In The Papers 18 September

18-09-2008

by Sylvia Leatham

ThirdForce posts net loss | Doubts grow over Dell's Limerick plant

The Irish Times reports that less than three weeks after the introduction of barrier-free tolling on Dublin's M50 motorway, some drivers are complaining they are being fined for failing to pay for journeys they did not make. Following the removal of the barriers, motorists who have not registered for electronic payment methods have begun to get demands from system operator eFlow for payments and fines that many claim are inappropriate. Among the complaints are demands and fees for cars which it is claimed are off the road; for cars where the owner was abroad and insists the car was inactive; for double charging; and complaints about the length of time it takes to get through to call centres.

The paper also says that tech giant IBM has unveiled a new data centre at its technology campus in Co Dublin. Read more on this story on ENN.

The same paper reports that e-learning firm ThirdForce has posted a net loss of EUR737,000 for the first half of the year, mostly due to higher costs and the strength of the euro against the dollar and sterling. The net loss of EUR0.29 a share compares with a profit of EUR0.38 a share for the same period in 2007. Revenues at the Aim and IEX-listed firm, which sells predominantly into Ireland, Britain and North America, increased 50 percent to EUR13.5 million.

The paper also says that Cork-based PCH has raised EUR21 million from three Silicon Valley venture capitalists, as reported by ENN on Wednesday.

The Irish Independent says that fears are growing for the jobs of more than 3,000 staff following reports that executives at PC giant Dell have decided to close its Limerick plant. Business and civic leaders in Limerick have called on Dell to come clean about its plans for the manufacturing plant. This week the Wall Street Journal reported that Dell executives made a decision last year to close the Limerick plant, although they did not establish a timeline. On Wednesday, Tanaiste Mary Coughlan refused to give a direct answer to the question of how long her department had been aware of claims about the risk to the jobs in Limerick and Dublin. A spokeswoman for Dell Ireland said it would not be commenting on speculation.

The Irish Examiner reports that Apple's iPhone 3G has won a public vote to find the year's best gadget. The device, which combines a phone with a music and video player, was given top ranking by readers of Stuff magazine in its annual Gadget of the Year awards. The magazine described the new iPhone as "a faster, cleverer version of an already remarkable phone". The phone's first incarnation won the coolest gadget prize at last year's Stuff ceremony. The magazine's own gadget of the year prize, chosen by its staff, went to the Asus Eee PC.

According to the Financial Times, shares in Nortel plunged on Wednesday after the Canadian telecoms equipment maker issued a sales and profit warning and put one of its fastest-growing businesses up for sale. Nortel said its 2008 operating margin would improve by 1.25 to 1.75 percentage points compared with 2007; its previous guidance had been for a 3 percentage point improvement. It also said 2008 revenue would decline by 2 to 4 percent; previous guidance was for low single-digit growth. Nortel said it is considering new cost-cutting ideas, and considering selling its Metro Ethernet Networks business. In late trading on Wednesday, Nortel's shares were down 47 percent.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Google's top executives have said they are not deterred by regulators' heightened scrutiny of the company's advertising agreement with Yahoo. In a meeting with reporters, Google chief Eric Schmidt said the two companies plan to implement the agreement, which allows Yahoo to run some search and text ads sold by Google, in October. He defended the deal, saying it was "designed precisely to meet the terms of antitrust law in the United States." Schmidt said Google had anticipated this level of scrutiny.

The paper also notes that Microsoft has said it will now move into the next phase of its high-profile Windows Vista advertising campaign. In the ads, comedian Jerry Seinfeld will bow out in favour of other personalities, including author Deepak Chopra, actress Eva Longoria and musician Pharrell Williams. The campaign will also directly attack Apple's "Mac vs. PC" ads, which mock Microsoft's Windows software. The campaign will feature PC users in science, fashion, education and other fields, said Microsoft spokesman Tom Pilla.

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