Expanding into new territories has its ups and downs, but can usually help a company improve its bottom line, create jobs, and increase brand awareness. By investing in Latin American countries such as Brazil, Microsoft (MSFT) hopes to take advantage of the growing need for cloud computing and other online products and services, along with increased interest in mobile phone technology. Recently, the company spent $100 million to build a technology center in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. With an additional $5 million invested in its Sao Paulo center, Microsoft has definitely made an impression on the country. How Microsoft plans to use these new technology centers remains unclear. Some have speculated the company plans to train new employees or use the center for research and development projects. Not knowing Microsoft’s intent for these centers may cause some investors to question the reason for expansion in the first place. Benefits of

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In addition to allowing people to share documents, music and other media, Near Field Communication, or NFC, also allows customers to pay for goods and services at participating retail outlets using bank or credit card information stored on NFC chips (the exchange of information occurs when two NFC devices come into close proximity with each other). And while many analysts agree this technology could help reduce instances of fraud or identity theft, the technology has been slow to catch on, especially in the United States. Last year, in an attempt to enter the NFC market ahead of the competition, Google (GOOG) created Google Wallet, an NFC-based payment system that Sprint (S), T-Mobile and Virgin Mobile customers can use to make payments at retailers equipped with NFC-compatible POS systems. As other mobile phone manufacturers and phone service providers introduce NFC to customers, mobile wallet systems like Google Wallet should increase in

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Growing competition and billionaire investor Carl Icahn could pose big problems for Netflix (NFLX) over the next few months. Even though the company seems to have gained some ground through increased subscriptions (in the U.S. and other markets including Canada, Latin America, and Europe), and by producing original programming for exclusive viewing on the company’s website, Netflix may not have time to make the big, bold changes it needs to remain profitable. The Shadow of Competition No one can deny that increased competition in the online streaming market from Verizon (VZ) and Coinstar (CSTR), Comcast (CMCSA), and Amazon (AMZN) have cut into the company’s core subscription base. Unfortunately, with few ways to distinguish its streaming services from the competition, Netflix relies mostly on its brand to attract new customers and keep existing ones. But the competition has grown fierce. Amazon recently announced a new monthly payment structure for Amazon Prime members. For $7.99 per month, members receive two-day shipping in

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