NEWS IN BRIEF
Daily Digest 16 November
16-11-2009
by Emmet Ryan
Ripplecom to create 35 new jobs | Profits up at Digicel
The Taoiseach has launched a EUR150 million plan to install a teaching laptop and digital projector in each classroom in the country. The three-year plan has been produced by the joint advisory group established by the Minister for Education and Science, Batt O’Keeffe, and builds on an earlier report by the strategy group. The group was chaired by Paul Rellis, managing director of Microsoft Ireland, and comprised members of ICT Ireland, the Telecommunications and Internet Federation, the Irish Software Association, the Department of Education and Science, the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, and the National Centre for Technology in Education.
The merger of two Irish wireless internet providers, Amocom and Callidus/Omnitel, is expected to create 35 new jobs. The combined firm, Ripple Communications (Ripplecom) hopes to increase its workforce from 14 to 50 fulltime employees over the next three years. The business aims to grow its customer base to 30,000 and expand its services to all 26 counties. The firm began trading earlier this month from its headquarters in Blackpool, Co. Cork, and a regional office in Limerick. It currently has 3,100 customers in 12 counties.
CA has launched a new PC Tune-Up product. The software allows users to clean up their hard-drive, keep their drivers updated, and protect their PCs. Customers can check their own results against a database of more than 100 million other PC scans for a visual comparison of how their PC's performance ranks against millions of machines around the globe. CA PC Tune-Up is now available in Ireland for EUR39.99 online from CA, Amazon & Play, or in retail shops including Heatons, DID and Easons.
Crospon, a medical devices firm based in Galway, has received the Overall Medical Technology Excellence Award and the Gold Award for Innovation and Research and Development at the Irish Medical Device Association Awards. Crospon develops minimally invasive medical devices for monitoring, diagnosis and therapy in the gastroenterology area.
Online payments firm 3V Transaction Services expects a 40 percent increase in people shopping online this Christmas. The firm said there has been an increase of over 45 percent in the volume of 3V prepaid Visa vouchers being purchased throughout 2009. 3V said a combination of increased value for money online and Irish consumers reluctance to over spend has resulted in a decrease in the average spend per online transaction.
Cloud computing firm Salesforce.com has announced that wine merchant Searsons is using Salesforce CRM to help track sales leads and manage customer service. Searsons specialises in the import and distribution of fine wines from around the world to Ireland.
Caribbean and Central American mobile operator Digicel has reported a 10 percent increase in its half year EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization) to USD364 million on revenues of USD857 million. Digicel has grown its subscriber base by 7 percent in the past 12 months to 7.3 million, and in its most recent quarter to 30 September 2009 added 98,000 subscribers.
Egypt will open the world's first Arabic language internet domain. The new domain is dot-masr, which translates as dot-Egypt. The move follows a decision last month by internet regulator Icann to allow non-Latin web addresses. Domain names can now be written in Arabic, Chinese and other scripts. Egypt currently has 15 million internet users out of a total population of 80 million. Domains with the dot-masr suffix will be available from 10pm GMT on Monday.
Caped Koala Studios has built a virtual world for kids, combining education and social networking 