NEWS IN BRIEF
Daily Digest 29 October
29-10-2008
by Emmet Cole
Broadband scheme delayed: Minister Ryan | NI minister fosters links with US firms
The rollout of improved broadband across the country is to be delayed for a year, according to Communications Minister Eamon Ryan, speaking in the Dail on Wednesday. According to an RTE report, in response to a question from Fine Gael's Simon Coveney, who asked was it now a reasonable assumption that the National Broadband Scheme would not be in place until the end of 2010, Minister Ryan said the scheme is taking longer than he would have liked. He added that it is now hoped it will be in place by mid 2010, some six months later than the original deadline of the end of 2009.
Northern Ireland's Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster addressed a trade reception at the residence of the British Consul General, in San Francisco on Tuesday. There, the Minister met up with the Invest NI trade mission and local US companies, and discussed the need for collaboration and partnership building through the current economic downturn. One member of the Northern Ireland trade mission -- Core Systems (NI), a Belfast-based software development company -- has already established links with the US market, forming the US company, TUSA Inc. and setting up an office in San Francisco. Fifteen Northern Ireland companies from ICT and aerospace sectors are on the trade mission to the US.
Meanwhile, Bitbuzz, the Wi-Fi service provider, announced that its Q2 2008 figures revealed strong growth contributing to a total of 113,478 registered users by the end of the second quarter, an increase of 15 percent from the previous quarter. Deals announced with O2 and Travelodge Hotel Group in the second quarter also contributed significantly to growth, the company claims. There are currently 173 Bitbuzz Wi-Fi hotspots in Ireland.
A range of high-level ICT Ireland training initiatives for the high tech sector, funded by Skillnets training network programme, were launched Wednesday by the Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mary Coughlan. ICT Ireland director Kathryn Raleigh described the programme as a "key priority" and a response to "the economic situation". Three "How to Compete in Tough Times" workshops will run in 2009, and focus on innovation and opportunity.
Martin Curley, Global Director of IT Innovation and Research at Intel, has been appointed Professor of Technology and Business Innovation at NUI Maynooth, the university announced on Wednesday. Curley is tasked with leading research in the area of IT innovation and entrepreneurship, working to improve predictability, probability and profitability from IT innovation investments. Curley previously held IT engineering and senior management positions at General Electric and Philips.
The theme for this year's it@cork Technology in Business Conference will be "Green IT -- Reduce CO2, Raise Profits". The event opens on 26 November and will feature speakers making the case for 'greening' business. Speakers include RTE's George Lee, Douglas Neal (Research Fellow with the Leading Edge Forum) and Chris Tuppen, Director of Sustainable Development with BT. Registration is now open on itcork.ie.
Finally, just when you thought you could avoid getting healthy by pretending to be on your mobile phone when your friends ask you to go to the gym, Samsung has teamed up with Adidas to give us the miCoach phone, the "first true sports music mobile". miCoach will be available in Ireland in a package that includes a miCoach phone and armband. A range of accessories including a stride sensor (a small chip that is attached to the user's shoelaces and calculates their stride, speed and distance covered) and heart rate monitor will also be available. The phone will be on sale in Carphone Warehouse stores throughout Ireland from November and will retail from EUR99 on prepay. Blood, sweat, and tears available separately.
Caped Koala Studios has built a virtual world for kids, combining education and social networking 