Thames Tech Wire - June 28, 2005

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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
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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
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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/
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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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