IN THE PAPERS
In The Papers 26 April
26-04-2010
by Sylvia Leatham
Gartner praises new Irish search engine | Credit unions to offer e-payments
The Irish Times reports that Irish software firm Columba Global Systems has developed a new search engine which has been singled out by leading US analysts as significantly powerful. The Dublin-based company has received a world-renowned accolade after developing InfinityV3, which US analyst house Gartner says can potentially source any information from internal databases, the internet, podcasts, blogs, news-feeds, TV, radio transcripts and social network sites. The software uses 'intelligent data fusion' to retrieve precise details of a search subject across an organisation's own internal data in conjunction with an information galaxy of external and web-based data. The company's main target market to date has been in homeland security, law enforcement and intelligence.
The paper also says that Irish credit unions are to offer electronic payment services to members. Delegates approved plans for the new payment service at the Irish League of Credit Unions' AGM at the University of Limerick. League president Mark Bailey said the establishment of a Credit Union Services Organisation (CUSO) would answer calls from members and non-members for such services as electronic debit transfers, electronic credit transfers and debit cards. The CUSO will allow credit union members to send and receive payments electronically to other credit union and bank accounts.
According to the Irish Examiner, Ireland South MEP Alan Kelly has been asked to prove his official Labour Party Twitter account was hacked, after a message from his online profile used the term "pikey" to refer to a member of the Travelling community. On Sunday, Twitter followers of Kelly saw a message that read: "Just got stopped by a pikey, scuse me sir, ya haven't seen a black mare and a white pony go by ave ya??? err no sorry". The message was deleted within an hour, after complaints by a number of Twitter users. Kelly then posted an update saying his account had been "compromised". Martin Collins, acting director of Travelling community representative group Pavee Point, said the remark was "offensive, derogatory and bordering on racism" and asked for Kelly to obtain information from Twitter confirming the account was compromised.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Xerox swung to a first-quarter loss due to acquisition and restructuring costs, although it posted a 33 percent jump in sales, thanks in large part to the purchase of Affiliated Computer Services. Overall revenue for the period rose by one-third to USD4.72 billion, with all business segments showing some growth. Xerox reported a loss of USD42 million, or USD0.04 a share, down from a profit of USD42 million, or USD0.05 a share, a year earlier. Excluding certain items, Xerox posted earnings of USD0.18 a share. The company took charges of USD195 million in restructuring costs and USD48 million in acquisition-related expenses.
The paper also says that Canon's net profit more than tripled in its fiscal first quarter, on the back of strong camera sales and a recovery in demand for printers. Net profit for the three months to the end of March rose to JPY56.81 billion (USD604.2 million), up from JPY17.74 billion a year earlier. Healthy sales of high-margin digital single-lens reflex cameras helped to boost profits, the company said. The figure was better than the JPY48.5 billion estimated by analysts polled by Thomson Reuters. Operating profit leaped to JPY86.84 billion from JPY20.03 billion, while revenue was up 10 percent to JPY755.53 billion.
The Sunday Business Post reports that Dublin-based IronPlanet, a US firm with its headquarters here, plans to raise up to USD92 million in a flotation on the Nasdaq. The firm holds auctions of used construction equipment online. Currently employing 16 people in Blanchardstown, the firm is planning to expand. IronPlanet last year sold 30,000 pieces of equipment online, raising a total of USD458 million. About 10 percent of the company's revenues, which totalled more than USD54 million last year, come from outside the US. The company inspects the equipment prior to selling and offers buyers a guarantee.
The same paper writes that the Government is set to undertake a major redesign of its website at a cost of EUR20,000. The update will see new media including Twitter, Facebook and podcasts added to the site. The winner of the contract is set to be announced within weeks and the new site is pencilled in for a June launch.
The paper also says that Costa Coffee is set to offer free wireless internet access to its customers from this week. The scheme will be rolled out in Belfast first and will be extended to outlets in the Republic over the coming months.
The Sunday Tribune says hundreds of Irish people have signed up to US-based Dateacougar.com, a site that specialises in matching older women to younger, single men. The site currently has more than 550 advertisements from people claiming to be based within a 100-mile radius of Dublin. The majority of the ads are from men looking for older women.
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