Hans Lombardo

Global WAN supplier N.E.T. is expanding its partnership agreement with regional networking systems integrator Datacraft Asia in preparation for Japan telecom deregulation. With N.E.T’s products, Datacraft will aggressively enter the rapidly expanding Japanese carrier and enterprise markets for voice and data connectivity, particularly in the multi-service Digital Data Networks (DDNs)market. “The Japanese telecommunications market is […]

Pacific Century CyberWorks (PCCW) has taken a 23 percent stake in Nasdaq-listed SoftNet Systems, Inc. with a US$129 million investment. Hong Kong-based PCCW is a subsidiary of Richard Li’s Pacific Century Group, which intends to offer satillite and cable Internet services to 110 Asian households. PCCW bought 5 million shares in SoftNet, one of the […]

HelloAsia.com, a regional site that offers rewards for usage, has raised over US$20 million in its first-round of funding. The investors include financial institutions Greylock, H&Q Asia Pacific and TMCT Ventures and technology companies Critical Path, Inc. and Intel Corp. The start-up is promoting its site as the first Web-based service in Asia to reward […]

Singapore’s Asia Manufacturing Online raised $20 million in its third round of private funding from Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and a host of new and existing investors. Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Silicon Valley venture capital firm Doll Capital joined Europe’s 3i Group Plc., AsiaTech Ventures Ltd., and SilkRoute Holdings as equity investors in AMO. “We […]

As part of its Asian expansion plans, Asia Online, Ltd announced the acquisition of three ISPs across Australia and New Zealand. “Australia and New Zealand are key components of our overall strategy to develop a cohesive network of Internet companies in Asia Pacific,” said Kevin Randolph, Asia Online’s President and CEO. Originally a Hong Kong-based […]

In two separate joint ventures, Hong Kong ISP HKNet has teamed with U.S. wireless network leader Teligent and Japan’s global telecom giant, NTT. The HKNet-Teligent venture will be 51 percent owned by HKNet, 40 percent by Teligent, and 9 percent by CCT Telecom, the majority investor in HKNet. The JV will apply for a Wireless […]

Foreigners are not permitted to invest in Chinese Internet businesses, Minister of Information Industry Wu Jichuan reiterated at the Fortune China Forum. Wu yesterday categorically stated that Chinese law prohibited foreign companies from investing in ISPs or ICPs but he added that the law could be changed by the end of the year. The ban […]

Staking its confidence in the Hong Kong Internet market, America Online, Inc. Tuesday launched a Hong Kong edition through a partnership with China Internet Corp. (CIC), an affiliate of NASDAQ-traded China.com Corp. The AOL Hong Kong service, whose foundation was struck in February 1998, will provide Hong Kong consumers with access services, localized content and […]

Hong Kong telco New T&T will participate in a consortium laying a massive submarine fiber optic cable between Japan and the United States which will significantly increase the bandwidth across the Pacific. New T&T is the first new fixed network operator in Hong Kong to participate in the consortium agreement that will last for a […]

asiacontent.com Ltd (ACC) has secured all shares of Tricast BVI Limited with a US$20 million private placement. The combination of ACC and Tricast brings together a solid pedigree of investors. These include AsiaTech Ventures, GE Equity, Hambrecht & Quist Asia Pacific, Intel Pacific Inc., TDF Management of Singapore, Viacom Inc., and a syndicate of private […]

A U.S. Court in Seattle has dismissed a patent infringement lawsuit filed by Zi Corp. of Canada against Tegic Communications. In the lawsuit, which Zi filed earlier this year, the company claimed that Tegic’s technology for the input of Chinese characters into mobile phones violated Zi’s O’Dell United States patent. The court found that Tegic’s […]

With assistance from Microsoft, Intel and Compaq, Sohu has rolled out an e-commerce service that permits users to buy or bid for products online. To implement the e-commerce offerings, Sohu utilized Intel’s architecture, the Microsoft Commercial Internet System (MCIS), and Compaq’s hardware and payment fulfillment system. Sohu firmly believes in China’s e-commerce market potential and […]