Briefs, Competition Watch and Crosstalk

A collection of short news items from our current print edition

 

 

Briefly

BANDWIDTH
Sprint's continued faith
Sprint turned up a new Internet center in Richardson, Texas, that will provide hosting co-location and managed services. The center connects to Sprint's OC-48 Internet backbone and is one of seven operational Sprint hosting centers in the U.S.

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SOFTWARE
McAfee patents the Internet sort of
Network Associates subsidiary McAfee.com was awarded a patent last month for its system of delivering security-related software over the Internet, giving the company a potential edge in the subscription-based software market.

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CABLE

Win some, lose some

Broadband communications provider High Speed Access announced a second quarter loss of $29.4 million, or 50 per share, despite an increase in sequential cable modem subscribers from 140,000 to 176,000. The news came less than a week after Charter Communications offered to acquire part of HSA's cable modem business.

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COMPETITION WATCH
Cox Business Service signed a long-term agreement with The Irvine Co. to provide voice, high-speed Internet service and VPNs to its more than 300 buildings. As part of the non-exclusive agreement, Cox will have access to more than 3000 businesses.

Winstar Communications will re-focus its sales efforts on small and medium-sized customers in its 17 major branches, its 200 premier national accounts, and the government business that the company has won in 11 markets. Winstar, which is in bankruptcy, also will layoff 950 employees and sell non-core units.

Crosstalk
Online   Labor peace BellSouth maintained its streak of never having had a single labor disruption when it reached agreement with the CWA on a new three-year contract.	Offline Fightin' words Qwest CEO Joe Nacchio hinted he may invade BellSouth territory if the company keeps selling shares in Qwest. BellSouth responded by recalling its Denver ambassador. Lost in TV land Globalstar is providing its phones and service to the contestants and crew of NBC's fall program Lost. Or perhaps that's just a description of how Globalstar's shareholders feel.