Social networking web portal MySpace is planning to double the size of its development office in downtown Seattle.
MySpace opened its Seattle office at 1008 Western Ave. last year and currently employs 60 people there. Now the company is aiming to double that staff to 120 over the next 12 months, according to MySpace Chief Technology Officer Aber Whitcomb.
MySpace is the latest internet giant to set up shop in the Puget Sound area, and particularly in the downtown area.
Google Inc. has been building a presence in Kirkland and Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood, and Yahoo Inc. launched a development office in Bellevue last year (the Yahoo office was announced prior to Microsoft’s $44.6-billion bid to buy Yahoo).
Will Russell, formerly of Microsoft,and currently MySpace Seattle director of engineering reports talking to the UW computer science department about setting up an internship program.
MySpace continues to be the top social networking website with 109.3 million unique monthly visitors worldwide in January, according to internet traffic measurement firm comScore Media Metrix.
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Seattle Takeover II: Amazon and Audible
Is Seattle building a reputation as a corporate invader from the North? While Microsoft is in talks with Yahoo! to try and close its monster Silicon Valley acquisition deal, Amazon is seeking to push its way into takingt over Audible.com.
Only Audible shareholdeerrs are balking at the $11.50 per share purchase price that Amazon.com is offering for the Newark, N.J., provider of digital audio books.
Undeterred, Amazon. com is pushing ahead with the deal, saying it has now bought more than 87 percent of the outstanding stock and plans to acquire the rest by Friday afternoon, according to P-I reports.
Red Oak Partners, which owns 1.4 percent of Audible, sent a letter to both Audible and Amazon.com executives last week saying the $300 million offer from Amazon does not fairly value the company.
A lawsuit filed in New Jersey last month in which two plaintiffs argued that the $11.50 per share purchase price was too low and that the Audible directors breached their fiduciary responsibilities by engaging in a defective sale process.
If the acquisition goes through, Audible is expected to become a subsidiary of Amazon.com. [24×7]
