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Ericsson and Samsung enter a license agreement on mobile technology
(11.01.02) Ericsson, has concluded a worldwide patent license agreement
with Samsung.
Under the terms of a worldwide, royalty-bearing agreement, Ericsson has
granted Samsung a non-exclusive license under Ericsson's patent portfolio
for the GSM, TDMA, GPRS, EDGE and WCDMA mobile telephony standards, to
develop, manufacture and sell 2G and 3G subscriber and infrastructure
equipment. In return, Samsung provides a royalty payment, as well as a
reciprocal license to Ericsson.
The agreement confirms Ericsson's solid patent portfolio in mobile technology
and specifically gives Samsung access to Ericsson's portfolio of WCDMA
patents - the most extensive in the industry.
"We accelerate the development of 3G and Mobile Internet and leverage
further on our technology leadership and patent portfolio," says
Torbjörn Nilsson, Senior Vice President at Ericsson. "The Ericsson
3G IPR portfolio is extremely strong and is required by any company developing
3G products."
Ericsson has about 40% market share in 3G/WCDMA as well as in GSM/GPRS/Edge
- and also the industry's strongest R&D commitment with over 10,000
granted patents worldwide.


Swedish OM chosen as technology partner to NASD
(10.01.02) OM, Swedish supplier of trading technology, and the National
Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), the largest securities- industry,
self-regulatory organization in the United States, have signed an agreement
to build the Alternative Display Facility (ADF) - an over- the-counter
quotation and trade reporting facility - of which OM's SAXESStm system
is a central component. The system will be delivered in June 2002. The
agreement includes license, project and support of the system.
"It is an honour to be selected as technology provider to the National
Association of Securities Dealer for this milestone event in the history
of the US securities exchange industry", said Magnus Böcker,
EVP and COO of OM. "This agreement reinforces OM's position as the
leading provider of international exchange systems and significantly strengthens
our presence in North America."
"We look forward to continuing to work with one of the world's leading
providers of transaction technology and market systems", said Robert
R. Glauber, Chairman and CEO of the NASD. "OM will help the NASD
fulfill its obligation of providing a facility that will display quotes
and collect trade data for our members."
The Board of Governors of the NASD in December approved new rules to establish
an over-the-counter quotation and trade reporting facility. The alternative
display facility (ADF) will allow registered NASD market makers and electronic
communications networks (ECNs) to publish quotations for, and report trades
in, listed securities but will not comprise automatic execution or order-routing
functions. The facility is targeted for completion late in the second
quarter of 2002.


SAS introduces first In-flight Transfer Information with "Rebooking
Information Functionality"
(10.01.02) As of January 21, 2002, SAS will be able to offer its passengers
improved transfer and rebooking information on board the aircraft. The
information is provided on the cabin video monitors.
Passengers who upon arrival must rebook to an alternative flight can receive
information prior to landing about the new flight number, departure time,
terminal and gate via the cabin video monitors. Passengers can also see
whether their scheduled connection is delayed.
SAS will offer transfer and rebooking information on board the Boeing
767, Airbus A321, Airbus A330 and Airbus A340. Initially, the service
will be offer on flights to Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm. More destinations
will be added successively.
The transfer information is transmitted to the aircraft's computer unit
from the destination. The computer converts such data to graphic and text
information that is displayed on the cabin monitors during the approach
to the airport - about 30 minutes prior to landing. The information is
also displayed after landing while taxiing to the arrival gate.
"We believe that transfer and rebooking information will be an appreciated
complement to the information that is already presented on board, such
as airspeed, estimated time to arrival and distance," says Hermine
Wachtmeister, responsible for in-flight entertainment and communications
at SAS. "Our aim is to make the journey simpler and more efficient,"
she continues. "With access to transfer and rebooking information
already prior to arrival, we increase the passengers' control over their
travel." .


Biggest contract ever for Scania France
(09.01.02) Transalliance - one of the leading haulage companies in France
- has signed a contract worth SEK 300 million, with Scania's French subsidiary,
Scania France, for the supply of a further 350 trucks for delivery before
the end of the year. The order is additional to last year's order for
170 vehicles.
"This is the biggest contract ever received by Scania France,"
says MD Marc Haezenberghe. "We have had a long-standing business
relationship with Transalliance and the total of 520 new trucks which
they have now ordered will make Scania a highly visible part of their
expanding fleet.
Commenting on the order, Philippe Michel, MD of Transalliance, noted that
Scania's service network, which offers service and parts facilities covering
the entire European continent, played an important role in closing the
deal. The provision of financing by Scania France was also a significant
factor.
"We are very pleased with Scania's package, which meets our extremely
high demands for profitability and availability, while the truck itself
has a high image value and is greatly appreciated by our drivers,"
he says.


Norsk Hydro buys Germany's VAW Aluminium
(08.01.02) Norsk Hydro ASA, is to buy all shares of VAW Aluminium AG,
the German aluminium company. The acquisition will make Hydro Aluminium
one of the world's top-tier light metal companies, with a leading position
in Europe.
Eivind Reiten, Chief Executive of Norsk Hydro, said: "This acquisition,
which we consider attractively priced and is accretive to our earnings,
is an important step towards realizing one of Hydro's key strategic ambitions
to become one of the top performing world class aluminium companies. We
have built a solid financial platform by successfully divesting non-core
activities and improving earnings from our core businesses. This financial
strength has enabled us to make this major strategic move. We will now
focus on the challenges of rapid integrating the new units, combined with
the improvement processes already underway in our existing light metals
activity. VAW is a highly competent organization that will strengthen
our platform for innovation and future growth".
The combined activities will after the acquisition be named Hydro Aluminium
and will be headquartered in Oslo, Norway. Jon-Harald Nilsen, executive
vice president for Hydro Light Metals will be CEO of the merged Hydro
Aluminium. The different business sectors will have their subheadquarters
in Germany, Norway, Switzerland and USA.

Skanska awarded a USD 136 million (SEK 1.4 billion) highway and bridge
assignment in Virginia, USA
(03.01.02) Skanska's American subsidiary Tidewater Skanska, has been selected
by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) for a USD 136 million
(SEK 1.4 billion) contract to build the Pinners Point Interchange in Portsmouth,
Virginia.
The Pinners Point Interchange is VDOT's largest single construction contract
ever. The 1.5 mile road and bridge project re-directs traffic out of a
historic part of Portsmouth. In addition to restoring tranquility to a
historic neighborhood that has seen traffic surge to over 20,000 cars
and trucks per day, the new highway will save commuters valuable time
and provide a direct connection from the Western Freeway to the Mid-Town
Tunnel and Martin Luther King Freeway.
Using a new bidding process VDOT sought bids based not only on cost, but
also on how fast the work could be done. Tidewater Skanska will start
construction in January 2002 and will complete the project in late 2004.
Tidewater Skanska's subsidiary Bayshore Concrete Products will supply
the 100 foot long, 66 inch diameter concrete cylinder piles, with 6 inch
wall thickness, each weighing over 100 tons, and the large prestressed
girders that will be required for the project's 1,500 foot long bridge
tying into an existing bridge over the western branch of Elizabeth River.


TietoEnator and Lietuvos Telekomas start partnership negotiations
(03.01.02) Lietuvos Telekomas, the largest telecom operator in the Baltics,
and TietoEnator have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) regarding
a partnership in the form of a joint venture. According to the MoU, signed
January 3, Lietuvos Telekomas and TietoEnator have an intention to join
their forces in creating an IT services company to provide services in
Lithuania and within the region. Together with Lietuvos Telekomas TietoEnator
will further strengthen its position as a major supplier of telecom-related
IT services and solutions in the region.
The new company, which will be based on Lietuvos Telekomas' information
system department of close to 200 employees, will provide comprehensive
services initially to Lietuvos Telekomas and also to other corporate customers.
The partnership will benefit from Lietuvos Telekomas´ strong base
in Lithuania and TietoEnator´s vast competence within the field
of IT services.


Ericsson sells test plant equipment for USD 750 million
(29.12.01) As part of Ericsson's active asset management, Ericsson signed
a sale- lease back agreement regarding test plant equipment for the value
of USD 750 million. This transaction is a proof of Ericsson's capability
to free tied-up capital.
The transaction includes test plant equipment used for software testing,
at sites located in Sweden and the US. Ericsson will lease back the test
plant equipment from the new owner. The facility is arranged by a syndicate
of financial institutions.
"This set-up is another successful step in our efforts to release
capital, "says Sten Fornell, CFO of Ericsson.
The transaction will be effective by year-end, and will improve the cash
position of the Group with approximately USD 750 million. There will be
no material impact on Ericsson's future net income.
Ericsson will manage the test plant equipment and the work force at the
test plants will not be affected.


Gripen Intl awarded contract for Hungarian Air Force fighters
(28.12.01) The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) has awarded
Gripen International, jointly owned by Saab and BAE SYSTEMS in the UK,
a contract for the adaptation and support of Swedish Air Force Gripen
swing-role fighters designated for use by the Hungarian Air Force.
Gripen International will manage the contract as prime contractor and
award a number of sub-contracts to ensure the Hungarian requirements are
met. The main sub-contract will be to Saab AB (approx 1 billion SEK) to
adapt the aircraft to Hungarian needs and support the aircraft over the
10 year service period.
The company will be responsible for adapting Swedish Gripen aircraft to
the specification required by the government of Hungary for the modernization
of its air force to meet national and NATO defense needs. The contractual
agreement was signed in Stockholm today.
It follows completion of the 10 year lease contract for 14 Gripen fighters,
signed in Budapest, by Mr Ferenc Bese, ASIB in the Hungarian Ministry
of Defence and Major General Staffan Näsström, FMV.


Stolt Sea Farm acquires F&B sales Ltd in Hong Kong
(28.12.01) Stolt Sea Farm Holdings plc, a wholly owned subsidiary of Stolt-Nielsen
S.A. announced it has purchased F & B Sales Limited (F&B), a Hong
Kong registered company owned by the Webster Limited group of New Zealand.
F&B is a well-established specialized seafood distribution business,
based in Hong Kong, with an extensive product range that includes live
lobster and live turbot, and which supplies to major supermarkets, hotels,
air caterers, private clubs, and restaurant chains. F&B sales revenue
for year ended 30 June 2001 was HKD 106 million (approximately USD 14
million).
James Stove Lorentzen, CEO of SSF said, "I am delighted to be able
to announce this addition to our activities in our important Asia Pacific
market. This region is our fastest growing market, and we see this acquisition
as a further strengthening of our "in-the-market" sales organization.
It will also provide an excellent outlet for all SSF's own products. The
acquisition of F&B not only gives us a significant presence in the
Hong Kong market but also local access to the important and fast-growing
mainland China market."


Ericsson sells its London Corporate HQ to BP
(28.12.01) Ericsson has announced it sells its property at 1 St. James's
Square in London to BP for GBP 117 million. BP, in turn, intends to move
its global corporate headquarter to 1 St. James's Square.
As earlier announced Ericsson will move its London-based operations from
St. James's Square to 105 Wigmore Street, an equally central location
offering the accommodation it needs.
The transaction is part of a long-term strategy to divest non-core assets
and reallocate these funds to business activities.
The transaction will be effective by year-end.


Tamro sells its stake in the Swedish Mölnlycke Health Care AB
(28.12.01) Tamro Corporation has signed an agreement tosells its stake
and all its ownership interests and rights in Mölnlycke Health Care
AB for the price of SEK 680 million together to Nordic Capital, the present
majority owner of Mölnlycke Heath Care, and to the Sixth Swedish
National Pension Fund and Bure Equity AB.
Tamro´s CEO Pauli Kulvik says that this agreement completes Tamro´s
strategic decisions from year 1998 to divest all of its industrial operations
and concentrate on the company´s core business, pharmaceutical trade.
This agreement enables future investments in the company´s core
business, in which the majority of investments is moving towards retail
trade in those countries where pharmacy ownership is liberalised.


Metso acquires Raisio Chemicals' minority holding of Valmet-Raisio
(27.12.01) Metso Paper has acquired Raisio Chemicals' minority holding
of Valmet-Raisio and now owns the company completely. Before the acquisition
Metso Paper's holding was 51 %. The acquisition price is EUR 10 million.
Valmet-Raisio's special expertise in water and chemical systems management
is crucial to the development of new paper machine solutions. For environmental
and other reasons, wet end and coating chemicals management in papermaking
has been an essential part of the solutions jointly developed by Metso
and Raisio. These solutions ensure the recovery and re-use of chemicals
used in the manufacturing process. In the future Metso Paper will develop
water and chemical system management in parallel with the other solutions
it has developed to lower environmental impact.
Valmet-Raisio has operations at Raisio and Valkeakoski in Finland, Oberhaching
in Germany, Atlanta in the USA, Sao Paolo in Brazil and Beijing in China.


Scania sells Danish bodybuilding company and concentrates production of
bus bodies
(26.12.01) As part of the ongoing structuring of its busbuilding activities,
Scania will selling its bodybuilding facility in Silkeborg, Denmark to
the Norwegian company Vest-Buss AS. As a result, Scania's development
and production of bodies for city buses will be concentrated at the company's
main busbuilding plant in Katrineholm in Sweden, and at its assembly units
in Poland and Russia.
The move is part of a strategy to create better competitive conditions
for the bodybuilding company, which Scania plans to establish in Katrineholm.
The assembly units in Slupsk, Poland and St. Petersburg, Russia will also
form part of the new business.
To the new bodybuilding company, this will mean that the resources for
product and production development of Scania's range of Omni buses - OmniCity
and OmniLink - will be concentrated at the main plant in Katrineholm.
Bodies will be fitted in all three locations.
Vest-Buss
is the largest manufacturer of bus bodies in Norway.


Troubled IconMedialab merges with Dutch Lost Boys to a new media services
and
e-business company
(20.12.01) Swedish Icon Medialab International AB and Amsterdam based
Lost Boys N.V. announce they have entered into an agreement to merge.
They signed an agreement yesterday.
IconMediaLab has been seeking a solution to conteract upon the general
fall in the communications IT sector, and now looks towards this chance
to bring to a level the downward spiral that seemed to have no end.
Michiel
Mol, majority shareholder and CEO of Lost Boys, is confident about the
transaction. We have spoken to various possible partners, and were
convinced that IconMedialab is the best partner for us in the upcoming
consolidation process in our industry. Their geographic reach, the installed
client base as well as their technical and consulting capabilities strongly
complement our company. IconMedialab CEO Rens Buchwaldt says The
merger is strong both in the short and the long term. The company will
have a secure financial position, and we
can offer our clients the full advantage of the multinational talents,
skills and project experience to meet their needs.
The new
Company will bring together a broad range of project experience and skills,
in particular in creating high usability, design, dynamic content management
and personalized content, multi-media applications, (digital) corporate
identity, and high level security. Specific service offerings to meet
client needs include specialist areas such as CRM/Business Intelligence
and Content Management Systems.


Europolitan Vodafone meets PTS deadline - 3G network opens in Karlskrona
(20.12.01) Today, the Swedish mobile operator Europolitan Vodafone opened
its 3G network in Karlskrona, thereby meeting the deadline set by PTS
(the Swedish Post and Telecom Agency) as regards public access to 3G networks
from 1 January 2002.
"We
are now able to provide functional base stations in Karlskrona and therefore
consider that we have lived up to the requirements on the rollout of 3G
networks from 1 January 2002 imposed by PTS," says Jon Risfelt, President
and CEO of Europolitan Vodafone.
The newly
opened network was supplied by Nokia and covers most of the Karlskrona
area.
Work on the next generation of mobile telephony networks is proceeding
as planned. Much of this work involves pioneering efforts, since Sweden
has been one of the first off the mark with its 3G rollout. Technicians
from Nokia and Europolitan Vodafone were able to use the 3G network to
make calls as early as November.
"We
still face a number of challenges to which solutions will be found as
our work progresses," concludes Jon Risfelt. "It is tremendously
exciting and inspiring to be part of this development work, which will
allow Sweden to maintain its reputation as a leading telecoms nation."


Demand high for broadband from Norwegian Telenor
(19.12.01) Over the past few months demand for high-speed Internet based
on ADSL has increased substantially. Today, 25 000 consumers have ADSL
and this is an increase of 14 000 since the end of September. Telenor
Plus has delivered ADSL to customers in all Norwegian counties and by
the end of the year half of all Telenor's telephony customers will have
access to ADSL.
ADSL
stands for Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line, and is a broadband subscription
using the existing phone lines, delivered with speeds up to 1 Mbit/s.
During the
year since Telenor launched ADSL for the consumer market a large-scale
development programme has been implemented all over the country. On average,
one central per day has been readied for ADSL and Telenor now offers ADSL
to more than one hundred Norwegian local authorities. By the end of the
year, half of Telenor's telephony customers can get ADSL. This means Telenor
is ahead of its development schedule.
This autumn Telenor Plus launched an ADSL DIY solution that is now in
great demand. A continued development on the content side also means that
more and more customers want faster Internet based on this technology.


Skanska sells newly developed real-estate project in Budapest, Hungary
(19.12.01) Skanska is selling all three phases of the West End Business
Center project in Budapest to a group of German insurance companies for
EUR 66.5 M. The West End Business Center will be part of a Central European
property fund that is in the process of formation and in which the purchasing
companies are major stakeholders.
The
West End Business Center has a total floor space of 28,000 square meters,
of which 2,000 square meters is retail premises. The Center was developed
and built by Skanska in stages from 1999 to 2001. The site was acquired
in 1997. The largest tenants are Ernst & Young, Dresdner Bank and
Diago/United Distillers/Guinness, and 85 percent of the Center has been
rented.
The group of German insurance companies is acquiring all the shares in
the three separate property companies that own each phase in the West
End Business Center project.
"This
level of return demonstrates the profit potential of Skanska's project
development operations in Central Europe," says Fredrik Wirdenius,
President of Skanska Project Development Europe.


Munters lands order for dehumidification of nuclear reactors
(19.12.01) Ontario Power Generation (OPG), one of North America's largest
power producers, has purchased 12 customized dehumidification systems
from Munters for removing heavy water from the reactor buildings of the
Pickering Nuclear Power Station.
Heavy
water is a valuable commodity for the Candu nuclear reactors designed
by Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd (AECL). Munters vapor recovery systems
remove heavy water vapor from the air, and condense it to liquid. The
system also reduces the tritium radiation levels in the plant, and also
those released to the environment, making the reactor safer for workers
and the community.
Munters first supplied four such dryers for the first reactor being overhauled
in the spring of 2000, and has now been awarded the contract for all of
the 4 reactors being overhauled. "This order is the result of a complete
team effort between the project management, service and sales groups in
Munters. It fits in line with our Key Accounts' strategy of focusing on
developing long term relationships with core customers. After OPG's experiences
with Munters persistent attention to details on the first project, we
became the only logical choice for the next phase of the project.",
says Scott Haynes, National Key Accounts Group Manager.
There are
currently 22 Candu reactors in Canada .


Ericsson donates mobile communications system for UN humanitarian operations
(18.12.01) Ericsson has donated and the United Nations has formally accepted
an end- to-end GSM mobile communications system to complement the UN satellite
network based at their telecommunications center in Brindisi, Italy. The
GSM mobile communications system will further improve the quality and
efficiency of UN humanitarian aid relief operations, worldwide.
The
donation encompasses network equipment, both hardware and software, and
handsets. In addition, Ericsson is providing, at no cost, installation,
testing, training and remote support for a period of two years following
system launch. The donation also includes hardware and software from Sun
Microsystems and software from Logica.
Ericsson's donation is being made through its Corporate Citizenship program
Ericsson Response. This is a global initiative to support and complement
more effective and rapid response to human suffering caused by disasters.
Working in close partnership with leading humanitarian aid relief organizations,
Ericsson Response seeks to support the quality and efficiency of the international
relief work by contributing skilled telecommunications staff and technology.
As part of this partnership Ericsson Response is also developing local
disaster preparedness programs together with Ericsson offices around the
world and in close cooperation with humanitarian aid relief programs of
United Nations (UN) and International Federation of Red Cross and Red
Crescent Societies (IFRC).


Metso to rebuild Mondis paper machine in South Africa
(17.12.01) Metso Paper has received an order to rebuild a paper machine
with an approx. EUR 10 million delivery to Mondi Limited's Merebank mill
in Durban, South Africa. The rebuilt machine will start up in March 2003.
The
delivery will consist of a short circulation rebuild, a headbox, components
for the wire, press and dryer sections, pulper and an Optisizer with OptiDosers.
Metso Automation's control systems are included in the package as well.
The rebuilding will enable Mondi to produce lower basis weight papers,
together with quality and efficiency improvements. Metso has recently
installed a size press on the mill's PM3.
Mondi Paper is the leader in publication, converting carbonless and office
papers in South Africa. The mill's current capacity is 230,000 tons of
newsprint and telephone directory papers, 100,000 tons of SC magazine
papers, and 210,000 tons of uncoated wood free papers.

Axfood AB to discontinue its e-commerce operation
(14.12.01) Axfood AB's board today decided to discontinue the Axfood Group's
e-
commerce operation. The decision is made against the background of a weak
customer flow, where the trend has not shown any significant breakthrough.
Codetermination negotiations on the closure, will be initiated next week.
Axfood's
e-commerce operation comprises three websites: willys.nu and billhalls.se
in Gothenburg, and hemkop.nu in Stockholm. Combined sales for the period
January-November 2001 were SEK 76 m, with a loss of SEK - 37 m. Sales
for the full year 2000 were SEK 84 m with a loss of SEK -20 m.
"Unfortunately, the time is still not ripe for a large-scale food
retailing venture via the e-commerce channel," comments Mats Jansson,
President and CEO of Axfood. "The threshold is still high when it
comes to consumers' willingness to do some of their food shopping online.
We have been offering e-commerce
at Axfood since 1997, which makes us one of the pioneers in the business.
During this period, growth in online sales has not been sufficiently high
to enable us to run the business efficiently. The decisive factor behind
the decision to discontinue the operation is that we do not see any signs
of stronger growth in the years immediately ahead."


Hubei Quantong Telecom's Nokia 800 MHz TETRA trial network receives approval
from the Chinese Ministry of Information Industry
(13.12.01) The Nokia network is currently the only TETRA system in the
world with Chinese-language features.
The
Nokia 800 MHz TETRA trial network delivered to Hubei Quantong of China
in May has obtained approval from the Ministry of Information Industry
(MII) of China. Nokia is the first manufacturer to have been granted the
MII type approval for both TETRA base stations and terminals. Nokia's
solution is also the only TETRA system in the world offering features
such as Chinese short messaging and a Chinese-language interface.
The approval was granted at the Acceptance Test and Appraisal Meeting
for the Hubei Quantong Telecom's 800 MHz TETRA Technical Trial Network.
The meeting was held in Jingzhou, Hubei province, and was supported by
the MII's National Radio Supervision Center and the Hubei Radio Administrative
Committee Office.
At the appraisal meeting, experts judged as a great success the 800 MHz
TETRA trial network provided by Nokia. They further stated that the trial
network could serve as a model for the construction of public PMR communications
networks in China.


Telia connects the Baltic States to research network GÉANT
(13.12.01) Telia International Carrier provides capacity to connect the
Baltic States to the pan-European research network GÉANT. Telia
has a long-term agreement with the coordinating partner of the project,
DANTE, and now the partnership develops. The GÉANT-network provides
a powerful infrastructure with high speed IP-connection between universities
throughout Europe.
GÉANT
is the most advanced network of its kind. It reaches over 3,000 research-
and education institutions in more than 30 countries. Through the new
agreement with Telia International Carrier, universities in Estonia, Latvia
and Lithuania get access to use the extensive network of GÉANT.
The Baltic States have primarily not been connected to any research network
of this size.
- We are very pleased to get the opportunity to supply the three Baltic
States with capacity through one of the most sophisticated IP-backbones
in Europe. The new deal is a significant step in order to expand the GÉANT
network to include the Baltic States. Now students in Estonia, Latvia
and Lithuania are catching up on the rest of Europe when it comes to Internet
access, says Erik Heilborn, CEO of Telia International Carrier.

Telia provides Song Networks with global IP-capacity
(12.12.01) New deal for Telia gives clients of Song Networks access to
Telia International Carrier's global Internet backbone with coverage in
Europe as well as in the US.
The
agreement means that Telia International Carrier provides Song Networks
with IP-capacity on TeliaNet, which is the IP-backbone built on Telias
global optical fiber network, the Viking Network.
The deal comprises availability to Telia's extensive Internet backbone,
managed every hour, all year around. The clients of Song Networks will
have a maximum IP-bandwidth of 1 Gbps connection to the backbone with
guaranteed security on all stretches.
- We are looking forward having one of Scandinavia's biggest operators
as our client, says Erik Heilborn, President of Telia International Carrier.
Our advantage is that we offer an non-overbooked end-to-end connectivity
all over Europe as well across the Atlantic and in the US with service
around the clock and high security.


Motorola and Nokia have conducted cross border group call between TETRA
networks
(12.12.01) The "three-country" pilot to be conducted in Belgium,
Germany and the Netherlands is the first step towards the deployment of
ISI interoperability.
Nokia
and Motorola are making use of TETRA technology to enable Professional
Mobile Radio users to communicate efficiently with each other across borders
and systems in a pilot involving Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands.
The pilot uses a TETRA network connection based on a general four-wire
interface.
Provisioning agreements between Public Safety network operators enable
subscribers to use network services provided by their neighbouring partners
when travelling across borders. Even more essentially, the TETRA network
connection enables users to conduct demanding multi-organisation operations
in spite of network boundaries.
The Motorola and Nokia solution will enable TETRA Network operators to
provide voice group communication by cross-connecting "talk groups"
over the boundaries of TETRA networks and vendors. Users with TETRA terminals
visiting a neighbouring country will be in continuous contact with their
colleagues on both sides of the border, as well as, being in communications
with their Command and Control Centers.


C Technologies' subsidiary Anoto initiates collaboration with ReadSoft
to develop tools to convert handwritten notes
(12.12.01) ReadSoft, the market leader in the development of software
for automatic data capture and conversion of handwritten information,
and Anoto starts cooperation in order to develop services based on the
Anoto concept and ReadSoft technology.
With
ReadSoft's software Eyes & Hands FORMS the information written on
paper is processed. It is thereafter verified and interpreted before finally
being transferred into electronic format. The combination of ReadSoft's
technology and the Anoto concept enables joint development of mobile solutions
to capture and convert handwritten information.
As part of the agreement ReadSoft will purchase the Application Development
Kit (ADK) and Graphic Development Kit (GDK) for the purpose of developing
forms that can be easily interpreted and read by computer.
"Anoto has created a handwriting communication system which is a
fine complement to ReadSoft's technology." Says Jan Andersson, MD,
ReadSoft. "By combinding the new de facto standard for pen- and paper
technology with our products we are hoping to find new user areas for
our products."


Nokia to provide a Wireless Digital Network to Hong Kong Fire Services
(11.12.01) Nokia and Singapore Engineering Software Pte Ltd have signed
a contract for the supply of the Nokia TETRA solution for a Wireless Digital
Network (WDN) for the Hong Kong Fire Services Department.
The
contract covers the complete Nokia TETRA solution including digital switches,
base stations, dispatcher equipment, network management system and terminals.
WDN is the core system of Third Generation Mobilizing System (TGMS) of
the Hong Kong Fire Services Department and a number of mission critical
applications will be implemented via the WDN with the prime objective
to cope with the increasing demand of fire fighting and rescue operations
in Hong Kong.
"We are pleased to be working closely with Singapore Engineering
Software Ptd Ltd to provide this solution to Hong Kong Fire Services Department."
says Jonathan Yip, General Manager, Nokia Networks, Nokia (H.K.) Ltd,
"The Nokia TETRA solution provides a reliable and proven voice and
data communications solution for public safety organisation."


Continental Gislaved decides to puncture Swedish tyre giant
(11.12.01) Continental AG, the German tyre manufacturer and one of the
four largest vehicle tyre producers in the world, has decided to close
down it's Swedish production at Gislaved next year, and lay off a workforce
of nearly 800 persons.
Gislaved
Däck AB at Gislaved in Sweden, founded in 1893, and with an annual
production of approx 3.6 million tyres for the car industry ceases to
be next year when German Continental AG decides to halt it's production
in Sweden.
The small municipality of Gislaved in Småland, is hit hard by the
sudden decision to close down Gislaved Däck, a company with a special
reputation for Gislaved's widely acclaimed winter tyres, and troubled
local politicians have little, if anything to offer in it's place. Employees
at Gislaved Däck, which exports 80% of the annual turnout, see very little
hope in saving the plant from what seems to be an unrevocable decision,
as global demand for tyres continues to drop following the fall car sales.


Ericsson signs multi million GSM/GPRS expansion contract in China
(11.12.01) Ericsson and Sichuan Mobile Communication Company, China have
signed a contract valued at USD 143 million for expansion of the GSM/GPRS
network in Sichuan Province. The expansion project will be completed in
June 2002, raising the capacity of the dual band network provided by Ericsson
to 4.2 million subscribers.
The
contract also covers expansion of the Mobile Intelligence Network (MIN),
enabling Sichuan Mobile to provide intelligent services including pre-paid
services, private numbers, and private virtual networks, and will also
expand GPRS functionality to the entire network.
"Our cooperation with Sichuan Mobile started in 1993, when Ericsson
first built the analog mobile network for the province. We are very pleased
to have their continuing confidence as main supplier of solutions for
rapid expansion and smooth migration of their GSM network to 2.5G mobile
systems," says Jan Malm, President Ericsson China.
Nanjing Ericsson Panda Communication Co., Ltd and Dalian Ericsson Communication
Co., Ltd., will provide equipment and service for this project.


Czech Republic chooses Gripen
(10.12.01) The Government of the Czech Republic has today announced the
selection of 24 SAAB-BAE SYSTEMS Gripen supersonic, multi-role fighters
to replace its fleet of Mig 21 fighters and provide the country's national
defense and NATO needs for the next 30 - 40 years.
Subject
to the successful conclusion of contract negotiations, which begin immediately,
the first Czech Air Force Gripen squadron will be operational by end 2005.
Gripen for the Czech Republic will be fully NATO compatible and interoperable.
It will support all NATO priorities for standardization of doctrines and
procedures, including NATO standard datalink communications plus an air-to-air
refueling system.
Welcoming the Czech government's decision, Julian Scopes, regional managing
director Europe with Gripen partner BAE SYSTEMS said: "We have worked
hard to provide the Czech Republic with a highly capable and affordable
solution to meet its 21st century defense needs and I am delighted by
today's announcement. We recognize a period of negotiations on complex
issues lies ahead, but believe that this will lead to a successful solution
for all concerned.


Jaakko Pöyry Group awarded EUR 26 million contract for hydropower
services in Turkey
(10.12.01) Jaakko Pöyry Group's Energy business group, Electrowatt-Ekono,
has been awarded a contract for engineering and construction supervision
of the 670 MW Deriner dam and hydropower plant in Turkey. The value of
the contract is EUR 26 million.
The
client is the General Directorate of the State Hydraulic Works (DSI),
the Government agency in charge of water resources in Turkey. The project
is financed under Swiss export credit. The services include the review
of contractors' design, construction and erection supervision, quality
control, training and commissioning services.
The client is the General Directorate of the State Hydraulic Works (DSI),
the Government agency in charge of water resources in Turkey. The project
is financed under Swiss export credit. The services include the review
of contractors' design, construction and erection supervision, quality
control, training and commissioning services.


Biggest order to date for Scania special vehicles:
(10.12.01) Malaysia buys 60 fire engines Brazil buys 23 RIVs
Scania
is to supply 60 fire engines to Bomba, the Malaysian national fire and
rescue service. This is the biggest order for emergency vehicles received
by Scania to date. The company has also received the go-ahead to supply
23 new RIVs (Rapid Intervention Vehicles) to the Brazilian Air Force.
The fire engines for Bomba in Malaysia will be equipped locally in Kuala
Lumpur by superstructure specialists CME Technologies. The Brazilian RIVs
will be built in Brazil and bodyworked in Europe by Rosenbauer International
of Austria.
The new Malaysian order brings the number of Scania fire engines purchased
by Bomba to 100. The first 40 of these - all equipped with Scania's CrewCab
- were delivered during the latter half of the 1990s. The next 60 will
be of similar design, with accommodation for a firefighting crew of six,
and will be built on Scania's two-axle chassis with a 9-litre engine.


Ericsson gets first global ISO 14001 certification
(10.12.01) A major environmental milestone confirming Ericsson's commitment
to combining excellent business practices with environmental leadership.
Ericsson
has received the first-ever worldwide ISO 14001 certification granted
by British Standards Institute, BSI, for its Environmental Management
System (EMS). This certification, marks the first time ever that a company
receives one ISO 14001 certificate encompassing worldwide operations,
both manufacturing and non-manufacturing. ISO 14001 is the internationally
recognized standard for Environmental Management Systems.
"The way we have developed our Environmental Management System (EMS)
enables Ericsson to clearly identify our environmental impacts, set goals
and manage performance against those targets," says Lars Göran
Bernau, Ericsson's Director of Sustainability & Environment. "This
provides key management information, not tied to any specific organizational
structure."
In 1999, Ericsson made the decision to expand the scope of the EMS companywide
- to cover all global operations - manufacturing and non- manufacturing.
It was determined that real environmental contributions will come from
the involvement and commitment of all employees.
"Ericsson must be congratulated on this achievement, which is BSI's
first global certification to ISO 14001. It endorses a commitment from
Ericsson to continually improve the way it manages environmental issues,
and its commitment to systematic and sustainable improvement," says
Nick Moy, managing director of BSI Global Quality Services.


Atlas Copco acquires Dutch compressor company
(07.12.01) Atlas Copco acquired Grassair B.V., a Dutch producer of screw
compressors. Grassair employs 75 people and has an annual turnover of
approximately MSEK 85. The purchase price was not disclosed.
Grassair,
located in Oss, the Netherlands, is a well-established manufacturer of
screw compressors with many decades of experience from the business. The
company serves a wide customer base, with Netherlands being the main market.
The acquisition is in line with Atlas Copco's strategy to grow its compressed
air business. "We want to expand the business for small and medium-sized
stationary compressors, and this is where Grassair fits in," said
Ronnie Leten, President of the Industrial Air Division. "Grassair
is a strong brand to build on and it has an excellent reputation for its
extensive service offering."
Grassair B.V. will keep its company name and continue to market the products
under its solid brand name. The company will become part of Industrial
Air, a division within the Compressor Technique business area.


Ericsson to deliver 3G core network to global mobile satellite operator
Inmarsat
(06.12.01) Ericsson has been selected by mobile satellite operator Inmarsat
Ltd for the development of its next generation core network for the company's
Broadband Global Area Network (B-GAN), planned for launch in 2004. The
contract is valued at USD 55 million.
Ericsson
as sole supplier for the core network will deliver infrastructure including
routers from its comprehensive 3G product portfolio, network management
solutions and a host of professional support services.
Ericsson's equipment will provide the call routing and mobility management
functionality for Inmarsat's new B-GAN ground stations enabling connectivity
to the fixed and mobile terrestrial phone and data networks in conjunction
with Inmarsat's service providers.
Inmarsat's B-GAN service will offer third generation (3G) compatible services
including video conferencing to customers over nearly the entire globe.
Inmarsat will focus on providing high-bandwidth services in areas where
existing telecom infrastructure does not exist or cannot support content-rich
applications. This next generation of services will offer data transmission
rates of up to 432 kbit/s, significantly increasing the existing traffic
capacity.


Ocean monitoring with space equipment from Saab Ericsson Space
(06.12.01) JASON-1 is an earth observation satellite that will give us
more data on the world's oceans. It will be launched 7 December 2001 using
a Boeing Delta II rocket from a launch pad in California. The central
data handling system of the satellite has been supplied by Saab Ericsson
Space.
For
a period of three to five years, JASON-1 will furnish information on the
topography of the world's oceans with aid of a radar altimeter. The satellite
is also equipped with other instruments for gathering data on changes
in sea levels, changes in seasonal ocean currents and their effects on
climate. Greater knowledge of the global interaction of oceans and climate
will contribute to, e.g., more reliable weather forecasting. JASON-1 is
a successor to Topex/Poseidon, the satellite that predicted the El Niño
phenomenon in 1997-1998.
Saab Ericsson Space has developed and manufactured the central electronics
unit of the satellite platform, the largest system of its kind made by
the company to date. It's an all-in-one system, i.e. its units are integrated
into a single system to carry out three different main tasks. The system
monitors and controls satellite and payload functions, controls satellite
attitude and includes a mass memory for payload and housekeeping data.
The company has also supplied the satellite's S-band antennas for communication
with facilities on the ground.


SAS to sell airport properties to Nordisk Renting and GE Capital for SEK
3 billion
(06.12.01) SAS has signed a contract with Nordisk Renting AB and GE Capital
Real Estate regarding the sale of 11 airport-related properties. The transaction
has a value of SEK 3 billion and will generate a capital gain of approximately
MSEK 700. At the same time, SAS signed a 20-year rental contract with
the parties. The cost of the rental contract is neutral compared with
ownership of the properties. The properties in question are located at
the following airports: Arlanda, Landvetter, Kastrup, Gardermoen and Flesland
(Bergen).
"This
property sale is a feature of the SAS program to release capital - a program
that has been under way for three years," says Gunnar Reitan, Executive
Vice President and CFO of SAS.
The 11 properties consist mainly of hangars, workshops, warehouses and
offices. They comprise a combined total of approximately 285,000 square
meters of leasable floor space. The sales process, which was initiated
by SAS in 2000, was conducted under conditions of international competition.


Telia wins Investor Relations awards
(05.12.01) Telia has won a prize for having the best Investor Relations
department among major Swedish companies, as well as an award for being
the Nordic company that has improved its investor relations activities
the most during the year. Telia's Investor Relations Manager, Tobias Lennér,
was also named best IR Manager in Sweden.
The
prizes were awarded by the well-known U.S. publication Investor Relations
Magazine, which has given its Investor Relations Awards in seven world
regions for many years. The prizes were awarded for the first time in
the Nordic region yesterday.
The winners were selected by 160 analysts and mutual funds brokers in
the Nordic countries and London.


Skanska to build Radisson SAS hotel at Stansted for GBP 28.6 M, or SEK
435 M
(05.12.01) Skanska's British subsidiary Skanska UK has won a contract
to build a new Radisson SAS hotel at Stansted Airport, London's third
airport. The negotiated contract value is GBP 28.6 M, corresponding to
about SEK 435 M. The customer is Radisson SAS.
The
new four star hotel will be the first hotel to have a direct pedestrian
access to the recently extended terminal building. It will have 350 rooms,
two restaurants, bars, a leisure center and comprehensive conference and
banqueting facilities. Skanska also has first option on a second phase,
which would add another 150 rooms if given the go ahead in the future.
Skanska, which has been involved in the preparatory work from the start,
appointed architect Aukett Europe to develop the design based on an agreed
cost framework. Architecturally, the hotel will compliment the award winning
terminal building designed by Lord Foster who also designed the landmark
Swiss Re tower currently under construction in London by Skanska UK.


VIAG INTERKOM of Germany launches prepaid GPRS with Nokia's charging solution
(04.12.01) German mobile operator VIAG INTERKOM has launched its prepaid
service for GPRS using a Nokia solution for processing charging data.
The solution is based on the Nokia Charging Center, which is a flexible
and scalable framework that allows operators to charge for a wide range
of 2G and 3G services. With the help of the Nokia Charging Center, VIAG
INTERKOM is able to extend its LOOP brand of prepaid services to its GPRS
customers.
The
contract included equipment, system customisation and integration. The
system delivery and turnkey integration was successfully completed on
time in VIAG's demanding multi-vendor environment.
The Nokia Charging Center allows VIAG to implement different billing plans,
such as volume step discounts, WAP billing based on content or number
of "clicks", sign-up credits for new subscribers and monthly
bonuses consisting of a certain number of free WAP clicks. For example,
VIAG plans to offer prepaid access to WAP over GPRS on a "per click"
basis, and Internet over GPRS on a "per kByte" basis in addition
to a small daily fee.
"We are extremely pleased to be at the forefront of launching prepaid
GPRS service in Germany," says, Gerhard Mayrhofer, Senior Vice President
Marketing, VIAG INTERKOM. "By allowing us to implement the right
charging model for different customers, the Nokia Charging Center has
played a pivotal role in bringing GPRS services to our prepaid customers."


Ericsson and Cingular Wireless team to pave the way for 3G offerings in
the U.S.
(03.12.01) Cingular Wireless has selected Ericsson as a principle long-term
strategic partner for upgrading and expanding its wireless network. The
partnership enables Cingular to build a nationwide state-of-the-art wireless
network and to deliver third-generation services.
Under
the terms of the deal, Ericsson will provide the largest portion of the
core network infrastructure and provide radio network equipment for overlay
markets. Additionally, Ericsson maintains its top position in the expansion
of existing Cingular GSM markets.
"Ericsson is proud to be a strategic partner in Cingular's 3G technology
migration," said Angel Ruiz, President and Chief Executive Officer,
Ericsson Inc. "The choice of Ericsson equipment reinforces our proven
track record of global technology and market leadership."
Ericsson expects to provide its world-leading GSM/GPRS/EDGE infrastructure
including core network, radio access infrastructure, operation and maintenance
systems. The EDGE infrastructure will support increased capacity for voice
and third generation, high speed data services.


Cingular Wireless selects Nokia as a main supplier to its GSM/EDGE network
nationwide in deal estimated at over one billion USD
(03.12.01) Nokia solution to help Cingular optimize its radio spectrum
in migration toward high-speed 3G services for the United States.
Cingular
Wireless has chosen Nokia as a main infrastructure supplier for a significant
portion of its nationwide GSM/EDGE network in support of its deployment
of new high-speed 3G data services. The value of the contract is estimated
to be in excess of one billion USD, representing the largest single system
level deal ever for Nokia, further solidifying it's leadership position
in the United States market.
Cingular will begin rolling out GPRS with EDGE-ready equipment and this
deal will allow the company to eventually provide nationwide GSM/EDGE
services, further driving the adoption of advanced third-generation (3G)
wireless services in the United States. Deliveries and nationwide rollout
will commence in 2002.


RAUFOSS awarded important Volvo contract
(30.11.01) RAUFOSS awarded important Volvo contract: Supply of Air Brake
Connectors, value NOK 250 million
Raufoss
has been awarded a new 3-year contract with Volvo Global Trucks (VGT)
for the supply of Air Brake Connectors in the period 2002-2004. The total
value of the contract is 250 million Norwegian Kroner and covers the delivery
of Air Brake Connectors to Volvo's production facilities in Sweden, Belgium
and Brazil.
Volvo Global Trucks (VGT) are, after acquisition of Renault Vehicle Industrielle
in France and MACK Trucks in the USA, Europe's largest, and the worlds
second largest, manufacturer of commercial vehicles and have production
plants all of the world.
Raufoss shall supply the Air Brake Connectors for the new VOLVO commercial
vehicle platform, scheduled for release in the early part of 2002. VOLVO
will base its global production of commercial vehicles on this platform
and therefore the contract provides the opportunity of co-operation with
VGT production units not currently being supplied by Raufoss.


Agreement with Danske Bank
(Oslo 30.11.01) EDB Business Partner's wholly-owned subsidiary EDB Fellesdata
has signed a long-term contract with Danske Bank for the supply of systems
and computer operating services. The agreement covers deliveries for a
minimum period of two years, and is worth some NOK 50 million.
The
agreement relates to the operation of systems for minibanks, telephone
banking and corporate Internet banking for Fokus Bank, the Norwegian operation
of Danske Bank. It also extends to network management and official reporting.
In addition the arrangement offers considerable potential for the provision
of consultancy services related to these areas as well as new Internet-based
systems. EDB Fellesdata is responsible for the supply of systems and consultancy
services, with EDB Teamco providing computer operating services.
It was decided when Danske Bank purchased Fokus Bank in 1998 that Fokus
Bank would in due course transfer its IT systems to the systems platform
used by Danske Bank. This migration to the parent bank's systems was carried
out in November of this year.
"This new agreement opens up the opportunity to develop our relationship
and expand our business with Danske Bank" comments Ole Trasti, Managing
Director of EDB Fellesdata.


Carlsberg Breweries A/S sells half of its shareholding in OAO Vena Brewery
in St. Petersburg to Baltic Beverages Holding AB
(01-11-30) Carlsberg Breweries A/S sells 49.9 per cent of OAO Vena Brewery
in St. Petersburg to Baltic Beverages Holding AB (BBH). Carlsberg Breweries
owns approx. 99.9 per cent following the acquisition of the 33.32 per
cent the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development owned of Vena.
Minority shareholders own the remaining approx. 0.1 per cent of the share
capital. As of October 2003, BBH has an option to buy the remaining shareholding
in Vena.
The
acquisition as well as the sale are subject to approval by the Russian
competition authorities.
Selling Vena to BBH is a natural step in the process of concentrating
the ownership and, consequently, the overall operating responsibilities
for Carlsberg Breweries' activities in Russia, the Baltic countries and
Ukraine with BBH, which has more than 10 years of experience in operating
breweries in the countries mentioned. Furthermore, the Vena brands will
complement the BBH portfolio of brands.
The sales will have no significant effect on Carlsberg Breweries' results
for 2001.


Arjo versus Liko: Successful outcome for Liko in UK patent action
(01-11-29) In 1999 hospital equipment supplier Liko was sued for patent
infringement by a competing company, Arjo, who claimed that the Sabina
lifts infringed Arjo´s patent.
The
trial of the case was heard in the High Court in London in September 2001
and judgment was given by Rt Hon Justice Laddie on November 8th 2001.
Liko is pleased to announce that in an extensive judgment, Rt Hon Justice
Laddie ruled that the Arjo patent was invalid and even if the patent had
been valid it was not infringed by the Liko Sabina (or Sabina Comfort)
Lifts.
As is common
practice in English patent litigation, Arjo were ordered to pay a contribution
to Liko´s legal costs. The judge ordered that £225.000 should
be paid to Liko within 28 days pending a full assessment of the sum Arjo
must pay to Liko as costs. The court also gave Arjo six weeks from November
8th in which to decide whether or not to appeal the decision to the court
of appeal.


German army buys Pyrosequencing system to aid in fight against biological
weapons
(01-11-29) Pyrosequencing AB today announced that it has sold a PSQtm96
System to the German Armed Forces for the rapid typing and validation
of bacteria and viruses used to produce biological weapons. The German
Armed Forces is using Pyrosequencing technology to identify and characterize
important biological agents such as bacteria that cause anthrax and viruses
that produce smallpox.
"The
very possibility of biological warfare necessitates a rapid, accurate
way to detect and type any suspicious agent such as Bacillus anthracis,
the causative agent for anthrax," said the Head of the Molecular
Genetics Detection Group, Armed Forces Scientific Institute for Protection
Technologies - NBC Protection, Germany. "On the basis of work by
Professor Lars Engstrand, we developed our own fast method for identifying
anthrax using Pyrosequencing technology. Unlike other detection methods,
Pyrosequencing enables us to verify DNA (PCR products) by providing valuable
sequence information very quickly."
In July, Pyrosequencing announced a research collaboration with Professor
Lars Engstrand of Clinical Bacteriology, Uppsala University, Sweden, to
investigate several applications of Pyrosequencingtm within the field
of bacterial identification and resistance. The initial focus of the agreement
includes Helicobacter pylori, Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Bacillus
anthracis. Additionally, the Company has established multiple research
collaborations in other infectious disease areas as well as in cardiology,
genetic disorders and hematology/oncology as part of its global strategy
to expand into clinical diagnostics.
"The Germany Army's purchase of our PSQ 96 System confirms the relevance
of Pyrosequencing technology for the rapid identification and typing of
infectious bacteria and viruses as well as other mutations in disease-
causing agents which may cause resistance," said Erik Walldén,
President and CEO of Pyrosequencing AB. "Other defense organizations
are also expressing interest in our technology. Our goal is to establish
Pyrosequencing technology as a first line of defense against infectious
diseases which may ultimately lead to rapid and improved treatments."

Navision Introduces Personalized E-Commerce
(01-11-29) The latest e-commerce offering helps small and medium-sized
companies streamline commercial interactions with customers and vendors
through personalized Web-based trading
Norwegian
Navision
a/s has released it's Commerce Portal, an e-commerce solution that enables
small and medium-sized companies using the integrated business solution,
Navision Attain, to improve collaboration with their supply chain partners
via personalized Web-based trading.
With Commerce Portal, customers, vendors and other partners of a company
can serve themselves directly through personalized Web portals tailored
to their particular business needs. Commerce Portal delivers real-time
information such as item availability, shipping progress and purchasing
history on an anytime, anywhere basis. Customers can access, maintain
and search for data and documents across the full range of functionality
found in Navision Attain. The level of access and customization varies
depending on the user's needs and is determined by the company.
"Commerce Portal is a new window of opportunity for our customers.
It enables them to serve the individual needs of their supply chain partners
in a cost-effective way. Overall, the new Internet functionality makes
business more straightforward, efficient and personal," says Niels
Bo Theilgaard, Executive Vice President and Corporate Product Officer,
Navision a/s.


Europolitan Vodafone and TietoEnator develop payment services for mobile
phones
(01-11-28) Starting next year, you will be able to pay for goods on your
mobile phone. Entra, part of the TietoEnator Group, is developing a virtual
payment card together with Europolitan Vodafone, and it is due to be launched
in the first half of 2002.
"The
mobile phone is becoming an increasingly important tool in our everyday
lives," says Jon Risfelt, President and CEO of Europolitan Vodafone.
"Mobile payment solutions constitute a major step towards the realisation
of our vision of providing our customers with services that simplify their
day-to-day lives."
Europolitan Vodafone will be marketing the virtual payment card and all
related services, and will be working jointly with TietoEnator to market
and sell the payment solution in other market segments, as well as in
markets outside Sweden.
The virtual card will provide customers with a simple and reliable way
of using their mobile phones to pay for goods and services ordered via
the Internet, both fixed and mobile. One of the keys to this solution
lies in the fact that it supports micro-payments and has a so-called "taximeter
functionality", which allows customers only to pay for the parts
of a service that they actually use. This means that you only pay for
the pages or articles that you read in an online magazine, while you pay
per game when using network based gaming services. Initially, the service
will mainly enable direct payments for the kind of data services that
are already available via mobile phones or the Internet, such as mobile
games or various information services. In the future, however, it will
also be possible to use the virtual card at regular stores.


SKF secures major orders from GE for aerospace bearings
(01-11-28) SKF has through its Aerospace unit, MRC Bearings in the US,
been awarded long-term contracts worth up to 55 million US dollars for
the supply of main-shaft engine bearings to GE Aircraft Engines.
The
contracts cover production and spare parts requirements during the period
of 2002-2006.
GE Aircraft Engines is the world's leading provider of aircraft and aero-
derivative propulsion systems and services.
The MRC products will be used in GE aircraft engines and aero-derivative
turbines for marine and industrial applications, including power generation.
The bearings MRC manufactures for GE range from 20 mm to 640 mm outer
diameter and are some of the most complex designs in the world. Advanced
materials, super-precision tolerances and integrated components allow
these bearings to operate at extremely high speed.


SAS delays opening of San Francisco route
(01-11-26) As a result of the decline in the number of passengers, SAS
has decided to delay the launch of San Francisco as a new destination.
The
events in New York on September 11 this year have had a considerable impact
on air traffic to and from the US and SAS has now decided to focus primarily
on restoring the airline's main market on the American East Coast and
in the central US.
It was SAS' ambition to launch a flight route between Copenhagen and San
Francisco on May 10, 2002. Plans involved one daily flight in each direction.
Market developments will determine when SAS can again start to plan for
the introduction of flights to San Francisco.


Axis video servers for Securitas' new monitoring concept in shops
(01-11-26) Axis Communications has signed a framework agreement with Securitas
in Scandinavia for the supply of network-based video servers for Securitas'
visual alarm solutions. Securitas' first product within the area is called
Trygg Butik (Safe Shop) and is aimed at making it possible for shop staff
to inform the emergency center before a crime is committed.
Shop
staff can request Securitas' attention by activating a monitoring camera
when a situation feels threatening before anything serious happens. From
its emergency center, Securitas can monitor the situation and take suitable
action without the shop activating any alarms, apart from the camera.
Securitas intends to extend this concept of visual decision-making support
for use with other applications.
"As
the world's largest security company, we are naturally very interested
in maintaining a high quality for our services. This is why we conducted
a detailed evaluation before selecting a supplier. Axis was the only company
that met the high quality demands for network-connected video technology,"
says Anders Friborn, Marketing Manager, Securitas Larmcentral, Sweden.
The solution is based entirely on digital technology and requires shops
to have an Internet connection via broadband or ISDN.


Gripen
International welcomes first NATO customer
(01-11-23) Gripen International welcomes the signing of a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) between the Hungarian Government and the Swedish Government,
for the lease of 14 NATO-interoperable Gripen multi-role fighters, to
meet the national, NATO and European defense needs of the Hungarian Air
Force.
Dr
János Szabó, Hungarian Defence Minister and Björn von
Sydow, Swedish Defence Minister signed the MoU at a ceremony in Stockholm,
Sweden. Hungary is the first Central European nation and first NATO member
to select Gripen to meet its 21st century defense needs.
Gripen International
is supporting the Swedish government's lease of Gripen fighters with a
program of industrial offset, which will deliver jobs and long-term industrial
benefits across a number of business sectors.
"Our offset negotiations have been very successful and we will sign
an agreement linked to the Gripen lease by Hungary during December. This
program will enable further economic growth for Hungary and substantial
employment opportunities through industrial partnerships and export promotion",
comments Ian McNamee, managing director Gripen International.
Pictures of Gripen are available on www.gripen.com


Nokia
to establish a research & development center in Hangzhou, China
(01-11-22) Nokia Networks and the Zhejiang Provincial Government of China
today signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the establishment of a
new R&D center to be located in Hangzhou, the capital city of Zhejiang
province in China. This is another strong demonstration of Nokia's long-term
commitment to China.
The
centre, expected to employ up to 500 people in 3 - 4 years' time, will
focus on software development, and will develop platform technologies
related to Nokia's 3G mobile networks. The Hangzhou R&D center will
have an important role in Nokia's global R&D network.
The new
centre will start operations at the beginning of 2002. The research and
development activities of this center will be carried out together with
a local Chinese partner company. The aim is to start cooperation with
a local partner in 2003, and the partner company will employ the majority
of the personnel.
"With this new R&D centre, China will strengthen its position
as part of Nokia's global R&D network. For Nokia, China is the second
largest market. We are convinced, based on the excellent cooperation done
so far, that this project will be a long-term success for all parties
involved," said Mr. Sauli Salo, Senior Vice President, Mobile Core
Networks, Nokia Networks .


Swedish
constructor NCC receives contract for large residential area in Rostock,
Germany
(01-11-22) NCC Germany has received a large new order to build Am Tonnenhof,
a residential area in Rostock, located on the Baltic coast. The total
volume of the project is estimated at about SEK 400 million (DEM 85 million).
Am
Tonnenhof will consist of approx 700 units in multi-family homes with
almost 50.000 sqm of living space. Commercial space of about 1.100 sqm
and underground garages will also be part of the construction starting
up in March 2002. The project is supposed to be completed by the end of
2004.
Am Tonnenhof
is situated in one of RostocK´s favourite residential areas close
by numerous recreational facilities, and will be characterized by a high
standard, maritime architectural design.
The investor,
the ODIN Group (with norwegian roots, owned by Per Harald Lökkevik),
has already been a cooperation partner for NCC in a large housing project
in Mahlow, close to the Berlin city limits (more than 520 units in multifamily
homes plus a 4 star turn-key hotel with 170 rooms).
-We are
very glad to have received this new order from the ODIN Group and Per
Harald Lökkevik. In addition to this, we have signed a contract for
a series of further projects in the Rostock area, says Ingvar Lundström,
business area manager of NCC Germany.


Biolight
signs agreement with one of Europe's leading dental companies
(01-11-22) Biolight has signed an agreement regarding its distribution
in Finland with Plandent Oyj. Plandent is a member of the Planmeca group,
with a turnover of approximately SEK 2.9 billion (EUR 300 million) and
about 1,300 employees. The Planmeca group sells in more than 80 countries.
"Plandent
Oyj has started marketing and sales activities for Biolight in Finland.
We work in close co-operation with the Dental college at the University
of Helsinki and with Dr. Kimmo Suomalainen, who is also responsible for
in-service training within the dental association Finska Tandläkarsällskapet.
Plandent, a member of the Planmeca group, which is one of the world's
leading manufacturers of dental units and dental X- rays. This provides
a great potential and numerous possibilities for successful international
co-operation," says Tero Riikonen, vice president of Plandent Oyj.
"This
is a very important agreement for Biolight, not least because of the very
good reputation and large international network of the Planmeca group.
Biolight will initially launch the product in Finland, but together with
Plandent there are great possibilities for expanding sales to other countries,"
says Christer Wallin, President of Biolight International AB.
"The
agreement with Plandent enables us to seriously expand our sales, and
makes our continued network development easier," says Thomas Ericsson,
responsible for the business area Dental Care.


Scania
launches safety initiatives
(01-11-21) Scania today launched new initiatives to promote road safety.
The first initiative concerns young truck drivers, emanating from a need
to boost the status and attraction of this profession. The second initiative
aims at establishing a pan-European road database that includes the special
requirements of commercial vehicles, in addition to passenger cars.
The
initiatives were presented by Scania's President and CEO Leif Östling
in conjunction with a top-level safety conference in Brussels hosted by
Scania. Among the attendants were more than 250 decision- makers from
the European Commission, the European Parliament, as well as other EU
Affairs officials, journalists and industry representatives.
The theme
of the safety conference - Improving road safety with intelligent transport
systems - was supported with an exhibition of the latest in commercial
vehicle safety, including the safety concept vehicle from Scania and a
new crash-zone concept for trucks.


Troubled
portal Scandinavia Online makes for Eniro life saver.
(01-11-20) Eniro AB (publ) today makes a cash offer to the shareholders
of Scandinavia Online AB (publ). Through the acquisition of SOL, Eniro
hopes to become the leading directory and search company in the Nordic
area, both offline and online.
The
Board of SOL has unanimously recommended the shareholders to accept the
Eniro offer of SEK 11.50 in cash, for each share. The main shareholders,
Telia, Schibsted and Telenor, representing 75.9 percent of the shares
and votes, have decided to irrevocably accept Eniro's Offer.
Eniro finds SOL a tasty mouthful with it's market share of 50 percent
of the Swedish Internet advertising market. As one company we can combine
our successful sales- and marketing efforts with SOL's usage positions",
says Lars Guldstrand, President and CEO of Eniro. "When evaluating
SOL, we have also taken into account the cash holding of the company and
the value of the tax losses that we can utilize as well as their the state-of-the
art technical platform."


Aker
Maritime buying more shares in Kværner
(01-11-20) Aker Maritime has today increased its shareholding in Kværner
to 20.15 per cent. This will strengthen the company's opportunities for
protecting its minority interests in Kværner.
Since
the larger shareholding does not give Aker Maritime a controlling interest
in Kværner, the company is not under a duty to report it to the
European Commission's competition authorities. It has nevertheless notified
the Commission of the share purchase.


American
Skandia wins top ranking in Dalbar survey
(01-11-20) Skandia's US subsidiary American Skandia has received the number
one ranking for Overall Marketing Support, according to the 15th annual
Financial Professional 2001 Survey by DALBAR, the Boston-based industry
rating and research company.
This
achievement stems from a survey conducted last summer, in which DALBAR
queried top-producing Investment Professionals, Broker/Dealer Marketing
and Operations Managers.
American Skandia shared first place with another company in a ranking
given by Broker/Dealer Marketing Managers.
"In difficult times for the financial markets, it is crucial to ensure
that we are delivering the utmost support to the Key Account firms that
drive our business," comments Bayard Tracy, Director of Sales forAmerican
Skandia. "These annual surveys are a way to measure our efforts.
This year's ranking is a wonderful reflection of the core values we strive
for every day: to be passionate, creative, tenacious and caring."


Nokia
announces 6 new products and strong support for MMS
(01-11-19) Company launches its first Multimedia Messaging terminal at
Nokia Mobile Internet Conference in Barcelona.
Nokia
today introduced a Multimedia Messaging phone, a new active category phone,
a new model for its classic category, as well as three new Bluetooth accessories
at the Nokia hosted Mobile Internet Conference in Barcelona, Spain.
Speaking at the press conference in Barcelona, Jorma Ollila, Chairman
and CEO of Nokia, said: "Today's launch signifies a remarkable breakthrough
in this industry. History has proven that advances in the way we communicate
can give rise to entirely new communication cultures. Much like the transition
from radio to TV, the evolution from text messaging to multi-media messaging
marks a whole new era of mobile communications, combining images with
sound and text. By the end of 2002, we expect more than half of all Nokia
terminals will be MMS capable, and in 2003, MMS will be an integral feature
in all new Nokia phones."
Two new phone categories and a new business look The Nokia 7650 is the
company's first product in its new imaging category. Featuring an inbuilt
digital camera, multimedia messaging (MMS) functionality, an enhanced
user interface, and large color display, the Nokia 7650 opens up new perspectives
in personal communications. With MMS, users can combine audio-, graphic-,
text- and imaging content in one message and send it to another multimedia
messaging capable terminal or to the recipient's email address. Deliveries
of the Nokia 7650 will begin in Europe and Asia in the second quarter,
2002.


Carl
Bro acquires Sycon and forms technology consulting giant in Scandinavia
(01-11-16) Denmark's Carl Bro A/S, with the Swedish Investment group Bure
as majority owner, today signed an agreement with Sydkraft AB to acquire
100 per cent of the shares in Sycon AB. Following the acquisition, Carl
Bro, which is the largest technology consulting company in Denmark, will
report sales of approximately SEK 2,700M and have nearly 3,200 employees
in Denmark, Sweden, Great Britain and Germany.
The
purchase price for Sycon will be paid with newly issued shares in Carl
Bro plus liquid funds. Following the acquisition, Bure's ownership in
Carl Bro will amount to just under 51 percent. Through the transaction
Sydkraft attains a shareholding of approximately 11 per cent in Carl Bro
and a seat on the board of directors.
"Our acquisition of Sycon is very attractive, both from an industrial
and financial viewpoint," says Börje Bengtsson, Senior Investment
Manager and responsible at Bure for its holding in Carl Bro. "Through
the acquisition, Carl Bro also achieves a strong market position in Sweden
and access to supplementary competence within sectors such as energy,
environment and infrastructure. Considering Sydkraft's extensive network
and market presence in the Nordic countries, this is a very positive move
for Carl Bro," adds Börje Bengtsson.
Sycon is the sixth largest technology consulting company in Sweden and
has approximately 1,100 employees. The company operates in the energy,
environment, infrastructure and construction sectors. In 2000, Sycon reported
sales of SEK 712M and an operating profit before goodwill amortisation
and SPP refunds of SEK 14M. Sales for the current year are estimated to
amount to SEK 840M. Approximately 85 per cent of the company's sales emanate
from Sweden and the remaining 15 per cent from Denmark. Sycon also has
a 49 per cent holding in the Norwegian company, E-CO-Partner, which has
around 80 employees.


Another
promising Oseberg oil and gas discovery
(01-11-16) Norsk Hydro has in the past two months made two promising oil
and gas finds in the Oseberg area of the North Sea. These, together with
a previous discovery, will likely form the basis for a new subsea production
development tied into the Oseberg field center.
"These
finds, made on the Vestflank section of the Oseberg field, are encouraging,"
says Hydro's Oseberg field manager Johan K. Mikkelsen. "Hydro estimates
new recoverable reserves at about 120 million barrels of oil and 3.4 billion
cubic meters (bcm) of gas. We'd previously calculated some 70 million
barrels of oil and 2.6 bcm gas in the area. We're now estimating recoverable
reserves at a total of approximately 190 million barrels of oil and 6
bcm gas, and are in the process of establishing a project to develop the
resources as quickly as possible."
The latest discoveries should be profitable to recover with a subsea development
west of the Oseberg field and tied into the Oseberg field center.
Oseberg Vest (part of the Gamma Main geological structure, proven in 1986)
is already developed, and the Tune field is scheduled to start producing
in fall 2002
Since starting operation in 1988, the Oseberg region has produced nearly
two billion barrels of oil, far more than originally planned. There are
still more than one billion barrels of recoverable oil to produce. The
Oseberg area, which lies about 130 kilometers north-west of the Norwegian
city of Bergen, comprises several oil and gas fields, including the Oseberg
Unit, Oseberg Sør, Oseberg Øst, Brage


Nokia
and Lycos Europe announce cooperation in Multimedia Messaging Services
(01-11-15) Nokia and Lycos Europe today announced that they will work
together to develop Multimedia Messaging Services. Lycos Europe have recently
launched their Mobile Channel, merging its communities with the power
of mobile technology. Lycos' new channel is currently built around its
mainstay SMS service which is the leading SMS web to phone and phone to
web service in Europe.
"Multimedia
Messaging Service enables personalized, versatile messaging content. The
new mobile generation favours messaging and visual content over traditional
voice calls. For them messaging is the natural way to communicate. The
cooperation with Lycos Europe with its large userbase is an excellent
means to bring services to the customer and demonstrate the potential
of Multimedia Messaging Services", said Anssi Vanjoki, Executive
Vice President, Nokia Mobile Phones.
"With our latest product developments of trendsetting mobile features
we are well prepared for such technological innovations. The cooperation
with Nokia is a great chance for us to act as one of the first movers
in this field and to introduce this new generation of communication services
to the millions of Lycos users", said Dr. Jürgen Galler, Managing
Director Lycos Mobile and Vice President Lycos Europe.

21
million Italian's get Aspiro services.
(01-11-14) During this autumn, Aspiro has installed 20 entertainment services
on Telecom Italia Mobile's (TIM) Internet portal for mobile services,
i- TIM. Telecom Italia is now set to commercially launch i-TIM to their
21 million subscribers.
The
launch means that 20 Aspiro entertainment services will be available to
TIM's subscribers as of this November. Amongst these services are Personality
Test, Cocktail Recipes, Hang Man and Dream Symbols. The major part of
part of the services are SMS-based.
The contract, which initially runs for one year, is a pure revenue share
agreement. It is estimated to generate at least 200 000 euro over the
period based on the large underlying subscriber base and the existing
numbers of SMS messages being derived from SMS applications in the Italian
market today. TIM will be the exclusive provider of all 20 services in
Italy.
"We are extremely pleased to add TIM to our list of customers. Not
only are they one of the largest operators in the world, they are also
at the very frontline of mobile Internet developments," says Lena
Wittbjer, CEO of Aspiro.
Aspiro has also signed an agreement with Netbaby
World for the upgrade and hosting of Netbaby World's web and wireless
offering. The agreement initially runs for three years and is estimated
to generate a minimum of 470 000 euro.
"Netbaby World is what everyone has been waiting for; an extremely
creative concept with a really good use of wireless in combination with
other technologies such as the web, and to traditional entertainment desires
such as music, TV, shopping and fashion." concludes Lena Wittbjer,
CEO of Aspiro .

KONE
Sells Its South American Operations to Thyssen
(01-11-14) Finnish KONE Corporation has sold its South American operations,
which account for 1% of KONE's net sales worldwide, to ThyssenKrupp Elevator
AG of Germany.
KONE's
South American operations consist of KONE Elevadores Ltda of Brazil, KONE
Ascensores C.A. of Venezuela and KONE Ascensores S.A. of Argentina. KONE
had previously announced a preliminary agreement to sell these companies
to Otis Elevator Company, a subsidiary of US United Technologies Corporation.
The sale to Otis was never consummated because agreement on final terms
could not be reached.

Japanese
NTT DoCoMo and Nokia to collaborate in promoting open mobile architecture
(01-11-14) NTT DoCoMo, Inc. and Nokia today launched a joint action plan
to accelerate the development based on the open mobile architecture initiative.
The two companies have agreed on an approach to key technology specifications
leading to 3G services and a common understanding, that common open mobile
service middleware is a fundamental enabler to global deployment of mobile
services. NTT DoCoMo and Nokia will co-operate specifically in promoting
open mobile architecture for WCDMA-based 3G services, in areas such as
browsing, messaging and application execution environment. The two companies
intend to make the results of their co-operative effort available to the
mobile industry as a whole.
"In
order to accelerate the introduction of mobile internet access, mobile
visual communications and other services for 3G networks, NTT DoCoMo is
eager to cooperate with other key players in the mobile communications
industry to elaborate specific technical specifications based on a standardized
mobile architecture. This collaboration with Nokia is one of those activities
to achieve that goal. We sincerely hope that our cooperation with Nokia
will eventually gain strong worldwide supports that help us contribute
to boost global demands for mobile multimedia," said Dr. Keiji Tachikawa,
CEO, NTT DoCoMo.
"We warmly welcome this cooperation with NTT DoCoMo," comfirmed
Mr. Jorma Ollila, Chairman and CEO, Nokia. "The ongoing industrywide
movement towards open technologies and standards marks an opportunity
for maximum growth, and can only motivate and benefit all the players
in this industry as well as consumers worldwide. It is our shared intention
with NTT DoCoMo not only to stand at forefront when open standards for
mobile services are being created, but also to leverage our thorough understanding
of the customer requirements in designing future open mobile services.
"

Hydro
sells its ship agency operations in Norway and BeNeLux
(01-11-13) Norsk Hydro, the Norwegian Oil and Energy, Light Metals
and Agri group, has signed an agreement with Barwil Agencies AS of W.
Wilhelmsen ASA under which Barwil will take over Hydro's ship agency operations
in Norway and the BeNeLux. The sale is in line with Hydro's strategy to
focus on core activities within its business areas and is part of the
still ongoing Agri Turnaround process. The turnaround has more than achieved
its goals, and the sale of the ship agency operation is one of the last
remaining actions to be taken before the process is concluded at the end
of the year.
The
revenue of Hydro's ship agency operations covered by the deal, amounted
to approximately 18 million NOK in 2000, generated by about 2500 port
calls per year. All 18 employees will continue in their respective positions
under the new owner.
Barwil
Agencies is present in 54 countries around the world and employs 2700
persons spread over 190 offices. In Europe, their main presence has been
limited to the Mediterranean and Baltic regions. Barwil's acquisition
of Hydro's ship agency operations in Norway and the BeNeLux reflects the
company's growth strategy.


Industry leaders announce commitment to open mobile architecture enabling
a non-fragmented global mobile services market
(01-11-13) AT&T Wireless, Cingular Wireless, MM02, NTT DoCoMo,
Telefonica Moviles, Vodafone, Fujitsu, Matsushita, Mitsubishi Electric,
Motorola, NEC, Nokia, Samsung, Sharp, Siemens, Sony Ericsson, Toshiba
and Symbian to commit to products and services based on open mobile architecture
enablers
A
number of industry leaders have today announced a commitment to create
a global and open mobile software and services market. The initiative,
launched by AT&T Wireless, Cingular Wireless, MM02, NTT DoCoMo, Telefonica
Moviles, Vodafone, Fujitsu, Matsushita, Mitsubishi Electric, Motorola,
NEC, Nokia, Samsung, Sharp, Siemens, Sony Ericsson, Toshiba and Symbian,
marks an important milestone as industry stakeholders come together to
boost the early introduction of new, interoperable mobile internet access
and visual contents downloading services worldwide, utilizing the GSM/GPRS
evolution and coming 3G mobile telecommunications networks adopting WCDMA
technology. By following consistent global and open standards, these industry
leaders will be able to provide consumers with a wide selection of different
competitive, yet interoperable terminals and services, and hence promote
significant industry growth, and also aim to ensure that economies of
scale are enjoyed throughout the industry.
The
companies will conduct mobile software development in full compliance
with the specifications of the key industry standardization organizations
such as the 3GPP and the WAP Forum. The companies supporting the initiative
will continue to actively participate in these standards bodies to expedite
the acceptance and deployment of these specifications to fuel further
industry growth. The scope of this industry initiative encompasses terminal
client software modules for mobile terminal vendors, and the corresponding
server solutions for mobile operators.
Doing this will offer mobile operators, systems integrators, IT suppliers,
terminal manufacturers, and application developers new avenues of growth
and revenue by enabling a multi-vendor ecosystem, which is built on open
industry standards such as WAP2.0/XHTML, MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service),
SyncML and other 3GPP compliant technologies. Additional important component
examples of the initiative include JavaTM technology and the Symbian OS.


Millicom International cellular and Tele2 AB agree on the price for
Millicoms Russian cellular assets
(01-11-13) Millicom International Cellular S.A and Tele2 AB announced
today, that their respective managements have agreed on a price of US$
80million for MIC's Russian cellular telephony assets, plus a maximum
of US$ 30million, depending on the outcome of GSM licence applications
for MIC's existing cellular telephony operations.
The
shareholders of Tele2 will be given the opportunity to decide at an Extraordinary
General Meeting on November 28th 2001.
Lars-Johan
Jarnheimer, CEO of Tele2 AB said: "The opportunity to purchase MIC's
Russian assets is a natural progression following our success in developing
the business in the Baltics, notably the Estonian business purchased of
Millicom in 1998. Russia is a growth market with exciting prospects, and
Tele2 now has a strong base to build a substantial business, with the
benefits of eight GSM licences."
Millicom International Cellular S.A. is a global telecommunications investor
with cellular operations in Asia, Latin America, Russia and Africa. It
currently has a total of 32 cellular operations and licenses in 19 countries.
The Group's cellular operations have a combined population under license
(excluding Tele2) of approximately 535 million people. In addition, MIC
operates the world's largest GSM clearing house, provides high-speed wireless
data services in seven countries and has licenses to develop high-speed
wireless data services in a further country. MIC also has a 12.73% interest
in Tele2 AB, the leading alternative pan-European telecommunications company
offering fixed and mobile telephony, data network and Internet services
to over 13.7 million people in 21 countries. The Company's shares are
traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol MICC.


SAS conducts extra technical check on aircraft
(01-11-10) SAS has decided to conduct an internal technical check of
a number of aircraft in the MD80 series. During the routine check of an
aircraft in this fleet, a fracture was detected in a cylinder of one of
the legs of the landing gear. This check is being carried out to ensure
that there is no risk of fractures in the remaining MD80 aircraft.
There
are 43 aircraft, of a total of 63, that are to be checked and this process
is expected to take about eight hours per aircraft. The aircraft will
be taken out of service on Friday on landing at one of the Scandinavian
home bases. The reason for the fracture is currently being investigated
by SAS in cooperation with the aircraft manufacturer. The checks are expected
to be completed during the weekend.
Unfortunately,
these checks will have a negative impact on the traffic program, which
will naturally affect SAS customers. These inconveniences are regrettable.
However, since safety is the highest priority at SAS, the airline is putting
safety first and conducting this comprehensive check.
SAS customers who experience problems are asked to contact SAS ticket
offices or SAS personnel at the airports.


Nordea
opens office in Shanghai
(01-11-09) Nordea is soon to open a representative office in Shanghai,
thereby becoming the only Nordic bank represented in both Beijing and
Shanghai. The Shanghai office will be officially inaugurated on 28 November.
"China,
and the Shanghai region in particular, is now the fastest growing region
for trade and investment in Asia for Nordic customers," says Claes
Calemark, Head of Financial Institutions Asia.
The
opening of the Shanghai office follows the shift in customer needs and
market trends, and involves reallocating resources from Hong Kong to Shanghai,
now that the representative office in Hong Kong will be closed. Nordea's
corporate customers in Hong Kong will primarily be served by the Nordea
branch in Singapore. In addition, Nordea has cooperation agreements with
local banks in Hong Kong and throughout Asia to provide banking services
to customers locally.


Skanska
secures road contracts in India with total value of SEK 1.4 billion
(01-11-09) Skanska's Indian subsidiary Skanska Cementation India has received
a series of road contracts in India. In total, the contracts are valued
at GBP 91 million, SEK 1,395 million. The customer is the National Highway
Authority of India.
The
largest contract is valued at GBP 50 million to widen and upgrade more
than 100 kilometers of Highway NH-46 in the state of Tamil Nadu. The assignment,
which also includes construction of new bridges, is scheduled for completion
in March 2004.
Skanska Cementation India has also been contracted to widen and upgrade
62 kilometers in the state of Andhra Pradesh. This contract is valued
at GBP 28 million and will be completed in January 2004.

SAS starts daily non-stop flights Gothenburg-Brussels
(01-11-08) As of Monday, November 12, there are two SAS connections between
Gothenburg-Landvetter and Brussels, with departures at 8:20 a.m. and 4:05
p.m. (Return from Brussels 10:45 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.)
"We
now have the opportunity to serve business travelers better and support
development in western Sweden and the Gothenburg region," says Lars-Ove
Filipson, SAS Sales Manager, Western Sweden. " After London, Brussels
is our next largest international destination from Gothenburg."
SAS has held discussions with a number of interests for some time, including
the Western Sweden Chamber of Industry and Commerce and the City of Gothenburg,
regarding how the business community in western Sweden could advance its
positions. The issue of flight connections has been a key theme.


Norsk Hydro in negotiations to buy VAW
(01-11-08) Norsk Hydro is presently negotiating with the German company
E.ON to acquire their subsidiary VAW.
VAW
is one of the leading aluminium companies in Europe, particularly strong
within rolled products. Hydro Light Metals and VAW complement each other
well, and if combined they will create the leading aluminium company in
Europe with a strong platform for further growth.
Further negotiations including due diligence, are expected to be
finalized during first quarter 2002.


Record for Scania in Austria:
450 trucks in the largest order to date
(01-11-08) Scania's wholly owned subsidiary Scania Österreich has
signed its largest contract to date: Interliner Transporte & Spedition
has ordered 450 Scania trucks in one order for its growing European traffic.
Most of them will be equipped with Scania's new 16-litre V8 engine.
Interliner
has bought almost 200 trucks from Scania in recent years. Commenting on
this contract and Interliner's expansion, Scania Österreich says
the deciding factor was that Scania is able to offer full-coverage Pan-European
service.
"This
order is particularly important, not only for Scania Österreich but
also for the whole of Scania's European service organisation," says
Håkan Sundström, Managing Director of Scania Österreich.
"At the same time, it is also interesting to note, this is the largest
single contract that Scania has ever signed with a customer in Austria."


Nokia to continue sponsoring the Snowboard FIS World Cup
(01-11-07) Nokia has renewed its sponsorship agreement with FIS and will
continue as the title sponsor of the Snowboard FIS World Cup for another
3 years, with an optional fourth year. Nokia has been the title sponsor
of the World Cup for the past 4 years.
A new highlight of the Nokia Snowboard FIS World Cup is Big Air, which
will be held as an official World Cup discipline for the first time this
winter. Five Big Air competitions will bring snowboarding down from the
mountains and into the cities, where it will reach more spectators than
ever before.
"This season's World Cup promises to be a particularly exciting one,
as it coincides with the Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games 2002. This
is the second appearance of the snowboarding sport in the Winter Olympic
Games, proof-positive that the trend-setting sport is now reaching a global
audience. We are also proud to be bringing the joy of snowboarding to
the general public in 5 cities around the world this winter, with the
establishment of Big Air competitions," said Pekka Rantala, Vice
President, Marketing Services, Nokia Mobile Phones.


If to merge with Sampo's P&C insurance operation
(01-11-07) If P&C Insurance Ltd. is merging with Sampo's property
& casualty insurance operation and at the same time broadening its
ownership structure. If is thereby consolidating its position as the largest
property & casualty insurance company in the Nordic region, with a
market share of 24 per cent. Through this broadened structure, If will
be able to benefit from greater economies of scale and a wider geographic
spread of business in the Nordic market.
After the merger, If P&C Insurance will have pro forma premium
volume of SEK 27.5 billion as per September 2001, net asset value of SEK
17.3 billion, 8,000 employees and 3.7 million customers.
Sampo will be the largest single owner, with 38.05 per cent. In order
to further broaden the ownership, a new issue will be directed to Varma-
Sampo Mutual Pension Insurance Company, which will be a new owner. Varma-
Sampo will have thereby have a 10.06 per cent stake in the company.
In connection with the deal, If's capital base will also be strengthened
by a combined total of nearly SEK 3 000 million, including a capital contribution
of SEK 558 million from Skandia.
Additionally, Skandia is selling 10.06 per cent of its ownership in If
to Skandia Liv, at the same terms as for Varma-Sampo. Skandia's ownership
will thereafter be 19.36 per cent. Following the transaction, Storebrand's
ownership will be 22.47 per cent.


Nordea brings Solo Internet services to Poland
(01-11-06) Nordea, the world leader in e-banking, now provides electronic
banking services in Poland making it possible for customers of Nordea
Bank Polska to do their banking online.
Balance information, review of account entries, payment transfers
to domestic and international banks and opening of deposit accounts are
the services available during the first phase. Companies will soon be
able to open accounts in the net bank. Services via telephone are currently
provided, as will GSM and WAP services before the end of the year.
- I am very pleased that our secure and easy-to-use Solo services are
now available to our Polish customers, says Bo Harald, head of Nordea's
Electronic Banking. - This reflects our strategy to make the use of electronic
services a daily routine for all our customers. The number of our net
banking customers has increased vigorously and this year we have attracted
500,000 new customers. However, growth has been even greater in the use
of the services. By the end of October the number of log-ons exceeded
last year's figure by 18 million.


Bus boom in Eastern Asia All-time-high for Scania in Taiwan and Hong Kong
(01-11-06) Scania is experiencing a bus boom in Eastern Asia. In the space
of just a few weeks, new record volumes have been recorded in Scania distributor
Forefront's order books in both Taiwan and Hong Kong. In Taiwan, Scania
customer Aloha is buying 70 new long-distance buses, while sales in Hong
Kong were already 50 per cent up on last year's figures back in September.
"There are several factors that are favourable right now,"
says Torsten Linder, who coordinates Scania's sales in the CEA region
(Chinese Economic Area) from Hong Kong, together with Forefront International.
"After several crisis years, the authorities in Taiwan have implemented
a wide-ranging economic stimulation package to boost domestic demand.
Saturdays are now work-free days, which immediately led to increased demand
for recreational travel, among other things. In addition, the government
has announced that restrictions for mainland Chinese to visit Taiwan will
be lifted sooner than planned, a measure that is expected to boost the
country's tourism industry."


Jiangxi MCC of China and Nokia sign contracts for GSM network expansion
(01-11-05) Agreements will extend radio-access coverage to rural areas
of Jiangxi province.
Nokia and Jiangxi Mobile Communications Company have signed supply
and service contracts for the expansion of the Chinese mobile operator's
GSM network. The expansion, which is valued at approximately 20 million
USD, will include radio-access network equipment to extend coverage to
90% of the villages and towns in Jiangxi province. The contracts also
include implementation, network planning and optimization services.
Under the agreements, Nokia will supply the first UltraSite base stations
to be deployed in Jiangxi MCC. Deliveries have already started, and the
expansion is targeted for completion by the end of 2001.


Ericsson and Combellga to introduce wireless broadband in Russia
(01-11-05) Ericsson has been awarded a contract by leading Russian operator
Combellga for a wireless broadband access network. The solution leverages
Ericsson's global leadership in wireless transport networks, in which
it holds a 40 percent market share for microwave-based 'first mile' systems.
This is more than twice as much as its closest competitor.
The contract includes base station hubs covering the major parts of
Moscow and allows Combellga to cost-efficiently expand their fiber-based
services with Ericsson's wireless access system. Rapid installation enables
the operator to offer services over the expanded network by year- end.
Ericsson's wireless solution enables Combellga to provide 'fiber-like'
bandwidth on-demand, at user speeds up to 37 Mbps. Here wireless microwave
technology specifically targets network access - which is the most common
'bottleneck' for users in realizing the benefits of broadband services.
Ericsson's system is specifically optimized to simultaneously provide
bursty IP-based services and quality voice services.
"Ericsson's MINI-LINK access solution fits our growing ATM network
like a glove," says William Svedberg, COO of Combellga. "This
is the most efficient way we can rapidly increase our presence in the
region, offering broadband datacom services, leased lines and telephony
to our customers, fast and at competitive prices."


Gunnebo makes strategic US acquisition
(01-11-05) Security company Gunnebo has acquired the business of American
company Omega Optical Turnstiles from Pinkertons Inc., which belongs to
the Securitas group.
Omega, which has an annual turnover of MEuro 2,70 and 10 employees,
de velops, manufactures and sells optical entrance barriers for monitoring
visitors in buildings with high security requirements. Entrance and exit
through the barriers require the approval of an ID upon presentation,
in a card scanner system, for example. The market for entrance barriers
in the USA is currently worth some MEuro 65, and is estimated to be growing
at a rate of 15-20 % per year.
"The acquisition of Omega Turnstiles gives us a small, but effective,
platform for expanding Gunnebo Entrance Control's operations on the important
American market, which is traditionally heavily oriented towards the manual
guarding of companies and institutions," says Bjarne Holmqvist, president
and CEO of Gunnebo Group. "We have a wide range of entrance control
products and a leading market position in Europe. Now, with this new platform
in the USA, we see significant growth potential in this business area."


SAS to Acquire Majority Ownership in Spanair
(01-11-05) SAS is increasing its ownership from 49 percent of Spanair
to a level representing 74 percent · The increase in ownership
involves the conversion of existing loans amounting to E60.1 million into
equity and a cash payment of E52.0 million · The transaction will
ensure the successful execution of Spanair's measures to improve profitability
and thus capture Spanair's long term potential
Spanair is taking forceful measures to offset the adverse conditions
in the airline industry, through capacity reductions, cuts in lease and
other expenses as well as price increases · Fundamentally, Spanair
is a strategically important asset through its attractive position in
the high growth Spanish market.
· The ambition is for Spanair to become a Star Alliance associated
member in the near future · Transaction SAS has agreed with Spanair's
principal shareholder, Teinver, to increase SAS' ownership in Spanair
to a level representing 74 percent. The increase in ownership involves
the conversion of existing loans amounting to E60.1 million from SAS to
Spanair into equity and a cash payment of E52.0 million. The total investment
is expected to be accretive from 2003.


New
CEO for Telenordia/Telenor in Sweden
(01-11-02) Telenor announced today that Lars Persson, a former CEO at
Telia Mobile International, will head up Telenordia AB as their new CEO.
Persson will be in charge of Telenor's joint commitment in the Swedish
business market, which incorporates Telenordia, Nextra and Telenor Business
Solutions AB.
Lars Persson enters his new position as of Monday the 5th of November.
He has several years experience in building and leading telecommunications
companies in the Swedish and Nordic business market. Most recently he
has gained substantial international experience as head of CellPoint in
London.
"Telenor is a strong company that has succeeded in some of the world's
toughest and most challenging telecommunications markets. This gives the
company a great starting point in today's Swedish business market. My
job will be to lead the further development of the company, together with
my extremely competent colleagues. I have worked with Norwegian companies
before, so this feels almost like coming home," said Lars Persson.


Elcoteq
to build new plant in Beijing
(01-11-02) Elcoteq will build a new manufacturing plant in China's capital
city, Beijing. The plant will be located at the Xingwang industrial park
which, headed by Nokia, is emerging as a large cluster for the manufacture
of communications electronics and a center of high technology. The new
Elcoteq plant will have approximately 11,000 square meters of production
space and will employ an estimated 1,200 people. Production ramp-up is
expected to take place during the first quarter of 2003. The investment
cost of the plant is approximately MEUR 16. The plant will manufacture
electronic subassemblies for mobile phones for both Nokia and other customers
of Elcoteq.
"It is vital for Elcoteq to be a part of this industrial park
project, which is regarded as the most important international industrial
park for communications electronics in China. The Chinese market continues
to grow and the country is the largest mobile phone market in the world.
So there is demand for electronics manufacturing services and for Elcoteq's
particular expertise in wireless communications products," comments
Mr Hannu Bergholm, President of Elcoteq.
"Nokia welcomes Elcoteq to start their operation at Xingwang park
in China. We believe that Xingwang park will offer world class products
and services to all China telecommunications and high tech industrial
companies," said Mr Antti Ware, Vice President of Nokia (China) Investment
Corporation and the Chairman of Xingwang Park Ltd.


Carmen
Systems Signs a 20-million Euro Deal with Deutsche Bahn AG
(01-11-02) Deutsche Bahn AG, one of the world's largest railway operators,
has signed a contract with Carmen Systems AB for crew scheduling software.
Software delivery to Deutsche Bahn's Personenverkehr (passenger traffic)
division will take place during 2002 and onwards. The deal is worth a
total of EUR 20 million over a five-year period.
With Carmen's optimization software Deutsche Bahn will be able to
reduce its crew planning cycles, cut operating costs, create positive
cash-flow and increase business flexibility. Crew members will also benefit
through the possibility of placing individual work-schedule requests.
Mr. Rudolf Althoff, CIO at Deutsche Bahn Personenverkehr, says, "We
have great expectations for Carmen Systems and their software. A tough
evaluation project convinced us that Carmen is the one to help us with
this difficult task of reducing operating costs - now we must work hard
together to achieve this goal within a short period of time!"


Hans
Porat to become president of Gadelius in Japan
(01-11-01) Hans Porat, Deputy CEO and Executive Vice President responsible
for business development, will leave the Group in spring 2002 to become
President of Gadelius in Tokyo, Japan.
"Hans has in an excellent way contributed to the success of Trelleborg's
major repositioning and we are pleased that Hans has now been offered
this opportunity in a geographic region with which he is very familiar,"
says Group Chief Executive Officer Fredrik Arp.
"My time with Trelleborg has been enjoyable, stimulating and educational.
I will not be severing all ties with Trelleborg, however, since Gadelius
sells a significant number of Trelleborg Group products," comments
Hans Porat.


ASSA
ABLOY's acquisition of Indala completed
(01-11-01) The acquisition of Motorola's worldwide assets of the radio-frequency
identification (RFID) access control business, Indala, has now been completed.
Indala is a highly regarded player in the access control industry,
with headquarters in San Jose, California. The company was founded in
1985 and acquired by Motorola in 1993. The product offering is to a large
extent the same as HID's, consisting of RFID based cards and readers for
the access control industry and other applications. The installed base
of Indala products is substantial with 60 million cards and 1 million
readers installed. The RFID access control business is expected to turn
over USD 25 M this year with low profitability.
The acquisition creates good scope for synergies in all areas. The goodwill
created by the acquisition is minimal and will be tax deductible. The
acquisition will be EPS positive from the start.
The Indala business will be consolidated from 1 November 2001.


Ericsson and Verizon Wireless in Industry-first Multi-Access CDMA2000
Demonstration
(01-11-01) Ericsson and Verizon Wireless today demonstrated seamless,
high-speed packet data services with an industry-first multi-access demonstration
via Ericsson's CDMA2000, 802.11b Wireless LAN (WLAN) and BluetoothTM solutions
at the CDMA Americas Congress in the U.S.
Utilizing Verizon Wireless spectrum, this multi-access solution for
CDMA2000 1xEV illustrates how CDMA operators can efficiently and cost
effectively deliver 3G Mobile Internet services to their customers.
Ericsson's CDMA2000 1xEV demonstration shows how an operator, like Verizon
Wireless, can implement a complementary access solution with 802.11b WLAN
and BluetoothTM.
The multi-access solution enables the end-user to have an 'always best
connected' experience when working in local area network environments
such as airports, conference centers, offices or other 'hot spots'. Ericsson's
CDMA2000 solution is optimized for mobility and coverage in wide area
networks - while 802.11b WLAN is optimized for high-speed data services
within local area coverage.


Astrazeneca wins generic omeprazole case in Norway
(01-10-31) AstraZeneca today announced that the Oslo Byrett (Oslo City
Court) in Norway found that a generic omeprazole product marketed by Scandinavian
Pharmaceuticals-Generics AB (Scand Pharm) infringes AstraZeneca's formulation
patent for omeprazole, the substance used in Losec. At the same time,
the Court declared AstraZeneca's omeprazole formulation patent valid.
The written judgement followed a hearing, which ended on October 9.
Previously AstraZeneca had been granted a preliminary injunction in May
last year (2000) against Scand Pharm to prevent the sale of its generic
version of omeprazole. Scand Pharm had launched its version of omeprazole
in Norway in December 1999.
Sales
of Losec MUPs® in Norway account for less than 0.5 per cent of AstraZeneca's
worldwide Losec sales. Losec is a treatment for stomach acid disorders.
Dr Martin Nicklasson, Executive Vice President, GI Franchise of AstraZeneca
said "We are delighted by today's judgement in our favour, as it
underscores the strength of our intellectual property and the validity
of our formulation patent for Losec."


Skanska expands within telecom - acquires UK telecom service company
(01-10-31) Skanska is expanding within the telecom sector by acquiring
MG Telecommunication (MGT), a UK leader in the field of telecom infrastructure
installation and maintenance services of mainly copper- cable networks.
Skanska will pay GBP 4.2 M, approximately SEK 65 M, for the company. The
selling party is a group of private persons.
The Leeds-based company has a strong customer base that includes British
Telecom (BT), Kingston Communications, Thus, Fujitsu and Your Communications.
It has approximately 400 employees specializing in the provision of telecommunication
infrastructure services.
The acquisition of MGT is part of Skanska's strategy to expand and broaden
the range of services it offers within the telecom and data infrastructure
fields. The transaction also gives a significant boost to the company's
order book. When the acquisition is complete, Skanska Networks UK's order
backlog in the UK telecom sector will total GBP 140 M, or SEK 2,1 billion.
"Acquiring
MGT gives us a strong platform for growth and establishes us amongst the
leading telecom infrastructure contractors. There is considerable growth
in the outsourcing by companies of non-core activities and with our increased
capabilities we are now well positioned to take advantage of this,"
says Keith Clarke, President of Skanska UK.


Biacore and Bruker Daltonics Announce Strategic Collaboration in Functional
Proteomics
(01-10-31) Joint Development and Co-Marketing of SPR-MS Technology Will
Accelerate Proteomic Studies, Leading to Accelerated Target ID for Therapeutics
Development.
Uppsala (Sweden) and Billerica, MA (USA), Biacore International AB
(SSE and NASDAQ: BCOR) and Bruker Daltonics Inc. (NASDAQ: BDAL) today
announced a new collaboration that aims to advance proteomics research
dramatically by associating critical functional information with mass
spectrometric identification and characterization of novel proteins critical
to the disease process.
This
collaboration draws upon Biacore's status as a global market leader in
providing functional information on biomolecular binding interactions
using its proprietary surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technology, and
Bruker Daltonics' cutting-edge life-science systems based on mass spectrometry
(MS). Together, the companies aim to commercialize the combined technique
of SPR-MS in order to create an exciting comprehensive platform for functional
proteomics studies. This will help pharmaceutical and biotech companies
fast track targets for validation and enable more rapid development of
therapeutic compounds.
Clive
Seymour, Vice President and Head of Life Science Research Business Unit
at Biacore, commented: "This collaboration demonstrates Biacore's
commitment to increasing the level of information that our SPR technology
can provide for proteomics research. We believe the proteomics market
will be worth $5.6 billion by 20051. Furthermore, we expect this growth
to be fueled by the distinct advantages presented by the combination of
our technologies. By adding functional data from Biacore to the molecular
identification and characterization data obtained from Bruker Daltonics'
MS systems, we hope to initiate a radical new approach for functional
proteomics studies."


C Technologies to acquire Anoto
(01-10-30) C Technologies has announced it will acquire all Ericsson's
Anoto shares to be paid in C Technologies stock thereby making Anoto a
wholly owned subsidiary. At the same time C Technologies will implement
a new share issue directed at major shareholders and large investors.
The previously advised agreement with Penmex is cancelled and the new
share issue discontinued. The Board intends to propose that the corporate
name will be changed from C Technologies AB to Anoto AB.
C Technologies will acquire Ericsson's 30 per cent share in Anoto
which will be paid in new shares, thereby making Anoto a wholly owned
subsidiary. Ericsson becomes C Technologies' largest shareholder.
Anoto's
previously planned new share issue directed at among others the Mexican
investment group Penmex is been discontinued. Also the industrial agreement
with Penmex is cancelled. No claims for damages will be presented by Penmex.
The
new structure with Anoto as a wholly owned subsidiary will increase simplicity,
efficiency and focus within C Technologies group. The Company will obtain
maximum flexibility in respect of pricing, investments, financing, use
of trademarks and allocation of resources. In addition cost savings are
implemented through synergism, mainly within administration but also R&D.


The new Stockholm/Arlanda tower boasts customized air traffic control
system
(01-10-30) AerotechTelub, a company within the Saab-group, has supplied
primary functions in the air traffic control system to the Civil Aviation
Administration and Arlanda's new air traffic control tower that will be
in operation at the end of December.
The system supply by AerotechTelub is based on the i-acs concept which
stands for integrated air traffic control system. The Arlanda-adapted
system contains radar presentation, flight plan handling, weather presentation
and remote control systems for radar and VHF stations as well as monitoring
systems. The assignment has also included system training for technicians
and air traffic controllers.


Wärtsilä LNG-fuelled engines for offshore vessels
(01-10-30) Wärtsilä Corporation has received a contract to deliver
eight dual-fuel engines for a pair of 4000 grt offshore supply vessels
building at Kleven Verft A/S in Norway for Norwegian owners. The engines
will run on liquefied natural gas (LNG) to reduce NOx emissions.
The vessels have diesel-electric propulsion. Each vessel will have
four Wärtsilä 6L32DF dual-fuel engines, each of 2020 kW output
at 720 rev/min driving the main generating sets. Propulsion will be provided
by two electrically driven azimuthing thrusters, and the diesel-electric
plant will also supply all shipboard power requirements. The vessels,
measuring 94.9 m long by 20.4 m beam, will have a maximum speed of 17.2
knots.
The
two vessels have been ordered by the Norwegian owners Eidesvik AS and
Simon Møkster Shipping AS, and their design was developed together
with the ship consultant Vik-Sandvik AS. When delivered in 2003, the vessels
will be long-term chartered to Statoil and employed delivering supplies
to oil and gas platforms in the North Sea.
Natural
gas is an unusual fuel in the marine world, and these are the first vessels
to use it in the offshore supply vessel industry. The fuel has environmental
benefits; it burns very cleanly and NOx emissions can be much reduced.
This is important in Norway, which undertook to reduce by 2010 national
NOx emissions by about a third from the 1999 level. In the case of these
supply vessels, the savings in NOx emissions, estimated at 390 tonnes
a year, will be taken as a credit to offset emissions at Statoil's land-based
facilities.


Hydro acquires building systems company Technal
(01-10-30) Norsk Hydro today announced that it has entered into an agreement
to acquire Technal group in Toulouse, France. With the acquisition of
the Technal group, Hydro will be the worldwide leader in building systems
based on aluminium extrusions.
Hydro pays approximately Euro 73 million for the equity of the Technal
group and assumes the debt of Technal which is currently approximately
Euro 43 million. Final approval of the transaction is required from the
regulatory authorities. The seller is a fund advised by Monitor Clipper
Partners, Inc., based in Cambridge (USA).
The
Technal group is a major European player within aluminium building systems
and the no.1 in France. The group designs, manufactures and markets a
broad range of building systems which are used in the fabrication of a
variety of products such as doors, windows, conservatories, etc. The Technal
group has its main presence in France, Spain, Portugal and the UK as well
as export and licensees all over the world. The Technal group in 2000
had a turnover of Euro 250 million and 1560 employees.
Norsk Hydro is Norway's largest industrial company with operations in
Oil and Energy, Light Metals and Agriculture.


New Ericsson chairman to be appointed at AGM 2002
(01-10-25) Lars Ramqvist has advised the nomination committee that he
will not be available for re-election as Director of the Board following
the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders in March 2002. Therefore, the
nomination committee will propose to the Shareholders Meeting to elect
Michael Treschow Director of the Board.
The Ericsson Board has expressed its intent to appoint Michael Treschow
Chairman of the Board, provided the Shareholders Meeting elects him Director
of the Board. Michael Treschow will resign as President & CEO of Electrolux
and Director of the Board of Investor AB. The Board of LME will invite
Michael Treschow to follow the work of the Board for the period up to
the next Annual General Meeting.
The
LME Board has resolved to appoint Lars Ramqvist as Honorary Chairman of
the Board, effective from the date he resigns as member of the Board.
-
After 22 years in the Company's top management and after 12 years as Director
of the Board, it is time to leave the Chairmanship. I have had the great
privilege and joy to contribute to developing Ericsson to a world-leading
company and the leading supplier of mobile systems, commented Lars Ramqvist.
The
Stockholm Stock Market responded quickly to the news from Ericsson and
share prices rose sharply.


Ericsson announces financial statement ahead of plan
(01-10-25) Ericsson decided after consultations with stock market supervisors
of the Stockholm Stock Exchange and Nasdaq and legal advice to release
its third quarter financial statement ahead of the planned time on Friday,
October 26, 7:30 a.m. CET.
The decision to release the financial report on Thursday evening was
taken in order to provide the financial market with the full financial
statement after speculations occurred about details of the report, driven
by a newswire report Thursday afternoon.
In
order to ensure our integrity, Ericsson has immediately started an investigation
to find out if this newswire report was based on information given to
the newswire under breach of confidentiality.


Nokia To Expand TIMECel GSM 1800 Network in Malaysia
(01-10-25) Nokia and Malaysian operator TIMECel today signed a frame agreement
estimated to be worth over 40 million EUR for the supply and installation
of a full GSM 1800 infrastructure to expand the company's network capacity
as well as improve coverage.
TIMECel will expand its GSM 1800 network capacity and coverage to
cater to aggressive subscriber growth, enhance network quality through
anetwork optimisation program and upgrade its Short Messaging Service
Centre (SMSC) to cater to the surge in SMS traffic.
Nokia will also provide its 3G-ready Nokia UltraSite base station solution
which answers the increasing demand for higher voice and data traffic
in today's mobile networks and evolution to the Mobile Internet era. An
industry-leading product, Nokia UltraSite can support GSM, EDGE and WCDMA
technologies. Deliveries will start immediately. The current upgrade will
put TIMECel in a competitive position for 3G as it will be able to upgrade
its network easily to WCDMA.
"This is a solid evidence of the continuous effort by TIMECel to
deliver the best of the class service quality to the end users,"
says Robert Fox, Chief Operating Officer of TIME DotCom Bhd., the parent
company of TIMECel. "This also further reinforces our recognition
that network quality is the fundamental requirement for the more content-rich
Mobile Internet Applications that are in the pipeline."
Deliveries
are due to commence during fourth quarter this year.


Securitas goes shopping in France
(01-10-24) Securitas Security Systems Europe has today agreed to acquire
Clemessy ACS in France with annual sales of MSEK 120 (83 MFRF) and 140
employees. Sales are mainly split between installation and servicing of
access control, intrusion alarms, CCTV and fire alarms.
The company has its´ main activities in the south and southeast
of France and complements well Securitas current presence in France in
Security Systems which will have total annual sales of MSEK 650 (450 MFRF)
after the acquisition.
The
agreed purchase price amounts to MSEK 39 (27 MFRF) which gives a goodwill
of MSEK 48 (33 MFRF) to be amortized over ten years. The acquisition is
expected to contribute positively to the result before tax in 2002.
Security Systems Europe will have total annual sales of MSEK 3000 after
this purchase.


SAS clears yet another Environmental Award
(01-10-24) Today SAS was awarded this year's prize for Best Environmental
Reporting in Denmark. The prize was bestowed by the Danish Environment
and Energy Minister, Svend Auken at a conference on non-financial accounting
in Copenhagen.
Earlier this year, SAS received both the Swedish award and the Norwegian
prize for this year's Best Environmental Reporting.
SAS
environmental reporting has now been nominated for the "European
Environmental Reporting Award". Leading European public accounting
firms will select the prizewinner of this competition in February 2002.
Read the Prize winning report here.


Purchase of an Aker H-3 design accommodation unit
(01-10-24) FOE has entered into an agreement with Transocean Sedco Forex
for the purchase of Rig 82 (formerly Polymariner and Allegeheny). The
rig is a semi-submersible Aker H-3 design built at Aker Verdal AS in 1975
and is currently laid up at the Ølen ship yard in Norway. The purchase
price is USD 5.6 million. Until 1996 the rig was operated in the accommodation
market. The rig has no drilling equipment.
Rig 82 will supplement the Borgila Dolphin capable of providing various
services in the offshore support market. Through the purchase of Rig 82,
FOE is also targeting its efforts within the floating production segment
based on its concept of a Dry Completion Unit (DCU) based on the Aker
H-3 design. By securing Rig 82 at this price level, the company believes
it has a cost efficient entry into this segment.


Atlas Copco-owned Milwaukee Electric Tool Announces Restructuring
(01-10-23) Atlas Copco-owned Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation has announced
a restructuring plan to improve production workflow and competitiveness.
Milwaukee's plans include relocation of selected manufacturing and assembly
responsibilities.
The restructuring means that we will concentrate most of our manufacturing
to the Mississippi - Arkansas area with Jackson becoming the hub of our
southern plants", said Daniel Perry, President and CEO of Milwaukee
Electric Tool Corporation.
Approximately
130 employees from the Brookfield Plant and 50 employees from the Jackson
Plant will be affected by the relocation of production to a new facility
in Greenwood, Mississippi. The program will be combined with capital expenditures
to renew and rationalize production. Better workflow, logistics, savings
in manpower, and lower labor cost will pay back the investment within
two years.
"This
project will after completion enable us to shorten lead times, increase
efficiency and make us overall more competitive", said Perry.
The
company expects some staff reductions through early retirement and natural
attrition. In addition, whenever possible, qualified employees whose jobs
are eliminated at one facility will be offered the opportunity to relocate
to another Milwaukee facility where new jobs are created.


Finnish Sanitec's EVAC Train Systems sign licence agreement in China
(01-10-23) Evac, a subsidiary of the Finnish Sanitec Group, has signed
a licence agreement with the Chinese Ministry of Railways for train vacuum
toilet systems. The agreement was made between the "Jinan Locomotive
& Rolling Stock Works" and the Evac Train organisation. Jinan
is the only producer of train vacuum toilet systems in China. The agreement
is for nine years.
The agreement is an important contribution to the efforts to improve
environmental conditions within the Peoples Republic of China. The country's
government has decided through its Ministry of Railways to invest in "protecting
the railway tracks from pollution by investing in the technology and production
equipment for vacuum toilets".
The total number of railway passenger coaches in the P.R. of China today
is 35,000. By 2010, this number should rise to 52,000 coaches in service,
and 24,000 of these will be new coaches. Altogether 35,000 passenger coaches
should be equipped with closed toilet systems, and at least one third
of these with vacuum toilet systems.


Norwegian Active ISP introduces powerful Active Statistics for Web Monitoring
(01-10-23) Active ISP announced today Active Statistics-Enterprise - a
sophisticated web statistics package making it easy to interpret online
customer behavior. The ability of decoding and understanding the complexity
of online user behaviour is crucial for success in e-commerce and online
marketing activities.
"The Internet is the only communications channel that allows
complete monitoring of user behaviour. Active Statistics-Enterprise allows
users to collect and organise this information in a user-friendly style
with tables and diagrams, which, in turn, rapidly identifies issues for
improvements to your web site. Understanding customer behaviour is the
first step towards effective online marketing - now made easier with this
sophisticated and accurate analytical tool," says Jarle Ørnebo,
Vice President of Corporate Marketing for Active ISP.
Even on complex web sites with high traffic, there is a need to know who
your customers are, where they come from, what leads them to your web
site, which pages they visited and how they navigated around your site.
Peak periods are recorded daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly, as is
the amount of time users spend on each page. It will also identify the
last page visited before they left your site.
"Web analytics tools can make a profound impact on an organizations
e-commerce initiatives, enabling them to get a better return on their
investments", says Tom Kemp, Senior Vice President of products at
Net IQ Corporation. "We are excited to provide Active ISP and its
customers with our award-winning WebTrends Reporting Center solution."


Volvo launches buses in India
(01-10-23) The growing Indian middle and 'business' class is the main
target group for the intercity buses just launched by Volvo Buses on the
Indian market. Comfortable vehicles of this type can compete actively
with rail and air travel as part of the increasing mobility of the Indian
people.
The aim for Volvo Buses is to encourage the growing Indian middle
class to travel by bus rather than by the less versatile modes of rail
and air.
A modern, safe and comfortable intercity bus is the weapon chosen by Volvo
in the competition to attract an increasing number of passengers. In addition,
the bus provides people in smaller towns and cities with a means of travelling
long distances.
The B7R bus chassis is built in Volvo's plant at Bangalore, in southwest
India. The body, which is of Volvo's own design, is built locally by the
Azad Group. The companies collaborate to offer their customers the best
possible support through Volvo's already well-established service network.
Volvo India also offers financing in association with other partners.
By setting a new standard for intercity buses, Volvo is hoping that this
latest venture will expand rapidly. Volvo Trucks has had an established
production operation in Bangalore for the last three years, while Volvo
Construction Equipment and Volvo Penta also have a presence in India.
"In
India, the demand for complete transport solutions can only grow in future.
Environmental and safety requirements are bound to become tougher, as
are demands for fuel-efficient engines and improved driveability,"
comments Volvo Buses President, Jan Engström. .


Saab receives an order for 90 MSEK from US Air Force
After an extensive test and qualification program the US Air Force has
awarded BAE SYSTEMS, Austin, Texas, USA an initial contract for the supply
of BOL Advanced Countermeasures Dispenser from Saab Avionics.
The contract is planned to be followed by further orders to equip
the whole USAF F-15 fleet.
Saab
Avionics is cooperating with BAE SYSTEMS, USA and Chemring Countermeasures,
GB for the marketing and production of BOL. In accordance with this cooperation
agreement BAE SYSTEMS is now the main contractor in the US, but important
parts of the production will be performed in Sweden.
The order from USAF is of strategic significance for Saab Avionics as
the first one from the US Air Force and confirms the company's position
as a world-leading supplier of advanced countermeasures dispensers.


Sony Ericsson shows off wearable Bluetooth handsfree
Sony Ericsson has unveiled its new Ericsson
Bluetooth Handsfree HBH-20. Packing the electronics into about half
the size of a credit card, this wearable approach to Bluetooth Handsfree
technology clips neatly onto clothing and can be worn as naturally as
a necklace or watch. The handsfree will reach the market in early November
2001.
The Bluetooth Handsfree HBH-20 eliminates the physical connection
to the phone but incorporating the familiar design of a traditional handsfree.
Designed to be worn all day, it consists of a small Bluetooth unit and
a separate earpiece, connected by a short wire, which also contains the
microphone.
This
novelty unit can be carried on a necklace or clipped onto a shirt or blouse,
and even features interchangeable covers that allow the wearer to coordinate
its appearance with clothing. The earpiece is only needed when actually
making a call, allowing the handsfree to blend in easily with the wearer's
apparel.


Skanska revises outlook
As a consequence of the recessionary impact of the recently accelerated
world wide economic downturn it is now evident that Skanska's operating
income in core operations 2001 will fall short of last year´s result
(SEK 4.4 billion).


Environmental breakthrough in Abu Dhabi
The Norwegian companies SAAS System and Aker Technology have received
an order for the delivery of a system to prevent pollution from gas flaring
on an oil field in Abu Dhabi. The contract is a breakthrough for SAAS
and Aker Technology's commitment to becoming world leaders in different
types of environmental technology.
The delivery includes a system which removes the demand for flaring
at an oil plant in Abu Dhabi in the United Arabian Emirates UAE. Unnecessary
flaring is still in use at oil and gas facilities all over the world.
Using modern technology the same safety goal can be achieved without the
pollution. The new agreement represents an important beginning to the
work of reducing emissions of carbon dioxide and other harmful gases from
oil activities in the United Arab Emirates, which is one of the world's
largest oil exporters.
Under
the turnkey contract the two companies will use a local company for installation
work. Aker Technology and SAAS have worked together since 1997 on marketing
systems which avoid the use of pollutive flaring at oil and gas facilities.
In a first stage one system will be delivered to the Abu Dhabi Company
for Onshore Oil Operations, a subsidiary of the national oil company of
the United Arab Emirates. SAAS, which has lead the marketing efforts,
consider the opportunities for selling further systems around the Arabian
Gulf to be good.


Ericsson continues to implement Efficiency Program
Ericsson today announced 2,000 redundancies in Sweden. This measure is
in line with earlier announced plans to streamline the Ericsson organization
in a response to a massive slow down in the telecommunications equipment
market. This brings the total of workforce reductions in Sweden to 4,000
employees since the beginning of the Program.
Today's announcement is part of a notification process that is required
under Swedish law. Of today's 2,000 redundancies approximately 1,300 are
made redundant in Stockholm, 100 in Gothenburg and 600 in Gävle,
where Ericsson continues to increase the manufacturing efficiency.
Ericsson
started the Efficiency Program in April this year to reduce its cost basis
by 20 billion SEK and increase competitiveness in a worsening economic
climate. An update will be released when the company announces third quarter
financial results on Friday, October 26. .


Nabco Signs Large Order with Intentia in Japan
Intentia International AB today announces that Intentia in Japan has signed
an order worth EUR 1.7 million in licenses and approximately EUR 3 million
in services to implement Intentia's collaboration application Movex at
Nabco Ltd., the leading Japanese manufacturer of railroad products, automotive
products and control systems.
One of Nabco's main businesses is to provide Shinkansen, the Japanese
high-speed trains, with brake systems. Movex will serve all divisions
of the company. Implementation of the full suite of Movex applications
begins in October. The implementation is expected to go live in April
2003.
Nabco
seeks greater visibility and integration of information across manufacturing,
sales and service operations. The objective is for Nabco and Intentia
together to create a highly successful business transformation project
for manufacturing, sales and service. This will enable Nabco, whose annual
sales are EUR 440 million, to service its customers better and to cut
costs. It will also provide Nabco with a platform for e-business and collaborative
supply chains.
According to Mr. Niki, Director of Information Technology at Nabco, the
company is seeking to integrate its complex manufacturing process as well
as sales operations. "Our objective is to improve business processes
and increase supply chain visibility across our worldwide operations in
order to better serve our customers. Of the software options we considered,
Movex offered the best fit with our business model because of its strong
manufacturing core and collaborative supply chain planning and scheduling
capabilities. In addition, Intentia gave us a strong commitment that they
would provide total support, from planning and implementation, through
follow-up and maintenance. This commitment was a key decision factor."


Hydro terminates magnesium production in Norway
Fundamental changes to the global magnesium market necessitate an extensive
restructuring of Norsk Hydro's magnesium operation in order to restore
profitability. The Board of Directors has decided therefore to submit
a recommendation to the corporate assembly that it passes a resolution
to reduce magnesium production and proposes that this is effected by terminating
the production of primary metal in Porsgrunn, Norway. Three board members
elected by he employees opposed the decision.
In particular, it is the steadily increasing export from China of
low cost magnesium that has led to the dramatic downturn in magnesium
prices, particularly in the European market. In the course of a few years,
Chinese exports have gained almost 40 per cent of world markets. Rising
magnesium consumption in the automotive industry has not been sufficient
to offset the effect of the explosive growth in Chinese production.
" I regret the difficulties closure means for the employees affected,
and we will make every effort to ensure that restructuring can be carried
out in such a way as to minimize the adverse effects. However, the penetration
of the Chinese into the global magnesium market represents a permanent
structural change that we simply have to adapt to. Without drastic measures
now we shall be looking at heavy losses for many years to come. Profitability
in recent years has fallen far short of normal rates of return,"
says President and CEO Eivind Reiten .

Aker Maritime halts its proposal to rescue Kværner
Aker Maritime has decided not to participate in an underwriting syndicate
in the issue announced by Kværner. The company will take a view
on participating in the issue after assessing whether the board's proposal
involves a robust and permanent overall solution for the group.
Almost three weeks ago Aker Maritime informed Kværner's board
that it was willing to play a central role in the work of rescuing Kværner.
Together with its main shareholder, Aker Maritime was in favour of providing
assistance so that Kværner could have both capital and management
resources put at its disposal.
Besides clarification with the banks, a condition for Aker Maritime's
contribution was that it should be endorsed by Kværner and by a
qualified majority of the company's shareholders.
The
intention of the original Aker Martime proposal was to get a rapid clarification
which could help to create the necessary work environment in which a permanent
and robust solution could be put in place. Due to the negative developments
over the last three weeks, Aker Maritime no longer considers this proposal
to be relevant.
Aker
Maritime realises that it has been - and still is - difficult to contribute
actively to unified solutions to the problems in Kværner while Aker
Maritime's understanding of the situation differs from that of the board,
management, other influential shareholders and other leading players.
-
The reason for Kværner's problems and the great uncertainty which
surrounds the group lies solely in Kværner itself. To escape from
its crisis, the company must now gather friends, not create new enemies,
says a statement from Kværner.

Nokia introduces a new entertainment category for mobile phones
The new Nokia 5510 is a music player, FM radio, messaging machine, games
platform and phone - all in one.
Nokia today unveiled a new entertainment category in its product portfolio
with the Nokia 5510 phone. The Nokia 5510 is a device designed specifically
for mobile entertainment, featuring a digital music player, stereo FM
radio, games, and enhanced messaging capabilities. Shipments are scheduled
to begin in the 4th quarter, 2001.
"Every now and then it is crucial that you turn your thinking around.
This time we took a phone, turned it sideways, added a full keyboard,
music, and some fun! This new concept reflects not only a change in our
perspective, but also a more fundamental transition that our industry
is going through. Phones are no longer only voice and sms driven, but
are increasingly functioning as platforms for other services, such as
entertainment. With this phone, we're introducing a new category of devices
functioning as integrated entertainment platforms, which are complemented
by related relevant services from Club Nokia," said Anssi Vanjoki,
Executive Vice President, Nokia Mobile Phones.


Allgon awarded GSM coverage solution supplier to the world's largest subway
network
Allgon, the Swedish supplier of radio-based infrastructure solutions for
cellular communications, has signed a USD 6 million agreement to provide
a coverage solution for the subway network in Moscow.
"The cellular market in Russia is growing rapidly, and the new
Russian coverage solution contract gives us an excellent opportunity to
increase Allgon's market share in this strategic important market ",
said Jeff Bork, CEO of Allgon.
"According to the agreement, Allgon will provide a repeater-based
coverage solution for the Russian mobile operator Beeline-Vimpelcom. The
coverage solution, which will be supplied and integrated in co-operation
with the Russian system integrator Socintec Comlog, will provide GSM coverage
to parts of the Moscow subway network, often referred to as the worlds
most extensive subway network. The integration phase, which has already
begun, will take place during a two-year period. The total value of the
agreement is USD 6 million.
"This
new agreement with Beeline-Vimpelcom strengthens Allgon's position as
mobile infrastructure supplier in Russia. The possibility to win similar
contracts in the future increases substantially", continued Jeff
Bork.


The Swedish government, via its wholly-owned company Sveaskog AB, announces
offer to acquire AssiDomänAB.
The Offer is assessed as being equivalent to SEK 280 per share in AssiDomän.
The Offer consists, in part, of SEK 244 in cash and, in part, of the Swedish
government's shareholding in Billerud, as estimated by Sveaskog, equivalent
to SEK 13 per share in AssiDomän. The distributed Billerud shares
comprise AssiDomän's existing 50 percent and the 20 percent for which
StoraEnso has an option to sell to AssiDomän prior to a listing.
The overall assessment of the above-mentioned factors has led the
board to consider the Offer to be reasonable. Thus the board has unanimously
decided to recommend AssiDomän's shareholders to accept the Offer.
The value of this distribution, according to Lex-Asea, is assessed by
Sveaskog as being equivalent to SEK 23 per share in AssiDomän.


The time is ripe for messaging services, study shows
A
new study undertaken by the HPI Research Group (UK), has highlighted the
potential for upcoming mobile multimedia messaging services. These are
messaging services that extend beyond present-day short message service
(SMS) to include not only text, but also graphics, images, video and animations.
As a result of extensive groundwork laid by the clear success of 2G
messaging, there is a ready-made subscriber base of mobile-device users
who will easily make the move to multimedia messaging. This base of existing
messaging users points to a successful take-up of the more advanced messaging
services 3G will bring
HPI
interviewed over 12,000 people in six markets from March to April this
year: the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, USA, Brazil and Singapore. The
study discovered "a very buoyant and fertile market in which to launch
new messaging services". This is borne out by the widespread presence
of messaging devices and messaging habits that already exist.
"The
current messaging market shows a high prevalence of messaging and a healthy
attitude towards this means of person-to-person communications,"
says Janne Laiho, Market Research Manager at Nokia, which commissioned
the study. "This enthusiasm will translate into actual take-up, and
will inspire entirely new users to join the growing number of mobile messaging
consumers. Mobile messaging will clearly play a significant role in increasing
2.5G and 3G revenues streams."
The
study found that access to a messaging device is high, mainly via a mobile
phone or a PC. Across all six markets, access varied from 81 per cent
in the US to 43 per cent in Brazil.
Actual
use of the devices for messaging is also pervasive, with almost half of
the population currently messaging (by any of the above means), and a
quarter by mobile phone. This is promising for the future of messaging,
especially considering that young people exhibited the highest levels
of messaging usage in the survey. This figure can be expected to be considerably
higher in the future as the population ages.


Gripen International welcomes issue of Austrian request for proposals
for new fighters
Gripen International, jointly owned by Saab of Sweden and the United Kingdom's
BAE SYSTEMS, has welcomed a formal Request for Proposal for up to 30 new
fighters from the Austrian government.
"Gripen is a truly international fighter, containing the latest
technologies from a team of major European and American defense suppliers,"
states Roger Lantz, Gripen director Austria. "We look forward to
the competition process and are confident that our industrial and financial
proposals will make Gripen the most affordable choice for Austria."
The
Gripen team's industrial program will meet the specific strategic needs
of the Austrian government and provide technology, export promotion, job
creation and inward investment among others.
Gripen International has already launched its first Austrian industrial
cooperation projects, including a medical research project involving scientists
from both Sweden and TU Wien in Austria and a project to develop and manufacture
advanced high technology aluminum products in partnership with the Austrian
company Alulight International GmbH.


AssiDomän sells Swedish gluelam plant to Norrfog
AssiDomän has reached agreement with Norrfog AB on the sale of the
gluelam plant in Malå, Sweden. The sale, which takes place on 15
October 2001, is part of the ongoing restructuring in AssiDomän.
The deal covers the gluelam operations in Malå, although Malåbrädan
is not included. AssiDomän will retain the Malåbrädan
brand and will continue marketing and selling the product. It will however
be manufactured by Norrfog AB.
The
operations acquired by Norrfog AB generate sales of around SEK 55 million,
and provide employment for a workforce of 40.
Following
the sale, AssiDomän Interior AB will have a turnover of some SEK
210 million and a workforce of 80.
Norrfog's
core activities consist of the manufacture of gluelams, components and
sawmill operations. The company's head office is located in Malå.
Following the takeover of the gluelam plant in Malå, Norrfog's sales
total around SEK 100 million and the company has 90 employees.


ReadSoft closes global agreement with Intentia
ReadSoft and Intentia International AB now increase their cooperation
within automatic data capture. Intentia will resell ReadSoft's
software Eyes & Hands INVOICES within the Movex ADC (automatic data
capture) concept throughout their international reseller network. Intentia's
goal is to install the Movex ADC system at 30 percent of their worldwide
customers. ReadSoft's INVOICES is an integrated part of Movex ADC and
ReadSoft estimates that the agreement will be worth several hundred million
SEK.
For several years now, ReadSoft and Intentia have built a fruitful
relationship offering successful software products to Swedish customers.
Today ReadSoft and Intentia have approximately 40 joint customers and
the new agreement will take the cooperation further, to the worldwide
market. ReadSoft's solution for processing of invoices, Eyes & Hands
INVOICES, will be further developed and integrated with Intentia's business
solution Movex ADC (automatic data capture). Studies show that the price
for handling a supplier invoice is several hundred SEK. For customers
using the Movex ADC system, the return on investment will be short.
"Our
strategy is to sell Eyes & Hands INVOICES through partners and I am
very enthusiastic about the fact that our agreement with Intentia from
now will be on a global basis. Among the large international ERP suppliers,
Intentia will be the first to offer a full-fledged solution to handle
paper invoices electronically. This will present a substantial market
advantage and widespread chances to increase sales to existing customers,
says Jan Andersson, MD at ReadSoft.


BBH sells Kalnapilis to Bryggerigruppen
Baltic Beverages Holding sells its 87 percent share of the Lithuanian
brewery Kalnapilis to Bryggerigruppen (The Danish Brewery Group) at a
price of LTL 135.1 million, corresponding to NOK 297 million. Last year
Kalnapilis had a market share in Lithuania of 18 percent. Kalnapilis is
being sold because the Lithuanian competition authorities approved the
establishment of Carlsberg Breweries on condition that one of the three
breweries owned by BBH and Carlsberg Breweries be sold. The sale is subject
to approval by the Lithuanian competition authorities.
Merging Svyturys and Utenos Alus Svyturys, owned by Carlsberg Breweries,
will after the sale of Kalnapilis be merged with Utenos Alus, owned by
BBH. The Lithuanian competition authorities still have to approve the
merger.
The
merger of the two companies is expected to take place in the beginning
of next year. The new company will be named AB Svyturio-Utenos Alus and
Tomas Kucinskas will be CEO. Svyturys and Utenos Alus had market shares
in 2000 of 26% and 20%, respectively
The
Lithuanian beer market The Lithuanian beer market has grown significantly
the last few years and today's per capita consumption is 59 litres. The
increased beer consumption is mainly due to the economic growth in Lithuania
and a generally improved product quality. Lithuania is still a growth
market and an annual 5-7% increase in beer consumption is expected during
the next five years.


SAIT-Stento wins Paris subway contract
SAIT-STENTO announced today that it has won a contract to supply a radio
communication system for the Paris subway. SAIT-STENTO will design and
build the new radio communication system to link trains and control centers
on Line 4 of the Paris subway. The Paris subway system, of which Line
4 is one of the busiest routes, transports around 6 millions passengers
every day. The contract is worth EUR 1.2 million. Delivery and installation
of the system will take place at the beginning of 2002.
With over 200 km of track and close to 400 Metro stations (excl. the
RER, i.e. suburban system), the Paris subway is one of the largest transit
systems in Europe. Subway Line 4 (Porte de Clignancourt - Porte d'Orléans)
serves 24 stations and 2 terminals, with up to 42 trains running simultaneously.
SAIT-STENTO will design and build the new radio communication system for
trains and control centers on Line 4. The new radio communication system
will ensure full radio coverage of the entire line, including all the
stations, to allow train drivers and other key personnel to communicate
with the control center supervisors.
The
new system will be based on SAIT-STENTO's Digital Multi Channel Communication
System (DMCS). DMCS is based on an innovative "Voice-over IP"
technology, and ensures the transmission of audio frequencies and signaling
data in real-time between the radio base stations that are all connected
to the control center equipment via an Ethernet network. The system provides
radio communication, instant and permanent traffic surveillance, assistance
in the event of an incident and the localization of the calling party.
Furthermore, the system is equipped with a built-in tele-maintenance facility,
allowing for remote system maintenance and upgrade.


Handelsbanken starts banking operations in Poland
Handelsbanken has been working for a considerable period of time to start
up a wholly-owned subsidiary bank in Poland. Last week, Bank Svenska Handelsbanken
( Polska ) S.A. received authorisation to conduct banking operations.
Handelsbanken is the first foreign bank to receive such authorisation.
The bank, which has a share capital of PLN 200 million, will focus
on Nordic companies with operations in Poland and Polish companies with
operations in the Nordic countries. Normal corporate banking services
will be offered such as deposits, short- and long-term credits, domestic
and cross-border payments, cash management and currency trading.


Bure has signed the final agreements to acquire Svenska PA System and
Retea
Bure today signed the final agreements to acquire all the shares in Svenska
PA System AB and Retea AB from TurnIT AB. The deal is subject the approval
of the Swedish Competition Authority which is expected to be received
during October.
"We are very positive to having Bure as the new owner of these
companies. Our potential for realising our ambition to develop the group
into a leading operator in the Nordic HRM market has been strengthened
still further with Bure as the new owner," says Ulf Eriksson, President
of the Group which consists of Svenska PA Systems, Palett HRM and TimeRecorder
Data.
"We
see a significant potential for strengthening still further our position
in the market with Bure as the owner. Bure is an investor with a well-established
experience as an owner of consulting companies within the datacom and
telecom sectors which will contribute positively to our future development,"
says Bengt Lundgren, President of Retea AB.


SEK 500 million order from FMV for Saab
The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) has placed an order
for an integration system from Saab for new precision engagement weapons
for Sweden's JAS 39 Gripen valued at SEK 500 million. The system will
provide JAS 39 Gripen with the capability to deliver precision laser-guided
weapons. The new weapons will be procured by FMV.
The order also includes acquisition of weapon pylons of NATO type
for deployment on the JAS 39 Gripen. This enhances Gripen's overall capability
for interoperability for participation in international peace-keeping
missions.
The
weapon pylons, which have been developed by Saab and BAE SYSTEMS, are
to be manufactured by Denel in South Africa. This forms part of the industrial
participation package from the sale of 28 Gripen aircraft to South Africa.
The
order is being placed with Industry Group JAS (IG JAS), and Saab Aerospace's
share of the order amounts to SEK 477 million, Saab Avionics' amounts
to SEK 19 million and AerotecTelub's to SEK 5 million.


Jaakko Pöyry Group awarded extension of high speed railway contract
in Taiwan
Electrowatt Infra, which is part of the Jaakko Pöyry Group's Infrastructure
& Environment business group, has been awarded an extension of the
Taiwan high speed railway project by Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation.
Electrowatt Infra will continue as the Independent Checking Engineer/Independent
Site Engineer together with International Railway Engineering Group. The
assignment will be completed in June 2003. The value of the contract amounts
to EUR 9.8 million.
The Taiwan high speed railway is a EUR 15.4 billion project and is
currently one of the most challenging Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) transport
projects in the world. The owner, THSRC, is a joint venture of major Taiwanese
industrial and financial companies.


Telia sells US business
Telia today announced the sale of it's US Internet Company, Telia Internet
Incorporated (TII). The company offers a full portfolio of Internet related
services to Businesses, Corporations and ISP's on the US market. The buyer
is the global Internet service provider Aleron, Inc., headquartered in
Virginia, USA.
The sale of TII will create a loss during third quarter well in line
with the calculated provision of SEK 800 million announced previously
to cover the cost of divesting TII and other businesses outside of Telia's
core business focus.
In
preparation for the sale, TII has been transferred from the business area
of Telia International Carrier, to Telia Equity. The sale does not change
Telia International Carrier's strategy in the USA according to Telia.


Wärtsilä EnviroEngines for the "Queen Mary 2"
Wärtsilä Corporation will deliver four Wärtsilä 46
EnviroEngines totalling 67.2 MW power output for Cunard Line's new luxury
transatlantic liner, "Queen Mary 2". These engines will incorporate
the latest common-rail fuel injection technology for operation without
any visible smoke.
Due for delivery in late 2003 by the French shipbuilder Chantiers
de l'Atlantique in Saint Nazaire, the "Queen Mary 2" will be
the world's largest passenger vessel. Measuring 345 m long by 40 m beam
and drawing 10 m, the 150,000 grt liner will have a maximum speed of about
30 knots. Electrical power for propulsion and all shipboard services will
be generated by a 115.5 MW combined diesel- and gas turbine-electric power
plant. Propulsion will be by four electrically driven podded drives, two
fixed and two azimuthing.
The four Wärtsilä 16V46 EnviroEngines will be manufactured at
Wärtsilä's Turku factory in Finland. They are due to be shipped
in June 2002. The engines will each have a maximum continuous output of
16,800 kW (22,840 bhp) at 514 rev/min. For redundancy, the diesel generating
sets will be housed in two separate engine rooms on board the "Queen
Mary 2".
The
Wärtsilä EnviroEngine
arose from a joint project between Carnival Corporation, the parent company
for Cunard Line, and Wärtsilä Corporation to develop a new "earth-friendly"
power system. The Wärtsilä 46 EnviroEngines use an electronically-controlled
common rail fuel injection system which enables injection pressures to
be kept sufficiently high at all engine loads and speeds - even at the
lowest levels - to achieve clean combustion with no visible smoke emissions.
The EnviroEngines will be particularly beneficial for use in port, as
they are designed to produce no visible emissions even when lightly loaded
for producing energy for lighting, air conditioning and other hotel systems.


Norske Skog curtails newsprint production
In response to lower orders and continued weakness in the major world
economies for the rest of the year, Norske Skog plans to take around 90,000
tonnes of curtailment in the production of standard newsprint during the
fourth quarter 2001 at the company's mills in Europe, South America and
Australasia. In these regions, curtailment of around 45,000 tonnes has
been taken in the third quarter.
This planned curtailment does not include the activities of Pan Asia
Paper Company, in which Norske Skog has a 50% ownership interest, or Norske
Skog Canada Ltd., in which Norske Skog has a 36% shareholding.


TietoEnator and Visa partner for chip card technology in the CEMEA area
Visa International selected TietoEnator as one of its partners for a changeover
whereby the Visa payment cards in Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle
East and Africa are changed to comply with the EMV chip card standard.
For TietoEnator, this means close cooperation with the Visa community
in an area where more than 500 banks operate in 92 countries.
TietoEnator's knowledge in chip card technology and payment solutions,
as well as project management and consulting experience are our trump
cards, based on which we are expecting very positive outcome from our
cooperation with the Visa partner network," says Mr Veli Pohjolainen,
Senior Executive Vice President of TietoEnator and head of TietoEnator
Finance Sector.
The
changeover to chip cards will mean that new cards need to be distributed
and taken into use. The EMV standard defines a common technological basis
for changing all the world's Eurocard, MasterCard and Visa payment cards
into chip-based versions. Chip cards serve to enhance the security of
card payments.


Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications established
Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications, the joint venture between Telefonaktiebolaget
LM Ericsson and Sony Corporation, will today start its operations, following
final approvals from the European Commission and other regulatory authorities.
The new company will start its operations today and is aiming to become
the number one player in mobile multimedia products within 5 years.
"I am proud to announce that we have received
the final approvals and we can start operations according to our initial
plans", says Katsumi Ihara, President of Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications.
"We are 3,500 committed employees who are very much looking forward
to creating a great company and to launching our first products during
next year", says Mr Ihara.
On August 28, Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson and Sony Corporation signed
an agreement to set up Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications as an equally
owned joint venture. On September 11, the boards of both companies announced
that their respective boards have approved the mobile phone joint venture.
President of Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications is Katsumi Ihara, and
Executive Vice President and Head of Sales & Marketing is Jan Wäreby.
Sony Ericsson today also
disclosed its new brand name and logo. The new brand name is Sony Ericsson
and is accompanied by a symbol in a warm, organic green color. Together
they represent the company's vision and ambition and what Sony Ericsson
does for its customers.


Ericsson named by VoiceStream to expand nationwide GSM network & supply
EDGE infrastructure
Ericsson today announced an agreement with VoiceStream to expand VoiceStream's
national GSM wireless network and to deploy EDGE (Enhanced Data rate for
GSM Evolution) infrastructure. The agreement, initially valued at USD
150 million, could exceed USD 300 million over a three- year period.
Ericsson will immediately begin installation of GSM
1900 network equipment, including core network and radio access infrastructure
in New Orleans and Virginia, and will be expanding VoiceStream's existing
network in Florida. Under the agreement announced today, Ericsson will
also deploy higher speed EDGE infrastructure in certain VoiceStream markets
to support next generation voice and data services.
In addition, Ericsson will provide advanced features and services for
VoiceStream including mobile Virtual Private Network (VPN) capabilities,
location-based services and mobile gaming and entertainment applications.
Ericsson equipment will provide Adaptive Multi-Rate vocoder (AMR) functionality
for increased voice quality and greater spectrum efficiency.
"Throughout VoiceStream's aggressive nationwide expansion efforts,
we've remained focused on providing quality service to our customers,"
said Bob Stapleton, President and COO VoiceStream Wireless. "Ericsson's
proven to be a reliable partner, delivering feature-rich networks on-
time with innovative technology to support our advanced service offerings."


Telenor cuts use of consulting services and hired personnel
Telenor has with immediate effect decided to cut heavily the use of consulting
services and other hired personnel. Business is to be carried out through
own employees and only strictly necessary consulting services may be engaged.
The aim is to reduce the expense level related to consulting services
and hired personnel within the whole of the Telenor Group by NOK 750 to
one billion by the end of 2002.
-We terminate all consultancy agreements and will
only re-negotiate agreements of critical importance to Telenor, says President
and CEO Mr. Tormod Hermansen. He emphasises that Telenor wishes to stimulate
the internal labour market within the Group and that the aim is to solve
tasks through use of own employees.
- Due to changed market conditions, especially within IT-related businesses,
we have already reduced the number of employees. Employees without immediate
tasks may therefore to a large extent replace consultants and hired personnel.
Much may also be gained from better use of resources across organisational
borders, the CEO says.


Nokia to expand Telkomsel's GSM dual band network in Indonesia
Nokia has signed an agreement with Telkomsel for the supply of radio-access
network equipment and services to expand the Indonesian operator's GSM
dual band network. The network expansion will allow Telkomsel to increase
its capacity, as well as improve coverage. Deliveries will begin in October
2001.
Under terms of the agreement, Nokia will deliver GSM
900 and 1800 base stations and cellular transmission for Telkomsel's network
in the Jakarta metropolitan area.
Under the agreement, Nokia will provide extensive Professional Services,
including a Turnkey Responsibility Package for the buildup of the network,
and Nokia OptiCareä Package for managing and enhancing network performance.
This marks Nokia's 24th turnkey delivery, making it the world leader in
turnkey network implementation.
The agreement represents a three-year extension of the companies' long-term
cooperation. Nokia has been a key GSM 900 radio-access network supplier
to Telkomsel since 1997. With a customer base of 2.7 million subscribers,
Telkomsel provides GSM 900 service to 46 % of Indonesian mobile users.
"We intend to serve up to 7 millions subscribers. This is not an
easy task for Telkomsel. Suppliers' support, including punctuality in
developing the network capacity and quality to meet the market demand,
is very important," said Mr. Mulia Tambunan, President Director of
Telkomsel.


Skanska to build new USD 100 million Omni Hotel at CNN Center in Atlanta
- Skanska's share of contract is USD 61.2 million
Beers, one of Skanska's American subsidiaries, has been awarded a contract
for construction management services to build a USD 100 million, 28-story
hotel tower at the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia. Beers' contract is
worth USD 61.2 million, approximately SEK 660 million. The order is included
in the order bookings for the second quarter of 2001.
The customer is a partnership between Omni Hotels,
an American hotel chain, and Turner Broadcasting System, an AOL Time Warner
company.
Beers will be responsible for the construction management of the new hotel
project. The entire project is valued at USD 100 million and the construction
contract is for USD 72 million, of which Beers has 85 percent and Moody
15 percent.
The 525,000 square foot hotel, which is to be built adjacent to an existing
hotel at CNN Center in central Atlanta, will be the largest facility in
Omni's chain of hotels.
Construction is scheduled to begin in January 2002 and be completed during
the fourth quarter of 2003.


Akzo Nobel opens new Coatings site in China
Rudy van der Meer, Member of the Akzo Nobel Board of Management responsible
for Coatings, opened a new production site in Suzhou, near Shanghai in
China. The facility, which was built over the past year, will house three
of Akzo Nobel's core businesses: car refinishes, powder coatings and transportation
coatings and will give these businesses enhanced access to the rapidly
expanding Chinese market.
"Akzo Nobel has been active in China since the
1980s, but business really got off the ground at the beginning of the
1990s when the Board of Management asked the business units to focus more
on Asia and China in particular. In addition, Akzo Nobel China was set
up as a country organization to support our business units and to facilitate
their local development," said Rudy van der Meer at a press conference
during the opening. "In the past five years, our sales in the country
have quadrupled to EUR 300 million, stemming from both organic growth
and acquisitions. Akzo Nobel now employs 1,500 people in China."
In China, Akzo Nobel currently has 15 operations, including 10 production
facilities, representing its three areas of business: Pharma, Coatings
and Chemicals. One major operation is a 50-50 joint venture; all other
operations are majority or wholly-owned. The Suzhou site opened today,
and a Wood Coatings plant in Dongguan City, which will be opened shortly,
are 100% Akzo Nobel facilities. The monochloroacetic acid plant under
construction in Taixing is also wholly- owned.
"These investments aim to strengthen our position in China and will
enable us to respond quickly and flexibly to market demands," added
Mr. Van der Meer. "The facilities will serve as a platform for further
expansion in the region. It is one of Akzo Nobel's stated strategic goals
to increase our market share in the fast growing Asian economies, and
we consider China a key market.".


Stena Line invests in satellite communication
Stena Line has entered a five year deal with Telenor worth SEK 90 million
for satellite communication for around 30 vessels in the company's fleet.
With satellite communication onboard the vessels, Stena Line can provide
improved service for passengers including the possibility of staying in
contact with land both via the internet and telephone irrespective of
where the vessel is.
"Installing satellite communication on all our
vessels means we can significantly improve our service for passengers
by providing better access to information. Satellite communication gives
passengers the opportunity to use email, internet and telephony services
as well as gaining access to our booking system. It will also be possible
to hold video and internet conferences and there are plans to provide
GSM services in future so that mobile phones can be used throughout the
journey," says Hans Björkborg, IT manager at Stena Line.
"Satellite communication improves credit card services by enabling
payment using various cards and in future it will allow cash dispensers
(ATMs) to be accessed. Eventually it will also be possible to watch TV
onboard, something that has been requested by our customers for a long
time. It will also be easier for freight customers to find out exactly
where their goods are in the transport chain," he continues.
Satellite communication doesn't only have a positive impact on customers,
it is also very important for Stena Line internally because ship to shore
communication is significantly improved. For example, it means that staff
onboard have constant access to all the IT system, information is always
available, and the storage and ordering systems become more effective.
The telephone system will be modernised and based on digital technology,
which provides substantially better quality and access.


Millennium becomes first customer for Biacore's new high performance analytical
system
Biacore today announced that Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has become
the first customer for its recently launched Biacore®S51 system for
lead characterization and preclinical applications in drug discovery.
Millennium will use the system to accelerate and optimize the identification
of small molecule lead candidates.
Biacore S51 was specifically designed to address major
bottlenecks facing the drug discovery industry at stages downstream of
high- throughput screening. The first instrument in Biacore's new Series
S technology platform, Biacore S51 was developed in collaboration with
major pharmaceutical companies including Millennium, SmithKline Beecham
and Pharmacia Corporation.
"Millennium's unique approach to drug discovery and development is
at the forefront of the industry. As a result we are continuously evaluating
technology products and services that will help us enhance our productivity,"
said Craig Muir, Vice President, Platform Technology at Millennium Pharmaceuticals,
Inc.
Biacore S51 offers high quality, quantitative data on binding kinetics,
affinity, concentration and specificity of the interaction between a compound
and target molecule. It is the most advanced instrument on the market
based on Surface Plasmon Resonance technology, which uniquely provides
non-label, real-time analysis of biomolecular interactions. Biacore S51
offers higher levels of throughput, greater data quality and reduced sample
usage than any other commercially available SPR instrument, enabling it
to match the output from most high throughput screens.
Millennium
scientists have worked with Biacore to maximize the potential of Biacore
S51 and will now use the system to speed hit-to-lead confirmation and
enhance early ADME analysis of potential drug candidates.
"Millennium's considerable expertise in drug discovery and development
and their early evaluation of our technology played a significant role
in validating Biacore S51, and we are pleased to have them as our first
customer," said Paul James, Marketing Director of SPR Discovery Systems
at Biacore. "We believe Biacore S51 will be well received, and this
a first indication of that conviction. We also look forward to our continued
work with Millennium to identify new opportunities for our technology."


Warm summer means high ice-cream sales
High temperatures increase July sales by 24 per cent over last year.
The warm weather has made for a great July for the
ice-cream industry with a 24 per cent average increase in sales in Denmark.
One company, Diplom-Is, sold 62 per cent more ice cream in July than last
year. And the Danes were not the only ones with a taste for ice cream.
Ice-cream sales rose by 10 per cent in Norway and doubled in Sweden. Diplom-Is
is in the process of expanding its retail network in Sweden, so the weather
cannot take all the credit for increased sales there.
Diplom-Is has a market share of over 50 per cent in Norway, 10 per cent
in Denmark and 4 per cent in Sweden. In addition to its own products,
the company distributes the well-known Mars Ice Cream.
When
the sun shines on ice-cream production... Denmark had 100 hours more sunshine
than usual this July. Last July, there were about 25 hours less than the
norm of 244.


Ericsson reveals the new mobile phone T66 - the smallest Ericsson phone
ever
Today, Ericsson announced the T66 - its smallest and lightest mobile phone
to date - compact enough to fit in the smallest pocket. T66 comes in two
colors, Silver Supreme and Purple Passion and will be available in the
fourth quarter, 2001.
At roughly the same length and width as a credit card,
T66 is extremely small. It weighs only 59 grams and its streamlined design
includes a built-in antenna. The T66 has a standby time up to 150 hours
and many user-friendly features packed into a neat unit. The T66 has several
enhanced messaging features and is compatible with GSM900/1800/1900 for
international coverage.
Message with flair The T66 includes Enhanced Messaging Service (EMS),
a chat function, and WAP. With EMS, communicating via a mobile phone becomes
more fun, creative and personal. EMS allows users to send and receive
pictures, sound effects and melodies along with SMS text messages. The
phone comes complete with a wide range of pre-installed pictures and melody
options. Users can store downloaded pictures and melodies from the Mobile
Internet.
T66
has a highly useful calendar that makes it possible to store details about
appointments, dates and tasks in the phone. T66 will even provide a reminder
for important dates and deadlines.


Skanska lands new major contract in New York
The U.S. subsidiary, Slattery Skanska has been contracted by Metro-North
Railroad in New York to construct a maintenance facility for commuter
trains. The contract is valued at USD 76 M, about SEK 825 M, of which
Skanska Slattery will be responsible for 80 percent.
Slattery Skanska and the engineering firm Edwards
and Kelcey are cooperating in a joint venture for this negotiated contract
covering the design and construction of the turnkey facility.
The new Highbridge Yard Rail Maintenance Facility near Yankee Stadium
in the Bronx includes a 62,000-square-foot maintenance building, with
space for 20 cars on two tracks. The contract includes all equipment needed
to service diesel and electric powered trains, which will be stored in
the yard between morning and evening commuter rush hours. An office and
employee area will be built above the maintenance shop with an overpass
connecting to new station platforms. Other project components include
3.5 kilometers of track, 32 switches and an electric substation.
Work
at the site will begin immediately with project completion in 18 months.


Nokia Game kicks off on November 4
The all-media adventure expands to 28 countries in Europe and the Middle
East
Nokia Game 2001, an interactive all-media adventure
provided by Nokia, will be played November 4-23 in 28 countries in Europe
and the Middle East simultaneously. During the game, players will take
on the identity of the main character and be immersed in a mystery they
need to solve.
Nokia Game is a skill-based game in which players must complete various
challenges and solve puzzles based on clues planted in the media landscape
around them. A number of SMS messages, short TV movies, websites, radio
announcements, newspaper and magazine ads, e-mail, and mobile phone calls
guide players through the game, providing them with information, clues
and tasks to perform.
There
is no participation fee to participate in Nokia Game. To play, participants
need to have access to the Internet, an e-mail address, and a mobile phone
with the capacity to receive short messages. There is no age limit to
play the game, but people under the age of 18 need their guardian's permission
to participate.
This year players can play longer and collect points before being dropped
out of the game. Players win points by visiting websites, playing online
games, finding information, and answering questions, for example. The
players with the highest final scores will be able to participate in the
grand final of the game. During the game, players can view their own scores
on their personal game website page. At the end of the game, the 50-100
best players in each country will win a special new Nokia phone.
"This
is the third time we are bringing Nokia Game to mobile phone users. Last
year, half a million people played it in 18 countries across Europe. This
year's Nokia Game will involve even more players in more countries, providing
them with thrilling experiences and challenging tasks during an intense
3-week period. Players will be able to chat with each other on the game
website while they play. This type of promotional activity is a good fit
with our brand promise of connecting people and reflects the growing importance
of entertainment in mobile services," said Pekka Rantala, Vice President,
Marketing Services, Nokia Mobile Phones.
Nokia Game 2001 will feature Club Nokia and digital services. Members
of Club Nokia can get operator logos, ring tones, and picture messages
with Nokia Game themes from Club Nokia. Club Nokia is an on-line community
and loyalty program offering exclusive services to Nokia phone owners
in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The Club Nokia web and wap services
can be accessed once the Nokia phone is registered with Club Nokia. For
more information on Club Nokia, please see www.club.nokia.com.
Players
can register for the game here
between October 4th and November 3rd. .


Electrolux expects significantly lower earnings for 3Q and full year 2001
Electrolux's operating income for the third quarter and the full year
2001, excluding items affecting comparability, is expected to be significantly
lower than in the preceding year.
This reflects a change of the outlook in the Group's
half-yearly report, which stated that operating income for the full year
2001, excluding items affecting comparability, was expected to be somewhat
lower than in the preceding year.
The change is traceable mainly to higher costs for phasing in a new generation
of refrigerators within the American operation, continued destocking at
the retail level in the United States, and a continued weak earnings trend
for the Components product line.
Last
week's tragic events in the USA further underline uncertainty regarding
American household's purchases of the Group's product categories, as well
as future consumer confidence. This is in addition to a market which already
shows an unfavorable trend for price and mix.


Volvo's largest sponsorship ever sets sail
Volvo's largest sponsorship investment ever, the Volvo
Ocean Race, sets sails on Sep 23, 2001 when the eight race boats competing
leave Southampton, UK. The Volvo Ocean Race is the Grand Prix of ocean
races and rated as one of the top seven TV sporting events, worldwide.
The race covers 32,700 nautical miles with nine stopovers with finish
in Kiel, Germany in June 2002.
Investments in sports are a very effective means of
communications, which is why Volvo acquired the race from Whitbread in
1998 for about USD 8.5 million. The Volvo Group and Volvo Car Corporation
jointly own the sponsorship. The costs for running the race in terms of
management and logistics are about USD 20 million and on top of that,
investments are made in marketing and PR of about USD 10-15 million. The
latter cost will be a re-allocation of already existing budgets to maximise
the marketing benefits offered by the Volvo Ocean Race. The total commitment
by the Volvo Group and Volvo Cars amounts to approximately USD 35 million,
over a period of four years.
One
of Volvo's objectives in the Volvo Ocean Race is to expand the environmental
commitment and to this end, the Volvo Ocean Adventure is created, a free
global environmental education program. This web-based program is linked
directly to the Volvo Ocean Race since it uses the boats to measure the
health of the oceans that they sail across. The purpose of the Volvo Ocean
Adventure is to increase environmental awareness and activate young people
around the world to show they can make an impact on the environment.


FöreningsSparbanken and SEB break off merger
FöreningsSparbanken and SEB have today withdrawn the notification
to the European Commission concerning the planned merger between the banks.
Through the decision the merger process between the two major Swedish
banks is discontinued.
The Boards of Directors of both banks have unanimously
made this decision, since they have established that an approval of the
planned merger by the European Commission implies such extensive concessions
that the value of the merger would be lost through, among other things,
a lack of synergies.
From the objections to the planned merger that the Competition Authority
has expressed in its Statement of Objections of 11 September and the subsequent
discussions between the banks and the authority, is it evident that the
banks and the Commission have strongly diverging standpoints. In order
for the merger to obtain approval, far more extensive concessions will
be demanded than the banks are prepared to make. It would, among other
things, be necessary to dispose of a considerable part of the office network,
possibly including product concessions, and thus a very large number of
customers and employees. Concessions to such an extent mean that the value
of the merger would be lost.
"The
European Commission and the banks have different views of the Swedish
bank market," says Jacob Wallenberg, Chairman of the Board of SEB.
"In its Statement of Opinion the Commission claims that the new bank
would gain such a dominant position that not even Nordea and Svenska Handelsbanken
would be able to compete with us. We do not share that opinion. In our
view competition is tough and constantly growing as new actors enter the
market. This is shown not least by the fact that the prices in the banking
sector are lower in Sweden than in the rest of Europe. We regret that
the conditions to create a large European bank from a Swedish basis no
longer exist as the synergies would be lost through concessions."


Telenor Media sold for NOK 5.8 bn in cash to TPG
Telenor and Texas Pacific Group (TPG) have signed an agreement on the
sale of Telenor Media for NOK 5.8 billion (Euro 722 million) in cash.
The sale of Telenor Media forms part of Telenor's
long-term strategy to focus on core businesses. The deal represents a
significant step in fulfilling the company's stated objective to realise
value from non-core business areas. Completion of the sale, which is conditional
on Norwegian regulatory clearance, is expected before the end of the year.
The transaction will result in a book gain for Telenor of approximately
NOK 5 billion (Euro 622 million).
Commenting on the transaction, Tormod Hermansen, Chief Executive Officer
of Telenor, said: "We have maximised cash proceeds from Telenor Media
by selling the entire company in a clear and simple cash deal, rather
than realising value through a separate stock exchange listing. We are
pleased with this transaction which shows good progress in the implementation
of our strategy to focus on our core businesses. We are looking forward
to working together with TPG as a partner."


Skandia assumes leadership role in global responsibility
Skandia has acquired the majority shareholding in Global Responsibility
Holding A/S, Copenhagen. Global Responsibility was formed last year by,
among others, Professor Karl Lidgren. The company has developed an Internet-based
communications platform where companies and organisations can report their
efforts and the results of their work to achieve sustainable development.
Last spring, Skandia's subsidiary E&Q Rating AB launched an Internet-based
tool and index for evaluating companies and organisations with regard
to Quality, Environmental, Occupational Health and Safety management.
The two companies will now merge under the name Global
Responsibility International AB with headquarters in Stockholm. Using
a joint, Internet-based communications platform, the new company will
now invite companies and organisations worldwide to evaluate, track and
present their operational performance within Quality, Environmental, Occupational
Health & Safety management and Ethics. The new platform will also
provide companies and organisations with qualified support in their efforts
to improve in these areas. Furthermore, stakeholders, customers, employees
and the public will have free access to evaluations and other information
for comparisons and assessments.
The
company's President will be Perry Fredriksson, formerly President of E&Q
Rating AB: "A platform is needed where companies and organisations
worldwide can obtain support to develop their own operations and competitiveness
and where they can meet their stakeholders in an open dialogue. Our goal
is to be the world-leading communications platform where information about
the impact of companies and organisations on the environment and health,
as well as their policies on ethics and quality, is compiled, evaluated
and distributed."


Helsinki sees increased popularity of public-transport route search facilit
SMS enquiries about the routes and timetables of the Helsinki
Metropolitan Area public-transport services are becoming more and more
popular. This new facility means that mobile operators provide information
on the most convenient public-transport service between two addresses
in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. A total of almost 6,500 route searches
were carried out in August.
The user of the route search facility stipulates two
addresses, his point of departure and destination, in the cities of Helsinki,
Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen. This facility tells the user immediately
which public-service vehicle to get on to reach the desired destination.
The user can also choose a certain point of time, on the basis of which
the route service provides the next departure time of the public-service
vehicle. The time can be the departure time of the vehicle or the time
by which the user of the service wants to reach his destination.
'Most
of the route enquiries are carried out at noon and early in the evening,
i.e. when people go somewhere else than home. Most of the timetable enquiries,
in turn, are carried out in the afternoon and late in the evening, i.e.
when people know their destination but want to check the timetable of
the public-service vehicle they are going to take', explains Ilkka Kukkonen
managing director of Novo Meridian, who have developed the utility.
A
specific pedestrian network was created for the route search facility
to find out the routes people take when using public-service vehicles.
Thanks to this network, the route search service tells the user the best
route for the vehicle suggested.


Scania reinforces its market position with new V8 truck
Scania adds a prestigious bonneted T-model to its range-topping V8 models.
The use of the Scania HPI fuel injection system is now extended, opening
up for larger volumes in the next few years.
For the most demanding customers and the most prestigious
transport tasks, Scania now introduces
a new bonneted versions of its V8 model. The new V8 engine, which was
launched last year, remains the most powerful engine on the market complying
with the Euro 3 exhaust regulations, a standard that is mandatory from
1 October this year. The 16-litre V8 engine is available in two versions
with 480 or 580 hp (353 or 427 kW).
The
bonneted Scania T-model has a very spacious cab interior, with a flat
floor and full cross-cab access. The sleeper version is also available
with a raised roof (Topline) that provides unparalleled interior volume.
Many drivers appreciate the feeling of added safety behind the bonnet.
There
is now a renewed interest in bonneted trucks in Europe. The length restrictions
still apply, but some types of transport do not utilise the full length
for the cargo, e.g. tankers and bulk transporters. Hauliers can therefore
'afford' to sacrifice some length in favour of the benefits and the impact
of a bonneted truck.


Cloetta Fazer announces sale of Business Area Handel
Cloetta Fazer's sale of Business Area Handel was completed today with
payment of the purchase price and transference of the shares to the buyer.
On
27 July 2001 Cloetta Fazer AB signed an agreement with Swiss-based Valora
Holding AG for the sale of Business Area Handel, as announced in an earlier
press release. The transaction was conditional on factors including the
approval of the competition authorities in Finland and Sweden, which has
now been obtained.
The
sale is part of Cloetta Fazer's strategy to focus resources on core activities
in Business Area Konfektyr and thereby reinforce its position as the Nordic
region's leading chocolate and confectionery company. The transaction
value of the sale is SEK 538 million including transferred debts of more
than SEK 100 million, generating a capital gain of SEK 135 million. The
sale will rid the Cloetta Fazer Group of all debt and provide an equity
ratio of around 70 per cent.

SAS
cancels all US flights effective Tuesday 11 Sept.
As a result of the disaster in the US, SAS announces
that it has canceled all flights to and from the US on Wednesday.

Metso strengthens its service operations in China
Metso Paper has opened a new service technology center in Jiangsu Province
in China. The center, located in Wuxi about 100 kilometers west of Shanghai,
provides expert services related to roll maintenance and process development
for the Chinese pulp, paper and panelboard industry. The center, which
employs today 60 persons, was officially inaugurated on September 9, 2001
at Wuxi.
The
opening of the new service technology center significantly expands Metso
Paper's service capabilities in China. The center offers one-stop roll
service for all roll types, including, for example, roll overhauls as
well as polyurethane and rubber coverings. It also features a consumables
base, allowing the rapid delivery of key spare parts and customized consumables
such as doctor blades. In addition, the center provides specialized on-site
service and support for production line improvements.
Metso
Automation has also opened a new delivery and service center in China.
The center, which operates in Shanghai's free trade area at Waigaoqiao,
employs about 50 persons. The center delivers automation products, valves,
positioners, actuators and their spare parts to China and the whole Asia-Pacific
region.
Both
service centers are part of Metso's Future Care business concept, aimed
at maintaining the competitiveness of customer processes throughout their
whole life cycles.


Sweden's Gripen International welcomes selection as preferred choice for
Hungarian Air Force
Gripen International welcomes today's announcement that the Hungarian
Government has selected the Gripen new-generation, multi-role fighter
as its preferred choice to meet the national, NATO and European defense
needs of the Hungarian Air Force.
Hungary,
which joined NATO in 1999, is the first Central European nation to select
Gripen to meet its 21st century defense needs. Gripen International, a
company in which Saab AB of Sweden and the United Kingdom's BAE SYSTEMS
have equal shares, looks forward to supporting the Swedish government's
lease of Gripen fighters with a program of offset amounting to 100% of
the contract value.
"This
is very welcome confirmation that Gripen,
the most capable and cost-effective combat aircraft in service today,
offers an affordable security solution for national, NATO and European
defense needs," comments Ian McNamee, managing director Gripen International.
Already in service with the Swedish Air Force which has ordered 204 aircraft
(including 28 two-seaters) and has also been ordered by the South African
Air Force which has a requirement for 28.


Telenor ninety years on Spitsbergen
This year, it will be ninety year since Telenor (at that time Telegrafvæsenet)
established the first telephone link between Spitsbergen and the Norwegian
mainland.
With
the exception of a few years during the second world war, Telenor has
been present on Svalbard since 1911. This weekend, Telenor, one of Svalbard's
pioneers, will be celebrating its continued active role in the island
group through several arrangements.
Spitsbergen
Radio On May 3, 1911, the Norwegian parliament agreed that a radio telegraph
station was to be built on Svalbard. The station was named Spitsbergen
Radio and originally built at Green Harbour (now Grønfjorden).
It was later moved to Finneset just south of Barentsburg. The station
was established five years before Svalbard's first coal mine opened.
The
first telephone connection linking Svalbard to the mainland based on the
technology of the time was made on November 22, 1911. A corresponding
station was built on the mainland. In 1930, the station that had been
named Svalbard Radio in 1925 was moved to Longyearbyen.
Telenor
on Svalbard today
Telenor today has two manned operations on the island of Svalbard - Telenor
Network Services, which is responsible for the coastal radio service,
and Telenor Svalbard AS, which is responsible for the development and
operation of fixed-line and customer services, and the operation of Telenor's
satellite stations. In total, Telenor has 20 employees on Svalbard.


Tesco, UK's largest food retailer, chooses ReadSoft
ReadSoft has won an order to automate the handling of supplier delivery
notes at Tesco, Britain's largest food retailer. Eyes & Hands FORMS
will read, interpret and verify information on 250,000 delivery notes
each month.
Up
until now, the handling of supplier delivery notes from Tesco's 692 stores
in the UK have been a massive manual process. From now on automatic data
capture technology will reduce handling costs and improve data quality.
When goods are delivered to Tesco, the store will produce a Tesco receipt
note confirming the goods received. The supplier delivery note is then
sent to Tesco's finance center in Cardiff, where Eyes & Hands FORMS
will read, interpret and verify the relevant information. Previously,
personnel at Tesco keyed in the information manually.
"This
order from Tesco is in many ways important for ReadSoft. Apart from it
being a very large installation this is also the very first order within
this segment in the UK. The food industry, with all its information sharing
and advanced logistics calls for reduced handling costs, something we
can offer. Tesco is a fine reference customer for ReadSoft, says Jan Andersson,
MD.


Ericsson introduces T65 - new GPRS phone with one-button access to the
Mobile Internet
Today, at the Technology and Strategy Summit in London, Ericsson presented
the T65, a new GPRS phone with one-button access to the Mobile Internet.
The
Ericsson T65 is a powerful WAP phone with a contemporary design built
to offer young people a fast and easy connection with the Mobile Internet.
It is also loaded with the latest features for new and powerful ways to
socialise and access information. T65 will be available in GSM900/1800
markets in fourth quarter 2001.
One-button-access
means instant and easy connection to online WAP services and content.
Favourites, such as a preferred WAP page, can be accessed with effortlessly
on the phone's large 6-row display. What makes T65 really special is that
there are so many ways to personalise its use with images, sounds, and
ever-changing content from the web.
T65
has a 1.2.1 WAP browser teamed with fully featured GPRS technology to
support connection speeds of up to 43.2 kbps. This means data and file
transfers can now move faster. GPRS also makes permanent access to the
Mobile Internet a reality.
T65
is small and light. It comes in a choice of 3 colours: Cosmic blue, Polar
blue, Stardust yellow. It also has a built-in antenna and battery. The
6-row display is big and suitable for browsing the Mobile Internet or
reading messages and e-mail.


Norwegian airline Widerøe Flyveselskap signs agreement with Saab
Aviocomp
The agreement between the Norwegian airline Widerøe and Saab Aviocomp
of Sweden covers component overhaul, repair and maintenance of Widerøe's
current fleet of 27 Dash 8 aircraft.
Saab
Aviocomp will complement the in-house capability of Widerøe. Saab
Aviocomp and Widerøe will work closely together to increase the
Dash 8 maintenance capability with the objectives of further reducing
Widerøe's present out-sourced repair costs and improving maintenance
services.
"We
are very pleased to enter into this agreement with Widerøe - the
largest Dash 8 operator in Europe. It will significantly increase business
between Saab Aviocomp and Widerøe for our mutual benefit, and provides
Saab Aviocomp with a major stepping stone towards the European Dash-8
market" says Jan-Ingvar Johansson, President Saab Aviocomp.
Widerøe
operates Norway's largest regional network, complemented with international
flights to Denmark, Sweden, Scotland and Germany. SAS is a close partner
and majority shareholder in Widerøe.


KF, Skandia and Telia to launch bank
KF, Skandia and Telia are launching a new bank. Coop Bank will offer essential
financial services with competitive terms. The bank's main channel of
distribution will be the Internet, however deposits and withdrawals can
be done in the various supermarkets and hypermarkets belonging to the
co-operative group. The goal is for Coop Bank to quickly become one of
Sweden's leading banks.
The
owners provide the bank with a strong starting point. KF's MedMera customer
card will immediately introduce the bank to some 3.5 million potential
customers. The co-operative group's geographic reach will make the bank
accessible to customers throughout Sweden. Skandia adds banking expertise
and a modern IT infrastructure. Telia ensures Coop Bank a position as
a leading financial services provider via existing and future telecom
services.
"This
partnership enables us to offer members an alternative to traditional
banking institutions. Our goal is for Coop Bank to be the largest, most
customer-friendly bank in the Nordic region - a bank that helps simplify
the daily lives of our members. We estimate that Coop Bank will have over
one million account holding customers by 2005 - at the latest," said
Roland Svensson, President and CEO, KF.
Coop
Bank's main channel of distribution will be the Internet. However, customers
will be able to withdraw cash in the co-operative group's approximately
1,300 supermarkets and hypermarkets - as well as automatic teller machines
- quickly and free of charge. The bank will also offer services via fixed-line
and mobile phone.
KF
ekonomisk förening, the Swedish Co-operative Union, will own 45 per
cent of the new bank, Skandia Liv 35 per cent, and Telia AB 20 per cent.
The three partners will invest a total of SEK 700 millio..


SAS appoints new Marketing Head
Jens Wittrup Willumsen has been appointed Senior Vice President for SAS
Marketing & Product Management. In this position, his responsibilities
include the airline's brand, product development, market communications
and loyalty program.
Wittrup
Willumsen will be a member of the newly formed SAS management team and
Marie Ehrling, SAS's Deputy CEO and airline manager, will be his immediate
superior.
Jens
Wittrup Willumsen was born in 1960 and is an economics graduate. He returns
to SAS after spending the past five years as president of Mediacom in
Denmark and president of Denmark's ACNielsen AIM A/S.
"I
am pleased to be returning to SAS," says Jens Wittrup Willumsen.
"I regard working with market communications at SAS as a challenge,
particularly at a time when the spotlight is on the company. Becoming
part of the new and relatively young airline management team means a new
beginning, as does working with SAS's exciting new products."


Telenor to terminate paging services in two years
Telenor will stop offering paging services 1 September 2003. The reason
is that the demand has diminished considerably and that Telenor's technical
equipment supplier is closing business in this field.
During
the last few years the mobile phone has almost completely taken over the
functions of the pager. The number of devices is decreasing, and if this
development continues, there will be only 35.000 users left by the time
the network is closed in two years.
Telenor
Mobil offers ample alternative solutions for paging, and will, in cooperation
with other technology companies, continue working on technological solutions
that will fully replace today's paging services. These services will furthermore
offer a whole new range of possibilities for the user.
The company that has supplied the technical apparatus for Telenor Mobil's
paging network has terminated production of this kind of equipment. It
is already difficult to acquire spare parts for the network, and after
2002, Telenor will no longer be offered regular maintenance for its paging
centre. The result is that Telenor Mobil will not be able to guarantee
adequate operation of the network in the long term.
Operators
in Denmark and Finland have also announced that they plan to terminate
their paging services.


Telia aquires mobile portal Halebop
Telia aquires mobile portal Halebop and streamlines its mobile portal
operations in the Nordic countries. The Halebop portal today has a customer
base with over 800,000 registered users.
Telia is streamlining its operations and maintenance
of its mobile portals in the Nordic countries by creating a joint technical
platform. "Considerable synergy effects will be made with the joint
technical platform", says Kenneth Karlberg Senior Executive Vice
President of Telia Group and head of the Telia Mobile Business area.
Telia
aquires Halebop from Drutt Corporation via a transfer of owner shares.
Telia has until now had an owner share of 40% in Drutt Corporation of
which 15% is now transferred to Drutt Corporation. Telia remains as a
minority owner in Drutt Corporation with 25%. "Telia is strongly
focusing on the Nordic market and will by this get access to Halebop's
considerable customer base", Kenneth Karlberg continues.
Halebop
consists of a Swedish company, Halebop AB with five employees and a Norwegian
company, Halebop AS with three employees. The businesses will continue
as separate legal units under the Halebop trademark. Kent Jonsson, today
head of Sales & Marketing at Speedy Tomato, has been appointed acting
head of Halebop.
"We are proud of what Halebop has accomplished and to hand it over
to Telia. Drutt Corporation will now focus on the core business, i e to
develop and deliver mobile technology solutions to network operators and
larger companies of which Telia and Halebop will continue to be important
customers", says Roland Svensson, CEO, Drutt Corporation.
About Halebop Halebop is an independent mobile portal, providing end users
with mobile services offered by partners wishing to reach a mobile audience.
The trademark is owned by Telia. On the end user side Halebop aims to
be the starting point and home for mobile services. On the partner side
Halebop offers the best distribution platform and competence for mobile
services. Halebop's services work independent of mobile operator, and
independent of device and access technology. Halebop is a result of several
years of co-operation between Telia AB and Oracle Corp. At www.halebop.com
you will find a large spectrum of advanced mobile services, and the services
are available to everyone.


Europolitan Vodafone buys 3G transmission equipment from Ericsson
Europolitan Vodafone has chosen Ericsson to supply transmission equipment
for its 3G network. The agreement entails the supply of transmission nodes
for Europolitan Vodafone's 3G network in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö
and Karlskrona..
The equipment will be used in the construction of
Europolitan Vodafone's 3G infrastructure in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö
and Karlskrona (covering at least 30 per cent of the Swedish population).
No supplier has yet been chosen for the remainder of the infrastructure,
which is being built by the joint company co-owned by Europolitan Vodafone
and Hi3G and known as 3G Infrastructure Services AB.
"Ericsson
has been one of our major suppliers for many years," says Europolitan
Vodafone's CEO Jon Risfelt. "The company has supplied us with several
systems where quality and reliability were crucial, including most of
Europolitan Vodafone's transmission equipment for the GSM network and
terminal equipment for our Wireless Office."


Europolitan Vodafone chooses Nokia as its systems supplier for third generation
mobile networks (3G) in Sweden
Nokia and Europolitan Vodafone have signed an agreement regarding the
delivery of UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) networks
for Europolitan Vodafone. Nokia will be the systems supplier for both
the core network and radio access, and will also deliver implementation
and technical maintenance services.
Deliveries will start in August 2001, and the launch
of the network is scheduled for 2002. The agreement covers equipment for
the infrastructure that Europolitan Vodafone is constructing in Stockholm,
Gothenburg, Malmö and Karlskrona (providing at least 30 per cent
of the population coverage for Sweden). The agreement does not cover the
remaining infrastructure that Europolitan Vodafone and Hi3G are jointly
constructing via the company they co-own, 3G Infrastructure Services AB.
"Our
choice of Nokia will give our customers access to all of Europolitan Vodafone's
services regardless of which network they use (GSM, GPRS or UMTS), since
Nokia previously supplied these as well. Cost-efficiency and quality have
also been crucial to our choice," says Jon Risfelt, CEO at Europolitan
Vodafone.
Nokia
supplied Europolitan Vodafone's first GSM system in 1991 and subsequently
also delivered WAP and GPRS services before being selected as the company's
3G supplier. The GSM/UMTS system that is being developed by Nokia and
Europolitan Vodafone will gradually progress to become a fully IP based
system using UMTS and GPRS elements.


Sony and Ericsson complete joint venture agreement
Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications set to start operations on October
1 -Aiming for the world's leading position in mobile phones.
Sony Corporation and Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
today announced that they have agreed terms to merge their mobile phone
businesses worldwide, subject to final approval of the Boards of the two
parent companies and subject to regulatory approvals.
The
two companies which signed their Memorandum of Understanding in April
are well on schedule and set to establish the joint venture, Sony Ericsson
Mobile Communications, as planned on October 1, 2001. The joint venture's
global management will be based in London and, after necessary approvals,
Sony and Ericsson will start to merge their respective operations.
Sony
Ericsson Mobile Communications will begin its activity with global product,
marketing and sales operations and an initial workforce of 3,500 employees.
On a pro-forma basis, the combined mobile phone businesses achieved annual
unit sales of approximately 50 million units and sales of USD 7.2 billion
last year.


Vitrolife enters co-operation agreement with Millenium Biologix Inc.
Vitrolife has signed an agreement with Millenium Biologix Inc., a private
corporation with headquarters in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, concerning
the development and testing of Vitrolife's proprietary culture media for
use in human tissue engineering, particularly cartilage and bone.
Vitrolife has expertise in the field of specialist
media for cell culture; particularly for in vitro fertilization applications;
and is expanding this core competence into the wider field of human tissue
engineering. Millenium has expertise in the field of skeletal cell culture
and tissue engineering with synthetic biomaterials, growth factors, bioreactors
and instrumentation and seeks preferred access to high quality proprietary
media for human in vitro tissue engineering applications in its field.
This
initial agreement is being entered into to cover a period of comprehensive
testing and evaluation of candidate media produced by Vitrolife, based
on current cartilage and bone cell and tissue culture models established
by Millenium. Following successful evaluations and the anticipated development
of advanced media for skeletal tissue engineering applications, it is
anticipated that the two companies will enter into a further global commercialization
agreement. This subsequent agreement will acknowledge Vitrolife's continuing
role as developer and exclusive producer of proprietary media for Millenium
and may also include a wider manufacturing role for Vitrolife in connection
with Millenium's Total System for Tissue Engineering, the cartilage version
of which is known as Cartilogic.
"Millenium
and Vitrolife have one especially powerful thing in common. Each is fully
committed to being the global standard setter in its field of expertise.
With the advances in patient care that we will bring through our unique
system for hospital based autologous tissue engineering comes an urgent
need for new, advanced culture media., which is not only innovative but
manufactured to the highest standards of quality and reproducibility.
Vitrolife´s high quality media is the most advanced media we have
seen by far, and this exciting collaboration between our two companies
is going to change the orthopedics industry and lead to significantly
improved outcomes and long term quality of life for patients." said
Mr. Sydney Pugh, President and CEO of Millenium Biologix Inc.


Finnish Aldata wins two major G.O.L.D. System contracts
Aldata's French subsidiary Aldata Solution S.A. has gained two large orders,
in contracts worth a total of EUR 3.8 million, for its G.O.L.D. supply
chain application software in August 2001. Aldata will supply Jardiland,
the leading retail gardening chain in France, with G.O.L.D. software for
the management of its 211 stores. In the UK and marking an important bridgehead
for Aldata into the UK retail software market, Lloydspharmacy, part of
Gehe AG, the largest pharmaceutical wholesaler in Europe, has selected
the G.O.L.D. solution for its 1400 stores.
Delivery of both systems have started and the Jardiland
system will be fully deployed by the end of 2003. The Lloydspharmacy system
will have the pilot ready by February 2002. The roll-out across the 1400
Lloydspharmacy stores is to be completed in early 2003. Aldata Group's
growth and profitability forecasts for 2001 include 2001 revenues from
these contracts.
Jardiland
will be supplied with the G.O.L.D. modules Central (merchandise management),
e-Retail (intranet in-store back-office operations) and Alerts (supply
chain event management) for centralised merchandise management, integrated
with in-store back-office operations, for Jardiland's operations in France
and Spain. Jardiland's headquarters are in Lognes, France, where the company
centrally manages its current three retail formats: Jardiland, the largest
chain, with 103 stores in France and seven in Spain, Vive le Jardin with
55 stores in France, and the affiliate Semaphor stores in France. Group
Jardiland's market share in France is 56 % and the company's net sales
in 2000 totalled EUR 533,5 million.
Lloydspharmacy,
a subsidiary of Gehe AG, will be supplied with the G.O.L.D. Central (merchandise
management) module. The contract also includes options on additional retail
outlets in the UK and elsewhere in Europe as well as options on other
G.O.L.D. modules.


Nokia makes TV access easier with new digital receiver
Nokia Home Communications has launched a new product in its digital satellite
receiver product range, making access to digital television for the consumer
easier than ever before. The Nokia Mediamaster 9470 S is the first Nokia
receiver to be based on an new product platform, adding to the Nokia Home
Communications' offering of high performance digital television products.
The Mediamaster 9470 S is based on Digital Video Broadcast (DVB) standards
and provides consumers access to hundreds of free-to-air television and
radio channels. It has an attractive compact innovative design and a set
of new appealing features.
"The Nokia Mediamaster 9470 S is an optimal product
to meet the rapid growth of the digital free-to-air satellite market.
It is stylish, convenient to use, and has a set of great, new features."
said Pekka Kuusela, General Manager Sales, Central Europe, Nokia Home
Communications. "Nokia is committed to providing a full range of
digital TV receivers that suit the various needs and expectations of our
customers. The Nokia Mediamaster 9470 S is a perfect example of how Nokia
works to make its products visionary, market leading, flexible and easy
to use. With this product we have set a new standard for basic digital
satellite receivers."
The
Nokia Mediamaster 9470 S implements the Nokia Navi(TM)Bars user interface
and comes with a memory capacity for thousands of channels, thereby enabling
consumers to create personal favourite lists. It is easy to install, offers
some of Nokia's most popular games, Snake and Tic-Tac-Toe, and provides
the highest quality video and audio experience, supporting Dolby(R) Digital
sound.
The
Nokia Mediamaster 9470 S is available in Europe in Q4.


MarineProvider Signs Up Maersk Line, Limited
Maersk Line, Limited, based in Norfolk, Virginia (USA) has today made
an agreement with MarineProvider ASA to conduct its procurement electronically
through MarineProvider's e-Procurement solution. Maersk Line, Limited
owns and operates 32 vessels.
'We are delighted that Maersk Line, Limited selected
MarineProvider's e-Procurement solution for handling their technical procurement
needs", says Collin Lewis, CEO of MarineProvider ASA.
'After
having thoroughly evaluated numerous marine e-procurement vendors, we
chose MarineProvider because of their technical competence, financial
stability, management capabilities and ability to meet our exacting demands',
says Tony Giambrone, Director of Purchasing of Maesk Line, Limited.
Lewis
added: 'MarineProvider's highly advanced integration solution will be
integrated into Maersk Line, Limited's PeopleSoft purchasing system, resulting
in no additional training for the Maersk Line, Limited employees, and
will deliver considerable productivity gains".


Kemira and Movere establish joint logistics operation in Lithuania
Kemira Agro Oy and Movere Oy will establish a joint agricultural logistics
operation in Lithuania. Movere UAB will begin operations on 1 January
2002, and will be located at the Kemira Lifosa fertiliser plant site in
Kedainiai. Kemira's holding will be 80% of the company's shares.
Movere UAB will engage in the handling of logistics
and export-import traffic in Lithuania. The company will also manage Baltic
transports and, with Movere Finland, ship cargo in the Baltic sea.
The
new company will use Movere Finland's information system, functioning
by networking with client companies. It will seek out business partners
that have a need for a similar type of service concept.
Movere
is a logistics management and development company jointly owned by Kemira,
Suomen Rehu and Sonera, which provides companies with integrated, international
logistics services for purchasing, shipping and distribution. Its net
sales in the year 2000 totalled EUR 32 million, and the company employed
a staff of 65 at the end of the year.


Munters dries candy in Denmark
Munters has received an order for six Drying Chambers from the Danish
confectionery manufacturer Bonbon A/S. Munters will build complete Drying
Chambers based on Munters dehumidification technique.
These will be used in the drying process when manufacturing
wine-gum and licorice. "Munters equipment is used both when drying,
packaging and storing in almost all types of food production processes.
That way our customers get a higher and more even quality on their finished
products, no matter the climate", says Johan Hasslöf, Sales
Director Munters Dehumidification in Scandinavia. The value of the order
is SEK 9 million.


Hitachi and Anoto initiate collaboration
Hitachi and Anoto Nippon K.K. have initiated collaboration to evaluate
joint business opportunities. By combining the Anoto concept with Hitachi's
integrated solutions and technologies including image solution technology,
Hitachi will be developing new solutions resulting in unprecedented customer
value.
"We recognize that Anoto is a leading company
with its innovative and epoch-making technology in the area of digital
pen and paper. We are very delighted to have this opportunity to collaborate
with Anoto to create highly value-added solutions and services to benefit
our customers", says Junzo Nakajima, CEO of Government & Public
Corporation Information Systems Division, Hitachi, Ltd.
"There is a large business potential on the Japanese
market for the Anoto concept together with innovative IT solutions provided
by Hitachi. As one of the most prominent players in the IT area, Hitachi
has both the development capacity and market position to implement new
concepts effectively. Its broad expertise and large customer base form
a strong base for new exciting business opportunities", says Mats
Bruzaeus, President of Anoto Nippon K.K.
"The
global presence and competence of Hitachi as a world leader in a number
of industrial segments makes this partnership highly valuable for Anoto.
Specifically we see this as one of our most important partnerships for
enterprise solutions as Hitachi has leading knowledge in form processing,
OCR and ICR* for Japanese characters", says Christer Fåhraeus,
CEO, Anoto AB.


TDC and CMG launch the first pan-European platform for Interactive Internet-SMS
services
Today, a joint venture between TDC Mobile
International and CMG Wireless Data
Solutions will launch the first European two-way SMS platform, which
opens up for interactivity between the mobile and Internet world across
the operators networks. The joint venture will be established under the
company name MIGway- Mobile Interactive
Gateway.
The service will provide simpler access to the
some 320 million mobile customers who use a GSM phone today in Europe.
This means that content owners only need to link up with MIGway's mobile
messaging platform in order to reach all GSM users in Europe. Previously,
the content owners were forced to enter into bilateral agreements with
each operator.
"All over Europe, customers have adopted SMS
and still welcome new interactive SMS services such as mobile access to
Instant Messaging and E-mail. It is MIGway's goal to become European content
owners' preferred wireless infrastructure provider and we allready have
negotiations ongoing with global players. This SMS-platform could be the
breakthrough for the pan-European m-commerce," says Henning Vest,
President of TDC Mobile International.


Framfab designs new portal for Volvo Group
In stiff competition, Framfab was recently awarded the winner of a contest
organized by AB Volvo. Framfab's answer to AB Volvo's challenge - to create
a new "look and feel" as well as a new information structure
for the Volvo Group's portal volvo.com - serves to strengthen Framfab's
position as leading e-branding solution provider.
The competition involved six of the strongest
web design bureaus on the Swedish market, and all answers were handled
strictly anonymously. After careful evaluation of the answers by the Volvo
jury, Framfab's contribution obtained a vast majority.
Based on the winning redesign concept, the process
of creating a new design manual for the transport solution provider's
Internet portal www.volvo.com is now under way. The new design will support
AB Volvo's business in several ways:
- Framfab's contribution was perceived as being the strongest, since it
enables flexibility over time and reflects the strategic challenges of
the Volvo Group as well as the path of the brand. Such factors are crucial
for a solution that will serve a global corporation of Volvo Group's caliber,
says Mr Patric Carlsson, Key account manager at Framfab.


Nokia and Caripac.com to supply broadband IP access solution in China
Nokia, working with HongKong based system integrator Caripac.com, have
signed an agreement to supply Nokia's D50e broadband access network to
JiLin Telecom in China.
The contract is for the provincial broadband access
network and in the initial phase JiLin Telecom plans to offer broadband
access services in four large cities in JiLin province, in the Northern
region of China. Deliveries will begin immediately and the contract includes
a wide-range of customer services delivered by Caripac.com and Nokia.
"This
agreement outlines the long-term relationship between JiLin Telecom and
Nokia and will enable JiLin Telecom to provide high speed Internet service
in the whole province," said Antti Ware, President, System Business,
Nokia (China) Investment Co. Ltd. "It will also further strengthen
Nokia's position as a leading end to end broadband IP access vendor in
China, meeting operators' demand for high-quality solutions and services."


Autoliv Relocates Labor Intensive Manufacturing
Autoliv Inc. today announced that it has started compulsory negotiations
with the local trade union at its plant in Kungälv, Sweden, to move
most of its Swedish airbag cushion cut and sew operations from Kungälv
to its existing plant in Olawa in Poland.
Last week, Autoliv announced that similar production
in the US, which has 500 employees, will be moved to Mexico. The Swedish
textile operations currently employ just over 100 people. Non-production
functions such as product development will remain in Sweden. The planned
move is expected to be completed before the end of the year.
The
plans to move the Swedish and US textile operations are part of Autoliv's
previously announced cost efficiency program. So far this year, the company
has moved more than 1,000 jobs to low cost countries. In total, Autoliv
has 30,000 employees in 30 car-producing countries at 80 facilities.


Norwegian GGS is awarded 2D contracts
GGS ASA has been awarded two 2D contracts offshore Oman and the UAE. The
contracts are subject to technical & HSE audit. GGS will use the vessel
Odin Explorer for the job. The company considers this to be an important
milestone in expanding its business beyond Iran to become a leading geophysical
company in the whole Middle East region.
This is GGS' first 2D contract and it is scheduled
to start late 3rd quarter 2001. The contract value is between 1 and 1.5
million USD.
At
present the company is also into the second month of collecting several
3D contract surveys, which together represent a backlog of more than USD
20 million. This work is being undertaken with the 6 streamer vessel Laurentian,
and is expected to be finished 1st or 2nd quarter 2002.


Ericsson and XIRING in license agreement for m-commerce technology
Ericsson has signed an agreement to license its technology for smart card
transactions over the Mobile Internet to XIRING, a company specialized
in the design and marketing of personal smart card readers and secure
transaction solutions for consumers.
Under the terms of this agreement, XIRING receives
exclusive rights to further develop the Ericsson Wireless Wallet technology
platform, which is based on widely accepted standards, such as Bluetooth.
The technology will be incorporated into XIRING future product offers.


Norwegian Competition Authorities will say no to SAS' acquisition of Braathens
ASA
SAS has today received a notice from the Norwegian Competition Authorities
stating that the authorities will say no to SAS' acquisition of Braathens
ASA.
The Norwegian Competition Authority has today issued
its preliminary evaluation of SAS's potential acquisition of Braathens.
This states that the Authority will take action against the acquisition,
that is, it opposes its implementation. The Competition Authority bases
its evaluation mainly on the fact that it has not been proved to a sufficient
degree that Braathens is a bankrupt company.
Braathens,
in turn, had approached SAS because the company believed it was in a difficult
financial situation, which it would not be able to survive. Braathens
regarded the only solution to be SAS's intervention as an owner - in order
to save jobs, the Norwegian civil aviation sector and the offering to
Norwegian customers. When SAS entered into an agreement with the majority
owners in Braathens, it was on this basis, as well as the opportunity
to adapt the Norwegian air travel structure to what is common in Europe.
Braathens'
financial situation has been the main feature of the argument that has
been made in relation to the Competition Authority. There have been attempts
to make it clear that if SAS is not given the possibility to become an
owner in the company, Braathens will not survive and jobs will be lost.


Ericsson strengthens management structure and appoints CEO
Ericsson will adjust its organization to benefit from the ongoing globalization
trend among operators and drive the technology shift to mobile and broadband
Internet. The sales and market organization will better serve global customers,
and the product organization will be organized for better synergies.
"This is an important and proactive step for
us in strengthening our leading position within the telecom industry,"
said Kurt Hellström, President and CEO of Ericsson. "Our new
organization will put even more emphasis on serving our customers, reduce
complexity, and more efficiently apply our resources."
Effective
October 1, Ericsson will create a market organization with new global
customer units for large global customers. From start there will be five
units. The market area organization will consist of three units compared
to five today (Americas, Asia Pacific and Europe, Middle East and Africa).
The heads of the global customer units and the market areas report directly
to CEO Kurt Hellström.
Within
the market areas, approximately 100 market units will be consolidated
into substantially fewer but larger units before the end of the year.
This new structure provides a more efficient organization, combined with
an increased competence and flexibility in the customer interface.
Effective September 1, the role of a Chief Operating Officer (COO) will
be established. Per-Arne Sandström, currently head of Market Area
North America, is appointed COO, reporting directly to CEO Kurt Hellström.


Water Reuse Expert to Accept 2001 Stockholm Water Prize from HM King Carl
XVI Gustaf
Water reuse expert Professor Takashi Asano of the University of California
at Davis (UCD), USA, accepted the 2001 Stockholm Water Prize from HM King
Carl XVI during a ceremony in the Stockholm City Hall on August 16.
The Stockholm Water Foundation named Professor Asano
as the 11th Stockholm Water Prize Laureate 2001 for his outstanding contributions
to efficient use of water in the domain of wastewater reclamation, recycling
and reuse through theoretical developments, practical research and worldwide
adaptation and promotion.
During
the last 20 years, Professor Asano has been the world's foremost expert
on the safe and beneficial use of recycled water. Water recycling means
reusing treated wastewater instead of drinking-quality water for purposes
such as agricultural and landscape irrigation, industrial processes, toilet
flushing, environmental enhancement, and replenishing of depleted groundwater
aquifers.
Professor
Asano, a naturalized U.S. citizen, was born in Sapporo, Japan, in 1937
and moved to the United States in 1963. He is married to Holly Newcomb
Asano and lives in Davis, California.


Smedvig purchases the semi-tender rig West Alliance
Stavanger, Norway based Smedvig today informed Keppel Shipyards in Singapore
of its intention to exercise the Company's option to purchase the shipyard's
72 percent ownership interest in the semi-submersible tender rig West
Alliance, under construction. Start-up of the drilling operations is scheduled
for early November this year. The agreed purchase price is approximately
USD 61.5 million.
Smedvig's option to purchase Keppel Shipyard's ownership
interest is part of the cooperation agreement that the two parties entered
into last summer. Following the exercise of the option, Smedvig will own
100 percent of the West Alliance. The purchase will increase Smedvig's
total capital expenditure on the rig to approximately USD 85 million.
The
construction of the West Alliance is proceeding according to plan and
budget. The unit is based on a design and specification similar to that
of Smedvig's newest semi-tender West Menang, but is improved to accommodate
for increased deckload capacity, larger accommodation facilities and off-line
drilling activities. Capable of shallow water drilling, the unit is also
designed for deepwater drilling operations in combination with floating
wellhead platforms in benign waters.
The
recently secured contract for the West Alliance is for a firm period of
one year plus one optional year. .


Bonnier Publications build group-wide content management strategy on the
Polopoly platform
Danish media house Bonnier Publications, which publishes magazines, books,
videos and multi-media products, will use the Swedish system, Polopoly,
as the group-wide content management platform.
Bonnier Publications is one of the Nordic region's
leading media players with a wide range of publications, magazines, books,
films and multimedia productions.
"Long-term
the idea is to make our brands as strong in the digital channels, as they
historically have been in the more traditional paper- based channels.
Polopoly provides us with a technology platform which enables us to easily
and cost-efficiently manage our content and our customers across an arbitrary
number of media output channels," says Gert Hannibal Jensen, CTO,
Bonnier Web Publications.
"The
Bonnier Publications case represents an exciting example of a new way
of thinking in the media industry," says Gustaf Sahlman, Polopoly's
CEO. "Instead of building separate editions with separate technology
and separate editorial teams for the different media output channels,
they will coordinate news production and distribution across the different
channels. This means that it is possible to publish in more channels,
such as interactive tv, Internet, wap and sms, without adding new tasks
and new costs."


Candy maker Cloetta Fazer reports dramatic earnings growth
"This represents a substantial improvement in earnings, where the
second quarter was even better than the first," says Cloetta Fazer's
CEO Lennart Bohlin. "As anticipated, the merger with Fazer Konfektyr
has generated additional synergy gains that were realised in the first
half of the year.
Cloetta Fazer posted a profit after net financial
items of MSEK 182 (138) for the first half of 2001, up 32% on the year-earlier
figure. Operating profit improved to MSEK 195 (158). Business Area Konfektyr
showed the strongest development with an operating profit of MSEK 162
(114), an increase of 42%.
Export sales outside the Nordic region also developed favourably, with
volume growth of more than 50%. The Baltic states, the US and the Czech
Republic accounted for most of the increase. Sales in Poland, which make
up 11% of the Group's total confectionery sales volume, rose by 8% and
these operations reported an operating profit for the first time since
the merger.
As announced earlier, at the end of July an agreement was signed with
the Swiss-based Valora Holding AG at for the sale of Business Area Handel.
The transfer of ownership is expected to take place in September 2001.
The sale will leave the Cloetta Fazer Group free of debt, aside from pension
liabilities and convertible debentures, with an equity ratio of around
70%. Liquid assets at year-end are expected to total MSEK 500. The sale
will provide the Group with a capital gain of MSEK 152 including Lecora
(MSEK 17), which was sold earlier in the year.
"The
financial resources that are created will be used for continued expansion
in the confectionary trade in the Nordic region and other European countries,"
concludes Lennart Bohlin.


Autoliv moves it's US air cushions operations
Autoliv Inc. today announced it is moving its North American airbag cushion
cut and sew operations from Ogden, Utah, to its existing plant in Queretaro,
Mexico. This move comes as part of the company's previously announced
cost efficiency program.
"Autoliv is committed to achieving significant
cost savings through better utilization of resources," said Autoliv
CEO Lars Westerberg. "Airbag cushion cut and sew operations are highly
labor intensive. We can therefore reduce manufacturing costs for this
process by relocating to our Queretaro facility. In Europe, we have already
started to move this kind of production to Poland from Holland and other
high cost countries."
Autoliv
plans to phase cushion production out over the next twelve months at its
Ogden, Utah, location beginning with sewing operations in September 2001
and continuing with cutting operations through September 2002. The plant,
which currently employs 500 associates, will continue to operate with
approximately 40 people in non-production areas such as Research and Development,
Marketing, Prototyping and Purchasing.


Skanska secures water project in Argentina
Skanska's Argentinean subsidiary, Sade Skanska, has been contracted for
the construction of the Colorado River Water Pipeline. A fiber-optic cable
will also be installed parallel to the pipeline.
The total contract is valued at USD 82.5 M (SEK 850
M), of which Sade Skanska's share amounts to SEK 425 M. The contract is
denominated in USD. The customer is the province of La Pampa in Argentina.
Sade Skanska is leading the 50/50 joint venture with Techint, an Argentinean
company.
The project comprises a 156-km pipeline supplying Santa Rosa and other
cities in the province of La Pampa with water from the Colorado River,
approximately 500 km southwest of Buenos Aires. The pipeline, with a diameter
of 1.1 meters, will have a maximum capacity of 2 cubic meters per second.
The assignment includes the construction of an intake and treatment plant,
two larger pump stations and a number of smaller ones, as well as operations
buildings and electrical installations.
A
fiber-optic (broadband) network will be installed parallel to the route
of the pipeline. The network will connect 20 cities and will comprise
a total of 595 km of fiber-optic cable. This portion of the total contract
amount is valued at approximately USD 8.5 M (SEK 87 M).


Metso extends its offer for Svedala
The process to obtain clearance from the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
for Metso Corporation's offer for Svedala Industri AB is still ongoing.
Metso has not yet received the final written draft of the terms of the
consent decree from the FTC but expects that it will be forthcoming shortly.
Following final consideration of these terms by Metso, the consent decree
would, if agreed, subsequently be submitted to the Federal Trade Commissioners
for approval.
This process is expected to take up to three weeks
from submission. As a result, Metso has decided to extend the offer until
September 7, 2001 and intends to make a further communication on or before
September 4, 2001.
Assuming that approval from the FTC is obtained within this time frame,
closing and settlement of the offer is expected to begin around September
14, 2001. Further information in relation to completion of the offer will
be communicated upon receipt of the FTC approval.
Metso remains committed to its conditional offer as now extended to September
7, 2001. With the exception of the extension, the terms of the offer by
Metso to the shareholders in Svedala Industri AB, announced on June 21,
2000, are unchanged.


Sandvik strengthens its position in the mining and construction industry
Sandvik's Mining and Construction business area has concluded an agreement
with the US company, Smith International, Inc. of Houston, Texas, regarding
the establishment of a jointly owned company for the development, manufacture,
marketing and service operations for roller cone bits for the mining and
construction industry.
The venture will involve the business sector Sandvik
Tamrock's roller cone bit business in Köping, Sweden, and the Smith
Bits Mining and Industrial Tools division of Smith International. The
new company - Sandvik Smith (Sandvik 50%, Smith 50%) - will have slightly
more than 200 employees and annual sales of approximately SEK 360 M. The
manufacturing units are located in Sweden, the United States and Italy.
The head office will be located in Köping, where the largest plant
will be located. Activity in this jointly owned company will commence
on 1 October 2001, and will be consolidated in its entirety in Sandvik
Mining and Construction.
Sandvik Smith will be a world-leading manufacturer of roller cone bits
for the mining and construction industry with a comprehensive product
range, and broad market coverage. The company will have full access to
Sandvik's and Smith International's R&D resources globally.
"Through Sandvik Smith, customers gain access to the market's most
comprehensive and advanced product range which increases their productivity
noticeably. Formation of the new joint venture is also part of Sandvik
Mining and Construction's aim to increase operations in the area of cemented-carbide
tools," says Anders Ilstam, President of Sandvik Mining and Construction.


Volvo invests in new and innovative technology
Volvo Technology Transfer, a wholly-owned subsidiary in the Volvo Group,
has made an investment in Wipcore AB, a Swedish company which has created
a platform for efficient e-business and information management.
Wipcore AB, a Gothenburg-based company founded in
1997, has focused on developing its own e-commerce and information management
platform, Wipcoretm. During the last year, despite the dominating market
trends, Wipcore AB has landed many new customers and partners.
"We like our business to be associated with new and innovative technology.
Wipcore AB has a strong product that we firmly believe in. The technology
is, in fact, already in use within the Volvo corporation: the Volvo Ocean
Race merchandise solution is created using Wipcoretm," says Anders
Brännström, President of Volvo Technology Transfer.
"The investment means that we now have resources for a proper expansion
in the Nordic countries and the rest of Europe during the coming two to
three years," Staffan Hansson, President of Wipcore AB explained.
"Our goal is to establish our product, Wipcoretm, as the industry
standard for its market. We are confident that the cooperation with Volvo
Technology Transfer and our other investors will help us achieve that
goal."


Nokia Signs USD200-million GSM Expansion Contract with Smart Communications,
Inc. in the Philippines
Nokia has signed an agreement valued at USD 200 million with Smart Communications,
Inc. for the expansion of its nationwide GSM network in the Philippines.
Nokia has been the sole supplier for Smart's digital mobile network since
Smart launched its GSM service in April 1999.
Under the contract, Nokia will supply and install
several mobile switching centers, home location registers, base station
controllers, advanced Ultrasite base stations, short messaging systems
and a new network management system.
The Nokia Ultrasite base station solution answers the increasing demand
for higher voice and data traffic in today's mobile networks and evolution
to the Mobile Internet era. An industry-leading product, Nokia Ultrasite
can support GSM and higher level mobile communication technologies.
This
expansion program will enable Smart's network to handle a subscriber base
in excess of six million subscribers by end of 2001, and up to 10 million
subscribers by 2002.
Upon the conclusion of this expansion phase, Smart expects to realize
substantial savings on a capacity-per-subscriber basis on account of the
advanced, high-capacity network facilities being deployed by Nokia.
"This
expansion agreement with Nokia is vital to our efforts to further raise
service quality levels and increase our subscriber base by substantially
increasing the subscriber capacity of our network," said Napoleon
L. Nazareno, President and CEO of Smart.

The Year
2001a

Roxar delivers Multiphase Meters for Deepwater Gulf of Mexico
Roxar has won a contract for three subsea multiphase meters to the Nakika
development in the deepwater part of the Gulf of Mexico. Shell is the
pre-development operator of Nakika, and Roxar's contract is with Kongsberg/FMC.
BP will be the leading operator of the Nakika field.
Says Torkell Gjerstad, CEO of Roxar; "We are
very pleased with this order for the Nakika development. This will be
the first deployment of subsea multiphase meters in the Gulf of Mexico.
This is an important step towards a wider acceptance and use of multiphase
metering technology in deepwater developments worldwide. Subsea multiphase
metering solutions offer significant CAPEX savings with improved reservoir
and production management, and we believe their use will be increasingly
commonplace as the subsea market expands."
"When operators select a vendor for critical subsea equipment such
as multiphase meters, they carefully review track record and robustness
of the proposed solution. This is particularly the case for first time
deployment in a high profiled area such as the Gulf of Mexico. We are
pleased to see that we passed the exam", says Managing Director of
Roxar Flow Management, Øyvind Isaksen.


Aspiro provides GlobalDining with key application and revenue stream
Aspiro has signed an agreement with application provider GlobalDining
for its worldwide restaurant directory and reservation network. This unique
agreement provides Aspiro with revenue streams as well as an attractive
key application.
This unique agreement, which is entirely subsidized
by participating restaurants, will, for the first time, provide Aspiro
with a revenue stream from an application provider.
"We're excited by the opportunity to market GlobalDining's restaurant
directory and services to our customers. Recent wireless use studies indicate
that finding a restaurant is the most popular use of mobile data services
in Europe. GlobalDining's service is by far the best available,"
says Lena Wittbjer, CEO at Aspiro.


NCC receives order in Singapore for approx. 720 MSEK
NCC is partner in an international joint venture which has been awarded
a contract, C825, for the extension of the Metro system in Singapore.
The total value of the contract is approximately SEK 2 billion, of which
NCC's portion is 720 MSEK. The Client is LTA, the Land Transport Authority
of Singapore, a statutory board under the Ministry of Communications and
Information Technology.
The Joint Venture, of which NCC is the technical leader,
comprises of Woh Hup Private Ltd, a well-established Singaporean construction
company and Shanghai Tunnelling Engineering Company Ltd, a Chinese based
company experienced in soft soil TBM excavation.
"We are very pleased to have received this order," says Mr Göran
Landgren, President of NCC International. "Singapore is one of our
prioritized markets for project operations internationally and this type
of project is totally in line with our strategy of specializing in underground
works. NCC has been been present in Singapore since 1999 and this prestigous
project is very important to our position in the region."
C825 of the Marina rapid transit line, consists of two parallel, 1,5 km
long bored tunnels, 700 metres of cut-and-cover tunnel and four underground
stations. The line starts at the existing station Dhoby Ghaut station,
runs under the wellknown Bras Basah Road and stops at the new Millenia
station. The works will be executed close to a number of well known buildings
such as the Singapore Art Museum, Raffles Hotel and Chijmes.
The
design phase of this Design and Build contract will start immediately,
with project completion in 2005. Approximately 1 000 persons will be engaged
in the project, the majority of which will be locally employed.


Top SAS Executive resigns after cartel disclosure
Vagn Sørensen, Executive Vice President at SAS, Scandinavian Airlines,
has today informed SAS President and Chief Executive Officer Jørgen
Lindegaard that he wishes to leave SAS Management with effect immediately
and to be allocated to another part of SAS.
"The cartel affair with Maersk is very unfortunate
and burdening for SAS. Personally, I have not been an integral part of
the illegal agreements, but they were made in my part of the organization.
Therefore, I feel a moral responsibility for what has happened and I hope
that my decision will help decrease the present negative pressure on SAS"
says Vagn
Sørensen.
Jørgen Lindegaard, President and Chief Executive Officer, has accepted
Vagn Sørensen's decision and wishes Vagn Sørensen to be
at his disposition for the time being.
Marie
Ehrling, has been appointed new Executive Vice President SAS Group. and
Gunnar Reitan, Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
SAS Group


Wilson Racquet Sports launch new technology in tennis racquet and tennis
ball
Wilson Sporting Goods Co.,
part of Finnish Amer Sports, has launched Triad, a new technology in tennis.
Triad is designed in multiple components, which maximises comfort and
power without compromising one for the other.
When hitting the ball all the racquets produce shock
followed by uncomfortable vibrations and sensations when reaching the
arm. Racquets in one continuous piece act as a conduit of vibration from
head to handle. This new design maximises comfort and power without compromising
one for the other. In Triad, the hoop and handle never touch as they are
buffered by Iso-Zorb that isolates shock in the hoop reducing 66% of the
vibration from ever reaching the body.
The new Triad technology includes 4 new racquets: Triad Hammer 2.0; Triad
Hammer 3.0; Triad Hammer 4.0 and Triad Hammer 5.0.
Earlier
this summer, Wilson introduced a new premium tennis ball, called Double
Core. The technology is butyl-based sealant, which reduces air permeation
by 200%. Along with a brand new premium felt, this allows the ball to
last twice as long as other pressurised tennis balls.


Postgirot Bank to be acquired by Nordbanken
Posten, the Swedish postal service and a corporation owned by the Swedish
State, has agreed to sell all of its interests in Postgirot Bank AB to
Nordbanken AB for MSEK 4,100 plus earnings retained in the company from
the beginning of 2001 until the closing of the transaction. This values
the transaction at approximately MSEK 4,400 - 4,500.
As
early as in 1999, Posten decided to withdraw from banking operations in
order to focus on its core business area. Posten lacked the necessary
means to develop both the operations of the Postgirot Bank and Posten's
core business sector.
-The purchase-sum of MSEK 4,100 including the profits in the company up
to the time of the take over, in all approximately MSEK 4,400 - 4,500,
will actively contribute towards a necessary strengthening of Posten's
finances. A stronger financial position and improved equity ratio are
essential requirements if Posten is to maintain and develop it's core
business - letters and parcels, says Lennart Grabe, CEO and Group Executive
Manager in Posten and chairman of the board of Postal Giro Bank.
However, the proceeds alone will not be sufficient for the requisite strengthening
of finances. This will require additional sales of assets in the form
of real estate (which will be implemented) plus an agreement with the
state regarding compensation for cashier services.
The sale implies that the Postgirot Bank will acquire a strong financial
owner that has the means to develop the business, says Lennart Grabe.
In addition, Nordbanken will supply the synergies within the banking sector
that the Postgirot Bank requires but that Posten is unable to offer.


Nokia completes World's first GSM 850 call in a live network
Milestone indicates further global success of GSM technology and will
provide full global roaming
"This is a logical step in our ongoing Push for
profit action plan," says CEO Niklas Flyborg. "Among other things,
it means that we are selling or closing units that are not deemed able
to achieve profitability within a reasonable time."
The call was conducted in Nokia's research and development facilities
in Texas and was made with Nokia GSM 850 MHZ base stations and handsets.
It is anticipated that an end-to-end solution will be available for North,
Central and South America carriers operating GSM 850 MHz networks later
this year.
"This is a major milestone in the expansion of GSM services in the
Americas as GSM is the most widely deployed standard in the world,"
says K-P Wilska, President, Nokia, Inc., Americas, "A major benefit
of GSM 850 is that it enables existing TDMA carriers as well as new GSM
carriers to benefit from the global success of GSM."
"Nokia believes that a solution offering GSM and GPRS with evolution
to EDGE and WCDMA will allow carriers to maximize both market share and
profit margins in the Third Generation," he adds.


Cell Network sells French company
Cell Network transfers all its shares in Cell Network France to the former
owners.
"This is a logical step in our ongoing Push for
profit action plan," says CEO Niklas Flyborg. "Among other things,
it means that we are selling or closing units that are not deemed able
to achieve profitability within a reasonable time."
With the deal Cell Network will be able to reduce its future financial
commitments by up to SEK 35-40 million, and avoid a considerable loss
for the second half of the year.
The sale means capital losses of SEK 85 million, already allocated in
the balance sheet at the end of June through goodwill being written down
to zero.
The deal is covered by an act on private placements known as the Leo Act,
meaning that it is conditional upon finding approval from a general shareholders'
meeting of Cell Network.
Earlier this year, Cell Network sold its Swedish subsidiaries, Cell Interactive
TV, Propello and Journalistgruppen, plus German subsidiary, Aperto. In
Sweden, the Västerås and Örebro offices have been closed,
the e-learning unit in Gothenburg has been sold, closures have been made
in Borlänge and Malmö, and Cell Network's head office has been
rationalised. In Spain, half the staff have been laid off and closures
have been made in Norway.


TDC gains DKK 550m by divesting Pannon, Hungary
TDC gains approx. DKK 550m by selling its minority shareholding in Hungarys
second-largest mobile company, Pannon GSM.
Pannon has been a pure financial investment
for us for several years, and we have not taken part in the operations
of the company, says Henning Vest, who besides being Senior Executive
Vice President at TDC is also President of TDC Mobile International.
Through its wholly-owned subsidiary TDC Mobile International, TDC has
entered into a framework agreement with Pannons other owners on
divestment of TDCs ownership share in Pannon. The ownership share
is 6.6 percent. The other owners of Pannon are KPN, the Netherlands, Sonera,
Finland and Telenor, Norway.
With the profits from the divestment in Hungary, TDC increases its possibilities
of pursuing the companys overall strategy of gaining influence within
the companys strategically important ownership shares.
We intend to consolidate our business and in the long term only
participate where we have direct control or can gain control in a positive
partnership with other investors, Henning Vest points out and adds:
In order to obtain the best possible synergies and economies of
scale it is necessary for us to have influence on the companies we own.
If we cannot obtain influence, we will sell when the time is right.
In addition to TDCs ownership share of 6.6 percent, Telenor acquires
a 44.7 percent stake from KPN and a 23 percent stake from Sonera. The
transaction is made in cash. When the transaction is in place, Telenor
will have increased its ownership share in Pannon GSM from 25.8 percent
to 100 percent.


Stora Ensos results reasonable in view of weaker market conditions
Stora Ensos sales for the quarter at EUR 3 388.4 million were about
7% less than the previous quarters EUR 3 637.0 million. The operating
profit excluding non-recurring items was EUR 346.4 million, which is 33.8%
less than the previous quarters EUR 523.0 million and 10.2% of sales.
The profit before tax and minority interests excluding non-recurring items
was EUR 248.3 million (EUR 429.5 million in previous quarter). Foreign
exchange losses decreased the second quarter profit by EUR 44 million.
Commenting on the results, Stora Ensos CEO Jukka
Härmälä said, "Markets were demanding, as anticipated
when announcing the first quarter results. In addition to seasonal curtailments,
such as the midsummer standstill that is compulsory in Finland, production
was curtailed to adjust to the market demand. Demand in June was also
lower for normal seasonal reasons. The impact of the curtailments is apparent
in the second quarter figures. Paper and board prices have held up fairly
well. Profitability should recover fairly quickly, if prices can be maintained."
Jukka Härmälä is confident about the recent acquisition
of Consolidated Papers in North America. "The USD 40 million of synergies
are a good achievement in the challenging economic environment, especially
since the product range includes primarily coated paper, which has suffered
most from the market situation. The USD 90 million synergy target will
be difficult to achieve in 2001 unless demand significantly improves in
North America during the second half of this year."


Ericsson signs Bluethooth deal with Taiwan
Ericsson Technology Licensing AB and Arima, Taiwan, have signed a licensing
agreement involving BluetoothTM Intellectual Property (IP). Under the
terms, Arima will license Ericsson's Radio and Baseband IP products. Integration
into products such as PDA's, handsets and mobile phones is planned to
start during next year.
"The agreement falls in line with Ericsson's
overall plan to strengthen its foothold in the Asian market," said
Maria Khorsand, president of Ericsson Technology Licensing. "Our
goal is to integrate our Bluetooth solutions into as many mass market
consumer products as possible. The contract with Arima is a testimony
proving our commitment to reach the mass market for all mobile handheld
devices."
Ericsson's radio transceiver, designed in 0.18-micron CMOS technology,
and the Baseband Core Product, named EBCP CherryRed, will be integrated
into most of the products manufactured by Arima, including PDA's, handsets
and mobile phones.
"The
Bluetooth transceiver from Ericsson provides an exceptionally compact
radio solution and since EBCP CherryRed is already qualified the time-consuming
qualification work is virtually done," said Mr. Stephen Lee, CEO,
Arima. "This together will enable us the fastest, most valuable way
of getting Bluetooth capability into our products."


Norwegian air fares are sky high
The Norwegian Competition Board is to examine the large difference in
cost of SAS air fares from Norway compared with those from Sweden.
Norwegian Nettavisen
has checked both the regular and the low season fares
on several destinations from Oslo and Gothenburg, and found that the air
fares are cheaper from Sweden.
The most remarkable difference was for a low season ticket to New York.
According to Nettavisen,
it is possible to purchase the ticket 29 per cent cheaper in Gothenburg
than in Oslo.
Director Lasse Ekeberg of the Norwegian Competition Board commented to
Dagens Naeringsliv that this difference seems unusually big, but says
that the Board now will look into the matter.
Consumer
Council Director Tom Bolstad says that the difference in price is a clear
indication of the lack of competition on the Norwegian market.
SAS
spokesperson Trine Loevberg remarked to Nettavisen that competiton on
the Swedish market is different, but that it must also be remembered that
it is more expensive to operate in Norway, with higher taxes and salaries.


Munters strengthens the position in fire and water damage control in France
Munters, Swedish leader in humidity control, with services and products
for dehumidification, humidification and cooling of air, has agreed to
purchase all shares in M´Renov SA. M´Renov is a French supplier
of fire damage restoration services based in St Etienne. The purpose of
the acquisition is to expand Munters service offering in the region Rhones-Alpes-Centre
in France.
M´Renov is a service company specialized in
the restoration of commercial and industrial properties after fire and
water damages in the regions Rhone-Alpes and Auvergne. The company is
located in St Heand, next to St Etienne and has approx. 20 employees.
The turnover for the financial year ending May 31 2001 was FRF 10 million
with an EBIT of FRF 1.2 million. M´Renov SA was founded in 1987
by the two owners Marc Morel and Marc Peyrard. The business has had a
positive development during the last years and the company today has a
strong position in this part of France. M´Renov is recognized for
high quality services and strong relations with the insurance industry.
An increasing demand from the insurance industry for services both in
fire and water damage restoration has been the driving force of the merger.
- The acquisition of M´Renov SA is in line with our strategy to
offer our customers complete service solutions by being able to offer
both fire and water damage restoration in all areas of France, says Laurent
Duval, Managing Director of Munters France SA. -The combination of Munters
and M´Renov will make us more competitive. It will give us a larger
platform for our organic growth, and a more optimal cost structure for
our operation in the central and south-east of France.mbro
BCT to assist in improving the safety of the world's blood supply."


Aspiro delivers SMS services to Canadian Microcell
Swedish Aspiro signs an agreement with Canadian Microcell i5 regarding
the delivery of SMS-based services at an order value of MSEK 3.2.
The agreement, which includes delivery and hosting
of SMS-based mobile services at an order value of at least MSEK 3,2 (~300
000 USD), constitutes Aspiro's largest order to date in the Canadian market.
The two-year agreement is non-exclusive.
Aspiro's interactive SMS applications will be incorporated into Microcell
i5's present platform, some of which will be customized to serve i5's
specific needs and requests. Hosting and maintenance of the services will
be handled by Aspiro's hosting facilities in Karlskrona, Sweden.
"We chose Aspiro because of their extensive portfolio of attractive
mobile services, which will contribute to making Microcell's offer unique
in Canada," says François-Charles Sirois, President and Chief
Operating Officer, Microcell i5.

Gambro awarded US patent for its unique process of inactivation of pathogens
in blood components
Swedish Gambro AB, leading international medical technology and healthcare
company, today announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Gambro BCT,
has been awarded a US patent for its unique process for inactivation of
pathogens in blood components. The patent encompasses a method of inactivating
viruses and bacteria in fluids that contain biologically active protein,
blood, or blood components. Gambro BCT's method adds an effective, non-toxic
photosensitizer to the fluid and then exposes it to light. The light can
be within either the visible or ultraviolet spectrum. The inactivation
method does not destroy the biological activity or effectiveness of the
protein, blood or blood component.
In 2000, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared
that its top priority is finding a way to ensure a zero-risk blood supply,
i.e. blood and blood components that are free from bacteria and viruses.
The pathogen inactivation technology is one way Gambro BCT seeks to improve
the safety of the world's blood supply. The technology is applied to each
of the blood components to minimize viral, bacterial and parasitic contamination
worldwide.
Gambro
BCT's unique pathogen inactivation technology uses light stimulation of
vitamin B2 (riboflavin) to alter the nucleic acids of pathogens, rendering
them inactive. Gambro BCT's pathogen inactivation technology is the first
that can inactivate viruses and bacteria in all three major blood components:
red blood cells, platelets and plasma. Non- toxic and non-mutagenic, riboflavin
is ingested in normal diets. In fact, riboflavin is considered essential
for human health.
David
Perez, President of Gambro BCT commented, "This represents a major
milestone in Gambro's journey to supply the blood community with a natural,
safe and efficacious alternative for pathogen inactivation. This marks
the beginning of a new direction for Gambro BCT to assist in improving
the safety of the world's blood supply."


Framfab Continues to Divest According to Plan
Framfab sells the main part of Framfab Labs, its subsidiary Framfab Spain
S.L. and divests its stakes in the Dutch companies Coin and Plinq. Framfab
also divests its eleven-percent stake in Framfab S.p.A. in Italy. These
divestments are part of the action programme that has been communicated
earlier.
The software development operations in Lund with 54
employees that was part of Framfab Labs and that mainly has been engaged
in the development of the Internet portal platform BRIKKS will be sold
to employees and external investors. Framfab will retain approximately
20 percent in the new company, but will not be represented on the board.
Jonas Birgersson will have an indirect ownership of 10 percent. The exact
terms will be communicated in the notice for an extraordinary general
meeting. The new company will have Jonas Birgersson as its CEO and he
will thus leave the Framfab Group. Jonas has also left the board of B2
Bredband, where he was Framfab's representative. Sven Skarendahl, Framfab's
chairman, replaces him there.
"We are happy that we have found new owners for Framfab Labs' operations
in Lund and wish Jonas Birgersson and his staff the best of luck. We are
looking forward to a successful partnership around BRIKKS and other products.
As Jonas Birgersson will be leaving Framfab, I want to express our gratitude
for his achievements over the years," said Sven Skarendahl, the chairman
of Framfab.


Nokia to supply 3G system to Italian operator Omnitel Vodafone
Omnitel Vodafone and Nokia have signed an agreement for the delivery of
the Nokia 3G network solution. Nokia will deliver Omnitel Vodafone's complete
3G mobility core network, including packet switched and circuit switched
elements and related support services. In addition Nokia will supply 3G
Radio Access Network (RAN) equipment.
The agreement is over three years. The value is approximately
EUR 150 million in the initial period of deliveries. As part of the agreement,
Omnitel Vodafone and Nokia will also establish a Service Creation Centre
for 3G application development in Milan. This will be complemented by
a Technology Centre to test the evolution of 3G technology and equipment.
Deliveries will begin immediately and the commercial launch is expected
to take place during second half 2002. It will enable Omnitel Vodafone,
which has currently more than 16 million subscribers nationwide, to be
among the first to offer subscribers the very latest in future generation
mobile services and applications.
"Nokia was chosen as our 3G network supplier because it offers the
most advanced, high quality and reliabile technology, and the most competitive
economic solution, to enable us to smoothly evolve to future generation
networks and stay ahead in the tough Italian market," says Vittorio
Colao, Chief Executive Officer, Omnitel Vodafone.
"This cooperation with Nokia is more than just network supply. The
3G Service Creation Centre will enable us to offer innovative services,
based on the best technologies available and in line with the expectations
of our clients for multimedia services and applications".
"Nokia
and Omnitel Vodafone have been working together since 1994 during which
time Omnitel Vodafone has become one of the largest mobile operators in
Europe," said Giuseppe Donagemma, Omnitel Vodafone Account Director,
Nokia.


SAS and Maersk Air fined for infringement of Competition Rules
The European Commission today decided to fine SAS and Maersk Air, 39,375
MEUR and 13,125 MEUR respectively, for having infringed European Competition
Rules.
SAS has admitted to the Commission that infringements
have been made, and has co-operated actively with the competition authorities
in order to find all relevant facts related to the case. "I deeply
regret that SAS has infringed the Competition Rules of the European Union
in this case," says Mr. Jørgen Lindegaard, President and CEO
of the SAS Group, in a statement today. "However, for SAS at this
time, the most important thing is now to look to the future, put this
very unfortunate case behind us, and ensure that this will never ever
happen again." SAS finds however that the fine imposed on it, is
disproportionate, and not at all related to the effects the infringements
have had on the market, nor to previous case law of the European Commission.
The decision seems to be politically influenced, and should be looked
upon as a signal to the entire airline industry and its market practices.
SAS is seriously considering appealing the decision related to the level
of fine to the Court of First Instance in Luxembourg, while still accepting
the substance of the decision.
SAS also concludes that consumers have not been negatively affected as
a consequence of the infringements. Fares have not been raised on the
routes that were subject to the discussions, and the total number of destinations
served from Copenhagen and Billund has actually been increased as a consequence
of the overall cooperation between the two companies.
It
is however clear, that these types of infringements of the competition
rules are totally unacceptable. SAS has therefore initiated a comprehensive
internal compliance programme, aimed at key staff involved in commercial
issues, which should ensure that such an incident is not repeated. Certain
decision-making processes and organizational structures have and will
also be carefully reviewed as a consequence of this case.


The European Commissions continues investigation of the proposed merger
between FöreningsSparbanken and SEB
The European Commission today announced its decision that it will start
an in-depth investigation of the proposed merger between SEB and FöreningsSparbanken.
The Commission's final decision about the merger is expected by the end
of November.
The Extraordinary General Meetings in the two banks,
where the proposed merger will be put forward for the shareholders to
decide upon, are planned to be held during the fourth quarter 2001..
"The case is extensive and we understand that the Commission wants
to perform a thorough investigation", says Nils-Fredrik Nyblæus,
responsible for the integration process and CFO of FöreningsSparbanken.
"We want our shareholders to have access to information that is as
complete and well founded as possible in order to decide on the proposed
merger. We therefore have decided to postpone the Extraordinary General
Meetings to a later date ", adds Lars Gustafsson, responsible for
the integration process and CIO of SEB.


Skanska wins new partnering agreement in the UK, valued at SEK 460 M
Skanska has been awarded a new partnering agreement with CLASP, the UK
body behind one of the longest-running building systems for schools and
public buildings, to join in the new drive to deliver best value property
solutions to its communities.
CLASP has entered a framework agreement with Skanska
as its partnering contractor under an exclusive 3-year program worth in
excess of GBP 30 M (approximately SEK 460 M).
For more than 40 years, CLASP has provided a rapid-build structural system
in Britain and Europe, covering schools, university, healthcare facilities,
defense and various public buildings.
In launching the new agreement, CLASP is establishing a new era of partnership
between the public and private sectors. Skanska was chosen for its management
skills and strong commitment to achieving the highest environmental standards.


Munters mitigates losses after Texas storm Allison
Allison, the worst rainstorm to hit Texas in 22 years, dropped over 900
mm of rain in the Houston area in four days in early June. The storm killed
17 people and caused an estimated SEK 10 billion in damages. Munters MCS
operation (Moisture Control Services) was called to more than 40 sites
in less than three days. By the end of the fourth week after the storm,
120 projects, using thousands of pieces of drying equipment, had been
completed. The total order value is estimated to be in excess of SEK 50
million.
Over 40 schools, universities, numerous hospitals
as well as a number of large building management firms was helped by Munters.
Munters also helped restoring some 300 m3 of books and documents at the
Houston Medical Center.
"From
a disaster management point of view this was a milestone in the way that
it proved that customers now know that prompt action to begin drying after
water damage will significantly reduce losses and minimize business interruption.
Building management professionals also understand the danger of micro
biological contamination. Mold, mildew and bacteria can grow rapidly in
flooded buildings, causing serious long term health hazards, particularly
if the outside temperatures are warm. Houston buildings were rife for
contamination with temperatures between 20-30 degrees Celsius.",
says Lauren Reid, Munters General Manager of Moisture Control Services
in the US.
Nearly 5000 dehumidifiers and air movers were working at one time. With
the need to press all possible equipment into service, Munters unveiled
a new mobile drying system called Emergency Response Unit (ERU). The ERU
can be installed in a building that has lost all power and immediately
go into service.
"With an estimated amount in excess of SEK 50 million in orders,
this is one of the largest projects in Munters MCS history. However, weather
related damages are only a small part of our business. The largest segment
by far in this division is the every day insurance claim like bursting
pipes and leaking household appliances in houses, stores and industrial
buildings", says CEO Lennart Evrell.


Schibsted ASA - 20 Minutes Cologne shuts down
The free newspaper 20 Minutes which was launched in Cologne, Germany at
the end of 1999 by the Norwegian Media group Schibsted will be closed
down with immediate effect. The last issue will be published on Wednesday
July 11.
The decision to stop publication must be seen in relation
to the decision earlier this year not to proceed at the present time with
launches in several German cities. 20 Minutes Holding's analysis shows
that the entry in the German market can only be successful if done on
a national level. In 2000 20 Minutes Cologne was forced to suspend publication
for several weeks due to legal challenges from several established players.
These legal challenges together with the difficult competitive situation
in the advertising market have also contributed to the decision to stop
the publication of the newspaper in Cologne.
A stand-alone operation in Cologne does not appear to be economically
viable, and further resources will not be allocated to this project. 20
Minutes Holding will focus its resources towards projects in other European
countries and towards the further expansion of the Swiss operation, which
is very successful.


Nokia and Sonera to pilot Multimedia Messaging in the live network
Nokia and Sonera, the largest mobile operator in Finland, announced today
they have started piloting Multimedia Messaging (MMS) technology and services.
The pilot Sonera is conducting with Nokia MMS products is one the very
first in the world evaluating end-to-end MMS technology in the live network
environment.
In the MMS pilot Sonera is using the Nokia Artuse
(TM) MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) Center, a high-capacity platform
which enables new multimedia messaging services combining rich content,
such as audio and video clips, photographs and images, with traditional
text messaging. In addition, Nokia provides Sonera with the Nokia 9210
Communicators' special software which supports the MMS technology.
"Earlier this year Nokia introduced the world's first MMS solution
for operators - the Nokia Artuse (TM) MMS Center. The multimedia messaging
concept is built on the undisputed success of Short Message Service and
will be one the key services leading the market to 3G," says Pekka
Salonoja, Vice President, Mobile Internet Applications, Nokia Networks.
"We are pleased to further enhance our strong relationship with Sonera
in this important pilot and to explore the full possibilities of the end-to-end
MMS solution before the expected commercial roll-out of MMS next year",
added Mr Salonoja.
Multimedia messaging is the industry-standardized 3G service and both
companies have been actively contributing the standardization work both
in WAP Forum and 3GPP.


Saab sells technique for Bloodcentrifuging to Gambro
"Orbisac System is based of patents that has been further developed
at Saab Bofors Dynamics in Karlskoga, Sweden and is another good example
of how military technology and Saab's wide knowledge can be used to develop
commercial products", says Göran Widén, member in Saab's
Venture Capital Council.
Saab is one of the world's leading high-technology
companies, with its main operations focusing on defence, aviation and
space. The group covers a broad spectrum of competence and capability
in systems integration.


Ankari Adds Support for Precise Biometrics Fingerprint Readers to Trinity
Software
Ankari and Precise Biometrics combine complementary technologies to deliver
convenient solutions for enterprise authentication.
Ankari Inc., a market leader in enterprise network
authentication products, and Swedish Precise Biometrics AB, Europe's leading
biometric company, today announced that Ankari's Trinity(TM) authentication
and single sign-on software now supports hardware from Precise Biometrics.
The Precise 100 A fingerprint reader and Precise 100 SC integrated fingerprint
and smart card reader offer Ankari and Precise Biometrics customers a
family of compact, award-winning, USB-based devices that when combined
with Trinity's authentication framework deliver unparalleled flexibility
in a network security solution..
"Trinity
software from Ankari provides customers with a convenient and secure authentication
software platform to counter the negative productivity effect and security
exposure of massive password proliferation," says Christer Bergman,
President and CEO, Precise Biometrics. "By providing a sophisticated
level of compatibility with our fingerprint readers, Ankari and Precise
Biometrics can now offer customers more choices for meeting their network
security needs."
"Flexibility
and a range of options are essential for enterprise authentication deployments,"
says Jason Wright, Industry Analyst of Security Technologies for Frost
& Sullivan. "Broad support for third party hardware devices is
critical for enterprise authentication in a wide range of organizations.
Trinity software is well positioned to address such unique system and
security requirements."


Volvo Bus and Autodromo sign long-term Cooperation Agreement
Volvo Bus Corporation and Carrozzeria Autodromo Modena have signed a co-
operation agreement for the marketing of Midibuses in the European market
and for the marketing of City and Intercity buses in Italy.
Volvo Bus Corporation and the Italian company Autodromo
(based in Modena and offiically known as Carrozzeria Autodromo Modena
Scarl) have decided to pool their experience and skills in the Citybus
segment by signing a co-operation agreement for the development, production
and marketing of Midibuses on the European market, as well as for the
marketing of City and Intercity buses in Italy.
The
co-operation foresees that Volvo Bus Corporation will supply engines and
components to Autodromo and, in turn, will market complete midibuses from
Autodromo across the European market, through the Volvo Bus sales network.
Volvo Bus Corporation will also take care of all Aftersales activities
across Europe.
Commenting
on this co-operation, Lars Blom, Vice President in charge of European
Marketing at Volvo Bus Corporation said: "In Autodromo, we have found
an innovative partner that shares our values and our determination to
exceed our customers' expectations. The synergy across our product ranges
will enhance our total offering and I look forward to a very successful
cooperation".


New, Oslo insider trading rules effective as from 1 July
Oslo Børs draws attention to the new rules on insider trading which
went into effect on 1 July 2001. The new rules substantially tighten the
prohibition of insider trading.
Inside information need no longer be likely to have a significant effect
on prices for the prohibition to apply. Moreover, such information has
been redefined from
information of "a precise and confidential" nature to information
"which is not publicly available or generally known in the market".
Tn June the Storting passed amendments to the rules
of the Securities Trading Act dealing with insider trading - Chapter 2.
The new rules impose more stringent requirements on market players´
handling of price-sensitive information.
The
principal changes are:
- Inside information, which was previously deemed to be information which
would be likely to have a significant effect on prices, is now deemed
to be information which would be likely to affect prices.
- Primary insiders, employees, advisers etc., who possess inside information
are now subject to a specific duty of
care to prevent such information passing to unauthorised parties (leakage
rule).
- The prohibition of trading for a specified period prior to the release
of annual and interim accounts is revoked.
Queries regarding the new insider trading rules can be directed to Oslo
Børs, Legal Department or Surveillance Department.


Swedes are positive towards globalisation
Sweden is one of the nations in the world who has a highly favourable
opinion of free trade. This is confirmed in a report from the Confederation
of Swedish Enterprise. The Swedes are also positive to globalisation.
Very few Swedes view globalisation as a threat, according to the report.
The report is based on a survey, which has looked
into the Swedes' attitudes towards globalisation. The survey shows that
48 percent of Swedes have a positive or very positive attitude towards
globalisation and only 10 percent perceive it negatively.
According
to the survey, over 90 percent of Swedes believe that international trade
is important. Fifty-four percent imply that trade liberalisation is a
better path to employment and prosperity than import restrictions. "The
Economist" has posed this very same question in 22 other countries.
On the whole, these surveys show that Swedes, together with Taiwanese,
South Koreans and Hong Kong Chinese, have the most positive attitude towards
free trade.
The
surveys also show that globalisation critics do not have great support
in Sweden. There are nearly four times as many Swedes who have a positive
view of the World Trade Organisation, WTO, than those who support globalisation
critics, such as Attac. In addition, over 60 percent of Swedes - contrary
to many globalisation critics - regard free movement of capital across
borders of great importance.


Norwegian Ementor becomes strategic supplier to Barclays Bank
Ementor, Merkantildata's e-business consulting company, has signed a framework
agreement with Barclays for the delivery of core banking software products
and Internet based development expertise to the bank's Business Banking
division. The contract establishes Ementor as a development partner with
Barclays and has an initial value of approximately GBP 6.5mil (approx.
NOK 86,4 m).
The first two projects included in the agreement are
the implementation of core components from Ementor's Provida Banking Software
portfolio, the development of an Internet based delivery system, and integration
services for the Barclays Business Internet Banking programme and the
Customer Liquidity Management Project. Both projects are expected to run
into 2002.
In
addition, the contract includes the provision of a Support and Maintenance
service agreement to assist Barclays in the live running of the applications.
Gary
Edwards (Director of Business Internet Banking, Barclays) says; "Ementor
was chosen by the bank for its unique combination of flexible banking
software components and tried and tested expertise in the development
of Internet based solutions."


Saab announces the sale of Celsius Aerotech Inc. to Reliance Aerotech
Inc.
Saab AB announced today the sale of its wholly owned subsidiary Celsius
Aerotech Inc. to Reliance Aerotech Inc. with headquarters in USA.
- This is a further step in Saab´s refining
its activities after the procurement of Celsius, said Gert Schyborger,
Group Senior Vice President of Saab.
"Celsius
Aerotech Inc. with operations in Nashville, Tennessee and Teterboro, New
Jersey, provides comprehensive aircraft maintenance and modifications,
aircraft painting and overhaul and repair of numerous aircraft components
for the regional and corporate market. Celsius Aerotech is a designated
approved dealership for many components and airframe manufacturers.
Reliance
Aerotech Inc. with operations in the USA and Canada is an independent
provider of technical and maintenance, repair and overhaul services for
the regional, commercial and business aviation markets. With the new acquisition
the Reliance group of companies has more than 300 000 square feet of hangar
and operations facilities and a workforce of more than 450 people.


Swedish Cell Network selling Cell Interactive TV
Cell Network's subsidiary, Cell Interactive TV, with its 20 staff, is
being sold to London-based Sparkidea Consulting. This sale is one step
in refining the core activity within Cell Network and creating profitability
within all sections of the group.
"This is the optimum solution for Cell Network
and our customers. Cell ITV will have an active and focused owner who
will give them a strong position in the new group, and the potential to
further develop our joint ventures," says Pehr Andersson, head of
the Media/Communication business segment at Cell.
Sparkidea
Consulting specialises in digital media and entertainment and with this
acquisition will gain access to advanced solutions for interactive TV
and greater coverage on the Nordic market. Cell ITV's staff are being
offered the chance to remain in Stockholm, integrated with Sparkidea's
European network.
"Cell
ITV is way ahead in digital development," says Willard Ahdritz, working
chairman of Sparkidea Consulting. "Among other things, they have
developed interactive services for the Olympic Games 2000, plus the advanced
voting application for the Eurovision Song Contest. In other words, we
are acquiring a highly skilled company. "


Huhtamaki sells Italian molded fiber operation to Luxembourg-based investor
group
Finnish consumer packaging manufacturer Huhtamaki, has agreed to sell
its Italian molded fiber operation, Keyes Italiana S.p.A., to Medeur S.A.,
a Luxembourg-based investor group. The operation is located in Fiumefreddo,
Sicily, and employs approx. 60 people, producing mainly egg trays and
cartons. Its sales in 2000 amounted to approx. EUR 7 million.
"This operation is small by our standards and
offers limited potential for growth or synergies as part of Huhtamaki's
Italian organization," said Mr. Matti Tikkakoski, Huhtamaki's Executive
Vice President for Europe. "As a stand-alone entity, it will be able
to focus on consolidating its position in the Italian and Mediterranean
markets for egg packaging."
Huhtamaki
is the world's leading provider of molded fiber packaging and technology,
and has agreed to maintain strong technological and commercial links with
the divested unit. Accordingly, Medeur will continue to source machinery
and complementary molded fiber products from Huhtamaki. Similarly, Huhtamaki
will continue to sell and distribute some of its products outside Italy.
The
transaction will not materially affect Huhtamaki's position in the Italian
consumer packaging markets. In 2000, the company's sales in Italy amounted
to EUR 124 million, mainly derived from the well- established plastic
and paper packaging operations in Torino and Parma.


Metro Today to be launched in Toronto
Metro International S.A. ("Metro"), the international newspaper
group, today announced that the new title, 'Metro Today', will be launched
in Toronto on 9 July 2001. The launch follows the previously announced
joint venture between Torstar Corporation and Metro International. 190,000
copies of the new newspaper will be printed and distributed on Monday,
immediately making Metro Today the second largest daily newspaper in the
Greater Toronto area.
Metro's partnership with Torstar Corporation reflects
the requirement under Canadian law for international publishers to have
local partners. The new title will replace the existing 'Metro' and 'Today'
newspapers, which are distributed free of charge in the City of Toronto
by Metro and Torstar respectively. ´Metro Today´ will maintain
the same style and format, as well as the same number of employees as
all other Metro editions. The newspaper will continue to be distributed
from racks within Toronto's subway system and commuter train network,
as well as in other commuter zones in the City.
Pelle
Törnberg, President & CEO of Metro International, commented:
"We are delighted to have now received confirmation of our joint
venture in Canada. Our partnership with Torstar combines the strengths
of both organisations and, together with our operation in Montreal, gives
us a strong position in the Canadian media market."


Telia becomes a key supplier for Europes research network GÉANT
Telia International Carrier has been appointed one of the main suppliers
for the build-up of the new GÉANT network. Telia International
Carrier has, in competition with 15 other major players, won the contract
to provide a significant part of the pan-European research network GÉANT
with international capacity through a long-term agreement with the co-ordinating
partner of the project, DANTE.
GÉANT is a four-year, 220-million Euro project
co-funded by the European Commision set up by a Consortium of 27 European
national research and education networks with DANTE as its co-ordinating
partner. Reaching over 3,000 research and education institutions in over
30 countries, GÉANT will provide the highest capacity and will
offer the greatest geographic coverage of any network of its kind in the
world. It will be fully operational in November 2001.
-
That DANTE chose Telia International Carrier as a supplier shows that
we can meet their high demands. DANTE is an important client to us and
we are proud to get this prestigeous assignment in today's tough competition,
says Lars Rydin, Head of Telia International Carrier.
-
DANTE's demands on the GÉANT suppliers are technically immense
and the GÉANT network is one of the most sophisticated IP backbones
to be built in Europe, concludes Olof Joos, Key Account Manager at Telia
International Carrier.

Evox Rifa starts capacitor production in China
Evox Rifa and the Chinese Jianghai Capacitor Factory have concluded an
agreement to start a joint venture specializing in the production of electrolytic
capacitors. In two years' time the parties will invest in total approximately
EUR 4 million in the joint venture in which Evox Rifa has 80 percent holding.
The JV is expected to reach a yearly sales of EUR 20 million.
The new joint venture supports Evox Rifa's growth
strategy and is expected to improve Evox Rifa's competitiveness and financial
result during the second year after the start up of production. Finnfund
(The Finnish Fund for Industrial Cooperation Ltd.)is the main funder of
this transaction.
Production
is expected to start up gradually in the first quarter of 2002. The company
will lease a 2,000 square meter production space in Nantong, near Shanghai.
The new plant will utilize Evox Rifa's and Jianghai's technological know-how
in the manufacture of snap-in and screw terminal capacitors.
Mr. Björn Rundlöf is appointed Managing Director of the newely
established joint venture. He has been in various positions from R &
D to factory management for the last 30 years at Evox Rifa and is currently
R & D manager at Evox Rifa's plant in Gränna, Sweden.


Major bus orders for Volvo´s new joint venture in Shanghai
Volvo Buses has received orders for 200 buses from major bus operators
in the city of Shanghai. On 30 June 2000, it was announced that the Volvo
Bus Corporation and local industrial group Shanghai Automotive Industry
Corporation (SAIC) had signed agreements concerning the establishment
in Shanghai of a joint-venture company for the manufacture and sale of
city and commuter buses. Since then the new company, Shanghai Sunwin Bus
Corporation (Sunwin Bus) has been established and production of Volvo
buses has started. The orders symbolise a breakthrough for the Shanghai
joint venture.
As a result of the earlier joint venture, Xian Silver
Bus Corporation, the Volvo brand already has a strong position on the
Chinese coach market. "The large orders that Sunwin Bus has secured
prove that our new company has an attractive range of modern city buses
to offer emerging markets. We are extremely happy about these milestone
orders," says Jan Engström, President and CEO of the Volvo Bus
Corporation.
Following
the signing of the agreements on 30 June 2000, the joint venture company
was established in September. Employees were recruited in the autumn and
the new joint Volvo and SAIC management team was formed.
The
production of Volvo buses got under way in the past few months. The new
buses consist of Volvo B7R chassis and bodies which have been developed
jointly by Sunwin Bus and Volvo, based on an earlier Chinese body model.
The
municipal authorities and local Shanghai bus operators are anxious that
as many new Volvo buses as possible are delivered before the APEC summit
meeting, which will take place in Shanghai in October this year. "This
request is an honour as well as a challenge for Sunwin Bus" says
Mr Jan Engström.


SKF expands in China
SKF has signed a joint venture contract with Shanghai Bearing (Group)
Co. Ltd, (SBC), part of Shanghai Electrical Group Corporation, to establish
a company to manufacture and sell high performance deep groove ball bearings.
SKF holds 60 percent in the new joint venture and SBC 40 percent.
The market segment to be served is mainly household
appliances, electrical motors, automotive electrical components, power
tools and two- wheelers. This is a fast growing market in China and the
production is planned to start in 12 months' time.
The
joint venture will rent the new 9 000 sq meter factory building that is
to be built in Shanghai. The joint venture will invest some SEK 125 million
in the project and will employ 200 persons when the factory is working
at full capacity.
SKF
has, together with SBC, since six years a joint venture company manufacturing
automotive bearings. With this new investment SKF has five joint venture
companies, one sales company, seven representative offices and one holding
company in China. SKF is also holding 20 percent of the shares in China's
biggest bearing manufacturer, Wafangdian Bearing Co., Ltd.
Total turnover of SKF in China will, with the new joint venture, increase
with some 15 percent and SKF will become the third biggest bearing company
in the Chinese bearing market.a


Telenor to manage Volvo Ocean Races homepage
Nextra AS, which is a part of Telenor Business Solutions, has signed an
agreement with the organisers of the Volvo Ocean Race sailing race for
the management of their website. The contract involves providing capacity
for the delivery of live images on the website that is being constructed
to meet the demand of periodically being among the world's most highly
visited websit
The Volvo Ocean Race (VOR) starts in September 2001
and finishes in July 2002. In periods, VOR's homepage is most likely to
be among the most highly visited websites in the world. Heavy traffic
is expected during the first and last stages of the race. Nextra has therefore
designed the website to be able to handle more than 120 million hits per
day.
Nextra
will both manage VOR's web pages and provide capacity for the delivery
of live images (so called streaming) from the vessels, which audiences
all over the world will be able to view via their PCs.
"We
are very satisfied with the agreement with VOR, which we see as a confirmation
that Nextra is among the leading suppliers of hosting and streaming services,"
said Diego Mackee, head of sales and marketing at Nextra AS. "We
have delivered equivalent video services to the 'Big Brother' TV series,
and the agreement demonstrates that we have the capacity and the competence
to deliver some of the market's most advanced solutions," said Mackee.


Carlsberg Breweries A/S closes public tender in Poland
16th May 2001 Carlsberg Breweries A/S increased it's shareholding in the
Polish brewery Okocimskie Zaklady Piwowarskie S.A. (Okocim) to 50.01 per
cent and 17th May 2001 announced a public tender for the outstanding shares
at the price of PLN 16.25 per share.
The tender was open until closing of the Warsaw Stock
Exchange on 2nd July 2001. At the price of PLN 108.6 million. (DKK 238.9
million) Carlsberg Breweries has bought the amount of 6,680,478 shares
which equals 30.37 per cent of the share capital. This means Carlsberg
Breweries now owns 80.38 per cent of the share capital.
According
to the Polish Securities Commission Carlsberg Breweries ownership is not
allowed to exceed 75 per cent of the share capital and Carlsberg Breweries
therefore has to sell 5.38 per cent of the share capital, when it is possible
without economic losses.


Active ISP Completes Acquisition of Carambole
Norwegian Internet-related services company Active ISP announced today
that it has completed its acquisition of Carambole, Sweden's leading web
hosting and domain name registration company.
The combined company will be among the largest web-hosting
companies in Europe with expected annual revenues of over NOK 200 million,
(25 Mill. Euros). Selling shareholders in Carambole are receiving 2.800.000
Active ISP shares and 950.000/500.000 (in total 1.450.000) stock warrants
with a strike price of NOK 14/16.50. The total consideration was valued
at NOK 41.0 million resulting in goodwill for accounting purposes of NOK
35 million.
"This
culminates our first step in a very strategic process that will render
our combined company into one of the largest and best positioned web hosting
companies in Europe", says David Chartier, Chairman of Active ISP.


Assa Abloy acquires MAB, Italian market leader in door closers
Assa Abloy has acquires MAB Masellis SpA,Italian market leader in overhead
door closers and floor springs. The acquisition strengthens ASSA ABLOY's
position in Italy considerably.
Through
the previous acquisitions of the Yale Intruder Security Group and effeff,
Assa Abloy has established a good position in Italy. The acquisition of
MAB strengthens this position considerably and increases opportunities
to develop the market, including the introduction of products for higher
levels of security.
Assa Abloy has the ambition of establishing a leading position and offering
a complete range of products in all major markets. Door closers form an
important part of a lock package, providing secure operation of a door.


Ford selects Tupy and SinterCast for new engine programme
Ford Motor Company has awarded Tupy Fundições of Brazil,
one of the world's leading iron foundries, and the high-tech Swedish company
SinterCast, the production contract for the compacted graphite iron (CGI)
cylinder block of its new V6 diesel engine. The state-of-the-art 2.7 litre
V6 engine will be the first ever volume engine produced with a compacted
graphite iron cylinder block.
Scheduled
for production start during 2003, the new V6 engine will become the range-topping
powerplant in the combined Ford-PSA (Peugeot- Citroën Group) global
diesel engine strategy. With target applications including Jaguar, PSA,
Land Rover and Ford vehicles, high volumes will be achieved during the
first full production year, 2004. The selection of Tupy, SinterCast and
compacted graphite iron for this flagship programme is particularly significant
in the light of Ford's stated ambition, together with PSA, to become the
largest diesel engine manufacturer in the world.
Mr.
Mário Egerland, President and C.E.O. of Tupy said, "The Ford
decision is of great significance for Tupy. It confirms our belief in
compacted graphite iron as a key engine construction material for the
future and acknowledges and rewards our strategy to become the CGI foundry
for the worldwide automotive industry. With this production programme
leading the way, we anticipate considerable growth both within the Ford-PSA
alliance and with other car and truck manufacturers in Europe, America
and Asia. Tupy Fundições is committed to leading this trend
toward CGI".
Mr.
Bertil Hagman, President & CEO of SinterCast said, "Following
years of technical achievements, and successful low-volume production,
this first volume production order signals the beginning of a new era
for SinterCast, compacted graphite iron, and the world foundry and automotive
industries. The selection of SinterCast CGI confirms the industry confidence
in our process control technology for the reliable volume production of
high quality CGI, and rewards our long-standing role as the CGI technology
development partner to the industry. This important decision from Ford
verifies that the entire CGI manufacturing process, including machining,
satisfies mass production requirements and economics".


ReadSoft closes global reseller agreement with SPSS MR
ReadSoft has closed a strategic agreement with SPSS MR (Market Research),
a division of the US based software company SPSS Inc. SPSS MR will integrate
and resell Eyes & Hands FORMS, ReadSoft's product for automatic data
capture. The agreement is initially worth 200 000 USD.
SPSS
MR offers a broad variety of market research solutions to customers on
a global market. When setting up a model for a market survey with SPSS
MR, ReadSoft's Eyes & Hands FORMS will automatically be put into work
to capture, interpret and verify the scanned information on paper forms.
The global agreement makes Eyes & Hands FORMS a fully integrated part
of the SPSS MR portfolio.
"The
market research industry was an early adopter of automatic data capture
technology and is one of our largest segments. The agreement with SPSS
MR will further improve our penetration of the market research segment.
SPSS MR has a considerable share of the global market and has previously
worked with competitors of ours," says Jan Andersson, MD of ReadSoft.
Ian
Durrell, MD of SPSS MR, comments the agreement: "We are excited about
the agreement with Readsoft. Our new Dimensions range of data collection
products has been built to interface seamlessly with Readsoft software.
We believe we can add substantially to the number of users of Readsoft
software through the integration of our two products."
SPSS
MR analyzes data within, for instance, telecommunications, healthcare,
banking and insurance. ReadSoft's Eyes & Hands FORMS is specialized
in capturing and interpreting data on forms and is therefore well suited
for the market research segment. Eyes & Hands FORMS is already an
integrated part in market research projects run by companies such as GFK
and Infratest Burke.
Nicholas Mead


Nokia announce wireless GPRS launch in USA
Nokia today announced that its first GPRS (General Packet Radio Service)-enabled
wireless phone is expected to be available in the Americas by the end
of 2001. The
feature-intense Nokia 8390 (GSM/GPRS 1900) combines the newest high-speed
packet data technology with the signature style that has become the hallmark
of Nokia's wireless products
GPRS
technology allows users to stay connected to the Internet using packet
switching technology that transmits information via short bursts, or packets.
This allows for faster downloads of information and no time spent completing
a dial-up connection. Users can stay connected to their favorite information
and entertainment services, and are able to stay logged in to the Internet
or e-mail account without having to maintain a continuous phone call.
"As the next step on the road to the third generation, GPRS will
bring a new level of wireless connectivity that will deliver advanced
wireless services that consumers in the Americas want and need."
said K-P Wilska, president of Nokia Inc.. "Equally as important as
the new GPRS technology used in the Nokia 8390 is that, as a Nokia product,
this phone is also designed to be intuitive to the user. After all, technology
is only valuable if people can easily use it in their everyday lives."
The GPRS-enabled Nokia 8390 can quickly access data by using its Wireless
Access Protocol (WAP) mobile Internet browser, or by connecting to a PC
using its integrated infrared port. The Nokia 8390 supports the most recent
WAP release, WAP 1.2.1, which enables the possibility of 'push' services
like continuous news updates. Allowing for a more convenient mobile Internet
experience, this newest WAP release also allows for the optional use of
'cookies', so that information from a previous session can be recalled
without entering information for a second time.
Nicholas Mead


Switchcore share issue fully subscribed
SwitchCore of Sweden, developers of integrated switching devices for data
and internet communication, have carried out a new stock issue with preferential
rights for stockholders, during June. The issue, worth SEK 242 million,
was fully subscribed. The lead manager was Handelsbanken Investment Banking.
"It's
very satisfying that the issue was fully subscribed," states Jan
Gustavsson, chairman of SwitchCore AB.
"Our stockholders have shown us great loyalty and this naturally
spurs the company on to achieve its goals," he concludes.
The issue has provided a capital injection of SEK 242 million before issue-related
costs. The total number of stocks after the issue is 85 513 702.
Nicholas Mead


Sense integrates Site Communications
Site Communications of Norway have announced they are integrating the
company "to achieve synergies and reduce total operating costs and
position the company for future growth.
The
WEB channel in Site has proved to be an efficient sales channel, and will
further enhance the company's distribution power. Before acquisition costs,
Site contributes positively, before integration synergies, to the company's
cash-flow when incorporated in the results by 1st of June 2001. Sense
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