3 Articles for 'Microsoft'
- 2009/01/12 Yahoo Korea CEO jumps ship to Microsoft Korea (2)
- 2008/05/07 Microsoft to work with Hyundai-Kia Motors on "in-vehicle infotainment"
- 2008/03/14 Microsoft invests in Japan's OKWave
Photo from Joins.com
Yahoo's brain drain is no secret by now, but the news of Yahoo Korea leader moving on to become Microsoft Korea leader has really caught me off guard. But don't call the story interesting until, if it ever happens, Microsoft turns around and finally buys Yahoo. Don't seal off those champaign chillers from the farewell party too soon - you might use them again for possible reunion parties. You never know.
James is certainly a top notch executive, well proven by his track records, but he's facing some formidable challenges to take up a notch Microsoft Korea's internet business, which "struggles to be relevant in the Korean market" as Korea Times puts it. Of course taking Microsoft's internet business up a notch wouldn't be a formidable challenge only for James - it would be the agenda for the whole Ballmer & Co. But hey, how can life be fun without difficult challenges? :) I wish all the good luck for James and Microsoft Korea.
TAG Kim James Woo, Microsoft,
Microsoft to work with Hyundai-Kia Motors on "in-vehicle infotainment"
Web 2.0 | 2008/05/07 20:05 | Web 2.0 Asia
Bill Gates, after meeting with Korean President Lee, announced Microsoft will invest $100M+ in setting up the "Automotive IT Innovation Center" jointly with Hyundai-Kia Motors, the nation's premier auto company.
According to Reuters, the first product under the partnership would be a voice-controlled system linking mobile devices to car stereo systems; Later versions are expected to include multimedia and navigation-related features.
In plain English: the US-bound Hyundai and Kia vehicles will soon have Microsoft-powered gadgets inside the cars. Which means those cars will be the first models that come with the integrated Ctrl + Alt + Del keys on dashboard. :)
As evidenced by Ray Ozzie's "Mesh" plan, Microsoft is working hard on its new corporate vision to provide ubiquitous connected experience across all devices and environments, including the driver's seat. Meanwhile, other companies like Apple should also be looking at similar opportunities.
According to Reuters, the first product under the partnership would be a voice-controlled system linking mobile devices to car stereo systems; Later versions are expected to include multimedia and navigation-related features.
In plain English: the US-bound Hyundai and Kia vehicles will soon have Microsoft-powered gadgets inside the cars. Which means those cars will be the first models that come with the integrated Ctrl + Alt + Del keys on dashboard. :)
As evidenced by Ray Ozzie's "Mesh" plan, Microsoft is working hard on its new corporate vision to provide ubiquitous connected experience across all devices and environments, including the driver's seat. Meanwhile, other companies like Apple should also be looking at similar opportunities.
According to CNet, this marked the first time Microsoft acquired shares of a Japanese company. But apparently, this is not the first time Microsoft and OKWave announced partnership.
Microsoft and OKWave will work together to integrate OKWave's Q&A content with Microsoft's Live search. This, I think, is a smart move (if done right): Anyone who's kept an eye on the success trajectory of Korea's Naver would testify that "search + Q&A + contextual ads = killer combination and lots of revenue".
Here's my previous post about Asia's online Q&A services.
