NEWS IN BRIEF
Daily Digest 22 October
22-10-2009
by Emmet Ryan
Windows 7 gets global launch | Twitter seals Bing and Google deals
Microsoft has launched its new Windows 7 operating system globally. The long-awaited new operating system is designed to offer a more streamlined and user friendly interface, following criticisms of its predecessor Windows Vista. The firm's Irish operations played a key role in the roll-out as Microsoft's European Operations Centre was responsible for 1 million copies of Windows 7 reaching over 25,000 stores in 42 countries across the EMEA region. More information on the operating system can be found at www.microsoft.ie/windows7 .
In other Microsoft related news, the firm's Bing search engine and Google have agreed deals to include Twitter posts in internet searches. The deals will see messages -- or tweets -- show up in search results almost as soon as they show up on Twitter. Microsoft's standalone Twitter search page is already accessible through Bing while Google said its service would debut within the next few months. Financial details of the deal have not been revealed yet.
Finnish mobile giant Nokia has filed a law suit against Apple in a US federal court, claiming that the iPhone maker has infringed on 10 of Nokia's patents. The patents cover wireless data, speech coding, security and encryption and are infringed by all Apple iPhone models shipped since the iPhone was introduced in 2007, Nokia said. "By refusing to agree appropriate terms for Nokia's intellectual property, Apple is attempting to get a free ride on the back of Nokia's innovation," Ilkka Rahnasto, Vice President for Legal & Intellectual Property at Nokia, said in a statement.
The Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Conor Lenihan, has launched a report entitled Delivering the Smart Economy. The report sets out the achievements to date under the Science Strategy and how investment has resulted in significant jobs growth at locations around the country, according to Minister Lenihan. "This report together with the findings of the Business Expenditure on Research and Development survey for 2007 and 2008, confirms that substantial progress has been made in achieving the objective of making the transition to a knowledge economy."
Continuing the theme of government announcements, the Tanaiste Mary Coughlan has announced that contracts and agreements worth EUR10 million have been concluded by Irish companies during this week's Enterprise Ireland trade mission to Canada. Among the deals was a licensing agreement between software firm S3 Group and Canadian power line firm Intellon. Other deals included success for Dublin IT security firm VigiTrust which launched its SAMS product in Canada while 3V launched its pay-as-you-go Visa voucher product in Canada as well. In total 35 companies took part in the mission.
Northern Ireland Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster has announced an STG870,000 expansion project by Belfast aerospace company Nacelle Systems Consultancy (NSC). The investment will see 13 new jobs created. The firm designs, develops and integrates high-tech electrical, hydraulic and control equipment to connect aircraft engines to wings. The company has recently won a number of lucrative contracts, including multi-million pound deals with global players including Parker Aerospace of USA and BAE Systems. Invest Northern Ireland is providing STG115,000 towards the expansion.
Sunday December 6 will be the biggest day for online Christmas shopping in Ireland according to online advertising consultants OnlineAdvertising.ie. Based on recent research, including tracking Google trends data, the company forecasts that the first Sunday in December will be Ireland's busiest online shopping day.
Educational technology provider Promethean has appointed Dante Roscini and Philip Rowley as non-executive directors. Roscini is a senior lecturer in the Business, Government and the International Economy Unit at Harvard Business School. Rowley was chairman and chief executive of AOL Europe from 2001 to 2007.
Citrix saw its revenues in the third quarter of 2009 increase to USD401 million, compared to USD399 million in the same period last year. Net profits also rose, up to USD53 million, or USD0.29 per share, compared with profits of USD49 million and earnings per share of USD0.26 for the third quarter of 2008. Product licence revenue at the infrastructure software firm decreased 18 percent during the period but this drop was offset as revenue from licence updates grew 7 percent and online services revenue grew 21 percent.
Caped Koala Studios has built a virtual world for kids, combining education and social networking 