Stock News 2011: Smart, HTC forge smartphone partnership

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Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) and leading smartphone manufacturer HTC Corporation (HTC) announced their exclusive partnership last week, with the country’s biggest mobile operator set to offer the latter’s most advanced devices to the Philippine market.

The partnership was an aggressive move on the part of the two industry leaders to drive the Philippine smartphone ‘revolution’ in a worldwide market estimated to grow 55% year-on-year this 2011.

Recently, Smart reported a 102% jump in the number of smartphone users in its network from February to May 2011, particularly those using handsets that run on Google’s Android operating system (OS).

“Our alliance with HTC is key to our smartphone strategy of providing the best network, complemented by the best plans, to power the best devices – in order to create the best customer experience,” says Orlando Vea, co-founder and Chief Wireless Advisor of Smart.

For its part, HTC has sold about 9.7 million smartphones worldwide – an increase of 192% year-on-year – a feat which it wants to repeat locally.

http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/326419/smart-htc-forge-smartphone-partnership

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International News 2010: Hurley stepping down as YouTube chief executive

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SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) – YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley is stepping down as head of the online video-sharing superstar bought by Google for 1.65 billion dollars in 2006.

"For the past two years, I've taken on more of an advisory role at YouTube as Salar Kamangar has led the company's day-to-day operations," Hurley said in a statement released by YouTube on Friday.

"I will continue to serve as an advisor and am excited to witness the next phase of YouTube's growth."

Google web applications vice president Kamangar is filling the chief executive seat vacated by Hurley.

Google does not release revenue figures for YouTube, but senior executives have boasted that revenues from display advertising at the service is climbing and suggested recently that it is near profitability.

YouTube has been gradually adding professional content such as full-length television shows and movies to its vast trove of amateur video offerings in a bid to attract advertisers.

http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/284973/hurley-stepping-down-youtube-chief-executive

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• "YouTube's Chad Hurley Makes It Official: He's Moving From CEO to "Advisor"" and related posts (mediamemo.allthingsd.com)
• YouTube co-founder Hurley leaves (bbc.co.uk)
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International News 2010: Internet accounts for 7.2% of economy

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LONDON (AFP) – The Internet contributed 100 billion pounds to the economy last year, about 7.2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), a report showed Thursday.

The sector is bigger than the construction, transport or utilities industries in Britain, according to the study by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), which was commissioned by the British arm of Internet giant Google.

The research also predicted that by 2015, the British 'Internet economy' is likely to grow to 10 percent of GDP, eclipsing the financial sector.

"The Internet is pervasive in the UK economy today, more so than in most advanced countries," said Paul Zwillenberg, a partner with BCG in London.

"Whether they are driving international expansion, improving their interactions with customers or the efficiency of their supply chains, UK companies are increasingly embracing the Internet's potential."

Much of the growth is driven by consumption, the majority of it online spending but also what consumers spend on getting access to the Internet, while the rest comes from government spending, private investment and exports.

http://www.mb.com.ph/node/284771/internet-account

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• Web boom worth £100bn to UK (thesun.co.uk)
• Internet brings in £100bn to economy, says report (newstatesman.com)