Google Stands tall against the Commies

24-Mar-2010 | Reggie | Asia Government

Amazingly and quite surprisingly, the Worlds largest Search Engine among many other things has decided to take a stand against the Worlds most populist country and fastest growing economy.  Although Google’s Chinese business is currently a pretty small piece of the pie ($600 million out of the total $24 billion or 2.5%) the potential of growth in the Chinese market is extreme.  The move is sending a message that Google is only willing to bend so far when it comes to compromising their moral code.

“Don’t be evil” has been the unofficial Google mantra that Google themselves incorporated into the very heart of their business.  The mantra is meant to keep Google on the righteous path and avoid making poor decisions on the prospect of short term gains.  Instead Google can grow and preserve an image of honesty and moral upstanding.  Taking a stance against China will do just that as Google shut down the Google.CN page and began directing traffic to the Hong Kong page where the stringent censorship laws do not apply.

I think that the positive attention Google is receiving from this move is one of the main reasons the stock is down less than 2% on this news.  People seem to genuinely appreciate the move and message that Google is sending and shows how much value is placed on not being “evil.”  It will also be interesting to see how other foreign companies react to Google’s message.  It is probably only a matter of time until China shuts down access to the unrestricted Google HK site, but for now Chinese surfers have full access to the world wide web.

This blog has been prepared by the Retire First Team. The blog expresses the opinions of the writers and not necessarily those of Retire First Ltd. Statistic and factual data are from sources Retire First believes to be reliable but their accuracy can not be guaranteed. This blog is furnished on the basis and understanding that Retire First is under no liability whatsoever in respect thereof. It is for informational purposes only and is not be construed as an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of securities. Retire First Ltd. And its officers, directors, employees and their family may from time to time invest in the securities discussed in this blog. This blog is intended for individuals where Retire First Ltd is registered as a dealer in securities.

Retire First is a member of the Canadian Investors Protection Fund.

Commission, trailing commissions, management fees and expense all may be associated with mutual funds. Please read the prospectus before investing. Mutual funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. A recommendation of any of the mentioned investments would only be made after a personal review of individual portfolio. Third Party research has been used in formulating the writer's opinions.

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Whats next for RIM?

03-Feb-2010 | Reggie | Canadian Investing Stocks Technology

The makers of the Blackberry and one of the original denizens of the smart phone have been under fire lately for a lack of innovation and their struggle in the war to gain a larger chunk of the smart phone consumer market from rivals like Apple and Google.  So far Research in Motion has done an excellent job of maintaining and building its base of business customers thanks to their enterprise software, strong security and encryption, and full keyboard.  However with data becoming less expensive and the desire for online content like Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and the ability to web browse, smart phones that provide easy access to these types of applications are gaining a lot of attention from the general public (Hello Apple iPhone and Google Android)

With this increased competition in the consumer market, the stock of RIM has been floundering over the past year despite growing their revenue by over $1 Billion.  However, this Canadian tech darling is not content with the status quo and plans to fight tooth and nail for the consumer smart phone market that is estimated to overtake the traditional talk and text market over the next 2 years.  Rumour has it that RIM has been working diligently to create a smart phone that will combine a touch screen that makes for easy web browsing while keeping the keyboard below for easy typing.  This will hopefully appeal to those who like the functionality of the blackberry and easy web browsing.

The estimated release date for the new device is this Spring.  However, expectations will be very high thanks to the high quality products Apple and Google have been releasing.  Critics will also remember that RIM’s last attempt at a touch screen, known as the Storm, was met with harsh criticism such as the user interface not working well with touch and the touch itself being clunky and unresponsive. The success of Research in Motions newest smart phone may be a deal maker or breaker for their position in the consumer smart phone market.

This blog has been prepared by the Retire First Team. The blog expresses the opinions of the writers and not necessarily those of Retire First Ltd. Statistic and factual data are from sources Retire First believes to be reliable but their accuracy can not be guaranteed. This blog is furnished on the basis and understanding that Retire First is under no liability whatsoever in respect thereof. It is for informational purposes only and is not be construed as an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of securities. Retire First Ltd. And its officers, directors, employees and their family may from time to time invest in the securities discussed in this blog. This blog is intended for individuals where Retire First Ltd is registered as a dealer in securities.

Retire First is a member of the Canadian Investors Protection Fund.

Commission, trailing commissions, management fees and expense all may be associated with mutual funds. Please read the prospectus before investing. Mutual funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. A recommendation of any of the mentioned investments would only be made after a personal review of individual portfolio. Third Party research has been used in formulating the writer's opinions.

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