IN THE PAPERS
In The Papers 16 November
16-11-2010
by Sylvia Leatham
Barrett says Ireland needs start-up culture | Online ad spend grows 12pc in half-year
The Irish Times reports that the winning projects in the 'Your Country, Your Call' competition will be self-sufficient by September 2011, with jobs following in the coming months and years, the competition organisers have said. The two projects are a proposal for a data island strategy and a plan to make Ireland a global media hub.
The paper also says that private online college Hibernia College is set to provide the higher diploma in education (HDip). An application by Hibernia has been endorsed by the Higher Education and Training Awards Council. This is expected to be approved by the Teaching Council, and Hibernia is expected to offer the HDip from next year. Hibernia teacher training is delivered using a mix of online content, online tutorials and face-to-face tuition. The organisation's critics will see the move as signalling the increased privatisation of education.
The same paper notes that former Intel chief executive Craig Barrett has advised that Ireland needs to invest more in indigenous start-ups rather than concentrating on attracting investment from multinationals. Speaking in Dublin, Dr Barrett said Ireland now faced "incredible competition" to win foreign direct investment and that advantages such as our corporation tax and our "decent" education system were being eroded by the efforts of more dynamic economies. "By all means, save your banks, save your financial system, do the triage that's necessary, but don't forget to make those longer-term investments," he said.
The paper also says that online ad spending in Ireland rose by more than 12 percent in the first half of 2010 to almost EUR54 million, driven by a rise in the number of internet users. According to the latest study from the IAB Ireland and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), all online advertising formats attracted higher levels of advertising spending in the half-year to the end of June. Paid-search advertising accounted for 45 percent of total online spend in the period, while 26 percent was spent on online classified ads.
The Irish Independent says that Gardai have warned householders to be wary of Irish-language e-mails that claim the recipient has won a major cash prize in a lottery. The scam revolves around a competition called the 'R-Phost Sweepstakes.' The e-mail informs the recipient they have won a major cash prize but, to claim the money, the individual must provide a contact address and bank details.
The same paper notes that a fleet of 15 new speed camera vans have come into operation at 760 locations around the country. Drivers with the latest sat-nav devices will be warned in advance if they are approaching the new speed camera zones. The Garda website crashed on Monday after more than 50,000 people tried to find their local network of speed zones.
The same paper notes that Communications Minister Eamon Ryan has launched a public consultation on a range of new channels proposed by RTE as part of the digital TV switchover. The deadline for submissions is 10 December. Details are available at www.dcenr.gov.ie.
The Irish Examiner reports on the launch of a dedicated weather news and long-range weather forecast website, Irish Weather Online. The site is an independently run resource established by Clare man Mark Dunphy, who describes it as a website run by weather enthusiasts for weather enthusiasts. The site features the latest news relating to the weather and climate in Ireland, as well as weather-related video and imagery.
The same paper reports that Atlantic Bridge has raised EUR85 million in funding for technology-focused companies. The private equity fund will target Irish and European middle market technology assets and will invest primarily in late-stage venture capital, growth equity, expansion capital and small to mid-sized buyouts. It will target assets in the communications technology, semiconductor and software sectors.
The Wall Street Journal says that Facebook has unveiled an e-mail messaging service. The new service, which offers people a "facebook.com" address, among other tools, moves into territory that is already well covered by Google, Yahoo and others. The new service is designed to draw more of users' time to Facebook and could help build up its appeal to advertisers.
The paper also notes that data storage firm EMC has agreed to purchase fast-growing storage maker Isilon Systems for USD2.25 billion, or USD33.85 a share, in cash. The price is roughly a 46 percent premium on the company's stock price before reports surfaced that Isilon was up for sale. The deal will help EMC broaden its product line of computer storage devices.
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