MTN heads to Iran

The international ICT scene was quiet as is usual during the week of the US`s Thanksgiving Day celebrations. The local ICT scene was dominated by the results from MTN and its involvement in Iran.

* MTN obtained 49% of Iran`s second GSM licence (Irancell).
* Sprint Nextel bought AirGate PCS for $4.3 billion.

* Good year-end numbers from UCS with both revenue and profits up over 12.5%.
* Good year-end figures from DataPro, its first set of annual numbers since listing on the JSE.
* A full-year loss from Spescom with revenue also significantly down.
* Very good interim numbers from MTN with both revenue and profit up over 25%.
* Satisfactory interim numbers from Alliance Data with revenue up about 10% and profit marginally up.
* A positive trading update from CompuClearing.
* A trading update from Stella Vista indicating a loss for the year, but less than previous year`s loss.
* J&J Group`s 30% investment in UUNet SA.
* Integrear sold off its subsidiary, Abacus.
* The creation of a joint venture between Accelon (49%), an unlisted telecommunications group, and an unnamed empowerment company (51%).
* The official launch of Saab Grintek, a high-technology company focusing on the telecommunications, defence electronics and industrial sectors. Share holdings are Saab AB (70.3%) and Kunene Brothers Holdings (29.7%).
* A change in the terms of the merger agreement between Xantium and MICT Solutions Group.
* The suspension of ICASA CEO, Jackie Manche.

* Tunisia`s telecommunications privatisation is to start in early 2006.
* The appointment of Capital International AG as a distributor of Nokia SA in Angola.

Tunisia`s telecommunications privatisation is to start in early 2006.

Paul Booth, MD, Global Research Partners

* Intel and Micron Technology to form a joint venture for the manufacture of flash memory chips.
* Private funding obtained for 6th Sense Analytics, a software development analytics company; CopperGate, a home networking chipset developer; Kintera, a developer of software as a service; Mirage Networks, a developer of network software; Raptor Networks, a switching technology provider; and Swyx Solutions, a provider of software-based IP telephony solutions.
* A planned IPO on London`s AIM by Elitel Telecom.
* A cancelled IPO from IntraLinks, a company that provides electronic document services.
* A good IPO on London`s AIM by BNS Telecom.
* Loral Space & Communications emerged from Chapter 11.

* BenQ making some more hi-tech acquisitions following its purchase of Siemens` handset division.
* The possible privatisation of Swisscom.
* The potential sell-off of Alltel`s local telephone access lines.

* JSE All share index: Down 0.9%
* Nasdaq: Up 1.6% (highest weekend close this decade)
* Top SA share movements: Alliance Data (+9.9%), Beget Holdings (+16.7%), Dynamic Cables (+25%), Eureka (+50%), I-Solutions (+23.1%), Infowave (+10.6%), Prism (+10.5%), Stella Vista (+25%), Vesta (+50%) and Xantium (+11.1%).
* Top international share movements: BroadVision (+70.1%), Future Internet (+87.5%), IndigoVision (+36.2%), Nipson Digital (-29%), OMG (+36.8%), Poly Information (-28.4%), RadView Software (-31.8%), SONICblue (-37.5%), Ultimate Electronics (-37.5%) and VerticalNet (+27.8%).

The UK Financial Times recently published a special report on the world`s most respected companies. From a technology perspective, Microsoft was at number one, IBM at five, Apple at nine, Siemens at 10, Dell at 11, Sony Ericsson at 18 and Nokia at 25.