Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Amazon launches Spotify rival in UK; Ericsson's Radio Dot reaches Russia; Pace revenues down, but profits up.
Vodafone España S.A. is to cut as many as 1,300 jobs as it rationalizes its workforce in the wake of its $10 billion acquisition of cable operator ONO last year, reports Reuters. The operator currently has a headcount of around 6,000. (See Eurobites: Vodafone Gets a Yes on ONO.)
Meanwhile, in another corner of the Vodafone empire, Dutch regulator ACM has given its blessing to Vodafone's use of KPN Telecom NV (NYSE: KPN)'s fixed network for a seven-year period. The move follows similar wholesale agreements with Tele2 AB (Nasdaq: TLTO) and M7 on the part of KPN.
Amazon.com Inc. (Nasdaq: AMZN) has launched its music streaming service, Prime Music, in the UK, reports the BBC. The service adds another strand to its Prime package, which, for ₤79 ($123) a year, offers "free" next-day delivery on certain items and video streaming. Though its catalogue of a million or so tracks is dwarfed by Spotify, which has around 30 million, Prime Music's ad-free nature could prove a draw for Brits who don't want to fork out for Spotify's paid streaming service but who are irritated by the constant promotion of bangin' party anthems and more on its free version.
Mobile TeleSystems OJSC (MTS) (NYSE: MBT) and Ericsson AB (Nasdaq: ERIC) say they have successfully deployed what is Russia's first taste of the vendor's Radio Dot system, at a shopping mall in Astrakhan. The Radio Dot system, which in this case was integrated into the operator's live 3G network, boosts indoor mobile coverage and capacity.
UK set-top box maker Pace plc , which is in the process of being acquired by Arris Group Inc. (Nasdaq: ARRS), has seen its revenues shrink but its net profits rise in the first six months of the year. Revenues were down 5.3% year-on-year, to $1.07 billion, but profits after tax rose 54.2% to $85.4 million. An improved product mix, increased supply chain efficiency and greater operational efficiency were cited as reasons for the better bottom line. (See Arris & Pace: More Than Just a Set-Top Deal.)
— Paul Rainford, Assistant Editor, Europe, Light Reading
