European Tech Wire

European Tech Wire - Jan. 31, 2005

============================================
EUROPEAN TECH WIRE - Jan. 31, 2005
============================================
To Subscribe: http://www.europeantechwire.com

o EU Objects to Name of Microsoft's "Reduced Media Edition"
o Report: Financial Organisations Increasingly Support Linux
o BT Rivals, Ofcom Warn Incumbent to Comply with Proposals
o Report: 2004 "Disappointing" for Irish/U.K. Tech Investment
o Getronics Formalises 350-Million-Euro PinkRoccade Bid
o German Court Says ISPs Need Not Identify File-Swappers
o Briefly Noted: Deutsche Telekom-U.S. Class Action Settlement,
TeliaSonera Group-Danish 3G License, Marconi-Huawei
Technologies, SurfKitchen-Michel Quazza, Intuwave-Ray Sangster
_____________________________________________

o EU Objects to Name of Microsoft's "Reduced Media Edition"

Brussels -- The European Commission has moved to block plans by
U.S.-based software giant Microsoft to name the stripped-down version
of its operating system "Windows XP Reduced Media Edition". The
new version will soon be released in accordance with an EU ruling
requiring Microsoft to offer Windows without Windows Media Player.
Under the terms of the EU ruling, however, Microsoft cannot take steps
that would make the software unattractive to consumers. EU regulators
say Microsoft's choice of name could dissuade many customers from
buying a "watered-down" version of the product. For its part, Microsoft
said it would change the name. "We had originally suggested a name,
(Windows) XP Reduced Media Edition," said Microsoft spokesman
Jim Desler. "While we believe that name is fully compliant (with the
Commission's decision), in the spirit of compromise we have agreed to
make a change in the name of the product."
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/legalnews.asp
_____________________________________________

o Report: Financial Organisations Increasingly Support Linux

Paris -- According to the Financial Technology Strategies 2005 survey
conducted by financial technology analysis firm Finextra, financial
organisations have led a surge in support for Linux. In fact, growing
support for open source software among financial organisations, which
doubled last year, has been the single biggest technology change in the
sector over the last 12 months, Finextra said. The survey found that the
number of financial institutions using Linux increased from 27% last
year to 58% at the beginning of this year. "Regulatory compliance and
risk management are at the forefront, but the pressure for IT to deliver
measurable business returns is also growing," said Paul Penrose, head
of research at Finextra. "Finding ways to meet regulatory demands for
stricter compliance, while managing business expectations for an
improved return on IT investment, will be the real challenge for CIOs
in the year ahead."
http://www.finextra.com/
_____________________________________________

o BT Rivals, Ofcom Warn Incumbent to Comply with Proposals

London -- Competitors of BT Group Plc have called on local regulator
Ofcom to fine the largest telecommunications company in the U.K. if it
fails to comply with changes proposed in the watchdog's Telecoms
Review. Ofcom has warned BT that it will begin an Enterprise Act
market investigation and referral to the Competition Commission if the
incumbent fails to respond to the proposals by Thursday. Many of BT's
rivals complain that it has failed to open up local loops or to lower
wholesale prices. "The concern is that parts of the BT organisation will
continue to prevaricate and delay," said David McConnell, chairman of
the UK Competitive Telecommunications Association. "Ofcom and the
industry must not allow itself to be dragged into endless detailed
discussions as to what exactly 'equivalence' is." Last week, Ofcom
Chief Executive Stephen Carter told the Westminster Media Forum that
BT could ultimately be broken up and its retail and wholesale divisions
removed if it did not cooperate with the watchdog's efforts.
http://www.ukcta.org.uk/ 
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/
_____________________________________________

o Report: 2004 "Disappointing" for Irish/U.K. Tech Investment

London -- A new report by U.K.-based Cobalt Corporate Finance Ltd.
shows that 2004 was a relatively "disappointing" year for technology
investment in the U.K. and Ireland. The report found that 100 deals
worth more than £1 million pounds were completed during the year
ended December, compared to 107 deals over the same period in 2003.
Although overall transaction value increased by 27% to 469 million
euro from 392 million euro, the number of transactions fell for the
fourth consecutive quarter to its lowest level since 1998. What's more,
average deal size in the U.K. and Ireland increased from £3.7 million in
2003 to approximately £5 million in 2004. Cobalt said the increase in
the average investment size and the reduction in the number of
investments show that venture capitalists are becoming increasingly
selective about the companies in which they invest.
http://www.cobaltcf.com/
_____________________________________________

o Getronics Formalises 350-Million-Euro PinkRoccade Bid

Amsterdam -- Getronics, an IT group based in the Netherlands,
announced on Monday that it has formalised a bid for local IT group
PinkRoccade NV for more than 350 million euro. The announcement
looks to end a protracted bidding war with Dutch rival Ordina NV,
which has already outbid Getronics on two separate occasions since
December. Ordina recently tabled a 370-million-euro bid for
PinkRoccade, but quickly withdrew it due to what it described as a
"lack of information" about the smaller firm. On Monday, Getronics
announced that the Dutch government would tender its 25.8% stake in
PinkRoccade to the offer, working out to 14.30 euro per share.
Getronics's acquisition of PinkRoccade has already been pre-approved
by the Dutch antitrust regulator.
http://www.getronics.com/global/en-gb/getronics/press.htm
http://makeashorterlink.com/?J2BD42D5A
_____________________________________________

o German Court Says ISPs Need Not Identify File-Swappers

Frankfurt -- The Higher Regional Court of Frankfurt has ruled that
Internet service providers (ISPs) in Germany are not obligated to reveal
the identities of subscribers accused of copyright infringement on file-
sharing services, German newspaper Heise reported. The denial to
record labels seeking to sue anonymous file-swappers was the second
such ruling delivered in Germany, in stark contrast to U.S. precedent,
where courts have enabled record labels and movie studios to file "John
Doe" copyright suits that compel ISPs to reveal the identities of their
customers. The German court said ISPs only supply technical access to
the Internet and aren't generally obligated to inspect the data
transmitted along their networks.
http://www.heise.de/english/newsticker/news/55580 
http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/54486 
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(Frankfurt) Deutsche Telekom AG, a Germany-based
telecommunications company, announced on Monday that it has agreed
to pay U.S. shareholders 92 million euro in a class action suit based on
the company's legal liability for statements in its prospectus. The suit
alleged that Deutsche Telekom made false statements in its 2000
prospectus regarding its acquisition of VoiceStream, a U.S.-based
mobile phone operator. Deutsche Telekom said the settlement, which
still must be approved by the judge in charge of the case, had been
reached "explicitly without an admission of misconduct" and that it did
not in any way imply an admission of guilt.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?T42021E5A

(Stockholm) The TeliaSonera Group, a telecommunications firm based
in the Nordic region, announced on Monday that it would return to the
Danish regulator, IT-og Telestyrelsen, the 3G license it owns through
its acquisition of Orange Denmark. Furthermore, TeliaSonera said it
would pay a statutory sum of 28.6 million euro, which corresponds to
three annual payments of more than 9.5 million euro. The Nordic firm
acquired Orange Denmark from France Telecom on Oct. 11, 2004.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?K21225E5A

(London) Marconi Corporation Plc, a U.K.-based telecommunications
equipment maker, announced on Monday that it has entered into a
partnership with China-based Huawei Technologies. Under the
agreement, the companies will sell products from each other's product
portfolio to their respective customers, as well as work to develop
Huawei's position in Europe. Marconi said the deal give it a low-cost
and low-risk inroads into the Chinese market. "This is an important first
step in what we believe will be a long and mutually beneficial working
partnership," said Marconi CEO Mike Parton. "The next stage of our
relationship will be to develop jointly new products that would then be
sold through our mutual distribution channels."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?O6AF25D5A

(Reading, England) SurfKitchen, a U.K.-based provider of dynamic
user experience (DUE) software that allows mobile operators to
increase data services and content consumption, announced on Monday
that it has appointed Michel Quazza as its new chief executive officer.
Quazza has 15 years of experience in telecommunications and software
and has held executive positions at Openwave, Lucent and France
Telecom. "SurfKitchen has the greatest number of market leading
mobile operator deployments and will be a critical catalyst to make
mobile data consumption mainstream, as SMS is today in many
markets," Quazza said. "This is why I'm excited to have joined the
SurfKitchen team to actively contribute to this exciting new phase in
mobile."
http://www.surfkitchen.com/personnel_31-01-05.html

(London) Intuwave, a U.K.-based mobile software specialist,
announced on Monday that it has appointed Ray Sangster as its new
chief executive officer. Sangster, who has held senior executive
positions at Sony Computer Entertainment, Sendo and Cabletron, said
his focus would be to increase revenues by stepping up the level of
partner engagement. "Smartphones already outsell PDAs and are one of
the fastest growing segments of the technology sector," Sangster said.
"Outside of Symbian itself, Intuwave has more Smartphone experience
than any other company, so it's ideally placed to exploit that
opportunity." Intuwave counts Symbian, Nokia, Motorola, Sony
Ericsson, Samsung, Sanyo, Sendo, Apple, Lotus Software, Teleca and
BVRP among its current customers.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?Q25F52D5A

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Copyright: CapWire Inc. 2005

European Tech Wire - Jan. 28, 2005

============================================
EUROPEAN TECH WIRE - Jan. 28, 2005
============================================
To Subscribe: http://www.europeantechwire.com

o Germany-Based CSG Solar AG Secures 24 Million Euro
o Mobile Gaming Set to Become Most Common Wireless App
o European Commission Approves Airbus-SITA Joint Venture
o mmO2 Plc to Launch 3G Post-Pay Services in February
o Report: SMEs Lead Western Europe in IT Spending
o Norwegian Court Outlaws Linking to Unauthorised MP3 Files
o Briefly Noted: European Online Gambling Study, Mail-Filters.com-
EMEA Office, Online Tax-Return Surge
_____________________________________________

o Germany-Based CSG Solar AG Secures 24 Million Euro

Munich -- CSG Solar AG, a Germany-based company that has
developed second-generation thin-film solar-module technologies,
announced this week that it has secured 24 million euro in venture
capital. Apax Partners and Good Energies led the round, with Q-Cells
AG, Renewable Energy Corporation and IBG also participating. CSG
said it would use the investment to fund the construction and launch of
its first production facility with an annual output of 25 MW. "The CSG
Solar technology team has been working towards this moment for
nearly ten years," said CSG Solar CEO David Hogg. "Now, at a time
when the supply of silicon wafers threatens to retard the ten-year, 30-
percent-per-year solar industry growth rate, with this successful capital
raising CSG Solar will soon be producing solar electric panels."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?B2B51295A
_____________________________________________

o Mobile Gaming Set to Become Most Common Wireless App

London -- According to a new report by market analysis firm IDC,
mobile gaming is set overtake ringtones by year's end to become the
most common type of wireless data application. The global mobile
gaming market is growing so quickly, in fact, that IDC estimates it will
be a 1.1-billion-euro industry by the year 2008. What's more, IDC
predicts mobile games will soon evolve from single player, device-only
game play towards virtual community gaming. The report also said the
interdependence in the market would necessitate that carriers, handset
manufacturers, game developers, aggregators and others would have to
work together more closely to maximise revenues and accelerate
market penetration.
http://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS00043705
_____________________________________________

o European Commission Approves Airbus-SITA Joint Venture

Brussels -- The European Commission has approved the creation of a
joint venture between France-based Airbus and SITA, an in-flight
communications specialist based in the Netherlands, that will allow
customers to make telephone calls, send text messages and use email
and the Internet during flights. In a statement, the Commission
concluded that the joint venture, which will be called OnAir, would not
significantly impede effective competition in Europe. Germany's
Lufthansa has launched a similar service called Lufthansa FlyNet on
some planes and said that it hopes to make it available to all of its long-
distance flights by the beginning of next year. Boeing Co. is also
developing a similar service called Connexion.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?V3734395A
_____________________________________________

o mmO2 Plc to Launch 3G Post-Pay Services in February

London -- mmO2 Plc, a U.K.-based mobile phone company, announced
on Friday that it would launch its 3G post-pay services on Feb. 1 and
its pre-pay services shortly thereafter. The company also announced
that it is introducing a range of new own-branded 3G handsets and an
enhanced O2 Active portal over its 3G network. With the news, mmO2
will become the fourth carrier in the U.K. to sell mobile phones with
video and Internet access. The company said its service would likely
appeal at first to people interested in electronic gadgetry and then
become increasingly popular with younger people. "We believe the
service will initially appeal to a core group of pioneering customers,
building towards mass market adoption in the latter part of 2005," said
O2 U.K. CEO Matthew Key.
http://www.mmo2.com/
_____________________________________________

o Report: SMEs Lead Western Europe in IT Spending

London -- A new report by market analysis firm IDC shows that
medium-sized companies led a 5.4% increase in IT spending in
Western Europe in 2004, accounting for about 53% of last year's total
spending. IDC said small companies employing 1–99 employees did
not fare as well as mid-sized firms and that they would continue to
show slower growth, even if demand strengthens over the next few
years. "Many of these companies are still laggards in terms of IT
solutions adoption," the company said. The report estimated that
overall IT spending in the Western European business sector grew by
about 3.4% last year, reaching a value of about 205 billion euro. The
report attributed the increase among mid-sized companies to their
increasingly strategic approach to IT, as well as to the increasing
availability of IT products designed specifically for SMEs.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?M2DE1285A
_____________________________________________

o Norwegian Court Outlaws Linking to Unauthorised MP3 Files

Oslo, Norway -- The Supreme Court of Norway has upheld the
conviction of a student who published a website that featured links to
other sites where users could download unauthorised MP3 music files,
the Associated Press reported. The student created his Napster.no site
(not related to Napster) in 2001 as part of a school project, linking to
170 free music files. Norwegian record label trade group Tono and the
Norway units of Sony Music, Universal Music and others then sued for
copyright infringement. A lower court found for the music industry,
while an appeals court cleared the student. The high court's reversal
will result in the student paying 12,200 euro in compensation to the
labels.
http://tinyurl.com/3jb4w 
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(London) A new survey conducted by uSwitch.com shows that the
U.K. accounts for about 80% of the entire online gambling market in
Europe. "Increased access to the Internet at home means that you can
now partake in activities and pastimes that you would traditionally have
to leave the comfort of your home for," said uSwitch Director Jon
Miller. More 18 to 29 year-olds gambled online than any other age
group, accounting for 14% of the 3.9 million households that have used
the Internet for gambling. uSwitch also found that British women,
which account for as much as 40% of the local market, are far more
likely to gamble online than women on the Continent, which account
for just 5% of the European market.
http://www.uswitch.com/

(London) Mail-Filters.com, a U.S.-based provider of anti-spam
technology, announced this week that it has opened an office in London
to cover the EMEA region (Europe, the Middle East and Africa).
"Given the number of existing users in Europe, and the rapid growth of
both users and OEM partners in this region, we felt it was time to
strengthen our European presence by opening an office in the region,"
said Mail-Filters.com Senior Vice President Daniel Ashby. The Silicon
Valley-based firm's proprietary technology is currently used in more
than 30 languages and 100 countries worldwide.
http://mail-filters.com/

(London) The U.K. Inland Revenue service announced that visits to its
website have increased by 48% as taxpayers file online in a bid to meet
next Monday's tax-return deadline. Late filers are automatically fined
£100. Web monitoring firm Hitwise said the surge in visits has
increased Inland Revenue's market share of the online government
sector from less than 3.5% in the first week of January to more than
5.2% for the week ended Jan. 22. The Inland Revenue website is
currently second-most popular in the Hitwise Government category for
the week ended Jan. 22, after Job Centre Plus.
http://www.hitwise.com/

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Copyright: CapWire Inc. 2005

European Tech Wire - Jan. 27, 2005

============================================
EUROPEAN TECH WIRE - Jan. 27, 2005
============================================
To Subscribe: http://www.europeantechwire.com

o EU Launches Programme to Promote Digital Content Market
o Deutsche Telekom Seeks to Merge with Internet Unit T-Online
o Report: Germany and U.K. Lead Europe in RFID Adoption
o Ofcom to Push On with Frequency Spectrum Liberalisation
o Online Poker Firm PartyGaming Considering U.K. Flotation
o Briefly Noted: Avanade-U.K. Office, Telcordia Technologies-
Warburg Pincus-Providence Equity Partners, QUALCOMM
Incorporated-Pertti Johansson, GigaSpaces Technologies-BRM
Capital, Vastera-European Expansion
_____________________________________________

o EU Launches Programme to Promote Digital Content Market

Brussels -- The European Parliament has approved a new programme
to encourage the development of multi-lingual content for innovative,
online services across Europe. Dubbed eContentplus, the programme
will have a budget of more than 149 million euro between 2005 and
2008. The Parliament said the programme would tackle fragmentation
in the European digital content market and improve the accessibility
and usability of geographical information, cultural content and
educational material. "The Internet offers a unique opportunity for
content companies to outgrow their so far mostly national markets,"
said EU Information Society and Media Commissioner Vivian Reding.
"The eContentplus programme will facilitate the production and
distribution of online European content, thus stimulating innovation
and creativity."
http://www.cordis.lu/econtent/
_____________________________________________

o Deutsche Telekom Seeks to Merge with Internet Unit T-Online

Frankfurt -- Deutsche Telekom announced that it has agreed to the
terms of a proposed share swap that will see T-Online, its Internet
division, reintegrated into the German telecommunications giant. Under
the terms of the agreement, Deutsche Telekom will acquire the 26% it
does not own in T-Online, which will be delisted from the stock
exchange. T-Online shareholders will be allowed to exchange T-Online
shares for 0.45-0.55 Deutsche Telekom shares. Deutsche Telekom said
it made the decision to merge with T-Online in order to reap the
benefits of booming broadband Internet demand and offer so-called
"triple play" services more easily. "Deutsche Telekom is convinced that
the combination of access, communication and entertainment services
for the mass market is essential for reinforcing broadband growth in
Germany," the company said.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?W2483265A
_____________________________________________

o Report: Germany and U.K. Lead Europe in RFID Adoption

Munich -- According to a new report from Juniper Research, Germany
and the U.K. are leading a European boom in radio frequency
identification (RFID) systems. Juniper predicts that the two countries
will account for about 40% of the overall market and that Western
European RFID revenues will exceed 840 million euro by the year
2007. The report also said that the most significant applications would
be in the supply chain and logistics sectors. "RFID in Europe is seen as
a way of increasing business efficiencies," report authors Susan Griffin
and Colin Williams said in a statement. "To date, most trials have been
in-house or between two trading partners, but as technology standards
develop businesses will have the confidence to deploy it more widely
across their supply chains." The study also said that agreement on
RFID standards would be crucial for the development of the market.
http://www.juniperresearch.com/
_____________________________________________

o Ofcom to Push On with Frequency Spectrum Liberalisation

London -- U.K. telecommunications watchdog Ofcom announced that
it plans to proceed with the first phase of frequency spectrum
liberalisation after receiving a positive response to its proposals. The
regulator has decided to relax the wording of licences so that they are
not tied to a particular technology or usage. For instance, holders of
business radio, fixed wireless access and fixed links licences will be
able to respond to changing market conditions or trade spectrum more
easily. What's more, Ofcom said it expected liberalisation to be
extended to more licence classes later this year. "Ofcom believes that
reducing restrictions in Wireless Telegraphy Licences will allow
greater flexibility to use spectrum in different ways, thereby promoting
more efficient use of this valuable resource," the regulator said. Ofcom
said it received 35 responses to the consultation, the broad majority of
which supported its proposals.
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/liberalisation/
_____________________________________________

o Online Poker Firm PartyGaming Considering U.K. Flotation

London -- According to the Financial Times, U.K.-based PartyGaming,
currently the largest online poker company in the world, is considering
an initial public offering (IPO) on the London stock exchange. Analysts
estimate that the listing would generate as much as £5 billion, which
would make it the largest listing in London in more than three years.
"PartyGaming has a leading market position, proven technology and is
generating significant levels of profit and operating cash flow," said
Chief Executive Richard Segal. Segal added that his company had hired
investment banks Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein and Investec to
review its options, with an IPO being "one of the options" under
consideration. PartyGaming, runs three main brands (PartyPoker,
StarluckCasino and PartyBingo), currently accounts for more than half
the global online poker market.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?Y2AC4165A
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(Edinburgh) Avanade, a U.S.-based technology integrator, announced
this week that it has opened an office in Edinburgh, Scotland. "Our
business in the U.K. grew by 181 percent in the last financial year,"
said Avanade CEO Mitch Hill. "Establishing an office in Scotland is
key to our continued development, given the concentration of large
enterprises, particularly in the financial services sector, who can all
benefit from the services we provide." Avanade, a joint venture
between Microsoft and Accenture, helps companies around the world
to maximise IT investments.
http://www.avanade.com/

(Brussels) The European Commission announced that it has approved
the proposed joint acquisition of U.S.-based Telcordia Technologies
Inc. by Warburg Pincus LLC and Providence Equity Partners Inc.
through a purchase of shares. Warburg and Providence are global
private equity investors. Telcordia provides software and services for
communications networks. The Commission said the operation was
examined under the simplified merger review procedure, by which
mergers are fast-tracked if no party opposes them.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?Y50552DA8

(London) QUALCOMM Incorporated, a U.S.-based developer of Code
Division Multiple Access (CDMA) digital wireless technology,
recently announced that it has appointed Pertti Johansson as president
of QUALCOMM Europe and made him a company vice president.
Johansson will be responsible for leading QUALCOMM's European
operations and the continued development of QUALCOMM's business
as WCDMA (UMTS) networks are deployed, the company said. "Pertti
brings more than 30 years of telecom leadership experience and
knowledge, and he is the ideal person to drive QUALCOMM's
continued growth in Europe," said QUALCOMM Global Development
President Jeff Jacobs.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?K3CE2115A

(New York) GigaSpaces Technologies, an Israel-based developer of
distributed transaction processing platforms for large financial and
telecommunications companies, recently announced that it has raised
2.3 million euro in its second round of venture capital. BRM Capital
led the investment and now own 23% of GigaSpace, according to
Globes online, an Israeli news service. GigaSpaces, which develops
grid servers for real-time distributed transaction processing over low-
cost open platforms, such as blade and Linux servers, was founded four
years ago and has 20 employees.
http://www.gigaspaces.com/

(Dulles, Virginia) Vastera, a U.S.-based provider of global trade
management software, announced this week that it plans to expand its
trade management consulting practice to the EU. The company has also
appointed Scott Lander and David Merritt as practice leaders for its
new European organisation. Vastera already offers software and
outsourced trade management services in Europe.
http://www.vastera.com/press-release-detail.asp?ID=330

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

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Copyright: CapWire Inc. 2005

European Tech Wire - Jan. 26, 2005

============================================
EUROPEAN TECH WIRE - Jan. 26, 2005
============================================
To Subscribe: http://www.europeantechwire.com

o City of Vienna Plans Migration to Open Source Software
o EU Approves BT's Proposed Acquisition of Infonet Services
o Inter-Tel to Buy Lake Communications for 35 Million Euro
o Telenor Satellite Services Acquires Norway-Based Neratek
o Mobile Game Publisher In-Fusio Acquires Thumbworks
o U.S.-Based RWD Technologies Acquires French SAP Unit
o EA Completes Tender Offer for Swedish Developer DICE
o Briefly Noted: Telecom Italia SpA-Entel, Mobile Data
Association-U.K. Mobile Phone Penetration, Gizmondo Europe-
MapInfo Corp., Nallatech-Electronic Manufacturers Agents
_____________________________________________

o City of Vienna Plans Migration to Open Source Software

Vienna, Austria -- Austria's capital recently announced that it plans to
start a so-called "soft" migration of its desktop PCs to open source
software this summer, meaning that workers will be able to choose
between Microsoft Office 2000 and OpenOffice.org, and between
Microsoft Windows 2000 and Linux. Nevertheless, Erwin Gillich,
director of IT at Vienna's Municipal Authority, said he believed that
relatively few of the city's 16,000 or so PCs would switch to open
source in the first year. "We want it to be a success, but the internal
market will decide," he said. "I don't think it will be as many as 7,500
PCs." Gillich added that the better OpenOffice.org and Linux perform
in their first year, the more users will be willing to make the switch.
With the news of Vienna's "soft" migration, Austria's capital joins a
growing list of European cities -- including Munich, Germany; Bergen,
Norway; and Paris, France -- that have chosen open source over
Microsoft in some capacity.
http://www.wien.gv.at/ma14/pdf/oss-en.pdf
http://www.wien.gv.at/
_____________________________________________

o EU Approves BT's Proposed Acquisition of Infonet Services

Brussels -- The European Union announced this week that it has
approved the proposed acquisition of Infonet Services Corp., a U.S.-
based network services firm, by BT Group Plc, a U.K.-based
telecommunications company. The Commission said it investigated the
competitive effects of the proposed transaction on the possible markets
for global telecommunications services for multinational corporations
and found that the deal would not significantly change market
conditions in Europe or elsewhere. "Infonet brings only a minimal
incremental market share to BT," the Commission said. "The combined
BT/Infonet will continue to face a number of competitors that are
present in these markets." BT, which will pay as much as 745 million
to acquire the Silicon Valley-based firm, said it expected to close the
deal in the first half of this year.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?G1242145A
_____________________________________________

o Inter-Tel to Buy Lake Communications for 35 Million Euro

Dublin -- Lake Communications, an Ireland-based firm that provides
voice and data communications equipment, recently announced that has
been acquired by Inter-Tel Incorporated, a U.S.-based voice and data
communications firm, in a deal worth about 35 million euro. Under the
terms of the acquisition, Nasdaq-listed Inter-Tel will initially pay 21.4
million euro, plus an earn-out of as much as 13.5 million euro
depending on whether Lake meets a number of performance targets
over the next 18 months. "Inter-Tel has been working with Lake for
more than a year, and we have been impressed not only with Lake's
products, but more importantly, impressed by the people," said Inter-
Tel CEO Steve Mihaylo. Mihaylo also said he expected Lake's
management team to join the newly merged company and continue to
be responsible for the operation of Lake's business as a prospective
division of Inter-Tel.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?N2F72245A
_____________________________________________

o Telenor Satellite Services Acquires Norway-Based Neratek

Rockville, Maryland -- Telenor Satellite Services, a U.S.-based
provider of satellite telecommunications services, announced this week
that it has acquired Neratek, a Norwegian provider of mobile and
maritime satellite communications equipment and services. Under the
deal, Telenor paid an undisclosed amount to Neratek's two founding
shareholders and a subsidiary of communications equipment
manufacturer Nera SatCom. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Telenor said it planned to incorporate Neratek's operations with those
of its retail satellite services business, Marlink. Telenor CEO Tore said
the deal would strengthen his company's position in the retail market
for satellite communications by incorporating a "well-established"
equipment distribution business into Telenor's portfolio of
communications services.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/050125/255825_1.html
_____________________________________________

o Mobile Game Publisher In-Fusio Acquires Thumbworks

Los Angeles -- In-Fusio, a France-based mobile game publisher,
announced this week that it has acquired Thumbworks, a U.S.-based
wireless entertainment developer. Financial terms were not disclosed.
In-Fusio said Thumbworks President Craig Holland would become
head of In-Fusio's U.S. operations. "The merger is a definitive step for
expanding In-Fusio's publishing expertise and technological
capabilities, positioning the company as a leading mobile entertainment
entity in North America," said In-Fusio co-CEO and President Gilles
Raymond. Thumbworks has created branded games for clients
including Jeep, Honda, Wilson and Paramount Pictures, in addition to a
streaming animation service called CellToons for Sprint.
http://www.in-fusio.com 
http://www.thumbworks.com 
_____________________________________________

o U.S.-Based RWD Technologies Acquires French SAP Unit

Baltimore -- Greatly expanding the company's presence in Europe,
RWD Technologies, a U.S.-based provider of products and services for
training, consulting and organisational performance, announced this
week that its French unit has acquired SAP France's End User Services
business unit. As part of the deal, for which financial terms of the deal
were not disclosed, approximately 35 employees of the SAP business
have become part of RWD Technologies France and will provide user
training to joint customers throughout Western Europe. In addition,
SAP France and RWD Technologies France have entered into an
alliance to provide education services to joint clients.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/050125/255775_1.html
_____________________________________________

o EA Completes Tender Offer for Swedish Developer DICE

Redwood City, California -- Video game publisher Electronic Arts
(EA) announced this week that it has tendered its final offer to
shareholders in its bid to acquire Digital Illusions CE (DICE), a
Sweden-based game developer. EA already holds about 20% of DICE,
but an earlier offer to acquire the remaining shares of the company was
rejected by DICE shareholders. The company said 32% of DICE
shareholders now accept its offer, and with another 8.9% of shares it
has acquired in the market, it now holds a 59.8% controlling interest in
DICE. EA said the conditions for its offer had been met and that it
expects to close the transaction by Jan. 27.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/050125/246091_1.html 
http://www.dice.se 
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(Milan) Telecom Italia SpA this week announced the sale of its 55%
stake in Chilean telecommunications operator Entel to holding
company Almendral for more than 716 million euro. The Italy-based
telecommunications giant said it expected to close the sale, which will
reduce its net debt by approximately 1.1 billion euro, within the next
three months. Telecom Italia said the decision to offload Entel was part
of its plan to focus on areas of strategic interest, such as Brazil,
Argentina and Turkey.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?U52F1235A

(London) According the latest figures from the Mobile Data
Association (MDA) based on contract and pre-paid subscriptions,
mobile phone penetration in the U.K. now exceeds 100%. The MDA
said many U.K. customers now own more than one handset in order to
separate voice and E-mail applications or business and personal
communications. The 100% milestone was reached 11 years after
digital mobile services were first launched in the U.K., the MDA said.
With the news, the U.K. joins the likes of Italy, Iceland, Portugal,
Sweden and Luxembourg, which currently boasts a 133% mobile
penetration rate.
http://www.mda-mobiledata.org/mda/

(London) Gizmondo Europe Ltd., a unit of U.S.-based Tiger Telematics
Inc. that has developed a multifunctional handheld video game system,
announced this week that it is adding location-based services (LBS) to
the device's features through an agreement with MapInfo Corp. The
technology will enable location-based game titles, in addition to
features like "Where Am I", "Find the Nearest" and "Geofencing". "The
LBS functionality is just one of the areas that set us apart from the
competition," said Gizmondo Managing Director Carl Freer. "Aside
from the practical applications of satellite navigation and location-
based services, this functionality on Gizmondo will take gaming in an
entirely new direction."
http://www.www.gizmondo.com 

(Baltimore) Nallatech, a Scotland-based maker of field programmable
gate arrays, has named Alabama-based Electronic Manufacturers
Agents (EMA) as its channel partner in the Southeast U.S. region.
Under the terms of the agreement, EMA will market Nallatech's
products in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina,
Mississippi and Tennessee. EMA is the first company in Nallatech's
North American Channel Partner Program. Nallatech doubled its sales
worldwide in 2003, with more than 50% of total revenues being
generated in U.S. markets.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?C4CC3235A 

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

> More than 250 New Maine Tech Jobs on MESDA's Software, IT Job
Board

MESDA: Maine's Software and Information Technology Industry
Association has more than 250 new Software and Information
Technology positions on its Job Board. Visit the MESDA site
http://www.mesda.com  to learn why businesses and talent are moving
to Maine. Check out the Job Board and find your ticket to Maine at
http://www.mesda.com/jobboard
_____________________________________________

> Product Management University from ZIGZAG Marketing

Product Management made simple. Ten key steps focused on getting
the job done. Every Product Management University course from
Zigzag Marketing offers hands-on learn-by-doing instruction. Best of
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leave with something tangible and see immediate benefit when you get
back to work. Workshops throughout the US or onsite. Visit
http://www.zigzagmarketing.com/dates.asp  Send inquiries to
jmansour@zigzagmarketing.com
_____________________________________________

> Tech Global Venture Congress 2005 - Madison Sq. Garden, NYC,
Jan. 27-28

The Technology Global Venture Congress is a two-day conference
designed to address the venture capital landscape, identify current
trends in innovation, learn key technologies and scientific discoveries
and discover emerging Technology companies. More than 35
participating VC speakers, 8 panel discussions, VIP Cocktail reception
and networking. Jan 27- 28, Madison Square Garden, NYC.
Special discounted rate ($397) for Tech Wire subscribers. Register at
http://www.tristatetechwire.com/venturecongress.htm  Send inquiries to
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_____________________________________________

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

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Copyright: CapWire Inc. 2005

European Tech Wire - Jan. 25, 2005

============================================
EUROPEAN TECH WIRE - Jan. 25, 2005
============================================
To Subscribe: http://www.europeantechwire.com

o Poland Delays Vote on Software Patent Directive Yet Again
o Report: Israeli Tech Firms Raise 1.1 Billion Euro in 2004
o European Commission Calls for More Leased-Line Competition
o Israel's NextNine Raises 3.8 Million Euro in Venture Capital
o Nokia Venture Partners Invests 3 Million Euro in Advasense
o Finance Wales Invests More Than £10.5 Million in 2004
o Briefly Noted: Finisar Corporation-Infineon Technologies,
MinuteBuyer-Irish MVNOs, The University of Chicago
Graduate School of Business, EMI-The Chemical Brothers
_____________________________________________

o Poland Delays Vote on Software Patent Directive Yet Again

Brussels -- The European software patent saga continues after
lawmakers on Monday postponed a vote on the controversial Computer
Implemented Inventions Directive (CIID) until next week. Komitet
Europejski Rady Ministrow, the Polish office responsible for making
decisions on European affairs, reportedly asked the EU Presidency not
to put the directive on Monday's agenda. Poland said it needed more
time to decide its final position on the matter, marking the second time
the country has intervened over the directive. The CIID, which many
pundits expected to be ratified this week, now must wait until at least
Jan. 31, before European lawmakers can tackle it again. Many of the
directive's opponents argue that its current form would allow
widespread software patenting in Europe. Florian Mueller, campaign
manager of NoSoftwarePatents.com, called on them to encourage
lawmakers to vote for the legislation's restart -- "far and away the best
chance to prevent the legalisation of software patents in the EU". "In
fact, it may be our only realistic chance," he said. "This is the moment
of truth."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?S10C2515A
http://swpat.ffii.org/
_____________________________________________

o Report: Israeli Tech Firms Raise 1.1 Billion Euro in 2004

Jerusalem -- According to the latest quarterly survey conducted by the
IVC Research Centre, Israeli venture capital investment recovered
strongly last year. The survey found that 428 Israeli technology
companies raised more than 1.1 billion euro from local and foreign
venture investors -- a 45% compared to the 775 million euro raised in
2003. Venture-capital investments by Israeli firms totalled 510 million
euro over the same period compared to the 323 million euro invested in
2003. Israeli venture capitalists' share of the total invested in Israeli
technology firms increased from 42% to 45%. "Israel is a global
technology and innovation centre that keeps attracting international
investors, foreign VCs and multinational corporations," said Zeev
Holtzman, chairman of IVC Research Centre and Giza Venture Capital.
"We anticipate 2004's … investment pace to continue in 2005."
http://www.ivc-online.com/
_____________________________________________

o European Commission Calls for More Leased-Line Competition

Brussels -- The European Commission on Tuesday issued a set of
recommendations to EU member states encouraging them to introduce
binding delivery deadlines for the wholesale leased lines needed by
suppliers of high-speed electronic communications services. The
Commission also called on members to ensure that binding delivery
times and penalties were included in wholesale leased line contracts
offered by operators with significant market power. "This
recommendation will boost competition to supply leased lines to retail
buyers and improve the quality of the wholesale leased line services,"
said EU Information Society and Media Commissioner Vivian Reding.
"Greater competition will lead to more innovation and more choice for
the customers, which will make it easier for small businesses to access
EU-wide markets." Leased line delivery times currently vary
substantially across the EU. For 2 megabit-per-second lines, the
delivery time in the slowest EU country is five times longer than in the
fastest, the Commission said.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?Y26B4215A
_____________________________________________

o Israel's NextNine Raises 3.8 Million Euro in Venture Capital

Riverdale, New York -- NextNine, an Israel-based provider of technical
service automation technology, announced that it has raised $5 million
in a round of venture capital led by Ascend Technology Ventures and
Infinity Venture Capital Fund. Existing investors Ofer Hi-Tech, Yozma
Venture Capital and Redwood Venture Capital also participated in the
round. "Support Automation is a market poised to grow" said Ascend
General Partner Moshe Bar-Niv. "We believe that … NextNine has the
right team, the right product and the track record to become a leading
player in this fast growing market." NextNine provides automation
technology for critical systems in the telecommunications, CATV,
healthcare, medical, financial and other industries. The company's
products allow system vendors to shift from reactive, manual and
technical support to a proactive, automated customer support services
model.
http://www.nextnine.com/#
_____________________________________________

o Nokia Venture Partners Invests 3 Million Euro in Advasense

Menlo Park, California -- Nokia Venture Partners, a U.S.-based venture
capital firm focused on early-stage technology companies, announced
that it has led a 3-million-euro investment in Advasense, an Israel-
based maker of image sensors for digital camera modules and image
sensor players. Other investors included Giza Venture Capital and
Advasense. "Nokia Venture Partners is excited to be an investor in
Advasense as the company prepares to introduce its CMOS based
image sensors to the global market," said Nokia Venture Partners
Senior Vice President Yossi Hasson. "Advasense is clearly at the
forefront in revolutionizing the performance of CMOS image sensors in
digital imaging products." Advasense is developing a CMOS image
sensor for digital cameras and mobile phones that the company claims
is 15 to 30 times more sensitive than the best image sensors currently
available.
http://www.nokiaventurepartners.com/release012305.html
_____________________________________________

o Finance Wales Invests More Than £10.5 Million in 2004

Cardiff, Wales -- Finance Wales announced this week that its
investments in 2004 nearly doubled compared to 2003, making last
year the agency's busiest and most successful to date. According to the
agency's figures, Finance Wales facilitated 294 investments in 2004
compared with 155 in 2003. What's more, Finance Wales invested
more than £10.5 million in Welsh companies -- a remarkable 62% year-
on-year increase. Last year also saw the agency achieve its first
successful divestment from its venture capital-backed portfolio through
the profitable exit from Atlantic Technology Holdings Ltd., a
semiconductor assembly and testing facility. Finance Wales was
created by the Welsh Assembly Government to provide commercial
funding for Welsh businesses and community enterprises and uses
resources from the private sector, the Assembly Government and the
Welsh Development Agency.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?Z33F25F4A
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(Berlin) Finisar Corporation, a U.S.-based provider of fibre optic
subsystems and network performance test systems, announced on
Tuesday that it has agreed to acquire the fibre optics business unit of
German semiconductor giant Infineon Technologies AG. Under the
terms of the approximately 38.6-million-euro deal, Finisar will issue 34
million shares for the assets, which are associated with the design,
development and manufacture of optical transceiver products. "This
acquisition considerably broadens our customer and product portfolio,
particularly our 10Gig product platforms," said Finisar CEO Jerry
Rawls. "We stand ready to fully support Infineon's current customer
base and look forward to making this an easy transition for them."
Finisar said it expected the agreement, which has been approved by the
company's board, to close before Jan. 31.
http://www.infineon.com/news/. 

(Dublin) MinuteBuyer, an Ireland-based telecommunications firm, has
expressed an interest in becoming one of the country's first mobile
virtual network operators (MVNOs). Earlier in the week, the European
Commission backed a decision by ComReg, the Irish
telecommunications watchdog, to force dominant mobile operators O2
and Vodafone to open their networks to MVNOs. Eircom, Tele2, BT
Group, EasyMobile and T-Mobile are also reportedly interested in
entering the Irish MVNO marketplace, despite the fact that Vodafone
and O2 have openly rejected ComReg's assessment of the mobile
market and vowed to fight the decision.
http://corporate.minutebuyer.com/news5.htm

(London) The University of Chicago Graduate School of Business
(GSB) announced on Tuesday that it plans to relocate from Barcelona
to London this summer. Chicago GBS Dean Edward Snyder said the
school decided to move its Executive MBA programme to take
advantage of London's corporate and financial power, as well as its
connections to market-oriented economies around the world. "London
is home to 86 corporate headquarters, and it is no accident that business
leaders rank London as the top European city in which to conduct
business," he said. Chicago GBS is ranked sixth in the Financial
Times's top 100 full-time MBA programmes in the world.
http://gsb.uchicago.edu/execmba/london.aspx

(London) Major record label EMI announced this week that it would
promote the release of electronic artists The Chemical Brothers through
an interactive TV campaign airing on the Sky Active satellite TV
service in the U.K. The area dedicated to the Chemical Brothers will
allow viewers to preview five tracks from the group's new album,
"Push the Button", in addition to offering interviews and live footage.
http://www.skyactive.tv 
http://www.thechemicalbrothers.com 

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

> More than 250 New Maine Tech Jobs on MESDA's Software, IT Job
Board

MESDA: Maine's Software and Information Technology Industry
Association has more than 250 new Software and Information
Technology positions on its Job Board. Visit the MESDA site
http://www.mesda.com  to learn why businesses and talent are moving
to Maine. Check out the Job Board and find your ticket to Maine at
http://www.mesda.com/jobboard
_____________________________________________

> Product Management University from ZIGZAG Marketing

Product Management made simple. Ten key steps focused on getting
the job done. Every Product Management University course from
Zigzag Marketing offers hands-on learn-by-doing instruction. Best of
all, you apply it to your products right there in the classroom so you
leave with something tangible and see immediate benefit when you get
back to work. Workshops throughout the US or onsite. Visit
http://www.zigzagmarketing.com/dates.asp  Send inquiries to
jmansour@zigzagmarketing.com
_____________________________________________

> Tech Global Venture Congress 2005 - Madison Sq. Garden, NYC,
Jan. 27-28

The Technology Global Venture Congress is a two-day conference
designed to address the venture capital landscape, identify current
trends in innovation, learn key technologies and scientific discoveries
and discover emerging Technology companies. More than 35
participating VC speakers, 8 panel discussions, VIP Cocktail reception
and networking. Jan 27- 28, Madison Square Garden, NYC.
Special discounted rate ($397) for Tech Wire subscribers. Register at
http://www.tristatetechwire.com/venturecongress.htm  Send inquiries to
tech@saeclub.com
_____________________________________________

> Reach Beyond Your Local Metro Area for Event Attendees

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

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Questions, comments, news tips, press releases. Send email to:
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Copyright: CapWire Inc. 2005

European Tech Wire - Jan. 24, 2005

============================================
EUROPEAN TECH WIRE - Jan. 24, 2005
============================================
To Subscribe: http://www.europeantechwire.com

o Microsoft Decides Not to Appeal Ruling by European Union
o ART Allows France Telecom to Increase Fixed-Line Fees
o France Telecom Offers 560 Million Euro for Equant Stake
o Vodafone Ireland "Disappointed" with European Commission
o Ireland-Based Púca Technologies to Acquire Mobile-Factor
o French Court Rules against Google in Keyword Ad Suit
o Briefly Noted: STMicroelectronics-Corporate Executive
Committee, Tele2 AB-ONE, Trintech-Frankfurt Stock
Exchange, Mobile Data Association-U.K. Texting
_____________________________________________

o Microsoft Decides Not to Appeal Ruling by European Union

Brussels -- U.S.-based software giant Microsoft announced on Monday
that it has decided not to appeal an interim EU ruling that it
immediately implement antitrust sanctions imposed in March. In a
statement, Microsoft said it had decided to "forego its right to appeal"
the European Court of First Instance's ruling on Dec. 22, 2004,
meaning that the company must now offer a version of its Windows
operating systems without its Media Player music and video software.
What's more, Microsoft now must share a number of specifications
with its rivals. "Rather than seeking to suspend the Commission's
remedies, Microsoft's focus now is on working constructively with the
Commission on their full and prompt implementation," the company
said. Microsoft also announced that the first versions of Windows
without Media Player would hit European retailers within the next few
weeks.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?V677157E8
_____________________________________________

o ART Allows France Telecom to Increase Fixed-Line Fees

Paris -- Autorité de Régulation des Télécommunications, the French
telecommunications regulator, has allowed France Telecom to increase
its fixed-line subscription charges by 23% over a four-year period,
much to the dismay of local rivals. The controversial decision, which is
expected to increase the company's revenues by more than 1.5 billion
euro over the next three years, comes in return for lowering telephone-
call costs and granting competitors more access to France Telecom's
network. Even so, the move has drawn fire from all quarters as France
Telecom competitors decry the fact that the Government not only
regulates the market, but is also a major shareholder in the French
telecommunications bellwether.
http://www.art-telecom.fr/eng/index.htm
http://www.francetelecom.com/en/
_____________________________________________

o France Telecom Offers 560 Million Euro for Equant Stake

Paris -- France Telecom SA, the second-largest telecommunications
firm in Europe, announced on Monday that it has offered to buy the
remaining 45.8% shares of Equant that it does not already own. The
French giant is reportedly prepared to pay more than 560 million euro
for the data-communications network. France Telecom also announced
that it would extend Equant a 191-million-euro credit line to meet its
financing needs until the year 2006. "Equant is facing a difficult
situation and approached France Telecom," said France Telecom Chief
Financial Officer Michel Combes. "It was a natural move." Three of the
independent members of Equant's board still must approve the deal
before the acquisition can go through.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?J2D752F4A
_____________________________________________

o Vodafone Ireland "Disappointed" with European Commission

Dublin -- Vodafone Ireland, the local division of U.K.-based mobile-
phone giant Vodafone Group Plc, announced that it was "disappointed"
by the European Commission's decision to support a ruling by the Irish
telecommunications watchdog that O2 Ireland and Vodafone enjoy
joint dominance in the local mobile market. Last week, the
Commission threw its support behind ComReg's decision, a move that
effectively opens up the market to the introduction of mobile virtual
network operators (MVNOs). Vodafone argued that the Irish regulator's
assessment was "unsupported" by evidence and "wrong in law".
"ComReg has manifestly failed to appropriately consider significant
competitive market developments, which have taken place in the period
since their analysis was carried out," said Vodafone Strategy Director
Gerry Fahy. "These include, among others, the completion of two new
national roaming agreements, the recent performance of Meteor as an
established competitor in the Irish market and the imminent entry of 3
following the roaming agreement signed with Vodafone."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?E2DD25F4A
http://makeashorterlink.com/?I1CD21F4A
_____________________________________________

o Ireland-Based Púca Technologies to Acquire Mobile-Factor

Dublin -- Púca Technologies, an Ireland-based mobile software firm,
announced on Monday that it has signed a merger agreement with
Mobile-Factor, a China-based software applications firm. Although
financial terms were not disclosed, Púca Technologies did say it would
acquire 100% of the Beijing-based company. Púca, which has offices in
Dublin and London, is currently one of Ireland's fastest-growing
technology companies, having ranked in the Deloitte Fast 50
programme for two years in a row. "Joining a world-class group such
as Púca is the ideal path to grow our business in China," said Mobile-
Factor CEO Stephane Vidaillet. "Púca's successful track record with
countless global brands, combined with its proven technology and
innovative tools, will help us to leapfrog our competitors and become a
leader in our market in China."
http://uk.biz.yahoo.com/050121/323/far0w.html 
http://www.puca.ie/index.htm
_____________________________________________

o French Court Rules against Google in Keyword Ad Suit

Nanterre, France -- In a ruling that may affect Google's successful
keyword advertising business in the region, a French court has ruled
that the company's AdWord service infringed on the trademarks of
French luxury hotel Le Meridien when it sold ads to competitors
triggered by Le Meridien's trademark. The company must remove text
ads placed by Le Meridien competitors that are launched when users
type "Le Meridien" into its search engine within 72 hours, or face a
daily fine of 150 euro. Google must also pay a fine of more than 1,900
euro and cover Le Meridien's court fees. The French ruling is at odds
with a recent U.S. case, where last month a federal judge in Virginia
ruled that Google did not infringe on insurance company Geico's
trademarks with its keyword ads.
http://blog.searchenginewatch.com/blog/050120-191513 
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/01/21/google_adword 
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(Milan) STMicroelectronics, a Franco-Italian semiconductor maker,
announced on Monday that it has established a corporate executive
committee as part of a succession plan to prepare for chairman
Pasqaule Pistorio's retirement in May. Composed of five executives,
the chief executive and operating officers, the committee will be
responsible for corporate policy making and coordination of strategies
of individual functions. Carlo Bozotti will become the new president
and chief executive officer, while Alain Dutheil will take over as chief
operating officer, STMicroelectronics said.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?W28722F4A

(Stockholm) According to Austrian news daily Kurier, Tele2 AB, a
Sweden-based telecommunications provider, is holding talks with
shareholders in ONE to acquire a majority stake in the Austria-based
mobile operator. Tele2 is reportedly negotiating with E.ON, a
Germany-based energy company and 50% owner of ONE, through
E.ON division VIAG. Other shareholders in ONE include Telenor,
Orange and TDC. Quoting unnamed sources close to the deal, Kurier
said Tele2 was hoping to spend about 800 million euro for the stake.
http://www.tele2.com/index.html
http://www.kurier.at/

(Frankfurt) Trintech, an Ireland-based e-payments security firm,
announced on Monday that it plans to de-list its American Depositary
Shares from the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. The company said it would
keep its listing on the U.S. Nasdaq National Market, but added that it
expected its American Depositary Shares to cease trading on the
German market as early as May. Trintech said it made the move to
concentrate trading in the stock on one market and reduce the
complexity of reporting requirements and the costs of maintaining a
dual listing.
http://www.trintech.com/news_21JAN05A.html

(London) A new report by the Mobile Data Association cements the
U.K.'s reputation as a country obsessed with text messages. The MDA
found that more than 2.4 billion text messages were sent and received
in the U.K. in December, a 26% increase compared to the year previous
and the highest monthly total on record. The figures for December
brought the total for the year to more than 26 billion messages, also a
record. The MDA predicted that more than 30 billion messages would
be sent and received this year in the U.K., where about 78 million texts
are sent every day.
http://www.mda-mobiledata.org/mda/

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

> More than 250 New Maine Tech Jobs on MESDA's Software, IT Job
Board

MESDA: Maine's Software and Information Technology Industry
Association has more than 250 new Software and Information
Technology positions on its Job Board. Visit the MESDA site
http://www.mesda.com  to learn why businesses and talent are moving
to Maine. Check out the Job Board and find your ticket to Maine at
http://www.mesda.com/jobboard
_____________________________________________

> Product Management University from ZIGZAG Marketing

Product Management made simple. Ten key steps focused on getting
the job done. Every Product Management University course from
Zigzag Marketing offers hands-on learn-by-doing instruction. Best of
all, you apply it to your products right there in the classroom so you
leave with something tangible and see immediate benefit when you get
back to work. Workshops throughout the US or onsite. Visit
http://www.zigzagmarketing.com/dates.asp  Send inquiries to
jmansour@zigzagmarketing.com
_____________________________________________

> Tech Global Venture Congress 2005 - Madison Sq. Garden, NYC,
Jan. 27-28

The Technology Global Venture Congress is a two-day conference
designed to address the venture capital landscape, identify current
trends in innovation, learn key technologies and scientific discoveries
and discover emerging Technology companies. More than 35
participating VC speakers, 8 panel discussions, VIP Cocktail reception
and networking. Jan 27- 28, Madison Square Garden, NYC.
Special discounted rate ($397) for Tech Wire subscribers. Register at
http://www.tristatetechwire.com/venturecongress.htm  Send inquiries to
tech@saeclub.com
_____________________________________________

> Reach Beyond Your Local Metro Area for Event Attendees

Hosting a webinar or seminar with a broad geographic appeal? Post
your event announcement on all of the Tech Wire publications for one
price. Reach 80,000 subscribers from technology and emerging growth
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regular basis. A 5-day ad across all 7 Tech Wires is $750. For more
info, go to http://www.potomactechwire.com/Event_Form.html

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

To subscribe, go to:
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Questions, comments, news tips, press releases. Send email to:
jim@europeantechwire.com

Copyright: CapWire Inc. 2005

European Tech Wire - Jan. 21, 2005

============================================
EUROPEAN TECH WIRE - Jan. 21, 2005
============================================
To Subscribe: http://www.europeantechwire.com

o EU Endorses Plan to Break Up Irish Mobile Duopoly
o T-Mobile to Cut as Many as 2,200 Jobs by End of 2006
o European Tech Acquisitions Up 71% in First Half of 2004
o EU Publishes Action Plan for Online Public Procurement
o Bertelsmann Settles Napster Investment Suit with Bridgeport
o U.K. Most Entrepreneurial Country in Europe, Study Shows
o Briefly Noted: Siemens Venture Capital-Ralf Schnell, 3i
Group Plc-Stephan Krümmer, Playboy TV UK-ntl
_____________________________________________

o EU Endorses Plan to Break Up Irish Mobile Duopoly

Dublin -- According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, the
European Commission has backed plans by Irish watchdog ComReg to
end the duopoly in the local mobile-phone market. In a move analysts
say could have wide-ranging implications for the European market as a
whole, the Commission ruled that action should be taken to increase
competition in the local mobile-phone market and lower prices for
consumers. The Commission even went so far as to imply that
dominant players O2 and Vodafone had engaged in "tacit collusion" to
avoid competing with each other. Late last year, ComReg issued a
report calling for the two companies, which together control 90% of the
Irish mobile market, to open their networks to so-called "virtual
operators". O2 and Vodafone have refuted any allegation of joint
dominance and vowed to appeal the ruling.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?Y1D831A4A
_____________________________________________

o T-Mobile to Cut as Many as 2,200 Jobs by End of 2006

Frankfurt -- T-Mobile International AG, the mobile division of German
telecommunications bellwether Deutsche Telekom AG, announced this
week that it plans to cut as many as 2,200 jobs by the end of next year.
The company also said it planned to spin off selected activities, cut
mobile handset subsidies and reduce the number of handset models on
offer as part of a massive 1-billion-euro cost-cutting plan to increase
profitability. "The goal is clear -- profitable growth at a justifiable level
of costs, instead of growth at any cost," said T-Mobile chairman Rene
Obermann. "The focus is no longer on the headline number of mobile
phone customers alone, but on the development and maintenance of
intensive customer relations." Obermann said T-Mobile would now
focus on the development of mobile Internet access, wireless integrated
network platforms and cheaper tariffs.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?C68112A4A
http://makeashorterlink.com/?Y37123A4A
_____________________________________________

o European Tech Acquisitions Up 71% in First Half of 2004

Paris -- A new report by Regent Associates, a European investment
bank, shows a rapid increase in the number of European technology
acquisitions in the first half of last year. Over that period, 1,118 deals
were made, a 71% increase compared to the same period in 2003 and
the second-highest growth rate on record after the first half of 2000
during the dotcom boom. Only 655 technology transactions were made
in Europe over the same period the year previous. All European
countries -- especially France, the Nordic region and the Benelux
countries -- increased their acquisition focus, with the exception of the
U.K., which reported a 3% decrease in the number of acquisitions in
the first quarter of 2004. Regent Associates, however, attributed the
drop mostly to the fact that the U.K. is ahead of the economic cycle.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?Y12521A4A
_____________________________________________

o U.K. Most Entrepreneurial Country in Europe, Study Shows

London -- According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2004 (a
report funded in part by the U.K. Department of Trade and Industry),
the U.K. is currently the most entrepreneurial country in Europe,
beating out major rivals Germany, France and Italy. The proportion of
people expecting to start a business over the next three years increased
from 7.8% in 2002 to 9.5% in 2004, while levels of entrepreneurial
activity amongst students increased from 0.9% in 2003 to 2.3%. What's
more, the report found that the gap between male and female
entrepreneurs in the U.K. is narrowing. Especially large increases in
female start-up activity have been reported in the East Midlands, East
of England, the North-East, North-West, Scotland, Northern Ireland
and outside London. "Today's report shows that the UK is one of the
most entrepreneurial countries in the world and is a better place to start
and grow a business than ever before," said Patricia Hewitt, U.K.
Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and Minister for Women.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?Z13621A4A
_____________________________________________

o EU Publishes Action Plan for Online Public Procurement

Brussels -- The European Commission has published an Action Plan to
help EU member states implement new online procurement directives
passed last year. "The objective is to enable any business with a PC and
an Internet connection to bid for public contracts electronically
anywhere in the EU, based on clear conditions and procedures and with
all the necessary security," the Commission said. The EU is hoping that
moving much of the public procurement process, which accounts for
more than 16% of the entire EU economy, will open up procurement
markets, significantly boost competitiveness and reduce government
spending. EU Single Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy said the
Action Plan was an "excellent roadmap" for the EU to "reap the full
benefits" of an enlarged single market.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?G3A115A4A
_____________________________________________

o Bertelsmann Settles Napster Investment Suit with Bridgeport

New York -- German media conglomerate Bertelsmann has settled a
copyright infringement suit filed by Bridgeport Music, a small U.S.-
based record label, stemming from Bertelsmann's 65.5-million-euro
investment in the Napster file-sharing service in 2000 and 2001, The
New York Times reported. Bertelsmann paid about 38,500 euro to
settle the claims of contributory copyright infringement from
Bridgeport, paying only the label's legal fees. But the agreement may
signal to larger record labels like Universal and EMI, with pending
claims against Bertelsmann, that they may yet see compensation for
what they see as lost CD sales due to the original, free Napster service.
Bertelsmann said it would entertain similar settlements where it would
reimburse legal fees for the major labels and publishers suing for
contributory infringement.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?F60134A4A
http://www.bertelsmann.com
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(Frankfurt) Germany-based Siemens, the fourth-largest mobile-phone
maker in the world, announced this week that Ralf Schnell would
become president and CEO of the company's venture capital division,
Siemens Venture Capital GmbH (SVC). Prior to joining SVC, Schnell
served as managing director of Infineon Ventures GmbH. "Our goal is
to seek out the latest breakthrough technologies, to complement the
Siemens portfolio and to play a vital part in Siemens's 'Profit and
Growth' strategy," Schnell said. SVC has more than 600 million euro to
invest in emerging technologies that it believes will enhance the
Siemens core business.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?L16523A4A

(London) U.K.-based 3i Group Plc, the largest publicly traded private
equity firm in Europe, announced on Friday that it has appointed
Stephan Krümmer as managing director of its German, Swiss and
Austrian operations. With the move, Krümmer replaces Jane Crawford,
who will return to the London office after a period of handover, 3i said.
"(Krümmer) brings a wide range of experience and a great network
across the German Mittelstand and corporate world," said Chris
Rowlands, 3i head of Group Markets. "This combined with his business
building skills will significantly enhance the strong market position that
(Rowlands) has built."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?Q10E21A4A

(Hayes, England) Playboy TV UK announced this week that it has
signed a long-term agreement with ntl, the largest cable TV company in
the U.K., to become the exclusive provider of adult video-on-demand
(VOD) content for ntl. Under the terms of the agreement, Playboy will
become the exclusive adult content VOD provider to ntl's new On
Demand service, which launched in Glasgow earlier this week. The
U.K. cable provider currently counts 1.4 million digital cable
subscribers.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?P2F91334A

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

> More than 250 New Maine Tech Jobs on MESDA's Software, IT Job
Board

MESDA: Maine's Software and Information Technology Industry
Association has more than 250 new Software and Information
Technology positions on its Job Board. Visit the MESDA site
http://www.mesda.com  to learn why businesses and talent are moving
to Maine. Check out the Job Board and find your ticket to Maine at
http://www.mesda.com/jobboard
_____________________________________________

> Product Management University from ZIGZAG Marketing

Product Management made simple. Ten key steps focused on getting
the job done. Every Product Management University course from
Zigzag Marketing offers hands-on learn-by-doing instruction. Best of
all, you apply it to your products right there in the classroom so you
leave with something tangible and see immediate benefit when you get
back to work. Workshops throughout the US or onsite. Visit
http://www.zigzagmarketing.com/dates.asp  Send inquiries to
jmansour@zigzagmarketing.com
_____________________________________________

> Tech Global Venture Congress 2005 - Madison Sq. Garden, NYC,
Jan. 27-28

The Technology Global Venture Congress is a two-day conference
designed to address the venture capital landscape, identify current
trends in innovation, learn key technologies and scientific discoveries
and discover emerging Technology companies. More than 35
participating VC speakers, 8 panel discussions, VIP Cocktail reception
and networking. Jan 27- 28, Madison Square Garden, NYC.
Special discounted rate ($397) for Tech Wire subscribers. Register at
http://www.tristatetechwire.com/venturecongress.htm  Send inquiries to
tech@saeclub.com
_____________________________________________

> Reach Beyond Your Local Metro Area for Event Attendees

Hosting a webinar or seminar with a broad geographic appeal? Post
your event announcement on all of the Tech Wire publications for one
price. Reach 80,000 subscribers from technology and emerging growth
companies, many of whom attend seminars and networking events on a
regular basis. A 5-day ad across all 7 Tech Wires is $750. For more
info, go to http://www.potomactechwire.com/Event_Form.html

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

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

To subscribe, go to:
http://www.europeantechwire.com

Questions, comments, news tips, press releases. Send email to:
jim@europeantechwire.com

Copyright: CapWire Inc. 2005

European Tech Wire - Jan. 20, 2005

============================================
EUROPEAN TECH WIRE - Jan. 20, 2005
============================================
Sponsored By: A Product Management Tip from ZIGZAG Marketing
http://www.zigzagmarketing.com/offer/

o SAP Acquires PeopleSoft Maintenance Firm TomorrowNow
o Report: Central and Eastern Europe a "Hotbed" for Investors
o EU Launches Illegal-Aid Investigation into BT and Kingston
o EU Approves Frequencies for Anti-Crash Radar Technology
o IP2IPO Agrees to Acquire Techtran Group Ltd. for £20 Million
o Paid Digital Song Downloads Increase Tenfold to 200 Million
o Electronics Makers Propose Universal Anti-Piracy Locks
> Product Management University from ZIGZAG Marketing
o Briefly Noted: Atos Origin SA-Royal KPN NV, Siemens Business
Services GmbH-Ibis-sys, Teleca AB-Radius Sweden AB, Eqvitec
Partners-Einar Lindquist, Aperio Technologies-U.K. Offices
_____________________________________________

o SAP Acquires PeopleSoft Maintenance Firm TomorrowNow

Frankfurt -- SAP AG, a Germany-based business software maker,
announced this week that it has acquired TomorrowNow, a Texas-
based maintenance firm for PeopleSoft platforms, for an undisclosed
sum. SAP, the largest maker of business management software in the
world, said the deal would give dissatisfied customers "a safe passage
away from the uncertainties" arising from Oracle's recent acquisition of
PeopleSoft. "To provide companies with a clear road map to the next
generation of business software, SAP has announced a comprehensive
offering that includes SAP applications, technology and maintenance
services," the company said in statement. Analysts say the move could
pour cold water over Oracle CEO Larry Ellison's recent prediction that
his company would retain 95% of the customers gained in its hostile
takeover of PeopleSoft, especially considering the fact that many of
latter's customers openly opposed the acquisition.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?Z5971184A
_____________________________________________

o Report: Central and Eastern Europe a "Hotbed" for Investors

Budapest -- According to a new report by the Centre of Economics and
Business Research (CEBR), the first 15 members of the EU are facing
increasing competition with the bloc's 10 new upstarts. The CEBR said
Western Europe would have to adjust investment strategies to account
for its reduced ability to attract large inward investment projects, as
Eastern and Central Europe increasingly offer high growth
opportunities, expanding markets and skilled labour at a reduced cost.
"We are at a time of economic adjustment in the EU," said CEBR
economist Jonathan Said. "Regions in the east that have just have just
entered the (EU) offer a highly skilled pool of labour at wages well
below that paid to equally skilled workers in the west." Similarly, a
new report by the European Competitive Telecommunications
Association (ECTA) shows that Eastern Europe has also become a
hotbed of growth for broadband connectivity. The newer EU states
racked up 1 million connections by the end of last year's third quarter, a
29% increase on the previous quarter -- double the 14% growth
reported for the EU as a whole.
http://www.cebr.dk/
http://www.ectaportal.com/html/index.php
_____________________________________________

o EU Launches Illegal-Aid Investigation into BT and Kingston

Brussels -- The European Commission announced that it has launched
an investigation into whether U.K.-based telecommunications firms BT
Group Plc and Kingston Communications have benefited from illegal
state aid. The Commission said it wanted to find out why the U.K.
Valuation Office Agency (VOA) had used methods to value BT and
Kingston's business tax rate that differed from other
telecommunications companies. "The VOA applies a certain asset
valuation method to BT and Kingston, while it applies other methods to
their competitors," the Commission said. "The application of different
methods may favour BT and Kingston, resulting in a disproportionate
tax burden for other companies competing in the market for electronic
communications services." The U.K. Department of Trade and Industry
said that it has also launched an investigation into the matter.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?G5114284A
_____________________________________________

o EU Approves Frequencies for Anti-Crash Radar Technology

Brussels -- The European Commission this week approved specific
frequencies for anti-crash radar technology that will be able to detect
collision dangers and even apply a car's brakes. The European Road
Safety Action Programme believes the technology, which is expected
to be available by the middle of this year, could cut the number of road
accidents in half by 2010. "This innovative technology, developed by
industry partly with the help of EU-funded research, will reduce the
frequency, severity and cost of road accidents," said EU Information
Society and Media Commissioner Viviane Reding. "Today's decision
opens radio bands to short-range radar while preventing radio
interference to other essential users of these frequencies." The
Commission's decision is the first large-scale application in Europe of
Ultra-wide Band (UWB), a low-power wireless technology that re-uses
spectrum already employed by other radio services.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?P38F2374A
_____________________________________________

o IP2IPO Agrees to Acquire Techtran Group Ltd. for £20 Million

Leeds, England -- IP2IPO, a U.K.-based company that specialises in
commercialising university intellectual property, announced on
Thursday that it has agreed to acquire Techtran Group Ltd., the
University of Leeds's commercialisation partner, for approximately £20
million. "This is a great deal for all parties," said Techtran CEO Alan
Aubrey. "The combination of such a complementary skill set will
provide an exceptional resource for the university, not only to ramp up
the creation and development of new commercial opportunities based
on leading research, but also to have access to the financial muscle that
will help to take spinout companies right through to public offering."
IP2IPO also has partnerships with the University of Oxford, the
University of Southampton, Kings College London and the University
of York.
http://www.techtrangroup.com/news.asp?id=41
_____________________________________________

o Paid Digital Song Downloads Up Tenfold to 200 Million

London -- The number of digital music tracks sold in the U.S. and
Europe in 2004 hit 200 million, an increase of more than tenfold over
the 20 million sold in 2003, according to a report by the International
Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI). The IFPI also noted
that the number of sites selling digital downloads, such as iTunes and
Napster, grew from 50 in 2003 to more than 230 in 2004. Analyst firm
Jupiter Research estimates that the digital music market was worth 255
million euro (£176 million) in 2004 and expects it to double in value
this year. "The biggest challenge for the digital music business has
always been to make music easier to buy than to steal," said IFPI
chairman and CEO John Kennedy. "At the start of 2005, as the
legitimate digital music business moves into the mainstream of
consumer life, that ambition is turning into reality."
http://www.ifpi.org/site-content/press/20050119.html 
_____________________________________________

o Electronics Makers Propose Universal Anti-Piracy Locks

Sunnyvale, California -- Consumer electronics firms Matsushita,
Philips, Samsung and Sony announced this week that they have
partnered with digital rights management developer InterTrust
Technologies -- which is owned by Sony and Philips -- on a joint
venture that aims to provide standard anti-piracy specifications for all
consumer electronics. The Marlin Joint Development Association will
develop a technology standard that makers of electronics for the
Internet, broadcast and mobile markets can implement to allow users to
access secure content on any device. Members of the Marlin group said
their standards would also operate with those proposed by the Coral
Consortium, a group that includes InterTrust, Sony, Philips and HP.
The Marlin group plans to release version 1.0 of its specification this
summer. http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050119/nyw098_1.html 
_____________________________________________

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

> Product Management University from ZIGZAG Marketing

Product Management made simple. Ten key steps focused on getting
the job done. Every Product Management University course from
Zigzag Marketing offers hands-on learn-by-doing instruction. Best of
all, you apply it to your products right there in the classroom so you
leave with something tangible and see immediate benefit when you get
back to work. Workshops throughout the US or onsite. Visit
http://www.zigzagmarketing.com/dates.asp  Send inquiries to
jmansour@zigzagmarketing.com

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

o Briefly Noted:

(Paris) Atos Origin SA, a France-based IT services supplier, announced
this week that it has acquired Contrado Technologies, the CRM
software development unit of Dutch telecommunications operator
Royal KPN NV, for an undisclosed sum. Under the terms of the
agreement, Atos Origin will get a five-year contract with KPN to
develop order-management and front-office systems. Furthermore,
about 270 employees will join Atos Origin from Contrado. "The
disposal of these business unit fits in with KPN's strategy to simplify IT
activities as much as possible and to concentrate on the core business,"
KPN said in a statement.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?T11F2474A

(Munich) Siemens Business Services GmbH, the IT services division of
electronics giant Siemens AG, recently announced that it has acquired a
96.67% stake in Ibis-sys, a Serbia-based software services vendor, for
an undisclosed sum. Ibis-sys, which reported revenue of 10 million
euro last year, provides a range of computer maintenance, software
development and systems integration services. Siemens Business
Services is currently one of the largest IT services providers in Eastern
Europe.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?X1DE2374A

(Stockholm) Teleca AB, a Sweden-based wireless software and
services provider, recently announced that it has offloaded its Teleca
UniView AB software division to Radius Sweden AB, a local digital
radio communications manufacturer. Teleca UniView develops and
sells its own HMI/SCADA product. Under the terms of the agreement,
Radius Sweden will take on Teleca's industrial IT, automation
consulting services, as well as its communication and remote control
products and systems. Financial details were not disclosed.
www.teleca.com/

(Helsinki) Eqvitec Partners, a private venture capital firm specialising
in technology investments in the Nordic region, announced that it has
strengthened its Sweden operations by employing Einar Lindquist as
senior advisor. Lindquist has held several senior management positions
in Sweden, Hungary and the U.S. in the telecommunications and IT
sectors. Prior to joining Eqvitec, Lindquist served as CEO Visual
Wireless. Before that, he was head of Ericsson's Wireline division and
Ericsson's Wireless System division.
http://www.eqvitec.fi/

(London) Aperio Technologies, a California-based provider of virtual
microscopy systems, announced on Thursday that it has opened a
European operations centre in Alton, England. "Digital pathology
initiatives such as PathGrid and the U.K.'s ambitious and well-funded
modernisation pathology services initiative point out the immense
benefits attainable by integrating virtual microscopy into slide-based
pathology," said Aperio CEO Dirk Soenksen. "The opening of our new
office in Europe allows us to work more closely with our European
customers to help them achieve their goals." Virtual microscopy
converts glass microscope slides to high-resolution digital slides.
http://www.aperio.com/

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

> Product Management University from ZIGZAG Marketing

Product Management made simple. Ten key steps focused on getting
the job done. Every Product Management University course from
Zigzag Marketing offers hands-on learn-by-doing instruction. Best of
all, you apply it to your products right there in the classroom so you
leave with something tangible and see immediate benefit when you get
back to work. Workshops throughout the US or onsite. Visit
http://www.zigzagmarketing.com/dates.asp  Send inquiries to
jmansour@zigzagmarketing.com
_____________________________________________

> Tech Global Venture Congress 2005 - Madison Sq. Garden, NYC,
Jan. 27-28

The Technology Global Venture Congress is a two-day conference
designed to address the venture capital landscape, identify current
trends in innovation, learn key technologies and scientific discoveries
and discover emerging Technology companies. More than 35
participating VC speakers, 8 panel discussions, VIP Cocktail reception
and networking. Jan 27- 28, Madison Square Garden, NYC.
Special discounted rate ($397) for Tech Wire subscribers. Register at
http://www.tristatetechwire.com/venturecongress.htm  Send inquiries to
tech@saeclub.com
_____________________________________________

> Reach Beyond Your Local Metro Area for Event Attendees

Hosting a webinar or seminar with a broad geographic appeal? Post
your event announcement on all of the Tech Wire publications for one
price. Reach 80,000 subscribers from technology and emerging growth
companies, many of whom attend seminars and networking events on a
regular basis. A 5-day ad across all 7 Tech Wires is $750. For more
info, go to http://www.potomactechwire.com/Event_Form.html

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

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

To subscribe, go to:
http://www.europeantechwire.com

Questions, comments, news tips, press releases. Send email to:
jim@europeantechwire.com

Copyright: CapWire Inc. 2005

European Tech Wire - Jan. 19, 2005

============================================
EUROPEAN TECH WIRE - Jan. 19, 2005
============================================
To Subscribe: http://www.europeantechwire.com

o Liberty Bid for UGC Opens Door to Eastern European Market
o Dutch Government to Sell Stake in KPN for 1 Billion Euro
o Finnish Game Developer Sulake Raises 18 Million Euro
o U.S., Ireland and N. Ireland Negotiate Research Partnership
o U.S.-Based Greylock Partners Adds to Israeli Investment Team
o Irish Software Industry Signs Agreement with China
o Briefly Noted: EA-Digital Illusions, Quester-Henry Sallit,
COLT Telecom Group-Tony Bates, Telenity-London Office
_____________________________________________

o Liberty Bid for UGC Opens Door to Eastern European Market

Paris -- Liberty Media International, the U.S.-based cable group
controlled by media mogul John Malone, has made a 2.7-million-euro
cash and share bid to acquire the rest of European affiliate United-
GlobalCom (UGC) that it does not already own. Liberty Chairman,
President and CEO Malone described the deal as a "merger of equals",
which stands to create one of the largest broadband services companies
outside the U.S. Industry experts say a successful bid would
considerably strengthen Liberty's plans to expand its ownership of
cable TV assets in Eastern Europe. UGC, already 53% owned by
Liberty, is currently Europe's largest cable-TV operator, with more than
9 million customers in 15 countries. The deal, which Liberty expects to
complete by this summer, must still be approved by shareholders.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050118/nytu174_1.html
_____________________________________________

o Dutch Government to Sell Stake in KPN for 1 Billion Euro

Amsterdam -- The Netherlands announced on Wednesday that it is
selling nearly a third of its shares in Dutch telecommunications group
Royal KPN NV for approximately 1 billion euro. Over the last six
months, shares in largest telephone company in the Netherlands have
increased by 17%. The Dutch government said it offloaded about 150
million shares to Lehman Brothers, but added that it planned to hold on
to its "golden share" until it has cut its stake further. The Netherlands
said it had agreed not to sell any of the remaining 14% stake in KPN
that it holds for at least another 180 days. Even so, the government
reiterated its ultimate goal of exiting completely from the former state-
owned company. "In line with what we have said in Parliament, we
intend to get rid of our entire stake in the end," said Dutch Finance
Ministry spokesman William Lelieveldt.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?G1B12164A
_____________________________________________

o Finnish Game Developer Sulake Raises 18 Million Euro

Helsinki -- Sulake Corp., a Finland-based interactive entertainment
company specialising in developing, publishing and distributing
multiplayer online communities and games, announced on Wednesday
that it has secured 18 million euro in venture capital financing.
Benchmark Capital led the round, in which Sulake's current owners --
U.K.-based private equity firm 3i Group Plc and Finnish
telecommunications company Elisa Group -- also participated. Sulake's
top brand franchise, Habbo Hotel, is an online game environment that
has become one of the most popular and fastest-growing teen websites
in the world, boasting more than 3 million unique users each month.
"During this year, we will focus in the further development of the
Habbo Hotel concept and its launch in the promising markets in Asia,
particularly China and Korea," said Sulake CEO Timo Soininen.
"Habbo brand will also extend to include mobile games and content,
animation series and merchandising products."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?Z2502464A
http://www.habbohotel.co.uk/habbo/en/
_____________________________________________

o U.S., Ireland and N. Ireland Negotiate Research Partnership

Dublin -- Micheal Martin, Ireland's Minister for Enterprise, Trade and
Employment, announced this week that technology researchers in
Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland had agreed to link up with
researchers in the U.S. in order to strengthen research bases in both
areas. The joint Task Force that arose from the U.S.-Ireland Business
Summit in Washington DC in September 2002 said collaboration
would most likely occur in the areas of IT (particularly sensor
technology), biotechnology and nanotechnology. "This partnership
represents a new horizon for research and development on the island of
Ireland and goes a long way towards meeting the challenge of
achieving a strong research base with effective links between higher
education, industry and other centres of excellence on the island of
Ireland and the U.S.," Martin said.
http://www.entemp.ie/press/2005/20050118.htm
_____________________________________________

o Irish Software Industry Signs Agreement with China

Dublin -- The Irish government announced on Wednesday that it has
signed a Memorandum of Understanding with China concerning the
development of software. "The signing of the Memorandum of
Understanding is very significant and will enhance partnerships
between Irish and Chinese software companies," said Irish Enterprise,
Trade and Employment Minister Micheal Martin. The Irish Software
Association (ISA) announced that it has committed to fostering
stronger ties with the Chinese Software Association and proposed that
Chinese software firms consider Ireland as a direct gateway into
Europe. The Irish Chamber of Commerce also signed a co-operation
agreement with its Chinese counterpart in a deal that will promote trade
and investment between the two countries through the exchange of
information, legal assistance and exhibitions.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?R12F2454A
http://www.entemp.ie/press/2005/20050114.htm
_____________________________________________

o U.S.-Based Greylock Partners Adds to Israeli Investment Team

San Mateo, California -- Hoping to capitalise on more early-stage
investment opportunities in Israel, Greylock Partners, an early-stage
investment firm with dual headquarters in California and
Massachusetts, announced that it has expanded its Israeli investment
focus by appointing two new venture partners. The firm has hired Erez
Ofer, the former executive vice president of technology strategy for
EMC, and Yoram Snir, the former head of Cisco Systems's Israeli,
Asia-Pacific, European and China mergers and acquisitions and
investment activities. Greylock has already invested in a number of
Israeli start-ups, including ClearForest, HyperRoll, Illuminator,
Siliquent and Unipier.
http://www.greylock.com/
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(Redwood City, California) Video game publisher Electronic Arts (EA)
announced that it has removed a potential hurdle from its acquisition of
Swedish developer Digital Illusions (DICE) by deciding to waive a
stipulation that it own more than half of the company's outstanding
shares. EA will now acquire all the shares tendered in the offer,
regardless of the percentage. The company's current tender offer will
end on Jan. 20, a deadline EA said it did not plan to extend any further.
DICE and EA have had a close working relationship since 2002, when
EA began publishing and distributing DICE games. In 2003, EA
invested in DICE, acquiring roughly 19% of DICE's shares.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?K39912D3A 

(London) U.K.-based Quester announced on Wednesday that it has
appointed Henry Sallitt to the company's investment team. Quester is
an independent venture capital group focusing on early-stage
investments in information and communication technology, healthcare
and life science companies. The company said Sallitt, who will become
a Director of Quester Capital Management Ltd., would focus on
investments in the information, communications and technology
sectors. Prior to joining Quester, Sallit worked for software firm AFA
Systems and VC firm Top Technology.
http://www.quester.co.uk/

(London) COLT Telecom Group Plc, a U.K.-based telecommunications
firm, announced on Wednesday that it has appointed Tony Bates, the
company's acting chief administrative officer, as its new chief financial
officer (CFO). With the news, Bates will replace Marina Wyatt, who is
expected to leave COLT at the end of March. "I am very pleased that
(Bates) has agreed to take over the role of CFO, allowing us to
streamline the management structure following (Wyatt's) decision to
leave," said COLT CEO Jean-Yves Charlier.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?D2FA6254A

(London) Telenity, a U.S.-based provider of platforms and applications
for mobile and IP-based telecommunications networks, announced on
Wednesday that it has opened an office in London to cover Western
Europe and South Africa. "We see tremendous demand for messaging,
location and other advanced services, including video services, as
higher-tier handset penetration becomes the norm in Western Europe,"
said Telenity President Dilip Singh. Telenity's products include content
and service delivery platforms, multimedia messaging solutions, a
location-enabling server and a variety of revenue generating
applications.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?Z20C5654A

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

> Tech Global Venture Congress 2005 - Madison Sq. Garden, NYC,
Jan. 27-28

The Technology Global Venture Congress is a two-day conference
designed to address the venture capital landscape, identify current
trends in innovation, learn key technologies and scientific discoveries
and discover emerging Technology companies. More than 35
participating VC speakers, 8 panel discussions, VIP Cocktail reception
and networking. Jan 27- 28, Madison Square Garden, NYC.
Special discounted rate ($397) for Tech Wire subscribers. Register at
http://www.tristatetechwire.com/venturecongress.htm  Send inquiries to
tech@saeclub.com
_____________________________________________

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

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Copyright: CapWire Inc. 2005

European Tech Wire - Jan. 18, 2005

============================================
EUROPEAN TECH WIRE - Jan. 18, 2005
============================================
To Subscribe: http://www.europeantechwire.com

o Survey: Americans More Entrepreneurial than Europeans
o France-Based Start-Up VoluBill Raises 11 Million Euro
o Report: 34 VC-Backed Firms Complete IPOs in 2004
o Spain to Create 100-Million-Euro VC Fund for Start-Ups
o EU Launches Awareness Campaign for SME R&D Funding
o Report: Third of VCs Avoid Pension Deficit Investments
o Briefly Noted: Siemens Venture Capital-Michael Hochholzer,
NTL-Telewest-U.K. VOD Services, Exstream Software-U.K.
Subsidiary
_____________________________________________

o Survey: Americans More Entrepreneurial than Europeans

Brussels -- According to the new Eurobarometer poll, the so-called
"entrepreneurial gap" between Europe and the U.S. is widening, with
only 45% of Europeans wanting to start their own businesses,
compared to 61% of Americans. The poll attributed the discrepancy
mostly to Europeans' greater fear of failure and reluctance to give up a
steady pay check. The poll also showed a difference between
entrepreneurs on each side of the Atlantic when it came to determining
what makes a successful business. While both agreed that good
management was essential, Americans rated "good ideas and good
leadership" as the second-most important factor, while most Europeans
rated "external factors" like economic and political context. In response
to the results, European Enterprise and Industry Commissioner Gunter
Verheugen announced that the European Commission would seek ways
to better support European entrepreneurs. "Entrepreneurs are the
economic DNA (with) which we need to build competitiveness and
innovation in Europe," he said.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?X5D42334A
http://makeashorterlink.com/?X5D42334A
http://makeashorterlink.com/?W5E42434A
_____________________________________________

o France-Based Start-Up VoluBill Raises 11 Million Euro

Paris -- VoluBill, a France-based data charging start-up, announced that
it has raised 11 million euro in venture capital funding. To date, the
company -- which has developed a software platform allowing
operators to bill for new data services without having to upgrade
existing transport infrastructures -- has raised a total of 26 million euro
in three rounds of funding. The latest round was led by Deutsche
Venture Capital (DVC) and SPEF Venture, with existing investors
Sofinnova Ventures Inc., Argo Global Capital LLC and Sofinnova
Partners also participating. CEO Andre Meyer said he believed his firm
would need no further investment. "We should not need any additional
funding," he said. "We have burnt less than 15 million euro … (while)
some of our competitors have burnt more than 60 to 70 million (euro)."
Some of VoluBill's current partners include Hewlett-Packard,
Accenture, Capgemini and LogicaCMG PLC.
http://www.volubill.com/html/flash.htm
_____________________________________________

o Report: 34 VC-Backed Firms Complete IPOs in 2004

London -- According to a new report conducted by VentureSource and
published by Dow Jones Newswires division VentureOne, 34 venture-
backed companies in Europe completed initial public offerings (IPOs)
last year. The European Liquidity Report found that VC-backed
companies raised a total of 712 million euro in 2004, up from the nine
IPOs that raised 129 million euro the year previous. What's more, the
number of venture-backed IPOs in 2004 was the highest since the year
2000, when 178 IPOs raised 11.8 billion euro. "The public market for
these privately financed entrepreneurial companies is finally showing
signs of improvement," said VentureOne Director of International
Research Steve Harmston. "The 2004 numbers represent the first
upswing in the number of completed IPOs in Europe, after three
consecutive years of declines."
http://www.ventureone.com/
_____________________________________________

o Spain to Create 100-Million-Euro VC Fund for Start-Ups

Madrid -- Jose Montilla, the Spanish Minister of Trade, Tourism and
Commerce, announced that Spain planned to create a 100-million-euro
venture-capital fund to finance the start-up of innovative projects. The
fund will be run by the Centre for Technological Development (CDTI)
and financed by SEPI, the public agency for industrial participations.
Montilla said his government had already reached an agreement with
the European Investment Fund (EIF) to help with structuring the new
fund. Although final details will not be released until March 15, the
EIF, SEPI division Sepides and an undisclosed private entity are
reportedly the chief investors in the fund.
http://www.min.es/grupos/grupo_mininforma.htm 
http://www.eif.eu.int/
_____________________________________________

o EU Launches Awareness Campaign for SME R&D Funding

Brussels -- The European Union has launched an awareness campaign
to encourage small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across
Europe to apply for innovation grants worth billions of pounds. The
DETECT-IT scheme, which aims to link SMEs with more than 2.2
billion euro (£1.5 billion) of research and development (R&D) funding
under the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6), has set up a network of
62 organisations that will target more than 1,000 companies directly.
"By helping smaller enterprises tap into EU research funding and take
part in European research networks, DETECT-IT will, in turn, help
SMEs maximise their innovation potential," said FP6UK's Jayne
Sutcliffe. The EU said the companies would be selected from the IT
technology, food quality and safety, and sustainable environment and
energy sectors.
http://fp6uk.ost.gov.uk/page.aspx?sp=2326
_____________________________________________

o Report: Third of VCs Avoid Pension Deficit Investments

London -- More than a third of European venture capitalists recently
surveyed by auditor Grant Thornton said they would not invest in
companies with a pension deficit from a defined benefit scheme
because they were too risky. "The fact that a third of (venture
capitalists) stated that they wouldn't invest in a company with a defined
pensions deficit is very telling," said Grant Thornton Corporate Finance
partner Mat Bhagrath. "Few (venture capitalists) have a true long-term
view when making an investment." Bhagrath said such investors
typically looked for a return in a three- to five-year period -- too short a
timescale to plug a pensions deficit. While all of the survey's
respondents admitted they had completed at least one deal involving a
company with a pensions liability in the last year, eight out of 10 said
this was not the case for most of their new investments.
http://www.grant-thornton.co.uk/
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(Frankfurt) Siemens Venture Capital, the venture capital division of
German engineering and industrial giant Siemens, recently announced
that it has appointed Michael Hochholzer as new investment partner.
Siemens said Hochholzer, who has 14 years of general management,
product management and R&D experience in the communication,
microelectronics and semiconductor industries, would focus on
investments in mobile infrastructure and devices, enterprise
infrastructure and semiconductors. Prior to joining Siemens,
Hochholzer was a partner with Infineon Ventures.
http://www.siemensventurecapital.com/news/index.html

(Glasgow) NTL and Telewest, the two largest cable firms in the U.K.,
announced on Tuesday that they have both launched their own video-
on-demand (VOD) services. The news marks the first time that VOD
technology, which allows consumers to order films and other TV
content that can be paused, rewound and fast forwarded, has been
launched outside the U.S. NTL said it would offer its service to small
groups of customers in parts of Glasgow, while Telewest's service will
go live in Bristol. Both companies have entered into partnerships with
FilmFlex, a joint venture between Sony, Disney and U.K.-based On
Demand Group, to deploy the service.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?P2F91334A
http://makeashorterlink.com/?A60A5134A

(London) Exstream Software, a U.S.-based provider of personalisation
software for businesses, recently announced that it has set up a U.K.
subsidiary and opened an office in London to cover Ireland and the
U.K. "Opening a facility in this region allows us to respond directly to
the growing demand in this market," said Exstream Executive Vice-
President and International General Manager Steve Whitman. Exstream
Software UK will provide pre- and post-sales and technical support,
training and consultancy, and initially will focus on financial services,
banking, utilities, insurance and service provider organisations, the
company said.
http://www.exstream.com/#

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

> Tech Global Venture Congress 2005 - Madison Sq. Garden, NYC,
Jan. 27-28

The Technology Global Venture Congress is a two-day conference
designed to address the venture capital landscape, identify current
trends in innovation, learn key technologies and scientific discoveries
and discover emerging Technology companies. More than 35
participating VC speakers, 8 panel discussions, VIP Cocktail reception
and networking. Jan 27- 28, Madison Square Garden, NYC.
Special discounted rate ($397) for Tech Wire subscribers. Register at
http://www.tristatetechwire.com/venturecongress.htm  Send inquiries to
tech@saeclub.com
_____________________________________________

> Reach Beyond Your Local Metro Area for Event Attendees

Hosting a webinar or seminar with a broad geographic appeal? Post
your event announcement on all of the Tech Wire publications for one
price. Reach 80,000 subscribers from technology and emerging growth
companies, many of whom attend seminars and networking events on a
regular basis. A 5-day ad across all 7 Tech Wires is $750. For more
info, go to http://www.potomactechwire.com/Event_Form.html

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

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

To subscribe, go to:
http://www.europeantechwire.com

Questions, comments, news tips, press releases. Send email to:
jim@europeantechwire.com

Copyright: CapWire Inc. 2005