Motorola opens software centre in Hyderabad: Motorola on Tuesday opened its 10th software development centre in Hyderabad set up with an initial investment of $5 million. The centre, which will concentrate on network management solutions and wireless solutions, will have an employee strength of 150 software engineers which is expected to go up to 400 in the next three years, Ameeresh Modi, vice-president and general manager, Asia Pacific, Motorola India Electronics Ltd(MIEL), told press persons. Motorola plans to pump in $3 million annually in its India operations with the Hyderabad and Bangalore centres focusing on next generation and third generation (3G) wireless solutions and CDMA technology, Mohan Kumar, managing director, MIEL, said.

Texas Instruments, Liquid Audio in music download deal: Music software company Liquid Audio and chip maker Texas Instruments Inc said on Tuesday that they were developing specifications for a portable music downloading device that ensures copyright protection. The venture marks the first step toward development of products to compete with San Jose, Calif-based Diamond Multimedia Systems Inc's hot-selling Rio PMP300 device that can download and store music from the internet. But unlike the Rio, which is the subject of a legal battle with the recording industry because it allows music to be replayed without paying artist royalties, the next-generation devices would ensure copyright protection.

LPC-Distacom secures $80mrefinancing: Hong Kong-based Distacom Communications, which has a 60 per cent stake in Hong Kong's Sunday mobile phone network, has successfully refinanced a $80 million loan, bankers said on Wednesday. The new deal, led by Chase Manhattan Asia, refinances a $80-million loan that matured in November last year. The new facility has an eight-month tenor and is divided into three tranches. Tranche A is a $31.7 million revolving credit with a margin of 130 basis points over the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR). Tranche B is a $30.1 million revolving credit with a margin of 65 basis points over LIBOR, and Tranche C is a $18.2 million bilateral facility to be provided by Chase alone. Distacom specialises in establishing telecoms joint ventures and cellphone operations in highly competitive markets.

Intel hosts fashion show for new PC styles: Intel Corp hosted what it called a "fashion show" of new personal computer styles, with new designs ranging from a bunny-like system to a concept PC shapedlike the Sydney Opera House. As part of the Intel Developer Forum, where the world's largest chip maker discusses its view of technology's future with 2,000 software and hardware developers, Intel executives demonstrated some new PC designs that will begin to be seen by consumers as early as this Christmas. Instead of super models like Cindy Crawford and Naomi Campbell sashaying down a catwalk, Intel's disco-dancing Bunny People trotted out some original and odd-looking computer designs to a standing-room crowd of computer geeks, in colours ranging from metallic green to copper and black.

Merrill set to name internet bull as key analyst: Merrill Lynch is expected to name CIBC Oppenheimer analyst Henry Blodget as its lead internet stock analyst, replacing the recently departed Jonathan Cohen, who had acted as Blodget's nemesis in recent Wall Street debates over how to value the volatile sector. Blodget, who as an analyst at CIBC Oppenheimer became widely known on Wall Street for bullish investmentcalls on the emerging sector, has left the firm to take a similar role at Merrill Lynch, CIBC spokeswoman Debra Douglas said on Tuesday.

Alex Kuruvilla is new managing director of MTV India: Kuruvilla will take charge of the channel's India operations from April 1. He will be based in Mumbai and also hold the position of vice-president in MTV Networks Asia. Kuruvilla's appointment was announced by MTV Networks Asia president Frank Brown. Earlier, he was in J Walter Thompson where he was the vice-president Hindustan Thompson. Kuruvilla will spearhead the day-to-day operations of MTV India. His responsibilities will include, overseeing the channel's programming, production, advertising sales, marketing, finance, network development, business affairs, research, communications and artiste relations.