Today’s cable chip sector is a mess. You have a collection of chip companies all competing for a sizable but otherwise relatively small market. The three main cable equipment suppliers (Cisco, Motorola, and Arris) drive a high percentage (probably something like 90%) of the cable capex spending. How this trickels down to Intel, Texas Instrument, Microtune, дивани Anadigics, Marvel, MaxLinear, and Maxim
CSGS recent announcement of it winning the remaining portion of billing services from Charter Communications (CHTR)
Currently CHTR splits its billing services for its 5.5mm subscribers 60/40 between Convergys (CVG) ICOMS (Integrated Communications Operations Management System) solution and CSGS. CHTR is consolidating solely under CSGS for all billing services starting 2010. CHTR is listed as CSGS’s 4th largest customer representing around 10% of its revenue and signing the remaining half of CHTR billing needs is believed should generate as much as a 8-10% increase in CSGS revenue in the coming year. (more…)
The flood of 2008 was a memorable event. If you pretty much follow the Cedar River down through Iowa (which starts in the central NE part of the state, down through SE part and on into the Mississippi river), you will see many cities seeing 500 year flood damage including some of the biggest cities: Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, Waterloo/Cedar Falls, etc. In all, the state had somewhere around 50,000+ homes affected. (more…)
With all the pull backs in hiring, it is getting hard to find companies with any openings. So, out of curiosity, I made a list of 33 companies I’ve been asked recently about and ranked them by their perspective job openings versus their number of current employees. The chart below is the top ranked companies in my list. For those of you concerned about “American Jobs”, I added a column that describes the of job openings for this company that are on American soil as opposed to overseas. These companies look to be expanding or at least investing in new product development. (more…)
After last week’s snow storm came and went, I found my garage door frozen shut. So, rather than digging it out, I elected to place this week’s empty garbage can (a newer Rubbermaid dark green can with wheels) outside the door and wait for either some warm weather or the weekend before I return the can to its normal resting spot. However in spite of this weekend’s warm weather I was unable to return the garbage can to my garage“ not because I couldn’t now get the door open but rather because it is now missing. Someone decided it was better to walk across my back yard and steal my garbage can rather than go buy their own. (more…)
One of the biggest connondurums of subscription based television service business involves the question, “What is the value of the content with or without advertising?” Given the fact that consumers are increasingly given a choice of two or more subscription based television services, at what point will eyeballs be more important than basic subscriber numbers?
As the risks of running a compromised personal computer (PC) becomes increasingly more expensive to individual computer users (from an identity management and administrative perspective), the day is fast approaching where every computer will come standard with not one, but two hard drives. One drive for the operating system (OS), and yet another for customer applications and data. (more…)
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out how that selling broadband services is big business. But the landscape of selling broadband services in the future will look vastly different than it does currently or even in the past. While the use of standards has ignited broadband services growth, it has also fueled the success of patent pools as well as the business of inventing or buying patents that read on these standards or potential future standards. (more…)
An unbelievable story about an attempt to obtain insurance and the resulting botched attempts by multiple premiere insurance companies to correct the matter. Our resulting advice to those seeking life insurance to help you avoid fraud and get the greatest value for your hard working dollar. (more…)
People in the big city are always “busy”. The city is a big place and there is lots to do, so what does it mean when people speak so much of being busy? Do they have multiple careers (a day and night job), are they completely remodeling their living space, do they have one or more kids who are involved with multiple extra curricular activities, or do they only have one job but are so junior they need to work 70 hour weeks. Would you be surprised if someone told you that a large majority of these “busy people” are single, have only one day job, and live in an apartment. (more…)
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