HP’s zigzagged strategy

Today new CEO of HP has announced to keep PC business, which is quite different from previous CEO’s message. Within a certain length of period, HP made non-strait forward strategy, which seems like Giant IT corporation – HP does not have strategy for the future. Within a year, HP has merged with Palms and decided to go in Tablet PC market. Then, a few days later, HP decided to dump this business unit. Another one is PC business side. HP decided not to go with PC business and today their announcement is PC business will be one of their core business.

In terms of revenue, HP is one of giant IT corporations around the globe. However, their strategy perspective seems like a small sized VC company. There is no long term strategy and whenever needed, they are supposed to change their strategy and action plan. In general, the change to the market situation is not that bad. But without any significant change of market situation, there should be consistent strategy for the future IT industry. If not, customers and partners will not trust that corporation’s commitment to the market. Of course, shareholders, boards and employees are in the same situation too.

Hopefully, Meg Withman will set up the good strategy for future IT and make very much fascinated products & service that Apple made up until now. Personally, I liked HP because of their company culture that more focus on people. Apple, Microsoft and IBM have similar culture on people. That’s why many people want to work there on top of their great revenue, product and profit.

In terms of HP’s future, is HP alive like before or supposed to be lame continuously in the market? How do you think of this?

http://money.cnn.com/2011/10/27/technology/hp_keeps_pcs/index.htm?iid=SF_T_LN

Blackberry is gone?

Before Smartphone’s debut by Apple, Blackberry is one of most selling mobile phone in North America and is one of fashion code who works in the wall street of New York. And many people think that this trend will last long. But iPhone has stroke peoples’ mind with serious flash and customers moved to iPhone (Apple) and Android base smartphones (Samsung, HTC, Motorola and etc.) But the reputation of Blackberry about No.1 security phone has been still valid and Blackberry’s market price is not that bad.

To compete against iPhone & iPad, Blackberry has launched their version of tablet PC around the globe. It was too harsh in the market because products’ function is not perfect and there are so many defects, compared to the existing smart phones & tablet PCs. Now Blackberry has mentioned to their royal customers about their sorry feeling by malfunctioned products and another & perfect one will be coming in early 2012.

But it’s too late. The market has already showed their negative feeling and market price has been nosedived. Some naysayers has mentioned that there will not be any hope for Blackberry and recommended to dump all of Blackberry, which will be the best.

I am not sure about Blackberry’s future. But these days the security & privacy would be No.1 concern in SNS world and Blackberry’s OS is No. 1 product in terms of security. If somebody puts those 2  - concern & best OS by security together, there will be fantastic combination for the customers. Simple saying, people should focus on their best to compete against others, instead of mocking up others’ best. Otherwise, there will not any chance of being No. 1 in the world.

How do you think of this?

http://money.cnn.com/2011/10/26/technology/rim_playbook/index.htm?iid=SF_T_LN

Solar market

After Solyndra has filed bankrupt protection a few months before,  today CEO of Fist Solar has stepped down. It will be very much negative sign on solar panel market in USA due to oversupply by many of Chinese manufacturers. The question is is it temporary slow demand of solar panel by overall sluggish economy situation or  some of supply should stop manufacturing like DRAM case.

Many experts estimated that it’s temporary situation and the demand of solar panel will be increased soon. That’s everyone’s hope who are currently involved in solar market. Otherwise, some scenario of “chicken” game will happen in this solar market soon. Some other experts mentioned that in order to overcome Chinese cost advantage, there should be a certain type of technology innovation continuously that happened in Apple’s smart series.

Meanwhile, USA government has provided lots of subsidies to local solar manufacturers to boost up the market. It’s another type of boomerang for USA citizens, which I do not like to see in any cases and any countries. With huge amount of tax payers’s money that has put in for vitalizing the market, there is no clean and clear records which has eaten up the huge amount of money and there is Chapter 11 announcement. There should be more integrated system of money lending not to happen these things in the future. Finance team should do the some better job, instead of focusing to get some bonus by some type of false performance. It’s called “greediness”, along with idle negligence by normal people’s perspective.

Any idea about solar market?

http://money.cnn.com/2011/10/25/technology/first_solar_ceo/index.htm?iid=SF_T_LN

Netflix’s nosedive

By unwise decision, Netflix’s stock price has been dropped dramatically. That unwise decision were 1) to increase the price of subscription 2) to split business models into two – one is streaming and another DVD rental. Now customers that enjoyed Netflix products & service very much showed their angry emotion to Netflix and will go to other competitors.

Now Netflix’s management tried to explain why they had to increase the price and to cancel the split decision. But it’s too late for royal customers to return back to them. Maybe, Netflix’s dominance in the steaming & DVD rental market will be over and so many other competitors including Amazon & Google  will share the market in reasonably proportional manner.

We should see the very important lesson from this case; i.e. 1) there is permanent royal customers in the market without constantly providing benefits to customers 2) in any decisions that the management will make, No. 1 priority should be customers’ reaction instead of thinking of their internal situation 3) moving fast is  a kind of “good” but too fast would be over the limit like CEO of Netflix has mentioned.

I liked this kind of things to happen in the market. Then, the market will move forward in positive direction. But without competition, it will not happen. That’s why anti-trust law & enforcement should be important and alive in any places. I saw some of products & service are in monopoly & oligopoly. It should be remedied properly in the near future. Constant renovation will bring good stuffs for us and it should come from reasonable competition in the market.

http://money.cnn.com/2011/10/24/technology/netflix_earnings/index.htm?iid=SF_T_LN

Crossing lines between 1% and 99%

OccupyWallStreet movement has already been more than 1 month and this kind of clamor for change will spread out more cities & around the globe. Things are clean and clear for that there should be some change in the current type of capitalism for the poor & have-nots. However, we did not see that much actions for the change from the haves & politicians, high ranking government officials, which is not fortune for us. We can see rarely that some of wealthy CEO like Buffet said something positively for the change such as more taxes should  be levied on him, compared to the current.

One more positive movement from the haves is CEO of meetup has participated the rally with other Wall Street Occupiers. He answered positively for WallStreetOccupy movement some delicate questions asked by journalists,which is another important step because it’s serious sign that some of haves have already provided their support and this trend will continue on & on. Then, political leaders and high ranking officials and other CEO have to look around what to do with this complicated trend.

Anyway, this trend should go further to make a certain change of the current financial system. Otherwise, there is no future & hope for everyone (both haves and have-nots) because sooner or later there will be serious collapse of middle class and it will lead to extreme polarization in financial system. Then, except the haves, there will not be any power of individual purchase which will make the current society more violent and out of control. Now we could see this kind of radical movement in western Europe, which shows there is no hope for them.

I think there should be some type of change immediately needed. How do you think of?

http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2011/10/21/occupy-wall-street-meetup/