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Surf Apple’s Canadian website and conspicuously missing is any link for the iPhone.  The same void can be found in Apple’s four retail outposts north of the border too.   If you’re a Canadian, it’s not that you can’t get (or use) the phone, but absent a carrier agreement, there’s been no service provider to “officially” unlock it.  Now that’s soon to change.

Canadian wireless provider Rogers Wireless confirmed today they’ve reached a deal.  In an official statement they said they are, “thrilled to announce that we have a deal with Apple to bring the iPhone to Canada later this year.”

That Rogers won the deal is little surprise.  They’re the only cellular carrier in Canada with a GSM network capable of supporting the platform (either with EDGE or in a future 3G model).  In fact, the lack of competition for Canadian airwaves, and the resultant high prices that flourished for data services, has widely been blamed as the reason for the phone’s slow migration.   It was only this past February that Rogers began offering a reasonably priced unlimited data plan on their network.

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Unlike rivals NBC (part of GE), ABC (part of Disney), or Fox (part of News Corp), TV Network CBS lacks the insurance and financial cover that comes from being part of a larger, more diversified conglomerate.   As a standalone network, nearly two thirds of the company’s revenues come from advertising.

This morning CBS reported their earnings.  Despite the exposure to a fluctuating ad industry, and despite challenges levied by the writers’ strike, the numbers proved mostly positive.   Total quarterly revenues were up 14% to $3.65 billion during the first quarter.   Overall, earnings came in at $244.3m or 36cents per share, a positive gain over 28cents per share earned during the same period last year.  On an adjusted basis, the EPS were 40 cents.

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Since inching into the black, Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices division has continued a steady roll of progress on the strength of the Xbox 360 gaming platform.  Since its 2005 launch more than 19 million consoles have sold helping to make the entertainment and devices division the company’s fastest growing business unit.  To further drive growth and to spur wider international adoption, the company is cutting prices in select international markets.

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Last week, Apple made a tiny debit from their enormous cash reserves to buy small semi conductor design firm PA Semi.  At approximately $278m, the deal barely shifts the multi billion dollar cash account on the balance sheet; still it has left many analysts, watchers and writers asking questions.  The first and most obvious is “why?” Why did a company that favors buying companies in the early stages of development buy a company with an established customer list? And why given Apples’ focus and success with consumer-focused products choose to invest in the challenging and cyclical semiconductor industry?

Another more macro set of questions (in a companion post to this article) query whether the deal represents a possible shift in Apple’s acquisition policies.  Was this the start of a more acquisition friendly Apple; one interested in taking advantage of weaknesses in the current financial markets to fortify underlying tech assets?

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Looking at Apple’s purchase of Palo Alto Semiconductor (PA Semi) opened the door to two core questions.  One, the micro look, questioned what Apple’s specific interests in the company were.   Why did they make the purchase?   Part 1 of this two part article series delved into that question in detail.  The second question is a recurring issue and more macro in focus: does this small scale purchase give any indication of a change in Apple’s M&A strategy? 

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In early March , Steve Ballmer took a shot at rival Google by telling Stanford students the company was a “one trick pony”; that search advertising was the only venture they knew how to make money at.  It’s a charge that’s been leveled at Googlers more than once.   Whether it proves true or not in the long term, there’s nothing wrong with being a specialist.  A one trick pony can make for a great business; a multi-billion dollar one in Google’s case.  On the other hand, if you’re going to be a one trick pony, operating in a market with a questionable long term future can pose a serious problem once growth plateaus.

That’s the issue Blockbuster’s CEO Jim Keyes faced when he came on board to run the movie rental shop last year.  Not only had the company suffered from mismanagement and corporate bloat in prior years, but it was also facing serious competition (both direct and indirect assaults) over a changing market. 

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Nintendo dominated March gaming sales in the US retail market.  According to NPD numbers, they had the best selling console (the Wii) , the best selling portable (the DS) and even the months top selling software title.  Given that across the board strength, and following months of industry leading sales, it’s no surprise, the financials for the past few months were looking good too.  The question some are asking is: can it keep up and what’s next.

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