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This week brought consolidation moves in media and enterprise tech that deserve attention. Paramount made a hostile play for Warner Bros. IBM is buying Confluent. Microsoft announced price hikes. Two separate legal developments are forcing Apple and Google to rethink how they govern their app ecosystems.
The thread connecting these stories: the rules that governed tech for the past decade are being rewritten, whether by regulators, courts, or competitors willing to make aggressive bets.
Paramount Launches Hostile Bid for Warner Bros — Paramount Skydance has initiated a hostile takeover attempt of Warner Bros Discovery with a $30 per share all-cash offer valued at $108.4 billion, after losing a previous bidding war to Netflix. This potential mega-merger represents one of the largest media consolidation attempts in history and signals aggressive reshaping of the entertainment industry, with implications for content creation, streaming services, and distribution channels.
Microsoft Increases Office 365 and Microsoft 365 License Prices — Microsoft has announced price increases for its Microsoft 365 monthly licenses, taking effect July 1, 2026. Organizations deeply integrated into the Microsoft 365 ecosystem have limited alternatives, making this essentially a mandatory cost increase that will impact operational budgets and IT spending forecasts for FY2027 and beyond.
IBM to Acquire Confluent — IBM has announced its intention to acquire data streaming platform Confluent in a definitive agreement, pending regulatory approvals. This positions IBM to combine Confluent's data streaming expertise with its existing technology stack for real-time data processing and AI implementation. The merger signals consolidation in the enterprise data management space.
Epic Celebrates Court Win in iOS Payments Case — The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a ruling that found Apple in willful violation of a 2021 injunction requiring alternative payment options in iOS apps, rejecting Apple's attempts to charge a 27% fee on external payments. This could reshape the mobile app marketplace, reducing costs for app developers and setting a precedent for how major tech platforms can regulate and monetize their ecosystems.
Apple's Slow AI Pace Becomes a Strength — Apple's conservative approach to AI investment, initially criticized by investors, has turned into a market advantage as the company's stock surged 35% in the latter half of 2023 while AI-focused competitors saw declines. Investors appear to be rewarding companies that maintain spending control while developing AI capabilities at a measured pace.
DeepSeek Uses Banned Nvidia Chips for AI Model — Chinese AI startup DeepSeek reportedly accessed restricted Nvidia Blackwell chips by dismantling data center equipment in foreign countries and shipping components to China, circumventing US export controls. This highlights ongoing challenges in navigating US-China tech restrictions and demonstrates how some Chinese companies are circumventing semiconductor export controls.
Kroger Scales Back Automated Fulfillment Strategy — Kroger announced it will close three automated e-commerce fulfillment centers developed in partnership with UK-based Ocado. The reversal indicates Kroger's aggressive bet on robotics-driven fulfillment may have outpaced market demand. A reminder that over-investing in automation before market readiness carries real risk.
Executive Order Establishes National AI Policy Framework — A new executive order aims to establish federal leadership in AI regulation, revoking prior restrictive policies and updating regulatory frameworks to encourage AI adoption. This signals a more permissive federal stance on AI development and deployment, potentially creating clearer national standards that may preempt varying state regulations.
Japan Law Opens Phone App Store Competition — Japan is implementing a new law on December 18 that requires Apple and Google to allow third-party app stores on their devices and to offer users multiple choices for default services such as web browsers and search engines. This creates new opportunities for market entry and sets a precedent that could influence similar regulations elsewhere.
Horses: AI Progress is Steady, Human Equivalence is Sudden — This analysis examines historical patterns where technological advancement follows steady progress before reaching a sudden tipping point. Steam engines improved for over a century before rapidly displacing horses in the 1930s-1950s. Chess computers improved steadily before suddenly surpassing human grandmasters. AI capabilities may follow the same trajectory—steady progress until a breakthrough point that transforms industries faster than most planning cycles anticipate.
That's what I'm tracking this week.
-Eric
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