Sprint sees no delay to QChat
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Sprint Nextel Corp  said on  Wednesday it does not expect any delay to its plan to launch  QChat, a walkie-talkie cell phone service, despite a court  ruling against QChat developer Qualcomm Inc .
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Verizon Communications Inc. VZ.N  has no imminent plans to bid for Sprint Corp. FON.N, people  familiar with the situation said on Tuesday, toppling a  potential obstacle to Sprint's $37.8 billion bid for Nextel  Communications Inc. NXTL.O.
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(InfoWorld) - Starting on Tuesday, when Sprint Nextel customers use the search bar in their phone browsers the results will automatically incorporate the users' location. Some customers will also be able to use voice commands to conduct searches. The capabilities are an extension of aÂ relationship that Microsoft and Sprint formedÂ late last year that initially involved including Microsoft's Live Search in the browser on Sprint phones. Microsoft is now adding automatic location detection to search results so users won't have to input their zip codes in their phones before getting local search results. Search results will include results from the Web, the phone and local information such as maps. Most recent Sprint phones include location-finding capabilities. In addition, users of five of Sprint's high-end phones will be able to download a client that will let them use voice commands to conduct searches. Once they have the application, users press the talk button on the phone to speak a search term. If the search is for a local business, for example, the results will include directions, the ability to press a button to call the business and the option to send directions to the place to a friend via text message. Sprint users of the Samsung a900, Samsung a920, Motorola Razr, Sanyo 840 and LG 550 phones will be able to download the voice search client. The application is based on technology from Tellme, the speech recognition company that Microsoft bought earlier this year. The services are not exclusive so they could become available via other operators in the future, said Phil Holden, director of mobile services at Microsoft. While other similar services are available to mobile users, this location-based search offering is more apt to be used because it comes built into the phones, Holden said. Earlier this year Ask.com came out with an applications that phone users could download and use to combine search with location information. In August, Nuance Communications began offering a service for BlackBerry users that lets users search and get driving directions using voice commands. Microsoft rivalÂ Google offers a mobile serviceÂ that automatically combines maps searches with a user's location. It's available for download on certain phones with location capabilities. Microsoft earns revenue from such offerings in two ways, Holden said. Microsoft shares in the revenue stream from the data services offered by operators and also from advertising, he said. The software giant hopes that it will be able to deliver more targeted advertising along with services like these that offer local search results.
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Sprint Nextel Corp. on Wednesday said it would continue to support its Nextel-branded walkie-talkie network, which industry observers had speculated the company might shutter.
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Sprint and Apple announced that the Xserve G5 and QuickTime have been certified as mobile multimedia delivery platforms for Sprint&#146;s new PCS Vision Multimedia Services. [Aug 26]
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&#39;Tis the season. It&#39;s been a busy time for Sprint (nyse: FON - news - people ) Chairman and Chief Executive Gary Forsee, and it&#39;s not over yet.
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update Verizon Communications has no imminent plans to bid for Sprint, people familiar with the situation said Tuesday, toppling a potential obstacle to Sprint&#39;s $37.8 billion bid for Nextel Communications.
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The merger between Sprint and Nextel is not only a boon for the two cell phone companies but also for San Diego wireless giant Qualcomm.
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Sprint Nextel Corp. isn't apologizing for its decision to ax customers it determined were calling customer service too often.
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Sprint's planned combination with  rival wireless carrier Nextel Communications Inc. will get a  thorough review by the Federal Communications Commission, the  agency's chairman said on Wednesday.
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Love and kisses to Her Majesty CTIA Sprint has confirmed that the name of its new broadband wireless service is not a typo. But it also admits that XOHM means absolutely nothing.â¦
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(InfoWorld) - Underdog mobile operator Sprint Nextel quietly rolled out an emerging technology on Monday to give customers a strong cellular signal and flat-rate calling at home. In parts of Denver and Indianapolis, Sprint started selling aÂ femtocell, a small cellular base station that provides service specifically to a customer's home. The Sprint Airave, made by Samsung Electronics, costs $49.99 and is designed for people to install in their own homes by plugging it into a broadband Internet connection. Then they can pay a flat monthly rate -- $15 for an individual and $30 for a family -- for unlimited local and nationwide long-distance calls while at home. The Airave works with any Sprint handset, and when the subscriber leaves home, a call will automatically shift over to the outside cellular network. Femtocells are designed to solve the problem of weak cellular signals in homes, which is common in the U.S. They are an alternative to Wi-Fi phones, which are available only in a limited selection, though they work with wireless LAN gear that's already widely used in homes. Sprint is at least the first major U.S. carrier to offer femtocells, which are expected to enter the market in high volume in 2009. The carrier plans to start selling the Airave all across Denver and Indianapolis, as well as in Nashville, Tennessee, by year's end. It will be offered nationwide in 2008, Sprint said in a press release. The move is the latest use of new technology by Sprint, a smaller rival to Verizon Wireless and AT&T's wireless division, in a bid to compete. The Overland Park, Kansas, carrier is also set toÂ roll out WiMax wireless broadbandÂ on a limited basis later this year and to cities across the country next year. Femtocells take their name from "femto," which denotes a small order of size in physics. The idea has been around a long time but until recently was held up by size and cost concerns. Now several carriers in various countries are considering deploying them, according to vendors and analysts. While helping subscribers get good service, the devices save carriers from deploying more expensive base stations on towers just to keep up with the growing number of people trying to use 3G (third-generation) mobile data services. One question yet to be answered about femtocells is whether they will interfere with the existing outdoor cellular network. That can only be answered through real-world deployments, analysts say. Sprint's offer comes sooner and at a lower price than many observers expected. The price is especially notable because Sprint isn't forcing buyers into long-term contracts. Sprint must be subsidizing the cost, said In-Stat analyst Allen Nogee. "I guarantee it costs more than $50," Nogee said. However, the carrier will make back some of its cost through the special flat service charge, he said, because it wouldn't be making any money off the calls anyway -- many calls at home are made during nights and weekends when they are free, he added. Maybe most importantly, the Airave could help Sprint cultivate loyal customers and get consumers to give up their landlines -- along with their relationships with Verizon and AT&T, he said. Â
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InfoWorld - Underdog mobile operator Sprint Nextel quietly rolled out an emerging technology on Monday to give customers a strong cellular signal and flat-rate calling at home.
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Sprint Corp. Chief Executive Officer Gary Forsee said he began merger talks with Nextel Communications Inc. in March, as soon as he was freed from a court order that barred him from pursuing acquisitions.
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Sprint Nextel is on track to launch  commercial services for its next-generation WiMax high-speed  wireless network at the end of April, Chief Technology Officer  Barry West said on Tuesday.
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South Korea's SK Telecom denied on Tuesday a local newspaper report that it is preparing a bid for Sprint Nextel.
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CTO outlines future of WiMAX in the USA Sprint Nextel is on schedule to launch its WiMAX service at the end of April, but won't be subsidising devices or requiring long-term contracts.â¦