NSN acquires IRIS Telecom
Nokia Siemens Networks has announced that it has wrapped the acquisition of IRIS Telecom, a telecommunications and engineering services firm. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Istanbul, Turkey-based IRIS Telecom was founded in 1999 in order to provide network planning and optimization services to telecommunications operators and equipment vendors in Turkey, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa. According to company’s website, IRIS Telecom also provides network deployment and network operation services. Its customers include mobile operators Turkcell, Avea and Ucell.
In a news release, Finland-based Nokia Siemens Networks stated that the acquisition strengthens its implementation, network planning and optimization capabilities and business across Turkey, Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
IRIS will continue to function as a separate legal entity and will remain based in Istanbul. Mete Gokdemir, the co-founder of IRIS, will continue to lead the company as chief executive. IRIS co-founder Johan Bruce will assume a new position as executive director. Gokdemir and Bruce will both continue to serve on IRIS’ board of directors.
Turk Telekom’s net profit rises 4.6% year-on-year
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: 4.6% year-on-year rise in net profit from TRY1.75 billion (USD1.16 billion) in FY2008, to TRY1.83 billion has been announced by Turk Telecom, for the year ended December 31, 2009.
Revenues for the period increased 3.7% to TRY10.57 billion in 2009, rising from TRY10.19 billion a year earlier. Operating expenses grew by 8% year-on-year while CAPEX jumped by 40.7%, up to TRY6.3 billion and TRY2.47 billion respectively.
According to Paul Doany, CEO of Turk Telekom, in 2009 the primary focus for Turk Telekom Group was improving the basic communication infrastructure to launch an 8Mbps standard speed internet service across the whole of Turkey and over the next year the firm will continue to add more innovative services and offerings, such as IPTV, and add more focus to the exporting of the services and products.
Avea, the mobile arm of the company, posted revenues of TRY2.5 billion for the year ended December 31, 2009, up from TRY2.11 billion in 2008
Talks on Borusan’s takeover by Vodafone Turkey about to conclude
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Negotiations for the purchase of a controlling stake in Turkish alternative fixed line telco Borusan Telekom by Vodafone Turkey is on the verge of successful conclusion. Earlier, India’s Dhanus Technologies bought Borusan for USD30 million.
The two parties have three options- a partnership giving the UK-backed mobile operator management control of Borusan, 100% stock takeover or a majority stake purchase.
Vodafone Turkey’s acquisition of Borusan would help it to offer converged fixed, mobile and broadband services, and develop its corporate sector presence. Turkcell and Avea, rival telecom operators have already drafted the converged strategies. ISP unit, TTNet of PSTN operator Turk Telekom, which cross-markets mobile broadband and Wi-Fi packages owns Avea.
Turkcell, a fixed broadband operator Tellcom (Superonline), on the other hand, is aiming at extended high speed internet service coverage both with HSPA mobile and fibre-optic technologies.
