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FiberCore losses widen in Q4, narrow for 2001
April 1, 2002 7:00 pm | by Anne Kerven | CommentsFiberCore Inc. saw its losses widen in its fourth quarter even as they narrowed for the year overall. The optical fiber maker reported a net loss of $3.3 million, or 5 cents a diluted share, for the fourth quarter, compared with a net profit of about $2.3 million, or 4 cents a diluted share a year ago.
SEC looking into merger items, Qwest says
April 1, 2002 7:00 pm | by Andrew Backover | CommentsCopyright 2002 Gannett Company, Inc. USA TODAY…04/02/2002 From LexisNexis Qwest Communications said Monday that Securities and Exchange Commission staff want the agency to act against the telecom for omitting certain merger expense information from a financial report released in January 2001. Qwest, which owns an international high-speed network and is the dominant local phone company in ...
Competitor says Comcast is unfair
April 1, 2002 7:00 pm | by Brenda Rios | CommentsCopyright 2002 Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Copyright 2002 Detroit Free Press Detroit Free Press…04/02/2002 From LexisNexis WideOpenWest, Comcast Corp.'s only head-to-head cable competitor in Michigan, says the cable giant is playing dirty. The company, which bought the Americast cable system in November and operates in 42 cities in southeastern Michigan, said Monday that Comcast i...
CSG Systems closes billing deal
March 31, 2002 7:00 pm | by Staff | CommentsExpanding its telecommunications billing footprint, Denver-based CSG Systems International has closed its deal to acquire the billing and customer care assets of Lucent Technologies for roughly $260 million. Lucent originally obtained those assets, including software products and consulting services, via its purchase of Kenan Systems Corp.
VT Media hopes to make hay on sub-$150 Linux-based set-top
March 31, 2002 7:00 pm | by Staff | CommentsVT Media Technologies has launched a new Linux-based set-top, the VT100, claiming the unit price on the box will be less than $150 in "OEM quantities." Code-named "The Edge," VT Media's box leverages a Linux-based operating system to enable multiple data streams, including Ethernet 10/100, to be converted to composite analog RF data streams or S-Video data streams.
Intertainer bowson-demand content tool
March 31, 2002 7:00 pm | by Staff | CommentsIntertainer has launched Demand E.S.P., a patent-pending platform designed to help broadband operators and content owners manage, program, distribute and track on-demand content. Intertainer's VOD content tool is comprised of seven modules: asset management and production, programming and scheduling, distribution management, usage reporting, royalty management, IP VOD services and profess...
Com21 propels upstream plans with Propane
March 31, 2002 7:00 pm | by Staff | CommentsAiming to boost cable's upstream capacity, Com21 Inc. said it has become the first vendor to feature Broadcom Corp.'s Propane accelerator software for DOCSIS and EuroDOCSIS systems. For starters, Com21 will use Propane in its recently unveiled DOXcontroller XB system, including the Dox-controller cable modem termination system.
Sony embarks on PS2 broadband service
March 31, 2002 7:00 pm | by Staff | CommentsShifting its focus beyond off-the-shelf gaming titles for the PlayStation2, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. said it will take advantage of the console's high-speed capabilities with a new broadband, multiplayer service. Set to launch this month in Japan, the PS2 broadband service will require users to have a DSL or cable modem connection and buy or rent a special "Broadband Navigator" ad...
InterVideo turns PCs into DVRs
March 31, 2002 7:00 pm | by Staff | CommentsNo longer is the television the only domain of digital video recording technology and functionality. Fremont, Calif.-based InterVideo is adding DVR functions to PCs via WinDVR, a software bundle that allows users to pause, rewind and fast-forward video they are watching on PCs equipped with TV tuners.
Ucentric preps for 2002 deployments
March 31, 2002 7:00 pm | by Staff | CommentsDigital home entertainment start-up Ucentric Systems said it has completed its initial phase of service operator trials, and is preparing a third-generation of its software platform for cable deployments in the second half of this year. Though Ucentric's focus is on software for set-top boxes and media servers, the company has supplied prototype hardware to trial participants, including C...
On-demand takes center stage at CTAM
March 31, 2002 7:00 pm | by Staff | CommentsVideo-on-demand and subscription-VOD were hot topics at last month's CTAM Digital Conference in Los Angeles, as operators and programmers explained how such services could be marketed to generate revenue and bust digital churn. Comcast Corp. officials, for example, said it will entice consumers with free SVOD trials, as well as other marketing tactics designed to remove barriers of consum...
Changes afoot at Moxi
March 31, 2002 7:00 pm | by Staff | CommentsDespite a splashy coming-out party at January's Consumer Electronics Show, apparently not all sailing is smooth at Moxi Digital Inc. For starters, Steve Perlman, former co-founder of WebTV, stepped down as Moxi's CEO to become vice chairman and "devote more time for creative projects at Rearden Steel Studios," the company said.
Ricochet redux
March 31, 2002 7:00 pm | by Staff | CommentsRising like a Phoenix from the ashes, Ricochet Networks has launched a technical trial of its high-speed, wireless Internet access network in Denver. Aerie Networks acquired Ricochet Networks from bankrupt Metricom Inc. for $8.25 million.Ricochet said the Denver test is the first step toward re-deploying the service and its patented MicroCellular Data Network.
Study: High-speed subs ripe for up-sell
March 31, 2002 7:00 pm | by Staff | CommentsBroadband subscribers are more apt to be up-sold for "core" services during a broadband qualification or installation, revealed a new study from Mindwave Research and BroadJump Inc. The study, which polled 1,046 randomly selected and qualified residential broadband subscribers, found that consumers have a large attraction to "core" services.
Philips ups the middleware ante with MHP
March 31, 2002 7:00 pm | by Staff | CommentsIn a move that could pit Philips in the highly competitive middleware market, Philips Softworks has teamed with silicon vendor STMicroelectronics to develop "solutions" for applying Multimedia Home Platform (MHP) technology in set-top boxes and digital televisions. Under the agreement, both companies will develop and market "pre-integrated" versions of the Philips MHP 1.
