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Sep 9, 2005
Telecommunications
Wireless Tech to Be Deployed For Katrina: Herald Sun, 9/8
A high-speed wireless networking technology that's still being tested around the world will be deployed at an evacuation shelter and other spots on the U.S. Gulf Coast hit by Hurricane Katrina. The technology called WiMax will bring the Internet to remote areas where the existing infrastructure has been destroyed or never existed. The network will be used for Internet telephone service and information exchange.
http://www.herald-sun.com/business/21-644712.html
Insurance
BCBS Give Money to Clothe Katrina Evacuees: Triangle Business Journal, 9/9
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina has donated $180 per person for new clothing and shoes for Hurricane Katrina evacuees now staying in Raleigh.
"It is hard for all of us to imagine having our belongings reduced to one change of clothes, a jacket and a pair of shoes," CEO Bob Greczyn said in a news release. "We hope this donation will help these people -- our new neighbors -- as they begin to cope with this awful tragedy."
The Chapel Hill-based not-for-profit, now in the middle of its annual United Way campaign, also announced that if its employees' campaign meets the $575,000 goal, Blue Cross and Blue Shield will donate an additional $100,000 to the American Red Cross' relief effort.
Posted at 02:59 pm by LPossiel
Permalink
Sep 8, 2005
Telecommunications
GSM Hits $1.5B Customers: Wireless Week, 9/8
GSM continues to take hold around the world, with the technology attracting 1.46 billion customers by the close of the second quarter, 3G Americas reports. GSM reached 1 billion customers during the first quarter of this year.
In the past year, 347.2 million new GSM customers were signed up around the globe, with the Americas posting the biggest gains, with 79.4 million new subscribers. In the high-speed sector, there were close to 100 commercial EDGE networks up and running throughout countries around the world, with nearly half of those networks operating in the Americas.
http://www.wirelessweek.com/article/CA6255347.html
Ebay in talks to Buy Skype: WSJ, 9/8
EBay Inc. is in talks to acquire Internet-telephony company Skype Technologies SA for $2 billion to $3 billion, according to people familiar with the matter, in a deal that would represent a dramatic shift in strategy for the world's largest online auction site.The talks are in a sensitive stage and could fall apart, according to one person briefed on the matter. Luxembourg-based Skype, whose software allows consumers to make free telephone calls around the world using Internet technology, has been in active discussions with other technology companies, and none has led to a deal.
But the emergence of eBay as a suitor reveals a lot about the auction leader's growth prospects and strategy. While still dominating its field, eBay's core business is maturing, and the company is searching for new product categories and international markets. The company has made a steady string of acquisitions and investments over the last year and a half to enter markets such as rental-property listings, online classified-ad listings and comparison shopping.
EBay's stock price has languished during the past 12 months, and yesterday closed at $40.46 a share, giving it a market capitalization of nearly $55 billion.
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB112615385922335028,00.html?mod=home_whats_news_us
Sprint Nextel Implements Pricing and Billing Relief Plan for Customers Impacted: TMC.Net, 9/7
Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S) today announced it has implemented a pricing and billing relief plan for customers directly impacted by Hurricane Katrina.
Sprint Nextel will automatically issue credits for monthly service for its wireless customers in the areas hardest hit by the hurricane. In addition, wireless customers in the affected areas will receive free long distance calling, roaming and text messaging and overage charges will not be applied. Sprint Nextel will be contacting customers via text message throughout the week to communicate the billing relief plans specific to them. Customers should contact Sprint Nextel Customer Care directly for eligibility information, questions or concerns. -0- *T -- Sprint PCS subscribers: 888-211-4727 -- Nextel subscribers: 800-639-6111 -- Sprint Nextel ecare: www.sprint.com/hurricaneinfo *T
http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2005/sep/1179869.htm
Durham
Developers Buy Into Vision For 'Vibrant' Corner Near Post Office: Herald Sun, 9/7
John Warasila is sinking his teeth -- and his money -- into one small corner of downtown Durham.
With the purchase of the Bargain and Central furniture buildings on East Chapel Hill Street last month, the Durham architect and his investment partners now own six properties within a one-block radius of Warasila's office at 204 Rigsbee Ave.
And Warasila envisions building a community around the post office where Durham residents can take in a concert at the CCB Plaza, dine at a nearby restaurant and live and work in spaces above ground-floor storefronts.
"It's potentially going to be a vibrant neighborhood," he said.
The Bargain Furniture building could be ready for tenants in the spring, with new business and residential occupants moving in by the summer or fall of 2006. The Center building will probably be developed along the same time frame.
Meanwhile, a dozen condominiums at The Eleanor on Rigsbee Avenue could have tenants moving in early this spring. Warasila has different investors for that project and another project at 405 E. Chapel Hill St.
http://www.herald-sun.com/business/21-644329.html
Banking
Ca Bank Adds Smart Online Services: LTW, 9/8
Union Bank of California is the latest client to offer small business services through RTP-based Smart Online.
The bank’s small business resource center now offers links to services ranging from online loans to insurance services as well as private-labeled Smart Online offerings,
"Union Bank of California is committed to providing our small business customers with a broad range of innovative products and services to assist them with their business goals - the result is increased customer satisfaction and reduced attrition over the long-term," said Christy Schmitt, a bank executive. "Since implementing our Small Business Resource Center online, we've not only been able to provide our customers with easy-to-use, cost-effective business tools and resources, but we've also integrated UBOC's own online application and look forward to providing additional online banking and accounting capabilities in the future."
http://localtechwire.com/article.cfm?u=12229
Posted at 04:20 pm by LPossiel
Permalink
Sep 6, 2005
Technology
Cree Achieves New Standard in LED Brightness: LTW, 9/6
Cree (Nasdaq: CREE) is achieving new levels of brightness with its light-emitting diodes.
The company said Friday that its white XLamp 7090 Power LED line recently achieved up to 86 lumens per watt, a 43 percent increase over current LEDs.
"These performance results indicate that the LED industry is at least two years closer to achieving the holy grail of 150 lumens per watt," said Steve Johnson, head of the Lighting Research Group at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, in a statement from Cree. "Cree's announcement today means the LED industry is advancing brightness at a far greater pace than anticipated, which is great news for the lighting world."
http://localtechwire.com/article.cfm?u=12209
Telecommunications
Wireless Startup in HI Picks Nortel Infrastructure: LTW, 9/6
Coral Wireless, a new provider of wireless services in Hawaii, will use Nortel (NYSE: NT) hardware and services for its forthcoming wireless broadband network.
Coral’s personal communication service (PCS) network will utilize CDMA2000 1X infrastructure offerings from Nortel. The network is scheduled to go online early in 2006. The CDMA (code division multiple access) network offerings data speeds up to 144 KBPS per second.
Coral plans to offer “unlimited” voice and data plans starting around $50 per month.
http://localtechwire.com/article.cfm?u=12206
Motorola Heads Straight For Mobile WiMax: TechWorld, 9/2
Motorola is moving aggressively toward the next generation of WiMax wireless broadband, gearing up to introduce two product lines without waiting for the WiMax Forum to finish specifications for the technology. The vendor is bypassing completely the first form of WiMax, intended solely for broadband services to fixed client devices, and is already developing a portfolio called Moto Wi4 based on the IEEE 802.16e standard, which ultimately will allow mobile access, said senior marketing manager Paul Sergeant.
http://www.techworld.com/mobility/news/index.cfm?NewsID=4326&Page=1&pagePos=12&inkc=0
MCI Unit To Launch Car Tracking Device For Parents of Teen Drivers: Potomac Tech, 9/6
Ashburn-based MCI said on Tuesday that its SkyTel unit has launched a new vehicle-tracking device marketed to parents of teenage drivers. The device, which is priced at $300-$350, uses wireless and GPS technologies to automatically collect location, speed and other vehicle information and relay that information to a web site.
http://www.skytel.com/products/skyguard_home.htm
Sprint to Sponsor Half TIme Show: Media Buyer Planner, 9/6
Sprint will sponsor this year's Super Bowl halftime show, as the newly merged telecom giant looks to build on a recent $600 million NFL deal, Mediaweek reports. Ameriquest Mortgage, sponsor of last year's Super Bowl halftime show, had a one year deal with a two-year option, which sources said was not picked up this season by mutual agreement. Halftime sponsorship rights, which this year was valued about $10 million, were likely part of the $300 million in the "rights fees" portion of Sprint's NFL deal, said analysts. The pact already includes sponsorship of the Sept. 8 Opening Kickoff fest on ABC, which will also televise the big game.
http://www.mediabuyerplanner.com/2005/09/06/sprint_to_sponsor_super_bowl/index.php
Sprint, Verizon Face off on High Speed Wireless Pricing, Kansas City Star, 9/6
Sprint Nextel Corp. has lower prices for high-speed wireless Internet connections that counter a new initiative by rival Verizon Wireless. A week ago, Verizon said it had expanded its broadband access to a total of 62 markets across the country and lowered prices by 25 percent to $59.99 a month for unlimited usage. In its announcement a few days later about a new branding campaign and a new lineup of services, Sprint said it was offering free connection cards to some customers and the same lowered prices as Verizon for a similar high-speed Internet service. In addition, Sprint executives said, a plan that offers varying prices depending on service usage was launched about three months ago.
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/12568193.htm
Sprint Nextel Can Roll W/ New Brand:Wireless Week, 9/6
Sprint Nextel recorded a partial victory in its battle with Nextel Partners after an arbitration panel denied Nextel Partners' request to block Sprint Nextel's rollout of its new Sprint brand nationally. Nextel Partners is not completely defeated, however, in that the panel suggested a Sprint Nextel decision to roll out the brand without the inclusion of Nextel Partners could violate non-discrimination provisions of the companies' joint venture agreement, a Nextel Partners' Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing says.
http://www.wirelessweek.com/article/CA6254217.html
Posted at 04:40 pm by LPossiel
Permalink
Sep 2, 2005
Have a safe & wonderful labor day weekend!
Telecommunications
SBC May Use the AT&T Name As It Looks for National Profile, WSJ, 9/1
The AT&T corporate name may not be dead after all. SBC Communications Inc., which has been debating what to do with the AT&T Corp. name after its acquisition of the long-distance company is approved, is now leaning toward calling itself by the name of its former parent, people familiar with the situation say. A final decision hasn't been reached, and SBC executives could still decide to keep the SBC name or come up with a new name altogether, these people said. San Antonio-based SBC has been debating its name choice since the regional Bell company successfully made a bid for AT&T for $16 billion at the beginning of this year. But switching to AT&T has become the company's preference at the moment, in part because the SBC brand isn't easily recognized outside the company's home territory. That was all right when SBC was simply a regional phone company serving big chunks of the West Coast, Southwest and Midwest, including California, Texas and Illinois. But now, with the pending acquisition of AT&T and its valued long-distance business, SBC is aspiring to become a national and even international telecommunications provider. Its main competitor will be Verizon Communications Inc., another company formed in the 1984 AT&T breakup that recently acquired long-distance carrier MCI Inc.
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB112552935412328422,00.html?mod=mm%5Fmedia%5Fmarketing%5Fhs%5Fleft
Ericsson Division to Relocate from Rockville to NC: Potomac Tech, 9/2
Rockville, Md. -- Ericsson Internet Protocol Infrastructure (IPI), a division of the wireless technology giant that provides Internet routing products for operators and service provider networks, said on Friday that it will relocate its headquarters, as well as research and development operations, from Rockville, Md., to North Carolina. The headquarters will be located at North Carolina State University, where the company will hire 45 additional employees by 2006, in addition to its current staff of 30. The company said that it expects to build up the facility to 100 employees over the next few years. Ericsson collaborates with N.C.http://tinyurl.com/7hj3c
Sprint Nextel to Stress Choice in Mkt: Cellular News, 9/1
In pushing its new combined brand, Sprint Nextel Inc. (S) will emphasize the breadth of choices in wireless service plans and features available from the company.
"It's about empowering the consumer," Sprint Chief Operating Officer Len Lauer said in an interview with Dow Jones Newswires. "It's about choice versus bigness."
On Friday, Sprint will unveil its new dual identity with a marketing campaign as it tries to sell consumers on the combination between Sprint and Nextel.
By stressing choice, the company will be playing to Sprint's strength in offering a variety of service plans, including the "Fair and Flexible" program that won over customers. It also deviates from Cingular Wireless's strategy of promoting the size of its combined network after its own merger with AT&T Wireless. Cingular is the largest wireless carrier by subscriber base, while Sprint ranks third.
Programs such as the Fair and Flexible plan, as well as free incoming calls and the early night options, will be available to both Sprint and Nextel customers. They will also be able to switch between Sprint and Nextel plans without any fees.
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/13932.php
Technology
Misys & Scandant Announce Formation of Professional Services Competency Centre: 9/1
Scandent Solutions (Scandent) and Misys Banking Systems (Misys), one of the world's
leading providers of financial technology solutions, are today pleased to
announce the signing of a new strategic partnership agreement. The partnership enables Scandent to establish a professional services "competency centre" in India dedicated to offering trained consulting
services on the Misys Midas Plus suite of products, thereby enhancing the
expertise of the professional services arm of Misys' wholesale banking business.
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/09-01-2005/0004098052&EDATE=
Posted at 02:25 pm by LPossiel
Permalink
Sep 1, 2005
Telecommunications
Sprint May Follow Verizon W/ Price Cuts: Reuters, 8/31
Sprint Nextel Corp. could cut the price of its high-speed wireless service after bigger rival Verizon Wireless slashed its price by 25 percent, a top Sprint executive suggested on Wednesday. Sprint Nextel, the No. 3 U.S. mobile phone service, began selling high-speed wireless services to laptop computers in some markets for about $80 a month and expects the service to be available to half of the U.S. population by early 2006. The No. 2 U.S. mobile operator Verizon Wireless, a venture of Verizon Communications Inc. and Vodafone Group Plc, already offers similar services in more than a third of the country. It said on Monday it was cutting the price of its high-speed laptop service to $59.99 from $79.99 a month. "We will quickly have a competitive response," Sprint's chief operating officer Len Lauer said in an interview without giving details on the timing or the extent of that response.
http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=internetNews&storyID=2005-08-31T193830Z_01_MCC170717_RTRIDST_0_OUKIN-UK-TELECOMS-SPRINT-DATA.XML
Sprint Ads Say, 'Yes You Can"Adweek, 9/1
Sprint Nextel on Thursday kicks off a major campaign to introduce the new Sprint brand. The tagline is, "Yes you can." The effort, which includes TV spots, print and banner ads, billboards, direct mail and retail collateral, is backed by more than $400 million in spending, according to sources.
Omnicom Group's TBWA\Chiat\Day in New York, which the client selected in June to handle consumer-directed ads, produced the lion's share of the work. Business-to-business ads came from Publicis Groupe's Publicis & Hal Riney in San Francisco.
http://www.adweek.com/aw/national/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001053020
Competition
Maverick Marketing Expands Office & Team: Carolina Newswire, 8/31
Maverick Marketing today announced it has increased office space at its Cary location, added two new team members and promoted Alicia Smith to better accommodate its expanding client base.
"Maverick is growing at an amazing pace," said Scott Place, president of Maverick Marketing. "Having these experienced and creative individuals join our team will help us continue delivering quality work to our clients."
Alicia Smith has been promoted to director of strategic services from senior consultant. In her new position, she will ensure that the Maverick team is thinking, acting and working for clients in a way that strategically aligns marketing programs with business needs. Smith has been a part of the Maverick team since the company was founded in 2001.
http://carolinanewswire.com/news/News.cgi?database=headlines%2edb&command=viewone&id=5822&op=t
Media
Seifert Submits 'Code of Ethics': Adweek, 9/1
In an 18-page code of ethics submitted to U.S. District Court Judge Richard M. Berman yesterday, former Ogilvy & Mather executive Shona Seifert warns ad agencies that "government policies and practices are extremely complex ... Don't take a government contract if your agency is not well versed in all the regulations."
The document is part of the sentence Berman levied in July after concluding that "a slippage in ethics" was at the heart of a scheme masterminded by Seifert and co-defendant Thomas Early to overbill the White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy for marketing services.
http://www.adweek.com/aw/national/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001053060
Posted at 02:13 pm by LPossiel
Permalink
Aug 31, 2005
Skincare
Avon Works Out the Wrinkles: WSJ, 8/31
After half a decade of heady growth, the world's leading direct seller of beauty products is showing some blemishes. Avon Products Inc. has been watching its U.S. revenue shrink for a year, and more recently sales momentum from overseas markets has slowed. Management is reviewing its ambitious long-term forecasts and will give new financial guidance this fall. But to Andrea Jung, Avon's chairman and chief executive, the slowdown is no more than "a speed bump." The 46-year-old executive says Avon's rebound is "going to take more investment, more technology," but she believes revenue growth in the high single digits is achievable in the coming years and that earnings per share will top $2 in 2005, up from $1.77 last year. To get back on the fast track amid growing competition in the beauty sector, the iconic marketer of women's products, with its 4.9 million sales representatives in more than 120 countries, is introducing new products and boosting sales-incentive programs. At the same time, it is ratcheting up marketing spending, potentially driving operating margins lower in the short term.
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB112544695996327303,00.html?mod=mm%5Fmedia%5Fmarketing%5Fhs%5Fleft
Telecommunications
Toshiba Unveils Pay Per Use Mobile Internet Service: Wireless Week, 8/31
Toshiba's Digital Products Division is offering its MyConnect mobile Internet access customers the ability to pay by the hour, instead of having to pay a flat monthly fee. The company is charging $3.95 per hour and plans to tabulate a customer's bill in 30-day blocks by rounding up to the nearest hour of use. The pay-per-use MyConnect service provides unlimited Wi-Fi access, but does not require customers to use the service each month to take advantage of the hourly rate.
http://www.wirelessweek.com/article/CA6252926.html
Posted at 02:18 pm by LPossiel
Permalink
Aug 30, 2005
Telecommunications
Japan, China to Collaborate on 4G Mobile: Internet Week, 8/29
Japan and China have signed an agreement to develop and standardize 4G mobile phones, according to Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC).
The agreement was signed by Feng Jichun, director-general of the China's Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), and Kazuhiro Suda, director-general of the Japanese agency. Though MIC has collaborated previously with China's Ministry of Information Industry, this is the first time the two agencies have worked together. MOST has jurisdiction over new technology development in China, according to a Japanese official.
4G standardization efforts are expected to increase after 2007. In anticipation, Japan and China intend to collaborate, said the Japanese official.
The memorandum of understanding also includes an annual information exchange meeting and an annual forum bringing together industrial, academic and government sectors from Japan, China and South Korea
http://www.internetweek.com/news/170101497;jsessionid=SOAJY5MP4PNBGQSNDBCCKH0CJUMEKJVN
Next Web Buys Fixed-Wireless Provider: Wireless Week, 8/30
California-based fixed-wireless Internet provider NextWeb is strengthening its position in the pre-WiMAX broadband sector with the purchase of rival 1st Universe.
Although terms of the deal were not disclosed, NextWeb believes the acquisition represents the "largest cash acquisition in the fixed-wireless broadband industry." NextWeb was attracted to 1st Universe because it serves Orange County, Calif., which when combined with Los Angeles, represents the largest business market in the country, according to the 2001 U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns report.
The acquisition comes on the heels of recently secured funds. Last week, the company said it planned to use a portion of its $3.5 million infusion to finance additional purchases. The company also named Steve Button as CFO last week. http://www.wirelessweek.com/article/CA6252640.html
Sprint Nextel Buys Affiliates: Wireless Week, 8/30
Sprint Nextel Corporation has successfully wiped out another pending lawsuit against the company by snatching up Gulf Coast Wireless. The company also is buying another affiliate, IWO Holdings. Gulf Coast Wireless' assets will cost Sprint Nextel roughly $287.5 million, which includes the assumption of the affiliate's debt. The deal will bring more than 95,000 PCS customers into the Sprint Nextel fold as direct subscribers. As part of the agreement, Gulf Coast Wireless has requested a stay of litigation pending against Sprint in Louisiana. The deal, which is subject to regulatory approvals, is expected to close before the end of the year. Separately, Sprint Nextel made a deal to acquire IWO Holdings for approximately $427 million. IWO's 237,000 PCS customers will become direct subscribers of Sprint Nextel as a result of the acquisition. The $427 million purchase price includes the assumption of $208 million in debt. IWO serves PCS customers in upstate New York, New Hampshire, Vermont and pockets of Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. http://www.wirelessweek.com/article/CA6252642.html
Verizon Slashes Wireless Costs : Red Herring, 8/30
Verizon Wireless joined its parent Verizon on Monday in cutting the price of broadband services and effectively blunting the charge of competitive technologies, which in this case would be municipal Wi-Fi and WiMAX. Verizon Wireless, which is owned by Verizon, the largest landline carrier in the United States, and Vodafone, one of the world’s largest wireless carriers, is cutting the price of its evolution-data optimized (EV-DO) service by 25 percent. The company will also add seven new markets to its coverage area. That would bring the carrier closer to its goal of covering half of the U.S. by the end of the year.
http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=13366&hed=Verizon+Slashes+Wireless+Costs§or=Industries&subsector=Communications
AOL Adopts Broadband Strategy: Black Enterprise,
Using dial-up to surf the Web may soon go the way of the floppy disk. Just like durable memory devices such as flash drives and CD-ROMs have lessened reliance on floppies; lower-priced digital subscriber line service for home use is threatening the dominance of dial-up service. AOL isn't sitting on the sidelines as cheaper and faster technology threatens to erode its market share. In June, the company launched a prototype of AOL.com-a Web portal that gives visitors access to thousands of videos, XM Satellite Radio stations, concert feeds, and online communities like Black Voices.
“What separates AOL.com from other sites is that it was built for a broadband audience,” says Tricia Primrose, AOL's vice president of corporate communications. “We want people to spend more time on our site, which is really significant for us to increase traffic and increase our ad revenue.”
http://www.blackenterprise.com/exclusivesekopen.asp?id=1291
Posted at 04:34 pm by LPossiel
Permalink
Aug 29, 2005
Hispanic
Hispanics Drawing West Coast Telecom to NC: Triangle Business Journal, 8/26
Aiming to capitalize on North Carolina's fast-growing Hispanic population, a San Diego phone company that almost exclusively serves Spanish-speaking customers is seeking to launch local and long-distance services in the state. Vycera Communications, which serves about 50,000 customers, mostly on the West Coast, has filed with state regulators for permission to serve customers in the Triangle, Charlotte and Greensboro. http://triangle.bizjournals.com/triangle/stories/2005/08/29/story1.html
Banking
Low-rate Home Loans Elude Hispanics: Hispanic Business, 8/29
Hispanics also struggled to get market-rate home purchase loans last year.
The largest lenders charged Hispanics a high interest rate more than twice as often as whites, the Charlotte Observer found.
Disparities were largest in California and the Southwes and the Northeast.
Hispanics encounter some of the same barriers as African Americans. Studies show they can face discrimination; on average they are more likely to have financial problems; and they are less knowledgeable about the home-buying process.
Community advocates say the largest problem, however, is that traditional lenders have only recently started seeking out Hispanic customers.
http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/news/newsbyid.asp?id=25089&cat=Headlines&more=/news/more-news.asp
Media
Nielsen Media: Hispanic TV Households Rise: Marketing y Medios, 8/26
The total number of TV households increased 0.5 percent to 110.2 million, according to Nielsen Media Research’s new universe estimates for the 2005-2006 TV season, released Thursday.
Nielsen also reported the increases among ethnic populations were even more pronounced than the general population. Hispanic households increased 2.9 percent to 11.2 million. African-American TV households are up 0.8 percent to 13.3 million and Asian TV households increased 3.2 percent to 4.2 million.
http://www.marketingymedios.com/marketingymedios/noticias/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001022613
Special Report on the US Based Latin American Cable Industry: HMW, 8/29
Cable companies are reaching out more to US Hispanics because growth in the nation’s overall market is reaching saturation. About 80 percent of all US homes subscribe to pay television. Meanwhile, nearly half of the 11 million Hispanic households in the US have cable television but less than 15 percent of them subscribe to Spanish-language programming packages, says Jorge Fiterre, a partner at Miami-based Condista, which distributes Latin American channels in the US. Hispanics tend to buy the larger digital packages because they have significantly more mostly-English programming. There are more than 50 cable and satellite networks that cater specifically to the US Hispanic market, but distribution is still limited. Some cable networks aimed at US Hispanics could find it increasingly difficult to earn the revenue to buy satellite service and program and promote their networks. Add to that the lack of ratings for many of the channels, and some of them could fold, Fiterre believes.
http://www.hmweekly.com/issues/9_35/special_report/148545-1.phtml
Posted at 03:14 pm by LPossiel
Permalink
Telecommunications
Sprint Nextel Untangling its Merger Kinks: Fort Wayne Gazette, 8/28
Sprint Nextel Corp. is betting it can pull off a merger of Kansas and Northern Virginia to create a wireless giant that does everything from connecting construction workers at the press of a button to beaming NFL highlights to your mobile phone. Created Aug. 12, Sprint Nextel has about 80,000 employees nationwide, more than $40 billion in revenue and roughly 44 million mobile phone subscribers.
http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/journalgazette/business/12499791.htm
Teenagers & Mobile Phones: TMC, 8/29
Survey results released today from ACE*COMM Corporation (NASDAQ:ACEC) indicate most North American parents aren't supervising the mobile phone use of their teenaged children. Seventy-one percent of teenagers surveyed admit they enjoy unrestricted use of their mobile phones. The online survey, conducted for ACE*COMM by Itracks, polled 1000 teens across North America between the ages of 13 and 18 from July 30 to August 9, 2005.
http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2005/aug/1176768.htm
Verizon Wireless Cuts Broadband Prices by 25%: WSJ, 8/29
Verizon Wireless, opening another front in the war over high-speed Internet pricing, is cutting prices of its wireless-broadband service for the first time by 25%. The company, owned by Verizon Communications Inc. and Vodafone Group PLC, also is adding seven markets to the service, called EV-DO, which is giving consumers yet another way of hooking into the Internet. By the end of the year the company will have half of the U.S. population covered, officials say. EV-DO, short for evolution data only, is a technology that is deployed on top of cellphone networks. Subscribers can use it on cellphones or special handsets, but most use cards that plug into laptops for wireless Internet access. EV-DO is faster than dial-up access but slower than either cable or digital-subscriber-line access. It is appealing because its coverage is much wider than the more-common Wi-Fi, short for wireless fidelity, a high-speed Internet service with a shorter range. While Wi-Fi radiates a signal from a fixed transmitter that reaches about 350 feet indoors, making it popular in airports and coffee shops, consumers with EV-DO can get service anywhere a cellphone signal is available.
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB112527698951725201,00.html?mod=home_whats_news_us
Wireless Service Costs End Free Fall: News & Observer, 8/27
The cost of basic wireless phone service, which had been dropping steadily for years, may have finally hit bottom. Basic cell-phone plans are now down to $39.99 a month for 450 minutes. That's a big change from the 1980s, when that much chatting would have set you back about $200. Typical of a new technology, wireless service for years defied the painful laws of inflation. While household expenses and health care costs were going up, cell-phone bills were in a free fall. But all good things must end. Stabilizing prices are a classic sign that an industry is maturing. Mergers have swallowed up AT&T Wireless and Nextel, creating national providers Cingular, Sprint and Verizon Wireless. The big wireless players dominate the field and can set pricing by controlling market share. "Consolidation is a big factor because consumers have fewer choices," said Janee Briesemeister, a senior policy analyst at Consumers Union, which publishes "Consumer Reports" magazine. Consumers now are seeing price competition refocused to auxiliary services: deals on text messaging and potential discounts on high-end phones that take pictures and play music. Companies will increasingly target untapped market segments, such as youth, moms, business users -- all candidates for sending pictures and text messages.
http://www.newsobserver.com/business/story/2760131p-9198063c.html
Media
TBWA/C/D Adds Sara Lee Senseo: Adweek, 8/26
Omnicom Group's TBWA\Chiat\Day has picked up more business from Sara Lee, acquiring creative duties for Senseo and State Fair, according to sources.
Originating in Europe, Senseo coffee products include a Philips-made machine and Douwe Egberts coffee pods. Earlier this year, Sara Lee shed its Chock Full o' Nuts, Hills Bros., MJB, and Chase and Sanborn coffee brands, retaining the Senseo business [Adweek Online, Feb. 10].
Posted at 02:45 pm by LPossiel
Permalink
Aug 26, 2005
Technology
Mi-Co Alliance With Eiles Creative to Implement Mobile Data Capture Applications: Carolina Newswire, 8/25
Mi-Co, the mobile data capture software company, announced the signing of a strategic partnership with Eiles Creative, Inc. Eiles Creative is a boutique business, informatics, and entertainment technology firm that specializes in strategic software solutions for its customers. Eiles Creative has extensive experience in the use of the Mi-Forms .NET based software development kit.
Mi-Co, the mobile data capture software company, announced the signing of a strategic partnership with Eiles Creative, Inc. Eiles Creative is a boutique business, informatics, and entertainment technology firm that specializes in strategic software solutions for its customers. Eiles Creative has extensive experience in the use of the Mi-Forms .NET based software development kit.
http://carolinanewswire.com/news/News.cgi?database=topstories
T2edb&command=viewone&id=3271&op=t
Gartner Reports Most Over-Hyped Technologies: Potomac Tech, 8/25
When it comes to such technologies as video conferencing and passive RFID tags, don't believe the hype, market analysis firm Gartner advises. By the same token, collaboration, next-generation architectures and real-world Internet applications will be some of this year's hottest technologies, according to Gartner's "2005 Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies" report. Gartner's report, which assesses the maturity, impact and adoption speed of 44 technologies, also predicts that business process management suites, peer-to-peer Internet telephony and biometric identity will be at the "peak of inflated expectations" this year. "The IT industry is awash with hype and buzz words, and Gartner's Emerging Technologies Hype Cycles cuts through this to offer an independent overview of the relative maturity of technologies in any given domain," said Gartner Research Vice President Alexander Linden.
http://www.gartner.com/press_releases/asset_134460_11.html
Telecommunications
One Device to Rule Them All: Wired News, 8/25
Think of 18- to 34-year-olds as generation WHOIS. They live on e-mail, communicate via instant messaging, change ringtones on their cell phones at the drop of a baseball cap (turned backward, naturally), play video games, download music (sometimes they'll even pay for it), get more of their news from the net than TV and print, experiment with podcasting, read and write their own blogs and access RSS feeds. Most of all, they expect to customize their entertainment experience. How else to explain the market for customized ringtones, which last year exceeded $2 billion worldwide, most of it skimmed from teens and twenty-somethings willing to shell out a couple of bucks for a snippet of 50 Cent? In short, they are technology consumers. Early adopters. Tastemakers and trendsetters. Yet none of the big cell-phone providers like Sprint, Verizon or Cingular has addressed this market exclusively, even though members of gen WHOIS are among their most steadfast customers. This is where Amp'd Mobile comes in. Launching in the next few months, Amp'd touts itself as the first wireless service provider to target young adults. Actually the company sees itself more as a provider of entertainment than a traditional cell-phone company. Armed with almost $70 million in venture capital, Peter Adderton, the company's caffeinated CEO from Australia, believes the future will be composed of mobile entertainment at 60 mph, and the market will be driven by the audience with the most insatiable appetite for it: generation WHOIS.
http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,68641,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_4
US Instant Messaging Market: ZDNet, 8/24
US instant messaging market: AOL - 41.6 mln users, Yahoo! - 19.1 mln, MSN - 14.1 mln by ZDNet's ZDNet Research -- In July 2005 AOL IM and ICQ had about 41.6 mln US users, followed by Yahoo! Messenger with 19.1 mln, and MSN Messenger with 14.1 mln, according to ComScore Media Metrix.
http://blogs.zdnet.com/ITFacts/index.php?blogthis=1&p=8777
Nextel Merger Adds Swagger to Sprint Ways: Kansas City Business Journal, 8/19
On Aug. 15, Sprint Nextel Corp. COO Len Lauer saw something he'd rarely seen in his six years Sprint Corp.: excitement.
Employees jammed into the Overland Park Convention Center were dancing as funky cover band Hot House belted out tunes. And it was 8:30 a.m.
"It was like a coming-out party for the Sprint people," Lauer said. "We haven't celebrated anything in six years. I've never seen such pride in the company."
It was, Lauer conceded the next day in a cavernous New York Stock Exchange suite, the Nextel effect. Merging with Nextel Communications Inc. has given Sprint a new confidence, he said. http://kansascity.bizjournals.com/kansascity/stories/2005/08/22/story3.html
High Speed Market: Potomac Tech, 8/25
U.S. cable operators and telephone companies gained approximately 1.7 million new high-speed Internet customers during the second quarter of 2005, bringing the total number of broadband households to 39.7 million, according to new research by Silver Spring-based Pike & Fischer. The total subscriber count is up 12.5 million over the 27.2 million recorded in the second quarter of 2004, and represents an estimated 34% of American households. Cable companies added about 858,600 new customers, only slightly ahead of the 856,400 added by the telecommunications firms.
http://informationweek.networkingpipeline.com/news/170100031
Mobile Handset Sales Spike 21%: Wireless Week, 8/25
Wireless phone sales hit 190.5 million units in the second quarter, with models from Nokia and Motorola accounting for nearly half of the handsets sold, according to worldwide figures coming out of Gartner. Combined, Nokia and Motorola accounted for 49.8 percent of worldwide mobile phone sales. In terms of market share, Nokia now holds a 31.9 percent share, up from 29.6 percent in the second quarter of 2004. The world's No. 1 handset maker benefited from strong growth in Latin America, where it managed to regain its spot as the region's top supplier. Motorola increased its share to 17.9 percent from 15.7 percent a year ago, which once again solidified its position as No. 2. The company is the market leader in North America (where Nokia is in third place, with a 33.5 percent share of that market.) Motorola also ranked as the second-best selling vendor in Western Europe and Latin America. Rounding out the top five in terms of worldwide market share is Samsung at 12.8 percent, LG at 6.5 percent and Sony Ericsson at 6.2 percent, Gartner reports. In terms of how the regions of the world stacked up against each other, Latin America reported the greatest amount of growth at 50 percent year-over-year. Western Europe posted a 9.9 percent increase in sales; Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa recorded a 37 percent up-tick; and North America saw a 9.4 percent gain. The Asia/Pacific region (excluding Japan) had increased sales of 27.5 percent, which was mainly fueled by gains in China, India, Bangladesh and Vietnam.
http://www.wirelessweek.com/article/CA6251426.html
TIme Warner Announces Strategic Partnership: Potomac Tech, 8/24
Time Warner, the parent company of Dulles-based AOL, announced on Tuesday that it has made a strategic investment in San Mateo- based Glu Mobile, a creator of mobile entertainment, in the company's fourth round of financing. The investment was reportedly for $7.5 million. Glu publishes original titles and entertainment based on brands such Atari, the Cartoon Network, FOX Sports, Nickelodeon, and Twentieth Century Fox. The company has more than 100 entertainment applications including games, ringtones, and mobile screens.
http://tinyurl.com/db9sd
Posted at 10:11 am by LPossiel
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