Thames Tech Wire

Hi-Tech Crime Unit Launches Online-Security Initiative

London -- The National Hi-Tech Crime Unit -- together with BT, Dell,
eBay, HSBC, Lloyds TSB, Microsoft, MessageLabs, securetrading.com
and Yell.com -- has launched the "Get Safe Online" initiative to
educate U.K. consumers and small companies about basic computer
security. Organisers said the initiative would use a website and a
national tour to help the public become more "cyber-savvy" and
consolidate Internet security information. "As threats from organised
Internet criminals grow, new research from Get Safe Online has found
that over three quarters of the (U.K.) population (83%) don't know
enough about protecting themselves online," the Crime Unit said. "In
fact, 42% of the population just rely on friends and family for online
safety advice, rather than finding expert information for themselves."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?Z5591401C

Xilinx Opens 7.5-Million-Euro Research Centre in Ireland

Dublin -- Xilinx, a U.S.-based maker of semiconductor chips,
announced that it has opened a new 7.5-million-euro research centre in
Dublin -- its first expansion of research facilities outside the U.S.
Xilinx's headquarters in Dublin already houses an R&D, operations and
engineering centre, in which the company has invested about 125
million euro. Xilinx's latest expansion will specialise in networking and
emerging network architectures. Irish Minister for Enterprise, Trade
and Employment Micheal Martin welcomed the news. "This
investment by Xilinx Ireland in R&D further enhances the company's
profile as a model of how an international company in Ireland can
develop beyond its original mandate to become a key link in the
company's global chain," he said.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?C4092501C

U.K.-Based GFI Software Secures Venture-Capital Investment

London -- GFI Software Ltd., a U.K.-based provider of network-
security, content-security and messaging software, announced that it
has raised an undisclosed amount of venture-capital financing. Insight
Venture Partners, a New York-based venture-capital firm specialising
in software and Internet services, led the round. "GFI represents an
ideal fit for Insight's investment profile," said Insight founder and
managing partner Jeff Horing. "The company has a significant number
of satisfied customers, innovative technology that has won numerous
product awards and is continually staying ahead of the curve." GFI
recently announced that it has appointed Curtis Staker, the former
president of Websense, as its new chief executive officer.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?W4282101C

Report: Volkswagen Preparing to Sell IT Division Gedas

Frankfurt -- According to a report in the Financial Times Deutschland,
Germany-based Volkswagen (VW), currently the largest car-maker in
Europe, is preparing to offload Gedas, its IT services subsidiary,
sometime this year. Quoting unnamed but "well-informed" sources, the
report said a number of potential buyers had already expressed interest
in Gedas and submitted non-binding offers for the company, which is
valued at about 500 million euro. The report included U.K.-based
private-equity firm Apax Partners, T-Systems (a division of Deutsche
Telekom), IBM, U.S.-based services provider ACS and EDS as
possible bidders.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?V6782101C

Vodafone Buys 10% Stake in Bharti Tele-Ventures

London -- U.K.-based Vodafone Group Plc, the largest mobile-phone
operator in the world, announced that it has returned to the Indian
market by acquiring 10% of Bharti Tele-Ventures Ltd. for
approximately £840 million. Bharti is currently the largest and the
fastest-growing mobile company in India, with more than 14.1 million
customers, or 22% market share. "We have been thinking about India
for the last year or so, and India is a fast-growing economy," said
Vodafone CEO Arun Sarin. "All around the world, the need to
communicate is a basic human instinct, and I believe the number of
mobile phone users in India will rise very smartly."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?S38E5101C 

Palm Opens Engineering Centre in Ireland

Dublin -- Palm, a Silicon Valley-based mobile technology firm and
smartphone provider, announced that it has opened a new engineering
centre just outside Dublin -- the first centre the company has
established outside the U.S. Palm said the new centre would develop
software applications for Palm Treo smartphones for mobile operators
in the EMEA region. "We are delighted to open this centre in Europe, a
significant step up for our R&D function," said Palm CEO Ed Colligan.
"After careful consideration of alternatives, we were convinced by the
IDA and our own analysis that the specific R&D skills crucial to the
success of this centre are readily available in Ireland."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?F28D3101C

Data Electronics Expands Facility in Dublin

Dublin -- Data Electronics, an Ireland-based IT outsourcing firm,
announced that it is opening a new 2.5-million-euro extension to its
facility in Dublin. "(The opening of this new facility) represents a
significant milestone in Ireland's development as a gateway to Europe
for international companies and further highlights the (Irish
government's) progress in attracting e-commerce enterprises," said Data
Electronics CEO Maurice Mortell. U.K.-based mobile operator
Vodafone has already signed up for space in the new facility with a
multi-million euro contract in which Data Electronics will host part of
Vodafone's voice and data infrastructure.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?F1ED4101C

OFT Approves Proposed Acquisition of Energis by C&W

London -- The U.K. Office of Fair Trading (OFT) announced that it has
approved the proposed acquisition of Energis, a U.K.-based
telecommunications firm, by local rival Cable & Wireless (C&W). In
August, C&W said it would pay £594 million in cash for Energis,
followed by £80 million in cash or shares three years after the deal is
completed. Industry experts and analysts had feared that the OFT
would refer the deal to the Competition Commission in a move that
could well have scuttled the merger altogether. OFT Competition
Enforcement Director Vincent Smith, however, said his organisation
did not believe C&W would impose higher post-merger prices on
customers because of the number of credible competitors -- despite the
fact the two companies overlap in the supply of various
telecommunications services to U.K. business customers.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?F29253D0C

Intel Capital Makes Investment in U.K.-Based Epichem

London -- Epichem, a U.K.-based provider of chemicals to the
semiconductor industry, announced that it has received an undisclosed
amount of venture-capital financing from Intel Capital. Intel was the
sole investor in the round, hitherto Epichem's first. Epichem said the
funds would allow it to expand R&D and manufacturing capabilities in
Taiwan, the U.K. and the U.S. "Epichem's extensive in-house technical
expertise, as well as its strong links to key academic centres in the U.K.
and (U.S.), continues to be a great advantage," said Epichem CEO
Barry Leese. "This funding by Intel Capital will help to ensure that
Epichem can solve some of the challenges presented by Moore's Law
to meet the manufacturing requirements for future-generation devices."
http://www.epichem.com/
http://www.intel.com/capital/

Abacus to Acquire Deltron Electronics for £28.4 Million

London -- Abacus Group Plc, a U.K.-based distributor of electronic
components to companies including Nokia, announced that it agreed to
acquire Deltron Electronics Plc, a U.K.-based distributor of
electromechanical components, for £28.4 million. Abacus said the deal
would allow it to provide a more comprehensive service to its
customers, contributing to the growth of the business in Europe and
overlapping business activities in the U.K., the Nordic region and Italy.
Once the deal is completed, Jerry Vaughan will be appointed to the
Abacus board as an executive director, while David Weir will be
appointed as a non-executive director.
http://www.abacus-group.co.uk/jkcm/
http://makeashorterlink.com/?C19312D0C