Verizon Sell Interest in Verizon Dominicana to America Movil

Verizon Communications closed on the sale of its interest in Verizon Dominicana, which provides telecommunications services to more than 2.7 million wireless, wireline and broadband customers in the Dominican Republic, to America Movil, S.A. de C.V.



The transaction was announced in April 2006, when Verizon also announced the execution of definitive agreements to sell its interests in Telecomunicaciones de Puerto Rico, Inc. (Puerto Rico Telephone) and Compania Anonima Nacional Telefonos de Venezuela (CANTV), to America Movil and a company owned jointly by Telefonos de Mexico and America Movil. Verizon sail these sales are proceeding.

http://www.verizon.com

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IBM Integrates Force10 Network's Switch/routers

IBM is integrating Force10 Networks' TeraScale E-Series family of switch/routers and the S-Series family of data center switches into its System Cluster 1350 to deliver the 10 Gigabit Ethernet density and scalability computing clients require for high performance workloads. The recently upgraded Cluster 1350 combines Gigabit and 10 Gigabit Ethernet densities of the Force10 TeraScale E-Series and S-Series and IBM's extensive experience with clustered UNIX and LINUX computers in an integrated solution.



Earlier this month, IBM announced that it is upgrading its Cluster 1350 solution to include a new lineup of next generation processor systems and blades, high speed connectivity and coprocessor acceleration technology.

http://www.force10networks.com

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ECI Telecom Enhances its Multi-Layer NMS

ECI Telecom announced a new feature set for its carrier-class network management system (NMS), enabling operators to view and administer their entire infrastructure of converged Optical, Ethernet and SONET/SDH networks.



LightSoft V3 support of a Northbound interface allows for performance monitoring, provisioning, maintenance and integration into standard market-leading operation support systems (OSS). In addition, the highly-scalable LightSoft V3 supports fifty concurrent users, while the system works in high availability clusters and manages thousands of network elements and hundreds of thousands of network paths. LightSoft can also manage other vendors' element management systems (EMS).



The NMS is optimized for ECI's XDM optical and MSPP platform.

http://www.ecitele.com

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ECI Telecom Launches Carrier Ethernet Cards for XDM MSPP

ECI Telecom (introduced a family of Carrier Ethernet line cards for its XDM Multi-Service Provisioning Platform (MSPP) product line. The new carrier-class Ethernet capabilities provide operators with quality-assured Ethernet services from access to core. The new cards deliver carrier Ethernet services that address Layer 1 through eventually MPLS.



ECI said it is leveraging its success with NG SDH/SONET, allowing operators to rapidly introduce revenue generating carrier-class Ethernet services.


http://www.ecitele.com

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Motorola Launches Motofone for Global Market

Motorola unveiled its highly anticipated MOTOFONE at an event held in New Delhi, India. The company described MOTOFONE as the first of a new breed of handsets designed to disrupt today's communications landscape by cutting across price tiers, product segments and international markets.



MOTOFONE, which will be available in both GSM and CDMA versions, new interface built with icons and voice versus text, as well as voice prompts specifically tailored to local markets. The handset is designed for first-time users. The GSM version, MOTOFONE F3, is available today in India and will roll out in international markets in the coming weeks. Motorola is working towards shipping the CDMA version, MOTOFONE F3c, by the end of 2006.

http://www.motorola.com

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Nokia and Yahoo! Extend Partnership

Nokia and Yahoo! extended their partnership to offer Yahoo! branded services including Yahoo! Mail and Messenger on Nokia's wide range of mobile phones operating on the Series 40 platform. Series 40 is the software user interface that powers Nokia's broadest range of mobile devices.



Yahoo! services will initially be available on the newly announced Nokia 6300, the Nokia 5300 XpressMusic and the Nokia 5200. Moving forward these services and the ability to synchronies Yahoo! contacts, tasks and calendar on the PC and phone will be added to an even wider range of Nokia's Series 40 devices.



Yahoo! services for Nokia Series 40 mobile phones include Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! Messenger, and Yahoo! Personal Information Management.

http://www.nokia.comhttp://www.yahoo.com

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Broadcom to Acquire LVL7 Systems for Networking Software

Broadcom agreed to acquire LVL7 Systems, Inc., a privately-held developer of networking software for OEMs and ODMs, for approximately $62 million in cash.



LVL7 Systems' FASTPATH software offers the features and protocols needed to build a variety of Layer 2 / 3 / 4+ Ethernet infrastructure systems. Target applications include desktop and workgroup switches; server blade switches; WLAN switches; and switch/router systems.



Broadcom said LVL7's FASTPATH family of software would enhance its existing product offering in the small-to-medium-sized business (SMB) market segment.



LVL7 is based near Research Triangle Park, North Carolinahttp://www.broadcom.comhttp://www.lvl7.com

• LVLT is headed by Erik Dixon, who previously was responsible for IBM's Ethernet networking product line.



• In February 2005, LVL7 Systems raised $21 million in Series C funding for its networking software. The oversubscribed funding round was led by Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm USVP. The funding round also included participation from Lighthouse Capital Partners and LVL7's previous investors: The Carlyle Group, Gabriel Venture Partners, H.I.G. Ventures, and Research Triangle Ventures.

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Oregon's BendBroadband Turns to Level3 for VoIP

BendBroadband, an Oregon-based cable operator, will use the Level 3's VoIP Enhanced Local service to provide small and medium-sized businesses with a new, cost-effective solution for local and long-distance calling. BendBroadband Business Phone will include enhanced voicemail, E-911 service and popular calling features such as caller ID, call waiting and 3-way calling.

http://www.level3.com/

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Marvell Debuts Application Processors for Smartphones, Handhelds

Marvell introduced a new generation of application processors designed for feature handsets, smartphones, GPS navigation systems, wireless handhelds and other consumer electronic devices.



The Marvell PXA3xx family of application processors (internally named Monahans), which are based n third generation of Intel XScale technology, delivers improved performance and extended battery life, enabling advanced video and audio capabilities. Wireless Intel SpeedStep with MusicMax technology provides intelligent power management, enabling varying power states so users can listen up to 30 hours of MP3s on their handsets without sacrificing battery life.



The processors support advanced codecs such as H.264 for rich video quality, up to D1 resolution at 30fps. The PXA3xx family also supports digital cameras, and advanced camera effects such as image stabilization and up to 5 Megapixel camera sensors.

http://www.marvell.com

• Earlier this month, Marvell Technology Group completed the acquisition of Intel's cellular and applications processor business. Marvell made a cash payment of $600 million.

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TiVo Reports 4.4 million Subscriptions, Signs Cablevision Mexico

TiVo reported financial results for its quarter ended October 31, 2006, saying overall TiVo-Owned subscriptions were up 24% year-over-year to 1.6 million. As expected, TiVo reported a net decline in the number of DIRECTV TiVo subscriptions during the period as DIRECTV deployed fewer TiVo boxes. Cumulative total subscriptions as of October 31, 2006, were up slightly from last quarter to 4.4 million, and up 11% over the year-ago subscription totals.



Service and technology revenues for the quarter increased 22% to $52.6 million, compared with $43.2 million for the same period last year. TiVo reported a net loss of ($11.1) million and net loss per share of ($0.12), compared to a net loss of ($14.2) million, or ($0.17) per share, for the third quarter of last year.



Tom Rogers, CEO of TiVo said, "Our strategy remains clear: to drive our standing as the only branded and truly differentiated DVR in the world. In the third quarter, we continued to make progress towards that goal and our results reflected our efforts as gross subscription addition growth was positive for the first time on a year-over-year basis in six quarters."



TiVO also announced a distribution deal with Cablevision Mexico, which serves Mexico City. Initially, the service offered by CABLEVISION will utilize TiVo's standalone DVR hardware platform. CABLEVISION expects to begin marketing bundles that include the TiVo DVRs and TiVo Service in the first half of 2007.

http://www.tivo.com

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Wal-Mart Offers Physical DVD + Digital Download Bundle

Wal-Mart announced its first step into the video download market, offering a unique bundle combining a video download option with purchase of the physical DVD. The first such bundle, which is available now at Wal-Mart stores across the U.S., includes the physical "Superman Returns" DVD along with a sticker containing the code needed to download the digital version of the film from the company's website. Customers can choose from three video download format options -- - $1.97 for portable devices, $2.97 for PCs/laptops, and $3.97 for both portable players and PC/laptops.



"This unique Superman Returns physical/digital DVD combination not only marks our first step into the video downloads market, but gives our customers the best of both worlds in movie entertainment," said Kevin Swint, Wal-Mart's divisional merchandise manager for digital media.



In the coming months, Wal-Mart will test additional DVD bundles with this download option, as well as offer a beta version of a video download service. The beta launch will feature both movie and television content from a number of top studios and TV networks.

http://www.walmart.com

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BitTorrent Signs with 20th Century Fox, Other Studios

BitTorrent announced a series of distribution deals with leading content producers, including 20th Century Fox, G4, Kadokawa Pictures USA, Lionsgate, MTV Networks, Palm Pictures, Paramount Pictures and Starz Media.



The deals provide BitTorrent with a growing library of digital media content. The videos, which can be downloaded and viewed on a PC, laptop and other portable devices, include new film releases day-and-date with the DVD release, popular TV series, deep catalog titles and cult classics. BitTorrent will disclose pricing details closer to the time of the launch of the online retail marketplace, which is set for February 2007.




BitTorrent has previously announced partnerships with Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, Egami Media, Hart Sharp, Koch Entertainment and The Orchard.



BitTorrent said traffic generated by its millions of its users now accounts for as much as 40 percent of all worldwide Internet traffic.

http://www.bittorrent.com

• In October 2006, BitTorrent announced its collaboration with a number of global hardware manufacturers to embed its peer-assisted digital content delivery technology into consumer electronics. ASUS, Planex and QNAP are among the first CE manufacturers to implement the BitTorrent download manager into their digital home devices. Products include wireless routers, media servers and network attached storage (NAS) devices.



• BitTorrent said the growing amount of legitimate content being made available via its P2P technology, hardware that supports the BitTorrent protocol will make it simple for users to consume content even while away from their PC.

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