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Swedish telecommunications equipment behemoth Ericsson, the world’s top maker of mobile phone network equipment, is buying the bulk of crestfallen Marconi for £1.2 billion ahead of a forecast demand boom for fixed and mobile broadband Internet. techMARK 100-listed Marconi almost went to the wall when the dotcom bubble burst in 2000. It then rebuilt its business around the transportation of voice and data over medium-to-long distances via optical switches, but hit the skids again this year when it missed out on a contract from BT.

Amid smaller players on the telecommunications scene, 2ergo continues to stoke interest with intriguing news flow. The AIM-listed counter has signed up a joint venture with The Music Factory giving content customers access to ‘sound-a-like’ hits in the form of basic, polyphonic and ‘true’ ring-tones. ‘Sound-a-likes’ are accurate replicas of hits, boasting cost advantages regarding licensing. 2ergo has also cheered with the roll out of text message alert services in the US, the acquisition of Natural Response, an automated intuitive voice technology that has boosted its Voice business, and news it will beat forecasts for the year to August (the figures are out this month).

Also in fine fettle is products distributor Symphony Telecom, brought to AIM by Evolution Securities with a £4.5 million placing in September. The company, 64.6 per cent owned by fellow AIM outfit Eckoh Technologies and bossed by Eckoh’s Martin Turner, flagged up strong first half organic growth and has its eye on a range of suitable acquisitions.