NEWS IN BRIEF
Daily Digest 25 January
25-01-2010
by Sylvia Leatham
Monex to create Killarney jobs | Muzu signs syndication deals
Killarney-based card processing firm Monex is to create 14 new jobs, thanks to a deal with car rental company Hertz. Monex will provide Hertz with software that will allow the car company's customers to make credit card payments in their chosen currency. The Irish company said the deal will add EUR1.5 billion to the EUR8 billion it already processes on behalf of customers around the globe. Monex currently employs 150 people.
Galway-based medical device firm Crospon has spun out its drug delivery technology platform into a separate company called Janisys. The platform uses ink-jet printing technology licensed from HP for the controlled release of drugs through a skin patch. The spin-out is at a late stage in developing functional prototypes of its microneedle-based transdermal system and intends to begin pre-clinical trials in 2010. Earlier this month Crospon announced the completion of a EUR2 million funding round.
Dublin-based music video site Muzu.tv has announced a number of video syndication deals with publishers including AOL Music, the Irish Independent, Communicorp and the Telegraph Media Group. Under the deals, the publishers will have access to Muzu's music video library and video player on their own websites. The partnerships also include an ad-revenue-sharing agreement through premium advertising formats. Separately, Muzu announced a global, preferred partnership agreement with InSkin Media, a developer of premium interactive online video ad formats. The deal enables any website that wants to use premium InSkin ad formats around music video to use the Muzu player.
Irish online betting software firm Cryptologic has signed a deal to license at least ten online gambling games to Bet24, a Scandinavian online games firm. The agreement will provide Cryptologic with recurring revenues based on bets placed by Bet24's customers. Two games have already gone live on Bet24's website, with the remainder set to launch during the year. Earlier this month Cryptologic signd a three-year deal with Realex Payments.
PC maker HP is launching a digital music service in certain European markets. The MusicStation service will be pre-loaded onto 16 models of HP computers in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium and Austria. The service was developed and is being managed by UK digital music firm Omnifone. Users who sign up for the service take out a monthly subscription, costing around EUR9.99, that includes unlimited music downloads, plus 10 tracks that can be kept for good in a DRM-free format. Revenue will be split between HP, Omnifone and music labels.
Caped Koala Studios has built a virtual world for kids, combining education and social networking 