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Daily news and top headlines for broadband communications engineering and design professionals
Unisphere: IPO whoa
March 25, 2001 7:00 pm | by Anne Kerven | CommentsIt's epidemic. Unisphere Networks Inc. put off its IPO, citing market conditions. The manufacturer of communications products for service providers, and a division of Siemens AG in Germany, follows a rash of other IPO postponements as the markets fluctuate. In 2001, Wall Street has seen 19 companies issue IPOs, down from 58 for the same period in 1999 and 112 in 2000, the Boston Herald reports.
Proxim/Netopia halt merger
March 25, 2001 7:00 pm | by Anne Kerven | CommentsProxim Inc., which took a hit in stock prices last week when Intel switched its standards preference from HomeRF to Wi-Fi or 802.11b, can add an aborted merger to the fallout. Proxim, a manufacturer of networking equipment, was to purchase Netopia Inc., a maker of broadband Internet equipment. The merger was valued at $223 million in January, but both companies saw stock values fall since then,...
PowerTV to supply ITV software
March 25, 2001 7:00 pm | by Anne Kerven | CommentsITV supplier PowerTV Inc. just got the license to provide its digital set-top software platform to 6 million cable TV set-top boxes in North America, or more than 50 percent of the subscribers in the 100 largest systems, the company says. The PowerTV Operating System, presently being deployed by Scientific-Atlanta in more than 140 cable systems, the company reports, includes a solution for the ...
Artesian picks Pace DSL4000
March 25, 2001 7:00 pm | by Anne Kerven | CommentsArtesian Direct picked Pace Micro Technology to provide the DSL4000 digital home gateway boxes for Artesian's Convenient Accessible Print Solution. The product will combine Pace's digital home gateway technology and the H-P print media, letting consumers print TV or PC content through the DSL4000 to the H-P printer, Artesian reports.
CED News Briefs
March 25, 2001 7:00 pm | by Anne Kerven | Comments• Malone has more than eye on Europe Now it's a European empire. Cable magnate John C. Malone's cable connections are taking him into the overseas market in what observers call a potential European repeat of his American cable performance. Malone is becoming a majority shareholder in United Global Communications, whose European operation, United Pan-Europe Communications, represents about...
No IPO?
March 22, 2001 7:00 pm | by Anne Kerven | CommentsA desperate Lucent Technologies may move from postponing to canceling the $6.5 billion IPO of its spinoff, Agere Systems Inc., its vice chair says. The waffling comes after Lucent cut the offering's share price and upped the number of shares. Agere, which manufactures semiconductors and fiber optic components, will take on $2.
Motorola lays off another 4,000
March 22, 2001 7:00 pm | by Anne Kerven | CommentsSchaumburg, Ill.-based Motorola Inc. will eliminate 4,000 more positions across its Commercial, Government and Industrial Solutions Sector; the Global Telecommunications Solutions Sector; and the Broadband Communications Sector. Last week, Motorola had announced 7,000 layoffs in its cellphone and pager divisions, and has announced 22,000 cut positions from its 147,000-worker force since December.
Philips/Sun team tech on streaming media
March 22, 2001 7:00 pm | by Anne Kerven | CommentsUnder a nonbinding agreement, Royal Philips Electronics and Sun Microsystems will develop streaming multimedia for emerging broadband media, VOD and mobile wireless markets. The deal allows the duo to combine technical resources on a turnkey reference solution for broadband media, based on MPEG-4 technology.
Starz veep touts 100% digital
March 22, 2001 7:00 pm | by Anne Kerven | CommentsGet with the program, a Starz Encore Group LLC senior VP tells the cable industry. On a "Premium Goes Digital" panel at the CTAM Digital and Pay-Per-View Conference in New Orleans, Senior VP for Marketing and Business Development Mike Hale said cable must change its mindset to win the digital war or risk being left behind.
Fastnet deploys fixed wireless
March 22, 2001 7:00 pm | by Anne Kerven | CommentsFastnet Corp. reports the connection of its first fixed wireless customer. Clark Media Inc., in Bethlehem, Pa., launches Fastnet's deployment of fixed wireless Internet access in two of Fastnet's eight core markets. Clark Media reports the speedier connections allow it to start using the Internet to interact with video production clients, including showing projects to remote clients in real time.
3Com reorganizing; halts Net appliances
March 21, 2001 7:00 pm | by Anne Kerven | CommentsAn overall market yawn over Net appliances took a solid turn with 3Com's decision to discontinue its Internet appliances, including the Audrey and a planned Kerbango Internet radio. The move comes as part of 3Com's reported third-quarter losses of 36 cents a share and subsequently announced restructuring.
Intel switch hits Proxim stock
March 21, 2001 7:00 pm | by Anne Kerven | CommentsIntel's decision yesterday to ditch HomeRF for WiFi (802.11B) standards in its home networking products shot down share prices on Proxim stock. Proxim, a licensor and supplier of HomeRF technology for other companies, saw prices fall $5.88 a share to $9 per. Undaunted, Proxim says it can weather the storm, partly through a new and expanded distribution strategy, and noted that Motorola, Compaq ...
Lucent stalls Agere IPO; signs European contracts
March 21, 2001 7:00 pm | by Anne Kerven | CommentsEven as it stalls a spinoff's IPO for the week amid slurs about its stocks, Lucent Technologies hit the headlines with news of overseas contracts and customers. Agere, Lucent's optical-components spinoff, was to issue a $6.5 billion IPO this week, but observers say debt problems - some $8.1 billion as of Dec.
Alcatel supplies China with DSL gear
March 21, 2001 7:00 pm | by Anne Kerven | CommentsAlcatel just signed a multiyear deal with China Telecommunications Corp. to deploy about 50 percent of the equipment CTC needs for DSL in China. Estimates differ, since the deal will depend on market growth and the equipment needed in various provinces, but some set the contract at between $70 million and $225 million in the first year.
Optical's mesh bypasses last-mile copper
March 21, 2001 7:00 pm | by Anne Kerven | CommentsOptical Access Inc. just released the Optical Access Mesh, a meshed, wireless optical solution that lets service providers and carriers deploy fast, inexpensive, high-speed broadband access in the last mile, Optical reports. The optical wireless system has a built-in radio frequency wireless backup system that designed to reduce the weather-related downtime of free-space optics.
