The AWS re:Invent conference had two important themes: the importance of hybrid offerings and machine learnings; then, unsurprisingly, YouTube’s premium video efforts ended up not working out.
Apple App Store Follow-up, AWS ARM Servers, Intel’s Choice
More on Apple’s App Store monopoly, including why it’s different from Google and Steam, and far more egregious than other digital platforms. Then, Amazon announced ARM chips for AWS: what changed, and what does this mean for Intel.
Google Cloud Changes CEOs, Layers of Surprise (or Not), The VMWare Analogy
Google Cloud has a new CEO: the news is a surprise at first glance, but may make more sense than it seems. To understand why, look at VMWare, outgoing Google Cloud CEO Diane Greene’s most famous startup.
IBM-Red Hat Follow-up, Microsoft’s Earnings, Amazon’s Earnings
More on IBM and Red Hat, then Microsoft and Amazon’s earnings.
IBM’s Old Playbook
IBM has bought Red Hat in an attempt to recreate its success in the 90s; it’s not clear, though, that the company or the market is the same.
China’s Alleged Hardware Hack, How the Attack (Allegedly) Happened, Believability and Implications
Bloomberg has published an explosive report alleging a hardware hack that has affected multiple companies, including Apple and Amazon; both deny it. What might have happened, who can be believed, and what might happen next?
Amazon Switches?, AWS Versus Azure, Photoshop on iPad
Amazon’s rumored move into Switches is being framed as being about Cisco, but I suspect it’s about Microsoft. Then, Adobe is making Photoshop for iPad, which benefits from subscriptions.
The Moat Map Follow-up; Uber, YouTube, and Spotify; The Public Cloud and Scale
More on The Moat Map, and how it applies to Uber, YouTube, Spotify and the public cloud.
Softbank and Sprint, Amazon’s Earnings, Jeff Bezos’s Letter and Interview
Sprint and the problem of fixed costs, Amazon and the advantage of fixed costs, and Jeff Bezos’ fundamental optimism
Dropbox’s Cost of Revenue, Cost of Revenue and Churn, Cloudy Dropbox
Dropbox’s falling cost of revenue has received a lot of attention, but absent more data, the trend appears unsustainable — just a company getting ready to go public.