Few bright spots in a dark day for Sony July 30, 2008 There were few glimmers of hope for Sony yesterday, after it revealed that first quarter net profit had plummeted by 47.4 per cent to ¥34.98bn (£207m). Nearly every area of the Japanese giant’s business, from music sales to electronics, posted worse than expected performances. Although sales volumes in electronics were up, reduced margins and an [...]
Disaster-proof your business, it could save you millions July 30, 2008 In these technological times, clever companies prepare for catastrophes before they have happened, writes David Crow Here in the UK, businesses used to be able to view natural disasters as foreign and exotic. Of course, the images of destruction that played across television screens would elicit feelings of horror and sympathy, but the true cost [...]
Apple boss does not have repeat cancer July 28, 2008 Apple’s chief executive Steve Jobs, who has been dogged by speculation over his health, does not have recurrent cancer or another terminal illness According to a source close to Apple, rumours that Jobs is suffering from cancer are over-exaggerated. The source said it was common for those recovering from pancreatic cancer to experience weight loss, [...]
Vodafone announces surprise £1bn buyback July 24, 2008 Mobile telecoms giant Vodafone moved to defend its share price yesterday and stunned the city by announcing a surprise £1bn share buyback programme, after its stock plummeted on the back of a weak trading update. Shares in the firm slumped by almost 14 per cent on Tuesday, wiping nearly £11bn off its market value, after [...]
Autonomy avoids gloom thanks to banking deals July 22, 2008 Software firm Autonomy yesterday reported expectation-busting figures for its second quarter and was bullish about the second half of the year, sending its shares soaring to an eight-month high. The Cambridge-based company, which develops software for tracking email and phone conversations, said pre-tax profits rose by 85 per cent to £25.4m, exceeding analysts’ expectations of [...]
American technology giants post mixed earnings figures July 18, 2008 In a busy day in the American technology sector yesterday computer business IBM surged ahead of market expectations, while software maker Microsoft and internet firm Google failed to beat forecasts. IBM said its second-quarter profit leaped 22 per cent to $2.8bn (£1.4bn). It soared past Wall Street’s estimates as its core services division continued to [...]
CSR profits soar on Bluetooth November 3, 2005 Bluetooth wireless communications specialists CSR has rung up a 151 per cent growth in third quarter profits and the company has hired more staff to meet demand for its technology. CSR said pre-tax profits were $45.5m (£25.8m) in the period compared with $18.1m in the same quarter of 2003. The Cambridge-based firm also announced that [...]