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Facebook appears ready to delay its initial public offering. CNBC first reported that the social media giant was pondering moving the big event to June. Facebook representatives could not immediately be reached for comment about the status of its IPO. The company was expected to begin its IPO road show in two weeks in anticipation of a May public offering, according to news reports. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been busy spending cash, though, and that may be spurring delays. Facebook just snapped up Instagram, a popular photo app. And the company also spent $550 million on patents from Microsoft in a move to beef up its IP protection in the lawsuits with Yahoo and any other attacks patent trolls may launch against it once it collects what could be a $100 billion IPO. Social Media Ups and Downs In November, Groupon posted the largest initial public offering since Google by raising $700 million. Then, in December, Zynga one-upped the social couponing site with an IPO of its own by raising $1 billion in its IPO. Zynga then boasted the biggest IPO since Google raised $1.9 billion in 2004. Facebook could dwarf them all when it goes public. Many industry watchers expect Facebook’s valuation to range between $75 billion and $100 billion. Facebook wants to raise up to $10 billion, according to The Wall Street Journal. Facebook posted a $1 billion profit in 2011 on $3.71 billion in revenues. Beyond the recent acquisitions, Facebook is also under heavy government scrutiny. Every two years for the next 20 years, Facebook is required to have independent, third-party audits certifying that it has a privacy program in place that meets or exceeds the requirements of a Federal Trade Commission order, and to ensure that the privacy of consumers’ information is protected. Facebook’s Rare Moves We caught up with Jake Wengroff, global… Continue reading Facebook’s Spending Spree May Have Delayed IPO →

Facebook appears ready to delay its initial public offering. CNBC first reported that the social media giant was pondering moving the big event to June. Facebook representatives could not immediately be reached for comment about the status of its IPO. The company was expected to begin its IPO road show in two weeks in anticipation of a May public offering, according to news reports. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been busy spending cash, though, and that may be spurring delays. Facebook just snapped up Instagram, a popular photo app. And the company also spent $550 million on patents from Microsoft in a move to beef up its IP protection in the lawsuits with Yahoo and any other attacks patent trolls may launch against it once it collects what could be a $100 billion IPO. Social Media Ups and Downs In November, Groupon posted the largest initial public offering since Google by raising $700 million. Then, in December, Zynga one-upped the social couponing site with an IPO of its own by raising $1 billion in its IPO. Zynga then boasted the biggest IPO since Google raised $1.9 billion in 2004. Facebook could dwarf them all when it goes public. Many industry watchers expect Facebook’s valuation to range between $75 billion and $100 billion. Facebook wants to raise up to $10 billion, according to The Wall Street Journal. Facebook posted a $1 billion profit in 2011 on $3.71 billion in revenues. Beyond the recent acquisitions, Facebook is also under heavy government scrutiny. Every two years for the next 20 years, Facebook is required to have independent, third-party audits certifying that it has a privacy program in place that meets or exceeds the requirements of a Federal Trade Commission order, and to ensure that the privacy of consumers’ information is protected. Facebook’s Rare Moves We caught up with Jake Wengroff, global… Continue reading Facebook’s Spending Spree May Have Delayed IPO →

Apple set mobile-device sales records in the first quarter of 2012 by expanding its global iPhone shipments 88 percent year-over-year to 35.1 million units and boosting iPad shipments by 151 percent to 11.8 million units. Apple also outgrew the PC market overall by increasing its quarterly Mac desktop and portable shipments by 7 percent year-over-year to 4 million units. After Verizon Wireless reported lower than expected iPhone activation numbers last week, investments firms reduced their first-quarter iPhone shipment estimates to the range of 31 million to 33 million units. According to Apple executives, however, the iPhone experienced strong sales growth in the Asia Pacific and Japan markets — where sales more than doubled year-over-year. First-quarter iPhone sales in Greater China, for example, were driven by huge demand following the January launch of the iPhone 4S and China Telecom’s debut as an iPhone carrier in March. “On a macro basis, China has an enormous number of people moving into the higher income groups — the middle class, if you will — and this is creating a demand for goods, not just Apple’s but other companies’ goods as well,” Apple CEO Tim Cook told investors Tuesday. “There’s a tremendous opportunity for companies that understand China, and we’re doing everything we can to understand it and serve the market.” Huge U.S. Upgrade Opportunity Piper Jaffray said that Apple’s record iPhone sales are proof that the iconic device maker’s international growth is only just beginning. “Apple’s March quarter results are particularly important as they are evidence that the company’s growth story can be successful in these emerging markets,” said Piper Jaffray analysts Gene Munster and Douglas Clinton. Nevertheless, the U.S. market continues to represent a huge iPhone sales growth opportunity for Apple and its carrier partners. “The bigger story for iPhone is the coming launch of iPhone 5, which we… Continue reading Apple Posts Record 1Q iPhone and iPad Sales →

Apple set mobile-device sales records in the first quarter of 2012 by expanding its global iPhone shipments 88 percent year-over-year to 35.1 million units and boosting iPad shipments by 151 percent to 11.8 million units. Apple also outgrew the PC market overall by increasing its quarterly Mac desktop and portable shipments by 7 percent year-over-year to 4 million units. After Verizon Wireless reported lower than expected iPhone activation numbers last week, investments firms reduced their first-quarter iPhone shipment estimates to the range of 31 million to 33 million units. According to Apple executives, however, the iPhone experienced strong sales growth in the Asia Pacific and Japan markets — where sales more than doubled year-over-year. First-quarter iPhone sales in Greater China, for example, were driven by huge demand following the January launch of the iPhone 4S and China Telecom’s debut as an iPhone carrier in March. “On a macro basis, China has an enormous number of people moving into the higher income groups — the middle class, if you will — and this is creating a demand for goods, not just Apple’s but other companies’ goods as well,” Apple CEO Tim Cook told investors Tuesday. “There’s a tremendous opportunity for companies that understand China, and we’re doing everything we can to understand it and serve the market.” Huge U.S. Upgrade Opportunity Piper Jaffray said that Apple’s record iPhone sales are proof that the iconic device maker’s international growth is only just beginning. “Apple’s March quarter results are particularly important as they are evidence that the company’s growth story can be successful in these emerging markets,” said Piper Jaffray analysts Gene Munster and Douglas Clinton. Nevertheless, the U.S. market continues to represent a huge iPhone sales growth opportunity for Apple and its carrier partners. “The bigger story for iPhone is the coming launch of iPhone 5, which we… Continue reading Apple Posts Record 1Q iPhone and iPad Sales →

Let the cloud wars begin. Following the launch of Google Drive on Tuesday and expanded offerings on Microsoft’s SkyDrive on Monday, business-cloud platform and storage provider Box is releasing version 2 of its platform API, and unveiling new application and technology partners. Fifteen more companies are now application partners for Box’s OneCloud, and two entrepreneur support centers in New York City, General Assembly and TechStars, are joining up as well. Box has more than 10 million individual users worldwide, plus more than 120,000 businesses — including 82 percent of the Fortune 500. ‘A Radical Shift’ Box is emphasizing that it is focused on enterprises, while the new Google Drive is oriented toward consumers. Its OneCloud provides a suite of productivity apps, enabling content to be accessed, edited and shared securely from smartphones, tablets and other devices. Box CEO Aaron Levie said in a statement that “the enterprise technology landscape is experiencing a radical shift toward universal, mobile information access and content sharing.” He added that Box’s OneCloud platform “sits at the center of this revolution,” and has been widely adopted by third-party developers “who are building the next generation of enterprise software.” The new OneCloud API includes streamlined documentation and easier integration through RESTful standards. There’s also an Instant Mode feature, making it easier for developers to seamlessly connect their apps to Box’s services. Using Instant Mode, access to Box will be available by simply typing in an email address. The company said this means that LinkedIn, for instance, could offer Box storage, even if a given LinkedIn user has not joined Box. Additionally, the new Box OneCloud App-to-App Framework offers documentation and user interface guidelines. The new application partners are CloudOn, Breezy, Explain Everything, BlueBeamVu, Handshake, iAnnotate, iDesk, iDocShelf, InBound, LincDoc, Mockups.me, Notability, Producteev, ScrumPad Pro and The Vault. Among other things, the app partners work… Continue reading Cloud Provider Box Announces New API, Partners →