SOFTWARE.COM AND PHONE.COM MERGER TARGETS WIRELESS INTERNET APPLICATIONS
Phone.com, a leading software developer of micro-browsers for wireless Internet access, and Software.com, a provider of email servers and instant messaging platforms, agreed to a merger of equals valued at roughly $8 billion. The combined company will be a leading provider of infrastructure and application software for email, voicemail, unified messaging, directory, and wireless Internet access.  Donald J. Listwin, formerly executive Vice President at Cisco Systems, will take over as CEO.  A new name will be chosen for the combined company.  http://www.phone.com/news/Archive2000/080900_SOFTWARECOM.html
Phone.com, August 9, 2000

• Phone.com launched its first micro-browser in 1996, providing mobile subscribers with interactive access to Web sites.  In 1997, it co-founded the WAP Forum with Ericsson, Motorola and Nokia.  Phone.com completed its IPO in June 1999.  As of June 30, the company claims over 2.0 million users, up from 700,000 at the end of 1999, indicating an acceleration of consumer adoption of mobile Internet services.
  
• In February, Phone.com acquired Onebox.com, a developer of unified voice/fax/email web messaging, for $850 million.
  
• Software.com offers a web-based email server and has licensed more than 116 million email boxes to ISPs and other network service providers.

NTT DOCOMO'S I-MODE SERVICE TOPS 10 MILLION
On August 6, NTT DoCoMo's i-mode service topped 10 million users.  The service was launched 532 days ago on February 22, 1999.  http://www.nttdocomo.com/pr/news.htm
NTT DoCoMo, August 8, 2000

SCIENTIFIC ATLANTA INVESTS IN ALLOPTIC FOR ITS GIGABIT ETHERNET DRIVEN PONS
Alloptic, a start-up based in Pleasanton, California, received an $8 million equity investment from Scientific Atlanta.  The companies said the intend to bring to market a Gigabit Ethernet residential fiber access system that allows full service providers to deliver bundled video, voice and data services to hundreds of homes over a single fiber.  http://www.alloptic.com
AllOptic, August 9, 2000

• Alloptic is focusing on TDM/TDMA Passive Optical Network (PON) technology for Fiber-To-The-Home (FTTH), Fiber-To-The-Building (FTTB), and Fiber-To-The-Curb (FTTC) applications.  The products are designed to deliver OC-3, OC-12 and OC-48 over the same 1:N optical splitters currently used in the cable television network. Other investors include an affiliate of The Blackstone Group, Driehaus Capital, CMS Partners, Ohio Valley Venture Fund L.P. (OVVF) and GMS Capital Partners .

VENDORS AGREE TO ACCELERATE TECHNICAL STANDARDS FOR VDSL
BT, France Telecom and Qwest formed a committee to accelerate the commercial deployment of Full-Service Very High Speed Digital Subscriber Line technology (FS-VDSL).  The companies, along with about 30 other vendors, agreed to support a version FS-VDSL based on the optimized spectral allocation known as "Plan 998," which uses existing copper wire twisted pair infrastructure combined with fiber to the neighborhood.  The technology builds on previous work done by the FSAN initiative (Full Service Access Networks). The FS-VDSL Committee said its key objectives are to achieve within six months the completion of international standards for VDSL, and to close gaps and maximize commonality in all relevant technical specifications.   http://www.qwest.com/
Qwest, August 9, 2000

LUCENT INVESTS IN AMERICAN FIBER SYSTEMS, A PROVIDER OF DARK FIBER
Lucent Venture Partners made an equity investment in American Fiber Systems, a start-up building dark fiber networks in mid-sized US cities.  AFS is in the process of installing dark fiber optic rings in 131 cities in 41 states across the country.  http://www.metrofiberusa.com/
American Fiber Systems, August 9, 2000

• AFS was founded in August 1999 by David G. Rusin, the former President of Frontier Communications (acquired by Global Crossing for its North American fiber backbone).

NETWORK TELEPHONE GOES LIVE WITH VODSL AND LUCENT'S PATHSTAR FEATURE SERVER
Network Telephone, a CLEC based in Pensacola, Florida, began carrying live voice over DSL (VoDSL) using Lucent's packet-based PathStar access server to deliver CLASS 5 features.  The PathStar combines the functionality of a digital loop carrier, Class 5 telephony system, voice-over-IP gateway, edge router, announcement server, DSL access multiplexer and echo cancellation.  http://www.networktelephone.net/
http://www.lucent.com/press/0800/000809.nsa.html
Lucent, August 9, 2000

LUCENT AND SINGAPORE'S CHARTERED SEMI INVEST $700M IN SILICON R&D
Lucent Technologies Microelectronics Group and Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing of Singapore agree to invest $700 million over the next 5 years in joint R&D focused on manufacturing technologies for communications chips.  The non-exclusive R&D agreement will target CMOS digital logic, mixed-signal (or analog), and embedded static random access memory (SRAM) process technologies at the 0.13-micron, 0.10-micron and 0.08-micron technology nodes.  The chips resulting from the newly developed technologies will address the broadband and mobile Internet infrastructure markets.  Lucent and Chartered Semi also agreed to investigate establishing a development lab in Singapore for 300 millimeter, or 12-inch, wafer manufacturing strategies.  http://www.lucent.com
Lucent Technologies, August 9, 2000

LUCENT NAMES JOHN DICKSON TO HEAD MICROELECTRONICS SPINOFF
Lucent Technologies named John Dickson as CEO-designate of the company's Microelectronics business, which will be spun off into a separate company by the end of Q1 2001.  Dickson has served as Group President of Lucent Microelectronics since January 1998.
http://www.lucent.com/press/0800/000809.mea.html
Lucent, August 9, 2000

APA OPTICS DELIVERS 56-CHANNEL, LOW INSERTION LOSS DWDM
APA Optics shipped alpha versions of a 56-channel wavelength multiplexer/demultiplexer.  The device offers an insertion loss of less than 5 decibels (dB) and polarization dependent loss (PDL) of less than 0.4 dB, which the company believes to be a new industry benchmark.  http://www.apaoptics.com/
APA Optics, August 9, 2000

ENSEMBLE RAISES $60 MILLION FOR ITS POINT-TO-MULTIPOINT BROADBAND WIRELESS
Ensemble Communications, a start-up developing point-to-multipoint broadband wireless equipment, raised $60 million in additional venture funding.  Investors include Cisco Systems, Dell Ventures, IVP X, Goldman Sachs, ADC Telecommunications, DMC Stratex Networks, Samsung, Crescendo Ventures, Enterprise Partners, Institutional Venture Partners, KTB Networks and TrinityVentures.  http://www.ensemblecom.com
Ensemble Communications, August 9, 2000

• Ensemble is developing a point-to-multipoint wireless system capable of providing burst rates of up to 120 Mbps to hundreds of buildings.  The company uses a proprietary Adaptive Time Division Duplexing (Adaptive TDD), Adaptive TDMA and Adaptive modulation system for the 10 to 43.5 GHz frequencies.  The adaptive modulation technique optimizes range and capacity.  
  
• In February, Ensemble named David Twyver as its new CEO.  Twyver is the former CEO of Teledesic Corp. and held numerous leadership roles at Nortel, most recently as president of Nortel Wireless Networks.  The company is based in San Diego, California, with offices in Israel.