What we’re reading (1/2/21)
“These Businesses Were The Surprise Winners of 2020” (CNN Business). “In a year of widespread and often devastating hardships, no business or industry came through 2020 untouched by the Covid-19 pandemic. But for some key sectors, the news wasn't all bad.”
“Is A Home Office Actually More Productive? Some Workers Think So.” (Wall Street Journal). “Some Americans have a new outlook on remote working: They prefer it. In June and July, a group of 1,388 people working from home were asked for their impressions of the experience by workplace consulting firm Global Workplace Analytics and video technology company Owl Labs. The new arrangement, it turns out, suited many of them.”
“VCs Say An Entirely New Category Of Startups Will Be Born In 2021 To Serve ‘Hybrid’ Employees” (Business Insider). “Tech investors say the shift to ‘hybrid work’ will create a new category of software to help companies keep track of people's schedules and preferences, as well as figure out their real estate needs in cities where their workers live.”
“Why American Telecoms Firms Are Splurging On 5G Spectrum” (The Economist). “It may be the most hyped technology since blockchain. But even sophisticated telecoms giants are now placing huge bets on 5G. In early December American regulators started the process of auctioning off radio-frequency bands needed to roll out superfast fifth-generation mobile networks. Industry experts had expected bids to come in at $25bn-30bn between them, less than the $45bn fetched in the last big 4G spectrum sale in 2015—but a tidy sum nonetheless.”
“IPOs in 2021: After A year Of Impressive Pandemic Offerings, These Tech Companies Expect To Keep It Rolling” (MarketWatch). “It is typical for companies to delay their initial public offerings when the market for them is weak, but the unprecedented year that is 2020 is ending with companies delaying IPOs because the market is too strong.”
