Hershey And Cadbury

Hershey's offer seems to be more sympathetic by the Cadbury's boards. It seems that the different Corporate Parenting style influence this decision:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/054d6f9c-dbbd-11de-9424-00144feabdc0.html
It is interesting to note the emphasis placed on the merger of cultures:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4d5c6c2a-dbbd-11de-9424-00144feabdc0.html
Also quite interesting the Kraft's approach which emphasises the feasibility and acceptability of their efforts:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0ac559f8-dd11-11de-ad60-00144feabdc0.html

The rise and fall of MySpace

A very well written 'reportage' which is a great case study for MySpace and News Corp. There are example for a great variety of strategic management topics. Interesting to note: News Corp. diversification strategy; the process for Merger (and how the target was selected); the impact of the environment; and leadership styles.

The rise and fall of MySpace
By Matthew Garrahan
Published: December 4 2009 15:26 Last updated: December 4 2009 15:26

In summer 2005, having spent the best part of four decades ­building a newspaper, film and television empire, Rupert Murdoch decided that the time had come to get serious about the internet. As founder and chairman of News Corporation, one of the world’s biggest and most powerful media conglomerates, Murdoch controls an eclectic portfolio of businesses ranging from The Sun newspaper to the movie studio 20th Century Fox. Yet with young people “watching less television and reading fewer newspapers”, as he observed that summer, News Corp desperately needed a bigger presence online.

Read the whole article at: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/fd9ffd9c-dee5-11de-adff-00144feab49a.html

EU moves towards common patent system

EU moves towards common patent system
European ministers say they have agreed on a plan to introduce a common EU-wide patent system that could save companies millions of euros.
Sweden's foreign ministry says industry ministers reached a deal on the main elements of the EU patent and setting up a single European Patent Court.

Read the whole article at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8396279.stm

Google set to offer property dimension to UK mapping

This is a diversification that does not seems to be 'relevant' but it actually builds on corporate parents' core skills, it will create synergies between Google's core business and this new one.

Google set to offer property dimension to UK mapping

Google is set to launch a property dimension to its UK mapping system.
The new service will allow both estate agents and private sellers to put their property as an overlay on Google Maps.

Read the whole article at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8394252.stm