New horizon for Microsoft

Last week's highlights included Microsoft's launch of Windows Vista and the resignation of Dell's CEO.

* The merger of the telecommunications cable manufacturing businesses of Altron and Reunert into CBi-electric Aberdare ATC Telecom Cables, headed by Koos Vorster.
* Aladdin Knowledge Systems entered the South African market via BCSnet, a local infrastructure service provider.
* Software Futures' parent company Fidentia was placed under curatorship.

* Safaricom, MTN and Vodacom will create a single network in East Africa.
* David Murray was appointed as CEO of Celtel Kenya.

* IBM acquired Softek, a provider of storage management technology.
* Symantec bought Altiris, a provider of asset management software, for $830 million.
* Richard Surratt was appointed as president and CEO of ProQuest.
* The resignations of Kevin Rollins as CEO of Dell.
* A planned IPO from digital text developer Monotype Imaging Holdings.

* In 2006, the semiconductor market grew by 8.9% over 2005, to a total value of $247.7 billion.

Safaricom, MTN and Vodacom will create a single network in East Africa.

Paul Booth, MD, Global Research Partners

* JSE All share index: Up 1.2%
* Nasdaq: Up 1.7%
* Top SA share movements: Cape Empowerment Trust (-12.7%), FoneWorx (+42.3%), Jasco (+10.7%), Spescom (+8.4%) and Vesta (+30%).
* Top international share movements: (not available this week)

The latest Fortune magazine 'Top 50 Companies in Russia' list features 12 telecommunications companies but only one IT company: Magnet, an organisation with revenue of about $1.6 billion, making it smaller than Datatec and Dimension Data.

This week's column is somewhat shorter than usual due to major outages with my ADSL line and the relevant Telkom exchange. Any omissions will be included next week.