NEWS IN BRIEF
Daily Digest 28 January
28-01-2009
by Emmet Cole
BSkyB beats analyst predictions | Havok scoops another award
Ireland is one of the most uncompetitive places in Europe for broadband services according to the 2009 European Competitive Telecommunications Association Regulatory scorecard. Eircom's charge for broadband providers who want to access the local loop is one of the highest in Europe at EUR431 per annum compared to EUR206 in the Netherlands. However it wasn't all bad news for Ireland. The scorecard noted that communications regulator ComReg is one of the most efficient in Europe along with the UK and the Netherlands. Ireland is also one of the fastest places for people who want to port their telephone number, taking just one day compared to 45 in Poland.
What recession? BSkyB defied expectations by posting a 26 percent rise in first-half adjusted operating profit to STG388 million and a 6 percent rise in revenues over 2007 to USD2.6 billion on Wednesday. The company added 163,000 new broadband customers and 515,000 customers to the Sky+ digital recorder service. Analysts had predicted net customer additions of 134,000, adjusted operating profit of STG361 million and revenues of STG2.58 billion. At a time when job cuts are dominating the headlines, BSkyB said it plans to create 1,000 new jobs in areas such as customer service and installation as the firm prepares for a jump in demand for HD services.
Who said recession? EMC Corporation reported fourth-quarter 2008 revenue of USD4.02 billion on Wednesday, an increase of 5 percent year over year, and an all-time EMC record for quarterly revenue. Fourth-quarter net income was USD288 million. For 2008, EMC posted total consolidated revenue of USD14.88 billion, an increase of 12 percent year-over-year. Net income for 2008 was USD1.35 billion or USD0.64 per diluted share. VMware, which is majority-owned by EMC, contributed fourth-quarter revenue of USD514 million. EMC is predicting that 2009 global IT spending will decline as a percentage in the mid to high single digits compared with 2008.
Tralee-based Altobridge has been selected as a finalist in the 'Best Network Technology Advance' category for the 2009 GSMA Global Mobile Awards, fighting off competition from 450 entrants in the process. Altobridge provides wireless network infrastructure equipment in extreme locations, including aboard aircraft and ships. The company's Remote Community Solution recently received 'The Best New Technology' award from the Information Communication Technology Agency of Mongolian government for the positive impact it is having on enterprises and communities in remote parts of Mongolia. The other finalists in this category are Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson, Nokia Siemens Networks and ZTE.
Havok, the Irish company that provides software and services to the global games and movie industries, has won a prestigious Game Developer Front Line Award for its physics engine. The award, from US-based Game Developer magazine is designed to acknowledge technology companies and products that drive innovation and efficiency in creating state-of-the-art gameplay. Havok was selected for the award by a panel of professional game developers from the games industry's top studios. Havok technology is available across all platforms including PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, PSP, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii and the PC.
Northern Ireland-based business process automation company Singularity has released version 3.8 of its Business Process Management (BPM) suite. The latest version features a new business rules modelling component, new capabilities for graphical organisational modelling and integration with Hewlett Packard's TRIM document management system. Integration with a range of Microsoft technologies, including SharePoint, BizTalk Server and Dynamics CRM, is also available.
Ireland-based Version 1 has signed a global deal with Syncreon -- an integrated logistics services company -- to roll out a software solution that automates and manages Syncreon's global employee travel requirements. Syncreon has offices in North America, South America, Europe and Asia and its administrative staff handle 2,000 travel requests a year on average. The new system, which has already been rolled out in Dublin, Europe and America with over 300 registered users, automates the travel request process and allows users to see their travel requests, tasks and itineraries in an Outlook calendar and SharePoint. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
Finally, Dublin-based Muzu.tv, a music TV website and distribution platform, has signed a global video licensing deal with music label Cooking Vinyl. The deal will give the site's users access to the entire video library from artists including The Prodigy, Blondie, The Charlatans, and Killing Joke. Muzu.tv allows music fans to create, watch and share music video playlists, including content from established artists and leading labels. This latest deal follows similar contracts with signed earlier this month with Beggars Group, an independent group of labels, and EMI.
Caped Koala Studios has built a virtual world for kids, combining education and social networking 