NEWS IN BRIEF
Daily Digest 4 August
04-08-2009
by Emmet Cole
Kenexa to create up to 30 jobs | EC to rule on Oracle/Sun link-up
Kenexa, a company that provides software solutions for human resources, has announced it is to open a new office in Dundalk, Co Louth. The development is expected to created up to 30 jobs by the end of 2010 with the possibility of further jobs being created as the firm expands. An Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mary Coughlan has welcomed the news. "The Irish Government has a strategy to attract high-value international investment and having one of the world's leading providers of recruitment and retention services here is a welcome addition to the country's profile as a leading centre for technology and innovation," she said..
Following a competitive tender process the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) has selected Dell to develop a new virtualisation solution. The core of Dell's solution is centred on the implementation of a new virtual environment to reduce the physical server footprint and, it is hoped, increase performance, provide high availability for key applications and leave ample scope for future growth. A value for the deal was not disclosed.
Dublin-based supply management solution provider, Supplierforce, has announced new contracts worth a total of EUR200,000 with Carphone Warehouse and Vhi Healthcare. Supplierforce claims its solution will save the two companies a total of more than EUR2.5 million over a two-year period. Supplierforce will provide supply management solutions to the companies, helping them to secure maximum value from procurement activities.
Two Irish students scored the highest results by any European entrants in this year's worldwide competition in Microsoft Office, which was held in Toronto, Canada. Suzy Farrell from Maynooth Post Primary School finished fifth overall in the Microsoft Word Final, while Melissa Scott from Ballyclare High School finished eleventh in the Microsoft Excel Final. The competition was won by students from Thailand and Taiwan.
The European Commission has announced that it will convene on 3 September to decide whether Oracle's proposed USD7.4 billion acquisition of Sun Microsystems can go ahead, or if it requires further investigation on anti-trust grounds. Oracle announced its intention to purchase Sun in April. The US Department of Justice has already delayed the deal over concerns regarding how the purchase may affect Java rights licensing. Oracle uses Sun's Java software to build its Fusion Middleware.
Mozilla has released new security patches for its web browser Firefox and is asking users to update their browsers immediately. The patches fix two vulnerabilities in versions of Firefox prior to 3.5 that could allow attackers to steal personal data and remotely execute code. The first vulnerability allows attackers to issue false security certificates while the second could enable them to use a specially crafted certificate to cause an application crash and remotely execute code on affected machines.
Nikon has launched the world's first compact camera featuring an integrated projector. The S1000pj can project images (via a handy remote control) onto any available flat surface and allows image sizes between 5 inches and 40 inches. The S1000pj is a 12.1 megapixel camera with a top ISO sensitivity of 6400 and a wide-angle 5x zoom. The camera also features a 2.7-inch display. The camera will be available in the UK next month, priced at STG400.
Caped Koala Studios has built a virtual world for kids, combining education and social networking 