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PricewaterhouseCoopers Presents
The CommunicationsDirect Daily Update
For March 12, 2007
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Our new poll: Do you plan on buying Apple's new iPhone? Visit our web site
to vote.Swisscom Launches US$4.86 bil. "Friendly" Bid for FastWeb
http://communicationsdirectnews.com/do.php/130/23191?11228
Switzerland's leading telecoms group, Swisscom, has launched a
3.7 billion euro (US$4.86 billion) 'friendly' bid for the Italian
alternative broadband provider, FastWeb. The move, an all-cash
bid for 100% of FastWeb's shares, follows a due diligence
exercise Swisscom conducted on FastWeb. It also marks a
radical ...
Alltel Merger Speculation Grows
http://communicationsdirectnews.com/do.php/120/23188?11228
Speculation that a deal is in the offing for Alltel, which has
recently made moves that position it for merger, has mounted to
higher levels after Alltel cancelled meetings with investors at
CTIA Orlando later this month. Significance: Alltel has continued
to raise its stock price on the back of the ongoing merger ...
Conflicting Radio Signals Hamper Rescue Robots
http://communicationsdirectnews.com/do.php/150/23183?11228
When conflicting radio signals reach a cellular phone or other
communications device, the resulting interference is usually
nothing more than an annoyance. But when overlapping signals
interfere with mobile robot communications, the outcome may be
deadly. Sensor-embedded robots, designed for vital search and
rescue missions at ...
Vonage 'Workarounds' May Ease Patent Pain
http://communicationsdirectnews.com/do.php/130/23181?11228
A source close to Vonage Holdings Corp. says the VOIP provider
has technologies at the ready that will keep it from 'borrowing'
anymore technology from Verizon. A District Court in Virginia
Thursday found Vonage guilty of infringing three Verizon
Communications Inc. patents.; The court ordered Vonage to pay ...
AT&T, Yahoo Relationship on the Rocks?
http://communicationsdirectnews.com/do.php/120/23176?11228
According to a Wall Street Journal report, AT&T is considering
scaling back the expansive marketing partnership it has shared
with Yahoo for six years. If it does, Yahoo stands to lose $200
to $250 million in annual revenue. The current agreement
stipulates that AT&T pay Yahoo a percentage of revenue from its
broadband ...
Funding Roundup: 3/9/2007
http://communicationsdirectnews.com/do.php/120/23173?11228
Cheap WiFi, enterprise VOIP, and thousands of Japanese phone
users help bring in the bacon in this week's funding
roundup. FON: The upstart public WiFi provider has raised $13
million in VC money as it attempts to promote wireless
connectivity sharing between users that buy into its low-cost
access point scheme. The Madrid, ...
Global Consumer Electronics Sales Defying Economic Cycles
http://communicationsdirectnews.com/do.php/150/23171?11228
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- A succession of attractive new products,
along with falling prices and increased capabilities, has helped
make the consumer electronics (CE) market seemingly impervious to
economic ups and downs around the world, reports In-Stat. Strong
CE sales are expected to continue for several years, with total
shipments ...
Iron Mountain Makes Email Move
http://communicationsdirectnews.com/do.php/120/23168?11228
Iron Mountain will unveil a managed service for email at the
Cebit show Monday, part of a major overhaul of its strategy for
handling digital data. Digital archiving has been something of a
sore spot for Iron Mountain. Last week, the vendor admitted that
this part of its business is losing money, and it described some
of the ...
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