Colin C. Haley

In another move aimed at winning the loyalty of tech-savvy, on-the-go consumers, Verizon launched Iobi Home, a call management service that promises closer ties among the phone, Internet and PC. Iobi (pronounced eye-oh-bee) subscribers can receive voice messages from a landline or cell phone as an e-mail or text message on a PDA or laptop. […]

UPDATED: Ford Motor Co. will move 50,000 employees at 110 facilities to Voice over IP calling, a ringing endorsement for the emerging technology’s performance and reliability. SBC Communications will design, install and manage the project using IP phones and network equipment from Cisco Systems . Network consultants from Callisma, which SBC bought in January, will […]

Verizon Wireless is decrying a reported attempt by Nextel to reduce the price tag in its controversial spectrum deal with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Nextel’s lawyers recently met with FCC staffers to seek clarification of several points regarding the proposal’s scheduling and financing, according to Nextel’s written summary of those meetings filed with the […]

Last fall, Vonage sought financing to expand its broadband telephony service. It tallied a relatively modest $35 million, but was struck by the level of interest from the venture capital (VC) community. After “pulling people away from the deal,” the upstart went out again just three months later. This time, it socked away $40 million […]

A multi-billion-dollar contract to upgrade communications technology across Air Force installations should benefit several network equipment vendors, analysts said today. The branch has earmarked up to $9 billion over five years for IT and communications hardware, software and services under its Network Centric Solutions (NETCENTS) program. The Air Force’s over-arching requirements are interoperability and security, […]

Verizon Communications has hired a former cable TV executive to shape its video over fiber strategy. Terry Denson, formerly of Insight Communications, MTV Networks and ABC, joined the Baby Bell as vice president of video programming and content marketing. It’s a first-of-its-kind position for the phone company and another signal that its fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) push […]

In a first-of-its kind deal, Comcast has struck a broad content distribution pact with Sony Pictures that includes plans to expand its video-on-demand menu. Additionally, the cable giant is mulling an invitation to join a Sony-led consortium that is bidding $5 billion for Metro Goldwyn Mayer, a source close to the proceedings said. Under that […]

Cisco Systems will announce a new router family on Tuesday that includes products for small and medium businesses. The Integrated Services Router line delivers converged voice and data applications and represents the next generation of the networking giant’s Integrated Access family. “This is an entirely new router portfolio — seven new platforms and two new […]

Strengthening its commitment to the Chinese telecom market, Motorola has committed $90 million to enhance its presence in Beijing. “Motorola determined it would be beneficial to the company and its employees [to combine] two current facility sites in Beijing — one for R&D and one for general management, administration, marketing, sales — into one campus,” […]

BILLERICA, Mass. — Nortel has announced a slew of product upgrades under its new “virtual enterprise” strategy. Since workers connect to networks from a variety of places (headquarters, satellite offices, the road) through a range of devices (desktops, laptops, PDAs), they need flexible, easy-to-use systems to be as productive as possible. Nortel’s software upgrades are […]

eBay CEO Meg Whitman isn’t interested in filling the top spot at Walt Disney Co. when Michael Eisner retires in 2006, a spokesman for the auction giant told internetnews.com. “Meg has repeatedly said she has the best job in the world; she loves eBay,” Hani Durzy, an eBay spokesman, said. “She has no plans to […]

Walt Disney Co. CEO Michael Eisner, who led the charge against Comcast’s hostile takeover earlier this year, will step down in 2006. And his replacement may come from just about any industry — tech included. Already under pressure for the company’s unspectacular financial performance, Eisner was criticized by some insiders and investors for rebuffing the […]