NEWS IN BRIEF
Daily Digest 23 September
23-09-2009
by Emmet Ryan
DRG.ie to create 20 Dublin jobs | Sneak peek at Microsoft tablet
Irish mobile software firm Zamano recorded earnings before interest, taxes and amortisation of EUR2.3 million for the six months ended 30 June. This was down EUR0.2 million from last year. The drop was reflected in revenue as it fell from EUR23.7 million in the first six months of last year to just EUR13.3 million for the corresponding period in 2009. There were some positives in the results, with adjust earnings per share holding at EUR0.023, the same as last year, and Zamano reduced its net debt by EUR1.4 million to EUR5.8 million.
BlueZone Media has agreed a deal with restaurant chain TGI Friday's to supply free internet access in each of the chain's four Dublin restaurants as well as its Belfast outlet. The service will allow anyone with a Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone to surf the web for free. The service was initially trialled at the restaurant's Dundrum branch and will now be rolled out at TGI Friday’s St. Stephen’s Green, Blanchardstown and Blackrock in Dublin as well as Victoria Square in Belfast. Research by BlueZone found that a quarter of the customers at the Dundrum branch had availed of the service since it was introduced.
Staying with mobile web related news and DRG.ie plans to create 20 new high-tech jobs at its base in Dublin. The Irish firm was officially launched Wednesday by the Minister for Communications Eamon Ryan. DRG.ie intends to create a number of firms to service the mobile internet sector. The first of these is Adforce, which aims to provide a single point of contact for advertisers who want to market their products to mobile Internet users.
Mobile operator O2 has announced a new price plan for SMEs. The O2 Release Edge plan costs from EUR10 per month and spend is capped at EUR99, excluding VAT. The service includes free texts to any network each month, free calls to company O2 mobiles on the same account and free calls to up to 10 user company landlines. Thereafter calls to mobiles and landlines are billed at EUR0.14 per minute but the monthly spend is automatically capped at EUR99.
Fine Gael Senator Paschal Donohoe has weighed in on the Dublinbikes-iPhone row. Donohoe has called on Dublin City Council to intervene in the dispute over an iPhone application that shows users where the nearest Dublinbike is. It was reported on Wednesday that Fusion, the company behind the application withdrew it from the iPhone App store after being sent a cease and desist letter by JC Decaux, the advertising agency backing the bicycle rental initiative. Donohue said the threat of legal action makes no sense as the application was useful to clients of the Dublinbikes service.
Infrastructure software firm Citrix has announced the general availability of its NetScaler VPX and unveiled a new support system Ready Open Networking Program. NetScaler VPX is server management software available from Wednesday, and the support system is designed to make NetScaler suitable for businesses of all sizes. A smaller version of the software, NetScaler VPX Express, is available for free download from Citrix.
Gizmodo has revealed details of Microsoft's much-rumoured tablet PC, dubbed Courier. According to the report the device is in the 'late-prototype' stage of development. The dual-touchscreen device is designed for writing, flicking and drawing with either a stylus or fingers. Video footage of the device is available at Gizmodo's website.
A new forecast by analyst firm Gartner has indicated that the worst of the recession may be over for the PC industry. Latest estimates by Gartner forecast 285 millions units to be shifted this year, 2 percent less than 2008 but far better than the 6 percent drop predicted in June. "PC demand appears be running much stronger than we expected back in June, especially in the US and China," said George Shiffler, research director at Gartner. "Mobile PC shipments have regained substantial momentum, especially in emerging markets, and the decline in desk-based PC shipments is slowing down. We think shipments are likely to be growing again in the fourth quarter of 2009 compared to the fourth quarter of 2008."
Finally, PC maker Dell has received European Commission approval for EUR54.5 million in Polish State aid following the transition of the firm's operations to a factory in Lodz, Poland, which saw 1,900 jobs shed at Dell's manufacturing plant in Limerick. After an in-depth investigation, the Commission ruled that the aid provided was within the EU's rules, despite protests from Ireland.
Caped Koala Studios has built a virtual world for kids, combining education and social networking 