In The Papers 1 September

01-09-2008

by Sylvia Leatham

Saongroup makes Central American purchase | BMI, Ryanair prepare for in-flight calls

The Irish Times reports that online recruitment firm Saongroup.com has expanded its operations to Central America with the acquisition of Tecoloco.com. The Irish firm is believed to have paid more than USD3 million to acquire the business, although the price was not disclosed. Tecoloco has operations in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Panama and plans to open in Costa Rica before Christmas.

The Irish Independent says that two airlines are preparing to allow passengers to use their mobile phones during flights in the coming weeks. BMI is taking a cautious approach and piloting a text message-only service, but Ryanair will allow passengers to text as well as make and receive calls and send e-mails via their phones. Both airlines are waiting for final approval from the regulator before they launch the new service. Ryanair, which had planned to introduce the service by June, is now predicting a launch in around two weeks' time, while BMI is also hoping to roll out a trial of its service in the next few weeks.

The paper also reports that drivers who use Dublin's M50 motorway will have their vehicle details held on file for six months after their journey is made. A picture of the car, its registration plate and the time and date it was on the motorway will be held on a computer system so it can be proved that the vehicle was on the road in cases where disputes arise over non-payment of the toll. The development comes after the M50 moved to barrier-free tolling at midnight last Friday. The Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) wants the information to be kept for a much shorter period. It's understood the National Roads Authority wants to hold details for six months because a credit card charge can be contested for that period of time, even though if a toll isn't paid after two months it is sent to a debt-collection agency.

The Wall Street Journal reports that videogame maker Nintendo has raised its profit outlook for the year, sending its shares sharply higher on the prospect of buoyant Wii and DS console sales and more favourable foreign exchange rates. The games maker said it now expects net profit to climb to JPY410 billion (USD3.78 billion) for the year ending in March 2009, 26 percent higher than the JPY325 billion it previously forecast, and nearly 60 percent higher than net profit for the last fiscal year. Analysts said the revision was doubly impressive because the Japanese firm is known for being careful in its earnings forecasts.

According to the Financial Times, around 40 million Europeans could be forced to abandon their mobile phones if a controversial reform of the telecoms industry is pushed through by the European Commission, Vodafone has claimed. The mobile giant has launched a ferocious attack on a plan by Viviane Reding, European commissioner for telecoms, who wants to see a steep cut in the charges mobile operators levy on each other for connecting calls to their networks. To help operators cope with the plan, Reding has raised the possibility of Europe moving to a US-style system under which mobile users pay for receiving calls as well as making them. Vodafone has commissioned research involving more than 9,000 mobile users that found significant resistance to the US-style charges.

The paper also says that the board of beleaguered telecoms equipment maker Alcatel-Lucent is preparing to announce its new management team after the surprise decision in July of chief executive Pat Russo and chairman Serge Tchuruk to step down. Directors are expected to make the final decision in the next two weeks and could possibly even unveil the team as early as this week. Mike Quigley, Alcatel's former chief operating officer, who retired after the ill-fated merger with Lucent of the US left him sidelined, has emerged as one of the leading contenders to replace Russo.

The Sunday Tribune reports that Gardai have been asked to look into a website run from an Irish address that is advertising "escort" services. EscortIreland.ie is registered to a Cork-based man, and features advertisements from a range of women. The paper says that the majority of the women offer sexual services. The IE Domain Registry says it cannot do anything about the site's domain name, as it does not describe anything illegal.

The same paper writes that passengers of airline Aer Lingus are setting up a website to keep tabs on its punctuality. Aerlateness.com is using web tool Twitter to update the site, flagging delays with the airline from the airports. The company plans to build a database, using the information to cross-check with other sources of information, in a bid to determine how likely it is that the flight will be late again in future. The site's founders have asked to remain anonymous.

The paper also writes that Ivobank, which targets online gamblers, is to launch in Ireland this week. The bank offers a virtual debit card, international money transfer services and 24-hour support. The bank said it is open to all customers, not just online gamblers.

The Sunday Tribune also reports that Irish technology start-ups will be given the opportunity to meet top Silicon Valley people at workshops in November. The event is being run by the Irish Technology Leadership Group and will take place in Trinity College on 18 and 19 November.

The paper also writes that Tourism Ireland is setting up local language sites in Eastern European markets. It is setting its sights on markets including Russia, Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. English-language sites for these areas are already in operation, but the latest move is part of a plan to further attract visitors from these regions. Tourism Ireland has a three-year plan to launch up to five sites a year.

The Sunday Business Post says that Dublin-based start-up DecaWave has raised EUR1.6 million in seed funding to develop its technology. The company specialises in the design of devices used in semiconductor chips. The firm is aiming to raise EUR3 million in seed funding, and plans to use the Business Expansion Scheme to raise the remaining money. It is also looking into closing its funding round and going straight to Series A funding.

The paper also reports that TerminalFour is working on more projects with the United Nations, in a six-figure deal. The Irish company has already finished one project with the organisation, managing a website for a global climate change report. The firm also recently announced it had completed a website for with Heritage Ireland, published in eight languages.

The Sunday Business Post also writes that telecoms firm AirSpeed Telecom has signed a EUR300,000 deal with online insurer Chill.ie. The deal will see AirSpeed provide internet and wide area connectivity for an initial two-year period. The deal is one in a series for the firm, which has also signed agreements with Reox and RTE NL, worth EUR500,000. It has also won licences from ComReg that will help boost its capacity for high bandwidth services in Dublin, Limerick, Cork and Galway.

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