Bob Woods

Optical-networking concern Ciena Corp. said it lost almost $2 billion in its fourth fiscal quarter, as compared to earning money in the year-ago quarter. The Linthicum, Md.-based company also said it would see more operating losses in the near-term. Ciena’s net losses totaled $1.8 billion or $5.51 a share, versus net earnings of $25.8 million […]

Broadband-communications concern Qwest Communications International Inc. and Internet2, a university-led research and development consortium, today announced a new five-year agreement to quadruple the Abilene Internet2 network’s capacity. Qwest’s investment in the improvement of the Abilene Internet2 network is valued at $300 million, officials said. The new agreement will increase the Abilene Internet2 network’s capacity to […]

McLeodUSA Inc. said it has agreed to sell to Level 3 Communications Inc. some of its Internet/data assets and wholesale dial-up Internet service provider (ISP) customer base for $55 million. Terms of the agreement call for Level 3 to purchase approximately 350 POPs (points of presence) across the U.S., along with the related facilities, equipment […]

Agere Systems Inc. , which supplies components for communications and optical applications, said it will trim an additional 950 workers from its payroll as it reduces its cost structure and lower its quarterly breakeven level. On top of the 6,000 employees Agere earlier this year said it would lay off (full story), the 950 new […]

Abandoned shopping “carts” abound in cyberspace. More often than not, online shoppers aren’t shoppers at all — they’re more like catalog browsers who have no inducement to buy beyond the information that’s statically presented to them. Plus, let’s face it: Online shopping just isn’t that much fun. What’s the magic bullet that e-commerce companies can […]

Tellabs Inc. , a Naperville, Ill.-based telecommunications equipment firm, said it is buying next-gen optical gear supplier Ocular Networks for about $355 million in cash and options. Tellabs, which said earlier this month that it would reduce its work force by about 1,000 people, said the acquisition would expand its market by up to $5 […]

All-optical switched network provider Broadwing Inc. is implementing a reorganization plan that company officials said would “realign the company’s focus and resources against the current economic and market opportunities.” In the process, the company is axing about 900 jobs, representing approximately 15% of its workforce. The company’s cuts will also bring a $250 million to […]

Broadband provider Williams Communications has received the okay from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware to buy substantially all the assets of streaming media pioneer iBeam Broadcasting Corp. Terms of the pact call for Williams to acquire certain iBeam assets, including facility and equipment leases and substantially all customer contracts and intellectual property, for $25 […]

AOL Time Warner’s America Online (AOL) unit and Motorola Inc. said they would work together to make some of AOLTV’s features available via Motorola’s digital set-top terminals. The deal would broaden AOLTV’s availability in digital cable-equipped homes, including those that may be affected by Excite@Home’s possible forced shutdown by this Friday. The development deal between […]

Borland Software Corp. said it is enabling software development across the firewall through its new Borland TeamSource Development Services Platform (DSP). TeamSource DSP speeds application development, Borland said, by bridging teams distributed across function, locations and companies. Initial services include secure source code management and integrated business messaging for use by distributed teams of all […]

Instant messaging and other PC-like services are coming to one flavor of thin-client computing, thanks to a deal between Larry Ellison-backed The New Internet Computer Co. and Droplet Inc. (Droplets), an Internet software platform concern. Specifically, the two will team to jointly develop and market packaged thin-client products to application-service providers (ASPs) and Fortune 500 […]

CommScope Inc. said it has restructured its deal with Japan’s Furukawa Electric Co. Ltd. to buy a piece of Lucent Technologies’ fiber-optic cable business. Terms of the pact now call for CommScope to invest $203 million for a minority interest in the Lucent cable venture, officials said. The transaction is expected to enhance CommScope’s technology […]