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#41
Sound familiar with Steve Job back to Apple? Big Grin

(not vested)

Once-ousted Twitter CEO gets 2nd chance to run service

SAN FRANCISCO — Twitter once dumped co-founder Jack Dorsey as its CEO because he was deemed unqualified for the job. Now, the short-messaging service is giving Mr Dorsey a second chance, at least temporarily, to prove he can turn Twitter into a profitable business and lure more people into sharing tidbits of news, entertainment, insight and tedium.

Mr Dorsey’s return as Twitter’s interim CEO, effective July 1, is the latest peculiar twist at a San Francisco company teeming with the drama of a soap opera through much of its nine-year history.
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http://www.todayonline.com/business/once...un-service
“夏则资皮,冬则资纱,旱则资船,水则资车” - 范蠡
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#42
I don't use Twitter...

(not vested)

Twitter's twists and turns — can it keep flying?

NEW YORK — The Pope is on Twitter, along with the Dalai Lama, world leaders and, of course, Kim Kardashian.

The short-messaging service can bring fleeting fame, instant ignominy and get you fired. It has been credited for sparking revolutions and, like Facebook, transforming the way the world communicates.

But despite the buzz generated by thousands of chatty journalists, athletes and celebrities, Twitter has never turned a profit. Its user base of 302 million is dwarfed by rivals such as Facebook, which counts 1.44 billion.

Facebook has grown into an Internet powerhouse, while Twitter in many aspects remains a niche social network, unable to convince the masses that they need its service to keep up with what's happening in the world. Lots of people sign up but not a lot stick around.

That likely had much to do with last week's announced exit of Twitter chief executive officer (CEO) Mr Dick Costolo, who gave way to co-founder, and former CEO, Mr Jack Dorsey while the San Francisco company looks for a new leader.

Despite the executive turmoil and a stock price that has fallen 30 per cent since late April, industry experts — not to mention loyal users — see potential in the company.

But first it needs to address some of its biggest problems. Here are some of Twitter's most pressing challenges, along with possible fixes.

WHERE ARE THE USERS?

Its user growth is stalling and there are a lot of competitors. Besides its old rival Facebook, Twitter is feeling the heat from mobile messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Line and Viber, not to mention Snapchat, Instagram and a bevy of others only your cool middle-school niece might have heard of. Twitter grew from 204 million active users in the first quarter of 2013, to 255 million a year later and 302 million in the first three months of 2015. In comparison, Facebook-owned WhatsApp announced in April that it has reached 800 million monthly active users.

MAKE IT EASIER TO USE

Almost one billion users have tried Twitter and not stuck around, according to tech investor Mr Chris Sacca, a longtime Twitter backer who wrote a lengthy critique of the service and posted it online this month. Mr Sacca suggested the service could offer more features to engage visitors — including special channels or tabs focused on live events, topics of interest or even a user's geographic location. He also recommended more "nudges", including feedback, polls and other interactive features that would make newcomers feel less "lonely".

DEAL WITH TROLLS

Twitter has long had a problem with trolls, the online bullies and blowhards whose abuse has been an ongoing issue that has alienated established and potential users. It has tried to make it easier to report threats and in April updated its policy against violent threats to include not just specific threats but people promoting violence against others. It's too early to say if this has helped.

MORE APPS AND OPTIONS

Twitter is well-known around the globe, but it must do more to capitalise on its own brand, said Mr Brian Blau, a tech analyst at the Gartner research firm. Twitter could be offering users more specialised apps for various activities, in the way that Facebook has built a stable of apps for messaging, consuming news and sharing photos, he said. Twitter's Periscope app, which lets users share live video, is an example of "exactly the kind of thing Twitter should be doing", Mr Blau added. But he noted that Facebook, Snapchat and other companies have invested heavily in direct-messaging capabilities, which can make money by showing ads, selling animated adornments or enabling users to play one-on-one games. Twitter, meanwhile, has only tinkered around the edges of its direct-messaging function.

DEMONSTRATE STRENGTHS TO ADVERTISERS

Twitter knows something about its users' interests, but Facebook knows far more about its users' likes and habits, while Google and Pinterest can more readily predict what users might want to buy. That, coupled with Twitter's slowing user growth, has made advertisers are more likely to spend their money on other sites, analysts say. Twitter's strength, however, is drawing people's attention during live events, such as sports championships, breaking news and popular television shows, said Ms Debra Aho Williamson at the eMarketer research firm. Reaching casual users on a routine basis is harder, but Twitter may succeed if it can "engage advertisers in that 'real-time' story", she said.

SHOW INVESTORS IT'S SERIOUS ABOUT BUSINESS

The new CEO must show Wall Street that Twitter is focused on building revenue and delivering on financial targets, added Mr Scott Kessler, a tech stocks analyst at S&P Capital IQ. "Their single biggest shortcoming is really about the ability to consistently communicate and execute against their strategy," he said. AP
http://www.todayonline.com/tech/twitters...epage=true
“夏则资皮,冬则资纱,旱则资船,水则资车” - 范蠡
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#43
The limit will never be enough...

Twitter may expand 140-character limit

SAN FRANCISCO — Twitter is finally waking up to the idea that some things just cannot be summed up in 140 characters.

The micro-blogging website operator is working on a new product that will allow users to share tweets longer than 140 characters, technology website Re/code reported yesterday (Sept 29).
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http://www.todayonline.com/tech/twitter-...cter-limit
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#44
Back to reality?

Twitter expected to begin layoffs and stop headquarters expansion

NEW YORK – Mr Jack Dorsey is tightening Twitter’s belt.

Just days after being named permanent chief executive of Twitter, Mr Dorsey is planning a series of cost-cutting manoeuvres at the social networking company, including layoffs and halting a plan to expand the company’s San Francisco’s headquarters, according to three people familiar with the plans, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the details are private.

The plans to cut back both space and staffing are part of an effort to trim what many insiders see as an organisation that has grown bloated – Twitter has more than 4,100 employees in more than 35 offices – over the past few years, these people said.

A Twitter spokesman declined to comment.
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http://www.todayonline.com/business/twit...-expansion
“夏则资皮,冬则资纱,旱则资船,水则资车” - 范蠡
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#45
Mr. Ballmer is happy with the new CEO performance... Big Grin

Ballmer says he has amassed a 4% stake in Twitter
17 Oct 2015 00:15
[NEW YORK] Former Microsoft Corp. Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer has built up a 4 per cent stake in Twitter Inc, he said via e-mail.

The owner of the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team posted on Twitter earlier Friday that he's been impressed with recent efforts by the social-media company and new CEO Jack Dorsey to improve its focus.

BLOOMBERG

Source: Business Times Breaking News
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#46
Twitter delivers weak sales outlook
  • DOW JONES
  • OCTOBER 28, 2015 8:16AM

[b]Twitter said its third-quarter revenue grew 58 per cent, a sign that its advertising business is still gaining traction despite ongoing concerns surrounding the social media company’s flagging user growth.[/b]
But the company also issued soft revenue guidance, saying it expects the top line in the fourth quarter to range from $US695 million ($A966m) to $US700m, compared with analysts’ estimates of $US739.7m, according to Thomson Reuters.
Shares slid 10 per cent in after-hours trading.
Twitter has been on a soul-searching journey in recent months as its co-founder Jack Dorsey, who was recently appointed to stay on as permanent CEO, tries to get mainstream internet users to see the value of the social media service he created nine years ago. It’s a tough order.
On Tuesday, the company posted a revenue of $US569.2m for the period ended September 30, compared with $US361.3m a year earlier. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters on average estimated Twitter would post revenue of $US559.6m.
That did little to quell longer term concerns as it turned in another quarter of lacklustre user growth numbers.
The company said 321 million users now sign in to the service at least once a month, up 1.6 per cent from 316 million the prior quarter. That was faster than the 0.66 per cent growth in the second quarter.
Twitter’s user growth as well as certain engagement metrics, such as how frequently a user signs in and how much time they spend on the service is closely watched because investors believe it is tied to the potential size of its advertising business, the primary way Twitter makes money. Investors are eager to see the social media company reach a scale comparable to rival Facebook, which counts roughly five times as many users.
Last week, Morgan Stanley downgraded Twitter’s stock to the equivalent of a sell rating, saying that Twitter’s ability to reach revenue targets in two years is undermined by limited user growth and engagement and tepid advertising demand.
Meanwhile, the company remains unprofitable as it continues to invest in talent. It posted a loss of $US131.7m, or US20c a share, compared with a year-ago loss of $US175.5m, or US29c a share. Excluding certain expenses, Twitter said it would have earned US10c a share. Analysts had expected earnings of US5c a share on that basis.
Twitter is trying to find momentum as it welcomes back Mr Dorsey to the CEO seat on a permanent basis. His appointment on October 5 came as a comfort to employees and Silicon Valley observers who believe that his co-founder status gives him license to make the kind of sweeping changes necessary to get the company back on track. But that reassurance is partially complicated by his responsibilities as CEO of Square, his payments start-up that recently filed for an initial public offering.
For now, he has quieted doubters with a flurry of changes and announcements.
This month Twitter launched “Moments”, the much-hyped feature that curates tweets around live events such as the World Series and Hillary Clinton’s testimony at the Benghazi hearings. The feature is Twitter’s big answer to make the service more appealing and less confusing to new users by finding interesting tweets for them.
On a more sober note, Mr Dorsey laid off 8 per cent of the global workforce in an effort to refocus its engineering and product troops around a narrower set of projects. That was followed up by a morale-boosting gift. Mr Dorsey last week gave one-third of his Twitter stock worth about $US200m to the company’s employee equity pool.
He has also recruited former Google executive Omid Kordestani to serve as executive chairman of Twitter’s board.
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#47
Twitter management team is shaky...

(not vested)

Top Twitter executives to leave company, CEO Dorsey tweets

SAN FRANCISCo - Four senior Twitter executives are leaving the media company, CEO Jack Dorsey tweeted late Sunday night, the biggest leadership changes since Dorsey returned as chief executive as he struggles to revive the company's growth.

Media head Katie Jacobs Stanton, product head Kevin Weil, the head of the engineering division, Alex Roetter, and HR head Brian "Skip" Schipper will all leave the company, he said.
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http://www.todayonline.com/business/exec...day-recode
“夏则资皮,冬则资纱,旱则资船,水则资车” - 范蠡
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#48
"Rumour" on the company. It sound more like an leaked info...

Twitter shares take flight on take-over deal rumour
02 Feb 2016 07:03
[SAN FRANCISCO] Twitter shares shot up Monday amid reports of a possible deal with big-name investors to take over the struggling Internet firm.

Twitter shares were up more than eight per cent to US$18.15 at about 1720 GMT.

The market reaction was fueled by a report at technology-industry focused website The Information that venture capital powerhouse Marc Andreessen and the firm Silver Lake Partners is considering a deal, perhaps to acquire or take a controlling stake in San Francisco-based Twitter.

The Information cited unnamed sources said to be close to the matter, and said it did not know whether the talks were still taking place.
...
AFP

Source: Business Times Breaking News
“夏则资皮,冬则资纱,旱则资船,水则资车” - 范蠡
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#49
Twitter seems having lot of challenges ahead, not only the user growth, but employee lawsuit, and management crisis...

Twitter disappoints investors again as user growth stalls

Twitter Inc disappointed investors again, saying it saw no growth in average monthly active users in the fourth quarter - the first flat quarter sequentially since the company's 2013 initial public offering.

Twitter shares fell in after-hours trading as the social media company's revenue forecast for the current quarter missed analysts' expectations, down 1.3 percent as a call with analysts was underway.

Weak results will likely stoke investor concerns over stalled growth, which a series of initiatives since the return of Jack Dorsey to the chief executive post have failed to reverse.

The company's shares have declined more than 50 percent since Dorsey, one of the founders, returned to Twitter in July.
...
http://www.todayonline.com/business/twit...th-quarter
“夏则资皮,冬则资纱,旱则资船,水则资车” - 范蠡
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#50
Twitter explores subscription-based option for first time

By David Ingram | SAN FRANCISCO

Twitter Inc (TWTR.N) is considering whether to build a premium version of its popular Tweetdeck interface aimed at professionals, the company said on Thursday, raising the possibility that it could collect subscription fees from some users for the first time.

Like most other social media companies, Twitter since its founding 11 years ago has focused on building a huge user base for a free service supported by advertising. Last month it reported it had 319 million users worldwide.

But unlike the much-larger Facebook Inc (FB.O), Twitter has failed to attract enough in advertising revenue to turn a profit even as its popularity with U.S. President Donald Trump and other celebrities makes the network a constant center of attention.

Subscription fees could come from a version of Tweetdeck, an existing interface that helps users navigate Twitter.

More details in http://www.reuters.com/article/us-twitte...SKBN16U38A
Specuvestor: Asset - Business - Structure.
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