8x8, CDW deliver cloud solution for MHS Services; U.S. SMBs spend $90-$150 a month on IT, says Parks

Wireline news from across the web:

> U.S. SMBs spend only $90-$150 a month on IT services, including server maintenance, virus protection and back-up data storage, says Parks. Telecompetitor article

> Orange Spain has introduced a new set of fiber-based broadband packages, which will include symmetric download and upload speeds of between 30 Mbps and 300 Mbps. Telecompaper article

> 8x8 has partnered with CDW Corporation to deliver a new cloud-based telecommunications solution for MHM Services. Release

> CenturyLink's board of directors voted to declare a regular quarterly cash dividend of 54 cents per share, a portion of which will be payable out of capital surplus, on Sept. 22, 2015, to shareholders of record on Sept. 8, 2015. Release

Cable News
> The American Cable Association has filed a research paper with the FCC, claiming that 1,078 small and rural cable systems serving 50,000 subscribers have shut down since 2008, primarily due to fast-increasing programming costs. Article

> Michael Hawkey, who has headed EchoStar's Sling Media unit and its Slingbox product line for the past two years, is leaving the company to join Rovi Corp. Article

Installer News
> The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) has issued multiple standards related to fiber optic cabling. Some of these new standards are aimed at harmonizing U.S. practices with international practices. Article

Wireless News
> Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure, who took the helm at the carrier a little more than a year ago, is giving himself three to five years in total to turn around the company. Article

> Research firm IDC said smartphone sales growth in 2015 will be slower than it had expected as sales in China slow down and the market there starts to become more saturated -- and more like mature Western markets. Article

And finally … Getting #HybridIT right has a lot in common with organizing a wedding. Forbes article