IN THE PAPERS
In The Papers 1 October
01-10-2009
by Sylvia Leatham
UK web publishers ready to charge | Cisco to acquire video-conferencing firm
The Irish Times reports that convicted murderer Catherine Nevin has been acquitted of possessing a mobile phone in Mountjoy Prison. Nevin was found not guilty of possessing the mobile phone on 28 January last year. The judge held the evidence was not sufficient to secure a conviction.
The paper also says that former Payzone executive John Nagle has launched Zapa Technology, a company that provides loyalty scheme technology. Zapa has signed a deal with the Insomnia coffee chain in Ireland that will enable users of its tags to accumulate loyalty points with the retailer. The 'ZapaTag' contains a chip that can store applications such as multiple loyalty schemes, club membership and payment facilities, without the need for multiple loyalty cards. Users attach the tag to their mobile phones, which they then swipe at the Zapa reader beside cash registers to receive their loyalty bonuses and rewards.
The paper also notes that banking group Citi is to double its research and development workforce in Dublin by the end of next year, as reported by ENN on Wednesday.
The Irish Independent says that the owners of classified ads website DoneDeal.ie grew their business by 400 percent in the last year and broke through the 2-million monthly visitor mark in August. Husband and wife team Fred and Geraldine Karlsson reckon the growth will continue, with the EUR1 million-a-year site quadrupling over the next 12 months.
The Financial Times reports that chipmakers were celebrating on Wednesday after the European Commission pledged more support for the semiconductor industry. Chip firms say it could be a first step towards the EU relaxing state aid rules for the sector. Gunter Verheugen, EU commissioner for enterprise and industry, said technologies such as chips, advanced materials, biotechnology and photonics were key to securing Europe's future. He promised "concrete actions" on increasing Europe's competitiveness in these fields, although he did not specify what these would be.
The paper also says that more than two-thirds of British online publications will be charging for access to their websites within a year. According to a survey by the UK's Association of Online Publishers (AOP), 50 percent are already charging for some or all of their content, while a further 20 percent intend to in the next 12 months. A similar poll two years ago found that 54 percent had "no plans to charge for content". AOP members include newspaper publishers such as Trinity Mirror, Guardian Media Group and Telegraph Media Group, as well as magazine publishers Conde Nast, Bauer and Haymarket. Forty-five percent prefer a subscription model for charging, while 35 percent are looking at micropayments.
The paper also notes that Sony is launching a new version of its PlayStation Portable on Thursday. The PSPgo will be available first in the US and Europe and will launch in Japan on 1 November. The device bears a resemblance to Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch. It stores games on an internal memory and it is 43 percent lighter than the existing PSP. The device will sell for USD250 in the US.
The Wall Street Journal reports that network equipment maker Cisco Systems has agreed to buy Norway-based Tandberg for about USD3 billion. Tandberg makes a range of video-conferencing products, including high-end systems that compete with Cisco's. The deal is an all-cash tender offer that Cisco characterised as an 11 percent premium to Tandberg's closing price on Wednesday, and 25.2 percent higher than a three-month average price for the stock.
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