In Hollywood, sequels sometimes do well at the box office. But the record is mixed, leading one to conclude that sequels are typically perceived as safer bets than utterly new, original material-whether or not that's true.This observation can be applied to the realm of...
Verizon Wireless will combine its advertising and marketing efforts with that of parent company Verizon Communications Inc. in a move that will help the carrier blend its diverse telecom offerings under the "Verizon" brand. The move also comes as AT&T Inc. works to unify...
Struggling cellphone maker Motorola Inc. is expected to slash more jobs in addition to the 3,500 layoffs it announced earlier this year, several analysts said.In a Tuesday lunch meeting with analysts in New York, Motorola CFO Thomas Meredith indicated the company "would announce additional...
Handset pricing gyrations ran the gamut last week, as all of the nation's tier-one carriers tinkered with the cost of their handset portfolios.--AT&T Mobility slashed in half the price on four Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. handsets last week, ranging from the low-end C417, priced...
Editor's Note: Welcome to our Monday feature, Analyst Angle. We've collected a group of the industry's leading analysts to give their outlook on the hot topics in the wireless industry. In the coming weeks look for columns from Compete's Miro Kazakoff, Jupiter Research's Julie...
Several private-equity groups have reportedly formed in an attempt to acquire Alltel Corp., according to the Wall Street Journal.The paper said at least three groups exist that are pursuing the nation's fifth-largest wireless carrier, including Blackstone Group and Providence Equity Partners; TPG Capital L.L.C....
As corporate spending on wireless increases, companies are moving from a relatively hands-off approach to wireless into increased scrutiny and management of their wireless expenses-and according to one company, the minutes and data they don't use could be costing them more than they think.Surprising,...
More than four months after announcing its acquisition of BellSouth Corp., AT&T Inc. continues a determined push to rebrand Cingular as "the new AT&T." Though that phrase has gotten its share of promotion by AT&T itself, let's get it straight: "The brand is 'AT&T,'"...
Hello! And welcome to our Thursday column, Worst of the Week. There's a lot of nutty stuff that goes on in this industry, so this column is a chance for us at RCR Wireless News to rant and rave about whatever rubs us the...
Several private-equity groups have reportedly formed in an attempt to acquire Alltel Corp., according to the Wall Street Journal.The paper said at least three groups exist that are pursuing the nation's fifth-largest wireless carrier, including Blackstone Group and Providence Equity Partners; TPG Capital L.L.C....
Apptix announced it acquired WebMessenger Inc. for $7 million in a combination of cash and company stock. The company aims to enhance its e-mail and voice services for small- and medium-sized businesses through the acquisition of the company and its mobile instant messaging technology.Los...
Editor's Note: Welcome to our Monday feature, Analyst Angle. We've collected a group of the industry's leading analysts to give their outlook on the hot topics in the wireless industry. In the coming weeks look for columns from Current Analysis' Avi Greengart, Compete's Miro...
As companies seek to extend their brands into the mobile space and take advantage of its one-on-one, personal connections, they face the challenges of a medium that can look like television or the Internet but is not quite the same as either. Companies are...
While 77% of cellphone users are "slightly familiar" with Apple Inc.'s iPhone and 41% have a good impression of the yet-to-be-released device, only 6% said they were likely to purchase the device within the next year, according to a new poll conducted by Markitecture.Markitecture...
Virgin Mobile USA Inc., the first mobile virtual network operator to launch in the United States, filed for an initial public offering in a move that signals the maturation of the MVNO segment of the wireless market in the United States in general and...
Virgin Mobile USA Inc., the first mobile virtual network operator to launch in the United States, filed for an initial public offering in a move that signals the maturation of the MVNO segment of the wireless market in the United States in general and...
While 77% of cellphone users are "slightly familiar" with Apple Inc.'s iPhone and 41% have a good impression of the yet-to-be-released device, only 6% said they were likely to purchase the device within the next year, according to a new poll conducted by Markitecture.Markitecture...
The Illinois House passed a cellphone lemon law, a measure that would allow consumers with defective handsets to break wireless service contracts without penalty. The House bill, approved by a 72-to-43 margin Thursday, now heads to the Senate for consideration."When someone buys a cellphone...
Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications has come of age in the past year and finds itself in an enviable, if somewhat dicey, position. No resting on your laurels in a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately industry. The vendor's disciplined focus on sales and profit, while carefully growing share, has...
AT&T Inc., parent of the top mobile phone carrier, urged the Federal Communications Commission to decide whether Sprint Nextel Corp. should be fined for failing to meet a key deadline in reconfiguring the 800 MHz band to fix interference caused to public-safety radio systems."he...
Research In Motion Ltd. said it would provide software later this year to expand BlackBerry software applications to third-party devices running Microsoft Corp.'s Windows Mobile and, eventually, other operating systems. The move is aimed at extending BlackBerry applications to a broader range of devices,...
Nearly drowned out in broad policy debates over controversial public-safety and broadband wireless proposals are pressing questions about how the Federal Communications Commission will craft the 700 MHz band plan. A coalition of 21 small- and medium-sized wireless and wireline carriers and state regulatory...
Everyone, it seems, wants a piece of the Linux action. That includes Symbian OS champion Nokia Corp., which recently joined the Linux Foundation, and IMS Research, which just joined its brethren in issuing a report on Linux' pros and cons and the dynamics of...
As carriers tempt customers to move into data services beyond text messaging, some of them are designing service or accessory packages that specifically appeal to how different types of customers will make use of their phones. Sprint Nextel Corp. recently introduced a new...
