IN THE PAPERS
In The Papers 2 June
02-06-2010
by Sylvia Leatham
Tralee gets new tech jobs | HP job cuts unlikely to affect Ireland
The Irish Times reports that 55 new jobs are to be created at two companies in Tralee, Kerry. Wind-turbine group Enercon is to double its Irish workforce to 60, while web design company Straker is creating 25 jobs at a new European headquarters. Minister for Enterprise Batt O'Keeffe welcomed the decision by New Zealand firm Straker to establish its European headquarters at Kerry Technology Park, alongside Tralee Institute of Technology, as a vote of confidence in Ireland's reputation as a smart economy.
The same paper says that Belfast nanotechnology drug delivery firm SiSaf has appointed Irish-American businessman John Hartnett as its non-executive chairman. Hartnett is president and chief executive of solar energy company G24 Innovations and was previously global head of sales with smartphone maker Palm. He is also president and founder of the Irish Technology Leadership Group (ITLG), a Silicon Valley-based network of Irish and Irish-American business people.
The paper also notes that theft or loss of personal data relating to more than 100 individuals will have to be reported to the Data Protection Commissioner under a new draft code of practice. The code is a response to the recent recommendations of the Data Protection Review Group established by Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern. Members of the public can make observations or submissions on the draft code before 18 June. Details have been published at www.dataprotection.ie.
The same paper reports that Taoiseach Brian Cowen has said satisfactory procedures are in place for the preservation and archiving of all records in his department, whether in electronic or paper form. Cowen said his department complied with national archives legislation which stipulates "that all official records, regardless of their format, which are received or created by the Department of the Taoiseach must be preserved". He told the Dail that legislation to merge the National Archives, the Irish Manuscripts Commission and the National Library of Ireland into a new national library and archives of Ireland would be introduced by the end of this year.
The Irish Independent says that Digital Times magazine and Alchemy Event Management have announced the launch of Ireland's first dedicated awards ceremony for mobile application development and design. Entry to 'The Appys' is open to app developers, app development companies, digital advertising agencies, traditional agencies, private companies, public sector agencies and brands. The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on 28 October. More information is available at www.theappys.ie.
The paper also notes that Gardai are attempting to track down more than 1,000 people who accessed images of child sex abuse online in the space of just one month. The undertaking by the force's Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Investigation Unit follows on from revelations in an RTE 'Prime Time Investigates' programme. However, just one member of the unit is qualified as a trainer on the computer software that allows for the identification of paedophiles who use file-sharing networks to spread abuse images.
The paper also says that Hewlett-Packard has not ruled out redundancies in the Republic after announcing a massive global jobs cull. However, sources said it was unlikely that any of the 4,000 staff in Dublin, Leixlip, Galway and Belfast would be affected when the company sheds 9,000 jobs. All of the jobs being cut are located at commercial data centres that operate IT services for businesses. The Department of Enterprise said it would seek guarantees that the HP workforce is protected.
The Financial Times says that Eircom is lining up financial advisers to help it with its long-term strategy, according to sources. The telecoms group is expected to appoint Gleacher Shacklock, the corporate finance company, alongside another investment bank, in the coming weeks. Gleacher Shacklock declined to comment. The options the company is understood to be considering in the longer term include a potential bond issue or bond exchange, and a possible equity injection from shareholders, according to a source.
The Wall Street Journal reports that most Americans have no idea how fast their home broadband connections are, but they are basically happy with the service. That's according to a new study by the Federal Communications Commission, which is considering requiring phone and cable companies to offer more information on the actual speed of their internet services. Four out of five internet subscribers don't know what broadband speed they are receiving at home, the survey found. Still, more than nine out of 10 said they were either somewhat or very satisfied with their home broadband speeds.
Caped Koala Studios has built a virtual world for kids, combining education and social networking 