9/12: Amazon disputes reports its eyeing Boston; Comcast's Roberts Pushes Back Against Stock Drop




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Report: Amazon considering Boston for second headquarters (Axios)



Comcast Chief Brian Roberts Pushes Back Against Stock Drop (Variety)

EHR tasks take up half of the primary care physician’s workday (Med City News)

Questions Over C.E.O.’s Conduct Cloud Social Finance, a Lending Start-Up (NY Times)
These are the guys who bought Delaware startup ZenBank.


9/11: Comcast’s machine learning app saves big dollars on truck rolls; CEO of SoFi says he will step down following sexual harassment allegations




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Comcast Is Raising Prices. Again.
(TV Answerman)

Comcast’s machine learning app saves ‘tens of millions’ of dollars in truck rolls (FierceCable)
Maybe Comcast could use truck roll savings to hold down pricing?

Comcast's Universal park in Orlando to reopen Tuesday; company assessing cable operations (Philly.com)

Meet Guru: Bringing You Knowledge Everywhere You Need It (Emergence Capital)
Emergence Capital, a leading VC in the SaaS/Cloud space, led Guru's latest round.

Where should Amazon build HQ2? We let the data decide (GeekWire)
Seattle's own tech website ranks Philly 4th.

The CEO of SoFi says he will step down following sexual harassment allegations (Recode)




Rackspace acquires Datapipe as it looks to expand its managed services business (TechCrunch)

Inside Juicero’s Demise, From Prized Startup to Fire Sale (Bloomberg)

NTSB Staff to Say Tesla Autopilot Should Share Blame for 2016 Crash (Bloomberg)



Weekend Highlights: Views on Amazon's search for Headquarters #2




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In the bidding war for Amazon, where does Philly stand? (Philly.com)


Dear Amazon: Here Are 25+ Really Good Reasons for You to Come to Philly (PhillyMag)

‘It’s never too late to say we’re sorry’: Seattle leaders respond to Amazon plans to establish second HQ outside its hometown (GeekWire)
One theory about why Amazon is looking elsewhere; If accurate it doesn't bode well for Philly, which has a somewhat similar political environment.

Why Amazon's Growth Ambitions Don't Fit in Seattle (Dow Jones)

DOES AMAZON REALLY NEED A $5 BILLION SECOND HQ? MAYBE. (Wired)



As Amazon Pushes Forward With Robots, Workers Find New Roles (NY Times)


Attacked by Rotten Tomatoes (NY Times)
Comcast/NBC-owned property.

Accenture buys Philly's IBB, helped Comcast, Verizon go digital (Philly.com)





9/8: San Francisco firm acquires Delphic Digital; Holtec International Opens New Technology Campus In Camden




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From Philly to Tulsa, job-hungry cities line up to convince Amazon they’re the best spot for 2nd HQ (GeekWire)

Equifax stock tumbles 14% after credit score hack (TechCrunch)


San Francisco firm acquires fast-growing Philadelphia digital marketing agency (Philadelphia Business Journal)

Anexinet Hires Marketing VP For 'Aggressive' Campaign Push To Win In Key Verticals (CRN)
Trying to expand geographic footprint.

Holtec International Opens New Technology Campus In Camden (CBS Philly)

Blue Apron No. 2 Holder Capital World Investors Sells Its Stake (Bloomberg)





Today: Philly wants 2nd Amazon HQ; Guru Lands $9.3M in Latest Funding Round




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Amazon Announces Plans for Huge New North America Offices (NY Times)
Should Philly apply?





Philly wants to bring Amazon’s HQ here. But where? (Curbed Philly)

Six cities Amazon should consider for its second headquarters (GeekWire)


Guru Lands $9.3M in Latest Funding Round (PhillyMag)


Disney, Comcast shares fall on disappointing forecasts (Reuters)


Once a Running Joke, LinkedIn Is Suddenly a Hot Social Network. Here’s What Changed (Adweek)

Enterprise use of Macs about to expand ‘substantially’ (Computerworld)

Can New York City Lead In Life Sciences? (Clinicalleader.com)

Winfrey: Charter is ‘Strategically Complete' (Multichannel News)

Comcast will lose 100K-150K video subscribers in Q3, residential products chief Strauss says (FierceCable)

Knicks Make a Winner Out of Dolan Even as TV Businesses Sour (Bloomberg)







Accenture to Acquire IBB Consulting to Expand Accenture Strategy Capabilities in Communications, Media & Technology Industry

Accenture to Acquire IBB Consulting to Expand Accenture Strategy Capabilities in Communications, Media & Technology Industry
September 06, 2017 12:14 PM Eastern Daylight Time
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has signed an agreement to acquire IBB Consulting, a premier consulting firm that helps leading broadband and mobile operators, media companies and technology providers identify emerging industry shifts, adapt to market changes and capitalize on new business and technology opportunities. IBB Consulting will strengthen the ability of Accenture Strategy to advise clients in the Communications, Media & Technology (CMT) industries by designing business and technology strategies to create future value, drive new growth and transform operations as they seek to become fully digital businesses.

“By joining Accenture Strategy, we will combine a strong culture of collaboration with a leading client-centric workforce to bring new value to clients as they seek to capitalize on the convergence happening across their industries.”

Following completion of the acquisition, approximately 160 of IBB Consulting’s highly skilled professionals are expected to join the Accenture Strategy CMT industry practice. The majority of IBB Consulting’s workforce are based in North America, with the balance based in Australia. The acquisition will expand Accenture’s capabilities in delivering strategy services for CMT clients with pioneering strategic thinking around key industry issues such as networks, digital video and IPTV, digital transformation, next generation mobility, internet of things (IoT), M&A, cloud, advanced advertising, data analytics and insights, marketing optimization, and international growth.

“Companies across all industries are staking claims in the digital world, disrupting media, communications, high tech companies and IoT players, fueling deep competition from industry stalwarts and nimble new entrants alike,” said Mark Knickrehm, chief executive officer, Accenture Strategy. “The acquisition of IBB Consulting will enhance our ability to deliver deep, industry-specific strategies for our clients by helping them define and deliver a new breed of capabilities that drive competitiveness, reduce costs, leverage emerging technologies and expand operational excellence to put them atop the intersection of business, technology and operations.”

Founded in 2001 with headquarters in Philadelphia, IBB Consulting serves as convergence specialists to leading broadband, media, mobile and technology companies. IBB Consulting’s deep industry focus—that spans network infrastructure, software, content and devices—enables global clients to pioneer new products and services, develop innovative business models and successfully execute business operations.

“Our goal has always been to help clients innovate rapidly with a full lifecycle project approach, from ideation to execution,” said Dr. Imran Shah, co-founder and managing partner of IBB Consulting. “By joining Accenture Strategy, we will combine a strong culture of collaboration with a leading client-centric workforce to bring new value to clients as they seek to capitalize on the convergence happening across their industries.”

Completion of the acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

About Accenture

Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries and all business functions – underpinned by the world’s largest delivery network – Accenture works at the intersection of business and technology to help clients improve their performance and create sustainable value for their stakeholders. With approximately 411,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture drives innovation to improve the way the world works and lives. Visit us at www.accenture.com.

Accenture Strategy operates at the intersection of business and technology. We bring together our capabilities in business, technology, operations and function strategy to help our clients envision and execute industry-specific strategies that support enterprise wide transformation. Our focus on issues related to digital disruption, competitiveness, global operating models, talent and leadership help drive both efficiencies and growth. For more information, follow @AccentureStrat or visit www.accenture.com/strategy.

About IBB Consulting

IBB Consulting is a premier consulting firm serving top companies in wireless and mobility, broadband and media. Founded in 2001, IBB Consulting’s team of senior industry experts leverages its extensive business planning, strategy, technology and execution experience to help clients pioneer new products and services, develop innovative business models, and successfully execute business operations. IBB Consulting has worked with leading companies to conceive and grow some of the most significant strategic, marketing and operational and technology initiatives in the industry. The firm is based in Philadelphia. More information about IBB is available at www.ibbconsulting.com.



9/6: Accenture buys Philly's IBB; Fanatics closes that $1 billion round led by SoftBank




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Accenture buys Philly's IBB, helped Comcast, Verizon go digital (Philly.com: Philly Deals)

Accenture Deals for IBB Consulting
(Multichannel News)

Given an assist, sports e-commerce giant Fanatics closes that $1 billion round led by SoftBank (TechCrunch)


Roku Launches Free Channel With Movies From Warner Bros., MGM, Sony and More (Hollywood Reporter)

WHY WEWORK THINKS IT'S WORTH $20 BILLION (Wired)

Here’s Why GE Shelved Plans to Build its Own Amazon-Like Cloud (Fortune)

Digital health is dead, says this health-tech investor (CNBC)


9/5: Amtrak CEO slams Elon Musk's Hyperloop plan as unrealistic; GE discovers that industrial IoT doesn’t scale




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GE discovers that industrial IoT doesn’t scale
(Stacey on IOT)

Raising Venture Capital? Take a “Discount” on Your Valuation (Marc Lore / LinkedIn )
Lore is President & CEO, Walmart.com, & Founder & CEO, Jet.com.

We need to stop pretending that the autonomous car is imminent (Recode)

Why ‘TAM’ doesn’t matter to me ( Matt Heiman / TechCrunch )

Amtrak CEO slams Elon Musk's Hyperloop plan as unrealistic (Business Insider)
Not coming to Philly anytime soon.

Yet another AWS config fumble: Time Warner Cable exposes 4 million subscriber records (The Register)

Ballard Spahr acquires big Minneapolis law firm (Philadelphia Business Journal)






Philadelphia has a new ISP, in a sense

Tom Paine




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Philadelphia has a new ISP - well, kind of.

Its AT&T, which announced the new service was live on August 22.

Its an unusual step for AT&T, which is a non-incumbent carrier here, to provide residential broadband service to apartment and condo buildings outside its own footprint.

AT&T is rolling out G.fast technology in parts of eight metro areas outside its footprint: Boston, Denver, Minneapolis, New York City, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Seattle, and Tampa. Further expansion to 14 additional metros will follow. G.fast uses fiber to the nieghborhood and sometimes old copper wiring to and inside the building, but AT&T says its new service will use existing coaxial cables inside the buildings to deliver speeds of up to 500Mbps.

AT&T is using its own fiber, already in place for enterprise use or wireless backhual.

Its unclear how widespread the service's availability may be. Mostly, its dependent on arrangements between the telco and the building
owner. And its also not clear whether this will increase consumer choices in any areas.

But it makes you wonder what AT&T's strategic intentions are. Its broadband plans have been a frequent source of confusion to industry watchers.


9/4: Microsoft closes Philly 'Reactor' after 15 months; Amazon, Seattle is now America's biggest company town




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GE's new CEO preparing job cuts in bid to reduce costs: Source (Reuters via CNBC)


Oracle staff report big layoffs across Solaris, SPARC teams
(The Register)

Thanks to Amazon, Seattle is now America's biggest company town (Seattle Times via Philly.com)

Microsoft closes Philly 'Reactor' for innovators after just 15 months (Philly.com)


Drahi’s U.S. adventure may end with a fizzle (Reuters via NASDAQ.com)

The 'cord-cutter' generation is about to have its first big IPO but that doesn't make Roku the next iPhone (Business Insider)





Billtrust Staying in NJ; Expects to Add 200 New Jobs


Billtrust Staying in NJ; Expects to Add 200 New Jobs


Esther Surden
Publisher & Editor, NJTechWeekly.com




           Ed Jordan, CFO of BillTrust | Courtesy BillTrust



Soon after it was approved for $12 million in Grow NJ assistance by the board of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA), payment-management company Billtrust (Hamilton) announced that it would be moving to Lawrenceville. The $12 million, in the form of tax credits, will be parceled out in $1.2 million increments over a 10-year period.

The company will move into a new 88,759-square-foot headquarters next spring, the company said. “We determined Lawrenceville as a good location for our new headquarters as it is close to both Philadelphia and New York City. It also has a strong university presence for top talent with Rider, TCNJ, Rutgers, and Princeton all located nearby,” said CFO Ed Jordan in an emailed response. Also, current employees won’t be dislocated by the move, which is about five miles away from the current headquarters.

“The availability of highly educated, skilled technology professionals in New Jersey has been a tremendous asset to our ability to create a corporate culture that fosters creativity and collaboration,” said Billtrust founder and CEO Flint A. Lane. “Support from Grow NJ will help us to expand our presence here in New Jersey and further leverage the local talent pool as we grow.”

Founded in 2001, Billtrust provides automated invoice-to-cash solutions for the business-to-business market via a proprietary end-to-end cloud-based solution. The company has been growing here in New Jersey, with some 228 employees already in the state out of a total staff of 400.

“As businesses are looking to improve operational efficiency throughout the invoice-to-cash process, the growth of payment cycle management, and specifically payment solutions, is an area of business that is fueling our growth as a company,” Jordan noted.

Billtrust plans to hire software developers and other technology experts as it recruits for the 200 additional jobs, he added.

The company had been considering a move to Warminster, Pa., said a release from the EDA. According to the Philadelphia Business Journal, “As part of the decision, Billtrust said it will retain 228 employees currently working at two leased facilities in Hamilton Township, N.J. and consolidate its other staff at the new headquarters. A summary of the project and approved application says its lease agreements expire June 30, 2018 - and without the Grow NJ award, it would be too expensive to remain in the state compared with a move to Warminster.”

The Business Journal article continued, “The company expects to invest more than $7.3 million to establish its New Jersey headquarters, well above the $3 million minimum requirement to be eligible for the tax credits, according to a Billtrust announcement. The software company said it expects the project will have a ‘net benefit to the State of $40 million’ over a 20-year period.”

In other news, last week KeyBank (Cleveland, Ohio) announced that it had made a strategic investment in Billtrust, though it did not disclose the amount. "KeyBank recognizes that investments in fintech are an integral source of innovation that drives better client experiences," said Lane in a release.

"We are excited to have KeyBank as both an investor and partner. The collaboration to launch the KeyTotal AR [accounts receivable] platform will empower accounts receivable teams and finance professionals to increase efficiency, reduce AR costs and spend more time on strategic initiatives."

In May, Billtrust said that Riverwood Capital (Menlo Park, Calif., and New York), a private equity firm, had invested $50 million. In a release, the company noted that it planned to use the investment to strategically grow into adjacent markets, continue to innovate on the products and services available in its Quantum Payment Cycle Management solution and expand its global footprint.


Esther Surden is Publisher and Editor of NJTechWeekly, and a contributor to Philly Tech News. This article originally appeared in NJTechWeekly, and is republished here with her permission.