For the record 23 January

23-01-2007

by Maxim Kelly

FCI's Fermoy plant to close, with 240 job losses | Government releases new National Development Plan

Tanaiste and Minister for Justice Michael McDowell has welcomed an allocation for improved ICT resources for Gardai as part of the Government's new EUR2.8 billion National Development Plan."I am pleased with the allocation of EUR352 million towards the provision of appropriate support facilities for An Garda Siochana as this is of crucial importance to the effective operation of a modern police force. The Plan will make available the funding required to address these needs, through the continued development of IT and communications infrastructure and equipment, as well as the additional accommodation requirements as the force expands towards 15,000."

Meanwhile, Labour's Communications spokesman, Tommy Broughan, has criticised the Government's allocation of resources to address Ireland's "broadband deficit" in the new National Development Plan. Communications Minister Noel Dempsey has allocated EUR435 million under the plan, which lasts until 2013. "The Government's broadband policy is still based on the Metropolitan Area Networks, upon which EUR120 million has already been spent," said Broughan. "However, the MANs project has so far produced little discernible payback and [they] are in fact still losing money. The public must be assured that any further investment in the MANs programme will achieve concrete results in broadband availability."

In more reaction to the National Development Plan (NDP), Higher Education Authority (HEA) chairman Michael Kelly has welcomed the plan, saying it is a boost to higher education. "The NDP will considerably help the Higher Education sector to address current inadequate infrastructure while providing the essential resources to increase the levels of graduate output that are vital for future social, economic and cultural progress. The support will also play a critical role in growing the vital fourth level sector," he said in a statement.

The closure of automotive electrical connector manufacturer FCI means 240 job losses for Fermoy, County Cork, according to the Irish Times. The French firm employs 260 staff in the town and it is expected to outsource the positions to Asia. "North Cork is fast becoming an unemployment blackspot. FCI's announcement comes on the back of the demise of Greencore, the loss of over a thousand jobs at Dairygold and the announcement by BUPA that it will pull out, leaving another 350 workers without employment," said Senator Paul Bradford of Fine Gael.

Vodafone will be providing live mobile video updates of the GAA All-Stars Tour of Dubai in conjunction with RTE. The mobile operator's 3G Live customers can access player interviews and match highlights alongside free clips of the 2005 and 2006 championships.

Global demand for low cost mobile phones -- those priced below USD20 -- will reach over 330 million units in 2011, according to a prediction from ABI Research. Over half of these handsets will be shipped in the emerging markets of Asia Pacific and the remainder in the markets of Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. The ultra low cost handset marketplace is currently dominated by Motorola and Nokia, but other handset manufacturers -- including LG Electronics, BenQ, Samsung, Philips, Ningbo Bird, Haier and Kyocera -- have also started to introduce handsets for this segment.

Analysts at IDC expect total ICT spend in Europe, the Middle East and Africa to grow by 4.8 percent to reach EUR733 billion in 2007. Growth in emerging markets is forecast to be significantly faster than in Western European countries, representing 17 percent of total ICT spending in 2007. IDC has forecast single-digit growth in each of the major submarkets: software (7.3 percent); hardware (6.8 percent); services (6.1 percent); and telecoms (3.0 percent).