GLEN BURNIE, Md.-American Financial Holdings Inc. finalized its merger with Pelican Mobile Computers Inc., which provides rugged mobile hardware and software for law enforcement agencies and emergency workers. The combined companies said they plan to adopt the name Tactical Solution Partners Inc., and plan...
LONDON-Vodafone Group Plc is partnering with Sony Corp. on an interactive streaming radio service for mobile phones and PCs. The companies unveiled Vodafone Radio DJ, which offers customized content based on users' tastes and preferences. The subscription service also includes a dual-download feature, allowing...
TORONTO-In preliminary results Canadian wireless operator Rogers Communications Inc. reported it added substantially fewer new subscribers to its wireless business in the fourth quarter of 2005 than in the same quarter of 2004. However, the carrier also said it managed to reduce its churn,...
TEL AVIV, Israel-Wireless broadband systems provider Ceragon Networks Ltd. said it signed an original equipment manufacturer agreement with Nokia Corp. Under the agreement, Ceragon will supply Nokia with its FibeAir microwave radio products, to be marketed as part of Nokia's PowerHopper Vario portfolio of...
DALLAS-Texas Instruments Inc. announced it plans to sell its Sensors & Controls business to affiliates of Bain Capital L.L.C., a private equity investment firm, for $3 billion in cash. TI's stock was down slightly after the news to $34.07 per share. TI's Sensors &...
ATLANTA, Ga.-Cingular Wireless L.L.C. said it completed network integration work in Georgia, as well as integration efforts in parts of Alabama and Florida, and expanded its coverage areas in those states. In Georgia, Cingular said it kept and integrated more than 475 cell sites...
OSLO, Norway-The Mobile Media Co. said it has acquired Dutch game-maker Overloaded Pocket Media from Endemol N.V. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.Overloaded develops and publishes wireless games for Java, Symbian, BREW and i-mode platforms, and distributes titles in 23 countries through 42...
NEW YORK-MTV Networks isn't putting all its eggs in the basket of a single mobile virtual network operator. The Viacom Inc. subsidiary said it plans to build on its partnership with Virgin Mobile USA L.L.C., granting the MVNO exclusive rights to branded content from...
BOCA RATON, Fla.-The nation's fifth largest tower company, SBA Communications Corp., said it obtained a $160 million credit facility. GE Capital Markets Inc. led the financing arrangements.SBA noted the new facility replaces its prior facility, which became the mortgage loan underlying its recent $405...
GENEVA-Chip supplier STMicroelectronics said it's jumping into the WiMAX market with a new offering for WiMAX base stations. The company said it plans to bundle its STW51000 base-station modem system-on-a-chip with a full set of in-house software libraries, including 802.16e software for frequency division...
KINGSTON, JAMAICA-After filling up 2005 with various acquisitions and an initial launch of WiMAX services, Caribbean carrier Digicel Group plc announced plans to expand wireless service into Haiti and Trinidad & Tobago, plus roll out more WiMAX offerings in 2006. The company, which has...
SAN FRANCISCO—Moderati released its list of 2005’s top ringtones, with notes on some regional flavor. Hip-hop dominated the list in ’05, with 60 percent of the songs from these artists. Video-game themes such as "Super Mario Brothers" and movie themes like "Halloween" also placed...
As in past years, the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas was ground zero for a series of entertaining handset battles, with vendors firing off warning shots against each other and carriers blustering over new phone offerings for consumers. Perhaps the most interesting display...
LAS VEGAS-Motorola Inc. announced an extensive agreement with camera company Eastman Kodak Co. that calls for the two players to collaborate on mobile imaging and printing. Specifically, Motorola announced it will use Kodak's CMOS sensors in its upcoming camera phones and will include software...
Centennial Communications Corp.'s earnings tumbled in its second quarter, despite an increase in revenue and healthy growth in its U.S. wireless operations. The carrier reported $8.2 million in income from continuing operations during the quarter, compared with $18.6 million for the same quarter a...
Tier 1 operators are beginning to use retail outlets to build long-term customer relationships and generate revenues from lucrative data applications. But when it comes to the brick-and-mortar sales counter, the wireless consumer is still very much up for grabs. While the wireless industry...
A new year is a perfect time to set priorities-and clean off the pile of papers oozing beyond the allotted boundaries on one's desk. (OK-my desk.) One of my first priorities this year is to study the trends that likely will affect the wireless...
OVERLAND PARK, Kan.-John Garcia, senior vice president of strategic partners for Sprint Consumer Solutions, will head up the joint venture between Sprint Nextel Corp. and cable companies Comcast Corp., Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications and Advance/Newhouse Communications. The joint venture will focus on quadruple-play...
OSAKA, Japan-Sanyo Electric Co. Ltd. said it entered the wireless broadband arena through a partnership with last-mile wireless broadband technology provider Soma Networks Inc. The companies said they will jointly develop and manufacture consumer and infrastructure products for the wireless broadband wireless access market....
Just when you thought your new Wi-Fi-enabled laptop was nifty, along comes a bevy of new laptops embedded with PC cards and chips that support wireless broadband Internet access via third-generation carrier networks. Several announcements touted the latest collaborations between carriers and computer manufacturers...
Qualcomm Inc. announced it has acquired Berkana Wireless Inc., a wireless chip designer, for $56 million in cash. Silicon Valley-based Berkana provides metal oxide semiconductor radio frequency integrated circuits, or RF CMOS chips, to the wireless industry, and Qualcomm said it expects Berkana's technology...
MOSCOW-Vimpel Communications, which provides cellular service in Russia, Kazakstan and the Ukraine, has acquired a 60-percent stake in Tacom, a wireless carrier in Tajikistan. VimpelCom paid $12 million for the stake.The carrier also entered into an agreement with the remaining Tacom shareholders that grants...
KUALA LAMPUR, Malaysia-Maxis Communications Berhad of Malaysia and its Indian Joint Venture Company, JVC, plan to acquire Indian mobile carrier Aircel Ltd. The two companies agreed to spend $1.08 billion to purchase all of Aircel. Maxis will hold a 65-percent stake in Aircel directly,...
LAS VEGAS-The much-hyped "year of mobile music" started off with a bang here at last week's 2006 International Consumer Electronics Show. But whether wireless consumers will sign on-and where mobile operators will fit in the value chain-is still very much in question. Verizon Wireless...
