IN THE PAPERS
In The Papers 8 June
08-06-2010
by Sylvia Leatham
AOL to create 50 Dublin jobs | Apple unveils iPhone 4 and iAd
The Irish Times reports that AOL Global Operations is to create 50 new software engineering jobs at its Dublin development centre over the next two years. The company intends to expand its reach as a provider of internet advertising technologies, services and content. AOL also announced it is moving to new headquarters in Dublin city centre from its base at Citywest. The Dublin centre currently employs 110 people.
The Irish Independent says that First Derivatives, a provider of software to financial groups, has raised STG3.3 million from a share placing with institutional investors. The Newry-based company said it would use the money to reduce its borrowings and boost its working capital. The company "continues to perform strongly and we expect to announce details of some significant new clients in the coming weeks," said Brian Conlan, chief executive.
The Irish Examiner says the Government's chief scientific adviser has backed plans to give Leaving Cert students bonus points for higher level maths. Dr Patrick Cunningham said he favours the proposal and not just as a way of improving student interest in maths as a college subject. "If [students] get the competence in maths, even if they go off and become solicitors or something else, it will enrich their lives in ways that other subjects won't. It increases their confidence for the technology in the world we live in now," he said. The Leaving Cert exams begin on Wednesday.
The Financial Times reports that UK telco BT is facing the possibility of significant disruption to its phone and broadband services after the Communication Workers Union announced it would ballot its 55,000 members for strike action. The first national strike at the telco in more than 20 years is on the horizon after management refused to increase a 2 percent pay offer for blue-collar staff by noon on Friday. Andy Kerr, CWU deputy general secretary, said some of BT's senior managers were getting significant salary increases in 2010/2011. The union accused management of "blatant double standards" and said it would ballot its members on industrial action.
The paper also says that Apple has unveiled its fourth-generation iPhone, a device capable of video calls and with a front-facing camera. The handset will go on sale in five countries on 24 June and in 80 other nations by the end of the year. In a speech at Apple's conference for programmers, CEO Steve Jobs said video calls would only work with Wi-Fi connections, at least this year, and only between the new handsets. The iPhone 4 also features a much sharper display than the iPhone 3GS, high-definition video recording capability, and a gaming gyroscope that allows for more motion recognition when playing games.
In more news of Apple, the Wall Street Journal says that the company's mobile advertising network, iAd, will go live on 1 July, according to company chief Steve Jobs. He said the iAd platform will pull in USD60 million worth of advertising in the second half of this year. Jobs said the platform will be built into the new iPhone 4. The platform will allow developers to incorporate sophisticated, interactive advertising into applications they create for the App Store.
The paper also notes that pay-TV operator BSkyB has "finally and fully" settled a lawsuit it brought against Electronic Data Systems six years ago over a botched customer service technology contract. EDS, now a unit of Hewlett-Packard, agreed to pay a total of STG318 million for damages, costs and interest related to the contract. The settlement comes about six months after a British High Court ruled that EDS had been deceitful when pursuing a 2000 customer-service technology contract with BSkyB by deliberately misrepresenting how long it would take to complete the job. Since the January verdict, the two companies have been negotiating a final agreement on settlement costs.
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