NEWS IN BRIEF
For the record 9 January
09-01-2008
by Ciara O'Brien
Iona to cut staff | HP promises to cut energy consumption
Irish software firm Iona Technologies is to cut staff as part of a move to slash costs. The company made the announcement after a poor trading update, which revealed that predicted revenues of USD18 million for the fourth quarter of 2007 were far below what the market had anticipated. Iona said it will reveal more details of the job cuts when it releases its results on 24 January. The firm is blaming a weak financial services market for the poor showing, claiming that it delayed deals. Total expenses for the final quarter of 2007 are predicted to be USD20.5 million. The company currently has more than 365 employees worldwide, with 115 staff based in Dublin.
Apple has got a pat on the back from the European Commission for its decision to equalise the prices of its European iTunes services. Previously, consumers in the UK were forced to spend more than their euro zone counterparts, with songs costing almost 10 percent more there. UK consumer protection organisation Which? had lodged a formal complaint with the Commission on the issue. The Commission duly investigated but dropped the antitrust proceedings when Apple pledged to lower the prices it charges UK consumers, bringing them in line with all the other European iTunes stores.
Paramount Studios has dismissed speculation that it is to drop support for the Toshiba-backed HD DVD standard in favour of Sony's Blu-ray. Reports claim that Paramount is to continue to support the format, despite a clause in its contract that allows it to jump ship if Warner Home Video decided to opt for Blu-ray, which it did last week.
HP plans to boost its green credentials by committing to reduce the energy consumption of some of its machines by 25 percent by 2010. The tech firm, which made the announcement at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, intends to meet its goal by integrating components such as more efficient power supplies and lower-energy chipsets across its PC portfolio. The company has also a number of products listed as Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) Gold, which can help businesses reduce their environmental impact, such as the HP Compaq dc7800 Business Desktop PC and the HP dc7800 Ultra-slim Desktop PC. In total, HP has more than 25 machines in North America listed as gold and silver.
And finally, eTrip Services has appointed Lucia Newton as its new customer service agent and web content controller. Newton will take responsibility for web administration and customer care including handling account queries and processing of new account applications. Prior to taking up her new role, Newton worked for Standard Chartered Bank, Banco Real S.A and Techstore, and worked on developing a Gaeltacht web project.
Caped Koala Studios has built a virtual world for kids, combining education and social networking 