Vodafone-Led Team Pays $2.1 Billion for Qatar License

Vodafone-Led Team Pays $2.1 Billion for Qatar License

Vodafone Group Plc, the world's biggest mobile-phone company, and its local partner will pay 7.72 billion riyals ($2.1 billion) for Qatar's second wireless license as Vodafone expands in emerging markets.

Vodafone and the Qatar Foundation will start the service in the first quarter of 2009 and must sell a 40 percent stake in the venture to the Qatari public by December, the Supreme Council of Information & Communication Technology said in a statement on its Web site yesterday. Mark Pursey, a Vodafone spokesman, said the company's contribution will be 200 million pounds ($396 million).

Vodafone, based in Newbury, England, has expanded in emerging markets in the past two years with purchases in Turkey and India to make up for slower growth in Europe. In Qatar, owner of the world's largest natural gas field, the group will compete with former monopoly Qatar Telecom QSC in a country of about 900,000 people and a gross domestic product per capita of $75,900, more than double that of the European Union.

``$2.1 billion is fair value by Gulf standards to compete against the region's last monopoly,'' Andrawes Snobar, an analyst at Arab Advisors Group in Jordan, said in a phone interview today. ``Although Qatar's penetration rate is already above 100 percent, they should be able to win share from Qatar Telecom.''

Saudi Telecom won Kuwait's third mobile-phone license in November with a bid of $908 million. Zain led a group that won Saudi Arabia's third mobile-phone license with a $6.1 billion offer in March 2007.

Last Monopoly

Qatar is the last Gulf Arab state to break the monopoly of its state-controlled phone company as it seeks to foster competition and develop the domestic economy. Regional phone companies including Emirates Telecommunications Corp., Kuwait's Zain and Saudi Telecom Co., the biggest, are expanding overseas as their domestic markets mature and competitors arrive.

Vodafone rose 1.6 percent to 163.1 pence as of 11:06 a.m. in London. The stock had lost 15 percent this year before today.

After the initial public offering, Vodafone and the Qatar Foundation will own 45 percent of their venture, the regulator said. Qatar and local institutions will own 15 percent.

``With the agreement of the regulator, we have decided to undertake the IPO in the autumn and we expect services to be launched at the very end of 2008 or early 2009,'' Pursey said.

Vodafone said in January it will invest $400 million in Qatar. Vodafone Chief Executive Officer Arun Sarin yesterday said he will step down in July after reporting a record 6.66 billion pound ($13.2 billion) annual profit.

Winning Bid

Qatar's regulator, known as ictQATAR, said on Dec. 10 the Vodafone-led group beat rivals including AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc. for the license. The regulator gave no value for the bid made by Vodafone and the Qatar Foundation, which also beat bids from Zain and Emirates Telecommunications.

The Qatar Foundation is a non-profit organization founded by Qatar's ruling Emir in 1995 to promote education, technology, health and culture in the Gulf state, according to its Web site.

Qatar's budget surplus will rise to $2 billion in the financial year beginning April 1, the Finance Ministry forecast in March, assuming an average oil price of $55 a barrel. The commodity was trading at $126.87 a barrel at 10 a.m. in London today. The economy expanded by 12 percent last year and may grow by 15 percent this year, according to government forecasts.

Turkcell, World's 25th Largest Communication & Technology Company

Turkcell, World's 25th Largest Communication & Technology Company

Turkish mobile phone operator Turkcell ranked 25th among world`s largest technology and communication companies in a list made by Businessweek magazine based on Standard&Poor`s data, Turkcell said on Saturday. Turkcell outpaced global giants such as Intel, Cisco, HP, LG, Samsung and SAP, and has become the 5th largest among European companies in the Businessweek Infotech 100, it said. Turkcell was the only Turkish company in the list.

Turk Telekom taps Alcatel-Lucent for ASON/GMPLS-based optical network

Turk Telekom taps Alcatel-Lucent for ASON/GMPLS-based optical network

Alcatel-Lucent and Türk Telekom, the fixed telecom operator in Turkey, have signed a Euro 21.6 million contract to deploy an optical network using an intelligent control plane. Türk Telekom says the network, will be the first implementation of this kind in Turkey, enabling the operator to provide automatic traffic provisioning for enhanced network protection, operation, and maintenance. And Alcatel-Lucent confirms that with this deployment, it now exceeds more than 700 ASON/GMPLS-enabled optical cross-connects rolled out worldwide.

Alcatel-Lucent will deploy its optical networking system with intelligent control plane in the cities of Ankara, Adana, Istanbul, and Izmir. Alcatel-Lucent says the new deployment will help Türk Telekom further optimize its efficiency in network resource utilization to deliver existing and new services, such as Ethernet-based services, to business and residential users, while protecting its previous investments.

"Driven by IP-based video and multimedia high bandwidth services, a network transformation is occurring in the optical core network, where huge traffic increases have to be supported along with high availability," explains Frédéric Rose, president of Alcatel-Lucent's business in Europe, Africa, and Asia. "This new contract confirms our ability to assist our customers in their network transformation plans and a commitment to the underlying technology innovation."

Intelligent control plane, which is based on automatically switched optical network (ASON) / generalized multi-protocol label switching (GMPLS) technology, is key for dynamic networking and traffic protection. Its introduction over the Alcatel-Lucent 1678 Metro Core Connect (MCC), which will be deployed in Türk Telekom's core transport network, will benefit Türk Telekom with superior network protection, operation and maintenance capabilities for minimized operational expenditures, claim Alcatel-Lucent representatives.

Furthermore, Alcatel-Lucent says it will supply its Optical Multi-Service Node (OMSN) systems to extend the current transport infrastructure, based on its SDH and WDM technologies. The existing Alcatel-Lucent 1350 management suite--providing all the administration, configuration, fault prevention, and security management capacity required to operate this type of network--will manage the new equipment.

Görüntülü telefonla haberleşme başlıyor

Görüntülü telefonla haberleşme başlıyor

Türk Telekom, abonelerine sesli ve görüntü haberleşme olanağı sunan ve "görüntülü telefon" olarak adlandırılan Videofon uygulamasını yarın başlatıyor.

Görüntülü telefonla konuşmak için Türk Telekom ile iki yıllık sözleşme imzalayan aboneler ayda tüm vergiler dahil 29 YTL ödeyerek 3 bin dakika da ücretsiz konuşma hakkını elde edebilecekler. Türk Telekom görüntülü telefonu teşvik etmek üzere ilk 100 bin müşterisine videofon cihazını da ücretsiz sunacak.

-Türk Telekom yetkilileri Türkiye’de 5.2 milyon geniş bant ADSL kullanıcısı olduğunu belirterek, öncelikle bu kitleye ulaşmayı hedeflediklerini belirttiler. Üniversiteler, öğrenci yurtları ve askeri birlikleri ilk etapta hedefleyen Türk Telekom, görüntülü telefon uygulamasını yaygınlaştırmak ve teşvik etmek amacıyla bu bölgelere videofonun içinde yer aldığı 1.000 adet kiosk yerleştirmeyi planlıyor.

Görüntülü telefon sistemine geçmek için Türk Telekom abonesi sabit ev ve işyeri telefonu kullanıcılarının geniş bant ADSL bağlantısına sahip olmaları gerekiyor.

Videfon ile görüntülü konuşma uygulamasına geçişi duyurmak üzere İstanbul’da düzenlenen basın toplantısında sistemin işleyişi ile ilgili bilgi verildi. Verilen bilgiye göre, görüntülü telefonla konuşmak için Türk Telekom ile iki yıllık sözleşme imzalayan aboneler ayda tüm vergiler dahil 29 YTL ödeyerek 3 bin dakika da ücretsiz konuşma hakkını elde edebilecekler. Türk Telekom görüntülü telefonu teşvik etmek üzere ilk 100 bin müşterisine videofon cihazını da ücretsiz sunacak. Videofon ile kullanıcılar sesli ve görüntülü haberleşme yanı sıra anlık mesajlaşma yapabilecekler e-mail gönderebilecekler,internet ortamında gezinti yapabilecekler,TV seyredebilecekler ve web kameralarına bağlanarak görüntü alabilecekler. Bir başka uygulama ile de GSM sistemine bağlı SIM kartı içindeki bilgileri Videofona aktarabilecekler.

HEDEF 5.2 MİLYON ADSL KULLANICISI

Basın toplantısında soruları yanıtlayan Türk Telekom Operasyon Başkanı Celalettin Dinçer, tümüyle Türk mühendisler tarafından geliştirilen projenin 1.5 yıllık bir çalışmanın ürünü olduğunu belirterek, projenin videofonun da içinde yer aldığı geniş bir platform olduğunu söyledi. Dinçer, görüntülü telefonda hedefin öncelikle 5.2 milyon geniş bant ADSL kullanıcısı kitle olduğunu, Türkiye’de ADSL abonesi artışına paralel olarak görüntülü telefon için hedeflenen pazarın da büyüyeceğini kaydetti. Dinçer “ Pazardaki talebin hızla büyüyeceğini tahmin ediyoruz. Şimdiye kadar çok pozitif bir tepki aldık. Görüntülü telefon sayesinde kuşaklar arası iletişimi çok daha etkin hale geleceğini düşünüyoruz. Özelikle uzakta yaşayan aile bireyleri arasında hasret giderme aracı olacak. Anneler çocuklarıyla,dedeler torunlarıyla rahatlıkla görüntülü olarak konuşup hasret giderebilecekler. Asker ailelerinin özlemleri azalacak” dedi.

TÜRKİYE DÜNYA PAZARINDA DA İLKLER ARASINDA

Toplantıda projeyle ilgili değerlendirmelerde bulunan Türk Telekom Pazarlama ve İletişim Başkanı Erem Demircan ise, videofonun çevreci bir ürün olduğunu, insanların gerek özel gerekse iş hayatında zorunlu seyahat ihtiyacını en aza indireceğini ve karbon salınımını azaltacak yenilikçi bir ürün olduğunu savunarak “ Dünyada 1950’li yıllarda ilk başlayan görüntülü telefon, şimdi günümüz teknolojisi ile artık en ileri teknolojinin sunduğu yüksek görüntü kalitesiyle hizmet verecek. Türk Telekom için bu önemli bir kilometre taşı olacak. Abonelerimizin gözünde Türk Telekom’un yenilikçi imajının çok daha güçleneceğini inanıyoruz. İngiltere, Almanya ve Brezilya da daha birkaç ay öncesinde görüntülü telefona geçti. Türkiye de Türk Telekom ile 31 Mayıs 2008 itibariyle görüntülü telefon ailesine katılarak bu alanda çok önemli bir adım atmış oldu” diye konuştu.

Görüntülü telefon uygulamasını yaygınlaştırma amacıyla çok uygun fiyatlarla ve ücretsiz cihaz uygulamasıyla kampanya başlatıldığını belirten Demircan, “ Aylık 29 YTL’lik fiyatların çok optimum olduğunu düşünüyoruz. Her ay için verdiğimiz 3 bin dakikalık görüşme ücreti de çok cazip bir hediye. Pazardaki gelişmeleri sürekli değerlendirerek abone sayımızı hızla artırmayı ve yüksek bir penetrasyon sağlamayı hedefliyoruz” dedi.

Verilen bilgiye göre görüntülü telefon başvurusu Türk Telekom’un 444 1 444 numaralı çağrı merkezinin yanı sıra,Türk Telekom bayileri ve ofislerinden de yapılabilecek. Kurulum da üç işgünü içinde gerçekleştirilecek

Mobile VoIP cuts free from Wi-Fi

Mobile VoIP cuts free from Wi-Fi

Mobile VoIP provider Truphone is extending its service to give users free or cheap calls over the cellular network, when they are away from Wi-Fi hotspots. Meanwhile, a rival consumer service has launched with backing from UK retailer Tesco.

Truphone Anywhere dials a gateway on a local number, which then connects through to the destination number, saving money if it is an international call. Unlike some other services, this is transparent, with the call set-up handled automatically after the user dials the remote number. It is enabled partly by a recent Truphone acquisition, SIM4Travel, which provides cheap international calling through gateways in Europe.

"We've put together our mobile numbers and interconnect, with SIM4Travel's home location register (HLR)," said James Tagg, chief executive of Truphone. The company has its own number range, which has enabled it to act as a mobile operator, and win against operators including T-Mobile, which challenged this. In April, it raised another £16.5 million in venture funding to add to £12.5 million which it raised in 2007.

The idea of mobile VoIP is gaining ground in the UK, with Australian operator FreshTel launching a trial backed by a Tesco, and with a "buy one get one free" offer. FreshTel uses a VoIP client similar to Truphone's installing on Nokia E and N series phones, and operates on any Wi-Fi.

New FreshTel subscribers get £2 credit for a text which costs £1 in a limited beta-test deal, launched at the Wireless 08 show in London. The text starts an installation process which - in FreshTel's demo to Techworld, at Wireless 08 - was quick and painless, needing no web registration. The company claimed benefits compared with Truphone, including the use of the subscriber's regular mobile number.

"We're using other brands, to access their customer base," said Rhonda O'Donnell, chief executive of Freshtel, explaining the tie-up with Tesco, which owns around ten percent of the company.

Truphone's Tagg said that FreshTel was behind Truphone, in that it does not save money on incoming regular calls, and does not work away from Wi-Fi.

Both services are likely to go for a higher profile - with FreshTel hoping for more direct promotion by Tesco after this trial, and Truphone hovering on the verge of services that could put it on a more even footing with regular operators - for instance, perhaps, offering its own SIM.

Alcatel offers to tie CEO payoff to performance

Alcatel offers to tie CEO payoff to performance

Alcatel-Lucent, which posted a first-quarter net loss and warned on 2008 sales, will ask shareholders to vote on a proposal to tie its CEO's 6 million euro ($9.45 million) golden parachute to performance objectives, the Times newspaper reported on Tuesday.

The paper said that amid renewed talk that Chief Executive Pat Russo was about to be sacked, shareholders would be asked to approve a resolution at this Friday's annual meeting to award Russo the equivalent of two years' pay.

A spokeswoman at Alcatel confirmed the figure, which she said was part of a resolution first adopted at the company's 2007 AGM. She said this year's new resolution proposed to submit the compensation to performance targets.

"Six million euros correspond to the maximum amount of two full years of salary plus variable income," the spokeswoman said. "Given 2007 performance, her (Russo's) salary was 1.8 million euros out of a maximum amount possible of 3 million."

"This resolution of two years of salary was already adopted last year. The thing that changes this year is that this parachute is submitted to performance criteria," she added.

Russo will have to meet at least 90 percent of the performance target for sales, or 75 percent of the performance target for operating profit, according to the seventh resolution of Alcatel's AGM agenda, available on its website.

The French-American company has issued a string of warnings since it merged in 2006 amid fierce price competition from Asian rivals, merger-related costs and uncertainty over production integration.

This has wiped off about half of the group's market value.

Vodafone Announces New Chief Executive

Vodafone Announces New Chief Executive

Vodafone Group Plc today announces that, after five years in the role, Arun Sarin will be retiring as Chief Executive at the end of the Company's AGM on 29th July 2008. He will be succeeded by Deputy Chief Executive Vittorio Colao.

Arun Sarin became Chief Executive in July 2003 and over the last five years has led the company through a period of significant change, both strategic and organisational. Under his leadership Vodafone has developed and implemented a new strategy to become a total communications company, which is already delivering results. As part of its strategy Vodafone has also expanded into emerging markets including Romania, Czech Republic, Turkey, and most recently, India where Arun Sarin led the acquisition of Hutchison Essar, which is the largest foreign investment made in the country.

In portfolio management, during this time the Company also disposed of its businesses in Japan and Sweden, together with interests in Switzerland and Belgium. In Europe the new strategy has delivered innovative products, improved revenue and significant cost reduction.

Organisationally the Company has been structured to take advantage of its significant global footprint by becoming an integrated business with a clear distinction between global and local activities.

During his time as Chief Executive the Company has also grown its proportionate customer base from 120 million to more than 260 million globally and over this period Vodafone has consistently delivered strong results. Returns to shareholders over this period have also been very positive with dividends increasing from 1.69p to 7.51p, an increase of more than 400%. He has also built a new senior management team and taken the lead on major industry issues, including mobile broadband and internet services.

Commenting, Chairman Sir John Bond said:

"Arun has done a tremendous job as Chief Executive. He has led the Company with distinction and navigated Vodafone through a period of rapid change. He has developed a new strategy for the business and significantly expanded our footprint in emerging markets. The acquisition in India was very well timed and executed. The Board has a great deal to thank him for and I would like personally to thank him for all he has done for the business and wish him and his family all the best for the future. In Vittorio Colao we have a fine successor and I am looking forward to working with him in his new role."

Arun Sarin said:

"It has been a privilege to lead Vodafone for the last five years and to have been involved in the company for such a long time. I feel that I have accomplished what I set out to achieve, particularly in developing and implementing a new strategy. I am very proud of what Vodafone and its 71,000 people have achieved and the good momentum we have in the marketplace. I know that the business is in capable hands with Vittorio Colao. Having worked with him for many years I know that he has the experience and vision to take Vodafone on to future success."

Vodafone Group Plc also announced today that Non Executive Directors Michael Boskin and Jürgen Schrempp will not be seeking re-election at the AGM. Michael Boskin joined the Vodafone Board in 1999 on Vodafone's merger with AirTouch Communications Inc, having served for a number of years previously on the AirTouch Board. Jürgen Schrempp became a Director of Vodafone in 2000 when Vodafone completed its acquisition of Mannesmann, having been a member of Mannesmann's Supervisory Board before then.

Sir John Bond said: "I would like to thank Michael and Jürgen for their contributions and for the different and important perspectives each has brought to our Board. Both have served with distinction and I am very grateful for their tireless work on our Board Committees, especially Michael's Chairmanship of the Audit Committee. Jürgen has, at one time or another, been a member of each of our principal Board Committees. We wish them both well in the future."

Gartner says 4G is a technology in search of a business case

Gartner says 4G is a technology in search of a business case

By Don Sambandaraksa

4G is a technology in search of a business case that will convince investors to part with the billions of dollars in investment needed to roll out the next generation of networks, while back haul, the cost of getting data to each radio cell site, will deliver a hidden sting in the tail as mobile operators struggle to upgrade their networks to support the huge data speeds that new radio technologies can deliver.

Speaking at the Gartner Mobile and Wireless summit in London, Gartner research vice-president Ian Keene said that five key wireless technologies are likely to emerge in the next five years to make the lives of anyone managing wireless networks even more complicated.

In the personal space, Bluetooth will be joined by Zigbee for low-power telemetry with batteries that last months or years.

Office wireless LANs will finally see 802.11n along side the b, g and sometimes a standards we have today. However, at 300MBPS, Wi-Fi N will require Gigabit Ethernet to the access point and in many cases new Power over Ethernet systems to deliver the increased power requirements needed. For the wide area network, a combination of copper, fibre and WiMAX will be creeping in. "Not WiMAX as mobile, but WiMAX as a fixed solution," he stressed.

For the mobile arena, today we have moved from GPRS to EDGE to WCDMA, pockets of HSDPA (High Speed Data Packet Access, sometimes called 3.5G) and the promise of HSUPA (High Speed Uplink Packet Access). In some parts of Asia and the United States, companies will also need a CDMA strategy. Then there is the future potential of WiMAX.

Despite the hype, 4G is still not here today and already it is questionable if it makes economic sense to invest in the backhaul for today's HSDPA and HSUPA mobile broadband. 802.16d fixed WiMAX might well die in the trough of disillusionment and be replaced by mobile WiMAX 802.16e in fixed installations which will deliver greater economies of scale.

Keene said that the entire mobile market was up until now driven by hype. Vendors are pushing new products to operators to invest a lot of money in scared that their competition will invest in it and succeed with something they do not have. Today, the GSM family together has 79 percent of connections as of the end of 2006. This is significant as these operators will likely evolve with the GSM family to 3G WCDMA, HSPA and to LTE as they will need backward compatibility as their networks evolve.

For 3G, Gartner forecast that the GSM family would capture 89 percent of worldwide connections, some one billion by 2011. Meanwhile pre-3G GSM continues to grow in developing countries and the entire family will reach around four billion user by then.

However, the question is not just GSM versus CDMA, but there are emerging IP-based technologies such as WiMAX, municipal Wi-Fi and other proprietary stuff that is vying for the next 4G standard.

"4G. We don't know exactly what it is, but it is going to have an IP backplane, OFDM (orthogonal frequency division multiplex), software defined radio and MIMO (multiple in, multiple out)," he said.

Keene said that there were four main contenders for 4G today. There was Wi-Fi which was evolving beyond today's municipal hotspots to meet the technical descriptions of 4G; LTE, which was the obvious contender, UMB, Qualcomm's hope for 4G. though many operators were still weary of Qualcomm's licensing terms; and WiMAX. which he predicted would be the second 4G standard.

Keene said that one of the biggest problems with WiMAX in Europe would be its high operating frequency of 3.5GHz which would require more base stations and cause problems with in-building coverage, though the situation was improving with some 2.5GHz licences now being issued.

However, he does not expect handsets to be available for some time. The first handsets will be expensive with terrible power consumption. For users and operators who do not wish to go through that phase, Gartner does not expect WiMAX handsets with comparable features to today's 3G handsets before 2011.

"WiMAX's problems are cutting the time advantage that Mobile WiMAX had over LTE," he said.

LTE (Long Term Evolution) may be ready by 2009 and because of this, Gartner does not expect to see too many existing mobile operators taking up WiMAX in their home market. However, for new entrants, or for established operators exploring new markets, WiMAX does have a role to play.

"We don't believe it (WiMAX) will be the leading 4G standard. We expect less than two percent of handsets will be WiMAX, but that is still a big market for manufacturers," he said.

The ITU has also defined 4G as 100 MBPS of highly-mobile use and 1 GBPS in a nomadic setup. However, delivering that level of connectivity will require a huge amount of spectrum. In Europe today, 585 MHz of spectrum has been allocated, but the UMTS forum has forecasted that if everyone is to take advantage of 4G by 2020, another 1,200 to 1,700 MHz of frequency will need to be licensed. "Where on earth is that going to come from?" he pondered.

Today, the ITU has approved bands in the 450 and 700 MHz range which have the added benefit of being able to travel long distances and penetrate walls, but still to get the amount of frequency needed, the industry expects to use the untapped 5 GHz spectrum which will have "atrocious" coverage and require huge investments in terms of base stations.

"4G is a technology in search of a business case. Vendors are developing 4G standards and rolling out prototype 4G networks, while mobile numbers are saturated and operators have trouble growing ARPU (average revenue per user). "We can't say that 3G has been such a great success so can you give me billions more to invest in 4G. I can't see it happening," he said.

VOIP is largely illegal in Africa

VOIP is largely illegal in Africa

BY CHRISTELLE DU TOIT

The lack of legalisation of voice over IP (VOIP) services in Africa was bemoaned on the eve of Africa Day – 25 May. Balancing Act CEO Russell Southwood says, while Botswana and Cape Verde recently moved in the direction of legalising the technology, they are still part of a small group of African countries to have done so.

“There are only 10 African countries, including Botswana and Cape Verde, that have legalised VOIP,” he says.

VOIP is an Internet Protocol (IP) technology that allows voice information to be sent in digital form, rather than using the traditional circuit-committed protocols of the public switched telephone network. A major advantage of VOIP and Internet telephony is that it avoids the tolls charged by ordinary telephone services.

VOIP has been touted as the way forward for developing countries, in particular, as it helps to drive the uptake of telecommunications by allowing for far cheaper communications.

“Lower international calling prices mean that international businesses find it cheaper to operate in Africa and, therefore, increase their investment,” explains Southwood.

According to Southwood, the lack of a legal framework for VOIP to operate shows incumbent telecommunications players in Africa, be they fixed or mobile, want to retain their stronghold on the market.

“The problem is also that, even if it is legal, how do you get a licence for it?” He explains that few telecommunications regulators are truly liberalising their environments in this way.

“You need a mindset change to move away from the incumbent players to VOIP in order for it to take off.”

Looking to Africa

Southwood says SA has a relatively large number of value-added network service providers, but is still stifled, as far as reducing the cost of telecommunications, by a low number of international gateways and high interconnect fees.

“It is not possible to make it cheaper at the moment, certainly not as rapidly as we would want it to happen.”

He points to other African countries where he believes VOIP is being properly introduced: “If, as in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, you have opened the range of people who have access to the international gateway function and international VOIP service providers can interconnect with other operators to offer cheap calling, then you can really say VOIP is legal.

“It will be the only way to drive down the cost of international calling and increase its volumes. If you're not doing this, you're missing the point.”

With regards to whether VOIP is automatically illegal if it is not specifically legalised, Southwood says: “In Anglophone countries, law relies more on custom and practice, and it has tended to be argued that gateway licences make VOIP illegal for all but those operating under the licence.”

In addition, arguing that licences are technology-neutral and allow operators to carry voice, irrespective of how, is only true in a narrow sense, says Southwood.

“One to three international gateway licence-holders are unlikely to be incentivised by a cost-cutting technology like VOIP to lower their international calling prices. This only happens – as in East Africa – when you start licensing additional alternative VOIP service providers who both introduce the technology and lower international calling prices.”

Turk Telekom selected Alcatel for Rural Telephony

Turk Telekom selected Alcatel for Rural Telephony

Shares in Turkish telecommunications company Alcatel Lucent Teletas rise 7.23 percent to 1.78 lira after news that it won a tender for a $41.3 million project. "The move is due to the news of their project with Turk Telekom, which at 22 million euros is a significant one for them as their market capitalisation is only $55 million," says Mehmet Ilgen, head of sales at Ata Invest. The project, organised by landline operator Turk Telekom to bring telephony to remote areas in rural Turkey, is expected to be completed within two years, the company says in a statement.

Superonline yine Turkcell'e dönüyor

Superonline yine Turkcell'e dönüyor

Turkcell yüzde 100 iştiraki olan Turktell bilişim aracılığıyla dolaylı olarak iştirak ettiği Bilyoner İnteraktif Hizmetler şirketindeki yüzde 55 hissesini, Çukurova Grubu bünyesinde bulunan Demir Toprak'a sattığını açıkladı. Turkcell, borsaya yaptığı açıklamada, Bilyoner'deki hisselerin satışı karşılığında Superonlie'daki hisselerin de Turktell Bileşim AŞ tarafından satın alınacağı bildirildi. Açıklamada, alım satım işleminin aynı fiyattan yapılacağı bilgisine de yer verildi. Gün içinde Superonline'den yapılan yazılı açıklamada da, Rekabet Kurumunun gerekli izin ve onayının ardından gerçekleştirilecek satış ile birlikte, daha önce Fintur bünyesinde bir Turkcell Grup şirketi olan Superonline'nin tekrar Turkcell bünyesine geri döneceği, anlaşmanın imzalanmasıyla birlikte gerekli izinlerin alınması için müracaat edileceği kaydedildi. Açıklamada, alınan ses hizmetine yönelik lisanslarla birlikte vizyonunu "yeni nesil komünikasyon operatörü" olarak belirlediği vurgulandı.

'Cep pazarı 4 yıl sonra İngiltere'yi yakalayacak'
Avea Genel Müdürü Cüneyt Türktan, Türkiye mobil pazarının önümüzdeki 4 yıl içinde Avrupa'nın 2 katı üzerinde büyüyeceğini ve 77 milyon hat sayısına ulaşacağını belirtti. "Dünya Telekomünikasyon ve Bilgi Toplumu Günü Kutlamaları ve 3. Karadeniz ve Hazar Düzenleyici Konferansı" nda konuşan Türktan, Türkiye'nin hat sayısı bakımından 4 yıl sonra İngiltere'yi yakalayacağını, Türkiye mobil pazarının önümüzdeki 4 yılda dolar bazında yüzde 41 artışla 10 milyar dolarlık bir ciroya ulaşacağını kaydetti. Telekom Genel Müdürü Paul Doany de, Türkiye'de kayıtlı internet kullanıcı sayısının 5 milyonu aştığını, bunun PC penetrasyonunu da artırdığını belirtti.

EAccess: WiMax will lose the 4G battle

EAccess: WiMax will lose the 4G battle

Sachio Semmoto, founder of Japanese broadband Internet and wireless company eAccess Ltd, said on Wednesday that WiMax, a new super high-speed wireless technology, will lose the battle to be the fourth-generation mobile standard of choice.

Semmoto, a telecoms industry veteran of 35 years, told the Reuters Global Technology, Media and Telecoms Summit in Tokyo that a rival technology, known as Long Term Evolution (LTE), will win the race for 4G wireless networks because many large operators in developed countries are throwing their weight behind it.

Semmoto, also chairman of eAccess, said code division multiple access (CDMA) technology is also likely to fall by the wayside eventually.

"Unfortunately for the sake of the Wimax camp and the CDMA camp, they will become minorities," he said. "In the telecoms industry, if you become the minority, that's the end of life."

Although WiMax counts Intel Corp as a supporter, LTE got ahead in the race after Vodafone, Verizon Wireless, China Mobile and Japan's NTT DoCoMo, have rallied behind it.

Fourth-generation telecoms networks promise to make everything from mobile-video sharing to music downloads speedier.

Semmoto also said Apple Inc's iPhone was a "total failure" in the U.S. market, considering how few of the phones have sold compared with those from rivals, such as Nokia .

He praised iPhone's functions but blamed the choice of network. AT&T is the only carrier for the iPhone in the United States.

"If I have a chance to talk to Steve, I'd like to tell him face to face: You made a wrong choice," he said.

U.S.-educated Semmoto is a director and trustee of Reuters Founders Share Company.

Qualcomm Invests in ip.access - femtocell

Qualcomm Invests in ip.access - femtocell

Qualcomm Inc. has made a strategic investment in femtocell vendor ip.access Ltd. in a move that swells the ranks of the home base station maker's impressive investors and could signal a significant shift in the femtocell chipset market.

Qualcomm joins ip.access investors Cisco Systems Inc., Intel Capital , Motorola Ventures , Scottish Equity Partners , Amadeus Capital Partners Ltd. , and Rothschild Gestion. The amount of Qualcomm's investment was not disclosed. (See Cisco Invests in ip.access and Cisco, ip.access Prep Femto Combo.)

As part of Qualcomm's European investment fund -- which has €100 million (US$157 million) to spend on early-stage companies -- the investment in ip.access is Qualcomm's first official move into the femtocell market.

Behind the scenes, though, Qualcomm has actually been working hard on a femtocell chipset for some time, as Unstrung reported back in January 2007.

"Qualcomm is expected to introduce a femtocell chipset -- that's an open secret in the industry," says Heavy Reading senior analyst Gabriel Brown. "But exactly what the product will be is unclear."

Back in January last year, Qualcomm's vice president of wireless connectivity, Greg Raleigh -- who is also the former CEO of Airgo Networks Inc. , which Qualcomm acquired in December 2006 -- told Unstrung that Qualcomm was working on an integrated WiFi/cellular chipset for a "new generation of multi-megabit home base-station products."

Qualcomm was not available for comment as this article was published. But it seems the words of warning that Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs issued at the Mobile World Congress earlier this year about the management and interference problems that femtocells would cause in mobile operator networks did not mean that the vendor wasn't already dabbling in the technology.

The kind of chipset that Qualcomm is developing is not known, but it is likely to be for CDMA, WCDMA, or even an integrated WiFi/cellular chipset for a home gateway.

Qualcomm's investment in ip.access is good for the femtocell maker as well as for the young femtocell industry.

"Having [Qualcomm's] weight behind us and behind femtocells is good," says Andy Tiller, vice president of marketing at ip.access. "It's beginning to look like this market is about scale. We need big friends in that kind of market, and Qualcomm is one of those friends."

Heavy Reading's Brown notes that Qualcomm has made a good femto investment choice.

"ip.access is one of the best femtocell plays because they're one of the few companies that has real-world experience with small base stations backhauled over IP," says Brown, referring to the vendor's GSM picocell business.

The femto vendor is involved in multiple operator trials worldwide, including AT&T Inc. and Vodafone Group plc, reportedly.

Qualcomm's presence in the femtocell market also signals a potential upheaval in the chipset segment if the company does indeed develop its own products.

If Qualcomm does release WCDMA femtocell silicon, that would have positive and negative implications for smaller players such as picoChip Designs Ltd. , RadioFrame Networks Inc. , and Percello Ltd. , and may impact the module business of companies such as Airvana Inc. or Ubiquisys Ltd. , according to Brown. "Qualcomm's involvement would go a huge way to validating the concept, but it would be a formidable competitor."

Microsoft loses U.S. patent suit vs Alcatel-Lucent

Microsoft loses U.S. patent suit vs Alcatel-Lucent

Microsoft lost a lawsuit that had accused Alcatel-Lucent of violating patents used in business telephone networks, the U.S. International Trade Commission said on Tuesday. Microsoft had accused Alcatel-Lucent of infringing four patents for software in a system that integrates telephones with computers for calls, messages and videoconferences. "The commission has determined that there is no violation of section 337," the ITC said in its ruling. Section 337 refers to infringing intellectual property. The administrative law judge hearing the case, Paul Luckern, had initially ruled that Alcatel-Lucent infringed one of the four patents in the initial suit. The full commission said on Tuesday that Alcatel-Lucent did not infringe on the fourth patent either, both companies said. "We are pleased with the ITC's decision and had always believed that we had a strong case," said Alcatel-Lucent spokeswoman Mary Ward. Microsoft spokesman David Bowermaster said the software giant was disappointed. "We are disappointed that the International Trade Commission reversed Judge Luckern's ruling that Alcatel-Lucent infringed Microsoft's '439 patent. We look forward to receiving the detailed ruling so we can understand the Commission's reasoning," Bowermaster said in an e-mailed statement.

VoIP Telephony Growth Is Still Limited by Issues of Reliability and Audio Clarity, Latest Keynote Study Reports

VoIP Telephony Growth Is Still Limited by Issues of Reliability and Audio Clarity, Latest Keynote Study Reports

7 Leading VoIP Providers, and 2 PacketCable Providers, Benchmarked Against Traditional Wireline Provider Measuring Key Indicators for Reliability and Performance. Study Reveals Consumers Likely to Experience Tolerable, Rather Than Fully Satisfactory, Audio Delay on Calls With VoIP and PacketCable Service

Keynote Competitive Research, the industry analysis group of Keynote Systems (Nasdaq:KEYN), the global leader in mobile and Internet test & measurement solutions for continuously improving the online experience, today announced the results of its Industry Study Series of Voice Service Providers. The study looked at reliability and performance of leading VoIP, PacketCable and local wireline services.

Keynote’s competitive research study provides valuable data and insight that help VoIP providers of both managed networks and unmanaged networks overcome the quality barriers separating them from traditional local wireline phone service. The study compares the relative performance over a single month of a local wireline service (AT&T) with seven broadband VoIP providers (AT&T CallVantage, EarthLink trueVoice, Lingo, Packet8, Verizon VoiceWing, Vonage, and Vonics Digital) and two cable voice service providers (Time Warner Digital Phone and Comcast Digital Voice) from calls made from residential locations in New York and San Francisco.

While VoIP’s market share continues to grow, a recent study* showed that the number of traditional fixed line customers continued to drop sharply during 2007 with Verizon and AT&T both reporting declines of around 10% in residential wireline accounts. The growth in VoIP was a major contributor to this decline, in particular cable VoIP, with subscriber growth rates around 75%. VoIP reliability and audio clarity remain important factors that will influence the long-term customer retention potential of these new market players. “The service level performance of traditional wireline voice service continues to outperform the VoIP competition. Cable companies using managed networks are rapidly closing the gap and will continue to make this an exciting market to watch,” remarked Ben Rushlo, senior manager with Keynote’s competitive research group.

VoIP Service Provider Study, Wave 5 Competitive Research Results

Keynote’s study reveals that while most voice service offerings from the cable companies and VoIP service providers trail traditional wireline service in quality, some service providers are highly competitive.

Keynote’s new study of voice service quality uncovered the following observations:

• Consumers are more likely to experience merely tolerable, rather than completely satisfactory audio delay on VoIP calls.
• One VoIP service provider studied had no calls measuring a MOS of 4.0 or better, a key threshold for end user satisfaction; the best a consumer on this service can hope for is merely tolerable sounding audio.
• One VoIP provider experienced audio delay of more than 150 ms for every call placed, increasing the likelihood of conversational disruption for end users.
• One VoIP provider required six seconds more than other VoIP providers to connect calls after dialing.
• There were large quality gaps between VoIP providers on unmanaged networks and other service providers.

These findings are of great significance to VoIP providers who are under increasing market pressure to understand and prevent high rates of customer attrition and churn in a rapidly changing market. To find out more information about purchasing the complete Keynote voice competitive research study including detailed rankings, please visit: http://www.keynote.com/keynote_competitive_research/industry_studies/voice.html

Nimbuzz Offers All-In-One Mobile VoIP, IM, Text, And Chat

Nimbuzz Offers All-In-One Mobile VoIP, IM, Text, And Chat

A Netherlands-based startup is offering a sort of Swiss Army knife VoIP-IM-chat-texting program that can operate on hundreds of mobile phone handsets, according to an announcement Tuesday.

Called Nimbuzz, the all-in-one application was announced in the U.K. and the beta offering is available for download. The company has received several million dollars in backing from venture capitalists, including $10 million from Mangrove Capital Partners, which was the original backer of Skype.

The application works across several social networking sites including MySpace and Facebook and enables users to communicate with each other, often free of charge. Nimbuzz currently has 500,000 users; they can utilize the application inexpensively if they have flat-rate data plans.

"Everyone loves Skype -- on the PC," said Tariq Dag Steinberg Kahn, Nimbuzz's chief marketing officer. "But when it comes to the mobile, we believe we offer a better solution. With this new release, we now also have a genuine free mobile VoIP solution that works on more than 90 handsets including Nokia Samsung, and LG."

To use the service, a six-button widget must be downloaded. After two users have downloaded the application, they can make mobile-to-mobile calls to each other for the price of a local call, even for international calls. Conference calls of up to five persons can be initiated.

The service is mixed and matched throughout a hierarchy of 176 countries, 3G, Wi-Fi, and GPRS/EDGE networks. Nimbuzz operates with Java-equipped phones and with Nokia Symbian Series 60 handsets. Coming soon is capability for iPhones and for Windows Mobile devices. The application also provides free file, photo, and ringtone sharing as well as free text messaging among Nimbuzz users. Nimbuzz says there are "no subscriptions, no payments, no credits to purchase."

Calls over VoIP services including Skype, MSN, Gtalk, and AIM buddies are also supported, as are calls from PC-to-mobile, mobile-to-PC, and PC-to-PC.

"The good news is that mobile data costs are coming down dramatically," said Steinberg Kahn. "Flat-rate data plans didn't exist last year in Europe; now they're everywhere. This makes using Nimbuzz the closest thing to free communication there is." He said the company is building working relationships with carriers and strategic partners in Europe.

VoIP continues to grow

VoIP continues to grow

Voice over internet protocol (VoIP) revenues are set to continue their upwards trend despite increasing gloom over the state of the global economy, according to an industry expert.

Sarika Patel, head of technology at Grant Thornton, told Comms-Dealer that she expects the sector to attract significant interest as revenues surge to £13.5 billion in 2010.

She said: "[Large telecommunications firms] will be looking at the smaller players as acquisition targets in order to develop the business model and IP necessary to grab a strong foothold in this market."

Recent research by iLocus suggests that overall VoIP traffic experienced a 35 per cent rise last year, while the number of VoIP access server licenses sold globally increased by 67 per cent.

There are currently around 450,000 paying mobile VoIP subscribers worldwide, which is predicted to reach 2.4 million by the end of the year before rising further to 26.6 million in 2012.

Intel Invests in Malaysian WiMax Provider

Intel Invests in Malaysian WiMax Provider

Intel on Monday announced a 50 million ringgit (US$15.3 million) investment in Green Packet, the parent company of Malaysian WiMax operator Packet One Networks. The funds invested by Intel will be used to support Green Packet's WiMax business, the Malaysian company said in a statement. The investment in Green Packet is the latest in a string of investments made by the chip maker to help spur the deployment of WiMax technology. Intel is counting on WiMax, a technology that offers high-speed data connections over a wide area, to give users high-speed Internet access from mobile computers. Later this year, Intel will add WiMax support to its Centrino chip package with the release of Centrino 2, formerly known as Montevina, which offers WiMax as an option. Packet One's WiMax network will begin commercial operation in June. The operator will offer the mobile version of WiMax, called 802.16e, and use the 2.3GHz spectrum. That is the same frequency spectrum used by WiMax operators in South Korea, although most global operators are planning to use the 2.5GHz to 3.5GHz spectrum bands.

Wimax ready for ...

Research and Markets: WiMAX Ready for Market Adoption Now and 9 Million Mobile WiMAX Chipsets Will Ship in 2009

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c91435) has announced the addition of 'Wireless Broadband Technology Trends Report Spring 2008' to their offering.

The Report includes a thorough evaluation of emerging technologies including WiMAX, both fixed and mobile, WiBRO, HSPA, BPL (broadband over Powerline), and advanced optical fiber.

This report is designed to support development of business and product planning activities.

Analysis includes an assessment of the market, regulatory, and governmental drivers on global scale. The Report includes analysis of the WiMAX Forum, IPv6, and the emergence of ENUM, as well as global & regional market trends & forecasts, regulatory issues, standards development, economic effects, and strategic developments. The Report also offers a comprehensive analysis of total addressable market issues in individual early geographic areas that makes it possible to join other companies that are entering a particular geographic market and will achieve a reasonable ROI.

WiMAX Ready for Market Adoption Now and 9 million Mobile WiMAX Chipsets will Ship in 2009.

Mobile WiMAX, or IEEE 802.16e, is a technology now primed and ready for its clearly defined market. The standard is in place, components are available, and regulatory conditions are favorable. WTRS believes adoption will proceed with great vigor, and identifies winning markets, drivers and challenges within the wider wireless broadband arena.

According to this new report, Mobile WiMAX or IEE 802.16e, has evolved to the point of realistic market acceptance. Additional factors are creating a condition of strong positive growth for the market for Mobile WiMAX over the next 18 months.

"Indicators for significant market adoption include the development of the first SoC products, certification of products by the WiMAX forum, and the development of solutions to assure global roaming for mobile WiMAX," according to Kirsten West, PhD, principal analyst at WTRS. "Combined, these opportunities represent a market of nearly 9 million WiMAX chipsets shipping in 2009, with 30% occurring in the Asian Market. "

Key Findings:

(1) What are the factors driving the development of wireless broadband markets?

(2) How does the development of wired broadband network infrastructure enable and accelerate the deployment of wireless broadband technologies?

(3) How do regulatory issues affect the growth of wireless broadband networks?

(4) What key features of wired broadband technologies compete directly with wireless broadband technologies?

(5) Where does WiMAX fit into the wireless broadband sector? Which geographies and markets are most likely to lead in WiMAX adoption?

(6) What are the drivers and challenges facing LTE adoption?

For more information, visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c91435

Cisco Introduces Personal TelePresence

Cisco Introduces Personal TelePresence

Cisco today unveiled the next evolution in virtual communications with the introduction of two new environments: a personal Cisco® TelePresence system for use in individual offices and a large Cisco TelePresence room ideal for group training and cross-functional team meetings.

List Pricing and Availability

The Cisco TelePresence System 500 has a list price of $33,900 USD; the Cisco TelePresence 3200 has a list price of $340,000 USD. Both ship in the third calendar quarter of 2008. A $90,000 USD list Cisco TelePresence System 3200 upgrade kit is also available for Cisco TelePresence System 3000 customers.

A breakthrough collaborative technology, Cisco TelePresence integrates advanced audio, high-definition video and interactive elements with the power of the underlying network to deliver an immersive meeting experience. Cisco TelePresence can help companies shorten sales and product-development cycles while improving operational efficiencies and supporting environmentally responsible business practices.

The two additions to the Cisco TelePresence portfolio are the Cisco TelePresence System 500 and Cisco TelePresence System 3200. They join the existing Cisco TelePresence System 1000 and 3000 endpoints, offering a portfolio that provides intercompany, multipoint and video conferencing interoperability capabilities to help customers scale virtual meetings across their organizations, simply, over a converged network.

With the introduction of the Cisco TelePresence System 500, the immersive power of Cisco TelePresence is extended into the personal office. This smaller form factor retains all the same qualities of the life-size, face-to-face Cisco TelePresence interaction while giving organizations the flexibility to support intimate, one-on-one meetings or enable employees to join larger group meetings from personal workspaces. The Cisco TelePresence System 500 also provides a lower-cost entry point for medium-sized businesses to experience telepresence in communication with partners, customers or suppliers.

The Cisco TelePresence System 500 integrates a 37-inch display, camera, an innovative microphone array, speakers and specially-designed lighting in a complete solution that can be placed on a desk, mounted on the wall or stand on a pedestal in a private office, creating one of the first high-definition telepresence experiences for personal use. Maintaining the Cisco TelePresence experience, it allows users to participate in virtual meetings as an equal participant, appearing life-size to participants in other Cisco TelePresence rooms. The Cisco TelePresence 500 can also be used as a second monitor in a personal office or as a digital sign through integration with the Cisco Digital Media System video technology for digital signage and desktop video streaming.

The Cisco TelePresence System 3200 builds on the success of the six-person Cisco TelePresence System 3000 by tripling the room capacity and augmenting the virtual table with a second row of seating for larger venues. Ideal for headquarters sites or large regional offices, the system allows large teams to meet and collaborate virtually with remote participants when much of the team is in one physical location, or conduct training or classroom applications easily with remote participants or presenters.

The Cisco TelePresence System 3200 is designed to provide the same high-quality audio and video experience to meeting participants in both rows, without requiring a raised row of second seating. With table configurations for either 12 or 18 participants, new camera lenses, microphones for back-row participants, and a new codec that supports data sharing at 30 fps, the Cisco TelePresence System 3200 embodies the sophisticated innovation that has become the standard for Cisco TelePresence.

"SAP is commited to delivering products and services that help accelerate business innovation for our customers," said Dietmar Bruder, vice president, SAP IT Infrastructure Services. "As a leading provider of business software solutions, we are constantly rethinking success and what it takes to be agile, integrated, and flexible to respond to change and complex pressures -- to do more, and deliver more effectively to our customers. With Cisco TelePresence, we can work faster without sacrificing any of the face-to-face interaction that is so crucial to gaining consensus across teams. The CTS 3200 especially helps us scale training and handle larger meetings, it's a key addition to our Cisco TelePresence portfolio."

The recent introduction of intercompany Cisco TelePresence services will enable companies to meet in-person with partners, customers or suppliers with the same simplicity, security and experience as they can internally today. This breakthrough in video communications, combined with today's introduction of additional Cisco TelePresence endpoints, will help extend the power of the technology into a broader range of companies and meeting environments.

"Video is rapidly becoming the most effective way to communicate and share information," said Charles Stucki, vice president and general manager, TelePresence Systems business unit, Cisco. "TelePresence is much more than video. TelePresence puts you into the meeting in every important sense. With our recent developments in intercompany and interoperability with video conferencing and an expanded portfolio of solutions, we've dramatically increased the uses for and value of TelePresence. This will help accelerate the proliferation across organizations of all sizes."

Critical to delivering the innovative Cisco TelePresence experience are integrated services from certified partners and Cisco. Cisco offers new specific enhanced and streamlined services for Cisco TelePresence System 500 installation and configuration to rapidly and cost-effectively scale deployments.

Cisco also recently enhanced Cisco TelePresence multipoint capabilities with the ability to scale in a single meeting up to 48 sites, and has released interoperability with standards-based videoconferencing systems to help organizations scale Cisco TelePresence deployments.

Vodafone'da Atilla Vitai Dönemi Biterken

Atilla Vitai Dönemi Biterken

Fusun Nebil, 9 Mayıs 2008

Bugün akşam saatlerinde Vodafone’dan gelen bir açıklamada CEO Atilla Vitai’nin görevinden ayrıldığı bildiriliyordu. Telefonlar hemen çalışmaya başladı “Acaba neden ayrıldı?”. Çünkü, Vitai’nin “hemen” ayrılacağına dair herhangi bir işaret bulunmuyordu. Bugüne bakıldığında, Vitai’nin gidişine resmi neden açıklanmamasına karşın, pazarda “Türkiye’yi tam anlayamamak, Vodafone içinde Türk yöneticilere ve pazarı bilmelerine önem vermemek” şeklinde tahminler yapılıyor. Aydın Çamlıbel’in Türk Telekom’a kaptırılmasının da bir dönüm noktası olduğunu düşünenler var.

Bugün akşam saatlerinde Vodafone’dan gelen bir açıklamada CEO Atilla Vitai’nin görevinden ayrıldığı bildiriliyordu. Telefonlar hemen çalışmaya başladı “Acaba neden ayrıldı?”. Çünkü, Vitai’nin “hemen” ayrılacağına dair herhangi bir işaret bulunmuyordu.

Gerçi 2007 sonunda, Vodafone Türkiye’nin, yılın başında belirtildiği ya da beklendiği kadar başarılı olamadığı ve bu nedenle Vitai’nin gideceği yorumları yapılmıştı ama Vodafone’un mali yılı, bizdeki gibi yıl sonunda değildi. Vitai’de o günlerde yerini korudu. Hatta etrafına “2009’da emekli olarak ayrılacağı” şeklinde konuştuğu da kulağımıza kadar geldi.

“Peki aniden ne oldu da Vitai ayrıldı?”.

1 yıl önce, Süreyya Ciliv’in Turkcell’in başına geçtiği ocak 2007’den, nerdeyse Turkcell’in 2.çeyrek sonuçlarının açıklandığı döneme kadar en çok tartışılan konu, Turkcell’in kaybetmeye başlayacağı tartışmasıydı. Ama şimdi durum pek öyle görünmüyor.

Turkcell’de Genel Müdürsüz geçirdiği, 2006 boyunca ve hatta 2007 ilk çeyrekte durgun giden sonuçlar, 2007 2.çeyrek ile birlikte değişti. Heyecan içeren bir dalga haline geldi. Bu heyecana yurtdışı borsalar bile katıldılar ve sürekli “Turkcell hissesi alın” önerilerinde bulundular. Gerçi Turkcell’ciler 2008 ilk çeyrek sonuçlarından çok mutlu olmadıklarını belirtiyorlar. Ama bu biraz da, “bize daha başarılı olmak yakışır” türü bir büyüklük ifadesi gibi.

Muhtemelen Vitai’nin gidişini hazırlayan da bu, yani genelde Turkcell’in gidişatı ve özelde de dün açıklanan Turkcell 1.çeyrek sonuçları ile, Vodafone’un mali yıl sonuçları (ki 31 mart 2008 itibariyle alınıyor ve 28 mayısta açıklanacak) arasındaki ilişki.

Vodafone, Telsim'in yönetimini haziran 2006’da TMSF’den teslim aldığında, Genel Müdürlüğe atanan Atilla Vitai için pazarın ilk dikkat ettiği husus “Macarca bilmeyen bir Macar” olduğuydu. Yani, Vitai’nin "İngiliz olmaktan memnun olduğu ve Türkiye’ye ısınamayacağı" yorumları vardı.

Vitai'nin 1 yıl önce yaptığı ve 38 kuruşluk dakika fiyatı açıkladığı basın toplantısı ve hemen arkasından Kazlıçeşme’de düzenlenen kutlamada ise performansı yüksek olacak izlenimi vermişti.

Ben Vitai ile görüştüğüm muhtelif ortamlarda, aslında kocaman açtığı mavi gözleri ile dikkatle dinleyen, cevap veren ve zaman zaman destekleyen bir centilmen gördüm. Nisan 2007’de bir röportaj yaptık, Vitai röportaja şu sözlerle girdi;

Ben maillerimi saklamam ama 1 tanesi aylardır saklıyorum. İngiltere’den gönderildi bu mail.

İngiltere’den gelen mailde, turk.internet.com’da İngilizce olarak yayınlanan ve 2007 başındaki mobil sektörü özetleyen[4] bir yazının bulunduğunu belirten Vitai, Vodafone’un daha fazla abone aldığı şeklindeki ifadesine yazarımız Bülent Hekimoğlu’nun yaptığı yoruma kızmıştı.

Biz röportajımız sırasında her sorumuza doyurucu ve profesyonel cevaplar veren bir Vitai gördük. Ama genel olarak yorumlarsak, Telsim’in 10 küsur yıllık insan kaynağını yetersiz gören, Vodafone’u öne çıkaran ve dünya çapında bir şirket olduğunu, dolayısıyla herşeyi daha iyi yapacağını vurgulayan bir yaklaşım sözkonusuydu. Bize teknik altyapıda, insan kaynağının gelişmesine yönelik çalışmalar yaptıklarını, personele bir yandan İngilizce öğretirken, çeşitli konularda İngiltere’den getirdikleri eğitimcilerin verdiği eğitimlerden bahsetti.

Türkiye için klasik sevecen sözler söyleyen, Türklerin “düzgün, onurlu insanlar” olduğunu belirten sözlerinin yanında, Atilla Vitai için göreve atandığı andan itibaren ilk yapılan “İngiliz olmayı çok seviyor” yorumu hep devam etti. Bununla Türkiye’yi, çalıştığı ortamın iş kültürünü pek dikkate almadığı, kendisini bir sömürge valisi olarak gördüğü tür eleştiriler hep yapıldı.

Vodafone'da Türk elemanların geri plana itildikleri, İngilizlerin üst düzeylere atandığı şeklindeki eleştirileri içeren bir yazımız sonrasında, bir gazetenin insan kaynakları ekinde Vitai’nin kendi elemanları ile kahvaltı eden bir CEO olduğu şeklinde röportaj yayınlanmıştı ve çalışanlar Vitai için çok güzel sözler belirtiyorlardı ama yine de bu eleştiriler kesilmedi.

Vitai'nin gidişi cep telefonu sektöründe şaşkınlık yaratmamakla birlikte, ani oluşuyla beklenmedik bir durum oldu. Yorumlar, Vitai'nin Türkiye'yi pek anlayamadığı için gitmiş olabileceği şeklinde..

Vodafone'une, Türkiye’ye bazı konularda yabancı kaldığını, ben de reklamlarında hissettim. Bugünlerde başlayan “Geyik” kampanyası ilk defa ortamı, özellikle üniversite gençliğini gerçekten heyecanlandırmakla birlikte, önceki reklamların Türkiye’yi anlamış olma olasılığı zayıf. Ben bir hayli eleştiriye neden olan dansöz reklamından bahsetmiyorum. Hatırlarsanız o reklamda genel anlamda “Bir Türk kızının babasına dansöz olacağını telefonla söylemesi” ters bulunmuştu. Hatta şikayetler üzerine reklam kurulu tarafından da durdurulmuştu. Ama ben başka örnekler vereceğim; siz hiç Türkiye sokaklarında gitar çalan müzisyeni (inşaatlarda şarkı söyleyen Tatlıses olsa neyse) keşfeden birilerini hatırlıyor musunuz? Ya da, ortalama bir butikteki elbiselerin tamamını satın almaya aniden karar veren bir sosyetik hanım? Ya da Almanya’da olduğu için bir müşterisiyle ilgili haberi dinlemeyecek kadar kısa konuşan patron (belki yurtdışına çıktığı için telefonunu kapatan olabilirdi)? Bunların Türkiye’de hazırlanıldığını öğrendik ama aslında Türk kültürüne yakınsamayan, yabancı kalan reklamlar oldular. Oysa ilk Vodafone reklamı başarılıydı. Hani nişanlısını cep telefonundan arayan kızın, tüm Türkiye’yi boydan boya eller üzerinde katetmesi ve şantiyedeki nişanlısına ulaşabilmesi şeklindeki reklam.

Üstelik karşılarında Selocan'lar, Tavuk, Acun Ilıcalı, Cem Yılmaz gibi başarılı reklamlar varken..

Reklam demişken, Türk yöneticilere yeterli değer verilmiyor bakış açısının bir tezahürü de, Satış Teşkilatının başındaki yönetici yani Uzan ve TMSF döneminden bu yana gelen başarılı Aydın Çamlıbel'in Türk Telekom'a kaptırılması oldu. Gerçi arka planda Vitai'nin Çamlıbel'e çok değer verdiğini de biliyoruz. Ama gitmesini de önleyemedi ve bunun bir dönüm noktası olduğunu düşünenler var.

Diğer yandan Arun Sarin’in 3GSM Konferansında yaptığı açıklama da, Vodafone’un aslında Türkiye’yi iyi anlayamadığını gösteriyor. Sarin, Vodafone'un eylül 2007'deki 3G ihalesine katılmama nedeninin Ulaştırma Bakanlığı olduğunu açıklayıvermişti. İlginç ve belki yapılması doğru bir konuşmaydı. Ulaştırma Bakanı Binali Yıldırım "Vodafone onlar, anı yaşarlar" gibi bir cevap verdi ve konuyu geçiştirdi. Tarihe not olarak düşüldü ama Vodafone’a hükümet nezdinde eksi puan da getirdi.

Tabi, Vitai’nin gidişine, “altyapıdaki başarısızlık” nedeni gösterenler de var. Çok düşük bir fiyatla Motorola’ya verilen altyapının, henüz istenen seviyeye ya da kaliteye gelemediği görülüyor. Geçen yıl ortalarında kapsama alanına ait bir reklamla birlikte, Vitai’nin 2007 haziranında katıldığı bir toplantıda İstanbul’un % 90+’unu kapsadıkları şeklindeki açıklamasına Telekomünikasyon Kurumu henüz kapsama ölçümlerinin mümkün olmadığı cevabını ve bir Avea mühendisi “bunu neye göre hesaplıyorsunuz” tepkisini vermişti. O günden sonra kapsama alanının üstün olduğuna dair bir ifade duymadık.

Yukarıda bahsettiğim röportajımız sırasında Vitai, Ege Bölgesi ve İstanbul’da çok iyi bir kapsama alanı yarattıklarını belirtmişti. Ancak bugün Vodafone abonelerinin zaman zaman hem internet hem de ses iletiminde kalite sorunları yaşadığı belirtiliyor.

Üst kattaki bir inşaat çalışması nedeniyle teybimizde gürültüler arasında ifadelerini ayıramayıp, yayınlamayı başaramadığımız nisan 2007 röportajında Vitai’nin konuştukları içinde hatırladığım önemli bir not da, Vodafone’un abonelerin çebindeki 50 YTL’nin hepsine talip olduklarıydı. Vitai bunu “Rakibiniz kim? Türk Telekom mu, Turkcell mi, Avea mı? şeklindeki sorumuza cevap olarak vermişti. Belirttiği şuydu : “Bizim rakibimiz Türk Telekom ya da Turkcell değil. Biz abonemizin cebindeki tüm paraya talibiz.” Vitai’nin belirttiği, cep telefonu sektörünün artık ses iletiminin ötesine geçildiği, abonelerin pizza ısmarlayacağı zaman, bunu telefon üzerinden yapmasını, müzik dinleyeceği zaman bunu cep telefonundan indirerek yapmasını sağlayacaklarıydı.

Ancak Vodafone’un son 1 yılına baktığımızda, katma değerli servisler açısından da önemli bir gelişme ya da farklılık yaratamadığını görüyoruz. Oysa Turkcell ve Avea bu konularda çok iyi, mesela “mobil imza” başta olmak üzere pek çok gelişmeler yaptılar.

Özetle duruma baktığımızda Atilla Vitai’nin ani bir şekilde, yerine birisi atanmadan ayrıldığını görüyoruz. Vodafone'dan neden açıklanmamasına karşın, sektördeki yorumlar, bunun arkasındaki nedenin Vodafone’un Türkiye’de beklediği yere gelememesi olduğuna işaret ediyor.

Vodafone CEO'su Vitai'yi alıp dönecek!

Vodafone CEO'su Sarin Formula 1 için geldi Vitai'yi alıp dönecek!

Vodafone CEO'su Sarin'in F1 için Türkiye'ye geldiği gün şirketin Türkiye Genel Müdürü Vitai görevinden ayrılma kararı aldı..

Vodafone CEO'su Arun Sarin şirketinin sponsor olduğu Vodafone McLaren takımını izlemek için İstanbul'a geldi. Sarin'in eşi ve arkadaşlarıyla Reina'da eğlendiği gün, Vodafone Türkiye Genel Müdürü Attila Vitai görevinden ayrılma kararını açıklamıştı. Vodafone CEO'su Arun Sarin, Vitai'nin görevinden ayrıldığı gün, Formula 1 yarışları için İstanbul'a geldi ve akşama da eşiyle Reina'da eğlendi. Vodafone CEO'su Londra'ya dönerken Vitai de görevinden ayrılacak. Ancak, Vitai'nin İngiltere Vodafone'da çalışmaya devam etmeyeceği de iddia ediliyor.

VITAI SON KEZ VODAFONE'DA
Yani, Vitai'nin Vodafone için son görev yaptığı ülke Türkiye olacak. Sarin döneminde büyümesine devam eden Vodafone, Japonya'dan çekilmiş ve Türkiye ile Hindistan gibi gelişmekte olan pazarlara yatırım yapmıştı. 25 ülkede 252 milyon aboneye sahip şirketin CEO'su da verdiği kararlar yüzünden yatırımcılar tarafından eleştiriliyordu. 1999'dan bu yana Vodafone'da görev alan Attila Vitai, Türkiye'den önce Macaristan'da görev yapmıştı. Sarin; Hindistan, Türkiye gibi gelişmekte olan pazarlarda elde ettiği büyüme ile CEO koltuğundaki yerini korumaya devam etmişti. Sarin'in Japonya'dan ayrılma kararı da şirketin yatırımcıları tarafında tartışmalara sebep olmuştu. Sarin'in Hindistan'a giriş kararı da soru işaretleriyle karşılanmıştı. Formula 1 yarışlarında sponsor oldukları Vodafone McLaren Mercedes takımını desteklemeye gelen Sarin, yarışlara büyük ilgi gösteriyor. Geçtiğimiz yıllarda Ferrari takımına sponsor olan şirket, 2006 sonunda McLaren Mercedes takımına ismini vermeye başladı. Formula 1 yarışını izledikten sonra İstanbul'dan ayrılması beklenen Sarin, geçtiğimiz aylarda Mobile World Congress'de 3N ihalesiyle ilgili verdiği demeçle gündeme gelmişti. Sarin, aynı toplantıda Türkiye'deki büyümeden memnun kaldığını ifade etmişti.

Why the WiMax Deal Is A Disaster, Part II (Or, How Craig McCaw Snookered Eric Schmidt)

Why the WiMax Deal Is A Disaster, Part II (Or, How Craig McCaw Snookered Eric Schmidt)

by Erick Schonfeld

The more I learn about the $3.2 billion deal announced earlier this week to salvage Clearwire’s and Sprint’s WiMax businesses by merging them together, the more I am convinced that someone got snookered. And that someone was Google CEO Eric Schmidt. Maybe he just can’t say “No” to visionary billionaires like Clearwire chairman Craig McCaw. Or maybe McCaw got Intel CEO Paul Otellini to lean on his buddy Schmidt. Otellini himself pledged $1 billion of Intel’s money towards the venture because he has made a big bet at Intel on selling WiMax chips. He also happens to sit on Google’s board. I don’t know if any of the above happened or not.

What I do know is that Google came reluctantly to the table and that for a long time the deal was being blocked internally at Google for some very good reasons. The main reason is that WiMax as Clearwire is deploying it is not a very good replacement for mobile broadband services. It is, above all, a fixed wireless solution. What it replaces is wired broadband services to homes and offices delivered through cable and DSL. That is how Clearwire is selling it today.

But to get Google (and Comcast and Time Warner Cable) to put up the cash, Clearwire had to promise it would build out a richer mobile broadband service as well. This is why Google invested—to bring the broadband Internet to mobile devices (some of them hopefully running the Android operating system). And it is why Comcast and Time Warner Cable invested. They don’t need a replacement for cable broadband to people’s homes. They need a wireless offering to fend off AT&T’s and Verizon’s incursion into their television market. (It’s all about who has the better bundle). Everyone is enthralled with this idea of WiMax as a disruptive wireless mobile broadband alternative. Even Neal Cavuto couldn’t stop waxing about the wonderful wireless future that this deal represents.

I wish that it were true. But here are a few problems:

1. Clearwire and Sprint have not yet proven that WiMax is a viable business even for fixed wireless. Clearwire lost $727 million last year, nearly five times more than its total revenues. And it is projected to lose increasingly more over the next couple years during the expensive growth phase of its business. Moreover, the uptake of the service in the 50 or so cities where it is available has not been so great. That is because, unless you live in a rural area with no other broadband alternative, it is trying to solve a problem that doesn’t exist. At this point, most people in the U.S. can get broadband at their home just fine through cable or DSL.

2. WiMax hasn’t proven itself elsewhere either. Even in Korea, which has had WiMax for two years and is supposed to be a broadband paradise, consumers are not clamoring for WiMax. There are only about 150,000 WiMax subscribers in Korea, well below initial expectations.

3. Before you can turn Wimax into a mobile broadband service, you need mobile WiMax equipment. Cell phones, laptops, and other devices with WiMax chips in them are a long way away. Intel is ready to sell those chips, but device makers are not going to put them in their gadgets until enough consumers want them. And most consumers are going to wait for a WiMax network to show up that they can access both where they live and when they travel. So there’s a chicken and egg problem there.

4. Clearwire doesn’t know how to act like a mobile company. It doesn’t have a mobile business plan. It has a fixed wireless business plan. In order to make WiMax truly mobile, you need to build out a network dense enough to cover subscribers as they move from one place to another. That is simply not the case today, even in the markets where Clearwire operates.

5. Sprint is conflicted. To deal with roaming and coverage gaps, Clearwire would need to use Sprint’s 3G cellular network as a backup. That would require another chip in each device, which would make them more expensive than competing devices from AT&T or Verizon. Also, it would require Sprint opening up its 3G network to Clearwire and, by extension, Google. That’s not going to happen.

6. WiMax is not a global standard. Here in the U.S., WiMax is built on 2.5 GHz spectrum. Overseas, it is built on 3.5 GHz spectrum. That makes it harder for equipment manufacturers to achieve the scale they need to make money from WiMax devices and network equipment.

7. McCaw may be a visionary, but sometimes he doesn’t see so clearly. Yes, he built what is now AT&T Wireless and sold it for $11.5 billion. But after that he also was responsible for Teledesic and XO Communications—two massive failures that cost investors billions of dollars. Clearwire was about to join those latter two before Schmidt & Co. came to the rescue.