IN THE PAPERS
In the papers 31 August
31-08-2007
by Sylvia Leatham
BT Ireland staff suspend protest | Allofmp3.com to re-open for business
The Irish Times reports that an Irish security consultant is calling on the Government to introduce legislation that would require organisations that have had data security breaches to publicly disclose them. Brian Honan of BH Consulting will make the call at an event next Wednesday to mark Global Security Week, an annual international awareness-raising event on security issues. Honan points out that, while Irish firms are obliged under the Data Protection Act to have "appropriate security measures" in place for data relating to individuals, there is no onus on organisations to report if they have suffered a theft of data.
The paper also says that China expects to dominate the next internet revolution, according to Dr Xiaojun Wang, organiser of the 2007 ChinaIreland international conference on ICT at Dublin City University. Dr Wang told the conference that China had to play catch-up with the US during the first generation of the internet, but now it hopes to have gained what is termed a "mover advantage". China's confidence is centred on IP addresses. The US holds about 1.3 billion, or 30 percent, of all potential IP addresses, but a new iteration of IP called version 6, or IPv6, is set to shift the balance in favour of Asia.
The same paper says that Irish workers should not fear the impact of outsourcing to India because it provides an opportunity for "local labour to move up the value chain", according to a leading Indian technology lawyer. Vineet Subrami says the Republic now has the potential to benefit from Indian technology firms investing here. "A lot of Indian firms are now looking at opportunities in the Republic because they want to be close to their customers," said Subrami. "Ireland provides a base close to the UK, which is a huge market for Indian companies."
The paper also reports that Russian music download site Allofmp3.com has said it will resume business after a Moscow court ruled that its operation was in accordance with Russian law. No music is currently on sale, but a statement on the company's website says business will begin shortly, with enhanced payment procedures and a larger selection of music.
The paper also notes that Irish-owned StatCounter, which provides tools for analysing traffic to websites, has grown 50 percent in the last year and had 1.5 million members at the end of June. StatCounter had 50 million page views in the first half of the year, making it one of the most visited sites in the US ahead of big brands such as Adobe, Dell and Fox News, according to Amazon subsidiary Alexa.
The Irish Independent says that millionaire businessman Shane O'Neill, chairman of UPC Ireland, has netted a total profit of just under EUR3.7 million by selling off shares in UPC parent Liberty Global. This brings the profit O'Neill has made on Liberty shares to over EUR8.1 million in the past four months.
The Irish Examiner reports that industrial action is brewing at BT Ireland as the company refuses to recognise the right of its staff to trade union representation. Company workers called off a protest due to take place on Thursday after the company agreed to attend talks at the Labour Relations Commission. However, Ian McArdle of the Communications Workers' Union said willingness to talk should not be taken as a sign the workers will not escalate the action if their concerns are not addressed.
The Financial Times reports that a group of US states have claimed that Microsoft should not yet be allowed to escape the close antitrust scrutiny under which it has operated for nearly six years. The fact that there has not been a significant change in the amount of competition in its core PC software markets suggested that US antitrust oversight of the company should continue, they argue. However, they said that Microsoft had not "directly contravened the provisions" of the consent decree that ended the US case against the company in 2001.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the Thai government has lifted a four-month ban on YouTube after the video-sharing site's operator, Google, agreed not to allow videos that violate the country's laws or are deemed offensive to Thai people. The government blocked access to YouTube on 4 April after Google turned down Thailand's request to remove clips seen as offensive to Thailand's revered monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Information and Communication Technology Minister Sitthichai Phokai-udom said the government lifted the ban without providing further comment.
Caped Koala Studios has built a virtual world for kids, combining education and social networking 