INTERNET

[Livas1]

Hi everyone

 

I think the internet is a large enough part in our lives (and ShareScene http://www.sharescene.com/html/emoticons/tongue.gif )that it deserves its own thread. So feel free to discuss anything relating to the internet industry, either as an investment class or just general industry information.

 

I will kick it off. Here is an article release by S&P showing their top 8 picks for the sector in 2008. Thought it was quite interesting, although of course, very US based.

 

Cheers

Livas1

 

http://www.outlook.standardandpoors.com/NA...&docId=12601133

 

QUOTE

The Internet: Eight Predictions for 2008 Last year, S&P offered seven predictions for Internet developments -- and its Magic 8 Ball was pretty accurate. Here is this year's crop. From Standard&Poor's Equity Research. In some ways, the old saying "the more things change, the more they stay the same" defined the Internet segment in 2007. Video and mobile remain the new frontiers in digital advertising, Google (GOOG; recent price, $680; S&P investment rank, hold) continued to take market share -- and please its shareholders -- and Jerry Yang was back at the helm of Yahoo (YHOO; $24; hold). In 2007, we bid goodbye to George Reyes as the CFO of Google, Stratton Sclavos as the chairman and CEO of VeriSign (VRSN; $37; hold), and Terry Semel as the CEO of Yahoo. A number of major options backdating scandals were also largely resolved. And, Google received FTC approval to acquire DoubleClick. First, let's review our seven 2007 predictions: 1. Comcast will further establish itself in the Internet portal market with material partnership developments. Comcast (CMCSA; $18; sell) signed a major online advertising deal with Yahoo, acquired Internet movie-ticket company Fandango, and launched entertainment/video website Fancast. 2. Google will strengthen its relationship with Apple. Google is one of the premier providers of applications for Apple's (AAPL; $195; buy) iPhone. We wonder how this partnership will progress, given Google's efforts around open networks and platforms. Also, we indicated we expected a new collaboration related to YouTube, whose content is now available on the iPhone and Apple TV. 3. Google's efforts beyond Internet search and contextual advertising will continue to deliver only mixed results. Although YouTube has continued to gain market share in the online video segment, it's unclear what the financial impact to Google has been. We've been impressed by offerings from, and growth at, the company's iGoogle personalized portal offering. However, Google largely remains a "one trick pony," in our view. 4. Facebook's efforts to expand beyond students and recent graduates will be largely unsuccessful. Moreover, the company won't sell itself to a large Internet company, especially if its asking price is $8 billion or more, as an early investor and board member indicated it was worth, according to an unconfirmed report by Bloomberg. Although we were correct that Facebook would remain private, we were wrong in predicting it would have difficulties growing. Facebook was arguably the biggest Internet story of 2007. And Microsoft (MSFT; $35; strong buy) bought a stake in Facebook that valued the company at $15 billion. 5. Although the November elections bolstered the chances for a new net neutrality law, we don't expect one to be enacted in 2007. No net neutrality law was enacted, and folks now seem much more interested in the upcoming 700 megahertz wireless spectrum auction. 6. Despite Google's leading market share, Yahoo's Panama launch, and Microsoft's substantial search-related investments, Ask.com, part of IAC/InterActiveCorp, is the search engine to watch in 2007. Google remained the search engine company to watch in 2007. Yahoo was a close second, due largely to its management changes and newly articulated priorities and strategy. Although IAC/InterActiveCorp's (IACI; $26; buy) Ask.com rolled out some great innovations, received notable accolades, and announced a multibillion dollar extension to its partnership with Google, its segment status didn't change much in 2007. 7. We expect transactional activity involving private Internet companies (primarily acquisitions of and minority stakes taken in them) to continue throughout the year. Lots of private companies were acquired, including a firm we mentioned last year, LiveDeal (LVDL; $4; not ranked by S&P). A company we identified as one to watch in 2005, SideStep, announced its pending acquisition by online travel competitor Kayak in December. Our predictions for 2008: 1. We do not expect the European Commission to simply "rubber stamp" Google's proposed purchase of DoubleClick. Despite the FTC's approval, we do not think the deal's consummation is a forgone conclusion. Remember General Electric (GE)-Honeywell (HON)? 2. Google will continue to make inroads in the mobile segment. But we don't expect the company to win spectrum at the upcoming 700 megahertz auction, become a wireless carrier, or introduce a Google phone, or Gphone, in 2008. 3. We project 39% growth in Google's 2008 gross revenues, but believe competition is going to contribute to further margin compression. We expect the pace of market share gains to decelerate and see some major partner losses. 4. We think Yahoo will have a better 2008 than 2007. Perhaps that's not going out on a limb after last year's drama, but despite the negative sentiment, the stock fell only 6% in 2007. We expect to see more thought leadership and innovation from the company in 2008. Most important, we think, Yahoo has already started to realign employees, and we would not be surprised if layoffs were announced and applauded by Wall Street. 5. eBay will continue to focus on, and do better relative to, the expectations of two core constituencies -- users and shareholders. We expect further improvements to the eBay (EBAY; $33; strong buy) website and "the customer experience." We also would not be surprised by more aggressive share buyback activity. The stock is one of our top picks for 2008 -- its P/E was recently less than 20 times our 2008 earnings forecast -- and we think it's a compelling value. 6. We expect VeriSign to exit the content delivery network (CDN) business, and sell its peer-to-peer-focused operations to a strategic buyer looking to diversify its offerings and gain market share. We think a large telecommunications firm is a possible acquirer. Regardless of who the buyer is, we believe this will increase competition in the CDN segment, further pressuring market leader Akamai Technologies (AKAM; $34; sell). 7. Despite continuing problems in the housing market, we think online real-estate company Move will outperform the S&P 500 this year. We expect real-estate advertisers to spend more of their advertising/marketing budgets online, and expect Move (MOVE; $2; buy) to benefit. We like the recent additions to the management team, new priorities and investment discipline, and greater focus on delivering shareholder value. Move also has what we consider a strong balance sheet. We remind readers that this stock isn't for the faint of heart. 8. Last but not least, notwithstanding the credit crunch, we expect at least one blockbuster (i.e., multibillion-dollar) non-IPO financial transaction in the Internet segment to be announced in 2008. It could be a major acquisition in the content/advertising area. It could be the spin-off of a non-strategic business. Internet companies still largely have very profitable business models and strong balance sheets, and are increasingly focused on delivering shareholder value. We'll revisit these predictions next January.

 

 

[bigernie]

How does everyone feel about the Government's (Min.Stephen Conroy) proposed internet filtering legislation?

 

I cannot get my head around the concept of an Australian Government setting up a system to take away the Australian people's right to control their own and their family's internet viewing.

 

Mr.Conroy has refused to release details of the list of sites to be banned. I find this amazing.

 

Presumably that list will be controlled by Regulation...hence public servants making the decisions. But is it likely that the Minister's office minders will be making directions that anything detrimental to the government (the Party in power) should be included in the list? Where will it end?

 

As 'The Chaser' said in the Herald: "The Government has decided that objections to internet filtering are to be filtered."

 

Oh...and what effect do you think the internet slowdown might have on trading?

[balance]

I can only think it is a payback to certain areas of business or others in society.

It will likely be a flop.

Just about everyone that knows anything about the net is aware that illicit activity (child porn etc ) is largely peer to peer for obvious reasons of not wishing to be caught.It cannot stop peer to peer as far as I have heard.You wont find the nasty illicit stuff (unless the purveyors have a death wish) on readily accessible servers. Heard several tech /computer/expert types comment as such.

 

So if that is the case why bother?

[kelt]

I think George Orwell was prophetic.

[Alethia]

I am currently with Virginbroadband.

I get free local and national calls. I get a pathetic 2 gig download which I can not top up and it is shaped to modem speed fro 2 weeks per month.

 

I live in regional Qld (south of Brisbane) and can not get naked ADSL or ADSL2+

 

I have narrowed it down to Internode.

 

Has anybody got anything good or bad to say about internode? Or any other suggestions. Not Telstra - they continue to be service retards.

[geoffmz]

I have been with Internode for 4 years and the up time is so close to 100% not to make a difference. I have both a home and small business service. They have installed on time and been very helpful on the phone when my problems have been hardware and nothing to do with them.

I know they have the MCG in Melbourne so while their product is good, I don't know about their tech support staff numbers.

Hope that helps you

[forrestgump]

G'day Alethia,

 

You won't go wrong with Internode.

 

They are not as cheap as Dodo, Virgin et al but they are cheaper than Telstra and have a better quality product.

 

I have been with them for years and never had any problems.

 

[blueice]

<h1 class="cN-headingPage prepend-5 span-11 last">Calls to ditch Internet Explorer after China hacks </h1>January 18, 2010 - 12:30PM

 

Internet users are being warned off Internet Explorer after it was revealed that recent sophisticated cyber attacks on Google and other businesses exploited a previously unknown flaw in Microsoft's web browser.

 

http://www.theage.com.au/technology/securi...00118-mfef.html