Mediation system startup Openet Telecom Inc. made two announcements yesterday. One was a multimillion-dollar contract with Verizon Wireless, and the other was the appointment of Gary Cuccio as Openet chairman (see Openet Wins Verizon Wireless Deal).

As it happens, there’s a connection. Cuccio used to work for Airtouch, which is now part of Verizon, which might raise a question in twisted minds: Was Cuccio's appointment a "reward" for helping Openet win its contract?

Definitely not, says Openet spokeswoman Katherine Lucey, who points out that Cuccio has actually been with Openet since March. He was part of the Openet team dealing with Verizon on the contract, but his involvement wasn’t a “deal clincher,” she says.

Having said that, it’s clear that Openet's contract with Verizon has also been in place for some time. Verizon’s CDMA2000 1xRTT network, which offers users mobile data rates of up to 100 kbit/s, will begin using the Openet system within the next few weeks, according to Ed Curran, Verizon’s executive director of network purchasing.

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— Ray Le Maistre, International Editor, Boardwatch