CA to buy Nimsoft Inc. for $350 million in cash (tech)
ISLANDIA, N.Y. – Technology management software company CA Inc . said Wednesday that it’s buying Nimsoft Inc. for $350 million in cash. The acquisition gives CA a cadre of smaller-company clients served by Nimsoft whose revenues typically run from $300 million to $2 billion. CA historically has focused on serving larger corporate customers. CA expects these smaller companies to account for a quarter of tech management software spending by 2013. Nimsoft sells software that monitors the different components of a company’s information technology environment , from servers and networks to applications. Its software helps a company run its IT systems more efficiently, whether at the office or virtually in third-party servers. Nimsoft also sells to managed service providers, which handle smaller firms’ IT needs. The deal, expected to close by the end of March, should have a minimal effect on 2010 financials but will be a drag on earnings in 2011. Nimsoft, a privately held company in Redwood City, Calif ., formerly called Nimbus Software, has about 800 clients mainly in the U.S. and Europe . CA expects to retain Nimsoft’s 120 employees, including CEO Gary Read. Shares of CA, based in Islandia , N.Y., fell 27 cents to $22.60 on Wednesday.
3Com gets 3-year networking contract (tech)
SAN FRANCISCO – Computer networking systems maker 3Com Corp . said Wednesday that it received a three-year contract with the Department of Education and Training in Australia’s Northern Territory to supply schools. 3Com did not specify the size of the deal, but called it a multimillion dollar contract in a statement. The company said its work will be part of an effort by the government group to upgrade its network at 187 schools in the territory. 3Com shares rose a penny to $7.74 in afternoon trading.
First lady pushes healthy kids campaign forward (tech)
ARLINGTON, Va. – First lady Michelle Obama is challenging software and video game designers to develop games and applications that get kids excited about living healthy. She says thousands of dollars in cash prizes are at stake for the winners. Mrs. Obama announced the Apps for Healthy Kids Challenge Wednesday at a national Parent Teacher Association conference in Arlington, Va . The contest is part of her new public awareness campaign against the national problem of childhood obesity . Mrs. Obama also announced a meeting next week with food manufacturers to discuss her campaign.
China Mobile buys 20% stake in mainland bank (tech)
HONG KONG () – Phone giant China Mobile said Wednesday it will pay about 5.8 billion US dollars for a 20 percent stake in Shanghai Pudong Development Bank as part of its bid to enter the wireless banking market. Hong Kong -listed China Mobile , the world’s largest phone operator by value, said it will work with the mainland Chinese bank on products that would let customers pay bills or transfer money via their mobile phones. “Mobile handsets have transformed from a simple tool for communications to a valuable device for communications, entertainment and shopping,” China Mobile said in a statement. ” Mobile phone payments and mobile e-Commerce will become one of the major means that people make their spending in the future, which will present unprecedented development opportunities to mobile telecommunications operators in China .” China Mobile Chairman Wang Jianzhou told a news conference in Hong Kong on Wednesday that the deal is an “extension of our core telecom business. We see big growth potential in the profitability of the mobile financial business.” But some analysts questioned the move away from China Mobile’s main business and said shareholders would prefer that the company pay them dividends. Telecom operators in Japan and South Korea have already struck agreements with banks to offer payment services via cellphones as a way to generate additional revenue. South Korea’s biggest telecom operator by revenue, SK Telecom Co., agreed late last year to buy a 49 percent stake in the credit card unit of Hana Financial Group for 343 million US dollars to introduce products that bundle banking and telecom services, Dow Jones Newswires said. Wednesday’s agreement would see Shanghai Pudong issue 2.2 billion new shares. China Mobile, which said the deal needs regulatory and shareholder approval, described Shanghai Pudong as a good investment bet. The medium-sized bank, which has about 600 locations in mainland China, booked a profit of 1.8 billion US dollars in 2008, the statement said. “The fundamentals of SPD Bank are favourable and its profitability is steadily increasing,” it said. “All these support the company?s belief that this investment is not only an important strategic investment but will also, from a financial perspective , provide a favourable return.”
SAIC receives Navy contract worth up to $625M (tech)
MCLEAN, Va. – Defense contractor Science Applications International Corp., or SAIC Inc ., on Wednesday said it received a contract from the U.S. Navy to develop and enhance command and control software . The contract is worth up to about $625 million. It has a three-year base period and two one-year options for extension. Work will be performed primarily at the Navy’s Program Executive Office of Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence in San Diego .
Mandatory insurance proposed for UK dogs (tech)
LONDON – A chip for Spot? In a country where guns are tightly controlled and even carrying a kitchen knife can bring prison time, some thugs use dogs to menace their victims. Now the British government is proposing that dog owners be forced to get microchips and take out insurance for their pets. Postal workers were delighted by the proposal announced Tuesday. But opponents complained it would impose a financial penalty on innocent pet owners — while criminals with violent animals would simply shirk the law. The plan risks “penalizing millions of law-abiding dog owners with the blunt instrument of a dog tax ,” warned opposition lawmaker Nick Herbert. Home Office Secretary Alan Johnson said there was “no doubt that some people breed and keep dogs for the sole purpose of intimidating others.” “It is this sort of behavior that we are determined to stop,” he told reporters. Use of microchips would help trace the owners of dogs involved in attacks, while insurance would mean that victims of dog attacks are compensated for their injuries, he said. Hospital admissions and court cases involving dangerous dogs have been on the rise in Britain , a nation whose canine population numbers 8 million. In London, court cases have climbed, from 35 in 2002-2003 to 719 in 2008-2009, according to the Metropolitan Police. Dog fighting complaints have also soared tenfold since 2004, according to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals , which reported 284 cases in 2008. Some 6,000 postal workers are bitten each year. Dog attacks that have killed at least five children since 2006 have also kept the issue in the headlines. Last year, a 4-year-old was mauled to death by a pit bull at his grandmother’s house in northern England and a 3-month-old was killed by a Staffordshire bull terrier and a Jack Russell at his grandmother’s home in South Wales. Ryan O’Meara , chief editor of K9 Magazine , said the government’s plan would not solve the problem of dangerous dogs attacking humans. “There is nothing in this that is preventative,” he said. “If you put a chip in a dangerous dog, the bite will hurt you just as much.” “The focus should be on education, and stopping this at the source — the breeders who supply dangerous dogs,” he said. Training for owners is essential, said O’Meara, noting that Switzerland requires prospective dog owners to pass a test. “The country says, if you want to own an animal, we will force you to be responsible,” he said. Still, Britain’s proposal was largely welcomed by animal welfare groups . The RSPCA said it has long supported microchips — primarily as a means of reuniting lost pets with their owners. The devices, about the size of a grain of rice, are painlessly inserted between a dog’s shoulder blades and details about the owner are easily readable by scanners. While microchips run between $15 (10 pounds) and $52 (35 pounds), insurance is far pricier — and could cost pet owners hundreds of dollars a year, especially for high-risk breeds. Most pet insurers offer third-party liability insurance wrapped into larger plans that also cover vet fees and emergency care. Petplan, Britain’s largest pet insurer, said that for a Labrador in southeast England, coverage costs $34 (23 pounds) a month and would be pricier in London. Sanctions imposed on those who refuse to comply weren’t spelled out. It was also unclear when, or even if, the proposed legislation would become law. It must undergo a consultation period — typically 12 weeks — which means it is unlikely to reach Parliament before Britain’s general election, which must be called by June 3. A host of European countries — including Switzerland, Austria , Norway , Croatia , Italy and Portugal — have introduced mandatory microchips in recent years. Mandatory dog insurance is in place in parts of Switzerland and Germany . Many Londoners supported the idea of microchips for their pets. “You can find them easier if they get lost,” said Claire Stringer, 35, a professional dog-walker looking after miniature schnauzer Bibi, who has a microchip. She also supported making people take out insurance against dogs attacking people or other animals. “I’ve heard too many dog horror stories where some poor dog has been savaged by a pit bull or a Staff — dogs that don’t like other dogs.” Fiona Terry, an actor and interior designer carrying bichon frise Pico, also supported microchips. “Why not? It doesn’t hurt them and it means you can find them if they get lost or stolen,” she said. “If you care about your dog, you want to know where they are.” She said the problem wasn’t with certain breeds of “dangerous” dog, but with the way the animals were raised. Still, even fluffy Pico could be a threat, she said. “I always tell people, don’t touch him, because his first instinct is to protect me. He looks cute, but he is still a dog.” ___ Associated Press writers Gregory Katz, Jill Lawless and Sylvia Hui in London contributed to this report.
Globecomm gets $34.2M contract extension (tech)
HAUPPAUGE, N.Y. – Globecomm Systems has been notified of a contract extention worth $34.2 million, the sattelite communications company said Tuesday. The contract from a “major U.S. government prime contractor” is valued at up to $127 million over four years, Globecomm said. With the new extension the customer, which was not made public, has committed to spend about $70 million over three years, leaving the option to extend by another $57 million for a fourth year. Under the agreement, the company will provide satellite earth stations and services. It said it will also provide technical support services to multiple locations in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and certain Pacific and Caribbean islands. Shares of Globecomm Systems Inc . gained 7 cents to $8.02 in afternoon trading.
Google Testing Personalized Search for TV Programs (NewsFactor)
As Internet and television continue to converge, Google is actively testing a new television-programming search service with Dish Network , according to a report in The Wall Street Journal . The service reportedly runs on TV set-top boxes that host Google software and enable viewers to find shows on Dish and video on web sites like YouTube. The Journal cited people familiar with the matter who said the service will allow viewers to personalize a lineup of shows. The report follows TiVo ’s launch last week of digital video recorders that combine broadcast and web content . Microsoft and Apple are also looking for their place in the hybrid broadcast-web space. Google’s experiment offers the search giant access to 14 million Dish viewers, signaling the potential to yield valuable results. Consumer Experience and Advertising As Greg Sterling, principal analyst at Sterling Market Intelligence , sees it, there are two overlapping angles here: Consumer experience and advertising. “Obviously online Google satisfies consumer search queries and serves targeted ads against those. This would appear to extend the same model to TV,” Sterling said. “But the ad component would also feature a behavioral element — viewing history — as part of the targeting.” Television seems like a natural extension of Google ads, especially as set-top boxes combine the ability to search and view content from traditional and Internet broadcasters . Google is intent on pushing its Android operating system beyond mobile devices to set-top boxes, buddy boxes, and TVs, a Journal interview with Google CEO Eric Schmidt in January suggested. A New Search Frontier Google has the lion’s share of Internet search and is actively battling for mobile search . Can Google succeed in translating its search dominance to yet another screen? That remains to be seen, especially in an ultracompetitive market for set-top boxes. But Google sees the potential — and so does Sterling. “As the Internet and traditional video content increasingly mingle on the TV screen — there are data that now argue that almost 25 percent of U.S. TV viewers getting Internet content on TV directly or through a set-top box — there will be a need for a search-like service to help discover and navigate it,” Sterling said. With 168 million U.S. Internet users watching online videos in September, according to comScore, and nearly 26 billion videos viewed during a month, the opportunity is clear. And with the convergence of broadcast and Internet video , the opportunity is drawing plenty of attention. Sterling pointed to several companies working to index or organize Internet video or attempting to catalog web and traditional programming in a single application or experience. One of those, Clicker, just raised $11 million in Series B funding. “Google has for some time been trying to do a better job with targeting TV and online video advertising through its partnerships and ‘TV ads’ program,” Sterling said. “Eventually the TV will be just another screen through which consumers get Internet content. And Google also wants to be there when that becomes mainstream.”
Amazon cuts off Colo. affiliates because of tax (tech)
DENVER – Amazon.com Inc. cut ties Monday with Colorado online businesses that help it sell products because of a new state law aimed at getting out-of-state, online retailers to collect sales tax. The move hurts businesses — many of them small, home-based operations — that earn money by using their Web sites and blogs to link customers to online retailers. Colorado has at least 4,200 such businesses, known as affiliates or associates, accounting for about 5,000 jobs, and most of them rely on Amazon to some degree, according to their trade group, the Performance Marketing Association. The group’s executive director, Rebecca Madigan, said some get only about 10 percent of their revenue from Amazon but others are totally reliant on it. Colorado’s largest affiliate, ShopAtHome.com , works with 5,000 online merchants and will be able to recover from the lost business, president Marc Braunstein said. But many “mom and pop” affiliates will suffer. “There are a lot of people who are going to be hurt, and that’s a shame,” Braunstein said. In an e-mail to affiliates, Amazon said the new sales tax regulations, which took effect last week, were burdensome and unlike rules in any other state. An Amazon spokeswoman declined to elaborate. The company previously cut off affiliates in two other states that passed online sales tax laws, Rhode Island and North Carolina . Those states said online retailers had a presence there through affiliates and therefore had to pay sales tax. At the urging of affiliates, Colorado lawmakers took a different approach that attempted to leave affiliates out of the fight. The law here says retailers can either collect sales tax or send customers an annual statement telling them how much they spent and how much sales tax they should pay the state on their own. The state would be able to force retailers to turn over customer sales records to enforce the law. Democratic lawmakers, including Gov. Bill Ritter , criticized Amazon for cutting off affiliates, with some calling it “corporate bullying.” They said Amazon will still be on the hook to either collect the tax or tell their customers to pay it. “They’ve done nothing here but spit in our face,” Senate Majority Leader John Morse said. Braunstein said he was also puzzled by the move and wondered if the company was trying to make some kind of point. Republican lawmakers, who opposed the online sales tax bill and other tax hikes to balance the budget, criticized Democrats for pushing ahead with it. “It’s exactly what we said would happen. They’re going to put people out of work. It’s a game of chicken with people and their jobs, and they lost,” said House Minority Leader Mike May, R-Parker. Sen. Greg Brophy , R-Wray, said lawmakers should move to repeal the law. “Their actions have had real-life consequences for real-life Colorado citizens,” he said. _____ Associated Press writer Steven K. Paulson contributed to this report.
The Soundtrack to My First Semester (BusinessWeek)
A first semester in business school is probably best summed up through some sort of interpretive dance.Refusing to be confined to words only, I am supplementing this entry with music.”My B-school Playlist” (downloadable here) is a song collection recapping my first semester. 1) Jordin Sparks , Battlefield Business school is the most intense thing I have done — and that includes fleeing a war-torn country. The pace of classes is brutal and the amount of learning intense. As a career-switcher, I’ve had to add researching companies and pursuing informational interviews to my plate. The cumulative effect has left me feeling like a medieval soldier fighting an endless battle, fatigued by my heavy sword, but knowing my only option is to stand ground with the rest of my colleagues in arms. Jordin’s instructions to “go ahead and get your armor, get your armor” made her my No. 1 choice to get psyched up before trekking to the battlefield — er, school. 2) Bonnie Tyler, Total Eclipse of the Heart In the month of November, every now and then I fell apart. Georgetown’s (McDonough Full-Time MBA Profile) module system left me exhausted by finals in October and panicked at the start of a totally new class session in November. Career research picked up. I attended industry days and conferences, which, while incredible networking opportunities, severely cut into study time. The cold that my roommates and I passed to each other on a rotating schedule made me cranky, tired, and a cough away from losing my grip on class material. Through a tearful phone call, I told my American family I would not be coming for Thanksgiving , needing instead to sleep and be stationary. Getting enough rest engineered a major breakthrough with class material — suddenly, I understood finance. Slowing down was the only way to overcome my eclipse of the heart. 3) Lady Gaga, Just Dance Because of my insane work ethic, I cut back on most forms of socializing, bringing about Bonnie Tyler above. My friend Bill keeps asking what happened to the Rusmir he knows, as I explain how business school erased the concept of weekends. Mind you, not everyone reads the marketing book cover to cover, but the immigrant in me feels like I have to prove myself. I try to let my hair down during Thursday happy hours, which are an opportunity for business students to drink away their hard week and network with each other. It’s been fun watching how our collective belief that you can “just dance and everything will be O.K.” has already generated strong friendships, not to mention lots of de-tagging of Facebook pictures. What seems different about Georgetown is that we genuinely want to spend time with each other. Even during breaks, Facebook posts continue popping up inviting the group to some local hangout. 4) The Cast of Glee, Don’t Stop Believin ‘ Few things can cause a content sigh of relief as much as watching a song-and-dance number with your besties from school. Besides being a fun show, Glee was an excuse to stop studying and attempt to find better balance. I came to Georgetown because here we don’t compete with each other as much as we compete with ourselves. My work ethic might be on the extreme side, but our Glee hangout is one of the ways I looked for balance. More important than finishing one more finance problem was realizing what would make me happy and boost my energy. In the end, grades don’t matter: Few employers will ask for them while the curve ensures most of the class hovers around a B+. As long as I’m happy with my own learning and I am supporting my small group, I’ll consider it a successful experience. The work gets done, eventually. Processing your week with school friends is more important. What trumps it all is going to bed with a smile. 5) Madonna, Ray of Light The best wisdom this semester came from Jeffrey Hollender , founder of Seventh Generation : “Figure out what the world needs now and what you can do about it.” This song’s energy and lyrics evoke my excitement from realizing my answer was “renewable energy.” I’ve pursued this interest through the newly formed Georgetown CleanTech & Energy Club, of which I am vice-president of events. The clubs are essentially the heart of the school, especially one with a general management curriculum. Linking theory and practice, the clubs become your true “major.” Even though we’re brand-new, CleanTech has brought in speakers and helped secure internship opportunities. Being in D.C. gives us unique access to national organizations, so we approached the American Council on Renewable Energy and will now be executing special projects for their Renewable Energy Technology Conference in February. The lesson I’ve learned is that creative thinking combined with the guts to approach a contact or an organization can lead to fantastic opportunities. 6) John Mayer , Waiting for the World to Change Business school greatly accelerates the process of ascension to leadership positions: Elections take place around Thanksgiving so that in January my class will effectively take over, despite just a semester of experience. MBA students certainly don’t wait for the world to change. A month ago I couldn’t imagine how any of us would be prepared for this responsibility, but now I feel ready — something about this pace just produces breakthroughs. I reflected how I would balance career pursuits with my need to give back and make a difference in the school. Sometimes I feel like I am reaching too far: vice-president of events for CleanTech, president of the Gay & Lesbian Assn., Student Government vice-president of career management — it’s an ambitious list. But I know this is where I will create invaluable networks and supplement my academic learning. 7) Dolly Parton , Nine to Five The situation in Dolly’s song is exactly what every business student wants to escape; however, it takes work to get to that better world about which you dream. Use the summer to network and research — I lacked the discipline to do so. The internship search for renewable energy won’t start until the spring, but folks in marketing and finance have been going full steam since day one. It does help to be around other people laser-focused on the same goal, but the intensity of the career search can be overwhelming, even now before the pace has even picked up. I’ve used LinkedIn and second-year students for informational interviews . You simply have to get over any reservations around networking: Professionals will answer you if you send a nicely worded letter. At conferences, approach panelists before they start speaking and ask for their contact information, then follow up. I have learned tremendous information and uncovered great leads through networking. One contact advised me to supplement my resume with club activities and to seek out nonprofits or startups that could use a part-time intern. Through NetImpact, I’ve joined Board Fellows, which paired me with the Sustainable Business Network of Washington, D.C., where I now observe and contribute to the board of trustees. With a couple of strategic experiences, I am radically altering my resume to show not only an interest but a commitment to the renewables industry. I will use all this information for an application process in the spring. 
Puff Daddy & The Family, It’s All About the Benjamins Well, it turns out business school is not all about the Benjamins. I would argue it is actually the most liberal-arts of disciplines: You will use history to understand a company’s rise and fall, psychology to analyze organizational behavior, anthropology in market research, mathematics in finance, and even biology and chemistry to propose a new line of detergents. Yes, we talk about profit, but there’s a much bigger picture to keep track of. Even in the busiest of times, I loved my classes and felt challenged in ways that expanded my horizons tremendously. I’ve been blessed with a supportive group of colleagues who I know will be my network for life. Below are some other songs that I couldn’t fully expand on, but that complete the playlist: The Police, Message in a Bottle — that’s what it feels like when four people get to write a two-page paper. The Cast of Wicked, Defying Gravity — besides the obvious parallel of rising above challenges, listen for the sacrifices Elfaba makes and the benefits she receives with her new powers. Lady Gaga, Bad Romance — just because my household was obsessed with this song. Beyonce , Single Ladies — for all those smart people who solidified their partners’ commitment in marriage before they realized how crazy business students get.
