CHINA
Under a new deal, Comverse Technology Inc. will provide short messaging service, cell broadcasting and expanded voice mail to Chinese mobile operator Heilongjiang Mobile Communications Co. Ltd. Comverse will also provide a variety of value-added services, including text messages, mobile banking and location-based services. “Comverse is the leader in the field of enhanced services, and this contract signifies our endorsement of Comverse’s technology and services as well as the beginning of a new era of cooperation,” said Xue Yequ, the company’s general manager.
EGYPT
France Telecom announced it is buying an additional 25.15-percent stake in Egypt’s largest mobile provider, MobiNil, from Motorola Inc. for $252 million. The transaction raises France Telecom’s holding to 71.25 percent, giving it majority control of the company. France Telecom said it intends to transfer its shares in MobiNil to the Orange Group once the sale is complete, as it plans to float Orange before the end of March.
AUSTRIA
Integrated circuit design services provider NewLogic Technologies AG successfully completed qualification of its Boost Bluetooth baseband processor core and lower level protocol stack. The qualification tests were performed by 7Layer’s Bluetooth Qualification Body in Ratingen, Germany.
SPAIN
Internet network provider Terra Lycos introduced its new bilingual WAP portal, which the company said will give Spanish and English mobile users access to a catalog of more than 2 million indexed pages. “Terra Lycos is uniquely able to deploy new products in multiple languages drawing on the resources of our constituent organizations around the world,” said Joaquim Agut, the company’s executive chairman. Terra Lycos is a combination of Terra Networks SA and Lycos Inc.
