‘Baby Bells’

Although AT&T is a huge entity today; it will never be the same as the old ‘Ma Bell’ because it doesn’t enjoy the same monopoly power. In fact, the telecommunications industry is witnessing unprecedented competition. The initial break up of AT&T created so called ‘Baby Bells’, which included Nynex in New York and New England; BellSouth and Ameritech in the Midwest; and Southwestern Bell Corporation (SBC), S West and Pacific Telesis in California and Nevada. Over time, these companies went through more corporate changes, including M&As, which have totally changed the dynamics of the telecommunication sector in the US.

The punch line for King Qualcomm?

With analysts demanding Qualcomm should back off from law suits, what’s the deal now for royalty incarnate King Qualcomm? Though Qualcomm can ill-afford filing law suits and antagonising current high net worth clients, the fact is that Qualcomm earned an unbelievable 34% of its revenues from royalty (fiscal year ending Sep 2005); and 41% of its royalty revenues from Wideband CDMA. What’s more hitting is that against equipment (and service) sales of $3.7 billion, Qualcomm incurred expenses of $3.2 billion. And against royalty revenues of $1.9 billion? Not a pence. The punch line for King Qualcomm? Kill them all baby, don’t let them be. Make them show you the money.

United State's investment income

But according to official statistics, the United States still has a slightly positive balance on investment income. How can this be possible? The answer, almost certainly, is that there’s something wrong with the numbers (Laypeople tend to treat official statistics as gospel; professional economists know that putting these numbers together involves a lot of educated guesswork – and sometimes the guesses are wrong). But depending on exactly what’s wrong with the numbers, the United States economy either has hidden strengths, or it is in an even worse shape than it seems

In the 2001 Assembly elections

Take the Bolpur Parliamentary constituency that is represented by the Lok Sabha Speaker. In the 2001 Assembly elections, the CPM polled more than 90% of the votes in most polling booths. A sample of 312 voters was asked about their true voting intentions if the elections were truly free and fair this time around. Astonishingly, just about 30% of the respondents said that they will vote for the Left Front, while 70% of the voters said that they will vote against the Left Front. Similarly, the Left had polled more than 90% votes in many booths in Barrackpore.

...for competitors; MS must consolidate investments for sure leadership

“With India’s overall economy, it is an incredible place to be in,” says Jeff Raikes, President, Microsoft Business Division. Microsoft , in a visible change of strategy, unveiled ‘Microsoft Office Solutions Showcase’ of 18 Office-based applications customised and developed by local independent soft ware vendors targeting the Indian market.

EasyJet and Ryanair

Last year, BA’s full-year results showed profit but there were signs that it was losing money on short European routes where no-frills carriers offer stiff competition. BA’s new oneway fares will now begin at $51.79. EasyJet and Ryanair have responded to the new prices by saying that that they were still cheaper than BA, and were not concerned by BA’s move. There is also the speculation that low fares cannot be sustained without a low-cost base.

Making sense of senses

Long before the head has figured out what’s going on, it is normal for impulse to have pointed out the way to our mind. Endowed as we are with the gift of our senses, it is a travesty to note that human beings, as social animals, often articulate scant regard for that which is an intrinsic part of our lives. Emotions and sensory perceptions are debatably some of the richest experiences we enjoy, yet it is an inescapable irony that marketers unflinchingly overlook this in course of shaping their offerings.

TATA AIG

This sector of insurance got the minimum score, signifying that the health insurance segment needs to pull up its socks and bring down the dissatisfaction levels of consumers. TATA AIG topped the listing with an aggregate score of 64.02, while National Insurance lay on the bottom of the ranking with an average score of 53.14.