Telecoms

SPOTLIGHT: Microsoft's telco defections

Doug Mohney — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 22:44:53 -0500

Microsoft's Communication Sector CTO Michel Burger is splitting, the latest in a series of steady executive defections from Seattle.

Burger has reportedly left Microsoft to become head of Now+ service architecture for the Vodafone mobile operator. Earlier this year, the charismatic Michael O'Hara split his job as GM for marketing and industry management to become chief marketing officer at the GSM Association. And Steve Zimba departed his position as Microsoft's managing director of global telecom business to become VP of marketing and product development over at Cbeyond.

Microsoft had been steadily plugging away at the telco carrier market in a variety of areas, gaining some traction with its Mediaroom IPTV platform.

For more:
- Light Reading speculates on Microsoft telco departures.

Ex-BT boss takes over at Alca-Lu

Jim O'Neill — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 07:00:11 -0400

Ben Verwaayen, who led BT through five years of cost cutting and job losses, has been named CEO at struggling comms vendor Alcatel-Lucent, which has lost some $7 billion since its 2006 merger. He'll be joined by ex-aerospace exec Philippe Camus, who Alca-Lu named non-executive chairman.

The two Europeans replace Patricia Russo and Serge Tchuruk, who led Alca-Lu to six straight quarters of losses and were at the core of management infighting between Alcatel's French interests and Lucent's American forces.

Verwaayen, who's Dutch, and Frenchman Camus should help quiet the battle within, but Alcatel Lucent has a long way to go. Its market value has declined some two thirds since the merger. Verwaayen knows his way around telecoms and is no stranger to Lucent, where he held various positions before BT.

For more:
- See the Wall Street Journal story

Related articles
Heads roll after huge Alca-Lu losses. Alca-Lu report
Could Alcatel-Lucent rule change doom Russo? Russo article
Alcatel-Lucent shareholders ease rules for CEO removal. Alcatel-Lucent story
AlcaLu's losses continue in Q1 asCDMA business declines AlcaLu report

Congress moves toward telecom amnesty

Jim O'Neill — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 07:19:03 -0400

A plan to grant telcos immunity for their role in a warrantless domestic wiretapping program operated by the federal government is nearing agreement as negotiators iron out differences. But at what cost? Check out this Wired Magazine story.

City looks for fiber partners, Qwest, Comcast say, uh, nope

Jim O'Neill — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 23:40:41 -0400

It isn’t easy being a telco, at least that’s what more cities are finding out.

Colorado’s Glenwood Springs has approached both Qwest and Comcast in a bid to partner up with either one to help expand the community’s money losing fiber network. Neither exactly jumped for joy—or at the chance for a public/private enterprise.

For it’s part, the city says national telecos are deliberately working against community networks. But the six-year-old network has lost $200,000 a year for the past three years and only reached some local businesses. The city wants to spend another $12 million to reach home and offer VoIP, Internet and video services. Critics are concerned the network couldn’t compete with the big boys and worry the city is looking at a $12 million boondoggle that the local citizenry will end up paying for.

Have these guys tried calling anyone in Provo yet?

For more:
- See the story in the Post Independent

Related articles:
Provo officials worry Broadweave doesn't have what it takes Broadweave report
Broadweave to acquire embattled iProvo Broadweave report
iProvo and fellow Utah fiber network Utopia having tough times iProvo report
City gets 'brutal' with iProvo iProvo report