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Daily news and top headlines for broadband communications engineering and design professionals
PowerTV, S-A, Videotron team for e-mail over TV
March 31, 2001 7:00 pm | by Staff | CommentsPowerTV, Scientific-Atlanta (S-A) and Videotron Communications announced a system-wide commercial deployment of e-mail over hybrid fiber/coax broadband interactive television. Videotron is offering PowerTV's SofaMAIL e-mail service via S-A's Explorer set-tops and digital network to all 1.6 million of its customers in Montreal and the Canadian province of Quebec.
Insight, DIVA partner for VOD deal
March 31, 2001 7:00 pm | by Staff | CommentsInsight Communications and DIVA have announced an agreement which further extends DIVA's VOD solution to Insight's remaining systems in Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky. As a result, DIVA will now be placed in front of a potential 930,000 Insight basic customers, including those already able to receive the product.
OCAP spec released for comment
March 31, 2001 7:00 pm | by Staff | CommentsCableLabs has released for comment the OpenCable Application Platform (OCAP), or middleware software, specification. This collection of specifications establishes a road map for companies from around the world to create applications for interactive services that operate over the broadband cable network.
3Com cuts 170 jobs
March 25, 2001 7:00 pm | by Anne Kerven | CommentsPrevious cost-cutting moves notwithstanding, 3Com Corp. just cut 170 jobs in its consumer broadband-modem operations. The network equipment manufacturer will save $18 million in the cuts, most of which are in its Rolling Meadows, Ill., plant. The cuts are the latest in 3Com's $250 million cost-reduction plan.
LSI to buy C-Cube for $878 M
March 25, 2001 7:00 pm | by Anne Kerven | CommentsLSI Logic Corp. agreed to merge with C-Cube Microsystems Inc. in an $878 million stock-for-stock exchange. Under the agreement, each outstanding share of C-Cube common stock will be exchanged for 0.79 of a share of LSI Logic common stock. The merger, expected to be completed by the end of June, combines the companies' complementary technologies for high-growth cable, satellite, terrestrial and ...
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.
