: "2004 F1 World Championship
Round 15 - Italy
QUALIFYING POSITIONS
1Rubens Barrichello
(Ferrari)1m 20.089s
2Juan Pablo Montoya
(Williams-BMW)1m 20.620s
3Michael Schumacher
(Ferrari)1m 20.637s
4Fernando Alonso
(Renault)1m 20.645s
5Takuma Sato
(BAR-Honda)1m 20.715s
6Jenson Button
(BAR-Honda)1m 20.786s
7Kimi Raikkonen
(McLaren-Mercedes)1m 20.877s
8Antonio Pizzonia
(Williams-BMW)1m 20.888s
9Jarno Trulli
(Renault)1m 21.027s
10David Coulthard
(McLaren-Mercedes)1m 21.049s
11Ricardo Zonta
(Toyota)1m 21.520s
12Mark Webber
(Jaguar-Cosworth)1m 21.602s
13Olivier Panis
(Toyota)1m 21.841s
14Christian Klien
(Jaguar-Cosworth)1m 21.989s
15Giancarlo Fisichella
(Sauber-Petronas)1m 22.239s
16Felipe Massa
(Sauber-Petronas)1m 22.287s
17Nick Heidfeld
(Jordan-Ford)1m 22.301s
18Giorgio Pantano
(Jordan-Ford)1m 23.239s
19Zsolt Baumgartner
(Minardi-Cosworth)1m 24.808s
20Gianmaria Bruni
(Minardi-Cosworth)1m 24.940s"
Saturday, September 11, 2004
Sunday, July 25, 2004
25/07/2004 - 2004 German Grand Prix
The race is on and Michael Schumacher is leading the pack by 14 seconds!
Starting on pole Michael has made the most of his position and is a light year ahead of Alonso.
Third is Coulthard after Kimi's retirement followed by surprise, surprise! Jenson Button, starting at 12 and jumping this high certainly puts him up for a podium position.
As I was writing this Schumi is 15 seconds ahead - and well on his way to a third win at the Hockenheim circuit.
Starting on pole Michael has made the most of his position and is a light year ahead of Alonso.
Third is Coulthard after Kimi's retirement followed by surprise, surprise! Jenson Button, starting at 12 and jumping this high certainly puts him up for a podium position.
As I was writing this Schumi is 15 seconds ahead - and well on his way to a third win at the Hockenheim circuit.
Monday, July 12, 2004
Formula One: What The Papers Had To Say…
One of the best articles on the web about the race yesterday; link'ed below and text copied under it.
Formula One news, fun, results and features from Planet-F1.com
What The Papers Had To Say…
Monday July 12 2004
Prior to the British GP it looked like local boy Jenson Button or Kimi Raikkonen could be in with a chance of grabbing victory at Silverstone, but on race day, it once again turned into the Schumi and Ferrari show. Here's what the papers had to say…
Email Us Chat Forum
Mail article Print article
'From pole position Raikkonen took off as if he was running on fuel vapour only, building a three-and-a-half-second lead by the end of the opening lap...Schumacher watched all this from fourth place initially, content to bide his time and doubtless chuckling into his helmet. He knew that he was on a two-stop strategy and that he could stay close enough when it mattered, and after his rivals headed for the pits for their first of three stops, he took the lead and stayed out on track until lap 15.
'Even at this early stage it was clear that the race, as such, was over. As Button began a slow fade out of contention, Raikkonen kept up the pressure, with Barrichello hounding him. And as the revised McLaren's new fuel load was depleted the Finn drew closer again to Schumacher. It was clear, however, that the Ferrari would be able to go longer before refuelling.
'Four stops in France; two in Britain. Frankly, Ferrari could have sent him into Towcester for a Big Mac and fries for the crew, and he'd still have won.' - The Independent.
'The fans who had flocked to Silverstone wanted a Jenson Button victory.
'But they came away satisfied having witnessed Michael Schumacher, the greatest racer on earth, at his ultimate best.
'The Ferrari superstar has been accused of making the sport boring. But the excitement comes from seeing him win under any situation.
'One British journalist is hoping Schumacher remains invincible because he wrote earlier in the season he would run round Silverstone naked if McLaren won a race this year. Dennis said: “I expect him to keep his word.”
'The naked truth is that Schumacher’s current form may just spare the hack’s blushes.' - The Sun.
'Formula one is a world of disguise and deception. For these people concealing the truth is a way of life. Most of them are so steeped in the habit that you cannot even get a straight answer to a question about what they had for breakfast, never mind their race strategy. And even by the general standards of the sport, Schumacher has always been a master of the
straight face and the deflecting response. He was at his best at Silverstone yesterday, in more than one sense.
'France a week earlier he had stupefied the opposition by stopping four times and winning. Yesterday it looked as though he and Ross Brawn, Ferrari's technical director, had achieved such strategic mastery that they could play games with their opponents' expectations.' - The Guardian.
'But amid the shambles of political infighting and incompetent rule-making that Formula One is becoming, the crushing dominance of the world champion has become another symbol of the malaise that grips the sport.
'When it gets to the point where Schumacher is spinning his Ferrari on purpose to slow himself down - as he did in pre-qualifying on Saturday - grand prix racing knows it is in big, big trouble.
'He and his team are so far ahead of the rest that Formula One is becoming a parody of a competitive sport. Schumacher's the best and getting better.' - The Daily Mirror.
'Kimi Raikkonen was really there, a McLaren driver on a grand prix podium for the first time since last year's Japanese Grand Prix. This was tremendous news for the squad in silver, tremendous news too for neutral fans of the sport. Schumacher's domination so far this season has been attributable partly to the skill of the German and his engineers, but also to the comparative weakness of the other teams.
'The new vehicle showed promise at the French Grand Prix at Magny-Cours, where Raikkonen and Coulthard were still feeling their way with it. But at Silverstone the car has been a revelation, instantly propelling Raikkonen back to the front of the grid where he belongs.
'But do not break out the bunting and bubbly just yet. Were it not for Jarno Trulli's accident and the subsequent safety car interlude, Schumacher would have finished yesterday's race half a minute ahead of Raikkonen instead of a handful of seconds. But the Finn would still have finished second, a placing earned entirely on merit.
'Raikkonen said: "It's a nice feeling to be back racing for first place."
'That's a nice feeling for the spectators, as well. The doom-mongers would have it that Schumacher's dominance is murdering the sport, that the television audience is switching off in droves. But consultation with paying spectators yesterday produced only positives: people are quite happy to watch a great driver beating the others, as long as the others are getting close.' - The Daily Telegraph.
'Britain's summer run of magnificent failure extended to Silverstone yesterday as the nation’s new motor racing hero managed only fourth place in the British Grand Prix. Alongside the names of Henman and Beckham, Dallaglio and Vaughan, write that of Jenson Button as the next plucky Brit to suffer crushing defeat at the hands of an imperious foreigner.
'...Barrichello is no threat to the six-times champion as he showed yesterday, coming home meekly in third place after Ferrari put him on a strategy designed to back up Schumacher. With Barrichello’s assault effectively suppressed, the German could wrap up the championship at Ferrari’s home grand prix in Monza — three races from Silverstone — and still have four races left in which to parade his considerable talent. That will leave the rest to scrap for second place, a position that might be beyond Button and a fading BAR-Honda that simply did not have the speed to combat either Ferrari or the McLaren-Mercedes of Kimi Räikkönen.
'Unlike Henman or Beckham, at least time is on Button’s side. And Schumacher has to retire some time. Formula One can only hope it is sooner rather than later.' - The Times
Formula One news, fun, results and features from Planet-F1.com
What The Papers Had To Say…
Monday July 12 2004
Prior to the British GP it looked like local boy Jenson Button or Kimi Raikkonen could be in with a chance of grabbing victory at Silverstone, but on race day, it once again turned into the Schumi and Ferrari show. Here's what the papers had to say…
Email Us Chat Forum
Mail article Print article
'From pole position Raikkonen took off as if he was running on fuel vapour only, building a three-and-a-half-second lead by the end of the opening lap...Schumacher watched all this from fourth place initially, content to bide his time and doubtless chuckling into his helmet. He knew that he was on a two-stop strategy and that he could stay close enough when it mattered, and after his rivals headed for the pits for their first of three stops, he took the lead and stayed out on track until lap 15.
'Even at this early stage it was clear that the race, as such, was over. As Button began a slow fade out of contention, Raikkonen kept up the pressure, with Barrichello hounding him. And as the revised McLaren's new fuel load was depleted the Finn drew closer again to Schumacher. It was clear, however, that the Ferrari would be able to go longer before refuelling.
'Four stops in France; two in Britain. Frankly, Ferrari could have sent him into Towcester for a Big Mac and fries for the crew, and he'd still have won.' - The Independent.
'The fans who had flocked to Silverstone wanted a Jenson Button victory.
'But they came away satisfied having witnessed Michael Schumacher, the greatest racer on earth, at his ultimate best.
'The Ferrari superstar has been accused of making the sport boring. But the excitement comes from seeing him win under any situation.
'One British journalist is hoping Schumacher remains invincible because he wrote earlier in the season he would run round Silverstone naked if McLaren won a race this year. Dennis said: “I expect him to keep his word.”
'The naked truth is that Schumacher’s current form may just spare the hack’s blushes.' - The Sun.
'Formula one is a world of disguise and deception. For these people concealing the truth is a way of life. Most of them are so steeped in the habit that you cannot even get a straight answer to a question about what they had for breakfast, never mind their race strategy. And even by the general standards of the sport, Schumacher has always been a master of the
straight face and the deflecting response. He was at his best at Silverstone yesterday, in more than one sense.
'France a week earlier he had stupefied the opposition by stopping four times and winning. Yesterday it looked as though he and Ross Brawn, Ferrari's technical director, had achieved such strategic mastery that they could play games with their opponents' expectations.' - The Guardian.
'But amid the shambles of political infighting and incompetent rule-making that Formula One is becoming, the crushing dominance of the world champion has become another symbol of the malaise that grips the sport.
'When it gets to the point where Schumacher is spinning his Ferrari on purpose to slow himself down - as he did in pre-qualifying on Saturday - grand prix racing knows it is in big, big trouble.
'He and his team are so far ahead of the rest that Formula One is becoming a parody of a competitive sport. Schumacher's the best and getting better.' - The Daily Mirror.
'Kimi Raikkonen was really there, a McLaren driver on a grand prix podium for the first time since last year's Japanese Grand Prix. This was tremendous news for the squad in silver, tremendous news too for neutral fans of the sport. Schumacher's domination so far this season has been attributable partly to the skill of the German and his engineers, but also to the comparative weakness of the other teams.
'The new vehicle showed promise at the French Grand Prix at Magny-Cours, where Raikkonen and Coulthard were still feeling their way with it. But at Silverstone the car has been a revelation, instantly propelling Raikkonen back to the front of the grid where he belongs.
'But do not break out the bunting and bubbly just yet. Were it not for Jarno Trulli's accident and the subsequent safety car interlude, Schumacher would have finished yesterday's race half a minute ahead of Raikkonen instead of a handful of seconds. But the Finn would still have finished second, a placing earned entirely on merit.
'Raikkonen said: "It's a nice feeling to be back racing for first place."
'That's a nice feeling for the spectators, as well. The doom-mongers would have it that Schumacher's dominance is murdering the sport, that the television audience is switching off in droves. But consultation with paying spectators yesterday produced only positives: people are quite happy to watch a great driver beating the others, as long as the others are getting close.' - The Daily Telegraph.
'Britain's summer run of magnificent failure extended to Silverstone yesterday as the nation’s new motor racing hero managed only fourth place in the British Grand Prix. Alongside the names of Henman and Beckham, Dallaglio and Vaughan, write that of Jenson Button as the next plucky Brit to suffer crushing defeat at the hands of an imperious foreigner.
'...Barrichello is no threat to the six-times champion as he showed yesterday, coming home meekly in third place after Ferrari put him on a strategy designed to back up Schumacher. With Barrichello’s assault effectively suppressed, the German could wrap up the championship at Ferrari’s home grand prix in Monza — three races from Silverstone — and still have four races left in which to parade his considerable talent. That will leave the rest to scrap for second place, a position that might be beyond Button and a fading BAR-Honda that simply did not have the speed to combat either Ferrari or the McLaren-Mercedes of Kimi Räikkönen.
'Unlike Henman or Beckham, at least time is on Button’s side. And Schumacher has to retire some time. Formula One can only hope it is sooner rather than later.' - The Times
Monday, July 05, 2004
04/07/2004 - Magny-Cours: Michael's seventh French win
The race was a delight! Michael trailed Alonso for almost half the race; starting off at number 2 he had to contend with the position until lap 32. Alonso finally conceeded the lead after his second pit stop and Michael never gave it back.
It was a very tactical race that saw Michael winning pretty effortlessly in the game, but with a 4 stop strategy, the race was on until the last few laps. It was his sheer speed combined with Ferrari 'light-car' strategy at the right time that saw them on the No. 1 position in the end.
This was the cake, but Barrichello made sure that he gave Ferrari the icing too. With only the final chicane to go Trulli wondering what he would say in the press conference fell asleep. An error he would regret for a long long time because when it is a Ferrari behind you, you dont sleep. Trulli made a tiny mistake and leaving just enough room on the inside for a Ferrari, he slid wide and Barrichello took what was the last chance that he got during the race and the final place on the podium. He started at 10 and finished at 3; a fantastic result for him and a very very fine day for Ferrari.
Current Standings:
2004 Drivers Championship
1 Michael Schumacher 90
2 Rubens Barrichello 68
3 Jenson Button British 48
4 Jarno Trulli 46
5 Fernando Alonso 33
2004 Constructors Championship
1 Ferrari 158
2 Renault 79
3 BAR-Honda 62
4 Williams-BMW 37
5 McLaren-Mercedes 22
It was a very tactical race that saw Michael winning pretty effortlessly in the game, but with a 4 stop strategy, the race was on until the last few laps. It was his sheer speed combined with Ferrari 'light-car' strategy at the right time that saw them on the No. 1 position in the end.
This was the cake, but Barrichello made sure that he gave Ferrari the icing too. With only the final chicane to go Trulli wondering what he would say in the press conference fell asleep. An error he would regret for a long long time because when it is a Ferrari behind you, you dont sleep. Trulli made a tiny mistake and leaving just enough room on the inside for a Ferrari, he slid wide and Barrichello took what was the last chance that he got during the race and the final place on the podium. He started at 10 and finished at 3; a fantastic result for him and a very very fine day for Ferrari.
Current Standings:
2004 Drivers Championship
1 Michael Schumacher 90
2 Rubens Barrichello 68
3 Jenson Button British 48
4 Jarno Trulli 46
5 Fernando Alonso 33
2004 Constructors Championship
1 Ferrari 158
2 Renault 79
3 BAR-Honda 62
4 Williams-BMW 37
5 McLaren-Mercedes 22
Rise of a new order: Greece Wins Euro 2004
Cannu believe it?
Greece, A team that had never won anything as big as this, a team that were 100-1 pre-tournament outsiders have won the Euro 2004.
Their one and only goal of the match ended with a 1-0 victory over the much-fancied hosts at the Luz stadium. Haristeas's firm 57th minute header from Greece's first corner of the match gave them a lead which they never let the Portugese take away from them. Tried as hard as they could, they wasted all the chances they got, the portugese had posession of the ball for more than 55 percent of the time and had numerous corners, but failed in each and every attempt to score. And did Greece give them a fight, they were all upon them and what they got in the end was a very deseved victory, not a chance win, not a fluke!
Greece, A team that had never won anything as big as this, a team that were 100-1 pre-tournament outsiders have won the Euro 2004.
Their one and only goal of the match ended with a 1-0 victory over the much-fancied hosts at the Luz stadium. Haristeas's firm 57th minute header from Greece's first corner of the match gave them a lead which they never let the Portugese take away from them. Tried as hard as they could, they wasted all the chances they got, the portugese had posession of the ball for more than 55 percent of the time and had numerous corners, but failed in each and every attempt to score. And did Greece give them a fight, they were all upon them and what they got in the end was a very deseved victory, not a chance win, not a fluke!
Sunday, July 04, 2004
4/7/2004 - Magny Cours, France
Alonso takes the first pole of his career, driving better than Michael and rest of the lot. However, it remains to be seen if he can beat the World Champion, M Schumacher has won 6 races here, and he starts just beside him; Alonso does have the start capabilities and may be even Button or Coulthard can overtake Schumi when the race starts, after that, though, is a very different game, and playing it against the best will be tough to say the least. No team, is going to benefit with a two stop strategy as the tyre wear will surely negate the time saved by skimping a pit-stop and certainly the more the fuel, the slower the laps would be.
It would be an interesting race though; this week and the recent period hasn't brought any joy to the English sport fans, while this race might put both the F1 racing Brits on the podium.
Which spot would Schumacher be standing on?
Pole or no pole, I would put my money on the Number 1 spot for him.
It would be an interesting race though; this week and the recent period hasn't brought any joy to the English sport fans, while this race might put both the F1 racing Brits on the podium.
Which spot would Schumacher be standing on?
Pole or no pole, I would put my money on the Number 1 spot for him.
Saturday, July 03, 2004
Sharapova Wins
Maria Sharapova has just won her first Grand Slam by beating Serena Williams 6-1, 6-4.
Friday, July 02, 2004
BW Online | June 28, 2004 | The Digital Village
BW Online | June 28, 2004 | The Digital Village
India's high-tech dynamos are turning more attention to the needs of the nation's countless poor
India's high-tech dynamos are turning more attention to the needs of the nation's countless poor
Friday, June 25, 2004
Euro 2004: Grief descends; England crashes out.
After work I rushed to watch the match with hundreds of football fanatics at one of my favourite pubs here in Lincoln, but sadly, it was a night that we will not remember in happy context.
England, lost to hosts Portugal in the first quarter final of Euro 2004. - They're out.
A sad and undeserved result. After Michael Owen’s third-minute strike, it seemed nothing could go wrong, until the first shot-in-the-arm that came in the 27th minute when Rooney had to leave the playing field. The shoulders did sag. It wasn't a good omen and in the end, it certainly was very clear that having Rooney would probably have meant that we could have seen England play on the 30th too.
Getting Postiga in paid-off in the 83rd minute with Portugal getting their much needed equalizer. Sol Campbell had a last-minute header harshly ruled out by Swiss referee Urs Meier for an apparent foul on Portuguese goalkeeper Ricardo by John Terry.
At the End of normal time scores were: Portugal 1 England 1.
Portugal's second goal came in the second half of Extra-time when Rui Costa's kick cruised passed into James' net.
Lampard's another amazing kick saw England come up with an equalizer but failed to bring up anything after that with Full-time scores at: Portugal 2 England 2
Penalties started pathetically for England with the captain kicking the ball up in the sky and but for Portugal Deco scored and they were level even when Rui Costa missed at 2-2 and it was Vassell who missed and Ricardo finishing it all with 6-5.
Sad, but true, what I do not know is who has a higher degree of emotion today, the Portugese who won or the English who will, now, not be playing on Wednesday.
England, lost to hosts Portugal in the first quarter final of Euro 2004. - They're out.
A sad and undeserved result. After Michael Owen’s third-minute strike, it seemed nothing could go wrong, until the first shot-in-the-arm that came in the 27th minute when Rooney had to leave the playing field. The shoulders did sag. It wasn't a good omen and in the end, it certainly was very clear that having Rooney would probably have meant that we could have seen England play on the 30th too.
Getting Postiga in paid-off in the 83rd minute with Portugal getting their much needed equalizer. Sol Campbell had a last-minute header harshly ruled out by Swiss referee Urs Meier for an apparent foul on Portuguese goalkeeper Ricardo by John Terry.
At the End of normal time scores were: Portugal 1 England 1.
Portugal's second goal came in the second half of Extra-time when Rui Costa's kick cruised passed into James' net.
Lampard's another amazing kick saw England come up with an equalizer but failed to bring up anything after that with Full-time scores at: Portugal 2 England 2
Penalties started pathetically for England with the captain kicking the ball up in the sky and but for Portugal Deco scored and they were level even when Rui Costa missed at 2-2 and it was Vassell who missed and Ricardo finishing it all with 6-5.
Sad, but true, what I do not know is who has a higher degree of emotion today, the Portugese who won or the English who will, now, not be playing on Wednesday.
Wednesday, June 23, 2004
baazee.com to become a part of ebay
baazee.com to become a part of ebay says:
Press Release
eBay to Acquire India's Baazee.com
San Jose, Calif. and Mumbai, India, June 23rd , 2004 - eBay, The World's Online Marketplace (Nasdaq: EBAY; www.ebay.com), today announced that it has agreed to acquire Baazee.com, Inc. and its subsidiary Baazee.com India Pvt. Ltd., the largest online marketplace in India. The acquisition is expected to close in the third calendar quarter of 2004.
The agreement will allow eBay to expand its global footprint into the nascent but growing Indian market. In turn, Baazee.com will use its new relationship with eBay to further develop its business and strengthen its position in India's e-commerce market. The combination of Baazee.com and eBay will allow buyers and sellers in India and around the world to gain access to a broader range of choice and convenience.
Based in Mumbai, Baazee.com offers a diverse online marketplace for a range of buyers and sellers throughout India. Baazee.com currently has more than one million confirmed registered users who trade in a wide range of categories from consumer electronics and computers, to home decor and jewelry.
"Our relationship with Baazee.com is another important step in the growth of eBay's global marketplace," said Meg Whitman, President and CEO of eBay. "Although it's early days for e-commerce in India, we believe there is great opportunity over the long term. Baazee.com's strong management team and solid focus on its community make it a natural fit with eBay."
"Our partnership with eBay validates Baazee.com's business model and position in the industry," said Avnish Bajaj, Chairman and Co-CEO of Baazee.com. "Our local expertise combined with eBay's global perspective will allow us to take e-commerce in India to the next level."
"We built Baazee.com to change the way people buy and sell goods in India," said Suvir Sujan, Co-CEO of Baazee.com. "Becoming part of eBay will allow us to provide even greater economic opportunity for our community of users."
A young market in terms of e-commerce adoption, India's Internet penetration is growing steadily. There are currently 17 million Internet users in India, and that number is expected to grow to more than 30 million in 2006, according to IDC's Internet Commerce Market Model, January 2004.
eBay will acquire all outstanding shares of Baazee.com, Inc. for approximately US$50 million, plus acquisition costs and post-signing adjustments. eBay does not expect the acquisition to have a material impact on 2004 net revenue and earnings per share, and does not expect it to affect eBay's financial guidance as issued in connection with its first quarter earnings release on April 21, 2004.
About Baazee.com
Baazee.com India Pvt. Ltd is a subsidiary of Delaware based Baazee.com, Inc., and started its operations in India in January 2000. Headquartered in Mumbai, Baazee is India's biggest marketplace where anyone can sell or buy almost anything. Baazee has a strong and growing community of 1 million confirmed registered users who trade in a wide range of thousands of item categories including Electronics, Cameras, Phones, Computers, Movies, Mobiles, Fashion, Music, Home, Toys and Travel. Through a world class technology infrastructure Baazee enables & simplifies e-commerce for India's burgeoning online community.
About eBay
eBay is The World's Online Marketplace®. Founded in 1995, eBay created a powerful platform for the sale of goods and services by a passionate community of individuals and businesses. On any given day, there are millions of items across thousands of categories for sale on eBay. eBay enables trade on a local, national and international basis with customized sites in markets around the world. Through an array of services, such as its payment solution provider PayPal, eBay is enabling global e-commerce for an ever growing online community.
Forward-Looking Statements
This announcement contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those discussed. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, the reaction of the users and suppliers of Baazee.com to the transaction, the future growth of Baazee.com's services, the reaction of competitors and regulatory authorities to the transaction, foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, and political, economic, and security developments in, or affecting, India. The closing of the transaction is subject to certain closing conditions. More information about potential factors which could affect eBay's business and financial results is included in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003, and the company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. All forward looking statements are based on information available to eBay on the date hereof, and the company assumes no obligation to update such statements.
Press Release
eBay to Acquire India's Baazee.com
San Jose, Calif. and Mumbai, India, June 23rd , 2004 - eBay, The World's Online Marketplace (Nasdaq: EBAY; www.ebay.com), today announced that it has agreed to acquire Baazee.com, Inc. and its subsidiary Baazee.com India Pvt. Ltd., the largest online marketplace in India. The acquisition is expected to close in the third calendar quarter of 2004.
The agreement will allow eBay to expand its global footprint into the nascent but growing Indian market. In turn, Baazee.com will use its new relationship with eBay to further develop its business and strengthen its position in India's e-commerce market. The combination of Baazee.com and eBay will allow buyers and sellers in India and around the world to gain access to a broader range of choice and convenience.
Based in Mumbai, Baazee.com offers a diverse online marketplace for a range of buyers and sellers throughout India. Baazee.com currently has more than one million confirmed registered users who trade in a wide range of categories from consumer electronics and computers, to home decor and jewelry.
"Our relationship with Baazee.com is another important step in the growth of eBay's global marketplace," said Meg Whitman, President and CEO of eBay. "Although it's early days for e-commerce in India, we believe there is great opportunity over the long term. Baazee.com's strong management team and solid focus on its community make it a natural fit with eBay."
"Our partnership with eBay validates Baazee.com's business model and position in the industry," said Avnish Bajaj, Chairman and Co-CEO of Baazee.com. "Our local expertise combined with eBay's global perspective will allow us to take e-commerce in India to the next level."
"We built Baazee.com to change the way people buy and sell goods in India," said Suvir Sujan, Co-CEO of Baazee.com. "Becoming part of eBay will allow us to provide even greater economic opportunity for our community of users."
A young market in terms of e-commerce adoption, India's Internet penetration is growing steadily. There are currently 17 million Internet users in India, and that number is expected to grow to more than 30 million in 2006, according to IDC's Internet Commerce Market Model, January 2004.
eBay will acquire all outstanding shares of Baazee.com, Inc. for approximately US$50 million, plus acquisition costs and post-signing adjustments. eBay does not expect the acquisition to have a material impact on 2004 net revenue and earnings per share, and does not expect it to affect eBay's financial guidance as issued in connection with its first quarter earnings release on April 21, 2004.
About Baazee.com
Baazee.com India Pvt. Ltd is a subsidiary of Delaware based Baazee.com, Inc., and started its operations in India in January 2000. Headquartered in Mumbai, Baazee is India's biggest marketplace where anyone can sell or buy almost anything. Baazee has a strong and growing community of 1 million confirmed registered users who trade in a wide range of thousands of item categories including Electronics, Cameras, Phones, Computers, Movies, Mobiles, Fashion, Music, Home, Toys and Travel. Through a world class technology infrastructure Baazee enables & simplifies e-commerce for India's burgeoning online community.
About eBay
eBay is The World's Online Marketplace®. Founded in 1995, eBay created a powerful platform for the sale of goods and services by a passionate community of individuals and businesses. On any given day, there are millions of items across thousands of categories for sale on eBay. eBay enables trade on a local, national and international basis with customized sites in markets around the world. Through an array of services, such as its payment solution provider PayPal, eBay is enabling global e-commerce for an ever growing online community.
Forward-Looking Statements
This announcement contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those discussed. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, the reaction of the users and suppliers of Baazee.com to the transaction, the future growth of Baazee.com's services, the reaction of competitors and regulatory authorities to the transaction, foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, and political, economic, and security developments in, or affecting, India. The closing of the transaction is subject to certain closing conditions. More information about potential factors which could affect eBay's business and financial results is included in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003, and the company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. All forward looking statements are based on information available to eBay on the date hereof, and the company assumes no obligation to update such statements.
Fool.com: eBay Bids on India [Motley Fool Take] June 23, 2004
Fool.com: eBay Bids on India [Motley Fool Take] June 23, 2004 says:
eBay Bids on India
By Alyce Lomax
June 23, 2004
eBay (Nasdaq: EBAY) is the latest of the large Internet companies to make a move into a country with a vast population and substantial growth potential. Today, the company said it's purchasing Baazee.com, an online auctioneer stationed in India.
This is, of course, a good way for eBay to ensure a foothold in an international market set for growth. Motley Fool Stock Advisor pick eBay will buy Baazee.com -- which currently has 1 million registered users and is considered the largest online marketplace in India -- for $50 million in a transaction during the third quarter that is not expected to have an impact on the former's financial results for the year.
Today's move is a bit of a departure from the recent "China trend" from Internet heavyweights. Just last week, Google said it would acquire a stake in Chinese search site Baidu, while Yahoo! (Nasdaq: YHOO) announced the launch of Chinese search portal Yisou.
That's some exciting stuff, especially since China boasted 79.5 million Internet users at the end of 2003 -- second only to the U.S. in terms of people surfing the Internet.
Of course, eBay has already done a bit of a land grab in China by acquiring a Chinese company called EachNet. However, for all the recent excitement about China and the Internet, the fact remains that operating in that country can be rather risky. Take into consideration the warnings in eBay's SEC filings concerning that country's regulations, which breed some degree of uncertainty.
In some ways, then, India may be a less risky environment. (For some background on the country and its economy, click here.) On the other hand, when it comes to being wired to begin with, India has grown slower than China. According to eBay's press announcement, IDC data suggests that 17 million Indians are Internet capable at the moment, a number that is expected to increase to 30 million by 2006.
India, of course, is a hot spot in the current outsourcing debate. Regardless of how you feel about the topic, the flow of jobs to India is creating opportunities for U.S. companies and their services. Today's move gets eBay in on the ground floor of a country with an economy that's developing and arguably well aligned with what eBay provides. This deal also seems a small price to pay to further eBay's pleasant brand of world domination.
eBay is a longtime Motley Fool Stock Advisor stock. What other stocks do the brothers Gardner bet will make big gains? Try it for six months, risk-free. Then, talk to interested Fools about eBay's chances in India on the eBay discussion board.
Alyce Lomax does not own shares of any companies mentioned.
eBay Bids on India
By Alyce Lomax
June 23, 2004
eBay (Nasdaq: EBAY) is the latest of the large Internet companies to make a move into a country with a vast population and substantial growth potential. Today, the company said it's purchasing Baazee.com, an online auctioneer stationed in India.
This is, of course, a good way for eBay to ensure a foothold in an international market set for growth. Motley Fool Stock Advisor pick eBay will buy Baazee.com -- which currently has 1 million registered users and is considered the largest online marketplace in India -- for $50 million in a transaction during the third quarter that is not expected to have an impact on the former's financial results for the year.
Today's move is a bit of a departure from the recent "China trend" from Internet heavyweights. Just last week, Google said it would acquire a stake in Chinese search site Baidu, while Yahoo! (Nasdaq: YHOO) announced the launch of Chinese search portal Yisou.
That's some exciting stuff, especially since China boasted 79.5 million Internet users at the end of 2003 -- second only to the U.S. in terms of people surfing the Internet.
Of course, eBay has already done a bit of a land grab in China by acquiring a Chinese company called EachNet. However, for all the recent excitement about China and the Internet, the fact remains that operating in that country can be rather risky. Take into consideration the warnings in eBay's SEC filings concerning that country's regulations, which breed some degree of uncertainty.
In some ways, then, India may be a less risky environment. (For some background on the country and its economy, click here.) On the other hand, when it comes to being wired to begin with, India has grown slower than China. According to eBay's press announcement, IDC data suggests that 17 million Indians are Internet capable at the moment, a number that is expected to increase to 30 million by 2006.
India, of course, is a hot spot in the current outsourcing debate. Regardless of how you feel about the topic, the flow of jobs to India is creating opportunities for U.S. companies and their services. Today's move gets eBay in on the ground floor of a country with an economy that's developing and arguably well aligned with what eBay provides. This deal also seems a small price to pay to further eBay's pleasant brand of world domination.
eBay is a longtime Motley Fool Stock Advisor stock. What other stocks do the brothers Gardner bet will make big gains? Try it for six months, risk-free. Then, talk to interested Fools about eBay's chances in India on the eBay discussion board.
Alyce Lomax does not own shares of any companies mentioned.
PhotoBlogging
Two of the same picture on the same page! Do I look as if I am wasting space in publishing the same file twice and displaying it in different ways?!? Nope! This is when I start PhotoBlogging and the Blog below this is my first photo blog and a reason to shift to blog*spot's servers from my alternateplanet.net web-space for a few weeks (or may be more...)
and... by the way... say Hello and Meet BloggerBot.
and... by the way... say Hello and Meet BloggerBot.
Tuesday, June 22, 2004
sheru dada
sheru dada: "sabhi bhai log ko mera namaskar aur unki beheno ko mera pyaar. bole to, apun idhar aa gayela hai to sab ko following kaam karne ka:
jyaada aawaj nai karneka aur roj saalam thokneka, bolbachchan nai marneka aur pyaar se rahene ka, ladka hai to raag deneka aur ladki hai to pyaar deneka, aur kabhi bhi hafta deneko nai bhoolneka. okay, to tension nai leneka aur chup chap so jaaneka.
abhi to jaarela hoon, lekin waapis jaroor aaoonga. chal e bye bye, bole to gud ki night"
-----
a direct lift from Shreyas Thaker's blog on the URL above using BlogThis! on the google toolbar.
jyaada aawaj nai karneka aur roj saalam thokneka, bolbachchan nai marneka aur pyaar se rahene ka, ladka hai to raag deneka aur ladki hai to pyaar deneka, aur kabhi bhi hafta deneko nai bhoolneka. okay, to tension nai leneka aur chup chap so jaaneka.
abhi to jaarela hoon, lekin waapis jaroor aaoonga. chal e bye bye, bole to gud ki night"
-----
a direct lift from Shreyas Thaker's blog on the URL above using BlogThis! on the google toolbar.
Monday, June 21, 2004
SAP to launch a New SAP Service Marketplace and SAP Support Portal
SAP is coming up with a new SAP Service Marketplace release to go-live on June 27, 2004 with a new, harmonized layout and navigation structure, providing SAP customers, partners, and prospects with a central point of access to SAP's entire portfolio via the Internet.
It says, The new release/look is necessitated by the recent growth in size and complexity of the SAP Service Marketplace and the current trend towards portals catering to the needs of specific target groups has made it increasingly difficult for users to find what they are looking for quickly and easily. The SAP Service Marketplace team has therefore devised a new concept for the SAP Service Marketplace to align it more closely with the needs and requirements of its many different users.
The New Layout will have areas like:
Solution Details,
Education,
Consulting, etc
The entire content of the SAP Service Marketplace is now divided into individual portals - including
SAP Support Portal,
SAP Developer Network,
SAP Partner Portal,
SMB Portal,
SAP Help Portal,
SAP Community
- and an area containing the categories
Solutions in Detail,
Consulting,
Education,
Communities for user groups, and
SAP's Media Library.
i.e: A single-new SAP Service Marketplace index page will act as a gateway to all these portals rather than the user having to type the URL's individually.
----
All the above facts are,as reported by SAP the current SAP Service Marketplace and may be © Copyright SAP AG.
It says, The new release/look is necessitated by the recent growth in size and complexity of the SAP Service Marketplace and the current trend towards portals catering to the needs of specific target groups has made it increasingly difficult for users to find what they are looking for quickly and easily. The SAP Service Marketplace team has therefore devised a new concept for the SAP Service Marketplace to align it more closely with the needs and requirements of its many different users.
The New Layout will have areas like:
Solution Details,
Education,
Consulting, etc
The entire content of the SAP Service Marketplace is now divided into individual portals - including
SAP Support Portal,
SAP Developer Network,
SAP Partner Portal,
SMB Portal,
SAP Help Portal,
SAP Community
- and an area containing the categories
Solutions in Detail,
Consulting,
Education,
Communities for user groups, and
SAP's Media Library.
i.e: A single-new SAP Service Marketplace index page will act as a gateway to all these portals rather than the user having to type the URL's individually.
----
All the above facts are,as reported by SAP the current SAP Service Marketplace and may be © Copyright SAP AG.
Sunday, May 30, 2004
30/5 - Nürburgring, Germany - Who else but schumi...
hey! He's done it again!
he's finished on the top rung of the podium six times out of seven races this year - unlucky to make a new record of six consecutive wins but firming up his position as the number one driver this year with his 76th win of the career.
Barrichello was amazing - as good as anyone on the track, finishing second, giving Ferrari a total of 106 points for this years Constructors Championship.
Button, I believe, was just plain lucky after doing good laps with great consistence which finally paid in the end earning him the last place on the podium.
just wondering... what if there were three ferrari cars on track? ;)
competition anyone?!?!?!
he's finished on the top rung of the podium six times out of seven races this year - unlucky to make a new record of six consecutive wins but firming up his position as the number one driver this year with his 76th win of the career.
Barrichello was amazing - as good as anyone on the track, finishing second, giving Ferrari a total of 106 points for this years Constructors Championship.
Button, I believe, was just plain lucky after doing good laps with great consistence which finally paid in the end earning him the last place on the podium.
just wondering... what if there were three ferrari cars on track? ;)
competition anyone?!?!?!
Objects in the rear view mirror...
...appear closer than they are, and I guess, it's going to be the same when I look back at my day's with mfi. I have been on the project for almost a year now and it has been a very enriching experience to work for such a respectable company.
Thanks a lot to the Infrastructure team, whose part I have been all this long, in making this an unforgettable assignment.
It is an emotive decision to move on and I sincerely wish you all the best with your efforts for this and future projects.
I am contactable on tarunbulchandani@hotmail or on 079 57 97 94 63.
- Tarun.
------------------------------------------------------------------
my last e-mail on the mfi project...
Thanks a lot to the Infrastructure team, whose part I have been all this long, in making this an unforgettable assignment.
It is an emotive decision to move on and I sincerely wish you all the best with your efforts for this and future projects.
I am contactable on tarunbulchandani@hotmail or on 079 57 97 94 63.
- Tarun.
------------------------------------------------------------------
my last e-mail on the mfi project...
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