ROUNDUPS
For the record 9 July
09-07-2003
by Sylvia Leatham
Keytech Products and Keytech Plastics have gone into receivership, reports say | Spending on e-advertising in the US is expected to reach USD8.1 billion by 2006
Keytech Products and Keytech Plastics, makers of cables for the telecoms, computer and networking industries, have gone into receivership, according to a report by OnBusiness.ie. No jobs have been cut as yet, as both companies are continuing to trade while efforts are being made to sell off the business units. The company employs up to 100 staff at facilities in Limerick and Cork.
A strong focus on education and training and increased levels of investment in research, technology and innovation will be key factors in maintaining Ireland's competitiveness, according to the Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mary Harney. The Tanaiste was speaking at the launch of a report published by the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN), in association with the Institution of Engineers of Ireland (IEI), entitled "The Demand and Supply of Engineers and Engineering Technicians." "Ireland is no longer a low-cost economy and we can no longer compete, for example on labour costs, with less developed economiesÂ… More and more we must invest in research and development, in technology and innovation, in product development and design," said Harney.
Dublin-based Eblana Photonics, a maker of laser components for broadband communications, has announced the launch of its newest product, EP1490. The product is a high-performance, uncooled laser diode emitting at 1,490 nanometres for fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) and fibre-to-the-premise applications. The EP1490 enables broadband transmission applications because it operates uncooled at high temperatures, up to 85 degrees Celsius. Eblana says the product was developed in response to an anticipated increase in broadband connectivity in cable, ADSL, and FTTH.
Irish e-payments company Trintech has re-launched a support Web site aimed at educating and updating those involved in chip and PIN migration in the UK. The site, www.pinpad.co.uk, hosts a range of reference articles, news and solution advice. It also provides the option to sign up for a free monthly e-mail newsletter on the subject of chip and PIN migration.
Spending on Internet advertising in the US is expected to reach USD8.1 billion by 2006, according to market research company eMarketer. The firm predicts that on-line advertising spending will grow to USD6.3 billion by the end of this year, up 4.8 percent from last year's USD6 billion. According to the company's latest figures, Internet ad spending will climb to USD6.8 billion in 2004 and to USD7.2 billion in 2005, before reaching USD8.1 billion in 2006.
A federal judge has ruled that Sharman Networks, the distributor of Kazaa software, cannot pursue an antitrust lawsuit against major record labels and movie studios. The file-sharing software company had made the antitrust claims earlier this year, as part of its defence against a copyright infringement suit filed by the entertainment firms. Sharman argued that the music companies and studios conspired to keep authorised versions of their songs and movies off Kazaa, saying they failed to work with Sharman to create a legal alternative. US District Judge Stephen Wilson dismissed the firm's claims, saying that even if the allegations were true, Sharman would not be entitled to damages because it distributes file-sharing software and not on-line entertainment.
Japanese company NTT-X and the Nihon Sumo Kyokai, an organisation that promotes sumo wrestling, have launched a service that enables the voices of sumo wrestling stars to be used as mobile phone ringtones. The service is available to subscribers to NTT DoCoMo's i-mode service, and a total of 250 ringtone messages are on offer, using 11 wrestlers' voices. Instead of ringing when a call comes through, the subscriber's handset will say "Hi. This is Asashoryu calling," and other such messages.
Meanwhile, Reuters reports that the British Library is offering mobile operators some of its 100,000 recordings of the world's birds and animals as alternative ringtones. The new tones will be only be available to users of 3G phones, following a commercial deal between the British Library Sound Archive, iTouch and Mobiletones. "Some of the new sounds are lovely, although the hippo does sound rather like someone vomiting," a spokesman at the British Library said.
Using the subject line to get noticed: Denise Cox argues that to get results you have to make every word work in a subject line.
