Mobile operators merge

The proclamation of a planned merger between Deutsche Telekom (T-Mobile) and France Telecom's (Orange) mobile operations in the UK dominated the international world of ICT last week. At home, it was very quiet.

* Mediocre year-end figures from Digicore, with revenue down 16% and profit down 48%.
* A positive trading update from ISA.
* Synchrony, a Web design and custom software specialist, bought FourWaysIT, a Web and hosting specialist.
* Mirna Wessels was appointed MD of Conexus, an outsourced call centre company.
* Jake Orpen resigned as MD of Conexus.

* Internet Solutions and Convergence Wireless Networks made a 68.5% acquisition of Intra, a Mozambiquan ISP.

China Unicom and Telefonica have both invested $1 billion in each other via a share swap.

Paul Booth, MD, Global Research Partners

* Advanced Technology Investments, an investment company owned by Abu Dhabi, bought Chartered Semiconductor, in a move that will create a challenger to United Microelectronics, the world's second-largest maker of customised chips. The deal was worth $1.8 billion.
* Gemalto acquired Trusted Logic, a provider of secure software platforms. Last month, Trusted Logic announced the opening of its African office, in Cape Town.
* Nokia acquired Plum Ventures, a provider of a social media sharing and messaging services for private groups.
* NTT DoCoMo purchased net mobile, a German mobile content distributor, for $61 million.
* Vivendi, which has major interests in Maroc Telecom, bought GVT, a Brazilian telecommunications provider, for EUR2 billion.
* A consortium, made up of Indian telecommunications companies and a Malaysian investor, made a $13.7 billion (46%) investment in Zain.
* China Unicom and Telefonica have both invested $1 billion in each other via a share swap. This brings China Unicom's shareholding in Telefonica to 0.88% and that of Telefonica in China Unicom to approximately 8%.
* Deutsche Telekom (T-Mobile UK) and France Telecom (Orange UK) will merge their UK operations in a deal that will make the new entity the largest mobile operator in the country.
* Kai-Fu Lee, the ex-chief of Google in China, has created a $115 million venture capital fund for Chinese start-ups in the Internet and mobile business spaces.
* Legend Holdings, the parent company of Lenovo, intends to list and take all its affiliates public.
* N Chandrasekaran (commonly known as Chandra) was appointed CEO and MD of Tata Consultancy Services.

International:
* The winner in the auction for Nortel's corporate networking business.
* A possible tie-up between Huawei and Alcatel Lucent.
Africa:
* The 'go live' this week of the Esat African Teams cable.
South Africa:
* The announcement of the new interconnect phone charges.

* The worldwide storage software market declined 9.8% in Q209, reports IDC.
* Worldwide mobile broadband services revenue will double between 2009 and 2013, and is expected to reach $877 billion by 2010, according to Infonetics Research.
* Security software and services spending will grow by approximately 4% in 2010, according to Gartner.

* JSE All share index: Up 3.4% (highest weekend close since early September 2008)
* Nasdaq: Up 3.1% (highest weekend close since September 2008)
* Top SA share movements: CompuClearing (+18%), Dialogue Group (+13.3%), Dynamic Cables (+20%), Huge (-16.6%), Ideco (+17.1%), ISA (+13.2%), MICROmega (-16.7%), Pinnacle (+12.7%), Stella Vista (-25%) and TCS (-16.7%)

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