Peace Arch Entertainment Group Inc., a Toronto-headquartered producer and distributor of both TV and cinematic entertainment, announced earlier this month that it had secured $33 million worth of backing in its bid to acquire two competitors.

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Toronto-based Kaboose Inc., which operates a number of portals aimed at kids and families, expectant parents and other demographics, was recently named one of Canada's fastest-growing firms in Profit Magazine's annual Profit 100 rankings. The company won the distinction for its five-year track record of revenue growth, which placed in the top fifth of the rankings – in other words, the top 20. "Our entire team is extremely proud of the top 20 ranking, particularly since it was our first year of inclusion in the Profit 100," said Kaboose CEO Jason DeZwirek in a media release. Profit Magazine is put out by Rogers Communications Inc.

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In an about face, Vancouver telecom service provider Telus Corp. announced this morning that it would not submit a bid to acquire rival BCE Inc. after all. "The inadequacies of BCE's big process did not make it possible for Telus to submit an offer," reads the press statement.

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Avaya Inc. has unveiled the latest software package for its Quick Edition voice system for small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs). Version 3.1 includes presence, easy-access alternate auto attendant greetings, call-detail recording, and programmable softkeys. New hardware includes an analogue telephone adapter for fax machines and credit card readers, and a G20 basic rate interface (BRI) ISDN gateway so European customers can use Quick Edition with BRI trunk connections. The new functions are free for existing Quick Edition owners.

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Other proposals to acquire BCE Inc. "are fraught with considerable political risk," according to Brent Fullard, who is spearheading an alternative financial structure for the telecom operations firm. In a conference call this afternoon, the managing director of Catalyst Asset Management Inc. in Toronto said one competing proposal – merging BCE with rival Telus Corp. – would irk consumers worried about decreased competition for their communication-technology spending. Other proposals, those led by pension funds working alongside US private equity firms, could upset "nationalists" worried about foreign investment, he said. The pension-fund proposals might also impact the federal government, which would see taxable income flowing to investors outside of Canada and beyond the revenue department's reach.

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