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☆ A top European software investor raises $700 million — defying the venture capital slump
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Dawn Capital, one of Europe's biggest backers of business-to-business software companies, raised $700 million in two new funds — doubling down on its bid to find technology champions in the region at a time when venture capital funding for tech startups has dwindled. "For us, the LP [limited partner] side, even those that weren't building programs in venture where lots of people felt historically, 18 months ago, they ought to be allocating a lot more to venture," Gubbins told CNBC in an interview. That meant a lot of funds could only reup with existing managers or those with high convictions." "It's the same as in those cycles where there is still capital out there, there are still investors investing. Dawn Capital plans to invest in 20 companies with the new funds, which is the firm's fifth to date.

Persons: Capital, Hannah Gubbins, Gubbins, Dawn Organizations: PayPal, Visa, Dawn Capital, CNBC, Capital, Dawn Locations: London

☆ I moved to Seattle for a high-paying tech job. It turned out to be the loneliest time of my life.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Aria Yang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Alexander Nguyen, a software engineer who moved from New York City to Seattle for a job at Amazon. It was his first job out of college, and he says it was the loneliest time of his life. Finally, after a three-month job search, things started looking up: I received a software-development-engineering job offer from Amazon in 2020. Back when I got the job at Amazon, all I was thinking about was my tech career and the $150,000 salary. Looking back now, I realize perhaps I should have looked a little bit harder for opportunities in New York before taking the first tech job that came my way.

Persons: Alexander Nguyen, Boba Guys, —, Alexander Nguyen Nobody, it'd, I've, It's, I'm, it's, you've, Aria Yang Organizations: New York University, White Oaks, Amazon, Facebook, University District, NYU, CS, Netflix, Microsoft, Google Locations: New York City, Seattle, Greenwich Village, University, San Francisco, New York, ayang@insider.com

☆ Oracle's post-earnings slide is 'one of the greatest overreactions' Cramer has seen. Here’s his advice on the stock
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Kevin Stankiewicz | In Kevinstankiewicz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The post-earnings sell-off in Oracle (ORCL) is overdone and a clear-cut buying opportunity, Jim Cramer said Tuesday. Still, Oracle delivered robust growth in cloud-computing services, making the stock's slide Tuesday "one of the greatest overreactions I've ever seen," according to Jim. We recognize the challenges facing other parts of Oracle's business, including Cerner and some of its traditional business software offerings. This mix enables us to view Tuesday's stock decline as another entry point, rather than a reason to walk out the door. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade.

Persons: Jim Cramer, Jim, we've, Cerner, Safra Catz, hasn't, Jim Cramer's, Brendan Mcdermid Organizations: Oracle, Club, Trust, CNBC, UBS, Barclays, Management, Oracle Corporation, New York Stock Exchange Locations: New York City, U.S

☆ Customer data, transactions, financials: Still reeling from the market implosion, VCs are demanding to see numbers to back up founder pitches
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Darius Rafieyan | Melia Russell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Founders say VCs are increasingly demanding detailed data and visibility into their startups before considering a deal. But some in the industry say that for early stage startups, a reliance on data can create an illusion of certainty. Half a dozen early stage startup founders tell Insider that gone are the days when a good idea and flashy pitch deck were enough to close a deal. He described it as looking for "the golden playbook for investing in early stage startups." For his part Hasan says that when speaking to potential investors, he views an obsession with financials and data as a red flag.

Persons: Miguel Guerrero, Guerrero, He's, Fahad Hassan, Hasan, Keyvan Firouzi, Firouzi, Jason Calacanis, it's, Dorothee Grant, Avante Price, James Cham, Cham, Hassan Organizations: IRL, Activant, Stanford, Carta, Investors, Bloomberg Beta Locations: New York

☆ Here's why Jim Cramer says wait to buy this AI software winner
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Kevin Stankiewicz | In Kevinstankiewicz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Shares of Adobe entered Tuesday's session up 11.5% since the Aug. 18 close, and now two Wall Street firms — BMO Capital Markets and Wells Fargo — hiked their price targets on Adobe stock, implying further upside ahead. Investors who are itching to buy Adobe (ADBE) should wait until the software maker reports quarterly results later this week, CNBC's Jim Cramer said Tuesday. "I think if you don't own Adobe by now, you might just want to wait." If you like this story, sign up for Jim Cramer's Top 10 Morning Thoughts on the Market email newsletter for free. "I think it's a really good company," added Cramer, who called Adobe the No.

Persons: Wells Fargo —, CNBC's Jim Cramer, Cramer, Jim Cramer's, — Organizations: Adobe, BMO Capital Markets, Wells, Oracle, Trust, CNBC, Club

☆ SAP buys software management company LeanIX
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

A logo on the SAP exhibition space at the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France June 15, 2022. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSTOCKHOLM, Sept 7 (Reuters) - German business software maker SAP (SAPG.DE) on Thursday said it has bought software management company LeanIX from investors to boost its business transformation portfolio. LeanIX investors include Insight Partners, Deutsche Telekom Capital Partners, Capnamic Ventures, Iris Capital, Goldman Sachs and Dawn CapitalThe transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Reporting by Supantha Mukherjee in Stockholm, editing by Terje SolsvikOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Benoit Tessier, Iris Capital, Goldman Sachs, Supantha Mukherjee, Terje Solsvik Organizations: Viva Technology, Porte de, REUTERS, Rights, SAP, Insight Partners, Deutsche Telekom Capital Partners, Capnamic Ventures, Iris, Dawn, Thomson Locations: Porte, Paris, France, Rights STOCKHOLM, Stockholm

Its shares had lost almost half their value in the last 12 months prior to news of its exploring a sale. The Irvine, California-based company is being advised by investment bank Qatalyst Partners on its discussions with potential acquirers, which include private equity firms, the sources said. Alteryx shares ended trading on Wednesday up 14% on the news at $34.58. In recent years, Alteryx has transitioned to a subscription-focused business model as part of a strategy to tap into growing demand for data analytics services. In its most recent quarter, Alteryx posted a net loss of $120 million due to higher sales and marketing expenses.

Persons: Alteryx, Dean Stoecker, Qatalyst, Milana Vinn, Nick Zieminski, Stephen Coates Organizations: Alteryx, Microsoft Corp, Oracle Corp, Qatalyst Partners, Insight Partners, Cola, Vodafone Plc, Walmart Inc, Ford Motor Company, North America, Thomson Locations: Irvine , California, Alteryx, New York

☆ Look beyond the 'Magnificent Seven' tech stocks, analyst says — and names 5 top picks
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Weizhen Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

When it comes to picking stocks, Hannah Gooch-Peters of asset management firm Sanlam Investments UK avoids chasing trends. She said she believes investors need to look beyond the "Magnificent Seven," referring to Apple , Amazon , Alphabet , Meta , Microsoft , Nvidia and Tesla — tech stocks that have made massive gains this year. Sanlam's $5 billion-plus Global High Quality Fund invests in global stocks with a "high quality bias." The companies her firm picks have rather low capital expenditure as a percentage of their sales, she said. It also has a "mortgage-signing technology service which is "really, really exciting," she said.

Persons: Hannah Gooch, Peters, Gooch, We're, it's, you've, That's Organizations: Sanlam Investments, Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, Tesla, CNBC, Quality Fund, Peters . Services, Yum Brands, KFC, Taco Bell, Intuit, SAP, Intercontinental Exchange, Samsung Electronics

☆ Salesforce rallies as profitability push pays off
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The company logo for Salesforce.com is displayed on the Salesforce Tower in New York City, U.S., March 7, 2019. Salesforce raised its annual forecast for adjusted operating margin on Wednesday to about 30% from 28%, with CFO Amy Weaver stressing the new figure "is a floor, not a ceiling". Wall Street analysts lauded the move, noting the benefits from an aggressive profitability push at a company that has traditionally focused on growing bigger through acquisitions. While the 11% rise in second-quarter revenue was much slower than historic growth rates of around 20% to 30%, the figure breezed past Wall Street expectations, and Salesforce also raised its annual revenue forecast. Salesforce trades at 25 times its forward 12 months earnings estimates, compared with the industry median of 15.14.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Salesforce, Amy Weaver, Marc Benioff, Raymond James said, Raymond James, Aditya Soni, Shounak Dasgupta Organizations: REUTERS, Wall Street, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Bengaluru

"This quarter puts Salesforce in a league of its own and isn't being appreciated nearly enough at these prices," Jim says. CRM YTD mountain Salesforce's year-to-date stock performance. That is likely why Salesforce stock traded at a valuation "well below" its peers, Smith argued at the time. For context, here's the full list of Salesforce peers included Starboard's presentation: Club holding Microsoft 's (MSFT) productivity and business processes segment, Adobe, Club holding Oracle (ORCL), Intuit (INTU), ServiceNow, Workday and SAP (SAP). Importantly, that $265 target is strictly the result of applying current average peer valuation to Salesforce's current growth/profit mix.

Persons: Marc Benioff, Jim Cramer, Jim, Salesforce, Jeff Smith —, Smith, Salesforce's, —, it's, Jim Cramer's, Patrick T Organizations: —, Club, ServiceNow, Adobe, Microsoft, Oracle, Intuit, SAP, CRM, CNBC, Salesforce.com Inc, Global Technology, Fallon, Bloomberg, Getty Locations: That's, TurboTax, Salesforce's, Laguna Beach , California, U.S

☆ Salesforce lifts annual forecast as business software demand stays strong
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Zaheer Kachwala | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Benoit Tessier Acquire Licensing RightsAug 30 (Reuters) - Salesforce (CRM.N) raised its annual revenue forecast on Wednesday and projected quarterly sales above estimates as it benefits from a recent price hike and resilient demand for its cloud and business software offerings in an uncertain economy. The company expects revenue to be between $8.70 billion and $8.72 billion in the third quarter, compared with estimates of $8.66 billion, according to Refinitiv data. Its quarterly earnings per share forecast was also above estimates. Salesforce also bumped up its annual revenue forecast to between $34.7 billion and $34.8 billion, from the $34.5 billion to $34.7 billion range given in May. In the second quarter, revenue came in at $8.60 billion, beating expectations of $8.53 billion.

Persons: Porte, Benoit Tessier, Salesforce, Slack, Einstein, Marc Benioff, Charlie Miner, Zaheer Kachwala, Maju Samuel Organizations: Viva Technology, Porte de, REUTERS, Google, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, Bengaluru

☆ Salesforce forecasts third-quarter revenue above estimates
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A logo of Salesforce is seen at its exhibition space, at the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France June 16, 2022. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier Acquire Licensing RightsAug 30 (Reuters) - Salesforce (CRM.N) projected third-quarter revenue above Wall Street estimates on Wednesday as it benefits from a recent price hike and resilient demand for its cloud and business software offerings in an uncertain economy. The company said it expects revenue to be between $8.70 billion and $8.72 billion in the current quarter, compared with estimates of $8.66 billion, according to Refinitiv data. Salesforce has also tried to buttress demand by rolling out artificial intelligence offerings such as Tableau and Slack, after it invested billions of dollars over the past few years in developing such tools. Reporting by Zaheer Kachwala in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju SamuelOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Porte, Benoit Tessier, Salesforce, Zaheer Kachwala, Maju Samuel Organizations: Viva Technology, Porte de, REUTERS, Google, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, San Francisco, Bengaluru

☆ Google's AI feature in Gmail and productivity apps will cost big businesses $30 a month per user
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The technology — called Duet AI — will cost just as much as Microsoft's 365 Copilot enhancements, which could become available in the first half of next year. Google began taking preorders for Duet AI for Google Workspace at the $30 per user price in May, but didn't disclose it publicly, Pappu said. In Gmail and Google Docs, users can input a simple text prompt and tell Duet AI to produce a result. One early customer is lingerie brand Adore Me, where employees use Duet AI to prepare copy, a Google spokesperson said. A consumer version of Duet AI for Google Workspace should become available "early next year," Pappu said.

Persons: Sundar Pichai, —, ChatGPT chatbot, Aparna Pappu, Pappu, Redmond Organizations: Allen, Co . Media, Technology Conference, Google, Gmail, CNBC, Microsoft, Bing Locations: Sun Valley , Idaho, Redmond , Washington

☆ These are the top 10 things to watch in the stock market Tuesday
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Jeff Marks | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Oracle (ORCL) upgraded to buy from neutral at UBS with a price target of $140. Piper Sandler increases its Broadcom (AVGO) price target to $925 from $830 ahead of earnings Thursday after the bell. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB.

Persons: telco, Corie Barry, Piper Sandler, Bernstein, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim, Marlena Sloss Organizations: Oracle, UBS, Nvidia, Investing, Nasdaq, Verizon, Citi, underperform, Biden Administration, Medicare, pharma, DuPont, Broadcom, Jim Cramer's Charitable, CNBC, Bloomberg, Getty Locations: Airbnb, Salesforce, San Francisco , California

☆ This Ugandan earns a bonus for each person he gets to sign up for Sam Altman's eyeball-scanning crypto project
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

The business-to-business software firm, which has a market cap of $11.5 billion, gave users the option of logging in with their World ID beginning in June. Social media app Discord also uses World ID for verification. But ultimately, the foundation envisions a future where a World ID could be used to facilitate nationwide votes, among other use cases involving banking and e-commerce. Ava Labs president John Wu tells CNBC that the self-custody feature of the Worldcoin ID is also critical. Despite his concerns, Mwangi ultimately chose to enroll in the project because he believed in the wider mission of the World ID.

Persons: Keneth Byarugaba, Byarugaba, Namureba Abel, Abel, Muvya Muthama, Muthama, Sam Altman, Peter Mwangi, I'm, Mwangi, They're, Worldcoin, John Wu, Wu, Ricardo Macieira, Annegret Hilse, hasn't, Byarugaba indoctrinates, it's, isn't, CNBC's Jordan Smith Organizations: Worldcoin, CNBC, cryptocurrency, Social, FBI, Reuters Locations: Uganda, Kampala, Nairobi, Kenya, web3, Chile, Europe, Berlin

☆ Monthly Meeting update: Jim Cramer says buy this cloud play and this industrial stock
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Jeff Marks | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

In an up-and-down market since our July Monthly Meeting, we added two stocks to our portfolio: an industrial name and an emerging cloud play. The business software giant is emerging as a cloud infrastructure name that has really come on as of late. For years, Oracle lagged behind the likes of Amazon Web Services, Azure, and Google Cloud, but the company hit a turning point when it launched its second-generation cloud infrastructure offering, called Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Generation 2, or OCI Gen 2, in the summer of 2020. Total cloud revenue growth surged to 54%, with 45% growth for Cloud Applications and 76% growth for Cloud Infrastructure. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade.

Persons: Jim Cramer, I'm, Ed Breen, DuPont, Rogers, Dupont, Jim Cramer's, Jim, Spencer Platt Organizations: Oracle, DuPont, Amazon Web Services, Google, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, Nvidia, Cloud Infrastructure, Management, Microsoft, Federal Reserve, Rogers Corporation, CNBC, Traders, New York Stock Exchange, Getty Locations: China, DowDuPont, New York City

☆ Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2023: Cramer initiates a position in this tech company
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Christina Falso | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2023: Cramer initiates a position in this tech companyJim Cramer and Jeff Marks discuss why they started a new position in a business software company. Jim talks about adding to one aerospace Club holding that has tumbled over the past three months. Finally, Jim and Jeff break down a cybersecurity stock ahead of the company's uncertain earnings report Friday after market close.

Persons: Cramer, Jim Cramer, Jeff Marks, Jim, Jeff Organizations: Club

For a long time, as those three companies moved first and established large initial market shares in the cloud, Oracle looked like it was being left behind. But the turning point was when Oracle launched its second-generation cloud infrastructure offering, called Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Generation 2, or OCI Gen 2, in the summer of 2020. In the second quarter of fiscal 2023 (the three months ended November 2022), Total Cloud revenue grew 43%, with 40% growth for Cloud Applications and 53% growth for Cloud Infrastructure. In the third quarter of fiscal 2023 (the three months ended February 2023), Total Cloud revenue accelerated back to 45%, with 42% growth for Cloud Applications and 55% growth for Cloud Infrastructure. Total Cloud revenue growth surged to 54% again, with 45% growth for Cloud Applications and 76% growth for Cloud Infrastructure.

Persons: Jim Cramer's, Jim, it's, Larry Ellison, Oracle, Microsoft —, we're, Jim Cramer, Justin Sullivan Organizations: Oracle, ORCL, Nasdaq, Amazon Web Services, Google, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, AWS, Nvidia, Cloud Infrastructure, Management, Microsoft, Charitable Trust, Club, APPLE, CNBC Locations: China, Redwood Shores , California

☆ Here's what you can do if you're looking to get into this leading cybersecurity stock
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Jeff Marks | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Every weekday the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer holds a "Morning Meeting" livestream at 10:20 a.m. We started a position in Oracle (ORCL), an established leader in business software that's really ramping up its cloud business. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER .

Persons: Jim Cramer, Stocks, Jim Cramer's, Jim Organizations: CNBC, Dow, Nasdaq, Amazon, Oracle, Amazon's, Google, Microsoft, Palo Alto Networks, Palo, Deutsche Bank Locations: China, Palo Alto

July 26 (Reuters) - Private equity firms Haveli Investments and General Atlantic have agreed to acquire business software vendor Certinia from Advent International for nearly $1 billion including debt, according to people familiar with the matter. Haveli, which was launched by former Vista Equity Partners president Brian Sheth, and General Atlantic will buy Advent's majority stake in Certinia as well as a minority stake held by Technology Crossover Ventures (TCV), the sources said. Haveli, General Atlantic and Advent declined to comment. Austin, Texas-based Haveli has invested in some technology ventures since it was launched by Sheth in 2021. Haveli has launched a fund seeking more than $3 billion for software deals, which will include this one.

Persons: Brian Sheth, Salesforce, Milana Vinn, Anirban Sen, Jamie Freed Organizations: Haveli Investments, General Atlantic, Advent International, Vista Equity Partners, Technology Crossover Ventures, Certinia, Siemens, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Cisco Systems, Philips, Sheth, Haveli, Apollo Global Management, Thomson Locations: Certinia, Haveli, General, Jose , California, Austin , Texas, New York

☆ ScorePlay, a sports media platform using AI, just raised $5 million in a round led by Alexis Ohanian's Seven Seven Six
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Riddhi Kanetkar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Lisbon and New York-based ScorePlay has secured a $5 million seed round from Seven Seven Six. A startup that has built a media operating system for sports has just raised $5 million in seed funding from Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian's Seven Seven Six. As a business-to-business software startup, ScorePlay makes its money by charging a monthly fee to organizations, depending on the range of services they use. The round was led by Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian's VC firm Seven Seven Six, which has previously backed climate tech Vaayu, and creator marketing platform PearPop. With the fresh funding, ScorePlay will grow its tech team so it can hone in on its enterprise offerings.

Persons: ScorePlay, Alexis Ohanian's Seven, Xavier Green, Lionel Messi, Declan Rice, Victorien Tixier, Alexis Ohanian's, Kevin Durant, Renaud Visage, Michael Philippe, Robin Sabban Organizations: Seven Seven, Premier League football, West Ham United, La Liga, Atlético de, Athletes, Seven, NBA, Tech Locations: Lisbon, New York, Atlético de Madrid, Manchester

☆ How Abu Dhabi's $276 billion Mubadala sovereign wealth fund is investing in software in the new age of AI
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Alistair Barr | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Ali Osman, head of technology and software investments at Abu Dhabi's giant Mubadala sovereign wealth fund, has invested steadily through it all and is not shying away from putting more money to work. He and his team focus on business software and specialize in private equity, making direct buyout investments and indirect bets through major PE firms. Osman works with many of the biggest and most successful PE firms in the tech space, including Thoma Bravo, TPG and Bain Capital. AI uncertainty and dataThe generative AI boom, and the rise of large language models, has introduced a major new variable to software investing. The other bottleneck is capital, basically the cash available to invest in software businesses.

Persons: Ali Osman, Mubadala, Osman, Thoma Organizations: Abu, Thoma Bravo, TPG, Bain Capital, Vista Equity Partners, PE Locations: Morocco, SalesLoft, mindspace

☆ SAP reports revenue growth of 5% in Q2, lowers cloud revenue forecast
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

July 20 (Reuters) - Business software maker SAP (SAPG.DE) reported second-quarter revenue growth of 5% on Thursday, in line with market expectations, boosted by its core cloud business. For the full year, it lowered its cloud revenue outlook to 14.0-14.2 billion euros ($15.59-$15.81 billion) from 14.0-14.4 billion, and slightly lifted its forecast for its non-IFRS operating profit to 8.65-8.95 billion euros from 8.6-8.9 billion. ($1 = 0.8980 euros)Reporting by Anna Mackenzie and Andrey Sychev, Editing by Kirsti KnolleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Anna Mackenzie, Andrey Sychev, Kirsti Organizations: SAP, Thomson

☆ Salesforce hires activist lawyer from Wachtell, Lipton as legal chief
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 17 (Reuters) - Salesforce (CRM.N) appointed Wachtell, Lipton's Sabastian Niles as its chief legal officer on Monday, months after the leading activist lawyer helped defend the business software provider against several hedge funds that had called for changes at the company. "I'm thrilled to welcome Sabastian to Salesforce as part of our world-class management team," CEO Marc Benioff said. Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz is a major law firm sought out by corporate America to handle merger deals as well as activist investment firms' push for changes. Niles spent nearly 17 years at the law firm, where he began his career as a summer associate after earning his law degree from Harvard, rising to become a partner. Niles was part of the team at Wachtell when it advised Salesforce after Starboard Value, ValueAct and Elliott Investment Management pressured it for making key changes earlier this year.

Persons: Wachtell, Lipton's Sabastian Niles, I'm, Marc Benioff, Lipton, Katz, Niles, Bill Ackman's, Jeffrey Ubben, Mason Morfit's, Salesforce, Svea Herbst, Bayliss, Yuvraj Malik, Vinay Dwivedi Organizations: Rosen, Harvard, Bill Ackman's Pershing, Capital Management, Elliott Investment Management, Svea, Thomson Locations: Salesforce, America, Wachtell, New York, Bengaluru

It can boost security, especially for small organizations that lack the resources to run their own IT or security departments. But competitors squeezed by Microsoft's security offering are sounding the alarm over how wide swaths of industry and government were effectively putting all their eggs in one basket. Adair said he understood that Microsoft wanted to make money from its premium security product. He noted that the hackers - which Microsoft nicknames Storm-0558 - were caught only because someone at the State Department with access to Microsoft's top-of-the-line logging noticed an anomaly in their forensic data. "Having Microsoft further empower customers and security companies so they can work together is probably the best way," Adair said.

Persons: Steven, Adair, Gina Raimondo, Microsoft, Ron Wyden, Redmond, Adam Meyers, CrowdStrike, Raphael Satter, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Microsoft, NASA, Reuters, U.S, State Department, Storm, Thomson Locations: cyberdefense, U.S, Washington

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