Thames Tech Wire - April 29, 2005

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THAMES TECH WIRE - April 29, 2005
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To Subscribe: http://www.techwiremedia.com/thames

o U.K.-Based Wi-Fi Security Firm Red-M to Float Shares on AIM
o Report: U.K. Education Agency Set to Advocate Open Source
o U.K.-Based Game Developer Elixir Studios Ends Operations
o MSIF Backs £4-Million Investment in Jade Communications
o Report: European Businesses Expect to Increase IT Spending
o Briefly Noted: iBasis-U.K. Internet Telephony Services,
Clearswift-Jon Lee, Google-New Internet News Service
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o U.K.-Based Wi-Fi Security Firm Red-M to Float Shares on AIM

London -- The Red-M Group, a Berkshire-based wireless security and
management provider, announced that it is planning an initial public
offering (IPO) on the London Stock Exchange's Alternative Investment
Market (AIM) within the next two months. The flotation is expected to
value the company at as much as £40 million. Red-M, which
specialises in preventing the hacking of Wi-Fi networks, said it would
use the proceeds from the IPO to invest in research and development
and fund its international expansion. The Red-M Group, initially spun
out of Madge Networks in 2000, was formed by the merger of Red-M
with Cellular Design Services, a unit of U.K. merchant bank
Interregnum Plc.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?A62024DFA
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o Report: U.K. Education Agency Set to Advocate Open Source

London -- According to media reports, the British Educational
Communications and Technology Agency (Becta), which is in charge
of formulating IT policies in education, is set to release a new report
claiming that local schools could save significant sums by switching to
open-source software. Becta's assessment will reportedly show how
open-source software can be implemented successfully and present
documented examples of its cost savings. The report, which follows a
three-year study on the use of open-source software in 15 schools, has
been embargoed until after May 5, due to restrictions on government
announcements during a general election.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?T1BF21CFA
http://www.becta.org.uk/
http://www.schoolforge.org.uk/index.php/Main_Page
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o U.K.-Based Game Developer Elixir Studios Ends Operations

London -- U.K.-based video game developer Elixir Studios, creators of
"Republic" and "Evil Genius", announced that it has ceased operations
and laid off staff. The company also announced that it is trying to sell
off its remaining assets. Elixir attributed its decision to the recent
cancellation of a title it had been working on for a major U.S.
publisher, in addition to the current "risk-averse" publishing climate. "It
is clearly a disappointing day for the team here and for British
independent developers in general, but we were extremely keen to wind
things down on our terms and treat our employees and creditors
properly and in a professional manner," said Elixir CEO Mark Hewitt.
The company said it would use a part of its cash resources to provide
severance packages to employees and help them find new jobs.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?D2115180A
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o MSIF Backs £4-Million Investment in Jade Communications

Liverpool, England -- The Merseyside Special Investment Fund (MSIF)
announced that it has led a multi-million-pound investment package in
Jade Communications, a U.K.-based IT equipment and wireless
network installer. The company said the £4-million package would
allow the company, currently based in Cheshire, to relocate into
Merseyside within the next few months. The MSIF's venture fund
contributed approximately £1 million to the package, which enjoyed
support from the Royal Bank of Scotland, Eurosales Finance and Jade
Managing Director Mark Brackley. "The backing is a tremendous boost
for the business, and we are delighted to be relocating to Merseyside,"
Brackley said. "The investment and the new appointments to the team
mean we can now continue to develop our customer base and range of
products and services."
http://www.msif.co.uk/latest_p/jade2.html
http://www.jadecomms.co.uk/frame/index.html
_____________________________________________

o Report: European Businesses Expect to Increase IT Spending

London -- A new survey by market analysis firm IDC gives a rosy
outlook for IT infrastructure spending this year. IDC said that more
than half of the survey's respondents said they expected to spend more
on IT infrastructure this year than in 2004, while PC sales are also
expected to increase significantly. IDC said an improved perception of
increased productivity and flexibility were placing mobile platforms at
"the heart" of business IT strategies. "With 2004 being driven by a
major uptake of notebook penetration, and in particular strong desktop
replacement trends in the (small to medium-sized business) market,
European businesses are clearly displaying a far greater commitment to
the integration of mobile solutions into their IT strategy," said IDC
analyst Ian Gibbs.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?H24F42CFA
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o Briefly Noted:

(London) iBasis Inc., a U.S.-based provider of long-distance telephone
services, Internet telephony (VoIP) and prepaid calling cards,
announced that it is expanding its regionalised global architecture by
adding to its facility in London to meet growing demand for VoIP
services among European consumers, small and medium-sized
enterprises (SMEs) and corporations. "This expansion gives us plenty
of capacity to keep up with the rapidly growing demand for retail VoIP
services, such as the SkypeOut service, and deliver the same high
quality of service to other emerging VoIP providers and their
subscribers throughout Europe," said iBasis CEO Ofer Gneezy.
http://www.ibasis.net/news/PR2005/pr04282005.htm 

(Redwood City, California) Clearswift, a U.K.-based maker of content
security software with its U.S. headquarters in Redwood City,
California, announced that it has named Jon Lee as its new chief
executive officer. With the news, Lee replaces David Guyatt, who will
remain on the company's board. Lee most recently served as the vice
president of international operations for Fair Isaac, and previously was
the CEO at London Bridge Software Holdings. He has also held senior
roles with McKinsey & Company and Ernst & Young Management
Consultants.
http://www.clearswift.com/news/item.aspx?ID=816

(London) NewScientist.com reported that Google is looking to
dramatically improve its Internet news service, based on new patents
filed in the U.S. and abroad. The company is building a database that
will factor in the track record and credibility of individual news
sources, as well as traffic to their websites, giving more prominent
sources higher spots in its rankings. Currently, Google's news search
service returns results based on the most recently published stories and
their degree of relevance to the search terms used.
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=mg18624975.900 

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> AeA High Tech Government Dinner - Connecting Gov't and Industry

June 8, 2005 5:30-9pm. This is the largest gathering of our industry's
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