NEWS IN BRIEF
Daily Digest 5 November
05-11-2008
by Emmet Cole
Intel to sell VMware stake | Software audits to increase: Version 1
Intel is planning to sell half of its stake in virtualisation firm VMware, according to a regulatory filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, it was revealed Wednesday. Intel is to get rid of 4.75 million of the 9.5 million shares it purchased in July 2007 for USD219 million. The company has already sold 500,000 shares each to Cisco and EMC -- VMware's parent companies -- for around USD26 a share. The remaining 3.75 million will be sold "approximately" on Tuesday, according to sources at the company. Intel originally paid USD23 per share for the stock, which peaked at USD125.25 last October.
Camara has picked up the overall prize at the David Manley Emerging Entrepreneur Awards, it was announced Wednesday. The Dublin-based company specialises in recycling technology from Irish companies and delivering sustainable IT technologies to the educational sector in sub-Saharan Africa. Camara also won the David Manley Emerging Social Entrepreneur category. Meanwhile, Galway-based Arcana Productions won the Emerging Arts Entrepreneur category and Slainte Technologies from Dublin won the Emerging Business award.
We're a nation of online travel bookers, according to a report released by boo.com. The company's second annual 'Travel Trust Index' report is focussed on the Irish public's travel booking behaviour and preferences. It reveals that 86 percent of us use the web to search and book travel, 65 percent trust the web for travel-related advice, while only 9 percent say that travel agencies are our most trusted source for travel related information.
Complete Telecom, the managed network and telecoms services provider, and Cisco, have completed financing deals worth more than EUR1.25 million in the last 12 months, it was announced Wednesday. Complete Telecom customers investing in solutions using Cisco technology are able to avail of "financially attractive innovative loan and lease solutions" to fund their purchases. The EUR1.25 million total includes both finance leases and operating leases, and is the most arranged by any Cisco Partner in Ireland.
Salesforce.com, has unveiled the Force.com series of websites. The Force.com sites allow users to run their data and applications in salesforce.com's cloud and can support intranets, external websites, and social networking applications. Force.com sites are now available in developer preview at developer.force.com.
Meanwhile, a workshop on "Inclusive/Universal design for all telecommunications users" kicked off at the Conference Centre in Croke Park on Wednesday. Hosted by the Commission for Communications Regulations (ComReg) and the National Disability Authority (NDA), the workshop is part of a joint initiative to ensure that telecoms operators are "fully aware of the communications needs of all consumers". Wednesday's workshop is set to explore and map the potential for universal design in product and service development, communications and customer service. ComReg and the NDA jointly established the Forum on Services for People with Disabilities in 2006.
In news to set network administrators scrambling around the office, the incidence of software audits in the Irish marketplace has increased over the past year and are set to increase further as the economy begins to head into a more difficult phase, according to IT consultancy Version 1. Derek Alexander, software asset management consultant at Version 1, claims companies can expect to realise savings of up to 30 percent a year on software licensing by implementing a software asset management programme… which just happens to be one of Version 1's specialities.
Calyx Group is teaming up with Eurofound -- the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions -- to create an integrated Microsoft Dynamics CRM system, it was announced Wednesday. Eurofound is a European Union body based in Loughlinstown, Dublin, with 100 staff members. Eurofound provides information, expertise and advice about living and working conditions and industrial relations in Europe.
Caped Koala Studios has built a virtual world for kids, combining education and social networking 