NL Short Takes

March Networks inks retail customer to major contractOttawa-based March Networks has scored a big contract win in the United States, inking a retail customer to a US$5.5-million contract. The identity of the U.S. client was not revealed. March will provide its digital video surveillance technology to help the customer reduce financial losses due to shrinkage or shoplifting. The contract calls for the supply of digital video recorders as well as system management software that links the surveillance system to a central network administered from a single location. Systems are expected to be installed by the end of January 2005. This is the second big win for the company, which inked a similar agreement with Fifth Third Bank of Cincinnati, Ohio. Financial details of the bank contract were not revealed last week, but it appears to be worth a substantial sum of money. Fifth Third Bank, which has 1,000 locations across eight states, will install a system in each location. Canadian numbers now available from VoicegloFlorida-based Voiceglo has announced that it is now offering GloPhone customers Canadian phone numbers. The company says in a December 7 news release that phone numbers in six Canadian provinces, including Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Ontario, are available. These include: 780, 403, 604, 250, 204, 902, 613, 519, 905, 416, 647, 418, 819, 514. Voiceglo says customers can save from 40% to 80% on traditional phone bills if they sign up for GloPhone. "Now that we have expanded our area code offerings beyond the United States and into more than half of Canada, even more consumers worldwide can pick the area code of their choice and take advantage of the inexpensive, global calling capabilities that GloPhone provides," Voiceglo president Edward Cespedes, says in a news release. Shaw Internet subscribers on the rise in first quarterShaw Communications Inc. has announced that its Internet customer base grew by nearly 48,000 subscribers in the first quarter of fiscal 2005. The company has also updated guidance figures. Service operating income before amortization is now expected to be in the $970 million to $985 million range. Capital expenditures will range between $420 million and $430 million. Free cash flow has been downgraded to $270 million to $285 million from a previously indicated level of $325 million. TELUS partners with Protus IP on Internet faxTELUS has teamed up with Protus IP Solutions to launch a new version of Internet Fax, an Internet-based fax service that lets users send and receive fax messages as attachments using their existing email accounts. "Tools like this reflect our long-standing strategic intent to unleash the power of the Internet to the benefit of Canadian businesses. With the mobile workforce growing, Internet Fax provides our customers with greater flexibility and enhanced privacy in communicating while on the road," Robert Tasker, VP of product marketing, TELUS Business Solutions said in a news release. The service allows users to manage faxes and standard attachments, such as a PDF file, through existing email accounts, helping in the process to eliminate paper waste and the expense of managing ongoing maintenance of fax machines. Internet Fax requires no additional hardware or software and is designed to be simple to use and secure. Rogers Cable launches Yahoo service in NewfoundlandRogers Cable Inc. has launched its Rogers Yahoo high-speed Internet service in Newfoundland and Labrador. The service is available to all new and existing customers living in St. John’s, Corner Brook, Gander and Grand Falls-Windsor. The service availability announcement in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador follows similar launches in Ontario and New Brunswick. EMJ Data closes Synnex Canada acquisitionEMJ Data Systems Ltd. has closed the previously announced acquisition of Synnex Canada Acquisition Ltd. The combined entity will retain the EMJ Data name and will have a financial year-end of November 30. As part of the amalgamation, Synnex Canada Ltd. will become the sole EMJ Data shareholder and those who held EMJ Data shares that weren’t acquired will receive $6.60 per common share in cash. M5T releases new SIP development toolSherbrooke QC-based M5T, a provider of session initiation protocol (SIP) technology for secure, real-time multimedia over IP communications, announced that it has released its new SIP User-Agent stack. The tool is used to help in the development of secure communications over IP-based networks. It also decreases development time and shortens time to market for new products and applications such as IP phones, mobile handsets, Wi-Fi phones, softphones and more. "M5T continues to build on its expertise in the development of feature-rich standards-based protocols such as SIP, in order to meet the growing demand for increased security and interoperability for IP communications applications," Serge Beaudoin, GM for M5T, said in a news release. Peer 1 Network’s revenue continues to increasePeer 1 Network Enterprises Inc. has reported a 21.4% increase in first quarter revenue according to 2005 financial results compared to those of the same quarter of last fiscal year, the company announced on November 26. Revenue in Q1 2005 was approximately $3.8 million compared to $3.1 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2004. Net loss for the period also improved dramatically dropping 61.8% from nearly $505,000 for the quarter ended September 2003 to a loss of nearly $312,000 for the same quarter in 2004. Growth initiatives in the quarter included the expansion of its North American backbone, extension of the backbone into Europe and two new product introductions. Speed is dominant factor in customer Internet service choiceThe need for speed and quality remain the driving factors behind consumer choices for Internet service, according to a new survey commissioned by Shaw Cablesystems. The survey, conducted in October of this year by market research firm Ipsos-ASI, revealed that 72% of respondents said speed was an important factor in their decision to choose Shaw as their Internet service provider. "The data from this survey validates our strategy to give customers choice and a service that exceeds their expectations. That includes our High-Speed Xtreme-I, which gives customers download speeds of up to 5Mb/s," Shaw Communications president Peter Bissonnette said in a media release. The survey also looked at the most popular home computing activities of Internet customers, with email remaining the "killer app" of the Internet. Some 97% of customers use email and spend an average of 7.4 hours per week using the service. The other most popular uses are research (89%) and general entertainment (58%). The study included 1,341 interviews with some of Shaw’s most recent Internet subscribers through an online questionnaire. Cisco Systems Canada to help connect kids across CanadaCisco Systems Canada has formed a long-term charitable alliance with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada to help the children participating in the two organizations realize the benefits of state-of-the-art Internet Protocol (IP) Communications network. The benefits include online collaboration and e-learning capabilities for staff and children across Canada, Cisco Systems Canada indicated in a media release. Cisco will donate networking equipment and technological expertise to the two groups, and the company and its employees will be involved in leadership, fundraising and volunteer assistance programs. "By bringing together two of Canada’s oldest, largest and most respected youth organizations, Cisco and its employees will be able to touch the lives of 170,000 children in 800 communities across Canada," said Terry Walsh, president of Cisco Systems Canada. "By harnessing the human and technological resources of Cisco, we hope to make a meaningful contribution to the well-being of Canadian children, youth and families."

NL Short Takes

News | December 8, 2004

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

FREE TRIAL

SUBSCRIBE

Inside The Wire Report

Information

Hill Times Publishing

Get in Touch With Us