NEWS IN BRIEF
For the record 21 May
21-05-2007
by Deirdre McArdle
HP links up with An Post | Motorola invests in security firm
Hewlett-Packard has announced details of a link-up with An Post which will see the computer giant equipping 1,000 automated post offices with 1,800 rp5000 point-of-sale PCs. As well as speeding up a number of existing services at the post office, the new system will enable An Post to roll out some new services, such as allowing consumers to pay driving penalty points. The system is expected to be rolled out within the next four months. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
E-learning firm ThirdForce has acquired Mindleaders, a US e-learning company, in a deal worth USD18 million. "We are building a global e-learning business organically and through acquisition. Key to that process is a US presence..." said ThirdForce CEO Brendan O'Sullivan. Rumours of the acquisition abounded two weeks ago when ThirdForce released a statement saying it was in talks with Mindleaders.
Mobile operator Vodafone has launched two new low-cost handsets aimed at developing markets. The 125 and 225, which are exactly the same except for the fact that the 125 has a black-and-white screen while the 225 features colour, have been manufactured by ZTE, a Chinese company. They will go on sale in Egypt, Romania and South Africa in the next few weeks and will be priced between USD25 and USD45, depending on the model and local market conditions.
Sony has confirmed that it is to launch an 80GB PlayStation 3 in Korea on 16 June. The announcement appeared on the Sony Computer Entertainment Korea website, which also revealed the price tag will be around STG282. Industry insiders think it's likely that the 80GB model will make its way to European shelves during the coming months.
Mobile handset giant Motorola has announced an equity investment in VidSys, a provider of Physical Security Information Management (PSIM) solutions for safety, security, commercial, surveillance, military and transportation organisations. Motorola made the investment through Motorola Ventures, its strategic venture capital arm. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Motorola describes PSIM as "the marriage of video management for security and surveillance applications with incident and event management."
Cisco and Nokia Siemens Networks have entered into an agreement aimed at helping telecoms providers to manage complex networks. Under the deal, the two firms will work to develop a standards-based telecommunications network management platform -- known as an Operations Support Systems (OSS) platform -- that will help operators manage the increasing complexity of their networks and accelerate the time-to-market of new services. "While often downplayed, the OSS is the critical engine for our ability to support our network investment in meeting the demands of consumers and business for new services, new technologies and new ways of doing business," commented George Nazi, vice president of Global Engineering, BT.
Caped Koala Studios has built a virtual world for kids, combining education and social networking 