Microsoft, Salesforce.com Join $5.3 Billion Informatica Buyout

Computer World | Katherine Noyes | August 7
http://www.computerworld.com/article/2960729/enterprise-applications/microsoft-salesforcecom-join-53-billion-informatica-buyout.html
“Data-integration giant Informatica has made itself a private company in a $5.3 billion deal that includes investments from Microsoft and Salesforce.com. The deal, said to be the biggest leveraged buyout this year, means Informatica’s stock ceased trading on the Nasdaq on Thursday. In exchange, Informatica stockholders are getting $48.75 per share in cash. It’s part of a trend in which companies have been taking themselves private to make themselves more competitive. Dell, Tibco Software, Riverbed and Compuware have all made similar moves.”

 

5 Key Traits of Startup and Innovation-Friendly Cities

Forbes | Federico Guerrini | August 7
http://www.forbes.com/sites/federicoguerrini/2015/08/07/5-key-traits-of-startup-and-innovation-friendly-cities/
“Earlier this year, UK based innovation charity NESTA, together with Accenture and Future Catapults, released CITIE (City Initiatives for Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship), an in-depth report aimed to help policy makers create the best possible environment for innovation and entrepreneurship in urban contexts.”

 

Microsoft Will Now Offer 12 Weeks of Paid Leave for New Moms and Dads

Puget Sound Business Journal | Greg Lamm | August 7
http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/blog/techflash/2015/08/microsoft-will-now-offer-12-weeks-of-paid-leave.html

“Microsoft is extending full paid parental leave to 12 weeks for new mothers and fathers as part of a set of enhanced policies the Redmond company hopes will make it a friendlier workplace for young families. Microsoft’s new paid parental leave policy for its U.S. workforce is not as generous as Netflix’s unlimited parental leave, which went viral after the streaming video company announced it this week. But Kathleen Hogan, Microsoft’s executive vice president for human resources, said the enhanced perks allow Microsoft to offer the benefits that matter most to its workers.”

 

Video-game Enthusiasts Flock to Seattle for Biggest E-sports Event

Seattle Times | Matt Day | August 6
http://www.seattletimes.com/business/technology/video-game-enthusiasts-flock-to-seattle-for-biggest-e-sports-event/

“As many as 12,000 people descended on KeyArena this week to watch teams of professional gamers square off in the International Dota 2 tournament. At stake in Saturday’s final round is a $6.5 million prize, part of an $18 million purse, the largest in e-sports history. E-sports, as competitive video gaming is known, is big business and is now attracting the likes of Amazon and Microsoft. Increasingly, the Seattle area is a focus of the industry. Tournaments like this week’s will dish out a combined $71 million in prize money this year, industry tracker Newzoo estimates. The firm expects total global e-sports revenue to pass $250 million this year, fueled by sponsorship deals, sales of merchandise and advertising.”

 

Woman Behind #ILookLikeAnEngineer Says Campaign Against Gender Stereotypes Is ‘Long Overdue’

New York Times | Kathryn Varn | August 5
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/06/technology/hashtag-aims-to-break-gender-stereotypes-in-engineering.html

“What started as an employee recruitment campaign has become a social media movement for women aiming to break stereotypes in the tech industry. Using the hashtag #ILookLikeAnEngineer, thousands of women have tweeted photos of themselves with explanations of the work they do as engineers. The hashtag caught fire over the weekend when Isis Wenger published a post on the website Medium about being featured in an ad campaign for OneLogin, the company she works for.”

 

White House Promotes Diversity at Demo Day

USA Today | Mike Snider | August 4
http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2015/08/04/white-house-promotes-diversity-demo-day/31095305/

“The White House on Tuesday became a technology incubator with a goal of increasing diversity and inclusion across the tech industry. President Obama hosted more than 30 companies and 90 entrepreneurs as part of the White House’s first Demo Day to showcase female- and minority-driven start-ups. The president also announced a public-private initiative aimed at spurring women and minority entrepreneurship.”