhonic (nasdaq: INPC), the largest activator of cell phones over the Web, had a net loss of $5 million, an improvement over the $11 million loss the company had in the year-ago period. Revenue grew 79% to $96.7 million. Despite the strong performance, the stock was driven down because investors were concerned over the company’s gross margins in its wireless business, which had revenue of $92.7 million and gross margins of 41.4%–significantly lower than what analysts had been expecting. Part of the drag on margins was due to the company’s struggling Liberty Wireless business, a mobile virtual network operator that InPhonic now says it will sell to Vaya, a new group that is being put together by industry veterans. Without the drag from Liberty Wireless, gross margins were down just 1%. Filed under: Stock Watch and News Comments: None |
