Hasta La Gadget!

This week it’s been tipped that the man behind Google’s Mergers & Acquisitions group, David Lawee, will be moved to a new investment group inside the company while his position is filled by one Don Harrison. This information comes from an anonymous source speaking with Rueters where they’ve received the information on agreement that this unauthorized source not be revealed. The corporate development group that Lawee currently resides over inside Google will have a new face in Harrison after a number of years with the same man keeping the boss seat warm.

It would appear that Google is not quite ready to comment on this situation, though with two high-ranking names such as these being re-arranged, we expect some word sooner than later. The man known as Don Harrison has been with Google for more than five years and has been responsible for more than 70 deals at the company. The group known as Google Ventures is where Harrison currently stakes his place in the tech giant’s family, and again, his move has not yet been confirmed.

Meanwhile Lawee has been reported to be moving to a group within Google that would oversee late-stage investments completely separate from Google Ventures. It’s not yet known what this group will operate as or what it will invest in specifically, but it’s likely to be a significant entity within the company.

Google has made a number of high-level acquisitions over the past year and will continue to be a name that smaller companies will have a hard time turning down when their cash comes a-calling. It’s not often that Google makes a giant deal of the companies and technologies it purchases outright, but when it does, it makes waves. Have a peek at the app Snapseed right this minute to see the last big splash Google made this Autumn.

Have a peek at the timeline below to see a rather wild cross-section of Google acquisitions over the past few years, including such hits as Motorola and YouTube.

Google replacing Mergers and Acquisitions chief is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The pressure of digital transitions can lead traditional media companies to circle the wagons — for better or for worse — and book publishers certainly aren’t immune as e-books take hold. Bertelsmann and Pearson are worried enough to be merging their respective Random House and Penguin publishing wings into a joint venture, not-so-creatively titled Penguin Random House, that they hope will better survive “long-term trends” like the shift away from paper-centric business models. While the two are engaged in the usual corporatespeak of creating “synergies” (read: resource cuts), we’re more interested in talk of the union being a springboard for digital efforts: Penguin Random House wants to be “more adventurous” with e-book models like self-publishing. Whether the merger leads to a renaissance for established publishers or just reduced competition when the deal closes in the back half of 2013, we’re bracing ourselves for the possibility of a Fifty Shades of Jamie Oliver crossover.

Continue reading Penguin and Random House merge, promise a brave new e-book future

Penguin and Random House merge, promise a brave new e-book future originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Oct 2012 10:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yesterday we reported that European wireless provider Deutsche Telekom was in talks with regional carrier MetroPCS to carry out an acquisition deal. Today, the deal is done, with T-Mobile USA officially announcing that MetroPCS will be merging with the carrier to increase customer base and attempt to take the third spot in the wireless carrier race in the US.

Yesterday, AllThingsD confirmed that Deutsche Telekom was indeed meeting with MetroPCS representatives today, and that the two companies could even come to an agreement by the end of the day. It seems there was no hesitation in the discussion, as the two have already come to an agreement. Deutsche Telekom will hold a 74% stake in the merged company, while MetroPCS will hold the remaining 26% and will also receive $1.5 billion in cash.

Based on analyst estimates, T-Mobile is now expected to have around 42.5 million subscribers and receive $24.8 billion of revenue this year. The merger is just one big step for T-Mobile to become a stronger wireless carrier in the US. They hope that the acquisition of MetroPCS will move them into the third spot in the race for the largest US wireless carrier.

John Legere, who was just recently hired as CEO of T-Mobile, said that the merger with MetroPCS “is another logical and significant step” that will allow T-Mobile “to deliver amazing, affordable and trusted 4G services, while providing opportunities to expand geographic territories and serve more customers.”

T-Mobile and MetroPCS are officially merging is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Well, turns out that rumors of a MetroPCS and T-Mobile merger weren’t completely off base. While we wouldn’t expect Deutsche Telekom to announce the sale of its US property any time soon, the German giant has confirmed that its holding talks with America’s sixth largest mobile operator to combine the two networks. The prospective deal would involve combining the two into a single entity, with Deutsche Telekom as the majority shareholder. Of course there are significant obstacles in the way, including divergent network technologies and distinctly different marketing strategies. This is, of course, just the latest scene in the ongoing piece of corporate theater that almost saw the struggling magenta carrier absorbed by AT&T. We’ll of course be following closely to see if such a move would sit a little better with government regulators. The complete statement from Deutsche Telekom Metro PCS confirming the talks is after the break.

Continue reading Deutsche Telekom mulling T-Mobile / MetroPCS marriage

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, T-Mobile

Deutsche Telekom mulling T-Mobile / MetroPCS marriage originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Oct 2012 14:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The European Union has signed off on Universal’s $1.9 billion purchase of EMI music, provided that it sells off two-thirds of the fallen giant’s assets to comply with competition regulations. The most notable jewel on the auction block is label Parlophone, home of the early Beatles records, Pink Floyd, Radiohead and Kylie. Chiefs added the conditions in the hope of preventing the new mega-corporation from gaining too much market share, but given that Sony (which bought EMI’s publishing arm) and Warner Music are its only real competitors — it’s sealed the trio as the only guests at the top table of the music industry, problematic for anyone looking to found an iTunes or Spotify rival and doesn’t fancy playing by their rules.

Filed under: Misc, Portable Audio/Video

Europe approves Universal – EMI merger, cements the dominance of the ‘big three’ originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Sep 2012 12:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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