Baidu founder Robin Li announced via an internal email to employees that the company will streamline its businesses to improve efficiency and provide better services to users in the mobile Internet era. According to China Tech News, the search engine giant will integrate its existing businesses into three major business groups.
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Baidu’s three new business groups
The new business groups will be: Mobile Service Business group, Search Business group, and Emerging Business group. Baidu will integrate its LBS business unit and mobile cloud business unit to form the Mobile Service Business group. The company said its VP Li Mingyuan and VP Liu Jun will be responsible for this group.
The company’s international business unit, user consumer business group, and new business group will be integrated to form the Emerging Business group. Baidu president Zhang Yaqin and VP Wang Zhan will look after this group. Zhan will be reporting directly to Yaqin. Meanwhile, the existing search and mobile search alliance business will be combined to form the Search Business group. The Search Business group and group buying unit will continue to be managed by SVP Xiang Hailong.
[drizzle]Baidu to report Q4 results on Feb.11
Baidu is scheduled to release its fiscal fourth-quarter results on Wednesday, February 11 after the markets close. Analysts expect the company’s revenue to surge 48% YoY to 14.1 billion yuan. Baidu’s non-GAAP operating income is expected to increase 28% to 3.5 billion yuan. Investors will be looking closely at the company’s gross margins.
Over the last two years, Baidu has been spending aggressively to strengthen its mobile business. It is paying smartphone vendors to pre-install its apps on their phones. Last week, Bien Perez of the South China Morning Post reported that Baidu was investing $100 million in a new business of Lenovo, which is likely to be named ShenQi. ShenQi will focus exclusively on the Chinese market, and will sell its devices, services and software online.
Baidu shares fell 0.10% to $211.57 in pre-market trading Monday.
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