Vivendi

LONDON-Vodafone Group plc confirmed it is in discussions with Vivendi Universal concerning the future shareholder structure of their Vizzavi joint venture Internet portal. Vodafone said the discussions may lead to an offer to acquire all of a part of Vivendi’s …

OXFORD, United Kingdom—In an effort to promote the use of multimedia messaging service (MMS), Vizzavi Deutschland, the wireless portal jointly owned by Vodafone and Vivendi Universal, has requested Alatto Technologies to supply consumer applications that will be delivered via the …

PARIS—Alcatel said it was awarded a contract from Kenya’s KenCell for local multipoint distribution service (LMDS) equipment. Alcatel will provide the mobile backhaul for KenCell’s GSM 900 MHz mobile network. The first phase is up and running and will be …

LOS ANGELES—Mobile media company Moviso, a subsidiary of Vivendi Universal Net USA, announced it will offer BREW-based ring tones and theme songs through a new distribution deal with Verizon Wireless. Separately, Moviso signed a deal with the Motion Picture Television …

LONDON—The Mobile Entertainment Forum announced a new board of directors and created two regional branches in Asia and the Americas to further growth in the regions. The new board includes executives from industry players, such as Vivendi Universal, Universal Communication …

LONDON—Hoping to counter competition from Japanese operator NTT DoCoMo Inc.’s i-mode service, U.K.-based Vodafone Group plc is planning to roll out a more graphically enhanced version of its Vizzavi Web portal in Europe, according to Reuters. Vodafone’s current Vizzavi site, …

LONDON—The owners of Vizzavi Europe, a mobile portal formed in May 2000, announced a revised revenue model, along with the departure of the company’s chief executive officer (CEO) and a reduction in 100 jobs across Europe. Vodafone Group and Vivendi …

NEW YORK—Vivendi Universal has deployed MyNetonomy , developed by U.S.-based Netonomy, as the portal through which customers can purchase, activate and personalize services on Universal Music Mobile (UMM). Launched commercially in late September, the service delivers Vivendi Universal’s music-oriented content …

NEW YORK-Vivendi Universal has worldwide ambitions, particularly in the area of wireless technology and interactive television, and equally important, it possesses a balance sheet to support its plans, said Jean Marie Messier, chairman and chief executive officer. “We believe we …

PARIS—The standoff between the French government and mobile-phone operator SFR, which is backed by Vivendi Universal, was at least delayed this week, with SFR paying the initial US$566 million payment for its third-generation (3G) license. SFR initially withheld the first …

OXFORD, United Kingdom—Vodafone and the French-based media giant Vivendi have denied rumors that widespread job cuts are to take place at Vizzavi, their mobile Internet portal joint venture. The two firms, responding to press speculation, said they are committed to …

WARSAW, Poland—The deadline for finalizing a deal between Polish company Elektrim and Vivendi Universal passed on 30 July, without final agreement on a cash-and-debt deal announced last month. The preliminary agreement stated Vivendi would pay US$600 million to take control …

AWR Applied Wave Research appointed Ronald Patston as vice president of marketing. Prior to joining AWR, Patston held several positions in various companies in the wireless and EDA industry including Agilent Technologies, Verticom Inc. and Hewlett Packard. As VP of …

GENEVA-Despite a subdued initial public offering (IPO) that saw the company reap a modest US$9 per share-near the bottom end of an already hastily reduced US$8.7 to US$10 range-the future is looking good for Orange, the former U.K. operator that …

CHINA China Unicom reported it had more than 12.7 million wireless customers at the end of last year, an increase of more than 300 percent from 1999. China’s second largest wireless operator also said it added more than 1 million …

The millennium is off to a good start for Vodafone Group. The U.K.-based carrier began 2000 with a hostile takeover of Mannesmann, parent of its rival Orange, and continued with a spending spree for third-generation (3G) licenses across Europe. The …

Chris Gent has had quite a year. For the chief executive of Vodafone Group plc, 2000 began with a hostile takeover of Mannesmann AG, parent of its rival Orange plc, and continued with a spending spree for third-generation licenses across …

Extolling them as “wings of light,” Nortel Networks hopes to illumine the wireless Internet space with four new initiatives. Basking in a 55-percent third-quarter growth, the Internet and communications company identifies the four-pronged blitz as optical infrastructure, wireless access, Internet …

A week after announcing plans to eliminate as much as $14 billion in debt, British Telecommunications plc said it was selling its 34-percent stake in Swiss joint venture Sunrise to TeleDanmark, a partner in the deal, for $659 million. BT …

FRANKFURT, Germany-WorldCom Inc. formally pulled out of the German auction for third-generation licenses. The company is the third bidder to withdraw from the process before the auction officially begins July 31. France’s Vivendi and Talkline, an SBC Communications Inc. and …

Germany WorldCom, Vivendi and Talkline, an SBC Communications and Tele Danmark joint venture, formally pulled out of the German auction for third-generation licenses, scheduled to begin 31 July. U.K. operator Orange also backed out of the Group 3G consortium, which …

FRANKFURT, Germany-The German telecommunication regulator approved 11 bidders to participate in its Universal Mobile Telecommunications System auction, set to begin in July. The regulator excluded only one company from bidding in the auction. Germany plans to sell 12 frequencies of …

British Telecom (BT) could challenge an Internet alliance between Vodafone AirTouch and Vivendi announced just before Vodafone AirTouch’s takeover agreement with Mannesmann in February, the Financial Times reported. The deal may be incompatible with existing contracts among the involved companies. …

BUCHAREST, Romania-A subsidiary of Canada’s Telesystem International Wireless (TIW) won the third Czech Republic mobile telephone license in September. The price tag for the GSM 1800 license was fixed at US$29 million. The license requires Cesky Mobile, the TIW subsidiary, …

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa-Six cellular phone companies, including a consortium led by South Africa’s MTN, have been prequalified by Kenya’s Communications Commission to bid for a second mobile phone license in the country. However, mixed signals about deregulation are being conveyed …