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Ericsson acquires Drutt
Comstar appoints Sergey Pridantsev as CEO
Tollgrade to acquire Teradyne's Broadband Test Division |
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IIJ completes acquisition of ISP hi-ho
Internet Initiative Japan Inc., one of Japan's leading Internet access and
comprehensive network solutions providers, Friday announced that on June 1,
2007, IIJ completed the acquisition of 100% of the shares of hi-ho Inc.
(“hi-ho”), following a spin-off from Panasonic Network Services Inc. (“PNS”), as
announced in IIJ’s press release dated March 29, 2007. As of June 1, hi-ho will
operate as a 100% owned subsidiary of IIJ.
hi-ho will continue to operate its ISP business that was provided by PNS under
the “hi-ho” service brand, and the solutions business that PNS provided to
corporate customers. hi-ho will leverage the IIJ Group’s technology and
operational know-how accumulated in its corporate services to develop and
provide high quality services that customers demand and will offer safer, more
secure network services that deliver high customer satisfaction.
Related Channels:
M&A
NaviSite appoints Rathin Sinha as CMO
US-based NaviSite, Inc., a leading provider of application solutions, hosting
and content delivery services, Friday announced the appointment of Rathin Sinha
as Chief Marketing Officer. Sinha brings over 20 years of experience in
marketing and eCommerce with a proven track record in growing high-tech,
web-centric businesses.
Sinha joins NaviSite most recently from Monster.com where he served as General
Manager of eBusiness. While at Monster, Sinha built and quickly expanded the
eCommerce channel, tripling its revenue in less than four years. Prior to
Monster, he was Vice President of Marketing for Standard Register, where he led
strategy and marketing efforts to drive over $900 million in sales and business
development. Previously, he held eCommerce, strategy and product leadership
positions at FedExKinko’s, Mitchell Madison Group, and Honeywell.
"Rathin brings highly compelling and extremely relevant experience to NaviSite,”
said Arthur Becker, CEO, NaviSite, Inc. "Not only does he have the background in
growth-oriented marketing and sales disciplines, but he has also demonstrated
exceptional capabilities in growing businesses by integrating online, offline,
search and direct marketing programs and creating customer value in B2B and B2C
environments. As NaviSite continues to accelerate its own web marketing and lead
generation activities to support its expanded sales teams, Rathin will bring his
online expertise to drive our effectiveness and marketing ROI. In addition,
Rathin’s most recent experience at Monster will be invaluable to our America’s
Job Exchange strategy and marketing activities.”
"NaviSite provides cutting-edge technology, web innovations and professional
expertise to enable companies to reach their goals faster, whether these
organizations are NaviSite’s clients or NaviSite itself," said Sinha. "I am very
excited to be part of a company that is leading the way in bringing together
Internet technologies in a manner that truly represents the way organizations
want to create and deliver value today. I look forward to working with the
NaviSite team to help our clients accelerate their businesses.”
Related Channels:
Appointments
Agilent to acquire Adaptif Photonics
Agilent Technologies Inc. and Adaptif Photonics GmbH have signed an agreement
for Agilent to acquire Adaptif, a privately held company. Adaptif provides key
technology and products used for advanced polarization analysis and control for
the test of optical components and systems in telecommunications, as well as in
the sensors and laser market. The transaction is subject to standard closing
conditions. Financial details were not disclosed.
Adaptif's technology and intellectual property complements Agilent's product
offerings, and the acquisition will enhance Agilent's instrument portfolio for
fiber-optic test. Adaptif has established itself as a recognized supplier of
test products for polarization analysis in the industry. The acquisition will
help Adaptif's and Agilent's customers obtain comprehensive insight into their
optical components and high-speed optical network designs with a full spectrum
of test solutions. Adaptif has a close association with the renowned optical
center of expertise at the Technical University of Hamburg-Harburg and has
developed extensive intellectual property in optical-measurement product
development.
"This acquisition is one step in a series of actions we have taken to strengthen
our optical test and measurement offerings and allows us to offer a full range
of electrical and optical test equipment for high-speed broadband network
designs," said Photonic and Network Test Division VP and General Manager Alois
Hauk.
"Adaptif's expertise and product offerings in polarization test are leading-edge
in the optical test industry and significantly enhance our ability to address
our customers' needs in this field," said Juergen Beck, business manager for
Agilent's Photonic Test & Measurement Segment.
Related Channels:
Test,
Photonics,
Optical
Networking,
M&A
DT's T-Online Venture Fund invests in VoIP startup JAJAH
California-based JAJAH announced that T-Online Venture Fund - the investment arm
of Deutsche Telekom - has joined JAJAH's US$20 million Series C investment. The
investment signals a change in the global communication landscape, as it is the
first time in history that a major carrier has embraced a VoIP company.
"This is a big moment in telephony history," said JAJAH co-founder Roman Scharf.
"The implications for both carriers and consumers are enormous. JAJAH is about
bringing low-cost and innovative solutions to the global marketplace. This will
be a big win for consumers everywhere."
Today's news follows an announcement earlier in the month by Intel Capital, the
investment arm of Intel Corporation. Like Deutsche Telekom, Intel has made a
strategic investment in JAJAH, giving the company the resources, reach and IP
protection it needs to continue to deliver global Web-based phone solutions.
Daniel Mattes, JAJAH co-founder: "Our vision is to build the next generation
global communication company. Having both Intel and Deutsche Telekom as
investment partners will help make this vision a reality."
Related Channels:
Investment,
VoIP
CapMan invests in IP software vendor Movial
Movial Applications and CapMan have announced an investment of funds managed by
CapMan in Movial Applications Oy. Movial Applications develops IP (Internet
Protocol) communication software for network equipment manufacturers, device
manufacturers and operators. The investment is made to expand the company's
software product sales and international customer support operations throughout
Europe, Asia and the Americas.
Movial has gained international success with major operators deploying its
Movial Communicator and Messenger client software products. Movial clients
enable service providers to capitalise and unify the IP communications user
experience across PC, mobile and connected devices. Its customers include
Orange, Telefonica, KPN, Elion, and others on three continents.
"We believe Movial is in strong position to capitalise the growth in its key
markets as the whole telecommunications industry is rapidly moving towards
Internet based communications. Movial has rapidly become an established player
in the industry. The company has proven its products with its global customers
and created a partnership network through strategic business development
projects", says Vesa Walldén senior partner of CapMan.
"The industry has seen a rapid shift to digital high-speed and broadband
networks. Now the new frontier, uniting mobile and fixed networks is IP
communications that will offer unparalleled number of experiences to the end
user. Movial is on the forefront of this wave and will enable operators to offer
the most robust and uniform end user experience across networks and devices",
says Dr. JT Bergqvist CapMan's Industrial Advisor.
"The investment boosts Movial's capability to support customers and partners
globally. Our client software products enable mobile and fixed lined operators
to introduce branded converged multimedia services, which embrace IP telephony,
video telephony, IP Centrex, Instant Messaging, and presence services. Today our
unique technology enables similar IP Communication features across PC, browser
and mobile devices. We plan to support wider range of services and devices",
says President of Movial Applications Victor Donselaar.
Related Channels:
Investment,
OSS, VoIP
Comcast promotes Derek Harrar to SVP and GM of Video Services
Comcast Cable, the country’s leading cable entertainment and communications
company, Friday announced that Derek Harrar has been promoted to Senior Vice
President and General Manager of Video Services.
In this position, Mr. Harrar has responsibility for all aspects of the company’s
video business, including basic and digital cable subscriptions, high-definition
and digital video recorder services as well as management of the ON DEMAND
product for the Company’s 24.2 million customers. He reports to David Juliano,
Executive Vice President of Marketing & Product Development.
“Derek has shown tremendous leadership in shaping the way we bring video
products to our customers,” said Mr. Juliano. “His unique combination of
technical, entrepreneurial and financial experience will help move the video
business forward in an increasingly competitive marketplace."
Prior to this appointment, Mr. Harrar served as Vice President of Video Product
Management for Comcast. He joined Comcast in 2004 as Vice President of Business
Development before being named Vice President of Subscriber Equipment.
Mr. Harrar holds a B.S. with Special Attainments in Commerce from Washington and
Lee University in Lexington, VA. He lives in the Philadelphia area with his wife
and two daughters.
Related Channels:
Video/IPTV,
Appointments
Intelliden raises $10M in VC funding
California-based Intelliden Inc., a leading provider of Intelligent Networking
solutions that enable organizations to control, manage and scale their networks,
Wednesday announced that it has secured up to an additional $10 million in
financing. Matrix Partners led this round of financing supported by existing
investors including 3i, Granite Global Ventures, Hercules Technology Growth
Capital and Westbury Partners. Intelliden intends to use this capital to support
aggressive customer acquisition and geographic expansion, and to accelerate its
product leadership in Intelligent Networking solutions.
"Companies around the globe are seeking solutions that enable network agility
and control, which are pre-requisites to rapid, cost-effective deployment of
next generation services," said Tim Barrows, General Partner at Matrix Partners.
"Support and validation of Intelliden's open, services-oriented paradigm
continues to grow and reinforces our conviction in the significant market
opportunity for Intelliden."
The company recently announced that it was entering the Asia Pacific market to
capitalize on the growing demand for its solutions in Japan and other countries
in the region. In June 2007, Intelliden will launch its Policy-Based Compliance
Management solution to automatically detect and correct out-of-compliance
network conditions. This solution will provide a new level of control and
predictability in dynamic and complex network environments. The company also
intends to continue investment in its intellectual property building on its
portfolio of ten issued U.S and international patents awarded in 2006 and 2007.
"Our progress as a company and the value we have created over the last few years
has been validated by our investors through a significant up-round," said Alan
Black, president and CEO of Intelliden. "We appreciate our investors' continued
trust and confidence and that of our customers whom we serve."
Related Channels:
Investment,
OSS & Security
Golden Telecom names Alexei Reznikovich new Chairman
Moscow-based Golden Telecom Inc has announced that Alexei Reznikovich has been
elected Chairman of the Board of the company. Patrick Gallagher has been
appointed Vice Chairman.
In addition to serving as the Chairman of the Board of Golden Telecom, Mr.
Reznikovich has been Chief Executive Officer of Altimo since June 2005 and a
director of Altimo's parent company, the Alfa Group, since 2002. From 1998 to
2000, he was a partner at the Russian office of McKinsey & Co., an international
consulting company, having joined McKinsey & Co. in 1993. Prior to joining
McKinsey & Co., Mr. Reznikovich worked at Procter & Gamble in Italy and at the
Transworld Company in the United States. Mr. Reznikovich graduated from the
Economics Faculty of Moscow State University and received his MBA from
Georgetown University/INSEAD.
Mr. Reznikovich, commenting on his appointment, said: "Golden Telecom is one of
the fastest-growing companies in Russian telecommunications. The strategy
pursued by the company is aimed at making Golden Telecom the leading fixed-line
communication services provider in Russia and the CIS. The strategic objectives
require close collaboration between the Board and the Management of the Company.
We will continue to support business development of the Company focusing on
efficient execution of the announced plans."
Related Channels:
Appointments
Cisco to acquire BroadWare
Cisco Tuesday announced a definitive agreement to acquire privately-held
BroadWare Technologies, a leading provider of IP-based video surveillance
software. BroadWare's software enables web-based monitoring, management,
recording and storage of audio and video that can be accessed anywhere by
authorized users.
With this acquisition, Cisco will be able to help customers easily gain access
to live and recorded surveillance video for faster investigation response and
event resolution. The BroadWare acquisition complements Cisco's existing video
surveillance product offering, which provides a smooth migration path from
analog surveillance video to a digital network solution.
By using the IP network as a platform to converge applications, companies can
easily integrate and synchronize video with other safety and security systems as
well as other business tools. This creates the opportunity for new innovative
capabilities to be delivered, maximizing the value of live and recorded
surveillance video. BroadWare Technologies will help Cisco provide this value to
its customer across different environments including commercial and enterprise
branch offices, campus/headquarters and large public sector applications.
"Cisco views the video surveillance infrastructure market as an immediate high
growth opportunity that requires the ability to support both IP and analog
device installations," said Marthin De Beer, Senior Vice President of Cisco's
Emerging Market Technologies Group (EMTG). "Through the acquisition of BroadWare,
Cisco will be able address both existing and greenfield video surveillance
opportunities."
Related Channels:
M&A,
Video
Cisco completes tender offer for WebEx
Cisco Tuesday announced the completion of its tender offer for all outstanding
shares of WebEx Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: WEBX).
The tender offer expired at 12:00 Midnight, New York City time, on Monday, May
21, 2007. As of such time, an aggregate of approximately 47.1 million shares of
WebEx common stock (including approximately 3.8 million shares that were
tendered pursuant to the guaranteed delivery procedures), or approximately 92.2%
of WebEx´s outstanding shares, had been tendered into, and not withdrawn from,
the offer. All of such shares have been accepted in accordance with the terms of
the tender offer. Cisco intends to complete the merger contemplated by the
merger agreement as soon as practicable, with WebEx becoming a wholly owned
subsidiary of Cisco.
As announced previously, on March 27, 2007, Cisco, through its wholly owned
subsidiary Wonder Acquisition Corp., commenced a tender offer for all
outstanding shares of WebEx at a price of $57.00 per share net to the seller in
cash without interest, less brokerage fees and less any required withholding
taxes, pursuant to the definitive merger agreement between Cisco and WebEx.
Related Channels:
M&A,
VoIP
Jonathan Morley joins Orange as Group Brand VP
Paris-based Orange Tuesday announces that Jonathan Morley has been appointed as
Group Vice President, Brand, starting June 4. Jonathan will manage the Orange
brand architecture and champion the brand within the Group to deliver the Orange
brand experience to all customers. He will report to Caroline Mille-Langlois,
Senior Vice-President, Communications and Brand.
Jonathan has spent most of his career with the Unilever Group, which he joined
in 1988. He has extensive experience in the development and management of brands
on an international scale, having led significant brand campaigns in the US,
Latin America and Asia. More recently, he was Senior Consultant at MEAT, a
management consultancy devoted to brands and brand strategy. Mr. Morley is also
a non-executive Director of the Big Picture, a qualitative Market Research
agency. He is a graduate from the University of Hull with an Honours degree in
Human Geography. "Jonathan has unrivalled experience in the creation and
management of some of the world's leading brands" says Caroline Mille-Langlois,
Senior Vice-President, Communications and Brand. "His knowledge and
understanding will be vital as we build the Orange into the leading convergence
brand".
Jonathan replaces Niall O'Keeffe, who left Orange last month to join PC World.
Related Channels:
Appointments
Ditech appoints Todd Simpson as Marketing VP
California-based Ditech Networks, Inc., a leader in the development of voice
processing systems for communications networks, has named Todd Simpson as Vice
President of Marketing for the company. In this role, Mr. Simpson is responsible
for all aspects of marketing at Ditech, including market strategy, product
management, corporate communications and marketing programs.
Todd came to the company through Ditech's acquisition of Jasomi Networks, an
award-winning provider of VoIP session border controllers, in June of 2005.
Since then, he has served Ditech in a number of senior management roles.
Todd served as President and CEO of Jasomi, establishing the corporation as a
thought leader in the industry during his time there. Prior to Jasomi, Todd was
CTO of Zi Corporation and founded several successful Canadian high-tech firms.
Todd also has a Ph.D in Computer Science and has obtained several patents.
"Todd brings a wealth of leadership experience and market insight to his new
position," said Tim Montgomery, Ditech's CEO, President and Chairman. "He will
be instrumental in accelerating Ditech's position at the forefront in enhancing
the quality and delivery of voice and other communications services over mobile,
Voice over IP, and wireline networks."
Related Channels:
VoIP,
Appointments
Shanghai-based Zhangjiang High-tech industrial park to establish VC fund
Shanghai-based Zhangjiang High-tech industrial park is planning to establish a 1
billion yuan risk capital investment fund to support fast-developing enterprises
in the park. It is reported, 300 million comes from Zhangjiang Group, 3 million
from Zhangjiang holdings and 4 million are collected from the market. Main
investment will be put in semiconductor, software, etc. The fund is mainly used
to fuel fast-developing companies and those who has potential to be public
listed. The administrative committee of the fund will invite famous investors
like IDG, Sino-century assets management Co.Ltd. etc. to involve in the fund
management.
Related Channels:
China,
Investment,
Chips,
OSS
China Mobile wants to buy CMPak (formerly Paktel) from its parent
China Mobile Chairman Wang Jianzhou said the the listed China Mobile has the
preference to buy CMPak, formerly called Paktel, from its parent company China
Mobile Communication Corp. (CMCC), may execute the right at any moment, but
still has no concrete timetable about that. CMPak is conducting the capacity
expansion work now, which will involve 400 million US dollars of investment this
year. Because the acquisition was just completed, the company cannot make a
timetable for CMPak about when it will become profitable.
Related Channels:
China,
Wireless,
M&A
China Unicom Group to invest several billion Yuan in its CDMA network
China Unicom Group, the parent company of China Unicom, will invest several
billion Yuan in its CDMA network. All of the China Unicom listco’s investment
this year has nothing to do with the CDMA network, while its business capital
expenditure in GSM network will grow to 13.6 billion Yuan. China Unicom began to
upgrade its GPRS last year and sharply reduced its subsidies to CDMA mobile
phones. The GSM to GPRS upgrading will cover 129 cities before June 18, and
further extends to the whole country by yearend. China Unicom formally
introduced three types of GPRS business, which are mobile online business based
on WAP, multimedia messaging services (MMS) and value-added data business based
on JAVA.
Related Channels:
China,
Wireless,
Investment
Taiwan Mobile plans to acquire TTN
Taiwan Mobile is planning to acquire a majority stake in Taiwan
Telecommunication Network Services (TTN), the 3rd largest ISP in Taiwan, inorder
to develope a converged digital services portfolio. Taiwan Mobile hopes to
eventually obtain a 100% stake in TNN.
PCCW, Hong Kong's largest telco, is the majority shareholder in TTN with a 62%
stake. TTN specializes in value-added services (VAS) catering to business users,
with around 1/3 of the VPN customer market.
Related Channels:
Wireless,
M&A
Siemens appoints Peter Löscher as CEO
Peter Löscher (49), currently President of Global Human Health, Merck & Co.
Inc., headquartered in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey ( U.S.), will be the new
President and CEO of Siemens AG. The Supervisory Board of Siemens AG approved
the proposal of its Chairman’s Committee to appoint Löscher a full member of the
Managing Board of Siemens AG and Siemens President and CEO at an extraordinary
meeting in Munich on May 20, 2007. Löscher will take office on July 1, 2007. Dr.
Klaus Kleinfeld (49) will step down as Siemens President and CEO, effective June
30, 2007.
In addition, the Supervisory Board of Siemens AG approved the proposal of the
Chairman’s Committee to appoint Dr. Heinrich Hiesinger (46) to the Managing
Board of Siemens AG. Effective June 1, 2007, Hiesinger, who is currently Group
President of Siemens Building Technologies (SBT), will be a full member of the
Managing Board of Siemens AG and a member of the company’s Corporate Executive
Committee.
“In Peter Löscher, we have found an exceptional individual for the office of
President and CEO of Siemens AG. His upright character, his global background,
his outstanding international reputation and his wide-ranging experience in
business development and strategy, the financial markets and technology-related
issues were the key factors in our decision. I am convinced that Mr. Löscher has
what it takes to steer Siemens through its current difficulties and into a
better future. I am looking forward to our collaboration with great pleasure,”
said Gerhard Cromme, Chairman of Siemens’ Supervisory Board.
“It is a great honor and an extraordinary challenge to have been appointed
President and CEO of Siemens AG. I know Siemens as one of the world’s foremost
corporate addresses and as a company with a rich tradition and strong
foundations. I am looking forward to assuming the leadership of Siemens and the
overall responsibility for benefiting the company’s customers, employees,
investors and shareholders. My wife, my children and I are all delighted to be
moving back to Europe and to Germany,” said Peter Löscher, the future President
and CEO of Siemens AG.
Related Channels:
Appointments
Alltel accepts $27.5B bid from TPG Capital and GS Capital Partners
US-based Alltel Corp. Monday announced that it has signed a definitive merger
agreement to be acquired by TPG Capital and GS Capital Partners ("GSCP"), in a
transaction valued at approximately $27.5 billion.
Under the terms of the merger agreement, TPG Capital and GSCP will acquire all
of the outstanding common stock of Alltel for $71.50 per share in cash. The
purchase price per share represents a 23% premium over Alltel's closing share
price prior to media reports of a potential transaction published on December
29, 2006. Alltel intends to pay its regular quarterly common share dividend
until closing. Alltel's Board of Directors has unanimously approved the merger
agreement after a comprehensive review of the company's strategic options, and
has recommended the approval of the transaction by Alltel's shareholders.
Completion of the transaction, which is currently expected to occur by the
fourth quarter of 2007 or by the first quarter of 2008, is contingent upon
customary closing conditions, including approval by Alltel's shareholders and
certain regulatory approvals. Shareholders will be asked to vote on the proposed
transaction at a special meeting that will be held on a date to be announced.
Scott Ford, Alltel's chief executive officer, will remain in his current role.
Related Channels:
M&A
NTT DoCoMo invests in Gobi Fund II targeting convergence in China
NTT DoCoMo has signed an agreement with Gobi Fund II, a venture capital fund
operated by Gobi Partners. Under the agreement, NTT DoCoMo will invest $10
million in the Fund that is targeting a final close of $120M. It will operate
for ten years. The Fund will target venture companies in China working on the
convergence of telecommunications, media and technology within the IT and
digital media sectors. Investment activities will begin this month.
Related Channels:
China,
Investment
Microsoft to acquire aQuantive for $6 billion
Microsoft Corp. friday announced it will acquire aQuantive, Inc., for $66.50 per
share in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $6 billion. This deal
expands upon the Company’s previously outlined vision to provide the advertising
industry with a world class, Internet-wide advertising platform, as well as a
set of tools and services that help its constituents generate the highest
possible return on their advertising investments.
“The advertising industry is evolving and growing at an incredible pace, moving
increasingly toward online and IP-served platforms, which dramatically increases
the importance of software for this industry,” said Steve Ballmer, chief
executive officer of Microsoft. “Today’s announcement represents the next step
in the evolution of our ad network from our initial investment in MSN, to the
broader Microsoft network including Xbox Live, Windows Live and Office Live, and
now to the full capacity of the Internet. Microsoft is intensely committed to
creating a thriving advertising business and to partnering closely with all key
constituencies in this industry to help maximize the digital advertising
opportunity for all.”
The aQuantive acquisition enables Microsoft to strengthen relationships with
advertisers, agencies and publishers by enhancing the Company’s world-class
advertising platforms and services beyond its current capabilities to serve MSN.
The acquisition also provides Microsoft increased depth in building and
supporting next generation advertising solutions and environments such as cross
media planning, video-on-demand (VOD) and IPTV.
“Combining the talented people and deep technology and service expertise of
these two companies will help make buying and selling media simpler, smarter and
more cost effective for advertisers, agencies and publishers alike,” said Kevin
Johnson, president, Platforms and Services Division at Microsoft. “Joining the
capabilities of these groups is an important step toward our goal of becoming an
industry leading, Internet-wide advertising platform.”
“aQuantive’s mission has been to leverage the power of digital marketing
services and technologies to drive measurable results for our clients,” said
Brian P. McAndrews, chief executive officer of aQuantive. “Microsoft has set a
leading example in prioritizing industry partnership, transparency, measurement
and quality, and we look forward to combining forces and bringing the value of
our combined assets to bear for the benefit of advertisers, ad agencies and
publishers.”
The deal is expected to be completed in the first half of Microsoft’s fiscal
year 2008. The acquisition is not expected to have a significant impact on the
financial guidance previously issued by the Company.
aQuantive, which has approximately 2600 employees, will continue to operate from
its Seattle headquarters as part of Microsoft’s Online Services Business. The
combination of Microsoft and aQuantive takes the Company’s advertising platform
to the next level in its ability to serve Microsoft’s first party audience
assets like MSN, Windows Live, Xbox Live, and Office Live, as well as for third
party publishers and applications such as Facebook and Activision game titles.
Related Channels:
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Video/IPTV,
OSS
JDSU's John Peeler joins Veeco as CEO
Veeco Instruments Inc. announced that John R. Peeler, age 52, will join the
Company as Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Edward H. Braun, age 67, who will
remain Chairman of the Board. This announcement follows Veeco's November 2006
announcement that it had initiated a CEO succession search.
Mr. Peeler will join Veeco from JDSU, where he served as President of the
Communications Test and Measurement business, its largest and most profitable
business segment, with annualized revenues of approximately $600 million. Mr.
Peeler brings to Veeco nearly thirty years of diversified global management
expertise in growing multi-product equipment and instrumentation technologies.
Previously, Mr. Peeler was CEO of Acterna Inc. which was acquired by JDSU in
2005 and had revenue exceeding $1 billion at its peak. It is expected that Mr.
Peeler will join Veeco as CEO in early July and that he will be appointed to the
Veeco Board within thirty days of his start date.
Mr. Braun commented, "John brings a proven track record of leadership, managing
complex technology in high growth markets. His experience will be vital in
leading Veeco to new levels of growth and profitability."
Mr. Peeler said, "I see in Veeco great breadth of technology and strong growth
opportunities. I want to thank Ed and the Board for their confidence in me. I
look forward to working with them to deliver value to Veeco's shareholders,
excellence to our customers and additional opportunities for growth and success
for our employees."
Irwin H. Pfister, Veeco's Lead Director, commented, "John possesses the
experience, leadership and vision to guide Veeco forward, and Ed's perspective
and industry acumen will greatly benefit Veeco as he continues in the role of
Chairman. The Board will work closely with John, Ed and Veeco's senior
management team as Veeco enters a new phase of its growth."
Related Channels:
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Test
JDSU appoints Helmut Berg as head of its Communications Test & Measurement
business
JDSU announced that Helmut Berg has been appointed to lead its Communications
Test & Measurement business, replacing John Peeler who has announced his plans
to leave the company in June.
Berg has served JDSU CommTest for 14 years in a variety of senior executive
positions, most recently as senior vice president of its Lab & Production
product division. Berg will now report to Kevin Kennedy, JDSU's president and
chief executive officer, and will oversee the Communications Test and
Measurement senior management team.
Since joining the company in 1993, Helmut has led the conceptualization and
development of some of JDSU's most successful test and measurement innovations
and managed every product line across its Lab & Production, Field Service and
Service Assurance Solutions portfolio. He also served on the Board of the
Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS).
"We are very pleased to have the established leadership and experience of Helmut
Berg managing JDSU's Communications Test and Measurement business as we continue
to capitalize on our strong market leadership in this segment," said Kennedy.
"We also want to thank John Peeler for his dedication, significant contributions
and years of service and support of JDSU."
"I am proud to have been a part of this great team and look forward to taking on
new challenges in a new industry," said Peeler. "I leave JDSU's Communications
Test and Measurement business knowing that it is in good hands and well
positioned to build on its long history of test and measurement innovation and
leadership."
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Photonics
Motorola to acquire Modulus Video
Motorola, Inc. and Modulus Video, Inc., a privately-held company, announced the
signing of a definitive merger agreement, under which Motorola will acquire
Modulus Video. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Modulus Video is a leader and innovator in MPEG-4 Advanced Video Coding (AVC)
compression systems designed for delivery of high value video content in the
IPTV, cable, broadcast and satellite marketplace. Modulus Video has partnered
with Motorola for over two years bringing high-quality encoding solutions to key
customers around the world. This acquisition will complement Motorola's recent
acquisitions of Broadbus, Kreatel, Tut Systems and Netopia in the creation and
delivery of an integrated, end-to-end video delivery system for multiple network
architectures.
"Motorola is committed to offering an integrated, end-to-end video portfolio
designed to meet the current and next-generation requirements of operators,"
said Dan Moloney, President, Home and Networks Mobility business, Motorola, Inc.
"As consumers demand more high definition video and interactive services, the
need for advanced compression technology is increasingly important. As part of
its advanced real-time video encoding products, Modulus Video has a powerful
architecture and product development framework that is well suited for continued
technological advancement."
Related Channels:
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Video/IPTV
Top Story:
China Mobile's parent acquires 100% of Paktel for US$460M and renames it CMPak
China Mobile Ltd, the world's top mobile phone operator by subscribers and stock
market value, said Wednesday its parent, state-owned China Mobile Communications
Corp., bought 100% of Pakistan telecommunications operator Paktel Ltd. for
US$460 million and renamed it CMPak Ltd.
"The parent company plans to invest US$400 million in Pakistan this year to
expand the (CMPak) networks," China Mobile Ltd.'s chairman, Wang Jianzhou, said
after the company's annual general meeting.
Wang said China Mobile Ltd.'s parent made the acquisition as investors in the
listed unit were wary of risk, but China Mobile Ltd. might acquire the Pakistan
operation from its parent in the future.
Wang said China Mobile Ltd. doesn't have a timetable to buy CMPak.
China Mobile already has a foothold in Pakistan, which has more than 52 million
mobile users, after it agreed earlier this year to buy an 89% stake in
money-losing operator Paktel Ltd for US$284 million, its first acquisition
outside its home market.
Related Channels:
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Testing software provider Fanfare secures $12M in VC funding
California-based Fanfare, a provider of software solutions to high-tech
equipment vendors that simplify and accelerate device testing, Wednesday
announced that it has secured $12 million in funding, added a new lead investor
-- Focus Ventures, a top-performing venture capital firm that invests in
expansion-stage leaders in the software, semiconductor and communications
industries -- and signed contracts with six new customers in the first quarter
of 2007. This news, coupled with more than 20 new deals Fanfare closed last
quarter with existing customers, represents the company's strongest quarter to
date and demonstrates the company's growing momentum as the demand for test
automation tools in the networking market continues to rise.
Aztek Networks, SilverPeak, and Edgewater Networks, as well as three of the
world's leading networking equipment vendors, have each deployed Fanfare's
flagship product, the FanfareSVT(TM) test automation solution. FanfareSVT
enables these companies to increase their product quality, maintain their
time-to-market objectives, and improve the productivity of the testing team by
simplifying and accelerating test automation. Testing activities that took weeks
or months can now be conducted in hours or minutes, at the push of a button.
"Our customers expect the highest quality devices," said Jeff Wright, Director
of System Test, Aztek Networks, the leading provider of Emergency Stand Alone (ESA)
switching systems for the independent telephone operator market. "With Fanfare,
we will continue to lead the market by expanding test coverage and building an
automated approach to testing that will speed our products to market and exceed
the expectations of our customers."
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Nuance to acquire VoiceSignal
US-based Nuance Communications, Inc. Wednesday announced that it has signed a
definitive agreement to acquire VoiceSignal Technologies, Inc., creating an
organization with broad resources, solutions and expertise that will satisfy the
accelerating demand for speech-enabled mobile devices and services. Nuance
expects to serve more than one billion consumers within the next three years
with voice-based mobile solutions that allow people to simply and effectively
navigate, retrieve and transact across the vast and growing universe of content
and services available in mobile phones, automobiles and personal navigation
devices.
Nuance and VoiceSignal share a vision to make the growing list of mobile device
features, content and services available to consumers through a single button
and a natural voice command. With proven technology, broad industry
relationships, real-world deployment experience and an organization passionate
about speech technology, the combined company will be able to develop new and
innovative speech solutions and mobile search capabilities to more effectively
serve the rapidly expanding market for mobile services and applications.
"Today, more than two billion people worldwide rely on mobile phones to stay
connected, informed and productive. We see an expanding opportunity in helping
consumers to use the powerful capabilities of their phones and to access the
array of content and services available on the mobile Web," said Paul Ricci,
chairman and CEO, of Nuance Communications, Inc. "We understand how to unlock
the extraordinary potential of the mobile experience with speech. VoiceSignal's
roster of solutions, language experience, relationships and talented employees
will help Nuance deliver on the promise of the mobile lifestyle for consumers,
device manufacturers, carriers and mobile Web content providers."
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Wireless
Golden Telecom appoints Fred Ledbetter as CMO
Moscow-based Golden Telecom, Inc. ("Golden Telecom" or the "Company"), a leading
facilities-based provider of integrated telecommunications and Internet services
in major population centers throughout Russia and other countries of the
Commonwealth of Independent States ("CIS"), Wednesday announced that Mr. Fred
Ledbetter has been appointed Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of
Golden Telecom.
In this role, Mr. Ledbetter will be responsible for Golden Telecom's marketing
strategy, consumer and business brand development, product lifecycle management,
new product innovation, and corporate communications.
Prior to joining Golden Telecom, Mr. Ledbetter worked as Managing Partner of
Golden Reach Ltd., providing management consulting for global companies
including strategy and business planning, product strategy, and product
marketing. Prior to working with Golden Reach Ltd., Mr. Ledbetter held the
position of Chief Executive Officer of Imaginet, an operating entity of Czech
Telecom responsible for a portfolio of companies which included the Czech
Republic's leading ISP, Internet advertising, a hosting center, a B2B auction
exchange, and a small business targeted sales ASP.
Mr. Ledbetter was also with Global Telesystems, Inc. (GTS) for five years,
initially responsible for cellular company start ups across Russia and Ukraine
and later responsible for the Internet product strategy and subsequent
pan-European ISP roll out. Mr. Ledbetter's experience in Russia dates back to
1992 when he served as Deputy Managing Director for Moscow Cellular
Communications, and grew the company as a start up to yearly revenue of $80m.
Mr. Jean-Pierre Vandromme, Chief Executive Officer of Golden Telecom, commented,
"We are very pleased to welcome Fred back to our team at Golden Telecom where he
will rejoin many colleagues from his earlier telecom days. His insight in
product development, especially in mobile and Internet solutions, will be
invaluable in implementation of our strategy which is aimed at transforming the
Company from a B2B niche player into the leading fixed-line communication
services provider in Russia and the CIS."
Mr. Fred Ledbetter added: "It is a great pleasure for me to join Golden Telecom
at this exciting moment. I believe my knowledge of the Russian market and my
previous experience with the consumer market in mobile and Internet will make an
important contribution to the company's development."
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Swisscom acquires 82.4% of FastWeb for €3.1B
Swisscom is pleased to announce that its bid for Fastweb shares was successful.
The acceptance level of its offer is at 80.7%. Together with previously acquired
1.7% of Fastweb shares Swisscom will own 82.4% of Fastweb. The total purchase
price is EUR 3.1 billion. Together with the assumed net debt of Fastweb of EUR
1.1 billion the total transaction amounts to EUR 4.2 billion or CHF 6.9 billion.
Swisscom plans to finance the transaction through new debt of around CHF 5.9
billion, the proceeds from the sale of Antenna Hungaria of CHF 0.5 billion and
the placement of treasury shares for an amount of up to CHF 0.5 billion. As now
all conditions set in the offer document have been fulfilled, settlement of the
tender offer will take place on 22 May 2007.
"We are very pleased that so many shareholders have accepted our offer", says
Carsten Schloter, CEO Swisscom. "We can now start working on our vision of a
successful Swiss-Italian partnership". Swisscom thanks Fastweb shareholders, the
board of directors and management team as well as Fastweb employees for their
cooperation and trust. The offer period for Fastweb shares started on 10 April
2007 and finished on 15 May 2007. Settlement date of the transaction will be 22
May 2007. Swisscom will pay to each shareholder having tendered its Fastweb
shares an amount of EUR 47 per share. In total, Fastweb shareholders tendered
64.1 million shares equalling 80.7% of the share capital of Fastweb to Swisscom.
The purchase price for the tendered shares will be EUR 3.0 billion (CHF 5.0
billion). Together with 1.4 million shares previously acquired the ownership
level stands at 82.4% and the total purchase price will be EUR 3.1 billion (CHF
5.1 billion).
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Video/IPTV
Entropic appoints Susan Huberman as Marketing VP
San Diego-based Entropic Communications, a leader in home networking for digital
entertainment, announced that global corporate brand strategist Susan Huberman
has joined the company in the newly created position of vice president of
corporate marketing and communications. Susan will lead the development of the
company's brand positioning and integrated communications strategy as Entropic
continues to build on its leadership position in connected home entertainment.
Susan has nearly 20 years experience in strategic marketing management for
private and public companies in consumer electronics, high tech and consumer
packaged goods. Before joining Entropic, she was VP of corporate marketing at
Cymer, Inc., where she led corporate branding and strategic marketing.
"Susan's vast experience in global marketing and communications will help us
establish our brand position as a connected home chipset company," said Patrick
Henry, president and CEO of Entropic. "Susan is an expert in brand development,
product positioning, and strategic marketing, and we are delighted to have her
join the Entropic management team."
Susan was founder and chief marketing officer of MOD Consulting, a strategic
marketing firm serving the marketing needs of growing companies. Prior to MOD,
Susan was chief marketing officer for Iomega Corporation where she was
responsible for global communications, brand management, customer support and
emerging technologies. She was VP of Marketing at Munchkin, Inc., has held a
variety of senior marketing positions at Hewlett Packard, and began her career
in consumer packaged goods at Alberto Culver. Susan was also a management
consultant in Accenture's consumer products practice.
"I am excited to be joining the Entropic team," said Susan Huberman, vice
president of corporate marketing and communications. "I look forward to
leveraging my consumer and technology marketing skills to help build the
Entropic brand into a recognized leader in connected home entertainment."
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SAP acquires Wicom Communications
In a move that will enable companies to streamline and improve the agility of
their customer- facing processes, SAP AG announced the acquisition of Wicom
Communications, a leading, privately-held provider of all-IP contact center and
enterprise communications software based in Espoo, Finland. The acquisition will
enable SAP to offer companies the ability to better integrate communications
technologies and business systems so that they can more effectively serve their
customers, regardless of how they connect to the business; connecting functions
such as customer service, marketing, finance and sales; and making sure that all
customer-facing employees wherever they are located have access to the same
relevant knowledge and data. Founded in 1999, Wicom delivers concrete business
benefits for approximately 200 contact centers and contact-intensive multi-sited
enterprises in 18 countries. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The
announcement was made at SAPPHIRE® '07, SAP's international customer conference,
being held in Vienna, Austria, May 14 - 16.
SAP sees a growing market trend for companies to create, mature and service
their business network: including customers, partners, suppliers and
competitors; extending business processes beyond the traditional enterprise
boundaries. To successfully leverage these network members, companies must be
able to build and manage virtual business processes and teams to harness the
full range of knowledge, resources and communication channels. With the addition
of Wicom, SAP will enable our customers to leverage communication- enabled
business processes to more effectively serve and manage their business networks
to deliver superior customer experience.
"Wicom firmly established itself as an innovator in improving the performance
and quality of customer service, telesales and daily business interactions for
our growing customer base," said Ilkka Kivimaki, CEO, Wicom. "Together, SAP and
Wicom will support communication-enabled business processes, starting with a
complete solution for a multichannel all-IP contact center. Joining SAP opens up
our innovation to a larger set of business and development opportunities. I'm
excited for our employees to join the SAP team and for our customers, who will
benefit from a unified solution to manage communication-enabled business
processes."
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Verizon Business to acquire Cybertrust
Verizon Business Monday announced a definitive agreement under which it will
acquire Cybertrust, a privately held provider of global information security
services. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The combination will make Verizon Business the leading provider of managed
information security services to large-business and government customers
worldwide. By combining Cybertrust's global presence and customer base, focused
security expertise and professional services with Verizon Business'
"cloud-to-core" security portfolio, global IP network and financial strength,
the acquisition creates a powerful and unique player that will redefine the
global security landscape. The companies expect to close the transaction in 60
to 90 days.
Cybertrust -- an information security firm with 800 employees and operations in
30 locations across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific
region -- is a global leader in securing critical data, protecting identities
and helping its customers demonstrate ongoing compliance. Services include
identity management, managed security services, vulnerability/threat management,
security certification programs and a full range of professional services
including enterprise-wide quantified risk analysis, individual application
assessments, and forensics and incident response services.
"Security is a top concern for corporate CIOs worldwide, and this transaction
demonstrates Verizon Business' focus on and commitment to providing world-class
security solutions," said John Killian, president of Verizon Business. "As the
world continues to move to IP, this combination creates an essential engine for
protecting our customers' operations end-to- end.
"It will also enable Verizon Business to accelerate its creation and deployment
of world-class security solutions to meet our customers' increasing need for
comprehensive security solutions that are available globally," he said.
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Alcatel-Lucent to acquire NetDevices
Alcatel-Lucent Monday announced a definitive agreement to acquire privately held
NetDevices, a developer of services gateway products for enterprise branch
networks, based in Sunnyvale, California. NetDevices delivers a market
recognized, innovative and flexible enterprise networking platform known as a
Unified Service Gateway which is designed to reduce the cost and complexity of
managing branch office networks. NetDevices was founded in 2003 and has 45
employees located in Sunnyvale and Bangalore, India.
“Today’s enterprises are looking for ways to transform their businesses through
the deployment of networks and services that enable their employees to work more
efficiently, and their customers to receive a higher level of satisfaction,”
said Hubert de Pesquidoux, President of Alcatel-Lucent’s enterprise activities.
"Enterprises are quickly evolving to a converged communications infrastructure
of data, voice, and security services running with high reliability and
serviceability. Traditional architectures lack the flexibility and
programmability to deploy these new converged infrastructures in a
cost-effective way. A fresh approach based on the innovative enterprise platform
from NetDevices combined with our core strengths of voice and switching helps to
deliver best in class enterprise networks.”
“NetDevices’ services gateways bring all required services for a branch office
in a unified package, dramatically reducing the network complexity for
enterprise customers and small medium business. I am very excited that by
joining forces with Alcatel-Lucent, we can enhance the benefits of NetDevices’
solutions to our customers and create new opportunities for our partners,” said
Seenu Banda, founder and CEO of NetDevices. "Alcatel-Lucent provides an ideal
partnership with its global sales, service, and the development capabilities.
With this agreement, NetDevices joins Alcatel-Lucent to complement its end to
end solutions, and to pursue our goal of delivering innovative products to a
large set of customers worldwide.”
Upon close of the transaction, the NetDevices team and products will be
integrated into Alcatel-Lucent’s Enterprise Business Group, reporting into Tom
Burns, president of Alcatel-Lucent’s Enterprise Solutions activities.
The acquisition is subject to various standard closing conditions, including
applicable regulatory approvals, and is expected to close in the second quarter
of Alcatel-Lucent’s fiscal year 2007. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Related Channels:
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ADRs of Chinese telcos (China Mobile, China Telecom, China Netcom, China
Unicom) rally
Investors sent American Depositary shares of Chinese companies telcos Friday. In
afternoon trading Friday, ADRs of China Mobile Ltd. rose $2.59, or 5.8%, to
$47.53; China Unicom Ltd. added 63 cents, or 4.4%, to $15.04; China Netcom Group
Corp. (Hong Kong) Ltd. rose $3.08, or 6.4%, to $51; and China Telecom Corp.
climbed $2.83, or 5.4%, to $55.74.
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ADRs of China's Baidu and The9Limited climb
American Depositary Shares of Chinese Internet search engine operator Baidu.com
Inc. added $2.89 to $127.77 in afternoon trading.
American Depositary Shares of Chinese online game operator The9Limited added
$1.91, or 4.6%, to $43.15 in afternoon trading. The stock's 52-week high is at
$43.45.
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JDSU to buy Innocor
JDSU announced an agreement to purchase Ottawa, Canada-based Innocor, a leading
provider of broadband test solutions for network equipment manufacturers.
Innocor's products complement JDSU's existing Lab and Production test solutions
and will be integrated with JDSU's Communications Test and Measurement (CommTest)
business, one of the leading providers of test solutions for the research and
development, service verification testing and production needs of network
equipment manufacturers. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed
and JDSU expects to complete the acquisition in the current fiscal fourth
quarter ending June 30, 2007. Innocor expands JDSU's product portfolio for the
lab and production test market by capitalizing on a number of key assets,
including Innocor's successful TestPoint product family, Innocor's established
verification and production test expertise and innovation; the close customer
relationships Innocor has with leading network equipment manufacturers
worldwide; JDSU's strong product development capabilities; and JDSU's global
direct sales organization and other distribution channels.
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Bill Mortimer to lead JDSU CommTest Lab & Production Product Group
JDSU announced the appointment of Bill Mortimer as vice president and general
manager of JDSU CommTest's Lab and Production division, overseeing the company's
fiber optic, optical transport and Innocor business units. Mortimer -- who
brings more than 20 years of communications test experience, including 13 with
Agilent Technologies/Hewlett-Packard -- offers a depth of management, product
development and marketing experience to JDSU, and will play a lead role in the
company's initiative to expand its set of test solutions for network equipment
manufacturers.
Comprehensive and cost-effective test solutions for network equipment
manufacturers are crucial due to the accelerated growth in core networks to
accommodate the widespread adoption of broadband services. These new, high
bit-rate networks create new challenges for equipment manufacturers by pushing
the boundaries of physics and demanding that every network element be designed,
installed and tuned with precision. Network operators are also challenged by the
need to reduce operating expenses while adding new revenue- generating services
that increasingly require lab and production test equipment that supports data
rates up to 40G.
"The surge of broadband traffic, especially IPTV-related services, means
equipment manufacturers will require test solutions that continuously evolve in
lock-step with high-performing and dependable next-generation technologies,"
said Mortimer. "With the addition of Innocor's product portfolio, JDSU has an
unmatched set of solutions designed to help equipment manufacturers meet the
challenges associated with the development, production and operation of
high-bandwidth networks."
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Global Crossing completes acquisition of Impsat Fiber Networks
Global Crossing Limited (Nasdaq: GLBC) (Global Crossing), a leading global IP
solutions provider, announced that it has completed its acquisition of IMPSAT
Fiber Networks, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: IMFN)(Impsat), a leading provider of
integrated broadband data, Internet, voice telecommunications and advanced
hosting. Global Crossing has secured all regulatory approvals, satisfied closing
conditions and anticipates a seamless integration of Impsat into its business.
Global Crossing acquired the Latin American telecommunications company for a
total transaction value of approximately $347 million, comprised of
approximately $95 million in equity, $26 million of assumed indebtedness and
repayment of $226 million of indebtedness. A portion of the funds used to
consummate the merger was financed from the proceeds of an offering of 9.875-
percent senior notes due 2017 by GC Impsat Holdings I Plc, a subsidiary of
Global Crossing. Global Crossing used approximately $160 million in cash to fund
the remainder of the transaction and associated costs, and no capital stock was
issued in conjunction with the acquisition.
"The acquisition of Impsat further strengthens our position as both a regional
and global leader in delivering next-generation IP communication solutions to
enterprises and carriers," said John Legere, Global Crossing's chief executive
officer. "With our newly expanded operations and the combined companies' deep
bench of knowledgeable salespeople and dedicated support staff, Global Crossing
is well positioned to be the communications provider of choice for enterprises
and carriers doing business in, or with, Latin America."
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IPTV provider Joost raises $45M from Index Ventures, Sequoia Capital, Li Ka
Shing Foundation, CBS, and Viacom
New York-based Joost™, the world’s first broadcast-quality Internet television
service, announced that five selected parties have collectively invested
approximately $45 million in the company. Each party invested in a minority
percentage of the company. This funding will enable Joost (www.joost.com) to
accelerate product development, global expansion, localization, and service
offerings.
Founded in January 2006 by Janus Friis and Niklas Zennström, Joost is powered by
a secure, efficient, Internet platform that enables premium interactive,
advertising-supported, video experiences while providing copyright protection
for content owners and creators. Joost can be accessed with a broadband Internet
connection and offers content to viewers for free.
“This funding represents a tremendous vote of confidence in Joost’s platform,”
said Janus Friis, co-founder of Joost. “We’ve carefully selected these investors
from a variety of interested parties, as they are best-in-class in their
respective arenas and bring unique assets to Joost that will enable us to
significantly accelerate growth and development of the Company.”
Index Ventures, a leading European venture capital firm, which invests in
impactful technologies that have global reach, led the round with Sequoia
Capital, the premier venture capital firm in the world. Sequoia Capital has been
the first investor and business partner in companies that make up 10% of the
NASDAQ's value. In combination, Index Ventures and Sequoia Capital bring
unrivaled expertise and alliances in Europe, Asia and North America.
Danny Rimer, general partner of Index Ventures said, “We are excited to be
working with Niklas and Janus once again as we see the same ground-breaking
potential in Joost that we saw in Skype. By leveraging proven P2P architecture
and assembling a world class management team, they have made a powerful idea
simple and brought new services to market in record time. Our investment in
Joost signals Index Ventures’ continued commitment to investing in impactful
technologies.”
Roelof Botha, general partner, Sequoia Capital, added, “Feature length video on
the Internet has been long on promise and short on delivery for some time. Full
screen commercial content delivered online has simply not been compelling for
the viewer and has been far too costly for the content owners. Joost allows
content owners to reach audiences of any size at any time where the viewer can
‘lean back’ to enjoy an immersive yet interactive video experience. At the same
time, Joost enables brand marketers to efficiently deliver precisely targeted
and measurable advertisements. This ability poises the company to expand the
video distribution business and capture an enormous market opportunity.”
Related Channels:
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Intel Capital invests in JAJAH
JAJAH announced it has received funding from Intel Capital, the venture capital
arm of Intel Corporation. Intel Capital has invested an undisclosed amount as
the lead investor in JAJAH's Series C round. The funds will be used to
accelerate the development of next generation communication solutions on a
global scale.
Additionally, a business agreement was made with Intel Corporation that includes
business and marketing components. Intel will provide JAJAH access to their
extensive community of product dealers, OEM customers and developers, to further
their reach into global development communities. As an Intel Capital portfolio
company, JAJAH will also be able to participate in Intel Capital's IP Access
Program, which will give JAJAH access to Intel's extensive VoIP patent
portfolio.
"This investment fits with Intel's product initiatives and our global
communication strategy," said Stephen Saltzman, director of strategic
investments, Intel Capital. "Innovative technologies in this space, such as
JAJAH's, are creating new ways of communicating that can improve productivity
and collaboration, as well as lower telephony costs."
"Intel Capital is an investor we were looking for," said Trevor Healy, JAJAH
CEO. "Our shared vision combined with their extensive relationships with product
dealers, software developers, as well as their resources and technology, makes
this a significant development for both companies and our industry. We couldn't
be more pleased and look forward to the obvious opportunities this represents."
"The deeper JAJAH can be embedded into Intel solutions, the better for customers
everywhere," said Roman Scharf, JAJAH co-founder. "It is our intention to bring
a best-of-class, next generation solution to the market which can be embedded
and optimized for any computing device."
"Our vision is to lead the way into the next generation of communication," said
Daniel Mattes, JAJAH co-founder and chief architect. "All voice communication
will soon be IP-based. The lines between computers and phones are gradually
being removed. Phones are quickly turning into computers and computers are
quickly turning into phones. We need to marry phones and computers in a
fundamental way."
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Intel Capital invests in 6 startups
Intel Capital, the venture capital arm of Intel Corporation, kicked off its
eighth annual CEO Summit with the announcement of six investments totaling $31
million. The deals, all led by Intel Capital, include: China-based 51.com
(social networking) and Phoenix Microelectronics (microelectronics); Aternity
(application management software) and Ceedo (portable computing environment),
both based in Israel; and from the United States, Jajah (Internet telephony
solutions) and Tutor.com (education network).
This year’s CEO Summit, held at the La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif, is
being attended by more than 400 executives -- an event record -- from Intel
Capital portfolio companies and global 2,000 companies. The event includes
keynote presentations, expert panel discussions and more than 500 matchmaking
meetings between portfolio company CEOs and industry executives as part of the
focus on learning and deal-making.
“With global reach, larger investment stakes and active collaboration, Intel
Capital is a leader in company building and becoming engaged with companies
beyond our initial investment,” said Arvind Sodhani, president of Intel Capital.
“By bringing together savvy business executives, global decision makers and our
inspired entrepreneurs, the CEO Summit demonstrates our proactive strategy in
helping our portfolio companies succeed. We look forward to welcoming CEOs,
executives and entrepreneurs from around the world to this year’s event.”
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Hutchison Telecom sells Indian operations to Vodafone
Hutchison Telecommunications International Limited, a company controlled by Hong
Kong's richest tycoon Li Ka-shing, announced that it has already sold its Indian
telecom operations to Vodafone.
"The transaction was completed on May 8," Hutchison Telecom said in a press
release.
Hutchison Telecom's estimated pre-tax gain from the sale is expected to be about
US$9 billion following certain adjustments, which include the provisions for the
previously announced settlement agreement with the Essar Group, a retention of
US$352 million by Vodafone, according to the press release.
The net cash inflow to Hutchison Telecommunications before payment of the
settlement amount is about US$10.83 billion.
The company is expected to declare a special dividend of 6.75 HK dollars per
share following the completion of the necessary formalities.
Canning Fok, Chairman of Hutchison Telecom, said the exit of Indian market will
enable the company to react swiftly to new opportunities and to accelerate
growth in its existing markets.
Hutchison Telecom currently offers mobile and fixed-line telecommunications
services in Hong Kong, and operates mobile telecommunications services in Macao,
Israel, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Ghana, Vietnam and Indonesia with brands like
"Hutch", "3" and "Orange."
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JDSU's Michael Ricci to join Ikanos as CEO
Ikanos Communications, Inc., a leading developer and provider of Fiber Fast(TM)
broadband solutions, announced that Michael A. Ricci will join Ikanos as its
president and chief executive officer on June 4, 2007.
Ricci will succeed Daniel K. Atler, who has served as interim chief executive
officer since October 2006 and was previously Ikanos' chief financial officer.
Atler will continue as an officer of Ikanos and will be responsible for driving
corporate development strategy. Cory Sindelar, who took on chief financial
officer responsibilities in October 2006, will continue as the Company's chief
financial officer.
Ricci brings over 28 years of semiconductor and communications industry
experience. Ricci comes to Ikanos from JDS Uniphase Corporation, where he was a
senior vice president and general manager of the Optical Communications Group.
Previously, Ricci served as a vice president and general manager at Intel
Corporation's Communications Group. During his five year tenure there, he led
the Business Development Group, the Optical Products Group and the Telecom
Products Division. Prior to Intel, Ricci served in executive management roles at
Level One Communications and Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Ricci holds a
bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University.
"After a thorough selection process, I am pleased to announce that Ikanos' Board
of Directors has appointed Michael A. Ricci as the company's next president and
chief executive officer," said G. Venkatesh, chairman of the board of directors
for Ikanos. "Michael's extensive industry experience and track record of growing
revenues and profits are great assets which we believe will help drive Ikanos'
future growth. On behalf of Ikanos' board of directors, I wish to thank Dan for
his leadership and look forward to his continued contributions."
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Appointments
Vonage names Jamie Haenggi CMO
Vonage named Jamie Haenggi Chief Marketing Officer. In this newly-created
position, Haenggi will be responsible for spearheading a more unified marketing
approach at Vonage in line with the company's announced strategy of improving
its competitive position in the marketplace.
Haenggi joined Vonage in November 2006 as Vice President of Customer Life from
ADT Security Services, where she was Vice President of Worldwide Marketing.
Prior to that, she served as head of marketing and acquisition integration at
Holmes Protection. Before Holmes Protection, Haenggi was the Director of
National Guardian's International Division where she was responsible for
contract negotiations, sales and marketing, and setting up international
distributors in Southeast Asia and providing sales and technical/installation
training. As Chief Marketing Officer at Vonage, Haenggi will oversee Marketing,
Retail Sales, and Corporate Communications.
"We're thrilled that Jamie has agreed to take on this new and challenging role
in our organization," said Jeffrey Citron, Vonage Chairman, Chief Strategist and
Interim CEO. "We recently launched an aggressive communications effort that
positions Vonage head to head against the competition, and Jamie will provide
new leadership for this exciting fresh direction."
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Broadsoft appoints Jonathan Reid as VP for Asia Pacific headquartered in
Shanghai
BroadSoft, Inc., a leading provider of VoIP application software, Tuesday
announced the continued expansion of its global sales force leadership with the
appointment of Jonathan Reid as the vice president for Asia Pacific.
Headquartered in Shanghai, China, Reid will be responsible for increasing the
marketshare of BroadSoft’s BroadWorks® VoIP platform in the region.
Reid has more than 15 years of international business development and sales
experience in several industries, including software and telecommunications. He
joins BroadSoft after serving as the managing director of APAC for Sylantro
Systems Corp., where he drove business development and led APAC activities,
including establishing a regional headquarters in China. Prior to Sylantro, he
led business development initiatives at softswitch provider Syndeo Corp. Before
working in high-tech start-ups, Reid performed venture capital and strategy
consulting at Andersen Consulting (now Accenture). He has worked and lived
throughout Asia Pacific for more than a decade.
"Jonathan’s carrier relationships in China and the APAC region are impressive
and make him a valuable addition to BroadSoft," said Michael Tessler, president
and CEO for BroadSoft. "Building on the success of the BroadWorks platform, this
appointment will advance further the adoption of BroadWorks among APAC service
providers and our overall market leadership position."
As vice president of APAC, Reid is responsible for the development and execution
of sales strategy and channel relationships, and development of the APAC team.
BroadSoft has sales operations in Hong Kong; Melbourne, Australia; Auckland, New
Zealand; Seoul, Korea; and now Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; and Shanghai, China.
"Growth of the Asian Pacific telecom market is progressing at record rates, and
all the carriers want the best hosted VoIP offering, delivered via fixed line,
mobile, broadband and fixed-mobile convergence," said Reid. "BroadSoft’s
BroadWorks VoIP and IMS solutions are well-known in this region. I look forward
to helping BroadSoft expand its market share among service providers and
assisting our customers in selling-through to the end-user."
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Xelerated raises $23M in VC funding
California-based Xelerated, the price/performance leader in network processing,
Tuesday announced that it has closed a $23 Million financing round led by the
Sixth Swedish National Pension Fund (the Sixth AP Fund). Xelerated's existing
investors Atlas Venture, Alta Partners, Accel Partners and Amadeus Capital
Partners also participated in the financing round. The company has a global
customer base and the new funding will mainly be used to expand sales and
support as well as for development of new products.
"Adding the Sixth AP Fund to our already strong investor base gives us the
perseverance required to build a global world-class semiconductor company," says
Johan Bvrje, CEO of Xelerated. "We now have the means to realize our vision of
becoming the number one supplier of feature-rich Ethernet solutions for Metro,
Access and High-end Enterprise systems. The new funds allow us to increase our
presence on key markets and to accelerate our revenue growth based on existing
and new products," Johan Bvrje concludes.
"Xelerated's customers, globally leading system vendors in China, Japan, Europe,
Israel and the USA such as Fujitsu, Huawei and ZTE, as well as the product
offering's clear customer benefits, convinced us of the company's tremendous
potential," says Mats Augurell, Sixth AP Fund. "Our ambition is to give
Xelerated the necessary means to establish itself as the number one global
network-processor supplier for high-performance Ethernet solutions."
Eva Lindqvist, business partner of the Sixth AP Fund, former president of
TeliaSonera International Carrier and incoming chairman of the board at
Xelerated adds: "Xelerated is ideally suited to capitalize on current market
trends. The build-out of broadband solutions for Triple Play services has
dramatically added to the demand for low-cost, feature-flexible merchant
components."
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Networking
OpenCloud appoints Jonathan Bell and Bob Drummond as VPs
U.K.-based OpenCloud Limited, the supplier of open standards-based application
servers for the deployment of next-generation convergent telecommunications
services, Tuesday announced two senior appointments to its management team.
Jonathan Bell joins as VP of product marketing and Bob Drummond as VP of
professional services and marketing communications. The appointments follow the
increased uptake of OpenCloud’s Rhino™ platform and the company’s commitment to
world-class service delivery.
As VP of product marketing, Jonathan Bell will leverage his extensive experience
in product conception for early and growth stage software product companies.
Prior to OpenCloud, Bell worked as an independent consultant advising telecoms
product companies on product strategy and proposition. As one of the founding
management team at leading telecoms billing start-up Geneva Technology, Jonathan
was responsible for the original conception and design of Geneva, the world's
first truly convergent real-time billing system and remained as VP of product
strategy when Geneva was acquired by Convergys.
Bob Drummond joins OpenCloud as VP of professional services and will have
overall responsibility for the company’s professional services business
worldwide, including its growth targets and for all market-facing marketing
activities. Prior to joining OpenCloud in 2006, Drummond was Regional Director
at a global telecommunications supplier, responsible for a solutions and
professional services business within EMEA. He has over 20 years management
experience in the telecommunications industry in New Zealand, Germany, UK, Asia
and the US.
“Both Jonathan and Bob have a long history of successfully delivering complex IT
solutions and robust products into the telecommunications industry, and
achieving measurable business results for clients. The appointments of these
industry experts fit into Op
