My two cents
Facebook's priorities and path forward embedded in its acquisitions ...
“Because Facebook tends to be tight-lipped about its plans, the company’s string of acquisitions may reveal a lot about the course it is charting …”
Great read from the NYT on the insight we can extract about Facebook from the many acquisitions it’s been making recently. From visual aesthetics, to better video and music integration, and a more robust mobile experience (ripe with deals & coupons we think) - Facebook’s priorities seem right in line with where its user base wants them to be. Pinterest may even be in their site …
An embedded benefit should be better data and insights to enable even greater brand value for marketers - though no single acquisition makes this apparent. Its possible Facebook has the talent to work this internal already - only time will tell.
Their acquisition-frenzy is not likely to slow post IPO - and if anything, may capture more momentum as shares become a validated sales pitch for rising entrepreneurs.
Yahoo’s Thompson is Out; Levinsohn is In -- and Loeb is getting his three seats on the board ...
It’s quite the weekend for Yahoo as Thompson, without any remaining explanations for his resume glitch of many years ago, has finally agree to step down. For the sake of the company, its market viability (tricky at best), and internal sanity (employees have been outraged since last week goes the rumor) — this is good news. Levinsohn has years of experience running media companies, and has enough internal credibility that Yahoos will trust his guidance and direction.
I’m sure Daniel Loeb’s list of Yahoo to-do’s is nowhere near its end (esp. with hand selected board members now in place), but at least for now, some (fleeting) sense of calm will return.
We’ll have to see how long it lasts …
"Silicon Valley may still be the biggest tech hub in the U.S., but New York City is now the fastest growing tech sector in the country …"
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Great news for New York City. Bloomberg has had a “Silicon Valley - East” agenda item in the works for some time now, and it would seem its really gaining traction. +32% growth in VC deals since 2007, and +74% increase in those employed in the digital media space, is a significant win for NYC - and should drive even more start-up, digital, and tech engagement here.
"Facebook Inc.’s Mark Zuckerberg, clad in a black hoodie and sneakers, met with buttoned-up Wall Street types Monday in an event that brought a flavor of Silicon Valley’s latest technology frenzy to a New York crowd …"
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Facebook’s roadshow kicked off this week and after the sizzle in NY, it’s definitely going to be a week-long frenzy for the media, for investors, and for common folk like us. No other company - at least in the last ~5 years - has had quite the same anticipation and star power that Facebook has.
This should be very fun to watch!
Check out the roadshow presentation here.
(Source: The Wall Street Journal)
The uber-digital college student ..
Education systems are not nearly as digital as their students — this infographic is an excellent compilation of the incredible rise in digital and social activity of today’s college students, both inside the classroom for notes, interactive video, etc, and outside the classroom for studying, team projects, and communicating with professors.
(Source: Mashable)
My running perspective on anything and everything going on in the news today -- I don't purport to be the best informed person in the world, but am curious to see if people have the same questions I do when they read the morning news. General interest areas are anything media, marketing, technology, or business related.
~ Naseem, NYC
