Euronews: Nokia Buys 3-D Specialist

Nokia Corp. (NYSE: NOK), Telekom Austria AG (NYSE: TKA; Vienna: TKA) and BT Group plc (NYSE: BT; London: BTA) set out their stalls in today's trolley dash through the EMEA headlines.

Nokia is underlining the importance of its mapping capabilities with several moves on that front: It has launched the HERE brand, describing it as "the first location cloud to deliver the world's best maps and location experiences across multiple screens and operating systems;" as part of that brand launch it is offering a HERE maps app for Apple devices; it has announced a strategic partnership with Mozilla for Firefox-related mapping products; and it is planning to acquire earthmine Inc. , the Berkeley, Calif.-based 3-D specialist that specializes in reality capture and processing technologies. Meanwhile, according to a Reuters report at least, there are signs that Nokia's latest Lumia models are beginning to inch their way into consumers' consciousness, with some positive reviews offering grounds for cautious optimism. (See Nokia Points Way Forward on Mapping, Nokia to Buy earthmine and Nokia Puts Itself on the Map.)

Cost-cutting at Telekom Austria saw it translate a 3.8 percent year-on-year decline in nine-month revenues into a near-tripling of net profits to €180 million (US$229 million). CEO Hannes Ametsreiter has promised further "cost efficiency measures" in the months ahead. (See Telekom Austria Reports Q3 Profit of €180M, Broadband Mix for Telekom Austria and Euronews: Telekom Austria Slashes Dividend.)

BT is set to acquire Tikit, which provides IT technology and services to legal and accountancy firms, in a deal valued at £64.2 million (US$102 million). Tikit's customer base of more than 1,300 firms in the U.K., EMEA and North America includes more than 90 of the U.K.'s top 100 law firms, 300 U.S. law firms, 12 of Europe's top 20 law firms and 18 of the U.K.'s top 50 accountancy firms. Once the acquisition is completed, the operator will add Tikit to its portfolio of six other separately managed businesses within BT Enterprises, a division of BT Retail.

Following on from the wave of mobile infrastructure deals in sub-Saharan Africa announced Tuesday, a number of Service Provider Information Technology (SPIT) specialists have also announced new deals around the region. (See Africa's Carriers Invest in SPIT.)

Third-quarter operating revenues at Russia's VimpelCom Ltd. (NYSE: VIP) slumped 6 percent year-on-year to $5.74 billion, though foreign currency movements and regulatory measures played a significant part in this decline. Net income for the period, however, rose a mighty 185 percent to $538 million. (See Vimpelcom Reports Q3 Profit of $538M.)

Fancy a winter break on the French Riviera? The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) has launched what it calls a "cloud standards coordination initiative," inviting interested parties to a workshop in Cannes on Dec. 4-5 to get the ball rolling. Details are available at www.etsi.org/csc. (See ETSI Launches Cloud Standards Coordination.)

Irish policy-control specialist Openet has announced major expansion plans that include a new Operations Monitoring Centre in Malaysia and an expanded headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, to house the additional staff that have been hired recently. (See Openet Expands Global Presence and Openet: The Legal Brakes Are Off.)

Swisscom AG (NYSE: SCM)'s grand FTTH projet rolls on, with fiber being laid to homes in the town of Martigny and to street cabinets in Charrat. In Martigny, at least four fibers will be laid per household and business. (See More Swiss Get FTTH.)

It's make-or-break time for KPN Telecom NV (NYSE: KPN) on the industrial relations front come Saturday, reports Reuters, as that's the deadline given by labor union leaders for the carrier to accede to their wage demands. If KPN can't improve on its offer of a 1.4 percent raise, unspecified industrial action will be taken.

— Paul Rainford, Assistant Editor, Europe, Light Reading