jdhmnovel Chapter 334 Starry Sky Board of Directors
Chapter 334 Starry Sky Board of Directors
Two days after the Starry Sky year-end meeting, it was still in the same conference room.
The attendees sat on either side of a long table in the conference room, each with a thick document in front of them, summarizing last year's work achievements and outlining their work plan for the new year.
Ling Yun sat in the main seat, with Carly on his left and Chen Jianguo on his right—he had flown in specifically from Jinan to attend this board meeting. Opposite him sat Anderson from Goldman Sachs, Winston from Morgan Stanley, a representative from HP, a representative from Dell, Dr. Leila from Abu Dhabi, and a vice president from the French National Investment Bank.
The door closed, and the conference room fell silent.
Ling Yun looked around and said, "Everyone's here. Let's begin the meeting."
Carly stood up and walked to the projection screen. Today she was wearing a dark blue suit skirt, her hair was neatly styled in a bun, and she had a professional smile on her face.
"Dear shareholders," she pressed the remote control, and the first chart appeared on the screen, "I'd like to first report on Star Technology's achievements over the past year."
The chart consists of several bars labeled with different numbers.
"Operating system," Carly pointed to the first pillar, "as of yesterday, the global installation volume has exceeded 32 million units, with a market share of 31.7%. If you look at the new machines shipped this year, the pre-installation rate of Starry Sky is 47%, surpassing Microsoft's 42%."
Anderson's eyes lit up. He picked up his coffee cup, took a sip, put it down, and continued staring at the screen.
"Browsers," Carly switched to the next page, "Starlight Browser has a global market share of 52.3%, surpassing 50% for the first time. Microsoft IE has 38%, and Netscape has less than 6%."
Winston's fingers unconsciously tapped lightly on the table.
Regarding development tools, Carly continued, "The Starflow front-end framework has a 67% developer usage rate, ranking first in the market. The Starpackage management tool also has a 71% usage rate, ranking first in the market."
She paused, looked at the people present, and said, "In general, 1998 was a year of comprehensive breakthroughs for Xingchen Technology."
There was a two-second silence in the conference room. Then the HP representative began to applaud, and the Dell representative followed suit. The applause was soft, but exceptionally clear in the quiet conference room.
Dr. Leila nodded with a satisfied smile, while the vice president of the French National Investment Bank jotted something down in his notebook.
Anderson cleared his throat.
"Carly," he said, "has this data been verified?"
"It's confirmed," Carly said. "It was a third-party audit, done by PwC. HP and Dell should also have relevant data; we can discuss it with them after the meeting."
Anderson nodded and didn't ask any more questions.
Carly returned to her seat, and Lingyun stood up.
He walked to the projection screen and faced the eight people in the room.
"This time last year," he said, "we were sitting here talking about how to survive. This year, we're talking about how to live better."
He pressed the remote control, and a world map appeared on the screen, marked with several red dots.
"Our goal for next year," he said, "is, first, to go public."
The meeting room fell silent, and everyone stared at him.
"Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley are already making preparations." Ling Yun looked at Anderson and Winston, "They plan to list on Nasdaq in the second half of next year."
Anderson nodded, and Winston nodded as well.
"Second," Ling Yun switched to the next map, "Asia and Europe R&D centers."
On the map, Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Wuhan are highlighted with red dots. In Europe, London and Berlin are also highlighted with red dots.
"The Asia Center covers the Chinese market, and the Europe Center covers the EU market," Ling Yun said. "Each center has a budget of US$50 million and a staff of over 300. They will be launched by the middle of next year and put into operation before the end of the year."
Dr. Lyra raised her hand.
"Mr. Ling," she said, "what about the Middle East?"
Ling Yun looked at her.
"We've established a foothold in the Middle East market," he said. "Our data center is in Dubai, and our team of over thirty people is sufficient. The next focus is on Asia and Europe, markets that together have five times the population of North America."
Dr. Lyra nodded and didn't ask any more questions.
"Third," Ling Yun switched to the next chart, "market share."
A comparison chart appears on the screen. Microsoft is on the left, and StarCraft is on the right. Microsoft is still in the lead, but the gap is narrowing.
"In the Asian market," he said, "by the end of next year, Star System's market share will surpass Microsoft's."
He paused.
"The European market too."
The meeting room was silent for a few seconds.
Dell's representative spoke. He was a white man in his forties with neatly combed hair, and he spoke slowly.
"Mr. Ling," he said, "I understand Asia. You have an advantage in the Chinese market. What about Europe? Microsoft has been deeply rooted in Europe for twenty years. Its channels, relationships, and brand recognition cannot be shaken overnight."
Ling Yun looked at him.
"Europe," he said, "we have the French National Investment Bank."
He looked at the French vice president. The man nodded.
"Furthermore," Ling Yun continued, "Europeans are more wary of American companies than Asians. StarCraft is not an American company. We have a Chinese background, operate in the US, and have a global structure. This identity is actually an advantage in Europe."
Winston chimed in.
"Mr. Ling is right," he said. "We conducted research in Europe, and users' concerns about data privacy outweigh their needs for functionality. StarCenter's data centers are located in Europe, so the data doesn't leave the EU, which Microsoft can't do."
The Dell representative nodded and didn't ask any more questions.
Anderson raised his hand.
"Mr. Ling," he said, "has the listing date been set?"
"The second half of next year," Ling Yun said. "The specific month will depend on market conditions."
Valuation expectations?
"Starting at 10 billion."
Anderson's eyes lit up again. He didn't speak, but the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.
Dr. Lyra raised her hand again.
"Ms. Ling," she said, "after the IPO, will the strategy for the Middle East market be adjusted?"
Ling Yun looked at her.
"No," he said. "The Middle East is a crucial market for StarCraft. After the listing, resources will only increase, not decrease."
Dr. Lyra nodded.
The French vice president raised his hand.
"Mr. Ling," he said, "have you considered Paris as the location for the European R&D center?"
Ling Yun thought for a moment.
"Paris is an option," he said, "but London is also being considered. The final decision will depend on local policies and the availability of talent."
The French vice president nodded and made a note in his notebook.
Ling Yun looked around.
"Any more questions?"
No one spoke.
"That's settled then." He walked back to his seat and sat down. "See you at the end of next year."
End of the meeting.
The group left one after another. Anderson was the last to leave, and paused at the door.
"Mr. Ling," he said, "is 10 billion a conservative estimate?"
Ling Yun looked at him.
"It's better to be conservative," he said.
Anderson smiled and left.
Only Lingyun and Carly remained in the conference room.
Carly leaned back in her chair and let out a long sigh.
"They seem quite satisfied," she said.
Ling Yun didn't speak.
Carly walked over and stood next to him.
"Next year," she said, "can it really go public?"
"able."
"Can they really surpass Microsoft in Europe?"
Ling Yun did not answer.
He looked out the window for a long time.
Carly didn't ask any more questions.
She turned and left.
Ling Yun was the only one left in the conference room.