Deals

Softbank Billions Could Put Sprint Back in the Game
October 11, 2012

Sprint Nextel confirmed on Thursday that it was in talks with Softbank of Japan, giving credence to rumors circulating in the press. The deal would likely give Sprint a boost and help the struggling company finance its ongoing turnaround efforts. Sprint is currently the third largest mobile carrier in the U.S. after AT&T and Verizon.

Sprint Needs More Fighting Spirit
October 11, 2012

What's next for Sprint Nextel? It has been pondering its future for years and that is its problem. It doesn't seem to realize it has to take the next step and act. Pondering is good. You want to make sure you don't make mistakes. However acting is the next step to realize your dreams, and Sprint doesn't act. It appears that is one of its big problems. Don't get me wrong. I like Sprint. I like the management, the workers and the technology. Sprint could be a great company. So why isn't it?

MetroPCS Deal Could Change the Game for T-Mobile
October 03, 2012

T-Mobile announced that it will acquire rival carrier MetroPCS to create a larger company. The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2013, following shareholder and regulatory approvals. Until then, T-Mobile and MetroPCS will continue to operate as separate companies. When the deal is closed, T-Mobile will be a separate customer unit of the combined company.

T-Mobile Sells Off Towers to Feed its 4G Needs
September 28, 2012

Crown Castle International is acquiring rights to operate 7,200 of T-Mobile's cellular towers in a $2.4 billion deal that will give the carrier's owner, Deutsche Telekom, cash to expand its 4G LTE network in the U.S. The deal will allow Crown Castle to operate T-Mobile's towers for 28 years. Both companies expressed satisfaction with the sale, with T-Mobile announcing the cash would help fulfill its "Challenger" strategy.

Google Plants Snapseed in Its Garden
September 17, 2012

On Monday, news that Google had purchased Nik Software triggered speculation that the Internet giant was following in Facebook's footsteps. Nik is the maker of the Snapseed photo editing app. Facebook in April purchased Snapseed competitor Instagram for $1 billion, and Monday's announcement was seen as a continuation of the rivalry between the social networking giant and Google.

EarthLink, Clearwire Try for Joint Broadband Comeback
September 11, 2012

EarthLink and Clearwire announced a new partnership Monday that will enable EarthLink to resell mobile broadband service on Clearwire's 4G network. The new service should begin by early 2013, and will focus on in-home consumer use. Later, EarthLink said it might include more offerings including broadband for mobile devices and enterprise customers.

GSA Inks Email Cloud-Service Deals With 17 Vendors
September 05, 2012

Many U.S. government agencies seeking to utilize cloud-based information technology have tilted to one of the most common IT functions as a beginning step -- email systems. Converting existing email operations to cloud-based platforms became much easier for all federal agencies on Aug. 30, when GSA awarded a set of IT contracts to 17 providers for cloud and related services.

Despite $69M Deal, E-Book Pricing Policies Still Unwritten
August 30, 2012

Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins Publishers and Simon & Schuster have agreed to pay a total of more than $69 million to consumers to resolve antitrust claims of alleged unlawful conspiracy to fix the prices of electronic books. The three companies further agreed to change the way their e-books will be priced.

Best Buy, Schulze Lay Out Rules of Engagement
August 28, 2012

Best Buy has reached an agreement with its founder and former chairman, Richard Schulze, who owns a fifth of Best Buy's shares. The accord could help facilitate a potential $8.8 billion buyout of the retailer. As part of the agreement, Schulze will be granted access to certain due diligence information.

New York Times Co. Cashes Out on About.com
August 27, 2012

There was rather an exact price offered and accepted for About.com. On Sunday The New York Times Company announced that it had sold the question and answer website to Barry Diller's InterActiveCorp for $300 million in cash. About.com, which was founded in 1996 as The Mining Company and launched in 1997, originally maintained about 1,800 topic areas.

Memo Outlines Hulu's Ad-Addled, Content-Crossed Future
August 21, 2012

Major changes may be in store for Hulu that will loosen up the exclusivity of content on the online video site and pour more ads into the mix, according to a confidential internal memo obtained by Variety. The document discusses the possibility that in September, Hulu owners Comcast, News Corp. and Disney may buy out Providence Equity Partners, the fourth Hulu owner.

Anons Pelt UK Authorities With Cyberattacks
August 21, 2012

Today in international tech news: Hackers deliver their particular brand of justice in the UK and Russia, downing government sites on behalf of Julian Assange in Britain and Pussy Riot in Russia. Also: China and Taiwan are uniting -- by data cables, that is -- while China's top two video platforms could soon merge after a shareholder vote.

Best Buy Investors Groan as Buyout Fizzles and New CEO Steps Up
August 21, 2012

Best Buy has named Hubert Joly the company's new CEO, the electronics mega-retailer announced Monday. The struggling chain, which faces growing competition from online and discount retailers, said it chose Joly for his expertise in turnaround and growth. Prior to taking the position at Best Buy, Joly was the CEO of Carlson.

Barnes & Noble Carves Nook Niche in UK
August 20, 2012

Today in international tech news: Barnes & Noble will take Nook overseas for the first time. Also: In Asia, an underwater cable stretching nearly 5,000 miles becomes operational; Korea has a huge second quarter for TV sales; McDonald's gets into the pay-with-your-smartphone business; Netflix gets 1 million users in the UK and Ireland -- but is still losing $100 million overseas each quarter.

Report Reveals Canadian Minister Was Briefed on Potential RIM Takeover
August 17, 2012

Today in international tech news: A revelation surfaced that Canadian industry minister was briefed last spring on a potential RIM takeover. Also: The prime minister of Uganda, a country well-noted for its stance against homosexuality, had pro-gay messages posted on his website by hackers; Eastern European hackers targeted Australia; and Google Earth may have unearthed hitherto unknown pyramids in Egypt.

DoJ Gives Verizon Spectrum Deal a Yes, But ...
August 17, 2012

The United States Department of Justice approved Verizon's $3.6 billion bid for additional spectrum, albeit with changes mandated by antitrust regulators to ensure the deal won't lead to diminished competition, lower-quality products or higher consumer costs.

Cupertino Invites Cable Cos. Into Apple TV
August 17, 2012

The introduction of a revolutionary new TV set from Apple may not happen next quarter, but it may be getting closer. Apple is in hush-hush negotiations with some of the largest cable providers in the U.S. to allow their subscribers to replace their set-top boxes with Apple's, according to a report.

Gov't Gives Walmart Go-Ahead to Dig Into China
August 16, 2012

The Ministry of Commerce in China has approved Walmart's bid to buy a controlling stake of Chinese e-commerce company Yihaodian, part of Walmart's bid to increase its global retail presence. Prior to the approval, Walmart already possessed a 17.7 percent share in Yihaodian, one of the fastest-growing e-commerce companies in China.

Google Ventures Further Into Travel With Frommer's
August 14, 2012

Google has agreed to buy the Frommer's brand of travel publications. John Wiley & Sons, the publishing company that own the Frommer's travel brand, confirmed it will sell all of its travel assets to the Internet giant. The assets have been on sale since March, when the company announced it aimed to shed some of its assets.

TrapWire Spooks Dangled Their Wares in Front of Google, Salesforce
August 13, 2012

The makers of a video surveillance program developed by former United States Central Intelligence Agency staffers attempted to sell their system to several big-name tech firms, according to leaked memos. One of several internal emails written by executives at intelligence firm Stratfor has been published by WikiLeaks.