國際研究和顧問機構 Gartner 發布最新預測報告指出， 2010年全球電腦出貨量可望達到3億7,660萬台，較2009年的出貨量3億830萬台成長22%。2010年全球電腦支出預期將達2,454億美元，亦較2009年成長12%。2010年全球家用電腦市場的成長幅度達29.5%，遠高於商用市場的13.1%。
Gartner 首席分析師Ranjit Atwal表示：「即使全球經濟仍充滿許多不確定性，消費市場的電腦需求依然強勁。現在，消費者已將電腦視為比奢侈品更重要的必需品。在成熟市場上，儘管在景氣衰退時，電腦仍然會是家庭所得支出的主要電子產品選項，我們不認為此一情況在2010年以後會有任何改變。」
Atwal進一步指出：「在商用電腦市場，當電腦進入老舊期時將帶動換機潮。機構會發現很難在不增加預算的情況下，延長電腦的使用壽命。除了這一點，再加上 Winodows 7 的採用，將增加商用市場的需求。大型企業計畫在 2010年下半年展開電腦汰換，大多數的換機會在2011年。我們現在預期， Windows 7 引發的換機潮將延續至2012年。」
小筆電的出貨量維持快速成長，但是當次市場成熟之後，其成長已呈現趨緩的徵兆。全球小筆電2010年出貨量初估將達4,180萬台，與2009年的3,210萬台相較足足成長30%。2010年小筆電將佔行動電腦整體出貨量的18.6%，但是今年之後的市佔率將呈穩定下降的趨勢， 2014年在行動電腦市場比重已降至13.9%。
Gartner分析師Raphael Vasquez表示：「小筆電市場將受到愈展競爭優勢的超低電壓產品的衝擊，行動電腦價格下滑和消費者偏好亦會造成影響。」他接著指出：「部份消費者購買小筆電僅出於價格因素。許多消費者現在會選購位在價格曲線上緣而非下緣的小筆電。」
Gartner定義，平板電腦(Tablet PC)具五吋或更大的觸控螢幕，配備全功能的作業系統(OS)，如Windows 7、Windows Vista、Windows XP或是Mac OS X。平板媒體(Media Tablet)則是被定義為，含五吋以上的觸控螢幕但配備有限功能的作業系統，如 iPhone 、 Android 和 Chrome。Gartner對電腦市場的統計和預測已納入平板電腦，但不包含平板媒體。僅管如此，Gartner分析師表示，平板媒體將會影響電腦市場，特別是小筆電，該預測已反映這一點。
Vasquez指出：「平板媒體不會影響今年的小筆電市場，但預期2013年後iPad與其他類似的平板媒體將使小筆電出貨量大大減少，原因之一是我們預期屆時iPad等產品的價格會降低，更重要的是它們的功能將與小筆電愈來愈接近。」
在Gartner的預測情境中， 2010年平板媒體出貨量預期可達約1,000萬台。與平板電腦相較，平板媒體在電腦市場上的比重較高。2010年全球平板電腦出貨量約200萬台，但2012年後出貨量可能將不會超過300萬台。
Gartner研究部主任George Shiffler表示：「從區域來看，2010年電腦出貨量成長半數以上係來自西歐、中國與美國的市場。2011年超過半數的 PC 出貨量成長則是來自於美國與中國。2010年第一季，歐洲、中東與非洲(EMEA)等區域的成長則是顯著落後於其他市場。然而，EMEA區域較預期更早恢復強勁成長，尤其是東歐地區。南歐的經濟並不穩定，對電腦的需求似乎暫緩，儘管此一情況可能出現變化。」
2010年5月27日 星期四
2010年5月20日 星期四
Reuters Summit-Alcatel CEO not interested in big M&A
* On lookout for small technology acquisitions
* Confident about balance sheet, no need to raise cash PARIS, May 20 (Reuters) - Alcatel-Lucent (ALUA.PA) Chief Executive Ben Verwaayen said he was not interested in carrying out large mergers and acquisitions as they were too complex.
"Yes, there are certain technologies that you may want to add so we are always on the lookout for technology acquisitions, but they are small. A startup here and a startup there," the CEO said at the Reuters Global Technology Summit on Thursday.
Verwaayen added that he was confident about the company's balance sheet and did not need to raise money.
(For more on the Reuters Global Technology Summit, see [nN14211075])
(Reporting by Leila Abboud and Marie Mawad; Editing by James Regan)
((leila.abboud@thomsonreuters.com; + 33 1 49 49 51 82; Reuters Messaging: leila.abboud.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)) Keywords: TECH SUMMIT/ALCATEL
* Confident about balance sheet, no need to raise cash PARIS, May 20 (Reuters) - Alcatel-Lucent (ALUA.PA) Chief Executive Ben Verwaayen said he was not interested in carrying out large mergers and acquisitions as they were too complex.
"Yes, there are certain technologies that you may want to add so we are always on the lookout for technology acquisitions, but they are small. A startup here and a startup there," the CEO said at the Reuters Global Technology Summit on Thursday.
Verwaayen added that he was confident about the company's balance sheet and did not need to raise money.
(For more on the Reuters Global Technology Summit, see [nN14211075])
(Reporting by Leila Abboud and Marie Mawad; Editing by James Regan)
((leila.abboud@thomsonreuters.com; + 33 1 49 49 51 82; Reuters Messaging: leila.abboud.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)) Keywords: TECH SUMMIT/ALCATEL
Huawei open to buys, no immediate target
(Reuters) - China's Huawei Technologies , the world's second-largest mobile gear maker, is open to acquisitions but has no specific target at present, a senior executive said on Wednesday.
Ken Hu, the company's chief marketing officer, told the Reuters Global Technology Summit that Huawei will take "cross cultural" integration into consideration when making decisions, but dismissed the potential acquisition of Alcatel Lucent (ALUA.PA) as a "rumor".
"When we think about making an acquisition we need to think about our capability to consolidate the new business and whether we will be able to manage it well, especially for the cross cultural element," Hu said.
Unlike its peers, Huawei posted 2009 profit that more than doubled and forecast strong revenue growth in 2010, fed by an ambitious export drive and strong 3G spending in its home market.
Although Hu made it clear that Huawei had no current targets, he emphasized the firm's open attitude and healthy financial status with regard to making buys.
"Huawei has a very healthy financial status. Very good revenue growth, profit growth and very strong cash flow," Hu said.
"We have an open attitude toward acquisitions and if an opportunity shows up we won't turn off the possibility," he added.
Analysts, who forecast 2 percent growth in the industry this year, said the tough conditions will be a catalyst for consolidation in the sector with market leader Ericsson (ERICb.ST) and Huawei weathering the storm, but loss-making French firm Alcatel could be a target for takeover.
Alcatel shares soared last August on talk that the ailing firm could be bought by a Chinese buyer. Huawei also denied the buzz then.
"Alcatel is a respectable company and currently Alcatel Lucent is doing great, especially in providing the end users with very good service experience," Hu said.
Huawei, which is targeting 20 percent revenue growth this year, said it is investing heavily in cloud computing and is also trying to improve its services. Cloud computing is a term used to describe online computing services.
The firm, which is seeing global capital expenditure spending stronger in the first 4 months of the year compared to last year on increased LTE investments said it is building 60 Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks worldwide.
Huawei is building commercial LTE networks for European carriers Telenor (TEL.OL) and TeliaSonera (TLSN.ST), and trial ones for the likes of Vodafone (VOD.L) and T-Mobile TMOG.UL.
It is also trialing an LTE network for Australia's Telstra Corp (TLS.AX).
Huawei, which said in February it may try to revive its spin-off plan of its devices unit after an aborted attempt in 2008, has no such current plans.
"The devices unit accounts for a key part of the whole connectivity strategy for Huawei. So currently, we don't have any plans to spin off that business," Hu said, adding that there were no plans for an initial public offering.
INDIA AND TRANSPARENCY
Huawei, one of China's biggest success stories on the global stage, has found it hard to crack the North American market where its ambitions and technologies are viewed with suspicion by various lobby groups.
The firm's founder, Ren Zhengfei, was an officer in China's People's Liberation Army before founding Huawei. The company also recently suffered a setback when India decided to ban gear from Chinese telecom equipment makers.
When asked about the security spat with India, Hu said Huawei had not received any official notification from the Indian government regarding restrictions on Chinese telecom equipment.
Huawei's cross-town rival, Shenzhen-based ZTE Corp (0763.HK) have also been affected by the ban.
"This (transparency) issue concerns Huawei a lot," said Hu.
"Having a transparent image in society will help us to get better relations with society and the government," he said.
Ken Hu, the company's chief marketing officer, told the Reuters Global Technology Summit that Huawei will take "cross cultural" integration into consideration when making decisions, but dismissed the potential acquisition of Alcatel Lucent (ALUA.PA) as a "rumor".
"When we think about making an acquisition we need to think about our capability to consolidate the new business and whether we will be able to manage it well, especially for the cross cultural element," Hu said.
Unlike its peers, Huawei posted 2009 profit that more than doubled and forecast strong revenue growth in 2010, fed by an ambitious export drive and strong 3G spending in its home market.
Although Hu made it clear that Huawei had no current targets, he emphasized the firm's open attitude and healthy financial status with regard to making buys.
"Huawei has a very healthy financial status. Very good revenue growth, profit growth and very strong cash flow," Hu said.
"We have an open attitude toward acquisitions and if an opportunity shows up we won't turn off the possibility," he added.
Analysts, who forecast 2 percent growth in the industry this year, said the tough conditions will be a catalyst for consolidation in the sector with market leader Ericsson (ERICb.ST) and Huawei weathering the storm, but loss-making French firm Alcatel could be a target for takeover.
Alcatel shares soared last August on talk that the ailing firm could be bought by a Chinese buyer. Huawei also denied the buzz then.
"Alcatel is a respectable company and currently Alcatel Lucent is doing great, especially in providing the end users with very good service experience," Hu said.
Huawei, which is targeting 20 percent revenue growth this year, said it is investing heavily in cloud computing and is also trying to improve its services. Cloud computing is a term used to describe online computing services.
The firm, which is seeing global capital expenditure spending stronger in the first 4 months of the year compared to last year on increased LTE investments said it is building 60 Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks worldwide.
Huawei is building commercial LTE networks for European carriers Telenor (TEL.OL) and TeliaSonera (TLSN.ST), and trial ones for the likes of Vodafone (VOD.L) and T-Mobile TMOG.UL.
It is also trialing an LTE network for Australia's Telstra Corp (TLS.AX).
Huawei, which said in February it may try to revive its spin-off plan of its devices unit after an aborted attempt in 2008, has no such current plans.
"The devices unit accounts for a key part of the whole connectivity strategy for Huawei. So currently, we don't have any plans to spin off that business," Hu said, adding that there were no plans for an initial public offering.
INDIA AND TRANSPARENCY
Huawei, one of China's biggest success stories on the global stage, has found it hard to crack the North American market where its ambitions and technologies are viewed with suspicion by various lobby groups.
The firm's founder, Ren Zhengfei, was an officer in China's People's Liberation Army before founding Huawei. The company also recently suffered a setback when India decided to ban gear from Chinese telecom equipment makers.
When asked about the security spat with India, Hu said Huawei had not received any official notification from the Indian government regarding restrictions on Chinese telecom equipment.
Huawei's cross-town rival, Shenzhen-based ZTE Corp (0763.HK) have also been affected by the ban.
"This (transparency) issue concerns Huawei a lot," said Hu.
"Having a transparent image in society will help us to get better relations with society and the government," he said.
Alcatel CEO sees telco spending boost
(Reuters) - Alcatel-Lucent (ALUA.PA) Chief Executive Ben Verwaayen said he was on track to turn the loss-making telecom gear maker around after a painful merger, helped by a boom in consumers surfing the Internet on the go.
The CEO is betting that telecom operator spending on networks will help Alcatel-Lucent overcome its traditional weakness in mobile where it is smaller than rivals Ericsson (ERICb.ST), Huawei HWT.UL and Nokia Siemens Networks NSN.UL.
Telecom operators are not engaging in "catch-up" spending after the recession, rather it is being driven by investment in new services and technology, Verwaayen said at the Reuters Global Technology Summit in Paris on Thursday.
"They are not just building inventory up in the old stuff," said Verwaayen, who took over the helm of Alcatel-Lucent in September 2008.
Instead operators are seeking to change the business model fundamentally to find a way to make money by "putting broadband capabilities into the palm of your hand."
Investors are waiting to see if Verwaayen can deliver on this vision. He confirmed the group's aims to reach an adjusted operating margin of 1 to 5 percent and roughly break-even on cash flow this year.
But after a disappointing first quarter in which component shortages crimped sales, some analysts question whether those goals are attainable.
Concerns over the group's balance sheet have also come back to the fore, with some analysts asking whether Alcatel-Lucent will need funds as it continues to burn cash to finance its operations and pay for restructuring.
Verwaayen dismissed such concerns on Thursday, saying he was confident about the company's balance sheet.
Asked whether that was the case even if the year proved more difficult than predicted, he said: "We still don't need the money.
"I would suggest that people should take a little bit a step back and say: ok what was the Q1 situation? And you can't extrapolate too much over the total, and we've been clear about that," he said.
"I don't think that you will see us changing the mood tone that we've given. We have been pretty consistent over the last 18 months."
The CEO added that he did not want to carry out any major mergers or acquisitions because of the complexity involved.
EYEING STARTUPS
Analysts and industry executives have said more consolidation may be in the offing in telecom gear because of intense competition. Some speculate that Alcatel-Lucent could become a takeover target for Nokia Siemens Networks or a Chinese player if it proves unable to prosper on its own.
"I had to deal with complexities as the result of mergers. If I look back where the company spent its energy, it was dealing with complexity," he said. "I wouldn't want to go through that again."
However, Alcatel-Lucent would stay on the look-out for small technology purchases, such as "a startup here and a startup there" to bolster its product portfolio beyond its internal research and development.
Asked how Alcatel-Lucent could compete for deals with deeper-pocketed rivals such as Cisco (CSCO.O) or IBM (IBM.N), Verwaayen said he did not think they would be going after the same targets.
Since the Franco-American group was formed in a merger in 2006 it has struggled first with a complex integration and then intense competition from Chinese and European rivals, especially in its fixed business where it was traditionally strong.
The company has posted only two profitable quarters since the merger while burning through cash with restructuring costs and has not proven it can match or exceed pre-merger margins.
Verwaayen also dismissed rumors that he could take a position in the Dutch government should the Liberals be part of a cabinet after June 9 elections.
Verwaayen in 2006 helped write the Liberals' election manifesto and his name has come up in Dutch media as a potential member of cabinet.
"They have been asking me this question for 25 years. I have been boringly consistent... and the answer is no... under no circumstances," he said, adding that he was happy to help the party with advice from the sidelines.
(Editing by James Regan)
The CEO is betting that telecom operator spending on networks will help Alcatel-Lucent overcome its traditional weakness in mobile where it is smaller than rivals Ericsson (ERICb.ST), Huawei HWT.UL and Nokia Siemens Networks NSN.UL.
Telecom operators are not engaging in "catch-up" spending after the recession, rather it is being driven by investment in new services and technology, Verwaayen said at the Reuters Global Technology Summit in Paris on Thursday.
"They are not just building inventory up in the old stuff," said Verwaayen, who took over the helm of Alcatel-Lucent in September 2008.
Instead operators are seeking to change the business model fundamentally to find a way to make money by "putting broadband capabilities into the palm of your hand."
Investors are waiting to see if Verwaayen can deliver on this vision. He confirmed the group's aims to reach an adjusted operating margin of 1 to 5 percent and roughly break-even on cash flow this year.
But after a disappointing first quarter in which component shortages crimped sales, some analysts question whether those goals are attainable.
Concerns over the group's balance sheet have also come back to the fore, with some analysts asking whether Alcatel-Lucent will need funds as it continues to burn cash to finance its operations and pay for restructuring.
Verwaayen dismissed such concerns on Thursday, saying he was confident about the company's balance sheet.
Asked whether that was the case even if the year proved more difficult than predicted, he said: "We still don't need the money.
"I would suggest that people should take a little bit a step back and say: ok what was the Q1 situation? And you can't extrapolate too much over the total, and we've been clear about that," he said.
"I don't think that you will see us changing the mood tone that we've given. We have been pretty consistent over the last 18 months."
The CEO added that he did not want to carry out any major mergers or acquisitions because of the complexity involved.
EYEING STARTUPS
Analysts and industry executives have said more consolidation may be in the offing in telecom gear because of intense competition. Some speculate that Alcatel-Lucent could become a takeover target for Nokia Siemens Networks or a Chinese player if it proves unable to prosper on its own.
"I had to deal with complexities as the result of mergers. If I look back where the company spent its energy, it was dealing with complexity," he said. "I wouldn't want to go through that again."
However, Alcatel-Lucent would stay on the look-out for small technology purchases, such as "a startup here and a startup there" to bolster its product portfolio beyond its internal research and development.
Asked how Alcatel-Lucent could compete for deals with deeper-pocketed rivals such as Cisco (CSCO.O) or IBM (IBM.N), Verwaayen said he did not think they would be going after the same targets.
Since the Franco-American group was formed in a merger in 2006 it has struggled first with a complex integration and then intense competition from Chinese and European rivals, especially in its fixed business where it was traditionally strong.
The company has posted only two profitable quarters since the merger while burning through cash with restructuring costs and has not proven it can match or exceed pre-merger margins.
Verwaayen also dismissed rumors that he could take a position in the Dutch government should the Liberals be part of a cabinet after June 9 elections.
Verwaayen in 2006 helped write the Liberals' election manifesto and his name has come up in Dutch media as a potential member of cabinet.
"They have been asking me this question for 25 years. I have been boringly consistent... and the answer is no... under no circumstances," he said, adding that he was happy to help the party with advice from the sidelines.
(Editing by James Regan)
台灣通訊設備業產值首季年成長34.5%
工研院IEK ITIS計畫發表2010年第一季台灣通訊設備產業現況與展望報告，指出當季該產業由於在供給面上受到上游材料(關鍵IC、被動元件)缺貨影響，導致部分訂單延後出貨；而在市場需求面，電信業者和中小企業對於網通設備採購轉為積極，零售市場也持續補足庫存到過去水準，故第一季呈現淡季不淡，產值為1,611億新台幣，年成長率34.5%。
在國內外生產比重方面，手機廠商微幅調高了海外生產比重，故2010年第一季海外生產比重小幅增加為63.8%，國內生產比重則為36.2%。在個人行動裝置-手機部份，我國手機品牌業者銷售量表現優於傳統淡季，除美國地區銷售持續旺盛外，歐亞地區的季銷售量成長強勁。
另外主要客戶Motorola積極重整低價功能手機，Sony Ericsson衝刺高階智慧型手機策略成功，第一季營收轉虧為盈，間接帶動我國手機產值成長，總計2010年第一季我國手機產值為681億台幣，較上一季成長18.4%，並較2009年同期成長43.4%。
至於個人行動裝置-GPS，由於歐美市場對於PND需求趨緩，外加手機內建導航功能的競爭下，導致PND銷售量逐漸下滑，不過Garmin積極打入中國大陸，TomTom也在北美推低階PND，透過低價促銷策略來帶動市場買氣，總計2010年第一季我國GPS產值為239億新台幣，較2009年同期成長0.7%。
在網路通訊設備部分-WLAN，第一季受到缺工和缺料(WLAN IC)影響，大部分廠商僅能出貨八成訂單；而在市場需求面，Notebook/Netbook對於WLAN模組需求穩定成長，其他產品對於無線模組需求持續增加，例如LCD TV、手機、遊戲機。
而主要代工客戶Netgear，2010年第一季營收表現亮眼，較2009年同期成長4成，間接帶動我國WLAN Router產值提升。總計2010年第一季我國WLAN產值為147億新台幣，年成長率為90.9%，有如此高的成長率，主要是因為2009年第一季零售市場買氣不佳且持續降低庫存，使得比較基期較低。
在DSL CPE方面，由於歐洲電信業者力推triple-play服務，出貨明顯增加，特別以IAD和Wireless DSL Router等高階和整合功能產品為主；在無線技術上，由於11n跌價速度快，晶片價格低於11g，故Wireless DSL Router已開始升級至11n規格，持續為DSL CPE產業帶來換機潮。總計2010年第一季DSL CPE產值為111億新台幣，較2009年同期成長12.1%，但較第四季衰退7.5%。
在WiMAX部分，營運商(Clearwire、Yota、Tata、馬來西亞、菲律賓、印尼、印度)持續看好WiMAX用戶的成長力道，其中Clearwire更訂出2010年達到180萬用戶(2009年用戶數為64.2萬)，預估市場對於WiMAX CPE的需求將逐季增加。在價格上，由於電信營運商持續壓低單價(如Tata喊出USB Dongle要低於30美元)，加上產品成熟度增加，導致ASP快速下滑(約較2009年下滑15%)。
在產品出貨型態上，Indoor產品比重增加約10%，達到50%，雖然量增加，但由於單價快速下滑，故產值的成長率較產量來得低，總計2010年第一季我國WiMAX的產值較2009年同期成長191.3%，產值為32.4億新台幣。
2009~2010年我國通訊產業產值估算 (單位：億新台幣)
（來源：工研院IEK ITIS計畫，2010/05）
2010年5月13日 星期四
Nokia restructures for high-end handset battle
Nokia, the world’s leading handset manufacturer, has announced a structural and managerial shake-up designed to improve its performance in the high end smartphone segment as well as its growing services portfolio.
In a move that signals the firm’s concerns in the top end of the handset market, where it has recently lost ground to Apple and Android, a new unit has been created to oversee the production of smartphones and mobile computers. The Mobile Solutions unit will be headed by Anssi Vanjoki, a Nokia veteran with nearly 20 years’ service. The rest of the company will be split between two other new units: Mobile Phones and Markets.
Nokia said that the reorganisation, which will become effective on July 1st this year, will “increase competitiveness and deliver a stronger and more differentiated consumer experience.” Last week, speaking to shareholders at the company’s AGM, CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo pledged to regain ground in the lucrative smartphone market, conceding the firm’s recent shortcomings.
“We are working hard to reclaim leadership in high-end smartphones and mobile computers,” he said. “It is critical that we improve the customer experience with the usability of both our devices and our services.”
Vanjoki, who between 2004 and 2008 was responsible for Nokia’s Multimedia unit and its NSeries smartphones, is now responsible for fulfilling those pledges, with the firm’s services strategy now part under his new Solutions unit. This will focus on the continued integration of the Ovi services offering into both smartphones and portable computers. Vanjoki will count among his direct reports Rich Green, who has been appointed Nokia’s new chief technology officer.
The Mobile Phones unit, to be headed by Mary McDowell, will manage the lower tiers of Nokia’s output, essential to retain the firm’s overall volume leadership in the handset space, likely to come under increasing attach from Far Eastern vendors. The Markets unit, under the direction of Niklas Savander, will oversee sales and marketing functions as well as sourcing and supply chain management.
Rick Simonson, who currently leads the Mobile Phones unit has announced his intention to retire from Nokia.
2010年5月11日 星期二
阿尔卡特朗讯贝尔实验室创行业第一：在一对传统DSL线路上实现300 Mbps传输速率
“DSL幻象模式” 实验室测试超越DSL能力极限，实现现有铜线网络价值最大化
（联合电讯社/上海）-- 阿尔卡特朗讯(巴黎证交所和纽约证交所：ALU)宣布，其研发机构贝尔实验室日前成功地进行了一项新技术的演示，能够显著提升在一对数字用户环路(DSL)上的传输速率。在“DSL幻象模式”(DSL Phantom Mode)的实验室测试中，贝尔实验室在超过400米的传输距离上实现了300 Mbps的下行数据流传输速率;当传输距离在1公里时，速率则达100Mbps。在此传输速率，运营商可以将已在全球获得广泛部署的铜线网络的传输潜力发挥到极致，从而满足未来几年内住宅三重播放与企业服务等高带宽业务的需求。
铜线传输的标准配置一般为两条物理线路。作为该项技术的核心，DSL幻象模式能够在这两条物理线路以外再创建一个虚拟通道，或叫做幻象通道。贝尔实验室之所以能够实现该项技术创新并通过“DSL幻象模式”显著提升DSL线路的传输能力，其关键在于应用了模拟幻象模式技术，该技术融合了行业标准的“矢量”以及“绑定”等技术。矢量技术能够消除铜线间的干扰或“串扰”，而绑定技术则能够实现多个线路的汇聚。
Ovum的分析师Kamalini Ganguly表示：“阿尔卡特朗讯贝尔实验室的DSL幻象模式实验室测试，为业界正在争辩的&LSquo;100Mbps承载所有业务’的观点增加了全新的探讨层面。现有铜线环路在400米距离上可提供300Mbps的传输速率这一事实会改变整个下一代宽带的竞争环境，将为传统的DSL运营者开辟出更为阔广的新业务发展空间。该项演示实验也充分表明，阿尔卡特朗讯致力于探究各种可能的创新，并通过对先进的铜线与光纤技术的巧妙结合，力助客户加快下一代接入网的部署。”
贝尔实验室研发主管Gee Rittenhouse指出：“我们常认为创新的作用在于铸就未来技术。DSL幻象模式有力地证明了创新能够为现有解决方案创造出未来型应用并为其注入全新的价值。DSL幻象模式之所以能够成为一项重要的突破性技术，在于其将尖端的技术与极具吸引力的业务模式相结合，为业务提供商开拓出全新的商业机会，使他们能够利用现有网络基础架构提供最新的宽带IP服务。”
目前，进一步的研究正在进行中，旨在完善部署模型，并确定兼容DSL幻象模式技术的客户端设备(CPE)的具体规格。Dell’Oro最新的接入产品市场报告(Access Report*)显示，在过去的一年中，阿尔卡特朗讯继续引领着DSL市场的发展。最近，阿尔卡特朗讯宣布树立了一个独特的里程碑，即其DSL产品出货量达到2亿线，全球1/3的固定宽带用户通过其提供的网络接入技术获得服务。
（联合电讯社/上海）-- 阿尔卡特朗讯(巴黎证交所和纽约证交所：ALU)宣布，其研发机构贝尔实验室日前成功地进行了一项新技术的演示，能够显著提升在一对数字用户环路(DSL)上的传输速率。在“DSL幻象模式”(DSL Phantom Mode)的实验室测试中，贝尔实验室在超过400米的传输距离上实现了300 Mbps的下行数据流传输速率;当传输距离在1公里时，速率则达100Mbps。在此传输速率，运营商可以将已在全球获得广泛部署的铜线网络的传输潜力发挥到极致，从而满足未来几年内住宅三重播放与企业服务等高带宽业务的需求。
铜线传输的标准配置一般为两条物理线路。作为该项技术的核心，DSL幻象模式能够在这两条物理线路以外再创建一个虚拟通道，或叫做幻象通道。贝尔实验室之所以能够实现该项技术创新并通过“DSL幻象模式”显著提升DSL线路的传输能力，其关键在于应用了模拟幻象模式技术，该技术融合了行业标准的“矢量”以及“绑定”等技术。矢量技术能够消除铜线间的干扰或“串扰”，而绑定技术则能够实现多个线路的汇聚。
Ovum的分析师Kamalini Ganguly表示：“阿尔卡特朗讯贝尔实验室的DSL幻象模式实验室测试，为业界正在争辩的&LSquo;100Mbps承载所有业务’的观点增加了全新的探讨层面。现有铜线环路在400米距离上可提供300Mbps的传输速率这一事实会改变整个下一代宽带的竞争环境，将为传统的DSL运营者开辟出更为阔广的新业务发展空间。该项演示实验也充分表明，阿尔卡特朗讯致力于探究各种可能的创新，并通过对先进的铜线与光纤技术的巧妙结合，力助客户加快下一代接入网的部署。”
贝尔实验室研发主管Gee Rittenhouse指出：“我们常认为创新的作用在于铸就未来技术。DSL幻象模式有力地证明了创新能够为现有解决方案创造出未来型应用并为其注入全新的价值。DSL幻象模式之所以能够成为一项重要的突破性技术，在于其将尖端的技术与极具吸引力的业务模式相结合，为业务提供商开拓出全新的商业机会，使他们能够利用现有网络基础架构提供最新的宽带IP服务。”
目前，进一步的研究正在进行中，旨在完善部署模型，并确定兼容DSL幻象模式技术的客户端设备(CPE)的具体规格。Dell’Oro最新的接入产品市场报告(Access Report*)显示，在过去的一年中，阿尔卡特朗讯继续引领着DSL市场的发展。最近，阿尔卡特朗讯宣布树立了一个独特的里程碑，即其DSL产品出货量达到2亿线，全球1/3的固定宽带用户通过其提供的网络接入技术获得服务。
Apollo, Alcatel-Lucent transmit 3 Tbps via submarine network
May 11, 2010
MAY 11, 2010 – UK-based Apollo, a transatlantic fiber-optic cable system operator, and Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) say they have successfully demonstrated the transmission of approximately 3 Tbps of data, based on 40-Gbps channels, per fiber pair in a submarine network.
Using Alcatel-Lucent technology, the test was performed over Apollo’s north cable system linking the US and the UK, a distance of 6,221 km, and almost quadrupled the original design capacity of the system. The demonstration comprised 72 channels at 40 Gbps, all error-free. The test demonstrated for the first time on a live system a capacity increase of a factor of two compared to the maximum capacity achievable based on 10-Gbps channels, the companies assert.
“Capacity upgrades of submarine networks using existing fiber are critical for operators as existing networks near full capacity and as terrestrial networks start supporting 40 Gbps. These two factors drive the need to increase the capacity of submarine networks, seamlessly handing-off traffic to keep the highest level of efficiency end-to-end,” said Richard Elliott, managing director of Apollo.
For the trial, the Alcatel-Lucent 1620 Light Manager submarine line terminal used a phase shift keying (PSK)-based modulation format with coherent detection.
May 11, 2010
MAY 11, 2010 – UK-based Apollo, a transatlantic fiber-optic cable system operator, and Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) say they have successfully demonstrated the transmission of approximately 3 Tbps of data, based on 40-Gbps channels, per fiber pair in a submarine network.
Using Alcatel-Lucent technology, the test was performed over Apollo’s north cable system linking the US and the UK, a distance of 6,221 km, and almost quadrupled the original design capacity of the system. The demonstration comprised 72 channels at 40 Gbps, all error-free. The test demonstrated for the first time on a live system a capacity increase of a factor of two compared to the maximum capacity achievable based on 10-Gbps channels, the companies assert.
“Capacity upgrades of submarine networks using existing fiber are critical for operators as existing networks near full capacity and as terrestrial networks start supporting 40 Gbps. These two factors drive the need to increase the capacity of submarine networks, seamlessly handing-off traffic to keep the highest level of efficiency end-to-end,” said Richard Elliott, managing director of Apollo.
For the trial, the Alcatel-Lucent 1620 Light Manager submarine line terminal used a phase shift keying (PSK)-based modulation format with coherent detection.
Alcatel-Lucent – On the Selling Block? Verwaayen May Need To Consider It
Summary
Alcatel-Lucent has had a rough time in the global marketplace for the last few years. With China going full steam ahead, it is hard to see how Alcatel-Lucent will survive the next year or two without a miracle.
Analysis
I give Alcatel-Lucent credit for getting its house in order over the last 2 years. However, given the global recession, the company’s own weakened financial state since 2006, the merger integration troubles of combining two different telecom equipment vendors, and the 2010 component shortages, it is a miracle the company is still operating.
Alcatel-Lucent will need to find an acquirer unless at least one of the following occurs:
· The company has something unique in its portfolio to give it market dominance
· The company has some very large contracts in the process of being signed.
· The carrier community suddenly upgrades the network to deal with 4G. Lucent is focused on LTE.
Unless Alcatel-Lucent has something hidden away in its labs, which is so technically unique, it is doubtful the company will achieve market dominance through a brand new product or service. Developing ground-breaking technology costs money. Unless I have missed something, Alcatel-Lucent’s R&D budget is not that big. Maybe the company developed a new technology with almost no incremental costs in the company’s R&D budget. Get real. Strike this one from the list.
I have not heard of any carrier ready to sign a big contract (hundreds of millions of dollars; north of $500 M) with them in 2010 (now). Don’t even think 2011 for now. Most carrier sign general purchase agreements with vendors that include performance clauses. General purchase agreements do not guarantee anything from a carrier except that the carrier will buy something from the vendor; no guarantees on quantities either. Strike this one from the list.
I have not heard the carrier community launching any 2010 or early 2011 effort to upgrade their radio and fixed networks to deal with 4G wireless or other advanced wireless demands. The carriers have announced LTE trials and made claims of launching services in 2011 but that is different from actually doing it. The trouble with dealing with publicly traded companies is that half the time you do not know if the information is for the benefit of the stock price or it is the truth. Regardless of whether the carriers deploy LTE en masse in 2011 or not, the carriers (like Verizon) are on an irreversible path to deploy LTE. So whether it is late 2011 or 2012, LTE will be deployed at some point. However wild Ben Verwaayen’s comments about network upgrades may sound, they actually make sense and I agree with him.
By the end of 2010, wireless carriers will be taking steps to upgrade their networks to 4G. Do not expect billions of dollars of orders to come streaming through in 2010. What investors would like the vendors to say is: “We are having discussions with carriers about 4G network upgrades”, followed a few months later with “Carrier XYZ has just signed a billion dollar deal with us”. By late 2010, wireless carriers should be ordering and installing sufficient quantities of equipment to facilitate beta and commercial trials this year and early next year (2011). I do not believe any large-scale-commercial-ready LTE systems are going to be deployed until late 2011 or early 2012.
What investors need to hear from Verwaayen are specifics about deals. Even if the deals are not big, the information will be important for investors to hear to so that they can make intelligent decisions. What Verwaayen needs are patient investors. Patient investors may be the answer to Verwaayen’s concerns about surviving into 2012.
With increasing competition from Chinese telecom vendors, Alcatel-Lucent is facing an uphill battle to profitability. With Chinese vendors aggressively competing in the global market it is doubtful that Alcatel-Lucent’s small technology lead will matter. It is this aggressive competition from China that will prove to be Alcatel-Lucent’s (and all other vendors’) biggest obstacle.
Verwaayen is correct in stating there will be a need for network upgrades but it is likely the Chinese vendors will win a large number of the equipment contracts. Alcatel-Lucent is already facing stiff competition, which will get even worse this year. Should Alcatel-Lucent find a buyer now? Any competent CEO would be looking for a suitable buyer now; he/she would have to be considering the company’s options. From the looks of it, Ben Verwaayen understands his situation.
The questions I have are: Who would want Alcatel-Lucent? Who has the money to buy Alcatel-Lucent?
Alcatel-Lucent has had a rough time in the global marketplace for the last few years. With China going full steam ahead, it is hard to see how Alcatel-Lucent will survive the next year or two without a miracle.
Analysis
I give Alcatel-Lucent credit for getting its house in order over the last 2 years. However, given the global recession, the company’s own weakened financial state since 2006, the merger integration troubles of combining two different telecom equipment vendors, and the 2010 component shortages, it is a miracle the company is still operating.
Alcatel-Lucent will need to find an acquirer unless at least one of the following occurs:
· The company has something unique in its portfolio to give it market dominance
· The company has some very large contracts in the process of being signed.
· The carrier community suddenly upgrades the network to deal with 4G. Lucent is focused on LTE.
Unless Alcatel-Lucent has something hidden away in its labs, which is so technically unique, it is doubtful the company will achieve market dominance through a brand new product or service. Developing ground-breaking technology costs money. Unless I have missed something, Alcatel-Lucent’s R&D budget is not that big. Maybe the company developed a new technology with almost no incremental costs in the company’s R&D budget. Get real. Strike this one from the list.
I have not heard of any carrier ready to sign a big contract (hundreds of millions of dollars; north of $500 M) with them in 2010 (now). Don’t even think 2011 for now. Most carrier sign general purchase agreements with vendors that include performance clauses. General purchase agreements do not guarantee anything from a carrier except that the carrier will buy something from the vendor; no guarantees on quantities either. Strike this one from the list.
I have not heard the carrier community launching any 2010 or early 2011 effort to upgrade their radio and fixed networks to deal with 4G wireless or other advanced wireless demands. The carriers have announced LTE trials and made claims of launching services in 2011 but that is different from actually doing it. The trouble with dealing with publicly traded companies is that half the time you do not know if the information is for the benefit of the stock price or it is the truth. Regardless of whether the carriers deploy LTE en masse in 2011 or not, the carriers (like Verizon) are on an irreversible path to deploy LTE. So whether it is late 2011 or 2012, LTE will be deployed at some point. However wild Ben Verwaayen’s comments about network upgrades may sound, they actually make sense and I agree with him.
By the end of 2010, wireless carriers will be taking steps to upgrade their networks to 4G. Do not expect billions of dollars of orders to come streaming through in 2010. What investors would like the vendors to say is: “We are having discussions with carriers about 4G network upgrades”, followed a few months later with “Carrier XYZ has just signed a billion dollar deal with us”. By late 2010, wireless carriers should be ordering and installing sufficient quantities of equipment to facilitate beta and commercial trials this year and early next year (2011). I do not believe any large-scale-commercial-ready LTE systems are going to be deployed until late 2011 or early 2012.
What investors need to hear from Verwaayen are specifics about deals. Even if the deals are not big, the information will be important for investors to hear to so that they can make intelligent decisions. What Verwaayen needs are patient investors. Patient investors may be the answer to Verwaayen’s concerns about surviving into 2012.
With increasing competition from Chinese telecom vendors, Alcatel-Lucent is facing an uphill battle to profitability. With Chinese vendors aggressively competing in the global market it is doubtful that Alcatel-Lucent’s small technology lead will matter. It is this aggressive competition from China that will prove to be Alcatel-Lucent’s (and all other vendors’) biggest obstacle.
Verwaayen is correct in stating there will be a need for network upgrades but it is likely the Chinese vendors will win a large number of the equipment contracts. Alcatel-Lucent is already facing stiff competition, which will get even worse this year. Should Alcatel-Lucent find a buyer now? Any competent CEO would be looking for a suitable buyer now; he/she would have to be considering the company’s options. From the looks of it, Ben Verwaayen understands his situation.
The questions I have are: Who would want Alcatel-Lucent? Who has the money to buy Alcatel-Lucent?
Costa Rica's ICE Moves Alcatel-Lucent Bribery Allegations to the USA
Costa Rica's telecommunications provider, El Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) has filed a complaint in Miami, Florida, against Alcatel-Lucent relating to bribery allegations affecting a former mobile network contract. The complaint asserts claims for violations of civil racketeering and other laws of Florida in connection with Alcatel Lucent's bribery and corruption of Costa Rican officials to secure telecommunications contracts with ICE.
If successful, the lawsuit will allow ICE to recover three times the amount of its damages.
The complaint alleges that Alcatel Lucent's bribery and corruption in Costa Rica was partially directed from Miami, Florida, and was part of a broader world-wide scheme. Earlier this year, Alcatel Lucent announced that it had reached agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission whereby it would admit to violations of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (generally prohibits bribing foreign officials) and pay criminal fines and disgorge profits in an amount over US$137 million in order to avoid criminal prosecution and an SEC enforcement action in connection with its actions in Costa Rica and in other countries. Alcatel Lucent also announced that, as part of that agreement, certain of its subsidiaries would plead guilty to violations of that Act.
"Alcatel Lucent's unlawful conduct significantly impacted ICE and affected Costa Rica's telecommunications system, and has caused a tremendous amount of damage to both the company and the system," said ICE's executive director, Don Pedro Pablo Quieros. "Alcatel Lucent acted criminally, tried to take advantage of ICE and Costa Rica, and although it has taken a step in the right direction by admitting its criminal behavior, it must pay for the significant damages it has caused to ICE."
The lawsuit in Florida is significant because U.S. laws offer victims of racketeering enterprises, like Alcatel Lucent's, three times the amount of damages they have suffered.
If successful, the lawsuit will allow ICE to recover three times the amount of its damages.
The complaint alleges that Alcatel Lucent's bribery and corruption in Costa Rica was partially directed from Miami, Florida, and was part of a broader world-wide scheme. Earlier this year, Alcatel Lucent announced that it had reached agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission whereby it would admit to violations of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (generally prohibits bribing foreign officials) and pay criminal fines and disgorge profits in an amount over US$137 million in order to avoid criminal prosecution and an SEC enforcement action in connection with its actions in Costa Rica and in other countries. Alcatel Lucent also announced that, as part of that agreement, certain of its subsidiaries would plead guilty to violations of that Act.
"Alcatel Lucent's unlawful conduct significantly impacted ICE and affected Costa Rica's telecommunications system, and has caused a tremendous amount of damage to both the company and the system," said ICE's executive director, Don Pedro Pablo Quieros. "Alcatel Lucent acted criminally, tried to take advantage of ICE and Costa Rica, and although it has taken a step in the right direction by admitting its criminal behavior, it must pay for the significant damages it has caused to ICE."
The lawsuit in Florida is significant because U.S. laws offer victims of racketeering enterprises, like Alcatel Lucent's, three times the amount of damages they have suffered.
Alcatel-Lucent to Upgrade Russian CDMA Network
Russian CDMA network has signed an agreement with Alcatel-Lucent to upgrade its network to 3G/CDMA2000 1x-EVDO Revision B radio access network functionality. The EV-DO Rev. B (Evolution-Data Optimized Revision B) standard, entirely based on IP, will allow Sky Link to increase network capabilities without radio channel widening and will significantly increase data speed rates as from base station to subscriber - up to 6.2 Mbit/s, and also from subscriber to base station - up to 3.9 Mbit/s.
As part of the agreement, Sky Link is also planning to upgrade the EV-DO network it is currently operating in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Krasnodar.
"We have successfully been using Alcatel-Lucent's mobile network equipment in 10 licensed territories for years - covering amongst others our 3 largest and most important regions: Moscow, St. Petersburg and Krasnodar. It is a priority for us to introduce EV-DO Rev.B first in these regions. Thanks to Alcatel-Lucent's network upgrade, we will be able to realize an increase in network capacity of at least 15% and provide our customers with mobile broadband access services that surpass the competitors offering in data speed and end-user experience," says Gulnara Khasyanova, ZAO Sky Link's general director.
Article published on 11th May 2010
As part of the agreement, Sky Link is also planning to upgrade the EV-DO network it is currently operating in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Krasnodar.
"We have successfully been using Alcatel-Lucent's mobile network equipment in 10 licensed territories for years - covering amongst others our 3 largest and most important regions: Moscow, St. Petersburg and Krasnodar. It is a priority for us to introduce EV-DO Rev.B first in these regions. Thanks to Alcatel-Lucent's network upgrade, we will be able to realize an increase in network capacity of at least 15% and provide our customers with mobile broadband access services that surpass the competitors offering in data speed and end-user experience," says Gulnara Khasyanova, ZAO Sky Link's general director.
Article published on 11th May 2010
Alcatel-Lucent faces bribery lawsuit
Right on the heels of a tough Q1 earnings report, Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU) is being sued by El Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE), Costa Rica's telecommunications and electricity provider, which alleges that Alcatel-Lucent directed bribery and civil racketeering out of Miami, Fla.
The suit is connected to Alcatel-Lucent's bribing of Costa Rican government officials to secure telecom contracts with ICE. If ICE wins, they could receive three times the amount of its damages.
Alcatel-Lucent has owned up to the bribery charges. The vendor crafted an agreement with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission by admitting it violated the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and agreed to pay criminal fines and disgorge $137 million in profits to avoid criminal prosecution and SEC enforcement action in connection with actions in Costa Rica and other countries.
"Alcatel Lucent's unlawful conduct significantly impacted ICE and affected Costa Rica's telecommunications system, and has caused a tremendous amount of damage to both the company and the system," said ICE's executive director, Don Pedro Pablo Quieros in a release. "Alcatel Lucent acted criminally, tried to take advantage of ICE and Costa Rica, and although it has taken a step in the right direction by admitting its criminal behavior, it must pay for the significant damages it has caused to ICE."
Read more: http://www.fiercetelecom.com/story/alcatel-lucent-faces-bribery-lawsuit/2010-05-10#ixzz0nfmrSHil
The suit is connected to Alcatel-Lucent's bribing of Costa Rican government officials to secure telecom contracts with ICE. If ICE wins, they could receive three times the amount of its damages.
Alcatel-Lucent has owned up to the bribery charges. The vendor crafted an agreement with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission by admitting it violated the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and agreed to pay criminal fines and disgorge $137 million in profits to avoid criminal prosecution and SEC enforcement action in connection with actions in Costa Rica and other countries.
"Alcatel Lucent's unlawful conduct significantly impacted ICE and affected Costa Rica's telecommunications system, and has caused a tremendous amount of damage to both the company and the system," said ICE's executive director, Don Pedro Pablo Quieros in a release. "Alcatel Lucent acted criminally, tried to take advantage of ICE and Costa Rica, and although it has taken a step in the right direction by admitting its criminal behavior, it must pay for the significant damages it has caused to ICE."
Read more: http://www.fiercetelecom.com/story/alcatel-lucent-faces-bribery-lawsuit/2010-05-10#ixzz0nfmrSHil
Alcatel-Lucent's Net Loss Widens
By MAX COLCHESTER
Telecommunications-equipment maker Alcatel-Lucent SA posted a net loss in the first quarter, saying Thursday that a shortage of electronic components meant it couldn't fulfill some orders.
The Paris-based company, which has recorded a quarterly profit only twice since its creation in 2006, said its net loss widened to €515 million ($660.3 million) in the three months ended March 31, compared with a loss of €402 million a year earlier.
Revenue fell 9.8% to €3.25 billion from €3.6 billion, as the company lacked key components, such as microchips, to manufacture some of its products. Revenue was down 18% from the fourth quarter of 2009.
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Reuters
CEO Ben Verwaayen expects Alcatel-Lucent to post a second-half profit.
"In the first quarter, we failed to take the demand and translate it into sales," Alcatel-Lucent Chief Executive Ben Verwaayen said in an interview.
Mr. Verwaayen said the company was in talks with parts makers to address the supply issue. The Alcatel-Lucent CEO said the company has signed a series of large orders, notably in the U.S., and forecast that the company will make a profit in the second half of 2010. The company is set to turn its first-ever full-year profit in 2011, he added.
Mr. Verwaayen said he was confident that the popularity of data-hungry devices, such as smartphones, will force telecommunications operators to invest in improving their networks in the coming years. As proof of this market trend, he cited an order which Alcatel-Lucent booked in February to supply AT&T Inc. with advanced wireless-network equipment.
This boom in demand has yet to be felt across the world.
Alcatel-Lucent's first-quarter loss underscore the challenges that European telecommunication equipment makers face as Asian rivals, such as China's Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd and ZTE Corp., are now able to provide similar products at much cheaper prices.
Alcatel-Lucent's revenue fell 18% in the Asia-Pacific region to €531 million in the quarter.
Analysts said Alcatel-Lucent finds itself in a delicate position because the technological lead it had over competitors has been eroded. "There is no easy solution to the problem," said Vincent Rech, an analyst at Société Générale. "Alcatel-Lucent must either develop a ground breaking technology or eventually merge with a competitor."
Shares of Alcatel-Lucent fell 6.24% to €2.12, in contrast with a rising Paris stock market.
Telecommunications-equipment maker Alcatel-Lucent SA posted a net loss in the first quarter, saying Thursday that a shortage of electronic components meant it couldn't fulfill some orders.
The Paris-based company, which has recorded a quarterly profit only twice since its creation in 2006, said its net loss widened to €515 million ($660.3 million) in the three months ended March 31, compared with a loss of €402 million a year earlier.
Revenue fell 9.8% to €3.25 billion from €3.6 billion, as the company lacked key components, such as microchips, to manufacture some of its products. Revenue was down 18% from the fourth quarter of 2009.
View Full Image
Reuters
CEO Ben Verwaayen expects Alcatel-Lucent to post a second-half profit.
"In the first quarter, we failed to take the demand and translate it into sales," Alcatel-Lucent Chief Executive Ben Verwaayen said in an interview.
Mr. Verwaayen said the company was in talks with parts makers to address the supply issue. The Alcatel-Lucent CEO said the company has signed a series of large orders, notably in the U.S., and forecast that the company will make a profit in the second half of 2010. The company is set to turn its first-ever full-year profit in 2011, he added.
Mr. Verwaayen said he was confident that the popularity of data-hungry devices, such as smartphones, will force telecommunications operators to invest in improving their networks in the coming years. As proof of this market trend, he cited an order which Alcatel-Lucent booked in February to supply AT&T Inc. with advanced wireless-network equipment.
This boom in demand has yet to be felt across the world.
Alcatel-Lucent's first-quarter loss underscore the challenges that European telecommunication equipment makers face as Asian rivals, such as China's Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd and ZTE Corp., are now able to provide similar products at much cheaper prices.
Alcatel-Lucent's revenue fell 18% in the Asia-Pacific region to €531 million in the quarter.
Analysts said Alcatel-Lucent finds itself in a delicate position because the technological lead it had over competitors has been eroded. "There is no easy solution to the problem," said Vincent Rech, an analyst at Société Générale. "Alcatel-Lucent must either develop a ground breaking technology or eventually merge with a competitor."
Shares of Alcatel-Lucent fell 6.24% to €2.12, in contrast with a rising Paris stock market.
Alcatel-Lucent Plunges as Quarter’s Loss Is Double Estimates
May 6 (Bloomberg) -- Alcatel-Lucent SA, France’s largest telecommunications equipment maker, tumbled the most in three months after posting a net loss in the first quarter of more than double what analysts had estimated.
The shares plunged more than 11 percent in Paris trading after the company said parts shortages contributed to the widening of its net loss to 515 million euros ($660 million) from 402 million euros in the year-earlier period. Analysts had predicted a loss of 244.4 million euros, the average of 11 estimates compiled by Bloomberg.
“The numbers were extremely disappointing, although there was a positive tone from management,” Pierre Ferragu, an analyst at Sanford Bernstein in London, said by phone. “The market is reacting to the numbers, not the comments.”
Alcatel has lost money in all but two quarters since 2006, when Alcatel SA bought Lucent Technologies Inc. Its woes are mirrored at other European equipment vendors, which face price competition from companies including China’s Huawei Technologies Co. Last month Nokia Siemens Networks, the joint venture between Nokia Oyj and Siemens AG, increased planned job cuts in Finland, citing market conditions.
Alcatel’s shares had their biggest intraday drop since Feb. 11, the day it cut margin targets for this year. The shares fell 7.3 percent to 2.09 euros as of 9:22 a.m. in Paris, giving the company a market value of 4.86 billion euros.
“We were not able to fully satisfy customer demand for our products due to tightening components availability,” Chief Executive Officer Ben Verwaayen said in an e-mailed statement. “This resulted in a weak financial performance this quarter, which does not reflect the overall underlying momentum.”
Outlook
The company reiterated its 2010 outlook, and said it would benefit from “booming data traffic and the need to increase network efficiency.” In the latest quarter, Paris-based Alcatel said in the statement that sales fell 9.8 percent to 3.25 billion euros.
Verwaayen is banking on demand for upgraded mobile-phone networks to revive the company’s fortunes. Mobile-phone operators including AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc. are trying to build networks that can more easily handle demand from data-hungry devices such as Apple Inc.’s iPhone.
Supply problems are “an industry wide issue,” Verwaayen said on a conference call with reporters. Shortages are most acute for “components of a more general nature, for which we compete, to be honest, with the car industry and consumer electronics,” both of which are recovering from the recession, he said.
Verwaayen and Chief Financial Officer Paul Tufano declined to name suppliers whose parts are in short supply.
Cost Cuts
Revenue in North America was stable at about 1.11 billion euros, while the Asia-Pacific region slid 18.2 percent to 531 million euros. European sales fell 8.3 percent to 1.15 billion euros.
Verwaayen has targeted asset sales and cost cuts to return Alcatel to sustained profit. Last May, the company sold its 20.8 percent stake in aerospace equipment supplier Thales SA to Dassault Aviation SA for 1.57 billion euros. Alcatel-Lucent was created by the 2006 merger of Alcatel SA and Lucent Technologies Inc.
--Editors: Vidya Root, Simon Thiel
The shares plunged more than 11 percent in Paris trading after the company said parts shortages contributed to the widening of its net loss to 515 million euros ($660 million) from 402 million euros in the year-earlier period. Analysts had predicted a loss of 244.4 million euros, the average of 11 estimates compiled by Bloomberg.
“The numbers were extremely disappointing, although there was a positive tone from management,” Pierre Ferragu, an analyst at Sanford Bernstein in London, said by phone. “The market is reacting to the numbers, not the comments.”
Alcatel has lost money in all but two quarters since 2006, when Alcatel SA bought Lucent Technologies Inc. Its woes are mirrored at other European equipment vendors, which face price competition from companies including China’s Huawei Technologies Co. Last month Nokia Siemens Networks, the joint venture between Nokia Oyj and Siemens AG, increased planned job cuts in Finland, citing market conditions.
Alcatel’s shares had their biggest intraday drop since Feb. 11, the day it cut margin targets for this year. The shares fell 7.3 percent to 2.09 euros as of 9:22 a.m. in Paris, giving the company a market value of 4.86 billion euros.
“We were not able to fully satisfy customer demand for our products due to tightening components availability,” Chief Executive Officer Ben Verwaayen said in an e-mailed statement. “This resulted in a weak financial performance this quarter, which does not reflect the overall underlying momentum.”
Outlook
The company reiterated its 2010 outlook, and said it would benefit from “booming data traffic and the need to increase network efficiency.” In the latest quarter, Paris-based Alcatel said in the statement that sales fell 9.8 percent to 3.25 billion euros.
Verwaayen is banking on demand for upgraded mobile-phone networks to revive the company’s fortunes. Mobile-phone operators including AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc. are trying to build networks that can more easily handle demand from data-hungry devices such as Apple Inc.’s iPhone.
Supply problems are “an industry wide issue,” Verwaayen said on a conference call with reporters. Shortages are most acute for “components of a more general nature, for which we compete, to be honest, with the car industry and consumer electronics,” both of which are recovering from the recession, he said.
Verwaayen and Chief Financial Officer Paul Tufano declined to name suppliers whose parts are in short supply.
Cost Cuts
Revenue in North America was stable at about 1.11 billion euros, while the Asia-Pacific region slid 18.2 percent to 531 million euros. European sales fell 8.3 percent to 1.15 billion euros.
Verwaayen has targeted asset sales and cost cuts to return Alcatel to sustained profit. Last May, the company sold its 20.8 percent stake in aerospace equipment supplier Thales SA to Dassault Aviation SA for 1.57 billion euros. Alcatel-Lucent was created by the 2006 merger of Alcatel SA and Lucent Technologies Inc.
--Editors: Vidya Root, Simon Thiel
Alcatel CEO Verwaayen’s Credibility Tested by Losses
By Matthew Campbell
May 7 (Bloomberg) -- Ben Verwaayen took over as Alcatel- Lucent SA Chief Executive Officer in 2008 with a promise to turn the unprofitable telecommunications equipment maker around. Now, his credibility is being tested.
The Paris-based company yesterday posted a first-quarter loss that was more than double what analysts had estimated, bringing the total deficit since Alcatel-Lucent’s creation in 2006 to 9.78 billion euros ($12.4 billion). Verwaayen was optimistic about the company’s outlook, saying the second quarter would be stronger and reiterating targets for 2010 margins. Some analysts remain skeptical.
“The problem is, the level of trust in those sorts of comments is going down,” said Pierre Ferragu, an analyst at Sanford Bernstein in London.
The 58-year-old former CEO of BT Group Plc blamed the larger-than-estimated loss on component shortages, and said the dearth of parts is an indication of rising demand in the global economy. That failed to bolster Alcatel shares, which tumbled 6.5 percent yesterday and fell another 6.3 percent today to 1.98 euros.
Since Verwaayen was appointed in September 2008, Alcatel shares have lost more than half their value, eroding market value by 5.03 billion euros. In the same period, Swedish rival Ericsson AB’s shares have risen about 3.8 percent.
‘Normal Company’
Alcatel’s first-quarter loss of 515 million euros -- more than double the average of estimates from analysts of 244.4 million euros -- means the company has lost money in every quarter except two since 2006, when Alcatel SA bought Lucent Technologies. Verwaayen maintains that the company remains on course for his three-year turnaround plan.
The “aspiration to be at the end of 2011 a normal company is absolutely still there,” he said yesterday.
During Verwaayen’s time as head of BT, profit almost doubled, going from 995 million pounds ($1.49 billion) in 2002, the year he took over, to 1.74 billion pounds in 2008.
He cut about 5,000 jobs a year at London-based BT to counter falling sales from land-line voice calls and increased competition in broadband services.
The challenges he faces at Alcatel are very different.
Different Challenge
“He came into a situation with a very low bar to cross,” said Jason Willey, an analyst at Standard & Poor’s Equity Research in London. Still, “I’m not sure there was that much belief he was going to get exactly where he said in that timeframe.”
The French company and its European rivals Ericsson and Nokia Siemens Networks are confronting the rapid emergence of competition from Chinese companies including Huawei Technologies Co. and ZTE Corp.
Ericsson, the world’s largest wireless equipment supplier, on April 23 posted a 27 percent drop in first-quarter profit. Like Alcatel, the company said it had difficulties sourcing basic parts such as semiconductors. Nokia Siemens Networks reported an operating loss of 226 million euros, reversing a profit in the previous quarter.
Profit in 2009 at closely held Huawei, China’s biggest maker of phone equipment, more than doubled to 18.3 billion yuan ($2.7 billion), the company said in March. ZTE first-quarter profit rose 40 percent to 109.9 million yuan.
Competitive Landscape
The Chinese companies have made the competitive landscape tougher, Willey said.
“Huawei and ZTE have the ability to operate and compete in a different manner,” he said. “For the European players, it’s even more competitive than it was.”
Huawei has been aggressive in winning business from some of the world’s biggest mobile operators, including China Unicom, Telstra Corp, and Vodafone Group Plc. The Shenzhen, China-based manufacturer is also targeting a “breakthrough” in the U.S., Western Europe vice-president Tim Watkins said last year.
Competition in the equipment industry claimed a notable casualty in 2009 when Mississauga, Canada-based Nortel Networks Corp. filed for bankruptcy protection after reduced spending by telecom operators and price competition.
European suppliers including Alcatel, Ericsson, and Nokia Siemens Networks must continue to invest in innovation while also cutting costs in order to keep ahead of emerging-market competitors, said Patrik Karrberg, a researcher in the London School of Economics’ Information Systems and Innovation Group.
Boost Investment
For emerging-market companies, “it’s easy to catch up because you can copy your way to a certain point,” he said. However, “there will be a point where they will have caught up and then have to invest in R&D.”
Verwaayen is betting that surging demand for data-hungry devices like Apple Inc.’s iPhone will drive investments in the higher-end network infrastructure the Paris-based company provides.
It has scored some notable successes. It’s supplying so- called fourth generation wireless technology to AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc., the two largest U.S. mobile operators, and rebuilding emergency-service communication networks for the German government.
Alcatel may benefit more than other European equipment suppliers from the U.S. network upgrades because of its presence in North America through Lucent, said Mirko Maier, an analyst at Landesbank Baden-Wuerttemberg in Stuttgart.
Uphill Task
Still, after yesterday’s results, the company faces an uphill struggle to meet its stated target of reaching an adjusted operating margin between 1 percent and 5 percent this year, he said.
Some investors are not willing to wait.
“I thought the company would get its act together,” said Ulf Moritzen, who helps manage about 1 billion euros at Hamburg- based Aramea Asset Management, which sold its Alcatel shares late last year. “Alcatel lost a little of the pace. We decided to focus more on companies with a clearer outlook for growth.”
May 7 (Bloomberg) -- Ben Verwaayen took over as Alcatel- Lucent SA Chief Executive Officer in 2008 with a promise to turn the unprofitable telecommunications equipment maker around. Now, his credibility is being tested.
The Paris-based company yesterday posted a first-quarter loss that was more than double what analysts had estimated, bringing the total deficit since Alcatel-Lucent’s creation in 2006 to 9.78 billion euros ($12.4 billion). Verwaayen was optimistic about the company’s outlook, saying the second quarter would be stronger and reiterating targets for 2010 margins. Some analysts remain skeptical.
“The problem is, the level of trust in those sorts of comments is going down,” said Pierre Ferragu, an analyst at Sanford Bernstein in London.
The 58-year-old former CEO of BT Group Plc blamed the larger-than-estimated loss on component shortages, and said the dearth of parts is an indication of rising demand in the global economy. That failed to bolster Alcatel shares, which tumbled 6.5 percent yesterday and fell another 6.3 percent today to 1.98 euros.
Since Verwaayen was appointed in September 2008, Alcatel shares have lost more than half their value, eroding market value by 5.03 billion euros. In the same period, Swedish rival Ericsson AB’s shares have risen about 3.8 percent.
‘Normal Company’
Alcatel’s first-quarter loss of 515 million euros -- more than double the average of estimates from analysts of 244.4 million euros -- means the company has lost money in every quarter except two since 2006, when Alcatel SA bought Lucent Technologies. Verwaayen maintains that the company remains on course for his three-year turnaround plan.
The “aspiration to be at the end of 2011 a normal company is absolutely still there,” he said yesterday.
During Verwaayen’s time as head of BT, profit almost doubled, going from 995 million pounds ($1.49 billion) in 2002, the year he took over, to 1.74 billion pounds in 2008.
He cut about 5,000 jobs a year at London-based BT to counter falling sales from land-line voice calls and increased competition in broadband services.
The challenges he faces at Alcatel are very different.
Different Challenge
“He came into a situation with a very low bar to cross,” said Jason Willey, an analyst at Standard & Poor’s Equity Research in London. Still, “I’m not sure there was that much belief he was going to get exactly where he said in that timeframe.”
The French company and its European rivals Ericsson and Nokia Siemens Networks are confronting the rapid emergence of competition from Chinese companies including Huawei Technologies Co. and ZTE Corp.
Ericsson, the world’s largest wireless equipment supplier, on April 23 posted a 27 percent drop in first-quarter profit. Like Alcatel, the company said it had difficulties sourcing basic parts such as semiconductors. Nokia Siemens Networks reported an operating loss of 226 million euros, reversing a profit in the previous quarter.
Profit in 2009 at closely held Huawei, China’s biggest maker of phone equipment, more than doubled to 18.3 billion yuan ($2.7 billion), the company said in March. ZTE first-quarter profit rose 40 percent to 109.9 million yuan.
Competitive Landscape
The Chinese companies have made the competitive landscape tougher, Willey said.
“Huawei and ZTE have the ability to operate and compete in a different manner,” he said. “For the European players, it’s even more competitive than it was.”
Huawei has been aggressive in winning business from some of the world’s biggest mobile operators, including China Unicom, Telstra Corp, and Vodafone Group Plc. The Shenzhen, China-based manufacturer is also targeting a “breakthrough” in the U.S., Western Europe vice-president Tim Watkins said last year.
Competition in the equipment industry claimed a notable casualty in 2009 when Mississauga, Canada-based Nortel Networks Corp. filed for bankruptcy protection after reduced spending by telecom operators and price competition.
European suppliers including Alcatel, Ericsson, and Nokia Siemens Networks must continue to invest in innovation while also cutting costs in order to keep ahead of emerging-market competitors, said Patrik Karrberg, a researcher in the London School of Economics’ Information Systems and Innovation Group.
Boost Investment
For emerging-market companies, “it’s easy to catch up because you can copy your way to a certain point,” he said. However, “there will be a point where they will have caught up and then have to invest in R&D.”
Verwaayen is betting that surging demand for data-hungry devices like Apple Inc.’s iPhone will drive investments in the higher-end network infrastructure the Paris-based company provides.
It has scored some notable successes. It’s supplying so- called fourth generation wireless technology to AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc., the two largest U.S. mobile operators, and rebuilding emergency-service communication networks for the German government.
Alcatel may benefit more than other European equipment suppliers from the U.S. network upgrades because of its presence in North America through Lucent, said Mirko Maier, an analyst at Landesbank Baden-Wuerttemberg in Stuttgart.
Uphill Task
Still, after yesterday’s results, the company faces an uphill struggle to meet its stated target of reaching an adjusted operating margin between 1 percent and 5 percent this year, he said.
Some investors are not willing to wait.
“I thought the company would get its act together,” said Ulf Moritzen, who helps manage about 1 billion euros at Hamburg- based Aramea Asset Management, which sold its Alcatel shares late last year. “Alcatel lost a little of the pace. We decided to focus more on companies with a clearer outlook for growth.”
阿爾卡特朗訊合並後連虧5年 累計達124億美元
彭博社周五發表分析文章稱，韋華恩（Ben Verwaayen）在2008年臨危授命，出任了陷入困境的阿爾卡特-朗訊（以下簡稱：阿朗）首席執行官。在接過阿朗帥印之時，韋華恩曾承諾讓虧損的阿 朗重新恢複盈利。但是如今，阿朗業績仍在不斷虧損中，韋華恩的信譽也開始受到了投資人的質疑。
阿朗周四發布的財報顯示，在截至3月31日的第一季度，阿朗淨虧損為5.15億歐元（約 合6.60億美元）。 這一業績不及上年同期，2009年第一季度，阿朗淨虧損為4.02億歐元。阿朗第一季度營收為32.5億歐元，同比下滑9.8%。阿朗第一季度業績未達市 場預期。彭博社的調查顯示，市場分析師此前預計，阿朗第一季度淨虧損為2.444億歐元。
阿朗第一季度的業績表明，自阿爾卡特與朗訊在2006年合並至今，新公司每個季度都處於虧損之中， 且累計虧損已達到驚人的97.8億歐元（約合124億美元）。韋華恩對公司的前景仍充滿信息。他在周四表示，阿朗第二季度的業績將有著強勁表現，並繼續重 申了阿朗在2010年的利潤率。不過市場分析師卻對此持懷疑的態度。投資公司Bernstein分析師皮埃爾·法拉古（Pierre Ferragu）表示，「阿朗當前的問題在於，市場對該公司類似評論的信任程度正在下滑。」
在出任阿朗首席執行官之前，現年58歲的韋華恩曾是英國電信的首席執行官。他在周四表示，阿朗第一季度虧損幅度超過市場預期，主要原因歸咎於 產品配件缺乏。這些配件的缺乏，說明全球經濟複蘇導致市場需求不斷上漲。受業績大幅虧損影響，阿朗股價周四下滑6.5%，報收於2.1歐元。自韋華恩 2008年9月執掌阿朗帥印以來，該公司股價跌幅已接近50%，公司市值也蒸發了48億美元。
不同的挑戰
韋華恩在英國電信出任首 席執行官時期，該公司的淨利潤增長了近一倍，從2002年他就任時的9.95億英鎊（約 合14.9億美元），上漲至2008年離職時的17.4億英鎊。但是他在阿朗，卻面臨著一種截然不同的挑戰。
阿朗及其在競爭對手愛立信、諾基亞西門子，目前都面臨著來自中國的電信設備商華為和中興通訊的沖擊。作為全球第一大電信設備制造商，愛立信在4月23日發布的財報顯示，公司第一季 度淨利潤同比下滑了27%。諾基亞西門子的財報則顯示，該公司第一季度運營虧損為2.26億美元，表現不及上一季度。
競爭格局
華為在今年3月表示，該公司2009年的淨利潤較上年增長一倍多，達到人民幣183億元（約合27 億美元）。市場分析師指出，中國公司的加入，使得市場競爭變得更加激烈。標准普爾證券研究公司（S&P Equity Research）分析師賈森·維利（Jason Willey）說，「華為與中興通訊，有能力用不同的方式運轉和競爭。對歐洲的競爭對手而言，來自中國公司的競爭要比它們以前遇到的競爭激烈的多。」
在獲取包括中國聯通、澳洲電信、沃達豐等全球大型移動運營商訂單問題上，華為的做法一直都咄咄逼人。華為西歐業務部門副總裁蒂 姆·沃特金斯（Tim Watkins）在去年曾表示，該公司在歐洲電信設備市場份額已達10%，預計今年會進一步提高。此外，華為計劃在美國市場取得重大突破。
增加投資
倫敦政治經濟學院研究員帕特裏克·卡伯格（Patrik Karrberg）表示，包括阿朗、愛立信、諾基亞西門子等歐洲電信設備供應商，必須繼續在產品創新進行投資的同時，削減公司支出，這樣才能保持對新興市 場競爭對手的領先。他說，對來自新興市場的公司而言，「它們很容易就能夠追上這些老牌的設備制造商，因為在某種程度上他們能夠複制前輩們的成功經驗。」業 內人士指出，阿朗可能會從美國電信運營商升級網絡中受益，因為朗訊曾經在美國市場占有很高的市場份額。
阿朗在發布了虧損的第一季度財報後，該公司實現今年運營利潤率達到1%至5%的目標將面臨著巨大的 困難。投資人可能已不願在為此等待。資產管理公司Aramea Asset Management投資經理烏爾夫·莫瑞茨恩（Ulf Moritzen）就已不再看好阿朗。莫瑞茨恩在去年年底拋空了持有的阿朗股票。他對此表示，「我們決定更多的專注那些有著明確增長前景的公司。」
阿朗周四發布的財報顯示，在截至3月31日的第一季度，阿朗淨虧損為5.15億歐元（約 合6.60億美元）。 這一業績不及上年同期，2009年第一季度，阿朗淨虧損為4.02億歐元。阿朗第一季度營收為32.5億歐元，同比下滑9.8%。阿朗第一季度業績未達市 場預期。彭博社的調查顯示，市場分析師此前預計，阿朗第一季度淨虧損為2.444億歐元。
阿朗第一季度的業績表明，自阿爾卡特與朗訊在2006年合並至今，新公司每個季度都處於虧損之中， 且累計虧損已達到驚人的97.8億歐元（約合124億美元）。韋華恩對公司的前景仍充滿信息。他在周四表示，阿朗第二季度的業績將有著強勁表現，並繼續重 申了阿朗在2010年的利潤率。不過市場分析師卻對此持懷疑的態度。投資公司Bernstein分析師皮埃爾·法拉古（Pierre Ferragu）表示，「阿朗當前的問題在於，市場對該公司類似評論的信任程度正在下滑。」
在出任阿朗首席執行官之前，現年58歲的韋華恩曾是英國電信的首席執行官。他在周四表示，阿朗第一季度虧損幅度超過市場預期，主要原因歸咎於 產品配件缺乏。這些配件的缺乏，說明全球經濟複蘇導致市場需求不斷上漲。受業績大幅虧損影響，阿朗股價周四下滑6.5%，報收於2.1歐元。自韋華恩 2008年9月執掌阿朗帥印以來，該公司股價跌幅已接近50%，公司市值也蒸發了48億美元。
不同的挑戰
韋華恩在英國電信出任首 席執行官時期，該公司的淨利潤增長了近一倍，從2002年他就任時的9.95億英鎊（約 合14.9億美元），上漲至2008年離職時的17.4億英鎊。但是他在阿朗，卻面臨著一種截然不同的挑戰。
阿朗及其在競爭對手愛立信、諾基亞西門子，目前都面臨著來自中國的電信設備商華為和中興通訊的沖擊。作為全球第一大電信設備制造商，愛立信在4月23日發布的財報顯示，公司第一季 度淨利潤同比下滑了27%。諾基亞西門子的財報則顯示，該公司第一季度運營虧損為2.26億美元，表現不及上一季度。
競爭格局
華為在今年3月表示，該公司2009年的淨利潤較上年增長一倍多，達到人民幣183億元（約合27 億美元）。市場分析師指出，中國公司的加入，使得市場競爭變得更加激烈。標准普爾證券研究公司（S&P Equity Research）分析師賈森·維利（Jason Willey）說，「華為與中興通訊，有能力用不同的方式運轉和競爭。對歐洲的競爭對手而言，來自中國公司的競爭要比它們以前遇到的競爭激烈的多。」
在獲取包括中國聯通、澳洲電信、沃達豐等全球大型移動運營商訂單問題上，華為的做法一直都咄咄逼人。華為西歐業務部門副總裁蒂 姆·沃特金斯（Tim Watkins）在去年曾表示，該公司在歐洲電信設備市場份額已達10%，預計今年會進一步提高。此外，華為計劃在美國市場取得重大突破。
增加投資
倫敦政治經濟學院研究員帕特裏克·卡伯格（Patrik Karrberg）表示，包括阿朗、愛立信、諾基亞西門子等歐洲電信設備供應商，必須繼續在產品創新進行投資的同時，削減公司支出，這樣才能保持對新興市 場競爭對手的領先。他說，對來自新興市場的公司而言，「它們很容易就能夠追上這些老牌的設備制造商，因為在某種程度上他們能夠複制前輩們的成功經驗。」業 內人士指出，阿朗可能會從美國電信運營商升級網絡中受益，因為朗訊曾經在美國市場占有很高的市場份額。
阿朗在發布了虧損的第一季度財報後，該公司實現今年運營利潤率達到1%至5%的目標將面臨著巨大的 困難。投資人可能已不願在為此等待。資產管理公司Aramea Asset Management投資經理烏爾夫·莫瑞茨恩（Ulf Moritzen）就已不再看好阿朗。莫瑞茨恩在去年年底拋空了持有的阿朗股票。他對此表示，「我們決定更多的專注那些有著明確增長前景的公司。」
財報─阿爾卡特朗訊Q1表現不如預期 虧損擴大
法國電信設備製造商阿爾卡特朗訊（Alcatel-Lucent）（ALUA-FR）（），第一季財報不如預期，虧損擴大，主要是受到零件供應吃緊的影響。
執行長Ben Verwaayen表示，該公司本身製造的高階晶片組供貨無虞，但是一般零件卻受到汽車與消費電子產品製造商的採購擠壓，面臨供應不足的壓力
阿爾卡特周四公佈財報，今年第1季營收32.5億歐元，淨虧損5.15億歐元，遜於原先分析師預期的34.97億歐元營收與1.66億歐元淨虧損。
執行長Ben Verwaayen表示，該公司本身製造的高階晶片組供貨無虞，但是一般零件卻受到汽車與消費電子產品製造商的採購擠壓，面臨供應不足的壓力
阿爾卡特周四公佈財報，今年第1季營收32.5億歐元，淨虧損5.15億歐元，遜於原先分析師預期的34.97億歐元營收與1.66億歐元淨虧損。
Alcatel Lucent to compensate Telecom NZ over 3G network failings
May 10, 2010 Written by Mike HibberdPrintEmail
Ben Verwaayen, CEO, Alcatel Lucent, has been visiting Telecom New Zealand over the past week
Reports from New Zealand suggest that Franco-US vendor Alcatel Lucent (ALU) is to award a compensation payment of NZ$100m (US$72.8m) to incumbent player Telecom over the poor performance of the ‘XT’ 3G network it delivered to the carrier, and operates on its behalf. ALU CEO Ben Verwaayen has been visiting New Zealand over the last week and the deal was understood to have been struck during his meetings with Telecom
In February this year Telecom’s CTO Frank Mount and Alcatel Lucent’s head of New Zealand Stevel Lowe both resigned over the network’s well publicised shortcomings, which have included several outages.
A report commissioned by Telecom from Analysys Mason argued that the network and support systems were not robust enough to deal with demand from Telecom customers migrating from the firm’s CDMA network. The Radio Network Controller was the weakest link in the chain, Analysys Mason reported.
Crucially, however, traffic levels were within Telecom forecast ranges, suggesting that the network ought to have been capable of handling them. Analysys Mason recommended that customer acquisition activities be slowed as the firms work to improve the network’s performance. It also said that ALU and Telecom had already made improvements to the network.
“The review has been both chastening and heartening at the same time,” said Paul Reynolds, CEO, Telecom New Zealand. “Clearly some serious errors were made but the report shows that XT is fundamentally sound, that Telecom, and our partner Alcatel Lucent are now on the right track. Significant progress in improving the robustness and reliability of XT has been made.”
Ben Verwaayen, CEO, Alcatel Lucent, has been visiting Telecom New Zealand over the past week
Reports from New Zealand suggest that Franco-US vendor Alcatel Lucent (ALU) is to award a compensation payment of NZ$100m (US$72.8m) to incumbent player Telecom over the poor performance of the ‘XT’ 3G network it delivered to the carrier, and operates on its behalf. ALU CEO Ben Verwaayen has been visiting New Zealand over the last week and the deal was understood to have been struck during his meetings with Telecom
In February this year Telecom’s CTO Frank Mount and Alcatel Lucent’s head of New Zealand Stevel Lowe both resigned over the network’s well publicised shortcomings, which have included several outages.
A report commissioned by Telecom from Analysys Mason argued that the network and support systems were not robust enough to deal with demand from Telecom customers migrating from the firm’s CDMA network. The Radio Network Controller was the weakest link in the chain, Analysys Mason reported.
Crucially, however, traffic levels were within Telecom forecast ranges, suggesting that the network ought to have been capable of handling them. Analysys Mason recommended that customer acquisition activities be slowed as the firms work to improve the network’s performance. It also said that ALU and Telecom had already made improvements to the network.
“The review has been both chastening and heartening at the same time,” said Paul Reynolds, CEO, Telecom New Zealand. “Clearly some serious errors were made but the report shows that XT is fundamentally sound, that Telecom, and our partner Alcatel Lucent are now on the right track. Significant progress in improving the robustness and reliability of XT has been made.”