NEWS IN BRIEF
Daily Digest 12 March
12-03-2010
by Deirdre McArdle
Multi-tasking on the way for iPhone | Nokia searches for Ireland's best app
US firm SunGard has acquired Dublin-based data centre services firm Hosting365 for an undisclosed sum. Hosting365 was founded 2001 and operates two data centres in Dublin. The firm provides managed IT services and recently it moved into the on-demand computing services market. SunGard meanwhile provides disaster recovery services, as well as business continuity management software, to clients in North America and Europe. The deal has benefits for both parties, according to Keith Tilley, managing director UK and executive president Europe for SunGard. "SunGard gains access to a new geographic market and proven cloud computing expertise, while Hosting 365 extends its product range with our own managed IT services, business continuity and disaster recovery solutions."
Irish firms are increasingly turning to outsourcing as a way to make their company more efficient, according to a survey conducted by accountancy and business advisory firm Mazars. The vast majority (90 percent) of companies that outsource business functions believe that doing so adds significant value to their businesses. The most popular functions to be outsourced are financial and IT services. The survey reveals that 38 percent of companies outsource one activity, 38 percent outsource two or three, and 24 percent outsource four or more activities.
Apple's iPad is now available to pre-order through the Apple online store. US customers will also be able to reserve their iPad and pick it up at Apple retail stores from 3 April. iPad pricing starts at USD499 for the 16GB Wi-Fi-only model. If you want a 3G iPad you will pay an extra USD130 but the 3G-equipped devices are also going to ship at a later date; Apple is saying late April. The 32GB iPad will cost USD599 and the 64GB will be USD699; add USD130 for an iPad with 3G capabilities.
In more news of Apple, the firm is ready to add multi-tasking to the iPhone through the handset's 4.0 software update, which will allow several third party apps to run concurrently and in the background, reports AppleInsider. Absence of multi-tasking capability has been one of the main gripes with the iPhone. Specific details about the solution are not yet known; AppleInsider reports that the software is still under development.
Meanwhile, Nokia has launched a competition to search for the best mobile phone application ideas in Ireland. The competition will run for eight weeks from 13 March to 7 May 2010. It will have three categories: a sports app; a lifestyle app to cover fashion, music, social and culture; and a general app, to cover everything else. The competition is being driven through a Nokia Facebook page and online public voting. The page will go live at midnight on Friday. Every week the app concept with the most votes in each category will win a 5230 touchscreen handset and will go through to the final to be judged by a panel of industry experts. The winning applications will be developed by Mobanode and made available on Nokia's Ovi Store.
Caped Koala Studios has built a virtual world for kids, combining education and social networking 