Travelusacc Discussion Threads

[grupo guitarlumber] 22/3/2004 06:55

BEIJING (AFX-ASIA) - Alcatel is in talks with a Chinese company to set up a
partnership to develop products for TD-SCDMA, China's home-grown third
generation (3G) mobile standard, the company's president and chief executive
Philippe Germond said in an interview in the China Daily.
"There will be a partnership with a Chinese company and the discussion is
ongoing," Germond said.
However, he would not provide any further details about the deal, the
company involved nor any timetable for completion of the talks.
Germond said he saw China as a key market for Alcatel.
"We see China as a strategically important market for our global growth."
This year the company intends to build up its application solutions business
in China to bolster its growth here in the absence of any move by the Chinese
government to award 3G licences.
Telecom equipment manufacturers have been eagerly awaiting the government's
decision, which has been continuously put back, but is now expected early next
year when the commercialization of TD-SCDMA, its home-grown 3G standard, will
have caught up with the two other competing standards -- WCDMA and CDMA2000.
[e-mail]
nma/wpf

[grupo guitarlumber] 19/3/2004 18:19

Updating with Siemens' denial of report)

PARIS (AFX) - Siemens AG denied it is preparing a takeover offer for Alcatel
SA, after La Lettre de l'Expansion said Siemens hired Deutsche Bank to advise on
a possible deal.
A spokeswoman for Siemens described the report as an "unfounded rumour"
speaking at the CEBIT trade fair in Hanover, while Alcatel declined to comment.
The report, to appear on Monday, said Siemens is "seriously considering"
launching a bid, without citing sources.
Earlier this month, Siemens CEO Heinrich von Pierer said the company is
prepared to make acquisitions in a number of sectors and has the financial
muscle to do so.
He cited telecommunications, medical equipment and process automisationas
sectors of interest.
Shares in Alcatel closed up 0.13 eur or 1 pct at 12.67.
[e-mail]
sr/wf

[grupo guitarlumber] 19/3/2004 08:03

March 18, 2004

Alcatel To OEM WLAN Phones for Big Time Wireless Networking Family



By the editors

Alcatel added next generation Wireless LAN products to its range of LAN switches and IP-PBXs. We were briefed on it; it was mostly a WLAN thing for two reasons: that's the stuff that's actually being released now; and it really is a networking announcement, not specifically a "voice" networking one.
Still...

There are plans to release integrated phones in a few months, specifically the Mobile IP Touch 300 and 600 wireless phones. They'll act as extensions of the Alcatel OmniPCX family of IP-PBXs and use IEEE 802.11b.

[grupo guitarlumber] 18/3/2004 18:47

T-Com, Alcatel, Siemens Partner on VOIP

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MUNICH -- Alcatel and Siemens AG have reached an agreement with T-Com, the fixed network unit of Deutsche Telekom AG, on future cooperation. The two companies, the vendors of T-Com’s existing voice network technology, will partner to create a development strategy for an IP-based voice/data infrastructure and implement a pilot project in T-Com's nationwide network. This pilot project is intended to demonstrate the feasibility of realizing a network infrastructure that can meet the short-term market demand for IP-based voice and data services and also provide a future replacement for the current voice infrastructure.

[grupo guitarlumber] 17/3/2004 11:49

PARIS (AFX) - France Telecom and Alcatel said they have signed an agreement
to jointly design and produce next-generation telecom network architecture,
aimed at improving the convergence of fixed, mobile and internet networks.
The two companies will create common research and development teams, share
investment budgets, and sign a limited exclusivity agreement for technology and
products that are developed.
Financial details were not disclosed.
[e-mail]
js/wf

[grupo guitarlumber] 17/3/2004 08:55

PARIS (AFX) - Alcatel SA said it will offer to exchange 995 mln eur of
outstanding 7.00 pct notes due 2006, for a new bond that would be due in 2014,
as part of its effort to extend existing debt maturity.
The exchange offer is set for Mar 17-29, with final pricing terms to be
announced Mar 24.
Alcatel said the new bond price and its coupon will be calculated by
reference to the yield of Germany's 4.25 pct Bund due Jan 14, and the addition
of 225-265 basis points over the Bund'syield.
[e-mail]
js/wf

[grupo guitarlumber] 16/3/2004 12:38

Europe's largest defense electronics company said net profit totaled 112 million euros ($137.7 million) last year, slightly better than the 111 million euros seen in 2002 and above a consensus forecast for 96 million.

Closely watched operating income -- earnings before interest, taxes, amortization and restructuring costs -- rose 17 percent to 698 million euros, above a consensus for 667 million.

The rise in operating income was flattered by a 65 million euro fine in the 2002 results stemming from the company's arbitration with Euromissile.

But it also reflected a robust performance at the company's defense division, which makes frigates, missile technology and radar systems. The defense unit posted a 19 percent like-for-like rise in operating income to 545 million euros.

On the strength of the results, Thales said it would boost its 2003 net dividend by seven percent to 0.75 euros per share.

"At the profit level, these figures are better than we were expecting, with the performance of the defense division standing out,'' said Will Mackie, an analyst at Commerzbank in London.

He noted that Thales had slashed its debt by over 400 million euros during the year, far more than the market was expecting, but also highlighted a surprise 50 million euro year-on-year increase in restructuring costs.

The stock has risen 12 percent this year, buoyed by expectations of big contract wins and diminished fears that major shareholders like the French government and telecoms group Alcatel could sell their stakes on the market.

Earning gains seen

[grupo guitarlumber] 12/3/2004 15:45

PARIS (AFX) - Alcatel SA said it has signed a memorandum of understanding
with ITI of India, aimed at creating a partnership for the distribution of DSL
broadband access equipment in India.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
"Indiais currently a booming telecom market and it is the right time to
develop broadband networks in the country," said Ravi Sharma, Alcatel's managing
director in India.
[e-mail]
js/wf

[grupo guitarlumber] 11/3/2004 09:07

PARIS (AFX) - Alcatel said it has launched an offer to extend the maturity
of its 1.2 bln eur, 7 pct bond due 2006, of which 995 mln eur is in circulation.
The offer to bondholders will start on March 17, when the maturity of the
new bonds will be detailed.
Alcatel finance director Jean-Pascal Beaufret said the company wants to take
advantage of the market's current interest in long-term maturities as well as
current rate conditions.
He said the company will continue its policy of buying back short-term
bonds.
[e-mail]
jad/cml

[grupo guitarlumber] 10/3/2004 15:58

PARIS (AFX) - Alcatel SA said it won a digital subscriber lines (DSL)
contract from Turk Telekom, without providing financial terms.
Under the agreement it will provide 200,000 DSL lines to enable the Turkish
fixed telecoms operator to expand its service coverage in Turkey and strengthen
its position in the broadband market.
Deployment will be completed in 2004 in two phases, Alcatel said.
[e-mail]
sr/cmr

[grupo guitarlumber] 10/3/2004 15:26

LONDON (AFX) - Standard & Poor's Ratings Services said it raised its
long-term corporate credit and senior unsecured debt ratings on Alcatel to BB-
from B+ following the company's release of its fourth quarter and 2003 results
last month.
The outlook is stable.
The rating actions follow a review by Standard & Poor's of the global
telecommunications equipment industry.
At the same time, S&P affirmed its B short-term corporate credit rating on
the company.
"The upgrade reflects Alcatel's improving operating and financial
performance on the back of healthier market conditions and prospects for the
telecoms equipment industry and the company's severe cost cutting," said S&P's
credit analyst Leandro de Torres Zabala.
cmr/jkm/

[grupo guitarlumber] 08/3/2004 19:16

14.73 euros

[grupo guitarlumber] 08/3/2004 17:26

PARIS (AFX) - Alcatel is in active talks with several players on the future
of its loss-making mobile phone handset division, but declined to comment on
reports it is nearing a deal with China's Nanjing Panda Electronics Co.
According to an overnight report in the Beijing Morning Post, Alcatel and
Panda are considering a deal, giving Alcatel 250 mln euros and 20 pct of Panda's
listed shares in exchange for the unit.
Last week, La Tribune reported that Alcatel was ready to sell its mobile
phone unit to Panda and that the deal could be signed within 10 days, but an
Alcatel spokesperson told AFX News: "There is no deadline."
The spokesperson confirmed the company is open to various solutions,
including an outright sale orshare swap to clinch the disposal of the unit,
which is responsible for "colossal losses."
[e-mail]
mrg/ra

[grupo guitarlumber] 08/3/2004 13:23

BEIJING (AFX-ASIA) - Chinese manufacturer Panda Electronics Group Co Ltd,
the parent company of Nanjing Panda Electronics Co Ltd (SHA 600775; HK 0553), is
considering paying cash and scrip for Alcatel's loss-making mobile phone unit,
the Beijing Morning Post reported, citing unidentified industry sources.
The paper said Panda is considering giving Alcatel 250 mln euros and 20 pct
of its listed company in exchange for the mobile phone unit.
Panda holds 54.2 pct of Nanjing Panda.
No one from Panda or Alcatel was able to comment on the report.
Last week, La Tribune reported that Alcatel was ready to sell its mobile
phone unit to Panda and that the deal could be signed within 10 days.
Some of China's home appliance makers have been seeking strategic partners
to expand into overseas markets.
TCL Corp (SZA 000100) and France's Thomson SA recently formed a joint
venture, TCL-Thomson Electronics, while Konka Group (SZA 200016), China's
largest TV maker, announced last week that it had abandoned plans to buy German
home appliance maker Grundig.
Alcatel owns a 51 pct stake in its joint venture Alcatel Shanghai Bell Co
Ltd, a telecom equipment and solutions provider based in Shanghai
(1 usd = 8.3 yuan)
[e-mail]
nl/amj/swp

[grupo guitarlumber] 08/3/2004 10:09

Product News

Alcatel unveils voice over WLAN products
08/03/2004
by Darren Ivey



Alcatel has added next generation Wireless LAN products to its range of LAN switches and IP PBXs to deliver standards-based wired and wireless converged mobility solutions.

The WLAN convergence complements Alcatel's existing range of data and voice mobility offerings, which include wired dynamic and authenticated user mobility, voice-only digital wireless systems, and unified communications applications.

[grupo guitarlumber] 07/3/2004 10:31

LAUNCH PAD

ILS, Alcatel Sign Contract to Launch WORLDSAT 3 Satellite

Mclean - Mar 04, 2004
International Launch Services (ILS) will provide a Russian Proton rocket to launch the WORLDSAT 3 communications satellite, under a contract with Alcatel Space of Paris announced today. The launch is targeted for late 2005 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

[grupo guitarlumber] 06/3/2004 11:14

one french financial journal believes that as the Alcatel share price hits 15 euros it will find it difficult to move further on at the moment. View however very positive.

[grupo guitarlumber] 04/3/2004 22:13

14.49 euros

[grupo guitarlumber] 04/3/2004 08:05

Alcatel: Chinese whispers

Alcatel is considering the sale of its mobile handset division.

March 3, 2004 4:54 PM GMT (Datamonitor) - Alcatel [CGE.BR] is apparently looking to sell its mobile handset division in a bid to stem spiraling losses in the operation. French media reports have linked Chinese manufacturer Nanjing Panda Electronics as possible purchaser. If these reports prove well founded, a deal with a Chinese company could prove to be a shrewd move in Alcatel's quest to return to profit.