Telecommunications & Networking Report Essay, Research Paper
1. 23-Sep-99: ?Free Web Services
Challenge AOL?s Dominance? – Internet business analysts generally are not
yet convinced of the viability of the free web service business model for
bring profitable. None-the-less, most agree that the free access
will probably take a significant chunk of AOL?s market share before running
out of investor?s money.
2. 23-Sep-99: ?Visitalk.com Builds
White Pages for Web Phone Calls? – Visitalk.com has unveiled plans to simplify
the routing of phone calls over the Internet. They will provide a
directory service which will provide subscribers with a unique 12 digit
Internet phone number. The directory will capture user?s current
IP address and update their database, serving as a switchboard for Internet
phone calls which are routed over IP. This solves a major problem
with the fact that IP addresses change for users as they move from computer
to computer.
3. 23-Sep-99: ?Cisco to But Software
Maker for $325 Million? ? Cisco Systems agreed to acquire WebLine Communications,
a software maker producing e-mail routing and collaborating software.
WebLine is to be assimilated into Cisco?s Applications Technology Group.
This was Cisco?s 12th acquisition this year.
4. 24-Sep-99: ?Firm Agrees to Purchase
Cable-Modem Technology? ? Intel agreed to purchase the cable modem technology
of Stanford Telecommunications, Inc. The deal puts Intel face to
face in the marketplace with Broadcom Corp., which currently holds the
majority market share for cable modem chips.
5. 24-Sep-99: ?Qualcomm Pact Targets
Wireless Network Products? ? Lucent Technologies signed a development agreement
with Qualcomm to product wireless networking equipment. Qualcomm
will give its CDMA technology, including chips and software to Lucent.
Lucent plans to have trial systems utilizing the technology in place next
year.
6. 24-Sep-99: ?MCI Worldcom, Sprint
Ponder Merger? ? The world?s second and third largest long-distance carriers
are in talks are in talks over a possible merger. The deal would
give MCI it?s only nationwide wireless network. An obvious stumbling
block over such a large telcom merger would be close scrutiny by regulators.
It is also expected that regional Bell companies may soon have permission
to compete in the long distance market as well.
7. 24-Sep-99: ?Earthlink and MindSpring
to Merge, Forming No. 2 Internet Access Firm? ? This deal makes the new
Internet Provider second only to AOL. The combined company will have
3 million subscribers, still a far cry from AOL?s 18 million, but none-the-less
a viable competitor.
8. 27-Sep-99: ?Teledesic ?Sky Internet?
May Start Sooner? ? Teledesic chief Craig McCaw is attempting to raise
funds for his planned ?Sky Internet.? However, McCaw has also been
exploring partnerships with other wireless providers including Motorola,
Spaceway, and Hughes electronics, to implement a smaller scale version
of their planned system to prove viability.
9. 27-Sep-99: ?Microsoft Corp. Agrees
to Invest In Net Start-Up? ? Microsoft agreed to invest $15 million in
Akamai Technologies Inc. Akamai provides services which focus on
speeding the downloading of web pages. As part of this agreement,
Akamai will develop a version of it?s software to run on Windows NT, as
opposed to it?s current Unix based versions.
10. 28-Sep-99: ?Maker of Voice Software
for the Web Is Acquired? ? Mpath Interactive Inc. acquired Resounding Technology
to strengthen its position as a provider of Internet voice software.
Resounding Technologies? Roger Wilco software had been very successful
in providing Internet voice chat.
11. 4-Oct-99: ?BellSouth Makes Bid
to Acquire Sprint? ? BellSouth made a bid to purchase wireless provider
Sprint as Sprint & WorldCom came closer to closing their deal.
Spring is expected to go with the WorldCom offer, even though the BellSouth
offer if more lucrative. Regardless, either acquisition would
face regulatory issues.
12. 4-Oct-99: ?Paul Allen is Investing
$1.65 Billion In Telecommunications Firm RCN Corp.? ? RCN is planning to
use the investment to speed development of its high-speed fiber optic network.
RCN is one of several companies known as competitive local exchange carriers
(CLEC?s) trying to take a share of the local telephone business.
13. 5-Oct-99: ?Big Landlords Are
Joining Telecom Fray? ? Eight of the largest office space landlords are
joining venture capitalist Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Bryers to form
a new company, Broadband Office. The company is to provide high speed
Internet access to it tenants.
14. 6-Oct-99: ?Novell Plans to Create
Repository for Information on Internet Users? ? Novell brought online its
new service called Digitalme, aimed at providing a personal data repository.
This was a move to compete with Microsoft?s recently unveiled Passport
service. This was Novell?s first venture into Internet based services,
as the company is known for network management software.
15. 7-Oct-99: ?AT&T?s Top Cable
Executive Resigns Amid Internet-Access Fracas? ? After making public statements
denying that AT&T had been in secret talks with AOL, Leo Hindery resigned
as AT&T?s top cable & Internet executive. This was in response
to the fact that AT&T had, in fact, been talking privately with AOL,
and had not told Hindery.
16. 11-Oct-99: ?That?s a WAP; How
the Cell Phone and Web Contracted an Arranged Marriage? ? A new technology
known as Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) is spreading fast. The
technology allows web based components to be brought to cell phones.
Motorola estimates that half of the estimated 200 million cell phones manufactured
next year will be shipped with WAP enabled browsers.
17. 11-Oct-99: ?Global Crossing Strikes
Deal With Racal? ? Global Crossing added another company to its portfolio
to strengthen its international undersea & land-based networks to handle
growing Internet traffic. This is an indication that Europe will
be the site of the next major telco rivalries, as acquisition gives Global
Crossing an additional 7,300 kilometers of fiber-optic networks in Europe.
18. 12-Oct-99: ?AT&T, BT to Accelerate
Expansion of Global Venture? ? AT&T & British Telecom?s joint venture,
Concert, has announced plans to expand its frame relay service by 50-60%
by early next year. This venture is structured differently than previously
failed joint telecom ventures. Concert will own nearly all the switching
and networking hardware, as opposed to relying on alliances for managing
customer service.
19. 12-Oct-99: ?Norfolk Southern
Forms Unit to Aid Telecom Ventures? ? Norfolk Southern Corp. announced
it has formed a unit to develop fiber-optic and microwave systems.
The company said it will market it?s 21,600 miles of right-of ways for
use by telecom companies. This would relieve the telecom developers
of the high cost of easements required for network development.
20. 12-Oct-99: ?Five Firms Seek to
Develop Security Standard for PC?s? ? Compaq, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Intel
& Microsoft have announced plans to form a group to standardize security
for PC?s. The new group will be called Trusted Computed Platform
Alliance, and will embrace input from other companies. They plan
to have a proposal for a security specification by late 2000 to be licensed
openly.
21. 18-Oct-99: ?Dragging Bill Payers
Onto the Internet Envelope by Envelope? ? Paytrust, an Internet startup,
is trying to transform the way consumers pay bills. The Yankee Group,
a technology consumer group estimates that 4.5% of households paid bills
online last year.
22. 18-Oct-99: ?In a Race to the
Web, Phone Upstarts Grab Turf? ? Covad Communications Group has announced
plans to provide local telephone service in addition to DSL service.
The regional bells now dwarf new entrants into the local phone service
market by 80%.
23. 19-Oct-99: ?Nortel Networks to
Acquire Clarify in $2.1 Billion Stock Transaction? ? Nortel Networks, seeking
to expand its customer management business bought software make Clarify.
Nortel, who primarily provides equipment & software for networks, says
the move was designed to allow businesses to increase personalized transactions
on the Internet.
24. 21-Oct-99: ?Double Trouble: AT&T
Corp. Might Want to Think About Setting Its Fight With ISP?s? ? George
W. Bush stated that if he is elected, he would urge AT&T to open its
cable plants openly. Bush?s stated choice for his Secretary of State,
Colin Powell, is on AOL?s board, and a close friend of AOL?s chief Steve
Case.
25. 21-Oct-99: ?Intuit to Integrate
Web Links Into Small Business Software? ? Intuit said it will be paid fees
by web sites providing business-to-business services to be included in
its QuickBooks product. This move was to consolidate small business
services as part of it?s offering. Intuit currently dominates the
market for small-business financial software.
26. 21-Oct-99: ?IBeam?s Desnoes is
Betting on Use of Satellites To Transmit Audio and Video Over the Internet?
? IBeam is building a $250 million network that bundles media traffic &
feeds it to a satellite link to ISP?s. This method allows faster
population of ISP servers when a high demand event such as a concert or
breaking news story. It will allow IBeam to cut the prices charged
to media companies by half and improving the quality of audio & video
delivered over the Internet.
27. 25-Oct-99: ?AT&T?s Plans
for Cable Deals Suffer Setbacks? ? Since AT&T announced negotiations
with Time-Warner, plans for deals with other major cable players have slowed,
as the other companies wait to see the terms of the Time-Warner deal.
AT&T is betting that it will once again provide local phone service
along with high-speed Internet access. AT&T has also already
began talks with AOL & Mindspring for providing Internet content.
28. 25-Oct-99: ?Europe is Next Frontier
for U.S. Telecom Deals? ? As the major players become consolidated in the
U.S., the next telecom deals are likely to be in the European arena in
the form of major acquisitions. Major telecom players want to be
able to provide ?one-stop shopping? for their major corporate customers
and their global telecommunications needs. Major targets in Europe
include Mannesmann AG, and Deutsche Telekom.
29. 27-Oct-99: ?Nortel Tops Forecasts
as Net Rises 61%, Raises Revenue Expectations for 2000? ? Fueled by sales
to telephone and Internet service providers, Nortel Networks Corp. topped
analysts estimates, with a 61% increase in earnings over last quarter.
Nortel said it growth of fiber-optic networks was particularly strong.
30. 27-Oct-99: ?Microsoft Says Its
Windows 2000 System Won?t Reach Customers Until Next Year? ? Microsoft
formally announced the release date for it?s high end business computing
environment, Windows 2000, has slipped to Feb. 17, 2000. Windows
2000 is intended to compete head-to-head with large Unix based Internet
servers. Microsoft?s competitors, most notably Sun Microsystems,
says Windows 2000 won?t come close to the capabilities of Unix.
31. 1-Nov-99: ?McCaw to Invest As
Much As $1.2 Billion To Get ICO Global Out of Bankruptcy? ? Cellular phone
magnate Craig McCaw will invest as much as $1.2 billion in ICO Global Communications
Ltd. to rescue the satellite phone system vendor out of bankruptcy.
This is one of several recent investments in satellite based networks by
McCaw. The company hopes to emerge from bankruptcy and begin providing
phone service by mid 2001.
32. 1-Nov-99: ?Nextel Eager to Buy
NextWave Spectrum? ? Nextel has announced that it will pay $6 billion for
radio spectrum that was bought by auction from the government in 1996 for
$4.7 billion by NextWave Personal Communications. The deal is at
a stand-still, though, as NextWave is currently in Chapter 11 bankruptcy
proceedings. Furthermore, the sale would require the FCC to rule
on several related regulatory issues.
33. 1-Nov-99: ?AT&T Is Blocked
In Plan to Raise Monthly Fee 50%? ? The FCC temporarily halted AT&T?s
plan to raise its monthly fee charged to residential consumers by 50%,
as it investigates the carrier?s pricing policies. Sprint raised
its fees recently by 18%, while MCI stated it plans to keep its rate constant.
34. 1-Nov-99: ?Tellabs Inc. Buys
Software Assets? ? Tellabs agreed to pay $35 million for some specific
proprietary digital signal processing software from DSP Software Engineering,
Inc. Tellabs, a maker of telecommunications hardware, plans to integrate
the software into its next generation switching system.
35. 4-Nov-99: ?Simon to Sell Net
Services to Link Mall Tenants? ? Simon Property Group, the largest owner
of shopping malls in the U.S. announced plans to provide high speed Internet
access to its mall tenants. This is the second such move by mall
landlords to provide telecom services. The company has created a
subsidiary called TennantConnect.Net.
36. 8-Nov-99: ?Web Access Via Cell
Phones Is Expected To Be Introduced? ? Bell Atlantic Corp. announced plans
to introduce web access for cell phones and other wireless devices.
Users will need a special wireless phone which starts at $120. Bell
Atlantic?s move was in the wake of similar recent announcements by Sprint
& Vodafone Airtouch PLC.
37. 9-Nov-99: ?Arch Sets Stock Deal
for Larger PageNet As Firms Seek to Turn Page on Debt Woes? ? Arch Communications
Group, the second largest paging service, agreed to purchase PageNet.
The paging industry has faced troubles lately from wireless telephone players,
which can easily provide paging services in addition to telephony services.
38. 11-Nov-99: ?Information Appliances
to Nudge PC?s at Comdex Show? ? Information appliance makers including
Motorola, Cidco & Boundless will be introducing numerous information
appliances at the Comdex show. Boundless will be presenting a tablet
device with the sole purpose is accessing the Internet & e-mail.
Motorola will be unveiling a pager with Internet & e-mail access, while
Cidco offers a device for handling e-mails only at a very low cost of $99.
39. 11-Nov-99: ?RCN Investment Casts
Paul Allen As Industry Turncoat? ? Paul Allen recently invested in ?RCN
Corp., a company which specializes in building competing cable and communications
networks. RCN enraged Cablevision by teaming up with a local electric
utility to avoid the expense of constructing a competing cable network.
Allen currently owns stakes in cable, Internet and phone service providers,
poising himself as a communications Tycoon.
40. 11-Nov-99: ?Telecom Start-Up
Sees Gold in Copper Lines? ? Advanced Switching Communications (ASC) plans
to build a low-cost product to harness the existing infrastructure of copper
lines in providing a single set of equipment to link to access technologies.
ASC has developed a box which will convert data from DSL, T-1 and traditional
twisted pair wires and move it onto the Internet. The product is
fully scalable as additional bandwidth is needed, adding to its potential
as a viable alternative for consumer data access.
41. 16-Nov-99: ?Sony and 3Com to
Jointly Develop New Palm Products? ? Sony & 3Com struck a deal where
Sony will be able to use Palm?s operating system, while Palm will use Sony?s
flash-memory technology. The move represents a move by Sony to take
a stake in the rapidly expanding information appliance industry, which
connect to the Internet more easily than a PC. Sony has already introduced
two products for downloading music & video from the Internet and play
on a personal device, within the licensing and copyright laws of the industry.
42. 16-Nov-99: ?AT&T Corp.? ?
AT&T is expanding its wireless service to Los Angeles, filling a large
gap in its coverage. Along with this move, AT&T launched PocketNet,
a wireless-data service which provides web services to cell phones.
Also, AT&T launched a separate agreement with OmniSky to offer nationwide
Internet & e-mail services to 3Com?s Pilot handheld device.
43. 17-Nov-99: ?Comcast To Buy Cable-TV
Firm Lenfest? ? After Comcast was outbid for MediaOne by AT&T, AT&T,
aimed at making peace with Comcast, agreed to sell Lenfest. The move