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Telecoms, IT & Media

Finally, internet users are leaving dialup in the dust

By CLAIRE McENTEE - The Dominion Post

Kiwis are ditching dial-up internet for broadband, according to a study.

Broadband to cost Telecom

ONLINE LEARNING: The Government says that a new levy will mean up to 900 rural schools can be connected to fibre-optic cable.

By TOM PULLAR-STRECKER - The Dominion Post

Telecom has warned that a Government-ordered splurge on rural broadband and changes to the Telecommunications Service Obligations would wipe up to $168 million off its pre-tax earnings over three years.

Telco services berated as 'Third World'

Telecom customers in Manawatu-Rangitikei say they are sick of "Third World" phone and internet services.

IBM tight-lipped on possible NZ job redundancies

IBM New Zealand has refused to comment on rumours it is making 34 staff redundant in Wellington and merging its northern and southern region sales teams.

Software sales help cut loss by $13.5m

By ALAN WOOD - The Press

Diligent Board Member Services' full year loss narrowed to US$4.1 million from US$17.6m helped by software product sales with the firm expecting to become cashflow positive this fiscal year.

Cavotec buoyed by sales opportunities in Asia and Middle East

By ALAN WOOD - The Press

Cavotec MSL Holdings is targeting a return to its 2008 pre-economic crisis trading in fiscal 2010, as it eyes further sales opportunities for its engineering products particularly into Asia and the Middle East.

Telecom signals international call overhaul

Telecom has signalled it will overhaul its international call charges this year and offer more product bundles to encourage consumers to put all their business with Telecom.

Competitors get look at Telecom 'accounts'

BusinessDay

Telecom has published accounts ordered by the Government as part of the company's operational separation undertakings, complete with a 323-page manual on how they should be interpreted.

Telcos backtracking on termination rates deal

By TOM PULLAR-STRECKER - BusinessDay

Vodafone wants to delay significant cuts to mobile termination rates until October, while 2degrees has walked away from negotiations over a voluntary deal to cut the fees.

42,000 transfer cell numbers to 2degrees

BusinessDay

Forty-two thousand people have transferred a cellphone number to 2degrees since the firm launched its network in August, giving an indication of the number of regular mobile users who have switched to 2degrees.

Rural plan 'will hurt Telecom'

By TOM PULLAR-STRECKER - The Dominion Post

Telecom would be $340 million worse off over six years under a proposal that would force it to fund the bulk of the Government's $300m promise to improve rural broadband.

Discounts breach may cost Telecom

By TOM PULLAR-STRECKER - The Dominion Post

Telecom faces a possible fine of $10 million after a watchdog ruled that "loyalty discounts" it offered wholesale customers breached its undertakings on operational separation.

Engineers send Telecom a message

By TOM PULLAR-STRECKER - The Dominion Post

Striking telecommunications engineers picketed Telecom buildings and shops during a national "day of action".

Broadband demand lifts profit for Telstra

By TOM PULLAR-STRECKER - The Dominion Post

TelstraClear chief executive Allan Freeth says he has yet to see any "green shoots" in the economy but strong demand for broadband helped the company increase its revenues and profits.

Telecom 'lucky' during strike

By TOM PULLAR-STRECKER - The Dominion Post

A strike by hundreds of telecommunications engineers enters its second day today.

Guide updates telco rules

By CLAIRE McENTEE - The Dominion Post

The Commerce Commission has issued draft guidelines detailing how it regulate the telecommunications industry.

NZ Post picks Google over Microsoft

By TOM PULLAR-STRECKER - The Dominion Post

NZ Post has embraced ''cloud computing'', choosing Google over Microsoft as its provider of email and messaging software.

Twitter hacked, website to publish leak

Reuters

A popular website plans to publish sensitive internal documents belonging to microblogging site Twitter, including financial projections.

Freeview uptake rising slowly

By ADRIAN CHANG - BusinessDay

The offer of free digital television with extra channels has been taken up by less than a fifth of New Zealand’s households.

2degrees chief stepping down

BusinessDay

The chief executive of new mobile entrant 2degrees, Mike Reynolds, will be stepping down after the network's launch in August.

Microsoft fires back at Google

Reuters

Microsoft will release three versions of its dominant Office software that users can access over the web, catching up with products that rival Google launched three years ago.

Eyede merger a 'smart' move

The Dominion Post

Lower Hutt technology firm Eyede has merged with Auckland card-maker PTC Enterprises, possibly accelerating banks' moves towards chip-based smart cards.

Trade Me holds off on Google lists

The Dominion Post

Trade Me has no immediate plans to upload its property listings to Google Maps, says chief executive Jon McDonald.

Spin muddies the waters

By TOM PULLAR-STRECKER - The Dominion Post

A fresh effort is under way to break Southern Cross Cable Network's near-monopoly over New Zealand's international telecommunications.

InternetNZ markets its domain

By TOM PULLAR-STRECKER - The Dominion Post

InternetNZ has launched an online marketing campaign to promote ".nz" internet addresses as growth in website registrations slows and fresh competition from new "top-level domain names" looms.

Another broadband cable for NZ?

By TOM PULLAR-STRECKER - The Dominion Post

A fresh effort is under way to break Southern Cross Cable Network's near-monopoly over New Zealand's international telecommunications.

Air NZ adopts open-source SilverStripe

The Dominion Post

Air New Zealand will jettison Microsoft software used to manage its websites in favour of an open source content management system developed by Wellington firm SilverStripe.

TVNZ drops Saatchi

TVNZ has dropped Saatchi & Saatchi as its advertising agency in favour of AimProximity.

Bearish mood surprises Murdoch

Reuters

Media executives were unusually somber at their annual retreat in Sun Valley, Idaho this week, with News Corp chief executive Rupert Murdoch surprised at what he described as the "very bearish" mood.

Telecom XT draws 100,000 to network

By TOM PULLAR-STRECKER - BusinessDay

Telecom's $574 million XT mobile network is chugging along in third gear, judging by the number of people changing mobile phone provider.

When is Rupert coming?

Reuters

As reporters waited for the media industry's hotshots to arrive at their annual Sun Valley summer camp on Tuesday, the big question was "When is Rupert coming?"

PS3 not too pricey - Sony

Reuters

Sony has brushed off concerns that the PlayStation 3 video game console is too expensive.

Kordia says new cable needed

By JENNY KEOWN - The Independent

Internet traffic on the Government's proposed $1.5 billion broadband fibre network is in danger of grinding to a halt.

Google's Windows rival to be free

Google is hoping to gain greater control over how personal computers work by developing a free operating system that will attack Microsoft's golden goose - its long-dominant Windows franchise.

Google plans Windows rival

Google is developing a new operating system for laptop computers in its boldest challenge yet to Microsoft's control over people's computing experience.

EPMU prepares Visionstream campaign

BusinessDay

EPMU delegates will meet next Wednesday to plan a campaign on behalf of telecommunications engineers against Visionstream.

Cranking up the creative juices

By KRIS HALL - BusinessDay

Ideas are the currency of the advertising world. So it should come as no surprise that good ideas are trading at a premium in these dark times.

Google's Gmail finally drops 'beta' tag

After more than five years officially in testing mode, Gmail is finally graduating from "beta."

Meridian picks billing software

By CLAIRE McENTEE - The Dominion Post

Meridian Energy is understood to have selected Oracle software to replace its billing system in a deal likely to be worth tens of millions of dollars.

TelstraClear wins back telco work from IAG

The Dominion Post

TelstraClear has clawed back millions of dollars worth of business with IAG that it appeared to have lost when the insurance giant awarded a four-year contract to Datacom in August.

Tech hui helps win over school kids to IT careers

CLAIRE MCENTEE - The Dominion Post

Technology used to be for "freaks and geeks", but high-school students attending a technology hui hosted by Samuel Marsden Collegiate School say the subject has moved up in the cool stakes.

CEOs should do more on Facebook, Twitter

A new study says top CEOs should do a better job managing their presence online, on social sites like Twitter and Facebook and even Wikipedia.

Datacraft, FX to pick up pieces left by GSN

The Dominion Post

The State Services Commission has selected Datacraft and subcontractor FX Networks as the preferred vendors to provide telco services to government agencies served by the Government Shared Network, according to industry sources.

Medtech charges dispute grinds on

By CLAIRE MCENTEE - The Dominion Post

Kiwis face higher GP fees after a major medical software provider increased charges for transferring patient information, health technology firm HealthLink says.

Logging in the logs

The Dominion Post

Port Nelson says it will be able to keep better track of timber and other loose goods at the port by extending its Jade software system to non-containerised cargo.

Advertising set for mild recovery

Reuters

The downturn in global advertising is approaching its lowest point and the industry should see a mild recovery in 2010.

Online presence big and red

By CLAIRE MCENTEE - The Dominion Post

The Warehouse's online store has made a solid debut but the big red shed has room to improve.

Sky puts online TV on stand-by

By TOM PULLAR-STRECKER - The Dominion Post

Sky Television is looking to the Government's $1.5 billion investment in ultrafast broadband to help revive the case for online television after it puts internet download service Sky Online on stand-by.

TelstraClear to resell Vodafone network

By TOM PULLAR-STRECKER - The Dominion Post

TelstraClear has signed an agreement to resell Vodafone's 3G network, two years after a similar deal was scrapped amid acrimony between the two companies.