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December 17, 2004

European Tech Wire - Dec. 17, 2004

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EUROPEAN TECH WIRE - Dec. 17, 2004
============================================
To Subscribe: http://www.europeantechwire.com

o 3i Director: U.K. Second-Best Place in World for Start-Ups
o Advent Venture Partners Announces First Closing of New Fund
o France-Based Thomson Acquires The Moving Picture Company
o European Mobile Operators Must Change Pricing, Report Says
o Freenet.de to Buy Strato from Teles for 132 Million Euro
o EU OKs Slovak Telecom Purchase of EuroTel Mobile Unit
o Briefly Noted: Worldwide Incubator Network, Ian Burnett-HALCA
Mini-Fab Development, Cendant-Gulliver Travel Associates-Octopus
Travel.com, Aphton-Ingeneon
_____________________________________________

o 3i Director: U.K. Second-Best Place in World for Start-Ups

London -- According to Rod Perry, executive director of U.K.-based
venture capital giant 3i Group, the U.K. is the second-best country in
the world after the U.S. for start-up firms. 3i Group is one of the largest
VC firms in the world, boasting an investment fund of about £7 billion
(10.2 billion euro) spread across more than 400 technology companies
worldwide. "The big advantage in the U.K. has been the change
towards becoming more entrepreneurial, which happened especially
after the Thatcher years," Perry said in an interview with Computing
Magazine. "Various government schemes have boosted the U.K.'s
standing as a centre for start-ups, such as Chancellor Gordon Brown's
£2.5-billion investment in science and technology." Perry also cited the
introduction of the Sarbanes Oxley Act in the U.S. and the relative
flexibility of the U.K. labour market compared to the rest of Europe as
additional reasons why Cambridge, England, is becoming the new
Silicon Valley.
http://www.computing.co.uk/analysis/1160083
http://www.3i.com/
_____________________________________________

o Advent Venture Partners Announces First Closing of New Fund

London -- Advent Venture Partners, a U.K.-based venture capital firm
that focuses on the IT, communications technology and life sciences
sectors, announced this week that it has completed the first closing of
its latest fund. With total commitments of £128 million (186 million
euro), Advent Private Equity Fund IV's investors include Access
Capital Partners, the European Investment Fund, Pantheon, Westport
Private Equity, Alpinvest Partners and Swiss Re. The target for the
fund is £200 million (291 million euro), Advent said. "We are
particularly pleased to have the continued support of so many of our
existing investors, as well as having the opportunity to welcome new
investors," said Advent Chairman David Cooksey. "We believe that
now is a particularly good time to be investing in European-based
technology companies and that there are excellent opportunities to back
experienced management teams at attractive valuations."
http://www.adventventures.com/html/flash.htm
_____________________________________________

o European Mobile Operators Must Change Pricing, Report Says

Paris -- According to a report by market research firm Analysys,
European mobile operators must change their pricing strategies to
"kick-start the lagging mobile content market" for services such as
ringtones, logos, games, music and videos. The report found that the
Western European mobile content market grew much more slowly last
year than predicted, generating just 2.3 billion euro in revenue. "A key
short-term priority is addressing the inadequacy of pricing structures,"
report author Alex Zadvorny said. "The prevailing approaches to
pricing are far too complex and difficult for the customer to
understand." The report recommended that European operators follow
the lead of Japanese operators, or develop affordable flat-rate content
packages similar to those in the satellite TV industry.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?Y1C755D0A
_____________________________________________

o Freenet.de to Buy Strato from Teles for 132 Million Euro

Frankfurt -- Freenet.de AG, a Germany-based Internet service provider
(ISP), announced that it has acquired Strato, the web hosting division
of Germany-based Teles AG, for 132 million euro. Under the terms of
the agreement, 80 million euro will be paid in cash and the remainder
with 3.1 million freenet.de shares. Freenet.de said it made the decision
to acquire Strato in order to concentrate on its wireless broadband
Internet access service. Freenet.de said all of Strato's staff and
management, including CEO Rochus Wegener, would be retained.
Separately, freenet.de also announced that it has signed a contract to
take over Talkline ID, a telephony firm based in Bonn, Germany.
Financial terms of the deal, which still must be approved by Germany's
Federal Cartel Office, have not been disclosed.
http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/54149
_____________________________________________

o EU OKs Slovak Telecom Purchase of EuroTel Mobile Unit

Brussels -- The European Commission has approved the proposed
acquisition of EuroTel's mobile telephony division by Slovak Telecom,
a Slovakia-based telecommunications operator. "As Slovak Telecom is
the majority shareholder in the target company and already in the
position to determine EuroTel's competitive behaviour to a
considerable extent, the Commission considers that the operation will
not significantly impede effective competition," the EC said in a
statement. With the news, Slovak Telecom will now be able to acquire
the remaining 49% of EuroTel Bratislava that it does not already own
from partner American West, a joint venture between U.S.-based
Verizon Telecommunications and New Cingular Wireless Services.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?Z2A652D0A
_____________________________________________

o France-Based Thomson Acquires The Moving Picture Company

Paris -- Thomson, a France-based electronics and media services group,
announced that it has acquired The Moving Picture Company (MPC)
from ITV, a U.K.-based TV broadcaster. Thomson paid 76 million euro
(£52 million) for MPC, which provides visual effects and post-
production services to the motion picture and commercial advertising
industries. "MPC maintains great relationships with the creative
community worldwide, including local U.K. productions, and the
strengths of MPC fit strategically into Thomson's best-of-breed palette
of service offerings to our customers," said Thomson Services Vice
President Danny Raimondo.
http://www.thomson.com/corp/about/ab_home.jsp
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(Cardiff, Wales) Andrew Davies, the Welsh Minister for Economic
Development and Transport, announced that a new Worldwide
Incubator Network linking Wales-based companies with knowledge-
based start-ups in Scotland and West Coast technology firms in the
U.S. will be operational early next year. "This innovative initiative will
create global opportunities for local companies through international
networks and link like-minded companies across the world, providing
vital access to knowledge and networks for companies and economic
development agencies," he said. Davies said the project would connect
more than 2,000 technology companies currently in business incubators
managed by the Welsh Development Agency, Scottish Enterprise and
the Pacific Incubator Network.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?E62413D0A

(London) Ian Burnett, a director at semiconductor equipment and
materials association JEMI UK, has called on the local chip industry to
collaborate with Europe and develop a version of Japan's mini-fab
computer-chip production technology. "We have an extremely strong
design base, and a lot of that design base is working on products that fit
the low-volume, short lifetime model, (for which mini-fabs are ideal),"
he said in a report for the U.K. Department of Trade and Industry's
GlobalWatch service. Burnett said the so-called HALCA mini-fab --
built at lower cost and with lower operating expense than traditional
fabs -- would better serve the production requirements of most U.K.
chip firms.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?D1C336D0A

(New York) Cendant, a U.S.-based provider of travel and residential
real estate services, announced that it has acquired two U.K.-based
travel services companies, Gulliver Travel Associates and Octopus
Travel.com, for £570 million in cash. OctopusTravel.com is an online
provider of lodging and destination services, selling directly to
consumers as well as through third-party affiliate and primarily low-
cost airlines. The companies source all travel and services inventory
directly from suppliers in 25 countries and operate as a merchandiser of
travel and tourism content for groups and individuals.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/041216/nyth061_1.html

(Miami) Aphton, a U.S.-based biopharmaceutical company, announced
that it has agreed to acquire Ingeneon, an Austria-based drug developer,
for 21.5 million shares of stock, worth an estimated 60 million euro,
Aphton said. Ingeneon is headquartered in Austria and is developing
treatments for cancer. The acquisition is part of Aphton's stated strategy
of expanding its oncology-related business, the company said.
http://www.aphton.com/news_main.asp?PR_ID=105

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Consulting at McFadyen Consulting in Vienna, VA. Learn more at
http://www.McFadyen.com
_____________________________________________

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December 17, 2004 in Daily Newsletter | Permalink

December 16, 2004

European Tech Wire - Dec. 16, 2004

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EUROPEAN TECH WIRE - Dec. 16, 2004
============================================
To Subscribe: http://www.europeantechwire.com

o Deutsche Telekom to Reduce Stake in Russia's MTS by 12%
o U.K. Watchdog Ofcom Slashes Local Loop Unbundling Costs
o Serco Group to Acquire U.K.-Based ITNet for £235 Million
o Report: Nearly Half of Online Europeans Have Broadband
o Finnish Police Raid BitTorrent File-Sharing Server Outfit
o Report: Telecoms Betting on Mergers to Boost Market Share
o Briefly Noted: Nokia-Online Game Tournaments, Loudeye-MTV
Networks, O2-Nortel Networks-HSDPA, Link-Morse-"Mobile Cash
Machine" Service, Computer Associates Ireland-Frank Kennedy
_____________________________________________

o Deutsche Telekom to Reduce Stake in Russia's MTS by 12%

Frankfurt -- Deutsche Telekom AG, the largest telecommunications
group in Europe, announced on Thursday that it plans to cut its stake in
Mobile TeleSystems (MTS), Russia's largest mobile phone operator, by
12%. The move should raise about 1.1 billion euro for the German
bellwether, which once hoped that MTS would spearhead its expansion
into the high-growth mobile market in Eastern Europe. Massive debts,
however, have forced the company to offload its stake piecemeal;
Deutsche Telekom sold 15% of MTS last year. The German firm,
which currently controls about 25% of MTS, said it also needed the
cash to bankroll the reintegration of its Internet unit, T-Online.
According to news reports, Deutsche Telekom is now focusing on the
U.S. and smaller eastern European countries like Poland, Hungary and
the Czech Republic.
http://www.telekom3.de/
_____________________________________________

o U.K. Watchdog Ofcom Slashes Local Loop Unbundling Costs

London -- Ofcom, the U.K. communications watchdog, on Thursday
wrapped up a seven-month consultation process and confirmed a new
set of charges that will establish the future of local loop unbundling in
the country. With the news, the regulator essentially ended BT Group's
monopoly over the vitally important "last-mile", which connects
households and businesses directly to cable or telephone companies.
"This year has seen a lot of progress on local loop unbundling," said
Ofcom Chief Executive Stephen Carter. "This has been achieved
through a combination of industry investment, regulatory review and,
importantly, constructive engagement from BT." The new charges,
which have lowered the price rival operators pay to use BT's network
by as much as 70%, will come into effect on Jan. 1, Ofcom said.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?O2BB21A0A
_____________________________________________

o Serco Group to Acquire U.K.-Based ITNet for £235 Million

Birmingham, England -- Serco Group Plc., a Hampshire, England-
based public sector services contractor, announced on Thursday that it
has agreed to acquire ITNet Plc, a Birmingham-based computer
services firm, for £235 million in cash and shares. Earlier this year, the
U.K. Cabinet fired ITNet after the company repeatedly failed to meet
deadlines for an £83-million web hosting project. Serco said it made
the acquisition to take advantage of an increase in local authority IT
outsourcing. "ITNET fits well with Serco, and the enlarged group will
have a strong presence in the business transformation market," said
ITNet Chairman Oliver Whitehead. Separately, Serco also announced
that it would acquire RCI Holding Corp., a U.S.-based supplier of IT
services to the U.S. government, for £111 million.
http://www.serco.com/media/presspacks/2004/itnet.asp
_____________________________________________

o Report: Nearly Half of Online Europeans Have Broadband

London -- Nearly half of European online households now access the
Internet using a high-speed connection, with broadband penetration in
the region expected to rise above 50% by 2008, according to a new
study by market analysis firm Strategy Analytics. By that same year,
88.4 million European households will have broadband, while a total of
38 million European households will have broadband by the end of this
year, a 61% increase compared to 2003. The Netherlands leads the
European market with 45% broadband penetration. Germany, Ireland
and Greece still have broadband penetration rates under 20%. The
majority of European broadband users continue to choose DSL
services, which have an 81% share of the market, compared to cable
Internet's 19%, Strategy Analytics said.
http://www.strategyanalytics.com/press/pr00143.htm
_____________________________________________

o Finnish Police Raid BitTorrent File-Sharing Server Outfit

London -- Finnish police have conducted raids on volunteers operating
servers for the BitTorrent peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing service,
arresting 34 people in the process, the Register reported. The arrests
come a day after the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA)
announced that it would begin suing such server operators, who enable
trading of files by BitTorrent users. The Finnish BitTorrent website
reportedly stored 6,000 "torrents" -- or tracking files that enable P2P
downloads -- and had about 10,000 Finnish users. If convicted, those
arrested would face up to two years in jail, in addition to copyright
infringement damage claims from the MPAA and others.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?J35953A0A
_____________________________________________

o Report: Telecoms Betting on Mergers to Boost Market Share

London -- Instead of trying to attract new customers,
telecommunications providers are increasingly looking to mergers and
acquisitions as the best means of boosting market share, according to a
new report by market analysis firm Canalys. "There are still too many
vendors in EMEA, and further acquisitions are inevitable," said
Alessandra Fitzpatrick, Canalys director and senior analyst. "Those that
do not have good IP strategies in place, and focus too heavily on box
shifting and too little on applications, will struggle." Canalys found that
the overall enterprise telephony market for the EMEA region (Europe,
Middle East and Africa) grew by 6% in the third quarter, with the lion's
share of the deals happening in Russia and the Middle East.
http://www.canalys.com/pr/2004/r2004121.htm
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(Espoo, Finland) Finnish mobile-phone giant Nokia this week launched
a new tool that enables wireless network operators to create their own
branded online game tournaments for Nokia's N-Gage hybrid mobile
phone/mobile game deck. The first customer for Nokia's Global Arena
Tournament Tool, Finnish wireless carrier DNA, used the technology
to launch an online tournament for "Colin McRae Rally 2005" for the
N-Gage on Wednesday.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/041215/ukw001_1.html
http://arena.n-gage.com

(Seattle) Loudeye, a provider of streaming song samples and other
digital media services, announced this week that it has expanded its
deal with MTV Networks and will launch two new online music stores
powered by its OD2 unit's services. In addition to existing MTV online
music stores in the U.K., France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands,
Seattle-based Loudeye will now launch new music stores for MTV in
Spain and Italy, the company said.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/041215/sfw017_1.html
http://www.loudeye.com
http://www.mtvne.com

(London) O2, a U.K.-based mobile operator, and Nortel Networks
Corp., a Canada-based telecommunications equipment maker,
announced on Thursday that they have completed live mobile test calls
using a new technology called High Speed Downlink Packet Access
(HSDPA). The companies said HSDPA -- a migration technology for
the Universal Mobile Telecoms System (UMTS) wireless standard used
across Europe, Japan and North America -- is about three times faster
than 3G. "We are looking forward to deploying this broadband
technology in Europe and to delivering a newer and better experience
to our business and consumer customers," said O2 CTO Dave
Williams.
http://www.3g.co.uk/PR/December2004/8838.htm

(London) Link, a U.K.-based bank machine network, announced this
week that it plans to launch a "mobile cash machine" service early next
year that will allow users to check bank balances and top up pre-paid
mobile accounts using their mobile phones. The service will be run
jointly with Morse, a U.K.-based technology integration firm. Link said
the service will soon allow users to check recent account transactions
and eventually make money transfers. The four largest mobile
operators in the U.K. have already agreed to participate in the service,
Link said.
http://www.link.co.uk/

(Dublin) Computer Associates, the fifth-largest software firm in the
world, announced that it has appointed Frank Kennedy as its new
country manager for Ireland. Prior to joining Computer Associates,
Kennedy was a general manager for Fujitsu Consulting Ireland.
Computer Associates said the decision to appoint Kennedy was part of
its plan to invest heavily in Ireland in the coming year as part of its
push into the SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) market.
http://www.ca.com/

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> VP eBusiness Consulting

> BI Readiness: A key to ROI For Your Business Intelligence initiative

> Reach Beyond Your Local Metro Area for Event Attendees

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December 16, 2004 in Daily Newsletter | Permalink

December 14, 2004

European Tech Wire - Dec. 14, 2004

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EUROPEAN TECH WIRE - Dec. 15, 2004
============================================
To Subscribe: http://www.europeantechwire.com

o Report: Global VC Market Shows Signs of Recovery in 2004
o U.K. Science Minister Supports EU Software Patent Directive
o Google to Make Books from Top Libraries Available Online
o IBM to Acquire France-Based KeyMRO for Undisclosed Sum
o Wireless Systems Firm Orthogon Raises 5.8 Million Euro
o Swedish, Irish and U.K. Firms Best Users of IT, Report Says
o Briefly Noted: Scotland's Pathfinder Rural Broadband Programme,
Two Way TV-Zone4Play-ntl-Telewest Broadband, Nokia-Hologram
Battery Authentication System
_____________________________________________

o Report: Global VC Market Shows Signs of Recovery in 2004

Paris -- According to a new report by Ernst & Young and VentureOne,
the global venture capital market showed clear signs of recovery in
2004. The report found that the VC sector this year showed its first
sustained period of growth in investing and liquidity since the dot.com
crash of 2000. "This year was one of rebuilding in the venture capital
industry, as investors worldwide put substantial sums into early-stage
investments and increased their fundraising activities," said Ernst &
Young's Gil Forer. "While we are not anticipating another bubble, it is
fair to say that we are at a starting point in a new venture-capital
investment cycle." Venture financing worldwide increased by 13% in
the year to date compared to the same period last year. Over that same
period, more than 2,360 transactions were made in the U.S., Europe
and Israel worth a combine 14 billion euro (£9.7 billion).
http://makeashorterlink.com/?P5862380A
http://www.ey.com/global/content.nsf/International/Home
http://www.ventureone.com/
_____________________________________________

o U.K. Science Minister Supports EU Software Patent Directive

London -- Lord Sainsbury, the U.K. Minister of Science and
Innovation, has weighed in on the EU's controversial software patent
directive and denied that its current form would have an adverse impact
on the European software market. "Patents provide the confidence to
invest in R&D for technological industries, and the current draft
directive will ensure that Europe continues to strike the right balance
and provides clarity as to what can and cannot be patented with regard
to computer implemented inventions," he said. Lord Sainsbury also
denied that the directive would hurt the development of the open-
source community, one of the chief complaints of anti-patent group
FFII (the Foundation for a Free Information Infrastructure). The FFII,
among others, claims that the directive would give larger technology
companies greater legal powers that could be used to bully smaller
companies and the open source community in court.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?X5031280A
_____________________________________________

o Google to Make Books from Top Libraries Available Online

Mountain View, California -- Google unveiled plans to make books
available online in conjunction with the libraries of Harvard, Stanford,
the University of Michigan, the University of Oxford and the New
York Public Library. Under the plan, the libraries will digitally scan
books from their collections so that users worldwide can search them in
Google. "Even before we started Google, we dreamed of making the
incredible breadth of information that librarians so lovingly organise
searchable online," said Larry Page, Google's co-founder and its
president of products. Users will be able to type keywords into
Google's main search site and then receive a results page that includes
portions of text from the books, along with links. Clicking on the links
will bring users to the actual scanned pages of the books. The online
texts also will include links that allow people to buy the books.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/041214/145309_1.html
http://print.google.com/library
_____________________________________________

o IBM to Acquire France-Based KeyMRO for Undisclosed Sum

Paris -- IBM announced that it has acquired KeyMRO, a French
Internet-based procurement service firm, from its three principal
shareholders: Schneider Electric, Rhodia and Thomson Multimedia.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Under the terms of the
agreement, the three firms also signed a seven-year services agreement
with IBM Consulting Services for the provision of indirect supply
procurement services from KeyMRO. IBM said it made the acquisition
to strengthen its strategic sourcing services in Europe and North
America, especially in the BPO market (business process outsourcing).
The company also said it plans to integrate KeyMRO's process
expertise into its own consulting methodologies.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?Z3C62680A
_____________________________________________

o Wireless Systems Firm Orthogon Raises 5.8 Million Euro

Ashburton, England -- Orthogon Systems, a U.K.-based provider of
broadband wireless systems, announced on Wednesday it has raised 5.8
million euro (£4.1 million) in venture capital financing. The round was
led by Motorola Ventures, with existing investors Atlas Venture, the
Carlyle Group and Lighthouse Capital Partners also participating.
Orthogon said it would use the investment to fund the worldwide
commercialisation of its OS-Gemini product line. "We continue to meet
or exceed milestones in product development and sales," said Orthogon
CEO Phil Bolt. "The additional funding enables us to grow the
company exponentially and increase market share at an accelerated
pace." Separately, the company on Monday also unveiled a new
licensing agreement with Motorola's Canopy product line to provide a
high-bandwidth backhaul system compatible with Canopy's wireless
offerings.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?P1E62180A
_____________________________________________

o Swedish, Irish and U.K. Firms Best Users of IT, Report Says

Stockholm -- A new report commissioned by the U.K. Department of
Trade and Industry (DTI) and conducted by management consulting
firm Booz Allen Hamilton shows that businesses in Sweden, Ireland
and the U.K. are currently the world's most sophisticated users of IT.
Companies in the U.S. slipped from third place to seventh. The report
also found that more companies worldwide were beginning to shift
their IT focus from the costs of technology to the benefits thereof.
Global businesses have also shifted their attention from Internet access
to Internet speed and connection reliability, the DTI said. The
"International Benchmarking Study" took into consideration awareness,
adoption, deployment and impact of technology innovations and
examined people, technology and processes.
http://www.dti.gov.uk/bestpractice/assets/ibs2004.pdf
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(Glasgow) The Scottish Executive announced this week that two
Pathfinder projects in the north and south of Scotland would receive as
much as £90 million to set up broadband Internet services for rural
schools and libraries. The projects will be launched in the Highlands
and Islands, the Borders and Dumfries and Galloway, Scottish
Education Minister Peter Peacock said. "Modern technology is making
the world a smaller place, and this has real benefits for people living in
rural Scotland," he said. "In our schools, it means pupils and teachers
can share ideas, expertise, projects and even lessons with schools
throughout Scotland, and beyond." The Scottish Executive said the
funds would be distributed over the next nine years as and when they
were required.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?P4392580A

(London) Interactive TV developer Two Way TV announced this week
that it has partnered with U.S.-based interactive TV game developer
Zone4Play to launch two fixed-odds, interactive TV betting channels
on U.K. digital cable TV platforms ntl and Telewest Broadband. The
Winner Channel and The Roulette Channel will allow U.K. residents to
place wagers using their TV's remote control. "Digital cable TV is
virgin territory for these types of service, and we believe that there is
significant unmet demand," said Two Way TV Commercial Director
Guy Templer.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/041214/uktu005_1.html
http://www.twowaytv.com
http://www.zone4play.com

(Helsinki) Nokia, the largest mobile-phone maker in the world,
announced on Wednesday that it has introduced an authentication
system using holographic labels on all its new batteries. The company
said the move was part of a campaign to raise awareness about the
dangers of using counterfeit batteries, which have been known to catch
fire and even explode. "With this new authentication programme, we
are directly attacking the counterfeiters who manufacture potentially
unsafe batteries," said Nokia's Razvan Olosu. "The hologram label
enables consumers to identify that the battery they are using is indeed
an original Nokia battery."
http://press.nokia.com/PR/200412/972290_5.html

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> VP eBusiness Consulting

> BI Readiness: A key to ROI For Your Business Intelligence initiative

> Reach Beyond Your Local Metro Area for Event Attendees

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

===================================================

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December 14, 2004 in Daily Newsletter | Permalink

December 13, 2004

European Tech Wire - Dec. 13, 2004

============================================
EUROPEAN TECH WIRE - Dec. 13, 2004
============================================
Sponsored By: McFadyen Consulting - eBusiness Integrators
http://www.McFadyen.com

o EU: Satellite Programme GALILEO Operational by 2008
o Report: WiMAX Winning Market Share from 3G and DSL
o Germany's Siemens to Acquire U.S.-Based Chantry Networks
o Philips Cuts Stake in IT Firm Atos Origin by More Than Half
o Mentec International to Acquire Microsoft Partner Sytation Ltd.
o Vodafone Links Up with Boeing to Provide In-Flight Wi-Fi
o Frontier Silicon Voted "One to Watch" by VC Advisory Board
> VP eBusiness - McFadyen Consulting
o Briefly Noted: Telecom Italia Group-Mauro Sentinelli, Thomson-
HD DVD-Blu-ray, London Borough of Newham-Hewlett-Packard,
Instrumentel-Steve Couchman, Innos-Andrew Monk
_____________________________________________

o EU: Satellite Programme GALILEO Operational by 2008

Brussels -- The European Commission announced on Monday that
GALILEO, the much-anticipated European satellite radio navigation
programme, will "definitely" become operational by 2008. GALILEO,
which will be interoperable with the U.S. GPS satellite navigation
system, will become the global standard for civil navigation by
satellite. "GALILEO is without a doubt the most wonderful European
technological project," said Jacques Barrot, vice president of the
Commission. "GALILEO will be as much of a technological revolution
as mobile telephony." Barrot added that the first satellites would be
launched early next year. The European Council has decided in favour
of moving on to the launching and operational phases of the project and
confirmed that the EU would contribute to the funding of those two
phases. The project will cost an estimated 3.7 billion euro, two thirds of
which will come from industry.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?J5FA2230A
http://makeashorterlink.com/?A24B2130A
_____________________________________________

o Report: WiMAX Winning Market Share from 3G and DSL

London -- According to a new report by research firm TelecomView,
new wireless technologies such as WiMAX and TD-CDMA (UMTS-
TDD) are set to claim more market share from 3G and DSL than
previously predicted. In its "Wireless Broadband: Will it Replace 3G
and Fixed Broadband?" report, TelecomView predicted that the new
technologies would capture more than 40% of the global wireless
broadband market, leaving 3G with less than 60% by 2009. "Our
forecasts show that WiMAX will be the clear winner amongst the new
high-speed wireless technologies," said report co-author Ian Cox.
"WiMAX will pick up 70 percent of this new market segment by 2009
due to its higher performance and flexibility compared to the
alternatives." Cox also predicted that 3G would be important for its
mobility, but that WiMAX, which offers wireless services over a range
of about 30 miles, would compete directly with DSL.
http://www.telecomview.info/acatalog/Press_Releases.html
_____________________________________________

o Germany's Siemens to Acquire U.S.-Based Chantry Networks

Waltham, Massachusetts -- Siemens AG, a Germany-based
telecommunications equipment maker, announced that it has agreed to
acquire Chantry Networks, a U.S.-based provider of technology for
wireless local area networks (WLANs). Financial terms were not
disclosed. "Through this agreement of acquisition, we will further
expand our communication architecture for corporate customers and
strengthen our market position in this sector," said Andy Mattes, a
member of the Siemens Communications board. "In the growth area of
WLAN, we will also now be able to offer our customers future-oriented
solutions." Founded in 2002, Chantry Networks has a product
development centre in Toronto and offices in Chicago, Denver, New
York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. The company has been
backed by investors Flagship Ventures, Primaxis Technology Ventures,
Venture Coaches/Skypoint Capital, Ventures West and Siemens
Venture Capital.
http://chantry.webeditz.com/pr/detail.php?ID=81
_____________________________________________

o Philips Cuts Stake in IT Firm Atos Origin by More Than Half

Amsterdam -- Royal Philips Electronics NV, the largest electronics
group in Europe, announced that it has cut its stake in Atos Origin S.A.,
a France-based IT services firm, by more than half. Philips said the
decision was part of its ongoing programme to withdraw from all non-
core activities. The Dutch giant reduced its holding from 31.9% to
15.4%, offloading about 11 million shares in Atos Origin to Deutsche
Bank for approximately 500 million euro. Philips originally bought the
stake when it sold its IT services business Origin NV to the vendor in
2000.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?H5342430A
http://www.atosorigin.com/corporate/default.htm
_____________________________________________

o Mentec International to Acquire Microsoft Partner Sytation Ltd.

Dublin -- Mentec International, an Ireland-based provider of integrated
financial management, ERP and eBusiness solutions, announced on
Monday that it has expanded its Microsoft Business Solutions
operations with the acquisition of Sytation Ltd., a U.K.-based
consulting partner for Microsoft Great Plains. Mentec said the deal
would significantly expand its Microsoft-related operations
internationally and make it the second-largest Microsoft Great Plains
partner in Europe. "(Over the last five years), Microsoft Business
Solutions has emerged as the clear market leader in the mid-sized ERP
segment," said Mentec Managing Director Kevin Havery. "This
acquisition significantly enhances our product IPR and skills base and
provides even greater functional depth and breadth to our Microsoft
Great Plains delivery capabilities." Financial terms of the deal were not
disclosed.
http://www.mentec.com/MentecAcquiredSytation.asp
_____________________________________________

o Vodafone Links Up with Boeing to Provide In-Flight Wi-Fi

London -- Vodafone Group Plc, the largest mobile network operator in
the world, announced on Monday that it is working with the Boeing
Company through business unit Connexion by Boeing to deliver in-
flight Wi-Fi to business customers. Vodafone said the two companies
would begin trials later this month and eventually negotiate a full
partnership agreement if the trials are successful. "Following successful
trials and Vodafone entering into a commercial agreement with us,
Vodafone customers will be able to access the Connexion by Boeing
service on equipped commercial flights as we introduce high-speed in-
flight connectivity worldwide," said David Friedman, vice president of
Marketing and Direct Sales for Connexion by Boeing. Vodafone said
the service would most likely be available first on Germany's Lufthansa
jets in Europe. All Nippon Airways, China Airlines, Japan Airlines,
Scandinavian Airlines and Singapore Airlines will also start offering
Connexion by Boeing in the near future, the company said.
http://www.msmobiles.com/o/news/00218.html
_____________________________________________

o Frontier Silicon Voted "One to Watch" by VC Advisory Board

London -- Frontier Silicon, a Watford, England-based fabless
manufacturer of semiconductors for digital radio, TV and wireless TV
products, announced on Monday that it has been selected as the "Start-
Up to Watch" by the venture capital advisory board of the Fabless
Semiconductor Association, which represents fabless companies from
more than 21 countries. Frontier Silicon CEO Anthony Sethill said the
award was recognition the company's achievement in pioneering and
commercialising low cost technology for mass market digital radio
products in Europe. "To win this accolade from our industry peers who
are part of (this) global association is very satisfying," he said, adding
that his company hoped to achieve similar results for mass-market
digital radio products.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?R2F61230A
_____________________________________________

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> VP eBusiness Consulting

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

o Briefly Noted:

(Milan) Telecom Italia Group, the largest telecommunications company
in Italy, announced that Mauro Sentinelli, managing director of newly
merged mobile unit TIM, has decided to resign after the company
decided to abolish his position. TIM said the powers and responsibility
of the managing director position would now be redistributed within
the company. TIM also announced that Sentinelli, deputy chairman of
the GSM Association, would continue to work as an advisor to
Telecom Italia's chairman for the development of technological
platforms.
http://www.company.tim.it/cp_comunicati/0,,238,00.html

(Paris) Thomson, a France-based provider of video equipment and
services to the media and entertainment industries, announced that it
would support the two competing next-generation high-capacity DVD
formats, HD DVD and Blu-ray, with its Technicolor business that
provides services to film and TV producers. The company said it
planned to release consumer DVD players that support Toshiba's HD
DVD standard through its Thomson and RCA brands, while making no
such commitment for Sony's rival Blu-ray DVD standard.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/041210/105149_1.html
http://www.thomson.net

(London) The London Borough of Newham announced on Monday that
it has awarded Hewlett-Packard a 10-year, £14-million contract to
install and maintain its hardware and Microsoft software. Under the
contract -- which also covers a blade server farm, storage area network
technology and a rolling three-year refresh of all desktop and laptop
hardware -- HP will be responsible for migrating Newham to Microsoft
Windows and Exchange 2003 groupware. Newham IT Director Richard
Steel said that "a flexible per seat payment plan (that) ensures a fixed
monthly charge whilst reducing risks and maintaining flexibility and
scalability" was the key reason behind the borough's decision to go
with HP, as opposed to rivals Dell and IBM.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?U63523B09

(London) Instrumentel, a U.K.-based spin out from the University of
Leeds, announced on Monday that it has appointed Steve Couchman as
its new chief executive officer. "Because our needs were unique, we
were convinced we would not find an individual that had the breadth
and depth of knowledge required to spearhead the future growth of
Instrumentel," said non-executive director Mike Bowes. "We were
therefore delighted when our executive search partner, Eseon, found
(Couchman), who has had an enviable and successful career in
managing sensor companies." Prior to joining Instrumentel, Couchman
held senior positions with Polaron, AMP, TRW and RS Components.
http://www.instrumentel.com/

(Southampton, England) Innos, a Southampton-based research and
development (R&D) firm working in silicon, MEMS and
nanotechnology, announced on Monday that it has appointed Andrew
Monk as its chief executive officer. "Capitalising on the brand strength
achieved by Innos since launching in April 2004, we will continue our
sizeable programme of investment in the clean-room infrastructure and
expand our 30 strong team, making Innos a compelling proposition for
U.K. and European businesses with an R&D requirement," Monk said.
With the move, Monk replaces Steve Byars, who will continue as non-
executive director of the firm.
http://www.innos.co.uk/

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> VP eBusiness Consulting

> BI Readiness: A key to ROI For Your Business Intelligence initiative

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December 13, 2004 in Daily Newsletter | Permalink

December 10, 2004

European Tech Wire - Dec. 10, 2004

============================================
EUROPEAN TECH WIRE - Dec. 10, 2004
============================================
To Subscribe: http://www.europeantechwire.com

o European Commission Launches Roaming Rate Investigation
o Top European Firms Spent 100 Billion Euro on R&D in 2003
o U.S. and U.K. to Work Together on Homeland Technology
o EU Invests £9.6 Million in U.K. Venture Capital Scheme
o Thomson Buys Moving Picture Company for 77 Million Euro
o China's Huawei to Build 3G Network for Dutch Firm Telfort
o Report: Digital Photo Prints to Outnumber Film Prints by 2006
o Germany's Siemens Awards AT&T 132-Million-Euro Contract
o Briefly Noted: Neosera Systems-All-Ireland Seedcorn Business
Competition, Crown Castle-Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld
Standard, CapMan-Petri Niemi, Royal KPN-Feeler
_____________________________________________

o European Commission Launches Roaming Rate Investigation

Brussels -- The European Commission on Friday sent questionnaires to
mobile network operators across the EU as it launched an investigation
into wholesale international roaming prices. The Commission contends
that several operators are charging too much for people to use their
mobile phones in other EU member states. "I am fully aware, both as a
policymaker and as a consumer, of the impact that high roaming
charges have on EU citizens and on the competitiveness of our
industry," said Information Society and Media Commissioner Viviane
Reding. "Whether we travel on business or for leisure, many of us have
had an unpleasant surprise when the next bill arrived." The European
Regulators Group, which brings together national regulatory authorities
and spearheads the investigation, said it hoped to present "some
preliminary results" by next May.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?X30762EF9
http://makeashorterlink.com/?T13712EF9
http://erg.eu.int/documents/index_en.htm#pressreleases
_____________________________________________

o Top European Firms Spent 100 Billion Euro on R&D in 2003

Brussels -- According to a report released on Friday by the EU, the top
500 European companies invested more than 100 billion euro in
research and development (R&D) last year. However, the report went
on to lament the fact that Europe's largest companies spent less on
R&D last year than they did in 2002, and that non-EU companies were
beginning to outspend them. "We will need more European industrial
R&D champions if we want to compete with our major trading partners
in the global knowledge-based economy," said European Research
Commissioner Janez Potocnik. "Reaching the 3% target of research
spending by 2010, a commitment endorsed at the highest political level
in the EU, is needed now more than ever." The Top Five R&D
spenders were Daimler Chrysler, Siemens, Volkswagen, Nokia and
Glaxo Smith Kline, which invested at least 4 billion euro each in R&D
worldwide last year.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?J57612EF9
http://makeashorterlink.com/?L2B621EF9
_____________________________________________

o U.S. and U.K. to Work Together on Homeland Technology

London -- The U.K. Home Office announced on Friday that it has
signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the U.S. Homeland Security
Department to cooperate on science and technology projects for critical
infrastructure protection and other homeland security concerns. During
the opening meeting of the fourth Joint Contact Group, Home Office
Secretary David Blunkett and U.S. Homeland Security Deputy
Secretary James Loy signed an agreement that will see their two
countries exchange both technology and personnel. "This agreement
demonstrates the strong relationship between the U.K. and U.S. to
further scientific research and development that will help advance the
security of our respective countries," they said in a joint statement.
Under the agreement, both countries will also assess risks posed to
communications networks, power supplies, roads and railways, and
work to protect automated computer networks.
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/n_story.asp?item_id=1181
_____________________________________________

o EU Invests £9.6 Million in U.K. Venture Capital Scheme

Brussels -- Finance Southwest Ltd., a new U.K.-based business loan
and venture capital firm, announced this week that it has received its
largest grant to date. The £9.6-million investment is part of the
European Objective 2 Programme for the South West region of the
U.K. "This grant to Finance Southwest marks a significant investment
of European funds that will help encourage and nurture new and
expanding businesses throughout the Objective 2 area," said Phillip
Johnson, Government Office for the South West deputy director for
European programmes. "It will not only contribute to businesses'
investment plans, but … will provide sound business advice and
training along with the financial help." Finance Southwest said it
planned to split the investment between a Business Loan Fund and a
Growth Fund for start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises
(SMEs) in the region.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?B22913EF9
_____________________________________________

o Thomson Buys Moving Picture Company for 77 Million Euro

Paris -- France-based Thomson, a developer of video equipment and
services for the media and entertainment industries, announced that it
has acquired digital effects post-production firm The Moving Picture
Company (MPC) from U.K. broadcaster ITV for 77 million euro (£53
million). London-based MPC has worked on effects for films including
"Alexander", the Harry Potter films, "Alien vs. Predator" and "Lara
Croft: Tomb Raider", as well as commercials for Nike, Motorola and
Coca-Cola. The company generated sales of 64.5 million euro (£45
million) over the last 12 months. Paris-based Thomson said the
acquisition goes toward its renewed focus on providing services to the
media and entertainment industries, adding to its visual effects
offerings that include Hollywood-based Technicolor and Toronto-based
VFX.
http://www.thomson.net
_____________________________________________

o China's Huawei to Build 3G Network for Dutch Firm Telfort

London -- Huawei Technologies, the largest telecommunications
equipment maker in China, announced on Friday that it plans to build a
3G network for Telfort, a mobile operator based in the Netherlands.
Although financial terms were not disclosed, the contract is understood
to be worth hundreds of millions of euro. "This is a great step forward
for Huawei on our way to become a supplier of mobile solutions on a
global scale," said Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei. Analysts say the
lucrative 3G deal -- Huawei's first in Europe -- will give the Chinese
giant an important foothold on the Continent and cause some concern
for local rivals Alcatel, Nokia and Ericsson.
http://www.3g.co.uk/PR/December2004/8797.htm
_____________________________________________

o Report: Digital Photo Prints to Outnumber Film Prints by 2006

Framingham, Massachusetts -- The majority of photographs printed in
2006 will be taken by digital cameras rather than their film-based
counterparts, according to a new report from market research firm IDC.
IDC estimates that 36% of the 86 billion photos printed this year will
come from digital cameras, compared to 55.5 billion from film. The
market will shift to digital in 2006, when IDC predicts that 56% of
photos printed will be digital. IDC found that photos printed on home
printers currently account for 69% of the market, while 19% are printed
by retail-based services. Growth in retail and web-based printing
services is expected to shrink the market for home printers to 43% by
2008, when retail services will represent a third of the market.
http://www.idc.com/
_____________________________________________

o Germany's Siemens Awards AT&T 132-Million-Euro Contract

Bedminster, New Jersey -- Germany-based Siemens AG, one of the
world's largest manufacturing and technology providers, announced
that it has awarded U.S.-based AT&T a 132-million-euro global
networking contract. The four-year deal extends and expands a long-
standing relationship between the two companies. AT&T is Siemens'
primary networking services provider in North and South America, the
Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Africa and parts of Europe. Under the
terms of the new agreement, AT&T is delivering a system to support
Siemens' Network eXchange (SNX) strategy, the foundation for a new
communication model across Siemens and its business partners.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/041209/nyth060_1.html
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(Dublin) Ireland-based Neosera Systems, a University College Dublin
(UCD) spin-out firm, announced on Friday that it has won
InterTradeIreland's All-Island Seedcorn Business Competition award
for the best seedcorn business plan stemming from a university spinout
or platform programme. Located at the Innovation and Technology
Transfer Centre at UCD, Neosera develops technologies for the
verification of silicon chips. "Neosera will shortly be seeking additional
venture capital funding, and winning this award will be of immense
benefit to the company when we go out and talk to the (venture capital)
community," said Neosera co-founder Damian Dalton. This year's
award included a 10,000-euro (£6,900) prize.
http://www.neosera.com/

(London) NewScientist.com has reported on new technology that
promises to bring cost-effective, high-quality TV reception to mobile
phones by broadcasting digital signals directly to phones from existing
TV transmitters, rather than over the bandwidth-limited wireless
networks currently available. The European Telecommunications
Standards Institute last week approved the Digital Video Broadcast-
Handheld (DVB-H) standard. U.S.-based Crown Castle also recently
spent 9.1 million euro for a 5-megahertz band of nationwide spectrum
in the U.S., which is already being tested in Pittsburgh as a means of
broadcasting DVB-H signals to prototype TV mobile phones made by
Finnish giant Nokia.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?U27545EF9
http://www.crowncastle.com

(Stockholm) CapMan, a Nordic private equity firm with offices in
Helsinki, Stockholm, Copenhagen and Oslo, announced this week that
it has promoted Petri Niemi as head of its Nordic Technology Unit,
effective early next year. CapMan said Niemi, a specialist in IT and
communications, would also become a member of the firm's Nordic
Steering Group. Prior to joining CapMan, Niemi worked for Ericsson,
3Com and Sun Microsystems Oy.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?C51A23EF9

(Amsterdam) Royal KPN, a telecommunications group based in the
Netherlands, announced on Friday that it has signed a letter of intent to
acquire Feeler, an Internet service provider (ISP) also based in the
Netherlands. Financial details for the deal have not been disclosed.
Under the terms of the agreement, Feeler will become part of KPN's
ISP division Planet Media Group. Freeler was set up five years ago by
ING Bank, insurance company Nationale-Nederlanden and Postbank.
http://www.kpn.com/

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December 10, 2004 in Daily Newsletter | Permalink

December 09, 2004

European Tech Wire - Dec. 9, 2004

============================================
EUROPEAN TECH WIRE - Dec. 9, 2004
============================================
To Subscribe: http://www.europeantechwire.com

o European Union Boasts Largest DSL Population, Report Says
o EU Invests 3.1 Million Euro in Capanina Broadband Project
o Dell Planning to Build Second Manufacturing Plant in Europe
o Finnish Government Offloads 250 Million TeliaSonera Shares
o Sweden's Tele2 AB Completes Acquisition of Austria's UTA
o OGC: New U.K. Standards Should Simplify IT Tender Process
o Briefly Noted: T-Mobile-CallerTunes, BitBand-IPTV Ireland,
Jerusalem Venture Partners-Allon Bloch-Adam Fisher
_____________________________________________

o European Union Boasts Largest DSL Population, Report Says

Brussels -- According to a new report by the DSL Forum, the EU has
added more than 9.2 million DSL subscribers so far this year, giving it
the largest regional DSL population in the world. The EU now boasts
more than 26.5 million subscribers and accounts for more than 31% of
the global DSL pie. The EU also accounted for 11 for the Top 20
countries in terms of DSL penetration. The Netherlands reported more
than 15.5% penetration; France, 15.45%; Italy, more than 13.4%; and
the U.K. -- which moved into the top 20 for the first time -- nearly
9.5%. The report also found that the 10 largest DSL population
countries now account for more than 80% of the world's subscribers.
Worldwide, DSL subscriptions increased by 39% over the first nine
months of the year to more than 85 million, an overall increase of about
24 million.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?J1F321CF9
_____________________________________________

o EU Invests 3.1 Million Euro in Capanina Broadband Project

Brussels -- Under the European Framework Programme, the EU on
Thursday issued 3.1 million euro in funding for the so-called Capanina
project, which aims to deliver broadband to remote areas using high-
altitude platforms not unlike blimps. The unmanned platforms, which
would fly 20 kilometres above the earth using power from solar cells,
would be capable of transmitting data at up to 120Mbps, officials said.
"This technology offers an innovative way of delivering broadband
inexpensively to people at home, in the office and on the move," said
Peter Walters of Framework Programme Six. "The opportunities
offered by high altitude platforms are exciting, as they could deliver
broadband connections 2,000 times faster than a traditional modem and
200 times faster than today's 'wired' ADSL broadband."
http://www.capanina.org/
_____________________________________________

o Dell Planning to Build Second Manufacturing Plant in Europe

Paris -- Michael Dell, the founder and chairman of U.S.-based PC
maker Dell, this week confirmed that his company is planning to build
a second manufacturing plant in Europe. Dell's operation in Limerick,
Ireland, reported 30% growth for the last financial year. Speaking at the
Oracle World conference in San Francisco, Dell declined to specify the
location of the second plant, but Reuters, quoting unnamed sources
familiar with the project, said the company was considering France.
The announcement has surprised many industry experts, most of whom
believe that running two manufacturing plants in Europe would be
highly unusual for any PC maker, especially considering that most of
Dell's competitors produce their PCs through contract manufacturers
based in Asia.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?Y18252CF9
_____________________________________________

o Finnish Government Offloads 250 Million TeliaSonera Shares

Helsinki -- The Finnish government announced that it has offloaded
250 million shares of TeliaSonera AB, the largest telecommunications
company in the Nordic region, in a deal worth about 1.1 billion euro.
Depending on investor demand, Finland may increase the offering to
300 million shares, a move that would cut its stake from 13.8% to
12.7%. The sale comes as part of the Finnish government's plan to cut
its debt load. With the news of the proposed sale, TeliaSonera's share
price fell by as much as 3.3% to 4.42 euro on the Helsinki Stock
Exchange on Wednesday. Sweden-based TeliaSonera, which is 45%
owned by the Swedish government, was created through a merger
between Sweden's Telia AB and Finland's Sonera Oyj in 2002.
http://www.mintc.fi/www/sivut/english/default.html
_____________________________________________

o Sweden's Tele2 AB Completes Acquisition of Austria's UTA

Stockholm -- Tele2 AB, the largest telecommunications company in the
Nordic region, announced on Thursday that it has completed the
acquisition of UTA, an Austria-based telecommunications operator.
Tele2 acquired UTA for 213 million euro on a debt-free basis with
consideration consisting of cash and assumed debt. Tele2 said the deal
would allow it to cut its costs in Austria significantly, saving as much
as 30 million euro on an annualised basis starting next year. "Austria's
consumers and businesses will benefit from this acquisition, through
the emergence of a bigger and stronger competitor to the incumbent,
providing them with high quality telecom services at low prices," said
Tele2 CEO Lars-Johan Jarnheimer.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?H3A121CF9
_____________________________________________

o OGC: New U.K. Standards Should Simplify IT Tender Process

London -- The U.K. government on Thursday published a new set of
standardised contract terms that should "dramatically simplify" the
tendering process for IT contracts. Produced by the Office of
Government Commerce (OGC), the new contracts terms were designed
to help small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the U.K.
improve their chances of winning government IT projects. In effect, the
new standard replaces a host of public-sector contract requirements
with two, easy-to-administer "standard" contract forms. "These new
Contract Terms will simplify the IT tendering process and deliver
significant time and money savings for suppliers and public sector
buyers," said OGC Chief Executive John Oughton. "The publication of
these new terms shows that the Government continues to listen to the
IT industry and is determined to simplify procedures and reduce
duplication and bureaucracy in IT contracting."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?H2D912BF9
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(Bellevue, Washington) T-Mobile, the wireless unit of German
telecommunications giant Deutsche Telekom, announced that it has
launched a nationwide ringback tone service in the U.S. that will allow
subscribers to pick songs callers will hear instead of the traditional
ringing when they dial T-Mobile subscribers. T-Mobile has licensed
songs from Sony BMG, Universal, Warner and independent labels to
offer the CallerTunes catalogue of more than 10,000 tracks. Powered
by U.S.-based Ztango, the CallerTunes service will charge users a
$1.49 (1.10 euro) monthly subscription fee in addition to a $1.99 (1.50
euro) fee for each CallerTune.
http://www.t-mobile.com/callertunes

(Netanya, Israel) BitBand, an Israel-based provider of Video-On-
Demand (VOD) technologies for broadband IP networks, announced on
Thursday that its VOD technology is powering the first IPTV
deployment in Ireland. The triple-play services will be delivered
through a single fibre-optic cable to homes in Dublin and offer
telephony services, broadband Internet access, multi-channel TV and
VOD, with new services to be added early next year. The deployment
is being led by Magnet Networks, an Ireland-based company owned by
U.S. investment company Columbia Ventures Corporation.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?E12952BF9

(New York, New York) Jerusalem Venture Partners (JVP), an Israel-
based venture capital fund with offices in New York, announced this
week that it has promoted two principals, Allon Bloch and Adam
Fisher, to general partners. Bloch joined JVP in 2000 and focuses on
investments in enterprise software and media technology. Fisher joined
JVP in 1996, initially as an analyst. He specialises in semiconductor,
networking and storage companies.
http://www.jvpvc.com/news/20041207-614.shtml

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December 09, 2004 in Daily Newsletter | Permalink

December 08, 2004

European Tech Wire - Dec. 8, 2004

============================================
EUROPEAN TECH WIRE - Dec. 8, 2004
============================================
To Subscribe: http://www.europeantechwire.com

o European Council Postpones Patent Directive until 2005
o Nokia's Venture-Capital Unit Launches 75-Million-Euro Fund
o Sweden's Syntune AB Receives 4.7-Million-Euro Investment
o BBC Programme to Save £320 Million and Cut 2,900 Jobs
o Walsall Council Enters £650-Million Partnership with Fujitsu
o Ireland-Based Tech Firm Marrakech Raises 4.5 Million Euro
o Support Group for Women Leaders in IT Launched in U.K.
o Briefly Noted: European Commission-Sirti-Techint-Stella
International-James Jones-Investindustrial-Clessidra, Ofcom-iTrip-
Griffin Technology, Technology Services Group-ESCO, Vodafone
Group-Teresa Elder, Xybernaut-European Expansion
_____________________________________________

o European Council Postpones Patent Directive until 2005

Brussels -- The European Council announced that it would postpone its
decision on the controversial Computer Implemented Inventions
Directive until March of next year. "The Competitiveness Council will
not vote on this project before 2005," said Belgian minister Marc
Verwilghen in a statement. According to anti-patent group Foundation
for a Free Information Infrastructure (FFII), Verwilghen also told the
European Parliament that the EU Council would have a problem
because Council members who initially supported changes to the
software directive no longer enjoyed a majority vote. European
ministers have faced increasing pressure over the directive, which has
been opposed by Linux author Linus Torvalds, MySQL author Michael
Windenius and PHP author Rasmus Lerdorf, among others. The Polish
government also announced recently that it would not support the
directive in its current form. "What has happened now does not make it
procedurally impossible for the EU Council to vote (on the directive),
but it tells a lot," said Florian Mueller, founder of anti-directive website
NoSoftware Patents.com. "The Council is ready to go, but appears to be
unable to do it for political reasons."
http://www.ffii.org.uk/
http://www.heise.de/ct/04/12/060/
_____________________________________________

o Nokia's Venture-Capital Unit Launches 75-Million-Euro Fund

London -- Finland's Nokia, the largest mobile-phone maker in the
world, announced that its venture capital unit Nokia Venture Partners
has launched a new mid- to late-stage 75-million-euro (£52 million)
fund called Nokia Growth Partners. Nokia said the fund would
complement early-stage investor Nokia Venture Partners and invest in
mobile technology companies worldwide. Nokia Venture Partners
Managing Partner John Malloy said the fund represented an expansion
of Nokia's global, early-stage venture model, which will "increase our
ability to work with great companies at all stages and cycles of
innovation". Markus Salolainen and Rob Trice, based in London and
California, respectively, were both promoted to General Partner and
will co-manage the fund.
http://www.nokiaventurepartners.com/release120704.html
_____________________________________________

o Sweden's Syntune AB Receives 4.7-Million-Euro Investment

Stockholm -- Syntune AB, a Sweden-based developer of single-chip
tuneable lasers, announced on Wednesday that it has raised 42 million
Swedish crowns (4.7 million euro) in private equity financing. The
round was led by Sweden's InnovationsKapital and Norway's
Teknoinvest, with U.S.-based Vision Capital and a number of unnamed
private investors also participating. Syntune produces "tuneable" lasers
known as "modulated grating Y-branch" (MG–Y), which are easily
manufactured and allow laser-chip manufacturing to be outsourced.
"The Syntune product has decisive advantages in the high volume,
small form factor market where 'tunability' is a key differentiator," said
InnovationsKapital Investment Manager Peder Holm. "We are very
impressed by the Syntune team and pleased to be part of their exciting
growth."
http://www.syntune.com/press20041206.html
_____________________________________________

o BBC Programme to Save £320 Million and Cut 2,900 Jobs

London -- BBC Director-General Mark Thompson this week unveiled a
radical new programme for the broadcaster that will lead to £320
million in savings over the next three years and the elimination of at
least 10% of its workforce -- or 2,900 jobs. "My vision for the future of
the BBC has three parts: a bold new programme and content strategy
based above all around the idea of excellence; a transformation of the
BBC into a state-of-the art digital broadcaster; and an irreversible shift
in the culture of the BBC towards simplicity, opportunity and
creativity," he said. Thompson said he wanted to focus more on
"excellence" and transform the BBC into a simpler and more creative
digital broadcaster in order to better satisfy audience expectations and
their relationship with the BBC through interactivity and
personalisation.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4077075.stm
_____________________________________________

o Walsall Council Enters £650-Million Partnership with Fujitsu

London -- The Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council announced that
it has approved proposals for a joint venture worth £650 million with
London-based IT services vendor Fujitsu Services that will be the
largest partnership of its kind in the U.K. The Council said the "Putting
the Citizen First" project would revolutionise the quality of council
services and establish a regional business centre that would boost the
borough's economic prospects. Under the terms of the 12-year
partnership, Fujitsu will invest £115 million and create at least 750 new
jobs in the borough. The project is scheduled to start from the
beginning of the next financial year. "Nearly 30 companies expressed a
strong interest in this project, but Fujitsu emerged as the best choice for
us," said Walsall Council Chief Executive Annie Shepperd. "They
proposed a joint venture with the council to run and manage the
partnership, with highly innovative regeneration initiatives."
http://uk.fujitsu.com/news/newsarchive/2004/12/021204a/
http://makeashorterlink.com/?B289129F9
_____________________________________________

o Ireland-Based Tech Firm Marrakech Raises 4.5 Million Euro

Dublin -- Marrakech Ltd., an Ireland-based technology services firm,
announced on Wednesday that it has secured 4.5 million euro (£3.1
million) in a venture capital round led by Doughty Hanson Technology
Ventures, Cross Atlantic Capital Partners and AMT Sybex. Marrakech
said it would use the funds to expand its operations in the U.K. and
U.S. The company also announced that it has appointed John
Bantleman, an 18-year industry veteran who has overseen two
successful initial public offerings (IPOs) on the Nasdaq stock
exchange, as its new chief executive officer. Former IBM U.K.
Chairman Carl Symon has been appointed Marrakech chairman, the
company said. Marrakech connects and streamlines business processes
between buyers and suppliers, providing sourcing, procurement,
invoicing and supply chain communications over the Internet.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?E357529F9
_____________________________________________

o Support Group for Women Leaders in IT Launched in U.K.

London -- women@CL, a support-group project that aims to increase
the number of women in leadership positions in computing research,
was launched in the U.K. this week. "The aim of our group is at least
partially to fill that void by celebrating, informing and supporting
women in the U.K. who are, or plan to be, engaged in computing
research or academic leadership," said Ursula Martin, a professor at
Queen Mary University of London and the director of women@CL.
The group -- which is funded by the Engineering and Physical Science
Research Council and has the support of the British Computer Society,
Microsoft Research, Intel, Cambridge Research, Queen Mary College
University of London and the University of Cambridge -- offers
mentoring, support and information and provides career development
programmes.
http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/women/
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(Brussels) The European Commission announced on Wednesday that it
has approved the proposed joint acquisition of Italy's Sirti, an
engineering and telecommunications networks firm, by Techint, Stella
International, James Jones, Investindustrial and Clessidra. The
Netherlands's Techint is a maker of steel pipes and flat steel products,
and Luxembourg-based Stella International specialises in treated wood
poles for electrical and telecommunication networks. U.K.-based
company James Jones is involved in sawmilling, pallet manufacturing,
timber engineering and timber preservation. Investindustrial is a U.K.-
based private equity firm, while Clessidra is a closed end investment
fund based in Italy.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?Y50552DA8

(London) Ofcom, the U.K. communications and media watchdog,
announced on Wednesday that the iTrip, one of the most popular
accessories for Apple's iPod digital music player, is now illegal in U.K.
Ofcom ruled that use of the iTrip, which allows users to broadcast
music on their iPods to an external FM radio, was illegal because it
essentially functions like a small pirate radio station and therefore
violates the Wireless Telegraphy Act. Although the regulator said it
would pursue Griffin Technology, the makers of the iTrip, it also said
that violators of the Wireless Telegraphy Act could be fined and even
face jail time.
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/
http://www.griffintechnology.com/

(Glasgow) Newcastle, England-based Technology Services Group
(TSG) announced on Wednesday that it has agreed to acquire ESCO, a
Scotland-based networking reseller. Financial terms for the deal --
TSG's third acquisition in as many weeks -- were not disclosed. TSG
has now bought 10 resellers in northern England and Scotland over the
last 12 months. Graham Wylie, co-founder of accounting software
maker Sage Group Plc, set up TSG in 2003 to supply small- and
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with IT services.
http://www.tsgrp.com/home.asp
http://www.escollc.com/

(London) Vodafone Group Plc, the largest mobile operator in the
world, announced on Wednesday that it has named Teresa Elder as its
new director of operations in Ireland, replacing Paul Donovan. The first
female chief executive officer to be appointed at Vodafone, Elder has
held senior executive positions with AT&T Broadband and Media One
and was also a senior manager with mobile group AirTouch, which
merged with Vodafone in 1999. She is expected to start on Jan. 10.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?S1D5219F9

(Fairfax, Virginia) Looking to build on its recent expansion into the
Asia-Pacific region and parts of Europe, Xybernaut, a U.S.-based
maker of wearable computer products, said announced that it is
preparing to target Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg in the
near future. "The Benelux region is one of the most developed with
respect to mobile computing and wireless communication, so it
represents one of the strongest regions for Xybernaut expansion," said
Xybernaut Senior Vice President Debbie Crum. Xybernaut said it was
in discussions with a number of potential partners throughout the
region.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?P278124F9

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December 08, 2004 in Daily Newsletter | Permalink

December 07, 2004

European Tech Wire - Dec. 7, 2004

============================================
EUROPEAN TECH WIRE - Dec. 7, 2004
============================================
To Subscribe: http://www.europeantechwire.com

o EU: More Competition Needed in Electronic Communications
o Pure Wafer Announces IPO on London's Alternative Market
o Berners-Lee Accepts Position at University of Southampton
o Interactive TV Firm YooMedia Buys DITG for $54 Million
o Swedish Software Firm QlikTech Secures 9.3 Million Euro
o Survey: Two-Thirds of Artists Unthreatened by File Sharing
o Report: Subscription Services to Outpace Song Downloads
o Briefly Noted: Energis-Eammon O'Hare, Mirago-New European
Indexes, IBM-Lloyds TSB Group, Loudeye-Mobitel, Superscape
Group-iaSolution
_____________________________________________

o EU: More Competition Needed in Electronic Communications

Brussels -- In its latest report on the electronic communications sector,
the European Commission praised the strong expansion of mobile and
broadband technologies in Europe, but emphasised that more
competition was needed. The Commission cheered the fact that 83% of
European citizens now use mobile phones and that 43% of the EU
population will be covered by 3G services by the end this year.
Nevertheless, the Commission said it was planning to warn eight
member states to bring their regulatory regimes for electronic
communications into line with common standards, or face legal action
in the European Court of Justice. Vivian Reding, EU Information
Society Commissioner, said the Commission was launching legal
action against the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania,
Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia for not having adopted appropriate
legislation. Similar proceedings against Belgium, Greece, Luxembourg,
Spain and France have already begun.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?A52B236F9
_____________________________________________

o Pure Wafer Announces IPO on London's Alternative Market

Swansea, Wales -- Pure Wafer, a Welsh firm that cleans and recycles
silicon wafers for large chip manufacturers, announced on Tuesday that
it is planning an initial public offering (IPO) on London's Alternative
Investment Market (AIM) before year's end. One of the few recyclers
in Europe capable of handling 300mm wafers, Pure Wafer debugs test
wafers and strips off patterning so they can be recycled. The company
said it was looking to raise as much as £8 million to increase Pure
Wafer's capacity. The company's existing shareholders -- Apax
Partners, IBM and HBOS -- are expected to reduce their shareholdings
at the IPO, which should value the Welsh firm at between £36 million
and £39 million. Apax Partners currently holds about 70% of Pure
Wafer, but will see its share fall to 50%, while IBM's 17% stake will
fall to between 5% and 10%. HBOS, which holds 10%, will also see its
share reduced, Pure Wafer said.
http://www.purewafer.com/
_____________________________________________

o Berners-Lee Accepts Position at University of Southampton

Southampton, England -- Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the man widely credited
with inventing the World Wide Web, announced that he will become
chair of computer science at University of Southampton's School of
Electronics and Computer Science. "We are delighted that (Berners-
Lee) has accepted this appointment," said Professor Wendy Hall, head
of the School of Electronics and Computer Science. "Many of the staff
have worked with him on the development of the World Wide Web
over many years, and we are now closely involved with the evolution
of the semantic web." Berners-Lee has described as "an extension of
the current web in which information is given well-defined meaning,
better enabling computers and people to work in co-operation". He also
said he planned to stay on as senior research scientist at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and director of the World
Wide Web Consortium (W3C).
http://makeashorterlink.com/?V51A126F9
_____________________________________________

o Interactive TV Firm YooMedia Buys DITG for $54 Million

London -- YooMedia, a U.K.-based developer of interactive TV
content, announced this week that it has acquired the Digital Interactive
Television Group (DITG), a provider of interactive TV infrastructure
software, and its Gaming Channel subsidiary, for about 40 million euro
(£28 million). YooMedia also plans to raise 36 million euro (£25
million) through a secondary stock offering, the proceeds of which will
partly go to pay for its acquisition of DITG, with the rest allocated for
ongoing working capital requirements, the company said. The
acquisition is YooMedia's latest in a recent string of purchases that
includes MMTV, Whoosh, Fancy a Flutter and GoPlayTV. YooMedia
and DITG said they expected the merged company to be profitable by
next March.
http://www.yoomedia.com
http://www.ditg.tv
_____________________________________________

o Swedish Software Firm QlikTech Secures 9.3 Million Euro

Lund, Sweden -- QlikTech, a Sweden-based business intelligence and
enterprise performance management software firm, announced on
Tuesday that it has secured 9.3 million euro in venture capital funding.
Accel Partners and Jerusalem Venture Partners (JVP) led the round.
"The combination of Accel and JVP is a dream team," said QlikTech
International CEO Mans Hultman. "We will use the funds from this
round of financing to expand our international presence dramatically to
further capitalise on the enormous market traction we are seeing." The
company said it also planned to use the funds to launch an aggressive
sales and marketing campaign to drive up its share of the business
intelligence marketplace.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?O18B356F9
_____________________________________________

o Survey: Two-Thirds of Artists Unthreatened by File Sharing

New York -- Two-thirds of artists questioned in a recent survey said
peer-to-peer file-sharing poses little or no threat at all to them, in stark
contrast to the recording industry's claims that file-sharing hurts artists.
The Pew Internet & American Life Project survey found that 47% of
the artists agreed that file-sharing services are bad because they don't
ask permission to copy or compensate artists. However, 43% also said
file-sharing services aren't really bad because of the promotional value
and distribution opportunities presented by peer-to-peer networks. Only
about half of all artists said they believe it should be illegal for Internet
users to swap songs on file-sharing networks, and only 28% said they
consider file-sharing a major threat to creative industries.
http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/94/press_release.asp
_____________________________________________

o Report: Subscription Services to Outpace Song Downloads

New York -- Subscription digital music services will eventually
outpace a la carte music downloads, but CDs will not be replaced by
digital music within the next five years, according to a new report from
JupiterResearch. While 16% of online adults are interested in
downloading singles, 17% are tempted by subscription services, like
Napster and RealNetworks' Rhapsody. JupiterResearch found that
interest in subscription services increased for teens ages 13-17 (19%),
nearly doubled for young adults ages 18-24 (31%) and hit 37% for
adults who have spent more than 33.50 euro (£23) on music in the past
three months. The report also found that the majority of online adults
(51%) think physical music is more valuable than digital.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/041201/15239_1.html
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(London) Energis, a U.K.-based telecommunications group, announced
on Tuesday that Chief Financial Officer Eammon O'Hare has resigned
and moved on to his "next challenge". O'Hare joined Energis in 2002
about three months after a group of banks took over the company,
which had debts of nearly £700 million. It wasn't until the 2003-04
financial year that Energis reported its first-ever operating profit of £10
million. CEO John Pluthero insisted the business was still performing
well, despite analyst rumours to the contrary. "(O'Hare) leaves us with
a profitable business and a financially secure foundation," he said.
Energis said O'Hare would be replaced by Steve Cooke.
http://www.energis-squared.net/

(London) Mirago, a U.K.-based Internet search engine firm, announced
on Tuesday that it plans to expand its presence in Europe with new
indexes in seven European countries. "Opening these new indexes not
only gives us an ideal opportunity to move into new European markets,
but also allows us to take advantage of our presence by building new
partnerships with companies across Europe," said Mike James, Mirago
European Business Development Manager. Mirago said the new
indexes in Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Norway,
Denmark and Sweden were already working. The company also has
indexes in Germany, France, Spain and the U.K.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?C3E7156F9

(Armonk, New York) IBM announced that has won a contract under
which it will provide voice and data services to Lloyds TSB Group, a
major U.K.-based financial services firm. The new seven-year deal is
worth more than 723 million euro (£500 million). The new nationwide
network, which will be rolled out over the next 20 months, will support
voice, data and video, with direct links to mobile devices and call
centre services, IBM said. Lloyds TSB currently has more than 2,500
branches and about 1,000 other sites across the U.K.
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/041206/ibm_lloyds_3.html

(Seattle) Loudeye, a U.S.-based provider of streaming song samples
and other digital media services, announced this week that it has signed
an agreement to provide a custom-branded online digital music store
for Mobitel in Slovenia. Seattle-based Loudeye's OD2 service, which
now operates stores in 19 countries, will power Mobitel's Zabavaj.se
online store, the company said. Mobitel is a Bulgaria-based mobile
network provider.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/041206/sfm044_1.html

(Hook, England) Superscape Group, a U.K.-based mobile game
publisher, announced this week that it has signed a publishing
agreement with Taiwan-based iaSolution. Under the terms of the
agreement, iaSolution will distribute Superscape titles including "Van
Helsing", "Fight Club" and "Alien vs. Predator" with Asian wireless
carriers such as Chungha, Taiwan Cellular Corporation and Far East
Tone.
http://www.superscape.com
http://www.iasolution.net

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Questions, comments, news tips, press releases. Send email to:
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December 07, 2004 in Daily Newsletter | Permalink

December 06, 2004

European Tech Wire - Dec. 6, 2004

============================================
EUROPEAN TECH WIRE - Dec. 6, 2004
============================================
To Subscribe: http://www.europeantechwire.com

o Telecom Italia to Bid 20 Million Euro for Rest of TIM
o Swedish IT Services Firm Teleca to Buy Denmark's Lentech
o EU Invites Applications for 1.1 Billion Euro in IT Grants
o BT Chief Verwaayen Challenge Ofcom Report, FT Says
o UK Cinven Acquires 11% Stake in Eutelsat for £233 Million
o Orange Becomes Third Company to Offer 3G Services in U.K.
o Complaints Compel Lycos Europe to End Anti-Spam Campaign
o Number of European Internet Users Up by 12% to 100 Million
o Briefly Noted: Intel Chief Executive Officer Craig Barrett-Irish
R&D, DMG Information-Lewtan Technologies, ABB-U.S. Postal
Service
_____________________________________________

o Telecom Italia to Bid 20 Million Euro for Rest of TIM

Milan -- Italian news daily Il Sole 24 reported on Monday that Telecom
Italia SpA plans to bid 20 million euro to acquire the remaining 44% of
mobile phone unit TIM it does not already own. In what would be
Europe's second-largest merger this year, Italy's largest
telecommunications company plans to pay as much as 10 million euro
in cash, about half of the company's overall bid and much larger than
predicted by analysts, Il Sole 24 said. The news marks a growing trend
in the European telecommunications sector. Deutsche Telekom of
Germany and KPN of the Netherlands both own their mobile units
entirely, while France Telecom recently decided to acquire the
remaining shares of its mobile unit Orange.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?I17223349
http://www.ilsole24ore.com/
_____________________________________________

o Swedish IT Services Firm Teleca to Buy Denmark's Lentech

Stockholm -- Benima, an industrial IT and automation specialist,
announced on Monday that it has acquired Lentech A/S, a Danish
consulting firm. Benima, a unit of Swedish IT services firm Teleca AB,
said it made the acquisition to strengthen its presence in the Nordic
region. Under the terms of the agreement, for which financial details
were not disclosed, Benima will receive 80% of Lentech with an option
to purchase the remaining 20% of the company. "We're very pleased
about the acquisition of Lentech, which will help us strengthen our
position in Denmark and contribute to improving our profits," said
Benima Managing Director Per Magnusson. "Lentech's profile is
characterised by high quality and deep technical expertise that fits well
with Benima's strategy of taking on advanced projects for Danish
industry."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?T268114F9
_____________________________________________

o EU Invites Applications for 1.1 Billion Euro in IT Grants

Brussels -- The European Commission announced on Monday that it is
inviting applications for more than 1.1 billion euro (£761 million) of IT
grants. According to the Commission, the Information Society
Technologies (IST) Research Programme will fund five types of
projects: Integrated Projects (IPs), Specific Targeted Research Projects
(STREPs), Networks of Excellence (NoEs), Coordination Actions
(CAs) and Specific Support Actions (SSAs). The Commission said the
areas addressed would include applied IST research addressing major
societal and economic challenges, communication, computing and
software technologies, components and microsystems, knowledge and
interface technologies, knowledge and interface technologies, IST
future and emerging technologies. The closing date for applications is
March, 25, 2005.
http://fp6.cordis.lu/fp6/call_details.cfm?CALL_ID=174
_____________________________________________

o BT Chief Verwaayen Challenge Ofcom Report, FT Says

London -- According to The Financial Times, BT Group CEO Ben
Verwaayen has warned U.K. communications and media watchdog that
his company might resist the regulator's proposed structural changes if
the costs are too high. In November, Ofcom issued its review of the
U.K. telecommunications sector, in which it called on BT to give its
competitors equivalent access to its network. "You have to define what
(equivalence) is … otherwise, every invention that somebody in BT
comes up with immediately goes to the rest of the world," he told The
Financial Times. "That would be ridiculous." Verwaayen admitted that
he believed equivalence would be possible, but he added that it took
"two to tango" and that the whole U.K. telecommunications sector
would have to "tango with us". BT has until February to comply with
Ofcom's ruling; if it fails to do so, the company could be referred to the
Competition Commission, Ofcom said.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?A532264F9
_____________________________________________

o UK Cinven Acquires 11% Stake in Eutelsat for £233 Million

London -- UK Cinven, a European private equity firm, announced on
Monday that it has acquired an 11% stake in satellite firm Eutelsat from
DeaSat for £233 million (337 million euro). The Eutelsat board has
already authorised the deal, the company said. Cinven partner David
Barker said his company has been negotiating the deal for more than
six months. "We have been tracking Eutelsat's progress for some time,"
he said. "With a leading position in its markets, strong cash flows and a
highly experienced management team, Eutelsat is a highly attractive
investment proposition." Eutelsat is a satellite operator offering
services that include TV and radio broadcasting for the public,
professional video broadcasting, corporate networks, Internet services
and mobile communications.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?U1C6344F9
_____________________________________________

o Orange Becomes Third Company to Offer 3G Services in U.K.

Paris -- Orange, the mobile unit of France Telecom, has become the
third company to launch 3G mobile phone services in the U.K., after 3
UK -- a group owned by Hong Kong-based Hutchison Whampoa -- and
Vodafone, the largest mobile phone company in the world. With the
news, Orange pips Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile and BT spin-out
mmO2. Orange UK said it would offer 12-month contracts for 3G
phones that offer video calls and clips, movie clips, music downloads,
film trailers, e-mail and mobile Internet access for £30 per month until
the end of next month. The company also unveiled four new 3G phones
and said it expected to sell as many as 2 million units in the U.K. by
2007. Phones will be priced from nothing to £199.99 pounds,
depending on the user's contract.
http://www.orange.co.uk/
_____________________________________________

o Complaints Compel Lycos Europe to End Anti-Spam Campaign

Brussels -- Internet portal Lycos Europe announced that it has stopped
its controversial campaign against unsolicited junk e-mails, or spam,
after the company drew fire from analysts, security experts and
spammers for acting as a vigilante and breaching unspoken rules of
civility on the Internet. The free "Make Love Not Spam" screensaver
was designed to counter-attack spammers by using their own
techniques against them, employing idle computers to launch
distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks against spammers'
websites. After just three days, however, the company disabled the
service when it received a flood of complaints that it had gone too far.
For its part, Lycos said it was satisfied the programme had raised
awareness and sparked discussion about the growing problem of spam.
Lycos said about 100,000 people downloaded the programme.
http://www.lycos.co.uk/
http://www.makelovenotspam.com/
_____________________________________________

o Number of European Internet Users Up by 12% to 100 Million

London -- The number of European Internet users has grown 12% over
the last year to 100 million, spurred by dramatic broadband penetration
data showing that more than half of European users now have a high-
speed connection, according to a report from Internet audience
measurement firm Nielsen/NetRatings. The report found that 54.5
million Europeans had broadband in October, an increase of 60% from
the 34.1 million reported a year earlier. The number of broadband users
leapt 120% in Italy, 93% in the U.K. and 70% in France. "Twelve
months ago, high-speed Internet users made up just over one third of
the audience in Europe, now they are more than 50%, and we expect
this number to keep growing," said Nielsen European analyst Gabrielle
Prior. "Websites will need to adapt, update and enhance their content to
retain their visitors and encourage new ones."
http://www.nielsen-netratings.com/pr/pr_041202_uk.pdf
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(Dublin) Intel Chief Executive Officer Craig Barrett has called on Irish
government to increase spending on research and development (R&D)
in line with economic growth, The Irish Times reported on Monday. To
do anything less would put Ireland at a disadvantage, Barrett said. "You
either continue to grow your investment in this area, or you have the
possibility of falling behind," he told The Irish Times, emphasising that
he believed spending on basic scientific and technological research was
the "domain of the government".
http://www.ireland.com/business/

(Waltham, Massachusetts) DMG Information (DMGi), a U.S.-based
diversified provider of services to the financial information market,
announced that it has acquired Lewtan Technologies, a U.S.-based
provider of information and technology for the asset securitisation
industry. DMGi is a subsidiary of the Daily Mail and General Trust Plc,
one of the largest international media groups in the U.K. Under the
terms of the acquisition, Lewtan Technologies will continue to operate
independently under the business-to-business division of DMGi.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
http://www.Lewtan.com

(Raleigh, North Carolina) ABB, a Switzerland-based power and
automation technology firm, announced that it has won a $48-million
robotics contract from the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to help it
increase the efficiency of the mail service. ABB will supply robotics
containerisation systems to assist USPS mail processing facilities in the
daily task of handling several million items of mail. Each of the 67
systems ABB is providing will contain two robots that automatically
sort, move and stack mail trays based on zip code information
embedded in bar codes on the containers, the company said.
http://www.abb.com/

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December 06, 2004 in Daily Newsletter | Permalink

December 03, 2004

European Tech Wire - Dec. 3, 2004

============================================
EUROPEAN TECH WIRE - Dec. 3, 2004
============================================
To Subscribe: http://www.europeantechwire.com

o Infineon Executives Get Fines, Jail Terms for Price Fixing
o Two More Top Executives to Resign at Mobile Giant Nokia
o U.K. Chancellor Brown Focuses on Tech Research and Skills
o Apple Referred to European Commission for Unfair Pricing
o ProTon Europe Laments Cost, Complexity of Patent System
o BT Acquires Ownership of Italy's Albacom for £80 Million
o mmO2 UK CEO McGlade to Step Down in March 2005
o Briefly Noted: Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority-Wi-Fi
VoIP Phones, IXEurope-University of Reading, newScale-London
Office, Thomson-mp3 Surround, Gizmondo Europe
_____________________________________________

o Infineon Executives Get Fines, Jail Terms for Price Fixing

Washington DC -- According to the U.S. Justice Department, four
executives at Infineon Technologies, a German microchip firm, have
pleaded guilty to fixing prices for dynamic random access memory
(dram) chips, used widely in mobile phones and PCs. Heinrich Florian,
Guenter Hefner, Peter Schaefer and Rudd Corwen now must pay fines
of 187,000 euro (£129,000) each and serve as many as six months in
prison. "These four executives are the first to plead guilty to a charge of
fixing prices in what is still a very active and far-reaching investigation
into anti-trust violations in the dram industry," said the Justice
Department's Scott Hammond. Samsung Electronics and Hynix, two
other heavy hitters in the global dram market, are also under
investigation by the Department of Justice. Three months ago, Infineon
pleaded guilty to one count of price-fixing and agreed to pay a fine of
120 million euro (£83 million).
http://makeashorterlink.com/?Y27014FE9
http://www.usdoj.gov/
_____________________________________________

o Two More Top Executives to Resign at Mobile Giant Nokia

Helsinki -- Finland-based Nokia, the largest mobile-phone company in
the world, announced on Friday that two top executives would resign.
Nokia said Sari Baldauf would step down as executive vice president
and general manager of the Networks unit for personal reasons. J.T.
Bergqvist, a board member and director of the Network global business
unit, will step down at the end of next month, also for personal reasons.
Baldauf and Bergqvist now bring the total of executives to resign from
Nokia over the last two weeks to three, as Chief Strategy Officer Matti
Alahuhta recently resigned to become president of Finnish escalator
manufacturer Kone. Nokia said Baldauf, who was a 20-year veteran
and widely expected to take over for CEO Jorma Ollila, would be
replaced by Simon Beresford-Wylie next year.
http://press.nokia.com/pressreleases.html
_____________________________________________

o U.K. Chancellor Brown Focuses on Tech Research and Skills

London -- Delivering this year's pre-budget speech to the U.K. House
of Commons, Gordon Brown, the Chancellor of the Exchequer,
unveiled a number of measures aiming to boost the country's
technology skills and research capabilities. "The Britain of long-term
economic strength will be the Britain that resolves to invest in hi-tech,
high value added manufacturing and services through world leadership
in science and technology," he said. Brown said he wanted to
strengthen business partnerships to raise more investment for research
and development and improve collaboration between companies and
universities. Other proposals included removing tax barriers for
university spin-offs, piloting a matched-funding scheme to help build
up university resources and establishing a £100-million technology
investment programme to promote "Science Cities" in the North.
http://prebudget2004.treasury.gov.uk/
_____________________________________________

o Apple Referred to European Commission for Unfair Pricing

Brussels -- The U.K. Office of Fair Trading (OFT) on Friday referred
Apple to the European Commission, claiming the U.S.-based company
is overcharging its customers in the U.K. for its iTunes service. The
OFT said it would pass the case on to Brussels because iTunes operated
in more than three EU states, making the Commission "better placed"
to rule on the matter. The OFT made its decision after Which? -- a non-
profit organisation formerly known as the Consumer Association --
filed a complaint that Apple was charging U.K. customers as much as
20% more than those in Germany and France. Which? also complained
that U.K. customers are being barred from purchasing songs from the
German or French websites. For its part, Apple has defended its pricing
practices, arguing that the underlying economic models in each country
determine how the company prices its downloads.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?L22E32EE9
http://www.oft.gov.uk/default.htm
_____________________________________________

o ProTon Europe Laments Cost, Complexity of Patent System

Dublin -- ProTon Europe, a pan-European network for knowledge
transfer with universities and public research organisations, this week
endorsed the Responsible Partnering Initiative in its "Dublin
Statement". The Initiative, which highlights the need to reduce the cost
and complexity of the European patent system, was designed to provide
a framework for effective collaboration between universities and
industry. ProTon Europe said the costs of patents were having a major
impact on the number of patented inventions coming out of Europe.
"The fact that the cost of obtaining a European patent may be five times
higher that the cost of a U.S. patent is clearly acting as a barrier to
innovation, particularly in universities and (small and medium-sized
enterprises)," the group said.
http://www.protoneurope.org/
_____________________________________________

o BT Acquires Ownership of Italy's Albacom for £80 Million

London -- BT Group Plc, the largest telecommunications firm in the
U.K., announced on Friday that it has acquired the remaining stake of
Albacom, the second largest telecommunications operator in Italy, that
it did not already own. BT said it paid 116 million euro (£80 million)
for the 74% stake, which it bought from its three joint-venture partners:
energy group ENI, broadcaster BNL and bank Mediaset. "This move
reflects BT's strategy of establishing a pan-European presence to
service multi-site organisations, with strong local operations in key
countries," the company said in a statement. BT said it expected to
complete the deal, pending regulatory approval, early next year.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?A19C13EE9
_____________________________________________

o mmO2 UK CEO McGlade to Step Down in March 2005

London -- mmO2 Plc, a U.K.-based mobile phone firm, announced on
Friday that acting mmO2 UK Chief Executive Officer Dave McGlade
will resign from the board and leave the company next March. "I would
like to thank (McGlade) for his drive, enthusiasm and many
achievements over the past four years," said mmO2 CEO Peter Erskine.
"He will leave our U.K. business in the best shape it's ever been."
mmO2 said McGlade would be "relocating his family and returning to
his native America to take up an exciting new opportunity". The
company said acting mmO2 UK Chief Financial Officer Matthew Key
would take over as CEO of the division at the beginning of the next
financial year.
http://www.mmo2.com/media/pr_041202.asp
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(Glasgow) Scotland's Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority (SPT),
which operates the third-oldest subway system in the world, announced
this week that it has installed Wi-Fi-based wireless telephones in three
separate facilities. The SPT said it would employ the handsets, which
use Internet telephony technology (Voice over Internet Protocol), in its
Hamilton Bus Terminal, new Travel Centre and Glasgow Subway
facility. "We launched the first deployment in our Glasgow subway site
and found it indispensable to employees, leading us to deploy
(SpectraLink) NetLink Wireless Telephones at two other sites," said
SPT Telecommunications Manager Derek Arbuckle.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?U24516EE9
http://www.spt.co.uk/

(London) IXEurope, a U.K.-based data-centre services firm, announced
plans to link up with a team from the University of Reading to develop
a robot with cleaning, monitoring and surveillance capabilities. "This is
a very exciting project for both the company and the University of
Reading," said IXEurope CEO Guy Willner. "It looks set to discover
real-life deployments of the kinds of artificial intelligence technology
that we have been seeing in development for the last twenty years."
Under the terms of the partnership, IXEurope will provide technical
expertise and fund the project for a final-year cybernetics student at the
university.
http://www.ixeurope.com/press_releases2004.html

(London) newScale, a service delivery management (SDM) software
specialist based in California, announced on Friday that it has opened a
European office in London. "This international location is an important
step in serving our customers' European operations, while also
providing a launch pad to reach out to a new set of customers around
the world," said David Satterwhite, newScale senior vice-president of
worldwide sales. SDM software allows companies to run internal
service organisations more efficiently, by automating service ordering,
managing service delivery and tracking delivery performance across
internal and external service providers.
http://www.newscale.com/news/pr_113004.html

(Paris) Thomson, a France-based developer of media-related equipment
and technologies, has introduced its mp3 Surround encoder and
decoder, in conjunction with the Fraunhofer Institut and Agere
Systems. The technology will enable 5.1 channel, surround-quality
sound for Web-based music distribution, broadcasting systems, PC
gaming, consumer electronics and automotive systems. Thomson says
mp3 Surround, now available as a free evaluation version, is backward
compatible with regular mp3 and is half the size of most compressed
surround sound formats.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/041202/25197_1.html

(London) Gizmondo Europe, the division of U.S.-based Tiger
Telematics responsible for the Gizmondo multi-functional handheld
gaming console, announced that it has received more than 560,000 pre-
orders for the device since it began taking them on Oct. 29. The
company said the majority of its pre-orders originated outside the U.K.
The Gizmondo has already been released in the U.K. and is slated to
ship to the rest of Europe and the U.S. in the first quarter of next year.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/041202/ukth012_1.html

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> RealNetworks - Lawyer - Digital Music Business

RealNetworks is looking to hire a lawyer in its London office to work
primarily on matters related to its digital music business, including
Rhapsody, RadioPass and mobile music services. The lawyer hired will
negotiate and draft content licensing agreements with record labels and
music publishers; distribution, marketing and promotion agreements
with broadband service providers, websites, retailers, mobile carriers
and handset providers. Require lawyer 3-7 years qualified, with a focus
in digital music/media, licensing and distribution, knowledge of
Internet law issues, excellent writing and negotiation skills, excellent
academic record, highly motivated and independent worker excited by
a fast-paced environment.

Please apply online: http://makeashorterlink.com/?X19A12ED9

Closing date for applications is Friday 3rd December
_____________________________________________

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Questions, comments, news tips, press releases. Send email to:
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December 03, 2004 in Daily Newsletter | Permalink

European Tech Wire

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