In the papers 16 May

16-05-2008

by Sylvia Leatham

E-net signs EUR3m deal with BT | RIM expected to launch 'iPhone killer' later this year

The Irish Times reports that BT Ireland's turnover grew by 4.3 percent to STG771 million for the year ended 31 March, compared to STG739 million for the same period last year, as noted by ENN on Thursday.

Separately, the same paper says that E-net, the company that manages the Government's metropolitan area networks (MANs) in 27 towns around the State, has signed a EUR3 million deal with BT Ireland for the supply of backhaul connectivity. While the MANs provide high-speed fibre-optic rings around towns, they do not have links to other telecommunication networks, known as backhaul. Until now, the MANs have relied primarily on ESB Telecom for connectivity back to Dublin, but E-net chief executive Conal Henry said the addition of BT's services would give it additional flexibility with regard to the services it supplies to wholesale customers.

The paper also says that Microsoft has launched a visual guide to the Universe powered by some of the world's best astronomy telescopes. Read the full story on ENN.

The Irish Independent reports that over 35,000 people have been given penalty points for holding a mobile phone while driving, since the activity was made an offence in September 2006. That's according to the Road Safety Authority, which has launched a campaign to remind drivers that they are four times more likely to crash if they are using a phone while driving. The RSA also warned motorists that using a hands-free phone while driving was as dangerous as holding the device to your ear.

According to the Financial Times, BlackBerry maker Research In Motion will launch its first touch-screen model, dubbed 'Thunder', later this year, according to analysts and industry insiders. The new device, which will be a dual mode handset capable of working worldwide, would be designed to compete directly with Apple's second generation iPhone, which is expected launched next month, according to Mike Abramsky, an RBC Capital Markets analyst based in Toronto, Canada. He expects RIM's touchscreen-based 'iPhone killer' to be launched in October or November.

The Wall Street Journal reports that non-profit One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project will begin testing a laptop running Windows XP and other proprietary Microsoft software in several developing countries next month. The test machines will be Windows-only, with Microsoft selling the operating system to OLPC as part of a software package for just USD3. OLPC's founder, Nicholas Negroponte, says that the group's distinctive green-and-white laptop will be offered by October as a "dual-boot" machine that can run both Windows and its current, open-source, operating system, Linux.