In the papers 29 June

29-06-2006

by Sylvia Leatham

Digital River to create new jobs in Shannon | PFH acquires Keyhouse unit

The Irish Times reports that the newspaper's archive is set to digitised, under a joint initiative with the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government. Read the full story as reported by ENN on Wednesday.

The paper also says that more than 500 new jobs are on their way to Shannon, County Clare, through the expansion of two existing companies and the establishment of a US e-commerce firm in the Shannon Free Zone. Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Micheal Martin announced 285 new jobs in existing companies Halifax Insurance Ireland and Sykes Enterprises. Though not expected to be officially announced for a number of weeks, e-commerce firm Digital River has recently established a European subsidiary in the free zone that is expected to generate over 250 new jobs in Shannon, the newspaper says.

The paper also reports that shares in Getmobile Europe lost two-thirds of their value on Wednesday after the mobile phone services group said its results this year would be "materially" below expectations. This is the group's second profit warning in less than a year.

The Irish Independent reports that a study by Britain's communications regulator Ofcom has revealed that children there are at ease with a technological world utterly alien to many parents. The survey discovered that 90 percent of girls aged 12 to 15 own a mobile phone, as do 77 percent of boys. Six out of 10 girls use the internet, as do almost half of boys. Ofcom warned of the dangers of children being catapulted into the digital future without sufficient adult mediation of what is sometimes a dark and unsettling landscape.

The paper also reports that IT outsourcer PFH Technology Group has acquired the networks division of Keyhouse, a leading supplier of software and networks for solicitors across Ireland. PFH will provide the IT infrastructure support for all Keyhouse clients from July.

The Irish Examiner says that moves are taking place to get rid of the cheque book and to move the economy from cash to cards by 2010, according to the head of the country's cheque-clearing system, Stewart MacKinnon. The chief executive of the Irish Payment Services Organisation (IPSO) said Irish businesses and consumers will be expected to switch to electronic payment methods for large transactions once the Single European Payments Area (SEPA) project was complete. The deadline for the switch over is 2010.

The same paper reports that Hosting365, together with Azotel and Motorola, has announced a new suite of services that is set to extend broadband reach in Ireland. Read the details of the story on ENN.

The paper also reports that a new pan-European survey shows Ireland slipping back in the online availability of key public services from central and local government and in the sophistication of the services provided. The survey, carried out for the European Commission by CapGemini, shows that 50 percent of a range of 20 basic public services for citizens and businesses are available online in Ireland, the same as two years ago.

According to the Financial Times, PC maker Dell has reorganised its struggling Americas division in a bid to inject fresh momentum into sales and customer service at its biggest business unit. Management changes at the division follow several quarters of worse-than-expected results as the company grapples with slower sales growth and the erosion of its cost advantage over competitors such as Hewlett-Packard, Acer and Lenovo. Kevin Rollins, chief executive, said the move was designed to allow Dell to be "much more focused on growth and meeting customer needs", particularly in the US.

The Wall Street Journal says that US software firm Symantec Corp is in a USD1 billion court dispute with the Internal Revenue Service involving dealings between its Veritas Software unit and an Irish subsidiary. In a petition filed with the US Tax Court, Symantec said the IRS is seeking more than USD757 million in back-taxes owed by Veritas Software, a company acquired by Symantec in 2005. The dispute is over the fees and cost-allocation arrangements between Veritas and an Irish subsidiary. The IRS contends that licensing fees paid by the Irish subsidiary to Veritas in the US were too low and that Veritas credited the US business with too much of the cost of developing certain technology.