NEWS IN BRIEF
Daily Digest 18 May
18-05-2009
by Emmet Ryan
BT nets 999 contract, creates jobs | Shannon bonds with Silicon Valley
BT Ireland has been awarded the contract to provide the 999/112 emergency call answering service in Ireland. The deal, which was announced by Minister for Communications Eamon Ryan, will involve a EUR10 million investment and create 100 jobs at three locations. This includes 60 jobs at a facility in Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal. The remaining positions will be in Navan, Co. Meath and East Point Business Park in Dublin. The contract was awarded to BT following a public tender process.
IBM and researchers supported by the Decrypthon Program are launching the next phase to find a cure for muscular dystrophy on the World Community Grid. The World Community grid is the largest public humanitarian grid in existence with more than 440,000 members who represent more than 200 countries and links to more than 1.2 million computers. This phase of the program extends the analysis of 336 proteins in 2005 to 2,280 proteins that are believed to play a role in neuromuscular diseases, a group of chronic diseases with no cure. The original results formed a database for molecular and biological researchers to use, and created a more robust mathematical modelling system. In a statement, Muscular Dystrophy Ireland welcomed news of the project.
BT and Nortel have announced a new four-year global trading agreement for Nortel's enterprise equipment and services including its convergence portfolio. This new trading agreement builds on the success of a 15-year relationship that has provided the UK market with voice applications. "Nortel and BT have always worked closely to provide the best solutions to our customers. This new agreement will not only strengthen our relationship, it also demonstrates the level of service we can offer," said Joel Hackney, president of Enterprise Business at Nortel.
The Irish Technology Leadership Group (ITLG), comprised of high-level technology Irish and Irish-American leaders in Silicon Valley, is opening an office at Westpark Shannon as part of a newly signed agreement. The office at the County Clare Business Campus will promote the existing technology-related strengths of the Shannon region. It will seek to link established and new start-ups in the region with leading and emerging companies in California. ITLG already has offices in Dublin and Belfast.
Bord Gais Energy, the retail arm of Bord Gais, has implement Oracle's Utilities Customer Care and Billing system. In a statement, Oracle said the introduction of the system had helped to streamline Bord Gais Energy's business operations, helping to improve its ability to deliver services to the gas provider's 700,000 customers. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
IT testing services business Sogeti has launched a new package called Software Testing as a Service (STaaS). Sogeti Europe's chief executive, Hans van Waayenburg, said launching STaaS would give the firm a decisive advantage in the market.
Darach Rossiter has been appointed as head of services at business communications firm Damovo. Rossiter, who has over 15 years experience in the technology sector, will be responsible for driving efficiencies and enhancing customer service in the new role.
The amount of digital information created in 2008, a total of 3.9 sextillion (one sextillion has 21 zeros) new digital information bits, grew 3 percent faster than projections from EMC and IDC, who compiled the figures. The total amount of data in the world is calculated to be 487 billion gigabytes in size, which is, suffice to say, rather a lot.
Caped Koala Studios has built a virtual world for kids, combining education and social networking 