Emblaze in the red as sales cool

BUSINESS has suddenly dried up at wireless technology group Emblaze Systems, which has failed to make any meaningful forecasts for this year after a sudden downturn in sales over the past six months.

Turnover for the Israel-based but London-listed video-to-mobile phone company fell by 24% to $23.3m (£16.2m) in 2001, but $18.6m of those revenues came in the first half of last year as its clients put the brakes on spending.

Chief executive Eli Reifman blamed the 'unprecedented levels of uncertainty' faced by the wireless industry and said the distressed state of global telecoms companies made it 'difficult to predict its operational performance in 2002'. Losses for 2001 widen to a greater-than-forecast $29.14m, from a $11.56m profit last year.

Reifman said more than 100 clients were trialling the company's technology. Handsets made by its AlphaCell subsidiary would be sold through Carphone Warehouse.