Mobile Point View by Paul Ruppert

One Year in my Blog Life: Keeping Score at Mobile Point View

Readers from 128 Countries

Journalistic cycles  are often driven by calender milestones so today I celebrate my first anniversary as a blogger--albeit it slightly tardy. 

I started Mobile Point View in April of 2007 primarily to frame and define my "personal brand", project and shape awareness of my industry perspective, e.g. my "thought leadership", and keep my eye  focused on the mobile industry and global business trends with a discipline to discuss my views.

Along the journey I found it also fed internal motivations such as a love/hate relationship with writting, and my wonderlust for "Adventure Roads" and "Adventure Capitalism." Plus, it feeds my spirit to learn more about other cultures and keep my skills sharp in making connections--both technical and human.  I've been told I've got a combinatorial world view which my blogging reflects, being part travelogue, wireless industry plus global commerce analysis, and my passionate interest in high growth markets such as China, Africa, and the Middle East.

Recognitions & Connections

An unexpected turn along the path has been the recognition of my views by technoscenti like Om Malik of DigOm, Gerry Purdee of Forrester Research and mobilista Rudy De Waele. A surprising approach by Mobile Messaging 2.0 to contribute to that corporate sponsored blog has led to additional "thought leadership" and recently my being tapped to be the Managing Editor of Mobile Messaging 2.0. So now I'm a "professional" journalist, meaning my meanderings drive revenue.

Another unexpected consequence of having a cyberspace billboard has been the people I've become acquainted with--gratifyingly in other countries, who have graciously shared their time, interests and expertise with me by reaching out and establishing a connection, especially Lars in Tokyo, Ben in Beijing, Mikki in Hong Kong, Tarek in Egypt, Feng in Beijing, James in London, and Mohammed in Iraq. Reflecting a modicum of success, the connectedness of the mobile industry and power of the internet, the number of others who I have met at conferences who entered a conversation with "I know you, I've read your blog!" has been surprising and energizing.

What I'm most proud of is being relevant and interesting to readers from 128 countries.   

After a year of blogging, I've got a slurry of mixed metrics on total visits (over 100,000 ), page views, time on blog, google juice, etc., but the one which I'm most proud of is the reflection of my reach and global view point.   Sidebar: Visit: Global Point View Ltd. my umbrella company which I consult under while looking for my next industry job. Having readers from so many countries reflects my purpose, passion and pursuits to illuminate the power of the mobile industry and its fundamentally global characteristics. 

Interesting Quirks of Where My Readers Are 

Some interesting aspects of my readership include:  9,600 visits from readers in India, 900 visits from readers in Pakistan, 30 visits from readers in Myanmar, over 740 visits from readers in Iran, and 400 vistis from readers in Nepal. I've got one regular reader in Foggaret el Arab, in the dead middle of Algeria and a population of 4,300. The snowiest reader must be in Bathurst Inlet, Nunavut, Canada--probably someone visiting the Lodge.

I guess that reflects the power of the web, the strength of interest in mobile communications, and once in a while my ability to strike a chord which resonates with a variety of people in diverse international locations. 

Here's a tally of reader countries as of June 2008

A Year in the Blog Life
	Visitors from 128 Countires
Americas (25)	Europe (40)	Asia (26)	Middle East (11)	Africa (26)
US	UK	Australia	Afghanistan	Algeria
Barbados	Andorra	Bangladesh	Bahrain	Botswana
Bolivia	Aserbaijian	Brunei	Egypt	Cameroon
Brazil	Austria	Cambodia	Iran	Canary Islands
Canada	Azores	China	Iraq	Cote D'Ivoire
Cayman Islands	Belgium	Fiji	Israel	Djibouti
Chile	Bosnia	Guam	Jordan	Ethopia
Columbia	Bulgaria	Hong Kong	Kuwait	Gambia
Costa Rica	Czech Republic	India	Oman	Ghana
Dominican Republic	Denmark	Indonesia	Qatar	Libya
Ecuador	Estonia	Japan	UAE	Madagasacar
Grenada	Faeroe  Islands	Kazakhsatan	Yemen	Mali
Guatemala	Finland	Korea		Mauritius
Haiti	France	Laos		Moambique
Honduras	Georgia	Malaysia		Moldova
icaragua	Germany	Marutius		Morocco
Jamiaca	Gibraltar	Myanmar		Mutitania
Martinique	Greece	Nepal		Nigeria
Mexico	Iceland	New Zealand		S. Africa
Paraguay	Ireand	Pakistan		Senegal
Peru	Italy	Philippines		Sudan
Puerto Rico	Latvia	Singapore		Swaziland
St. Vincent	Lichtenstein	Taiwan		Tanzania
Trinidad	Lithuania	Tajikistan		Togo
Urguay	Luxemburg	Thailand		Tunisia
Venezuela	Macedonia	Uzbekistan		Uganda
	Mallorca	Vietnam		Zaire
	Malta
	Monaco
	Netherlands
	Norway
	Poland
	Portugal
	Romania
	Russia
	Serbia
	Spain
	Sweden
	Switzerland
	Turkey
	Ukraine

China Cutting into Microsoft's Bid for Yahoo?

According to Zaobao.com, Beijing is looking to intervene into Microsoft's acquisition of Yahoo by asking Chinese online e-commerce service provider Alibaba to provide detailed information on the acquisition and by keeping a close watch on the process of the acquisition as well as its possible influence on Alibaba and its impact on the Chinese internet market.

Red Hottest rumor coming out of China is that the Chinese government is intruding into Microsoft's  bid for Yahoo by requesting Alibaba, China's e-commerce giant, to proffer information on the potential acquisition's impact on Alibaba and to exert some influence on the possible acquisition. Yahoo is a significant shareholder of Alibaba, and the rumor is that the Chinese government has contacted Alibaba in the hope of knowing about the influence of Microsoft's acquisition of Yahoo on Alibaba.

Chinese government types are not keen on a having a foreign company potentially controlling or influencing the Great Firewall of China, hand on the till of filtering content, so they are concerned about maintaining local management control of Alibaba.  But, the government may have to stay on the bench until the playing pitch is changed as a result of China's Anti-monopolization Law not taking effect until August 1, 2008. Until then the Chinese government is powerless if Microsoft is able to execute the purchase before then.

Another blame China brewing in the winds?

You, there. What do you think...is the Chinese government really that keen about the acquisition of Yahoo by Microsoft? Are they that paranoid, do they really have a chance, or is this just the usual "stir the drink about China" to get some coverage? Comments are readily appreciated!

Top 20 Competitive Nations

Most Economicially Competitive Countries

1. US
2. Switzerland
3. Denmark
4. Sweden
5. Germany
6. Finland
7. Singapore
8. Japan
9. Uk
10. Netherlands
11. Korea
12. Hong Kong
13. Canada
14. Taiwan
15. Austria
16. Norway
17. Israel
18. France
19. Australia
20. Belgium

Source: Global Competitiveness report 2007-2008, World Economic Forum

Asian M&A Leads US & Europe

Asian growth in M&A activity exceeded the traditional leaders of N. America and Europe for October 007, illuminating the global credit tightening, according to Thomson Financial. Total number of Asian M&A deals (excluding Japan) announced in October rose 53.8 % over the September pace, ahead of Europe’s 52.1 % month-to-month increase. The Americas, in trailing contrast, showed a monthly increase of just 18.7 %. Overall for the year Europe still drives the majority of deal clinching – 47 % – with the Americas accounting for 32 % and Asia 21 %,  according to Thomson.

Top 100 Countries Competing: World Economic Forum Report

The World Economic Forum has released its annual "Global Competitiveness Report" on national competitiveness. Noteworthy is that 14% of the Top 100 countries are Asian, and that the US has regained the #1 status after slipping second to Switzerland last year. Beyond the competitive standings, the US falls to 9 in "technology readiness" but gets back to #1 for "Innovation."  Big China's innovation ranking is #34 with tiny Singapore as #7 and only slightly larger Hong Kong is #12. Singapore slips to 11 (7/11) in innovation while Hong Kong drops to 23.

Funfact is that Turkey's overall ranking (53) is the same as its Technology Readiness and Innovation factors, the only country to hit the same mark in the Top 100. Here's a list of the top 100 countries competitiveness correlated against technical readiness and innovation.

Those countries in bold are where I've had the opportunity to do business in.

Country	Overall Ranking	Technology Readiness	Innvoation
United States	1	9	1
Switzerland	2	3	2
Denmark	3	5	10
Sweden	4	1	6
Germany	5	21	7
Finland	6	11	3
Singapore	7	12	11
Japan	8	20	4
United Kingdom	9	16	14
Netherlands	10	4	13
Korea, Rep.	11	7	8
Hong Kong SAR	12	6	23
Canada	13	13	12
Taiwan, China	14	15	9
Austria	15	18	15
Norway	16	8	18
Israel	17	14	5
France	18	22	17
Australia	19	17	22
Belgium	20	24	16
Malaysia	21	30	21
Ireland	22	25	19
Iceland	23	2	20
New Zealand	24	23	25
Luxembourg	25	10	24
Chile	26	42	45
Estonia	27	19	31
Thailand	28	45	36
Spain	29	28	39
Kuwait	30	47	68
Qatar	31	39	43
Tunisia	32	52	26
Czech Republic	33	35	27
China	34	73	38
Saudi Arabia	35	50	49
Puerto Rico	36	26	29
United Arab Emirates	37	33	52
Lithuania	38	38	48
Slovenia	39	29	30
Portugal	40	31	33
Slovak Republic	41	36	51
Oman	42	68	34
Bahrain	43	37	98
South Africa	44	46	32
Latvia	45	40	77
Italy	46	27	47
Hungary	47	41	37
India	48	62	28
Jordan	49	63	55
Barbados	50	34	56
Poland	51