IN THE PAPERS
In the papers 28 March
28-03-2008
by Deirdre McArdle
Three Ireland making network progress says Hutchison | EA urges Take-Two to negotiate on takeover
The Irish Times reports that Hutchison Whampoa, the Hong Kong-based parent company of mobile operator Three Ireland has said the Irish firm is making "steady progress building its network and business". Hutchison made the comment in a statement accompanying its annual results which showed earnings before interest and taxes grew 26 percent to HKD64.2 billion (EUR5.2 billion) in 2007. The combined UK and Ireland operations of Three had revenues of STG1.59 billion (EUR2.01 billion) but the entire Three group lost HKD17.9 billion.
According to the same paper some customers of Eircom's internet service are unable to send e-mail when travelling abroad due to security measures that have been put in place to prevent the spread of spam e-mail. Eircom uses a blacklist of internet addresses -- provided by the Spamhaus Project -- which have been tracked as sending spam in the past. While this doesn't affect those connecting to the net in Ireland, in recent months enhancements to Eircom's anti-spam defences mean that customers connecting using other networks while abroad are having their mail rejected for being potential spam. In a statement Eircom acknowledged the issue but said it was affecting a very small number of customers, with very few reported issues.
The paper also says that Al Synder, the former chief operating officer of Nasdaq-quoted Carrier Access, has taken over as chief executive of Belfast telecoms software firm Aepona. Read more on this story on ENN.
The Irish Time also writes that Dublin-based iB Solutions has secured a EUR30.2 million five-year extension of a software-hosting contract with the National Health Service (NHS) in Britain. The firm will host Oracle financial and purchasing applications for NHS Shared Business Services (SBS), an outsourcing company which is a joint venture between the British department of health and outsourcing specialist Xansa. The managed service will be available to 2,300 NHS users, with plans for it to rise to 3,200 within two years. iB Solutions will service the contract from its data centre in Prestwich outside Manchester.
Still in the same paper, a report says that Irish technology and life sciences firms raised EUR84.4 million from investors in the fourth quarter of last year, according to new data from the Irish Venture Capital Association (IVCA). Read the full story on ENN.
The Irish Independent reports that Gardai are trying to identify a male driver shown in a YouTube video clocking 240kmh during rush hour on a major Donegal road. The two-and-a-half minute video revealed a high-performance Subaru Impreza being driven by a youth who was accompanied by another male. It appears to have been shot on Wednesday 30 January 2008 at 6pm on the N15 Letterkenny to Donegal route in an area known as Barnesmore Gap.
The Wall Street Journal writes that February data from research group comScore marks the second consecutive month that Google's paid-click data disappointed analysts and investors, who responded by driving the company's shares down 3.1 percent Thursday. Analysts were divided about the reasons for, and the impact of, the disappointing data. Some suggested economic weakness could cause Google to fall short of Wall Street's first-quarter estimates, while others argued that efforts by the company to trim the number of clicks -- which should enable it to increase the amount it charges per click -- will boost the company's long-term prospects.
According to the same paper Xerox said it will pay USD670 million to settle a shareholder lawsuit over alleged accounting misdeeds, while its former auditor, KPMG, will pay USD80 million. The Xerox payment is the largest it has made to deal with allegations that it inflated earnings by manipulating its accounting in years past. In addition to the USD670 million, the office-equipment maker said it will place USD125 million in reserve for potential liability in three other pending lawsuits related to similar allegations. The settlement and reserve will result in a USD491 million after-tax charge in the first quarter.
The Financial Times says games publisher Electronic Arts has again urged Take-Two to negotiate after the rival video game publisher recommended that its stockholders not tender any of its shares to EA and help its USD2 billion takeover bid. Take-Two said on Wednesday that its board had thoroughly reviewed EA's USD26-a-share offer for the company and had unanimously determined that it was inadequate.
Caped Koala Studios has built a virtual world for kids, combining education and social networking 