French network equipment maker Ekinops has approached Nokia about buying its Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN) unit. The company – which largely focuses on terrestrial fibre network equipment – confirmed this morning that it has “initiated preliminary discussions” about buying ASN. … Continue reading →

[Australia] Nextgen Group and Alcatel-Lucent Submarine Networks (ASN), part of Nokia, have officially “switched on” Australia’s first purpose-built, subsea, 2100km fibre-optic network, servicing the oil and gas industries and the growing need for world-class telecommunications services in Australia’s North West … Continue reading →

“For Nokia and Alcatel-Lucent, it’s a matter of survival,” said Bengt Nordström, co-founder of Northstream, a telecom consulting firm in Stockholm. “The real challenge is where are they going to find growth.” History also offers reason for caution. Alcatel’s merger … Continue reading →

The networks division would be split into four business groups: Mobile Networks, Fixed Networks, Applications & Analytics and IP/Optical Networks, but it would have a common sales organization. Source: Nokia’s bosses to dominate leadership team after Alcatel deal | Reuters

“The Commission found that, despite the merged entity having combined market shares around or above 30 percent for several specific types of equipment, the overlaps between the two companies’ activities are effectively limited,” the Commission said in a statement. Source: … Continue reading →

Analysts seem to think a deal to purchase Ciena, Infinera or Juniper is necessary for Ericsson to diversify its holdings with a full suite of wireline and wireless capabilities to stay on a competitive level not only against Nokia, but … Continue reading →

The deal will reestablish the European vendor’s presence in the wireline space, an area that it largely left behind in recent years to solely focus on wireless. via Nokia's $16.6B bid for Alcatel-Lucent puts company back into the wireline game … Continue reading →

For both Nokia and Alcatel-Lucent, the big challenge facing their businesses is the shift in value from hardware to software and the convergence of IT and telecoms technology. via Alcatel-Lucent acquistion to allow Nokia bridge the gap with Ericsson and … Continue reading →

Nokia’s takeover of Alcatel-Lucent will redefine a telecom equipment sector suffering weak growth prospects and pressure from low-cost Chinese players Huawei [HWT.UL] and ZTE. via Nokia to buy Alcatel-Lucent to grow in telecom equipment | Reuters.

The reality is that for larger enterprises – particularly those with tens of thousands of employees, high bandwidth needs and many locations – their IT networks and applications increasingly demand the kinds of capabilities typically seen in service provider networks. … Continue reading →