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Aug 4, 2005
Banking
Granville Cty Hopes to Cash In On Oxford-Based Bank: Herald Sun, 8/3
A group of Granville County residents and business leaders plan to start a new bank that will be headquartered in Oxford. The new bank, called Union Bank & Trust, will be located on the first floor of the building at 108 College St., at the intersection with Hillsborough Street. The location was once home to the Union National Bank. Thomas Combs, formerly an executive at the BB&T Bank branch in Oxford, will serve as president and chief executive officer of Union Bank & Trust. He said the new bank would have a hometown touch, with a loan committee made up of local residents.
"We'll be able to make our decision here in Oxford," said Combs, noting that other banks located in Oxford have home bases elsewhere in the state. Capital Bank, RBC Centura, BB&T, SunTrust and Fidelity Bank all have locations in Oxford.
http://www.herald-sun.com/business/21-633211.html
Technology
Motricity Picks Up M7 Networks
Durham-based Motricity announced Wednesday that it has acquired M7 Networks, the wireless industry's leading community builder. Motricity develops infrastructure and content such as games and ring tones for mobile devices. M7 specializes in services that connect groups of wireless users around features such as games and music. Among its customers are Sprint, Cingular, Verizon Wireless and Telecom New Zealand. "We were competing against two large publicly held companies, and M7 felt Motricity was the place it wanted to be," Motricity CEO Ryan Wuerch said.
http://www.herald-sun.com/business/21-633212.html
Telecommunications
More Companies Looking @ Reselling Cellular: Hispanic Business: 8/4
The latest entrants into the mobile phone business are some big names you're probably more used to going to for DVDs, CDs or cable service.
Disney, ESPN and Time Warner are among the companies adding cellular to their roster of products and services, hoping consumers who spend entertainment dollars with their brands also will be ready to turn to them for wireless service.
But these new providers aren't constructing cell towers across the country. Instead, they're following a trail blazed three years ago by billionaire Richard Branson's Virgin Mobile service and leasing network capacity from major carriers such as Sprint PCS and Cingular Wireless.
"It's a new way of connecting with consumers who have never had a cell phone before," said Jeff Kagan, an independent telecom analyst in Atlanta. "And the nice thing for these companies is that they really don't have to have that many customers to make it successful. It's not like they're trying to operate a network." Currently, cellular resellers -- known in the business as mobile virtual network operators, or MVNOs -- have about 10 million U.S. subscribers and generate almost $2 billion in annual revenue, according to Boston-based Yankee Group. Virgin's youth-targeted service accounts for about a third of the total number of subscribers.
http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/news/newsbyid.asp?id=24660&cat=Headlines&more=/news/more-news.asp
The Hottest Phone Company You Have Never Heard of: Business 2.0, 8/4
When Bill Gates took the stage at a Microsoft (MSFT) developers conference in Las Vegas in May, he used his keynote speech to showcase one of the most advanced mobile phones ever created. Compact, loaded with cutting-edge features, and capable of surfing the Internet at broadband speeds, the lustworthy handset wasn't built by Motorola (MOT), Nokia (NOK), Samsung, or any of the other usual cell-phone vendors. Instead it came from High Tech Computer, better known as HTC -- an upstart Taiwanese manufacturer that's best known for maintaining a low profile.
http://www.business2.com/b2/web/articles/0,17863,1081653,00.html
Posted at 01:09 pm by LPossiel
Permalink
Aug 3, 2005
Telecommunications
Sprint-US Unwired Deal Cleared: Herald Sun, 8/2
Federal regulators have cleared Sprint Corp.'s proposed acquisition of affiliate U.S. Unwired Inc., Sprint said in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing Tuesday. The Federal Trade Commission said it has agreed to "early termination" of its review of the $1.3 billion deal without requiring any changes. Overland Park-based Sprint said on July 11 that it planned to buy all outstanding shares of Lake Charles, La.-based U.S. Unwired for $6.25 each. As part of the deal, Sprint would also assume $266 million of U.S. Unwired's debt.
U.S. Unwired sells Sprint-branded services in nine southern states and serves 500,000 subscribers. It has 600 employees and reported 2004 revenues of $408 million.
The purchase would end a legal battle between the parent and affiliate companies, specifically stopping U.S. Unwired's request for a court injunction to halt Sprint's pending acquisition of Nextel Communications Inc. http://www.heraldsun.com/technology/33-632575.html
In-Person Bell South Payments to Rise: News & Observer, 8/3
The next time you walk into a food mart or check-cashing store to pay your BellSouth bill, take along an extra dollar. Facing a shortage of walk-in payment centers, BellSouth on Monday started allowing its 44 authorized centers -- such as Piggly Wiggly or an American Check Cashers -- to charge $1 to recoup the cost of processing customers' bills. BellSouth is the latest company to introduce what it calls a "convenience fee." Progress Energy, Verizon and Sprint customers already pay a $1 fee at some or all walk-in centers. To avoid the fee, customers can pay online, by mail or by credit card over the phone.
http://www.newsobserver.com/business/story/2653977p-9090797c.html
Technology
IBM Buying Atlanta Company: Triangle Business Journal, 8/2
IBM plans to buy DWL Inc. for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition is expected to close later this year. Atlanta-based DWL provides software for managing business processes and integrating customer data. Armonk, N.Y.-based IBM (NYSE: IBM) said the acquisition strengthens its information management software portfolio.
http://triangle.bizjournals.com/triangle/stories/2005/08/01/daily14.html?jst=b_ln_hl
Banking
Credit Suisse First Boston Hires 70 More in RDU: Triangle Business Journal, 8/2
The new employees, who started work Monday, work in the company's financial operations and information technology departments. This is the second wave of RTP hirings for the company, which now employs about 170 people in the area, the firm says. The majority of those, 80 to 85 percent, were local hires, with the rest being relocations, the company says.
The Global Business Center is CSFB's first entry into the Triangle market and makes the Zurich, Switzerland-based bank the first financial services firm to locate a major office in RTP. A Global Business Center is a site designed to assure the continuity of business should a disaster occur.
http://triangle.bizjournals.com/triangle/stories/2005/08/01/daily8.html?jst=b_ln_hl
Report: Banks Fail to Verify Card Data: News & Observer, 8/3
By failing to program their ATM systems to check all the security codes on ATM and debit cards, many banks are letting thieves get away with an increasingly common fraud at a cost of several billion dollars a year.
A report Tuesday from Gartner, a technology analyst firm, estimates that 3 million U.S. consumers were victims of ATM and debit-card fraud in the past year.
The fraud most commonly begins when a criminal engages in "phishing" -- sending a legitimate-seeming e-mail with a link to a phony Web site that appears to belong to a consumer's bank, Gartner analyst Avivah Litan thinks.
The e-mail recipients are asked to give their account information, including PIN numbers. With that information "harvested," scam artists can make their own cards for automated teller machines and withdraw huge sums.
http://www.newsobserver.com/business/story/2653991p-9090762c.html
Posted at 10:10 am by LPossiel
Permalink
Aug 2, 2005
Local
Tobacco Complex Rings Up Tenant: Herald Sun, 8/2
American Tobacco has secured another home-grown, high-profile tenant for the $200 million historic redevelopment project downtown. Durham's Motricity Inc. will be moving into 70,000 square feet in the 104-year-old Hill Building, two sources familiar with the situation said Monday. Motricity is one of the fastest-growing businesses in the Triangle, with steady hiring of 10 to 15 local employees each month. The company has about 150 workers in Durham and closed on $30 million in venture capital in July, bringing its total funding since October to $57 million. The Durham company, which develops mobile phone infrastructure and content such as games and ring tones, counts Cingular, Amazon.com and palmOne among its customers. It signed a deal with China's second-largest wireless provider in May.
http://www.herald-sun.com/business/21-632403.html
Telecommunications
Vonage, TowerStream Join Forces: WSJ, 8/2
Internet-calling company Vonage Holdings Corp. is teaming up with wireless-broadband service provider TowerStream Corp. to sell voice and high-speed Internet service to corporate customers.The move allows Vonage to provide Internet calling to businesses without having to rely on links from local-telephone or cable companies. Currently, Vonage customers need to have a high-speed Internet connection from a cable or phone company or other wireline service provider in order to use the service. The combined service will be available starting today in five cities -- New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco and Boston. Cheaper than traditional phone service, Internet calling has gained popularity among consumers and businesses in recent years.Well over one million households subscribed to local Internet-calling services in 2004, up from just 131,000 in 2003, according to research firm Yankee Group in Boston.
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB112294623132702226,00.html?mod=home%5Fwhats%5Fnews%5Fus
Leap Expands Unlimited Wireless Service: Wireless Week, 8/1
Leap Wireless International is extending the reach of its Cricket unlimited wireless service in the California Central Valley with the addition of Fresno. The Fresno service launches Aug. 2 and doubles the number of potential covered POPs in the region. The company now covers roughly 2 million POPs in the Central Valley. "Fresno is a bridge between our existing operational markets in the Visalia, Modesto and Merced areas, and we believe it provides a significant growth opportunity for our Cricket business in California," said Doug Hutcheson, Leap's president and CEO.
http://www.wirelessweek.com/article/CA631269.html
Cingular Signs on With RadioShack: Triangle Business Journal, 8/1
Cingular Wireless has signed a 10-year distribution agreement with RadioShack Corp., which will give Cingular more than 5,000 new sales outlets across the U.S. For Radio Shack (NYSE: RSH), the agreement will make the company Cingular's single largest distribution outlet for Cingular's 51.6 million customers. http://triangle.bizjournals.com/triangle/stories/2005/08/01/daily6.html?jst=b_ln_hl
Report: 95% of Mobile Users Too Afraid to Download Games: Potomach Tech, 8/2
About 95% of "virgin" mobile-phone users are too afraid to
download video games to their handsets, according to a new survey by
mobile games firm I-Play. The survey of more than 2,500 mobile users in
Germany, Italy, Spain, the U.S. and the U.K. found that a third of
respondents did not know whether their handsets could accommodate
games, while about 17.5% admitted to not even knowing how to download
a game. Only 5% of respondents said that they have actually downloaded
a game. "The mobile games market is essentially only 5% penetrated,"
said David Gosen, the COO of I-Play. "The good news is that we now
know what's limiting market growth -- the industry must improve
accessibility to mobile games and, more importantly, educate
consumers on how and where to obtain mobile games."
http://about.iplay.com/article.jsp?NID=89&NYID=2005
Insurance
ProCare Putting Ads On Radio: News & Observer, 8/2
ProCare, the anti-Blue Cross group whose slings and arrows resulted in the state's largest health insurer suing it, is taking its fight to the radio airwaves. Starting today, radio advertisements paid for by ProCare begin airing in the Triangle and the Triad. The ads chastise Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina for spending policyholder money earlier this year on an incentive trip to the Caribbean and on support for the U.S. Open golf tournament. The ads also ask listeners to send donations, which the group says it would use to keep its ads on the air.
http://www.newsobserver.com/business/story/2651185p-9088004c.html
Posted at 10:25 am by LPossiel
Permalink
Aug 1, 2005
Telecommunications
Comcast Corp: Sprint to Provide VOIP Calling Help: Chicago Tribune, 7/29
Comcast Corp., the largest U.S. cable-television company, will use Sprint Corp.'s telephone network to accelerate the introduction of its digital calling service and increase competition with phone companies.
Sprint, the third-largest U.S. long-distance carrier, will help connect Comcast's digital calling based on so-called voice over Internet protocol, Overland Park, Kan.-based Sprint said in a statement Thursday. It didn't disclose terms.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/technology/chi-0507290222jul29,1,2446458.story?coll=chi-technology-hed&ctrack=1&cset=true
Cingular Spends $115M on Update of NC Network: LTW, 8/1
Cingular is spending $115 million this year to upgrade its network in North Carolina.
Cingular, which recently completed its merger with AT&T Wireless, said it would add more than 230 cell sites across the state. The expansion is part of a $6.2 billion national upgrade.
Another 120 sites will be added in South Carolina.
According to the company, the expansion is its largest since 1996.
http://localtechwire.com/article.cfm?u=11933
Cell Phones Are Next Frontier For Internet Companies: Internet Week, 7/29
As Internet companies look for new revenue streams and customers, they see particularly fertile ground among the millions of cell-phone users. The Yankee Group reports that 65% of the U.S. population owns a cell phone. And increasingly, cell phones are becoming highly customizable and personalized devices that can be used for more than just phone calls, including E-mail, video streaming, and even Internet browsing.
Because people spend so much time on their cell phones, Internet companies are jumping on the opportunity by introducing more Web-browsing features to cell phone users. "There is a huge community of people reliant on portals like Google search on their personal computers," says Yankee Group analyst Linda Barrabee. "Extending that to mobile phones, which people always have when they're on the go, makes a lot of sense."
http://www.internetweek.com/news/166403877;jsessionid=5GVL0QDC4QJW0QSNDBCCKH0CJUMEKJVN
Verizon Says Hola to Pepsi: Wireless Week, 7/29
Verizon Wireless is teaming with Pepsi distributor The Pepsi Bottling Group to educate Southern California Latinos about Verizon bilingual services and, of course, sell more Pepsi products. The limited-time promotion will give Pepsi 24-pack or Cube purchasers the chance to win prizes, including a grand prize of a LG VX 6100 camera phone and a $50 Verizon Wireless gift card. Other prizes include a $50 Verizon Wireless gift card and an ear bud headset.
http://www.wirelessweek.com/article/CA630963.html
Banking
Front-End Alignment: How Wachovia Used Internal Branding: CMO, 8/05
Approaching downtown Charlotte, N.C., from the airport, one can't help noticing the Bank of America Stadium, home of the NFL's Carolina Panthers. Even on its home turf, Wachovia operates in the prominent shadow of its larger rival, a regular reminder of at least one alternative its customers have for their banking needs. Forgive Wachovia's executive team, then, if they're inclined to break out in a collective sweat over the topic of customer defections. It was just six years ago when customer satisfaction at the bank—then called First Union—hit rock-bottom. Customer attrition rates reached 20 percent in the first quarter of 1999. Not only were customers switching at record rates but employees were also running for the exits. Turnover among bank tellers hit a high of 49 percent in 1999.
http://www.cmomagazine.com/read/080105/font_end_alignment.html
Posted at 11:26 am by LPossiel
Permalink
Jul 29, 2005
Insurance
BCBSNC Foundation Continues its Committment to Support & Expand Free Health Clinic: Yahoo News, 7/29
Grants from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation (BCBSNC Foundation) will help North Carolina's free clinics implement disease management programs, provide affordable prescription drugs, target services to seniors and immigrants, and take other steps to strengthen and expand services to uninsured and underinsured residents of the state. The BCBSNC Foundation is making the latest round of grants through the N.C. Association of Free Clinics (NCAFC) as part of a partnership between the organizations to strengthen the free health clinic network across the state. The funding includes both general grants to the clinics and money linked to specific needs, including technology, program expansion, Hispanic services, chronic disease services, or for programs needing emergency funding.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050728/clth078.html?.v=14
Technology
Misys Healthcare Expands EDI Service to Louisiana BCBS: LTW, 7/29
Misys Healthcare Systems, a leader in healthcare IT, now has a direct link for electronic payer connections to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana.
This connection used for claims processing, automated payment and eligibility checking, streamlines electronic transaction processing from medical offices to the Louisiana-based insurance provider. The Misys service is tied in to more than 830 insurance payers and 92,000 physician clients.
The direct relationship with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana is a huge win for practices utilizing our services said Keith Hagen, president of M. Transaction Services, which is an electronic data interchange service from Misys.
Banking
Wachovia Boosts Giving to Black Causes: Charlotte Observer, 7/29
Wachovia Corp. will increase charitable giving to black causes by almost $11 million over the next five years, fulfilling a promise made in June when it detailed past profits from slavery.Educational causes will get most of the money, the Charlotte company said Thursday. The United Negro College Fund will receive $4 million, the largest gift, mostly for scholarships.
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/business/industries/12251365.htm
Media/Marketing
Marketers Seek New Approach As DVRs Popularity Increases: WSJ, 7/29
With the use of digital-video recorders on the rise, TV watchers increasingly are fast-forwarding through commercials -- threatening the very economic model that television was founded upon. The new technology is sending ad-agency executives into overdrive to devise new ways to persuade viewers to watch promotional messages. The jury is out on whether consumers want to be passive when watching television "or whether they want to be as engaged as they are with the Internet," said David Cohen, senior vice president and interactive media director at Interpublic Group's Universal McCann. "All we can do now is test and see what works."
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB112259628023499420,00.html?mod=mm%5Fmedia%5Fmarketing%5Fhs%5Fleft
Posted at 12:33 pm by LPossiel
Permalink
Jul 28, 2005
Telecommunications
Carolina Wireless Association Formed: Carolina Newswire, 7/28
Wireless industry professionals throughout North and South Carolina have come together to form the Carolinas Wireless Association, a business association comprised of members of all sectors of the wireless industry. The Carolinas Wireless Association will kickoff their initial membership drive in Pinehurst this October. For more information, contact Brian Hurley at 919-465-6709 or by email to brian.hurley@spectrasite.com.
http://carolinanewswire.com/news/News.cgi?database=headlines%2edb&command=viewone&id=5415&op=t
Charges Send Spectrasite to 2Q Loss: Triangle Business Journal, 7/28
Cell phone tower operator SpectraSite swung into the red in the second quarter, reporting a net loss of $1.4 million, or 3 cents a share, compared to a net profit of $2.9 million, or 6 cents per share, last year. Sales for the quarter rose to $97.7 million compared to $87.6 million a year ago, the company reported Thursday.
Analysts had on average estimated the company would generate a net profit of 9 cents per share in the second quarter. AOL Takes Browser Approach to Mobile Search: Internet Week, 7/27
America Online Inc. on Wednesday launched in beta a mobile search service that leverages the cellular-phone browser for searching the web, comparison shopping and looking up local listings.
The new AOL Mobile Search Services is being offered through a partnership with InfoGin Ltd., a mobile technology vendor based in Israel. InfoGin's proprietary transcoding and content-analysis technology automatically adapts web pages designed for the desktop for mobile phones. In targeting the browser, AOL, based in Dulles, Va., is looking to provide a more elaborate experience for the user than text-based search offered by rivals Google Inc. and Yahoo Inc. The latter two have chosen to target technology that is currently used by more cellular phone users.
http://www.internetweek.com/news/166403140;jsessionid=RYDPAS5YDQW5KQSNDBCCKH0CJUMEKJVN
Sprint Announces Arrangement With Comcast to Provide Connectivity Services for Comcast Digital Voice: Wireless Week, 7/28
Sprint today announced an arrangement with Comcast, the nation's leading provider of cable, entertainment and communications products and services, to provide connectivity between traditional phone providers and Comcast Digital Voice in select markets.
http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2005/jul/1167897.htm
Options for Phone TV: News & Observer, 7/28
With cable television companies such as Time Warner Cable offering phone service, telephone companies are preparing a counterattack -- TV service with new bells and whistles.
It's a defensive move that will give the phone companies another weapon in their battle against cable, which competes head-to-head for both phone and Internet customers. And it's potentially more lucrative than the phone companies' current strategy -- partnering with satellite TV companies
http://www.newsobserver.com/business/story/2633818p-9070222c.html
Events
Business After Hours, 8/9
5:30-8 PM
Join the Chamber, Triangle Business Journal, and Putt-Putt Fun Center for one of the Chamber’s most popular networking functions. This is the premier networking event for business professionals in the area.
http://www.raleighchamber.org/events/2005/august/bah.html
Posted at 03:09 pm by LPossiel
Permalink
Jul 27, 2005
Technology
Samsung/XM to Make MP3/Radio Player: Herald Sun, 7/26
XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. said Tuesday that they will collaborate to make portable digital players that play both recorded XM programming and MP3 audio files. The two players won't receive XM programming directly. Instead they will come with home docking stations that receive XM's satellite broadcasts and store them on the players. Users will also be able to transfer digital music files from their computer. The players will allow listeners to identify songs on the XM programming and order them from an online music store. The players, with two different storage capacities, will be available at the end of the year, the companies said. They did not reveal the names of the devices or their expected prices.
http://www.herald-sun.com/technology/33-630223.html
Banking
Mercantile Bank Issues RFPs: AdWeek, 7/25
Mercantile Bank plans to select a new advertising agency by the end of August, according to a request for proposal the company has sent to shops.
The Baltimore-based bank declined to comment on the review, calling it "an internal business matter." The client plans to spend about $4 million on ads (including direct mail design and production, as well as paid media) in 2006, and a review winner will be named by Aug. 30 to handle creative development and media placement, according to the RFP. The work mainly consists of creating and placing regional radio and print ads. Mercantile operates 11 banks in Maryland, Virginia and Delaware, and has plans to increase its presence in Washington, D.C.
http://www.adweek.com/aw/regional/southeast/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000991195
Telecommunications
Sprint's Net More Than Doubleds, Boosted by Wireless Growth: WSJ, 7/27
SprintCorp. said its second-quarter earnings more than doubled, boosted by a strong performance from its wireless division. The company also raised its guidance for 2005.
The company, which is in the process of merging with Nextel Communications said its net income soared to $600 million, or 40 cents a share, from $236 million, or 16 cents a share, in the year-earlier quarter. Analysts had expected earnings of 36 cents a share, according to Thomson First Call.
The most recent quarter's results included a $33 million impairment charge for computer applications and $27 million in costs associated with Sprint's proposed deal for Nextel. The deal is expected to close in the current quarter. Excluding items, Sprint's said its earnings rose to 42 cents a share from 21 cents a share.
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB112246248907497269,00.html?mod=home_whats_news_us
Cingular Breaks Open Walled Garden: Wireless Week, 7/27
Cingular Wireless is officially opening up its network to third-party content providers. The operator, through a deal with Bango, will allow content providers to sell their content directly to Cingular customers without first getting approval from the operator. Bango will provide the technology platform and will manage the customer billing for these off-portal content providers. Specifically, Bango will allow customers to confirm their purchases and pay for their content without having to enter credit card numbers. Content providers can register their mobile content through the Bango Website and then use the Bango service to enable access to their mobile content through mobile search, direct links from SMS short codes and other methods. Bango Vice President of Alliances Anil Malhotra says that Bango is working with several international content companies to make their content available to the U.S. market, including record labels and news agencies. "Now is the first time that these companies can easily sell their content directly to U.S. consumers," Malhotra says. "It's a low-touch way to enter the market."
http://www.wirelessweek.com/article/CA629436.html
Cingular to Boost NC Service: Charlotte Observer, 7/27
Cingular Wireless plans to invest $115 million this year to improve network coverage and capacity in North Carolina, marking the company's biggest N.C. expansion since 1996. The money will go to building 230 new cell sites in North Carolina, as well as adding portable generators and backup batteries. In the Charlotte area, the expansion should mean better reception along I-85 and North Graham Street, Harris Boulevard and Old Concord Road, around SouthPark mall and in southwest Huntersville near Beatties Ford Road, the company said.
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/business/12231842.htm
Motricity Names Former IBM, Nextel Exec to Top Global Sales Post: Carolina Newswire, 7/26
Mobile content and solutions provider, Motricity, named Gary S. Cohen to the newly created position of senior vice president of global sales. Cohen will be responsible for developing new sales channels and overseeing Motricity’s existing sales network, including account management, customer service and post sales business functions such as customer care and client services. Most recently, Cohen served as vice president of sales and services for Kontiki, where he helped establish the company as a leader in digital media content delivery. Prior to this, Cohen led Nextel’s enterprise sales organization as vice president of enterprise markets. This role included strategic sales responsibility for corporate and public sector accounts, as well as Nextel’s enterprise data solutions organization. As Motricity continues its rapid growth and global expansion, we are in need of an exceptional sales leader with a highly focused approach to driving simultaneous growth strategies across all of our business lines, while delivering services that surpass customers expectations,” said Ryan Wuerch, chairman and chief executive officer at Motricity. “Gary’s proven sales leadership experience with startups as well as billion-dollar sales organizations and his strong relationships within the wireless industry will be extremely valuable to Motricity.”
http://carolinanewswire.com/news/News.cgi?database=topstories%2edb&command=viewone&id=3158&op=t
Networking to Go Airborne: News & Observer, 7/27
Triangle researchers are developing a mobile network for scientists who want to peer into the Mount St. Helens crater from a safe distance of several hundred miles.
RTI International, a nonprofit organization at Research Triangle Park, is one of several local companies developing a portable network to be used by researchers. Cisco Systems in RTP is designing a system as well, for an undisclosed client.
These networks can transmit data by the same technology that's used to send e-mail and shop online at eBay. The experimental systems are initially being designed for potential scientific and military applications, such as surveillance. The RTP projects represent the emerging wave in high-speed wireless networking. Lightweight and portable networking equipment holds potential to expand high-speed Internet access much further that is possible today.
http://www.newsobserver.com/business/technology/story/2631127p-9067563c.html
Vodafone Exceeds Hopes W/ 4M Rise in Client Base & VSNL to Acquire Teleglobe for $178B: Financial Times, 7/27
India's leading international phone and Internet service provider, Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd., or VSNL (NYSE: VSL), on Monday said it has offered to buy global voice and data service provider Teleglobe International Holdings Ltd. (NASDAQ: TLGB) of Canada in a deal valued at US$178 million (euro148 million). VSNL share prices surged after the announcement, ending 4 percent higher on the Bombay Stock Exchange on Monday. Teleglobe, headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda, has more than 1,400 wholesale customers. The Nasdaq-listed company also has a large operating center in Montreal, Canada. The acquisition, which remains subject to approval by Teleglobe shareholders and regulators in various countries, would give VSNL access to an extensive global network that reaches more than 240 countries.
Vodafone (NYSE: VOD) picked up 1.1 million new 3G users in the quarter, taking total registered 3G users to 3.3 million: The so-called "third-generation" services allow users the ability to transfer both voice data (a telephone call) and non-voice data (such as downloading information, exchanging email, and instant messaging). Vodafone is targeting 10 million 3G subscribers by the end of the current fiscal year.
http://www.financialnewsusa.com/release.php?rlsid=2600
Posted at 10:02 am by LPossiel
Permalink
Jul 26, 2005
Technology
Misys Healthcare System Reports Strong Revenue Growth: Business Wire, 7/25
Misys Healthcare Systems - a market leader in healthcare IT - today announced fiscal year 2005 revenues of $540 million. For the 12-month period ending May 31, 2005, Misys Healthcare Systems' revenue grew 6.4 percent, when compared to the previous year. Operating profits* also rose 3.3 percent to $77.4 million. "Misys Healthcare Systems continues to be one of the most financially stable and reliable companies in a very dynamic market," said Charles Lambert, Chief Financial Officer for Misys Healthcare Systems. "We're very proud of our continued record of revenue and underlying profit growth year-on-year. It's this growth that enables us to re-invest heavily in providing quality products for our clients." Misys Healthcare Systems is a part of Misys plc, one of the world's largest and longest-established providers of industry-specific software. For its 2005 fiscal year, the UK-headquartered Misys plc generated revenues of about $1.63 billion (879m GBP), a 2 percent increase over the previous year.**
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20050725005529&newsLang=en
Telecommunications
Verizon Wireless Tops 47M Customers: Wireless Week, 7/26
Verizon Wireless posted double-digit year-over-year revenue growth and added 1.9 million new customers during the second quarter. The No. 2 U.S. wireless carrier in terms of subscribers ended the quarter with 47.4 million customers, reflecting a 25.1 percent increase when compared to subscriber numbers posted a year ago. Revenue for Verizon Wireless, a joint venture between Verizon Communications and Vodafone, was up 14.6 percent to $7.85 billion.
http://www.wirelessweek.com/article/CA629435.html
Posted at 02:29 pm by LPossiel
Permalink
Jul 25, 2005
Telecommunications
Bells Get Another Shot W/ Tx Bill: Herald Sun, 7/24
A bill that would make it easier for telephone companies to sell cable TV may be put to a vote again in the Texas statehouse this week, revived for the second time since May courtesy of an unrelated stalemate over public school funding. The wide-ranging telecommunications bill, approved by separate House and Senate committees on Thursday, is one of several initiatives in statehouses around the nation and in Congress that would enable phone companies to avoid the arduous task of securing thousands of local cable TV licenses.
http://www.herald-sun.com/business/21-629596.html
Sprint Launches Customized Mobility Assessment for Business: Carolina Newswire, 7/25
Sprint today announced the availability of Sprint Mobile Business Assessment, a customized and collaborative approach to helping businesses better understand how the power of mobility can help them achieve their overall business objectives. Mobility is a strategic element of business today because it can impact key areas of business customer acquisition and loyalty, revenue growth through new products and services, and cost efficiency while maximizing return on investment, said Kenny Wyatt, vice president Integrated Solutions, Sprint Business Solutions. The Sprint Mobile Business Assessment is a unique way of helping businesses better understand the power of mobility to enhance these key areas and eliminate waste.
http://carolinanewswire.com/news/News.cgi?database=headlines%2edb&command=viewone&id=5364&op=t
Telecommunications Satellite to Launch: Boston Globe 7/25
-Europe's Ariane-5 rocket will launch the world's heaviest telecommunications satellite in August after a monthlong delay to fix a technical problem in the ground equipment, Arianespace said Monday. Thai operator Shinsat's IPSTAR satellite, which has a takeoff mass of 6.5 metric tons (7.15 short tons), will be launched into orbit on the night of Aug. 10-11, said Arianespace, the European rocket's commercial arm.
http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2005/07/25/telecommunications_satellite_to_launch/
Vonage, VTech Team for Cordless VOIP Phone: Extreme Tech, 7/22
Vonage and VTech said this week that they have teamed up to take the VOIP service cordless with an integrated system. Although normal corded and cordless phones can be plugged into a Vonage-enabled router to allow VOIP service, the new IP-8100-2 phone from VTech will integrate the Vonage service directly into the phone. The phone will cost $149.99, not including a $50 rebate that can be mailed in after 60 days of the Vonage service. The phone will go on sale Monday at 8,000 retailers, Vonage said.
http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,1839931,00.asp
Internet Telephone Market to Rapidly Expand: PotmacTech, 7/25
Revenue from Internet telephone usage is expected
to grow more than tenfold over the next five years, according to new
research from Frost & Sullivan. The firm said that market revenue for
Voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) totaled $295.1 million in 2004,
but is expected to balloon to nearly $4.1 billion by 2010. According to
the report, once issues such as access to 911 networks are resolved,
VoIP-based services will flourish due to greater broadband
penetration, service providers' need to increase revenue and the
availability of low-priced services. "Residential subscribers are likely
to replace second lines with wireless or VoIP," said Lynda Starr, a
senior analyst for Frost & Sullivan. The number of VoIP lines is
expected to climb from 1.5 million to more than 18 million during the
period.
http://tinyurl.com/8mvfg
Technology
Misys Software Firm Hit By 40% Drop in Earning @ Financial Arm: 7/22
SOFTWARE specialist Misys has seen a fall in profits at its division supplying services to financial advisers partly offset strong growth elsewhere.
The UK group, which employs more than 6000 people in around 120 countries, said the market for investment, savings, protection and borrowing-based products remained flat, contributing to profits at the arm tumbling 40 per cent to £6 million in the year to the end of May. Its healthcare arm, which carries out transaction and claims processing for physicians, reported good growth in orders and a six per cent hike in revenues.
http://business.scotsman.com/technology.cfm?id=1667282005
Cohesive Teamware Launches New Service: LTW, 7/25
Cohesive Teamware, a Microsoft Certified Partner offering an alternative to traditional premise-based IT Solutions, is rolling out a new service.
Called Focused Solutions for the Focused Company, the offering is a hosted, subscription-based voice, data and fax service for small and midsize businesses. The service enables companies to acquire additional IT capabilities without requiring an upfront investment in hardware, software, IT personel and the time tradionally required to install and maintain onsite systems.
"FocusedCorp Solutions relieves the business owner from the burden of being an expert said Bill Griep, founder and chief executive officer of Cohesive. "We manage and monitor systems often identifying problems before they escalate to impact your business. We have the skills and knowledge to handle complex computer and communication systems enabling your business to become a Focused Company."
http://localtechwire.com/article.cfm?u=11886
Posted at 12:43 pm by LPossiel
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Jul 22, 2005
Telecommunications
Low End Boosts Nextel: TheStreet.com, 7/21
Nextel (NXTL:Nasdaq - commentary - research) beat estimates as growth in prepaid customers helped boost total subscriber numbers. The Reston, Va., wireless telco posted adjusted net income of 47 cents a share on sales of $3.82 billion in the second quarter ended in June. Those numbers compare with a profit of 40 cents on $3.6 billion in revenue in the prior quarter and 55 cents on $3.3 billion in the year-ago period. Analysts were looking for adjusted earnings of 44 cents on $3.77 billion in sales, according to Reuters Research.
http://www.thestreet.com/_googlen/tech/telecom/10233831.html?cm_ven=GOOGLEN&cm_cat=FREE&cm_ite=NA
Mobile Phone Sales to Exceed "Most Optimistic" Expectations: Potomac Tech, 7/22
Worldwide mobile phone sales are expected to total more than 780 million this year before ballooning to 1 billion by 2009, according to a new report from market research firm Gartner. Both figures far exceed Gartner's previous estimates. "The world's appetite for mobile phones has exceeded even the most optimistic expectations," said Ben Wood, a vice president with the firm. "Mobile phones could go on to be the most common consumer electronics device on the planet."
http://www.gartner.com/Init
Events
TechExec: August 11, Highwoods Properties Glenlake One, Raleigh
TechExec is a series of executive-level networking events for business and thought leaders in the Research Triangle Park region of North Carolina.
www.localtechwire.com/triangletechexec
Posted at 11:44 am by LPossiel
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