TechCentralTechCentral
    Facebook Twitter YouTube LinkedIn
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn YouTube
    TechCentralTechCentral
    NEWSLETTER
    • News

      MTN shares climb on robust Nigeria, SA performance

      11 August 2022

      MTN receives $35-million offer for Afghanistan unit

      11 August 2022

      MTN South Africa weathers load shedding storm

      11 August 2022

      African unicorn Flutterwave battles fires on multiple fronts

      11 August 2022

      Willington Ngwepe to step down as Icasa CEO

      10 August 2022
    • World

      Gaming industry’s fortunes fade as pandemic ends

      11 August 2022

      Disney tops Netflix in streaming subscribers

      11 August 2022

      Jumia says it’s past peak losses, shares jump

      10 August 2022

      Elon Musk sells $6.9-billion of Tesla to avoid Twitter fire sale

      10 August 2022

      Nvidia issues profit warning on slump in demand for graphics cards

      8 August 2022
    • In-depth

      The length of Earth’s days has been increasing – and no one knows why

      7 August 2022

      As Facebook fades, the Mad Men of advertising stage a comeback

      2 August 2022

      Crypto breaks the rules. That’s the point

      27 July 2022

      E-mail scams are getting chillingly personal

      17 July 2022

      Webb telescope’s stunning images of the cosmos

      12 July 2022
    • Podcasts

      e4’s Adri Führi on encouraging more women into tech careers

      10 August 2022

      How South Africa can woo more women into tech

      4 August 2022

      Book and check-in via WhatsApp? FlySafair is on it

      28 July 2022

      Interview: Why Dell’s next-gen PowerEdge servers change the game

      28 July 2022

      Demystifying the complexity of AI – fact vs fiction

      6 July 2022
    • Opinion

      SIU seeks to set aside R215-million IT tender

      19 July 2022

      No reason South Africa should have a shortage of electricity: Ramaphosa

      11 July 2022

      Ntshavheni’s bias against the private sector

      8 July 2022

      South Africa can no longer rely on Eskom alone

      4 July 2022

      Has South Africa’s advertising industry lost its way?

      21 June 2022
    • Company Hubs
      • 1-grid
      • Altron Document Solutions
      • Amplitude
      • Atvance Intellect
      • Axiz
      • BOATech
      • CallMiner
      • Digital Generation
      • E4
      • ESET
      • Euphoria Telecom
      • IBM
      • Kyocera Document Solutions
      • Microsoft
      • Nutanix
      • One Trust
      • Pinnacle
      • Skybox Security
      • SkyWire
      • Tarsus on Demand
      • Videri Digital
      • Zendesk
    • Sections
      • Banking
      • Broadcasting and Media
      • Cloud computing
      • Consumer electronics
      • Cryptocurrencies
      • Education and skills
      • Energy
      • Fintech
      • Information security
      • Internet and connectivity
      • Internet of Things
      • Investment
      • IT services
      • Motoring and transport
      • Public sector
      • Science
      • Social media
      • Talent and leadership
      • Telecoms
    • Advertise
    TechCentralTechCentral
    Home»News»Reunert mulling legal action over Holdsworth hires

    Reunert mulling legal action over Holdsworth hires

    News By Editor26 March 2012
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram Email
    John Holdsworth

    JSE-listed electronics, engineering and telecommunications group Reunert is upset over an apparent exodus of employees from its subsidiary, voice communications specialist Nashua ECN, to John Holdsworth’s new start-up AppChat and is now considering legal action.

    TechCentral has learnt that Reunert is planning to put out a statement to shareholders in the next 24 hours explaining its position. It’s understood the company is actively consulting its lawyers about a course of action.

    Reunert CEO David Rawlinson could not immediately be reached for comment on Monday. ECN MD Andy Openshaw says he is not in a position to comment until Reunert has formally communicated its position to the market and outlined how it intends dealing with the situation.

    Holdsworth was CEO of ECN until last year, when the company was acquired by Reunert in a R172m deal and folded into its Nashua business. Reunert regarded ECN, which operates its own voice network, as a crucial acquisition to help offset the impact of reductions in wholesale call termination rates — the fees telecoms operators charge each other to carry calls onto their networks.

    Holdsworth confirms that a number of ECN employees have applied to join AppChat, a mobile voice start-up. He won’t say how many ECN staffers are joining his new company, but denies market talk that 19 individuals are involved.

    He says AppChat has signed employment agreements with several former ECN employees, but is not prepared to go into further detail about the number of people involved or who is joining him.

    “I haven’t poached anyone and I haven’t actively approached anyone [at ECN],” Holdsworth tells TechCentral. “Rather, I have been approached [by ECN staff].”

    He adds that AppChat plays in the mobile voice market, whereas ECN is focused on providing fixed-line voice services. “They’re two different markets. All of the excitement now is around mobile.”

    Holdsworth says he “understands” and “respects” the position that Reunert is in. “But you can’t stop people pursuing their careers.”  — Duncan McLeod, TechCentral

    • Subscribe to our free daily newsletter
    • Follow us on Twitter or on Google+ or on Facebook
    • Visit our sister website, SportsCentral (still in beta)
    Andy Openshaw David Rawlinson ECN ECN Telecommunications John Holdsworth Nashua Nashua ECN Reunert
    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram Email
    Previous ArticleGoogle lures small business online
    Next Article ZA Tech Show: Episode 203 – ‘Bands and buy-backs’

    Related Posts

    MTN shares climb on robust Nigeria, SA performance

    11 August 2022

    MTN receives $35-million offer for Afghanistan unit

    11 August 2022

    MTN South Africa weathers load shedding storm

    11 August 2022
    Add A Comment

    Comments are closed.

    Promoted

    Pricing Beyond CMYK: printers answer the FAQs

    11 August 2022

    How secure is your cloud?

    10 August 2022

    5 ways to make attack-path management more manageable

    10 August 2022
    Opinion

    SIU seeks to set aside R215-million IT tender

    19 July 2022

    No reason South Africa should have a shortage of electricity: Ramaphosa

    11 July 2022

    Ntshavheni’s bias against the private sector

    8 July 2022

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the best South African technology news and analysis delivered to your e-mail inbox every morning.

    © 2009 - 2022 NewsCentral Media

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.