MontaVista and Movial Target Linux Mobile Devices

MontaVista Software and Movial announced a joint solution based on the ARM architecture for developers of consumer electronics and mobile devices. The joint solution includes the MontaVista embedded Linux operating system, MontaVista DevRocket development tools, and the Movial Internet Experience Suite (IXS) to provide custom-branded user interfaces that seamlessly combine Internet browsing, Internet communications, media consumption, and other functionalities needed in mobile devices.



The joint solution will be available in the first quarter of 2008 based on MontaVista Mobilinux 5.0 running on the Texas Instruments OMAP platform, and will be enabled on MontaVista Linux Professional Edition later in 2008. http://www.mvista.com

http://www.movial.com

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SMC's Offers 10G Network Adapter at $799

SMC Network announced a new line of 10G network adapters --- including a standards-compliant 10GBASE-T server adapter: the SMC10GPCIe-10BT with an MSRP of $1299. Also available is a 10Gigabit optical server adapter: the SMC10GPCIe-XFP, at and MSRP of $799.



"Price has been a barrier to widespread 10-gigabit Ethernet adoption," said SMC Network's Director of Product Marketing, Iain Kenney. "SMC's new 10G network adapters are designed around the concept of stateless offload, or leveraging the host CPU more efficiently to get the job done, which allows for a more attractive price/performance ratio."http://www.smc.com/

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Zayo Acquires VoicePipe

Zayo Bandwidth, a regional provider of high bandwidth services, announced the formation of a new business unit called Zayo Managed Services and has named Dennis Kyle as the unit's president.



In addition, the company announced that it has acquired privately held VoicePipe Communications, a provider of retail VoIP services. VoicePipe originated as a hosted PBX service offering of ICG Communications, a Colo.-based company, until early in 2006 when the business unit was spun off to form VoicePipe Communications, Inc. ICG subsequently was sold to Level 3 Communications. VoicePipe will become part of the newly formed business unit. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.



Zayo Bandwidth has recently completed four acquisitions: Onvoy, a 1,400-mile fiber network serving Minnesota; Indiana Fiber Works, a 2,200 fiber-route-mile network serving Indiana; PPL Telcom, a 4,600 fiber-route-mile network based in Allentown, Penn. serving areas in the Northeast; and Memphis Networx, a 200 fiber-route-mile network serving the greater Memphis, Tenn. area.
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http://www.zayo.com

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Vodafone and Verizon Wireless Form Global Services Group

Vodafone and Verizon Wireless announced a new global services program aimed at multinational companies. The program will provide a consistent approach to products and pricing. In addition, business customers served by a global account team will be able to have one contract to cover their mobile needs -- in the United States, Europe and elsewhere.
http://www.vodafone.com

http://www.verizonwireless.com

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EarthLink Considers Strategic Alternatives for Municipal Wi-Fi

EarthLink is evaluating strategic alternatives for its municipal wireless business, including the possible sale or shut down of the operations. The company said the net book value of the assets attributable to its municipal wireless business is approximately $40 million.



"After thorough review and analysis of our municipal wireless business we have decided that making significant further investments in this business could be inconsistent with our objective of maximizing shareholder value," said Rolla P. Huff, EarthLink president and CEO.

http://www.earthlink.net

• In August 2007, Earthlink announced a corporate restructuring that included the elimination of approximately 900 jobs and the closure of its offices in Orlando, Knoxville, Harrisburg (PA) and San Francisco. The company cited weakness in its subscription based model.

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Tollgrade Appoints Ferrara as CEO

Tollgrade Communications, a supplier of network service assurance products for the cable and telecom industries, has appointed Joseph Ferrara as president and CEO, replacing Mark Peterson, who resigned to pursue other career interests. Ferrara, who joined Tollgrade in August 2007, previously served as the company's Senior Vice President of Marketing and Sales. Before that, he was with Ericsson, where he managed the integration of Marconi North America following its acquisition and was the General Manager of Ericsson's Data Networks division.



Previously, Ferrara was CEO of Marconi's North American operations where he managed the global business of its wireless and data networks divisions. http://www.tollgrade.com

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Cisco WebEx MeetMeNow Integrates with Microsoft Office

Cisco's WebEx group launched a new version of its Web meeting service that adds personal video conferencing capabilities and one-click Web meetings from within Microsoft Office.



The MeetMeNow service, priced at $49 per month, integrates data, voice and video. Capabilities include:

• The ability for the user to share the entire desktop in real time, complete with rich annotation tools



• View Web meeting participants via integrated video conferencing



• Launch meetings directly from the Windows system tray, Microsoft Outlook and Office, Yahoo, MSN Messenger or AIM



• Invite attendees to join a conference call



• Pass control of documents or applications to any attendee in real time.

http://meetmenow.webex.com

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Cisco Authorizes Up To $10 Billion in Additional Stock Repurchases

Cisco's board of directors authorized up to $10 billion in additional repurchases of its common stock, increasing the total authorized amount under the program to $62 billion. There is no fixed termination date for the repurchase program.



Since the inception of the repurchase program in September 2001 through the close of Cisco's first quarter of fiscal year 2008 on October 27, 2007, the company had repurchased and retired 2.3 billion shares at an average price of $19.89 per share for an aggregate purchase price of $46.2 billion, with a remaining authorized amount of $5.8 billionhttp://www.cisco.com

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France Telecom to Acquire 51% of Telkom Kenya

The Kenyan State selected a consortium controlled by France Telecom as the preferred bidder for the acquisition of a 51% stake in the incumbent operator, Telkom Kenya, for a consideration of US$390 million (about EU 270 million). The consortium also includes Alcazar Capital Limited (15% stake in the consortium). The transaction is planned to close before the end of the year.



Telkom Kenya serves over 280,000 fixed line customers and will benefit from a new mobile license.



France Telecom said the investment fits with its strategy of targeted development in fast growing markets. Mobile penetration is currently lower than 30% in Kenya. The planned deployment of new submarine cables in 2009 is expected to boost Telkom Kenya potential in broadband services.

http://www.francetelecom.com

http://www.telkom.co.ke

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WSJ: Google Has Even Bigger Plans for Mobile Phones

Google is preparing to bid up to $4.6 billion on its own in the upcoming FCC spectrum auction, according to The Wall Street Journal, is a move that could position the company as a self-standing, national wireless operator. Though the company lacks experience in operating a carrier-grade network, it is running a prototype network on its campus in Mountain View, California.

http://www.wsj.com

• In July 2007, Google declared its intention to bid in the upcoming auction for 700 MHz spectrum if the FCC adopts a framework requiring greater competition and consumer choice. Google outlined four criteria that it believes should be cornerstones of FCC policy regardless of who wins the spectrum at auction. Specifically, Google encouraged the FCC to require the adoption of four types of "open" platforms as part of the license conditions:
  
  
  
  * Open applications: Consumers should be able to download and utilize any software applications, content, or services they desire;
  
  
  
  * Open devices: Consumers should be able to utilize a handheld communications device with whatever wireless network they prefer;
  
  
  
  * Open services: Third parties (resellers) should be able to acquire wireless services from a 700 MHz licensee on a wholesale basis, based on reasonably nondiscriminatory commercial terms; and
  
  
  
  * Open networks: Third parties (like internet service providers) should be able to interconnect at any technically feasible point in a 700 MHz licensee's wireless network.



• Sprint and Google have also previously announced an alliance focused on broadband mobile apps.

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Nyquist Capital: Google's Secret 10GbE Switch

Google has designed, built and deployed its own 10 GigE switches in its datacenters rather than using any of the commercially available switches, according to a report posted by Andrew Schmitt on his blog at Nyquist Capital. Google is also known to build its own servers.

http://www.nyquistcapital.com/2007/11/16/googles-secret-10gbe-switch/

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