Kustomer specializes in customer-service platforms and chatbots, and it has an existing relationship with Facebook; its offerings allow companies to aggregate and respond to customer inquiries coming in through Facebook Messenger. It’s recently begun integrating with Facebook’s Instagram messaging.
Kustomer was valued at $710M in a private funding round about a year ago, according to the report.
Updated 12:26 p.m.: Facebook has confirmed the deal, without disclosing terms. “Our goal with Kustomer is simple: to give businesses access to best-in-class tools that deliver excellent service and support,” says Facebook’s Dan Levy, who adds the company recently announced several API updates for WhatsApp and Messenger allowing more integration into partner tools.
Amazon Web Services installing Macs to enable remote Apple app development
Amazon Web Services will make Apple computers available in its data centers, starting with the Mac Mini.
That will enable Apple developers to create and test apps remotely rather than maintaining their own machines. And those developers could help feed Apple’s increasing pivot toward software and services.
And it offers an edge (for now) over big-cloud rivals Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Google (GOOG, GOOGL), which don’t yet offer access to Macs.
The initial computers will be a version of Mac Mini that has been previously available – they’ve just been adapted to work with Amazon’s cloud and security infrastructure, and have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned off – but those will be updated as Apple launches new equipment (and Apple just unveiled a Mac Mini powered by its own M1 chip).
Zoom Video Communications EPS beats by $0.23, beats on revenue
Zoom Video Communications (NASDAQ:ZM): Q3 Non-GAAP EPS of $0.99 beats by $0.23; GAAP EPS of $0.66 beats by $0.14.
Revenue of $777.19M (+366.5% Y/Y) beats by $83.06M.
Sees Q4 revenue between $806M-$811M, with adjusted diluted EPS in the range of $0.77 and $0.79.
For FY2021, forecasts, sales of $2.575B-$2.58B and adjusted EPS of $2.85 and $2.87.
UK banning Huawei installations in wireless networks from next September
The UK is electing to ban new installations of Huawei equipment in wireless high-speed networks after September 2021 – taking a still harder line against the leading Chinese gear maker.
That follows a July order from Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government excluding Huawei from a role in the UK’s next-gen mobile networks.
Operators have been ordered to stop buying the gear by the end of this year, not to install it after next September, and to rip out any remaining gear by 2027.
The new order makes it effectively harder for carriers to stockpile equipment for future use.
And as with all such Huawei bans globally over the past year, it opens up more business for key rivals Nokia (NYSE:NOK) and Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC).
Kontrol Energy reports Q3 results
Kontrol Energy (OTCQB:KNRLF): Q3 GAAP EPS of -C$0.01.
