NEWS IN BRIEF
For the record 18 July
18-07-2007
by Ciara O'Brien
Stream International to create 750 jobs in Derry | EU encourages DVB-H as mobile TV standard
Derry is set to get a jobs boost thanks to software services provider Stream International. Up to 750 new jobs could be created at Stream's planned new premises in the city's Waterside area after the firm scooped a lucrative contract, believed to be with an unnamed broadband operation. The firm already has a base at the Ulster Science and Technology Park in Derry. According to reports, some 450 jobs will created in the next few months, while a further 300 will come on board next year as work on the contract picks up. This will effectively double the firm's workforce in Northern Ireland, and makes it the second biggest employer in Derry city. The jobs will be in a range of roles, including support staff, management and technical roles.
Irish domain registration and hosting company Blacknight Solutions has been accredited by EURid as an EU registrar. The new accreditation allows Blacknight to offer its customers dot-eu domain names, allowing the firm to deal directly with EURid. More than 2 million names have been registered since the dot-eu domain launched in April 2006.
The EU has adopted a new strategy designed to encourage the takeup of mobile TV throughout the member states, using DVB-H as the single European standard for mobile TV. EU Commissioner for the Information Society and Media Viviane Reding said mobile broadcasting offered Europe an opportunity to maintain and expand its leadership in mobile technology and audiovisual services. However, until now the take-up of the services has been slow. The mobile TV penetration rate of South Korea stands at almost 10 percent, while Italy, the EU's most advanced mobile telly market, has a penetration rate of less than 1 percent. The EU has identified three factors that could make mobile TV successful: a common standard, to reduce market fragmentation; the availability of a spectrum for mobile broadcasting; and a favourable regulatory environment.
In more news of mobile TV, a report from research firm Analysys says that if mobile TV is to be accepted as a mass-market product in the future, any decision to invest in a broadcast mobile TV network should follow a review of the underlying consumer demand and analysis of the contribution that alternative technologies can make. The report also found that the mobile TV market could be significantly more complex than the current TV broadcasting environment.
NovaUCD-based software firm Eventznet has secured EUR25,000 funding from Skillnets to develop the first Events Industry Skillnet in Ireland. The funding will be used to investigate the training needs of the events industry in Ireland, along with the submission of a proposal to Skillnets to fund a comprehensive and nationwide training programme for event organisers. Eventznet develops software for event marketing and management.
Irish companies are going from strength to strength, with Enterprise Ireland-supported firms recording a record performance in 2006 with EUR1.699 billion in gross new export sales. This contributed to total exports of EUR11.779 billion for the year. Chairman of the Board of Enterprise Ireland Pat Molloy said: "The impressive performance was down to ambitious international sales and partnering strategies being implemented by Enterprise Ireland's client companies, along with a focus on competitiveness, innovation and management development. Along with the increase in sales was a net increase in employment in client companies of 1,261. "
Clearwire is stepping up its customer service, adding a free call-out service for customers to its repertoire. The new service will allow customers to have a Clearwire technical representative visit their home to help resolve any issues that they may have. The extended Clearwire Third Line Care comes into play if customer care and the technical helpline cannot solve the customer's problem. Clearwire says its technical representative will respond to the customer within five days.
AMD has announced it will sponsor Dare to be Digital's new games design showcase event "Dare ProtoPlay" at the Edinburgh Festival. The video games extravaganza will feature 60 artists and programmers, and will showcase the fully functional prototypes to the industry and the general public. Dare ProtoPlay will also include interactive workshops that show the lifecycle of creating a game, and allow attendees to create their own game character.
Lan Communications has completed a network infrastructure contract with PricewaterhouseCoopers, providing a converged voice and data network for PwC's new headquarters. The project also incorporated full wireless connectivity, which will cater for the 2,000 staff who relocated to the site at Spencer Dock in Dublin. PwC is also upgrading its regional offices' infrastructure in preparation for further deployment of converged voice and data applications.
Caped Koala Studios has built a virtual world for kids, combining education and social networking 