News In Brief: Gartner, Orange, Ixia, ABI Research, Metaswitch, AT&T, Telekom Austria
May 4, 2010 9:00pm
Global IT service revenues fell 5.3% to $763 billion (€588 billion) in 2009, as vendors focussed more on maintaining revenues rather than aggressively chasing sales, according to research from Gartner.
Orange is taking its first steps into North Africa with the launch of Orange Tunisia, a joint venture with Investec in which Orange holds a 49% stake. The carrier opens for business today, offering mobile, fixed, and internet services.
Network testing firm Ixia has rounded out its portfolio with the launch of an end-to-end converged mobile backhaul test suite. The firm hopes to cash-in on growing use of wireless backhaul, which saw carrier spend grow 21% to $7.2 million (€5.5 million) in 2009, according to Infonetics Research.
The proportion of flat screen TV sets with built-in web connectivity will grow from 19% in 2010 to 46% in 2013, ABI Research predicts.
Communications software supplier Metaswitch has added more inter-working backup, an XML service creation environment, enhanced SIP compliance, and H.248-compatible media services to its Service Broker product.
AT&T has unveiled its pricey international roaming data plans for Apple's iPad, with packages starting at $25 per month for 20MB of data ranging to $200 for 200MB. The company's shareholders have meanwhile narrowly rejected a vote which would allow shareholders to have a say on executive pay.
Telekom Austria has converted one of its old telephone boxes into an electric car charging station. The company said it intended to convert 30 boxes to charging stations by the end of the year.