Unsurprisingly, no one wants to buy Twitter, which will likely muddle long. Then, Amazon’s deal with VMWare makes a ton of sense for Amazon in particular; the company is also experimenting with convenience stores and music subscriptions.
Chat and the Consumerization of IT
What does the consumerization of IT even mean? Workplace by Facebook, Skype Teams from Microsoft, and Slack offer three definitions.
Twilio’s Secondary Offering, Samsung Discontinues Note 7, Is Google Assistant Exclusive?
Twilio’s secondary offering reveals another reason why the IPO process won’t change. Then, Samsung’s Note 7 is officially a disaster that will hurt the company for a long time. Google may benefit, but is the Assistant really an exclusive?
Google and the Limits of Strategy
Google went wrong in the past by abandoning their horizontal business model; are they repeating their mistake, or does the future give them no choice?
Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist, Marketplace Potential, What is Facebook?
Facebook launched Marketplace, which is fairly described as a Craigslist competitor. The potential, though, is greater; what is even more interesting is what this says about Facebook’s perception of itself.
Spotify to Buy Soundcloud?, Apple Logs iMessage Contacts, Aetna and Apple Watch
Once you understand Spotify’s long-term business model buying Soundcloud makes a lot of sense. Then, Apple didn’t do anything wrong with iMessages, other than show they’re (rightfully) not privacy absolutists. Plus a few quick words on a big deal with Aetna.
Snapchat Spectacles and the Future of Wearables
Creating the future is not just about technology but about creating markets. Right now Snapchat is doing that as well as anyone, which bodes well for Spectacles (but don’t count out Apple).
Oracle’s Cloudy Future
Larry Ellison has declared that Oracle is a cloud company, but their customer offering seems more suited to the world that was.
Does Uber Have a Strategy Problem?, Netflix and Aggregation Theory, Google Trips
Is Uber bad at strategy? It would be understandable if they were. Then, Hollywood is finally realizing that Netflix is a textbook aggregator. Plus, why Google Trips exists
Uber’s Problematic Google Deal, Lyft’s Sales Pitch, Twitter’s Live Hail Mary
Uber took a shortcut with Google two years ago and are paying the price today, even if the wound is only temporary. Meanwhile, Lyft is costing Uber money but not strategic positioning, and seem to be marketing themselves to acquirers. Plus, mourning the end of what Twitter could be (and no, the NFL didn’t help).