I’m in Hollywood

San Francisco, Marriott Hotel.

Today is the day when the third-generation Firefly player was released. The hotel’s largest banquet hall was filled with guests and journalists from all walks of life as last year.

However, after listening to the new product introduction of Firefly Electronics CEO Victor McNealy, Larry Ellison, sitting next to Eric, was quite appreciative, and he did not care to say it. "So, is that all, Eric? Biger capacity, longer battery life, and improved sound quality that consumers can't intuitively feel? Really, if I were you, I would put it after the conference. The entire team responsible for new product development was fired."

Eric looked at Christina Aguilera, who was on the stage and started the midfield performance. She said, "If I do this, Sony, Philips and even Microsoft have a brain that wants to enter the digital music player." Companies in the field are not crazy. Larry, wouldn't you also play this idea?"

Larry Ellison is dissatisfied: "Hey, you guy, I am worried about you. So many manufacturers have to launch digital music players this year, but your team just came up with a generation of mediocre products." Do you think Firefly Electronics can still hold its own advantages?"

"Take it a try," Eric said with a smile on his mouth. "Speaking, we have already prepared a $100 million lawsuit fee, and we are waiting for a hot battle with everyone."

"I think you will be angered," Larry Ellison snorted and suddenly realized what he was doing. He looked at his watch and found that if it ended, the conference was too short. So I sneaked in again and whispered: "Eric, is there a surprise?"

Eric shrugged: "Guess what?"

Speaking of it, the third-generation Firefly player just released is really just another software and hardware upgrade on the basis of the previous two generations. There is nothing that can make people shine. It’s no wonder that Larry Ellison will Disappointed, the other reporters and guests on the scene are generally feeling this way.

However, this is definitely not because of the lack of innovation in the firefly electronics research and development team.

In fact, because Erik's strong boss is always on the lookout, the Firefly Electronics R&D team can't even slack off it, and the new ideas that come out every year are quite a lot.

If necessary, Firefly Electronics can launch a refreshing full-touch Firefly player or a mini-buttoned Firefly player with flash storage media.

However, Eric does not want to expand the product line of Firefly Electronics too much, and has created a large number of digital music players with different prices but different functions, which make consumers have difficulty in selecting and then instinctively It tends to lower prices and lowers the average selling price and overall profit of firefly electronics.

Moreover, the management of Eric and Firefly Electronics agree that the company's most important task is to further improve the surrounding music services such as digital music stores and user payment systems related to Firefly players. This is to maintain the Firefly player market. The most powerful 'moat river'.

As long as users can have the convenience of obtaining music products far beyond the same type of products, even if Firefly Electronics is forced to further authorize the related patent technology of MP3 players under anti-monopoly pressure, it is difficult for competitors to threaten Firefly Electronics. Market position.

After Christina's performance, Tina Brown stepped onto the stage and officially began to introduce the mini music store plan that Firefly Electronics and Yahoo will jointly promote in the eyes of the guests.

When the miniature music store's prototype picture appeared on the big screen, Tina Brown did not even officially start the function introduction, and there was obvious commotion on the scene.

After all, just based on the shape, most people can easily guess the purpose of this machine.

Later, when Tina Brown began the full touch screen operation demonstration, many discerning media reporters began to secretly pass the message.

Larry Ellison simply listened to Tina Brown and introduced a few words. He once again brought in a face with a temptation: "Eric, is the operating system of this machine custom-made by Microsoft?" ”

Eric had some surprises. Larry Ellison would seize the most critical point in such a short time and smiled and said: "Guess what?"

Larry Ellison confirmed his judgment from Eric's expression, pouting his shoulder and taking a thumbs up: "Good job."

Eric smiled again and did not deliberately say a few words.

Larry Ellison’s inability to understand Microsoft is well known. Seeing a new operating system on the Firefly electronic mini-music store, I think Eric is planning to challenge the market position of Microsoft’s Windows operating system. How can I not be excited.

If the time is pushed forward for another five years, Eric may have this idea, but now, with the release of Windows98, Microsoft’s dominance in the field of PC operating systems is unassailable, and Eric naturally has no intention to do it. This attempt is destined to fail, and his eyes have been closely focused on the future of mobile operating systems.

The Firefly Electronic Mini Music Store brought the surprises to this conference far more than the third-generation Firefly player that should have been the most popular, and the new generation M-200 music phone that Nokia also released.

At the end of the conference, the Internet media and the evening newspaper of the day began to appear overwhelmingly about the firefly electronic mini music store. Some media also made the same guess as Larry Ellison, and many people called the firefly. Electronic and Yahoo executives tempted, even Microsoft did not sit, the door students called Eric in the evening that evening, and tried to make a fuss.

However, the outside world's hot discussion on the mini music store did not make the Firefly Electronics and Yahoo executives feel too excited.

Eric arrived in San Francisco from Los Angeles at noon. The press conference started at 2 pm and ended at 4 o'clock. Most of the guests who stayed here began to look forward to the reception party tonight, Eric and Firefly Electronics, Yahoo and Nokia. The top level had to rush to the Firefly Electronics Headquarters to hold a meeting.

“A large part of the shareholders and senior executives of the Seagram Group are full of doubts about the cooperation between Universal Music and Firefly Electronics. Now, the company’s total debt of 12 billion US dollars has made them have to be cautious about the demands of creditors. The termination of the other party and our negotiations are also reasonable. Now, Universal Music, Warner Music and Sony Records have been excluded, we only have two choices of the last EMI and BMG records."

In the conference room, Eric listened to Bill Olson's current situation and looked at the information in front of him.

A few days ago, I heard that Universal Music refused to continue the authorization negotiations, and Eric was also surprised. To this end, he hurriedly returned to Los Angeles from the East Coast, once again met with Edgar Bronfman, and promised to increase the loan amount of the Seagram Group to $1.5 billion. This is the highest overweight that Eric will be willing to give, and the expected value of Edgar Bronfman is probably the same. However, Edgar Bronfman still has no loose mouth. I want to come, and behind the scenes, I am fully prepared to block the cooperation between Firefly Electronics and Universal Music.

Warner Music and Sony Records were excluded from the beginning. Now, losing the best quality potential partner of Universal Music, Firefly Electronics has only two major record companies in Europe, EMI and BMG.

Bill Olson said, Tina Brown said: "The decline in the record industry continues, I think, whether it is Universal Music, Warner Music or Sony Records, sooner or later must consider the transition to digital music players. problem."

“The key is that we don’t have time to wait for them to take the initiative to transform, and the company needs to complete the content layout as soon as possible.”

"Perhaps, we can target a larger number of small and medium-sized record companies. Although the five major players are strong, the content of these small and medium-sized record companies is very rich."

"The best singers and albums are in the hands of the top five records. We collect 100 albums from small companies, which are not necessarily worthy of the influence of one of the top five singers."

"The Backstreet Boys and Spice Girls of Firefly Records have been able to bring some influence to the digital music store, and we now need to give users more choices."

"..."

Eric listened to the audience for a while, looked up and asked Bill Olson, who was sitting diagonally across the conference table: "Bill, what happened to the two companies in Europe, or, do you think these two, which? Is it easier for a family to fight for something?"

Bill Olsen smiled bitterly: "The attitude of EMI and BMG to digital music sales authorization is still colder than the previous global, and they should have had contact in private. They obviously have formed an offensive and defensive alliance. We can only fight at the same time. They both, or, at the same time, give up."

There was some silence in the conference room.

A moment later, Victor McNealy said: "Eric, in fact, the way to solve this problem has always been very simple. The major record companies basically just want to take a slice from the digital music player. So, you only need to agree to transfer some of the shares of Firefly Electronics, and the situation we are now facing is solved."

The pencil in Eric’s hand turned around in his fingers and shook his head slightly. “Victor, this is not at all simple.”

"Eric, I understand that you have great expectations for Firefly Electronics. We don't lack funds and the performance is also very strong. This is our advantage. But we also have to face our disadvantages, we need partners. Moreover, even if you think that the company will be worth $100 billion or even $200 billion in the future, we must now act on the valuation and influence of Firebug Electronics' $30 billion. This is the reality."

"But everyone should be aware that the products of Firefly Electronics are definitely more than just Firefly players."

Jeff Kleber, the company’s vice president who was transferred from Nokia to the Firefly electronics supply chain, raised his hand and attracted the attention of everyone. Then he looked at Eric and said, “Eric, what do you mean? Does it mean that the Firefly player is not the most important for Firefly Electronics, I remember that you have expressed similar views before."

Eric nodded and said: "Although the Firefly player is now almost a source of profit for Firefly Electronics, it is like a cassette recorder and an MD player that has not been fully promoted and will be eliminated. In the next five to ten years, it is likely to be replaced by a new portable music player, such as a mobile phone."

"So, Eric, I have a solution," Jeff Kleber said: "We can spin off the Firefly player business, set up a separate subsidiary, and then in the name of this subsidiary. Seek our partners as needed. In this way, other potential business units of Firefly Electronics will not be disturbed. Even if, as you said, the Firefly player is destined to be eliminated, we can even put this at the highest point. Business off gloves, of course, if you are willing to sell."

In the meeting room, when I heard Jeff Kleber's words, everyone's eyes were bright, and Eric's fingers turning the pencil stopped.

In fact, only to be able to quickly promote the Firefly player, Eric does not mind sharing some of the profits to several major record companies, but for the record companies directly into the firefly electronics, Eric is very resistant. For him who can clearly see the future, the ARM company owned by Firefly Electronics and a number of technical teams related to tablets and smartphones are the company's most valuable assets. The Firefly player is for Firefly Electronics. Said, more like a transition product.

Jeff Kleber's suggestion also gave Eric a feeling of openness.

Separating the Firefly player business separately and setting up a subsidiary can not only solve the current problems faced by Firefly Electronics, but also even launch the Firefly player separately.

After all, although the Hearst family’s words on Henry Paulson don’t have a picture, one thing is true. The executives and employees who hold the shares of Firefly Electronics hope that the company can go public. A richer body, this kind of appeal is understandable to anyone.

Slowly draw a circle on the information in front of the pencil, Eric took a moment to consider, then used the pen to point in the center of the circle, looked up at the crowd, said: "So, just do it, now, everyone discuss specific How to do it."

Marriott's ballroom.

The time is already nine o'clock in the evening. Although the figure is very lively in the banquet hall, it is very lively, but there is still an inexplicable atmosphere in the crowd.

Because, until now, the core of the Firefly Electronics, which should have been the host, had no road surface. Only one Firefly Electronics public relations manager came forward to host the party's opening. In order to entertain guests from all walks of life, the banquet hosted by Firefly Electronics is very hard-hearted, and the details are impeccable. The guests don’t have much dissatisfaction, but their hearts are more and more curious, many people More than once, I looked at the entrance of the banquet hall and looked forward to the appearance of the firefly electronic high-level. Some media reporters who attended the party even hid in the corner and began to contact the outside world to try to find out what happened.

After more than half an hour, the audience at the entrance of the banquet hall finally appeared, and the guests who couldn’t stand it were all coming up.

Eric fell behind the crowd for a while before entering the banquet hall. At this time, Victor McNealy and others were already surrounded by the crowd, but Eric just entered the banquet hall and was still Larry Erie. Sen caught: "Eric, let me talk about it, what happened in the end, you will not appear, I will almost call the police?"