23rd December 1998 Archive

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Ericsson plans merger of wireless and IP systems

A test under way in Georgia provides businesses with their own mini local wireless networks

Ericsson and US cellular provider Powertel are to run trials of a system that integrates cellular communications with IP networks, and that effectively gives businesses their own local and in-building cellular phone networks. GSM on Net, as the system is known, is intended to provide communications services over an integrated …

Business 23 Dec 1998, 09:09
Sun makes peace offering to Java rebels

Sun is coming a-courting to the HP-led Real Time Java group

Sun is to attend a meeting of the HP-led Real Time Java Working Group next month, in an attempt to sell the membership its Community Source Java licensing model. The Working Group was set up earlier this year with the intention of producing standards for real time/embedded Java systems, and is a potential source of a split in …

Business 23 Dec 1998, 09:11
DoJ says MS exec misled in his deposition

Allchin's recall for further questioning is being sought

The Department of Justice has asked the court to allow it to re-interview Microsoft senior VP Jim Allchin, saying that it was misled when Allchin gave his original deposition in September. It also wants to see Microsoft's analysis of Edward Felten's program for the removal of IE from Windows 98. According to the DoJ, Allchin …

Business 23 Dec 1998, 09:12
Compaq to get out of networking

So much for Pfeiffer's vision thing

A US report has suggested that Compaq is set to withdraw from the networking market. If true, that is likely to be a very costly mistake. Yesterday we reported that Compaq was quietly axing different Alpha units over the Christmas period. (Story: Compaq no Father Christmas as Alpha layoffs rise) According to the report, in the …

Business 23 Dec 1998, 10:31
Survey: Colour printer market booms

Report claims imaging technologies, Net and SoHo market drive growth

A survey by market research company Frost & Sullivan said that printer market revenues across Europe are set to be worth $200.3 million by 2004. The report, The European Market for Printers, said that total printer market revenues stood at $47.1 million in 1997, and the growth will be driven multifunction devices (MFDs), …

Business 23 Dec 1998, 10:42
Cyberian Outpost Q3 loss beats Street

Online retailer lost $1.1 million less than expected

Pioneer Web-based computer reseller Cyberian Outpost continued to lose money during its third quarter, ended 30 November, but the red figures were not as bad as anticipated. The figure posted was $7.6 million, up from $1.1 million for the same period last year. Wall Street estimates had put the loss at around $8.7 million. …

Business 23 Dec 1998, 10:56
France Telecom cuts interconnection charges

One week after an Internet strike...

France Telecom has cut the charges it makes on rival telecoms companies that use its network infrastructure, a move the French national telecoms regulator said would lower call charges. The move comes a week after French Net users held a 24-hour boycott of the Internet in an attempt to force down dial-up charges (see French …

Business 23 Dec 1998, 11:34
3Com Q2 sales up 29 per cent

Surprise, surprise...

3Com has posted profits of $132.9 million on sales of $1.54 billion for its second quarter of fiscal 1999, ended 27 November, a rise of ten per cent on Q1's sales and 29 per cent on the same period last year. The company saw particularly strong growth in network access products, including modems (courtesy of its acquisition of …

Business 23 Dec 1998, 11:52
AMD to resist Intel price pressure next year

Claims chip giant's business model creaking at seams

Chip company Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) said today that it is confident it will be able to resist Intel price pressure in 1999. Rana Mainee, European director of market research at AMD, conceded that it will cut prices on its products in early January but forecast that situation will change during the year. He said: "Intel is …

Business 23 Dec 1998, 12:11
Katmai is Pentium III

Ad magazine leaks name

Intel will use the Superbowl game in mid-January to introduce its Katmai chip to a waiting universe and will call it Pentium III, it has emerged. One year ago, The Register said that Katmai would be called the Pentium III. (Story:Intel to slash PII prices next month) US magazine Advertising Age leaked the details earlier this …

Business 23 Dec 1998, 12:20
278 years ago today: Sir Larry predicts bubble will burst

Tycoon warns South Sea Bubble can expande no more, will pop any daye now...

Oracle CEO Larry Ellison's comments in Sydney yesterday that the over-inflated valuations of Internet companies, such as Amazon.com and eBay, was a "bubble that just has to burst", brought to mind a much older tale... Shipping magnate Sir Larrimore Elision today lashed oute at Robert Harley and his South Sea Companie for both …

Business 23 Dec 1998, 12:33
AMD K6-3 to achieve volume in February

First review of product claims high performance

First details of the performance of the AMD K6-3 (Sharptooth) have emerged with a review appearing on the World Wide Web. A review on Sharky Extreme claimed that the 400MHz part, which ships in February of 1998, only needed a BIOS update to run successfully on K6-2 motherboards. The review added that the product “now shines” as …

Business 23 Dec 1998, 12:39
HP wants resellers to Connect with customers

Trying hard to be appealing

Flying in the face of accusations that it is about to dump its channel and go direct, Hewlett Packard (HP) has launched an advertising campaign aimed at promoting its reseller base. This is the first time HP has run an ad campaign on behalf of its channel and it is being run to support HP’s Connect accreditation programme. …

Business 23 Dec 1998, 12:55
Unholy war breaks out between Intel-3Com

Great Nick of NICs claims victory over the Great Satan of NICs

3Com and Intel were yesterday fighting for the top slot in network interface cards (NICs), with both claiming victory after 3Com secured a top deal with Hewlett-Packard. 3Com said it held 55 per cent of business in this competitive market after winning a deal to provide NICs across HP's entire line of PCs. The boast was news to …

Business 23 Dec 1998, 13:00
Psion wins Euro design award

That must feel like Christmas

Santa has paid an early visit to the boys and girls of Psion this year - they must have been behaving themselves. The Psion Series 5 handheld computer has picked up a prestigious European design award - the iF award - from the Hannover-based design body Industrie Forum. The iF award went to the Series 5 for its "outstanding …

Business 23 Dec 1998, 13:34