August 4, 2008 - Siemens divests stake in cordless-handset unit

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August 4, 2008 Sign up Forward Archive Advertise Read more at SmartBrief.com News for telecom industry leaders       News of the Day  Siemens divests stake in cordless-handset unit Siemens is sticking with its strategy to focus on its core businesses and boost profit by shedding an 80.2% stake in its cordless-handset unit. Germany's Arques Industries AG is snapping up the unit for an undisclosed sum. The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) (8/2)   Business & Industry Watch  Amid losses, Nortel maintains full-year targets A spending slowdown by U.S. carriers, along with restructuring costs, slammed Nortel in its recent quarter. The telecom-equipment maker reported a loss of $113 million, compared with $37 million a year earlier, as sales of CDMA wireless technology declined 10%. But Nortel maintained its prior guidance that heavy investments in new technologies would enable the company to increase sales in the low single digits for the year. The Wall Street Journal (free content) (8/2) , Financial Times (8/1) Verizon-Rural Cellular merger gets FCC nod The FCC has given the green light to Verizon Communications' merger with Rural Cellular, better known as Unicel. Because the Justice Department has already signed off on the deal -- under the proviso that Verizon Wireless sheds some spectrum in six markets -- the FCC's vote assures the merger's completion. CNNMoney.com/Dow Jones Newswires (8/1) Virgin Media zeros in on broadband Virgin Media has decided to concentrate its efforts on broadband and cable TV and will shed its corporate-telecom business unit. Although a few perspective buyers have come to the forefront of industry speculation, no bids have been announced. The Times (London) (8/3) Qualcomm executive takes over Motorola's mobile unit Sanjay Jha is stepping down as Qualcomm's chief operating officer to become president of Motorola's ailing mobile-phone unit. "They needed someone high profile with engineering talent, and certainly this guy fits the bill," said Morgan Keegan & Co. analyst Tavis McCourt. "The only downside is that he doesn't necessarily have any consumer-products expertise." Bloomberg (8/4) USTelecom Spotlight USTelecom Webinar: CSI Meets IPTV: Media Protection + Digital Forensics Tomorrow, Aug. 5, 1 p.m. Eastern time Register today. Join industry leaders SecureMedia and Cinea for tomorrow's free webinar discussing content security and digital watermarking, from overview to implementation on protecting your next-generation end-to-end IPTV platform. Today's media-driven marketplace requires that you have compelling and protected content to retain existing customers and attract new ones -- understand the tools needed to acquire premium content. Learn more. Learn more about USTelecom -> NXTcomm  |  News  |  Join USTelecom  |  NextGenWeb  |  Webinars   Hot Topics  Top five news stories selected by USTelecom dailyLead readers in the past week. Tchuruk, Russo to step down at Alcatel-Lucent (ClipSyndicate) Video gives boost to Embarq (Telephony Online) Data, mobile drive growth at Verizon (ClipSyndicate) Telecoms eye tech support as new revenue stream (The Wall Street Journal) AT&T's CEO champions iPhone, wireless future (USA TODAY) Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.   Video Upload  Verizon supports "platform-agnostic" interactive-video standards Verizon Communications is encouraging the FCC to adopt standards for interactive video that support a "platform-agnostic" approach. In a letter last week to the FCC, Verizon Vice President of Federal Regulatory Affairs Dee May said the FCC should "to take steps now -- such as the inclusion of the low-cost and ubiquitously used Ethernet interface (RJ-45) in CE devices -- to ensure that a cable-centric approach to interactive connectivity does not inhibit technological innovation ... or disadvantage other segments of the video marketplace." Multichannel News (8/1) AOL launches revamped video site AOL's video portal, which has an online-syndication deal with Discovery Networks, the Big Four broadcasters and other cable services, has received a makeover with a greater focus on linking with other AOL sites, such as AOL Music, AOL Television and GameDaily, according to Broadcasting & Cable. New ingredients will include a search engine more targeted to viewers' preferences and more advertising opportunities. Broadcasting & Cable (8/4) FiOS test brings online video to living room TV set Verizon has been testing Internet video programming directly to TV sets via its FiOS television service. In one of the first such efforts, Verizon is providing YouTube, Break.com, Blip.tv and Veoh to FiOS subscribers through the service's VOD menu, but it has not yet committed to a commercial launch. TVWeek.com (8/3) Other News Jewish Channel aims to take ethnic television to a new level The New York Times (8/4) The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS) Report IDs Top Communications Technology Industry Performers Two communications technology companies have consistently posted positive financial results, even as the industry has struggled with commoditization and shrinking prices. Who are they and how do they do it? Read Accenture's latest report, Achieving High Performance in the Communications Technology Industry, to find out. Download the report. Interested in learning more about advertising in the USTelecom dailyLead? Contact Amy Abbey at 202-737-5500 ext 250 or aabbey@smartbrief.com.   Technology Trends  Consumer tips for networking To help consumers looking to network their wireless gadgets, USA TODAY's technology columnist offers some tips, such as opt for 802.11n, look for MIMO and avoid interference with 5GHz. Radio host Kim Komando also suggests consumers stick with the same brand of networking gear to avoid setup and maintenance headaches. USA TODAY (8/1) Other News AT&T alliance tightens satellite-phone roaming link American City Business Journals/Washington (8/1) Cisco ratchets up attack on test cheaters Network World (7/30)   IP Download  South Korea looks to set standards for the Internet South Korean lawmakers are considering a Cyber Defamation Law, in an effort to create a set of standards for the Internet in the country, which is a highly wired society. "We have to guard against 'infodemics,' in which inaccurate, false information is disseminated, prompting social unrest that spreads like an epidemic," said President Lee Myung Bak to the Parliament in July. International Herald Tribune/Reuters (8/4)   LeadQuote  Knowledge alters what we seek as well as what we find." --Freda Adler, American criminologist       This dailyLead was created for webmaster@freeraovat.com Subscriber Tools       Update account information | Change e-mail address | Unsubscribe | Print friendly format | Web version | Search past news | Archive | Privacy policy Advertise Sales Account Director:  Amy Abbey (202) 737-5500 x250 Download Media Kit   Read more at dailyLead.com A powerful Web site for dailyLead readers including: Breaking News Industry Home Competitor News Readers' Choice Press Releases Search Archive       Recent USTelecom dailyLead Issues: Friday, August 01, 2008 Thursday, July 31, 2008 Wednesday, July 30, 2008 Tuesday, July 29, 2008 Monday, July 28, 2008     Lead Editor:  Susan Rush       Mailing Address: SmartBrief, Inc.®, 1100 H ST NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20005     © 1999-2008 SmartBrief, Inc.® Legal Information