The number of layoffs in the tech sector reached its highest level since 2005 in the U.S., according to a study of human resources cabinet Challenger, Gray & Christmas released Tuesday.
In this sector, which includes computer, electronics and telecommunications, the companies announced 174,629 job cuts in 2009, up 12.3% compared to 2008.
The figure is very similar to that of redundancies recorded in 2005 (174.744), a period of radical restructuring of the industry after the bursting of the internet bubble.
The cabinet is more optimistic for 2010: computer and electronic firms should be among the first to recover, as businesses (usually ndlr) try to postpone the recruitment increasing productivity based on the technology, "says report.
miércoles, 20 de enero de 2010
martes, 5 de enero de 2010
Kraft raised its bid for Cadbury from the sale of his pizza business to Nestlé USA
The great food industry began to move tab to fatten their wallets to a year in which lay the foundations for recovery. In two days, three operations which have been constructed through the carom corporate prompted by Novartis.
The purchase of 52% of the ophthalmic division of Nestlé by the pharmaceutical by 19,700 million has enabled the food company acquires Kraft's pizza business in the U.S., in an operation of 3,700 million (2,565 million euros). Consequently, U.S. food group will improve its hostile bid for Cadbury by 10,000 million pounds (11.000 million), at 60 pence per share. This increase reflects the requirements of the shareholders of Cadbury, which brand your offer "derisory", and the U.S. group's own needs, which aims to regain lost ground on the stock exchange.
"Kraft Foods continues to believe that its price on the stock market is depressed as a result of a number of short-term factors that he thinks will dissipate once the uncertainty is resolved about its bid for Cadbury," the group.
Kraft has said that until next Jan. 19, last day I have to modify its bid, will not provide details of its new proposal.
In parallel, the company extended the acceptance period for its IPO, which ended on Tuesday, until next Feb. 2.
Because, well, watching the Italian Ferrero is studying an alliance with Hershey to launch a joint bid on Cadbury.
To make matters worse, the road is cleared as the purchase of North American Pizza giant Nestle quell speculation about a hypothetical entry into the game by the British candy company.
The division provides Nestle pizzas as Tombstone and DiGiorno brands that fit with its strategy in the frozen foods business in the U.S. and Canada.
The purchase of 52% of the ophthalmic division of Nestlé by the pharmaceutical by 19,700 million has enabled the food company acquires Kraft's pizza business in the U.S., in an operation of 3,700 million (2,565 million euros). Consequently, U.S. food group will improve its hostile bid for Cadbury by 10,000 million pounds (11.000 million), at 60 pence per share. This increase reflects the requirements of the shareholders of Cadbury, which brand your offer "derisory", and the U.S. group's own needs, which aims to regain lost ground on the stock exchange.
"Kraft Foods continues to believe that its price on the stock market is depressed as a result of a number of short-term factors that he thinks will dissipate once the uncertainty is resolved about its bid for Cadbury," the group.
Kraft has said that until next Jan. 19, last day I have to modify its bid, will not provide details of its new proposal.
In parallel, the company extended the acceptance period for its IPO, which ended on Tuesday, until next Feb. 2.
Because, well, watching the Italian Ferrero is studying an alliance with Hershey to launch a joint bid on Cadbury.
To make matters worse, the road is cleared as the purchase of North American Pizza giant Nestle quell speculation about a hypothetical entry into the game by the British candy company.
The division provides Nestle pizzas as Tombstone and DiGiorno brands that fit with its strategy in the frozen foods business in the U.S. and Canada.
domingo, 3 de enero de 2010
The millionaire boom of virtual objects
Virtual or real objects such as weapons or champagne bottles which are sold in the U.S. could reach U.S. $ 5.000 billion over the next five years, economists predict the technological area.
In Asia, sales and are located around that figure and show rapid growth.
For many, the virtual goods are one of the main trends in the technological area and have helped fuel the tremendous growth experienced by the sector of social games, those where the participant plays in the Internet as a form of social interaction through networking users around large communities.
"This is a very popular part in the games business", said Jeremy Liew technology investments.
"This is the most exciting field in the area of games," he added.
Liew, Lightspeed Venture Partners, whose firm has invested $ 10 million in companies that offer virtual objects, said the industry's rapid growth was unprecedented.
"We've seen companies that have gone from nothing in the last 18 to 24 months, to keep in its coffers hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue," he said.
Income model
Playfish is a social games company that began operations two years ago. Currently has 11 online games and more than 61 million people around the world make use of their games.
Crucial to its success is the sale of virtual items, ranging from furniture to the player's pet dishes for his own restaurant in games and Restaurant City Pet Society.
"Virtual objects in Playfish games are central to how the company generates its revenue," said Tom Harris of the BBC Playfish.
"We have two different revenue models. The principal is the sale of virtual items and the second is advertising in games, but this is a minor issue at this stage," he added.
Sarris Playfish not by revealing how to get from the sale of virtual items, but admitted that this figure is for the better part of the revenue of the firm.
Precisely this phenomenon, according to Liew, is very typical.
"The virtual goods are the focus in the social gaming world. They represent between 90% and 95% of the income they receive most of the creators of these games," he said.
New players
And is that not only traditional gamers are those who spend their money on things that you only translate into a number of pixels on a website.
Emma Cox is probably a person that matches the profile of the new social kind of player who plays as a way to stay connected with family and friends.
"I'm not a traditional player. I do not buy video games or go out and spending $ 40 in a game for my PlayStation," said Cox.
"Online Game for a different reason and is the instant gratification of playing with friends, to teach others what has been achieved and to show all virtual goods you bought for yourself and for them," he continued.
Cox told the BBC that spends about $ 10 a month on virtual goods in every game and played about two or three. Her favorite is Country Store, where players traded for real money in exchange for coins that allow players to advance in the game or buy virtual objects.
The game was billed as an opportunity that allows players to escape from life and flee to the countryside where crops can work and breathe fresh air.
During his last visit, Cox bought fertilizer and wheat seed and paprika.
"These virtual goods are easy to buy, are accessible and are in line," Cox added.
"The immediate impact is that I can mobilize in the game much faster. It also improves the overall experience of the game is total entertainment.
Sarris said that is the main reason why people are willing to buy products that do not exist.
"The way we see the phenomenon is no different than paying money to go and watch a movie or rent a DVD.'re Paying for experience and the notion of entertainment."
The key social
A key factor in the initial growth of the revolution of virtual objects are social networks like Facebook, MySpace and Bebo.
Users of these networks can also pay for virtual goods and virtual birthday cards, champagne or flowers.
"More and more, while personal relationships migrate to the Internet field, interactions happen there," said Liew.
"Buy something like virtual champagne or an e-card to someone sends a message that this person is important to you.
However, most of these purchases in the virtual market of goods occurs through social games, which "according to Liew, are responsible for bringing a new type of player to the fore.
"We have found tens of millions, hundreds of millions of people who play these social games and many of them never consider themselves as players. Still, spend real money to play these games and in some cases significant amounts of money."
"That's what makes the expansion of this market is so exciting," said Liew.
Bright Future
The market clearly has much life.
Approximately two thirds of the 15 most popular applications on Facebook are games, according to analyst firm AppData. It is estimated that these ten games attract more than 100 million users each month.
In early December, one of the largest companies in social games, Zynga, sold a portion of their shares to Russia's Digital Sky Technologies for a value of $ 180 million.
And in November, the company decided to acquire Electronic Arts Playfish after an agreement worth U.S. $ 400 million.
Evidence of how successful it is the business of virtual goods is evidenced by the Facebook initiative to test a payment system for a cut every time a player buys a tractor digital social or pair of shoes.
"We're still at the stage of growth of this industry," said Liew.
"We still see people who appear from nowhere and becomes a leading player. In five years there will be more stability with five to ten companies that more companies will become more valuable."
"The industry of virtual goods is one of the most exciting times of 2009 and will remain so in 2010," he added.
In Asia, sales and are located around that figure and show rapid growth.
For many, the virtual goods are one of the main trends in the technological area and have helped fuel the tremendous growth experienced by the sector of social games, those where the participant plays in the Internet as a form of social interaction through networking users around large communities.
"This is a very popular part in the games business", said Jeremy Liew technology investments.
"This is the most exciting field in the area of games," he added.
Liew, Lightspeed Venture Partners, whose firm has invested $ 10 million in companies that offer virtual objects, said the industry's rapid growth was unprecedented.
"We've seen companies that have gone from nothing in the last 18 to 24 months, to keep in its coffers hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue," he said.
Income model
Playfish is a social games company that began operations two years ago. Currently has 11 online games and more than 61 million people around the world make use of their games.
Crucial to its success is the sale of virtual items, ranging from furniture to the player's pet dishes for his own restaurant in games and Restaurant City Pet Society.
"Virtual objects in Playfish games are central to how the company generates its revenue," said Tom Harris of the BBC Playfish.
"We have two different revenue models. The principal is the sale of virtual items and the second is advertising in games, but this is a minor issue at this stage," he added.
Sarris Playfish not by revealing how to get from the sale of virtual items, but admitted that this figure is for the better part of the revenue of the firm.
Precisely this phenomenon, according to Liew, is very typical.
"The virtual goods are the focus in the social gaming world. They represent between 90% and 95% of the income they receive most of the creators of these games," he said.
New players
And is that not only traditional gamers are those who spend their money on things that you only translate into a number of pixels on a website.
Emma Cox is probably a person that matches the profile of the new social kind of player who plays as a way to stay connected with family and friends.
"I'm not a traditional player. I do not buy video games or go out and spending $ 40 in a game for my PlayStation," said Cox.
"Online Game for a different reason and is the instant gratification of playing with friends, to teach others what has been achieved and to show all virtual goods you bought for yourself and for them," he continued.
Cox told the BBC that spends about $ 10 a month on virtual goods in every game and played about two or three. Her favorite is Country Store, where players traded for real money in exchange for coins that allow players to advance in the game or buy virtual objects.
The game was billed as an opportunity that allows players to escape from life and flee to the countryside where crops can work and breathe fresh air.
During his last visit, Cox bought fertilizer and wheat seed and paprika.
"These virtual goods are easy to buy, are accessible and are in line," Cox added.
"The immediate impact is that I can mobilize in the game much faster. It also improves the overall experience of the game is total entertainment.
Sarris said that is the main reason why people are willing to buy products that do not exist.
"The way we see the phenomenon is no different than paying money to go and watch a movie or rent a DVD.'re Paying for experience and the notion of entertainment."
The key social
A key factor in the initial growth of the revolution of virtual objects are social networks like Facebook, MySpace and Bebo.
Users of these networks can also pay for virtual goods and virtual birthday cards, champagne or flowers.
"More and more, while personal relationships migrate to the Internet field, interactions happen there," said Liew.
"Buy something like virtual champagne or an e-card to someone sends a message that this person is important to you.
However, most of these purchases in the virtual market of goods occurs through social games, which "according to Liew, are responsible for bringing a new type of player to the fore.
"We have found tens of millions, hundreds of millions of people who play these social games and many of them never consider themselves as players. Still, spend real money to play these games and in some cases significant amounts of money."
"That's what makes the expansion of this market is so exciting," said Liew.
Bright Future
The market clearly has much life.
Approximately two thirds of the 15 most popular applications on Facebook are games, according to analyst firm AppData. It is estimated that these ten games attract more than 100 million users each month.
In early December, one of the largest companies in social games, Zynga, sold a portion of their shares to Russia's Digital Sky Technologies for a value of $ 180 million.
And in November, the company decided to acquire Electronic Arts Playfish after an agreement worth U.S. $ 400 million.
Evidence of how successful it is the business of virtual goods is evidenced by the Facebook initiative to test a payment system for a cut every time a player buys a tractor digital social or pair of shoes.
"We're still at the stage of growth of this industry," said Liew.
"We still see people who appear from nowhere and becomes a leading player. In five years there will be more stability with five to ten companies that more companies will become more valuable."
"The industry of virtual goods is one of the most exciting times of 2009 and will remain so in 2010," he added.
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