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CSG Systems Inc. is trying to acquire a British maker of billing technology for the communications industry in a deal valued at $372 million.

Douglas County-based CSG (NASDAQ: CSGS) reached agreement to acquire Intec Telecom in an all-cash offer to purchase its stock, which trades on the London stock exchange under the symbol ITL.

The boards of both companies and Intec’s largest shareholders all support the deal.

CSG’s offer price, 72 pence per share ($1.13), represents a 27 percent premium above what Intec stock closed at Thursday in London. News of the deal sent Intec’s share soaring 32 percent, to 74.50 pence ($1.17), on Friday.

CSG makes software for customer-relations management and customer service that’s mainly used by cable and satellite TV companies. It also supplies technology used by repair technicians in those industries.

Intec, which is based outside London, supplies billing software to some of the biggest telecom companies in the U.S. and Europe. It employs about 1,600 people worldwide.

The merged company will offer technology that can help telecom service providers be more flexible with customers who have increasing choices in content, devices and services, said Peter Kalan, CSG’s president and CEO, in a written statement.

“We believe that both Intec’s broad suite of solutions aimed at fixed mobile and next generation networks and CSG’s extensive customer-interaction management suite will be attractive to one another’s customer base as well as service providers worldwide,” he said.

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Bazaarvoice Inc. has enlisted as its chief marketing officer former Dell Inc. executive Erin Mulligan Nelson.

Nelson, who will leave her position as CMO of Dell in coming weeks, is replacing Sam Decker who announced his resignation last month, company officials said.

Austin-based Bazaarvoice manages online customer communities for clients such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT). The company, founded in 2005, employs about 600 workers. It has been aggressively recruiting top tech executives in recent months and is pegged as one of Austin’s leading prospects to complete an initial public offering.

Nelson was appointed CMO for Round Rock-based Dell (Nasdaq: DELL) in January 2009. Before that, she was the company’s vice president of marketing for Europe, the Middle East and Africa for three years. Previous to Dell, Nelson worked in brand management at Procter & Gamble Co. (NYSE: PG) and corporate strategy at PepsiCo Inc. (NYSE: PEP) among other positions.

Bazaarvoice has launched 650 brand websites, including ones for Best Buy Co. Inc. (NYSE: BBY), Costco Wholesale Corp. (Nasdaq: COST) and Dell. The company, which promotes its worker-friendly culture, has been highlighted on CNN in its Building Up America series, and named one of the Best Places to Work by the Austin Business Journal for the past three years.

In June, Bazaarvoice confirmed that Chief Financial Officer Ken Saunders was leaving the company after 18 months. A veteran financial executive, he had been considered by industry observers as the executive who would guide the company through an IPO.

Bazaarvoice has raised $20.3 million from at least 23 accredited investors, according to filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Investors include Austin Ventures, First Round Capital — which operates offices in California and Pennsylvania — and the European Founders Fund, a German firm.

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MetroCorp Bancshares Inc. announced Thursday the sale of nearly $3 million in shares.

Houston-based MetroCorp sold nearly 1 million shares at $3 per share to an accredited investor in a private placement.

Shares of MetroCorp (Nasdaq: MCBI) were down 3 direct payday lenders.6 percent in morning trading Friday to $2.70 per share.

MetroCorp is the parent of Houston-based MetroBank NA.

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U.S. stocks were poised to drift higher Friday, looking to extends gains from the previous session, as worries about a stalling economy continued to ease.

Dow Jones industrial average (INDU), S&P 500 (SPX) and Nasdaq (COMP) futures were up ahead of the opening bell. Futures measure current index values against perceived future performance.

Better-than-expected reports on weekly jobless claims and the nation’s trade deficit sent stocks higher Thursday, and continued to calm economic jitters early Friday.

"Investors continue to be excited that we’re starting to see better economic data after going through a period where it was really deteriorating," said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at Jefferies & Co. "As opposed to pricing in a double-dip [recession], it now looks like we’re pricing in the fact that we don’t expect that to happen."

The three major indexes rallied going into September - gaining momentum during five of the six previous sessions. But trading volumes have been exceptionally low, with many market participants on vacation.

"Volume during the week before and after Labor Day are typically really slow, but next week will be a different story as volume begins to pick up," Hogan said. "We’ll be keeping a close eye on new economic data, and whether European banks decide to raise more capital."

Going into Friday’s session, the Dow was down more than 32 points for the week. The S&P 500 was less than a point lower, while the Nasdaq had gained more than 2 points fast cash advance. Markets were closed Monday for Labor Day.

Economy: Before the market opens, a government report is expected to show that wholesale inventories rose 0.4% in July, following a 0.1% increase the month before.

Companies: Shares of Nokia (NOK) gained more than 4% in pre-market trading after the mobile phone maker named Stephen Elop, the head of Microsoft’s (MSFT, Fortune 500) business division, as its CEO. Elop will begin as president and CEO on Sept. 21, replacing Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo.

World markets: European shares were little changed in afternoon trading. The CAC 40 in France was down 0.2%, the DAX in Germany fell 0.3%, and Britain’s FTSE 100 was flat.

Asian markets ended higher after the Japanese government unveiled a $10.9 billion stimulus package aimed at boosting employment, consumer spending and corporate investment.

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei index rallied 1.5% and the Hang Seng in Hong Kong gained 0.4%. The Shanghai Composite ended 0.3% lower.

Currencies and commodities: The dollar fell against the euro and the British pound, but gained versus the Japanese yen.

Oil futures for October delivery climbed $1.35 to $75.60 a barrel. Gold for December delivery dipped $1.80 to $1249.10 an ounce.

Bonds: The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.75% from 2.76% late Thursday. 

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The number of jobless Americans filing for unemployment insurance fell last week to the lowest level in nearly two months, a government report released Thursday showed.

There were 451,000 initial jobless claims filed in the week ended Sept. 4, down 27,000 from an upwardly revised 478,000 in the previous week, according to a weekly report from the Labor Department.

That was the lowest weekly jobless claims figure since the 427,000 claims reported in the week ended July 10. Economists surveyed by Briefing.com had forecast new jobless claims to edge down to 470,000.

"What this means for people who are unemployed and looking for work is that things are less bad than they were and we’re taking steps toward an environment where we can have job growth, but we’re not there yet," said Tim Quinlan, economic analyst at Wells Fargo.

The 4-week moving average of initial claims, calculated to smooth out volatility, was 477,750, down 9,250 from the previous week’s revised average of 487,000.

Not low enough for job growth: While the slide to 451,000 new claims is a welcome improvement from the 650,000 highs seen during the worst part of the recession, the current level still isn’t as low as it should be, said Quinlan.

"Most economists agree that to be consistent with payroll growth we should be between 400,000 and 450,000," he said. "So is 451,000 good? No, but it’s a heck of a lot better than where we’ve been need a personal loan with bad credit."

Going forward, claims could hover at these lower levels for the remainder of the year, but a sharp decline is unlikely until jobs are created and the economy begins to show more convincing signs of life, said Quinlan.

Continuing claims: The number of people continuing to file unemployment claims for a second week or more eased to 4,478,000 during the week ended Aug. 28, the most recent data available. That’s down 2,000 from an upwardly revised 4,480,000 the week before.

Economists were expecting continuing claims to dip to 4,445,000 from 4,456,000 the week before.

The 4-week moving average for ongoing claims fell by 3,250 to 4,488,000 million from the preceding week’s revised 4,491,250.

State-by-state: Jobless claims in two states declined by more than 1,000 in the week ended Aug. 28, which is the most recent state data available. Claims in California dropped the most, by 4,127. The state attributed the drop to fewer layoffs in the construction, trade and manufacturing industries.

Claims jumped by more than 1,000 in three states. Claims in New York rose the most, by 4,891, while claims in Florida were up 1,886 and claims in Nevada rose by 1,052. 

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The iPod helped Apple rise from the dead in the last decade. But the iPod Classic, the device that jump-started that resurrection, didn’t get so much as a mention from Steve Jobs at Apple’s iPod event on Wednesday.

Apple’s decision to completely ignore the iPod Classic means that 2010 will be the first year in the iPod’s nine-year history in which the Classic doesn’t get even a slight upgrade. That fueled another round of what has become an annual tradition: rumors that Apple will completely do away with the iPod Classic once it sells through its inventory.

Its obvious omission from Jobs’ presentation spooked the device’s devotees. On MacRumors’ forums, commenters grumbled about the "kick to the teeth" to Classic fans of Jobs’ showing off upgrades to all of Apple’s iPods except the original.

"I guess it’s not part of the club anymore," one fan lamented.

A spokesman from Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500) did not immediately return requests for comment. For now, the Classic is still available through Apple’s online store and other sales channels.

Some minor tweaks aside, the iPod Classic has basically been the same since October 2005. Sure, it’s aluminum now instead of plastic, it has a slightly bigger screen plus lots more memory and battery life, and its menus have been improved. But the Classic hasn’t gotten a major upgrade since video playback was introduced five years ago.

The rest of the iPod line has left it lagging way behind on the evolutionary curve. The Shuffle may lack a screen, but it’s as big as your thumbnail. The Touch is essentially an iPhone without a contract. Even the Nano has a touch screen now. The Classic is the last iPod with a hard drive and a click wheel.

But the iPod Classic has one killer advantage: It features an amazing 160 GB of space for music, which is enough for 40,000 songs.

If Apple were to kill it off, the biggest iPod left would be the 64 GB iPod Touch, which has enough memory for 16,000 songs. That’s plenty for most music lovers, but it will set you back $399 — $150 more than the $249 iPod Classic.

And that’s 16,000 songs if you don’t fill it up with anything else. The iPod Touch’s memory is typically crammed with apps and high definition video, which aren’t exactly small files.

"Apple has a reputation of being arrogant, but by keeping the iPod Classic as it is, Steve Jobs isn’t rocking the boat or ruffling the features of the users that like it," said Laura DiDio, principal analyst at ITIC. "Apple is playing to all levels of its user base. I don’t think it’s going anywhere soon."

It’s worth noting that the iPod Classic was never the primary driver of the iPod and iTunes revolution that garnered Apple its whopping 70% share of the mobile media player market.

It wasn’t until the January 2004 debut of the more affordable iPod Mini that iPod sales really took off. In 2002, the iPod’s first full year of availability, Apple sold 381,000 units. That’s not bad, but it’s peanuts compared to the 54 million iPods Apple sold last year.

Would Apple kill off a device that still has a cult following? Maybe. The company likes to push its customers to stay on technology’s cutting edge — and sometimes, its innovations take it a step too far.

A good example is the third-generation iPod Shuffle. Apple did away with the buttons, replacing them with a confusing control pad on the headphones and sparking a backlash. But to Apple’s credit, it listened to its customers’ complaints about the switch: Jobs noted this week that people "clearly liked the buttons," and Apple put the controls back on the actual device in the fourth-generation version that will go on sale later this month.

Listening to customers’ feedback and trying not to alienate its core user base are two reasons why some analysts think Apple has chosen to hang onto the Classic for so long and will continue to sell it — at least until Jobs gets on stage to debut next year’s new iPod line. 

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The bulls are back on Wall Street. After a bearish August, stocks roared into September with a major rally Wednesday, as investors cheered signs of strength in the manufacturing sector.

The Dow Jones industrial average (INDU) gained 256 points, or 2.2%.The S&P 500 (SPX) soared 31 points, or 2.9%. The Nasdaq (COMP) composite rallied 63 points, or 3%.

Stocks rallied right out of the gate as investors welcomed a rebound in Chinese manufacturing and robust economic growth in Australia. The advance kicked into high gear following an unexpectedly strong report on U.S. manufacturing activity.

The manufacturing data boosted industrial names and companies in the materials sector. Caterpillar (CAT, Fortune 500), United Technologies (UTX, Fortune 500), Boeing (BA, Fortune 500) all gained between 2% and 4%. Energy producers Exxon (XOM, Fortune 500) and Chevron (CVX, Fortune 500) also rose as oil prices spiked 3%.

But the rally was broad-based. Six stocks gained for every one that fell on the New York Stock Exchange. All 30 Dow components closed higher, with Bank of America (BAC, Fortune 500) gaining over 6%.

While the improvement in manufacturing allayed some concerns about the U.S. economy, traders said the market remains vulnerable given the uncertain outlook for growth this year.

Investors shrugged off a weaker-than-expected report from payroll processing firm ADP, which is widely seen as a leading indicator for Friday’s jobs report from the Labor Department.

"This market is looking for something to grab on to," said Mark Luschini, chief investment strategist for Janney Montgomery Scott. "And for the moment it’s manufacturing."

The focus could shift to jobs Thursday morning when the government’s weekly report on initial claims for jobless benefits comes out. Investors will also take in the latest readings on factory orders and pending home sales shortly after the market opens.

"The manufacturing number is nice to hang your hat on, but the state of the consumer is still paramount for what’s happening in the economy, " said Luschini.

The major gauges ended Tuesday’s session essentially unchanged, closing out a lackluster August. Stocks typically start September strong, but often end on a weak note due to end-of-the-quarter movements by mutual funds.

Economy: The Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) said its index of manufacturing activity rose to 56.3 in August. Economists were expecting the index to edge lower. Any number above 50 indicates growth in the sector.

Meanwhile, payroll processing firm ADP reported that employers cut 10,000 jobs in August. Economists were expecting private sector employers to add 13,000 jobs during the month, after adding 37,000 in July.

A separate report showed that planned job cuts plummeted to a 10-year low in August, as employers shed 34,768, down 17% from the previous month, according to outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

The reports come two days before the government’s monthly report on jobs and unemployment. Economists expect the government to report that the economy lost 120,000 jobs in August, after employers cut payrolls by 131,000 in July. The unemployment rate is expected to edge up to 9.6% from 9.5%.

Other reports on Wednesday included construction spending, which fell 1% in July, versus a forecasted 0.7% decline.

Companies: General Motors, Ford Motor (F, Fortune 500) and Toyota (TM) all reported disappointing sales Wednesday, kicking off what is expected to be the worst August for industrywide auto sales in 27 years.

The drop in auto sales is partly a result of tough comparisons to the Cash for Clunkers program of last summer.

Shares of Burger King Holdings (BKC) jumped 14%, following a report that the fast food chain is considering a possible sale to buyout firms. The Wall Street Journal reported that that private equity firms that have expressed interest in buying Burger King include Britain’s 3G Capital Group.

Apple’s (AAPL, Fortune 500) stock was up 2.8% as the company held its annual music-themed special event. CEO Steve Jobs is expected to unveil its newest iPods and advances in the iTunes music store.

Shares of BP (BP) climbed 3.7% as the oil giant said it has agreed to sell its interests in ethylene and polyethylene production in Malaysia to government-owned Petronas for $363 million in cash.

World markets: European shares closed sharply higher. The FTSE 100 in Britain jumped 2.7%, the CAC 40 in France added 3.8% and the DAX in Germany gained 2.7%.

In Asia, Japan’s benchmark Nikkei index gained nearly 1.2%, rebounding after hitting a 16-month low on Tuesday, and the Hang Seng in Hong Kong rose 0.4%. The Shanghai Composite fell 0.6%, despite a report that showed China’s manufacturing sector bounced back in August after several months of slowing.

Currencies and commodities: The dollar fell against the euro and the British pound, but rose versus the Japanese yen.

Currency trading volume around the world has hit $4 trillion a day, a 20% jump compared to 2007, said the Bank of International Settlement.

Oil futures for October delivery rose $2.08 to $74.03 a barrel. Gold for December delivery fell $2.20 to $1,248.10 an ounce.

Bonds: The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.58% from 2.48% late Tuesday. 

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