NEWS IN BRIEF
Daily Digest 27 March
27-03-2009
by Deirdre McArdle
Microsoft gets dreamy | Skype on way to iPhone?
Microsoft Ireland has launched DreamSpark, a kind of prequel to BizSpark, aimed at higher education and second level students. The DreamSpark programme can be accessed at www.dreamspark.com. It provides students with access to a range of development and design software for download. "By giving students free access to software and tools that previously have been out of reach of the student community we are ensuring that students will have a higher level of skill and ability when they enter into the workforce," said Paul Rellis, managing director of Microsoft Ireland.
Irish enterprise content management provider pTools has signed a deal with insurance firm AXA to provide it with an online claims management solution which will be accessed by almost 500 solicitors and AXA staff. The system uses pTools CMS software to automate claims management processes and procedures as well as cost calculations. "Since integrating pTools, claims processing times have decreased substantially, standardisation of documentation has increased productivity and administration costs in the claims department have been substantially reduced," said Padraic Mills, director of IT, Administration and Procurement at AXA Ireland. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
In more good news for an Irish firm, workplace management solution provider Donseed has announced it won a contract with Wilson James, a UK-based construction, logistics and security contractor currently working on the Athlete's Village for the London 2012 games. The Kerry-based firm provides verifiable biometric time and attendance management solutions, as well as a range of integrated solutions that support health and safety compliance and online project document management. Financial details of the deal were not released.
The wires are buzzing with speculation that Skype could make an appearance on the iPhone as soon as next week. According to GigaOm, the internet telephony division of eBay is poised to launch a version of its application for the iPhone. With the mobile trade event, CTIA Wireless, coming up next week in Las Vegas, reports are suggesting the launch could take place then. Skype has reportedly declined to comment on the rumours. Watch this space.
YouTube has jumped on the Twitter bandwagon by enabling users to post their favourite videos onto the micro-blogging service. The share link on YouTube now features a Twitter link, alongside the pre-exiting MySpace and Facebook options. When a user clicks on the Twitter button, a pop-up window opens their Twitter account and automatically fills in text asking followers to "check this video out" followed by the video's title and URL. Google's YouTube is the latest big name to hook itself onto the rising Twitter star; Facebook recently redesigned its homepage to incorporate Twitter-like real-time updates, although a number of its users were unimpressed by the move.
Caped Koala Studios has built a virtual world for kids, combining education and social networking 