IN THE PAPERS
In The Papers 1 May
01-05-2009
by Sylvia Leatham
Eutelsat's sat-net to launch in Ireland | OneVision wants to talk DTT
The Irish Times reports that European firm Eutelsat is to offer its Tooway satellite internet service to consumers in Ireland, which promises similar speeds and costs to ADSL. The Tooway service is delivered through a small satellite dish and a modem connected to the PC via Ethernet. Prices for the service currently start from EUR25 per month. Local distributors Satellite Broadband Ireland (SBI) and Digiweb will sell the Tooway product. SBI said it expects to create more than 20 new jobs on the back of the new service.
The paper also notes that a mobile expert has claimed the growing trend towards converged devices is causing difficulties for some consumers and businesses. Gartner mobile and wireless analyst Ken Dulaney said consumers are being faced with an array of compact, fully functioning devices that have similar capabilities, resulting in confusion for those trying to make a purchase. "Everything is converged. They can all do the same thing. Given that, it's going to become more incumbent on the buyer to really know more about what they are planning to do," he said.
The same paper says that the board of Eircom concluded a two-day meeting at the company's headquarters on Thursday afternoon that could prove to be pivotal to the company's future. It is understood acting chief executive Cathal Magee got the backing of the board to go ahead with appointing a corporate adviser to help the company formulate an alternative to Rob Topfer's proposal to take over Eircom Holdings (formerly BCM). Eircom is expected to appoint an international group to advise on its strategic options, which will not include nationalisation.
The paper also says that the OneVision consortium -- Eircom, TV3 and Setanta Sports -- has decided to enter talks with the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland about taking on the commercial digital terrestrial television (DTT) licence that was recently turned down by the Boxer consortium. It is understood that OneVision will make public its intention to hold talks with the BCI in the coming days.
The same paper reports that Microsoft's new Windows 7 operating system took a step closer to a commercial launch on Thursday with a "release candidate" being made available on the web. The release candidate, which has all the features of the proposed final version, is currently only available to subscribers to Microsoft's MSDN and TechNet programmes for technology professionals. From 5 May, anyone will be able to download it from www.microsoft.com/windows7. The new OS is expected to offer enhanced search and simplified home networking features.
In other news of Microsoft, the Irish Independent says the software giant has responded to EU charges that it illegally ties its Internet Explorer browser to the Windows operating system. Microsoft filed a confidential document on 28 April, said a company spokesman, who declined to comment on the contents of the document. The European Commission sent Microsoft the official charges on 15 January. The company is accused of limiting consumer choices and stifling product innovation by including its browser with Windows.
The Irish Examiner reports that the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association (ICSFA) has strongly objected to the introduction of electronic sheep-tagging. Sheep Committee chairman Mervyn Sunderland and general secretary Eddie Punch said they made strong representations on the issue to European Commission officials at a meeting in Brussels. Sunderland said a study undertaken for the EU put the cost of introducing electronic tagging for Britain alone at between EUR35 million and EUR70 million, 90 percent of which would be borne by farmers.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Oracle is developing a set of online software applications. The software firm is working on seven new online products, including software to help businesses run sales campaigns and keep track of employees. In the past, Oracle CEO Larry Ellison has often dismissed the software-as-a-service model. It is unclear when the new products will be available.
The Financial Times reports that IT services group Logica is to cut 300 jobs in the Netherlands and has not ruled out further cuts. The company also lowered its interim revenue forecasts as demand for its consulting and professional services fell, but said this would partly be mitigated by demand for outsourcing services.
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