Search Results for: telus

Cable / Telecom News

Telus International closes US$250M Xavient acquisition

Company rebranded as Xavient Digital – powered by Telus International LAS VEGAS and SIMI VALLEY, CA – Telus International has wrapped up its acquisition Xavient Information Systems and has rebranded the global IT consulting and software services company as Xavient Digital – powered by Telus International. The US$250 million deal was first announced in October 2017.  Telus International said Tuesday that with all conditions satisfied, it now holds a majority interest in Xavient and will purchase the remaining interest on or before December 31, 2020. Xavient is headquartered in Simi Valley, California and has operations throughout the U.S. and in India,… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News, Radio / Television News

Ericsson sells control of Media Solutions division

STOCKHOLM – Tech maker Ericsson said Wednesday it has decided to sell 51% of its Media Solutions business to private equity firm One Equity Partners Last March the company announced it was undertaking a strategic review of Media Solutions and its Red Bee Media division and would consider partnerships, divestments, and a continued in-house development. It has decided to hang on to Red Bee. “Media Solutions and Red Bee Media are leading providers of media products and services, and with the performance improvements that are currently being implemented, we see future upsides to both businesses. We are confident that the… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

Discovery Velocity kicks off free preview

TORONTO – Discovery Velocity has opened up for a month-long national free preview, on now through February 8. Billed as Canada’s only home for factual turbo programming, Discovery Velocity will serve up live coverage of the most spectacular classic car auction event of the year, Barrett-Jackson Live (pictured, from January 16 – 21), alongside new series Texas Metal (January 12), and the return of Wheeler Dealers on January 22. The freeview is available through television service providers including Bell, Bell Aliant, Cogeco Connexion, Eastlink, BellMTS, Rogers, SaskTel, Shaw, Shaw Direct, Telus, Videotron, and several CCSA partners including Access… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News, Radio / Television News

Vidéotron drops AMC, saying price is too high (updated)

MONTREAL — Five years after it finally added the American cable channel to its television service, Vidéotron is dropping AMC, refusing to renew its carriage contract. The channel will disappear on February 12. "Because we operate in a regional and not national market, it's difficult for Vidéotron to meet the many demands and financial requirements of AMC," reads a statement from Vidéotron. "In addition, according to our observations, viewing of AMC dropped over the last year." (Ed note: If there was ever a time to pull AMC from the lineup, it’s now, as there is no original first-run programming scheduled until… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News, Radio / Television News

Jim Shaw was “one of a kind”

I WAS NOT SURPRISED to learn that one of Jim Shaw’s role models was former U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill. In his time, Churchill was considered a political outsider, a brash maverick, seemingly unwavering in his convictions, fiercely loyal to his homeland and someone who inspired similar loyalty in so many others. Along the way of course, Churchill was exactly what his country needed at the time and he found enormous successes – but his sometimes irascible nature also antagonized more than a few. For those of us who have been in the cable industry for a while, there are many… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News, Radio / Television News

COMMENTARY: The enduring legacy of maverick media baron Jim Shaw

A hard-nosed businessman, he made a brilliant cable territory swap, competed ferociously with Telus and pulled Global television from the Canwest inferno FEW OCCASIONS BETTER illustrated the cultural divide between the world of the western bottom-up entrepreneur and that of Ottawa’s top-down public service bureaucracy than when Jim Shaw and Konrad von Finckenstein crossed swords in a hearing room. There, front and centre of the raised platform bearing commissioners, would be the multilingual von Finckenstein, a six-foot-something-awesome lawyer who was chief legal adviser on the original North American Free Trade negotiations, served as head of the Competition Bureau, became a Federal… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Bell says AlarmForce deal will boost its connected home strategy

Sells off B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan customer accounts to Telus MONTREAL and VANCOUVER – Bell has concluded its purchase of Canadian security and monitoring company AlarmForce Industries and will align it with its existing assets in Ontario, Quebec, Atlantic Canada and Manitoba to offer enhanced connected home services in those provinces. "Bell welcomes AlarmForce as we build on our position as Canada's most trusted name in residential communications with an accelerated focus on Connected Home technology and services," said Bell’s residential and small business president Rizwan Jamal, in Friday’s announcement.  "Building on our leadership and scale in broadband networks and residential services… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News, Radio / Television News

OBITUARY: Former Shaw Communications CEO Jim Shaw

CALGARY – Shaw Communications vice chair and former CEO Jim Shaw has died at the age of 60, the Shaw family announced today. “It is with great sadness that the family of James R. Shaw (Jim Shaw) announces his passing on Wednesday, January 3rd, 2018 after a brief illness,” reads a statement from the family. “A leader and visionary who never stopped caring for others,” says the statement, Jim is survived by his wife Kathryn, his mother Carol, his father JR, his children Haley (Fred), Parker (Megan), Kennedy, Kathryn’s children Monty, Katelyn, Carly, his mother-in-law Janet, his sisters Heather (Jim) and… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Telus PureFibre network on track to reach 99% of Eastern Quebec by 2021

GASPÉ, QC – Telus has pledged to forge ahead with its fibre optic deployment in Eastern Quebec after receiving financial support from both the federal and provincial governments. Telus said Tuesday that it was granted $31 million by the feds’ Connect to Innovate program and the Quebec government's Québec branché program to continue deploying its PureFibre broadband network in the province.  This amount is in addition to the $13.7 million that Telus has already committed to investing in its incumbent territory. "Thanks to the support of the federal and provincial governments, we will be offering high-speed Internet access to 99% of the… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

ANALYSIS: Wireless carriers should have seen this coming — and the fallout may hurt

Massive demand for more data, lower prices, as incumbents respond to Freedom with sales of their own and are overwhelmed with response MILLIONS OF CANADIANS constantly exceed their data limits, so it’s no wonder the wireless carriers’ sale exploded this weekend. Canadians lined up (in stores, online and on the phones) in droves as thousands of them attempted to opt into a 10Gb for $60/month sale on offer Saturday through Monday from Rogers, Fido, Bell, Virgin, Telus and Koodo in BC, Alberta and Ontario. The sale price was available to existing customers who already have devices. However, social media was ablaze Sunday… Continue Reading