Colin C. Haley

Nokia Venture Partners changed its name to BlueRun Ventures and raised a new $350 million fund to back startups, the Menlo Park, Calif., firm announced today. “[The name change] is to better reflect what we are — an independent, globally focused [return-on-investment] fund,” Gina Bauman, a BlueRun spokeswoman, told internetnews.com. Cell phone giant Nokia remains […]

UPDATED: Nearly two-dozen Voice over IP industry players have formed a new group to ensure that VoIP security keeps pace with adoption. Spearheaded by 3Com’s TippingPoint intrusion prevention unit, the VoIP Security Alliance (VOIPSA) will run discussion lists, publish white papers and sponsor research. Other VOIPSA members include network gear maker Alcatel , communications software […]

Discussions about Asian telecom often begin and end with China. The expansive yet populous country has dizzying potential as a producer and consumer of communications products and services. But another nation is quietly making a name for itself. In recent weeks, South Korean companies have signed deals with North American heavy-hitters, including EarthLink , Nortel […]

UPDATED: Qwest is reportedly in talks to buy MCI for $6.3 billion, a deal that resembles SBC’s recent acquisition of AT&T from a strategic standpoint. The Denver-based regional carrier’s bid is around the market price for the Ashburn, Va.-based long-distance and business services specialist, The Wall Street Journal reported today. But the deal is by […]

The number of cable Voice over IP subscribers exploded in 2004, giving cable companies much to smile about as they compete against upstart VoIP vendors. According to a report released by Infonetics Research today, usage jumped from 50,000 in 2003 to nearly 500,000 in 2004, or 900 percent. More than 90 percent of cable VoIP […]

SBC plans to cut nearly 13,000 positions from its payroll after its $16 billion acquisition of AT&T closes in early 2006, the company told analysts Tuesday. Around 5,125 jobs will come from network operations departments including engineering, access, management and enterprise customer service, while another 5,100 redundant sales and business operations posts will be eliminated. […]

When it comes to new technology, my professional curiosity and New England pragmatism often clash. It’s as if Robert Metcalfe and Robert Frost are debating the virtues of cutting-edge versus simplicity in my head. The poet wins his share. I bought a DVD player only after my VHS gave out; I downgraded cable following one-too-many […]

SBC is in talks to buy AT&T for more than $15 billion, according to published reports. The acquisition would elevate SBC from a regional to a national power with a slew of new enterprise customers for Virtual Private Network and other managed services. SBC and AT&T officials would not comment on reports from the Wall […]

Verizon announced strong fourth-quarter revenues and profits today, with wireless growth more than offsetting residential line losses. For the last three months of 2004, Verizon earned $3 billion, or $1.08 per diluted share, compared with a loss of $1.5 billion, or 53 cents per share, in the fourth quarter 2003. The recent quarter’s figures include […]

Amid growing demand for new wireless technology, Motorola Ventures expects its investments in startups to top $100 million this year, a company spokeswoman said. The anticipated boost is driven by several factors, including more attractive opportunities in IP and other technologies, as well as an improved corporate balance sheet. “Timing for MV to become more […]

UPDATED: Google is reportedly readying a Voice over IP service for the United Kingdom, but some experts are skeptical that the search giant would move into telecommunications. A story in London-based Times newspaper said the search giant is readying an Internet telephony offering that will rival British Telecom’s. An analyst from the research firm Ovum […]

It seems Nortel CEO Bill Owens has been logging more miles and brokered more deals than Secretary of State Colin Powell lately. Last week, he hammered out details of a joint venture to build telecom equipment with China Putian. Today, he announced a similar deal with South Korea’s LG Electronics. “To be a global communications […]