NEWS IN BRIEF
Daily Digest 3 March
03-03-2010
by Cian Ginty
Compu b to create Dublin jobs | ComReg to launch SME helpdesk
Only 8 percent of European companies think cloud computing is a short-term fad, but 82 percent said they need more convincing about its merits. The survey, which interviewed people from 550 companies in 14 countries across Europe, was carried out for CA by research firm Vanson Bourne. CA says it shows businesses in Ireland and the UK are still unconvinced by the benefits of the cloud. However, of those surveyed, 84 percent said they have either implemented server virtualisation or they plan to do so. Some 58 percent of businesses said they see cloud computing as synonymous with outsourcing. When asked about the negatives, management (48 percent) and security (36 percent) were the main issues. Colin Bannister, vice president of technical sales with CA, said "Our experience tells us that companies are using virtualisation in their data centres to reduce costs. However, they indicate they do not yet know how to automate, manage and secure virtualised environments. Until they do this they will struggle to reap the full benefits of virtualisation". The full report (PDF) is here.
Cork Institute of Technology students have won a European Innovation Student Award. The Irish students won the prize for their 'Med-Ware' project. The team was comprised of CIT students Xiao Fang Zhang, Peter Sullivan, Michelle Bouse, and Carmel Linehan. The aim of the project was to prevent air being introduced into an infusion drip line, which can be a critical hazard during the intravenous infusion process. The project was carried out in conjunction with Cork University Hospital.
Up to 25 new technology retail jobs will be created with the opening of an Apple premium reseller shop on Grafton Street, Dublin. Ireland's only Apple-approved premium reseller, Compu b, already has store locations in Cork and Limerick. It says it is looking to fill the new positions immediately and that recruitment is currently underway. Premium resellers offer the complete range of Apple Mac computers, iPod music players and accessories. Compu b says staff will be fully trained experts who will be able to advise consumers about Apple products. The store will allow shoppers to get hands-on with products, and staff will run regular in-store demonstrations, seminars and training. The news comes as Apple was recently reported to be looking for a prime retail location in Dublin.
Dublin- and Texas-based financial software company Trintech posted USD32.5 million in revenues for the financial year ending 31 January 2010, a drop in 5 percent from the previous year. Trintech said it had an agreement in place to sell its healthcare division for USD34.5 million in cash to a Washington DC-based company called The Advisory Board. The group posted an adjusted EBITDA net income of USD4.9 million and a net income of USD2.6 million for the year. For the fourth quarter it had revenues of USD7.9 million, unchanged from the previous year, and adjusted EBITDA net income of USD1.4 million, up from USD649,000 for the previous year. Net income for Q4 was USD910,000, up from USD267,000 the previous year.
A survey has compared Twitter and Facebook for business marketing, although the authors warn that it's not about which is better, rather which is the best fit. Scott Moir, founder of Irbtrax SEO Internet Marketing, said "The intention of this study was not to declare who was better because they both provide invaluable social media marketing benefits. The goal was to try and determine which platform was the best fit for a particular business application or niche." The survey found that on size and traffic volume, Facebook was declared to have the advantage. Facebook's inclusion of photos is also seen as an advantage, but Twitter is seen to have the edge on viral marketing flexibility. Twitter was also said to have better search features, which are effective for tracking increasing or declining trends.
Communications regulator ComReg is to run a dedicated helpdesk for small Irish businesses to help address their telecommunications and e-business issues. ComReg will set up a business-specific information section at askcomreg.ie/business and a telephone helpdesk which can be reached at 1890-200035 or 01-8049707. The regulator will also answer small businesses and home office questions emailed to businessconsumers@comreg.ie.
Irish software and services company Inspired is to invest EUR250,000 to break into the UK market. The company says the investment will be spent on reseller recruitment, sales and marketing, and product development. Inspired, based in the Docklands Innovation Park in Dublin, aims its BizPortal business productivity solution at the small to medium business market. Eamon Breen, managing director of Inspired said "We have been working since 2008 to build a portfolio of partners throughout Ireland and to date we have over 10 partners reselling BizPortal. Due to the success we are having here we plan to replicate this in the UK. We have a UK team in place and have already signed up four partners in our first four months."
Caped Koala Studios has built a virtual world for kids, combining education and social networking 