The Wall Street Journal-20080124-In Brief
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In Brief
STMicroelectronics'
Profit Declines 93%
Swiss chip maker STMicroelectronics NV said fourth-quarter net profit fell 93% on restructuring and impairment charges, while the weak U.S. dollar also weighed on results. "We are convinced we can significantly outperform the market and gain market share" in a semiconductor sector expected to grow 4% to 6% this year, Chief Executive Carlo Bozotti said. Net fell to $20 million from $276 million a year earlier. Net revenue rose 10% to $2.74 billion, led by sales of imaging products and data storage.
YouTube Launches
Site in South Korea
Google Inc.'s YouTube said it launched a local version of the video- sharing site in South Korea in its latest push to expand in global markets. The interface of the site, www.youtube.co.kr, is in Korean, and the site features locally produced content, including some from YouTube's seven Korean media partners that include TU Media Co., a unit of SK Telecom Co. YouTube recently launched local versions of the site in 18 countries, including Brazil, France, Ireland and Italy.
Baidu Goes Abroad
With Japanese Site
Baidu.com Inc., China's leading search engine by market share, said it launched a Japanese-language site in its first foray into a foreign market. The site offers four different search services for Web sites, images, videos and blogs, the company said. "Japan is one of the world's most connected societies, and we have already seen positive reception from local users using our beta Web site, said Masuda Jun, vice president of Baidu's Japan subsidiary. Baidu in December 2006 said it intended to enter the Japanese market.
