Canada's three national wireless companies got an unexpected gift from Industry Canada as it announced new entrants must build their own networks before being allowed to roam on the incumbent competitors' infrastructure. Since initial rules suggested a new wireless entrant would be able to almost immediately piggyback on the networks created by Rogers Communications Corp., Telus Corp. and BCE Inc., experts said the key clarification would make winning May's wireless spectrum auction much less of a boon for a new wireless ... Read More

As Nortel Networks Corp. continues on the rocky road to recovery by slashing thousands of jobs and a taking a $1.1-billion tax writedown, analysts are saying the going is likely to be rough. UBS equity analyst Nikos Theodosopoulos cut his price target on Nortel stock from US$15 to US$11, citing the company's broad-based strategy makes it harder for it to regain its momentum. Read More

Dell Inc. chairman and chief executive Michael Dell told an audience at the University of Toronto yesterday he's prepared to mount a stronger push into the lucrative consumer market in an attempt to regain its glory as the world's largest PC vendor. Speaking at an event at the University of Toronto's Convocation Hall, Mr. Dell spoke about the need to expand past the enterprise market, where the company does about 85% of its business, and into the consumer world now being ... Read More

The battle for smartphone supremacy is about intensify after Apple Inc. (AAPL/ NASDAQ) said yesterday that developers will learn the details needed to create third-party software for its iPhone. Apple's move is viewed by analysts as a way to bolster sales of the massively popular smartphone, which have been declining lately. But its mention yesterday of additional enterprise features may have serious implications for Research In Motion Ltd.'s (RIM/TSX) BlackBerry devices. Read More

Software giant Microsoft Corp. looks to overwhelm another competitor's nascent technology today with the release of an enterprise server product that brings something called "virtualization" to the forefront of the IT industry. In Toronto yesterday to announce the largest enterprise software launch ever, Kevin Turner, Microsoft chief operating officer, said the firm developed its Windows Server 2008 software after seeing strong demand from the industry for virtualization tools. Read More