Archive for September, 2004
« Previous EntriesVonage Drops its Prices…Again
Thursday, September 30th, 2004Looks like Vonage is starting to feel the heat amid news it is dropping prices by US$5 to US$25 for its premium plan. Vonage's move was matched by AT&T Corp., which made Internet telephony a priority after announcing plans in July to get out of the traditional residential telephone business.
There are a couple ways to [...]
Can Owens Save Nortel?
Thursday, September 30th, 2004When Nortel Networks Corp. fired three senior executives in April, including CEO Frank Dunn, it was supposed to be the start of a much-needed healing process.
Instead, Nortel finds itself with a board under pressure from institutional investors; rivals that appear to be stealing market share; an accounting scandal showing no sign of going away; and [...]
Nortel's Board Overhaul
Wednesday, September 29th, 2004According to the National Post, there is mounting pressure for Nortel to dramatically overhaul its 11-member board. Essentially, it comes down to presssure from large institutional shareholders who want to turf the company's longer-sitting directors - many of whom (surprise, surprise!) have little or no experience in the telecommunications sector. Clearly, Nortel's board has done [...]
Cisco's IP Progress
Tuesday, September 28th, 2004Cisco Systems racked up an eye-catching contract today with a deal to sell 180,000 IP phones to Bank of America - replacing traditional phones in 5,800 offices and branches in 29 states. Cisco, which ranked second behind Avaya Inc. in the US$726-million IP phone business last quarter according to the Synergy Group, said it has [...]
RIM's on a Roll
Sunday, September 26th, 2004Anyone looking for Research in Motion to stumble - at least in the short term - will likey be disappointed when the company reports its fiscal second-quarter results this week. According to Merrill Lynch, RIM should post revenue of US$305 million, 13% higher than the first quarter and a 143% increase from a year ago. [...]
VOIP: To Regulate or Not
Wednesday, September 22nd, 2004The future of Internet telephony in Canada has reached an important juncture with three days of hearings before the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. Among the participants making presentations are Bell, Telus, Vonage, Call-Net and Primus. In a preliminary decision earlier this year, the CRTC made it clear that it is leaning towards a regulatory [...]
Rogers Buys Microcell…Telus Wins
Monday, September 20th, 2004If anyone can track down Telus CEO Darren Entwistle, don't be surprised if he looks like the cat who swallowed the canary. With Rogers Communications boldly stepping up to the plate to acquire Microcell Telecommunications for $1.4-billion, Telus gets what it really wanted: consolidation within the wireless industry without more debt on its balance sheet. [...]
RIM and Competition
Monday, September 20th, 2004Over the weekend, the Globe & Mail's business section ran a story about Research in Motion reaching a crucial strategic crossroad. The thesis, which is far from new, is that while RIM has enjoyed tremendous success and attracted nearly two million users, it is vulnerable to competitive threats from hardware makers such as Nokia and [...]
Nortel's Credibilty Issues
Friday, September 17th, 2004In the past five months (sincel CEO Frank Dunn and CFO Doug Beatty were fired), Nortel has been trying to restore its credibility. Bringing in ex-U.S. Admiral Bill Owens was seen as a necessary move in this direction despite his lack of private sector experience and success. Unfortunately, the company just can't seem to do [...]
Telecom's Tough Times
Thursday, September 16th, 2004As Nortel Networks CEO Bill Owens continues to tell investors and analysts the company - among other things - can be competitive with Asian rivals and emerge from its troubling accounting scandals, it is important to remember the realities of the market - things are are extremely tough out there for most suppliers. Nortel came [...]
« Previous Entries