Microsoft has revealed it will charge $899 (£560) for the basic version of its Surface with Windows Pro tablet. The device will be released in January and features an Intel chip allowing it to run the full version of the Windows 8 operating system. The price is $400 more than the existing Surface with Windows RT tablet, which is less powerful and does not run programs such as Photoshop. The devices are intended to challenge the iPad and Android-based tablets. Faster, heavier Microsoft's chief executive, Steve Ballmer, told shareholders this week that the fact his firm was releasing its tablets more than two years later than Apple might have contributed to its share price being outpaced by its rival. "Maybe we should have done that earlier," he said. He had earlier suggested that he was certain sales of the original Surface would grow. "We've had a modest start because Surface is only available on our online retail sites and a few Microsoft stores in the United States," he told French newspaper Le Parisien. Both versions of the Surface can be operated as a 10.6in (26.9cm) touchscreen tablet, or snapped into one of the firm's keyboards to mimic the functionality of a notebook computer. The Windows RT version - which is powered by an ARM-based chip from Nvidia - is expected to offer longer battery life, but can only run the limited number of third-party programs available from Microsoft's own online store. The Windows Pro version avoids this restriction but is heavier in part because it features a higher capacity battery to run its more power-hungry processor. It will be offered with 64GB of storage for $899 or 128GB of storage for $999. Neither price includes one of Microsoft's keyboards, which add at least another $99. One industry watcher noted that the new computer would face more competition due to the fact more Window 8-powered computers have been announced than Windows RT ones by other manufacturers. "The Intel-based version of Windows 8 is far more attractive to the market than the Windows RT version as consumers today can't ignore the fact that they may just be a version of a program that they want to run built on the old architecture which the ARM-based version doesn't support," Ken Dulaney, a mobile technology analyst at consultants Gartner, told the BBC. More»

Telecom Italia will not bid for Vivendi's GVT subsidiary in Brazil as it prepares to reject an offer of a capital increase from Egyptian tycoon Naguib Sawiris, Il Sole 24 Ore newspaper said on Wednesday. "Telecom (Italia) has given up the idea of presenting a non-binding offer (for GVT)," the newspaper said without citing sources. The paper said it appeared that the deadline for preliminary non-binding offers for GVT had passed and a total of four had been made, all below 6 billion euros and none from telephone operators. Sources have told Reuters that Vivendi is seeking at least 7 billion euros for GVT and that Telecom Italia is one of four companies that have obtained documents on the Brazilian telecoms company. The deadline for preliminary non-binding bids is around the end of the year, the sources said. On Tuesday Sawiris told Reuters that he proposed to take a stake in Italia Telecom through a cash infusion of 3 billion euros, which would be open to all shareholders and should be conducted around the current market price of 0.70 euros per share. That price is well below the 1.50 euros per share level at which core shareholders have the stock on their books. Telecom Italia was not immediately available for comment on Wednesday about whether it is preparing to reject Sawiris's offer. Telecom Italia has been considering whether to bid for GVT, a broadband specialist in Brazil, to bolster its TIM Participacoes mobile business there, a major source of growth in recent years. More»

Orascom Telecom Holding (OTH) (ORTE.CA) announced that it has named Ziad Shatara as the new CEO of its unit Banglalink, effective as of 01/01/2013. Shatara will be supervised by Orascom Telecom Chief Executive Ahmed Abou Doma. Orascom Telecom, the parent company of Banglalink, is a subsidiary of VimpelCom that is the world's sixth largest telecom group with more than 21.2 core subscribers worldwide. Shatara with a vast experience in data business at Wind telecom in Italy will take charges of Banglalink in January, Jo Lunder, chief executive officer of VimpelCom said during  a press conference held late Tuesday More»

In an effort to boost local industry, Etisalat Egypt and the Arab Company for the Manufacture of Computers have inked a new partnership deal to make the first locally develped tablet computer. According to Etisalat and the subsidiary of the Kharafi Group, the device “will be offered at a consumer-friendly price throughout Etisalat outlets, with special Internet offers available.” With the Internet penetration in Egypt growing dramatically, and the ministry of communications reporting that smartphone use has grown to nearly 35 percent in the country, there is an urgent need for a locally developed tablet that is competitively priced. Etisalat Egypt CEO Saeel Al Hamli said he “was proud of the partnership with the Kharafi Group, which would inject confidence into the economy.” He added that “the tablet is a replacement option for textbooks for primary and secondary schools.” Egypt’s Minister of Industry and Foreign Trade Hatem Saleh added that the partnership “could help Egypt move to a new stage of innovative and unconventional thinking.” More»

Egyptian entrepreneur Naguib Sawiris aims to shake up debt-laden Telecom Italia and steer it towards expansion in Brazil if shareholders warm up to his proposal for a 3 billion euro ($3.9 billion) cash infusion. The billionaire tycoon, who got to know Italy well when he owned the third-biggest mobile operator Wind, has put on the table a capital increase that could make him one of the biggest shareholders in Telecom Italia. Details on the structure of the proposed transaction are scarce, but Sawiris told Reuters that he proposed that the capital increase be open to all shareholders, not just himself, and that it should be conducted around the current market price of 0.70 euros per share. That is likely to draw the ire of other Telecom Italia shareholders, including Spain's Telefonica and the three Italian financial institutions who together own 22.4 percent via an unlisted holding company called Telco. They value Telecom Italia at 1.50 euros per share in their accounts, and Marco Fossati, whose family's Findim Group SA owns 5 percent of the Italian operator, on Monday said 1.50 was the "correct price" for any capital increase. Sawiris, going against a trend of retreating investment in crisis-hit southern Europe, said he might also bring in some of his old Wind associates to put Telecom Italia back on the path to growth. "This proposal will provide a more stable financial structure for Telecom Italia going forward, more growth in Latin America and Brazil, and improved management through the infusion of people who have an excellent knowledge of the Italian market," Sawiris told Reuters. Sawiris initially approached Telefonica and the other shareholders in Telco about the possibility of carrying out a capital increase at the holding company level. He was rebuffed, so decided to approach the Italian group directly. "We are willing to participate in the capital increase, but shareholders have the choice not to get diluted and join in putting the money," he said. "If they do not want to, we will come and replace them. But they will benefit from a higher stock price and a more stable company and a company that will grow." It remains to be seen whether his vision for the group will be shared by Telecom Italia's management and core shareholders. Telefonica, insurer Assicurazioni Generali, and banks Mediobanca and Intesa Sanpaolo had the Sawiris' offer dropped onto them as a bombshell two weeks ago, insiders have said. "Sawiris is not a man to go in without being sure he can drive the strategy," one source familiar with the thinking of the core shareholders said. Sawiris told Reuters he was also opposed to a current plan to spin off Telecom Italia's fixed-line network, which is backed by some core investors as a way to raise badly needed cash, and by the Italian government as a means to speed up broadband investment. More»

Telecom Italia shareholder Marco Fossati said on Monday that any offer for the company from Egyptian businessman Naguib Sawiris must be worth around 1.5 euros per share to be attractive. The debt-laden group has attracted attention from Sawiris, who could invest billions of euros by buying new shares in the company. The possible investment will be discussed at a Telecom Italia board meeting on Dec. 6. "I seem to have understood there is no specific or detailed offer," Fossati told Reuters. "We're waiting for his next move." "A correct price would be the one that most shareholders have on their books, which is around 1.5 euros per share." Fossati holds a five percent stake it the company. At 1024 GMT, shares were trading at 0.69 euros, down 0.6 percent. More»

Etihad Etisalat Co (Mobily), Saudi Arabia's second-biggest telecoms operator, has asked to meet the industry regulator after it was suspended from selling pre-paid SIM cards, a company spokesman said, describing the ban as "astonishing". Mobily's sales of pre-paid, or pay-as-you-go SIM cards will remain halted until the company "fully meets the pre-paid service provisioning requirements," the firm said in a statement. "We're not sure when we can resume selling pre-paid SIM cards," said a company spokesman. We've requested a meeting with the CITC governor today to find out what's going on," he added, in reference to the regulator. In an earlier order the Communication and Information Technology Commission said that from September 28 all pre-paid SIM users must enter a personal identification number when recharging their accounts and this number must be the same as the one registered with their mobile operator when the SIM card was bought. This applies not only to Mobily but also to rival operators Saudi Telecom Co (STC) and Zain Saudi. More»

Orascom Telecom Holding (OTH) (ORTE.CA) has asserted that Group Founder Naguib Sawiris has ‘personally’ resorted to the international arbitration in regard to Orascom Telecom Algeria (OTA) - Djezzy. The company further added that the international arbitration will not affect the talks between parent VimpleCom and the Algerian government on putting an end to the disputes. Khalid Al Leithy, Chief Finance Officer of Orascom Telecom, said Sawiris has resorted to the international arbitration in his capacity as the Chairman of Weather Investments, which owns a stake in DJezzy. He noted that Orascom Telecom Holding itself, excluding Sawiris, has also started the international arbitration procedures for around one year. Al Leithy further told Amwal Al Ghad that the Algerian government is currently facing a two-sided battle over DJezzy, one from Orascom Telecom and other from Sawiris. Both cases filled by OTH and Sawiris will not affect VimpleCom’s attempts to reconcile with the Algerian government, he asserted. It is worth noting that Sawiris announced on November 19th that he is seeking $5 billion from the Algerian government for alleged harassment and interference of the country’s largest telecoms operator. More»

Etihad Etisalat “Mobily”, the leading telecom provider in Saudi Arabia, has launched the first LTE data roaming enabling its customers to use the fastest data speed based on LTE during their travel outside the country. Mobily’s CEO Khalid Bin Omar Al Kaf said: “Achieving the first LTE data roaming is another milestone for the Saudi telecommunication and IT sector in general and Mobily in particular.” “Few months ago, we have signed roaming agreement with Hong Kong’s CSL before we conducted several technical tests, the interconnection between Mobily and CSL came through Telstra company in Australia” Al Kaf added. LTE data roaming will let Mobily customers to enjoy the best quality and speed of data while roaming on other operators. Mobily said that it will leverage on its strong partnership with the other carriers to make the LTE data roaming available for Mobily customers wherever they travel. More»

 Capitalizing on the success of the MENA ICT Forum held in 2010, The Information and Communications Technology Association of Jordan (int@j) organized a media roundtable to announce the upcoming MENA ICT Forum. The event will be under the patronage of His Majesty King Abdullah, and will be held on the 6th and 7th of March 2013 at the prestigious King Hussein Bin Talal Convention Center, Dead Sea titled “Arab ICT Spring: Realizing Potential”. In the presence of Int@j’s Chairman, Mr. Mohammed Tahboub, and Int@j’s CEO, Mr. Abed Shamlawi, the media roundtable highlighted the arrangements of this year’s forum and interacted with the media representatives at the Sheraton hotel to discuss the preparation phase. Previously and successfully organized as The “Jordan ICT Forum” in 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2006, and as the successful newly-branded MENA ICT Forum in 2010, the forum of 2013 will showcase an outstanding level covering the Middle East and North Africa region with a content-rich agenda that covers vital issues related to regional investment climates, legislative supportive systems, infrastructure and communications, emerging technologies, education and human capital development. Media representatives were acquainted with the Agenda of the forum featuring: ICT Conference, ICT Expo, Innovation & Entrepreneurship Theater, Games Corner, and other networking events. More»