Brian White
Oklahoma City, OK -
Brian White is a strong advocate of value investing and index funds, but has known to hold an equity or two from time to time. Financially speaking, he's covered the Fortune 500 for six years in various reporting and writing positions and currently owns a business consulting company. Additionally, Mr. White holds BA and MBA degrees.
FeedPosted Sep 10th 2010 2:30PM by Brian White (RSS feed)
Filed under: Good news, Apple Inc (AAPL), Verizon Communications (VZ)
It's a forgone conclusion that Apple (AAPL) has been the savior of AT&T (T) for the past few years. Little did any of the wireless companies know that Apple's various iPhone models would change the face of the wireless phone industry and sell millions and millions.
And the thing just turned three years old. Is there pent-up demand, though, to use the iPhone on different networks than AT&T (at least, in the U.S.)?
Continue reading Apple's Banner Year Is 2011 -- with Verizon Wireless
Posted Sep 10th 2010 11:20AM by Brian White (RSS feed)
Filed under: Consumer Experience, Competitive Strategy, Ford Motor (F)
While Ford Motor (F) has been busy integrating the Sync hands-free entertainment system into many of its passenger car lines in recent years, most other auto manufacturers have been late to the game. That is, until now. After all, we're all connected 24/7 by laptops, netbooks, iPads, iPhones and other smartphones -- why should the car be any different?
The voice-activated music and wireless phone technology already exists in $500 smartphones -- why aren't automakers taking a lead in integrating more tech into vehicles? That's a question Ford answered years ago and GM is just now -- after a tumultuous few years -- finally realizing.
Continue reading GM and Ford to Compete for the More Connected Car
Posted Aug 2nd 2010 6:30PM by Brian White (RSS feed)
Filed under: Competitive Strategy, Sprint Nextel Corp (S), Best Buy (BBY)

Now that Best Buy Co., Inc. (
BBY) has made mobile a clear strategic priority for the largest consumer electronics retailer in the U.S., why not private label a broadband internet service and sell it? That's precisely what Best Buy is doing with Clearwire Corporation (
CLWR), as it is taking the latter's 4G wireless nationwide network and branding its "Best Buy Connect" with that network.
Continue reading Best Buy to Resell Clearwire's Mobile Broadband
Posted Aug 2nd 2010 5:30PM by Brian White (RSS feed)
Filed under: Competitive Strategy, Microsoft (MSFT)
After watching Apple, Inc. (AAPL) jet past them in market capitalization last month, Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) has to be wondering what will come next -- more quarterly revenue? While that didn't happen with the latest set of financials, Redmond is probably asking "not if, but when." Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, although dismissive of the Apple iPad originally, has seen his rival now sell more then three million of them.
Continue reading Microsoft's Ballmer: Tablet Computers a Top Issue for Us
Posted Jul 21st 2010 4:00PM by Brian White (RSS feed)
Filed under: Bad News, Competitive Strategy, Sirius Satellite Radio (SIRI)

When XM Radio and Sirius radio
decided to merge a few years ago, it was most likely the only survival strategy left for long-term viability of both companies. Satellite radio subscriptions were not growing at a pace needed for consistent growth, and having a unified front to partner with automakers for satellite radio in new cars was becoming all-important. Fast forward to 2010, and smartphones are taking over from standard cellphones. Herein lies a huge problem for Sirius moving forward: competing with internet radio that's personalized and on-demand.
If you own an iPhone or Google-powered Android phone, the amount of customized radio-type listening services is almost limitless. For iPhone and Android, the ever-popular Pandora becomes your own radio station with only the artists you like. Download the Stitcher app for Android or iPhone and you have popular radio programs (Fox Radio, CNN, more) and podcasts available at any time. Even though Sirius has apps for its satellite radio service on popular smartphone platforms, will customers pay for it with so many other options only a download away?Continue reading Should Sirius XM Radio Be Worried About Internet Radio On Smartphones?
Posted Jul 21st 2010 10:00AM by Brian White (RSS feed)
Filed under: Competitive Strategy, Dell (DELL)

Dell (
DELL), which was bumped from its number two spot by Taiwan's Acer in 2009 to become the third-largest PC maker worldwide, might have reclaimed its old place during the second quarter. Market research firm IDC indicated that the race for second place (behind leader Hewlett-Packard) was indeed secured by Dell, however rival research firm Gartner said that Acer
kept its lead over Dell in the Q2 period.
Continue reading Does Dell Still Lag Behind Acer in PC Shipments?
Posted Jul 14th 2010 5:00PM by Brian White (RSS feed)
Filed under: Competitive Strategy, Apple Inc (AAPL)

Apple, Inc. (
AAPL) may be in the midst of a PR crisis with its newest iPhone, but that doesn't mean the company isn't stronger as it's ever been. The company's release of the iPhone 4 makes that device quite possibly the fastest-selling in the company's history. Every time Apple thinks it cannot outperform itself, it does. Still, will this euphoria be short-lived? If so, one company will reap the benefits: Google.
Continue reading Apple: Repeating the Mistakes From The 80s?
Posted Jul 13th 2010 11:20AM by Brian White (RSS feed)
Filed under: Competitive Strategy, Wal-Mart (WMT)
Walmart (WMT) seems to have the big-box retail format cornered. It is growing sales faster than the competition, is expanding internationally with success and seems to be able to do no wrong (albeit with a few small sidesteps).
Shares haven't really done much in recent years, closing yesterday right above $50 after sitting in $40 land for much of the past three years. About this time last year, shares were on a trajectory to hit $60 -- which they made before declining again.
Continue reading Walmart's 'Small Box' Strategy Moving Forward
Posted Jul 6th 2010 5:30PM by Brian White (RSS feed)
Filed under: Bad News, Consumer Experience, Dell (DELL)
Dell, Inc. (DELL) is coming under fire for allegedly selling defective PCs full of faulty electronics. The Round Rock, Tex. company supposedly knew of technical problems in many of its corporate-level personal computers, but sold them anyway and deflected issues when customers started complaining.
Continue reading Dell Defends Its Practice of Shipping Faulty PCs
Posted Jul 6th 2010 4:40PM by Brian White (RSS feed)
Filed under: Management, Wal-Mart (WMT)
Former Target Corporation (TGT) merchandising chief and current Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (WMT) merchandising chief John Fleming will be leaving the world's largest retailer come August. The retailing veteran succumbed to four straight quarters of declining same-store sales, and made the personal decision to leave the company. In all fairness, would any merchandising chief had fared any better through the recent economic recession, even as Walmart fared well among all retailers?
Continue reading Walmart Marketing Chief John Fleming to Leave Company
Posted Jul 2nd 2010 6:30PM by Brian White (RSS feed)
Filed under: Industry
Nissan has launched one of the first interactive iAd mobile marketing campaigns for the new Apple, Inc. (AAPL) iPhone 4, and it's taking the chance to promote its new all-electric Leaf passenger car. Although hybrid vehicles have been around in the U.S. for years (think Toyota Prius), all-electric cars have been limited to those teeny-tiny, mileage-limited vehicles. Nissan wants to change that with the four-door Leaf sedan.
Continue reading Nissan to Open U.S.-Based Electric Car Assembly Plant
Posted Jul 2nd 2010 5:00PM by Brian White (RSS feed)
Filed under: Competitive Strategy, Microsoft (MSFT)
Much has been written in recent years about the waning relevance of the world's largest software company, Microsoft Corporation (MSFT). The cancellation of some of Microsoft's mobile efforts just this week, after two short months, as well as seeming uncertainty about its overall strategy outside operating system and productivity software, has made its stock languish for years.
Continue reading Microsoft's Still-King Relevancy in Tech: By the Numbers
Posted Jul 1st 2010 1:10PM by Brian White (RSS feed)
Filed under: Products and Services, Management, eBay (EBAY)
Where is eBay (EBAY) going these days? Sure, the online auctioneer has the same brand power it's had for years, but the transition to bulk discounter from garage-sale auction house hasn't really occurred like CEO John Donahoe wanted it to.
Instead, we see eBay's marketplace still filled with one-off auctions for all kinds of goods (and junk trading hands) along with thousands of Chinese-based bulk sellers selling everything for a few dollars each.
Continue reading eBay's Turnaround Stalls, Along with Stock's Upward Mobility
Posted Jul 1st 2010 10:00AM by Brian White (RSS feed)
Filed under: Employees, Best Buy (BBY)
Best Buy (BBY) is living on cloud nine these days. It's principal competitor, Circuit City, went belly-up over a year ago and retailing behemoth Walmart (WMT) still can't match (yet) Best Buy's consumer electronics product depth or presentation. That doesn't mean Best Buy's aggressive moves into mobile and services are the only two legs the retailing giant is relying on.
The retailer's moves into mall kiosks and nontraditional retail areas is helping attract more female shoppers, something the traditional consumer electronics retail segments largely forgets. While Best Buy sells 22% of the consumer electronics products in the U.S., only 16% of women buy their consumer electronics there.
Continue reading Best Buy Dishes More Power to Female Employees to Goose Sales
Posted Jun 21st 2010 12:10PM by Brian White (RSS feed)
Filed under: Competitive Strategy, Dell (DELL)
Dell's (DELL) lack of good press these days centers around what could be considered a tired game of "me too" in the consumer electronics business combined with the relatively banal business of corporate IT. Even so, the Round Rock, Tex., company has its head in the clouds in a good way.
Dell's bet in the clouds is part of a strategy to revive its stock price from the doldrums of sub-$20s it has languished in for years. While keeping its status quo in the PC and server business -- and losing some of its shirt to HP (HPQ) and Acer -- the company needs to lead in a hit area. Selling a billion or so in goods for high-end server farms specifically targeting the delivery and interaction of high-tech games to game addicts seems like a great area to target.
Continue reading Dell Places Some Bets on 'Cloud Gaming'
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