Travelusacc Discussion Threads

[maywillow] 04/5/2004 11:28

PARIS (AFX) - Alcatel is planning to sell 20 mln mobile phones in 2004 in
its new joint venture with China's TCL Communication Technology Holdings Ltd,
Les Echos reported.
Citing Alcatel managing director Philippe Germond, the paper said this would
represent growth of 14.5 pct from Alcatel's sales a year earlier.
The company also plans to double its handset sales in Asia over the next
three years, the paper said.
[e-mail]
jad/jkm/

[maywillow] 04/5/2004 11:15

PARIS (AFX) - Alcatel said it has won a contract worth over 10 mln eur to
provide a signalling system for a length of railway in Finland.
It said the contract should be completed by March 2006.
[e-mail]
jad/jsa

[maywillow] 04/5/2004 06:30

Alcatel's Tchuruk takes a bow
By Paul Betts
Published: May 4 2004 5:00 | Last Updated: May 4 2004 5:00

There are two great survivors in Europe's top boardroom purges of the last few years: DaimlerChrysler's Jürgen Schrempp and Alcatel's Serge Tchuruk. If it is something of a miracle the two have hung on to their jobs, their predicament could not be more different.


Both have stubbornly stuck to their strategies and both have come in for a beating from shareholders. But while the global ambitions of Mr Schrempp, who survived last week yet more calls to unseat him, continue to make investors shudder, Mr Tchuruk is returning to favour.

Alcatel has just reported its first quarterly profit after three years of losses. Mr Tchuruk, whose future was still in the balance last year, says the French telecommunication equipment manufacturer is at a turning point with orders at a level not seen in years.

Mr Tchuruk also indulged in expensive acquisitions. But for the past three years he has shown dogged determination to restructure his company, cutting its workforce by half.

The achievement is all the more impressive considering Alcatel, unlike France Telecom or Alstom, received not a euro of French government support. Moreover, Mr Tchuruk never helped himself with his knack of upsetting people. He once famously warned Alcatel would one day become a company "without factories".

Patience is paying off. On present form, Mr Tchuruk can start smiling again - so long as he is not tempted by another mega deal such as his (thankfully) failed merger with Lucent. The same cannot be said of Mr Schrempp.


source:ft.com

[maywillow] 03/5/2004 16:35

MAY 03, 2004
PREVIOUS NEWS WIRE FEED

Alcatel Announces EU & China Projects

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

PARIS -- Alcatel (Paris: CGEP.PA and NYSE: ALA) is coordinating the European Union MUSE Research and Development project, which groups an international consortium of 30 partners. The objective of MUSE (MUlti Service access Everywhere) is research and development of a future low-cost, multi-service access and edge network, enabling the delivery of broadband services to every European citizen. Innovative access architecture and functions will be investigated which will allow the European telecommunications industry to offer services such as e-learning, teleworking, videoconferencing, gaming, or video-on-demand in a scalable and cost-effective way.

“Broadband is a key enabler of the information society and economy” says Niel Ransom, Chief Technology Officer, Alcatel. “As the worldwide leader in Broadband access, we are proud to coordinate this project, aiming to develop the technologies which will ensure an even wider availability for broadband access to every citizen across the European Union, even in low-density areas.”

In a separate release:

Alcatel (Paris: CGEP.PA and NYSE: ALA) today announced that it has successfully completed a business consultancy project for Guangdong Telecom, a subsidiary of China Telecom, to help the service provider grow its broadband business in the corporate and SME segments.

This project encompassed a customer survey, business modeling analysis, market segmentation and positioning studies, spanning four major industrial cities in Guandong province: Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Foshan and Dongguan. Moreover, Alcatel provided Guangdong Telecom with market research insights on worldwide best practices in operations, especially in service provisioning and assurance. Upon completion of the project, the service provider was able to devise a comprehensive business plan to market its broadband services in Guangdong province in 2004. Alcatel provides business consultancy services in broadband access to telecom opera tors worldwide. This consultative marketing program leverages Alcatel’s expertise and knowledge gained in different markets around the world to support its customers to grow their broadband business. Under this program, Alcatel also provides strategic advice to service providers in a number of fields, including overall strategy, marketing and business modeling, operations, and organization.

“As a market leader in broadband access with global coverage, we are in the position to leverage our experience and knowledge to assist operators in the deployment of broadband services,” said Michel Rahier, Chief Operating Officer of Alcatel’s fixed communication activities. ”So far, we have conducted consultancy projects with more than 40 operators world-wide.”

With a global DSL market share of 37%, and a total of more than 39.2 million DSL lines shipped, Alcatel holds the leading position within the broadband access market.

Alcatel SA

[maywillow] 03/5/2004 10:46

PARIS (AFX) - Alcatel SA said it won a three-year contract from BT Group PLC
to supply and install its DSL platform as part of BT's broadband access service
in the UK.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
"Alcatel's solution enables BT to further expand its broadband footprint and
offer a range of very compelling multimedia and entertainment services to our
customers," BT said in a joint statement with Alcatel.
A spokesman for Alcatel said today's contract is separate from the 30 mln
eur agreement announced with BT Group on March 31 to supply an IP-based service
delivery platform.
[e-mail]
sr/jsa

[ariane] 01/5/2004 07:36

Alcatel chief says group is now at 'turning point'
By Richard Milne in Paris
Published: May 1 2004 5:00 | Last Updated: May 1 2004 5:00

Serge Tchuruk, chief executive of Alcatel, said yesterday that the French telecommunications equipment group had reached a "turning point" as it raised its outlook and returned to profitability.


Announcing that Alcatel had swung to a first-quarter net profit of €134m ($160.5m) after three years of losses, Mr Tchuruk said the decline had stopped and sales would grow "significantly" this year.

Alcatel has recently spun off its lossmaking fibre-optics and mobile handset businesses as part of its refocusing.

Mr Tchuruk said he hoped to agree a partnership with Italian defence group Finmeccanica over its satellite manufacturing operations "in the weeks to come".

The French group said it expected revenue growth to be in the high single-digits with earnings per share to be "substantial" this year. Analysts welcomed the positive outlook but the shares fell 4.3 per cent to €12.43 in Paris.

Profits were flattered by a capital gain from the disposal of its battery unit and some analysts also highlighted a sharp fall in the net cash position, down nearly €400m to €605m, as a cause for concern.

Net sales dropped 3.1 per cent on a restated basis to €2.74bn.

"We are still relatively cautious but less so than [our competitors]," said Mr Tchuruk. "There is a change of mood. The first quarter is a turning point for us."

All Alcatel's divisions were profitable, led by its fixed communications unit, which includes broadband equipment, where it is the world leader. "We are seeing a level of orders we haven't seen for many years," Mr Tchuruk said. "We are more optimistic."

It also benefited from a reduction in costs due to its restructuring programme, which has seen the number of employees halved in the past three years to about 60,000.

Mr Tchuruk said another 10 per cent were expected to leave this year. "We have to follow through the restructuring right to the end."

Richard Windsor, analyst at Nomura, said that Alcatel's outlook was the most positive in the sector in Europe and its results contrasted positively with rivals such as Nokia and Siemens.

[ariane] 30/4/2004 22:26

LONDON, April 30 (New Ratings) — Analysts at Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein maintain their “sell” rating on Alcatel (CGE.ETR). The target price is set to €8.

Shares of Alcatel, a French telecom equipments company, are currently trading at €12.99.

According to Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein’s research published this morning, Alcatel reported its 1Q04 operating profits ahead of expectations. The analysts mention that the company’s operating income gains were primarily driven by its robust gross margins expansion during the quarter. Alcatel’s net sales remained marginally short of the consensus expectations, excluding the top-line revenue gains from the accounting changes in 1Q04, Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein says.

The analysts express their concern regarding the continued revenue decline for Alcatel’s products and other reserves in 1Q04. The company’s net cash position further deteriorated at the quarter-end, Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein adds. The current valuation of Alcatel’s stock is unattractive, the analysts believe.

The EPS estimates for 2004, 2005 and 2006 are -€0.375, €0.101 and €0.062, respectively. The P/E estimate for 2006 is 211.2x.

[ariane] 30/4/2004 14:26

PARIS (AFX) - Alcatel SA said it expects sales growth in the second quarter
and in the full year to be in the high single digit percent on a constant
exchange rate basis, equivalent to "significant" growth at current rates.
The upgraded forecast - accompanied by positive projections for full-year
EPS - came as the company reported a swing back to operating profit for the
first quarter, posting income from operations at 80 mln eur against a loss of
150 mln eur last year.
Sales in the quarter were at 2.740 bln eur compared to 2.828 bln last year,
Analysts had forecast operating profit at 23-101 mln eur and sales of
2.7-2.864 bln.
The year-earlier operating figure was originally reported as a loss of 161
mln eur. Alcatel restated it to take account of the disposal of the optronics
and battery divisions.
First quarter net profit was 134 mln eur compared to a loss of 461 mln, and
diluted EPS was 0.10 eur compared to a loss per share of 0.35 in the first
quarter 2003.
The company said EPS, pre-goodwill, "should be positive for the second
quarter, and should become substantial for the full year."
[e-mail]
jad/jms

[ariane] 30/4/2004 14:25

Alcatel Has First Profit in 3 Years, Sees Sales Gain (Update4) April 30 (Bloomberg) -- Alcatel SA, the world's biggest maker of broadband Internet equipment, reported its first quarterly profit in three years and said sales will rise almost 10 percent this quarter and in 2004 as demand improves.

First-quarter net income reached 134 million euros ($160 million), compared with a loss of 461 million euros a year earlier, Chief Financial Officer Jean-Pascal Beaufret said on a conference call. Analysts expected net income of 33 million euros, based on the median of 10 forecasts in a Bloomberg News survey.

Alcatel, led by Chief Executive Serge Tchuruk, is emerging from a three-year recession as companies such as France Telecom SA resume spending on networks to provide high-speed Internet and mobile services. Competitor Ericsson AB last week posted a second quarterly profit as revenue rose for the first time since 2001.

``It was a story of restructuring and now we can hope it's a story of growth,'' said Bruno Ducros, who helps manage about $3.6 billion at Cardif Asset Management in Paris and holds Alcatel shares.

Shares of Alcatel rose as much as 40 cents, or 3.1 percent, to 13.39 euros and traded at 12.72 euros as of 11:01 a.m. in Paris.

``We're at a turning point,'' Tchuruk said at a press conference in Paris. ``The market still remains uncertain, but we can feel demand in new products. For older products, life remains difficult.''

Sales Stabilize

Alcatel's first-quarter revenue fell 3.1 percent to 2.74 billion euros. Excluding the effect of currencies, sales rose 2 percent, Beaufret said. Operating income was 80 million euros, compared with a loss of 150 million euros a year earlier. Analysts expected operating profit of 31 million euros.

``We are upgrading our expectations of year-over-year revenue growth,'' Beaufret said. Second quarter and 2004 sales growth will be ``close to 10 percent,'' excluding currency effects. The company had previously said it expected ``slight'' growth.

Battery Unit

The company benefited in the first quarter from gains of 251 million euros from the sale of units, including its Saft batteries unit. Alcatel has since sold a controlling stake in its handset unit to TCL Corp., China's biggest publicly traded consumer electronics maker, and agreed to combine its optical- fiber unit with Draka Holding NV.

``We've now done most of our divestment program,'' Tchuruk said.

Earnings per share before goodwill should be positive in the second quarter and ``substantial'' in 2004, Tchuruk said. He declined to be specific.

Alcatel's gross margin, the portion of revenue left after manufacturing costs are subtracted, rose to 36.6 percent in the quarter from 30.3 percent a year earlier. Gross margin improvements are being underpinned by stabilizing sales, the company said.

This year, a gross margin of 36 percent to 37 percent is ``achievable,'' Beaufret said at the press conference.

Job Cuts

Under Tchuruk, Alcatel shed about 40,000 jobs since the end of 2001 as sales of phone equipment slumped, leaving the company with excess capacity. Today's profit broke a string of 11 straight quarterly losses since March 2001.

``Alcatel's restructuring seems to have progressed quite well,'' said Franck Hennin, an analyst at fund-management company Richelieu Finance, in an interview in Paris. ``It's a vindication of the strategy put in place by Tchuruk.''

Alcatel will continue its reorganization plan, Tchuruk said. The plan to cut 10 percent of the workforce, which was about 60,000 at the end of December, is ``on track,'' he said.

The phone-equipment industry is betting on new services such as high-speed Internet and wireless access to spur demand for their tools. France Telecom, Europe's second-biggest telephone company and one of Alcatel's clients, has said it's planning to invest 100 million euros in high-speed Internet lines as it speeds up broadband coverage in France.

New Products

Alcatel has said the introduction of new services, such as television over the Internet and voice calls through Web connections, and demand for asymmetric digital subscriber lines, or ADSL, will boost demand for its tools. ADSL allows high-speed Internet access over traditional copper lines.

Alcatel Shanghai Bell, the company's Chinese unit, expects sales growth of 30 percent this year. Alcatel is on the short list of ``most'' Chinese operators for so-called third-generation services, Tchuruk said. Alcatel also expects to sign European operators other than France Telecom's Orange unit, he said.

Third-generation phones, which are based on the universal mobile telecommunications system standard, or UMTS, allow users to make video calls, browse the Internet or watch television on their handsets.

``All units of the company that have rebounded, making it a broad recovery,'' Richelieu's Hennin said. ``Expectations have now been raised and that is not without risks, which is why the stock will likely see slender gains.''



To contact the reporter on this story:
Cecile Daurat in Paris at [e-mail]

To contact the editor of this story:
Lars Klemming at [e-mail]
Zimri Smith at [e-mail]
Last Updated: April 30, 2004 05:19 EDT

[grupo guitarlumber] 30/4/2004 09:32

PARIS (AFX) - Alcatel SA chairman and chief executive officer Serge Tchuruk
said he expects the company's gross margins to be sustained at between 36-37 pct
throughout 2004.
Tchuruk was speaking at a press conference following the release of first
quarter results which showed a gross margin of 36.6 pct, up from 30.3 pct a year
earlier.
Chief financial officer Jean-Pascal Beauffret said the margin improvement
was partly thanks to one-off capital gains, but mostly represented improvements
in fundamentals.
He said that, although "there will be no more significant capital gains, the
margin will maintain this level because of lower manufacturing costs and lower
procurement costs going forward."
Beauffret said Alcatel has almost no restructuring plans for 2004, but
warned that plans carried out in 2003 and paid for this year will have "a very
significant impact on cash flow during the year."
However Beauffret said business trends point to "very positive cash flow at
the end of 2004".
There will be no second quarter provisions for the spin-off of the handset
division into a joint venture with China's TCL Communication Technology Holdings
Ltd, he said.
Regarding Optics, Tchuruk said that after a "soft" first quarter, a recovery
is "imminent" thanks mainly to broadband, where demand for capacity, notably in
urban areas, is saturating cable and ADSL capacity and prompting a switch to
optics.
"We mustn't go overboard with enthusiasm," Tchuruk said, but added that the
likely boom in demand for video-over-broadband means there are signs that
optics, in which Alcatel is the world leader, are "coming back to life."
"We are even seeing orders arriving in the submarine business, something
that hasn't happened for a number of years."
Concerning the Space business - Alcatel's other troubled business segment -
demand is recovering and sales are expected to grow, based on the level of
orders made late last year.
[e-mail]
mrg/jad/jms

[grupo guitarlumber] 30/4/2004 08:53

(Updating with divisional details, chairman's comments)
PARIS (AFX) - Alcatel SA upgraded its full year EPS and sales forecasts
after swinging back to operating profit in the first quarter amid sharp
improvements in gross margins as its restructuring programme took effect.
The telecoms infrastructure company said it expects sales growth in the
second quarter and in the full year to be in the high single digit percent on a
constant exchange rate basis, equivalent to "significant" growth at current
rates.
The upgraded forecast - accompanied by improved projections for full-year
EPS - came as the company reported a swing back to operating profit for the
first quarter, posting income from operations at 80 mln eur against a loss of
150 mln eur last year.
Sales in the quarter were at 2.740 bln eur compared to 2.828 bln.
Analysts had forecast operating profit at 23-101 mln eur and sales of
2.7-2.864 bln.
The year-earlier operating figure was originally reported as a loss of 161
mln eur. Alcatel restated it to take account of the disposal of the optronics
and battery divisions.
First quarter net profit was 134 mln eur compared to a loss of 461 mln, and
diluted EPS 0.10 eur compared to a loss per share of 0.35 in the first quarter
of 2003.
The company said EPS, pre-goodwill, "should be positive for the second
quarter, and should become substantial for the full year." Previously, the
company had forecast only "positive" full year EPS.
The gross operating margin rose sharply to 36.6 pct in the first three
months of 2004 from 30.3 pct in 2003.
Chairman and chief executive Serge Tchuruk said margins "can now benefit
from the intense restructuring which has been carried out (by the company)."
He added that despite a "traditionally weak quarter," positive operating
income was generated in all segments.
"Our order intake reflects the pay-off of our focus on next generation
technologies which can differentiate Alcatel: their growing traction is largely
driving our positive revenue outlook for the rest of the year," he said.
Details of the order intake were not immediately available.
By division, sales in fixed communications for the quarter fell to 1.164 bln
eur from 1.315 bln a year earlier "mainly due to a soft quarter in optics," the
company said.
Mobile communications dropped to 757 mln eur from 798 mln, hampered by the
wireless transmission business and weakness outside western Europe and Africa.
Those problems countered double-digit growth at the core mobile business.
Private communications, by contrast, rose to 865 mln eur from 817 mln last
year, and Tchuruk said the division "will continue to benefit from advances in
IP telephony, interaction management and our world leading technology in rail
control and communication networks."
[e-mail]
jad/jms

[grupo guitarlumber] 30/4/2004 08:48

Alcatel Has First Quarterly Profit in Three Years (Update1)
April 30 (Bloomberg) -- Alcatel SA, the world's biggest maker of broadband Internet equipment, reported its first quarterly profit in three years as a decline in sales abated and the company sold its Saft batteries unit.

First-quarter net income reached 134 million euros ($160 million), compared with a loss of 461 million euros a year earlier, Chief Financial Officer Jean-Pascal Beaufret said. Analysts expected net income of 33 million euros, based on the median estimate of 10 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg news.

``We are upgrading our expectations of year-over-year revenue growth,'' Beaufret said in a conference call. For the second quarter and the full year, sales growth will be ``close to 10 percent,'' excluding the effect of currencies.

Alcatel, based in Paris, and competitors such as Ericsson AB are emerging from a three-year recession as phone companies such as France Telecom SA start spending again on their networks to provide high-speed Internet and mobile services to their customers. Ericsson last week posted a second quarterly profit as revenue rose for the first time since 2001.

Alcatel's first-quarter revenue fell 3.1 percent to 2.74 billion euros. Excluding the effect of currencies, sales rose 2 percent, Beaufret said. Operating income was 80 million euros, compared with a loss of 150 million euros a year earlier. Analysts expected operating profit of 31 million euros.

One-Time Gain

The company benefited in the quarter of gains of 251 million euros on the sale of units, including the Saft batteries unit.

Earnings per share before goodwill should be positive in the second quarter and ``substantial'' in 2004, Alcatel said in a statement.

The phone-equipment industry is betting on new services such as high-speed Internet and wireless access to spur demand for their tools. France Telecom, Europe's second-biggest telephone company and one of Alcatel's clients, has said it's planning to invest 100 million euros in high-speed Internet lines as it speeds up broadband coverage in France.

Alcatel has said the introduction of new services, such as television over the Internet and voice calls through Web connections, as demand for asymmetric digital subscriber lines, or ADSL, will boost demand for its tools. ADSL allows high-speed Internet access over traditional copper lines.

Alcatel has also said it expects to win more contracts for so-called third-generation wireless networks in 2004 in Europe and in China. Third-generation phones, which are based on the universal mobile telecommunications system standard, or UMTS, allow users to make video calls, browse the Internet or watch television on their handsets.

Shares of Alcatel yesterday fell 20 cents to 12.99 euros.



To contact the reporter on this story:
Cecile Daurat in Paris at [e-mail]

To contact the editor of this story:
Lars Klemming at [e-mail]
Zimri Smith at [e-mail]

Last Updated: April 30, 2004 02:35 EDT

[grupo guitarlumber] 30/4/2004 08:40

PARIS (AFX) - Alcatel SA said it expects sales growth in the second quarter
and in the full year to be in the high single digit percent on a constant
exchange rate basis, equivalent to "significant" growth at current rates.
The upgraded forecast - accompanied by positive projections for full-year
EPS - came as the company reported a swing back to operating profit for the
first quarter, posting income from operations at 80 mln eur against a loss of
150 mln eur last year.
Sales in the quarter were at 2.740 bln eur compared to 2.828 bln last year,
Analysts had forecast operating profit at 23-101 mln eur and sales of
2.7-2.864 bln.
The year-earlier operating figure was originally reported as a loss of 161
mln eur. Alcatel restated it to take account of the disposal of the optronics
and battery divisions.
First quarter net profit was 134 mln eur compared to a loss of 461 mln, and
diluted EPS was 0.10 eur compared to a loss per share of 0.35 in the first
quarter 2003.
The company said EPS, pre-goodwill, "should be positive for the second
quarter, and should become substantial for the full year."
[e-mail]
jad/jms

[grupo guitarlumber] 30/4/2004 04:59

Alcatel deal puts TCL in the spotlight
By Alexandra Harney
Published: April 30 2004 5:00 | Last Updated: April 30 2004 5:00

Six months ago, few people outside of China had heard of TCL. Since then, theelectronics conglomerate,which started as a cassette tape manufacturer, has won global recognition through a series of high-profile international deals.


From the group's humble headquarters in Huizhou, in China's southern Guangdong province, TCL's chairman and chief executive Li Dongsheng oversees an empire that includes TVs, mobile phones, personal computers, air conditioners, refrigerators and washing machines.

A cleverly structured deal with Thomson of France last November made TCL the world's largest maker of TVs, with annual production of 18m units and sales of $3.5bn.

A similar agreement with Alcatel, announced this week, secured it a place among the top 10 global mobile handset makers. TCL, says Joe Zhang, China research head at UBS in Hong Kong, is "China's best chance of making a Sony in the consumer electronics space".

TCL's rise is based on a solid grounding in the Chinese market and bold steps overseas. Last year, only four years after it made its first mobile phone, it was China's leading TV maker and number two handset manufacturer, with 19 and 11 per cent of these markets, respectively. Only 20 per cent of its turnover came from outside China in 2003.

TCL Corporation, the parent company, which listed in Shenzhen in January, said yesterday its net profits rose 51 per cent to Rmb247.58m ($29.9m) in the first quarter, on sales up 6 per cent to Rmb7.23bn.

Mr Li cut his teeth in foreign markets in 2002, when TCL took over Germany's bankrupt Schneider Technologies. The acquisition set the group's pattern of buying loss-making operations that still have brand-name recognition: Thomson was looking for a solution to widening losses at its TV and DVD-player operations; Alcatel was trying to spin off its handset business, which was also unprofitable.

Analysts say this strategy has been well executed. In its joint venture with Thomson, TCL picked up TV factories in Mexico, Poland, India and Thailand, and research and development facilities in Germany, the US and India - but not the manufacturing operations in France. "We are quite encouraged that TCL's management appears to have successfully selected more economically viable assets in the joint venture," Min Lu, a Merrill Lynch analyst, wrote in a February report.

The Alcatel deal gives TCL much-needed R&D capability in mobile phones and a foothold in the European mobile phone market, where it hopes to sell to operators. Currently, TCL buys key technology, such as chipsets, from other companies. TCL's dominance in the Chinese market complements Alcatel's presence overseas.

TCL has said it plans to continue using Alcatel and Thomson's brand names - Thomson owns the well-known RCA brand in the US. But in markets such as the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, TCL intends to use its own brand on its TVs, setting it apart from Asian rivals such as Samsung of South Korea, which claimed its place among the world's top electronics groups with a single brand.

But Mr Li's rapid expansion strategy brings risks. Investors highlighted one of these this week, when they drove down shares in TCL International, the group's Hong Kong-listed unit, the day after the Alcatel deal was announced.

"Investors are concerned about the execution risk, about whether they can set up this company [the joint venture with Alcatel] smoothly," said Lily Jap, analyst at Nomura in Hong Kong. TCL International's shares have since recovered, rising 3.39 per cent yesterday to HK$2.85.

TCL has also fallen foul of Chinese regulators. Last week, the Guangdong bureau of the China Securities and Regulatory Commission issued a letter noting the group's "irregular" disclosure patterns. According to the letter, executives leaked information on three separate occasions.

Mr Li is trying to bring TCL into line with international standards, strengthening in-house R&D and reorganising the group along product lines.

At the end of this process, there will be three listed vehicles.

Though Mr Li's moves put TCL well ahead of the pack in China, it is still behind the likes of Sony and Samsung in terms of brand recognition.

It will be a while before it catches up.

[grupo guitarlumber] 29/4/2004 17:09

Spirit Telecom Picks Alcatel

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

PARIS -- Alcatel (Paris: CGEP.PA and NYSE: ALA) today announced that U.S. carrier, Spirit Telecom, will migrate its data network to an IP/MPLS backbone utilizing the Alcatel service router solution. Spirit is thus able to maintain existing services and rapidly roll out new high revenue services – such as IP virtual private networks (VPNs), virtual private LAN services, virtual private leased lines and high speed Internet services. As a result Spirit, headquartered in Columbia, South Carolina, maximizes operating profits and improves network efficiency, while its customers have access to new and existing services with no impact on performance or qua lity of service - all critical elements in any network migration.

Spirit will use the Alcatel 7750 SR and the Alcatel 5620 network management portfolio to converge the carrier’s national network onto a single, highly reliable, scalable and flexible infrastructure. The Alcatel Service Router provides the strictest IP/MPLS quality of service and pre-service accounting, thus allowing Spirit to guarantee Service Level Agreements with its customers.

“This is a strategic investment for Spirit Telecom, ensuring we can deliver true quality of service as our network continues to grow and services evolve,” said Wayne Bogan, Engineering Manager, Spirit Telecom. “The carrier-grade performance and reliability of the Alcatel Service Router means we can confidently provide mission-critical data applications and services over IP. In addition, Alcatel’s network management portfolio allows us to reduce the cost of operating our network, while enhancing customer satisfaction.”

“When migrating to a unified IP/MPLS infrastructure, service providers must look for ways to maximize the profit potential of their investments in network technology choices they make,” said Basil Alwan, President of the Alcatel IP activities. “By converging based on the Alcatel 7750 SR, Spirit can lower the total cost of ownership, maintain existing services and revenues and introduce highvalue IP services ensuring a rapid return on investment.”

Alcatel SA

[grupo guitarlumber] 29/4/2004 16:03

LONDON, April 29 (New Ratings) - Analysts at Merrill Lynch reiterate their "neutral" rating on Alcatel (CGE.ETR), while raising their estimates for the company.

Shares of Alcatel, a leading global provider of end-to-end communication solutions, are currently trading at €13.45.

According to Merrill Lynch's research note published this morning, Alcatel is scheduled to report its Q1 results on April 30. The analysts expect the company's results to be marginally ahead of the expectations. The analysts mention that the company is likely to report healthy revenues and operating margins for the quarter, given the healthy wireless infrastructure performance from companies like Motorola, Siemens and Nokia for Q1.

Merrill Lynch believes that Alcatel would have witnessed robust end-market demand for its DSL segment during Q1. The company's optical segment is also likely to post healthy results for the quarter, the analysts say. According to Merrill Lynch, the weakening euro/dollar exchange rate is expected to strengthen the company's revenues in the forthcoming quarters.

The EPS estimates for 2004 and 2005 have been raised from €0.36 to €0.39 and from €0.40 to €0.43, respectively. The P/E estimates for 2004 and 2005 are 34.3x and 31.0x, respectively.

[grupo guitarlumber] 29/4/2004 12:19

PARIS (AFX) - Alcatel SA said it won a 65 mln eur contract from Indian
telecom equipment company ITI to supply and install GSM lines to Indian
state-owned telecoms operator BSNL Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd.
The contract covers the expansion of the BSNL network in Western India and
is the first contract within a long-term agreement with ITI to deploy Alcatel's
Evolium GSM technology in India.
In the first phase of the agreement, ITI will deploy Alcatel's GSM
equipment. In a few months, ITI will acquire Alcatel GSM technology and
manufacture it under the Alcatel license at its own plant in India.
[e-mail]
sr/cml

[grupo guitarlumber] 29/4/2004 12:16

PARIS (AFX) - Alcatel said it won its first third generation UMTS contract
in the Middle East region from United Arab Emirates fixed and mobile operator
Etisalat.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
[e-mail]
sr/jkm/

[grupo guitarlumber] 28/4/2004 13:10

PARIS (AFX) - Alcatel said its mobile network infrastructure will now
include the 'Push To Talk' application as an integrated facility.
'Push To Talk', already achieving significant growth in the US, is a Voice
over Internet Protocol (VoIP) streaming service that turns a mobile phone into a
walkie-talkie.
For use on GPRS and UMTS networks, the service offers a real-time always-on
connection, allowing customers to communicate with available users on their
contact list, in a similar manner to internet instant messaging.
[e-mail]
mrg/cmr

[maywillow] 28/4/2004 12:39

PARIS (AFX) - Alcatel SA said it has won an order from OAO Gazprom to
upgrade a portion of the Russian gas group's communications system for the
pipeline in the the Northern Caucasus region of Russia.
No financial details were disclosed.
Alcatel said the project will begin this year, with completion expected in
Aug 2005.
[e-mail]

[waldron] 27/4/2004 20:59

NEW YORK, April 26 (New Ratings) - Analysts at Smith Barney Citigroup upgrade Alcatel (ALA.NYS) from "sell" to "hold." The target price has been raised from $10 to $18.

[waldron] 27/4/2004 20:57

NEW YORK, April 27 (New Ratings) - Analysts at UBS issue a "neutral" rating on Alcatel (ALA.NYS). The target price is set to $16.63.

In a research note published this morning, the analysts mention that Alcatel, in its efforts to divest the handset business, has entered into a joint venture with TCL. Alcatel is likely to own 45% of the joint venture, with TCL owning the remaining 55%, the analysts add. UBS believes that Alcatel would shortly exit from the joint venture.

[waldron] 27/4/2004 12:19

PARIS (AFX) - Alcatel said it has formed an alliance with Gemplus and
Norway's Birdstep Technology to develop and market technology for providing
service connections between mobile networks and wireless local access networks
(WLAN).
As part of the partnership, Alcatel will offer Birdstep's mobile internet
protocol software with its own Evolium network equipment, and Gemplus will
supply its smart card client software.
Financial terms of the alliance were not disclosed.
[e-mail]
js/cmr