Of course they did, I once bought their stock!

As per usual, I am the investing harbinger of demise. If I buy stock in your company, watch out, you will soon be bankrupt. As sure as my ex-girlfriends get fat after we break-up, your company will fail after I invest in you. I have the opposite of the Midas Touch. That's why I now pay someone to do my investing for me. Some of my past wise investing decisions include, the airline industry, HD DVD's, Segway, New Coke, Beta video tapes, zeppelins and the steam engine.

Nortel files for bankruptcy protection
JANUARY 14, 2009 -- Nortel Networks Corp. today announced that it, Nortel Networks Limited and certain of its other Canadian subsidiaries, will seek creditor protection under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) in Canada. Additionally, certain of the Company's U.S. subsidiaries, including Nortel Networks Inc. and Nortel Networks Capital Corporation, have filed voluntary petitions in the United States under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, and certain of the Company's EMEA subsidiaries are expected to make consequential filings in Europe.
Nortel says it expects normal day-to-day operations to continue without interruption. Company representatives say they remain 100% focused on serving customers worldwide through continued R&D investments and support of their product portfolio to fulfill customer needs.
In a press release issued today, Nortel says it made this decision with the unanimous authorization of its Board of Directors after thorough consultation with its advisors and extensive consideration of all other alternatives. This process will allow Nortel to deal decisively with its cost and debt burden, to effectively restructure its operations, and to narrow its strategic focus in an effective and timely manner, claims the company.
The company commenced a process to turn around and transform Nortel in late 2005, and the company says it made important progress on a number of fronts. However, the global financial crisis and recession have compounded its financial challenges and directly impacted its ability to complete this transformation. Nortel is taking this action now, with a $2.4 billion cash position, to preserve its liquidity and fund operations during the restructuring process.
"Nortel must be put on a sound financial footing once and for all," contends Nortel president and CEO Mike Zafirovski. "These actions are imperative so that Nortel can build on its core strengths and become the highly focused and financially sound leader in the communications industry that its people, technology, and customer relationships show it ought to be. I am confident that the actions we're announcing today will be the fastest, most effective means to translate our improved operational efficiency, double-digit productivity, focused R&D, and technology leadership into long-term success," he maintains. "I want to reaffirm Nortel's dedication to delivering world-class solutions and services to customers."
The application under the CCAA will be heard later today by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. The voluntary petitions under Chapter 11 were filed with the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. Nortel expects to be in a position shortly to provide an update regarding the consequential filings by certain of its EMEA subsidiaries.
The company's affiliates in Asia, including LG Nortel, and in the Caribbean and Latin America, as well as the Nortel Government Solutions business, are not included in these proceedings and are expected to continue to operate in the ordinary course.In addition, the company will request the courts to impose certain restrictions on trading in the company's common shares and Nortel Networks Limited's preferred shares in order to preserve valuable tax assets in the United States. Trading restrictions, if imposed, would apply immediately to investors beneficially owning at least 4.75% of (i) the outstanding common shares of Nortel Networks Corporation or (ii) any series of preferred shares of Nortel Networks Limited. For these purposes, beneficial ownership of stock will be measured in accordance with special U.S. tax rules that, among other things, apply constructive ownership concepts and take into account indirect holdings. There will be no immediate trading restrictions imposed on debt securities of the company or its affiliates, but the company by this press release is advising debtholders that the courts may, at the company's request, impose certain trading restrictions at a later date.

Happy New Year?

Pyramid: 1% growth for global telecom in 2009
JANUARY 9, 2009 -- Due to a grim economic outlook and substantial currency fluctuations, the telecom services market will generate $1.4 trillion in 2009, posting only 1% year-on-year growth compared with the 10-11% annual growth rates that have characterized previous years, according to a new report from Pyramid Research.
The global telecom market is expected to recover in 2010, however, driven by a combination of factors such as the increased availability of multiplay bundles and versatile, competitively priced devices, with emerging markets providing much-needed dynamism to the industry.
This new report, entitled "Global Telecom Services Revenue Forecast 2008-2013: Emerging Market Opportunities," delivers a five-year forecast for global telecom revenue by service, revealing that voice services will be hardest hit in 2009 while non-voice mobile applications and broadband Internet access are expected to remain robust. A contraction in the overall voice market of 3% in 2009 is projected, compared with a 6% expansion in 2008, while the data market, both fixed and mobile, will reach $411 billion in 2009, up 12% from 2008 levels.
"Mobile data will be the primary engine of growth, seeing revenue increase by 15% to $223 billion," notes Leslie Arathoon, vice president of research at Pyramid Research and co-author of the report. "The number of broadband accounts, including 3G mobile accounts, will more than double, going from the current 965 million to more than 2 billion by 2013. This will create an important target market for digital content, applications, and advertising dollars."
This report also provides telecom service revenue growth by region, indicating that emerging markets will remain dynamic throughout the forecast period. "Global mobile penetration now lies at 60%, a figure we forecast will climb to 84% by 2013, led by growth in India and China. These two markets will together add 829 million mobile subscriptions from 2009 to 2013, 44% of the world's total net additions during that period," adds Arathoon. "We also project that regional telecom service revenue in Central and Eastern Europe, Asia/Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East will see about 7% year-on-year growth, while the mature markets of North America and Western Europe are negatively affected by the deteriorated economic environment."