IN THE PAPERS
In The Papers 9 April
09-04-2009
by Sylvia Leatham
Arantech bought by Tektronix | O'Connell leaves Eircom
The Irish Times reports that Dublin telecoms software firm Arantech has been acquired by US firm Tektronix Communications. The financial terms of the deal were not revealed. Arantech will continue to operate as a distinct brand with its own offices and management. It will become a stand-alone business within the Network Intelligence Solutions division of Tektronix. Arantech provides software to mobile operators which helps them identify new service opportunities and manage customers' experiences.
The paper also says that PC maker Acer has launched a range of ultra-thin laptops at half the price charged by rivals. The Aspire Timeline is a lightweight, portable notebook with a slim profile and more than eight hours of battery life and will retail for less than USD1,000, compared with about USD2,000 for most similar products.
The paper also reports that the last of the top-level executives drafted into Eircom after its acquisition by Babcock & Brown three years ago has left the business. Peter O'Connell, an Australian who has been Eircom's director of strategy and regulation since 2007, has departed and initiated a High Court action for damages against Eircom over 'contractual issues'. "Peter O'Connell has agreed to step down from his position as director of strategy and regulation of Eircom today. Peter, whose contract expires on 31 May 2009 is returning to Australia and we wish him well," said Cathal Magee, acting chief executive of the company, in a note to staff. O'Connell declined to discuss the reasons for his action.
In other news of Eircom, the Irish Independent writes that the former head of the Communications Workers Union (CWU), Con Scanlon, and Merrion Stockbrokers chief John Conroy are stepping down from the board of the telecoms firm. It is understood the chairman of the Eircom Share Ownership Trust (ESOT), Jerome Barrett, and FGS executive Greg Sparks will join the board in the reshuffle. It is believed the decision by Scanlon and Conroy to step down next June was taken as unions begin to flex their muscles in relation to restructuring at the company. Scanlon will remain in his position as general manager of the ESOT.
The paper also reports that a Nigerian asylum seeker who claimed he bought the credit card details of over a hundred people for EUR20 each on the internet has been jailed for what a judge called a "sophisticated scam". Kingsley Kelechi Awulonu pleaded guilty at Galway District Court to the theft and fraudulent use of a credit card belonging to Jaclyn Underwood from Texas on 2 and 3 February last. Gardai who arrested Awulonu searched his room and found a laptop containing a document with the personal details of 101 credit card owners. Awulonu claimed he bought the list of numbers on the internet from a person in Vietnam for EUR20 each. The judge sentenced Awulonu to eight months in prison for being in possession of a stolen credit card.
The Irish Examiner says that mobile phone records have led Gardai to the man alleged to have made death threats against former Cork hurling manager Gerald McCarthy. Supt Charlie Barry said the man had voluntarily been interviewed at his address in Cork city after painstaking mobile tracking by investigating Gardai led to his door. A file has now been prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The paper also says that Dell workers who are to lose their jobs over the coming months are considering taking their fight for better redundancy to the Labour Relations Commission, as noted by ENN on Wednesday.
The same paper reports that auction site eBay is hoping to see a significant increase in revenue from its Irish operations this year, as reported by ENN.
According to the Financial Times, Qtrax, a free music download site, will launch in the US on Thursday, nearly 15 months after its first attempt ended in embarrassment. Allan Klepfisz, president and chief executive, told the newspaper that a "US preview" of what he billed as the world's first free download service to be licensed by all the major record labels was now ready to launch. In January 2008, the backers of the advertising-supported peer-to-peer site spent a reported USD500,000 on a launch party at a digital music conference in Cannes, only for the four big music companies to deny having struck licensing agreements with it. Qtrax expects to make 90 percent of its revenues from online advertising networks, and just 10 percent from direct deals with advertisers.
The paper also says that some of the best-known names in the London dotcom world are joining forces to cash in on the popularity of micro-blogging service Twitter. Twitter Partners said it will help brands, media companies and celebrities to monitor and market themselves on the network. Peter Read, the marketing agency's founder, has brought together a "brains trust" of advisers to Twitter Partners, including Brent Hoberman and Martha Lane Fox, founders of Lastminute.com; Saul Klein, a partner at Index Ventures, the London venture capitalists; and Toby Coppel, the former European vice-president at Yahoo. Other advisers hail from broadcaster BSkyB, music site Last.fm, and advertising agencies Aegis, Omnicom and Razorfish.
The Wall Street Journal notes that Taiwan chip firm Elan Microelectronics has filed a suit against Apple in a US court, alleging the company infringed two patents in the production of its MacBook, iPhone and iPod Touch products. Elan, which makes touch pads for computers, said it owned the rights to touch-screen technology that allowed Apple's products to detect the position of fingers on a screen or touchpad. A spokeswoman for Apple declined to comment on the lawsuit.
Free! "In the papers" email newsletter -- get the full text to your in-box every business day. Email itp@enn.ie with 'subscribe' in the subject line.
Caped Koala Studios has built a virtual world for kids, combining education and social networking 