Here is the list of interesting news from the world of technology business. Based on some very encouraging feedback, I have also added my take on the news.
1. Just dial raises 10 M VC funding - In continuation with the news that companies like Groupon are raising capital or going IPO, India's own local business listing is seeking more funding. Till date, their service in the US does not seem to have created any waves. So this money could help them gain consumer confidence in the US market. In any case, their India business is very popular and the VCs' should have no problem buying more stake.
2. RSA SecureID tokens compromised - In an open letter to all customers, RSA has admitted that their securid product was compromised. The attack on the defense contractor 'Lockheed Martin' earlier this quarter, exposed this vulnerability. The ubiquitous RSA tokens are no longer the basis on which one can build secure networks or provide secure access. As the world embraces Internet and related technologies for efficiency and speed, the need for cyber law and cyber-patrol has also become a necessity. My Take: Just lock and key can never prevent theft, one needs laws and law enforcement agencies to prevent crime. RSA tokens is only 'lock and key', the need for cyber police and global laws around cyber crime will soon be imperative.
3. Busy week at Groupon. Here are 2 interesting links related to Groupon. The value of group discounting is still unclear, while on the other hand Groupon seems to be making tall claims and going strong into it's IPO.
a. Ginger hotels ties up with Groupon in India - A positive step towards a global presence. Groupon is on an expansion spree in many parts of the world including Indo-china.
b. Techcrunch article shares a guest blog post about how a cafe in the US believes, "using Groupon was a bad decision". - She is not alone. Quite a few SMB owners are crying foul about how the whole Groupon system is complex and leaves a bad taste after the campaign.
Over all, whose side is Groupon playing? While the buzz about them refuses to die down, and fake-Groupons' seem to grow by the day, the whole group discounting phenomenon could come crashing down unless paying customers' are taken care of.
4. Google to discontinue support for older browsers - This piece of news itself did not surprise me. But when you look at various reports on browsers market share, IE7 and IE6 are still in-use in developing economies like India, one cannot help but wonder whether the whole browser ecosystem is in for a new update policy. What version of chrome are u on? I am on 12.0.... I never once updated it. Even firefox recently forced an update on many users. I think the chrome approach of update will soon be the norm.
5. Bill and Melinda Gates foundation to back mAgri Program - This program which will launch mainly in Africa and aims to provide a platform to support the farmer with information relevant to farming and crop pricing. It also will bring down the entry barrier for operators to add more services in this space. This space has been mostly ignored by the Internet economy and yet most companies can only gain if they wish to grow by bridging the digital divide.
Interesting note:
Amazon unveils the pre-order for Steve Jobs's official biography - This one may become the most read biography of all times. Steve Jobs can hold an audience's attention and make them hang on to every word he utters. Can the book do the same? We will wait and see.
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