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Tuesday. He was 73.Perina died in his West Bloomfield home from complications related to triple bypass surgery he underwent eight months ago, said his daughter and Lucerne CEO Mary Buchzeiger."He had been doing good and everything was good, so this was kind of sudden for us," Buchzeiger said.Shortly after his death, Lucerne posted a memorial on its website that reads: "Gary embodied a love for life that could be seen when he was with his family, on the manufacturing floor at Lucerne and taking a swing on the golf course."Perina spent the early part of his career at General Motors before leaving in 1984 and pursuing his passion as a "serial entrepreneur," Buchzeiger said. He founded Lucerne in 1993 and built it into a $40 million company with more than 40 employees. Perina retired in 2008, when his daughter took over the company. He still frequented the office, offering supplier wisdom and home-cooked meals."He would bring in giant pans of food and bowls of chili twice a week and just take care of everyone and be a father to everyone," Buchzeiger said.One of the first lessons Perina taught his daughter is one to which she credits her success: hard work. Starting at 8 years old, Buchzeiger would wake up at 6 a.m. each morning and go to work with her father."If you don't work, nothing will" was his mantra, she said.When she took the reins at Lucerne, her father gave her a small wooden box he kept on his desk for years. The outside posed the question: "What is the secret to success?" Inside was the one-word answer: "Work.""His unmatchable work ethic will remain part of the DNA that will drive Lucerne forward under the direction of his daughter, Mary," the company said on its website. "We will deeply miss Gary, as a boss, friend, father and mentor."Perina is survived by son Gary L. Perina Jr.; daughter Mary Buchzeiger; his companion of 10 years Greta Ortelas; brother David Perina; four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife Diane, son Mark and brothers William and Thom...

The telco, a subsidiary of Singtel, said that despite the suspension of HFC connections, its operating revenue for the quarter ended 31 March grew 3 per cent to $2.17 billion.“Excluding the impact of NBN migration revenues, operating revenue was up a solid 5.5% led by strong customer growth, higher equipment sales and increased ICT & managed services revenue,” the telco said.NBN announced in April it would end the freeze on HFC sales. The government-owned company revealed it also expected at least a short-term hit from the suspension. NBN is now taking a “conservative approach” to migrating households to the technology, aiming to release around 36,000 premises by the end of June.Optus said Q4 net profit declined to $208 million on the back of lower NBN migration revenues.For the full year operating revenue grew 3.4 per cent to $8.71 billion, with EBITDA up 3.9 per cent to $2.77 billion.During the year the telco added 384,000 new mobile customers and 225,000 new NBN customers.Optus’ ICT and managed services business registered a 2.8 per cent increase in net profit for the year to $817 million.“This financial year Optus reached the milestone of 10 million mobile customers who are attracted to our award winning national mobile network, unique content and competitive plans,” CEO Allen Lew said in a statement.Read more: Vodafone NZ pays NZ$3m for remaining stake in rural ISP“We remain focused on executing our objective of delivering a premium mobile network with exclusive video content that engages Australian customers. As the exclusive domestic broadcaster for all 64 matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and with our English Premier League broadcast rights extended for a further three seasons to 2022, Optus will continue to be the home of elite soccer in Australia.” Read More: Join the newsletter! Computerworld's twice-daily news service keeps you in touch with the latest, most impo...

As previously reported, Optus plans phase out its use of the Virgin Mobile Australia brand over the next two years.In a media announcement, Optus said it was "shortly" going to begin closing Virgin Mobile Australia retails stores, however, on a webpage created to inform customers of the changes, the company revealed all stores will be closed by the end of June.The telco said its retail stores located nearby those of Virgin Mobile are already prepared to provide services to Virgin Mobile customers. "As they are already connected to the Optus network, Virgin Mobile customers can continue to use their service in the same way they always have," Optus managing director, marketing and product Ben White said. "We have a special transition plan in place to make sure the impact to customers is minimal, and the experience they have during this time is a positive one.” Optus said it will support Virgin Mobile Australia customers by offering specially tailored plans for those who decide to stay on the Optus network after Virgin Mobile closes its doors in Australia. The company also stated that it has a range of options and support for customers. White said Optus wants Virgin Mobile customers to have a positive experience during the transition period. Read more Melbourne ISP launches NBN challenger in Queensland“To make things as easy as possible we are offering a range of great value plans suited to the way these customers are already using their mobile service on Optus’ premium, national mobile network,” he said.At the time of writing, the web page designed to inform customers offered no special plans for prepaid customers, instead it directed customers to a current Optus offers page. The same applies for mobile broadband customers. The only customers who could potentially benefit might be the ones on postpaid plans, which are required to enter their details in order to find out their options. In a frequently asked questions (FAQ)'s page, Optus also said that prepaid services...