An effort to provide a pan-European mobile payment service was aborted just weeks before it was slated to launch. Simpay, a joint venture established two years ago by Orange plc, Telefonica Moviles, T-Mobile and Vodafone plc, pulled the plug after T-Mobile withdrew its support....
Sun Microsystems Inc.'s Java technology is 10 years old this year, a milestone the company is using to highlight Java's widespread influence throughout the electronics and computer industries. When Sun introduced the technology, the company promoted Java as the "write once, run anywhere" platform...
REDMOND, Wash.-Vodafone Group plc and MSN will launch an instant messaging service between mobile phones and PCs, the companies said Thursday. The offering will allow users to exchange messages between the PC-based MSN Messenger and the carrier's mobile IM service, and will include standard...
Dutch telecom carrier KPN has reached an agreement to acquire rival Dutch mobile operator Telfort for $1.2 billion on a debt and cash-free basis, eliminating a player in the highly competitive Dutch wireless market.Depending on specific performance criteria, the purchase price could be increased...
The Government of Finland granted a wireless operating license in the 450 MHz spectrum band to Digita Oy, which plans to deploy a wireless data network using Flarion Technologies Inc.'s Flash-OFDM technology. The license requires Digita Oy to to lease capacity on the network...
Verizon Wireless is moving forward with a plan to install a proprietary Verizon-branded user interface across all of its new feature phones-a maneuver that has sparked widespread discontent among the carrier's handset suppliers and could mark the start of a significant shift in power...
The Government of Finland granted a wireless operating license in the 450 MHz spectrum band to Digita Oy, which plans to deploy a wireless data network using Flarion Technologies Inc.'s Flash-OFDM technology. The license requires Digita Oy to act only as a network operator,...
An alliance of wireless carriers in Asia, which first formed last year, launched services at the Com- municAsia show this week in Singapore. Bridge Mobile Alliance launched a suite of regional mobile services-roaming, prepaid, enterprise and concierge services-across eight countries and territories under the...
Following are wireless company and industry ratings changes made by financial services and investment banking firms this week.In a telecom services report, Merrill Lynch said it expects Verizon Wireless will gain share during the second quarter, while Cingular's growth will remain solid but slower....
LONDON-British Telecom plc launched its BT Fusion fixed-mobile convergence service offering, which uses Bluetooth technology to switch seamlessly between the company's wide-area wireless network and its in-home BT Broadband service. The service, which was originally knows as Bluephone, relies on its BT Hub for...
SINGAPORE-An alliance of wireless carriers in Asia, which first formed last year, launched services at the CommunicAsia show this week in Singapore. Bridge Mobile Alliance launched a suite of regional mobile services-roaming, prepaid, enterprise and concierge services-across eight countries and territories under the alliance...
Red Bend SoftwareUdi Dagan joined Red Bend Software as chief financial officer. Dagan joined the company from IBM where he was business consulting services country manager in Israel. Before that he was CFO of IBM Israel, vice president of operations for IBM Global Services...
In the backdrop of everything innovative and exciting going on at the BREW conference in San Diego last week, there was one overriding idea that kept popping up in the newsroom: simple.As industry pursues its continuing mission of driving mobile data uptake in all...
WASHINGTON-The Japanese Embassy today confirmed the government plans to add three competitors to the mobile-phone market, a move that comes after months of prodding by the U.S. trade representative and an aborted lawsuit against the telecom ministry by hard-charging wireless newcomer Softbank Corp. The...
LONDON-Vodafone Group plc announced that its wholly owned subsidiary Vodafone International Holdings B.V. has completed the acquisition of two mobile holdings from Telesystem International Wireless first announced earlier this year.Vodafone purchased about 79 percent of the share capital of MobiFon S.A. in Romania to...
CANADACanada's Minister of Industry, David Emerson, announced a full review of Industry Canada's spectrum policy framework. The initiative aims to bring Canadian policy and regulatory regimes overseeing telecom and radio communications systems up to date to accommodate demand for wireless service.UNITED KINGDOMAir2Web acquired Consult...
TEL AVIV, Israel-Nortel Networks Ltd. said it completed a trial of High-Speed Downlink Packet Access technology with Israeli wireless carrier Partner Communications Company Ltd. over its live cellular network in Tel Aviv. Partner is joining a limited number of cellular carriers around the world...
LONDON-Following what it termed extensive customer research and feedback, Vodafone Group plc launched its Vodafone Simply service, which the carrier said provides customers with basic voice and text messaging services along with a simplified pricing scheme. Vodafone said the service would use a pair...
LONDON-Vodafone Group plc's stock price took a beating Tuesday on the London Stock Exchange after the global wireless carrier offered a cautious outlook. Vodafone's stock price slid about 4.3 percent despite plans for an $8.2 billion share buyback and a dividend increase of 100...
Telesystem International Wireless Inc. said its shareholders approved the sale of its indirect interest in ClearWave N.V. to Vodafone International Holdings B.V. for $3.5 billion and the assumption of about $950 million in net debt. A total of 143.7 million votes were cast at...
Following what it termed extensive customer research and feedback, Vodafone Group plc launched its Vodafone Simply service, which the carrier said provides customers with basic voice and text messaging services along with a simplified pricing scheme.Vodafone said the service would use a pair of...
MONTREAL-Telesystem International Wireless Inc. said its shareholders approved the sale of its indirect interest in ClearWave N.V. to Vodafone International Holdings B.V. for $3.5 billion and the assumption of about $950 million in net debt.A total of 143.7 million votes were cast at the...
LONDON-Vodafone Group plc enhanced its mobile roaming rates, offering its customers "simplicity and better value for roaming services." Vodafone and other European operators have been criticized by consumers and regulators for charging expensive, complex international roaming rates.Vodafone said its new Vodafone Passport service offers...
Following is a roundup of wireless companies that received ratings changes from financial services companies this week.JP Morgan lowered its rating on SpectraLink from neutral to underweight. The firm cited weak first-quarter results and second-quarter guidance along with three other factors for the downgrade....
