Microsoft (MSFT) / Bill Gates

[kennynah]

MSFT did a parabolic rise from Mar09...I would be very careful about its recent rally...

[iam802]

My thoughts: If they are selling Razorfish...does that means a tie up with Yahoo is getting closer??


From FT:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/11be3c0e-641f ... ck_check=1

Microsoft puts Razorfish up for sale

By Tim Bradshaw in Cannes and Richard Waters in San Francisco

Published: June 28 2009 23:33 | Last updated: June 28 2009 23:33

Microsoft has appointed Morgan Stanley to find a potential buyer for Razorfish, its digital agency.

Publicis, the French marketing company that says it is planning more acquisitions in online advertising, is thought to be a possible bidder.
EDITOR’S CHOICE
M&A activity lowest in five years - Jun-26

Towers Perrin and Watson Wyatt to merge - Jun-28



Microsoft acquired the agency, formerly called Avenue A Razorfish, as part of its $6bn takeover of aQuantive in 2007.

One analyst valued Razorfish at $600m-$700m, based on sales of about $400m last year and profit margins for similar businesses of 12-13 per cent.

The analyst said: “Much more than that would be overpaying”, adding that even in digital marketing, valuations had fallen since last year, when Advertising Age trade magazine reported a valuation of $800m

In August, two years after the aQuantive deal, more favourable tax implications will provide an opportunity for Microsoft to sell an asset some view as a conflict of interest with Microsoft Advertising, which sells technology to rival agencies.

Microsoft declined to comment.

Razorfish, which has headquarters in Seattle, is one of the largest digital agencies, with 2,000 employees. Clients include Audi, Nike and Kraft.

Maurice Lévy, Publicis chief executive, said funds from a refinancing this month could be used for acquisitions, particularly in digital and emerging markets, which are performing better than traditional advertising in the US and Europe.

“There are some opportunities” for acquisitions, he said.

“Obviously if we can take advantage of the current situation to be ready to take these things, it’s good.”

Publicis had previously said that its issuance of €719m ($1bn) in convertible bonds was related to a refinancing due in 2012.

Mr Lévy said there was currently a “window where it looks like it is relatively easy to raise money” even if there was no “immediate need”.

He did not name potential targets and declined to comment on whether he would be interested in acquiring Razorfish.

But one analyst, who asked not to be named, said: “Publicis would be willing to look at everything. It has the best balance sheet and the most to do.” Razorfish is “the more likely name”.

Publicis and Microsoft Advertising on Friday announced a broad strategic agreement, including Publicis’s VivaKi unit using Microsoft technology to place targeted advertising on television set-top boxes.

Other agency groups, such as Omnicom and WPP, which are facing the same structural shift of marketing budgets into digital, could also be interested in Razorfish.

[iam802]

Remember the time when US govt. announced that they are going to resuce Freddie and Fannie over the weekend?

Traders over at the London stock market will never forget. They were unable to trade following the news as the new platform at LSE was not able to meet the demands.

To my knowledge, LSE did not officially acknowledge the failure of the platform..... but..news (be it official or not) do travel.

======
London Stock Exchange to abandon failed Windows platform

http://blogs.computerworld.com/london_s ... s_platform

==

[blid2def]

Far be it for me to want to defend Microsoft, but I think the author's bias is obvious even to the blind. He may well be be right, but he gets lazy and presents no evidence to support his claim. It doesn't really help the Linux camp's cause as it just gets too convenient to sweep this under the carpet as a Microsoft basher's inane rant.

[millionairemind]

Published July 14, 2009

Six in 10 companies plan to skip Windows 7: survey

(SAN FRANCISCO) Six in 10 companies in a survey plan to skip the purchase of Microsoft Corp's Windows 7 computer operating system, many of them to pinch pennies and others over concern about compatibility with their existing applications.

Windows 7 will be released on Oct 22, but has already garnered good reviews, in contrast to its disappointing current version, Windows Vista.

Many of the more than 1,000 companies that responded to a survey by ScriptLogic Corp say they have economised by cutting back on software updates and lack the resources to deploy Microsoft's latest offering.

ScriptLogic Corp, which provides help to companies in managing their Microsoft Windows-based networks, sent out 20,000 surveys to information technology administrators to learn the state of the market.

Many companies have rejected Windows Vista as unstable. For example, the chipmaker Intel Corp, Microsoft's long-time partner in producing personal computers, has stayed with the older XP system.

The survey found about 60 per cent of those surveyed have no plans to deploy Windows 7, 34 per cent will deploy it by the end of 2010 and only 5.4 per cent will deploy by year's end.

Forty-two per cent said their biggest reason for avoiding Windows 7 was a 'lack of time and resources'. That dovetailed with another part of the survey, which found that 35 per cent had already skipped upgrades or delayed purchases to save money.

But there were reasons other than money for staying away from Windows 7. Another 39 per cent of those surveyed said they had concern about the compatibility of Windows 7 with existing applications.

The survey quoted Sean Angus, a senior personal computer technician at Middlesex Hospital, as saying he would wait until the first 'service pack' was released for Windows 7.

'The IT department must complete thorough testing to ensure that the applications we rely on each day, specifically radiology information systems and financial applications, will be compatible, before deploying any new platforms or software to our 1,500 desktops,' he added.

In another development, Microsoft is pitching to five of the world's biggest advertising companies a deal to buy Razorfish, its digital ad agency, The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, citing executives familiar with the situation.

Microsoft's pitch also includes a proposal to use the software company's advertising technologies and potentially buy hundreds of millions of dollars of ad space across its Web properties, the Journal reported on its website.

Omnicom Group, WPP, Publicis are among the companies Microsoft has contacted, and which have expressed interest in Razorfish and are considering a more extensive commercial relationship with Microsoft, the paper reported, quoting unidentified sources.

Microsoft, which has hired investment bank Morgan Stanley to shop the agency, has also been in touch with Interpublic Group and Dentsu, according to the Journal.

A Microsoft spokesman declined to comment on the Journal report, saying the company does not comment on rumours.

WPP, Omnicom, Publicis, Interpublic and Dentsu did not immediately return phone calls or e-mails seeking comment on the Journal report.

The deal would see one of the ad companies buying Razorfish and could also include agreements for the ad holding company to use Microsoft's digital advertising services or buy ad space across its Web properties, including Bing, its new search engine, the Journal reported.

The talks are preliminary and a deal is not likely to happen for at least a couple of months, the Journal reported.

The price could range from US$400 million to hundreds of millions of dollars more, depending on the ad-buying commitments and technology included in the deal, sources told the Journal.

Microsoft acquired Razorfish in 2007 as part of its US$6 billion purchase of aQuantive. -- Reuters

[kennynah]

i've not even moved onto Vista.... if i can, i'll stick to XP... but knowing MSFT...they may just force users to go onto their latest OS thru arm twisting means... they are really getting to be a pain...

i hope goog's OS can be a real replacement option...

[iam802]

First Microsoft retail stores to open this fall

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-10287499-56.html

Microsoft confirmed on Wednesday that it is planning to open its first stores this fall, with at least some of the locations likely to be right near an Apple store.

"As we progress on our retail strategy there will be scenarios where we have stores in proximity to Apple," a representative told CNET News. "We are on track to open stores in the fall time frame."

The fall timing is not surprising. One would assume Microsoft would want to have the stores open in time for Windows 7's October 22 retail launch and for the holiday selling season.

.....

Not sure how you guys see it. To my knowledge, Apple Stores are located along very prime (and should I say 'fashionable' places).

I am curious about their retail strategy....getting a ex-WalMart guy etc. Are they trying to use price war to attract users?

[kennynah]

what are they planning to sell in their stores?

"micro" soft toys ?

[millionairemind]

haha.. you sibei funny..

[kennynah]

617pm 20Jul09 +8GMT

Microsoft (MSFT) and Yahoo (YHOO) may announce a partnership between the two companies as early as today, according to the Telegraph. Under the deal being discussed, Microsoft would run Yahoo's search engine, while Yahoo would manage the software giant's online advertising business, reports the Telegraph, adding that Carl Icahn , who holds a 5.4% stake in Yahoo , said that he has been a strong backer of a partnership between the two companies.

[Reference Link]:[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/5865486/Yahoo-activist-Carl-Icahn-supports-Microsoft-search-deal.html]