Allianz Technology Share Discussion Threads

[waldron] 16/3/2007 14:34

CEO Russo "inflexible" on Alcatel-Lucent job cuts - union source


PARIS (AFX) - Alcatel-Lucent CEO Patricia Russo remains "inflexible" on
proposed job cuts and wants to "proceed quickly", a union representative told
Agence France-Presse on the sidelines of a meeting in Paris between Russo and
the company's European works council.
"Ms Russo remained inflexible", said Dominique Campagna of the CGT union.
"No question of a withdrawal of the restructuring plan."
"On the contrary, she wants to proceed quickly," the union official said,
adding that Patricia Russo argued "the longer the plan is delayed, the more
clients will become concerned."
Earlier this week, Alcatel-Lucent's European works council said it made an
urgent application to the Paris district court for access to additional
information on the group's restructuring plan, which calls for 12,500 job cuts
worldwide, including 4,500 in Europe and nearly 1,500 in France.
Yesterday, the unions held a demonstration in Paris against the job cuts
which drew 3,000-5,000 employees from across Europe, according to the CFDT
union.





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afp/gt/amb

[waldron] 16/3/2007 14:29

Alcatel-Lucent wins order to develop urban WiFi network in Trento, Italy


PARIS (AFX) - Alcatel-Lucent said it has won a contract to supply and
integrate an urban WiFi wireless-internet network in the Italian province of
Trento.
The local authorities awarded the project to Alcatel-Lucent and a consortium
of sub-contracting companies that includes Essentia S.p.A. and Sensi s.r.l,
Alcatel-Lucent said in a press release.
No financial details were indicated.
"The network Alcatel-Lucent is deploying will provide 1,600 WiFi access
points and will be one of the largest in Italy and all of Europe," Trento
regional president Lorenzo Dellai said in the same press release.


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gt/amb

[mikey_b] 14/3/2007 07:48

They offered voluntary redundancy with 2 yr pay as an incentive / sweetner - to the French.

VR oversubscribed factor 2.5 in UK

[ariane] 13/3/2007 18:34

Alcatel-Lucent works council in court bid for more details on job cuts


PARIS (AFX) - Alcatel-Lucent's European works council said it has made an
urgent application to the Paris district court for access to additional
information on the group's swingeing job-cut plans.
The association's secretary Alain Hurstel told Agence France-Presse that its
lawyer has asked the court to grant it access to "clarifications and additional
information on the employment plan."
Workers are scheduled to demonstrate in Paris Thursday against
Alcatel-Lucent's plan to slash 12,500 jobs over the next three years and the
European works council will meet the following day.
Alcatel management has already refused the works council's request to freeze
the restructuring plan and unions have criticised the group's "vague"
justifications for the job cuts.
4,500 jobs are to go in Europe and 1,468 in France.
[e-mail]
afp/mrg/jfr

[hammy davies snr] 24/2/2007 15:38

noice chirt

[mikey_b] 24/2/2007 15:30

you too :-)

[grupo guitarlumber] 23/2/2007 19:21

mb cheers

enjoy your weekend

[mikey_b] 23/2/2007 09:54

Microsoft donate $1.9Bn+ to Alc-Lu

ABC On-Line 23/2/2007

[mikey_b] 21/2/2007 21:30

only the French could behave like this, eh?

[waldron] 21/2/2007 19:02

Alcatel-Lucent unions call for stoppages on Thursday at all French sites


Paris (AFX) - Trade unions at Alcatel-Lucent called for work stoppages on
Thursday at all the telecom group's French sites, to protest against plans to
cut almost 1,500 jobs.
The move by the labour organizations CFE-CGC, CGT, CFDT, CFTC and FO, which
are calling for a stoppage of at least 2 hours, come the day before a committee
meeting of European group operations in Paris scheduled for Friday.
"It is a question of once again asking for the shelving of planned job cuts
and for the maintenance of the Rennes site," Herve Lassalle of CFDT told AFP.
Alcatel-Lucent employees took earlier action on Feb 16.

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afp/ic/abr

[mikey_b] 14/2/2007 08:07

and 12500 lay-offs. 290 in UK

[ariane] 14/2/2007 06:33

Alcatel-Lucent wins wireless broadband contract in Dominican Republic


PARIS (AFX) - Alcatel-Lucent said it has been awarded a contract by Onemax,
a new broadband internet access provider in the Dominican Republic, to deploy
the Caribbean's first wireless broadband (WiMAX) network.
It said the network will initially be deployed in San Domingo then expanded
throughout the country, and will be commercially operational by the third
quarter of 2007.

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vb/hjp

[ariane] 12/2/2007 08:40

Alcatel-Lucent boss sees 2007 sales at least equal to 5 pct market growth


PARIS (AFX) - Alcatel-Lucent chief executive Patricia Russo said the group
can expect to see 2007 sales growth at least in line with the market, which the
group estimates at 5 pct.
Last week, Alctel-Lucent reported a net loss for the fourth quarter and
warned that sales pressure in the US will spill over into early 2007.
But speaking in an interview with Les Echos, Russo stressed that the group
will see a return to growth over the course of the year.
Alcatel-Lucent has now finalised its product portfolio, she said, which will
allow it to regain the confidence of US clients and boost sales.
In the medium term, Russo explained, the group will also converge Alcatel,
Lucent and Nortel technology to develop a single product line, which should
reassure clients who have been reluctant to invest in products that they believe
may become obsolete.

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vb/har

[waldron] 09/2/2007 10:44

ROUNDUP Alcatel-Lucent shares rise on prospect of sales recovery in 2007


LONDON (AFX) - Alcatel-Lucent shares clawed back some recent losses after
the group offset dismal, but well-flagged, pro forma fourth-quarter earnings
with the prospect of rosier times as 2007 progresses.
By 11.00 am the shares headed the leaders on an overwhelmingly positive
CAC-40, up 0.25 or 2.46 at 10.40, although this left it with plenty of ground to
make up in order to recover its 10.95 level before January's profit warning.
The company also increased its synergy target for the coming three years,
largely thanks to confirmation of this week's press reports it is to cull 12,500
workers.
But on the downside, the group warned that the same market circumstances
that depressed sales in 2006 will spill over into early 2007.
Fourth-quarter net profit swung to a loss of 618 mln eur from a profit of
381 mln a year earlier largely due to a surge in restructuring and impairment
charges to 577 mln from just 55 mln a year earlier.
Alcatel had said at the time of its Jan 23 sales and profit warning that
sales would fall to 4.42 bln eur from 5.25 bln and it was the loss of custom
from US wireless operators that spooked markets and prompted a sharp slide.
Analysts polled by AFX News had said that some indication that this softness
in US demand will not last would bring a gradual rerating of the stocks.
Alcatel-Lucent chief executive Patricia Russo said the "short-term
uncertainty for both our customers and our people" and the "challenging market
conditions" that marked late 2006, particularly in North America "will be
mitigated" but "will continue to have a more limited effect on our business in
the early months of the year (2007)."
This will lead to "some revenue decline in the first quarter 2007."
But she said in full year 2007, "we expect revenues to increase on a
percentage basis at least at the carrier market growth rate of mid single
digits.
"Alcatel provided a rather optimistic outlook for 2007," a dealer at a major
US broker commented in reaction to the results.
While he noted that Alcatel had said the first quarter had seen further
weakness, he said this is normal for the group.
He also said the company's growth forecast for "mid-single digit" growth is
above his target of 3 pct but in-line with the consensus forecast of 5 pct.
"Larger than expected synergies and the upbeat revenue growth forecast
should drive the stock higher today,"
Alcatel also announced it is maintaining its dividend at 0.16 eur in 2006
unchanged from 2005.
Russo said the "positive long-term benefits of the merger and the growth
potential of Alcatel-Lucent remain as envisioned."
Turning to the uncertainty over products that hit sales in the US, she said
they have now "finalized Alcatel-Lucent's product portfolio" in the key areas of
IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), 3G mobile networks, optical, as well as wireless
and wireline broadband access.
"This is a strong portfolio that we intend to leverage across fixed, mobile,
converged and enterprise service opportunities to grow our business and gain
market share over time."
Russo confirmed the group's guidance for higher than expected pretax cost
savings of 600 mln eur in 2007, as announced last month and said the increased
1.7 bln savings over three years will come from "optimization of our supply
chain and services, the elimination of duplicate resources and product
rationalization."
These actions account for the swinging workforce cull which has prompted
certain analysts fear strike action.
In line with the Jan 23 profit warning, operating profit was almost at
break-even, coming in at 21 mln eur after 566 mln a year earlier and gross
profits were 1.409 bln eur down from 2.012 bln with the loss per share at 0.27
eur after a profit of 0.18 a year earlier.
The group also announced pro forma sales by activity, but did not give a
year-earlier comparative figure.
'Carrier' sales totaled 3.22 bln eur, of which 1.47 bln from wireline
activities, 1.24 bln from wireless and 510 mln from converged network equipment.
'Enterprise' sales to businesses were 410 mln eur and services were 740 mln.
At December 31 Alcatel's total cash and marketable securities was 6.7 bln
eur, leaving a net cash position of 508 mln eur.
WestLB was less bullish than some, repeating its 'sell' stance, saying the
guidance was lower than it had been expecting.
A dealer at a major European broker said "with the market focused on these
cost savings we expect to see good support for the shares once again."
He said that while the guidance for revenues will be tough to achieve, the
"stock will be strong from here."
Aurel Leven said these "poor results were expected" but that it believes
Alcatel-Lucent "has the means to retain" its Standard and Poor's BB- rating.
The broker rates the group 'buy'.
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dlh/jlc/mrg/tc

[waldron] 09/2/2007 07:17

Alcatel-Lucent swings to net loss in Q4, sees sales pressure continuing


PARIS (AFX) - Alcatel-Lucent said it swung to a loss in the fourth quarter
due to heavy restructuring and impairment charges, and warned that
fourth-quarter sales pressure in the US will spill over into early 2007.
The group announced it plans to slash 12,500 jobs over the next three years,
in line with widely reported rumours, but did not say if these will be
compulsory departures.
The group booked a fourth-quarter net loss of 618 mln eur compared to a
year-earlier profit of 381 mln, hit by restructuring and impairment charges that
widened to 577 mln from 55 mln last time.
The group had already issued a sales and profit warning last month and
analysts have been eager for the details of the problems that prompted this.
"The results for the fourth quarter are clearly disappointing", the group
quoted chief executive Patricia Russo as saying in a statement.
She said the "short-term uncertainty for both our customers and our people"
and the "challenging market conditions" that marked late 2006, particularly in
North America, "will be mitigated" but "will continue to have a more limited
effect on our business in the early months of (2007)."
This will lead to "some revenue decline in the first quarter 2007."
But she said that for the full year 2007, "we expect revenues to increase on
a percentage basis at least at the carrier market growth rate of mid single
digits."
Alcatel wll pay a 2006 dividend of 0.16 eur, unchanged from 2005.
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mrg/abr

[waldron] 06/2/2007 11:57

Alcatel-Lucent could increase planned job cuts to 15,000-20,000 - report


PARIS (AFX) - Alcatel-Lucent could soon announce plans to cut 15,000-20,000
jobs as part of the restructuring efforts following the merger of Alcatel and
Lucent last year, well above the 9,000 job cuts announced previously, according
to a report on the website of l'Expansion magazine.
In France, up to 1,500-2,000 jobs could be cut, of which about 500 would be
made through early-retirement schemes, the report said, citing labour union
sources.
An Alcatel spokesman refused to comment on the report, but confirmed that a
French works council meeting will be held on Feb 16.
This morning, French daily Le Figaro said that Alcatel-Lucent unions could
strike next week, amid fears that the number of headcount reductions will
increase.
The company reports full-year results on Friday, and many analysts consider
that more job cuts could be announced by chief executive Patricia Russo. Goldman
Sachs is planning over 10,400 cuts, according to Le Figaro.


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afp/js/cmr

[maywillow] 06/2/2007 07:19

Alcatel-Lucent workers threaten strike over job cut plans - report


PARIS (AFX) - Alcatel-Lucent employees could go on strike later this month
over the company's plans to cut about 9,000 jobs, amid fears that the number of
headcount reductions could increase, labour union sources told French daily Le
Figaro.
A coalition of labour unions is being planned ahead of a French works
council meeting set for Feb 16, which "could decide to strike next week," an
unidentified union source told the paper.
Alcatel-Lucent reports full year results on Friday, and many analysts
consider that more job cuts could be announced by chief executive Patricia
Russo; Goldman Sachs is tabling on over 10,400 cuts, according to Le Figaro.




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js/jfr

[grupo guitarlumber] 01/2/2007 16:30

Alcatel-Lucent "sell," target price reduced

Thursday, February 01, 2007 8:29:24 AM ET
Jyske Bank

LONDON, February 1 (newratings.com) - Analyst Robert Jakobsen of Jyske Bank reiterates his "sell" rating on Alcatel-Lucent (CGE.ETR). The target price has been reduced from €10 to €9.

In a research note published this morning, the analyst mentions that the company has reported its preliminary 4Q06 sales and operating results significantly short of the consensus. The shortfall may have been due to the uncertainty among Alcatel-Lucent's customers regarding the company's future product strategy, weak sales at Lucent, general price pressure, strength in the euro and deteriorating conditions in the wireless equipment market, the analyst says.

[grupo guitarlumber] 01/2/2007 10:40

Microsoft Alcatel-Lucent to continue developing internet TV platform for Telefonica


PARIS (AFX) - Alcatel-Lucent said it will continue to "actively evolve" the
Imagenio internet protocol television (IPTV) platform used by Telefonica, even
though it has named Microsoft its core IPTV software supplier.
An article in online industry publication Light Reading said earlier this
week that Alcatel-Lucent would not develop further the Imagenio platform, which
was used by Lucent Technologies to create its own MiViewTV multimedia service.
Alcatel and Lucent merged late last year.
But Alcatel-Lucent said today that MiViewTV is still of a "key component" of
its development of convergence software.
"Alcatel-Lucent supports and will continue growing the capabilities of the
Imagenio service to meet the increasing demands from their end users," it said.



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js/jms

[waldron] 25/1/2007 10:42

Alcatel-Lucent "hold," target price reduced

Wednesday, January 24, 2007 7:51:06 AM ET
Société Générale

LONDON, January 24 (newratings.com) - Analysts at Société Générale maintain their "hold" rating on Alcatel-Lucent (CGE.ETR), while reducing their estimates for the company. The target price has been reduced from €11 to €10.

In a research note published this morning, the analysts mention that the company has pre-announced its 4Q sales and margins significantly short of the consensus. Alcatel-Lucent has cited a challenging wireless infrastructure market as one of the reasons for the shortfall. Mobile operations would remain a risky domain for the company in 1H07, the analysts believe. The EPS estimates for 2007 and 2008 have been reduced by around 14%-15%.

[mikey_b] 25/1/2007 09:21

restructure....synergies......20%.....accelerate....

[waldron] 23/1/2007 09:01

Alcatel-Lucent Fourth-Quarter Operating Profit Slumps (Update1)

By Rudy Ruitenberg

Jan. 23 (Bloomberg) -- Alcatel-Lucent, the world's biggest maker of telecommunications equipment, broke even in the fourth quarter and said revenue fell in its first earnings report after an $11.6 billion merger.

Increased competition in wireless markets and reduced spending by U.S. customers created a ``challenging'' quarter for Paris-based Alcatel-Lucent, the company said in a PR Newswire statement. Operating profit fell from 570 million euros ($739 million) a year earlier, based on the combined companies' accounts. Sales on that basis slumped 16 percent.

Shares of Alcatel-Lucent fell as much as 12 percent. Alcatel SA completed its purchase of Murray Hill, New Jersey- based Lucent Technologies Inc. in December. The companies combined to achieve cost savings and compete with rivals including China's Huawei Technologies Co.

``The last quarter of the year proved to be challenging from a market perspective, driven by a shift in spending from some of our large North American customers and heightened competition in the global wireless market,'' Chief Executive Officer Patricia Russo said in the statement.

Alcatel-Lucent shares dropped as much as 1.35 euros to 9.60 euros, and traded at 9.70 euros as of 9:03 a.m. in Paris, the biggest decline since the company was created in December.

Sales Fall

Pro-forma sales, which assume the merger had taken place before the fourth quarter of 2005, fell to 4.42 billion euros from 5.25 billion euros a year earlier.

The company expects cost savings of at least 600 million euros in 2007, compared with a previous target of 400 million.

``In a market that continues to be highly competitive, Alcatel-Lucent has decided to take additional actions to further reduce its cost structure,'' Russo said, without giving details on the measures.

The company reported restructuring and writedown charges of about 800 million euros in the fourth quarter.

On an as-reported basis, which only includes Lucent as of December last year, fourth-quarter operating profit was 120 million euros on sales of about 3.87 billion euros, the company said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Rudy Ruitenberg in Paris at [e-mail] .

Last Updated: January 23, 2007 03:11 EST