Sprint Nextel Corp. is continuing its battle to right a listing ship. The nation's No. 3 carrier announced it would cut 4,000 jobs and close 8% of its stores after losing 683,000 postpaid subscribers and 202,000 prepaid users during the fourth quarter of last...
Sun Microsystems Inc. raised eyebrows and garnered splashy headlines when it announced plans to acquire MySQL Inc. for $1 billion. But what the deal means in mobile - or just about anywhere else, for that matter - is far from clear.A Swedish outfit with...
A Pennsylvania law firm slapped Virgin Mobile USA Inc. with a lawsuit claiming the operator misrepresented financial information in advance of its October initial public offering.The class action suit, which was filed by the Law Offices of Howard G. Smith, claim that Virgin Mobile...
Sprint Nextel Corp. is continuing its battle to right a listing ship. The nation's No. 3 carrier announced it would cut 4,000 jobs and close 8% of its stores after losing 683,000 postpaid subscribers and 202,000 prepaid users during the fourth quarter of last...
Virgin Mobile USA Inc. announced that it has promoted Bob Stohrer to chief marketing officer of the mobile virtual network operator (MVNO). Stohrer, who served as VP of brand and integrated marketing, will replace Howard Handler, who's leaving the company after serving as CMO...
Pudding Media announced it raised $8 million in its first round of venture funding. VC firms Opus Capital and BRM Capital led the round.Pudding, which offers technology designed to deliver ads based on phone conversations, said it will use the funding to expand its...
Editor's Note: The following are the stories that had the biggest impact on the wireless industry in 2007, as chosen by the RCR Wireless News editorial staff.1. Jan. 15 issueApple Inc. introduces the iPhone.2. Feb. 19 issueAT&T Mobility announces plans to use Qualcomm Inc.'s...
Consumers ranked wireless carriers as providing a less useful and enjoyable customer experience than retailers and credit-card companies, but better than TV service providers and medical insurance providers, according to a recent survey of nearly 5,000 consumers by Forrester Research.Among companies in nine industries,...
Virgin Mobile USA Inc. said it deployed a product from Telespree Communications that automates the mobile virtual network operator's handset programming process via over-the-air technology."With Telespree, we focused on the device programming process, eliminating manual entry and any associated errors, creating an even simpler...
A class-action law firm has begun an investigation into mobile virtual network operator Virgin Mobile USA Inc. to determine if it bears any civil liability under federal securities laws to its shareholders.Kahn Gauthier Swick L.L.C. alleges that the MVNO may have withheld actual losses...
Virgin Mobile USA Inc. named a telecom and customer service veteran as VP of its customer management team.Ted Vagelos will oversee Virgin Mobile USA's 4.8 million wireless customers, and the company said his primary objective will be "integrating the company's established service offerings with...
As Virgin Mobile USA Inc. has endured, even thrived, over its five-year life, it has seen its customer base transition from a play for the 18- to 34-year-old crowd to a substantial proportion (nearly 50%) of over-35 subscribers.The mobile virtual network operator itself has...
Motricity Inc. sees more than just a mobile search engine in InfoSpace's mobile business. It sees a kind of wrecking ball.The Durham, N.C.-based mobile content company is putting the finishing touches on its $185 million acquisition of InfoSpace's mobile operations, which was announced last...
Investors sent Virgin Mobile USA Inc.'s stock plunging this morning despite decent quarterly numbers, based on worries about the impact of an increasing competitive prepaid landscape as well as economic impacts on the company's customer base. Virgin Mobile USA's stock was down more than...
Editor's Note: In this monthly feature, RCR Wireless News talks to retail managers across the country to get a first-hand view of what's hot in wireless.RadioShack Corp. sells wireless devices and service around the country. The retailer offers postpaid service from AT&T Mobility and...
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, iGR's Iain...
Virgin Mobile USA Inc. is offering its subscribers the chance to create their own wallpapers and ringtones-and reap the benefits if someone else downloads their handiwork.The new service, called Studio V, allows customers to upload and edit graphics content such as photographs, designs and...
Virgin Mobile rings the bellFlanked by Virgin Mobile Angels on Wall Street are (l to r): Peter Lurie, chief counsel; Jonathan Marchbank, COO; Howard Handler, CMO; John Thain, NY Stock Exchange president; Mrs. Dan Schulman; Tim Evans, VP handset operations; Molly Schulman (Dan Schulman's...
Welcome to our Friday feature, Week in Review. Every Friday, RCR Wireless News runs through the major events of the past week, outlining what happened and speculating on what to look for in the coming weeks, months and years. Check below for news about...
Virgin Mobile USA L.L.C.'s stock began trading publicly as the company completed an initial public offering with share prices at the low end of its expected range. Virgin Mobile USA had planned to price its shares between $15 and $17 apiece; the shares were...
IF 2006 WAS THE YEAR OF THE LAUNCH for mobile virtual network operators, then 2007 has so far been the Year of the Crash.The last few months have brought a screeching halt to the MVNO hype that dominated 2005 and most of 2006, when...
Virgin Mobile USA Inc. again adjusted the price of its proposed initial public offering, and outlined the financial details of the plan.According to documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Virgin Mobile plans to offer 27.5 million shares for between $15 and $17...
Declare yourself a voterCricket Communications Inc. said it has signed up as a presenting sponsor of the Declare Yourself nonpartisan, youth-voter initiative, which encourages 18-year-olds to register and vote in the 2008 elections. Cricket will work with the organization to create mobile and online...
Gracenote expanded on its offerings with the acquisition of interactive voice response technology from Musicphone Inc.The Emeryville, Calif.-based firm said the platform allows music fans to dial a short code and play a snippet of music into the handset to receive information about the...
