Motorola Solutions today announced its third-quarter 2011 results highlighted by sales of US$2.1 billion, up 10 per cent from the third quarter of 2010 and driven by solid demand in all regions across both its government and enterprise segments.

GAAP operating earnings in Q311 were US$253 million or 12 per cent of sales, compared to US$211 million or 11 per cent of sales in the same quarter the previous year.

Non-GAAP operating earnings in Q311 were US$358 million or 17 per cent of sales, compared to US$289 million or 15 per cent of sales a year earlier.

Government segment sales were US$1.4 billion, up nine per cent from the year-ago quarter. GAAP operating earnings were US$185 million or 13 per cent of sales compared to US$159 million or 13 per cent of sales in the year-ago quarter. Non-GAAP operating earnings were US$223 million or 16 per cent of sales compared to US$175 million or 14 per cent of sales in the year-ago quarter.

Enterprise segment sales wereUS$726 million, up 13 per cent from the year-ago quarter. GAAP operating earnings were US$68 million or nine per cent of sales compared to US$52 million or eight per cent of sales in the year-ago quarter. Non-GAAP operating earnings were US$135 million or 19 per cent of sales compared to US$114 million or 18 per cent of sales in the year-ago quarter.

“Our customers continue to invest in solutions that increase revenues and improve operating efficiency,” said Greg Brown, chairman and CEO of Motorola Solutions. “In addition to our robust growth this quarter, we returned significant capital to shareholders. We repurchased US$744 million of stock, initiated our dividend and generated very strong operating cash flow.”

Motorola Solutions has raised its expected full-year revenue outlook to approximately seven per cent growth with operating earnings of approximately 16.5 per cent of sales. Fourth-quarter sales are expected to grow between two and three per cent compared with the fourth quarter of 2010 and approximately seven per cent compared with the third quarter of 2011.

France Telecom has reported that its third quarter revenues dropped by 2.1 per cent to €11.3 billion (US$16 billion), with all markets showing a decline in revenue, except Spain. That decline chiefly reflected a downturn in mobile device sales from the third quarter a year earlier, when sales were very strong, particularly in France and Belgium.

The restated EBITDA also dropped, by 5.2 per cent to €4 billion, from €4.22 billion a year ago.

The France Telecom-Orange Group had a total of 221 million customers as of end-September, up 6.3 per cent year-on-year on a comparable basis, with almost 13 million net customer additions in one year due to mobile services, principally in Africa and the Middle East.

Iraq is reported to have delayed the auction of the country’s fourth national mobile network licence until the start of next year, due to delays in securing government approval for the tender.

The auction had been due to take place by the end of this year.

"I have submitted all the papers to the council of ministers," communications minister Mohammed Allawi told Reuters. “I should get a response definitely, God willing, within November."

Allawi later said at the conference that the auction would likely happen in early 2012.

Earlier this year when announcing the tender for the licence, the government said that it hopes to raise as much as US$2 billion from the sale.

Under the terms of the tender, 40 per cent of the shares would be owned by the operator, 35 per cent by the public, and the remaining 25 per cent of the shares would be owned by the ministry.

Allawi also said that he expects parliament to vote on a long-awaited communications law, a crucial step in the development of the telecom sector, before the end of the year. The sector currently relies on pre-2003 legislation.

South Africa’s MTN Group announced that it had 158.59 million customers across all its subsidiaries at the end of September 2011, representing a 4.1 per cent increase over the past three months.

During the quarter, MTN successfully maintained market share across most of its operations. Although social unrest remained a factor in some countries such as Syria, Yemen and Cote d’Ivoire, its operations in those countries were still able to increase net connections during the quarter.

The subscriber bases of the three regions continue to grow at marginally different rates and as a result, when compared to June 2011, the subscriber contribution between the regions has remained relatively unchanged. South and East Africa (SEA) region contributed 23% (June 2011: 22%) of the group’s total subscribers, while West and Central Africa (WECA) and Middle East and North Africa (MENA) contributed 44% (June 2011: 45%) and 33% (June 2011: 33%), respectively.

Ericsson and Sony Corporation today announced that Sony will acquire Ericsson’s 50 per cent stake in Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications (Sony Ericsson), making the mobile handset business a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony.

The transaction gives Sony an opportunity to rapidly integrate smartphones into its broad array of network-connected consumer electronics devices – including tablets, televisions and personal computers – for the benefit of consumers and the growth of its business. The transaction also provides Sony with a broad intellectual property (IP) cross-licensing agreement covering all products and services of Sony as well as ownership of five essential patent families relating to wireless handset technology.

As part of the transaction, Ericsson will receive a cash consideration of € 1.05 billion (US$1.45 billion).

“This acquisition makes sense for Sony and Ericsson, and it will make the difference for consumers, who want to connect with content wherever they are, whenever they want. With a vibrant smartphone business and by gaining access to important strategic IP, notably a broad cross-license agreement, our four-screen strategy is in place,” said Howard Stringer, Sony’s chairman, CEO and president.

“Ten years ago when we formed the joint venture, thereby combining Sony’s consumer products knowledge with Ericsson’s telecommunication technology expertise, it was a perfect match to drive the development of feature phones,” commented Hans Vestberg, president and CEO of Ericsson. “Today we take an equally logical step as Sony acquires our stake in Sony Ericsson and makes it a part of its broad range of consumer devices. We will now enhance our focus on enabling connectivity for all devices, using our R&D and industry leading patent portfolio to realise a truly connected world,” he added.

By the end of the third quarter of 2011, Sony Ericsson held a market share of 11 per cent (by value) in the Android phone market, representing 80 per cent of the company’s third quarter sales. During its ten years in operation Sony Ericsson has generated approximately €1.5 billion of profit and paid dividends totalling approximately €1.9 billion to its parent companies.

The transaction, which has been approved by appropriate decision-making bodies of both companies, is expected to close in January 2012, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.