February 1999

PALO ALTO, Calif.-TIBCO Software Inc. introduced a new information integration and e-business service for Internet companies, corporate Web sites and wireless telecom carriers, called TIBCO.net. The service allows users to gain access to information from third-party content providers and integrate …

DALLAS-Texas Instruments Inc. announced it increased its earnings in the fourth quarter, bouncing back from a loss in the same period a year ago. The company reported fourth-quarter earnings of $189 million, or 48 cents per share, compared with a …

BURNABY, British Columbia-BC Telecom Inc. announced its shareholders voted almost unanimously in favor of a merger between BC Telecom and Telus Corp. Earlier, Telus shareholders also voted in very strong favor of the merger. BC Telecom said the merger was …

As the end of the millennium approaches, it is worth pondering whether the recent bout of mergers and acquisitions are precedents to some colossal event of biblical proportions or merely defensive strategies of companies safeguarding themselves against falling commodity prices, …

WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission last week rejected a proposal from the Personal Communications Industry Association to institute a caller pays, or coin-in-the-box, plan for pay-phone compensation rather than the current carrier-pays setup. A coin-in-the-box proposal would require customers to deposit …

ANN ARBOR, Mich.-Ensure Technologies Inc. announced it joined the Bluetooth Special Interest Group. The company is a leader in the wireless personal computer security field and said it will apply the Bluetooth specification to its patent-pending XyLoc wireless PC security …

WICHITA, Kan.-Citing a “persistent weakness in the global test equipment market,” IFR Systems Inc. announced results for the second quarter of fiscal 1999, which ended Dec. 31, of a net loss of $401,000, or 5 cents per share, compared with …

IRVING, Texas-GTE Corp. reported its net income for the fourth quarter increased 21 percent to $855 million, or 88 cents per share. Net income for the year totaled $2.17 million, or $2.24 per share, compared with net income of $2.8 …

NEW YORK-GTE Network Services, Irving, Texas, rolled out a program last month to move wireless directory assistance off the shoulder of the road and into the fast lane of the telecommunications revolution. GTE’s Wireless Directory Assistance is intended to take …

ALAMEDA, Calif.-Geoworks Corp. announced a net loss of $3.4 million, or 22 cents per share, for the the quarter ended Dec. 31, compared with a net loss of $2.5 million, or 16 cents per share, reported for the corresponding previous …

WASHINGTON-The bankruptcy sale of Geotek Communications Inc.’s 900 MHz specialized mobile radio licenses continued to be embroiled in uncertainty last week as company officials and creditors struggled over whether to roll the dice with a higher-albeit uncertain-bulk bid rather than …

ESCONDIDO, Calif.-Global Access Pagers Inc. announced it has backed off from its proposed merger with Phone Time Resources Inc. The two entered an agreement to merge on April 21. No reason was given for the change of heart.

WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission has named Kathleen Wallman chairman of the FCC’s Public Safety National Coordination Committee. In August, the FCC adopted rules calling for a new committee to develop technical standards for public-safety use of the spectrum in the …

STOCKHOLM, Sweden-L.M. Ericsson introduced its new T 28 dual-band mobile phone based on Global System for Mobile communications technology. The phone’s functions include voice control, automatic world clock and new batteries that use lithium polymer technology. The phone also includes …

MOUNT PROSPECT, Ill.-Illinois Superconductor Corp. said it became an approved vendor for a large cellular system manufacturer, which it declined to name. As an approved vendor, Illinois Superconductor can provide its product directly from the original equipment manufacturer to cellular …

Paging Network Inc. announced it is offering the Iridium World Page Service commercially in the United States as the country’s exclusive paging carrier offering Iridium service. The paging portion of Iridium’s 66 low-earth-orbit satellite system was activated in November, after …

Despite a five-week service launch delay and continued handset production problems, Iridium L.L.C. finished the fourth quarter with results that beat analysts expectations. The quarter, ended Dec. 31, marked the long-awaited launch of the company’s 66 low-earth orbit satellite global …

Safco Technologies Inc. announced the completion of TEC Cellular’s integration into the company. TEC Cellular’s products, services and training now will be sold under the Safco brand. Safco acquired TEC Cellular in April, 1997. Anne Sleater, the AT&T Wireless Services …

TORONTO-Motorola Inc.’s Commercial, Government and Industrial Solutions sector announced it settled its civil lawsuit, against defendant Ronen Katz of Toronto for copyright and trademark infringement. Financial terms of the settlement were not disclosed. Motorola said the Federal Court of Canada …

LAFAYETTE, Calif.-Mobex Communications Inc. announced it acquired Indianapolis-based Communications Maintenance Inc. and Richmond, Va.-based Radio Communications for its Commercial Services sector, expanding the reach of its specialized mobile radio and two-way paging services to 19 markets in 13 states. The …

SUNNYVALE, Calif.-Including a one-time charge of $3.1 million for the acquisition of Crown Satellite, California Microwave Inc. reported a net loss of $4.5 million, or 30 cents per share, for its fiscal 1999 second quarter ended Dec. 31, compared with …

VIENNA, Austria-Motorola Inc.’s Network Solutions Sector will provide Global System for Mobile communications equipment to expand Mobilkom’s “A1” GSM network in Austria. Plans call for the program to be finished in 2001. Motorola will supply equipment at 1800 MHz to …

MURRAY HILL, N.J.-In an effort to enter the growing market of speech products in communications networks, Lucent Technologies Inc. announced a new unit called Lucent Speech Solutions, which introduced two speech communication products, the Lucent Personal Assistant and the Lucent …

WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission received comments supporting its definitions of “small business” and “very small business” in rules for the location and monitoring service and wireless communications service spectrum auctions. Comments on the definitions were necessary under the Small Business …

Telecom companies plan to spend more, on average, than any other industry on Year 2000 compliance projects, but they also have spent the smallest percentage of their Y2K budget to date than other industries have, according to Triaxsys Research L.L.C., …