Monopoly claims on Microsoft Corp. might go out the window in the wireless space as major vendors, developers and operators expect to leverage both the software giant's .NET and Java 2 Enterprise Edition platforms for third-generation Web services, according to industry watchers."The evolution to...
BRAZILTranscrypt International Inc.'s subsidiary, EFJohnson Co., has been awarded a $2 million contract to supply its LTR-Net communication system to the State of Santa Catarina Police Department in Brazil, linking the majority of Brazil's large metropolitan areas.IRELANDThe offer that UBS Warburg Ltd. made on...
In a dramatic move to bolster its value and trim debt, British Telecom said last week it would spin off its wireless unit, BT Wireless, as a separately traded company, and temporarily suspend dividend payments. The telecom giant said it expects the moves to...
MADRID, Spain-Telefonica and Spanish utility company Iberdrola signed an agreement under which Telefonica will acquire all Iberdrola shareholdings in the Brazilian telecom operators in which both companies have stakes. Iberdrola will receive more than 19 million Telefonica shares, valued at about $313 million.The agreement...
InfowaveThomas U. Koll was appointed Infowave Software Inc.'s new chief executive officer. He previously was vice president of Microsoft's Network Solutions Group and was responsible for the company's worldwide business with telecommunications companies in wireline and wireless markets. Koll also served as general manager...
Telefonica takes control of four Mexican companiesTelefonica Moviles announced it will take management control of Bajacel, Movitel, Norcel and Cedetel, four of Motorola Inc.'s operating companies in Northern Mexico.As a result of this agreement, Telefonica Moviles said it will have a total of 25...
Microsoft Corp. threw its rather large hat in the wireless arena at last week's 3GSM World Congress, announcing plans to launch software aimed at multimedia-enabled phones that leverage its Windows-based software.Microsoft said the smart phone platform, code named "Stinger," is built on a version...
Like the old dog that would not die, digital subscriber line and cable services continue to dwarf wireless in the house of the end user. Yet wireless, the new dog that is at once nimble and naive, must frail aimlessly about for a share...
E-business software provider Oracle Corp. has launched the second coming of the Oracle 9I Application Server Wireless Edition to extend its grip on the location-based and personalization segments of the wireless industry."It is now more mature with standardized location-based service capability," said Jacob Christfort,...
NEW YORK-The pace of mergers and acquisitions slowed considerably during the last quarter of 2000, although the year closed with an all-time high of 9,602 transactions in all industries, Los Angeles-based Mergerstat reported.For the full year, the domestic M&A market posted about $1.4 trillion...
MADRID, Spain-Telefonica and Portugal Telecom have agreed to combine their mobile ventures in Brazil through a $10 billion strategic joint venture. The venture will combine the two companies' existing mobile-phone assets in Brazil, currently representing 9.3 million customers.Brazil is gearing up for an auction...
GENEVA-With the world's first third-generation (3G) mobile systems due to come online in Japan in less than a year, Europe's wireless operators are gearing up for an intense round of bidding for the right to be among the first to offer broadband wireless services...
GERMANYSonera is looking to reduce its stake in Group 3G, the consortium that won a third-generation license in Germany last year. Sonera, which currently holds 42.8 percent of the consortium, would like to reduce its stake to around 20 percent, according to international press...
AirNetUnited States. With MBO for a GPRS system.Value: UndisclosedAlcatelGambia. With Gamtel for a turnkey GSM network to be installed in the greater Banjul area.Value: UndisclosedPortugal. With TMN for a high speed mobile data service on its GPRS commercial network.Value: UndisclosedPortugal. With TMN for UMTS technology in the...
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina-After a year of strong conflicts between newcomers and established players, the total liberalization of Argentina's telecommunications market is finalized.Early November found 21 companies licensed to offer basic local telephony, as well as international and national long-distance phone calls. Finally, Argentina has...
With a population hungry for services, Latin America is challenging telecom and Internet companies to tap their imaginative resources to provide the devices, killer applications, high-speed networks and customized content, which will be the pathway to a robust wireless Internet industry there in the...
BRAZILADC Telecommunications Inc. announced it signed a $16 million contract to supply GVT Brazil with a broadband access bundled solution for the southern and central regions of Brazil. ADC said the solution is based on the BroadAccess Multiservice Access Platform and delivers narrow and...
NEW YORK-Following similar moves a few weeks earlier by Spain's Telefonica Moviles and Telekom Austria, Telenor ASA of Norway had to discount its initial public offering in order to get the deal sold Dec. 4.In a transaction lead managed by Goldman Sachs & Co.,...
HELSINKI, Finland-European mobile operator Telefonica Moviles Espana chose Nokia Corp. to supply its third-generation core radio network in Spain.Telefonica said it plans to launch the commercial service in August. The company has about 12 million subscribers in Spain.Earlier this year, Nokia was selected as...
MADRID, Spain-The Spanish government said it will tender two additional GSM licenses by 2002, according to international press reports. The country's four Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) license winners are upset with the announcment, and Telefonica plans to ask the government for compensation, the...
NEW YORK-A pair of smooth operators from Europe eased into the choppy initial public offering market last week, although they had to trim their sails a bit in order to make the journey.Telefonica Moviles, Madrid, raised about $2.8 billion in an IPO of 300...
VIENNA, Austria-Europe's fifth auction of Universal Mobile Telecommunications System licenses ended after less than two days of bidding. All six participants gained licenses to operate UMTS systems in Austria, drawing about $728 million, much less than anticipated.The auction came to a halt for five...
VIENNA, Austria-The Austrian auction of third-generation licenses began today, amid investigations into illegal activities among some of the already-completed European 3G auctions.In Austria, six bidders are competing for 12 licenses. Companies are expected to acquire up to three licenses.After six rounds of bidding, bid...
