Colin C. Haley

Level 3 today said it will pay Leucadia National Corp. $680 million cash and stock for its WilTel Communications Group. The deal, expected to close in early 2006, will enhance the Broomfield, Colo., backbone operator’s ability to offer wholesale voice, data and video services to telecoms and ISPs. In addition to adding to its fiber-optic […]

Bandwidth.com unveiled a new tool today to help small and medium businesses (SMBs) determine if their company’s network is ready for Voice over IP . The privately held network services provider’s Web-based test, available at Bandwidth.com’s site, checks ports, bandwidth availability and latency — key elements for moving voice and data onto one network. “It […]

BOSTON — Siebel CEO George Shaheen was on the job just five months when Oracle CEO Larry Ellison made a Godfather offer. The decision to accept the $5.85 billion bid was an easy one, but Shaheen can’t help wonder what would have happened if Oracle hadn’t come calling. “I don’t think there’s a person on […]

BOSTON — Siebel Systems’ days as a standalone company may be numbered, but its days as a customer relationship management innovator are not. That was the message CEO George T. Shaheen delivered to 4,000 attendees of Siebel CustomerWorld, the first major user meeting since Oracle’s $5.85 billion takeover offer last month. “Both Siebel and Oracle […]

Blackboard is buying WebCT in a $180 million merger of companies that provide software and services to the education market. The cash deal, which still requires regulatory approval, is expected to close late this year or in early 2006. “[The merger is] an unparalleled opportunity for two successful, mission-driven organizations to unify in a combined […]

Health officials around the world are sounding the alarm about Bird Flu. The virus has killed 60 people in Asia and its discovery in Europe this week has heightened fears of a pandemic. While the medical community works to eradicate Bird Flu, several nanotech and IT firms say their products could help control it. “Nanotechnology […]

UPDATED: Extending a decade-old relationship, Nokia and China Putian will establish a $107 million joint venture for third-generation network equipment, the companies announced today. The operation will be based in Wuhan, China, and encompasses R&D, manufacturing and sales of gear built on the 3G standards TD-SCDMA (Time Division-Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access) and WCDMA (Wideband […]

SK-EarthLink, a joint venture between SK Telecom and EarthLink , will launch a new wireless brand for “young, tech-savvy consumers” in early 2006, a company spokeswoman told internetnews.com. “We’ve done a great deal of research to identify the unmet needs and wants of young consumers who are passionate about technology,” Julie Cordua, an SK-EarthLink spokeswoman, […]

Microsoft’s antitrust settlement with RealNetworks will likely save the Redmond, Wash., software giant millions of dollars in legal fees. The agreement means Microsoft lawyers can stop preparing for a long trial in U.S. District Court. But the company also hopes that the truce can save it money and legal hassles overseas. As part of the […]

UPDATED: A bitter legal battle ended today when Microsoft and RealNetworks announced a $761 million settlement of Real’s antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft. The deal closes a two-year-old lawsuit that accused Microsoft of abusing its monopoly to limit choice in digital media players, hurting distribution of RealPlayer. “This goes beyond the settlement,” Bill Gates, Microsoft’s founder, […]

Teradyne is selling its connection systems division to Amphenol Corp. for $390 million in cash, the companies announced today. Teradyne Connection Systems (TCS) makes high-speed, high-density printed circuit board interconnection products for the data communications and storage market. Its customers include Alcatel , Cisco , Ericsson and Lucent . “[Teradyne Connection Systems] is a perfect […]

BellSouth has signed a new internetworking agreement with Sprint Nextel to expand its offerings and coverage area. The Multi-Protocol Label Switching service is expected to launch in early 2006. “The nationwide MPLS service will give BellSouth the ability to serve customers throughout the nation, whether they are existing customers or not,” Todd Smith, a BellSouth […]