Saturday, August 27, 2011
BIGNEWS-Bloomberg to Acquire BNA
11:51 AM | 
Posted by
LEADERHUNTRESS |
Financial services conglomerate Bloomberg and tax publisher BNA have entered into an agreement for Bloomberg to acquire all outstanding shares of BNA in a deal worth roughly $990 million, it was announced Thursday.
The writing is on the wall. Not only has Bloomberg put itself in gear to become a leader in business publishing but it is going after the professional market (tax, law, etc.) in a kind of billion dollar way, speaking volumes about its thrust forward.How will customers respond?
"BNA’s employees have built a superior franchise and we are enthusiastic about a Bloomberg-BNA combination that will deliver more premium content to our professional audiences,” said Dan Doctoroff, chief executive and president of Bloomberg. “BNA research and analysis will make Bloomberg’s products even more valuable, and BNA would benefit from our data and technology expertise.” -- is the official quote.
This is an interesting deal, since BNA was built by shareholder employees.Says Accounting Today, "The acquisition of BNA and its content will bolster Bloomberg Law, the company’s legal research system, as well as enhance Bloomberg’s coverage of tax and accounting, labor and employment, healthcare, intellectual property, and telecommunications issues."
“For more than eight decades, we have provided our subscribers with quality products that allow them to do their jobs more effectively and efficiently,” said Paul N. Wojcik, chairman and CEO of BNA. “We believe this is the start of a new day, where we will join forces with Bloomberg to extend our premium content to an expanded audience.”
The acquisition will also grow Bloomberg’s presence in Washington, D.C. and coverage of U.S. policy and regulatory issues through its Bloomberg News and Bloomberg Government units.
“Bloomberg and BNA share many of the same values, including a commitment to deliver high-quality content to customers, employing highly skilled and experienced workers and offering superior customer service,” said Peter Grauer, chairman of Bloomberg. “We look forward to welcoming them to the Bloomberg family.”
Billion or not, it will take Bloomberg a long while to "catch-up" to its competitors that provide comprehensive analysis to the same professional audience, and that customer base is quite loyal. BNA's materials are distributed on Checkpoint, considered the most respected online research platform in the professional tax and accounting industry-- along with unrivalled braintrust content from Thomson Reuters.
The Bloomberg strategy is extremely aggressive, and it's interesting that they paid a billion dollars to acquire BNA. Building a relationship with the professional customers will take time and as always, we will be watching closely.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
NYC SUBSTANCE ABUSE EXPERT COMMENTS ON AMY WINEHOUSE'S DISEASE
1:34 PM |
Posted by
LEADERHUNTRESS |
It was just announced that Amy Winehouse's parents plan to convert her London home into the headquarters for the Amy Winehouse Foundation, a charity organization to help children in need. It was also reported that the singer died from withdrawal from alcohol.
For further information on TARP, Inc., contact William Perkins at 718-909-8034, or visit his school at www.ACTTC.com.
“Amy’s death reiterates the cunning and baffling nature of the disease of addiction and the almost certain results of addiction. You can expect jails, institutional rehab and death, if it is not treated,” says William Perkins, one of NYC's foremost authorities on substance abuse counseling and training substance abuse counselors, and the Founder and Executive Director of TARP, Inc., a Chemical Dependence consulting company and school for Training Addiction & Recovery Professionals in Manhattan
“Some may say that she had the opportunity of treatment. However, just being in treatment doesn't mean that an individual is getting the necessary interventions to affect achieving and maintaining abstinence. And though she had gone for treatment previously, addiction is a disease where you can (like it or not) expect relapses. Counselors work with addicts over long periods with ever-changing relapse prevention plans.”
Unfortunately, such was not the case with Amy who allegedly (in early reports) died in response to withdrawal from alcohol. “Counselors are asked about how dangerous withdrawal is all the time. Withdrawal from alcohol, in particular, is quite dangerous if not done under supervision,” says Perkins.
According to Perkins, Amy’s battle with addiction is representative of so many young people who suffer from addiction. “Sometimes, they aren't ready to attempt recovery in earnest; young people often feel invincible. Also at times they are so depressed and have so many emotional disturbances, that although they know they should stop, the alcohol and other drugs are the only thing that help pain—emotional and otherwise.”
He adds that since Amy was also diagnosed with an eating disorder, it’s likely she had unresolved emotional issues. But whether she was enjoying her substance or not, one thing is clear: the untimely and sad death of a young person again cries out for the need for more qualified counselors. “In New York, we’re scouting for younger counselors because they can relate to young addicts in their own language.”
Ironically, Amy’s name is Winehouse, and one of her substances of choice was, in fact, alcohol. It’s an honor for her to leave a legacy of beloved music and a house that will be headquarters for a foundation.
And that foundation will specifically be dedicated to helping young people. Details will be announced on September 14, which would have been Amy Winehouse’s 28th birthday.
Labels:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)