Microsoft Inc. announced it has acquired the right to buy Musiwave SA from Openwave Systems Inc., which has struggled with management changes in light of stock-option backdating woes and proxy battles with shareholders. No terms of the proposed deal were disclosed.The acquisition of Musiwave...
It appears Nokia Corp. has learned a few lessons from its doomed Club Nokia mobile content business. But that doesn't mean the direct-to-consumer waters are getting any easier to navigate.The world's No. 1 handset manufacturer last week scored a huge win, inking a deal...
As the pace of convergence quickens, Nokia Corp. cut a deal with wireless telecom giant Vodafone Group plc to integrate mutual service offerings designed to grab eyes, ears and wallets-as competitors from within and without the wireless industry rapidly move in with similar treats.Vodafone-one...
Qualcomm Inc.'s new Gobi chip marks the arrival of a technology long-discussed by the San Diego company, according to one analyst.The chip will offer high-speed access to the Internet via both CDMA2000 1x EV-DO and UMTS-based HSPA networks worldwide, plus GPS. The chip will...
For Verizon Wireless and its recently installed chief, Lowell McAdam, life seems great. Customer growth remains near the top, customer churn remains nearly invisible and the carrier recently unveiled new devices targeting fast-growing demographics as well as a certain "fruity" competitor.Of course, not all...
It's no secret that advertising dollars are finally coming to mobile. But for now, at least, it's the high-profile publishers that are bringing in the cash.How big mobile advertising will be depends on whom you ask. The Kelsey Group predicts the U.S. market will...
Want one of those ".mobi" suffixes for your wireless Web site? Get out your checkbook.The company behind the mobile-only top-level domain closed its first online auction earlier this month, raking in more than $850,000 as it hawked 100 mobile Web addresses to the highest...
The groups behind the Ultra Mobile Broadband technology for wireless communications-which is often referred to as a 4G technology-announced that the specifications for the air interface have been published, and that UMB is now poised to become an official standard. The move is notable...
VERIZON WIRELESS AND VODAFONE GROUP PLC will move toward a common network technology path for their respective networks and specifically mentioned the use of LTE technology without a formal commitment to that choice, according to remarks by company executives last week.Arun Sarin, CEO of...
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...
Verizon Wireless and Vodafone Group plc are planning to move to Long Term Evolution technology as the 4G evolution path for their respective networks, according to remarks by company executives this week. Arun Sarin, CEO of Vodafone, and Verizon Communications Inc. chairman and CEO...
Apple Inc. continued its weeklong roll through Europe today as Deutsche Telekom AG's wireless subsidiary T-Mobile in Germany announced that the iPhone will launch Nov. 9 at $566. The companies offered no word on monthly service costs, or on the length of an expected...
Nokia Corp. continued its quest to be all things wireless, agreeing to acquire Boston-based mobile marketing firm Enpocket. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.Six-year-old Enpocket was one of the first players in the mobile marketing space, and the company has carried out ad...
Mobile advertising startup Quattro Wireless pocketed $12.3 million in a second round of financing from Globespan Capital Partners and Highland Capital Partners.The Waltham, Mass.-based company said it will use the cash to launch GetMobile, a self-service wireless advertising platform for advertisers and publishers. Highland...
Japanese telecom giant NTT DoCoMo Inc. announced it will form a joint venture with ACCA Networks Co. Ltd. in order to take advantage of ACCA's plans to build a mobile WiMAX network in the country using 2.5 GHz spectrum.The Japanese government decided to ban...
Mobile-game publisher Telcogames acquired Australia's Viva La Mobile for an undisclosed sum.Viva La Mobile operates Redstar, a platform for multiplayer mobile gaming in use by a half-dozen network operators including 3 Australia, 3 Austria, SmarTone Vodafone Hong Kong and Telstra. The 4-year-old firm's platform...
ELVIS-The short codeGroove Mobile is testing an off-portal direct-to-consumer service that will give consumers access to Sony BMG's music catalog. The trial is being conducted with Vodafone UK. The carrier's customers can download music by sending a text message to the service. The company...
Network operators increasingly will partner with small handset vendors to offer low-margin, ultra-low-cost handsets, particularly in emerging markets where new subscriber growth remains strong, according to ABI Research. Nokia Corp. and Motorola Inc. currently dominate the sub-$50 handset space, in part due to their...
hedge*hog*ging v. Interrupting conversations in an office environment by poking your head over the top of the cube. Verizon Wireless, which recently announced plans to acquire Rural Cellular, said it had acquired the assets of Ramcell in Kentucky and Oregon. The deal included Ramcell's...
I know most of us have had almost enough of the 700 MHz auction, what with the lobbying and saber rattling of those interested in the spectrum and the ultimate rule making handed down by the FCC last month.But, beyond the sexy names of...
Welcome to our Friday feature, Week in Review. Every Friday, RCR Wireless News will run through the major events of the past week, outlining what happened and speculating on what to look for in the coming weeks. Check below for news about carriers, handset...
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 RCRNews.com to rant and rave about whatever rubs us the wrong way....
Vodafone Group plc has made a somewhat surprising move by joining the WiMAX Forum as a principal member."For a company that has historically been perceived as hostile toward the technology, does this mean that their attitude toward WiMAX has now thawed?" IMS Research queried...
Vodafone Group plc said it had no plans to sell its stake in its U.S. joint venture Verizon Wireless.In an effort to end speculation about its U.S. business, the British operator said it had declined to exercise its rights to sell up to $10...
