New year, new news you can use. That's right, your favorite recurring segment on the CallRail blog is back. In this bi-weekly column, we review the 5 most important recent news stories in business, technology marketing, and explore what it will all mean for your business. As we like to say here, staying up to date isn't just good citizenship, it's good for business. Now let's get to the news! 1) In ongoing trade war, US steps up pressure on Chinese telecoms (Reuters) This week, U.S. lawmakers in Congress introduced legislation banning the sale of hardware and components to Chinese telecom companies, including major manufacturers like ZTE and Huawei. The move comes as the ongoing trade war between Washington and Beijing shows no signs of cooling, with the United States increasing pressure over China's alleged theft of trade secrets. The bills were introduced shortly before the publication of a Wall Street Journal report that federal prosecutors were investigating allegations that Huawei stole trade secrets from US companies like T-Mobile. An indictment is reportedly pending for Huawei's alleged theft of T-Mobile's "Tappy" technology, which smartphones can use to mimic and predict human finger input. It's the latest sign that the current trade war between the United States and China - ongoing since mid-2018 - shows few signs of stopping anytime soon.
The Employee Email Database US Department of Justice has already moved to indict several Chinese manufacturers for theft of trade secrets and plans to file a series of lawsuits against the country in the near future. For digital marketers and those in the tech industry, these recent developments mark a particularly critical escalation in this ongoing trade war. With smartphone hardware and device makers in their sights, Washington's latest move could seriously disrupt the mobile market's supply chain, causing difficulties for service providers and advertisers. 2) Apple faces cutbacks as growth slows and iPhone sales slump (Bloomberg) Apple plans to cut its budget and cut hiring plans for 2019, following weak sales of the company's flagship iPhone during the 2018 holiday quarter. CEO Tim Cook announced the news in a letter to investors which also highlighted the difficulties the company is facing in the Chinese market. Cook also noted that iPhone upgrades weren't as strong as expected due to fewer carriers subsidizing phone purchases, higher prices per device, and users taking advantage of cheaper options. to replace phone batteries. Apple has seen slowing growth and revenue since the second half of 2018 and plans to shift to a service- and subscription-driven business model to boost lagging profits.
The company recently announced plans to open the doors to its (in)famous "walled garden" and make its services available on non-Apple hardware, like Samsung TVs and Amazon smart devices. It's bad news for Apple, but great news for marketers: with the company's adoption of a series of consumer-friendly stances, you'll now have more opportunities than ever to reach the parts of your audience who use Apple devices. (And the increased competition should result in slightly reduced ad rates to boot!)3) US Government Shutdown Creates Problems for Net Neutrality Restoration Efforts (TechCrunch)Due to the ongoing US government shutdown, the FCC had requested a postponement of the Supreme Court hearing of its case regarding the rollback of net neutrality. However, the court denied the FCC's request and ordered oral argument in the case to begin as scheduled on February 1 of this year.