Page 168 - BWM Dec 2012

168 | Business World Magazine | December 2012
Ontario-based Research In Motion has announced a January 30, 2013, launch event for its new
Blackberry 10 smart-phone. Industry analysts are suggesting market availability by late February or
early March, and there is wide consensus that sales are crucial to the future viability of RIM which has
lost market share due to the increased popularity of iPhones and Androids. Features of the Blackberry
10 will be disclosed during the January event. The announcement precedes a new patent
infringement lawsuit filed against RIM by Wi-Lan, another Canadian firm recognized as a
world-leading conduit for innovations involving Wi-Fi functionality, signal routers and more. Wi-Lan
has a total of more than 3,000 patents and it collects much of its annual revenue by licensing these
technical capabilities to computer and/or phone-related vendors. In the lawsuit filed this month in
the Southern District Court of Florida, Wi-Lan accused RIM of violations essential to Patent No.
6,260,168 which involves Bluetooth-related technology. Since 2010, Wi-Lan has filed similar lawsuits
against more than two dozen of the biggest players in the tech arena, including Apple, Sony, Ericsson
and LG Electronics, to name just a few. While these cases continue to play out in the courts, RIM has
issued a statement expressing intent to “vigorously” defend their position. Between court and market
battles, RIM’s line offering could expand to include the Black-and Blue-berry.
In a deal valued at more than $515 million, Belden Inc., the St. Louis-based
manufacturer of signal transmission and computer networking technology,
has acquired Syracuse-based PPC, a manufacturer of technologies involving
Internet-service connectivity. Belden is forecasted to finish 2012 with total
earnings shy of $2 billion while PPC revenues this year are approximated at
$238 million. Principals of Belden anticipate earnings to increase by 54 cents
during 2013. Principals say the PPC acquisition will be strategic to Belden’s
expansion into new markets.
Research
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Belden Acquires PPC
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