Global vendor strategies - 03/09/06

Ericsson is to acquire Distocraft Oy's assets, a Finnish software company for mobile network performance management. It has completed the sale of its Microwave Systems division and the remaining parts of Saab Ericsson Space to Saab AB (Sweden).

Nokia will buy gate5 AG in Germany, a leading supplier of mapping, routing and navigation software and services. Nokia looks to add location-based features to cell phones, and forecast sales in the sector would reach 15m units in 2006 compared with 8m in 2005.

Alcatel signed a deal with Nortel to buy Nortel' s 3G/UMTS radio access business for $320m.

Huawei has opened a new R&D facility in Bengalore (India) for software development.