Lesson plan

Microlink

MicroLink was a Baltic IT company, founded by Rainer Nõlvak and Hanno Haamer in August 1991 in Tallinn, Estonia. Launched as a PC maker, it diversified into IT distribution (CHS Estonia), systems integration (Microlink Systems) and providing of internet services (MicroLink Online) and electronics manufacturing (MicroLink Electronics). The company established itself as the largest Baltic PC maker by the mid-1990s. In 1998, the company appointed Allan Martinson as its CEO and merged with the 2nd largest Estonian IT company Astrodata. A period of quick growth ensued, fuelled by 4 private equity rounds from Baltic Investment Fund, Baltic Republics Fund and other players. In 1999–2000, the company grew 5 times by completing 15 mergers and acquisitions, including mergers with the biggest and second-biggest of the Latvian IT companies Fortech and VAR, seven internet service providers across the Baltic region etc. While the corporate headquarters remained in Tallinn, Estonia, the group became essentially pan-Baltic, with the largest number of employees and revenues from Latvia. In 1999, the company also launched Delfi, which established itself as the leading news portal in all three Baltic countries. Initially, Delfi was set up as a 50:50 joint venture with BNS, the region's leading news agency, but eventually MicroLink bought out its counterpart.…

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Article summary

MicroLink was a Baltic IT company, founded by Rainer Nõlvak and Hanno Haamer in August 1991 in Tallinn, Estonia. Launched as a PC maker, it diversified into IT distribution (CHS Estonia), systems integration (Microlink Systems) and providing of internet services (MicroLink Online) and electronics manufacturing (MicroLink Electronics). The company established itself as the largest Baltic PC maker by the mid-1990s. In 1998, the company appointed Allan Martinson as its CEO and merged with the 2nd largest Estonian IT company Astrodata. A period of quick growth ensued, fuelled by 4 private equity rounds from Baltic Investment Fund, Baltic Republics Fund and other players. In 1999–2000, the company grew 5 times by completing 15 mergers and acquisitions, including mergers with the biggest and second-biggest of the Latvian IT companies Fortech and VAR, seven internet service providers across the Baltic region etc. While the corporate headquarters remained in Tallinn, Estonia, the group became essentially pan-Baltic, with the largest number of employees and revenues from Latvia. In 1999, the company also launched Delfi, which established itself as the leading news portal in all three Baltic countries. Initially, Delfi was set up as a 50:50 joint venture with BNS, the region's leading news agency, but eventually MicroLink bought out its counterpart.…

Key claims

  1. date of foundation: 1991 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
  2. employees: 1000 employees — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

  1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
  2. The record states that the date of foundation is "1991". What evidence would count against this claim?
  3. The record states that the employees is "1000 employees". What evidence would count against this claim?
  4. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
  5. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

  1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1356935006

Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.