NEW YORK-For consumers, the important news out of a Motorola Inc. press conference July 21 is the broad suite of new wireless telecommunications devices the industry heavyweight debuted. For other manufacturers, the big news from the event is the industry giant will seek to partner with other vendors in order to expedite its rollout of [...]

ALEXANDRIA, Va.-Metrocall Inc. has made several changes in its senior management team to address the integration of AT&T Wireless Services Inc.’s Advanced Messaging Division. Thomas P. Matthews, the executive who negotiated the five-year distribution agreement aspect of the merger, has been named senior vice president for corporate and business development. He will focus on strategic [...]

WATERLOO, Ont.-Research In Motion announced it signed a $1 million agreement to supply its radio modems and wireless PC cards to Lipman USA Inc. Lipman provides integrated portable wireless electronic funds transfer and point-of-sale terminals. RIM’s radio modems are expected to be an integral component of the company’s NURIT line of terminals, giving them access [...]

ATLANTA-LHS Group Inc. and Bell Atlantic Corp. entered into a deal to strengthen their existing relationship, the companies said. Bell Atlantic’s international wireless markets will be able to license LHS’ Business Support and Control System, or BSCS product, and LHS also will provide related maintenance and support services.

Israel Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. said Paging Network Inc. has chosen the enhanced version of its Skystar Advantage very small aperture terminal satellite earth station, called NPCSkystar, for its narrowband personal communications services. NPCSkystar was developed to serve as a satellite-based infrastructure link between base stations of forthcoming NPCS paging networks, the company said. Bosnia [...]

NEW YORK-Harris Corp., Melbourne, Fla., announced July 20 a work force reduction of 2,300, or 8 percent, due primarily to weakness in the semiconductor market, said the company. The company also said it planned to exit the analog base station business. About 1,900 of the layoffs, which are part of a “restructuring program to enhance [...]

WASHINGTON-A proposal to assign abbreviated dialing codes nationwide appears to be headed for a major roadblock from the North American Numbering Council. NANC is expected to approve a report in September that will declare no one supports abbreviated dialing codes, said Lori Messing, manager for technology resources for the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association. Messing is [...]

REDMOND, Wash.-Metawave Communications Corp. filed paperwork with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a proposed initial public offering of 5 million shares of common stock, expected to sell in the range of $9.50 to $11.50, the company said. BT Alex. Brown, Merrill Lynch & Co. and NationsBanc Montgomery Securities L.L.C. are the managing underwriters of [...]

WASHINGTON-Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.), increasingly distressed about Federal Communications Commission wireless policy management, plans legislation next year that would overhaul the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and mandate more deregulation. McCain, according to congressional staff and industry officials, plans to address the matter in the FCC reauthorization bill early next year. McCain’s staff has [...]

Iridium L.L.C. said two more of its satellites failed last week, adding to a list of concerns that caused the company’s stock price to fall about $8 following the disclosure. Of the 72 satellites placed in orbit to date, seven have failed. According to Michelle Lyle, senior manager of corporate communications at Iridium, the failures [...]