Hasta La Gadget!

It was reported back in March that Microsoft was being investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Department of Justice over claims of bribery in foreign countries. Back then it was claimed that Microsoft’s partners had allegedly bribed government officials in foreign countries to win software contracts, it was also reportedly being probed over relationships with certain resellers and consultants in China, Italy and Romania. The claims were thought to have been made by an ex-Microsoft employee based in China.The Wall Street Journal reports today that Microsoft’s business partners based in Pakistan and Russia are now being investigated over these very claims.

The report says that an anonymous tipster told Microsoft that its partners in Russia were allegedly offering kickbacks to executives of a state-owned company for securing a deal. It further claims that a tipster in Pakistan alleged that Microsoft had authorized a consulting firm to pay for a government official’s trip to Egypt with his wife, just to win a tender. Microsoft hasn’t released any comment on the investigation, but has said that it takes all allegations seriously. Both the Securities and Exchange Commission and Department of Justice have not yet commented on the progress of this investigation.

Microsoft Alleged Bribery Probe Extends To Russia And Pakistan original content from Ubergizmo.

When Netflix CEO Reed Hastings took to Facebook last year to announce that the service had exceeded one billion viewing hours in a month for the first time, the financial world was in uproar. After all, there are rules and regulations concerning when sensitive data about a company’s successes and failures can be made public. Since then, however, the Securities and Exchange Commission has done some thinking, and in trying to keep up with social savvy CEOs like Hastings and compulsive tweeter Elon Musk, has ruled that such disclosures can be made, as long as shareholders are notified about which sites will be used. If nothing else, it’d be a great way to see your follower count explode.

Filed under: Internet

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Via: Reuters

Source: SEC

When Michael Dell signaled intentions to take his company private for an overhaul, there were questions as to just what he wanted to do if and when shareholders weren’t watching his every move: was he going to shift attention away from PCs toward the enterprise? There’s no reason to worry, according to a staff memo that his company has published through the SEC. Dell tells his employees that the firm will “significantly increase investment” in PCs and tablets after going private. While he’s cryptic about what that means, he does note that there would be a shift away from valuing gross margins — in other words, the company may take a hit on profits to make its device sales sing. Other strategies are more what you’d expect from any good business: more research and development, a simpler experience and a stronger push into developing markets like Brazil and China. We can’t say we’re completely surprised when Microsoft made an investment in Dell’s reorg precisely to safeguard PCs, but it’s good to know that Dell’s interest in PCs still extends well beyond the server room.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Tablets, Dell

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Via: Fortune

Source: SEC

It seems like Microsoft has landed itself in some hot waters. According to the Wall Street Journal, the Redmond based company is under investigation by the Securities and Exchanges Commission as well as the Department of Justice over claims that it has taken part in bribery in foreign countries, which include China. As of now the investigation is thought to be in its initial stages. (more…)

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