Thames Tech Wire

Thames Tech Wire - June 30, 2005

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THAMES TECH WIRE - June 30, 2005
============================================
To Subscribe: http://www.techwiremedia.com/thames

o Motorola Acquires U.K.-Based Sendo for Undisclosed Sum
o Report: U.K. Venture Capitalists Increasingly Looking Abroad
o Vodafone and Microsoft to Launch PC-to-Mobile IM Service
o Intel, Embark Initiative to Run Young Irish Researcher Project
o Report: Wave of Trojan Attacks on U.K. Originated in China
o Briefly Noted: Smart Holograms-Andrew Williams, Suomen
3G-Finnish Government, Groove Mobile-PTC
_____________________________________________

o Motorola Acquires U.K.-Based Sendo for Undisclosed Sum

Birmingham, England -- Motorola, a U.S.-based mobile-phone
company, announced that it has acquired the research and development
operation and IP portfolio of Sendo, a U.K.-based mobile firm.
Financial details were not disclosed. Sendo's R&D unit currently
employs about 200 engineers, 170 of whom are based in the U.K., with
the rest based in Singapore. Motorola said it planned to integrate the
engineers into its Mobile Devices business, while preserving the team's
focus on designing technologies that allow wireless operators to deliver
value-added services. The U.S.-based firm also acquired Sendo's entire
IP portfolio, including 50 existing and 40 pending patents. The
remainder of Sendo has been put in administration.
http://www.motorola.com/
_____________________________________________

o Report: U.K. Venture Capitalists Increasingly Looking Abroad

London -- According to a new survey by Portman Travel, a U.K.-based
business travel management consultancy, venture capitalists in the U.K.
are increasingly looking abroad for new business ideas and
opportunities to invest. Portman's survey of 50 U.K.-based venture-
capital and private-equity firms found that were looking for new
opportunities mostly in South America and Eastern Europe, especially
in Brazil, Hungary, Romania, Russia and the Ukraine. "We have found
that the VCs we surveyed would travel to the U.S. and China if offered
a plane ticket today, but that many favoured the long-term prospects of
countries that are less crowded in the overseas 'gold rush' for real
business opportunities," said Bob Govan, Portman Travel's marketing
and development director.
http://www.portmantravel.co.uk/
_____________________________________________

o Vodafone and Microsoft to Launch PC-to-Mobile IM Service

London -- U.K.-based Vodafone Group Plc, the largest mobile-phone
company in the world, announced that it teaming up with U.S.-based
software giant Microsoft to launch an instant messaging (IM) service
between PCs and mobile phones. The companies said they planned to
launch the service -- which will allow users to exchange IMs between
Microsoft's MSN Messenger on a PC and Vodafone Messenger on
mobile phones -- in several European countries by the end of this year.
The companies said they hoped the new service would bring together
MSN Messenger's approximately 165 million users with Vodafone's
155 million customers. The price of the service has not yet been
disclosed.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050630/sfth027.html?.v=17
_____________________________________________

o Intel, Embark Initiative to Run Young Irish Researcher Project

Dublin -- The Embark Initiative announced that it has forged a
partnership with Intel in which the U.S.-based computer-chip giant will
oversee a number of projects for young Irish researchers. Under the
terms of the partnership, Embark, which is run by the Irish Research
Council for Science, Engineering and Technology, will jointly fund a
number of new masters and PhD research scholarships with Intel
Ireland. The Embark Initiative said the programme would consist of
mentoring by an Intel technologist and possibly involve placements at
Intel's operations in Leixlip or Shannon. Each researcher will receive
about 57,000 euro over a three-year period.
http://www.ircset.ie/
http://makeashorterlink.com/?W26531B5B
_____________________________________________

o Report: Wave of Trojan Attacks on U.K. Originated in China

London -- According to U.K.-based email security firm MessageLabs,
the flood of "industrial-strength" malicious programmes that has
overwhelmed as many as 300 U.K. businesses and government offices
over the last few weeks originated in China. The company, however,
added that it would be wrong to conclude that Chinese hackers were
responsible for the Trojan horse attacks. "MessageLabs can confirm
that the source of the IP addresses originates in China, but there's a
much bigger and broader problem here," said MessageLabs CTO Mark
Sunner. "The 'China' word is not meaningless, but it doesn't mean they
are the perpetrators."
http://www.messagelabs.com/home/default.asp
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(Cambridge, England) Smart Holograms Ltd., an early stage sensor-
hologram technology company based in the U.K., announced that it has
appointed Andrew Williams as its new chief financial officer. Prior to
joining Smart Holograms, Williams served as vice president of finance
at Cambridge Antibody Technology. "(Williams) combines extensive
Blue Chip financial experience which, with his demonstrated ability at
CAT, shaped and executed a financial strategy that enabled rapid
development of this emerging biotech firm to become a highly
successful, international, publicly-quoted company," said Smart
Holograms CEO Frank Craig.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?J61621B5B

(Helsinki) The Finnish government announced that it has cancelled a
3G licence awarded to operator Suomen 3G, a subsidiary of Sweden-
based Tele2, because the company did not build its network in time.
"We cancelled Suomen 3G's licence because we found out that they
don't have network, and, according to the licence terms, they should
have (had one)," said Riku Ahola, Finland's Minister of Transport and
Communications. "At the end of last year, we … gave them a last
chance, but they did not do it." Ahola said the frequencies would either
be allocated to Elisa, Finnet and TeliaSonera -- the three other
companies with 3G licenses -- or be kept in reserves.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?I1C321B5B

(Andover, Massachusetts) Groove Mobile, a U.S.-based provider of
mobile music download services, announced that it has partnered with
Polish wireless carrier PTC to launch Poland's first full-track mobile
music download service. Groove Mobile's library of tracks from labels
including EMI, Warner and V2 will be available to PTC's nearly 9
million subscribers. With the deal, Groove Mobile further extends its
reach to more than 33 million mobile-phone subscribers worldwide, the
company said.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050629/law017.html?.v=15

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Copyright: Tech Wire Media Group 2005

Thames Tech Wire - June 29, 2005

============================================
THAMES TECH WIRE - June 29, 2005
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o U.K. Inward-Investment Surge Boosts Technology Sector
o IVCA: Irish VC Investment in Local Companies Falls Sharply
o London Deputy Mayor Launches £15-Million Technology Fund
o U.K.-Based Auctioning4u Secures £600,000 in First Round
o Report: EU Pursuing Antitrust Investigation of Chipmaker Intel
o Briefly Noted: Google Earth, British Library Digital Project, France
Telecom-Wanadoo-Orange, Vocera Communications-U.K. Office,
NTL-Universal Music Group
_____________________________________________

o U.K. Inward-Investment Surge Boosts Technology Sector

London -- A new report by the U.K. Department of Trade and Industry
(DTI) shows that the local technology sector has been the main
beneficiary of a record 31% surge in inward investment. The DTI
found that IT, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and R&D projects
accounted for nearly half of the 1,066 projects that created
approximately 40,000 jobs last year. U.K. Trade and Industry Secretary
Alan Johnson attributed the surge in inward investment to the United
Kingdom's economic performance, emphasis on research and
technology and skilled, flexible workforce. "We must ensure that we
maintain our momentum by adding value and exploiting technology,"
he said. "In an increasingly global market place, established economies
like the U.K. cannot compete on the basis of low labour costs."
http://www.ukinvest.gov.uk/investmentreport/index.cfm
_____________________________________________

o IVCA: Irish VC Investment in Local Companies Falls Sharply

Dublin -- A new report by the Irish Venture Capital Association
(IVCA) shows that the amount of money invested by Irish venture-
capital companies in local companies last year fell sharply from about
255 million euro in 2003 to just 61 million euro last year. "We estimate
that, at the end of 2004, we have enough capital to service investment
needs over the following 12 to 18 months," said IVCA Chairman
Desmond Fahey. "But the implication of this is that Irish VCs will
require significant funding in 2006 if the venture capital sector is to
continue to develop and support Irish entrepreneurs and industry." The
IVCA said the decrease was disappointing, but added that the local
technology sector was generally performing well, having received
about 87% of overall investments.
http://www.ivca.ie/
_____________________________________________

o London Deputy Mayor Launches £15-Million Technology Fund

London -- London Deputy Mayor Nicky Gavron announced that the
English capitol has launched a £15-million venture-capital fund that
will focus on technology investments. Gavron said the new London
Technology Fund would be funded by the London Development
Agency and the European Regional Development Fund and that it
would support technology start-ups throughout the Greater London
area, "helping to turn world-class research into world-class business".
The deputy mayor said London decided to launch the fund in order to
bridge an "equity gap" for technology start-ups, "where traditional
venture capitalists are deterred from investing by the risks and
uncertainties relative to other opportunities".
http://www.lda.gov.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.1155
_____________________________________________

o U.K.-Based Auctioning4u Secures £600,000 in First Round

London -- Auctioning4u, a U.K.-based online auction site, announced
that it has received £600,000 in first-round venture-capital financing.
Auctioning4u CEO Christian Braun said that a number of "significant
figures" from the venture capital and finance world, as well as private
investors, contributed to the funding. Investors included Patrick Folkes;
Jeffrey Pack, former Group Treasurer and Director Investor Relations
at Securicor Plc; Christopher Sharples, co-founder of derivatives broker
GNI; David Taylor, founder of Royal Blue; and David Yu, chief
operating officer and chief technology officer at Betfair.com. Under the
terms of the investment -- which Auctioning4u will use for the roll-out
of its retail network and to build its first warehouse -- Pack will join the
company's board of directors, Braun said.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?H2391295B
_____________________________________________

o Report: EU Pursuing Antitrust Investigation of Chipmaker Intel

Brussels -- According to a report in the Financial Times, the European
Commission is pursuing its antitrust investigation of U.S.-based Intel,
currently the largest computer-chip maker in the world. "We are
actively pursuing our investigation into possible violations of EU
competition rules by Intel, particularly as regards its policies on
rebates," a Commission spokesperson told FT. The Commission has
been looking into a complaint filed by rival AMD -- which claims Intel
abused its dominant position by offering rebates that prevented rivals
from entering the market -- for the last five years. If EU antitrust
regulators ultimately determine that Intel has in fact abused its position,
the Commission could fine the company as much as 10% of its global
annual turnover.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?L2951595B
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(London) Google, a U.S.-based search-engine giant, announced that it
has launched Google Earth, a free download that starts with a view
from earth as seen from space and allows users zoom down to detailed
street-level maps for virtually any location on the planet. 3D features
include actual representations for buildings in major U.S. cities, plus
video playback of driving directions. With the new service, users can
type in an address and "zoom right in"; search for schools, parks,
restaurants and hotels; get driving directions; tilt and rotate the view to
see 3D terrain and buildings; save and share searches and favourites;
and even add their own annotations.
http://earth.google.com/

(London) According to a new report by the British Library, nearly 90%
of newly published work in the U.K. will be available in digital form by
the year 2020. By comparison, only half of newly published work by
that same year will also be available in print form, with just 10% of
new titles available only in print, the report said. The British Library
said the new collection would include both digital-born works and
previous works that have been digitised. British Library Chief
Executive Lynne Brindley described the project as a "seismic shift" in
the publishing world.
http://www.bl.uk/news/2005/pressrelease20050629.html

(Paris) France Telecom, the France-based telecommunications
bellwether, announced that it has decided once again to rename
Wanadoo, its U.K.-based Internet service provider (ISP). Wanadoo,
which used to be known as Freeserve, will now become Orange, the
company said. Under the terms of the rebranding, Wanadoo will
become the umbrella brand for all mobile, broadband and other
converged telecommunications services. Once the change takes place
next year, Wanadoo customers will be able to get their mobile,
broadband, video-on-demand and fixed line services charged on the
same bill, France Telecom said.
http://www.wanadoo.co.uk/

(Reading, England) Vocera Communications, a U.S.-based wireless
communications firm, announced that it has opened a new office in
Reading. The Vocera system, which has been available in the U.S.
since 2002, allows mobile workers to communicate instantly with one
another using wearable Vocera communications badges. "Vocera is a
new paradigm in speech communication," said Vocera CEO Julie
Shimer. "We have researched the customer needs and technology
adoption for each region we expect to enter, and the (U.K.) was the
most natural choice for our first European market."
http://www.vocera.com/news/press062905.shtm 

(London) NTL, a U.K.-based cable TV and broadband provider,
announced that it has signed an agreement with Universal Music Group
to offer Universal music videos on its video-on-demand service. Music
video content will feature multi-platinum selling acts such as U2,
Scissor Sisters, Keane, Eminem, Nelly, Gwen Stefani, Ashanti, Ronan
Keating, Girls Aloud, Daniel Bedingfield, McFly and The Bravery.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. NTL currently has more
than 3 million cable TV and 1.4 million broadband subscribers.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/050628/285534.html 
http://www.ntl.com 

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Copyright: Tech Wire Media Group 2005

Thames Tech Wire - June 28, 2005

============================================
THAMES TECH WIRE - June 28, 2005
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o Ofcom Supports Market-Led Radio-Spectrum Management
o U.K.-Based University Spin-Out ST&D Raises £1.7 Million
o Report Predicts Mass Internet-Telephony Migration in Europe
o Summit to Use Funds for "Increasing Emphasis on Europe"
o Simpay Venture to Shut Down in Wake of T-Mobile Pull-Out
o Briefly Noted: 3 Ireland-Irish Mobile Market, BT Group-
Microsoft-Broadband TV Services, Global Internetworking-
Airbus, I-play-Ditto Studios
_____________________________________________

o Ofcom Supports Market-Led Radio-Spectrum Management

London -- Ofcom, the U.K. telecommunications watchdog, has
advocated a market-led approach to radio-spectrum management, as
opposed to the previous regime, under which Ofcom decided the type
of organisation that should have access to specific parts of the spectrum
and how they should be used. In the conclusion of its Spectrum
Framework Review published on Tuesday, Ofcom said that its
proposals enjoyed broad support among stakeholders. Besides allowing
the market to decide the best use and user for much of the spectrum
(about 70%), the Review will also allow licence holders to trade
spectrum in an open market and change the use they make of it in order
to develop new technologies and offer innovative services, Ofcom said.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?Y29B2475B
_____________________________________________

o U.K.-Based University Spin-Out ST&D Raises £1.7 Million

London -- Sensor Technology and Devices Ltd. (ST&D), a U.K.-based
medical technology firm, announced that it has secured £1.7 million in
venture-capital financing. Enterprise Equity led the round, with Invest
Northern Ireland and University of Ulster also participating. The
company, which was spun out from the University of Ulster in 2000,
said it would use the funds to develop its production and international
marketing activities. ST&D develops a range of sensor and electrode
components for medical devices, from an electronic nose that can
detect major illnesses from a person's breath to an in-home foetal
monitoring patch that helps expectant mothers to predict the onset of
labour.
http://www.std-ltd.com/
_____________________________________________

o Report Predicts Mass Internet-Telephony Migration in Europe

Brussels -- A new report by research firm Analysys predicts that nearly
a quarter of Western European households will migrate over the next
five years from fixed-line networks to cheaper alternatives like mobile
phones and Internet telephony (VoIP). The report estimates that mobile
and VoIP services will account for more than 60% of residential phone
spending by the year 2010. "The mass market for voice services in
Western Europe is being transformed by the substitution of mobile and
new VoIP services for traditional fixed voice services," said report
author Katrina Bond. "We expect that, in five years, 45 percent of voice
minutes will be made from a mobile or VoIP connection, compared to
28 percent in 2004."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?J1E32275B
_____________________________________________

o Summit to Use Funds for "Increasing Emphasis on Europe"

Boston -- Summit Partners, a U.S.-based venture-capital firm,
announced that it has closed a 2.5-billion-euro private-equity fund and
a 249-million-euro VC fund that will invest in late-stage companies
primarily in North America, but with an "increasing emphasis on
Europe". Summit said the funds would make investments ranging
between 21 million euro and 372 million euro per company and 4.1
million euro and 21 million euro per company, respectively, with both
funds focusing on the technology, healthcare, business and financial
services sectors. "We see continued opportunity to partner with
successful entrepreneurs and managers across Europe," said Summit
Partner Scott Collins. "With the completion of our fundraising efforts,
we intend to further expand our European investment activities."
http://www.summitpartners.com/
_____________________________________________

o Simpay Venture to Shut Down in Wake of T-Mobile Pull-Out

London -- Simpay, a joint venture of European mobile-phone
companies created to develop mobile commerce, announced that it
would shut down after Germany-based T-Mobile -- one of the group's
founding members -- decided to pull out in order to develop its own
payment systems. Simpay was created two years ago by T-Mobile,
U.K.-based Vodafone Group, France-based Orange and Spain-based
Telefonica Moviles. At one point, Simpay was expected to provide a
single platform to deal with the routing, clearing and settling of mobile-
phone payments in as many as 20 European countries, but the group
has been plagued with delays and, earlier this week, finally announced
its decision to close shop. "I can't say what the future holds," said
Simpay CEO David Taylor. "But for now, Simpay is closing."
http://www.simpay.com/
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(Dublin) According to a new survey conducted by 3 Ireland, about 75%
of Irish consumers think the local mobile-phone market is
uncompetitive. About 80% of respondents said they would welcome
more market choices, while 75% said more competition would improve
value for customers. "The survey emphatically confirms that mobile
phone users in Ireland are crying out for more competition, better value
and increased choice in mobile services and clearly would welcome a
new network to break up the current cosy market," said 3 Ireland
Commercial Director Stephen Pilkington. 3 Ireland is expected to
launch mobile services in Ireland sometime next month.
http://www.three.co.uk/index.omp

(London) U.K. telecommunication company BT Group Plc announced
that it plans to launch TV services over broadband Internet sometime
next summer. BT will develop the project together with U.S.-based
software giant Microsoft, whose Internet Protocol Television (IPTV)
software platform will deliver the services. The incumbent said it
decided to make the move in order to develop new revenue sources in
the face of poor results at its phone division. "TV over broadband
services will play an important role in BT's triple-play offering for
consumers," said BT Retail Managing Director Gavin Patterson.
http://www.btplc.com/News/

(Paris) Global Internetworking, a U.S.-based provider of
telecommunications and network services, announced that Airbus
North America, the U.S. subsidiary of the France-based maker of
commercial airplanes, has selected the company to manage a high-
capacity Wide Area Network (WAN) fibre ring. The ring will connect
the headquarters for Airbus North America and Airbus North America
Customer Services, as well as facilities in France, the U.K. and
Germany. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/050627/275631.html?.v=1

(London) I-play, a U.K.-based mobile game publisher, announced that
it has completed its acquisition of U.K. developer Ditto Studios.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. In addition to 3D games
like "Major Carnage", Ditto has developed software that allows
publishers to port games among various mobile platforms. I-play said
that Ditto's software would help it to provide mobile games to the
hundreds of different handsets currently available on the market.
http://about.iplay.com/article.jsp?NID=86&NYID=2005 
http://www.dittostudios.com

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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 - June 27, 2005

============================================
THAMES TECH WIRE - June 27, 2005
============================================
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o PartyGaming IPO Values Company at More Than £4.6 Million
o Creative Broadcast to Buy BBC Broadcast for £166 Million
o Scotland's Adventi Completes Acquisition of Rival Scotsys
o U.K.-Based WILink Sticks with Lincoln for New Acquisitions
o One in Three CDs Sold Worldwide is Pirated, Report Says
o Briefly Noted: EURid-IE Internet, WeeWorld-Celia Francis,
cVidya Networks-U.K. Office, Nexans Intelligent Enterprise
Solutions-U.K. Office, XM Satellite Radio-Live 8 Broadcasts
_____________________________________________

o PartyGaming IPO Values Company at More Than £4.6 Million

London -- PartyGaming Plc, a Gibraltar-based online gambling firm,
announced that it has successfully floated on the London Stock
Exchange, a move that values the company at more than £4.6 billion.
The initial public offering (IPO) was London's largest in more than five
years. "We are delighted that the (IPO) has received an excellent
response from major U.K. and international institutional investors,"
said PartyGaming CEO Richard Segal. "The listing will reinforce the
group's position as one of the world's leading online gaming companies
and enhance the group's profile as we seek to expand internationally."
PartyGaming operates under three main brands: PartyPoker.com,
StarluckCasino.com Online and PartyBingo.com. The company now
accounts for about half of the global online gambling market.
http://www.partygaming.com/
_____________________________________________

o Creative Broadcast to Buy BBC Broadcast for £166 Million

London -- The BBC announced that it has signed a contract with
Creative Broadcast Services Ltd., which is owned by the Macquarie
Capital Alliance Group and Macquarie Bank Ltd., for the sale of its
digital media division, BBC Broadcast, for approximately £166
million. With the news, Creative Broadcast beats out a group of bidders
that included Advent International, Apax Partners, Bank of Scotland
Corporate, Barclays, Bridgepoint, Exponent, HgCapital, Kleinwort
Capital, Montagu, Palamon Capital Partners LP and the Carlyle Group.
"Creative Broadcast Services made the BBC a great offer and showed
real capabilities in managing a contractual long-term partnership with a
commitment to growing and investing in the business," said BBC Chief
Operating Officer John Smith. Completion of the sale is still subject to
approval from the U.K. Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?C27E3255B
_____________________________________________

o Scotland's Adventi Completes Acquisition of Rival Scotsys

Edinburgh -- Adventi, a Scotland-based IT and computer-services firm,
announced that it has acquired local rival Scotsys. Although financial
details were not disclosed, Adventi said the newly merged company
would have a combine turnover of approximately £16 million. Under
the terms of the acquisition, Scotsys Managing Director John
McAleenan will become the new company's managing director, while
Adventi founder Graham Bucknall will become strategy director. "We
are looking to grow both sides of the business, and there are no major
redundancies planned," Bucknall said. "We have already identified
acquisition targets south of the border."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?W2BF1255B
_____________________________________________

o U.K.-Based WILink Sticks with Lincoln for New Acquisitions

London -- WILink, a U.K.-based provider of online investor relations
services and web-based communications tools, announced that it has
retained Chicago-based Lincoln Partners to help it find new financing
for acquisitions. One of the options, WILink said, may be taking the
business private. "We are pleased to be working with Lincoln Partners
to secure a financing plan to fund our growth," said WILink CEO J.
Patrick Galleher. "We have identified key strategies to exploit our core
competencies in new markets, and appointing Lincoln Partners is an
excellent next step in executing those strategies." The company also
said that Lee Godfrey, an executive director and currently its chief
operating officer (COO) for Europe, would become its new COO.
WILink's clients include Hewlett-Packard, Deutsche Telecom and BP.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/050624/245294.html?.v=1
_____________________________________________

o One in Three CDs Sold Worldwide is Pirated, Report Says

Madrid -- One in three CDs sold worldwide is a pirated copy, according
to a new report from the International Federation of the Phonographic
Industry (IFPI). A total of 1.2 billion pirated discs were sold in 2004, or
34% of all discs sold worldwide, though the growth of disc piracy
slowed to its lowest level in five years. Sales of pirated music exceeded
legitimate music sales in a record 31 countries last year, including 10
countries where the IFPI called for urgent government intervention:
Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Pakistan, Paraguay, Russia,
Spain and the Ukraine. The IFPI launched the report in Spain, which it
considers Europe's most serious piracy problem country, "where
rampant street CD piracy has shrunk the legitimate market by one third
in the last three years".
http://www.ifpi.org/site-content/press/20050623.html 
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(Dublin) EURid, the registry appointed by the European Commission
to manage the new .eu domain name, announced that it has appointed
IE Internet, a Dublin-based Internet service provider (ISP), as its first
registrar in Ireland. With the news, IE Internet will become one of 27
registrars in 15 European countries responsible for issuing the new
domain name to public and private organisations. "There are only
47,000 registered .ie domain name holders in this country," said IE
Internet Managing Director Phelim O'Connell. "We expect that the
availability of .eu will stimulate more activity in the Irish industry and
encourage more businesses to take advantage of the Internet."
http://www.ieinternet.com/
http://www.eurid.eu/

(Glasgow) WeeWorld, a Scotland-based mobile/online content and
social networking firm, announced that it has appointed Celia Francis
as its new chief executive officer. Francis has worked in the mobile
sector for a number of years, most recently as executive vice president
of business marketing for T-Mobile International. Prior to joining T-
Mobile International, Francis headed T-Mobile's Product Marketing in
the U.K. and worked with IDEO, a product and services development
consulting firm. Outgoing CEO Mike Kinsella will remain with the
company to spearhead its mobile strategy, WeeWorld said.
http://www.weeworld.com/

(London) cVidya Networks, an Israel-based provider of next generation
revenue assurance (RA) technologies, announced that it has opened an
office in London to support its customer base and future sales
expansion in the U.K. The office, headed by Steve McNickle, will offer
local support to the U.K. telecommunications carriers. "Opening an
office in London is a natural move as our customer base and
prospective customer opportunities in the U.K. are growing, and also as
operators are more and more deploying next generation network
services and seeking proven automated RA tools," said cVidya CEO
Alon Aginsky.
http://www.cvidya.com/

(Paris) Nexans, a France-based supplier of cables and cabling systems,
announced that it is planning to create a new business unit called
Nexans Intelligent Enterprise Solutions (IES) based in Basingstoke,
England. The new unit will specialise in the development of products
and services under the LANsense brand and supply a range of products
under the LANConnect, UTP, ISCS, FTP and GIGAPath brands. "The
new unit will not only enhance the range of Nexans products and
solutions, but will also significantly increase Nexans's presence and
capabilities in the U.K. market," said Nexans IES Manager Tony
Rossiter.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?J11E2555B

(Washington) XM Satellite Radio, a U.S.-based provider of
subscription radio programming with 4 million subscribers, announced
that it plans to broadcast live every performance from every artist from
all Live 8 concerts next month. The company plans to offer seven
stations devoted to covering the global poverty and debt relief charity
concerts on July 2, taking place in London, Paris, Berlin, Rome,
Philadelphia, and Toronto.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050624/dcf017.html 
http://www.xmradio.com 

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Thames Tech Wire - June 24, 2005

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

o Kohlberg Kravis Roberts Cuts Kingston Stake by £70 Million
o Survey: European Youth Ditching TV and Radio for Web
o Enterprise Equity VC Group Receives Additional 6 Million Euro
o Namesco Ltd. Acquires U.K. Internet Service Provider NDO.com
o Blogging Software Team Wins Microsoft's Imagine Cup for U.K.
o One in Three CDs Sold Worldwide is Pirated, IFPI Claims
o Briefly Noted: Apple-European iTunes Song Sales, Forrester
Research-European Mobile Report, Wombat-Northern Ireland
Software Centre
_____________________________________________

o Kohlberg Kravis Roberts Cuts Kingston Stake by £70 Million

Hull, England -- Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR), a U.S.-based venture
capital firm, announced that it has offloaded the lion's share of its
23.7% stake in Kingston Communications, a U.K.-based alternative
telecommunications group. KKR said it sold about 114 million
Kingston shares to investment bank UBS for approximately £70
million, leaving the VC firm with a 1.5% stake. KKR acquired its stake
last year when it sold Omnetica, a data communications management
company, to Kingston for £169 million. "Since the acquisition of
Omnetica by Kingston, we have been delighted by the progress made in
exploiting the clear, strategic fit and differentiated service proposition
of the combined businesses," said KKR Europe Director Johannes
Huth. "Our decision to sell reflects the current needs of our financing
strategy."
http://www.kcom.com/news/articles/news_22_06_05_1.shtml
_____________________________________________

o Survey: European Youth Ditching TV and Radio for Web

London -- European youth are spending less time watching TV and
listening to the radio in favour of surfing the Internet, according to a
survey of 15-24 year-olds conducted by the European Interactive
Advertising Association (EIAA). Of those surveyed, 46% said they
watch less TV as a result of using the Internet; 34% said they talk on
the phone less; 33% said they read fewer newspapers; and 22% said
they listen to the radio less often. In terms of overall media
consumption, European youth still spend the most time watching TV
(31%), compared with radio (27%), the Internet (24%) and newspapers
(10%). "The 15-24 age group is the holy grail for most advertisers, and
the EIAA research conclusively demonstrates the extent to which the
Internet now represents an essential media for this audience,
increasingly replacing other media including TV and radio," said EIAA
chairman Michael Kleindl.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?P56F2515B
_____________________________________________

o Enterprise Equity VC Group Receives Additional 6 Million Euro

Dublin -- The Enterprise Equity VC Group announced that it has
received an additional 6 million euro (£4 million) in venture-capital
funding from Enterprise Equity and Enterprise Ireland, which
contributed 3 million euro each. The group also announced that the 22-
million-euro regionally based fund, which had focused on the Border,
Midlands and Western regions, has extended its remit to include the
South-West region of Ireland as well. Enterprise Equity VC Group said
the fund would invest in new or existing companies in the
manufacturing, IT and life science sectors. "In the past, Enterprise
Equity investments have traditionally levered 1 million euro or more of
the funding from other sources for every 1 million euro invested by
Enterprise Equity," said Enterprise Equity VC Group Chairman Denis
Rooney. "As a result, we believe our joint venture with (Enterprise
Ireland) will result in at least 44 million euro of investment for these
regions."
http://www.enterprise-ireland.com/
_____________________________________________

o Namesco Ltd. Acquires U.K. Internet Service Provider NDO.com

London -- Namesco Ltd., a U.K.-based Internet service provider (ISP),
announced that it has acquired local rival NDO.com Ltd. for an
undisclosed sum. "Following our other recent acquisitions, this one
stands out, as it gives us a tenfold increase in the number of active
ADSL accounts we manage, which we have recognised, for some time,
as a growth area with huge potential," said Namesco CEO Kevin
Savage. "Now we have our own specialised ADSL and Connectivity
Network, we are now not only a true ISP, but one that can now both
enhance and reinforce the Internet services offered to both businesses
and consumers." Namesco said it would continue to use the NDO
brand.
http://www.names.co.uk/cms_news_item92.html
_____________________________________________

o Blogging Software Team Wins Microsoft's Imagine Cup for U.K.

London -- Adrian Collier from Bournemouth University, Andrew
Webber from City University in London and Joseph Wardell from
Aberystwyth University have won the U.K. finals of the Imagine Cup,
an innovation competition organised by software giant Microsoft. The
team of students won the competition after developing location-aware
blogging software called OneReach that gives travellers access to blogs
specific to an area in order to find useful information and tips. Using
GPS (Global Positioning System) and smartphones, the software also
creates a map that allows family and friends to follow travellers' exact
progress. The team will now compete in the Imagine Cup finals in
Japan at the end of next month.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?V2C56415B
_____________________________________________

o One in Three CDs Sold Worldwide is Pirated, IFPI Claims

London -- One in three CDs sold worldwide is a pirated copy, part of a
3.8-billion-euro (£2.5 billion) global market for pirated music,
according to a report from the International Federation of the
Phonographic Industry (IFPI). A total of 1.2 billion pirated discs were
sold in 2004, or 34% of all discs sold worldwide. However, IFPI added
that the growth of disc piracy has slowed to its lowest level in five
years and said that sales of all pirate recordings actually fell slightly to
1.5 billion units. The value of the pirate music market was flat overall,
compared with 2003. Sales of pirated music were found to exceed
legitimate music sales in a record 31 countries in 2004, including
Greece, India and the Czech Republic. The IFPI identified ten
"priority" countries where piracy is at unacceptable levels and urgent
government action is needed: Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico,
Pakistan, Paraguay, Russia, Spain and Ukraine.
http://www.ifpi.org/site-content/press/20050623.html 
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(Paris) Apple announced that its European iTunes music stores have
sold more than 50 million songs in their first year in business.
However, Apple said the U.S. was still by far its largest market in the
world, with U.S. consumers buying nearly six times as many songs as
Europeans did since June 2004. Apple launched iTunes in Europe in
the U.K., Germany and France last June. Since then, it has opened
branches in most other European countries, including Austria, Belgium,
Denmark, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands,
Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
http://i-newswire.com/pr26902.html

(Brussels) A new report by market analysis firm Forrester Research
shows that mobile penetration in Western Europe has reached a high
saturation level. The report, which surveyed more than 18,000
consumers in France, Germany, Spain, Italy and the U.K., also found
that Europeans prefer basic phone features to more advanced services
like video messaging and mobile Internet. According to Forrester, SMS
messaging is still king: While more than 60% of mobile users between
the ages 16 and 24 own an Internet-capable mobile phone, less than
20% actually use the services.
http://www.forrester.com/my/0,7179,2-0,00.html

(Belfast) Wombat, a U.S.-based financial services group, announced
plans to establish a global centre for software engineering excellence in
Belfast, Northern Ireland. Wombat said the centre would allow it to
focus on product development and customer support, with the site
becoming a base for European sales in the longer term. "Wombat
intends to develop a world class engineering centre of excellence in
Belfast to support our growing customer base both in Europe and the
financial centres in the North East U.S.," said Danny Moore, Wombat
chief operations officer.
http://www.investni.com/develop-news.htm?newsid=18543

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Thames Tech Wire - June 23, 2005

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

o BT Grants Network Access to Competitors, Avoids Break-Up
o Sage to Acquire Spain-Based Logic Control for £55 Million
o Scottish Email Management Firm Logicalware Raises £300,000
o Report: European Banks to Pour Funds into Internet Technologies
o Media/Entertainment Revenue to Hit 1.5 Trillion Euro by 2009
o Report: MP3 Player Market to Hit 104 Million Units in 2009
o Briefly Noted: SAP-Lighthammer Software Development, TV4-
Telia-Rubberduck Media Lab, Vivendi Universal Games-Sierra
Entertainment-Radical Entertainment
_____________________________________________

o BT Grants Network Access to Competitors, Avoids Break-Up

London -- Ofcom, the U.K. telecommunications regulator, announced
on Thursday that it has struck a deal with BT Group Plc that will force
the incumbent to give competitors more access to its network in
exchange for lighter controls in some areas. BT said it would cut prices
on local loop unbundling from £105 a year to £80 and lower wholesale
line rental prices by 50 pence per line. The changes will go into effect
on Aug. 1, BT said. Furthermore, Ofcom announced it was changing its
rules in order to make BT separate its wholesale division into a unit
called Access Services. "Ofcom has concluded that a new approach is
necessary for the longer term, based on real equality of access to those
parts of the fixed telecoms network which BT's competitors cannot
fairly replicate," Ofcom said. Access Services will provide BT rivals
with transparent and equal access to its nationwide local network on the
same terms as those enjoyed by its own BT Retail consumer arm,
Ofcom said.
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/media/news/2005/06/nr_20050623
_____________________________________________

o Sage to Acquire Spain-Based Logic Control for £55 Million

Madrid -- Sage Group Plc, a U.K.-based business software company,
announced that it has agreed to acquire Logic Control, a Spain-based
accounting software firm, for approximately £55 million (83 million
euro) in cash. Logic Control, which currently has more than 20,000
customers, focuses on small and medium-sized businesses, including
accounting, payroll and industry-specific services for accountants. For
the year ended Dec. 31, 2004, the company reported revenues of more
than £28 million and an operating profit of more than £20 million.
"Acquiring Logic Control strengthens our product offering in Spain,"
said Sage CEO Paul Walker. "Logic Control brings more sophisticated
mid-market solutions, along with new solutions for accountants, that
we can offer to our large customer base of over 180,000 businesses."
http://www.sage.com/
_____________________________________________

o Scottish Email Management Firm Logicalware Raises £300,000

Edinburgh -- Logicalware, a Scotland-based email management vendor,
announced that it has secured £300,000 in venture-capital financing.
What's more, the company claims to be the first U.K.-based open-
source developer to receive private equity. The Sigma Innovation Fund
and former Demon Internet director Bill Dobbie led the round. The
company said it would use the funds for sales and marketing and to
develop some of the more than 100 features suggested by users. Under
the terms of the investment, Dobbie, a founder of Iomart Group Plc,
will join Logicalware's board of directors.
http://www.logicalware.net/cgi-bin/blosxom.cgi#funding
_____________________________________________

o Report: European Banks to Pour Funds into Internet Technologies

London -- According to a new report by market analysis firm
Datamonitor, European banks are set to spend 2.5 billion euro on
Internet technologies by the year 2008. "The Internet is set to re-emerge
as a priority area for technology investments," said Datamonitor analyst
William Conner. "This reflects e-banking's growing effectiveness as a
sales tool and banks' drive to refresh existing platforms." Although the
report predicted that the U.K. would boast the largest e-banking market
by that same year, it also said that growth would be slower than in
many other European countries, as many U.K. firms have already
upgraded their websites.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?Z4F92505B
_____________________________________________

o Media/Entertainment Revenue to Hit 1.5 Trillion Euro by 2009

New York -- The global entertainment and media industry is projected
to grow at a 7.3% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from 1.1
trillion euro last year to 1.5 trillion euro in 2009, spurred by improved
economic conditions, an advertising upswing and increased focus on
online distribution of music, films, books and video games, according
to a new report by PricewaterhouseCoopers. Fuelled by broadband
adoption, the Internet sector for entertainment and media is expected to
grow at a 17% CAGR, reaching 240 billion euro in 2009, while online
advertising will grow at a 16% CAGR to 26.5 billion euro the same
year. New spending streams on broadband and wireless distribution
platforms will grow revenues for those sectors from 9.5 billion euro in
2004 to nearly 60.6 billion euro by 2009.

http://www.pwc.com/outlook 
_____________________________________________

o Report: MP3 Player Market to Hit 104 Million Units in 2009

Scottsdale, Arizona -- The MP3 player market is poised to grow from
27.8 million units shipped in 2004 to 104 million by 2009, driven by
falling prices, more legitimate digital music services, smaller hard
drives and increased flash memory storage capacity, according to a
report from market research firm In-Stat. Combined revenue for hard
drive- and flash memory-based MP3 players reached 3.7 billion euro in
2004, up nearly 200% from 2003. In-Stat noted that Apple currently
holds 30% market share for combined sales of hard drive and flash
memory MP3 players. It also predicts that flash memory players with
1GB or greater capacities will make up 20% of that market by the end
of this year. "As competition heats up, vendors are striving to
differentiate products by offering a wide range of price points, memory
capacities, and features," said In-Stat analyst Stephanie Guza.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?Q3592305B
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(Frankfurt) SAP, a Germany-based business software maker,
announced that it has acquired Lighthammer Software Development
Corp., a U.S.-based privately owned supplier of enterprise
manufacturing intelligence and collaborative manufacturing software.
Financial terms were not disclosed. "Acquiring Lighthammer supports
SAP's strategy of enabling adaptive business networks, or ABNs, for
our customers," said Nils Herzberg, senior vice president of SAP's
Manufacturing Industry Solutions, Product and Technology Group.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?S3DD2205B

(Stockholm) Swedish TV4 announced that it has launched a free live
TV channel on Telia's mobile portal, SurfPort. The service, developed
by Rubberduck Media Lab, allows all mobile phones with video
support to show TV4 News -- without the installation of a player.
Viewers can watch TV4 headline news whenever they want, wherever
they are, the company said. "This is a very important opportunity for
us, as we are now entering the Nordic market," said Rubberduck CTO
Ola Akselberg. "TV4's choice of Rubberduck shows that our product
… provides the best possible quality of video content and services for
the mobile market."
http://www.rubberduckmedialab.com/press/050622.htm

(Los Angeles) Vivendi Universal Games, a unit of France-based media
group Vivendi, announced that it has signed actors Ron Perlman, Neal
McDonough and Richard Moll to lend their voices to its Sierra
Entertainment publishing label's "The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate
Destruction". The title also features a storyline penned by comic book
writer Paul Jenkins and artwork from comic artist Bryan Hitch.
Developed by Canada-based Radical Entertainment for PlayStation 2,
Xbox and GameCube, the game is due to ship in August.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050622/law010.html 

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Copyright: Tech Wire Media Group 2005

Thames Tech Wire - June 22, 2005

============================================
THAMES TECH WIRE - June 22, 2005
============================================
To Subscribe: http://www.techwiremedia.com/thames

o Blair: EU Farming Funds Would be Better Spent on Technology
o HgCapital Sells Trados to U.K.-Based SDL for £33 Million
o Bath-Based PicoChips Secures £11.2-Million Investment
o Cambridge-Based Brady Buys Tradesoft for Undisclosed Sum
o N.Y. Senator Calls for Ban of Eidos "Cop-Killer" Videogame
o Briefly Noted: Sirius Satellite Radio-BBC Radio 1, Disney's
Buena Vista Games-Climax Group, UTEK-Clare Thompson
_____________________________________________

o Blair: EU Farming Funds Would be Better Spent on Technology

Berlin -- In an interview with German newspaper Bild, U.K. Prime
Minister Tony Blair criticised the fact that about 40% of the 50-billion-
euro (£33.2 billion) EU budget is spent on the farming industry, saying
that the money would be better invested in technology. "We spend on
agriculture probably ten times what we spend on science, or
technology, or research and development, or training across the EU,"
Blair said. "It makes no sense." Blair emphasised the need to invest
more in innovation and training, "not promote every cow with two euro
a day." "The rest of the world is not waiting for us," he said. "We
certainly cannot wait until 2014 as some suggest." The U.K. is
scheduled to take over the six-month rotating EU presidency on July 1.
http://www.bild.t-online.de/BTO/
_____________________________________________

o HgCapital Sells Trados to U.K.-Based SDL for £33 Million

London -- HgCapital, a U.K.-based mid-market private equity investor
focusing on the U.K., Ireland, Germany and the Benelux region,
announced that it has sold Trados Inc., a California-based specialist in
globalisation software to the translator and corporate enterprise market.
HgCapital offloaded Trados to SDL, a U.K.-based translation services
and technology firm, for approximately £33 million. "We have worked
with the management team at Trados to achieve an enviable market
position as the leading global supplier of localisation software based on
leading edge technology and a strong blue chip customer base," said
HgCapital Director Lisa Stone. "We are pleased that we are now able to
achieve a strong exit for clients." HgCapital said the sale would realise
about £10.3 million for clients.
http://www.hgcapital.net/pressreleases_152.html
_____________________________________________

o Bath-Based PicoChips Secures £11.2-Million Investment

Bath, England -- PicoChip Designs, a U.K.-based wireless processing
specialist, announced that it has secured a further £11.2 in third-round
venture-capital financing. The new round brings the Bath-based firm's
total funding to date to nearly £23 million. Scottish Equity Partners
(SEP) and Intel Capital led the round, with existing investors Pond
Venture Partners and Atlas Venture also participating. "We will use
this funding to expand on PicoChip's success in WiMAX and deliver
products for WCDMA, TD-SCDMA and other wireless markets," said
PicoChip President and CEO Guillaume d'Eyssautier.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?J4F512E4B
_____________________________________________

o Cambridge-Based Brady Buys Tradesoft for Undisclosed Sum

Cambridge, England -- Brady, a U.K.-based commodity software firm
listed on the London Stock Exchange, announced that it has acquired
Tradesoft, a software firm based in the Netherlands, for an undisclosed
sum. Tradesoft provides software for commodities management,
focusing on physical commodities such as base metals, steel products,
semi-finished products and scrap products. Brady said the acquisition,
which it expects to close by month's end, would not likely have any
material impact on its profits this year. The Cambridge-based firm also
said that it intends to incorporate Tradesoft offerings into its product
portfolio to provide enhanced support services to Tradesoft clients and
an expanded scope of services to Trinity users.
http://www.bradytrinity.com/iSID/knowledgebase.asp
_____________________________________________

o N.Y. Senator Calls for Ban of Eidos "Cop-Killer" Videogame

Washington -- Calling the game an "all-time low", U.S. Senator
Charles Schumer has called on New York retailers not to sell an
upcoming videogame that allows players to become gang members
who shoot and kill police officers. "25 to Life" was developed by Salt
Lake City, Utah-based Avalanche Software and is slated for release this
summer by U.K.-based publisher Eidos. Schumer, who said games like
"25 to Life", "Grand Theft Auto" and "Manhunt" have lowered the
"common denominator of decency", also called on Sony and Microsoft
to terminate their licensing agreements with Eidos. "Little Johnny
should be learning how to read, not how to kill cops," Schumer said.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?K64521E4B
http://www.eidos.com 
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(New York) Sirius Satellite Radio, a U.S.-based provider of
subscription radio programming, announced that it has forged an
agreement with BBC Radio International to broadcast a feed of BBC
Radio 1 on Sirius. The channel, which counts a weekly U.K. audience
of more than 12 million, will be broadcast on a time-shift basis so that
listeners hear Chris Moyles's Breakfast Show, among others, in the
morning.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050621/nytu039.html 
http://www.siriusradio.com 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1 

(Burbank, California) Disney's Buena Vista Games announced the
release of its "Disney's Herbie: Fully Loaded" title for Game Boy
Advance, based on the upcoming feature film starring Lindsay Lohan.
The title was developed by U.K.-based Climax Group and published by
Buena Vista's Disney Interactive label. The game offers fans a chance
to slip behind the wheel of one of the "world's most beloved cars",
engages players in a 3D stock-car racing game and includes images of
Lindsay Lohan, the film's teenage star.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?P58512E4B

(Plant City, Florida) UTEK, a U.S.-based technology transfer and
commercialisation company, announced that it has named Clare
Thompson as managing director of its European subsidiary. Thompson
joined UTEK in February as Chief Technology Alliance officer in
Europe. "UTEK's business model is a boon to many growing
companies who need new technologies to develop a strategic
marketplace advantage," Thompson said. "I believe that there is a great
opportunity for us to expand our business throughout the U.K. and
European markets."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?X39521E4B

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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 - June 21, 2005

============================================
THAMES TECH WIRE - June 21, 2005
============================================
To Subscribe: http://www.techwiremedia.com/thames

o U.K. Computing Centre Launches Open-Source Testing Lab
o U.K. Tops Super-Growth Table for Medium-Size Companies
o Online Poker to Generate £2.2 Billion by 2008, Report Says
o U.K.-Based AlanDick Acquires Tactus for Undisclosed Sum
o European Parliament Rejects Plans to Overhaul Patent Directive
o Microsoft Gives Promotion to European Chief Philippe Courtois
o Briefly Noted: BBC Radio 3-Beethoven, Dell-New Poland
Facility, Deny All-U.K. Partners-European Network for
Application Security Scheme, Gravity-Gamesrouter-
"R.O.S.E. Online"
_____________________________________________

o U.K. Computing Centre Launches Open-Source Testing Lab

Manchester, England -- The U.K. National Computing Centre (NCC)
announced that it opened a new open source test laboratory to support
the use and development of open source technologies among public
sector organisations. The NCC said the new lab would allow local
authorities to trial open source applications and configurations without
disrupting their existing configurations. "Many organisations have
heard about the benefits of open source, but are wary about
implementing open source solutions due to technical and compatibility
considerations," said Ed Downs, project manager for laboratory. "The
Open Source Laboratory allows potential users to test configurations,
evaluate the benefits and build confidence in open source technologies
without risk."
http://www.ncc.co.uk/aboutncc/press_rel/testlab.cfm
http://europa.eu.int/idabc/en/document/4073/469
_____________________________________________

o U.K. Tops Super-Growth Table for Medium-Size Companies

London -- According to a report by accountancy Grant Thornton, the
U.K. currently enjoys the highest proportion of super-growth medium-
sized companies in all of Europe. Medium-sized companies are those
with between 50 and 249 employees, while "super growth" is much
higher than the global average. While the U.S. topped the international
table with 48% growth among medium-sized companies, the U.K. led
the way in Europe with about 25% growth. "Healthy consumer
demand, low unemployment and a stable economy have all contributed
to helping U.K. businesses capitalise on their ambitious growth targets,
and combined with the poor performance of eurozone economies, it's
no surprise that more fast-growing companies are located in the U.K.,
than in other EU states."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?X28E12C4B
_____________________________________________

o Online Poker to Generate £2.2 Billion by 2008, Report Says

Dublin -- The global annual commissions generated from online poker
sites will exceed £2.2 billion euro within the next three years, according
to a poll of industry experts conducted by Ireland-based Research and
Markets. The total amount gambled on online poker sites this year is
estimated to be more than £33 billion. The poll found that most experts
believe online poker will be the dominant form of online gambling by
2008 and that Europe will be the leading market. The firm predicted
that bigger gambling brands like Ladbrokes will soon enter the space
and that poker sites would face obstacles like decreasing revenues per
active player that will lead to industry consolidation.
http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c19515 
_____________________________________________

o U.K.-Based AlanDick Acquires Tactus for Undisclosed Sum

Bristol, England -- The AlanDick Group, a London-based
telecommunications and broadcast infrastructure specialist, announced
that it has acquired Tactus, a U.K.-based remote system management
specialist, which has been renamed Tactus Telematics. Financial terms
were not disclosed. "This is part of the group's strategy of bringing on
innovative new technology companies," said AlanDick Group Sales
and Marketing Director Wayne Skinner. "Tactus Telematics brings us a
range of products that help to automate the management of networks in
the field."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?C11C32C4B
_____________________________________________

o European Parliament Rejects Plans to Overhaul Patent Directive

Brussels -- In a long-awaited decision that will delight companies like
Nokia, Siemens and Philips, the European Parliament's Legal Affairs
Committee has rejected plans overhaul of the software patents
directive. Europe's large technology companies will see the ruling as a
major victory, as the proposed changes would have weakened their
ability to win patents for their inventions. Clear battle lines have been
drawn in Europe over the highly controversial directive, which larger
companies tend to favour, arguing that IP rights provide incentives for
companies to innovate. Opponents of the directive, such as smaller
software companies and open-source developers, argue that the
directive will concentrate patents in the hands of a few large
companies. While the directive still must be confirmed by the entire
parliament early next month, most pundits are predicting its passage, as
ministers tend to follow the recommendations of the committee.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?X2BF12C4B
_____________________________________________

o Microsoft Gives Promotion to European Chief Courtois

Paris -- U.S.-based software giant Microsoft announced that it has
promoted Jean-Philippe Courtois, its current European chief, to
president of Microsoft International. In his new position, Courtois will
be responsible for more than 14,000 employees and all of Microsoft's
marketing, sales and services business outside North America. Courtois
will also direct Microsoft's largest European operations in Germany,
France and the U.K. Neil Holloway, former corporate vice president of
sales, marketing and services for the EMEA region (Europe, Middle
East and Africa), has been named president of Microsoft EMEA, with
responsibility for operations, the company said.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?F20D31C4B
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(London) The BBC announced that a recent programme offering free
downloads of performances of Beethoven's first five symphonies
generated nearly 660,000 downloads during a week-long trial. The
performances by the BBC Philharmonic, conducted by Gianandrea
Noseda, were broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and also made available for
streaming. "The response has been incredible and much bigger than we
expected," said BBC Radio 3 controller Roger Wright. The BBC plans
to air broadcasts and offer downloads of the remaining four Beethoven
symphonies later this month.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3 

(Dublin) According to a report in the Irish Independent, U.S.-based
computer giant Dell is in "advanced talks" to set up a second
manufacturing facility in Poland. Talks are ongoing between Dell and
senior political representatives in Poland about the possibility of setting
up the new facility in the city of Poznan, the Independent said. Dell's
current flagship European manufacturing facility -- which accounts for
more than 8 billion euro in exports a year -- is based in Limerick,
Ireland.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?Y56C12C4B 

(Paris) Deny All, a France-based web application security vendor,
announced that it is planning to increase its presence in the U.K.
market. The company said it wanted to recruit as many as five U.K.
partners to its European Network for Application Security scheme.
"The market is growing fast, and we can't address it directly," said
Deny All European Business Development Director Philippe Fauchay.
"Many projects we are involved with require our products to be
integrated into existing frameworks, and our partners can provide the
necessary services and skills around that."
http://www.denyall.com/

(Seoul) Korean online game developer Gravity announced that it has
signed a distribution agreement with Gamesrouter that will result in the
launch of its massively multiplayer online game "R.O.S.E. Online" in
Europe. Under the terms of the agreement, U.K.-based Gamesrouter
will operate the title in 17 European countries.
http://www.gravity.co.kr 
http://www.gamesrouter.com 

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Thames Tech Wire - June 20, 2005

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

o New EVCA Chairman Calls for "Deeply Liquid" Exchange
o Psion Buys Canada's Symagery Microsystems for £2 Million
o France Telecom Denies Possible Takeover of Cable &Wireless
o Report: M&A Spending in U.K. Rises Sharply in First Half
o Ireland's Digiweb Acquires Tiscali Satellite-Broadband Assets
o Microsoft Developing "Avalanche" File-Sharing Technology
o New Software Gives PCs Ability to "Think", Researchers Say
o Briefly Noted: DN Capital-Cedric Sellin-Andy Choi, BSkyB
Broadband-Premium Movie and Sports Download Service,
Indium-Brian Craig
_____________________________________________

|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

> 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

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_____________________________________________

o New EVCA Chairman Calls for "Deeply Liquid" Exchange

Brussels -- The European Venture Capital Association (EVCA)
announced that Sir David Cooksey has replaced Herman Daems as
EVCA chairman. The EVCA said Cooksey, who served as chairman of
the British Venture Capital Association between 1983 and 1984, would
focus on getting EU member states to remove barriers for venture
capital investment. "The next twelve months will be exceedingly busy
for EVCA in the light of the wider economic developments in Europe,"
Cooksey said. "We need to continue to show the unique strengths and
benefits of our industry and the role that it plays in both national and
European economies to a wider variety of audiences … regulators,
investors and the business community." Cooksey also lamented the fact
that European venture capitalists lacked a single high-growth, deeply
liquid, pan-European stock exchange. "We will never have the success
of the American market with 33 different markets," he said.
http://www.evca.com/html/home.asp
_____________________________________________

o Psion Buys Canada's Symagery Microsystems for £2 Million

London -- U.K.-based Psion Plc announced that it has acquired
Symagery Microsystems Inc., a Canada-based imaging firm, for
approximately £2 million in cash. Psion said that Symagery, which
delivers image capture and processing for commercial and mobile data
collection applications like transportation, supply chain management
and mobile sales, would be incorporated into Psion Teklogix, a
specialist in mobile computing, wireless data collection and radio-
frequency identification (RFID). "This is an excellent acquisition for
Psion Teklogix following several years of working together on
customer projects," said Psion CEO Alistair Crawford. "Symagery has
developed a strong portfolio of leading image capture and processing
technologies, which we have already integrated into Psion Teklogix
hand-held computers."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?L3F021B4B
_____________________________________________

o France Telecom Denies Possible Takeover of Cable &Wireless

Paris -- France Telecom, a France-based telecommunications group,
has denied recent media reports linking the company with a takeover of
Cable & Wireless (C&W), currently the second-largest
telecommunications firm in the U.K. Without quoting any named
sources, the Sunday Telegraph reported over the weekend that France
Telecom was considering a bid for C&W as part of its strategy to
diversify in the U.K. The Telegraph quoted an executive as saying there
was "absolutely no doubt that France Telecom is looking at making a
bid for Cable & Wireless." On Monday, however, the French giant
poured cold water on the report. "France Telecom formally denies
everything that is in this article," said spokeswoman Nilou de Castel.
"It is pure fantasy."
http://www.francetelecom.com/en/
_____________________________________________

o Report: M&A Spending in U.K. Rises Sharply in First Half

London -- According to a new report by KPMG/Dealogic, spending on
mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the U.K. came to more than £66
billion in the first quarter of 2005, up from the £50.4 billion reported
over the same period last year. "Although U.K. deal numbers have not
matched the most bullish predictions, the value of activity is clearly on
an upward track," said Stephen Barrett, international chairman of
KPMG's corporate finance practice. "There is a pick-up across the
larger end of the market with 30 deals over (£548 million) closing so
far this half." The report found that property is now the largest sector in
terms of value, but said that it still lags behind the media, IT and
software sectors in terms of number of deals.
http://www.kpmg.co.uk/news/detail.cfm?pr=2266 
http://www.dealogic.com/
_____________________________________________

o Ireland's Digiweb Acquires Tiscali Satellite-Broadband Assets

Dundalk, Ireland -- Digiweb Ltd., an Ireland-based broadband Internet
provider, announced that it has acquired Tiscali's satellite broadband
business in Italy for an undisclosed sum. Tiscali is an Italy-based
Internet service provider (ISP). Digiweb also announced that it is
currently considering further acquisitions in Ireland and on the
Continent, particularly in satellite, software and wireless technologies.
"This is the first of our aggressive expansions throughout Europe and,
indeed, globally," said Digiweb Operation Manager Declan Campbell.
Under the terms of the acquisition, Digiweb will take over the
provision of services and support to all customers in Italy, effective
immediately.
http://www.mysan.de/article131123.html
_____________________________________________

o Microsoft Developing "Avalanche" File-Sharing Technology

Cambridge, England -- Microsoft announced that it has developed a
file-sharing technology similar to the BitTorrent peer-to-peer network -
- which breaks large files into smaller bits that can be transmitted to
downloaders more speedily -- at its computer science research lab in
Cambridge, England. Microsoft said the technology, called
"Avalanche", solved a BitTorrent flaw that leaves users waiting for the
less prominent last bits of a file. By encoding information in each bit on
the whole file, Avalanche allows users to reconstruct entire files
without having to download every bit. The company said piracy
concerns were addressed because Avalanche would distribute only files
authorised by publishers. Microsoft is currently testing Avalanche as a
means of distributing files to several thousand of its software beta
testers and said the technology may be introduced in the U.K. next
year.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?R2AF42A4B
_____________________________________________

o New Software Gives PCs Ability to "Think", Researchers Say

London -- Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and
Technology in Colorado -- along with researchers in the U.K., France,
Germany and Japan -- announced that they have developed a new
programming language that allows a computer to think through the
consequences of an action before executing it. Developers said the new
programme, dubbed ISO 18629, used artificial intelligence (AI) and
language analysis to make computers much more useful in
manufacturing. What's more, ISO 18629's AI will be able to act on a
word's "meaning" and interpret a command almost like a person would,
researchers said. NIST said the language was especially well-suited for
the exchange of process planning, validation, production scheduling
and control information.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?J1B251B4B
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(London) DN Capital, a U.K.-based venture-capital firm, announced
that it has appointed Cedric Sellin and Andy Choi to its investment
team. Sellin has joined DN Capital from Aruba Wireless Networks, a
Wi-Fi switching and security firm backed by Sequoia Capital and
Matrix, while Choi has joined from software start-up Ensim Corp,
backed by Silicon Valley-based NEA. "These additions to the team are
in line with our strategy of adding more technical and operational
experience to the Investment Team, as well as maintain strong links to
the U.S. marketplace," said DN Capital Managing Partner Nenad
Marovac.
http://www.dncapital.com/

(London) BSkyB, a U.K.-based satellite TV firm, announced that it
plans to launch an Internet movie and sports download service later this
year. BSkyB said the new service, available only to premium
subscribers, would bypass Sky's satellite network, sending programmes
to a computer using a broadband connection. Telewest and NTL, a pair
of U.K.-based cable companies, recently announced plans to roll out
new video-on-demand services that do not require programmes to be
downloaded ahead of time.
http://www.uk-bug.net/Article845.html

(Milton Keynes, England) Indium Corp., a U.S.-based supplier of
electronics assembly materials, including solder pastes, solder
preforms, fluxes, Pb-Free solder alloys, underfill materials and die-
attach materials, announced that it has appointed Brian Craig as the
new managing director of its European operations. Indium said that
Craig, who will be located at the company's offices in Milton Keynes,
would be responsible for the general management of operations and
activities throughout the EMEA region (Europe, the Middle East and
Africa). Craig is currently director of Indium's Interconnect business
unit.
http://www.indium.com/news.php#news120

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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 - June 17, 2005

============================================
THAMES TECH WIRE - June 17, 2005
============================================
To Subscribe: http://www.techwiremedia.com/thames

o Cohen Takes Nominet to High Court over iTunes Ruling
o PartyGaming Looks to Raise £1.2 Billion with London IPO
o Ireland-Based Anam Mobile Receives Motorola Investment
o U.K.-Based Azure Solutions Secures £8.2-Million Financing
o Yahoo Service Searches Content on Paid Subscription Sites
o Study: Fifth of Newspaper Readers Rely on Web Editions
o Briefly Noted: McAfee-Ireland Software Operations Centre,
Audible-U.K. Audiobook Service, Retail Decisions-Datawire
Communication Networks-Sarian Systems, Radstone
Embedded Computing-U.S. Headquarters
_____________________________________________

o Cohen Takes Nominet to High Court over iTunes Ruling

London -- Benjamin Cohen, a 22-year-old Internet entrepreneur,
announced that he has served Nominet, the U.K. domain name
registrar, with papers relating to an application for Judicial Review,
meaning that Nominet will now have to defend itself in the High Court
over the itunes.co.uk domain name. Cohen currently owns the
iTunes.co.uk domain name, but Nominet ruled last month that he
would have to turn over rights to computer giant Apple Corp, despite
the fact that Cohen registered the name three years before Apple
launched its online music store. Cohen claims that Nominet has no
legal authority in the case and has refused to revoke rights over the
URL. Nominet, however, argues that the High Court cannot rule on its
authority because the registrar is not a public body.
http://www.nominet.org.uk/ 
http://www.courtservice.gov.uk/judgments/judg_home.htm
_____________________________________________

o PartyGaming Looks to Raise £1.2 Billion with London IPO

London -- PartyGaming, a U.K.-based online poker site, announced
that it plans to raise as much as £1.2 billion in an initial public offering
(IPO) on the London Stock Exchange, Reuters reported. The company
takes about 3% off the top of all hands played for money on its sites,
pulling in an estimated £55,000 every hour. However, some investors
have expressed concern over the questionable legal status of online
gambling in many countries. For instance, about 87% of PartyGaming's
customers are in the U.S., where online gambling is illegal. While
PartyGaming does not operate in the U.S., it does advertise in U.S.
media and receives funds from U.S.-based credit card and payment
processing companies. "There is a significant risk that criminal or civil
judgments may be sought against the group of directors," PartyGaming
said.
http://tinyurl.com/9fqc6 
____________________________________________

o Ireland-Based Anam Mobile Receives Motorola Investment

Dublin -- Motorola Ventures, the investment arm of U.S.-based mobile-
phone giant Motorola, announced that it has made an undisclosed
investment in Anam Mobile Ltd., an Ireland-based developer of
messaging infrastructure products for the mobile telecommunications
industry. Terms of the investment were not disclosed. "The messaging
market is the most mature consumer-oriented mobile data services
market but has been the subject of little genuine service innovation,"
said Motorola Ventures EMEA Managing Director John O'Donohue.
"Anam's Smart Service products are designed to allow operators to
secure premium revenue streams by offering services that are relevant
and complementary to a seamless mobile life-style."
http://www.anam.com/anamNewsDetail.asp?newsId=13
____________________________________________

o U.K.-Based Azure Solutions Secures £8.2-Million Financing

London -- Azure Solutions, a U.K.-based revenue-assurance firm,
announced that it has secured about £8.2 million in new venture-capital
financing. The round was led by Doughty Hanson Technology
Ventures, an early stage technology venture capital firm, with Intel
Capital New Venture Partners, AG Edwards and Hexagon Investments
also participating. Azure said it would use the investment to develop its
telecommunications revenue-assurance portfolio and accelerate
expansion in the Americas and the Asia Pacific region. Under the terms
of the investment, Doughty Hanson partner Jerry Ennis will join
Azure's board of directors.
http://www.azuresolutions.com/news_det.asp?id=547
____________________________________________

o Yahoo Service Searches Content on Paid Subscription Sites

London -- Yahoo announced that it has launched a new search engine
feature that lets users search the archives of publications that are
available only with a paid subscription. The Yahoo Search
Subscriptions service allows users to search "deep web" content on
sites like the Wall Street Journal Online, the Financial Times,
Consumer Reports and TheStreet.com -- sites that search engines
usually cannot access. While the new search feature will let users in the
U.S. and U.K. determine which paid content sources to include in their
searches, they will still have to pay to access the full article or content
returned in those search results. Yahoo said it plans to add paid sites
like Factiva, LexisNexis and Thomson Gale to the service in the
coming weeks.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/050616/165255.html 
http://search.yahoo.com/subscriptions 
____________________________________________

o Study: Fifth of Newspaper Readers Rely on Web Editions

New York -- More than one-fifth of Internet users who read
newspapers now rely primarily on web editions, according to a new
study by Nielsen/NetRatings. The firm found that 21% rely on Internet
editions, while 72% still access print editions. Another 7% said they
split their time evenly between online and offline editions. "A
significant percentage of newspaper readers have transferred their
preference from print to online editions," said Nielsen//NetRatings
analyst Gerry Davidson. "Accordingly, many online editions now
feature original content and have developed an online strategy that
includes online message boards and editorial blogs, which leverage the
medium's strengths of interactivity and immediacy."
http://www.netratings.com/news.jsp?section=new_pr 
____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(Dublin) Micheal Martin, Ireland's Minister for Enterprise, Trade and
Employment, has officially opened a new Software Operations Centre
in Cork for McAfee, a U.S.-based security software firm. The centre,
which was announced in October 2004, is supported by IDA Ireland
and was established as a result of restructuring by McAfee of a number
of its worldwide activities. "The centre is operating well ahead of
schedule," Martin said. "It has, in just six months, recruited 85 people,
filling more than half of the 152 knowledge intensive jobs planned for
recruitment over three years."
http://www.entemp.ie/press/2005/20060616b.htm

(London) Audible, a U.S.-based audiobook firm, announced that it has
launched its service in the U.K. Audible.co.uk allows users to
download or stream audio files from the Internet to any PC or Mac.
"The U.K. is vital to our growth and continued success," said Audible
founder and CEO Don Katz. "With digital music taking the U.K. by
storm and trends such as podcasting gaining popularity, we
wholeheartedly believe that spoken word content will be the next big
story for MP3 users."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?M25C2474B

(London) Retail Decisions (ReD), a U.K.-based specialist in card fraud
prevention and payment processing, announced that it has formed a
strategic alliance with Datawire Communication Networks Inc., a
Canada-based transaction delivery firm, and Sarian Systems, a U.K.-
based manufacturer of IP routing products. Under the terms of the
partnership, the three companies will create ReD1Link, which will
provide High Street retailers with faster and more secure payment
technologies that can be used over existing broadband lines.
http://www.redplc.com/96_1086.asp

(London) Radstone Embedded Computing, a U.K.-based developer of
embedded computing technology, announced that its U.S. headquarters
and most of its functions would transfer from Woodcliff Lake, New
Jersey, to its newly expanded office in Billerica, New Jersey. Radstone
said it would recruit administration personnel in the area to replace
employees who will not be making the move. The Woodcliff Lake
office will remain as Radstone's North Eastern sales and customer
support office, the company said.
http://www.radstone.com/press/dsp_release.aspx?id=123

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