IN THE PAPERS
In the papers 11 October
11-10-2007
by Sylvia Leatham
eBay launches social networking applications | Carphone questions ultra-fast broadband proposals
The Irish Times reports that Minister for the Environment John Gormley has refused to rule out using e-voting machines in future elections. The machines are currently in storage. Gormley said that an official report had recently been published in the Netherlands about the Nedap electronic voting system, which has just been abandoned by the Dutch. "An official English translation of the report is not yet available. The House will appreciate that I do not propose to comment until I have received the report and had an opportunity to consider it," he told the Dail.
The Irish Examiner says that Irish venture capital firms are on track to have up to EUR1.4 billion available for investment in industry by the end of the year, according to Prof Michael Donnelly, chairman of the Irish Venture Capital Association. Speaking at the organisation's annual dinner in Dublin on Wednesday night, Prof Donnelly said that over the next five years the bulk of this money will be targeted at technology and knowledge-based companies, with a significant increase in investment in life science firms.
The paper also reports that the Communications Workers Union (CWU) will next week issue Eircom with its response to proposals to break up the company. There is concern in the CWU that 2,000 people working in the retail division may lose their jobs as a result of any attempt to dissect Eircom. There are also fears that mobile division Meteor may be sold, putting a question mark over its staff's future.
According to the Wall Street Journal, online auction firm eBay is launching its own version of a social networking service. The "Neighborhoods" feature encourages users to post photos, product reviews, tips and responses -- creating a more visual and interactive experience than eBay's text-based discussion forums. The move is one result of a broad reorganisation strategy that started in late 2006, when the company's soaring growth rate began to slow.
The Financial Times reports that Sage Group's chief executive and chief financial officer of its US business are leaving the company, "with immediate effect". Paul Walker, chief executive of the UK software group, said that following a restructuring of the US business into four divisions, "there was a need for a change of style in the management in North America". A search for replacements was already under way, he said. Growth in the North American business was the weakest of the group's four territories in the year to the end of September.
The paper also says that Carphone Warehouse has voiced scepticism about the merits of investing in an ultra-fast broadband network. The mobile phone retailer-turned-broadband provider questioned whether there was any consumer demand to justify a multi-billion-pound investment in such a fixed-line network, which is being proposed by the UK telecoms regulator. Roger Taylor, Carphone's finance director, said Ofcom had provoked an "interesting discussion" by last month seeking public comment on proposals that might entice telecommunications companies to invest in ultra-fast broadband networks. But Taylor said it was important first to ascertain the consumer appetite for such broadband and a willingness to pay more for it.
Caped Koala Studios has built a virtual world for kids, combining education and social networking 