Deutsche Telekom's troubles tied to EU deregulation and competitor networks
For years, Germany has been one of the slowest-growing European telecommunications markets, but it is now giving a foothold to competitors like Telecom Italia.

Harnessing the Web to sell online security
Attack Shield relies on technology from Sana Security, a software vendor that specializes in what is known as behavior-based intrusion detection methods.

The Nielsen ratings go to college
TV industry executives have complained for years that shows appealing to a younger audience have been underrated.

Japan plans to raise goal for clean energy
The Japanese government said Monday that it wants to expand the amount of electricity that Tokyo Electric Power and other utilities must generate from solar power and other renewable energy sources.

Clean-environment technology leading the way back for Silicon Valley
Investment in clean technology — from solar panels and hybrid cars to the use of nanotechnology to solve environmental problems — went from $34 million in the first quarter of 2006 to $290 million in the third quarter.

Citigroup to pay £575 million in cash for Internet bank
Citigroup said Monday that it had agreed to buy the British insurer Prudential's Internet banking company Egg, more than quadrupling Citigroup's British credit card base.

Ballmer looks ahead at challenges to Microsoft
Microsoft's chief executive talks optimistically of his company's ability to respond to hurdles as the Internet evolves.

Small screens, new programs
Google's $1.65 billion acquisition of YouTube galvanized attention to short Internet videos, but now a range of start- ups is struggling to broadcast long-format television to individual computers — and make a profit at it.

Briefing: Symantec adds features by buying software firm
Symantec adds features by buying software firm

Symantec, the biggest maker of antivirus software, said Monday that it had agreed to buy Altiris for about $830 million in cash.

Altiris shareholders will receive $33 a share, a 22 percent premium on the closing price Friday of $27.14, said Symantec, which is based in Cupertino, California. Altiris makes software that helps companies maintain desktop, laptop and server computers, as well as hand-held devices.

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Chairman of Vivendi upbeat on music deal

PARIS: The chairman of Vivendi, Jean-Réné Fourtou, said he was "quite confident" that European Union regulators would approve the company's €1.63 billion, or $2.1 billion, purchase of Bertelsmann's BMG music-publishing division.

The European Commission said this month that it would decide on the deal by June 1, following a request from Vivendi's Universal Music Group to extend the review. The previous deadline had been April 27.

"We're quite confident, even if in some countries it could be that we have to sell a part of our catalogue," Fourtou said. Vivendi expects to hold on to "a large majority of what we have bought," he said.

The purchase is the biggest transaction for Vivendi in more than two years and would lift Universal Music above EMI Group in Europe. $@(Bloomberg)

Vodafone to comply with Italy's request

ROME: Vodafone Group said it was ready to comply with a request by the Italian Antitrust Authority to help make the wireless phone market more competitive in Italy.

Vodafone pledged to reach agreements that will "allow phone companies that do not have their own wireless communications networks to enter the Italian market," according to a Vodafone document sent to the regulator.

The Italian unit of the largest cellphone company will sign an agreement with a "willing" third party by March 31.

The Antitrust Authority started an investigation in 2005 of the country's three biggest wireless service providers: Telecom Italia Mobile, Vodafone and Wind. The three companies were accused of using business practices that excluded other operators and limit competition. $@ (Bloomberg)

Air America reaches tentative accord on sale

NEW YORK: Air America Radio, a liberal talk radio network in the United States, said it had reached a tentative agreement to be sold to the founder of a New York area real estate company. The network also said that Al Franken, its headline personality, would depart next month.

The agreement with Stephen Green, founder and chairman of SL Green Realty, appears to rescue the network, which has been seeking a buyer since last fall when it filed for bankruptcy reorganization after reaching an impasse with one of its creditors.

No terms of the deal were disclosed.$@ (AP)

Sweden's 'Second Life'

STOCKHOLM: Sweden is setting up a virtual presence in the popular online world "Second Life" to spread information about the country and attract more young visitors.

The government-sanctioned "embassy" will provide curious visitors with information about Swedish culture and history, as well as tips about places to visit and visa rules for tourists, the director of the Swedish Institute, Olle Wastberg, said. The institute operates under the Foreign Ministry and is charged with promoting Sweden internationally — including in the virtual world, Wastberg said.

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TomTom, the Dutch navigation systems company, said that a small number of its navigation devices carried a virus, but added that the infection did not affect performance and that standard antivirus software on a personal computer would detect it. A company spokesman said that a "very limited" number of TomTom Go 910 navigation devices carried the virus, which would be found and destroyed by free antivirus software available on the Internet. $@(Reuters)

Kingdom Holding, a company owned by Prince Alwaleed bin Talal of Saudi Arabia, has formed a consortium with the Turkish cellphone operator Turkcell to bid for a Saudi mobile phone license, a company executive said. $@ (Reuters)

Nokia and Siemens, which announced in June a plan to combine their phone network units, will first share their combined products with workers and clients early next month, Nokia said. $@ (Bloomberg)

Motorola plans to develop and design third-generation cellphones with Texas Instruments, expanding a partnership. $@ (Bloomberg)

Priceline.com,Travelocity.com and Cingular Wireless agreed to pay $100,000 to resolve a probe by the New York Attorney General, Andrew Cuomo, over use of secretly installed "adware" to promote products and services. $@(Bloomberg)