Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Freescale Revenues Rise in Q4 to $951 Million

Freescale Semiconductor reported Q4 2009 revenue of $951 million, compared to $893 million in the third quarter of 2009 and $940 million in the fourth quarter last year. The reported loss from operations for the three months ended Dec. 31, 2009, inclusive of $148 million of reorganization costs, was $261 million, compared to a loss of $261 million in the third quarter of 2009 and a loss of $4.17 billion in the fourth quarter of 2008.


"Freescale executed well during the fourth quarter and 2009, delivering improving revenue and earnings performance throughout the year," said Rich Beyer, Chairman and CEO. http://www.freescale.com/investor

PMC-Sierra's Q4 Revenues Increase 15.4% Year over Year

PMC-Sierra reported Q4 net revenues of$139.5 million, up 15.4% compared with $120.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2008 and up 6.6% compared with $130.9 million reported in the third quarter of 2009. Net income (GAAP) was $15.1 million (GAAP diluted net income per share of $0.06). This compares with GAAP net income of $8.8 million (GAAP diluted net income per share of $0.04) in the fourth quarter of 2008 and GAAP net income of $27.8 million (GAAP diluted net income per share of $0.12) in the third quarter of 2009.


"In the fourth quarter of 2009, our quarterly revenues returned to the peak levels achieved in 2008 based on strong growth in our Enterprise Storage and Microprocessor businesses," said Greg Lang, president and chief executive officer of PMC-Sierra.
http://www.pmc-sierra.com

Broadcom Names Ramaswami to Head Enterprise Networking Group

Broadcom has named Rajiv Ramaswami as Executive Vice President & General Manager, Enterprise Networking Group. Mr. Ramaswami was previously at Cisco Systems, Inc. where he most recently served as Vice President and General Manager of Cloud Services and Switching Technology Group. He joined Cisco in 2002 and served as Vice President and General Manager for a variety of Business Units in Optical, Switching, and Storage Networking.


Nariman Yousefi, who previously led the Enterprise Networking Group, has transitioned to a new role as Senior Vice President of Infrastructure Technologies, reporting to Henry Samueli, Broadcom's Chief Technical Officer. http://www.broadcom.com

Motorola Reports Q4 Sales of $5.7 billion

Motorola reported Q4 sales of $5.7 billion and GAAP earnings in the fourth quarter of 2009 were $142 million, or $0.06 per share. For the full year of 2009, sales were $22.0 billion. The full-year GAAP loss from continuing operations was $0.05 per share


Mobile Devices segment sales were $1.8 billion, down 22 percent compared with the year-ago quarter. The GAAP operating loss was $132 million, including $18 million of highlighted items, compared to an operating loss of $595 million in the year-ago quarter.


Enterprise Mobility Solutions segment sales were $2.0 billion, down 12 percent compared with the year-ago quarter. GAAP operating earnings were $368 million, compared with operating earnings of $466 million in the year-ago quarter. For the full year 2009, sales were $7.0 billion, compared to $8.1 billion in 2008, and the segment generated GAAP operating earnings of $1.1 billion, compared to $1.5 billion in 2008.


Home & Networks Mobility segment sales were $2.0 billion, down 24 percent compared with the year-ago quarter. GAAP operating earnings were $91 million, compared to $257 million in the year-ago quarter. For the full year 2009, sales were $8.0 billion, compared to $10.1 billion in 2008, and the segment generated GAAP operating earnings of $558 million, compared to $918 million in 2008.


For Q1 2010, the company is projecting a loss of $0.01 to $0.03 per share, excluding special charges.
http://www.motorola.com

NSN Posts Q4 Sales of EUR 3.6 billion, up 31% QoQ

Nokia Siemens Networks reported net sales of EUR 3.6 billion, up 31% sequentially and down 16% compared to the same period last year. Non-IFRS gross margin was 30.6%, up 180 bps quarter over quarter. The performance enabled NSN to turn in a full year profit on an operative basis.


Fourth quarter 2009 net sales decreased At constant currency, Nokia Siemens Networks net sales would have decreased 17%. Of total Nokia Siemens Networks net sales, services contributed EUR 1.7 billion in the fourth quarter 2009.


Nokia Siemens Networks fourth quarter 2009 reported operating profit was EUR 17 million, compared with a reported operating loss of EUR 179 million in the fourth quarter 2008, with a reported operating margin of 0.5%.


During Q4, the company said it won 10 new 3G contracts including deals with Softbank in Japan for HSPA+ for evolved mobile data services delivery and with Telenor Sweden for a full upgrade of its 3G network as well as a contract with VMS Mobifone in Vietnam for a 3G network roll-out.
http://www.nokiasiemensnetworks.com/

Nokia Sees Growth in Smartphones

Driven by a 17% sequentially jump in mobile device sales, Nokia reported Q4 2009 net sales of EUR 12.0 billion -- up 22% sequentially but still down 5% compared with a year earlier. Nokia's mobile device market share increased, as the industry as a whole shipped an estimated 329 million units during the fourth quarter, up 8%
year on year and up 14% sequentially.


"We grew our market share in smartphones in the fourth quarter, driven by the successful launch of new touch and QWERTY models. Our performance in smartphones, combined with continuing success in the emerging markets, helped us increase sales in our Devices & Services unit, both quarter-on-quarter and year-on-year. Our solid results also owe a good deal to world class supply chain management and impressive sales execution," stated Nokia CEO Olli-Pekka KALLASVUO.


Some highlights for the quarter.


  • Devices & Services net sales of EUR 8.2 billion, up 0.5% year on year and up 18% sequentially (up 2% and 16% at constant currency).


  • Services net sales of EUR 169 million, up 15% sequentially; billings of EUR 226 million, up 31% sequentially.


  • Nokia mobile device volumes of 126.9 million units, up 12% year on year and up 17% sequentially.


  • Nokia estimated mobile device market share of 39% in Q4 2009, up from an estimated 37% in Q4 2008 and 38% in Q3 2009. The full year 2009 estimated market share was 38%, down from 39% in 2008.


  • Nokia grew its converged device market share to an estimated 40%, from an estimated 35% in Q3 2009.


  • Nokia improved the ASP of its mobile devices to EUR 63, from EUR 62 in Q3 2009.


  • Devices & Services increased its gross margin to 34.3%, from 30.9% in Q3 2009.


  • NAVTEQ non-IFRS net sales of EUR 225 million, up 9% year on year and up 36% sequentially, and non-IFRS operating margin of 24.0%, down from 25.9% in Q3 2009.


  • Nokia Siemens Networks net sales of EUR 3.6 billion, down 16% year on year and up 31% sequentially (down 17% and up 29% at constant currency).


  • Nokia operating cash flow of EUR 1.5 billion, more than double the operating cash flow for Q3 2009.


  • Total cash and other liquid assets of EUR 8.9 billion at the end of Q4 2009.
http://www.nokia.com

Harris Stratex Changes Company Name to Aviat Networks

Harris Stratex Networks changed its name to Aviat Networks. The company's ticker symbol will change to AVNW and its common stock will continue to trade on NASDAQ.



Since the merger between the Microwave Communications Division of Harris Corporation and Stratex Networks three years ago, the company has transformed itself from a specialized microwave backhaul equipment supplier into a provider of IP wireless network solutions, with a comprehensive of migration solutions and lifecycle services.


"Today's unveiling of Aviat Networks marks a significant milestone in the evolution of our Company. The Aviat brand embodies our commitment to quality and innovative products, highly individualized services, operational excellence and industry leadership," said Harald Braun, president and CEO of Aviat Networks.
http://www.aviatnetworks.com

AT&T U-verse Voice Service Reaches 1 Million Lines

AT&T crossed the one million subscriber line milestone for its U-verse digital voice service. The milestone comes two years after AT&T introduced the VoIP service. More than 67 percent of new U-verse TV customers bundle U-verse Voice service. AT&T now has 2.1 million U-verse TV subscribers nationwide.
http://www.att.com

AT&T Adds 2.7 million Wireless Subscribers in Q4 2009

In the fourth quarter, AT&T posted a net gain in total wireless subscribers of 2.7 million, the second highest quarterly net add total in the company's history, reflecting rapid adoption of smartphones and emerging devices such as eReaders, netbooks and navigation devices.


AT&T's consolidated revenues totaled $30.9 billion in Q4 2009, compared with $31.1 billion in the year-earlier quarter and up slightly from the third quarter of 2009. Net income was $3.0 billion, diluted earnings per share totaled $0.51 and cash from operating activities totaled $9.0 billion.



For the full year 2009, compared with 2008 results, AT&T's consolidated revenues totaled $123.0 billion versus $124.0 billion; operating expenses were $101.5 billion, compared with $101.0 billion; net income attributable to AT&T was $12.5 billion versus $12.9 billion; and earnings per diluted share totaled $2.12, compared with $2.16.


"We had a solid 2009 and led the industry in the biggest growth driver -- mobile broadband," said Randall Stephenson, AT&T chairman and chief executive officer.


Total 2010 capital expenditures are expected to be in the $18 billion to $19 billion range.


Wireless


  • Full-year wireless net adds totaled 7.3 million, equaling the company's best-ever annual total, to reach 85.1 million subscribers in service.


  • Postpaid churn was 1.19 percent, down from 1.20 percent in the year-earlier quarter; total churn was 1.44 percent versus 1.64 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008.


  • Wireless data revenues -- from messaging, access to applications and related services -- increased $805 million, or 26.3 percent, from the year-earlier quarter to $3.9 billion. Versus the year-earlier quarter, total text messages carried on the AT&T network increased 70 percent to 135 billion and multimedia messages more than doubled to more than 2 billion.


  • Driven by strong data growth, postpaid subscriber ARPU increased 2.6 percent versus the year-earlier quarter to $61.13. This marks the eighth consecutive quarter AT&T has posted a year-over-year increase in postpaid ARPU. Postpaid data ARPU reached $19.16, up 17.5 percent versus the year-earlier quarter.


  • The number of postpaid 3G integrated devices on AT&T's network increased by more than 4 million in the fourth quarter and nearly tripled over the past year.


  • At the end of the year, 46.4 percent of AT&T's 65.1 million postpaid subscribers had integrated devices, up from 27.0 percent a year earlier.


  • AT&T's fourth-quarter integrated-device growth included 3.1 million iPhone activations, the second highest quarterly total to date, with more than a third of the activations for customers who were new to AT&T. The average ARPU for integrated devices on AT&T's network continues to be 1.8 times that of the company's nonintegrated-device base.


  • Total emerging devices, including eReaders such as the Amazon Kindle, the Sony Reader Daily Edition and the Barnes & Noble nook, increased by more than 1 million in the fourth quarter, its strongest quarter in this category to date, predominantly reflected in reseller subscriber totals.


  • Wireline Operational Highlights


    • AT&T U-verse TV subscribers increased by 248,000 in the quarter to reach 2.1 million, up more than 1 million over the past year.


    • Companywide penetration of eligible living units now approaches 13 percent, and across areas marketed to for 24 months or more, overall penetration exceeds 20 percent.


    • AT&T's total video subscribers, which combine the company's U-verse and bundled satellite customers, reached 4.2 million at the end of the year, representing 16.0 percent of households served.


    • AT&T U-verse broadband had a net gain of 267,000 wireline consumer subscribers in the fourth quarter. This growth, combined with continued solid gains in standalone broadband, more than offset declines in traditional DSL connections for a 167,000 net gain in consumer wireline broadband connections. Total broadband connections, which include business and consumer wireline subscribers and wireless customers with 3G LaptopConnect cards, increased by 171,000 in the quarter to reach 17.3 million.


    • AT&T U-verse penetration drove 31.8 percent year-over-year growth in consumer IP revenues (broadband, U-verse TV and U-verse Voice) and a 3.7 percent increase in revenues per household served. Consumer IP revenues now represent 34.7 percent of AT&T's consumer wireline revenues, up from 25.3 percent in the year-earlier quarter.


    • AT&T's combined wireline consumer TV and broadband connections increased by 394,000 in the quarter and 1.8 million over the full year 2009. AT&T U-verse Voice connections increased by 219,000 in the quarter and 730,000 for the full year 2009. AT&T's total consumer revenue connections at the end of the year were 45.3 million, compared with 45.7 million at the end of the third quarter of 2009 and 47.0 million at the end of 2008, reflecting declines in traditional voice access lines partially offset by increases in broadband, TV and VoIP connections.


    • Revenues from new-generation capabilities that lead AT&T's most advanced solutions -- including Ethernet, VPNs, hosting, IP conferencing and application services -- grew 17.0 percent versus the year-earlier quarter, continuing trends of recent quarters.


    • Total business revenues declined 5.5 percent versus the year-earlier quarter, reflecting economic weakness in voice and legacy data products, and were down just 0.4 percent versus the third quarter of 2009 -- their best sequential comparison in five quarters.


    • Business IP data revenues grew 7.3 percent versus the year-earlier fourth quarter, led by better than 20 percent growth in VPN revenues. Approximately two-thirds of AT&T's frame customers have made the transition to IP-based solutions, which allow them to easily add managed services such as network security, hosting and IP conferencing on top of their infrastructures.


    • Fourth-quarter total wireline revenues were $16.2 billion, down 5.3 percent versus the year-earlier quarter and down 0.9 percent sequentially -- the company's smallest declines in four quarters.
    http://www.att.com

Criminal Charges Dismissed for Broadcom's Founder

A U.S. District court judge dismissed all criminal charges against Henry T. Nicholas III, the co-founder of Broadcom. The judge accused prosecutors of intimidating witnesses.


Late last year, the same judge dismissed a case of stock option backdating against Nicholas and former Broadcom Chief Financial Officer William Ruehle.http://c
  • In June 2008, Henry T. Nicholas III , the co-founder of Broadcom, was indicted on federal narcotics charges that he regularly maintained a supply of ecstasy, cocaine, methamphetamine and other controlled substances for use and distribution. Among other things, the narcotics indictment accused Nicholas of using ecstasy to spike the drinks of industry executives and employees of Broadcom customers. According to the indictment, over a nine-year period, Nicholas maintained drug-involved premises, specifically homes in Laguna Hills and Newport Coast, a warehouse in Laguna Niguel and a condominium in Las Vegas. The indictment alleged that Nicholas used ecstasy to spike drinks at parties, and supplied prostitutes and escorts he had hired with controlled substances.

BT Offers Flat Rate Global Video Exchange Pricing

BT Conferencing will offer flat-rate video bridging pricing. This gives customers a more predictable pricing structure when using BT's public video bridging service for their conferencing needs. Customers can choose from two options, the assisted option provides unlimited assisted and self-service video conferences and the self-service option includes unlimited video conferences when customers use BT's Engage web interface for scheduling and launching video conferences.


BT Conferencing also announced a new pricing plan for its Global Video Exchange service. Global Video Exchange (GVE) enables customers to hold TelePresence meetings across different networks, promoting collaboration with customers, suppliers and partners. GVE pack pricing allows customers to select a monthly allotment of TelePresence events using GVE. With this pricing option, customers may choose an allotment of 25, 50, 100 or 250 GVE events per month for any duration and include up to five telepresence endpoints per event.

The video bridging flat rate plans are available now in the US, and will be available in the UK in February 2010. GVE pack pricing is available now globally.

BT operates Network Operation Centers in Philadelphia, Denver and London, and has an MPLS presence in more than 170 countries.
http://www.bt.com