IN THE PAPERS
In the papers 3 December
03-12-2007
by Ciara O'Brien
Vivendi to acquire controlling stake in Activision | eBay chief criticises Ireland's broadband standing
The Irish Times reports that executives from 15 Irish tech firms travelled to California's Silicon Valley at the weekend for an informal networking mission dubbed 'Paddy's Valley'. Five of the firms -- Zinadoo, Pix.ie, PutPlace, Tourist Republic and Spoilt Child -- will pitch to a group of local investors on Tuesday at an event organised by Enterprise Ireland. The trip, which runs until next Saturday, has also received support from Intertrade Ireland.
The paper also says the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner has decided not to investigate further a recent error by AIB which resulted in the sending of 15,000 notifications to customers containing the private bank account details of other individuals. However, the ODPC said it would investigate further if it receives any formal complaints from AIB customers about the matter. It had not received any such complaints by Friday afternoon.
The same paper notes that the State's advisory body on racism has welcomed the closure of a discussion forum for taxi drivers which it recently reported for carrying offensive material about immigrants in Ireland. The National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism (NCCRI) recently reported to the Internet Service Providers' Association of Ireland (ISPAI) a forum linked from the website www.taxi.ie because it believed some of its users' comments were in breach of the Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred Act. The forum was apparently shut down two weeks ago but it is unclear whether the measure is permanent.
The Irish Examiner reports that more than 5,000 people contacted a drug information website last week after the Government said it was going to use the internet as part of a new national drug awareness strategy. The Drug Awareness Programme (DAP), which runs a web and text information service, said it was "swamped" with requests for information after drugs strategy minister Pat Carey said he was going to use sites like Bebo to reach out to young people. The DAP can be contacted at www.dap.ie or via text on 51900.
According to the Financial Times, PC maker Dell plans to consolidate its worldwide marketing, advertising and communications operations into a single new public relations unit led by WPP, the UK advertising group. The advertising deal, worth USD4.5 billion in billings over the next three years, will come as a major coup for WPP as Chief Executive Sir Martin Sorrell has been trying to persuade investors that they are undervaluing the company's share price. Casey Jones, Dell's vice-president of global marketing, said a top priority of the new WPP group would be to support the computer maker's push into retail stores.
The paper also says that Japanese electronics group Fujitsu and the Taiwanese government will on Tuesday announce plans to jointly develop WiMax broadband chips in Taiwan. The partnership between Fujitsu and Taiwan is a significant step in spreading the WiMax standard because most PCs and mobile phones are made by Taiwanese companies. The joint venture will take the form of a joint research facility in Taiwan funded by Fujitsu and the Institute for Information Industry, a body jointly funded by government and industry in Taiwan.
The Wall Street Journal reports that French entertainment and telecommunications group Vivendi plans to acquire a controlling stake in US videogame maker Activision, a move that would join the companies behind console hit Guitar Hero and online phenomenon World of Warcraft. Vivendi will merge its own gaming division into Activision and contribute cash to form a new company, Activision Blizzard. In a complex transaction, which values all of Activision at USD8 billion, Vivendi will pay USD27.50 per share and end up with up to 68 percent ownership of the new company.
The Sunday Business Post reports that Ireland lost out to Poland in the race to host the Chinese PC maker Lenovo's main manufacturing facility, despite lobbying by IDA Ireland. The plant, which will involve a USD20 million investment in a 30,000 square foot premises, will now be located in the Legnica special economic zone in Poland and will create about 1,000 jobs. Ireland was not even on the short list, with lower cost regions such as Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Poland considered as possible locations.
The same paper writes that some customers of broadband operator Clearwire and mobile operator Meteor may find their services disrupted after An Bord Pleanala rejected an application for the retention of masts in Harold's Cross. The mast on the site on the corner of Upper Clanbrassil Street and Windsor Terrace was rejected because it was considered visually obtrusive. It is not known how many mobile customers would be affected by the move, although Meteor said the coverage would be weaker in the area. Clearwire's customers in the area may lose their broadband coverage.
The newspaper also reports that revenues at mobile firm Zamano are expected to double following its takeover of Red Circle. Read more about the acquisition on ENN.
The Sunday Business Post also reports that Irish firm Your Mobile is to start distributing a new child-friendly mobile phone in the UK and Ireland, known as Firefly. The company has the exclusive distribution rights for the product in Ireland and will launch the five-button phone here in August 2008. The device gives parents control over what their children do with the phone and includes the ability to screen calls and programme numbers into the phone.
Dublin-based technology start-up Minola Technology has come up with software to help businesses comply with EU excise rules, and could help them save money by taking advantage of incentive programmes. The software works as a module of SAP and the company is planning to expand its staff next year.
The Sunday Tribune writes about the ease at which it could buy illegal drugs online, including cannabis and hallucinogenic substances, and have them delivered by post. The newspaper ordered several different types of drugs, including cannabis, peyote tea and magic mushrooms from some of the websites. However, they did not receive the full order, getting a package of yellow powder that contained hallucinogenic properties and seeds that appeared to be peyote cactus seeds. While customs officers make a number of seizures every year, the paper says, the lack of documentation included with such purchases means it is difficult to tell whether they have been paid for. The most popular seizures, the Sunday Tribune writes, are cannabis and cocaine. The Garda National Drugs Bureau is now considering blocking such sites from Irish users.
The Sunday Tribune reports that Ireland's record on broadband has been criticised by the managing director of auction site eBay, John McElligott. He claimed that the country's ability to attract foreign companies is being hit by the connectivity problems we have, and said he was both disappointed with what had been achieved to date and concerned for the future. He also warned of becoming overly concerned with EU league tables and Ireland's standing within them, saying that other countries paid little heed to their standing in these tables.
Finally, the paper writes about a new website, Lost.ie, that is reuniting owners with their mislaid belongings. The site was only launched last month but has already seen several hundred web users log on to report lost or found items. The most popular items are wallets, bags and even pets.
The Sunday Times writes that the Golden Pages has only managed to persuade a little over 5 percent of its print customers to advertise on its online directory. The company is set to concentrate its efforts on boosting its internet revenue.
Caped Koala Studios has built a virtual world for kids, combining education and social networking 