Google spends $72 million a year for free meals
An estimated 9,600 Google employees across multiple offices enjoy free meals 251 days out of the year that Google is open. This equates to $72,288,000 spent per year by Google.This figure is based upon a $30 per day per employee estimate by Aramark Business Dining Services.
Microsoft Withdraws Yahoo bid
Microsoft announced today that it has withdrawn its proposal to acquire Yahoo! Inc. In a final meeting occurred today at Microsoft headquarters, Yahoo said the lowest price they could accept was $37/share. Microsoft said that the economics demanded by Yahoo! do not make sense for them. Microsoft made a public offer to buy Yahoo on Jan. 31 this year. Both Microsoft and Yahoo have struggled to compete with Google for the billions of online advertising dollars.
Google, most powerful global brand
Market research firm Millward Brown Optimor produced the rankings based on interviews with more than a million consumers worldwide. For the third year in a row Google grabbed the top spot with a $86 billion brand value. General Electric and Microsoft, came in second and third places respectively. Of the top 100 most powerful brands, 28 of them were technology related, including Hewlett-Packard, Cisco Systems, Oracle, Intel, Dell, and BlackBerry.
YouTube Opens Ad Sales
YouTube, popular online video sharing site introduced overlay advertising into its video clips. The ad rates charged to advertisers were calculated on a CPM cost-per-thousand basis. Certain content producers are also free to sell ads on their YouTube channel at market rates. This way producers of content which reach a more desirable audience can charge more.
Apple Surpasses Walmart
According to an NPD MusicWatch Survey, Apple surpasses Walmart to become the number 1 music retailer. Apple’s iTunes Store leads with 19 percent market share, Walmart comes to second with 15 percent,BestBuy and Amazon and in third and fourth places.
Facebook’s Golden age gone?
According to research firm Nielsen Online Facebook experienced its first drop in visitors in January after a 17-month uphill climb, in the United Kingdom. Its study showed unique users were down to 8.5 million from 8.9 million in December. But industry experts say, the Facebook frenzy is still going strong — especially in Canada.
Microsoft threatens Yahoo
Microsoft Corp. sent a letter to the Yahoo Board of Directors setting a three-week deadline for moving forward on its more than $40 billion buyout offer, other wise Microsoft will take its case directly to Yahoo shareholders and work to elect a new slate of directors. The letter was signed by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. The bid to buy Yahoo was made in January and announced Feb. 1 for $44.6 billion
Microsoft’s brand is slipping in mindshare
According to a study by CoreBrand, Microsoft dropped from number 12 in the ranking of the most powerful U.S. company brands in 2004 to number 59 last year. Microsoft’s brand power has been in sharp decline over the past four years, an indication the company is losing credibility and mind share with U.S. business users. Microsoft ranked number 1 in brand power in 1996 among 1200 companies.
Buy in Amazon by SMS
Amazon launched a new service called Amazon Text Buy it, where customers can purchase items via mobile phone text message. To use the service, customers text the name of a product, its description, or its UPC or ISBN number to Amazon (262966). If Amazon stocks the item, the user will get the first two results sent to them and the check out process will proceed with an automated voice system.
Motorola to split
Motorola will split into two companies, one making mobile devices and the other making network infrastructure. Analysts agree the split will bring improved focus, especially for the mobile phone company. The split is expected to be take place in 2009.
Dell facing laptop bettery shortage
Dell Inc said the personal-computer industry was experiencing a shortage of laptop batteries caused partly by the March 3 fire at LG Chem’s Ochang plant. LG Chem is the second biggest South Korean battery maker. The fire contributed to a worldwide battery shortage. Dell
AOL acquires Bebo
AOL a division of Time Warner is buying the social networking site Bebo for $850 million in cash. According to ComScore, Bebo is the ninth largest social networking site with 40 million registered users. Bebo was founded in California by Michael Birch. Microsoft bought 1.6% of Facebook another social networking site last year for $240m.
