Register for free to join our community of investors and share your ideas. You will also get access to streaming quotes, interactive charts, trades, portfolio, live options flow and more tools.
Register for free to join our community of investors and share your ideas. You will also get access to streaming quotes, interactive charts, trades, portfolio, live options flow and more tools.
=DJ THE SKEPTIC: Dialing Up Growth At Alcatel-Lucent
By Matthew Curtin A DOW JONES NEWSWIRES COLUMN
PARIS (Dow Jones)--When it comes to cutting costs in the telecoms industry you could hardly do better than entrust the job to Alcatel and Lucent.
However sacrosanct parts of Lucent's U.S. activities are and however difficult laying off workers in France can be, the two companies survived the tech bust - evidence enough of their cost-cutting prowess.
So while stripping another $1.7 billion out of the combined business won't be easy - Lucent, after all, hasn't got any more luxury golf clubs to ditch - investors can take heart from the record of Lucent's Patricia Russo and Alcatel's Jean-Pascal Beaufret, named as CEO and CFO respectively of the combined entity.
But that mightn't be enough to do more than protect existing levels of lackluster operating profitability, remembering that Lucent's healthcare obligations present a potentially deadly drain on earnings.
Some of the sales momentum the companies have enjoyed recently risks slowing sharply, based as it has been on Lucent's sale of CDMA kit - the wireless standard that's essentially limited to America - and Alcatel's successful exploitation of old GSM technology in emerging markets.
But as resurgent as the telecoms market as a whole is, competition is driving prices for new and old technology down. Huawei and ZTE have yet to make inroads in North America, Lucent's lucrative home patch, in the way they have in Europe. That's sure to come. ZTE, for example, has a WiMax partnership with Intel and a U.S. R&D team in place.
For all the effort Alcatel and Lucent have put into becoming providers of added-value telecommunications services, it's been a hard slog to date, as they compete with IT rivals in a new area. And Alcatel-Lucent's equipment-making competitors are wise to the same opportunities.
Alcatel and Lucent have both hacked away at R&D spending as much as general administrative expenses in the past. The big challenge today will be making a smaller combined R&D effort go a lot further than it has of late. And here melding Bell Labs' lingering reputation for cutting-edge research with Alcatel's development expertise will be delicate.
All told, while Alcatel and Lucent have bought themselves a few year's breathing space, assuming Alcatel's effective takeover of its U.S. rival is executed smoothly, their future as a growth company is far from set in stone.
(Matthew Curtin has been a financial news reporter since 1990, and has reported on international finance and business for Dow Jones Newswires - from South Africa, Singapore and now Paris - since 1994. He can be reached at +331 4017 1740 or by e-mail: matthew.curtin@dowjones.com)
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
04-03-06 0732ET
Copyright (c) 2006 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
OT:US court dismisses claims against Nokia
Sat Apr 1, 2006 12:13 PM ET
HELSINKI (Reuters) - Nokia (NOK1V.HE: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Saturday district court of Southern District of New York had dismissed all claims made in a class action litigation filed against it and several of its executives in April 2004.
"Judge Karas dismissed with prejudice each and every claim against Nokia Corporation and the individual defendants," Nokia said in a statement.
On April 6 2004 Milberg Weiss law firm filed the class action suit after Nokia said its first quarter sales would drop 2 percent year-on-year instead of earlier forecast of a rise.
Finnish Nokia, the world's largest cellphone maker, said the judge also denied plaintiffs the opportunity to file a second or amended complaint.
Nokia said it is very pleased with the decision.
In 2004 Nokia lost market share to its rivals like Samsung Electronics (005930.KS: Quote, Profile, Research) and Motorola (MOT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) due to lack of folding phones and its shares dropped sharply in April.
Ranger-Thanks for that information.
Nokia Hosts Lecture Series at CTIA Wireless 2006
LAS VEGAS, March 31, 2006 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- In Las Vegas next week at CTIA Wireless 2006, Nokia (NYSE: NOK) will host a lecture series at Nokia Booth 2641 on all three show days, every hour beginning at 11:30 a.m. These lectures will provide in-depth information on industry trends and Nokia- specific products and solutions, including Mobility in the Enterprise, the new Nokia Flexi Base Station, Product Design and S60. Please see schedule below for a full listing of discussion topics and times.
If you want to stay up to speed on the latest from Nokia at CTIA, including periodic reminders about upcoming lectures, sign up for SMS alerts. For media, send a text message to 27166 with the keyword MEDIA. For show attendees, send a text message to 27166 with the keyword NOKIA. We'll send you periodic text messages alerting you to our news and activities. Standard text message rates apply. Available only on participating carriers. You can also check out http://www.nokia.mobi/ctia on your Web-enabled device for more show information.
Wednesday, April 5 11:30am CDMA Phones - Bluetooth for Everybody Trevor Rodger, Manager, Customer Roadmaps CDMA Mobile Phones 12:30pm Nokia for Business: How ready are you for Business Mobility? Michael Lattanzi, Global Practice Manager Enterprise Sales & Marketing 1:30pm My Connected Life: Nseries Nigel Rundstrom, Vice President, Multimedia, North America 2:30pm Retail Marketing and Solution Selling Tracey Altman, Director, Carrier Channel Marketing 3:30pm Product Design Retrospective Frank Nuovo, Chief of Design 4:30pm Nokia Mobility Hosting: Accelerating new mobile service launch Patrik Sallner, Director of Hosting Service Line, Networks Thursday, April 6 11:30am Bluetooth - Beyond Voice Tony Lutz, Director, Technology Marketing, CDMA Mobile Phones 12:30pm Nokia Flexi BTS: A new way of building your network Kai Sahala, Head of WCDMA 3G System Comm, Networks 1:30pm Digital Content at Retail: Mix & Burn Bob French, President of Mix & Burn 2:30pm GSM Mobile Phones Product Outlook Randy Huntress, Campaign Development Mgr, Mobile Phones Marketing 3:30pm Nokia IMS: The Cornerstone of Converging Networks Chris Koch, Senior Manager, Convergence, Networks 4:30pm Nokia for Business: Nokia Eseries devices optimized for business Mano Gialusis, Product Marketing Manager, Enterprise Mobile Devices Friday, April 7 11:30am Technology Leadership: Music and CDMA David Tokunaga, Product Marketing Manager, CDMA Mobile Phones 12:30pm Nokia for Business. Tips for Implementing a successful mobile strategy ... email and beyond Jim McKeon, Manager, SWAT, Enterprise Mobility Solutions 1:30pm Mobile TV - Digital Entertainment's Future Bob Shallow, Director of Sales & Business Programs, Multimedia 2:30pm S60 for Operators Daniel Shugrue, Marketing Manager, Mobile Software Sales & Marketing
* Disclaimer: All speakers are subject to change. The views of speakers outside of Nokia do not necessarily represent the views of Nokia.
CONTACT: Nokia, Corporate Communications, +1-972-894-4573
SOURCE Nokia Corporation
CONTACT: Nokia, Corporate Communications, +1-972-894-4573URL: http://www.prnewswire.com http://www.nokia.com http://www.ctiawireless.com/index.cfm http://www.nokia.mobi/ctiawww.prnewswire.com
Copyright (C) 2006 PR Newswire. All rights reserved.
-0-
KEYWORD: Nevada TexasINDUSTRY KEYWORD: CPR MLM TLSSUBJECT CODE: TDS PDT
Fri Mar 31 06:54:09 2006 IDCC has been reiterated as a strong buy
IDCC, (Trade) has been reiterated by First Albany as a strong buy.
InterDigital seeking to force Nokia to pay royalties
InterDigital Communications Corp., King of Prussia, which says it is owed hundreds of millions of dollars in royalties from Nokia Oyj, asked arbitrators to force payment from Nokia, the maker of mobile phones. InterDigital, which makes software for mobile phones, said in a regulatory filing that it would seek an order laying out the precise amount Nokia owes, and an interim order for at least partial payments. U.S. officials for Nokia, based in Espoo, Finland, did not immediately return voice-mail messages and an e-mail seeking comment. In July, Nokia said that questions remained over whether the decision was enforceable and that it objected to the sum InterDigital demanded.- Bloomberg News
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/business/14227454.htm
Here are some files from a new case in the SDNY. It looks like InterDigital obtained an injunction against Nokia related to the 3G case in the UK.
http://wirelessledger.com/3-Order.pdf
http://wirelessledger.com/4-Endorsed_Letter.pdf
http://wirelessledger.com/5-Endorsed_Letter.pdf
http://wirelessledger.com/6-Reassignment.pdf
http://wirelessledger.com/7-Statement.pdf
thanks Dave
xxx
Hugin Ad hoc announcement according to 15 WpHG: Misc. matters: NOKIA:
Nokia Annual General Meeting: Dividend of EUR 0.37 per share for 2005; Nokia to
buy back own shares; Board and Committee members elected
Mar 30, 2006 (Hugin via COMTEX) -- Ad-hoc announcement processed and transmitted by Hugin ASA. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------
Helsinki, Finland - The Annual General Meeting of Nokia Corporation held on March 30, 2006 (AGM) resolved to distribute a dividend of EUR 0.37 per share for 2005, as proposed by the Board of Directors. The ex-date of the dividend payment is March 31, 2006 and the record date is April 4, 2006. The dividend will be paid as of April 21, 2006.
The AGM resolved to reduce the share capital through cancellation of 341 890 000 Nokia shares currently held by the Company. The share capital will be reduced by a transfer of the aggregate par value of these shares from the share capital to the share issue premium.
The AGM resolved to continue the authorizations held by the Board. It authorized the Board of Directors to increase the share capital by a maximum of EUR 48,540,000, disapplying the shareholders' pre-emptive right for subscription. The AGM further authorized the Board to repurchase a maximum of 405 million Nokia shares, and to dispose a maximum of 405 million Nokia shares. The authorizations are effective until March 30, 2007.
Nokia to buy back own shares
The Board of Directors confirmed its previously announced plan and resolved to repurchase Nokia shares under the authorization given by the AGM and the Board's share repurchase plan by using a maximum of EUR 6.5 billion for the repurchases, however, so that a maximum of 405 million Nokia shares be repurchased.
The shares will be repurchased through public trading for purposes identified in the authorization. Shares may be repurchased by using certain derivative, share lending or other arrangements, in which case the repurchase price paid by the Company may differ from the market price of the day of execution of the arrangement. All shares, however, are to be purchased at a price based on the market price of the Nokia share in public trading.
The repurchases will commence no earlier than April 21, 2006.
Board and Committee members elected The AGM confirmed the number of the Board members to be ten. The following members of the Nokia Board of Directors - Paul J. Collins, Georg Ehrnrooth, Daniel R. Hesse, Bengt Holmstrom, Per Karlsson, Edouard Michelin, Jorma Ollila, Marjorie Scardino and Vesa Vainio - were re-elected to the Board for the period ending at the close of the next Annual General Meeting. Keijo Suila was elected as a new member to the Board for the same period.
In its assembly meeting, the Board of Directors re-elected CEO Jorma Ollila to chair the Board.
Paul J. Collins was re-elected as Vice Chairman of the Board. As of June 1, 2006 Jorma Ollila will continue as a Non-Executive Chairman, following the termination of his employment with Nokia.
The Board of Directors also elected the members of the Board Committees. For the Personnel Committee, Paul J. Collins was elected as Chairman and Georg Ehrnroot, Daniel R. Hesse, Edouard Michelin and Marjorie Scardino as members. For the Audit Committee, Per Karlsson was elected as Chairman and Georg Ehrnroot, Keijo Suila and Vesa Vainio as members. For the Corporate Governance and Nomination Committee, Marjorie Scardino was elected as Chairman and Paul J. Collins, Per Karlsson and Vesa Vainio as members.
The AGM resolved the following annual fees to the members of the Board of Directors: EUR 375,000 to the Chairman, EUR 137,500 to the Vice Chairman and EUR 110,000 to each member of the Board of Directors. In addition, the AGM resolved that the chairmen of the Audit Committee and the Personnel Committee will each be paid an additional annual fee of EUR 25,000 and the other members of the Audit Committee an additional annual fee of EUR 10,000 each. The Annual General Meeting also resolved that approximately 40% of the remuneration will be paid in Nokia shares purchased from the market, in accordance with the practice since 1999.
PricewaterhouseCoopers Oy was re-elected as the external auditor for Nokia for the fiscal period 2006.
Media and investor contacts:
Nokia, Communications, tel. +358 7180 34900 Email: press.office@nokia.com
Investor Relations Europe, tel. +358 7180 34289 Investor Relations US, tel. +1 914 368 0555
www.nokia.com
--- End of Ad-hoc Message --- WKN: 870737; ISIN: FI0009000681; Listed: General Standard in Frankfurter Wertpapierborse, Freiverkehr in Bayerische Borse Munchen, Freiverkehr in Borse Berlin Bremen, Freiverkehr in Borse Dusseldorf, Freiverkehr in Hanseatische Wertpapierborse zu Hamburg, Freiverkehr in Niedersachsische Borse zu Hannover, Freiverkehr in Borse Stuttgart, Amtlicher Markt in Frankfurter Wertpapierborse;
SOURCE: NOKIA
Copyright (c) 2006, HUGIN AS. All rights reserved.
-0-
KEYWORD: GermanySUBJECT CODE: Finance
=DJ UPDATE: Ofcom Targets 3G Termination Rate Regulation
(This updates an item published at 1247 GMT with additional company and analyst comment.)
By Nic Fildes
Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
LONDON (Dow Jones)--U.K. telecommunications regulator Ofcom Thursday proposed imposing new controls on prices cellphone companies charge each other for connecting calls between third-generation wireless networks.
In 2004, Ofcom's predecessor, Oftel, started regulating the so-called termination rates operators levy to connect calls between conventional networks. The aim was to protect consumers from excessive prices for calls to mobile phones, but 3G networks were exempted because they were in development and didn't carry a large amount of traffic.
Termination rates generate GBP2 billion in sales annually, making them a significant revenue source for the industry, Ofcom said.
The price limits were put in place until March 2007, but Ofcom said Thursday it will continue to regulate the rates after that date, where there is evidence of market dominance, and it will apply controls to 3G networks.
Ofcom said all mobile network operators have significant market power in setting the fees.
Vodafone Group PLC (VOD), Deutsche Telekom AG's (DT) T-Mobile International AG (TMO.YY), France Telecom SA's (FTE) Orange unit, Hutchison Whampoa Ltd.'s (0013.HK) 3 UK and Telefonica SA's (TEF) O2 have until May 25 to respond to the proposals. Ofcom aims to publish a final document in summer 2006 which will then cover regulation to 2011.
Bear Stearns said in a note that the move highlights the regulatory risk facing the European telecoms sector, which it rates at market underweight. The U.K. already has some of the lowest termination rates in Europe so the prospect of further reductions will increase pressure on other European Union countries to follow, Bear Stearns said.
Chris Alliott, an analyst at Nomura Securities, said that the proposals are the "first step" in bringing 3G termination rates down to 2G levels.
"2G is a mature market but 3G is still developing. Therefore burdening it with regulation is not the way to allow that market to develop. However, this consultation seeks to ensure that price controls are used to ensure a fair deal for 3G users," he said.
Analysts said Hutchison Whampoa's 3 could suffer the biggest impact from the proposals because the company isn't currently subject to regulation of its termination rates because it only operates a 3G network.
However, a spokesman for Hutchison's 3 UK said that "3 has not been designated with significant market power." In 2005, the Competition Appeals Tribunal withdrew Ofcom's designation that 3 UK had significant market power after the company appealed.
Ofcom said Thursday that "excessive revenue" generated by unregulated 3G termination rates may be used to compete in the retail market. The 3G rates could help subsidize low call prices, subscriptions or promotions, Ofcom said.
3 UK in January unveiled a promotion called WePay, which gives subscribers a cash credit when they receive calls. The 3 UK spokesman said that WePay isn't funded by termination rate revenue. "The proposition funds itself," he said.
Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein analyst Robert Grindle said that while the regulation is negative for Hutchison's 3, it is in line with expectations.
Ofcom also said that Vodafone is the only U.K. operator which charges more to connect a call to its 3G network than the regulated 2G network. During the day, Vodafone charges 18.8 pence per minute to connect to its 3G network, compared with 7.89 pence on 2G.
Ofcom added that if regulation doesn't change, other operators could adopt the same approach.
A Vodafone spokesman said the company is studying the proposals and will respond in due course.
O2 and fixed-line operator BT Group PLC (BT) both said they are pleased that Ofcom has recognized that regulation should apply to all operators.
Company Web site: http://www.ofcom.org
-By Nic Fildes, Dow Jones Newswires; 44-20-7842-9264; nicolas.fildes@dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
03-30-06 0936ET
Copyright (c) 2006 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Paul-I really believe something is going to happen soon.
StarHub and Motorola Begin Upgrade of Broadband Network to
Next-Generation Channel-Bonding MaxOnline Customers Can Expect to Experience
Faster Broadband Speeds of Up to 100Mbps by 2H 2006 Plans Underway to Further
Upgrade Broadband Speeds Up to 1Gbps, in the Next Two to Three Years
SINGAPORE, March 30, 2006 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- StarHub, Singapore's integrated info communications provider, today announced that the upgrade of its broadband hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) cable network to a DOCSIS(R) 3.0-compatible architecture is underway, paving the way to higher broadband speeds for its customers in the second half of 2006.
MaxOnline customers will be able to experience broadband speeds of up to 100Mbps through the upgrade made possible through StarHub's current technology partner, Motorola, the global communications leader and a pioneer in developing channel-bonding solutions for HFC networks. Singapore will be the first country in Asia-Pacific to have a nation-wide DOCSIS(R) 3.0-compatible broadband network commercially available. The proposed DOCSIS(R) 3.0 specification is an open standard that will allow cable operators to optimize their high-speed data distribution more efficiently. Channel bonding technology enables a cable operator to bond multiple physical network channels into a single, virtual, high-bandwidth channel.
"With the evolving demands for more multimedia online content, network storage, and increasing convergence of PC and TV devices, like that of the Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005, we expect growing demand for higher speeds to continue, and perhaps to accelerate over the next few years," said Thomas Ee, Senior Vice President of IP Services, StarHub. "This upgrade with Motorola will ensure that our broadband network continues to stay ahead of the demand, providing our customers with a smooth, seamless transition to greater broadband speeds, should they require it in the future."
"Motorola's strong, ongoing relationship with StarHub is especially important at this time, when the growing popularity of bandwidth intensive broadband services are driving the need for technologies such as channel bonding," said Charles Dougherty, Motorola corporate vice president and general manager, Connected Home Solutions. "With this deployment, StarHub is establishing itself as a leader in delivering rich, immersive experiences to its customers over a robust, next-generation network architecture."
Motorola has been a leader in contributing to the current channel-bonding specification, which is part of the proposed DOCSIS(R) 3.0 standard currently in development by CableLabs(R). CableLabs is a non-profit research and development consortium (and the standards body for DOCSIS that is dedicated to pursuing new cable telecommunications technologies and to helping cable operator members integrate those technical advancements into their business objectives.
In addition to the current upgrade, StarHub is already looking at future plans to continue to enhance the broadband cable network to 1Gbps in two to three years' time, as the channel-bonding platform is able to scale even further. The enhancements are expected to be implemented gradually and cost-effectively over the next few years, requiring minimal equipment upgrades, over StarHub's existing broadband HFC cable network.
Currently, StarHub's MaxOnline service allows subscribers to enjoy always-on, unlimited broadband access to the Internet at high download speeds of up to 2Mbps, 6.5Mbps and 30Mbps. As at 31 December 2005, StarHub has 277,000 MaxOnline subscribers.
About StarHub
StarHub is Singapore's second largest info-communication company and the sole operator delivering a full range of information, communications and entertainment services over fixed, cable, mobile and Internet platforms. StarHub operates a 3G mobile network in addition to its GSM network, and is the exclusive provider of the i-mode mobile Internet service over its 2.5G and 3G networks. StarHub also operates its own nation-wide HFC network that delivers multi-channel cable TV services (including Digital Cable), voice and Internet access for both consumer and corporate markets. StarHub is listed on the SGX-ST.
Driven by a passion for listening and providing what customers want, StarHub endeavors to bring affordable and premium quality services with innovative and useful features to all its customers. StarHub raises the level of competition in Singapore, challenging others as well as itself, to constantly introduce new world-class services at competitive prices. This unwavering commitment will further strengthen Singapore's position as a leading info-communication hub in the region.
Visit http://www.starhub.com for all your communication needs.
About Motorola
Motorola is known around the world for innovation and leadership in wireless and broadband communications. Inspired by our vision of Seamless Mobility, the people of Motorola are committed to helping you get and stay connected simply and seamlessly to the people, information, and entertainment that you want and need. We do this by designing and delivering "must have" products, "must do" experiences and powerful networks -- along with a full complement of support services. A Fortune 100 company with global presence and impact, Motorola had sales of US$36.8 billion in 2005. For more information about our company, our people and our innovations, please visit http://www.motorola.com
Some of the statements in this news release constitute "forward-looking statements" that do not directly or exclusively relate to historical facts. These forward-looking statements reflect our intentions, plans, expectations, assumptions and beliefs about future events and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside our control. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements include known and unknown risks. Because actual results could differ materially from our intentions, plans, expectations, assumptions and beliefs about the future, you are urged to view all forward-looking statements contained in this news release with caution.
MOTOROLA and the Stylized M Logo are registered in the US Patent & Trademark Office. DOCSIS and CableLabs are registered trademarks of Cable Television Laboratories, Inc. All other product or service names are the property of their respective owners.
SOURCE Motorola
CONTACT: Media: Michael Sim, Corporate Communications and Investor Relations of StarHub, DID: +65-6825-5188, Mobile: +65-9859-0241, Email: michaelsim@starhub.com; Lynn Chan of Motorola Asia-Pacific, DID: +65-6486-2286, Mobile: +65-9737-5006, Email: Lynn.Chan@motorola.com; or Paul Alfieri of Motorola North America, DID: +1-215-323-1804, Email: Paul.alfieri@motorola.comURL: http://www.prnewswire.com http://www.motorola.com http://www.starhub.comwww.prnewswire.com
Copyright (C) 2006 PR Newswire. All rights reserved.
-0-
KEYWORD: Singapore ArizonaINDUSTRY KEYWORD: TLS ITE MLM CPR NETSUBJECT CODE: JVN ASI
IBM and 3Com to Deliver "All-In-One" IP Telephony Suite for Small and
Mid-Size Businesses To Further Simplify Business Operations and Take Advantage
of Cost Savings and Advanced Features Associated With IP Telephony, IBM Clients
Will Be Able to Run 3Com's IP Telephony Suite on the System i Platform
ARMONK, NY and MARLBOROUGH, MA, Mar 30, 2006 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) -- IBM and 3Com Corporation, a leading provider of secure, converged voice and data networking solutions, today announced plans to offer the 3Com VCX(TM) suite of IP telephony solutions on IBM's "all-in-one" System i business computing solution.
Through this agreement, IBM and 3Com will enable small to mid-sized clients to integrate IP telephony capabilities with the System i, which comes pre-integrated with hardware, database software, storage and security. To simplify the convergence, IBM and 3Com intend to deliver the first IP telephony suite that can run in a single Linux on POWER partition on the System i. This means clients will be able to run business and telephony applications simultaneously, managed by the System i's familiar system management tools.
The System i IP Telephony Suite is designed to help clients take advantage of IP telephony features and cost savings versus traditional telephony systems while delivering the same level of reliability that they expect from their business computing on System i.
"The availability of the 3Com solutions on the System i platform will give our broad base of clients a powerful option to run a complete IP telephony solution without adding new boxes to their environment," said Mark Shearer, general manager, IBM System i. "This is a milestone in further simplifying the avalanche of data that small and mid-sized clients face and enabling innovation in their businesses. We think this offering will provide our community with yet another reason to be passionate about the System i."
Focusing on the mid-market of 100 to 2,000 users, 3Com delivers a completely native, standards-based IP telephony and application solution using SIP (Session Initiation Protocol). By using SIP and other open standards, 3Com IP telephony offerings will be more easily integrated with other applications on the System i to extend their functionality with telephony features and applications, including unified messaging, large scale audio conferencing, video conferencing, presence, contact centers and enterprise mobility that reduce cost, increase productivity and enhance customer interaction. 3Com's VCX solution delivers robust dependability and scalability that carries billions of minutes of IP Telephony traffic with carrier-class availability.
IBM chose 3Com as its IP telephony partner for System i based on the two companies' common values of integration, ease-of-use, security, and support for open standards.
"By collaborating with IBM, we have an enormous opportunity to enable System i clients and enterprises worldwide to take advantage of the benefits that IP telephony has to offer through our VCX suite and applications," said R. Scott Murray, president and chief executive officer, 3Com. "Integrating VCX with the System i5 creates a converged environment that reduces costs while giving enterprises a competitive edge. IBM's selection of 3Com and the VCX platform is a proof point for the product's flexibility and reliability. It is also tremendous validation for our open standards-based approach versus proprietary systems."
IBM anticipates that its community of System i business partners and Independent Software Vendors (ISV) will exploit this IP telephony functionality to deliver new innovations in collaboration and key business processing applications such as customer relationship management applications that run on the System i platform.
"IP telephony is a solution area that is becoming more and more important to our customers," said Andy Gorelik, COO, Strategic Computer Solutions, Inc., an IBM Premier Business Partner. "We think offering 3Com's IP telephony solution on System i offers a new level of IP telephony simplicity, and will drive new innovation and demand for the System i platform."
Availability
The first software products for integration onto System i are expected to be available by third quarter 2006.
About 3Com Corporation
3Com Corporation is a leading provider of secure, converged voice and data networking solutions for enterprises of all sizes. 3Com offers a broad line of innovative products backed by world class sales, service and support, which excel at delivering business value for its customers. Through its TippingPoint division, 3Com is the leading provider of network-based intrusion prevention systems that deliver in-depth application protection, infrastructure protection, and performance protection. 3Com also is the majority owner of Huawei-3Com Co., Ltd. (H-3C), a China-based joint venture formed by 3Com and Huawei in November 2003. H-3C brings innovative and cost-effective product development and manufacturing and a strong footprint in one of the world's most dynamic markets. For further information, please visit www.3com.com, or the press site www.3com.com/pressbox.
About the IBM System i(TM)
The IBM System i is a tightly integrated business system including hardware, middleware, storage and security. The "all-in-one" System i platform embraces open standards and can run i5/OS, Windows(1), Linux and AIX 5L operating environments simultaneously so clients can simplify their IT environment and reinvest those savings in business innovation. Business partners and solutions providers of all sizes drive System i5 success by building, selling and deploying more than 7,000 of the world's most popular business applications for their clients on the System i family.
About IBM
IBM is the world's largest information technology company, with 80 years of leadership in helping businesses innovate. Drawing on resources from across IBM and key IBM Business Partners, IBM offers a wide range of services, solutions and technologies that enable customers, large and small, to take full advantage of the new era of on demand business. For more information about IBM, visit http://www.ibm.com.
Footnotes:1) The System i5 platform can run Microsoft Windows via an integrated Intel-based server option.
The following are either trademarks or registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation in the United States or other countries or both: IBM, the IBM e-business logo, System i, and System i5. For a list of additional IBM trademarks, please see www.ibm.com/legal/copytrade.shtml.
LINUX is a trademark of Linus Torvalds. Microsoft, Windows, Windows NT, and the Windows logo are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both.
All others are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Statements concerning IBM's future development plans and schedules are made for planning purposes only, and are subject to change or withdrawal without notice.
Copyright Copyright 2006 3Com Corporation. 3Com and the 3Com logo are registered trademarks and VCX and TippingPoint are trademarks of 3Com Corporation. All other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective holders.
Safe Harbor
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including statements regarding the integration of 3Com's IP telephony suite into IBM's System i computing system, the timing of and benefits conferred by this integration, and the quality of the integrated product. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and events to differ materially, including our ability to successfully develop these products on the timeline disclosed, to confer the benefits and features promised and to secure market acceptance for such products. For a discussion of other risks and uncertainties associated with our business, please refer to 3Com's and IBM's most recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including their Annual Report on Form 10-K for their most recent fiscal year end.
Contact:Joanna BrewerIBM Media Relations(415) 545-2270jmbrewer@us.ibm.comJoseph Vukson3Com Corporation(508) 323-1228joseph_vukson@3com.com
SOURCE: IBM Corporation
CONTACT: mailto:jmbrewer@us.ibm.com mailto:joseph_vukson@3com.com
Copyright 2006 Market Wire, All rights reserved.
-0-
SUBJECT CODE: Computers and Software:Hardware Computers and Software:Internet Computers and Software:Networking Telecom:Telecommunication Equipment Computers and Software:Software Telecom:Telecommunication Services Computers and Software:Peripherals
PRESS RELEASE: Sprint Extends Mobility Leadership with Aggressive Broadband Network Expansion
OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 30, 2006-- Sprint (NYSE: S): -- Over Half of U.S. Population Covered in First Phase -- 190 Million Coverage Targeted by Year-End '06 -- First-to-Market Revision A Migration Plans for 2007 Service -- Devices Available 3Q Have CTIA Show Preview
Sprint (NYSE: S) today announced aggressive plans for the expansion and evolution of the Sprint Power Vision(SM)network which now covers over half of the U.S. population with mobile broadband data services. By year end 2006 the high-speed wireless network is expected to reach an estimated 190 million people nationwide and in Puerto Rico, making it the largest mobility network of its kind. Sprint will concurrently implement second-generation technology upgrades later this year known as EV-DO Revision A, to bring additional mobility benefits to users beginning in 1Q 2007. Sprint plans to reach about 220 million people in the U.S. with the advanced network by the end of 3Q '07.
Sprint today has the most wireless broadband coverage of any carrier. Sprint mobile broadband services, which run on the Sprint Power Vision network, cover over 150 million people and serve customers in 215 communities with at least 100,000 population, as well as 470 airports across the country. Users currently access various audio, video and data applications with handheld and connection-card devices at average download speeds equivalent to DSL (400-700 kbps and peak speeds up to 2 Mbps). With the evolution to EV-DO Revision A, users will experience downloads and uploads up to 10 times faster. "Sprint is a mobility services company and mobile broadband leader," remarked Kathy Walker, Chief Network Officer. "We plan to extend that lead through a complete overlay of our Sprint EV-DO network with Revision A technology by the end of 3Q 2007, to provide customers an enriched mobile multimedia experience."
Sprint will demonstrate EV-DO Revision A connection card technology at the CTIA Wireless Show in Las Vegas (booth 1439) with industry partners Nortel, Novatel Wireless and Sierra Wireless. Sprint will market EV-DO Revision A compatible connection cards in the third quarter of 2006, which work on the current Revision O network until next-generation service is broadly available in the first quarter 2007 to about 214 million people.
"Sprint has an aggressive plan for mobile broadband service leadership, by broadening their footprint and deploying advanced technology that drives mobility," commented Gene Signorini, Director, Wireless/Mobile Enterprise Solutions at Yankee Group. "This announcement keeps Sprint in the forefront in meeting the demand for mobility services. Given the importance of high speed data services as a revenue source, this is a bold and rewarding move."
With Revision A technology, peak download data rates increase to 3.1 Mbps (from 2.0) and peak upload data rates increase to 1.8 Mbps (from 144 kbps). Average download speeds improve to 450-800 kbps (from 400 -700) and average uplink speeds become 300 - 400 kpbs (versus 70 - 144 kpbs). The faster data rates can enable richer applications and services such as high-speed video telephony, music on demand, video messaging, large file uploads and high performance push-to-talk capability.
"This aggressive move by Sprint should further accelerate the company's momentum in wireless broadband services," said Bob Egan, Director, Emerging Technologies, TowerGroup. "Enterprises and consumers alike have an insatiable appetite for network access availability, speed and quality. This is an important move by a company who is very serious about raising the industry bar and meeting the important and dynamic requirements of its business and consumer constituencies," Egan said.
The power of Sprint networks make it best positioned to deliver unmatched mobility products and services for customer solutions. Wireless broadband customers can currently access the mobility network with the Sprint PCS Vision Smart Device (PPC 6700) and Sprint PCS Connection Cards Novatel Wireless 620, Sierra Wireless 580 and PC 5740. Panasonic Toughbook PC models (18, 29 and 73) also have embedded EV DO Sprint Power Vision capability for Sprint network access. Consumer data devices include Sprint Power Vision phones from Samsung (A900 and A920) and the MM 7500 by Sanyo.
Additional information on Sprint's Mobile Broadband network and access devices can be found at www.sprint.com/wirelesshighspeeddata
About Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of communications services bringing mobility to consumer, business and government customers. Sprint Nextel is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including two robust wireless networks offering industry leading mobile data services; instant national and international walkie-talkie capabilities; and an award-winning and global Tier 1 Internet backbone. For more information, visit www.sprint.com.
This news release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the securities laws. The statements in this news release regarding the business outlook, expected performance, as well as other statements that are not historical facts, are forward-looking statements. The words "estimate," "project," "forecast," "intend," "expect," "believe," "target," "providing guidance" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are estimates and projections reflecting management's judgment based on currently available information and involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those suggested by the forward-looking statements. With respect to these forward-looking statements, management has made assumptions regarding, among other things, customer and network usage, customer growth and retention, pricing, operating costs, the timing of various events and the economic environment.
Future performance cannot be ensured. Actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Some factors that could cause actual results to differ include:
-- the uncertainties related to the benefits of the Sprint-Nextel merger, including anticipated synergies and cost savings and the timing thereof; -- the uncertainties related to and the impact of the contemplated spin-off of Sprint Nextel's local communications operations; -- the effects of vigorous competition and the overall demand for Sprint Nextel's service offerings in the markets in which Sprint Nextel operates and the impact of new, emerging and competing services technologies on its business; -- the costs and business risks associated with providing new services and entering new markets; -- the impact of any adverse change in the ratings afforded Sprint Nextel's debt securities by ratings agencies; -- the ability of Sprint Nextel's Wireless segment to continue to grow and improve profitability; -- the ability of Sprint Nextel's Local and Long Distance segments to achieve expected revenues; -- the effects of mergers and consolidations in the communications industry and unexpected announcements or developments from others in the telecommunications industry; -- the uncertainties related to Sprint Nextel's investments in networks, systems, and other businesses; -- the uncertainties related to the implementation of Sprint Nextel's business strategies, -- unexpected results of litigation pending or filed against Sprint Nextel; -- a no significant adverse change in Motorola, Inc.'s ability or willingness to provide handsets and related equipment and software applications or to develop new technologies or features for Sprint Nextel's iDEN network; -- the network performance, including any performance issues resulting from the reconfiguration of the 800 Megahertz band of the iDEN network that is contemplated by the Federal Communications Commission's Report and Order, released in August 2004 and supplemented thereafter; -- the costs of compliance with regulatory mandates, particularly requirements related to the Federal Communications Commission's Report and Order and deployment of enhanced 911 services on the iDEN network; -- equipment failure, natural disasters, terrorist acts, or other breaches of network or information technology security; -- inability of third parties to perform to Sprint Nextel's requirements under agreements related to Sprint Nextel's business operations; -- one or more of the markets in which Sprint Nextel competes being impacted by changes in political or other factors such as monetary policy, legal and regulatory changes or other external factors over which Sprint Nextel has no control; and -- other risks referenced from time to time in Sprint Nextel's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including its Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004, as amended, and its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q for the subsequent quarterly periods.
(MORE TO FOLLOW) Dow Jones Newswires
03-30-06 0804ET
=DJ NEWS SNAP: Nokia Raises 06 Mkt Estimate, Shrs Jump
By Magnus Hansson
Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
STOCKHOLM (Dow Jones)--Nokia Corp. (NOK) Thursday raised its forecast for the global cellphone market this year as developing regions continue to outperform expectations.
The world's largest handset maker said it expects the market to grow by 15% or more in 2006 from the 795 million units it estimates were sold globally last year. The Finnish company previously forecast growth of 10% or more in 2006.
Chief Executive Jorma Ollila said in a speech at Nokia's annual general meeting that emerging markets, such as China and India, are increasingly driving demand.
The new forecast "implies a significantly stronger growth trend in the first quarter than the company and the market previously projected," said Mattias Cullin, an analyst at brokerage Hagstroemer & Qviberg. Cullin doesn't have a rating on Nokia shares.
At 1252 GMT, Nokia shares were trading up 4%, or EUR0.67, at EUR17.36 in an overall rising market.
(MORE TO FOLLOW) Dow Jones Newswires
03-30-06 0802ET
Copyright (c) 2006 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
=DJ NEWS SNAP: Nokia Raises 06 Mkt Estimate, Shrs Jump -2
Cullin said most analysts had predicted the handset market would grow around 11% to 12% in 2006. "The news will lead to increased estimates for Nokia," he said.
CEO Ollila reiterated that Nokia expects approximately 80% of the next billion subscribers to come from emerging markets. Nokia forecasts that the number of mobile phone subscribers will reach 3 billion during 2008.
A key question for investors is how much of the unit sales growth will translate into gains in revenues. With a majority of the extra growth coming from low-priced phones, the fall in average selling prices could accelerate.
Average selling prices are "usually negatively affected when volumes increase," said Greger Johansson, an analyst at research firm Redeye in Stockholm. "The news is still marginally positive," he said. He rates the stock sell.
Nokia, unlike some of its rivals, saw selling prices fall in the fourth quarter because of a product range geared more towards low-end models. Main rivals Motorola Inc. (MOT) and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (005930.SE) saw prices rise in the period, measured in euros.
In a separate statement, Nokia said it has launched its lowest-priced mobile phone. The Nokia 1112 is targeted at first time users in emerging markets and is expected to cost EUR45 before taxes and subsidies when it becomes available in the second quarter.
Company Web site: http://www.nokia.com
-By Magnus Hansson, Dow Jones Newswires;+46 8 545 130 91, magnus.hansson@dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
03-30-06 0810ET
Copyright (c) 2006 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
PRESS RELEASE: Nokia Spurs Subscriber Growth in New Growth Markets with Mobility Solutions
CHONGQING, China, March 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- At the Nokia Experience Mobility event in Chongqing, China, Nokia (NYSE: NOK) boosts its commitment to making mobile communications more affordable and accessible to a broader range of subscribers. At the event, Nokia strengthens its offering for new growth markets by announcing a new business model for profitable market expansion, the Nokia Connect Market Expansion Toolkit, and the start of licencing of its Prepaid Tracker to GSM and WCDMA device manufacturers and GSM and WCDMA operators.
Nokia estimates the number of mobile subscribers to grow to three billion in 2008. As around 80 percent of this growth will come from new growth markets, the importance of these markets will continue to increase. Nokia expects that Asia-Pacific and China will account for 50 percent of the next billion subscribers.
Nokia believes the right combination of mobile phones, network solutions, services and a favourable regulatory environment is essential to spreading the benefits of mobility. The key is to reduce the total cost of ownership to the consumer, whilst ensuring a profitable, and thus sustainable, business model for operators and vendors.
Nokia enables operators to offer different service levels to different customers
Large part of expansion of mobile services in new growth markets comes from lower-spending customer segments. With the new Nokia Connect Market Expansion Toolkit, operators can increase their revenue by reaching out to these people, without affecting the service expectations of their existing customers.
"The Nokia Connect Market Expansion Toolkit allows operators to develop diverse service offerings at different prices to meet the needs of both current segments and new, lower-spending ones in a profitable way. Networks are typically dimensioned according to their busy hour usage, often resulting in a great deal of idle capacity at other times," says Rauno Granath, Director, New Growth Markets, Networks, Nokia.
"This new, more affordable service offering made possible by Nokia encourages lower spending customers to make their calls outside of peak hours, thus resulting in more efficient use of resources. The main benefit for lower spending users is that they can now afford to use mobile services - maybe for the first time ever," he adds.
The Nokia Connect Market Expansion Toolkit allows the shared use of resources in the radio network. Voice channels can be set to use adaptive multirate half-rate or full-rate depending on the subscriber type, and even SMS services can be differentiated without additional traffic related expenses. As these features already exist in the Nokia networks, operators can leverage their existing investment and attract new subscribers with more affordable services.
Nokia starts licensing Prepaid Tracker to other terminal vendors and operators
According to Informa Telecoms & Media (February 2006), over 70% of all mobile subscribers in new growth markets are prepaid customers. To better serve their needs, Nokia last year introduced its innovative Nokia Prepaid Tracker solution that automatically updates the users' phones with their up-to-date prepaid balance and call expenses. In addition to their current account balance, subscribers can also view information on the account's expiration date, the cost of the last call or SMS, and the amount of the last prepaid recharge.
The Nokia Prepaid Tracker is provided to operators as a software implementation. The solution helps operators to differentiate their services, thus reducing churn. In fast growing markets, where prepaid subscribers far exceed postpaid, innovations such as the Nokia Prepaid Tracker can help operators create a competitive advantage.
Operators with the Nokia Intelligent Network have previously been able to use the technology. Now, Nokia has opened the possibility to seek a license from Nokia to its patented Prepaid Tracker feature to other GSM and WCDMA terminal manufacturers, as well as to GSM and WCDMA operators whose Intelligent Network is not supplied by Nokia, to offer Prepaid Tracker service to licensed terminal products, making the benefits of the solution available to as many prepaid customers as possible.
About Nokia
Nokia is a world leader in mobile communications, driving the growth and sustainability of the broader mobility industry. Nokia connects people to each other and the information that matters to them with easy-to-use and innovative products like mobile phones, devices and solutions for imaging, games, media and businesses. Nokia provides equipment, solutions and services for network operators and corporations.
SOURCE Nokia
/CONTACT: Media Enquiries: Nokia, Networks, Communications, Tel. +358-7180-34379; Nokia, Communications, Tel. +358-7180-34900, Email: press.office@nokia.com, www.nokia.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
03-30-06 0524ET
Smart and Nokia announce completion of first HSDPA call in Philippines
Mar 30, 2006 (M2 EQUITYBITES via COMTEX) -- Smart Communications Inc (SMART), a Philippines based wireless service provider, and Nokia (NYSE:NOK), a mobile communications company, announced today (30 March) that they have completed the first High Speed Data Packet Access (HSDPA) call in the Philippines.
The call was made in Smart's live network. With the Nokia HSDPA solution Smart will be able to offer its customers data services at speeds faster than current 3G speeds.
Nokia is supplying the HSDPA solution to Smart as part of the WCDMA 3G network contract announced in January 2006.
Financial details of the contract were not available.
(C)2006 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD http://www.m2.com
-0-
Texas Instruments: TI Turns Up the Music in Mobile Phones with Integrated
FM Audio and Stereo Single-Chip Bluetooth Solution Turn-key Hardware and
Software Platform Provides Best Performance Bluetooth(r) Wireless Technology
with High Fidelity FM
DALLAS, Mar 30, 2006 (M2 PRESSWIRE via COMTEX) -- Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) {NYSE: TXN} today announced its next generation BlueLink(tm) 6.0 platform that combines the industry's best performance Bluetooth(r) wireless technology with high fidelity FM stereo and mono performance on a single chip. The BlueLink 6.0 platform provides complete hardware and software support, enabling ease of design and speeding time to market for mobile device manufacturers. In addition, TI's solution supports streaming FM stereo music from the handset to a Bluetooth-enabled headset. (See www.ti.com/bluelink_6 for more information.)
Turn-key Software and Hardware Support Since both Bluetooth and FM functions are integrated on the same silicon, the solution ensures optimal RF co-existence between the two functions, and also provides significant power savings in the most commonly used modes of operation, such as page and inquiry scan. The BlueLink 6.0 single chip also incorporates TI's Bluetooth/WLAN co-existence hardware and software solution, providing a collaborative interface with TI's WiLink(tm) mobile WLAN solution for optimal bandwidth and resource sharing.
The BlueLink 6.0 platform includes TI's BlueLink Bluetooth and FM Protocol Stacks and all software required to work with TI's OMAP(tm) platforms and OMAP-Vox(tm) chipsets for GSM, GPRS, EDGE, WCDMA and UMTS. The solution offers designers the flexibility to work with Symbian, Linux, or Microsoft Windows Mobile operating systems.
"Microsoft is excited that Texas Instruments is expanding their product line with the release of BlueLink 6.0," said Jonas Hasselberg, Group Product Manager at Microsoft. "The strong integration between Texas Instruments and Windows Mobile will help device makers sell more smartphones by offering customers a wider range of services and functionality."
"With 60 million Symbian OS-based phones having shipped worldwide, Symbian OS is the world's leading mobile phone platform for Bluetooth," said Jorgen Behrens, VP, Product Management and Strategy, Symbian. "Bringing BlueLink 6.0 to Symbian OS will not only allow for mass market adoption but by re-using Bluetooth software from TI's previous solution, the integration experience will be much easier for handset designers, reducing time to market."
Small and Cost-Effective Solution The BlueLink 6.0 platform (BRF6350) is the industry's smallest Bluetooth and FM single-chip solution providing the lowest total system cost, and is manufactured in TI's innovative DRP(tm) technology at 90 nanometer. The integration of Bluetooth and FM allows customers to realize significant cost and size savings due to shared resources, reduction of external components and shrinkage of the total die size. The solution cuts board space by 25 percent compared to discrete solutions.
"Analysts are forecasting that around 400 million FM-enabled handsets will ship by the end of the decade. TI is delivering a solution that provides the latest Bluetooth functionality, as well as high fidelity FM, all enabled by our innovative DRP technology," said Marc Cetto, general manager of TI's Mobile Connectivity Solutions, Wireless Terminals Business.
TI has a long history of digital radio design, and has shipped millions of units of digital radio devices, enabling TI to leverage its experience to provide integrated, high fidelity FM stereo and mono performance for the handset market. Clean audio quality signal, audio reception without interference, true muting capabilities and stereo separation enable the best stereo user experience for consumers.
BRF6350 also provides RDS (Radio Data Systems) functionality, letting users tune to radio stations immediately without spending time searching. RDS also enables interactive services that provide visual information on the song and artist currently playing on the radio and lets users vote via their phones, as well as purchase concert tickets and ring tones.
Availability BlueLink 6.0 WSP (wafer scale package) and modules are currently sampling.
The WSP option reduces board footprint by 50 percent compared to a traditional BGA package. Mobile devices using TI's BlueLink 6.0 solution are expected to be on the market by the end of 2006.
Texas Instruments - Making Wireless TI is the leading manufacturer of wireless semiconductors, delivering the heart of today's wireless technology and building solutions for tomorrow.
TI provides a breadth of silicon and software and 16 years of wireless systems expertise that spans handsets and base stations for all communications standards, wireless LAN, GPS, Digital TV, Bluetooth(r) and Ultra Wideband. TI offers custom to turn-key solutions, including complete chipsets and reference designs, OMAP(tm) application processors, as well as core digital signal processor and analog technologies built on advanced semiconductor processes. Please visit www.ti.com/wirelesspressroom for additional information.
About Texas Instruments Texas Instruments Incorporated provides innovative DSP and analog technologies to meet our customers' real world signal processing requirements. In addition to Semiconductor, the company's businesses include Sensors & Controls, and Educational & Productivity Solutions. TI is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and has manufacturing, design or sales operations in more than 25 countries.
Texas Instruments is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol TXN. More information is located on the World Wide Web at www.ti.com.
Trademarks WiLink, OMAP, OMAP-Vox and DRP are trademarks of Texas Instruments. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are property of their respective owners.
M2 Communications Ltd disclaims all liability for information provided within M2 PressWIRE. Data supplied by named party/parties. Further information on M2 PressWIRE can be obtained at http://www.presswire.net on the world wide web. Inquiries to info@m2.com.
(C)1994-2006 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD
-0-
DJ Juniper, Ericsson Linkup Possible, Analysts Say
By Aude Lagorce
If Lucent Technologies Inc. (LU) and Alcatel SA (ALA) marry their businesses, Ericsson (ERICY) and Juniper Networks Inc. (JNPR) could be next at the altar, analysts said Monday.
Citigroup told clients in a note that rising pressure on equipment vendors to build scale makes such a transaction "increasingly likely." It added that it sees "a good fit" between the Swedish market leader in mobile networks and California-based Juniper.
"While Juniper is not for sale, at the right price a deal could make sense," Citigroup said.
Citigroup's review of the impact of a deal between Alcatel and Lucent, which would have a market value of $33 billion, on telecoms-gear makers revealed Tellabs Inc. (TLAB), based in Illinois, also was likely to be courted.
Citigroup said a Lucent-Alcatel deal "could be a blow to Tellabs." It could increase Alcatel's chances of winning a major optical networking technology contract at Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ).
It added that Alcatel's superior technology in this area and Lucent's strong relationship with Verizon could help the French firm bag the deal.
Another singleton looking for company could be Canada's Nortel Networks Corp. (NT), analysts for Prudential Equity Group said.
Desjardins Securities, however, noted that any takeover of Nortel will remain unlikely until the Canadian group has completed its contract review and filed it annual report, expected by the end of April. It considers Ericsson the most likely bidder.
Among other network-equipment firms, Citigroup said industry giant Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO) would suffer only minimal impact, as its business is focused on the IP router market, where Lucent has no share and Alcatel has a weak position.
Lucent and Alcatel said Friday they were in advanced talks over "a merger of equals."
-Aude Lagorce; 415-439-6456; AskNewswires@dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
03-27-06 0815ET
Copyright (c) 2006 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
=DJ UPDATE:Toshiba Wins Patent Lawsuit Vs S Korea's Hynix
(This item was originally published Friday.)
TOKYO (Dow Jones)--The Tokyo District Court ruled Friday in favor of Toshiba Corp. (6502.TO) in its chip patent lawsuit against the Japanese unit of South Korea's Hynix Semiconductor Inc. (000660.SE).
The Tokyo court ordered the Hynix unit to stop selling, leasing or importing in Japan its NAND flash memory chips, which were found to infringe several Toshiba patents. The court also ordered Hynix to pay damages of Y7.84 million plus interest - an amount equal to 1% of Hynix's NAND flash memory sales between June 2004 and June 2005.
The court battle is part of a growing trend among Japanese high-tech firms to use the law to protect their patent rights. In addition, the latest legal spat comes as Toshiba aims to maintain its leading position in the NAND flash-memory business.
Although global demand is growing for such chips, which are used to store data in devices such as digital cameras, mobile phones and MP3 players, competition with Samsung Electronics Co. (005930.SE), Hynix and other chip makers is also intensifying.
"Toshiba believes that this is an appropriate decision that recognizes Toshiba's patents and intellectual property rights," said a spokesman at the Japanese electronics company.
Hynix Semiconductors said it will do whatever it can to appeal the Tokyo court's decision.
"The company will take all possible legal measures against the court's ruling," said Min-Ho Bang, general manager of Hynix Semiconductor.
He did not elaborate on what options Hynix is considering.
"The court ruling is only related to one of the three violations of NAND flash memory-related patents. And it's just the beginning of the trial," he added.
In November 2004, Toshiba filed a lawsuit against Hynix Semiconductor Japan Inc. in Tokyo District Court seeking damages for violations of three of its NAND flash memory- related patents and an injunction against the sale of the infringing products. Toshiba has also filed a separate suit against Hynix in the U.S.
Toshiba and Hynix entered a cross-licensing agreement in August 1996 that included semiconductor products, and began negotiating an extension ahead of a December 2002 expiration date. The failure of the two companies to agree on a fee led to the filing of the lawsuits.
Investor reaction to the court ruling, which came early Friday afternoon, was relatively limited. Toshiba ended Friday down 0.2% at Y659, while Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average finished up 0.4% at 16560.87. Hynix Semiconductor ended down 2.4% at KRW26,500 compared with the Korea Composite Stock Price Index which closed up 0.7% at 1321.23.
-By Natsuo Nishio, Dow Jones Newswires; 813-5255-2929; natsuo.nishio@dowjones.com (Kyong-Ae Choi in Seoul contributed to this story.)
-Edited by Chris Gallagher and Tomoko Hosaka
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
03-26-06 1659ET
Copyright (c) 2006 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
PRESS RELEASE: Nortel Opens Advanced Mobility Services Center in Argentina Center Offers Wireless Networks Expertise to Operators
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, March 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Nortel(x) (NYSE/TSX: NT) today announced that it has established a new customer service center in Buenos Aires focused on services to help wireless operators around the world design, deploy, support and evolve their networks.
The new Advanced Mobility Services Center provides Nortel Global Services offerings such as wireless network planning, deployment, integration and optimization. This includes advanced engineering expertise in radio frequency (RF) design for GSM, CDMA, UMTS and WiMAX networks.
These services are designed to help operators speed time-to-market for new subscriber services, enhance network performance, improve coverage and efficiency, increase service quality, lower operating costs and maximize return on network investments. They are also intended to help operators seamlessly manage network expansion and evolution to next-generation technologies.
"Establishing our Advanced Mobility Services Center in Argentina is key in offering this market advanced mobility services for our customers and partners and reflects Nortel's commitment and investment in the services sector," said Martha Bejar, president, Caribbean and Latin America, Nortel. "A key factor in choosing Buenos Aires was the existing pool of high quality professionals graduating from local universities."
The new center is expected to require growth of Nortel's total workforce in the country by approximately 20 percent. The center will consist of local engineers and its services will be marketed around the world. The staff to be hired will include senior and recently-graduated engineers, both with and without previous experience in wireless and RF networks.
"Nortel continues to be one of the main equipment providers in the region, and is committed to strengthening its position in the global services market," said Ricardo Casal, president, Nortel Argentina. "This new Center means that our people in Argentina will play a key role in that effort."
About Nortel
Nortel is a recognized leader in delivering communications capabilities that enhance the human experience, ignite and power global commerce, and secure and protect the world's most critical information. Our next-generation technologies, for both service providers and enterprises, span access and core networks, support multimedia and business-critical applications, and help eliminate today's barriers to efficiency, speed and performance by simplifying networks and connecting people with information. Nortel does business in more than 150 countries. For more information, visit Nortel on the Web at www.nortel.com. For the latest Nortel news, visit www.nortel.com/news.
Certain statements in this press release may contain words such as "could", "expects", "may", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "plans", "envisions", "seeks" and other similar language and are considered forward-looking statements or information under applicable securities legislation. These statements are based on Nortel's current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about the operating environment, economies and markets in which Nortel operates. These statements are subject to important assumptions, risks and uncertainties, which are difficult to predict and the actual outcome may be materially different. Although Nortel believes expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable based upon the assumptions in this press release, they may prove to be inaccurate and consequently Nortel's actual results could differ materially from its expectations set out in this press release. Further, actual results or events could differ materially from those contemplated in forward-looking statements as a result of the following (i) risks and uncertainties relating to Nortel's restatements and related matters including: Nortel's recently announced restatement and two previous restatements of its financial statements and related events and that the previously filed financial statements of Nortel and NNL and related audit reports should not be relied upon; the negative impact on Nortel and NNL of their announced restatement and delay in filing their financial statements and related periodic reports causing them to breach their public debt indentures and obligations under their credit facilities with the possibility that the holders of their public debt or NNL's lenders would seek to accelerate the maturity of that debt; and causing a breach of NNL's support facility with EDC with the possibility that EDC would refuse to issue additional support under the facility, terminate its commitments under the facility or require NNL to cash collateralize all existing support; legal judgments, fines, penalties or settlements, or any substantial regulatory fines or other penalties or sanctions, related to the ongoing regulatory and criminal investigations of Nortel in the U.S. and Canada; any significant pending civil litigation actions not encompassed by Nortel's proposed class action settlement; any substantial cash payment and/or significant dilution of Nortel's existing equity positions resulting from the finalization and approval of its proposed class action settlement, or if such proposed class action settlement is not finalized, any larger settlements or awards of damages in respect of such class actions; any unsuccessful remediation of Nortel's material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting resulting in an inability to report Nortel's results of operations and financial condition accurately and in a timely manner; the time required to implement Nortel's remedial measures; Nortel's inability to access, in its current form, its shelf registration filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and Nortel's below investment grade credit rating and any further adverse effect on its credit rating due to Nortel's restatement of its financial statements; any adverse affect on Nortel's business and market price of its publicly traded securities arising from continuing negative publicity related to Nortel's restatements; Nortel's potential inability to attract or retain the personnel necessary to achieve its business objectives; any breach by Nortel of the continued listing requirements of the NYSE or TSX causing the NYSE and/or the TSX to commence suspension or delisting procedures; any default in Nortel's filing obligations extending beyond May 9, 2006, causing any Canadian securities regulatory authority to impose an order to cease all trading in Nortel's securities within the applicable jurisdiction or to impose such an order sooner if Nortel fails to comply with the alternate information guidelines of such regulatory authorities; (ii) risks and uncertainties relating to Nortel's business including: yearly and quarterly fluctuations of Nortel's operating results; reduced demand and pricing pressures for its products due to global economic conditions, significant competition, competitive pricing practice, cautious capital spending by customers, increased industry consolidation, rapidly changing technologies, evolving industry standards, frequent new product introductions and short product life cycles, and other trends and industry characteristics affecting the telecommunications industry; any material and adverse affects on Nortel's performance if its expectations regarding market demand for particular products prove to be wrong or because of certain barriers in its efforts to expand internationally; any reduction in Nortel's operating results and any related volatility in its market price of its publicly traded securities arising from any decline in its gross margin, or fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; any negative developments associated with Nortel's supply contract and contract manufacturing agreements including as a result of using a sole supplier for key optical networking solutions components, and any defects or errors in Nortel's current or planned products; any negative impact to Nortel of its failure to achieve its business transformation objectives; restrictions on how Nortel and its president and chief executive officer conduct its business arising from a settlement with Motorola Inc.; additional valuation allowances for all or a portion of its deferred tax assets; Nortel's failure to protect its intellectual property rights, or any adverse judgments or settlements arising out of disputes regarding intellectual property; changes in regulation of the Internet and/or other aspects of the industry; Nortel's failure to successfully operate or integrate its strategic acquisitions, or failure to consummate or succeed with its strategic alliances; any negative affect of Nortel's failure to evolve adequately its financial and managerial control and reporting systems and processes, manage and grow its business, or create an effective risk management strategy; and (iii) risks and uncertainties relating to Nortel's liquidity, financing arrangements and capital including: the impact of Nortel's recently announced restatement and two previous restatements of its financial statements; any acceleration under their public debt indentures and credit facilities, which may result in Nortel and NNL being unable to meet their respective payment obligations; any inability of Nortel to manage cash flow fluctuations to fund working capital requirements or achieve its business objectives in a timely manner or obtain additional sources of funding; high levels of debt, limitations on Nortel capitalizing on business opportunities because of credit facility covenants, or on obtaining additional secured debt pursuant to the provisions of indentures governing certain of Nortel's public debt issues and the provisions of its credit facilities; any increase of restricted cash requirements for Nortel if it is unable to secure alternative support for obligations arising from certain normal course business activities, or any inability of Nortel's subsidiaries to provide it with sufficient funding; any negative affect to Nortel of the need to make larger
(MORE TO FOLLOW) Dow Jones Newswires
03-27-06 0732ET
DJ MARKET TALK: Nortel To Be Next Takeover Target?
1445 GMT [Dow Jones] Nortel (NT) could be another acquisition candidate as the potential merger between Alcatel (ALA) and Lucent (LU) is set to have a domino effect, says Prudential Securities. Pairings could also involve Motorola (MOT), Ericsson (ERICY), Siemens (SI), Cisco (CSCO), and perhaps even Nokia (NOK), brokerage says. (MRH)
Contact us in London. +44-20-7842-9464 Markettalk.eu@dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
03-24-06 0953ET
Copyright (c) 2006 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
=DJ THE SKEPTIC: Dangerous Liaison
By Matthew Curtin A DOW JONES NEWSWIRES COLUMN
PARIS (Dow Jones)--Combining Alcatel (ALA) with Lucent (LU) has the makings of one of those complex, cross-border industrial maneuvers that give mergers a bad name.
But the two companies have little choice other than to bulk up to keep pace with mergers among their main customers.
When AT&T (T), BellSouth and Verizon requested proposals for a new high-speed fiber-to-the-premises network late last year, between 15 and 18 vendors were reportedly involved in submitting at least half a dozen offers to the three companies - which have since become two.
The merger of AT&T and BellSouth seems to have concentrated the minds of telecommunications equipment vendors even faster than many suspected, particularly at Lucent, one of those seen as a loser from that merger, if not Alcatel, seen a beneficiary.
The question remains whether putting Alcatel and Lucent together is the right response.
The merger would create one of the world's biggest vendors, with a strong position in the U.S., where Alcatel currently lags Lucent.
Alcatel's strengths in fixed line, notably ADSL, as operators upgrade to IP, complements Lucent's stronger presence in wireless infrastructure, though neither has made much headway in winning customers for 3G gear.
Nor is either company so lean, despite all the post-bubble restructuring, that there shouldn't be important savings on R&D and administrative costs, as well as asset sales.
But a merger still looks risky.
Think of the organizational and cultural challenge of putting a large French-based equipment-maker together with a U.S. rival, when both retain unprofitable legacy businesses, as the pace of technological change forces the industry at large to rip up its old business models.
Getting bogged down in integration problems could prove fatal for Alcatel and Lucent, given increased competition from Asian rivals like Huawei and Samsung.
And doing the deal won't be easy. Politics, from the French government's view of Alcatel as a custodian of French industrial knowhow to U.S. lawmakers' likely sensitivity to any suggestion Bell Labs might fall into French hands, may get in the way.
Talk of a merger of equals is all very well, but the terms will have to take into consideration Alcatel's bigger market valuation and superior earnings prospects, and the ever-delicate issue of who manages the new entity.
And in the current M&A climate, the cozier the deal looks for Alcatel Chairman Serge Tchuruk - who is aiming for a last hurrah - and Lucent counterpart Patricia Russo, the more tempting it may be for a third party to make Lucent shareholders a more enticing offer.
(Matthew Curtin has been a financial news reporter since 1990, and has reported on international finance and business for Dow Jones Newswires - from South Africa, Singapore and now Paris - since 1994. He can be reached at +331 4017 1740 or by e-mail: matthew.curtin@dowjones.com)
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
03-24-06 0750ET
Copyright (c) 2006 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Lets stay focus.
PRESS RELEASE: NVIDIA(R) GoForce(R) GPU Selected by Kyocera for Latest 3G Mobile Phone
SANTA CLARA, Calif., March 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- NVIDIA Corporation (Nasdaq: NVDA), the worldwide leader in programmable graphics processor technologies, announced today that Kyocera Corporation (NYSE: KYO) has chosen the NVIDIA GoForce 4000 handheld graphics processing unit (GPU) for its new CDMA EVDO phone, the W41K. Kyocera Corporation is one of Japan's fastest growing suppliers of 3G mobile phones.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060323/SFTH052 http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020613/NVDALOGO )
The W41K combines a sleek and stylish design with a host of impressive multimedia features including a 3.17 megapixel camera, a QVGA resolution main display with up to 262K colors, and an organic light emitting diode (OLED) subdisplay. The GoForce 4000 GPU provides hardware acceleration for fluid 15fps camera preview, full-resolution JPEG compression and decompression, 2D graphics, and display controller support for both of the system's displays.
"The W41K is another trend-setting design from Kyocera that aligns very well with our strategy to deliver high-performance multimedia features to the world's most exciting and sought after 3G devices," said Michael Rayfield, general manager for handheld GPUs at NVIDIA. "The NVIDIA GoForce 4000 GPU delivers the high-quality multimedia features that Kyocera demanded for this handset and does so at power levels that will help the customer enjoy these features for longer."
A key component of the NVIDIA GoForce 4000 GPU is NVIDIA nPower technology, a combination of architecture and design methodologies that delivers advanced power saving techniques and dedicated algorithms for great features and performance with minimal battery drain.
The Kyocera W41K went on sale in Japan in early March and is available on the AU/KDDI network. NVIDIA GoForce handheld GPUs can also be found in mobile phones and handheld devices from Motorola, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, LG, Mitsubishi, Mitac, DBTEL, and more.
About Kyocera
Kyocera Corporation, the parent and global headquarters of the Kyocera Group, was founded in 1959 as a producer of advanced ceramics. By combining engineered ceramic materials with metals and plastics, and integrating them with other technologies, Kyocera Corporation has become a leading supplier of semiconductor packages, electronic components, industrial ceramics, telecommunications equipment, optical instruments, laser printers, copiers and solar energy systems. For more information, visit: http://global.kyocera.com .
About NVIDIA
NVIDIA Corporation is the worldwide leader in programmable graphics processor technologies. The Company creates innovative, industry-changing products for computing, consumer electronics, and mobile devices. NVIDIA is headquartered in Santa Clara, CA and has offices throughout Asia, Europe, and the Americas. For more information, visit www.nvidia.com.
Certain statements in this press release including, but not limited to, benefits, features, performance and capabilities of the NVIDIA GoForce 4000 GPU and our strategies are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause results to be materially different than expectations. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, decrease is demand for or interest in multimedia convergence devices, manufacturing defects, software bugs, incompatibility of technologies, loss in performance when products are integrated, reliance on third-party manufacturers, general industry trends including cyclical trends in the semiconductor industry, the impact of competitive products and pricing alternatives, changes in customer demands or preferences, changes in industry standards and interfaces and other risks detailed from time to time in the NVIDIA reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission including its Form 10-Q for the quarter ended October 30, 2005. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. NVIDIA disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
NOTE: All company and/or product names may be trade names, trademarks and/or registered trademarks of the respective owners with which they are associated. Features, pricing, availability, and specifications are subject to change without notice.
SOURCE NVIDIA Corporation
/CONTACT: Andrew Humber of NVIDIA Corporation, +1-408-486-8138, or ahumber@nvidia.com
/Web site: http://www.nvidia.com /Web site: http://global.kyocera.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
03-23-06 1247ET
BenQ confirms iPhone?
Posted Mar 22nd 2006 3:53PM by Marc Perton
Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio
The good folks at Morgan Stanley have already done all they could to convince anyone who wants to believe that Apple's working on an iPhone. Now another source has apparently come forward to buttress the claims. According to the Australian site Smarthouse, an executive at BenQ has confirmed plans for the phone, saying that "BenQ will not be making it ... however several of our suppliers have been approached to manufacture parts. Among manufacturers in Taiwan it is common knowledge." While we have no way to confirm the alleged exec's account, it does jibe with Morgan Stanley's claims that various Taiwanese manufacturers have been contacted to work on the project. If it's true that this is "common knowledge" in Taiwan, though, we expect that Stevie J. will be sending his minions to the island any day now. Apple's been pretty good about avoiding leaks from manufacturing partners, and if tongues are wagging in Taiwan, some of these contracts may just end up getting shifted across the Strait. (And, yes, the pic is one of the many iPhone fakes out there; we sort of like this one, since it's based on the original iBook, a design Apple abandoned years ago.)
http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/22/benq-confirms-iphone/
PRESS RELEASE: Vodavi Announces Agreement with Covad to Provide New Hosted VoIP Phones for the Very Small Market
PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 23, 2006--
Vodavi Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: VTEK) today announced it will provide Covad Communications (AMEX: DVW), a leading provider of integrated voice and data communications, multiple new phone models designed for the Very Small Business (VSB) and Small Business (SB) VoIP marketplace. The phones will be manufactured by LG-Nortel Co. Ltd., Vodavi's strategic partner and largest shareholder. Vodavi will provide sales and support to Covad. The agreement will expand the range of options available to new and current Covad customers.
The 6800 Series phones employ the internationally recognized standard protocols, MGCP and SIP. They operate seamlessly with Covad vPBX service to access productivity-enhancing features like "find me/follow me," call logs, and contact lists. Prior to Covad's introduction of the 6800 Series phones, small businesses lacked a variety of cost-effective alternatives. Today, VSBs and SBs can implement the productivity advantages of VoIP with minimal up front costs, making total telecom savings even greater.
"Our goal is to transform business communications through cost-effective technology solutions," said Prakash Nagpal, director, product strategy, at Covad. "The 6800 Series is a welcome addition to our hassle-free VoIP service for small businesses and is yet another step in providing our customers with the flexibility they're looking for in a managed IP environment."
"We're pleased to supply reliable and affordable equipment to Covad customers," said Greg Roeper, president & CEO of Vodavi Technology Inc. "We look forward to doing our part to ensure that Covad customers enjoy the full range of VoIP services as made available through the 6800 Series of IP Terminals."
About Vodavi
Vodavi Technology Inc. is an advanced communications solutions provider delivering innovative business communications solutions that help small to large enterprises increase productivity and reduce costs. Vodavi's full range of communications solutions include traditional telephone systems, Voice-over-IP (VoIP) technology and converged communications solutions that allow enterprises to deploy traditional digital or VoIP communications simultaneously, providing a flexible and cost-effective migration path to new technology. The company is headquartered in Phoenix. For more information on Vodavi, visit www.vodavi.com.
About LG-Nortel
LG-Nortel Co. Ltd. is a Joint Venture of LG Electronics Inc. (Korea) and Nortel Networks Corp. (Canada). LG-Nortel specializes in developing and marketing telecommunications equipment and network solutions.
CONTACT: RS Marketing Associates for Vodavi Ruth Seigel, 480-502-0342 seigelr@aol.com SOURCE: Vodavi Technology Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2006
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
03-23-06 0915ET
PRESS RELEASE: Cingular Wireless Investing $235 Million in Its Tennessee Network in 2006
NASHVILLE, Tenn., March 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Cingular Wireless, the nation's largest wireless carrier, is investing more than $235 million in its Tennessee network in 2006, bringing customers even more wireless services, call quality and coverage in their homes, on the road, and at the office.
The 2006 investment in Cingular's Tennessee network will bring 113 new cell sites, high-speed data services, the addition of portable and permanent generators, the integration of the network assets of the former AT&T Wireless, and other enhancements to Cingular's ALLOVER(TM) Network, which is the nation's largest all-digital voice and data network.
In 2005, Cingular invested more than $160 million here in Tennessee on network improvements. Nationwide, the company spent $6.5 billion on its network and plans to do the same in 2006, bringing its overall investment since the company's 2004 acquisition of AT&T Wireless to more than $13 billion.
"Our ongoing focus is ensuring Cingular customers have the best wireless experience possible -- which includes unmatched coverage and quality of service," said Jim Thorpe, vice president & general manager, Cingular Wireless Tennessee and Kentucky. "This network investment will enable us to continue to bring residents of Tennessee the highest quality service available -- service that is enhanced by best-in-industry calling plan value and cutting- edge devices."
Network enhancements planned for 2006 in Tennessee include: - Enhanced coverage at the Tri-Cities Regional Airport in Blountville and in the surrounding area - Expanded coverage for students and staff at UT-Chattanooga and those living and working near campus - Enhanced coverage in and around the Bristol Regional Medical Center - Enhanced coverage for patients, staff and visitors to Chattanooga's Memorial Hospital - Expanded coverage for residents of east Morristown, northeast of Knoxville, and those traveling along Interstate 81 - New coverage for residents of Scott County, between Huntsville and Oneida and along Hwy. 27 - Enhanced coverage for residents of Belfast, between Lewisburg and Shelbyville, and along Hwy. 271 - Expanded coverage at the Tennessee Technology Center in west Memphis and for those living and working in the area and traveling on Interstate 40 - Other substantial coverage enhancements for the Tri-Cities area (Johnson City, Bristol and Kingsport)
By the end of the first quarter of 2006, Cingular will have completed the AT&T Wireless network integration in more than 70 percent of its Southeast cities. In Tennessee, the network integrations in Nashville, Chattanooga, Knoxville, Clarksville/Hopkinsville and Dyersburg are complete, with Memphis to follow soon. Network integration involves choosing the best cell sites from both networks, eliminating duplicate equipment, and combining the technologies onto a common network platform.
Significantly, Cingular recently launched its third-generation (3G) wireless network technology in 16 major cities, with more to follow across the country, including more than 20 in the Southeast. With 3G, customers will access information and applications at broadband speeds in the office, on the road or at home. The service -- via laptop data cards or 3G-compatible phones this year -- provides average mobile data connections between 400-700Kbps (kilobits per second) on the downlink with bursts to more than a megabit per second.
"Last year, we invested over $1.8 billion in our network and added more than 780 cell sites in the Southeast Region alone -- 2006 will be another landmark year for the Southeast and for Tennessee," said Steve Sitton, president, Southeast Region, Cingular Wireless. "Network integration further improves our already stellar coverage and call capacity, while our 3G technology gives our customers a powerful network of broadband speeds and ubiquitous voice and data service."
Network Testing
Cingular diligently monitors the quality and coverage of its network. In addition to third-party vendors who assess the company's network performance, Cingular network engineers constantly monitor the network, driving approximately 450,000 miles of highway across Tennessee, Kentucky, and Southern Indiana each year to ensure our network is operating at peak efficiency. That's equivalent to more than 17 trips around the world.
Enhancing the Customer Experience
Thanks to its advanced network, Cingular customers use the best services that wireless can offer. For example, customers can choose from an exciting array of wireless devices including the recently launched Motorola SLVR, Cingular's second handset capable of downloading iTunes directly from a PC. Another of many innovative services available is Cingular Sounds Live, which will utilize the company's on-demand streaming video service, Cingular Video(TM), so that customers can watch concert highlights on their 3G-compatible wireless phones.
Additionally the company offers an interactive mapping tool at all retail locations and by calling 1-866-CINGULAR. The tool provides customers with up-to-date wireless coverage information and is designed to answer a customer's specific wireless coverage questions based on an address, street intersection, zip code or even a landmark. This tool will soon be available online to current Cingular customers and to those shopping for cellular service.
For more information about Cingular, call 1-866-CINGULAR or visit http://www.cingular.com/
About Cingular Wireless
Cingular Wireless is the largest wireless carrier in the United States, serving 54.1 million customers. Cingular, a joint venture between AT&T Inc., formerly SBC Communications Inc., (NYSE: T), and BellSouth Corporation (NYSE: BLS), has the largest digital voice and data network in the nation -- the ALLOVER(TM) network -- and the largest mobile-to-mobile community of any national wireless carrier. Cingular is a leader in third generation wireless technology. Its 3G network is the first widely available service in the world to use HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) technology. Cingular is the only U.S. wireless carrier to offer Rollover(R), the wireless plan that lets customers keep their unused monthly minutes. Details of the company are available at http://www.cingular.com. Get Cingular Wireless press releases e-mailed to you automatically. Sign up at http://cingular.mediaroom.com
SOURCE Cingular Wireless
/CONTACT: Laurie Parker of Cingular Wireless, +1-615-221-3690, or Wireless, +1-615-202-3463, or Laurie.parker@cingular.com
/Web site: http://www.cingular.com /Web site: http://cingular.mediaroom.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
03-23-06 0802ET
Loop- Thanks for that post.
DJ Court Dismisses Claims Brought Against Qualcomm By Whale Telecom
Dow Jones Newswires
Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM) said Tuesday the New York State Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit against Qualcomm by Whale Telecom.
The San Diego wireless telecommunications technology company said Whale's lawsuit, filed in November 2004, sought more than $400 million in damages from agreements with Qualcomm for services in the former Soviet Union. Qualcomm said the court ruled the claims were without merit and voided by the statute of limitations.
Shares of Qualcomm were up 19 cents at $50.50 in premarket Instinet trading.
-Thomas Middleton; 415-439-6456; AskNewswires@dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
03-21-06 0751ET
Copyright (c) 2006 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
BellSouth Introduces Wireless Broadband Product Enhancements -- Company
Leads the Way with Innovative Wireless Solutions for Business Customers --
LAS VEGAS, March 21, 2006 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- In a move to deliver competitive advantages to its wireless broadband business customers, BellSouth (NYSE: BLS) has launched two new products that allow them to use wireless broadband to back up their existing wireline Internet service and activate a Wi-fi hotspot at their business location.
BellSouth's wireless broadband backup service complements any existing data network, including DSL, Frame Relay, Ethernet and Private Line. This new service provides wireless broadband to BellSouth customers at a discount for use as backup access to the Internet and e-mail in the event of a wireline network outage.
"BellSouth recognizes that customers are increasingly in need of redundant access services," said Randy Roberts, vice president - consumer devices & wireless, BellSouth. "The introduction of wireless broadband backup is another example of how BellSouth integrates leading-edge technologies to offer superior communications solutions to businesses."
BellSouth customers can also now choose to bundle a Wi-fi service into their new or existing BellSouth(R) Wireless Broadband service. With this new bundle, BellSouth will install and activate a Wi-fi hotspot at a business location.
"BellSouth continues to provide innovative uses for technology that enhance our customers' businesses and enable them to better serve their customers," Roberts said. "With Wi-fi from BellSouth, businesses can distinguish themselves and offer a convenience to those who are working or surfing the Internet at their business location."
BellSouth's wireless broadband service offers residential and business customers high-speed Internet access, with downstream speeds up to 1.5Mbps and no phone line needed. The system transmits signals between local radio towers and a small non-line-of-sight desktop subscriber modem and utilizes BellSouth licensed WCS 2.3GHz spectrum.
BellSouth was the first major telecom provider to commercially launch wireless broadband using pre-WiMax technology. The company initially deployed the service last August in Athens, Ga., and has since deployed in Palatka, Fla.; New Orleans, La.; Gulfport, Miss.; and DeLand, Fla. BellSouth plans to expand the service to additional cities throughout 2006.
BellSouth will begin lab trials of WiMax this spring, moving into technical trials in the second half of 2006.
For more information or to subscribe for wireless broadband, visit http://www.bellsouth.net/wirelessbb or call 1-877-241-5490.
About BellSouth Corporation
BellSouth Corporation is a Fortune 100 communications company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. BellSouth has joint control and 40 percent ownership of Cingular Wireless, the nation's largest wireless voice and data provider with 54.1 million customers.
Backed by award-winning customer service, BellSouth offers the most comprehensive and innovative package of voice and data services available in the market. Through BellSouth Answers(R), residential and small business customers can bundle their local and long distance service with dial-up and high-speed DSL Internet access, satellite television and Cingular(R) Wireless service. For businesses, BellSouth provides secure, reliable local and long distance voice and data networking solutions. BellSouth also offers print and online directory advertising through The Real Yellow Pages(R) and YELLOWPAGES.COM(TM) from BellSouth.
BellSouth believes that diversity and fostering an inclusive environment are critical in maintaining a competitive advantage in today's global marketplace. More information about BellSouth can be found at http://www.bellsouth.com.
SOURCE BellSouth Corporation
CONTACT: Nadine Randall of BellSouth, +1-404-861-7809, Nadine.randall@bellsouth.comURL: http://www.prnewswire.com http://www.bellsouth.comwww.prnewswire.com
Copyright (C) 2006 PR Newswire. All rights reserved.
-0-
KEYWORD: NevadaINDUSTRY KEYWORD: TLS CPR MLM NET ITESUBJECT CODE: PDT HSP
LG ELECTRONICS: Stylish, desirable, delectable - LG Electronics brings LG
Chocolate phone to Europe
Mar 21, 2006 (M2 PRESSWIRE via COMTEX) -- LG Electronics, a worldwide technology leader in mobile communications, today announced that the LG Chocolate phone (LG-KG800) will be available in Europe from May 3rd, 2006.
Boasting a hidden' LCD screen and touch-keypad controls that glow red when in use, the feature-rich, slim LG Chocolate phone is designed with minimalism in mind and will become a must-have handset for those that value fashion as well as function.
With a look and feel totally dissimilar to any previous handset, the LG Chocolate phone is the first product from LG's premium series of mobile phones that combine fantastic styling with cutting-edge technology.
The LG Chocolate phone which has been launched in Korea last November has already sold over 300,000 units in 3 months and won two European design awards (iF Design Award and Red dot Design Award for its unique styling and user interface).
Its popularity among celebrities and socialites has led to the handset claiming over 7% of the total handset market in Korea, arguably the world's most competitive marketplace for mobile communications.
"At LG, we firmly believe that technology is nothing without design," said Simon Hahm President of Europe Business Division of Mobile Communications Company of LG Electronics.
"We strive to make all of our products look great, and with our Premium Series we have raised the bar in terms of style and technological innovation. As the world's first mobile phone featuring a touch keypad, the LG Chocolate phone breaks the mould in how handsets look and feel without compromising on functionality."
The European versions of the LG Chocolate phone will be tailored to suit the European market and therefore differ slightly from the one launched in Korea.
For more information on LG Chocolate Phone and European launch on May 3rd, please see contact details below:
Media contacts: Noor Kheir/Camilla Maddern, Hill & Knowlton Tel: 0207 413 3000 E:mail LGChocolate@hillandknowlton.com
About LG Electronics, Inc.
LG Electronics, Inc., (KSE: 06657.KS) is the leader in consumer electronics and mobile communications. The company has more than 72,000 employees working in 77 subsidiaries and marketing units around the world. LG Electronics is the world's largest producer of CDMA handsets, residential air conditioners, optical storage devices and home theater system. With total revenue of more than USD 35 billion (consolidated USD 45 billion), LG Electronics is comprised of four business units: Mobile Communications, Digital Appliance, Digital Display and Digital Media.
About LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company (MC)
LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company is the world's leading manufacturer of UMTS(WCDMA), CDMA and GSM handsets, which have been designed to improve the value of customer life. With a total range of wired and wireless solutions, the company is rapidly establishing a global presence and growing its international market share in 3G handsets.
For more information please visit www.lge.com.
CONTACT: Natasha Williams, Ketchum Public Relations Tel: +44 (0)20 7611 3648
M2 Communications Ltd disclaims all liability for information provided within M2 PressWIRE. Data supplied by named party/parties. Further information on M2 PressWIRE can be obtained at http://www.presswire.net on the world wide web. Inquiries to info@m2.com.
(C)1994-2006 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD
-0-
Motorola Brings Ultra-Broadband and IP Video Service Delivery Together to
Drive Rich Personalized Consumer Experiences End-To-End Solution Across Wireline
Broadband, Wireless Broadband, IP Video Delivery and Home Networking Addresses
Consumer Demand for Seamless Entertainment Experiences
LAS VEGAS, March 20, 2006 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- Driving more personalized communications experiences for consumers, Motorola (NYSE: MOT) today unveiled converged technology solutions at TelecomNEXT that are able to seamlessly deliver data rich services, such as high-definition video, on-demand services, and unified cellular-landline voice communications. The wireline and wireless technology demonstrations-including complete Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON) and IP video over Wireless Broadband Solutions-showcase Motorola's ability to deliver ultra-broadband capacity to more people in more places.
These developments are evidence of Motorola's commitment to aggressively pursue the multi-billion dollar IP solutions market(1) with a full range of ultra-broadband next-generation technologies designed to empower an ever-eager consumer population with bandwidth intensive, peer-to-peer, broadcast, and everything-on-demand entertainment services.
"The IP video market will yield explosive growth as consumers move digital content not only in the home but to multiple devices," said Matt Davis, director, consumer multiplay services, IDC. "Ultra broadband (UBB) solutions can provide the answer in helping providers go beyond the 20 megabits of broadband capacity that is being allocated today for most homes to supplying the 50+ megabit capacity necessary for emerging lifestyle innovations."
Motorola is helping wireline service providers cost-effectively close the gap on the bandwidth requirements they need today and into the future with a portfolio of end-to-end broadband and ultra-broadband (UBB) solutions. The benefits of using Motorola wireline and wireless solutions are on display at the Motorola booth #1227 and the Motorola Lounge booth #2604 at TelecomNEXT in Las Vegas, March 21-22, 2006.
Motorola will share its strategy for IP Video Services over WiMAX, along with solution demonstrations to include symmetrical service delivery over GPON, IP video over MOTOwi4(TM) Canopy(R) Access Point, and IP-based set-tops that support a wide range of advanced entertainment features, including high- definition TV (HDTV), video-on-demand (VOD), digital video recording (DVR), single- and multi-stream whole-home video, and advanced IPTV services. The set-top platform supports the MPEG-4 AVC (Advanced Video Coding), VC1, and MPEG-2 video coders.
In addition to demonstrating viable solutions for UBB on multiple network types, Motorola is sharing its leadership in driving the convergence necessary for digital lifestyles through multiple panels at TelecomNEXT including:
Sunday, March 19 * Beyond the TV Screen -- Delivering an End-to-End IPTV User Experience Floyd Wagoner, senior manager, Motorola, will review the consumer behaviors and technology enablers involved in creating the end-to-end IPTV user experience. Details: Sun., Mar. 19, 12:40PM - 1:00PM * WiMAX -- Reality vs. Hype Paul Sergeant, director, alternative wireless networks marketing, Motorola, will discuss the results of recent trials and feasibility, business models and scenarios for new entrants, revenue opportunities and compare emerging WiMAX industry standards. Details: Sun., Mar. 19, 2:20PM - 2:40PM Monday, March 20 * Ultra Broadband IPTV. Are You Ready? Details: Mon., Mar. 20, 11:30AM - 3:00PM - Topics include: Next Generation Network -- Ultra Broadband IPTV Speaker: Steve Hersey, senior director, Motorola Building Your Network Around the Customer Speaker: Mark Saughnessy, fellow of the technical staff, Motorola Future-Proof Networks panel: Transitioning to Ultra Broadband Moderator: Floyd Wagoner, senior manager, Motorola Ultra Broadband for the Digital Home Lifestyle panel Moderator: Steve Hersey, senior director, Motorola * Convergence Makes Sense -- Network, Device and Service Xin Meng, Chief Technology Office, Motorola Details: Mon., Mar. 20, 10:40AM - 11:00 AM Tuesday, March 21 * IMS Shoot Out -- Selecting the Best Solutions for Implementation Michael Krutz, vice president, Core Networks Division, Motorola, will discuss how service providers are making their choices of IP, pre-IMS and IMS-compliant network gear. He will elaborate on what vendors are offering on the market today and how those product portfolios map to the promise of IMS. Details: Tues., Mar. 21, 1:30PM - 2:45PM Wednesday, March 22 * ATIS TechThink General Session Tony Zona, vice president, Motorola, will discuss Motorola's vision for next-generation networks and review the innovative applications and services being delivered in the market today and in the future. Details: Wed., Mar. 22, 8:55AM - 9:55AM (1) "IPTV Global Forecast 2005 - 2009": September 2005, MRG About Motorola IP Video Delivery Solutions
A pioneer in digital video, Motorola technology delivers entertainment services to the home over a variety of network architectures, including hybrid-fiber coaxial (HFC), fiber-to-the-premise (FTTP), fiber-to-the-node (FTTN), digital subscriber line (DSL) and wireless broadband. With an industry-leading portfolio of solutions that encompass every aspect of the IP video delivery chain - including access networks, encoding, consumer premise, integration services, and advanced software applications - Motorola enables service providers to develop new and exciting offerings, while ensuring that their customers enjoy personalized experiences and consistent connectivity.
About Motorola
Motorola is known around the world for innovation and leadership in wireless and broadband communications. Inspired by our vision of Seamless Mobility, the people of Motorola are committed to helping you get and stay connected simply and seamlessly to the people, information, and entertainment that you want and need. We do this by designing and delivering "must have" products, "must do" experiences and powerful networks -- along with a full complement of support services. A Fortune 100 company with global presence and impact, Motorola had sales of US $36.8 billion in 2005. For more information about our company, our people and our innovations, please visit http://www.motorola.com
Media Contacts: Monica Randall Motorola Networks 847-435-2351 Monica.Randall@motorola.com Shannon Wojcik Text 100 for Motorola Networks 585-697-2613 shannonw@text100.com
MOTOROLA and the Stylized M Logo are registered in the US Patent & Trademark Office. All other product or service names are the property of their respective owners.
SOURCE Motorola
CONTACT: Monica Randall, Motorola Networks, +1-847-435-2351, Monica.Randall@motorola.com, or Shannon Wojcik of Text 100 for Motorola Networks, +1-585-697-2613, shannonw@text100.comURL: http://www.prnewswire.com http://www.motorola.comwww.prnewswire.com
Copyright (C) 2006 PR Newswire. All rights reserved.
-0-
KEYWORD: NevadaINDUSTRY KEYWORD: TLS CPR CSE ITE MLM NET STWSUBJECT CODE: PDT TDS
alot of trading going on.
PRESS RELEASE: Spirent(R) Communications Teams with ADVA Optical Networking to Deliver End-to-End Ethernet Service Assurance
ROCKVILLE, Md. & MAHWAH, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 20, 2006--
Unique combined solution clears the way for service providers to cost-effectively introduce and scale intelligent Ethernet services
Spirent Communications (NYSE:SPM)(LSE:SPT) and ADVA Optical Networking (FWB:ADV), a leading provider of intelligent Ethernet demarcation devices, today announced an interoperability partnership. The partnership empowers Ethernet service providers to guarantee service assurance to business customers and compete more effectively.
"Service providers are facing a downward revenue trend as their traditional Frame Relay and Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) businesses are displaced by Ethernet and IP-based services," said Nick Maynard, senior analyst, Yankee Group. "Providing end-to-end Ethernet service assurance with this offering, while containing their OPEX as the service scales, will definitely bolster their business services model and may help to slow this trend."
Enterprises are increasingly demanding low-cost Ethernet services; however, service providers do not have enough visibility into the entire network to be able to guarantee service levels. With this partnership, Spirent and ADVA enable them to cost effectively offer service level assurance from the customer premise equipment (CPE) to the edge and across the core of the network, in a way that leverages expert diagnostics and analysis technologies.
Spirent will integrate its SmartSight(TM) service management solution and REACT(R) Test Operations Support System with ADVA's Etherjack(R) demarcation and extension devices. The combined offering provides a transport and service assurance solution, optimizing deployment costs and service management. This partnership furthers Spirent's mission to enable service providers to validate service readiness and emulate the customer experience, rapidly isolate trouble to minimize maintenance costs and customer downtime, and develop scalable operations through automation to improve their competitiveness.
"The competitive landscape of Ethernet service delivery is intensifying rapidly," added Fred Ellefson, ADVA's vice president, of Etherjack Alliances. "By teaming with Spirent, we enable carriers to verify service level agreements (SLAs) and offer a more intelligent differentiated Ethernet service. This allows a carrier to more effectively compete for larger, higher-margin enterprise accounts."
Ethernet was developed as a Local Area Networking (LAN) technology, but is migrating to Wide Area Networks (WAN). Beginning with this initial foray into the Ethernet market, the two companies plan to continue to work together in developing solutions for advanced IP-based services, such as Voice over IP (VoIP).
"Our partnership with ADVA will assist service providers in both the service validation at provisioning as well as troubleshooting during the maintenance lifecycle," said Jeff Schmitz, vice president of marketing, Spirent Communications. "It will help ensure that service providers get it right the first time and are able to effectively scale Ethernet support."
ADVA's Etherjack technology will run under the control of the Spirent SmartSight solution to manage automated, end-to-end service testing for Ethernet services. This will enable comprehensive IP/Ethernet testing over the entire network. Tests can be run between Spirent's QoS Scope/SmartSight Broadband Remote Testing Unit (BRTU) and ADVA's Etherjack, with automation and expert analysis in REACT.
As the service scales, the solution will reduce dispatches by providing remote operations administration and maintenance (OAM) capabilities, as well as automated testing and diagnostics. The service provider can quickly isolate the problem and determine whether it originates on the provider or customer network.
ADVA's Etherjack will also verify Service Level Agreement (SLA) compliance of Ethernet service through its Etherjack Service Assurance (ESA) capability that supports the in-service measurement of Ethernet SLAs. This allows Ethernet to replace traditional Frame Relay, ATM and Private Line data services for mission-critical enterprise applications.
About ADVA Optical Networking
ADVA Optical Networking (FWB:ADV) is at the forefront of providing Optical+Ethernet solutions that advance next-generation networks for data, storage, voice and video services. ADVA's strength comes from passionate and dedicated employees, all sharing a common vision: a fast, customized response to customers' ever-changing needs. Our innovative Fiber Service Platform (FSP) and strong customer focus provide carriers and enterprises the ability to scale their networks and deliver intelligent, competitive new services. ADVA's solutions have been deployed at more than 100 carriers and 5,000 enterprises in more than 40 countries worldwide. For further information about ADVA: www.advaoptical.com.
About Spirent Communications
Spirent Communications (www.spirentcom.com) is a global provider of integrated performance analysis and service assurance systems that enable the development and deployment of next-generation networking technology such as Internet Telephony, broadband services, 3G wireless, global navigation satellite systems, and network security equipment. Spirent's solutions are used by more than 1,500 customers in 30 countries, including the world's largest equipment manufacturers, service providers, enterprises and governments. Based in Rockville, Maryland, Spirent Communications reported 2005 revenue of $403.3 million and has 1,700 employees worldwide. The company is the largest business group of Spirent plc, traded on the London and New York Stock Exchanges (LSE:SPT)(NYSE:SPM)(CUSIP number:84856M209). www.spirent.com. Spirent Communications' sales to the United States government are made through Spirent Federal Systems. www.spirentfederal.com.
Spirent, Spirent Communications and the Spirent logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Spirent plc. All other trademarks or registered trademarks mentioned herein are held by their respective companies. All rights reserved.
This press release may contain forward-looking statements that are based on current expectations or beliefs, as well as assumptions about future events. By their nature, forward-looking statements are inherently predictive, speculative and involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are not a guarantee of future performance and are subject to factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these statements. These risks include the risks described from time to time in Spirent plc's Securities and Exchange Commission periodic reports and filings. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
CONTACT: Spirent Communications Parag Sheth, 301-648-0289 parag.sheth@spirentcom.com or Calysto Communications for Spirent Communications Sailaja Tennati, 404-266-2060 ext. 25 stennati@calysto.com or Media Relation for ADVA Optical Networking Christine Keck, 201-258-8293 (U.S.) (49) 89-89-0665 0 (Europe) (81) 3-5408-5891 (Asia) public-relations@advaoptical.com or Investor Relation for ADVA Optical Networking Wolfgang Guessgen, 201-258-8300 (U.S.) (49) 89-89-0665 240 (Europe) (81) 3-5408-5891 (Asia) investor-relations@advaoptical.com SOURCE: Spirent Communications Copyright Business Wire 2006
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
03-20-06 0906ET
PRESS RELEASE: Cingular Wireless Investing More Than $165 Million in Its Georgia Network in 2006
ATLANTA, March 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Cingular Wireless, the nation's largest wireless carrier, is investing more than $165 million in its Georgia network in 2006, bringing customers improved wireless coverage, service and call quality. To date, Cingular has invested nearly $2 billion in its Georgia network deploying next-generation GSM/GPRS/EDGE technology, preparing for its 3G (UMTS) deployment, integrating two massive networks and improving overall coverage and capacity. The Georgia network spans from the Georgia/Florida border up to and including the markets of Hilton Head to Saint Helena Island continuing to Augusta and Aiken, SC.
The 2006 investment in Cingular's Georgia network will bring approximately 167 new cell sites, the addition of 230 new permanent generators, the rollout of its high-speed data services, and overall capacity to Cingular's ALLOVER(TM) Network, which is the nation's largest all-digital voice and data network.
"Our network is the foundation of our business and are continued focus is ensuring Cingular customers have the best wireless experience possible - which includes unmatched coverage and quality of service," said Cliff Minor, vice president & general manager, Cingular Wireless Georgia. "This network investment will enable us to continue to bring residents of our home state of Georgia the highest quality service available - service that is enhanced by best-in-industry calling plan value and cutting-edge devices."
In 2005, Cingular invested more than $360 million here in Georgia on network improvements which included the integration of the former AT&T Wireless network. Nationwide, the company spent approximately $6.5 billion on the network and will spend nearly that in 2006, bringing its overall investment since the company's 2004 acquisition of AT&T Wireless to approximately $13 billion.
Significantly, Cingular also will launch its third-generation (3G) wireless network technology in more than 20 Southeast cities this year. With 3G, customers will access information and applications at broadband speeds in the office, on the road or at home. The service - via laptop data cards or 3G-compatible phones -- provides average mobile data connections between 400- 700Kbps (kilobits per second) on the downlink and bursts to more than a megabit per second.
Steve Sitton, Cingular's President for the Southeast Region also commented on the significance of the investment, "Last year, we invested over $1.8 billion in our network and added more than 780 cell sites in the Southeast Region alone and 2006 will be another landmark year for the Southeast, for Georgia."
Network enhancements planned for 2006 in Georgia include: North Georgia - Building more than 25 new cell sites to strengthen and expand coverage in the following areas: Ranger, Ellijay, Blue Ridge, Chatsworth, Cartersville, Cleveland, Dawsonville, Dahlonega, Homer, Carnesville, Colbert, Hartwell, Commerce, Cedartown, Adairsville, Rockmart and Rome Atlanta and Surrounding Areas - Building more than 25 new cell sites to strengthen and expand coverage in the following areas: the City of Atlanta, Decatur, Lithonia, Powder Springs, Stone Mountain, Smyrna, Mableton, Buford, Canton, Alpharetta, Good Hope, Carrollton, Griffin, Palmetto, Loganville, Jefferson and Monroe. Middle Georgia - Building more than 10 new cell sites to strengthen and expand coverage in the following areas: Macon, Sandersville, Sharpsburg, Newnan, LaGrange, Dublin and Perry. South and Coastal Georgia (includes markets in coastal S.C.) - Building more than 100 new cell sites to strengthen and expand coverage in the following areas: Albany, Americus, Valdosta, Lumpkin, Windsor, Williston, between Vidalia and Uvalda, Statesboro, Augusta, Savannah, Brunswick, Camden, St. Mary's, Kingsland, Franklin, along the GA/FL Parkway and in Aiken, Bluffton, Beaufort and Hilton Head, S.C.
By the end of the first quarter of 2006, Cingular will have completed the AT&T Wireless network integration in more than 80 percent of its Southeast cities. In Georgia, the network integration process is complete and customers are hearing the difference. This extensive process involved choosing the best cell sites from both networks, eliminating duplicate equipment, and combining the technologies onto a common network platform. Since the integration, there has been a reduction in dropped and blocked calls and improved overall quality of service.
Network Testing
Cingular diligently monitors the quality and coverage of its network. In addition to third-party vendors who assess the company's network performance, Cingular network engineers constantly measure the effectiveness of its network enhancements by drive and walk testing approximately one million miles per year throughout Georgia.
About Cingular Wireless
Cingular Wireless is the largest wireless carrier in the United States, serving 54.1 million customers. Cingular, a joint venture between AT&T Inc., formerly SBC Communications Inc., (NYSE: T), and BellSouth Corporation (NYSE: BLS), has the largest digital voice and data network in the nation -- the ALLOVER(TM) network -- and the largest mobile-to-mobile community of any national wireless carrier. Cingular is a leader in third generation wireless technology. Its 3G network is the first widely available service in the world to use HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) technology. Cingular is the only U.S. wireless carrier to offer Rollover(R), the wireless plan that lets customers keep their unused monthly minutes. Details of the company are available at http://www.cingular.com/. Get Cingular Wireless press releases e-mailed to you automatically. Sign up at http://cingular.mediaroom.com/
SOURCE Cingular Wireless
/CONTACT: Dawn Benton of Cingular Wireless, +1-404-236-5305, or wireless, +1-404-202-6335, or Dawn.benton@cingular.com
/Web site: http://www.cingular.com /Web site: http://cingular.mediaroom.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
03-20-06 0837ET
nessco-The trade happened friday.
DJ 3 Group Signs Mobile Services Agreement With Microsoft
LONDON (Dow Jones)--3 Group, the mobile telecommunications subsidiaries of Hutchison Whampoa Ltd. (0013.HK), Monday said it has signed a global mobile services agreement with Microsoft Corp. (MSFT), which will enable 3 customers to access the software company's instant messaging and free e-mail products via mobile phones.
Using the 3 portal, customers can access MSN Messenger, which has 205 million customers globally, and Hotmail, which has 230 million account holders. Users can access the applications via an Internet browser or by downloading a software client.
The service will be available to 5 million 3 users in the U.K., Ireland, Hong Kong, Sweden, Denmark, Austria and Australia and will expand to other markets at a later date.
3 will launch more advanced Microsoft services later this year.
Company Web site: Http://www.three.co.uk; Http://www.microsoft.com
-By Nic Fildes, Dow Jones Newswires; 44-20-7842-9264; nicolas.fildes@dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
03-20-06 0547ET
Copyright (c) 2006 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Barron's(3/20) Lucent's Lament
(From BARRON'S) By Mark Veverka
The stock of Lucent Technologies has been catnip for bargain hunters ever since it collapsed -- from $63 before the telecom bust of 2000 to as low as 58 cents in 2002, adjusted for splits. For the past year, the stock (ticker: LU) has traded somewhat higher, generally between 2.50 and 3, with fans calling it an affordable play on a big name in a dynamic industry.
Alas, Lucent probably doesn't have much of a future. The maker of telephone-network equipment is facing ashrinking pool of customers, thanks to deals like AT&T's (T) recent agreement to merge with BellSouth (BLS), and Sprint's earlier buyout of Nextel, forming Sprint Nextel (S). The emerging giants are apt to exert more pricing pressure on Lucent and its four main rivals -- and there are real questions as to whether that many suppliers are needed anymore. Lucent, as one of the least diversified of the suppliers, could feel the brunt of all this.
At the same time, the technology that Lucent and its rivals have been banking on for their growth -- third-generation, or 3G, high-speed data service for cellphones and other mobile devices -- could well prove disappointing.
Some savvy observers are concluding that 3G, designed to accommodate photos, videos, music, Web surfing and more, simply isn't stirring much excitement among consumers. Although some of the offerings, like music downloading, may catch on, the concern is that carriers won't be able to snare enough 3G customers to justify the investments. There are probably only so many people who want to watch videos or read Web pages on cellphone screens.
Even in Europe, where 3G is further along, sales have been underwhelming. Vodafone (VOD) has seen revenue from wireless data services rise only minimally, after investing $30 billion in 3G. Revenue from data services -- which previously amounted to 20 cents per dollar of wireless-subscription revenue, mostly from text messaging -- have climbed only five cents higher, says analyst Ed Snyder of Charter Equity Research in San Francisco. He figures the 3G contribution would have to rise from 5 cents to 25 cents just to break even.
"Why spend billions on new networks for just a few pennies of return," Snyder asks. Vodafone cautions that any data is still only preliminary.
Already, major carriers are moderating their outlays. Total 3G spending by Verizon (VZ), Sprint Nextel, Vodafone and Cingular probably will climb just 3% this year, to $28 billion, according to a survey of those firms by Susan Kalla, a managing director at investment bank Caris & Co. That's down from 16% growth last year, to about half as much spending as Kalla had forecast for the group in '04.
In another sign of waning enthusiasm, announced contracts to build 3G base stations -- a proxy for total spending in the field -- peaked in 2004 at $19.3 billion worldwide and fell to $6 billion last year, says In-Stat Wireless, an Arizona-based research firm. The tally this year will be $5 billion or $6 billion, the firm says.
Any weakening in the outlook for 3G is bad news for Lucent, because that market accounts for an estimated 12% of current revenue and represents the company's best prospects for growth. In fact, Lucent's total revenue will probably fall about 3% this year, to $9.16 billion, says Snyder.
Lucent's chief executive, Patricia Russo, concedes that "3G spending is tempering." In an interiew with Barron's, she adds: "This industry has been unbelievably competitive over the past three years, but we have more growth opportunities than 3G."
With revenue drying up in Lucent's traditional wireline business, Russo acknowledges the urgency to develop new products. She singles out the company's work in so-called Internet-protocol multimedia subsystems, packages of hardware and software that can help wireless and wireline networks compete with Internet telephony. But, while eight major carriers have signed trial contacts, this is still a tiny business.
The fact is, there may be little reason to expect much from Lucent's stock for quite some time. Based on a discounted-cash-flow analysis, Pacific Crest Securities analyst Tim Daubenspeck figures Lucent is worth 2.25, more than 20% below its recent price. Like Snyder, Daubenspeck rates the stock Underperform.
Lucent, with a market value of $13 billion, is often one of the most actively traded stocks on the Big Board. It certainly has made progress since the days of the tech wreck. The well-regarded Russo has trimmed net debt by more than half since 2002, to about $1 billion, and boosted gross margins to more than 40%. Lucent managed to post positive earnings in each of the past two fiscal years, including $1.19 billion, or 24 cents a share, last year.
Still, some 82% of Lucent's profit last year came not from operations but from income from an overfunded pension fund. That can't be counted on for much longer. Some bulls think the shares are attractive, even if earnings are adjusted for such factors. But if revenue does start to slip, Lucent's margins may well start to shrink.
There were clear signs of stress in Lucent's first fiscal 2006 quarter, ended Dec. 31. The company had a net loss of $104 million, or two cents a share, on a 12% drop in revenues from the level a year earlier, as a spending surge failed to materialize. That was well below analysts' expectations.
Lucent, the former equipment unit of Ma Bell, is unquestionably in a tough spot. In addition to facing declining demand for traditional phone equipment, it's vying against bigger, more diversified competitors in the wireless arena, including LM Ericsson (ERICY) Motorola (MOT) and Nokia (NOK). Nortel (NT), the fourth major rival, has been suffering from major accounting problems and recently said it would restate several years of earnings.
Lucent is "a one-trick pony, and they will get hit by the volatility of wireless," says analyst Kalla. The problems are compounded by Lucent's basic approach to the wireless market. Right now, it depends heavily on equipment for a wireless standard known as CDMA (essentially, it's 2G). Lance Wilson of Oyster Bay, N.Y.-based research firm ABI, says much of the of the spending next year will be directed to a 3G standard called W-CDMA, but that isn't a strength of Lucent. Instead, it has been placing its 3G bets on "EV-DO." That's risky: Late last year, Lucent warned that Verizon, its biggest customer, would cut spending on EV-DO this year.
Of course, 3G technology in total could enjoy another big growth spurt at some point, and Lucent would benefit. Bulls see China eventually spending billions on 3G. China is "a huge opportunity for the industry and Lucent," says Frank D'Amelio, Lucent's chief operating officer.
China, however, has repeatedly delayed the licensing needed for this work, hoping to promote its own flavor of 3G, called TDS-CDMA. Although a smattering of contract awards are expected as the country prepares to host the 2008 summer Olympics, many analysts say it could be a long wait until China is a real money maker for any equipment manufacturer.
Meanwhile, the industry's stresses could lead to consolidation, with Lucent as a clear acquisition candidate. Russo, whose job, in the view of some analysts, may be on the line, reportedly worked with investment bankers over the past year or so to drum up suitors -- but to no avail. Russo and D'Amelio wouldn't comment on the reports. "We're in an industry where everyone is talking to everyone," D'Amelio said.
Sadly for investors, even a sale of the company might not help. Virtually all the value is in the wireless unit -- and if you take Snyder's '06 revenue estimate for that business and assign an industry-multiple of 1.2, you get about $5 billion, or $1.12 a share. Even if you tack on a 30% takeover premium, the total is about $1.50 per share, well below the current share price.
For shareholders, now may be as good a time as any to just hang up the phone.
---
For Barron's subscription information call 1-888-BARRONS ext. 685 or inquire online at http://www.barronsmag.com/subscription/subscription.html.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
03-18-06 0008ET
Copyright (c) 2006 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Nokia Investor Topics: HSDPA, Convergence and IMS from a Networks Angle -
Research and Markets Offers a Transcript of 'Nokia' Conference Call
DUBLIN, Ireland, Mar 19, 2006 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The Nokia (NYSE:NOK) Corporate Conference Call took place on 17-Mar-06 9:00am ET.
NOK believes that the circuit switch voice margin is declining and is expected to be declining very rapidly in the future, both in terms of the traffic as well as the revenues. The Co. has trialed HSDPA since July last year with 13 operators.
More information on this Conference Call can be obtained from Research and Markets at http://www.researchandmarkets.com/transcripts/83221
his document provides verbatim text of the conference call.
SOURCE: Research and Markets Ltd.
CONTACT: Research and Markets
Laura Wood
Fax: +353 1 4100 980
press@researchandmarkets.com
Copyright Business Wire 2006
-0-
KEYWORD: Ireland EuropeINDUSTRY KEYWORD: Professional Services FinanceSUBJECT CODE: Conference Call
PRESS RELEASE: Dobson Cellular Systems and RIM Introduce the EDGE-enabled BlackBerry 8700g
OKLAHOMA CITY & WATERLOO, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 20, 2006--
Dobson Cellular Systems (NASDAQ:DCEL) - a leading provider of wireless services in 16 states -- and Research In Motion (RIM) (Nasdaq:RIMM) (TSX:RIM) today introduced the BlackBerry(R) 8700g(TM) to mobile professionals in the United States.
The BlackBerry 8700g is a sleek, lightweight handset that features a completely re-engineered device platform that is optimized to significantly enhance performance and usability. The BlackBerry 8700g is now available on Dobson's high-speed EDGE network.
With a powerful Intel processor, 64 MB flash memory, 16 MB SDRAM and an optimized device platform, the BlackBerry 8700g offers faster web browsing, attachment viewing and application performance.
"Dobson customers can now take advantage of BlackBerry together with our EDGE network," said Tom Roberts, Chief Marketing Officer for Dobson Cellular Systems. "The BlackBerry 8700g goes beyond a wireless phone and gives users throughout our service areas the ability to communicate in exciting new ways."
"We are very pleased to bring the Blackberry 8700g to Dobson customers in the United States," said Mark Guibert, Vice President, Corporate Marketing at Research In Motion. "The BlackBerry 8700g and Dobson's high-speed EDGE network together offer a powerful solution for individuals and organizations that want to enhance communications and increase mobile productivity."
In addition to leading wireless email and wireless data features, the quad-band BlackBerry 8700g incorporates premium phone features such as dedicated "send" "end" and "mute" phone keys, smart dialing, conference calling, speed dial, call forwarding, speakerphone and Bluetooth(R) support for hands-free use with car kits and headsets.
The BlackBerry 8700g features a bright, landscape QVGA (320 x 240) LCD screen that supports more than 65,000 colors and uses active matrix transmissive technology to deliver exceptionally vivid graphics. The BlackBerry 8700g also automatically adjusts both the LCD and keyboard lighting to provide the best viewing for outdoor, indoor and dark environments.
For corporate customers, BlackBerry Enterprise Server(TM) software tightly integrates with Microsoft(R) Exchange, IBM Lotus(R) Domino(TM) and Novell GroupWise(R) and works with existing enterprise systems to enable secure, push-based wireless access to email and other corporate data.
For individuals and smaller businesses, BlackBerry Internet Service(TM) allows users to access up to ten corporate and/or personal email accounts (including Microsoft Exchange, IBM Lotus Domino and most popular ISP email accounts) from a single device.
Dobson operates under the trade names Cellular One from Dobson Cellular Systems and Dobson Cellular Systems in more than 65 wireless markets.
About Dobson Cellular Systems
Dobson Cellular Systems is a subsidiary of Oklahoma City-based Dobson Communications Corporation (NASDAQ:DCEL). The company serves nearly 1.5 million wireless customers throughout 65 markets in 16 states. For more information on Dobson, visit www.dobson.net.
About Research In Motion (RIM)
Research In Motion is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of innovative wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market. Through the development of integrated hardware, software and services that support multiple wireless network standards, RIM provides platforms and solutions for seamless access to time-sensitive information including email, phone, SMS messaging, Internet and intranet-based applications. RIM technology also enables a broad array of third party developers and manufacturers to enhance their products and services with wireless connectivity to data. RIM's portfolio of award-winning products, services and embedded technologies are used by thousands of organizations around the world and include the BlackBerry(R) wireless platform, the RIM Wireless Handheld(TM) product line, software development tools, radio-modems and software/hardware licensing agreements. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, RIM operates offices in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. RIM is listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market (Nasdaq:RIMM) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX:RIM). For more information, visit www.rim.com or www.blackberry.com.
Forward-looking statements in this news release are made pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used herein, words such as "intend" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions made by and information available to Research In Motion Limited. Investors are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements include, without limitation, possible product defects and product liability, risks related to international sales and potential foreign currency exchange fluctuations, the initiation or outcome of litigation, acts or potential acts of terrorism, international conflicts, significant fluctuations of quarterly operating results, changes in Canadian and foreign laws and regulations, continued acceptance of RIM's products, increased levels of competition, technological changes and the successful development of new products, dependence on third-party networks to provide services, dependence on intellectual property rights and other risks and factors detailed from time to time in RIM's periodic reports filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, and other regulatory authorities. The Company has no intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
The BlackBerry and RIM families of related marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties and trademarks of Research In Motion Limited. RIM, Research In Motion and BlackBerry are registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and may be pending or registered in other countries. All other brands, product names, company names, trademarks and service marks are the properties of their respective owners.
CONTACT: Dobson Cellular Systems Media Contact: Craig E. Davis, 405-529-8382 or Brodeur (for RIM) Marisa Conway, 212-771-3639 mconway@brodeur.com or RIM Investor Contact: RIM Investor Relations, 519-888-7465 investor_relations@rim.com SOURCE: Dobson Cellular Systems Copyright Business Wire 2006
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
03-20-06 0803ET