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Thursday, 20 May 2010
Enhanced Integration with Google TV Available to DISH Network Customers This Fall
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. & ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – May 20, 2010 – Google and DISH Network L.L.C., America’s fastest-growing pay-TV provider, today unveiled the launch of Google TV, an open platform that seamlessly integrates multichannel television with rich web media content. This technology brings the full power of the Internet to the television viewing experience.Google TV merges traditional TV programming with the wide amount of content on the web, allowing viewers unprecedented access, control, and flexibility over all forms of digital content. DISH Network subscribers using Google TV can simultaneously search for content across DISH Network, the Internet and their DVRs. They can overlay online content related to television shows, movies, actors and more; and also hyperlink web content back to multichannel TV.
“DISH Network has enjoyed a strong partnership with Google for many years, built on a common foundation of innovative thinking and risk-taking,” said Charlie Ergen, Chairman, Presidentand CEO of DISH Network. “DISH Network’s integration of Google TV marks the next evolution in television, and DISH Network customers will be able to enjoy the best of TV and the web in one platform using their existing HD DVR receivers and a Google TV device.”
“We are excited to bring the web to television and enable developers to innovate on the Google TV platform,” said Eric Schmidt, Chairman and CEO, Google. “With DISH Network’s contributions, Google TV delivers a richer user experience and a compelling product for consumers.”
The DISH Network Google TV integration is the outcome of a joint development process between the two companies. The companies began their collaborative trial over a year ago by beta testing the technology with more than 400 DISH Network and Google users. Based on continuous feedback from the trial, Google and DISH Network built the Google TV experience that seamlessly integrates traditional TV programming with rich web content.
Google and DISH Network plan to make the optimized Google TV experience available to customers later this fall. DISH Network will integrate the software to enable this advanced integration on all HD DVR receivers. Users can then simply connect their Google TV devices to their DISH Network receivers via HDMI. For more information, visit www.dish.com/googleTV.
About Google
Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google’s innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Google’s targeted advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia.
About DISH Network
DISH Network L.L.C., a subsidiary of DISH Network Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH), leads the pay-TV industry in technological breakthroughs and provides more than 14.3 million satellite TV customers, as of March 31, 2010, with the highest quality programming and technology at the best value. Customers have access to the most HD channels and award-winning HD and DVR technology including the ViP 922 SlingLoaded DVR, the world’s only DVR with TV Everywhere functionality. DISH Network Corporation is included in the Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) and is a Fortune 200 company. Visit www.dish.com.
Media Contacts:
Eitan Bencuya
Google
650-214-6231
ebencuya@google.com
Kathie Gonzalez
DISH Network
720-514-5351
press@dish.com
Tokyo, Japan and Mountain View, Calif. (May 20, 2010) – Sony Corporation (NYSE:SNE) and Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) today announced an alliance to provide a range of new and rich entertainment experiences that combine Google’s open-source Android OS platform with Sony’s expertise in technology and product design. The two companies are exploring the joint development of compelling new Android-based hardware products for the home, mobile and personal product categories
Through this alliance, Sony aims to leverage the stability, future growth potential and open-source accessibility of Google’s Android platform to further optimize its product development processes while also providing consumers with an open, expansive and evolving user experience.
The alliance will enable Google to draw on Sony’s cutting-edge technologies, renowned engineering quality, groundbreaking design and diverse product and content portfolio to gain a comprehensive platform from which to drive the adoption of its Android OS across the CE industry.
“The combination of Sony’s industry-leading product design, engineering and development expertise with the flexibility and growth potential of Google’s innovative, open-source Android platform will provide consumers with a world of new and exciting Internet user experiences. Through this alliance, Sony will deliver new levels of connectivity and Internet integration across our range of assets and product categories,” said Howard Stringer, Chairman, President and CEO, Sony Corporation.
“We believe that open systems lead to more innovation, value and choice for consumers, which is why we are so proud to work with Sony to bring the power of the Android platform to more consumers around the world,” said Eric Schmidt, Chairman and CEO, Google Inc.
As the first step in this collaboration, Sony will introduce “Sony Internet TV,” the world’s first TV to incorporate the "Google TV" platform. Through an easy-to-use interface, consumers will be able to search and access content from their TVs and across the Internet – a rich Internet experience on consumers’ TVs. “Sony Internet TV” is scheduled to first launch in the U.S. the Fall of 2010 with the lineup featuring both a standalone TV model and set top box-type unit incorporating a Blu-ray Disc drive.
Going forward, Sony and Google aim to maximize their respective industry-leading technological expertise to deliver products and services that empower users with easy access to compelling content, whenever and wherever they require it. The two companies are also exploring extending the alliance in connection with Sony’s wide range of entertainment assets to establish new forms of cloud-based user experiences.
About Sony Corporation
Sony Corporation is a leading manufacturer of audio, video, game, communications, key device and information technology products for the consumer and professional markets. With its music, pictures, computer entertainment and on-line businesses, Sony is uniquely positioned to be the leading electronics and entertainment company in the world. Sony recorded consolidated annual sales of approximately $78 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2010. Sony Global Web Site: www.sony.net.
About Google Inc.
Google’s innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a top Web property in all major global markets. Google’s targeted advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall Web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.google.com.
Media Contacts:
Corporate Communications
Sony Corporation
+81-3-6748-2200
sony.pressroom@sony.co.jp
Anthony House
Google
509-720-8525
anthonyh@google.com
###
Google, Google TV and Android are trademarks of Google Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.
Google, Intel, Logitech and Sony Join Together to Deliver Google TV Platform
DISH Network, Best Buy, Adobe to Support Bringing Devices to Market
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (May 20, 2010) – Today at the Google I/O developer conference in San Francisco, leading industry players announced the development of Google TV – an open platform that adds the power of the web to the television viewing experience, ushering in a new category of devices for the living room. Intel, Sony, and Logitech, together with Best Buy, DISH Network and Adobe, joined Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) on stage to announce their support for Google TV.
Over the past decade, the Internet has created unprecedented opportunity for innovation and development across the world, but so far the web has largely been absent from living rooms. With Google TV, consumers will now be able to search and watch an expanded universe of content available from a variety of sources including TV providers, the web, their personal content libraries, and mobile applications.
Search across TV, Web, and Apps
Google TV is based on the Android platform and runs the Google Chrome web browser. Users can access all of their usual TV channels as well as a world of Internet and cloud-based information and applications, including rich Adobe® Flash based content – all from the comfort of their own living room and with the same simplicity as browsing the web. When coupled with the Intel® Atom™ processor CE4100, Intel’s latest system-on-a-chip designed specifically for consumer electronics, the new platform will offer home theatre quality A/V performance. Sony and Logitech said they would be delivering products based on the new Intel Atom processor and running Google TV later this year. While Google TV is designed to work with any TV operator, at launch the user experience will be fully optimized when paired with DISH Network.
Google TV expands video choice from the hundreds of channels available today through a pay TV provider to the vast storehouse of video content available through the web and streaming videos. The Google TV experience is complemented by the ability to watch streaming video from leading content platforms, including Netflix, Amazon Video On Demand, and YouTube. Google TV will also have the capability to run apps from the Android Market.
To navigate the array of content that will now be available through a single device and on a single screen, Google TV introduces an integrated search experience to help viewers easily find relevant content across over-the-air and pay-TV channel listings, DVR, and the Internet, as well as a picture-in-picture layout to access multiple windows simultaneously. Google TV also features an innovative home screen to help viewers quickly organize their favorite content and personalize their TV viewing experience. Some of these features are only available with advanced integration from DISH Network.
Broad Alliance of Industry Leaders
Eric Schmidt, Google Chairman and CEO said, “We are very proud to be working with this distinguished set of partners, all of whom have decades of experience in hardware, design and retail.”
Sony announced plans to introduce “Sony Internet TV,” the World’s first TV lineup incorporating the Google TV platform. The first models are planned to be introduced in the U.S. market in the Fall of 2010 with the lineup featuring both a standalone TV model and set top box-type unit incorporating a Blu-ray Disc drive.
Howard Stringer, Chairman, President and CEO, Sony Corporation said, “I am delighted to announce the unique alignment of Google’s rapidly growing, open source Android platform with Sony’s unparalleled expertise in the field of TV design and technology. The addition of ‘Sony Internet TV’ will further bolster Sony’s comprehensive TV lineup and will fuse new levels of enjoyment and interactivity into the TV experience.”
Logitech will introduce a companion box that brings Google TV to existing HDTV home entertainment systems, easily integrating with any brand of HDTV and set-top box. The companion box will incorporate Logitech’s Harmony® remote control technology, and will include a controller that combines keyboard and remote control capabilities. The company also has plans to introduce an HDTV camera and video chat for Google TV, along with additional choices for navigation and control, including apps to turn a smart phone into an advanced controller for Google TV and home-entertainment systems.
Gerald Quindlen, President and CEO, Logitech said, “We committed to Google TV early on because it aligns with our strategy to support open platforms that enable new immersive experiences in the digital living room. While Google TV enables seamless discovery of all your content, Logitech enables seamless control over how you experience that content. We look forward to continued collaboration with Google and the developer community to create new Google TV experiences that have yet to be imagined.”
The Intel Atom CE4100 processor will power both the Logitech and Sony devices. Paul Otellini, Intel President and CEO praised the collaborative effort and said TV as we know it was being “reinvented.” "Today marks the next step in the evolution of TV to Smart TV. TV’s are becoming smarter as a result of the microprocessor and the Internet. Traditional TV programming will be merged seamlessly with the infinite amount of content on the Internet to enable every viewer to determine what they want to watch, when they want it. This is Moore’s Law transforming television, powered by the performance of Intel microprocessors."
DISH Network has been a key partner with Google on advanced integration development for Google TV. The two partners began a joint trial over a year ago with more than 400 DISH Network and Google beta users. Based on the continuous feedback from the trial, Google and DISH Network have built the optimized Google TV experience that seamlessly integrates traditional TV, DVR and web content.
Charlie Ergen, Chairman, President and CEO of DISH Network, said, “Google TV marks the next evolution in television, and we are excited to be the first to partner with Google to bring this experience to our customers. Only DISH Network Google TV customers will be able to enjoy a unified search across TV, DVR and web; easily find related content; and manage their entire TV viewing experience. Additionally, the advanced integration will allow developers to create new and exciting applications to enrich the TV viewing experience.”
Best Buy will bring their retail experience and consumer expertise to the project, with Google TV devices being sold at Best Buy locations nationwide later this year. “Every day, our 180,000 Blue Shirt store employees and Geek Squad Agents work with our customers to get them the best home theater experience possible”, said Brian Dunn, CEO Best Buy, “We are thrilled about the new and exciting experiences smart TVs, like Google TV, provide to our customers – and we are looking forward to showcasing those experiences in our store and ensuring customers get connected to all the products and services that bring those experiences to life.”
Finally, Adobe Flash Player 10.1 will be integrated directly into the Google Chrome browser on Google TV, enabling viewers to experience tens of millions of web pages with rich Flash content including games, animations, applications, videos, audio and more. Shantanu Narayen, President and CEO, Adobe said, “An open web ecosystem offers endless opportunities for creativity and innovation. Flash Player 10.1 extends the advantages of full web browsing and consistent, rich experiences to smartphones, tablets, netbooks and Internet-connected TVs. We’re thrilled to be part of the Google TV initiative with other industry leaders who share a common vision of enabling access to the best web experiences possible.”
Opportunity for Developers
The demonstration at I/O highlighted the unique opportunity developers have to help shape the future of Google TV. Today Google announced that they would soon release a set of TV specific APIs for web applications, encouraging web developers to begin building unique web applications for use on television sets. Later this year Google will also release an updated Android SDK, which will support applications built for Google TV.
Google also plans to open source the Google TV platform to help spur innovation in the industry and so that other developers can benefit from the project. The long term goal is to collaborate with the entire developer community to help drive entertainment in the living room forward and to introduce the next generation of TV-watching experience.
For more information about the project visit google.com/tv.
About Google
Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google’s innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Google’s targeted advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia.
About Intel
Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) is a world leader in computing innovation. The company designs and builds the essential technologies that serve as the foundation for the world’s computing devices. Additional information about Intel is available at www.intel.com/pressroom and blogs.intel.com.
About Logitech
Logitech is a world leader in products that connect people to the digital experiences they care about. Spanning multiple computing, communication and entertainment platforms, Logitech’s combined hardware and software enable or enhance digital navigation, music and video entertainment, gaming, social networking, audio and video communication over the Internet, video security and home-entertainment control. Founded in 1981, Logitech International is a Swiss public company listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (LOGN) and on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (LOGI).
About Sony
Sony Corporation is a leading manufacturer of audio, video, game, communications, key device and information technology products for the consumer and professional markets. With its music, pictures, computer entertainment and on-line businesses, Sony is uniquely positioned to be the leading electronics and entertainment company in the world. Sony recorded consolidated annual sales of approximately $78 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2010. Sony Global Web Site: www.sony.net/
Media Contacts:
Eitan Bencuya
Google
650-214-6231
ebencuya@google.com
Bill Calder
Intel
503-709-8734
Bill.calder@intel.com
Pamela McCracken
Logitech
510-713-4003
pamela_mccracken@logitech.com
Corporate Communications
Sony Corporation
+81-3-6748-2200
sony.pressroom@sony.co.jp
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA (20 May, 2010) – Today at its annual I/O Developer Conference in San Francisco, Google announced Android 2.2. Codenamed Froyo (short for Frozen Yogurt), it is the latest update to the first open and comprehensive platform for mobile devices.
Android 2.2 offers valuable new features for consumers, including portable hotspot functionality, support for Adobe Flash within the Android Browser, and improvements to Android Market.
Android 2.2 also delivers powerful new tools and options for developers. These include performance & speed enhancements; new enterprise capabilities; the addition of the V8 Javascript engine to the Android browser; and a rich new set of APIs and services.
Also this morning, Google offered a preview of an upcoming web-based version of Android Market and an update to the native Music app, which will allow users to access their music from Android-based handsets.
“The growth of the Android ecosystem continues to exceed our expectations,” said Andy Rubin, VP, Engineering. “Every day, 100,000 new people start using Android-based handsets. There are now more than 180,000 active Android developers who have contributed over 50,000 apps to the Android Market. Froyo is another step toward making Android an even better platform for developers, enterprises and consumers.”
Developers can download the Android 2.2 SDK and Android NDK, Revision 4 now from the Android developer site. Froyo will be made available to OEMs and the open source community in the coming weeks.
About Google Inc.
Google’s innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a top web property in all major global markets. Google’s targeted advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, please visit www.google.com.
Media Contact:
Google Press Center
press@google.com
+1 650 930 3555
###
Google, Google I/O, are trademarks of Google Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.
Wednesday, 19 May 2010
Google Announces New Development Tools and Opportunities to More Than 5,000 Attendees at Annual Developer Conference
SAN FRANCISCO (May 19, 2010)– Today Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) opens I/O 2010, its largest developer conference of the year. The event, which sold out 10 weeks in advance, is being held May 19 and 20 at Moscone West in San Francisco. More than 5,000 attendees from 66 countries will take part in close to 100 technical sessions, breakouts, and fireside chats. I/O 2010 will feature more than 200 speakers, as well as a number of informal opportunities to meet with engineers from Google and partner companies, including demonstrations from more than 180 different companies and a special after-hours event.
This year’s I/O event is a recognition and celebration of the web’s evolution into the software development platform of choice. It’s also an opportunity for Google to share its work in moving the web forward and keeping it open. The web has become more powerful in more places – from enterprise deployments to mobile handsets.
"Think of how far the web has come since last year’s Google I/O, where we demonstrated the potential of HTML5," said Vic Gundotra, Google vice president of developer platforms. "Since calling attention to HTML5 last year, we’ve been thrilled to see the industry rally around making the web faster, more capable, and available in more places. From enterprises to consumers, from the smallest form factors to the largest, the web’s reach and increasing capability make it the platform for the future."
Google’s announcements today enable developers to take full advantage of the web platform:
An open, global platform means better performance and broader access for all applications
- Chrome Web Store: Google is announcing the Chrome Web Store, an open marketplace for web apps that helps people find the best web applications across the internet and allows developers to reach new users.
- WebM Project: Google joined a broad array of companies and web community members to announce WebM, an open web media format project. We have open-sourced VP8, a high-quality, web-optimized video codec, and are contributing to the project under a royalty-free license.
- Wave open sign-ups: Google Wave is open to all users at wave.google.com, as a Google Labs product – no invitation needed. Google Apps administrators will also have the option to add Wave as a Labs feature for their domains, helping groups of people communicate and work together more productively.
The web is ready for enterprise-class app development
- App Engine for Business: Google App Engine for Business lets companies build and maintain their own applications on the same scalable infrastructure that powers Google applications, with added management and support features tailored specifically for the enterprise. New capabilities for businesses include the ability to manage all the apps in an organization from one place, simple pricing based on users and applications, premium developer support, a 99.9% uptime service level agreement, and coming later this year, access to premium features like cloud-based SQL and SSL.
- VMware Collaboration: Google and VMware introduce cloud portability, which makes it easy for Java developers to use familiar tools to rapidly develop and deploy rich web apps in the environments of their choice. In just one click, users of the new versions of SpringSource Tool Suite and Google Web Toolkit can deploy their application onto Google App Engine for Business, or a VMware environment, or other infrastructure such as Amazon EC2.
Also this year, more than 180 different companies will participate in the "Developer Sandbox," a place for the developer community to showcase applications they’ve built and share their experiences in working with the latest web and mobile technologies. As always, Google I/O will include a mix of practical, hands-on advice for building web apps, as well as opportunities to learn about and discuss emerging trends. Sessions will cover tools developed both inside and outside of Google, and topic areas will include: Android, App Engine, Chrome, Enterprise, Geo, Google APIs, Google Web Toolkit, Social Web, and Wave.
More information about Google I/O 2010 is available at code.google.com/events/io/.
About Google Inc.
Google’s innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a top web property in all major global markets. Google’s targeted advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, please visit www.google.com.
Media Contact:
Google Press Center
press@google.com
+1 650 930 3555
###
Google, Google I/O, are trademarks of Google Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.
Monday, 17 May 2010
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. and SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (17 May, 2010) – Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) and Global IP Solutions (GIPS) Holding AB (publ) (OSE:GIPS) today announced that they have entered into a transaction agreement under which Google Acquisition Holdings Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Google, will make a recommended voluntary public cash offer to acquire all the issued and to be issued shares of GIPS for NOK 13.0 (USD 2.12) in cash per share, or an aggregate price of approximately NOK 421 million (USD 68.2 million) based on the currently issued and outstanding share capital of GIPS.
“The Web is evolving quickly as a development platform, and real-time video and audio communication over the Internet are becoming important new tools for users,” said Rian Liebenberg, Engineering Director at Google. “GIPS’s technology provides high quality, real-time audio and video over an IP network, and we’re looking forward to working with the GIPS team at Google to continue innovating for the Web platform.”
“This is an exciting milestone for GIPS as we join Google with a shared vision to transform and accelerate IP communications,” said Emerick Woods, Global IP Solutions CEO. “With Google’s global reach, scale and widely recognized leadership, we are confident that our existing customers will continue to be fully supported while we continue to enhance and extend our products and technology at Google.”
The offer price represents a premium of 142.1% over the closing share price of GIPS stock (adjusted for the rights issue in GIPS completed in March 2010) on January 11, 2010, the last trading day prior to GIPS making a public announcement of strategic interest from a potential buyer, a premium of 170.8% over the subscription price per share of GIPS stock in the last rights offering completed in March 2010 and a premium of 27.5% compared to the closing share price on 14 May, 2010, the last trading day prior to the offeror’s public announcement of its intention to make the offer. Furthermore, the offer price represents a premium of 54.6% compared to the adjusted volume weighted average market price for the last three month period prior to the announcement of the transaction.
The completion of the offer will be subject to the satisfaction or waiver by the offeror of customary conditions, including acceptance of the offer by the holders of at least 90% of the GIPS share capital on a fully diluted basis. The transaction is not currently expected to require approval by competition authorities in any jurisdiction. The offer will not be subject to any financing condition and will be funded from Google’s existing cash resources.
Following the successful completion of the offer, the offeror intends to cause GIPS to submit an application to delist the GIPS stock from the Oslo Stock Exchange and to initiate compulsory acquisition proceedings with respect to the remaining minority shareholdings in GIPS in accordance with Swedish law.
An offer document setting forth in detail the terms of the offer is expected to be published and distributed to all GIPS shareholders on or about 20 May, 2010, following review and approval by the Oslo Stock Exchange. The expiration date of the offer is expected to be on or about 4 June, 2010, as it may be extended by the offeror in accordance with the offer document and applicable law. In the event the conditions to the offer are not satisfied or waived by the offeror prior to 31 August, 2010, the offer will lapse.
Based on the information provided on the date hereof, the board of directors of GIPS has made a resolution to recommend the offer. The statutory required statement from the board of directors of GIPS will be included in the offer document. Certain GIPS shareholders, including Kistefos Venture Capital AS and Kistefos Venture Capital II DA, have irrevocably committed to accept the offer with respect to approximately 50% of the outstanding shares and votes of GIPS.
GIPS has entered into a transaction agreement with Google which, among other things, regulates the offer process, imposes restrictions on certain actions by GIPS outside the ordinary course of business and contains non-solicitation provisions. The transaction agreement also provides that the board of directors of GIPS may only withdraw its recommendation on certain terms and conditions.
SEB Enskilda is acting as Google’s sole strategic and financial advisor in the transaction and as the receiving agent for the offer. ABG Sundal Collier Norge ASA is acting as financial advisor to the GIPS board of directors.
Contacts:
Investor Contact, Google:
Maria Shim
+1 650 253 7663
marias@google.com
Media Contact, Google:
Andrew Pederson
+1 650 214 6228
andrewpederson@google.com
Investor and Media Contacts, GIPS:
Joyce Kim
+ 1 415 746 1125
joyce.kim@gipscorp.com
Ditlef de Vibe, Chairman
+47 2311 7000
ditlef.devibe@kistefos.no
Emerick Woods, CEO
+1 415 397 2555
emerick.woods@gipscorp.com
# # #
The description contained herein is neither an offer to purchase nor a solicitation of an offer to sell shares of GIPS. On or about 19 May, 2010, the offeror plans to publish and distribute to all GIPS shareholders of record an offer document setting forth the terms of the offer. The offer document will contain important information about the offeror, GIPS, the transaction and related matters. Investors and GIPS shareholders are urged to read the offer document carefully when it becomes available.Investors will be able to obtain free copies of the offer document by contacting SEB Enskilda, the receiving agent for the offer, at +47 21008500 or by visiting www.sebenskilda.no.
The offer will not be made in any jurisdiction in which the making of the offer would not be in compliance with the laws of such jurisdiction.
About Global IP Solutions
Global IP Solutions (GIPS) provides best-in-class voice and video processing in IP communications. GIPS enables its customers to deliver unmatched quality, with a faster time to market and less risk than alternative solutions. GIPS serves application developers, service providers, and network equipment vendors. Its customer list includes Nortel, Oracle, Samsung, WebEx, Yahoo!, AOL and other key players in the VoIP market. The company is headquartered in San Francisco with offices in Stockholm, Boston and Hong Kong. More information at www.gipscorp.com.
About Google Inc.
Google’s innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a top web property in all major global markets. Google’s targeted advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.google.com.
Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
This document includes certain forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the expected timing of the transaction, Google’s and GIPS’s ability to complete the transaction, and the expected benefits of the transaction. These statements are based on the current expectations or beliefs of managements of Google and GIPS and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. Actual results may vary materially from those expressed or implied by the statements herein due to (1) changes in economic, business, competitive, technological and/or regulatory factors, (2) failure to receive required approvals for the transaction, (3) failure to compete successfully in a highly competitive and rapidly changing marketplace, (4) failure to retain key employees, and (5) other factors affecting the operation of the respective businesses of Google and GIPS. More detailed information about these and other factors that may affect current expectations may be found in filings by Google with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including Google’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and in filings by GIPS with the Oslo Stock Exchange, including GIPS’s most recent annual and quarterly reports. Google and GIPS are under no obligation to, and expressly disclaim any such obligation to, update or alter their respective forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
Monday, 26 April 2010
Announcement
April 26, 2010
Starting today, Google Maps features a new, immersive experience for its hundreds of millions of users worldwide: Earth view.
Google Maps users can now swoop down from space to explore their favorite parts of the planet in 3D. Earth view offers a true three-dimensional perspective which lets users experience mountains in full detail, 3D buildings, and first-person dives beneath the ocean.
Using Earth view in Google Maps is similar to using Google Earth. Users can
– fly to the location of their choice
– zoom, pan and tilt using the navigation tools on the left side of the screen
– explore 3D buildings and terrain
– search for businesses and get directions
To access Earth view, users simply click the new “Earth” button in Google Maps. If they do not yet have the Google Earth Plugin downloaded, they will be prompted to do so the first time they click the button.
Because Earth view is built right into Google Maps, users can easily toggle between Map, Satellite, and Earth views, making it simple to switch between a cartographic view, a top-down satellite view, or a 3D perspective using Earth view. For instance, users can find a biking trail using the bike maps feature, then look at it in Earth view to see how hilly the route is. Or they can find a vacation spot by searching for the most attractive beaches in Earth view, then switch back to the Maps view to get a quick sense of what the nearest towns have to offer.
Earth view uses the same technology that powers the Google Earth desktop application. Google built the new feature on the Google Earth API and browser plugin, tools that make it easy for web developers to include Google Earth in their own web sites.
To learn more about Earth view and experience the wonder of an immersive, 3D view in Google Maps visit maps.google.com/earthview. The site features a collection of 36 particularly striking locations to visit in Earth view.
Read more about the evolution of Google Earth at the Official Google Blog, and then get more detail on what Earth view has to offer at the Google Lat Long Blog.
Tuesday, 20 April 2010
Announcement
April 20, 2010
Every day, Google connects millions of people with businesses in their local communities. We help people find these businesses when they search Google and discover Place Pages, and we help business owners manage their Place Pages on Google through a tool we call the Local Business Center.
Today, we’re renaming the Local Business Center to Google Places and adding a number of new features. In addition to these new features, Google Places will continue to offer the same tools as the Local Business Center, such as helping a company verify and supplement business information including hours of operation, photos, videos, coupons and product information; providing a way to communicate with customers; and giving businesses new insights that enable it to make smart decisions.
The new Google Places name simplifies the connection with Place Pages and reflects our ongoing commitment to providing business owners with powerful yet easy-to-use tools to help people discover them when they search.
“Getting customers through Google makes my job great. It’s incredibly valuable to have all those listings grouped together in one place,” according to Chris Gallagher, owner of Bean & Leaf in New London, Connecticut. “It shows you how important Google Places is because we want to truly reflect the attention we pay to our business to our customers.”
Today we’re introducing several new features to Google Places:
- Service areas: If you travel to serve customers – a photographer, plumber, or piano tuner, for example – you can now show which geographic areas you serve. And if you run a business without a storefront or office location, you can now make your address private. This helps the millions of home-based and service businesses be found by customers in their service areas.
- A new, simple way to advertise: For just $25 per month, businesses in select cities can make their listings stand out on Google.com and Google Maps with Tags. As of today, we’re rolling out Tags to three new cities — Austin, Atlanta and Washington, D.C. — in addition to ongoing availability in Houston and San Jose, CA. In the coming weeks we’ll also be introducing Tags in Chicago, San Diego, Seattle, Boulder, and San Francisco.
- Business photo shoots: In addition to uploading your own photos, businesses in select cities can now request a free photo shoot of the interior of their business which we’ll use to supplement existing photos of businesses on Place Pages. We’ve been experimenting with this over the past few months, and now have created a site for businesses to learn more and express their interest in participating.
- Customized QR codes: From the dashboard page of Google Places, businesses in the U.S. can download a QR code that’s unique to their business. QR codes can be placed on business cards or other marketing materials, and customers can scan them with certain smartphones to be taken directly to the mobile version of the Place Page for that business.
- Favorite Places: We’re doing a second round of our Favorite Places program, and are mailing window decals to 50,000 additional businesses around the US. These decals include a QR code that can be scanned with a smartphone to directly view the mobile Place Page for the business to learn more about their great offerings.
Over the past few months we’ve also added the ability for business owners to post real-time updates to their Place Page. They can promote sales, special events, or anything else customers need to know right now, and this feature lets businesses communicate that directly to their customers. They can also provide extra incentive by adding coupons, including ones formatted for mobile phones.
To keep track of how a business listing is performing on Google, we offer a personalized dashboard within Google Places that includes data about how many times people have found your business on Google, what keywords they used to find it and even what areas people traveled from to visit their business. With the dashboard, a business can see how the use of any of these new features affects interest in the business and can make more informed decisions about how to be found on Google or how to interact with your customers.
One out of five searches on Google are related to a user’s location, and very often people are looking for local businesses. Google Places is just the beginning of what’s to come from our efforts to make Google more local. To learn more, you can visit our blog post on Google Places or see our newly updated Help Center. We’ll also be posting on the Lat Long blog throughout the week to give a deeper dive into many of our newest features. To get started now, go to google.com/places.
Thursday, 15 April 2010
Monday, 5 April 2010
Wednesday, 31 March 2010
The 9,620km submarine cable system linking Japan and the West Coast of the US completes testing and is ready for service
31 March 2010 – USA / 1 April 2010 – Asia – Unity, a consortium of six international companies, together with its suppliers NEC Corporation and TE SubCom (formerly Tyco Telecommunications), today announced that the Trans-Pacific Unity submarine cable system has successfully completed comprehensive end-to-end testing and is now ready for service.
“Following months of testing to ensure that the cable system meets the rigorous transmission standards specified, the Unity cable system is now ready to deliver the much anticipated capacity to meet the Trans-Pacific connectivity needs of members of the consortium,” said Chris Wilson, Chairman of the Unity Executive Committee.
The Unity cable system provides direct connectivity between Chikura, located on the coast near Tokyo, and West Coast network Points-of-Presence in Los Angeles, Palo Alto and San Jose. At Chikura, Unity is seamlessly connected to other cable systems, further enhancing connectivity into Asia.
Through the deployment of state-of-the-art submarine cable technology, the five fiber pair Unity cable system is designed to deliver up to 4.8 Terabits per second (Tbps) of bandwidth across the Pacific, with each fiber pair having a capacity of up to 960 Gigabits per second (Gbps).
Construction of the system was first announced in February 2008 by the Unity consortium which comprises of Bharti Airtel, Global Transit, Google, KDDI Corporation, Pacnet and SingTel. The Unity cable system was constructed at a cost of approximately US$300 million.
The name Unity was chosen to signify a new type of consortium, born out of potentially competing systems, to emerge as a system within a system, offering ownership and management of individual fiber pairs.
About Unity
Unity is an international consortium that developed the 9,620 km undersea cable system connecting Japan and the United States. The system provides much needed capacity to sustain the increased growth in data and Internet traffic between Asia and the United States. Members of the consortium include Bharti Airtel, Global Transit, Google, KDDI, Pacnet and SingTel. NEC Corporation and TE SubCom (formerly Tyco Telecommunications) are the main suppliers for the Unity project.
About Bharti Airtel
Bharti Airtel Limited, a group company of Bharti Enterprises, is among Asia’s leading integrated telecom services providers with operations in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. In South Asia, the company had an aggregate of over 134 million customers as of end February 2010, including 124.6 million mobile customers in India. Bharti Airtel has been ranked among the six best performing technology companies in the world by BusinessWeek. Bharti Airtel is structured as four strategic business units – Mobile, Telemedia, Enterprise and Digital TV. All these services are provided under the Airtel brand. Airtel’s national high-speed optic fibre network currently spans over 118,337 Rkms across India. Airtel’s international network infrastructure includes ownership of the i2i submarine cable system and consortium ownership in five global undersea cable systems, SEA-ME-WE 4, EIG, I-ME-WE, AAG and UNITY.
About Global Transit
Global Transit is part of a Kuala Lumpur based telecommunications group with a specific focus on providing robust wholesale and enterprise services. Its investments include TIME dotCom, an infrastructure rich carrier & Malaysia’s No 2 fixed line operator. Global Transit was founded in 2005 by a small group of technology entrepreneurs.
About Google
Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google’s innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Google’s targeted advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia.
About KDDI
KDDI is the only Japanese information and communications company that comprehensively provides all communications services, from fixed to mobile. KDDI is aggressively working towards realization of the coming Ubiquitous Network Society through its ability to develop leading-edge fixed and mobile communications networks, and services to support them, and through the ability to carry out technical R&D; at a level unsurpassed anywhere.
About NEC Corporation
NEC Corporation has devoted more than 100 years of technological innovation to serving people around the world. The NEC Group’s concept of a “C&C; Cloud” integrates Computers with Communications and provides services that contribute to the advancement of society, individuals and business. NEC combines IT and network technologies to deploy solutions with the scalability, capability and affordability to meet the complex and ever-changing needs of business and to empower society.
About Pacnet
Pacnet is Asia’s leading independent telecommunications service provider, formed from the operational merger of Asia Netcom and Pacific Internet. Pacnet owns and operates EAC-C2C, the region’s largest privately-owned submarine cable network at 36,800 km, with a design capacity of 10.24 Tbps. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of industry leading IP-based solutions for carriers, large enterprises and SMEs. Pacnet is headquartered in Hong Kong and Singapore, with offices across Asia and in the US and Europe.
About SingTel
SingTel is Asia’s leading communications group providing a portfolio of services including voice and data solutions over fixed, wireless and Internet platforms as well as infocomm technology and pay TV. It has a network of 37 offices in 20 countries and territories throughout Asia Pacific, Europe and the United States. Together with its regional partners, SingTel is Asia’s largest multi-market mobile operator, serving more than 285 million mobile customers in eight markets.
About TE SubCom
TE SubCom (formerly Tyco Telecommunications), a business unit of Tyco Electronics and an industry pioneer in undersea communications technology and marine services, is a leading global supplier for today’s undersea communications requirements. Drawing on its heritage of technical innovation and industry recognized performance, the company delivers the most reliable, high-quality solutions to organizations with undersea communications needs vital to their core mission. In more than five decades of operation, TE SubCom has designed, manufactured, and installed more than 100 undersea fiber optic systems around the world.
Media Contacts:
Bharti Airtel
Sandipan Ghatak
Tel: +91 124 4243052
Fax: +91 124 4243252
Mob: +91 9810776182
sandipan.g@airtel.in
www.airtel.in
Global Transit
Mah Siew Yan
Tel : +603 2031 4988 ext 337
Fax : +603 2031 8948
siewyan.mah@globaltransit.net
www.globaltransit.net
Google
Yoshi Funabashi / Jake Hubert
Tel: +81 (3)6415-5842 / +1 650 488 4807
funabashi@google.com/ jakehubert@google.com
www.google.com
KDDI
Shin-ichiro Itoyama
Public Relations Department
Tel: +81-3-6678-0690
www.kddi.com
www.kddi.com/english/index.html
NEC
Joseph Jasper
Corporate Communications Division
Tel: +81 (0)3 3798 6511
j-jasper@ax.jp.nec.com
www.nec.com
Pacnet
Lorain Wong / Roland Lim
Tel: +852 2121 2973 / +852 2121 2975
lorain.wong@pacnet.com/ roland.lim@pacnet.com
www.pacnet.com
SingTel
Dylan Tan
Corporate Communications Manager
Tel: +65 6838 8772
dylantan@singtel.com
www.singtel.com
TE SubCom
Courtney McDaniel
Tel: +1 973 656 8000
info@tycotelecom.com
www.tycotelecom.com
Tuesday, 30 March 2010
Mountain View, Calif. – March 30, 2010 – Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) today announced the Internet availability of proxy materials for its 2010 Annual Meeting of stockholders under the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Notice and Access rule. Google’s proxy materials can be found on its investor relations website at investor.google.com/proxy.html.
Pursuant to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Notice and Access rule, companies may satisfy their proxy materials delivery requirements by delivering a "Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials" to stockholders, providing Internet access to the proxy materials, and providing a printed set of proxy materials by mail to any stockholder who requests them. Google has elected to take full advantage of these rules in order to minimize impact on the environment and maximize cost savings relating to the printing of the proxy materials.
Google’s 2009 Annual Report on Form 10-K and proxy statement for its 2010 Annual Meeting of stockholders have been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and may be viewed on Google’s website at investor.google.com/proxy.html. Google’s stockholders may obtain hard copies of these proxy materials free of charge by following the instructions provided on its website or in the "Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials".
Google’s 2010 Annual Meeting of stockholders will be held on Thursday, May 13, 2010 at 2:00 p.m., local time, at Google’s corporate headquarters at 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, California 94043. For your convenience, we are pleased to offer a live webcast of the Annual Meeting and Google Moderator to allow you to propose questions for the question-and-answer portion of the Annual Meeting at investor.google.com/questions.
About Google Inc.
Google’s innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a top web property in all major global markets. Google’s targeted advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.google.com.
Contacts:
Maria Shim
Investor Relations
650.253.7663
marias@google.com
###
Google and AdSense are trademarks of Google Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.
Wednesday, 10 March 2010
Announcement
March 10, 2010
Users can now choose biking when deciding how to get to their destination
March 10, 2010 – If you’re one of the 57 million Americans who ride a bike, mapping your daily commute, exploring new trails, and planning recreational rides just became a little bit easier. Google is announcing that we have added biking directions in the U.S. to Google Maps. This has been the most requested addition to Google Maps, and we’re delighted to be unveiling this new feature at the National Bike Summit in Washington, DC.
This new feature includes: step-by-step bicycling directions; bike trails outlined directly on the map; and a new “Bicycling” layer that indicates bike trails, bike lanes, and bike-friendly roads.
The directions feature provides step-by-step, bike-specific routing suggestions – similar to the directions provided by our driving, walking, or public transit modes. Simply enter a start point and destination and select “Bicycling" from the drop-down menu. You will receive a route that is optimized for cycling, taking advantage of bike trails, bike lanes, and bike-friendly streets and avoiding hilly terrain whenever possible. Just like Google pioneered with driving directions, you can click-and-drag your route to customize it as you’d like. You can also access the other features in Google Maps, such as Street View, so you can tell exactly where you might need to turn on your route or preview how wide a bike lane is, and Local Search, so you know where you can take a water break or where the bike shops are along your route. Biking directions provides time estimates for routes based on an algorithm that takes into account the length of the route, the number of hills, fatigue over time, and other variables.
The new bicycling layer for Google Maps, accessible via the “More…” drop down menu at the top of the map, will display an overlay of the various bike-friendly roads and trails around town. The layer is color-coded to show three different types of paths:
- Dark green indicates a dedicated bike-only trail;
- Light green indicates a dedicated bike lane along a road;
- Dotted green indicates roads without bike lanes but are more appropriate for biking, based on factors such as terrain, traffic, and intersections.
Thousands of miles of trails in the US have also been added directly onto the map. This helps cyclists better plan their routes, and can also expose the availability and convenience of bike trails to a new audience. Maybe you’re planning a trip to Seattle and notice that the Burke-Gilman trail goes right past your hotel and decide to do an afternoon bike tour of the city, or maybe you notice a trail that will make your daily bike-to-work commute safer and more scenic.
Google has partnered with the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, a nonprofit that creates networks of trails from former rail lines, to provide information on bike trails in more than 150 cities.
“The demand for trail maps and information has never been higher, especially as more people recognize biking as a viable, inexpensive and healthy alternative to driving,” says Rails-to-Trails President Keith Laughlin. “Sharing our trail data is an exceptional way to introduce the world to what 150,000 RTC members and supporters already know—biking is the ideal way to get where you’re going. The addition of biking directions to Google Maps makes life easier for bikers, whether they are commuting to work or biking for fun, and it can introduce our network of trails to a whole new audience of cyclists-to-be.”
Visit maps.google.com/biking to try out this new feature. Biking directions for Google Maps is currently in Beta. We are constantly adding new trail information and encourage bikers to send feedback and route information for inclusion via our reporting tool that you can find at the bottom of the map. Biking directions is currently available on desktop versions of Google Maps for the United States, but a mobile version is planned.
Friday, 5 March 2010
Monday, 22 February 2010
Announcement
February 22, 2010
Key points
- Google announces upgraded ad serving platform, DoubleClick for Publishers (DFP)
- Part of a full suite of products to help publishers maximize online advertising revenues
- New DoubleClick logo unveiled
Today, as part of its efforts to help online publishers maximize advertising revenues from their website content, Google announced its upgraded ad serving platform for publishers – DoubleClick for Publishers (DFP).
DFP is a single platform that upgrades and will replace Google’s existing ad serving products: DoubleClick’s DART for Publishers and Google Ad Manager. The upgraded DFP combines Google’s technology and infrastructure with DoubleClick’s display advertising and ad serving experience.
For larger online publishers, managing, delivering and measuring the performance of ads can be a hugely complicated process. Major online publishers (including social networks, entertainment sites, portals and news sites) use ad serving to manage the complex process of how and when the ads they have sold appear on their websites.
Neal Mohan, Vice President of Product Management at Google, said: "Google wants to help online publishers make the most money possible from their content. The upgraded DFP is part of our suite of products that are designed to help online publishers maximize their advertising revenues. Ad serving is the machinery that powers the online advertising world, so improving that technology can put a lot of money in publishers’ pockets. This upgraded platform is another major milestone in our continuing investment in the display advertising ecosystem."
The upgraded DFP is part of Google’s suite of products – also including AdSense and the DoubleClick Ad Exchange – to help online publishers maximize their advertising revenues across all their ad space, whatever their size and however they choose to sell their ad space.
It includes a wide variety of key features that will help enable publishers to get the most value out of their online content:
- A new interface that has been completely redesigned to save time and reduce errors.
- Far more detailed reporting and forecasting data to help publishers understand where their revenue is coming from and what ads are most valuable.
- Sophisticated algorithms that automatically improve ad performance and delivery.
- A new, open, public API which enables publishers to build and integrate their own apps with DFP, or integrate apps created for DFP by a growing third-party developer community (apps under development today include sales, order management and workflow tools).
- Integration with the new DoubleClick Ad Exchange’s "dynamic allocation" feature, which maximizes revenue by enabling publishers to open up their ad space to bids from multiple ad networks. Dynamic allocation is described in this document.
DFP comes in two flavors, tailored for different publishers’ needs:
- DFP – for larger online publishers, to which current DART for Publishers customers will be upgraded over the next year.
- DFP Small Business – a simple, free version designed for growing online publishers, to which we will be upgrading Google Ad Manager customers.
To reflect Google’s continued investment in DoubleClick’s products and the central role of DoubleClick’s technology products within Google’s display advertising business, Google is also today unveiling some changes to the DoubleClick logos – including typset changes, incorporating a new "by Google" theme, and retiring the "DART" brand.
Media Contact:
Rob Shilkin
rshilkin@google.com
+1.212.565.4091
Friday, 19 February 2010
Tuesday, 16 February 2010
Tuesday, 9 February 2010
Announcement
February 9, 2010
Tools include slope-level imagery of Whistler Mountain using new Street View snowmobile
To help make information about the Games accessible and useful, Google released a new website and tools for sport fans around the world. The tools include a new website, available in 40 languages and combining up-to-date information and rich visuals—from Street View imagery of the competition venues to medal counts and news.
Google also introduced mountaintop Street View imagery from parts of Whistler Mountain. These images were the first collected by the newest experimental Street View system, a snowmobile equipped with state-of-the-art photographic and GPS technology. Games fans, skiers and snowboarders around the world can now pan across several Whistler runs as if they were there, and wind through Whistler Village and Whistler Creekside at the bases of Whistler Blackcomb Mountains. Google collected this imagery in partnership with Whistler Resort Municipality and Whistler Blackcomb Mountains.
Google’s website with information about the Games in Vancouver and Whistler also features:
- A gadget with up-to-date event, medal-count and athlete information, visuals of each venue and Google News updates, which people can add to iGoogle or embed in a website
- Competition venues in Street View and modeled in 3D in Google Earth (also featured on Vancouver2010.com)
- Real-Time Search results for the Games, combining tweets, news stories and blog posts
- Links to Twitter and Facebook so people can easily share the website with their friends
- A regularly updated Picasa gallery with photos from the Games, both from people attending the Games (simply use the tag "wintergames2010" when uploading photos) and from Google News
- Favourite Places in Google Maps, with "best of Vancouver" maps from 10 local experts including past Olympians
Up-to-date medal counts, schedules and event results in 30 languages are available simply by searching on Google throughout the Games for specific sports, countries or the Games generally. Users around the world can also look forward to a special doodle each day from February 12 to 28, in celebration of the Games.
For those in Vancouver during the Games, Google has created a special transit trip-planner in Google Maps using updated routes and schedules for Vancouver, Whistler and the Olympic bus network. These transit directions are available at maps.google.com under "Get Directions", or at google.com/transit. Riders should be sure to check the official Vancouver 2010 website, Vancouver2010.com, for any scheduling or route changes before starting their trips.
More details are on the Official Google Blog. Enjoy the Games!
Wednesday, 3 February 2010
Announcement
February 3, 2010
Today, Google is kicking off the third annual Doodle 4 Google competition. Doodle 4 Google is a competition open to K-12 students in U.S. schools who are invited to create their own Google doodle inspired by the theme, "If I Could Do Anything, I Would . . ." A "doodle" is the logo design that appears on the Google homepage periodically to celebrate special events, holidays, or the lives of artists and inventors.
New to this year’s competition is the addition of expert jurors such as Eric Carle, the creator of the "Very Hungry Caterpillar," who will help determine the top 40 Regional Finalists. Other expert jurors include well known illustrators, cartoonists and animators like Dr. Seuss Enterprises, The Sesame Workshop, DC Comics(creators of Wonder Woman, Batman, and Superman), King Features: Popeye and Betty Boop, Charles Schulz’s PEANUTS, Paul Frank Industries, Barbie-Mattel and Pixar Animation Studios who are the creators of Toy Story 3.
All schools in the U.S. (including private schools and homeschools) that register will have the chance to participate. Students’ doodles will be judged on artistic merit, creativity, representation of the theme, and other criteria. A panel of Google employees will select the 400 State Finalists, and the Expert Jurors will select the top 40 Regional Finalists. Finally, the public will help select the four national finalists. The one National Winner will be selected by Google executives and will be announced at an event held in the Google New York office on May 26, 2010. More information can be found on the Doodle 4 Google website :
This year’s winner will receive:
- $15,000 college scholarship
- $25,000 technology grant to the champion doodler’s school
- a chance for his/her doodle to appear on the Google.com homepage on May 27, 2010
- a laptop computer
- a Wacom digital design tablet
- a t-shirt with his/her doodle printed on it
For the first time in the history of the competition, Google will be giving out eight (8) Extra Credit: Technology Booster awards in the form of netbook computers for schools that submit the maximum number of doodles by March 10, 2010 and have students that are selected to be a 400 State Finalist.
For the second year in a row, Google is partnering with the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum to showcase the 40 Regional Finalists’ artwork in a public art exhibition from May 27 to July 8, 2010 in New York city. The 40 Regional Finalists along with a parent will be flown to an awards event at the Google office in New York City on May 26. Doodle 4 Google is the celebration of the intersection of art, design and technology, so joining forces with Cooper-Hewitt – a leader in encouraging the next generation of designers and advancing public understanding of design – is a natural fit.
Only students from registered schools can enter the contest. Teachers should go to www.google.com/doodle4google to register their school by 11:59:59 P.M. Pacific Time (PT) on March 17, 2010. Parents and children interested in participating should pass this link on to their teachers. Teachers must sign up on behalf of their students and submit their students’ doodles and completed entry forms by March 31, 2010 11:59:59 P.M. Pacific Time (PT).
For more information, have a look at our Official Google Blog post.
Media Contact:
Google Press Center
press@google.com
+1.650.930.3555
Thursday, 21 January 2010
Tuesday, 12 January 2010
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (January 12, 2010)– Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) today announced that it will hold its quarterly conference call to discuss fourth quarter 2009 financial results on Thursday, January 21, 2010 at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time (4:30 p.m. Eastern Time).
The live webcast of Google’s earnings conference call can be accessed at investor.google.com/webcast.html. The webcast version of the conference call will be available through the same link following the conference call.
Following the earnings conference call, Google will host an additional question-and-answer session at 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time (6:00 p.m. Eastern Time) to provide an opportunity for financial analysts to ask more detailed product and financial questions. This follow-up call will also be webcast and available at investor.google.com/webcast.html.
About Google Inc.
Google’s innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a top web property in all major global markets. Google’s targeted advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.google.com.
Contacts:
Maria Shim
Investor Relations
650.253.7663
marias@google.com
Jane Penner
Corporate Communications
650.214.1624
jcpenner@google.com
###
Google and AdSense are trademarks of Google Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.
Thursday, 7 January 2010
CLIFTON PARK, NY and MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (January 7, 2010) – On2 Technologies, Inc. (NYSE Amex: ONT) and Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) announced today that they have agreed to amend the merger agreement under which Google will acquire On2. Under the revised terms, each outstanding share of On2 common stock will receive 0.0010 of a share of Google Class A Common Stock for each share of On2 common stock, as previously announced by On2 and Google, plus an additional $0.15 per share in cash consideration.
The revisions to the terms of the merger agreement serve, in part, to address the fact that, since the acquisition was first announced in August 2009, the market value of Google’s Class A Common Stock has increased significantly while the value of the acquisition has remained fixed for On2’s stockholders. By increasing the consideration offered to On2’s stockholders by an additional $0.15 per share in cash, On2’s stockholders will receive additional value for their On2 common stock that Google and On2 believe better reflects the value that On2’s stockholders would have received had the acquisition closed closer to the time of its announcement in August 2009.
This increase in the consideration that Google is offering to On2’s stockholders constitutes Google’s final offer.
Google will file with the SEC a supplement to the definitive proxy statement/prospectus, dated November 3, 2009, that will describe the revisions to the merger agreement, including, among other things, the increase in the consideration, and will mail the same to all holders of record of On2 common stock as of the close of business on January 15, 2010, the new record date for the further adjourned Special Meeting of On2’s stockholders.
On2’s further adjourned Special Meeting will be reconvened at the Comfort Suites in Venetian Room II at 7 Northside Drive, Clifton Park, NY 12065, at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 17, 2010. At the reconvened Special Meeting, holders of On2 common stock as of the new record will be asked to consider and vote upon the merger proposal and, if necessary, the adjournment proposal, as set forth in the proxy statement/prospectus filed by Google.
On2’s board of directors approved the amendment to the merger agreement and recommends that On2’s stockholders approve the amended merger agreement and the merger proposal.
Stockholders who have questions about the merger, need assistance in submitting their proxy or voting their shares (or changing a prior vote of their shares) should contact On2’s proxy solicitor, Innisfree M&A Incorporated, toll-free at (877) 456-3488, or internationally at +1 (412) 232-3565.
About On2 Technologies, Inc.
On2 (NYSE Amex: ONT) creates advanced video compression technologies that power the video in today’s leading desktop and mobile applications and devices. On2 customers include Adobe, Skype, Nokia, Infineon, Sun Microsystems, Mediatek, Sony, Brightcove, and Move Networks. On2 Technologies is headquartered in Clifton Park, NY USA. For more information, visit at www.on2.com or www.on2.cn.
About Google Inc.
Google’s innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a top Web property in all major global markets. Google’s targeted advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall Web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.google.com.
Additional Information and Where to Find It
Google filed a Registration Statement with the SEC in connection with the proposed merger, which includes a Proxy Statement of On2 and also constitutes a Prospectus of Google. The definitive proxy statement/prospectus, dated November 3, 2009, was mailed to holders of On2 Common Stock identified as of October 20, 2009, which was the notice record date for the December 18, 2009 special meeting, and as of December 3, 2009, which was the voting record date for the December 18, 2009 special meeting. In addition, Google plans to file a prospectus supplement to the definitive proxy statement/prospectus, dated November 3, 2009, which will also be mailed to all holders of On2 Common Stock as of January 15, 2010, the new record date for the adjourned Special Meeting or, if applicable, will file a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement. The Registration Statement, the proxy statement/prospectus and the prospectus supplement or, if applicable, the post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement contain important information about Google, On2, the proposed merger and related matters. Investors and security holders are urged to read the Registration Statement, as amended, the proxy statement/prospectus (including any amendments to it), and/or the prospectus supplement (if filed) carefully. Investors and security holders may also obtain free copies of the Registration Statement, as amended the proxy statement/prospectus, and/or the prospectus supplement (if filed) and other documents filed with the SEC by Google and On2 through the web site maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov and by contacting Google Investor Relations at +1-650-253-7663 or On2 Investor Relations at +1-518-881-4299. In addition, investors and security holders can obtain free copies of the documents filed with the SEC on Google’s website at investor.google.com and on On2.s website at www.on2.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This document includes certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding Google’s and On2’s ability to close the acquisition. These statements are based on the current expectations or beliefs of managements of Google Inc. and On2 Technologies, Inc., and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. Actual results may vary materially from those expressed or implied by the statements herein due to (1) changes in economic, business, competitive, technological and/or regulatory factors, (2) failure to receive the required stockholder approval for the acquisition, (3) failure to compete successfully in this highly competitive and rapidly changing marketplace, (4) failure to retain key employees, and (5) other factors affecting the operation of the respective businesses of Google and On2. More detailed information about these and other factors that may affect current expectations may be found in filings by Google or On2, as applicable, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including their respective most recent Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Google and On2 are under no obligation to, and expressly disclaim any such obligation to, update or alter their respective forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
Contacts:
Investor Contact, Google:
Maria Shim
650.253.7663
marias@google.com
Media Contact, Google:
Andrew Pederson
650.450.3896
andrewpederson@google.com
Contact, On2:
Garo Toomajanian
518.881.4299
invest@on2.com
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Google is a registered trademark of Google Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.
Tuesday, 5 January 2010
Launches Nexus One, contributing further innovation to the Android ecosystem
MOUNTAIN VIEW (January 5, 2010) – Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) today unveiled a new way for consumers to purchase an Android mobile phone, a web store hosted by Google. The company is also launching the first phone offered through this new model, called the Nexus One, which combines the latest in hardware from HTC Corporation with the newest Android software.
The goal of Google’s new consumer channel is to provide an efficient way to connect Google’s online users with selected Android phones. The online experience of the web store has been designed with a focus on simplicity.
Through the web store found at www.google.com/phone, consumers can buy the Nexus One without service (meaning any GSM network SIM card can be inserted into the device), or purchase the phone with service from one of Google’s operator partners. As new phones come to market through this channel, consumers will benefit from the ability to match a phone of their choice with the service plan that best meets their needs. Operator prices and plan details will be featured on the site.
"The Nexus One belongs in the emerging class of devices which we call ‘superphones,’ with the 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon™ chipset making it as powerful as your laptop computer of three to four years ago. It’s our way to raise the bar on what’s possible when it comes to creating the best mobile experience for consumers," said Andy Rubin, VP of Engineering. "We look forward to working with handset manufacturers and operators to bring more phones to market through this channel worldwide."
Nexus One Hardware Features
- Display: 3.7" AMOLED 480x800 WVGA display
- Thinness: 11.5mm; Weight: 130g
- Processor/Speed: Qualcomm Snapdragon™ 3G QSD8250 chipset, delivering speeds up to 1GHz
- Camera: 5 megapixel auto focus with flash and geo tagging
- Onboard memory: 512MB Flash, 512MB RAM
- Expandable memory: 4GB removable SD Card (expandable to 32GB)
- Noise Suppression: Dynamic noise suppression from Audience, Inc.
- Ports: 3.5mm stereo headphone jack with four contacts for inline voice and remote control
- Battery: Removable 1400 mAh
- Personalized laser engraving: Up to 50 characters on the back of the phone
- Trackball: Tri-color notification LED, alerts when new emails, chats, text messages arrive
"The Nexus One represents the unique combination of design and innovation two companies like Google and HTC can have when they collaborate," said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corporation. "The Nexus One continues HTC’s strategy of offering people a portfolio of phones that meet their diverse needs."
Nexus One Software Innovation
The Nexus One runs on Android 2.1, a version of the platform’s Eclair software, which offers advanced applications and features including:
- Google Maps Navigation: offering turn-by-turn driving directions with voice output.
- Email: multiple Gmail accounts; universal inbox and Exchange support.
- Phone book: aggregate contacts from multiple sources, including Facebook®.
- Quick Contacts: easily switch between communication and social applications.
- Android Market: access to more than 18,000 applications.
In addition, the Nexus One introduces new functionality and software enhancements:
- Enter text without typing.
- Use a voice-enabled keyboard for all text fields: speak a text message, instant message, tweet, Facebook update, or complete an email.
- Tell your phone what you want it to do.
- Search Google, call contacts, or get driving directions by just speaking into your phone.
- Take personalization to the next level.
- Dynamic, interactive, live wallpapers react to the touch of a finger.
- More widgets and five home screen panels allow for further device customization.
- Capture camera-quality pictures and video with your device.
- 5 megapixel camera includes LED flash, auto focus, zoom, white balance and color effects.
- View pictures and Picasa Web Albums in the new 3D Gallery.
- Record Hi-Res MPEG4 video, and then upload to YouTube with one click.
- Read your voicemail messages.
- Get transcribed voicemail with Google Voice integration, without changing your number.
Pricing, Availability, and Future Plans
Nexus One is initially available from the Google web store in the US without service for $529 or starting at $179 with a two-year contract from T-Mobile USA. In the near future, Verizon Wireless in the US and Vodafone in Europe plan to offer services to customers in their respective geographies. Today, consumers can go to www.google.com/phone to learn about the Nexus One and place an order. We will initially take orders from consumers in the US and three other markets – the UK, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
In the coming months Google plans on partnering with additional operators, offering consumers access to a broad set of service plans. In the future we expect to launch more phones with Android handset partners and to expand the web store to more countries.
About Google Inc.
Google’s innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a top web property in all major global markets. Google’s targeted advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.google.com.
Media Contact:
Google Press Center
press@google.com
+1.650.930.3555
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Google, Nexus One, Android, Google Maps, Gmail, Google Voice, YouTube are trademarks of Google Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the companies with which they are associated.
Facebook® is a registered trademark of Facebook Inc.
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