Thames Tech Wire

Thames Tech Wire - May 31, 2005

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THAMES TECH WIRE - May 31, 2005
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To Subscribe: http://www.techwiremedia.com/thames

o Survey: Software Directive Will Lead to Too Many Patents
o Report: Value of U.K. Software Piracy Exceeds £1 Billion
o Report: U.K. Online Spending Increases by 29.3% in April
o Payment Firm FireOne to List Shares on London's AIM
o Spokesman: EU to Wait until July to Decide on Microsoft
o Briefly Noted: Empower Interactive-Keith Cornell, Antenova
Asia-Tom Newman, Travelzoo UK-Christopher Loughlin
____________________________________________

o Survey: Software Directive Will Lead to Too Many Patents

London -- According to a new survey by the U.K. Patent Office
(UKPO), software companies and developers in the U.K. believe that
the definition of "technical contribution" in the software patent
directive's current form is "ambiguous and too liberal" and will lead to
the creation of too many patents. "The results show just how difficult it
can be to come up with a definition which is both easy to apply and
which gives the 'right' result in terms of allowing patents for computer-
implemented technical inventions, but blocking patents for non-
technical software," said UKPO Director of Patents Sean Dennehey.
"The workshops have generated some useful ideas, and I hope they will
be taken into account in the imminent debate on the CII Directive at the
European Parliament." The UKPO, which compiled the report after
holding 13 workshops across the country, said a change in U.K. policy
was unlikely.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?Q13521C2B
____________________________________________

o Report: Value of U.K. Software Piracy Exceeds £1 Billion

London -- According to a new report by the Business Software Alliance
(BSA), the value of pirated software in the U.K. has come to more than
£1 billion for the first time ever. Worldwide, software piracy is worth
more than 26.7 billion euro (£18 billion), a 3.2-billion-euro (£2.2
billion) increase compared to last year's figures, the BSA said. What's
more, about 35% of European software is now pirated, according to
BSA estimates. "The level of software piracy remains unacceptably
high," said Siobhan Carroll, Regional Manager of BSA Northern
Europe. "While ongoing campaigns by ourselves and other creative
industries will help raise awareness of the piracy problem and respect
for intellectual property, the support of the government will be crucial
in bringing the rate down." The BSA, which claimed that the U.K.
Treasury was losing millions of pounds in taxes, urged the local
government to crack down on the problem.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?M3F625C2B
____________________________________________

o Report: U.K. Online Spending Increases by 29.3% in April

London -- According to the latest report by the Interactive Media in
Retail Group (IMRG), U.K. consumers spent more than £1.4 billion
online in the month of April alone, a 29.3% year-on-year increase and
the highest growth-rate reported in the last seven months. By
comparison, total retail sales in the U.K. fell by 1.3% over the same
period. "We have regularly observed over the past five years that when
times are tough, more shopping moves online," said IMRG Managing
Director Jo Tucker. "But April's huge increase surprised us all, in light
of consumers' reluctance to part with their cash in the bricks-and-
mortar stores." Since the IMRG, a non-profit trade organisation for
online retailers, began compiling figures in April 2000, U.K. online
sales have increased by more than 1,500%.
http://www.imrg.org/
____________________________________________

o Payment Firm FireOne to List Shares on London's AIM

London -- FireOne Group Plc, a Canada-based provider of payment
processing services to the online gaming industry, announced that it
plans to raise more than £24 million with an initial public offering
(IPO) on the London Stock Exchange's Alternative Index Market
(AIM). FireOne said the IPO, which will place about 10 million shares
at 241 pence per share, would value the group at more than £120
million. FireOne said its shares would begin trading on AIM on June 2.
FireOne is a unit of Optimal Group Inc., a Canada-based payments and
services company with operations throughout North America and the
U.K.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?M25753C2B
____________________________________________

o Spokesman: EU to Wait until July to Decide on Microsoft

Brussels -- The EU announced on Tuesday that it plans to wait until the
end of next month to decide whether to impose extra fines on U.S.-
based software giant Microsoft, despite the fact a compliance deadline
ends tonight at midnight. EU spokesman Jonathan Todd, who said the
EU was confident Microsoft would respond to anti-compliance charges
on time, told Business Week that it would likely take several weeks to
analyse the company's proposal properly. "We're in regular contact
with Microsoft, and we have no reason to believe they will not make
their final offer before midnight tonight," Todd told Business Week. "I
can't say whether they're going to fall into line or not." If the EU is
dissatisfied with Microsoft's proposal, it will be able to fine the
company as much as 5% of its daily global sales for each day that it
continues to breach the terms of a recent antitrust ruling against it.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?E20646C2B
____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(London) Empower Interactive Ltd., a U.K.-based wireless technology
firm, announced that it has appointed Keith Cornell as its new chief
executive officer. Empower said Cornell, a veteran of the wireless
industry with more than 23 years of experience in strategy, business
development and operations, would lead the company as it expands in
Asia, Europe and North America. Prior to joining Empower, Cornell
was on the management board of O2 with responsibility for operations
in Germany, Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Netherlands. He has also
served in senior management roles at FirstMark Communications,
Vodafone, Airtouch International and Marakon Associates.
http://www.eigroup.com/newsEventsHome.htm 

(Cambridge, England) Antenova Ltd., a U.K.-based RF antenna firm,
announced that it has appointed Tom Newman as general manager of
its operations in Asia. Antenova said Newman, an industry veteran and
long-term resident of China and Taiwan, would further establish the
company's operations and increase its presence in the world's largest
mobile-phone market. "(Newman's) experience in the antenna industry
and unique insight gained from living and working in China will bring
huge benefits to Antenova's global strategy," said Antenova CEO Greg
McCray. "(He) will be instrumental in pushing Antenova's patented
HDAT technology and Radionova products into this high growth
market."
http://www.antenova.com/#

(New York) Travelzoo, a U.S.-based provider of Internet travel
services, announced that it has named Christopher Loughlin as senior
vice president and general manager of Travelzoo UK. "In his four years
at Travelzoo, (Loughlin) has led the company's business development
in the U.S. with a strong focus on advertising revenue growth and high
quality content," said Travelzoo CEO Ralph Bartel. "I believe that his
talent and experience with Travelzoo's media business model, applied
to the exciting and emerging business in the U.K., will help us execute
our growth strategy in this important market."
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/050523/235649.html?.v=1

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Thames Tech Wire - May 27, 2005

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THAMES TECH WIRE - May 27, 2005
============================================
To Subscribe: http://www.techwiremedia.com/thames

o Apax Becomes Majority Owner of Infineon Software Spin-Out
o EU Earmarks 660,000 Euro for Open-Source Collaboration
o e-Business Support Programme Extended to East Wales
o iPods Fuelling Street Crime in U.K., Police Commissioner Says
o U.K.-Based AD Group to Acquire U.S.-Based ChipWrights
o Briefly Noted: Xilinx-Scotland Expansion, Group 1 Software-
e2T Suite, MobiTV-Orange UK
____________________________________________

o Apax Becomes Majority Owner of Infineon Software Spin-Out

Frankfurt -- Infineon Technologies AG, a Germany-based
semiconductor maker, announced that it has spun off its design
software unit into a new company that will be majority owned by Apax
Partners, a U.K.-based venture-capital firm. Infineon's Circuit
Verification Environment (CVE) division, responsible for testing
circuits and designing computer chips, will form a new company called
OneSpin Solutions GmbH. "We have decided to spin off the CVE unit
because it is not one of our core businesses," said Infineon spokesman
Gunter Gaugler, who added that his company would continue to be
active in software development, but only in areas that have a direct
impact on Infineon's products. OneSpin will receive approximately 40
million euro (£27.5 million) in funding from Apax.
http://www.infineon.com/cgi/ecrm.dll/jsp/home.do?lang=EN
____________________________________________

o EU Earmarks 660,000 Euro for Open-Source Collaboration

Brussels -- The EU announced that it has approved a 660,000-euro
grant to promote open-source software (OSS) collaboration. The grant,
which comes as part of the EU 6th Framework Research programme,
will be given to FLOSSWorld, a two-year project to promote open-
source collaboration between the EU and developing countries and to
support OSS research and policy development. The project will involve
17 partners in 12 countries, the EU said. FLOSSWorld focuses on three
main issues: human capacity building, which investigates the economic
impact of FLOSS communities; software development and how
approaches vary by region and country; and e-government policy,
which investigates how policy varies from country to country.
http://www.flossworld.org/
____________________________________________

o iPods Fuelling Street Crime in U.K., Police Commissioner Says

London -- According to Sir Ian Blair, commissioner of the
Metropolitan Police, the increasing popularity of Apple's iPod is
fuelling street crime in the U.K. A standard model iPod retails for about
£200. Blair said that robberies increased by about 26% last month
compared to April 2004, a surge he blamed partly on muggers and
street thugs targeting the iconic white digital-music players. All crime
in which an iPod was stolen more than doubled this month to around
400, Blair said. "In street robbery, our concern has been around the
smaller portable pieces of kit … the new generation of mobile phones
and iPods," he said. "iPods have different coloured leads … it is very
obvious when someone is wearing an iPod … that is what is fuelling
this."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?D2532282B
http://www.met.police.uk/index.shtml
____________________________________________

o e-Business Support Programme Extended to East Wales

Cardiff, Wales -- The Welsh Development Agency (WDA) announced
that new EU funding for a scheme called the e-Business Support
Programme will allow it to be extended to parts of East Wales. The
programme gives local companies access to high levels of e-business
support and a specialist consultancy service. "I am pleased that the
Welsh Assembly Government is supporting what is already a
successful and valuable programme," said e-Minister Andrew Davies.
"This is a great opportunity for businesses across Wales to become
stronger with the use of the e-Business Support Programme." Under the
terms of the programme, if a company has 250 or fewer employees and
a turnover less than £35 million, they can qualify to receive two-thirds
subsidy towards approved e-business consultancy services.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?P35F5272B
____________________________________________

o U.K.-Based AD Group to Acquire U.S.-Based ChipWrights

London -- AD Group, a U.K.-based CCTV specialist, announced that it
has agreed to acquire ChipWrights, a U.S.-based company that
develops digital signal processing-based devices called visual signal
processors (ViSPs), for an undisclosed sum. "At AD, we appreciate the
advanced nature of the technology which ChipWrights provides and
believe that its future prospects are extremely bright," said AD
Chairman Nigel Petrie. "We are committed to supporting the
ChipWrights team, plus its current and future generation of products
and sales channels, and view the company as a great investment
opportunity for the group." Under the terms of the acquisition, Pat
Chiumiento will become the chief executive officer of ChipWright
Design, while John Redford will become chief technology officer.
http://www.ad-group.co.uk/news.php
____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(Edinburgh, Scotland) Xilinx, a U.S.-based technology firm, announced
that it plans to more than double the size of its DSP research operation
in Edinburgh. Xilinx said it planned to recruit more than 25 more
people for its Scottish research and development base, with most being
assigned to the DSP division. "DSP is where we see all the growth,"
said Xilinx Scotland Senior Manager Colin Carruthers. "We're building
on the expertise we've established in wireless applications."
http://www.xilinx.com/

(London) Group 1 Software, a U.K.-based software firm and a wholly
owned subsidiary of Pitney Bowes, announced that it has introduced
the e2T Suite, a new online account management, e-billing and
customer-care software platform for financial, telecommunications,
utility, healthcare, insurance and retail businesses, as well as state and
local governments. Group 1's software is used to consolidate, cleanse
and enrich corporate data and generate personalised business
documents for multi-channel delivery, customer care and efficient
business processing.
http://www.g1.com/

(Berkeley, California) MobiTV, a U.S.-based operator of a global TV
network and technology platform providing live TV on mobile phones,
announced that it has expanded into Europe with the launch of Orange
TV in the U.K. The service, offered on Orange's high-speed network, is
the first multi-channel mobile TV network in the U.K., combining both
live broadcast and made-for-mobile TV stations.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?W29D4272B

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Questions, comments, news tips, press releases. Send email to:
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Copyright: Tech Wire Media Group 2005

Thames Tech Wire - May 26, 2005

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THAMES TECH WIRE - May 26, 2005
============================================
To Subscribe: http://www.techwiremedia.com/thames

o U.K.-Based Nanotech Semiconductor Raises £3.3 Million
o EU OKs Proposed Acquisition of Clearwave by Vodafone
o Survey: 37% of U.K. IT Professionals Expect Budget Increase
o Report: Most Irish Organisations Lack IT Compliance Policies
o Report: European Mobile-Phone Shipments Fall 8% in 1st Qtr
o Briefly Noted: Cape Technologies-U.K. Office, Surface
Technology Systems-Singapore Office, SurfKitchen-Richard
Oliver, Nokia 770 Wi-Fi Web Browser
____________________________________________

o U.K.-Based Nanotech Semiconductor Raises £3.3 Million

Cambridge, England -- Nanotech Semiconductor Ltd., a U.K.-based
fabless IC firm specialising in advanced analogue and mixed-signal ICs
for communications applications, announced that it has raised £3.3
million in second-round venture-capital financing. Pond Venture
Partners and Atlantic Bridge Ventures led the round. Under the terms
of the investment, Pond Managing Partner Richard Irving and Atlantic
Bridge Founding Partner Brian Long will join Nanotech's board of
directors. "We have been very impressed with the team's execution to
date and their ideas for the future," Long said. "We believe (Nanotech)
will be able to grow rapidly to around 30 strong, accelerating the pace
of innovation and building a team that can take … exciting new
products to customers in all corners of the globe."
http://www.nanosemi.co.uk/press_release250505.html
____________________________________________

o EU OKs Proposed Acquisition of Clearwave by Vodafone

Brussels -- The European Commission announced that it has approved
the proposed acquisition of Clearwave, a holding company with mobile
telecommunications divisions in the Czech Republic (Oskar Mobil) and
Romania (MobiFon), by Vodafone Group Plc, a U.K.-based mobile-
phone giant. The Commission's investigation focused on whether the
acquisition would have any significant effects on the provision of pan-
European mobile telephony services or any significant impact on the
markets for international wholesale roaming services. On Thursday, the
Commission concluded that the deal would not impede effective
competition in the European Economic Area or any substantial part of
it.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?L67E3252B
____________________________________________

o Survey: 37% of U.K. IT Professionals Expect Budget Increase

London -- A new survey conducted by the British Computer Society
(BCS) has found that about 37% of senior IT professionals in the U.K.
said they believed their companies would increase IT budgets this year.
About 39% of those surveyed said they expected IT budgets to remain
flat, while about 20% said they expected a decline. BCS Chief
Executive David Clarke said there was more optimism now in the U.K.
than in the last two years in terms of companies spending more or as
much as before on IT. Clarke said that, while increasing numbers of
U.K. companies understand that they must invest in IT, many still
refuse to spend unless the benefits are clearly spelled out. "IT
departments must recognise that their sole role is to make businesses
more effective and efficient," he said. "So IT staff must really
understand their business and develop the interpersonal skills needed."
http://www.bcs.org/bcs
____________________________________________

o Report: Most Irish Organisations Lack IT Compliance Policies

Dublin -- A new survey conducted by iQuate, an Ireland-based
software firm, and the Business Software Alliance (BSA) has found
that only 11% of Irish organisations employing between 101 and 5,000
employees have proper IT compliance practices and procedures. The
remaining 89% lack sufficient IT Compliance/IT Governance policies
to manage risks and costs in their IT operations properly, a figure that
shows a lack of understanding from organisations on the implications
of non-compliance, the BSA said. "We always find that companies
have over licensed some applications, while under licensing others,"
said iQuate founder Jason Keogh. "Putting in place proper procedures
supported by automated solutions can ensure that risks of prosecution
by under licensing are removed and unnecessary costs related to over
licensing are not incurred."
http://www.bsa.org/ireland/
http://www.iquate.com/
____________________________________________

o Report: European Mobile-Phone Shipments Fall 8% in 1st Qtr

Paris -- According to the latest report by market analysis firm Strategy
Analytics, mobile-phone shipments in Europe fell by 8% in the first
quarter of this year. Approximately 37 million handsets were shipped in
the first quarter, down from the 41 million shipped during the same
period a year ago. Strategy Analytics, which attributed the decline
mostly to the conclusion of the colour-phone upgrade cycle, said the
downward trend would likely continue for the rest the year. "Moving
into the second half of the year, we expect conditions to remain tough,
as operators and their device partners will be challenged to drive a
compelling range of feature-rich 3G handsets into growth-driving,
prepaid, retail price points below 150 euro (£103)," said Chris
Ambrosio, director of Strategy Analytics Global Wireless Practice.
http://www.strategyanalytics.net/
____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(Dublin) Cape Technologies, an Ireland-based provider of revenue
assurance services for mobile phone operators, announced that it has
opened a new office in Reading, England. "Revenue leakage is proving
to be a major problem for mobile operators worldwide, with millions of
euros lost each week through poor rating, inaccurate billing and
wrongly provisioned services," said Cape Product Marketing Director
Andy Harper. "Our decision to establish a U.K. base was largely in
response to the growing customer demand in Europe for an end-to-end,
real-time revenue assurance solution to comprehensively tackle this
problem."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?C2231262B

(Cardiff, Wales) Surface Technology Systems Plc (STS), a Wales-
based supplier of plasma etching equipment for silicon and MEMS
applications, announced that it has opened a new office in Singapore.
STS said the office would provide local sales and service support to
customers and STS agents in Singapore, Australia, China, Hong Kong,
India, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand. "We
recognise how vital Asia is to the entire semiconductor market and see
the region playing an even greater role in the future," said STS Vice
Chairman Matsuo Makuda.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?F2032562B

(Reading, England) SurfKitchen, a U.K.-based mobile technology firm,
announced that it has appointed Richard Oliver as its new chief
financial officer (CFO). Oliver is an executive with more than 20 years
of experience in the U.K. entrepreneurial technology sector,
SurfKitchen said. Prior to joining SurfKitchen, Oliver served as the
CFO and chief operating officer of SpiritSoft, a U.K.-based Java
middleware firm. "(Oliver's) extensive knowledge in leading complex
commercial and financial departments at an international level will be
essential as we grow the SurfKitchen business on a global scale," said
SurfKitchen CEO Michel Quazza.
http://www.surfkitchen.com/personnel_26-05-05.html

(Helsinki) Finland's Nokia, the largest mobile-phone maker in the
world, has unveiled a new pocket-sized Web browser for wireless
broadband networks. Dubbed Nokia 770, the new Wi-Fi device is the
company's first to come without a mobile phone and be based on
Linux. "We're launching a completely new product category," said
Janne Jormalainen, Nokia vice president for convergence products.
Jormalainen said the device would retail for about 350 euro and go on
sale in the third quarter of this year.
http://press.nokia.com/PR/200505/995802_5.html

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Thames Tech Wire - May 25, 2005

============================================
THAMES TECH WIRE - May 25, 2005
============================================
To Subscribe: http://www.techwiremedia.com/thames

o U.S. Leads International Campaign against "Zombie" PCs
o BT Teams Up with Westminster Council on Wi-Fi Network
o Scotland Launches £3.6-Million FPGA Computing Alliance
o Northern Ireland Unveils £40-Million Research Institute
o 3i Invests in Central and Eastern European Technology Fund
o Briefly Noted: Amadeus Capital Partners-Roy Merritt, BroadSoft-
European Offices, Vodafone Group-Swedish Centre of Excellence
_____________________________________________

o U.S. Leads International Campaign against "Zombie" PCs

London -- The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that a
group of 25 government agencies from around the world has launched
an awareness campaign to pressure Internet service providers (ISPs) to
act on the problem of "zombie" PCs. Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus,
Denmark, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Lithuania, the Netherlands,
Norway, Poland, Spain, Switzerland and the U.K. were among those
countries that joined the campaign. Government officials said the letter-
writing campaign, dubbed "Operation Spam Zombies", would urge
more than 3,000 ISPs worldwide to block TCP port 25 used for SMTP
email and implement rate-limiting on outbound email from end users.
The FTC's letter openly encouraged ISPs to "implement these voluntary
anti-zombie measures if you are not already doing so" and said that a
second phase of the campaign would involve identifying individual
zombie PCs and contacting specific ISPs.
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2005/05/zombies.htm
_____________________________________________

o BT Teams Up with Westminster Council on Wi-Fi Network

London -- Westminster Council announced on Wednesday that its
Wireless City Project would be turned from a private Wi-Fi hotspot
network to a public one after forging an infrastructure partnership with
BT Openzone, the wireless Internet service provider of BT Group.
"This is the first deal of its kind in the U.K. and will establish
Westminster City Council as a world leader for technology and
innovation," said Council Leader Simon Milton. "The Wireless City
will benefit those who live and work in Westminster by improving the
street environment through reducing crime and disorder, improving the
delivery and effectiveness of council services and enabling us to
maintain low tax through delivering significant cost savings." The roll-
out will be extended beyond Soho to wider parts of London's West
End, as well as the Churchill Gardens and Lisson Grove housing
estates, the Council said.
http://www.btopenzone.com/
_____________________________________________

o Scotland Launches £3.6-Million FPGA Computing Alliance

Edinburgh, Scotland -- Scottish Enterprise announced that a £3.6-
million initiative to encourage the use of FPGAs for advanced
computing has been launched in Edinburgh. FPGAs, short for Field
Programmable Gate Arrays, are high-performance chips used in
reconfigurable computing. Dubbed the FPGA High Performance
Computing Alliance (FHPCA), the initiative includes some of the
world's leading technology experts and aims to build a supercomputer
200 times faster than a normal PC. The Alliance will comprise top
academics, Scottish Enterprise, Scottish SMEs and global computing
experts, representatives said. "Scotland has a strong presence in the
technology underpinning reconfigurable computing, and we are
determined to exploit the window of opportunity our expertise offers,"
said Scottish Enterprise Chief Executive Jim McFarlane.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?I24F1132B
_____________________________________________

o Northern Ireland Unveils £40-Million Research Institute

Belfast, Northern Ireland -- Queen's University Belfast announced that
it has launched the Institute for Electronics, Communications and
Information Technology (ECIT), a new £40-million research centre
designed to exploit Northern Ireland's expertise in system-on-chip
design, high-frequency electronics and digital-signal processing. ECIT
also contains the International Centre for System-on-Chip and
Advanced Microwireless (SoCAM), launched two months ago. "ECIT
will combine advanced high technology research with mechanisms to
create and nurture related high technology companies in their early
phases," said ECIT Director John McCanny. "These fledging
companies will then subsequently move out to other facilities in the
Science Park."
http://www.ecit.qub.ac.uk/ 
_____________________________________________

o 3i Invests in Central and Eastern European Technology Fund

Prague, Czech Republic -- 3TS Capital Partners, a private equity firm
based in Central Europe, announced that it has closed its second fund
on 100 million euro (£69 million). 3TS said the Central European Fund
II would target investments in technology, media and communications
companies in new EU member states and the next wave of accession
countries of Central and Eastern Europe. The fund had only one
investor, U.K.-based 3i Group Plc, currently the largest publicly traded
venture-capital firm in Europe. "We are delighted to continue our
investment activities with principally the same focus areas, but with a
considerably larger fund," said 3TS Managing Director Pekka Santeri
Maki. "This new fund is a major commitment to continue to participate
in the growth opportunities of New Europe."
http://www.3tscapital.com/
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(London) Amadeus Capital Partners, a U.K.-based venture-capital firm
focusing on new technologies, announced that Roy Merritt has joined
the firm as a director. Prior to joining Amadeus, Merrit, an experienced
venture capital investor and company executive, worked for Apax and
served as CFO for Esprit Telecom Group. He also worked for
communications and media investor Providence Equity Partners as a
director and Deutsche Bank as managing partner and co-head of DB
Capital Ventures.
http://www.amadeuscapital.com/about.html

(Gaithersburg, Maryland) BroadSoft, a U.S.-based maker of Internet
telephony (VoIP) software, announced that it has opened six new
international offices to support its worldwide customer base. The new
offices will be located in Germany, France, the U.K., Australia, New
Zealand and China, the company said. "To win in the VoIP space
today, you can't just be a single-region player," said BroadSoft CEO
Michael Tessler. "You have to be able to scale globally to support
global carriers and maximize revenue opportunities." BroadSoft's
BroadWorks Internet telephony application platform has now been
deployed in more than 35 countries and more than 25 languages.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?O65C2332B

(Stockholm) U.K.-based Vodafone Group Plc, the largest mobile-phone
company in the world, announced that it has decided to open a second
Centre of Excellence in Karlskrona, Sweden. The centre, which will be
called Business on the Move, will focus on technology and the
development of business services, the company said. The centre will
develop services that will be put on the global market within the next
18 to 36 months. The Swedish part of the centre will focus on
developing the Wireless Office and global telematics services for both
meter reading and vehicle applications, Vodafone said.
http://www.primezone.com/newsroom/?d=78863

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Thames Tech Wire - May 24, 2005

============================================
THAMES TECH WIRE - May 24, 2005
============================================
To Subscribe: http://www.techwiremedia.com/thames

o EU Approves Acquisition of Moneyline Telerate by Reuters
o Fidelity and General Catalyst Invest £5.5 Million in Qumas
o Ireland-Based Software Firm Shenick Raises £1.8 Million
o Witness Systems Acquires Optimis Group for £2.7 Million
o Telabria to Launch Citywide WiMAX Trial in Canterbury
o EU Urges Member States to Speed Up Digital Switchover
o Briefly Noted: L-3 Communications-London Office, U4EA
Technologies-California Expansion, Digital Theater Systems-
Peter Gabriel's Real World Records, Blinkx-In The Box Media
____________________________________________

o EU Approves Acquisition of Moneyline Telerate by Reuters

Brussels -- The European Commission announced on Tuesday that it
has approved the proposed acquisition of Moneyline Telerate Holding,
a global provider of real-time financial information, by Reuters Ltd., a
U.K.-based information company. The Commission's review of the
deal highlighted a competition concern for financial market data
platforms (MDPs), but the companies were able to persuade the
Commission after committing themselves to providing a global
exclusive licence for Telerate's MDP product to Hyperfeed
Technologies, a U.S.-based provider of financial market data
technology. All other regulatory clearances necessary to complete the
acquisition have been granted. Reuters said it expected to close the deal
by the second quarter of this year.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?B2BB2312B
____________________________________________

o Fidelity and General Catalyst Invest £5.5 Million in Qumas

Dublin -- Qumas, an Ireland-based compliance software firm,
announced that it has secured approximately 8 million euro (£5.5
million) in venture-capital financing. U.S.-based venture-capital firms
Fidelity Ventures and General Catalyst Partners led the round. Qumas
said it would use the funding to enhance its product portfolio, increase
customer support and expand sales and marketing operations in the
U.S. "Regulatory and operational compliance is a major issue for the
financial services and pharmaceutical industries and it is not going
away," said Qumas CEO Paul Hands. "This capital will fuel the
expansion of our business and enable us to help more companies turn
compliance requirements into business efficiencies and achieve
compliance across the board."
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050523/nym128.html?.v=9
____________________________________________

o Ireland-Based Software Firm Shenick Raises £1.8 Million

Dublin -- Shenick Software Systems Ltd., an Ireland-based provider of
network and application test systems to network operators,
communications equipment vendors, integrators and large enterprise,
announced that it has raised 2.6 million euro (£1.8 million) in venture-
capital financing. Innovacom, the venture capital team sponsored by
French telecommunications bellwether France Telecom, led the round,
with existing investor Trinity Venture Capital also participating.
Shenick said it would use the funds to speed up international market
development. Under the terms of the investment, Bruno Dizengremel of
Innovacom and Karl Schutte of Trinity Venture Capital will join
Shenick's board of directors.
http://www.shenick.com/n_press11.htm
____________________________________________

o Witness Systems Acquires Optimis Group for £2.7 Million

Atlanta -- Witness Systems, a U.S.-based provider of workforce
management software, announced that it has acquired Optimis Group, a
U.K.-based reseller of workforce management software, for
approximately £2.7 million. Optimis focuses on the contact centre
market. Witness Systems said it would be adding about 15 employees
from Optimis and that the acquisition would significantly extend the
breadth and depth of its U.K.-based services offering in workforce
optimisation. As a result of the acquisition, Witness Systems will
increase its annual revenue guidance for 2005 to a range of £98.1
million to £99.2 million, the company said.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/050523/235828.html?.v=1
____________________________________________

o Telabria to Launch Citywide WiMAX Trial in Canterbury

Canterbury, England -- Telabria, a U.K.-based wireless network
operator, announced that it has entered into a strategic partnership with
the University of Kent to trial a WiMAX wireless broadband service
that will cover the entire city of Canterbury. The company said it was
currently working with the university to conduct research and
development on best practices for designing and building WiMAX
networks. "We are going to be making announcements about
commercial services during June," said Telabria CEO Jim Baker.
"These trials with the University of Kent are focused on specific
objectives." During the 90-day trial, which will be launched early next
month, Telabria will test radio propagation in licensed and licence-
exempt frequency bands, antenna configurations, network capacity and
routing protocols and quality of service methods for delivering data.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?C12F1312B
____________________________________________

o EU Urges Member States to Speed Up Digital Switchover

Brussels -- The European Commission issued a report on Tuesday
urging EU member states to speed up the switchover from analogue to
digital broadcasting. The report proposed a deadline of early 2012 for
phasing out traditional analogue terrestrial broadcasting and called for a
coordinated approach to making freed-up spectrum available across the
EU. The Commission said digital broadcasting provided improved
picture quality, better sound, better portable and mobile reception, more
TV and radio channels and enhanced information services. What's
more, digital broadcasting uses spectrum more efficiently and would
free up capacity for other uses, such as new broadcasting and mobile
telephony services, the Commission said.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?S61E2212B
____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(London) L-3 Communications, a U.S.-based technology firm,
announced that it has opened an operations office in London that will
play a key role in supporting the company's strategic development
plans in the U.K. and Europe. L-3 Communications is a provider of
intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) systems; secure
communications systems; aircraft modernisation; training and
government services. "In 2004, the U.K. was our largest overseas
customer," said L-3 CEO Frank Lanza. "With this new office, we are
poised to do much more for our U.K., European and international
customers, as we expand international business pursuits across all
sectors."
http://www.l-3com.com/

(Bristol, England) U4EA Technologies, a U.K.-based multi-service
network embedded software provider, announced that it is preparing for
rapid growth by strengthening its management team and expanding its
facilities in Fremont, California. U4EA Technologies said the
expansion was due to growing customer and partner demand for its
integrated access devices, which allow service providers to offer
carrier-class Internet telephony services (voice over IP) to enterprise
customers. U4EA has also appointed Perry Teevens as vice president of
sales and business development and Doug Cross as vice president of
hardware engineering.
http://www.u4eatech.com/ 

(Twyford, England) Digital Theater Systems Inc. (DTS), a U.S.-based
developer of 5.1-channel surround sound audio technology used in
movie theatres and home theatre systems, announced that it has
partnered with musician Peter Gabriel's Real World Records to offer a
free download of a song in DTS 5.1-channel format. "Sandhya", from
Indian artist Amjad Ali Khan, can be downloaded for free and then
burned onto a CD, which may then be listened to in a standard surround
sound system with DTS to hear the 5.1-channel mix, Digital Theater
Systems said.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/050523/235223.html 

(San Francisco) Blinkx, a U.S.-based provider of a searchable index of
Web audio and video content, announced that it has signed an
agreement with U.K.-based In The Box Media to add video content
from three U.K. sporting websites to its index. Blinkx will now include
highlight videos and other content from ConferenceFootball.tv,
PGAPro.tv and Combat.tv. "Passionate sports fans want to get
immediately to the moments that matter, where titles are won and lost,"
said In the Box Media Managing Director Peter Lewinton. "They're
looking for on demand access to the critical seconds without wasting
time searching for those vital moments."
http://www.blinkx.tv 

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Thames Tech Wire - May 23, 2005

============================================
THAMES TECH WIRE - May 23, 2005
============================================
To Subscribe: http://www.techwiremedia.com/thames

o Aeroflex to Pay £44 Million for UbiNetics Wireless Test Group
o NetServices Acquires Telefonica UK for Undisclosed Sum
o Locatel Europe Acquires Denmark-Based 2M Electronic
o U.K. Launches Campaign to Keep Qualified Women in Science
o EU: Microsoft Could Face Hefty Fines in "Matter of Weeks"
o Court Allows Tech Giants to Join Case against Microsoft
o Opening of "Revenge of the Sith" Drives Traffic to Movie Sites
o Briefly Noted: Microsoft UK-Edward Gibson, Vodafone Group-
Stripped Down Mobile Handsets, Ireland's Centre for Research in
Engineering Surface Technology, PPD-Scotland Expansion, EMS
Technologies-U.K. Maritime and Coastguard Agency, The Fixed-
Mobile Convergence Alliance
_____________________________________________

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> What You Need Know About Federal Procurement As The Federal
Gov't Ramps Up Its Spending.

"Show me the money!" That was the phrase that actor Cuba Gooding
Jr. made famous in the movie "Jerry McGuire." In real life, no star
athlete or Fortune 500 CEO can approach the purchasing power of the
world's biggest spender, the United States government, and its IT
spending could increase dramatically in the next few years. To find out
more about the government's plan to increase its IT spending and where
that money will go, click to

http://www.fairfaxcountyeda.org/tw_thames.htm

|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
_____________________________________________

o Aeroflex to Pay £44 Million for UbiNetics Wireless Test Group

Cambridge, England -- Aeroflex Incorporated, a U.S.-based automated
testing and microelectronics firm, announced that it has agreed to
acquire the group within U.K.-based UbiNetics Holdings Ltd. that
specialises in testing wireless communications equipment and
networks. The test and measurement group focuses on infrastructure
testing and mobile handset testing, and designs and develops a range of
3G test gear for debugging network features, interoperability analysis
and network "stress" testing. Under the terms of the agreement,
UbiNetics will retain the 3G terminal software development, as well as
the handset modem reference design part of the business. The main
owners of UbiNetics are design consultancy PA Consulting and U.K.-
based 3i Group Plc, the largest publicly traded venture capital firm in
Europe.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?X6FE21F1B
____________________________________________

o NetServices Acquires Telefonica UK for Undisclosed Sum

Manchester, England -- U.K.-based NetServices announced that it has
acquired Telefonica UK, the local division of Spanish
telecommunications bellwether Telefonica, for an undisclosed sum.
NetServices develops and implements networking business facilities
including Internet telephony (voice over IP) and disaster recovery.
"With the acquisition of Telefonica UK, we will be extending our
network reach, product range and market presence," said NetServices
Managing Director Mark Vickers. "Over the next few months, we
expect to acquire additional companies that will increase our user base
both at home and abroad, as well as enable the delivery of new
technologies."
http://www.netservicesplc.com/
____________________________________________

o Locatel Europe Acquires Denmark-Based 2M Electronic

Copenhagen -- Locatel Europe Group, a U.K.-based provider of
interactive guest room systems, announced that it has acquired 2M
Electronic, a Denmark-based provider of interactive hotel guest room
technology, for an undisclosed sum. With the acquisition, Locatel
becomes Europe's leading provider of entertainment hospitality
systems, the company said. "2M Electronic's interactive guest room
video entertainment technology will complement Locatel Europe
Group's products and services and further positions our company as a
global industry leader," said Locatel President Xavier Negiar. "2M
Electronic will play an integral role in our long-term worldwide
expansion plans." Under the terms of the deal, Benny Meiritz, 2M
Electronic founder, will remain as 2M Electronic's chief executive
officer, as well as chair a Locatel technology committee.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?I61F42F1B
____________________________________________

o U.K. Launches Campaign to Keep Qualified Women in Science

London -- The UK Resource Centre for Women in SET (UKRC)
announced that it has launched a national campaign to persuade
qualified women to return to careers in science, engineering and
technology (SET). Organisers said the Return Campaign would help as
many as 1,000 women over the next three years by offering free
services and support, training, courses, mentoring schemes and
networking organisations. "Only a third of SET-qualified women return
to jobs that utilise their expertise, after taking a career break," said
campaign manager Jane Butcher. "This loss is contributing to a
continued skills gap in the SET industries … (representing) a major
concern for employers and for women, who can feel frustrated at not
making full use of their skills and potential." According to government
research, only 25% of women with SET degrees work in SET sectors,
compared to 40% of men.
http://www.setwomenresource.org.uk/
____________________________________________

o EU: Microsoft Could Face Hefty Fines in "Matter of Weeks"

Brussels -- According to a spokesman for the European Commission,
Microsoft now has only weeks until the Commission decides whether
to fine the U.S.-based software giant as much as 4 million euro (£2.7
million) a day. Under the terms of a landmark ruling last year,
Microsoft was ordered to make its Windows operating system available
without Windows Media Player, as well as share protocol information
with rival server makers. "Within a matter of weeks, rather than
months, we will have to decide whether we are satisfied that they are
complying with the remedies to our satisfaction," Commission
spokesman Jonathan Todd said. "And if they're not, we'll have to
decide whether we'll begin the proceedings to begin daily fines." That
said, Todd added that the Commission had not yet reached the stage
where it would levy a fine.
http://europa.eu.int/comm/press_room/index_en.htm
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/legalnews.asp
____________________________________________

o Court Allows Tech Giants to Join Case against Microsoft

Brussels -- A European court announced that it has granted permission
to a group of large technology companies including IBM, Nokia,
Oracle, RealNetworks and Red Hat to join the European Commission's
antitrust case against U.S.-based software giant Microsoft. The
companies had asked to help the Commission to defeat a legal
challenge by Microsoft seeking to overturn last year's landmark
antitrust ruling. Late last week, the Court of First Instance in
Luxembourg ruled that the group, dubbed the European Committee for
Interoperable Systems (ECIS), would be permitted as an "intervener" in
the case. ECIS said it would support the Commission's efforts to keep
Microsoft from using its dominance in the PC operating systems
market to gain an unfair advantage in the related markets.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?L3105602B
http://www.curia.eu.int/en/
____________________________________________

o Opening of "Revenge of the Sith" Drives Traffic to Movie Sites

New York -- With the highly anticipated release of "Star Wars: Episode
Three, Revenge of the Sith", movie websites have seen greatly
increased traffic in recent days, according to new information from
Nielsen//NetRatings. Traffic to MovieTickets.com skyrocketed 85%
during the week ending May 15, with more than 600,000 unique
visitors logging on to view show times and pre-purchase tickets.
Movies.com and Moviefone also jumped by 16% and 12%,
respectively, and traffic to Fandango.com rose 9%. StarWars.com, the
official web site for all three movies, attracted 981,000 fans, spiking
32% compared with the week prior.
http://www.nielsen-netratings.com/
____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(London) Microsoft announced that it has selected Edward Gibson to
replace Stuart Okin as its new chief security advisor in the U.K. Gibson
has worked for the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as an
assistant legal attaché for the U.K. and has an extensive track-record of
fighting money laundering, fraud, financial crime and IP theft,
Microsoft said. "(Gibson) brings to Microsoft a wealth of international
experience in fighting crime and fraud, both within the public and
financial sectors," said Nick McGrath, head of platform strategy at
Microsoft. "(He) will help ensure that enterprises and public sector
bodies more effectively integrate their security procedures, getting the
most out of their investments in security technologies."
http://www.microsoft.com/uk/

(London) U.K.-based Vodafone Group Plc announced that it plans to
offer two stripped-down handsets in the U.K. for customers who want
only basic voice and text services. "We have many customers who want
the latest mobile phone with all the advanced services from full track
music downloads to video calling and mobile TV," said Vodafone
Chief Marketing Officer Peter Bamford. "We also have customers who
just want to make and receive calls and text messages on their mobile
phones." Vodafone said it has teamed up with Sagem, a France-based
telecommunications equipment maker, to develop the new phones,
which have large screens and three buttons for direct access to the most
commonly used services: the main screen, contacts and messages.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?F28E35F1B

(Dublin) Micheal Martin, Ireland's Minister for Enterprise, Trade and
Employment, has opened the Centre for Research in Engineering
Surface Technology (CREST), based in the Dublin Institute of
Technology. Martin said that CREST would work in collaboration with
industry on research issues of medium-term interest to Irish-based
industry and provide improved access to technology. "The centre has
made a significant contribution to the development of an R&D
infrastructure for industry in Ireland, having been part of the former
Institute for Industrial Research & Standards, and having gained
extensive experience in R&D, advice and consultancy for
manufacturing industry," Martin said.
http://www.crestdit.com/main.html

(Glasgow) PPD, a U.S.-based scientific research services firm,
announced that it is to expand its operations in Lanarkshire, Scotland.
The expansion will create an additional 95 jobs by the year 2007 in the
fields of data management, biostatistics and clinical trials management
and monitoring, the company said. PPD also said it plans to consolidate
its Lanarkshire sites at Carnwath and Bellshill in purpose-built
premises in Strathclyde Business Park. Colin Shannon, executive vice-
president of international clinical operations for PPD, said his company
chose to expand its Lanarkshire operations because of the quality
workforce and business friendly environment.
http://www.ppdi.com/

(Norcross, Georgia) EMS Technologies, a U.S.-based wireless, satellite
and defence firm, announced that its Satcom unit has been awarded a
three-year maintenance contract with the U.K. Maritime and
Coastguard Agency (MCA) for the U.K. Search and Rescue system.
The three-year contract to provide lifecycle and mission-critical support
is worth about £1 million, the company said. "This is another
opportunity for us to demonstrate our leadership in the SAR field by
providing the most up-do-date software with the latest features, and the
timeliest support to the MCA's mission-critical operations," said Steven
Edgett, vice president of EMS SATCOM Emergency Management
Products Group.
http://biz.yahoo.com/pz/050520/78575.html

(Paris) The Fixed-Mobile Convergence Alliance (FMCA) announced
that eight more telecommunications operators have joined its ranks.
The new members include Spanish operator Auna Group, Belgacom,
Cesky Telecom, Eircom, Hong Kong operator PCCW, Thai operator
TRUE, Telecom New Zealand and Telkom South Africa. Existing
members include AT&T Corp, Bezeq, Brasil Telecom, BT Group,
Cegetel, Korea Telecom, KPN, NTT Com, Rogers Wireless Inc. and
Wwisscom. With the new members, more than 240 million customers
worldwide stand to benefit from the development of so-called
convergence services, FMCA said.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?L12E52F1B 

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Please forward this edition of Thames Tech Wire to your colleagues
and suggest that they register on our Web site
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Thames Tech Wire - May 20, 2005

============================================
THAMES TECH WIRE - May 20, 2005
============================================
To Subscribe: http://www.techwiremedia.com/thames

o U.K. Unveils £100-Million Innovation Programme for N. Ireland
o Eircom Dominant in Irish Interconnection Market, ComReg Says
o U.K.-Based Software Group Aveva Buys Start-Up Realitywave
o Report: 20% of Consumers Spend 50% of Leisure Time Gaming
o Shazam Teams Up with Coca-Cola on Digital Song Giveaway
o Briefly Noted: Orange-U.K. Mobile TV Service, Trinity
Convergence-Cambridge Business Park, Vonage-U.K. Internet
Telephony Service, Mythic Entertainment-"Warhammer"-
Games Workshop
_____________________________________________

o U.K. Unveils £100-Million Innovation Programme for N. Ireland

Belfast, Northern Ireland -- The U.K. Department of Trade and
Industry (DTI) announced that it is now calling for applications from
companies based in Northern Ireland for £100 million in grants to
support innovation in the region. The competition is part of the
Technology Programme, which aims to "turn ideas into commercial
success" and ensure that the U.K. "remains at the forefront of a
knowledge-based economy by exploiting emerging technologies". The
DTI said that a Technology Programme regional information day
would be held in Belfast at the Kings Hall on May 19. "There is a
special focus on the challenge of sustainability and continuing broad
support for a range of underlying technologies," said U.K. Technology
Strategy Board Chairman Graham Spittle. "This mixture represents the
first steps towards the development of a definitive long-term
technology strategy."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?N51011B1B
_____________________________________________

o Eircom Dominant in Irish Interconnection Market, ComReg Says

Dublin -- ComReg, Ireland's communications watchdog, announced
that has found that local telecommunications company Eircom has
"significant market power" in the wholesale interconnection market for
fixed-line telephone networks. Interconnection allows calls to pass
between competing networks. The interconnection market comprises
three parts -- call origination, call transit and call termination -- and
ComReg found that Eircom had significant market power in all three.
ComReg said it would impose transparency and price obligations on
Eircom in line with those that already exist, as well as price-control
obligations on other operators.
http://www.comreg.ie/
_____________________________________________

o U.K.-Based Software Group Aveva Buys Start-Up Realitywave

Cambridge, England -- Aveva Group Plc, a U.K.-based engineering
software and services company, announced that it has acquired
Realitywave Inc., a U.S.-based technology start-up, for approximately
£3.2 million. Although Aveva made the announced this week, the deal
was closed in March, the company said. Aveva said Realitywave's
patented technology would be "a critical component" of its VNET
portal, which allows staff to view information developed on its own
software and that of its rivals and other applications such as SAP and
Documentum -- without the need for additional software licences.
"VNET is an important opportunity for us to build on our success in
existing markets, and gives us a platform to penetrate a growing market
for data delivery in the maintenance and operations arena," said Aveva
CEO Richard Longdon.
http://www.aveva.com/newsroom/index.htm
_____________________________________________

o Report: 20% of Consumers Spend 50% of Leisure Time Gaming

Seattle -- A recent survey of 13,000 consumers in 13 countries found
that more than 20% of respondents spend as much as half their leisure
time playing video games. Conducted by market research firm GMI,
the poll also found that 80% of those surveyed believe that people will
spend more time playing video games over the next 10 years.
"Relatively unexploited markets in Latin America and in Asia such as
India offer new growth to the video game industry," said analyst GMI
Billy Pidgeon. While 58% of consumers overall do not think games are
a good form of social activity, the thinking is reversed in India and
Mexico, where 49% and 64% of those surveyed, respectively, play
games to socialise -- compared with other nations like the Netherlands
and France, where the number is about a third of that size.
http://www.gmipoll.com 
_____________________________________________

o Shazam Teams Up with Coca-Cola on Digital Song Giveaway

London -- Coca-Cola announced that it has partnered with Shazam
Entertainment Ltd., a U.K.-based developer of mobile music
recognition technology, on a two-month U.K. promotion that will give
away 5,000 ringtones or full-song downloads each day. Consumers can
call a special number and hold their mobile phone near an audio source,
which will then reply with a text message listing the artist and name of
the song. The message will also relay whether the consumer has "won"
a ringtone or full-song download of the track, or provide a link to
purchase it with a mobile phone. Entrants at MyCokeMusic.com will
receive one free "CokeTag", which counts as a single call to Shazam's
mobile music identification service.
http://www.mi2n.com/press.php3?press_nb=79872
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(Paris) Orange, the mobile-phone subsidiary of French
telecommunications bellwether France Telecom, announced that it has
become the first provider in the U.K. to offer live TV for mobile
handsets. From May 23, Orange TV will use its 3G network to provide
nine channels -- including news from ITN and CNN, a fashion channel,
an extreme sports channel and the Cartoon Network -- for a monthly
fee of £10. Orange said that more channels would be available in the
near future. "This is truly a service where 3G comes into its own," said
Julian Diment, head of Orange's commercial and brand partnerships.
"We don't expect people to watch for hours at a time, but to dip in and
out."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?J5BD26C1B 

(Paris) Orange, the mobile-phone subsidiary of French
telecommunications bellwether France Telecom, announced that it has
become the first provider in the U.K. to offer live TV for mobile
handsets. From May 23, Orange TV will use its 3G network to provide
nine channels -- including news from ITN and CNN, a fashion channel,
an extreme sports channel and the Cartoon Network -- for a monthly
fee of £10. Orange said that more channels would be available in the
near future. "This is truly a service where 3G comes into its own," said
Julian Diment, head of Orange's commercial and brand partnerships.
"We don't expect people to watch for hours at a time, but to dip in and
out."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?I28E32C1B

(London) Vonage, a U.S.-based Internet telephony firm, announced
that it has officially launched its voice over Internet protocol (VoIP)
service in the U.K. after wrapping up a "soft launch" that began in
January. Vonage said it would offer a flat-rate residential phone service
for £9.99 per month for unlimited local and national calls, as well as a
small-business offering for £18.99 that also includes a fax line. The
company said customer service staff would remain in New Jersey for
the time being, but that there was a chance of adding local support in
the U.K. and Europe as the company grew.
http://www.vonage.co.uk/

(Fairfax, Virginia) Mythic Entertainment, a U.S.-based online game
publisher, announced that it has secured the exclusive rights to develop
massively multiplayer online games set in the fantasy world of
"Warhammer," created by U.K.-based Games Workshop. To date,
game publisher THQ has released a series of titles based on
"Warhammer" for consoles and the PC. Virginia-based Mythic, which
also operates the online game "Dark Age of Camelot", said its first
online game based on the Warhammer license is scheduled for release
in 2007.
http://www.warhammeronline.com 
http://www.games-workshop.com 

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Please forward this edition of Thames Tech Wire to your colleagues
and suggest that they register on our Web site
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===================================================

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Questions, comments, news tips, press releases. Send email to:
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Copyright: Tech Wire Media Group 2005

Thames Tech Wire - May 19, 2005

============================================
THAMES TECH WIRE - May 19, 2005
============================================
To Subscribe: http://www.techwiremedia.com/thames

o Birmingham Launches Massive Open-Source Software Trial
o U.K. Unveils "BrainAcademy" for Young Computer Scientists
o eBay to Buy Gumtree.com, LoQUo.com for Undisclosed Sum
o Ireland-Based Software Firm CR2 Raises 10 Million Euro
o Ireland's Arantech Raises 10 Million Euro in Second Round
o Ofcom: Telecoms Industry Confusing Users with Jargon
o Briefly Noted: BT Group-Broadband Targets, BT Group-
Drogheda Public Wi-Fi Network, FileTek-U.K. Met Office,
SAP-NetWeaver Partnership Expansion
_____________________________________________

o Birmingham Launches Massive Open-Source Software Trial

Birmingham, England -- Birmingham City Council announced that it
has launched a massive trial of open-source software (OSS) on both
servers and desktops. Despite admitting to a "certain degree of
scepticism" about the benefits of OSS, the city council said it would
migrate about 1,500 desktops and associated back-end servers in its
library service to Linux, OpenOffice and Firefox for a 12-month trial.
The U.K. Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has given Birmingham a
grant worth hundreds of thousands of pounds under the e-Innovations
Programme to conduct the trial, for which a "neutral assessment" will
be given. Birmingham IT Director Les Timms said the council was
taking a "hard-headed" approach to the trial. "We want to know (if we
can) deliver this with a reasonable cost, including integration,
implementation and support," he said. "What is not proven is the long-
term sustainability of open source."
http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/
_____________________________________________

o U.K. Unveils "BrainAcademy" for Young Computer Scientists

London -- Queen Mary-University of London announced that it has
launched a competition that aims to find the most talented whiz kids
and budding computer scientists in the country. Prizes for
BrainAcademy 2005 include places on Queen Mary's undergraduate
and postgraduate courses, PC and software bundles and opportunities
for work experience, organisers said. The competition involves an
online quiz, a programming challenge and interviews with Queen Mary
staff for those who pass the first two stages. BrainAcademy Director
Paul Curzon said the programme was trying to "get across is the idea"
of diversity. "There are lots of different aspects to computer science …
it's not just the stereotype view of being just about computers," he said.
"It's about people and understanding psychology and society."
http://www.brainacademy.qmul.ac.uk/stage1/questions.php
_____________________________________________

o eBay to Buy Gumtree.com, LoQUo.com for Undisclosed Sum

San Jose, California -- eBay, a U.S.-based online auction giant,
announced that its international classifieds group Kijiji has acquired
Gumtree.com and LoQUo.com, two separate classifieds websites
operating in select international cities. eBay said the deals would help
Kijiji expand its network. Gumtree.com, founded in London in 2000, is
a local classifieds site in the U.K. offering multiple city sites in
countries including Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
LoQUo.com, founded in Barcelona in 2002, is a community-focused
classifieds site in Spain. LoQUo.com also offers city sites in some
other European countries. Financial terms of the deals were not
disclosed.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/050518/185362.html?.v=1
_____________________________________________

o Ireland-Based Software Firm CR2 Raises 10 Million Euro

Dublin -- CR2, an Ireland-based banking software firm, announced that
it has raised 10 million euro in venture capital financing. The round
was led by Trinity Venture Capital, which invested about 7 million
euro, and ACT Venture Capital, which invested about 2 million euro.
CR2 CEO Martin Dolan, CFO Ronan Murray, Sales Director Kieran
Kilcullen and Development Director Keith Holmes also invested
approximately 1 million euro in the firm. CR2 said it would use the
investment to fund market expansion into Asia and Europe and develop
new products at its Dublin-based development centre. CR2 has offices
in Dublin, Dubai, London, Bangalore, Perth and Johannesburg.
http://www.cr2.com/press_releases.php?id=149
_____________________________________________

o Ireland's Arantech Raises 10 Million Euro in Second Round

Dublin -- Arantech, an Ireland-based technology firm, announced that it
has secured 10 million euro of second-round private equity financing.
Trident Capital, Ericsson, Cross Atlantic Capital Partners, Oyster
Investment Funds and Enterprise Ireland led the round. The company,
whose main product allows mobile network operators to measure
quality of service, said it would use the investment to fund a global-
expansion programme, increasing its presence in the U.S. and Asian
markets before concentrating on Latin America. Separately, Arantech
also announced that it has appointed Cathal McGloin as vice president
of its North America unit.
http://www.arantech.com/#
_____________________________________________

o Ofcom: Telecoms Industry Confusing Users with Jargon

London -- A report by a consumer panel from telecommunications
regulator Ofcom shows that older people, the disabled and those of
lower socio-economic status in the U.K. are largely nonplussed when it
comes to new technologies like 3G and Wi-Fi. The Ofcom report
showed that, while most people roughly understood "broadband" and
"digital TV", fewer that a third of those surveyed understood the term
"digital switchover". Less than half understood exactly what "digital
radio" referred to, while about 76% percent could not explain the term
"3G". Ofcom encouraged the telecommunications industry to pare
down the use of unintelligible technical jargon and make a better effort
to understand its customers.
http://www.ofcomconsumerpanel.org.uk/nr/050510.htm
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(London) BT Group Plc, the largest telecommunications company in
the U.K., announced that it has reached its 5-million-connection
broadband target a full year ahead of schedule. BT said it made
825,000 connections in the first quarter of this year, or roughly one
connection every 10 seconds. "We have more than doubled the number
of broadband DSL connections in the year, hit the 5-million target a
year early and are increasing broadband speeds by up to four times,"
BT CEO Ben Verwaayen said. Separately, BT also announced that
broadband revenues for the year ended March 31 increased by 77% to
£292 million, while annual net profit jumped to £1.8 billion.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?A35121B1B

(Cork, Ireland) The Irish town of Drogheda announced that it plans to
build the country's first citywide public Wi-Fi network. Aiming to
boost inward investment in the region, Drogheda's Chamber of
Commerce said it would work with U.K. telecommunications giant BT
Group Plc to set up 10 Wi-Fi hotspots in key locations throughout the
town. Once the network is finished, users will never be more than a
five-minute walk from a hotspot, the Chamber said. "With BT, we have
added yet another critical piece of (telecommunications) infrastructure
to Drogheda's CV and will continue to lead the way in this and other
areas," said Chamber President Graham O'Rourke.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?F26F12A1B

(Rockville, Maryland) U.S.-based FileTek, a maker of data access and
management software, announced that the U.K. Met Office, a scientific
organisation renowned for its work in climate research and numerical
weather prediction, has signed a three-year deal to continue using the
company's system. The U.K. Met Office uses the StorHouse system to
support its 400-terabyte archive of weather modelling data. "StorHouse
has enabled the Met Office to create and perpetuate one of the world's
largest and most active scientific databases, and we are confident that
the system will foster and facilitate future database growth," said Met
Office Central Systems Manager Mike Boyd.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?D69E25A1B

(Frankfurt) SAP, a Germany-based business software giant, announced
that it has expanded the partner network for its NetWeaver software.
SAP said a group of global technology heavyweights including IBM,
Microsoft, Intel, Cisco Systems, EMC, Computer Associates
International, Macromedia, Mercury Interactive, Adobe Systems and
Symantec had licensed software from SAP to create SAP-optimised
products. Under the terms of the partnership, the companies will gain
access to the technical specifications, also known as Enterprise Service
Architecture (ESA), that detail the inner workings of SAP's products.
http://www.sap.com/company/press/press.epx?PressID=4629

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Thames Tech Wire - May 18, 2005

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THAMES TECH WIRE - March 18, 2005
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o Report: U.K. Continues to Lead European VC Investment
o Vodafone to Slash Roaming Fees for European Customers
o National Semiconductor Offloads Cordless Unit to HgCapital
o Smiths Group to Acquire ETI Technology for £2 Million
o U.K.-Based Atlantic Bridge Launches Technology Fund
o Briefly Noted: IDC-Business Software Alliance-Irish Software
Piracy, Gizmondo Europe-Electronic Arts, Blue Sphere Games-
Coca-Cola, BladeLogic-Cable & Wireless
____________________________________________

o Report: U.K. Continues to Lead European VC Investment

Oxford, England -- According to the latest report by Ernst & Young
LLP and market analysis firm VentureOne, the U.K. continues to be the
main market for European venture capital investment, both in terms of
deals done and amounts invested. The report showed an increase in the
amount invested in the U.K. in the first quarter of 2005, up from £177
million (257 million euro) in the first quarter of 2004 to more than
£186 million (270 million euro) this year. However, the U.K. reported a
sharp decline in the number of deals, with just 62 being completed over
the same period compared with 93 in the first quarter of last year and
77 in the fourth quarter of 2004. Overall, VC investment in Europe
reached more than £598 million (880 million euro) in the first quarter, a
19% year-on-year increase, while deal flow fell to fewer than 200
deals, a 27% decrease compared to the same quarter last year.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?J3E42651B
____________________________________________

o Vodafone to Slash Roaming Fees for European Customers

London -- Vodafone Group Plc, the largest mobile-phone company in
the world, announced that it plans to slash mobile roaming tariffs in
Europe. The U.K.-based company said users of its new Passport service
would be able to make and receive calls at domestic rates while visiting
other countries. Vodafone also claimed to be the first European
operator to cut roaming fees significantly. A spokesman for the
company denied that Passport was a response to an ongoing European
Commission investigation into "unfair and excessive" roaming prices.
Vodafone customers in Germany, Italy and Spain will be able to use the
service starting June 1; no date has been set for the U.K.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?J3D41291B
____________________________________________

o National Semiconductor Offloads Cordless Unit to HgCapital

London -- National Semiconductor Corp., a U.S.-based maker of high-
performance analogue devices and subsystems, announced on
Wednesday that it has agreed to offload its cordless business unit to
HgCapital, a U.K.-based private equity firm. National, which sold its
PC business unit to Winbond Electronics Corp. of Taiwan earlier this
year, said the deal with HgCapital was part of its plan to sell non-core
businesses and focus on its analogue activities. Under the terms of the
agreement, for which financial terms were not disclosed, HgCapital
will acquire intellectual property, assets and approximately 70
engineers based in the Netherlands. HgCapital said it expected to close
the deal within the next three months.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?O6E32391B
____________________________________________

o Smiths Group to Acquire ETI Technology for £2 Million

Boston -- ETI Technology, a privately held, U.S.-based developer of
technologies for detecting harmful biological agents, announced that it
has agreed to be acquired for £2 million in cash by Smiths Group, a
U.K.-based engineering company. Terms of the deal will include
performance-related consideration of as much as £2.5 million, the
company said. ETI has developed optical sensors that perform an initial
screening of biological agents to provide analysis and classification,
permitting more efficient and rapid deployment of biological detectors
to identify the specific agent precisely. The company will become part
of the Smith Detection division, which serves both military and civil
markets.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?X1802691B
____________________________________________

o U.K.-Based Atlantic Bridge Launches Technology Fund

Dublin -- Atlantic Bridge Ventures, a U.K.-based venture-capital firm
focusing on technology investment, announced that it has launched a
new tech fund, ABVEN I, and raised (50 million euro) at first closing.
Atlantic Bridge said the fund, which received strong interest from
institutional and private investors, would focus on making early and
mid-stage technology investments in semiconductors, enterprise
software and mobile technology across Europe, with a strong focus on
a transatlantic business-building and exit models. The company also
said that fundraising for a second closing was expected later this year.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?I1B22691B
____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(Dublin) A new report by technology research firm IDC shows that
Ireland currently suffers a software piracy rate of 38%, exceeding the
EU regional average of 35% and the U.S. average of 22%. Ireland's
Business Software Alliance (BSA) said IDC's report was proof positive
of the prevalence of software piracy in Ireland. "The encouraging
response from Irish companies indicates their increasing respect for
intellectual property and a more responsible attitude overall," said BSA
Ireland's Julian McMenamin. "However, there still remains the
significant challenge of combating software piracy at all levels."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?P2731691B 

(London) Gizmondo Europe Ltd., a subsidiary of Florida-based Tiger
Telematics Inc. and developer of the Gizmondo multi-functional
handheld video game console, announced that Electronic Arts (EA)
would publish two of its titles for the device. EA plans to release "EA
Sports FIFA Football 2005" and "SSX 3" for the Gizmondo in the near
future. "Each of these titles represents another step forward for us in
delivering mainstream games content," said Tiger Telematics Chairman
Carl Freer. "These are among the strongest game franchises in the
world, and a co-publishing relationship with EA has been a priority
goal for us from the outset."
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050517/uktu005.html 

(Birmingham, England) Blue Sphere Games, a U.K.-based mobile
game developer, announced that it has signed an agreement with Coca-
Cola to produce Coke-branded European mobile content including
games, wallpapers, animations and screensavers. The agreement grants
a two-year exclusive license of the mobile content creation and
distribution rights to Blue Sphere Games. Blue Sphere said its first
portfolio of Coca-Cola content would become available later this
month.
http://www.bluespheregames.com 

(Waltham, Massachusetts) BladeLogic Inc., a privately held, U.S.-
based provider of data-centre automation software, announced that
Cable & Wireless (C&W), a U.K.-based telecommunications services
company, has selected BladeLogic's technology as the automation
platform for all of its data-centres. "With BladeLogic Operations
Manager, (C&W) can take a holistic approach to managing its data-
centres by using one platform to provision, change, configure and
manage all types of servers and applications," said BladeLogic EMEA
Vice President Luca Lazzaron. Financial terms of the deal were not
disclosed.
http://www.bladelogic.com/news/news40.html

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Thames Tech Wire - May 17, 2005

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THAMES TECH WIRE - May 17, 2005
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o BBC Launches Trial of "iTunes for the Broadcast Industry"
o Torex Retail Acquires Retail Store Systems for £15 Million
o Screen Pages Financial Solutions Wins £1-Million Investment
o U.K.-Based IXEurope Acquires Germany-Based GIC mbH
o IT Firm Netstore to Buy U.K.-Based Cassium for £5.6 Million
o Briefly Noted: Altobridge-Ireland Venture Capital-Kernal Capital
Partners, Video Without Boundaries-London Office, South East
England Development Agency-The Proof of Concept Knowledge
Transfer Fund
____________________________________________

o BBC Launches Trial of "iTunes for the Broadcast Industry"

London -- The BBC announced that it has begun to trial a new
programme download technology in 5,000 U.K. households that could
pave the way to endless TV repeats. The BBC said it hoped to deliver
its interactive Media Player (iMP), or "iTunes for the broadcast
industry", by year's end, allowing viewers to download any shows from
the previous week. Once up and running, the service, currently in its
second stage, will make around 190 hours of TV shows and 310 hours
of radio programmes available for legal downloading across the U.K.,
the BBC said. "iMP … (will allow) our audience to access our TV and
radio programmes on their terms … anytime, any place, any how," said
Ashley Highfield, BBC director of new media and technology. "We'll
see what programmes appeal in this new world and how people search,
sort, snack and savour our content in the broadband world."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?R3462371B
____________________________________________

o Torex Retail Acquires Retail Store Systems for £15 Million

London -- Torex Retail, a U.K.-based supplier of retail management
systems to European retailers, announced that it has expanded into the
U.S. through the acquisition of Retail Store Systems for £15 million.
Retail Store Systems supplies retail management systems to medium-
sized and large retailers in the U.S. Under the terms of the agreement,
Torex will pay £9.3 million in cash together with the issue of more than
5 million ordinary shares in the company. Torex said the acquisition
was part of its growth plans and that it would provide the company
with access to the world's largest market for retail management
systems, with annual software sales of more than £816 million.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?W2A74171B
____________________________________________

o Screen Pages Financial Solutions Wins £1-Million Investment

London -- Screen Pages Financial Solutions Ltd. (Screen Pages FS), a
U.K.-based technology firm, announced that it has received a £1-
million venture-capital investment. The company, which develops an
Internet software application called Staffcare, said it planned to use the
funds to speed up the growth of its business. "Staffcare is quickly
becoming the platform of choice for affordable benefits communication
and flexible benefits administration," said Screen Pages FS Managing
Director Philip Hollingdale. "With this expansion capital in place, we
will be able to more rapidly increase our sales and respond to the
increasing demand for flexible benefit solutions." Herald Ventures II
led the round. Herald Ventures Partner Taymour Ezzat said his
company was attracted to Screen Pages FS because of the flexibility of
its software, its growth potential and its experienced management team.
http://www.screenpagesfs.com/news.asp
____________________________________________

o U.K.-Based IXEurope Acquires Germany-Based GIC mbH

London -- IXEurope, a U.K.-based provider of outsourced data-centre
services, announced on Tuesday that it has acquired Gesellschaft fur
Informationstechnologie und Consulting mbH (GIC mbH), a Germany-
based business continuity provider to financial and enterprise clients,
for an undisclosed cash sum. IXEurope said the integration of GIC's
expertise and client base would represent a significant increase in its
business continuity capability. "With increasing level of operational
regulation such as Basel II and Sarbanes-Oxley legislation, clients are
looking for more integrated solutions linking desktop recovery ever
closer to core data-centre infrastructure recovery," said GIC Managing
Director Jorg Rosengart. "We will now be able to deliver a broader and
deeper offering than ever before, providing clients with best-in-class
solutions across Germany, France, Switzerland and the United
Kingdom."
http://www.ixeurope.com/press_releases2005.html
____________________________________________

o IT Firm Netstore to Buy U.K.-Based Cassium for £5.6 Million

London -- Netstore Plc, a U.K.-based provider of outsourced IT
services, announced that it has agreed to acquire Cassium, a U.K.-based
IT services firm catering to local finance and telecommunications
companies, for approximately £5.6 million. Under the terms of the
agreement, Netstore will pay £2.7 million in cash, issue 4 million
shares and refinance more than £1.1 million of Cassium loan stock,
taking the total amount to about £5.6 million. Netstore said a deferred
fee of £4.4 million would be paid if Cassium met certain milestones by
next April, 60% of which could be satisfied by the issue of Netstore
ordinary shares at 43 pence apiece.
http://www.netstore.net/default.asp
http://www.cassium.com/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=253
____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(Dublin) According to a report in the Sunday Times, Altobridge, an
Ireland-based telecommunications software development firm, is
seeking to raise 4 million euro in venture-capital financing in a bid to
build its revenue base and continue its research and development.
Using satellites, Altobridge's software allows mobile phones to work
normally on aeroplanes, ships and other vessels at sea. The Sunday
Times said that Bank of Ireland Venture Capital and Kernal Capital
Partners were currently deliberating whether to invest in the company,
which recently completed a 750,000-euro rights issue among existing
shareholders.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?V5B92171B

(Brighton, England) The South East England Development Agency
(SEEDA) announced on Tuesday that the Proof of Concept Knowledge
Transfer Fund (PoCKeT), which will provide access to funds for small
to medium-sized businesses (SMEs), has been launched in the South
East of England. SEEDA said it agreed to provide £250,000 for
PoCKeT with the aim of encouraging knowledge transfer between the
regions SME's and higher education institutions. Through PoCKeT,
awards of between £5,000 and £30,000 will be made available to
innovative SMEs for joint exploitation with universities, SEEDA said.
http://www.canterburyhub.co.uk/news/news7.html

(London) Video Without Boundaries (VWB), a U.S.-based provider of
interactive home entertainment devices, announced has formed a
London-based European subsidiary to develop wholesale and retail
opportunities for its MediaREADY broadband media devices in
Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). "We have chosen to base
our EMEA operations in the U.K. because that market has been the
leader in digital TV technology deployment," said VWB President and
CEO Jeffrey Harrell. "That, combined with a strong broadcast presence
across Europe, makes this region fertile territory."
http://www.vwbinc.com/press/040605pr.html

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Copyright: Tech Wire Media Group 2005