IN THE PAPERS
In the papers 26 October
26-10-2007
by Sylvia Leatham
ComReg seeks consultants to consider Eircom break-up | Ericsson CFO steps down
The Irish Times reports that telecoms regulator ComReg is seeking business consultants to examine the proposal to break up Eircom into network and retail units. ComReg has announced it aims to hire a number of consultants within weeks to conduct a detailed appraisal of the Babcock & Brown plan. "We expect consultants to be appointed by December. In terms of when their work is to conclude, I can't say when at the moment. That has yet to be decided," said a spokeswoman for ComReg.
The paper also says that online travel booking engine Gulliver Ireland has launched a support programme for Irish self-catering properties to stimulate the level of online bookings. The move hopes to address the fact that the sector has one of the lowest rates of online bookings in the tourism industry. GoIreland.com, the booking website operated by Gulliver, will shortly start to include reviews of properties from people who have stayed there. Gulliver also plans to publish a guide to the sector, and all premises featured in it will also be listed on a dedicated self-catering website, www.irelandselfcateringguide.com.
The paper also notes that Microsoft has invested USD240 million in Facebook, as reported by ENN on Thursday.
The same paper says Sony has signed an agreement with Dublin Institute of Technology's Audio Research Group to license a software tool for PlayStation's Singstar game. ADRess (azimuth discrimination and resynthesis) is essentially a sound-source separation tool which will remove the original vocal from the karaoke game without compromising the quality of the audio.
The paper also notes that IT services firm IT Alliance has won a EUR1 million contract from Vodafone for the provision of testing services for a number of its software systems.
According to the Financial Times, Ericsson's chief financial officer has left the company, as the telecommunications group seeks to rebuild investor confidence after a profit warning. The telecoms equipment maker said Karl-Henrik Sundstrom "has decided to leave Ericsson". He is to be replaced with immediate effect by Hans Vestberg, head of global services. The move follows Ericsson's downward revision to its third-quarter earnings forecast, which wiped out a quarter of its market value in one day -- the worse share price collapse in the company's history.
The Wall Street Journal says that Vonage Holdings has settled a long-running patent lawsuit with Verizon Communications. Vonage has agreed to pay Verizon either USD80 million or USD117.5 million, depending on the outcome of a decision by the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Last month, the appeals court upheld a lower court ruling that Vonage had infringed on two key Verizon patents. Vonage has requested a rehearing of the decision, and if it is successful it will pay Verizon the lower amount.
The paper also notes that Taiwan's Acer said its third-quarter net profit jumped 58 percent from a year earlier, helped by brisk sales of its new notebook series. Acer, the world's No. 3 PC vendor by shipments, said it had stocked up on computer parts before an industrywide shortage of batteries and panels occurred, allowing it to keep prices competitive.
Caped Koala Studios has built a virtual world for kids, combining education and social networking 