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For the record 09 August
Thursday, August 09 2001
by Paula Mythen


The Aberdeen Group reports uplifting news for the ASP market | Pornography Web
sites were visited by 3.8 million home Internet users in the UK in June 2001







The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has released the SMIL (Synchronized
Multimedia Integration Language) 2.0 specification as a W3C Recommendation,
representing cross-industry agreement on an XML-based language that allows
authors to write interactive multimedia presentations. A W3C Recommendation
indicates that a specification is stable, contributes to Web interoperability,
and has been reviewed by the W3C Membership, who favour its adoption by the
industry.

 

Nortel Networks has expanded its reseller agreement with IBM Global
Services, enabling the company to deliver Nortel Networks end-to-end intelligent
optical networking solutions to enterprises and carriers worldwide. Already a
"Nortel Networks Global Solutions Partner," IBM has added Nortel Networks
OPTera Metro 3500, 5200 and 5300 Multiservice Platforms; Nortel Networks Alteon
Web switches; and Nortel Networks Shasta 5000 Broadband Service Node (BSN) to
its comprehensive solution set. IBM Global Services will provide end-to-end
support for these products - including consulting, implementation, and post-sale
support - for enterprise customers worldwide. 





In a research report released on Thursday by the Aberdeen Group, an IT
market analysis firm, the value proposition of the application service provider
(ASP) model and the ASP market as a whole looks stable and is growing. The
report, "ASP Market Snapshot: Turning the Corner," analyses current market
trends, drivers, and adoption challenges, and examines market segments and their
evolution. Some of the findings include the following: Cost reduction has once
again become one of the primary business benefit that the ASP offers to
customers.  ASPs that are able to put together an effective
partnership/alliance program combining the best practices from a variety of
fields will ultimately dominate the market.



AOL has released the latest version of its Netscape browser.  Netscape
6.1 enhances the performance and stability of Netscape 6 while improving
functionality and adding a number of key features. 

 

Pornography Web sites were visited by 3.8 million home Internet users in the UK
in June 2001, according to NetValue. This accounts for more than a quarter
of the entire UK home Internet population. UK visitors to adult Web sites spent
more than 45 minutes on these sites each in June. Pornographic sites make up 41.2
percent of all the sites visited in the UK with a significant audience. Students
(23.2 percent), manual workers (15 percent), and professionals (12.8 percent) are
the largest groups of UK visitors to pornographic sites. However, Germany has the
largest audience for on-line pornography in Europe with more than 5.3 million
Germans visiting an adult site for more than an hour in June. Spain has the
greatest proportion of visitors to pornographic sites, with 40 percent of Spanish
home Internet users visiting a pornography site in June.

 

Fantasy Football on Ireland.com is now underway in readiness for the new
Premiership season. Entry is free, all you have to do is select and manage a
team, using a total of 25 transfers.  Top prize of IEP10,000, with IEP3,000 and
IEP2000 for second and third respectively. Weekly prizes and monthly trips to
Premiership matches will also be on offer. Registration closes at midday, 18
August. 

 

Opodo unveiled its first international sponsorship deal by entering the
Formula 3 and sponsoring racing driver Gianmaria (Gimmi) Bruni. The deal also
includes a guaranteed TV advertising campaign on CNBC Sports to coincide with
Opodo's launch in various European markets. 

 

Red Circle has selected nevada tele.com as its managed services provider.
The contract includes the provision of hosting, Internet access, voice services
and security. 

 

IBM has formed a new partnership with Talent Software providing high tech
support to Eircom's new "internal recruitment environment." Eircom is setting
up an internal recruitment environment for placing high-skilled engineering staff
with external companies. TALENT Software Limited (TSL) is a supplier of software
for the recruitment and sales & marketing industries and will run on the IBM
eServer iSeries range.

 

Internet security company, Check Point Software Technologies has appointed
LAN Communications as an authorised partner. This accreditation will allow LAN
Communications to provide customers with advanced, secure Internet connectivity
between networks, systems, applications and users across intranets, extranets and
the Internet.

 

Yahoo has completed its tender offer for all of the outstanding shares of
common stock of Launch Media, an Internet music site at a price of USD0.92 per
share in cash. The offer expired at midnight New York City time on 08 August
2001.