Device Arena

Nokia announced today that it has signed an agreement for Check Point Software Technologies to acquire Nokia’s security appliance business. The two businesses have collaborated for over a decade to deliver industry-leading enterprise security solutions, and this agreement is the natural culmination of that long-standing collaboration.

“For over 10 years, the security appliance business within Nokia has held a leading position in the security appliance market. Our IP security platforms have developed a well-deserved reputation as the premier platform on which to deploy Check Point’s leading security software,” said Tom Furlong, Senior Vice President of Services & Software at Nokia. “This business fits naturally with Check Point, and the combination will provide a great path forward for the thousands of customers who depend on Nokia security solutions today.”

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Mail on Ovi, the free email account from Nokia, is now ‘live’ and can be set up directly on Nokia phones without requiring a PC to get started. People who use Nokia Series 40 devices can create their own email address directly on their mobile phones. The Ovi email account gives a person all the features and functionalities of a typical PC-based email account. During the Beta period, consumers will be able to choose from 12 languages based on the settings of their device, including English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Hindi, Bengali, Tagalog, Bahasa Indonesia and Bahasa Malaysia.

“We’re creating a mindset shift with mobile messaging. Mail on Ovi is the first-ever email service which allows people to create an account directly on their mobile phone, and start using it right away” said Senior Vice President Tom Furlong, who oversees Consumer Messaging initiatives within Nokia’s Services & Software organization. “Rather than focusing purely on push email for the world’s most advanced mobile users, we are mobilizing email across Nokia’s mainstream device portfolio, while giving consumers in emerging markets their first email account, Mail on Ovi, as well as their very own internet identity. These people are the new ‘mobile digital natives’ who will exclusively use their mobile phones for email and internet, rather than a PC.”

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Spurred by the continued interest in broadband technologies to deliver rich media experiences in the home and beyond, Motorola will carry groundbreaking Long Term Evolution (LTE) work and expanding WiMAX and Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) deployments into a projected expansion of broadband in 2009. The leading provider of wired and wireless broadband solutions wrapped up 2008 with historic demonstrations, including the industry’s first CDMA to LTE network handoff, and a steady drumbeat of WiMAX and FTTH deployments and products.

Despite the current economic landscape, the demand for media mobility points to myriad opportunities for Motorola products and services to help operators and service providers deliver rich media experiences to their customers.

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Alcatel-Lucent today announced that it remains the worldwide leader in the fixed broadband access market, supporting the largest mass deployments of video, voice and data services. Today, one out of three fixed broadband subscribers around the world is served through an access network provided by Alcatel-Lucent. This market leadership is driven by a strategy of continuous innovation and quality assurance.

According to the latest access report of industry analyst firm Dell’Oro*, Alcatel-Lucent continues to lead the DSLAM market with 6.1 million lines shipped in the third quarter of 2008, a market share of 34.9%, and a worldwide installed base of 180 million lines. Alcatel-Lucent also leads in IP DSLAM with a market share of 32.6%, and of 34.2% in VDSL. Alcatel-Lucent maintains its regional leadership in North America, EMEA and rest of the world, while retaining a second position in Asia Pacific.

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Alcatel-Lucent today announced that Mendocino County, Calif., has deployed an advanced public safety network aimed at enhancing network interoperability and emergency response with more reliable and secure communications across multiple agencies within the county.

The new network enables Mendocino County to manage its public safety network from a single platform, leveraging Alcatel-Lucent’s expertise in multiservice IP, digital microwave and end-to-end network integration services to deliver converged voice, data and video traffic.

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AT&T today announced that AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets will add nearly 75 new jobs in Vermont as a result of its completed acquisition of the Vermont assets of Rural Cellular Communications, a provider of rural and suburban wireless communications services doing business in Vermont under the Unicel brand.

The two companies have a long-standing roaming relationship, and AT&T Mobility is committed to a smooth transition for its customers and employees. Part of this transition includes additional staffing and network support in the state. Candidates interested in a career with AT&T Mobility are invited to apply online. Positions include (but are not limited to) wireless sales and sales management.

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AT&T today announced that AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets has finalized its swap of wireless assets with Verizon Wireless, following regulatory approval from the FCC and Department of Justice.

Under the terms of the agreement, AT&T Mobility acquired some former Rural Cellular Corporation properties previously acquired by Verizon Wireless, including licenses, network assets and subscribers, in the Burlington, Vt. metropolitan service area and in rural service areas (RSAs) in New York (RSA-2), Vermont (RSA-1, RSA-2) and Washington (RSA-2, RSA-3). AT&T also acquired a cellular license from Verizon Wireless in portions of Kentucky RSA-6.

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AT&T Interactive today announced it has reached a milestone of 10,000 YELLOWPAGES.COM advertiser video profiles posted on its branded YouTube™ Channel (www.youtube.com/yellowpages) — with thousands more in the queue. Recently recognized with a “Most Viewed Today: Partner Channel” honor, YELLOWPAGES.COM’s successful extension of its Video Profiles to YouTube marks one year since introducing online video to its comprehensive suite of digital advertising products in November 2007.

Americans viewed 13.5 billion online videos in October 2008 with YouTube accounting for nearly 40 percent of them in the U.S.1 Consumers have viewed videos on YELLOWPAGES.COM’s YouTube Channel over 400,000 times with some of the more popular videos receiving several thousand views to date. Routinely ranked among the Top 30 U.S. Websites by comScore in 20082, YELLOWPAGES.COM features hundreds of new business profile videos weekly.

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AT&T Business Solutions today announced a three-year agreement with Cliffs Natural Resources to enhance its global network and provide greater enterprise mobility through wireless services. Cliffs is an international mining and natural resources company with operations in North America, South America and Australia.

Cliffs needs global communications networking with speed and agility from a single provider to support the management of its worldwide operations. Under terms of the contract, AT&T Business Solutions will establish a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to support numerous data and voice applications among 20 locations worldwide. By enhancing efficiency and reliability, this network provides greater cost efficiencies and positions Cliffs for the future use of advanced technology applications, such as video and conferencing.

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AT&T U-verse is using the latest technology to revolutionize what Toledo consumers can do with their home phones. AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets today announced the availability of AT&T U-verseSM Voice in parts of Toledo, bringing consumers a next-generation digital voice service delivered over the AT&T U-verse Internet Protocol (IP) network.

U-verse Voice brings together your home phone, wireless, broadband and TV services — all on one bill — with unique features that provide a new level of integration, convenience and control.

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