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GroupM was promised a destiny to Twitter and Foursquare. Like the latter, the start-up in New York was revealed at the conference Internet "South by Southwest," which was held in Texas in March. But barely a year after its creation, GroupM has already attracted the attention of the giants of the Internet and has just been bought by Skype for an estimated $ 80 million.

The operation allows the specialist to Internet telephony to build a niche in the amount of online communication: messages grouped. With services such as GroupM, users can create discussion groups on their mobile phone and communicate with others, forming "chatrooms" private SMS.In recent months, major Internet players have been enamored of such services, which range from communication, and coordination, like Facebook, which bought the Beluga service in March 2011, eight months after its creation. In addition, the social network launched mid-August, Facebook Messenger, a mobile instant messaging application.

For its part, Google has made this communication bundle a cornerstone of its community platform + Google launched in late June, with the "hangouts" spaces bundled instant messaging and video. Finally, as recently shown by the London riots, the BlackBerry is an actor to be reckoned with in this area, through its private courier BBM (BlackBerry Messenger). Now owns GroupM, Skype will better stand up to these types of communications fast cash without a hassle.

175 million monthly users of Skype

"Skype and GroupM have a common vision.GroupM's team has created a messaging experience incredibly attractive bundle that runs across the terminals and mobile platforms, making it a perfect complement in voice, video and text of the Skype family, "said Tony Bates, general manager of Skype, in a statement.

For Jared Hecht, co-founder Steve Martocci GroupM, "there is a natural affinity between Skype and GroupM.""Our goal is to continue to develop tools that allow people to easily communicate, share and keep in touch with their close relations and important," he said, arguing that integration with Skype would allow the start-up achieve its vision of "ten times faster."

The start-up is already looking forward to see the service offered to 175 million monthly users of Skype.

The acquisition of Skype by GroupM, which is the subject of discussion for several months, could also be beneficial to Microsoft. It announced the acquisition of Skype for $ 8.5 billion in May.While sentencing the operating system (OS) Windows Mobile Phone 7, the software giant could find with GroupM a valuable feature to include in its bid for smartphones.

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Pessimism still dominates the Paris Stock Exchange on Monday. After a week complex, marked by a loss of almost 5% for the CAC 40, investors do not find the moral. The CAC 40 lost 1.2% in mid-session and falls under the 3700 points to 3680.20 points. The gap even widened to 16 hours with a decline of 2% to 3652.77 points. Meanwhile, the London Stock Exchange lost 0.81% to 5796.60 points and the DAX index of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange was down 0.94% to 7152.30 points.

The Asian market has not sent a clear signal this morning. Only U.S. markets manage to stay the course despite the many warnings about agency debt. In this regard, President Barack Obama issued an ultimatum to Congress on increasing the debt ceiling while Republicans are sticking to their positions.In Europe, the problems of sovereign debt will also be at the heart of discussions of heads of state on Thursday at a special summit meant to calm markets.

Meanwhile, next currency, the euro fell slightly against the greenback at 1.4046 dollars against 1.4156 dollars on Friday night. Gold, meanwhile, took advantage of the nervousness of investors to assert its status as a safe haven: an ounce on Monday has risen to 1600.10 dollars, linking 11 consecutive sessions of gains. The most since July 1980.

In terms of indicators, the day will be particularly quiet with only the index of the real estate market in the United States waited for the afternoon.The rest of the week will be richer with, among others, the German ZEW index (Tuesday), the U.S. existing home sales (Wednesday), the weekly jobless across the Atlantic (Thursday) and the confidence index Business in France (Friday).

Oil markets, oil prices were without direction. A barrel of "light sweet crude" for August delivery lost 9 cents to 97.15 dollars while that of Brent North Sea crude for September delivery took 22 cents to 117.48 dollars.

Bank stocks led the largest declines

By sector, the entire banking sector unscrewed, after publication of the study undigested JPMorgan Cazenove, which assessed the need for additional capital of European institutions on the basis of more stringent capital adequacy ratio payday advance lender.According to JPMorgan, BNP Paribas (-2.64% to 44.08 euros), Societe Generale (-4.81% to 33.03 euros) and Credit Agricole (-2.31% to 8.28 euros) should raise 20 billion euros, one quarter of the amount to raise in Europe. This study follows the results of stress tests of the European Union that French banks have yet passed. In turn, AXA (-3.60% to 13.13 euros) and Natixis (-1.98% to 3.07 euros) drop sharply.

For beyond this study, a European project to create a tax on banks to help Greece is under consideration, according to Die Welt. It concerns all European banks, whether or not active in the Greek market.

France Telecom: -0.36% to 13.72 euros

The operator plans to launch a bid for the fourth mobile operator in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo-China Telecom (CTC).The terms of any agreement, still being negotiated, would provide for the redemption of 51% of CTC held by the Chinese manufacturer ZTE telecom equipment, and 49% owned by the Congolese state.

ArcelorMittal: -1.15% to 22.40 euros

The group could respond to the study of the British consulting firm Meps specializes in the steel industry that China would underestimate production. Beijing would have produced 672 million tons of steel, half of the world, against 627 million tonnes officially announced.Meps suspects including small local mills continue to run ads despite the closure due to pollution problems and productivity.

Publicis: -1.13% to 36.86 euros

The group has obtained a syndicated multi-currency $ 1.2 billion.

Atari: -9.77% to 2.31 euros

The French publisher Atari video game released Monday sales down 36.1% to 9.2 million euros for the first quarter of fiscal year 2011/2012, he explained his shift to online games and mobile.

As for publications, Edenred deliver its sales in the first half after market. Guyenne et Gascogne announce its second quarter earnings as Audika.

The catastrophe of Fukushima has not cooled the ardor "nuclear" in Finland. Three and a half months after the accident on several reactors in Japan, the electrician Fennovoima officially launched a tender to build a new plant, which will be the sixth of the country. Four are already operating, while the fifth, Olkiluoto 3, the site is controlled by the French group Areva, will enter service in 2012.

The same Japanese Areva and Toshiba are the two groups identified by Fennovoima to participate in the tender whose outcome is expected for 2012-2013. The dual French-Japanese technology will also be a clash between the pressurized water reactor, the EPR, proposed by the European company, while his opponent defends an Asian model for boiling water, the ABWR.Both show a roughly similar power.

It's been exactly one year that Finland has launched the process to build new nuclear generation capacity. In July 2010, two electricians, TVO and Fennovoima have been authorized by Parliament to build each plant bad credit pay day loans. Since then, Fennovoima has selected two sites to host this facility. Meanwhile, the group sifted through the different reactor technologies before choosing the respective models of Areva and Toshiba.

Three years late

For TVO, things are a little different. The tender for an additional reactor is not yet launched, but the first Finnish utility is already working with Areva as operate the Olkiluoto 3.Incidentally, the fact that Fennovoima has chosen to confront the French technology Toshiba shows that the Finnish authorities have not focused too much on the delay of the Olkiluoto site. This effect will be delivered in three years late, while the bill has almost doubled to 6 billion euros, against a budget of 3.5 billion initially.

But it must be said that the catastrophe of Fukushima had beneficial consequences for the EPR. Its high level of security has become a very significant advantage.

From our special correspondent in Los Angeles.

LE FIGARO. – After the loss of 277 million to a turnover of 3.6 billion last year, will you become profitable again in fiscal year 2011-2012, which began April 1?

John Riccitiello – Yes. Electronic Arts will be the recipient this year. But let me tell you that since 2009, according to U.S. accounting standards known as non-GAAP, the group is profitable. Last year we made a profit of 70 cents per share and cash flow generated by economic activity of the company was 340 million.

What is your progress in selling games dematerialized?

Last year, digital distribution accounted for 23.5% of group turnover, with 27% last quarter. This year, we should generate over a billion dollars on a turnover of around 3.8 billion.So we will be increasing. Last year, the increase of turnover in sales dematerialized game was 46%, growth is incredible.

All your games do they need to have a version for smartphones, tablets, PCs and social networks?

The market is changing. A few years ago when you were a player you used to play on one console or a single computer. Now, most consumers have a console, a smartphone or tablet and a Facebook account. We do not look at how the public revenue but when he plays. Consumers use all their facilities for entertainment via the Internet. We are in a unique position to be number one or two worldwide in games for social networks, PCs, smartphones, game consoles and "micro" transactions.

Electronic Arts Will he beat Zynga, the champion of games for social networks?

I want to be number one on all platforms. But in games for social networks we are number two, behind Zynga. We will propose additional games. We hope to beat them, but I do not know when it will happen.

How do you explain that your market capitalization of 7.6 billion dollars while Zynga is estimated around 10 billion?

In general, investors refer to multiples of profits to value companies. Our market capitalization is about 20 times our earnings expected by Wall Street. The social network LinkedIn is capitalizing approximately 100 times its future profits. Zynga is estimated at an unbelievable level. Investors were still in their sights a profession as "hot." Now, what are the social networks.Financiers believe that Facebook, Zynga, Groupon or LinkedIn will be the next Google. These companies are valued using a different criterion, that of promise. But they will not all win.

Fifa 12 game has just added a social component with Part Football Club and you'll soon launch the Social sims …

We try to provide the best possible experience in all media and all platforms. This will not necessarily be the same game but we want to connect the data for you to be recognized in all media and gaming experience to continue, even if you do not have exactly the same functions no faxing payday loan.

What do you expect a social version of The Sims, which will extend the experience on Facebook?

We sold a total of 140 million since the launch sims the gameI think we will have between 3 and 10 million players per day for Sims Social. This is a new market. We could not achieve our revenue in 2010 only with games sold for less than a dollar a piece! But this activity will help boost our business in the Sims. This is the secret of the business in video games.

What is the secret?

When something works, it does more, otherwise it makes less. Add component contributes to increase revenue from one year to another. The platform for downloading and Origin game sales, which we announced in early June, will help increase our revenues.

You're more interested in Ubisoft, where you controlled between 15 and 20% of capital?

I've never been. We never wanted to buy. We realized a reasonable profit by selling our participation last year.I like Yves Guillemot of Ubisoft games, as Michel Guillemot, who led the company for mobile games Gameloft. I think the best asset for Ubisoft's Guillemot family and for the best platform in Gameloft. I never saw these companies as a direct competitor to Electronic Arts.

What will be the major massively multiplayer game that you run this year?

It will be "Star Wars: The Old Republic" will be available on Origin. I think we will see a blurring of boundaries between different versions of games for mobile, shelves, brackets and to those subscriptions.I do not think we would start a simple massively multiplayer game now because of market developments.

Where are you with your calls Activision $ 400 million for the departure of two founding Infinite Ward's studio, which developed Call of Duty, and now working for Electronic Arts?

Great talents often go to companies that perform the best job. They filed a complaint against us. But you know, we're in the entertainment industry, so there may be much ado about nothing. On this issue, we have not made provisions in our accounts.

Is this a great loss to have seen your Assistant Chief John Schappert, join Zynga?

Yes. But that's life business.Last year, 212 engineers went to competition and we've hired 384.

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On Tuesday, a giant glass, Corning, and a French specialist in composite materials, Mersen, announce an alliance whose ambition is astonishing: the partners plan to revolutionize the manufacture of drugs. Corning has indeed used the properties of glass to develop a "reactor" to better control the manufacturing process of molecules for drug or fine chemicals.

Everything works, but to move to industrialization, it is necessary to use elements that exhaust heat very well. And this is where Mersen, specializing in composites. The agreement with the ex-Carbone Lorraine into that framework."The technology developed by Corning combined with our expertise in silicon carbide products represents a technological breakthrough for the pharmaceutical industry," said Luc Themelin, board member Mersen. The discussions lasted nearly a year and a final agreement covers the exclusive supply of ceramic microreactors Mersen in Corning.

This type of agreement is of particular interest Mersen. French society is indeed an OEM, by definition particularly vulnerable in its relations with its customers. To protect its margins, the group has developed a strong expertise in composite materials. It thus becomes an indispensable partner to its customers.

Using the special graphite, the group has made a remarkable breakthrough in the solar field. Five years ago, Mersenne was not present in this sector.This year, it should achieve 100 million euros of turnover short term personal loan.

Products manufactured in Tarbes

In the end, Mersen recorded 13% growth in its turnover last year to 741 million euros, an operating margin of 10.5%. And there are other sources of growth in the LED or the pharmacy, as evidenced by the agreement with Corning.

Today, there is no direct revenue associated with this contract. "Corning is currently negotiating with potential customers, mainly in Asia. We hope that the first contracts will be signed in September. To Mersenne, this means that the first revenues could arrive next year, "says Luc Themelin.

Corning's new product has many advantages over earlier technology: less investment, lower energy consumption and better control during manufacturing.The rise will take time, however, pharmaceutical companies not renewing their plants very often.

Mersen products related to this contract will be manufactured at a factory in Tarbes, which belonged to Boostec, bought by Mersenne in April 2010. Before the acquisition, the plant realized about seven million euros of turnover. "This contract would allow us to triple the revenues of the plant to the next three or four years, says Luc Themelin. Beyond that, we will make additional investments to increase capacity. "

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Where can you buy with his mobile phone in France?

In Nice, about 3000 subscribers already use their mobile phones to pay for their tram, their parking, their paper etc.. Nine other cities, including Paris, will follow this year. One testing ground in Europe is likely the London Olympics in 2012 when Samsung and Visa will deploy this type of regulation.

Should we change phones?

Yes, you need a phone (NFC for Near Field Communications) and be equipped with a specific SIM card. The cell phone used in Nice is a Samsung mobile. But all the major manufacturers, Samsung, LG via Nokia, HTC and Rim should propose several models by the end of the year. Google estimates that in 2014, less than half the mobile phones will be equipped with NFC technology.

Should I change to another provider?

No.In France, Orange, SFR, Bouygues Telecom, NRJ Mobile offers mobile payment. It is always possible to switch from one operator to another. In contrast, Google Wallet does for the moment at Sprint, which owns 11% of the market in the United States electronic check payday advance.

What happens if there is loss or theft of the phone?

This is where the role of the telco is essential. It is he who provides security through the SIM card and customer service. The information contained in the SIM card without contact are encrypted and secure. So nobody can access it.

The Google Wallet Will he land in France?

Yes. The operator Orange was in discussions with Google, with which it has already established a number of partnerships. It should soon have NFC devices running Android.

The State encourages Does the rise of the NFC phone?

Yes.Christine Lagarde, Eric Besson, Rene Ricol announced yesterday the launch of a call for proposals for the NFC, with 20 million euros. Objective: to support the order of 20 to 30 projects of innovative mobile services simplify many everyday actions of the French. "In case of loss or theft, the operators guarantee the security of bank information."

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The commercial breakthrough of the Airbus A320 NEO would it spinning the puzzle industry? Officially, no. Still, John Leahy, the Airbus super salesman, the pounds: the manufacturer does not want its customers convert all or part of their A320 orders classic NEO, with new engines consume less fuel. This, for two reasons. First, avoid the phenomenon of cannibalization of the A320 classic, best-selling Airbus with over 6000 sales. Then avoid juggle niche of the two aircraft deliveries. "The NEO will be available only from 2015. By then, the A320 is available. There will be no overlap, "says one in Toulouse.

NEO offers a second life to the A320 but the classic version provides lucrative profits and can "run the factories." In 2010, the A320 has represented 401 of the 510 deliveries made. There are still 1900 to be delivered by 2015.Airbus is absolutely limit conversions. But it is not easy to say no to a big customer like Malaysia AirAsia, which already has 90 A320s into service on a total of 175 ordered.

While the concern is to steer Airbus as thinly as possible switching from one device to another without breaking industry. "If the A320 were canceled massively in favor of the NEO, then there would be holes in the schedule of deliveries by 2015 without another device to fill," admits one in Toulouse. "But this reasoning is extreme," says one. Another problem is rapid saturation of the NEO delivery slots.

Accelerate the pace

Hence the decision by Airbus to bring forward by six months the date of entry into service of the NEO to October 2015 and to accelerate the pace of production. From 1 st quarter of 2012, Airbus will assemble 42 A320s a month against 36 now.He plans to climb to 42 or even 44 A320s per month, provided that its suppliers could follow suit.

The stakes are high. The A320 NEO sped away, crossing the milestone of 300 orders in just five months. The Indigo Indian, American ILFC, including Lufthansa has ordered to be served first. Apart from the Bombardier CSeries expected in 2013 if not late, the NEO will be the first to market. Boeing has not decided to re-engine the 737 and would, if necessary, not ready before 2017. As for the Chinese C-919, it will not be commissioned before 2016.

By late June, John Leahy promises hundreds of new orders. Airbus estimates that the potential of his latest is around 6000 units by 2030, only fifteen years ago.It is thanks to the NEO that the A320 has reached the milestone of 7,000 orders last April 30.

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Greece must provide more work and results, said the French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde, who put pressure on Athens in an interview with Austrian daily Der Standard to be released this Saturday.

"Greece must deliver results and why the country must do more than during the last twelve months," said Christine Lagarde, whose name is mentioned as a successor to Dominique Strauss-Kahn to head the IMF.

Asked about her refusal of any debt restructuring, Christine Lagarde said: "We already gave Athens more time to repay its loans in the euro area is already a concession."He continued: "It is legitimate that we expected that Greece will make its share of work."

"We do not want a state of bankruptcy"

The French Minister of Economy recognizes that the Greek government has done things, "but there are still areas where things are moving too slowly", referring to privatizations. "Either Greece delivers results, then we can imagine additional help.Otherwise there is the question of how Greece is ready to play the game for its own bailout, "said ministre.Et further emphasized:" What we certainly do not want, c 'is a state of bankruptcy, a default in Europe ..

While the Greek Government discusses the rise in unemployment generated by the austerity plan, the minister reminded the unemployment rate in Spain, according to her superior to that of Greece, but where "the country still does its job, saved and managed to turn around. "

Challenge to implement a program

The rating agency Fitch, meanwhile, lowered on Friday noted the long-term debt of Greece to three notches. This is a new blow to Athens which also saw its borrowing costs on market reached a new record.Fitch lowered the rating of BB + Greek + to B, referring to the "challenge" for Greece that is the "implementation of a program of structural reform and radical tax necessary to ensure the solvency of the state and the foundations of sustained economic recovery "in the country.

"New fiscal austerity measures are necessary" to achieve that Greece's budget deficit target of 7.5% of GDP in 2011, said Fitch. The agency suggests including poor tax revenues and difficulties in implementing a privatization program.

Greece also saw its cost of borrowing on the markets at a record Friday, the rate of its ten-year bonds exceeding 16.7%. Sign that investors fear that Greece is not able to honor its debts.

The Greek prime minister said his country would repay its entire debt."We will refund the loans," said George Papandreou, whose country was granted last year a plan to help the EU and the IMF amounting to 110 billion euros to avoid it default.

But many observers believe that Greece will avoid a major restructuring of its debt, meaning pay creditors later or less than expected. But the European Central Bank precludes this scenario.

In the wake of Fitch, another rating agency S & P has for its part lowered by one notch the rating of the long-term debt of the Crédit Agricole to 'A +' cons 'AA-' before, because of its exposure Greece."We believe that the French banking group Credit Agricole is particularly prone in Greece, because of the issue of solvency and the economic outlook" of the country, particularly through its subsidiary Emporiki, S & P said in a statement.

(With Agencies)

The rigor is no longer appropriate for the big bosses of the banking sector. Aid paid by the state and now repaid their business reaping the effects of recovery, there are incentive bonuses, considering the annual reports and press reports, clearly an upward trend for 2010. While many top executives of French banks had waived their bonuses the previous two years, 2010 has signed the back of generous salaries.

In addition to a salary of 1 million euros, up from last year, the head of Societe Generale, Frederic Oudéa, reaching his first bonus since he took office and the Kerviel affair.Bank boss of the highest paid, he will receive a variable remuneration amounting to 598,400 euros paid immediately in cash, plus a paid deferred until 2015 to comply with European Directive CRD3 applicable since 1 January 2011. In total, the variable compensation paid for 2010 could reach up to 3.2 million euros, according to the calculation of Echos.

It's a little more than Baudoin Prot, CEO of BNP Paribas, which in turn will receive a fixed salary unchanged from the previous year, but a sharp rise in bonuses. About 1.67 million awarded in total, 60% will be paid in deferred over two years with conditions. His total compensation could reach 2.47 million euros as well. Last example, the boss of BPCE, former deputy secretary general of the Elysee Perol, who waived his bonus last year.According to AFP, he will receive 1.05 million euros to this title, for a fixed salary unchanged at 550,000 euros.

Variable pay "balanced"

If the amounts received are variable up substantially, the banks but on the whole complied with certain requirements of European directive adopted in 2010. Transposed into French law by the end of last year, it aims to control the compensation of employees of banks that may affect the risks taken by their institution. To get them interested in long-term results, a fraction ranging from 40% to 60% variable compensation should be paid for example over several years, subject to results.

But according to the directive CRD3, this variable compensation should be "balanced" with respect to the fixed remuneration. And perhaps where the shoe pinches.Because as stated by the MEP "Europe Ecology – The Greens Pascal Canfin this Saturday in Libération, France did not correctly transposed the EU directive, replacing the term" balanced "by one of" appropriate ", denaturing content of the text. He stressed that, therefore, represent bonuses for 2010 "3, 5 or 10 times the fixed fee."

The Ministry of Economy, the entourage said Christine Lagarde told AFP that "France was one of the first countries to transpose the European directive, and after notification of such legislation to the Commission in February , it "made no comment."

The spirit of the directive not respected

It must also be noted that France does not figure in the worst student in the field. British officials are still better off: the new boss of Barclays there has recently been awarded a bonus of 23 million pounds.

Generally, as commented European Commissioner Michel Barnier services in the columns of Liberation, "behaviors have not changed as much as you want. The banks have not complied with the spirit and letter of our directive. " Faced with the inertia of the banking community, the European Commissioner had already threatened in April to further tighten the rules governing executive pay for banks. The newspaper said the European Commission is preparing to "carry out a thorough investigation" on the transposition of the Directive by the Member States of the EU.

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The recovery of Alcatel-Lucent continues. The telecommunications equipment has greatly reduced its net loss to 10 million euros in the first quarter of 2011. Last year, Alcatel-Lucent had accused a loss of 515 million euros in the first three months of the year.

And the group announced the quarterly results exceeded expectations. The adjusted gross margin amounted to 1.3 billion euros, or 36.2% of revenues. As to the adjusted operating income, it stands at 13 million euros, or 0.3% of revenues where analysts on average expected a loss of 68 million. In the first quarter of 2010, the group revealed adjusted operating loss of 195 million euros. The net loss amounted to 10 million euros.In addition, Alcatel-Lucent posted an increase of 15.2% of its turnover to 3.7 billion euros.

Purpose of adjusted operating income of over 5%

With these results, the group has confirmed its annual targets. "With a strong start to the year, we confirm our outlook for 2011 to grow faster than our market (…) with an adjusted operating profit more than 5% of sales in 2011," said CEO of Alcatel-Lucent, Ben Verwaayen said in a statement.

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