ericsson

Ericsson has filed a suit against Samsung for patent infringement.

The Swedish telecommunications equipment maker said today that it launched the lawsuit after the two companies were unable to reach an agreement about renewing patent licensing deals.

Samsung previously licensed Ericsson's patents in 2001 and renewed terms in 2007, but licenses have now expired. According to Ericsson, Samsung refused to renew the licensing agreements for its patents on FRAND terms. FRAND (fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory) terms are used by industry groups to set standards for technology and products, and are aimed at encouraging competitiveness without allowing rights holders to … Read more

Stop me if you've heard this one before: an embattled consumer electronics company is counting on its latest smartphone to vault it back onto the U.S. consumer's radar.

I could be talking about Nokia, Research in Motion, or LG. But today, it's Sony and the Xperia Ion, which AT&T will sell on June 24 for $99.99.

That you could tell the same attempted-comeback story about so many different vendors in the U.S. underscores the increasingl challenges in the smartphone arena, where there are a few haves (Apple and Samsung Electronics) and many … Read more

The Swedish telecommunications equipment company released its second Traffic and Market report during a media event today in San Francisco.

Fully titled as "Traffic and Market Report: On the Pulse of the Networked Society," the report predicts expansive global data coverage in the next five years.

According to its research, not only will half the world's population be covered by LTE/4G networks in 2017, but 85 percent of the world will have high-speed mobile 3G Internet by then as well.

In addition, the total number of smartphone subscriptions will grow from 700 million in 2011, to … Read more

NEW ORLEANS--When Ericsson CEO Hans Vestberg used his Consumer Electronics Show keynote to demonstrate the company's Connected Me concept, which turns the human body into a bridge between gadgets, he was met with lackluster applause.

Part of the problem was the audience didn't fully grasp what Vestberg was trying to show. He was on stage holding a smartphone in one hand and the sensor for an audio system in the other. The data signal shot through his body, playing an MP3 from the phone on the speaker system. In effect, he became a replacement for a USB cord … Read more

NEW ORLEANS--T-Mobile's network will be compatible with the iPhone later this year -- even if it isn't selling it, the company said today.

The wireless carrier added that it had tapped Ericsson and Nokia-Siemens for its $4 billion 4G LTE deployment.

The moves will address the two biggest gaps at T-Mobile: the lack of the iPhone and a more advanced 4G LTE network. Bogged down by its failed merger attempt with AT&T last year, the company has more recently shifted gears in hopes of mounting a comeback in the wireless market. … Read more

ST-Ericsson, a chip maker that got caught up with the wrong crowd, has announced sweeping changes in an effort to stay relevant in the mobile market.

The company, a joint venture between STMicroelectronics and Ericsson, today announced a new strategic direction that will see the firm focus its efforts on a "complete system solution" for smartphones and tablets. The company will focus on delivering application processors, modems, connectivity solutions, and a host of other components to vendors looking to compete in the mobile space. In addition, ST-Ericsson said that it could license the technology it develops to third-parties.… Read more

The consortium of companies who successfully bid on Nortel's patent portfolio last year today received the go-ahead from the U.S. Department of Justice to proceed with the acquisition.

That deal was struck last June by the Rockstar Bidco consortium--a group of companies led by Apple that sought ownership of some 6,000 patents and patent applications from the bankrupt Canadian telecom equipment maker.

The deal was put on hold following a DOJ investigation into the effects of the sale, which had a mandated waiting period that expired today.

"We are pleased to emerge from this review process, … Read more

Telecom geeks (like me) may know Ericsson as the mammoth company that supplies phone network equipment to carriers. But did you know it has a burgeoning app following as well?

That was news to me as I sat down with a few executives from Ericsson while at Mobile World Congress. But the company has long fostered a small, but healthy, community of developers, and actually offers application programming interface tools that allow better access to network capabilities.

While Ericsson's bread and butter remains telecom gear, the company has worked to spread its wings into different areas. It's all … Read more

BARCELONA, Spain--Today at Mobile World Congress, Ericsson CEO Hans Vestbeg, saunters over to a bicycle on the far edge of his keynote stage and touched a spoke. Instead of hopping on the bike, like many in the audience undoubtedly hoped he would, the leader of the Swedish network equipment giant announced that this particular bike is a connected device.

The Copenhagen Wheel, as he called it, is capable of uploading information as diverse as traffic, weather, and pollution details all from atop a set of rubber wheels.

Yes, the bike is a shining example of the innovation that lays in … Read more