IN THE PAPERS
In The Papers 5 November
05-11-2009
by Sylvia Leatham
Gardai launch text alert service | Cisco optimistic about recovery
The Irish Times says that New York's attorney general has alleged that Intel used "bribery and coercion" to maintain its dominant market position, as reported by ENN. Look out for more coverage of this story in ENN's Weekly Digest on Thursday.
The Irish Independent reports that Norkom Technologies is to offer its solutions to IBM System z clients. Norkom's Anti-Money Laundering and Multi-Channel Fraud software helps financial institutions to run their regulatory compliance and fraud solutions on one integrated platform.
The paper also notes that Wi-Fi provider Bitbuzz has said figures for the third quarter of 2009 show it has a total of 196,226 registered users, up 13 percent since the second quarter and up 50 percent from the year-ago period. The number of Bitbuzz hotspots across the country at the end of September was 202, up from 194 at the end of the second quarter.
The Irish Examiner reports that a text alert service to warn teachers of the presence of paedophiles near schools is to be rolled out in Cork. The Eircom-sponsored service will allow Gardai to warn teachers if known offenders or suspicious people are lurking around schools in the Gurranabraher, Knocknaheeny, Blarney Street, Blarney and Ballincollig areas. Superintendent Con Cadogan said the service was one of a multitude of uses for the new text system, which will also be used to send elderly people information about bogus callers in their area and to supply youth groups with information about drugs.
The paper also says that redundant Dell workers came a step closer to receiving the EUR14.8 million from the EU when the European Parliament's employment committee agreed it on Wednesday. The Parliament's budget committee is expected to agree the payment on Thursday, leaving the way open for the Parliament to vote for it later this month. The money has to be used for retraining and helping to set up new businesses. MEPs said they feared that employers are using the EU's globalisation fund to allow them to escape taking full responsibility for redundant workers.
The paper also says that Cork-based software firm Qumas reduced its pre-tax losses significantly last year, as turnover increased 31 percent. The company saw pre-tax losses fall from almost USD9 million in 2007 to USD659,000 last year. "The results for the year reflect an increase in group turnover during the year and a reduced cost base reflecting lower employee head count and overheads," the company said in accounts just filed. Qumas cut staff numbers by 35 percent last year to 68 people.
The Financial Times reports that Cisco Systems CEO John Chambers has said the economic recovery is picking up steam, giving him confidence to increase headcount and spending. "We are starting to see solid indications of economic recovery in most geographies around the world," he said. "We will set our strategy assuming an optimistic view on the economy." Chambers was speaking after the networking equipment maker reported fiscal first-quarter results that beat projections. Net income dropped 19 percent to USD1.8 billion, or USD0.30 a share, as sales fell 13 percent to USD9 billion. Cisco predicted that sales in the current quarter would grow between 2 percent and 5 percent from the previous quarter, returning the company to year-on-year growth.
The Wall Street Journal says that Microsoft has announced 800 layoffs, expanding the scale of a cost-reduction program it announced at the beginning of 2009. The software giant said in January it planned to eliminate 5,000 jobs by 2010 but has now expanded the program by 800 jobs, a spokesman said. The positions being eliminated will affect staff internationally and in a range of business units, he said, without providing further detail. These cuts are expected to bring to a close the first major round of layoffs in the company's 34-year history.
The paper also reports that Chinese PC maker Lenovo has posted a second-quarter net profit after three consecutive quarterly losses, thanks to cost savings. Net profit for the three months ended 30 September more than doubled to USD53.08 million, from USD23.44 million a year earlier. Revenue fell 5.2 percent to USD4.10 billion, down from USD4.33 billion a year earlier.
The paper also notes that EU lawmakers have reached agreement on a major overhaul of European telecoms rules, after months of delay. In a key breakthrough, EU members of parliament agreed that those suspected of using the internet for illegal activity cannot have their internet access cut off without a prior hearing. Most EU governments preferred a system that allows the police or a regulatory body to stop internet service, with a right of appeal by the individual. "'Three-strikes-laws', which could cut off internet access without a prior fair and impartial procedure or without effective and timely judicial review, will certainly not become part of European law," said Viviane Reding, the European Commission's top telecoms policy maker.
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