Norton Antivirus firm buys rival
US anti-virus software firm Symantec has agreed to buy web security firm MessageLabs for $695m (£401.2m).
Best known for its Norton range of PC security software, the move is set to allow Symantec to expand its internet services business.
MessageLabs produces security products for instant-messaging, e-mail and the internet.
Subject to regulatory approval, the firms hope the deal will be completed by the end of the year.
Nokia to buy Canada’s Oz Communications
HELSINKI, Finland – Nokia Corp., the world’s largest cell phone maker, said Tuesday it will buy mobile messaging company Oz Communications of Canada to give consumers access to instant messaging services and e-mails through their mobile devices.
No financial details were disclosed. Nokia said the deal was expected to be completed by the end of 2008.
Nokia spreading software bets after Symbian buy
HELSINKI (Reuters) – Nokia (NOK1V.HE) is quietly extending its knowledge base in the free Linux operating system to give it extra options in the battle for mobile software supremacy with Google (GOOG.O) and Apple (AAPL.O).
The world’s leading handset manufacturer has publicly made a big bet on Symbian software, offering $410 million to buy out other shareholders in the consortium and committing to opening the software up for free use when the deal is approved.
Nokia says Symbian plays a central role in its software strategy, but analysts say the role of Linux in the company’s Nokia phones is also set to increase, reflecting a mindset shift for a company that has long shunned using software from multiple vendors.
Google gains Steam with Valve acquisition
It sounds like an announcement regarding the acquisition of Valve is imminent. Valve is the brains behind the “Source” gaming engine — a popular engine that powers games such as Half Life 2 and Portal. Valve is also the creators of Steam, a distribution service that game developers can take advantage of to distribute their games to users.
It’s unclear how much Google is paying for the company, or what exactly it’s interested in, but I would suspect it has something to do with the in-game advertising. Google has been interested in doing this for a long time now — they even acquired a company called Adscape Media in 2007 to help get their foot in the door.
Microsoft agrees Danger purchase
Microsoft has agreed to buy software firm Danger Inc, maker of T-Mobile’s SideKick web phone.
The gadget, also known as the Hiptop, has been popularised by a number of American celebrities, including socialite Paris Hilton.
Danger was co-founded in 1999 by Andy Rubin, Joe Britt and Matt Hershenson. Mr Rubin has moved on to a new job running Google’s mobile venture.
Microsoft did not disclose the purchase price as it made the announcement.
SanDisk rejects Samsung’s $5.85 billion offer
SAN FRANCISCO: Samsung Electronics, the South Korean consumer electronics giant, has made an unsolicited $5.85 billion cash offer for SanDisk, a Silicon Valley maker of flash memory cards that are critical components of popular devices like MP3 music players and digital cameras.
In a proposal first made in August and revealed to investors after the American markets closed Tuesday, Samsung offered to pay $26 a share for SanDisk, more than 90 percent over its closing price of $15.04. SanDisk shares shot up nearly 50 percent to almost $23 in after-hours trading as investors reacted to the unsolicited bid.
SanDisk’s founder and chief executive, Eli Harari, rejected the proposal in a letter made public Tuesday, saying that Samsung was significantly undervaluing the 20-year-old company. “We believe Samsung’s proposal does not provide appropriate value to our stockholders and is opportunistically timed at the trough of an industrywide downturn,” Harari wrote.
SanDisk rejects Samsung’s $5.85 billion offer
SAN FRANCISCO: Samsung Electronics, the South Korean consumer electronics giant, has made an unsolicited $5.85 billion cash offer for SanDisk, a Silicon Valley maker of flash memory cards that are critical components of popular devices like MP3 music players and digital cameras.
In a proposal first made in August and revealed to investors after the American markets closed Tuesday, Samsung offered to pay $26 a share for SanDisk, more than 90 percent over its closing price of $15.04. SanDisk shares shot up nearly 50 percent to almost $23 in after-hours trading as investors reacted to the unsolicited bid.
SanDisk’s founder and chief executive, Eli Harari, rejected the proposal in a letter made public Tuesday, saying that Samsung was significantly undervaluing the 20-year-old company. “We believe Samsung’s proposal does not provide appropriate value to our stockholders and is opportunistically timed at the trough of an industrywide downturn,” Harari wrote.