European Tech Wire

European Tech Wire - Feb. 28, 2005

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EUROPEAN TECH WIRE - Feb. 28, 2005
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To Subscribe: http://www.techwiremedia.com/europe

o France Telecom Appoints Didier Lombard as New CEO
o SAP Agrees to Buy U.S.-Based Retek for 374 Million Euro
o European, Asian Authorities Join Forces to Tackle "Spam"
o Index Ventures Raises 300 Million Euro for New Tech Fund
o U.K.-Based Online Polling Firm YouGov to Float on AIM
o Watford's Frontier Silicon Secures £14.5-Million Investment
o Electronics Makers Decry Fee for Anti-Piracy Technology
o Briefly Noted: BlueLithium, iReach-IT Spending in Ireland,
Agence Virtuelle-Online Advertising in the U.K., Holbrook IT
Group-Solution for Accounting
_____________________________________________

o France Telecom Appoints Didier Lombard as New CEO

Paris -- France Telecom this weekend named Didier Lombard, director
of the telecommunications giant's new technologies division, as its new
chief executive officer after Thierry Breton decided to become France's
next finance minister. Breton was offered the position after Herve
Gaymard resigned over a scandal concerning a government-funded
luxury apartment. Lombard, 63, said Breton had created a "clear
vision" that would shape France Telecom's strategy for several years to
come. "We are determined to pursue our integrated-operator strategy,
to make even faster progress in implementing our vision in service of
our customers and to continue along the path of operational excellence
in furtherance of our financial commitments," Lombard said. Many
industry experts and investors credit Breton with steering France
Telecom, currently in the final year of a three-year financial
restructuring, out of a debt crisis two years ago.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?R2381329A
_____________________________________________

o SAP Agrees to Buy U.S.-Based Retek for 374 Million Euro

Frankfurt -- SAP AG, a Germany-based business software giant,
announced on Monday that it has agreed to acquire Retek Inc., a U.S.-
based developer of retail-management software, for approximately 374
million euro. SAP said it expected to close the deal, already approved
by Retek's board of directors, by early April, pending regulatory
approval. "The global retail industry is large and represents a
significant growth opportunity for SAP," said Chief Executive Officer
Henning Kagermann. "Retek offers many software solutions to
augment its existing presence and will enable us to offer the most
comprehensive solution in the industry, from the point of sale through
the entire retail supply chain." Last year, Retek reported revenue of 130
million euro and boasted more than 200 customers worldwide.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?Q16C5229A
_____________________________________________

o European, Asian Authorities Join Forces to Tackle "Spam"

Brussels -- The EU and Asia have joined forces to fight spam.
Representatives from 25 European countries and 13 Asian countries
attending the Asia-Europe (ASEM) conference on e-commerce last
week agreed to fight unsolicited junk e-mails nationally and promote
anti-spam efforts internationally. The group said it would tackle the
growing problem through awareness raising, industry self-regulation,
technical solutions and partnerships between governments and the
Internet community. "The EU cannot act alone in the fight against
spam, as it is essentially borderless," said EU Information Society and
Media Commissioner Viviane Reding. "It is crucial that the problem be
taken seriously in every part of the world and, in particular, in regions
where a lot of spam is reported to originate." China and South Korea,
which also joined the joint endeavour, are two such countries. In fact,
many analysts estimate that more than 20% of spam worldwide
originates in China and South Korea.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?Z3076529A
_____________________________________________

o Index Ventures Raises 300 Million Euro for New Tech Fund

Geneva -- Index Ventures, a Switzerland-based venture capital firm
with offices in London and Jersey, announced that it has raised its
fourth fund of 300 million euro. The fund attracted a number of new
investors, including Adams Street Partners, AlpInvest Partners, BP
Pension Fund and Horsley Bridge International. Existing investors
HarbourVest Partners, LGT Capital Partners, Partners Group and
Schroders also participated. Index Ventures said the fund would be
invested in European and Israel-based companies in the technology and
life science sectors. The new fund, Index Ventures III, follows Index
Ventures II, which made investments in Luxembourg-based Internet
telephony firm Skype, Sweden-based open-source database firm
MySQL AB and U.K.-based email archiving firm KVS.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?U2776129A
_____________________________________________

o U.K.-Based Online Polling Firm YouGov to Float on AIM

London -- YouGov, a U.K.-based online polling company, announced
that it is planning an initial public offering (IPO) on the London Stock
Exchange's Alternative Investment Market (AIM) for this summer.
YouGov said it was hoping to raise about £3 million, which would
value the company at approximately £18 million. Under the terms of
the IPO, YouGov founders and joint CEOs Nadhim Zahawi and
Stephan Shakespeare would keep their respective 37% controlling
stakes in the firm, which will use the funds generated to step up organic
growth and acquire a number of its competitors. "YouGov has come a
long way in a short time and developed a strong, competitive position
in market research and polling through the use of online panels,"
Zahawi said. "Understanding people's behaviour, choice and attitudes is
more important and valuable today than ever before." In the year ended
July 31, 2004, YouGov reported a pre-tax profit of £600,000 on sales of
£1.9 million.
http://www.yougov.com/
_____________________________________________

o Watford's Frontier Silicon Secures £14.5-Million Investment

Watford, England -- Frontier Silicon, a U.K.-based fabless
manufacturer of semiconductors for digital radio, TV and wireless TV
products, announced that it has raised £14.5 million. The company,
voted by the VC advisory board of the Fabless Semiconductor
Association as the U.K. "Start-Up to Watch", said it planned to use the
funds to bring digital TV to mobile phones. Frontier Silicon has
developed two products, the Apollo and Kino computer chips, which
allow mobile phones, electronic organisers and other devices such as
the Apple iPod to receive and record digital TV broadcasts. Irish
venture capital firm ACT led the round, in which Apax Partners,
AltaBerkeley Venture Partners, Quilvest and Bluerun Ventures
(formerly known as Nokia Venture Partners) also participated.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?V3DB5629A
_____________________________________________

o Electronics Makers Decry Fee for Anti-Piracy Technology

Amsterdam -- A number of consumer electronics makers are unhappy
with the high license fee being proposed by companies that invented
technology to secure the transfer of music and other media to mobile
phones and other portable devices, Reuters reported. The Open Mobile
Alliance (OMA) has proposed a charge of 75 cents per device for its
anti-piracy technology. "This kind of price is certainly unreasonable,"
one senior executive at a Top Five mobile-phone maker told Reuters.
The chairman of the digital rights management working group at the
OMA admitted that the licensing terms have "kicked up a lot of dust".
"People are debating if these are reasonable terms," Jan van der Meer
told Reuters. Companies that developed the anti-piracy technology
include InterTrust, ContentGuard, Sony, Matsushita and Philips -- who
pooled their patents and are represented by a licensing group called
MPEG LA.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?E6872429A 
http://www.openmobilealliance.org 
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(London) BlueLithium Inc., a performance-based advertising network,
announced on Monday that it has raised approximately £6 million in
first-round funding. WaldenVC, a venture capital firm focusing on
investments in digital media companies, and 3i Group Plc, a U.K.-
based venture capital firm, led the round. BlueLithium said it would use
funds to further deploy its optimisation technology and expand
advertising sales operations internationally, especially in the U.K. The
company, which reached more than 100 million unique users
worldwide as of last December, said its network currently includes
more than 1,000 sites and delivers several billion impressions per
month.
http://www.bluelithium.com 

(Dublin) According to a new survey by technology research firm
iReach, IT spending in Ireland is set to increase by as much as 5% this
year to more than 2.2 billion euro (£1.5 billion). The survey of 100
Ireland-based chief information officers also predicted that growth in
investment would be driven by enterprise software applications,
infrastructure software, security solutions and outsourcing-related
services. Most of the survey's respondents said they planned to invest in
enterprise software applications and associated infrastructure, starting
with financial applications. Even so, iReach warned that concerns over
Ireland's competitiveness, the weakening U.S. dollar and continuing
international instability could threaten IT spending.
http://www.ireach.ie/

(London) A new survey commissioned by Internet marketing specialist
Agence Virtuelle shows that web searchers in the U.K. are far more
savvy than their counterparts in the U.S. The report showed that 93% of
Internet users in the U.K. understand the difference between sponsored
and organic search engine results, compared to just 38% of users in the
U.S. The survey also found that U.K. consumers largely ignore
sponsored links, with about two-thirds of British consumers saying they
prefer organic search results. Less than 5% of the survey's respondents
said they frequently clicked on sponsored links, while about 20% said
they never clicked on them. About 2% said they clicked on banner
adverts, and less than 1% said responded to pop-up advertising.
http://www.agencevirtuelle.com/

(Nottingham, England) The Holbrook IT Group announced that it has
become the second-largest Access Accounting VAR in the U.K.
following its recent acquisition of Solution for Accounting's Access
business. Financial details of the acquisition, the Holbrook IT Group's
fourth in two years, were not disclosed. "We are growing organically
through training programmes and by becoming a certified Microsoft
partner in certain areas," said Holbrook Managing Director Mike
Smalley. "We also have another acquisition on the cards, a Microsoft
networking firm whose managing director is looking to retire."
http://www.holbrook.co.uk/press_view.asp?pr_id=26

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Copyright: CapWire Inc. 2005

European Tech Wire - Feb. 25, 2005

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EUROPEAN TECH WIRE - Feb. 25, 2005
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To Subscribe: http://www.techwiremedia.com/europe

o EU Consults Microsoft Rivals to Ensure Sanction Compliance
o Mandrakesoft to Acquire Conectiva for 1.8 Million Euro
o Report: 2004 European Server Shipments Increase by 20.6%
o Report: EU Launches Investigation into Pricing of iTunes
o Wanadoo Wins Big at Annual Awards for U.K. ISP Industry
o Sainsbury: U.K. Nanotechnology Will Be Developed "Ethically"
o Briefly Noted: SAP-Hungarian R&D Centre, Phonesync Ltd.-
Alan Ranger, Libera Plc-Andy Leveridge, OpenService-European
Office, Interactive Systems Worldwide-BSkyB
_____________________________________________

o EU Consults Microsoft Rivals to Ensure Sanction Compliance

Brussels -- The European Commission announced on Friday that it is
consulting with customers and rivals of Microsoft to determine whether
the U.S.-based software giant is truly complying with recent EU
sanctions against it. "We have asked market participants to give us their
comments in the next few days," said Commission spokesman Jonathan
Todd. "By the end of the first week of March, we should have all of the
comments, and we will make up our mind after that." The Commission
has already rejected one proposed name for the stripped-down version
of Microsoft Windows -- "Windows XP Reduced Media Edition" -- on
grounds that the word "reduced" would make it unattractive to
consumers. Todd said the Commission had yet to decide whether any
of the other proposed names were satisfactory. The EU has ordered
Microsoft to offer a version of Windows without Media Player, as well
as provide competitors with protocol information. If the Commission
decides Microsoft is dragging its feet, however, it could fine the
company as much as 5% of its average daily turnover.
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/legalnews.asp
http://europa.eu.int/comm/press_room/index_en.htm
_____________________________________________

o Mandrakesoft to Acquire Conectiva for 1.8 Million Euro

Paris -- Mandrakesoft, a France-based Linux distributor, announced on
Friday that it has agreed to acquire Conectiva, a Brazil-based Linux
distributor, for approximately 1.8 million euro in stock. Mandrakesoft
CEO Francois Bancilhon said the acquisition would strengthen his
company's international position and offer it more opportunities to
grow. "Our aggregated strengths will enhance extensive deployments,
thus providing greater opportunity for continued expansion," he said.
Commanding just over 3% of the international Linux market, the
French firm is currently the fourth-largest Linux vendor in the world
after Red Hat, Novell and Turbolinux. Conectiva is ranked sixth.
Mandrakesoft and Conectiva are founding members of the Linux Core
Consortium, a group that has started developing a common
implementation of the Linux Standard Base.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?M2BC12E8A
_____________________________________________

o Report: 2004 European Server Shipments Increase by 20.6%

Paris -- According to the latest report by market analysis firm Gartner,
more than 2 million servers were shipped in Europe last year, a 20.6%
increase compared to the year previous. Gartner estimated that server
revenues gained in the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East and Africa)
came to more than 12 billion euro over the same period, an increase of
6.2%. The report attributed the robust growth mostly to a surge in
shipments in the fourth quarter, which posted a 14% year-on-year
increase. "It was particularly positive for vendors that were able to
capitalise on the strong demand for low-end systems," said Gartner
analyst Adrian O'Connell. "Improving underlying demand continued to
drive shipment growth, fuelled by the replacement cycle and beneficial
exchange rates."
http://www4.gartner.com/Init
_____________________________________________

o Report: EU Launches Investigation into Pricing of iTunes

Brussels -- According to Reuters, the European Commission has
launched an investigation into Apple Computer for charging more for
iTunes music downloads in the U.K. than in France or Germany.
"There is indeed an investigation on our own initiative," an unnamed
Commission spokesman told Reuters. "We have made informal
requests to Apple just to gather information." Reuters said the probe,
which comes in response to a complaint filed with the U.K. Office of
Fair Trading by consumer association Which?, was still in its early
stages. Which? complained that consumers in the U.K. who must pay
114 euro cents per download are prohibited from using websites in
France and Germany, where downloads cost just 99 cents. "We look
forward to the Commission taking action to ensure that the market for
digital music is a single European market and serves all of Europe's
consumers equally," Which?'s Phil Evans told Reuters.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?Z13B46E8A
_____________________________________________

o Wanadoo Wins Big at Annual Awards for U.K. ISP Industry

London -- Wanadoo, UK Online and Tesco were among the top
winners of the Internet Service Providers Association (ISPA) Awards
for 2005. French ISP Wanadoo came away with the lion's share of this
year's so-called "Internet Oscars", winning the awards for Best Heavy
Consumer Broadband (offering a connection between 1Mbps to
2Mbps), Best Portal and Best National Consumer ISP. UK Online won
the Best Metered ISP award, while Tesco won the Best Unmetered
Dial-Up award. Other winners included Telewest Broadband for the
Best Sumo Consumer Broadband category (offering a connection of
more than 2Mbps). NewNet won the award for Best Light Consumer
Broadband Provider (offering a connection of 512Kbps or lower).
Stephen Timms was named Internet Hero for his work as e-Commerce
Minister, while the EU was voted Internet Villain for its Draft
Framework Decision on Data Retention and threatening the "Country
of Origin" principle.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?H27831E8A
_____________________________________________

o Sainsbury: U.K. Nanotechnology Will Be Developed "Ethically"

London -- U.K. Science and Innovation Minister Lord Sainsbury said
on Friday that nanotechnology would be developed "ethically" in order
to gain the benefits thereof quickly while at the same time ensuring
safety. Responding to a joint report by the Royal Society and Royal
Academy of Engineering, Sainsbury outlined the Government's work
and research programme, which included a review of current
regulations to make sure safeguards for people's health and the
environment remained "robust" and called for a new cross-government
group to co-ordinate all aspects of research to underpin safety
assessments. "People in this country have a positive view of the
benefits of science, but are concerned that with the rapid development
of new technologies, Government does not have time to put in place
any necessary new regulations," Sainsbury said. "Starting at an early
stage with nanotechnology, we will be able to ensure the safe and
ethical development of this major scientific area of research, which is
likely to bring important benefits to people in many different fields."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?F22753E8A
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(Frankfurt) SAP, a Germany-based business software maker,
announced this week that it plans to open a new research and
development (R&D) facility in Budapest, Hungary. SAP said the new
centre, the second lab of its kind in Eastern Europe after Bulgaria,
could be operational as early as May. Albrecht Diener has been
appointed senior vice president and head of Supply Chain
Development, while Laure Le Bars has been appointed managing
director. The centre will focus on research into supply chain
management products. SAP said it planned to hire as many as 300
software developers by the next of next year.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?V17C41E8A

(Cambridge, England) Phonesync Ltd., a Cambridge-based mobile data
synchronisation company created and owned by Green Cathedral Plc,
announced on Friday that it has appointed Alan Ranger as its new chief
executive officer. Ranger has 15 years of experience in the
telecommunications and software sectors and has worked for
BroadVision, Surfkitchen, Action Engine, Oracle and Sybase.
"(Ranger) has been at the forefront of mobile innovations for the last
decade, and we are delighted that he has joined to help take our
business to the next stage and beyond," said Green Cathedral CEO
Michael Woodley.
http://www.greencathedral.com/who/newspress.html
http://www.phonesync.com/

(Bristol, England) Libera Plc, a U.K.-based wireless broadband access
provider that launched the first WiMAX service for U.K. businesses in
Bristol, announced on Friday that it has appointed Andy Leveridge as
its new chief technology officer (CTO). Leveridge joins Libera from
telecommunications provider XO Communications, where he was
manager of European Data Centre Engineering and Projects. "We were
looking for someone who had a combination of Internet/data skills in
addition to experience in the telecoms market to fill this role," said
Libera CEO Robert Condon. "Andy has huge depth and breadth of
experience, and we felt he would complement our existing pool of
knowledge." Leveridge has more than 25 years of experience in the
service provider sector.
http://www.libera.co.uk/

(London) OpenService, a U.S.-based provider of real-time security
information management (SIM) software, announced this week that it
has opened a new European office in Iver Heath, England. The
company said it opened the office to meet rising demand for SIM
software and accommodate the influx of new customers in the U.K.,
France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the Czech
Republic and Luxembourg. "Our European customers share the same
concerns as their U.S. counterparts over IT security and compliance
requirements," said Ray Cavanagh, OpenService senior vice-president
of worldwide sales.
http://www.open.com/news/releases.jsp?file=050222.jsp

(West Paterson, New Jersey) Interactive Systems Worldwide
announced this week that U.K. satellite TV operator BSkyB has
launched its real-time, play-by-play sports betting interactive TV
service. The one-year trial of Interactive Systems's pay-by-play TV
betting service on BSkyB's SkyBet will provide constantly updated on-
screen odds information and allow viewers to place bets with their TV
remote controls on individual plays during sporting events. BSkyB said
the wagering software has been made available to all of 7.6 million
satellite TV subscribers throughout the U.K. and Ireland
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050224/lath086_1.html 
http://www.isw.com 
http://www.skybet.com 

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Copyright: CapWire Inc. 2005

European Tech Wire - Feb. 24, 2005

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EUROPEAN TECH WIRE - Feb. 24, 2005
============================================
To Subscribe: http://www.techwiremedia.com/europe

o European Commission Expresses Concerns about RFID Use
o Luxembourg-Based SecureWave Raises 3 Million Euro
o Dutch Firm Tratec and U.K.-Based Technetix Complete Merger
o U.S.-Based Intel to Acquire Israel's Oplus Technologies
o Report: Vertical Search Will Drive Online Marketing Growth
o U.S.-Based Codexis Acquires Germany's Julich Fine Chemicals
o Briefly Noted: News Corp.-Eidos, T-Mobile UK-IDT Europe's
Toucan, Terra Networks-Telefonica
_____________________________________________

o European Commission Expresses Concerns about RFID Use

Brussels -- The European Commission's data protection and privacy
body, the Article 29 Working Party, published a report this week
raising concerns about the use of radio frequency identification (RFID)
tags to track the movements and actions of citizens without their
consent. RFID is a method for storing, receiving and transmitting data
through antennas on tags that respond to radio frequency queries. "The
ability to collect a variety of data all related to the same person; track
individuals as they walk in public places; enhance profiles through the
monitoring of consumer behaviour in stores; read the details of clothes
and accessories worn and medicines carried by customers are all
examples of uses of RFID technology that give rise to privacy
concerns," Article 29 said. The group proposed that companies get
customer consent before putting RFID tags on their products and make
clear exactly what data would be collected and how it would be used.
Article 29 said it was seeking public consultation on the matter until
March 31.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?U2EC52C8A
_____________________________________________

o Dutch Firm Tratec and U.K.-Based Technetix Complete Merger

London -- Tratec, a Dutch developer and supplier of cable TV products,
announced on Thursday that it has completed a merger with Technetix
Group Ltd., a U.K.-based broadband firm. The companies said the
merger would create an engineering and supply chain provider for the
broadband cable TV market. "Technetix and Tratec have
complementary skills and capabilities, and we know each other very
well," said Gerrit Weelink, chief technology officer of the new group.
"The merger provides exciting new opportunities for our customers, our
suppliers and all of our staff." The companies said the new group
would be headquartered in England and retain the Tratec Veenendal
base in the Netherlands to support R&D, distribution and sales
operations in Europe.
http://www.technetix.co.uk/newsarticle.asp?id=1726
_____________________________________________

o Luxembourg-Based SecureWave Raises 3 Million Euro

Paris -- SecureWave, a Luxembourg-based endpoint security software
company that has its U.S. headquarters in North Carolina, announced
that it has raised 3 million euro in the second round. Index Ventures led
the round, in which existing investor Mangrove Ventures also
participated. Under the terms of the investment, which the company
will use to expand sales and marketing operations in the U.S., Index
Partner Bernard Dalle will join SecureWave's board of directors.
"SecureWave solutions have been developed and tested over many
years to address serious security shortcomings at global organisations,"
Dalle said. "Our investment will enable the company to further develop
and market its product portfolio."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?D2F632C8A
_____________________________________________

o U.S.-Based Intel to Acquire Israel's Oplus Technologies

Santa Clara, California -- Augmenting its offerings for the consumer
electronics market, Intel, a U.S.-based chip-making giant, announced
on Thursday that it will acquire Israel's Oplus Technologies, a provider
of video processing products and technologies for digital TV and
digital displays. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Privately held Oplus designs chips and software for flat panel plasma
and LCD-TVs, projection systems, LCD multi-function monitors and
emerging digital display applications. Intel said the deal fit in with its
digital home platforms initiative, in which the company plans to
produce computer chips and software for consumer electronics devices
such as digital set-top-boxes, digital media recorders and digital
televisions. Oplus will continue selling products under the Oplus brand
name and become part of Intel's Consumer Electronics Group.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?Q39D53C8A
_____________________________________________

o Report: Vertical Search Will Drive Online Marketing Growth

New York -- In the online search-engine market, rapidly rising
keyword prices on broad-based search engines will soon stabilise, and
industry growth will depend substantially on the value provided by
"vertical" search engines, according to a new report from technology
market research firm JupiterResearch. "The trend will cause a sea
change in how advertising spending is allocated online and force media
firms in vertical categories to embrace performance-based advertising
pricing models," said JupiterResearch analyst Niki Scevak. "If
vertically focused media firms do not seize this opportunity, search
engines like Yahoo and Google, as well as a number of established and
start-up vertical search engines like Shopping.com and Sidestep, will
enter to satisfy the market demand."
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/050223/235194_1.html
_____________________________________________

o U.S.-Based Codexis Acquires Germany's Julich Fine Chemicals

Redwood City, California -- Codexis, a U.S.-based biosciences
company, announced that it has acquired Germany's Julich Fine
Chemicals (JFC), a supplier of specialty enzymes to pharmaceutical
and chemical companies. Financial terms of the deal were not
disclosed. JFC, which is one of Europe's largest providers of products
and services for the bio-catalytic production of chiral pharmaceutical
intermediates, will operate as an independent unit of Codexis. "The
acquisition of JFC is part of our strategic expansion into international
markets, in particular Europe," said Codexis President and CEO Alan
Shaw. Codexis has more than 10 strategic alliances, including a major
agreement with Pfizer, and more than 15 products and processes in
development.
http://www.codexis.com/default.asp
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(London) According to a report by GamesIndustry.biz, Australian
media mogul Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation is on the verge of
acquiring struggling U.K.-based video game publisher Eidos. "It could
happen on Thursday, it could happen on Monday," an unnamed source
at Eidos told GamesIndustry.biz. "we're not sure, but there's light at the
end of the tunnel now." Best known for its "Tomb Raider" game
franchise, Eidos announced in June 2004 that it would consider a
takeover bid, saying the market had changed and that it did not believe
it could adapt to the costs of developing for the next generation of
video game consoles.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=6981 
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/050107/75388_1.html 
http://www.eidos.com 

(Frankfurt) T-Mobile, the mobile division of German
telecommunications company Deutsche Telekom, announced that it has
signed a partnership agreement with Toucan, the consumer telephony
brand of London-based telecommunications firm IDT Europe, to
become a post-paid mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) in the
U.K. The new mobile-phone service, dubbed ToucanMobile, will be
launched later this year. "This agreement is an opportunity for us to add
another MVNO to our existing offering and further strengthen our
presence in the U.K.'s wholesale market," said T-Mobile UK Marketing
Director Phil Chapman. IDT currently offers mobile services through
MVNOs in Russia and Sweden and is planning to launch similar
services in the U.S.
http://www.toucantele.com/about/press/21february2005.asp

(Madrid) Terra Networks SA, a Spanish Internet firm, announced that
its board of directors has accepted a buyout offer from parent company
Telefonica SA, a Spain-based telecommunications company. Terra's
board described the buyout, in which Telefonica proposes to exchange
two of its shares for every nine shares of Terra, as a "strategic must and
a great opportunity" for the company. Telefonica already owns 76% of
Terra. Founded by Telefonica in 1998, Terra currently valued at about
1.9 billion euro.
http://www.terranetworks.com/espanol/
http://www.telefonica.es/pressoffice/

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European Tech Wire - Feb. 23, 2005

============================================
EUROPEAN TECH WIRE - Feb. 23, 2005
============================================
To Subscribe: http://www.europeantechwire.com

o France-Based WiMax Firm Sequans Raises 7 Million Euro
o Norway's T-VIPS AS Secures 3.4-Million-Euro Investment
o U.K. Leads Rest of Europe in Biotechnology, Report Says
o e-Marketplace Liquidnet Lists on London Stock Exchange
o Report: Israel's Leadcom Planning £30-Million IPO on AIM
o Authorities Target Russian Download Website AllofMP3.com
o Luxembourg-Based ABL Buys Majority Stake of TherapyEdge
o Briefly Noted: Microsoft-Alcatel, O2 Ireland-SME Broadband
Use, Teleglobe International Holdings Ltd.-Elion, OpenService-
London Office
_____________________________________________

o France-Based WiMax Firm Sequans Raises 7 Million Euro

Paris -- Sequans Communications, a France-based WiMax chip start-
up, announced on Wednesday that it has raised an additional 7 million
euro in venture-capital financing. Add Partners and Vision Capital led
the round, in which the investment arm of French bank Societe
Generale and existing investors I-Source Gestion and CapDecisif also
participated. The oversubscribed second-round financing brings the
company's total funds raised since its foundation in 2003 to about 9
million euro, Sequans said. The company, which recently signed
equipment deals with Airspan Networks and Cambridge Broadband
Ltd., said it hopes to ship 802.16d compliant chipsets for base stations
and subscriber terminals by this June. "This round provides us with the
funding that is vital to launching our 802.16-2004 /802.16e products
and to execute on our go to market strategy," said Sequans President
and CEO Georges Karam.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?S2CC52A8A
_____________________________________________

o Norway's T-VIPS AS Secures 3.4-Million-Euro Investment

Oslo -- T-VIPS AS, a Norwegian professional VoIP (Video over IP)
firm, announced this week that it has secured 3.4 million euro in
venture capital financing. Nordic venture-capital firms Northzone
Ventures and Selvaag Venture Capital, which focus on local
investments in the software, IT and telecommunications sectors, led the
round. "T-VIPS is very pleased with the trust demonstrated from two of
the leading Scandinavian professional investors," said T-VIPS CEO
and co-founder Johnny Dolvik. "In addition to the financing, these
investors provide us with broad experience in development of
successful, sustainable international companies." Dolvik said his
company planned to use the investment to fund product development
and business growth.
http://www.t-vips.com/
_____________________________________________

o U.K. Leads Rest of Europe in Biotechnology, Report Says

London -- According to a new report released this week by the U.K.
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the U.K. biotechnology sector
continues to lead the way in Europe. The annual report found that the
U.K. remained the most attractive country for biotechnology
investment, leading the field in a number of other categories in 2003.
The U.K. beat out the rest of Europe in terms of the number of new
biotechnology companies formed last year (36), the amount of finance
raised (£384 million), the number of new products under development
(224) and year-on-year revenue growth (5%). Despite a global
slowdown in the sector, the U.K. remains the most successful
biotechnology market in Europe, second in the world only to the U.S.
The Comparative Statistics for the U.K., European and U.S.
Biotechnology Sectors report attributed a general decrease across the
Continent in biotech business activity mostly to a widespread wave of
restructuring.
http://www.dti.gov.uk/sectors_biotechnology.html
_____________________________________________

o e-Marketplace Liquidnet Lists on London Stock Exchange

London -- Liquidnet Europe Ltd., described by some industry experts
as the Napster for stocks, announced this week that it has made an
initial public offering (IPO) on the London Stock Exchange. Liquidnet
Europe is the European subsidiary of New York City-based Liquidnet
Inc., the largest block-trading e-marketplace in the world. As of the
beginning of this week, all of Liquidnet Europe's equity trades in the
U.K. will be reported and included in the London Stock Exchange's
consolidated volume, the company said. "Membership of the (London
Stock Exchange) is something that Liquidnet and our members hold in
high regard," said Liquidnet Europe Managing Director John Barker.
"It is indicative of Liquidnet's growing maturity and standing in the
financial community." Liquidnet's marketplace allows institutional
investors to trade large blocks of stock anonymously.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?C47A15A8A
_____________________________________________

o Report: Israel's Leadcom Planning £30-Million IPO on AIM

London -- According to the Guardian, Leadcom Integrated Solutions
Ltd., an Israel-based telecommunications equipment and services
company, is planning a £30-million initial public offering (IPO) on the
London Stock Exchange's Alternative Investment Market (AIM). The
report said the firm, which operates in 40 different countries and counts
such heavy hitters as Nokia, Nortel Networks and Ericsson among its
clients, is planning its flotation for early April. Leadcom Chief
Executive Officer Arik Alcalay told the Guardian the listing would help
the company to expand its operations and place it in a better position to
take advantage of international target markets. The £8 million the
company expects to raise with the IPO would value it at approximately
£30 million. Last year, Leadcom reported profits of £2.3 million and a
turnover of £35 million.
http://www.leadcom-is.com/
http://makeashorterlink.com/?U29D51A8A
_____________________________________________

o Authorities Target Russian Download Website AllofMP3.com

London -- Russian authorities have targeted a digital music site that for
several years has offered -- without first having obtained permission
from rights holders -- songs for under 10 cents apiece, according to the
International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI). While
AllofMP3.com claims it obtained licenses from a local clearing house
(the Russian Multimedia and Internet Society), the IFPI maintains that
any such licenses are not valid. "We have consistently said that
Allofmp3.com is not licensed to distribute our members' repertoire in
Russia or anywhere else," said IFPI Moscow regional director Igor
Pozhitkov. "We are pleased that the police are bringing this important
case to the attention of the prosecutor." The Moscow City Prosecutor's
Office now has until March 7 to decide whether to prosecute the
operators of AllofMP3.com.
http://www.ifpi.org/site-content/press/20050222.html 
_____________________________________________

o Luxembourg-Based ABL Buys Majority Stake of TherapyEdge

Durham, North Carolina -- Advanced Biological Laboratories SA
(ABL), a Luxembourg-based provider of decision support and database
products, has acquired a majority interest in TherapyEdge, a U.S.-based
medical information services company. Financial terms of the deal
were not disclosed. "This first acquisition for ABL SA has already
proven fruitful with the closing of a major licensing deal with a
prominent diagnostic company," said ABL's chairman of the board,
Arsene Kronshagen. "These products help diagnostic companies
differentiate their offerings by providing advanced online services that
enable their customers to maximise the use of newly FDA approved
genotype tests that are widely available." ABL was created in 2000 as a
spin-off from European academic research centre CRP-Sante.
http://ablsa.com/site/en/press/te_acq.html
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(Redmond, Wash.) U.S.-based software giant Microsoft announced that
it has partnered with French broadband equipment provider Alcatel to
deploy an Internet Protocol television (IPTV) service to broadband
service providers. The two companies have to this point competed in
offering IPTV services, but will now provide a joint service, with
Alcatel offering both its own and Microsoft's IPTV software. Advanced
TV services will include video-on-demand and interactive TV, the
companies said. "Together, Alcatel and Microsoft will usher in a new
generation of exciting entertainment, information and communication
services, enabled by the marriage of powerful broadband networks and
advanced software," said Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050222/uktu017_1.html 
http://makeashorterlink.com/?G28661A8A

(Dublin) According to a new report released by O2 Ireland, nearly two
thirds of Irish small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) do not use
broadband Internet services. While 52% of businesses in Dublin have
broadband, those numbers fall quickly in the regions of Munster (29%),
Leinster (26%) and especially Connacht and Ulster (20%). The report,
conducted by TNS MRBI, said the figures show that a new digital
divide is emerging in the country, especially between urban and rural
businesses. "These findings suggest a worrying scenario, which was
recently highlighted in the Forfas broadband benchmarking study," said
O2 Ireland CFO Paul Whelan. "In terms of broadband rollout, not only
is Ireland falling behind as a nation, but the rest of the country is falling
behind Dublin in terms of rollout and usage."
http://web.o2.ie/

(Tallin, Estonia) Teleglobe International Holdings Ltd., a Bermuda-
based provider of voice, data, Internet and mobile roaming services, has
secured a contract to double the IP capacity of Elion, the largest
telecommunications and IT provider in Estonia. "We are pleased that
Elion has chosen to expand its relationship with us to meet their
growing bandwidth requirements," said Teleglobe Vice President of
International Markets Michel Guyot. "With Estonia's rapid adoption of
high-speed broadband, it is critical for Elion to continue to offer the
best internet access services to its customers in order to compete."
http://www.teleglobe.com./en/
http://www.elion.ee/wwwmain

(Westborough, Massachusetts) OpenService, a U.S.-based provider of
security information management software, announced that it has
established a new presence in Europe with the opening of a new sales
and customer service office in London. The company cited rising
demand for security information management software and an influx of
new customers in the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Spain,
Sweden, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Luxembourg as drivers
for its international expansion.
http://www.open.com

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> AeA Venture Forum and Technology Industry Golf Event
March 15-16, 2005

Access key investment professionals and high-tech executives in one
location. Limited to just 16 companies with revenues between $2
million and $25 million, the AeA Venture Forum's informal setting
fosters the development of important business relationships and access
to capital. Focused on the technology sector, this is an opportunity you
can't afford to miss. Company Applications Deadline February 11. For
more information visit: http://www.aeanet.org/AVF2005
_____________________________________________

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

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Copyright: CapWire Inc. 2005

European Tech Wire - Feb. 22, 2005

============================================
EUROPEAN TECH WIRE - Feb. 22, 2005
============================================
To Subscribe: http://www.europeantechwire.com

o French National Library President Criticises Google Project
o Report: U.K. Boasts Most Extensive G7 Broadband Market
o Siemens Mobile Acceleration Invests in Telematics Firm 3DiS
o AIM-Listed Pannal Plc Plans to Invest in Tech Companies
o Managers in U.K. and Ireland Predict IT Spending Increase
o Briefly Noted: Siemens Business Services-German Job Cuts,
Ericsson-Swedish Facility Closure, Wolfson Electronics, NovaUCD-
Cornerstone International, Virtual Business Network-Sean Newell
_____________________________________________

o French National Library President Criticises Google Project

Paris -- Jean-Christmas Jeanneney, President of the National Library
of France (BNF), has written an article in French news daily Le
Monde criticising the Google Print project. U.S.-based search engine
giant Google has teamed up with some of the world's most
prestigious libraries (Oxford University, Harvard, Stanford, the
University of Michigan and New York's Public Library) in a plan
that would put their entire collections online. Although Jeanneney
acknowledged that the "Messianic" project would make thousands of
important works available to "poor countries" and "underprivileged
populations", he lamented the fact that the vast majority of
documents would be digitised in English. Jeanneney called on the
EU to provide a "generous budget" in order to launch a similar
project with European libraries and prevent the "crushing domination
of America".
http://makeashorterlink.com/?M2701298A
_____________________________________________

o Report: U.K. Boasts Most Extensive G7 Broadband Market

London -- According to a new report by market analysis firm Ovum,
the U.K. is now the most extensive broadband market in the G7
group, beating out Canada, Japan, the U.S., Germany, France and
Italy in terms of the availability of broadband infrastructure. The
report also showed that the U.K. came in third place behind Japan
and Canada in terms of broadband competitiveness. "We said we
wanted the U.K. to be the best place in the world for e-business,"
said U.K. Energy and E-Commerce Minister Mike O'Brien. "With
broadband now available to 96 percent of households and more than
6 million people already subscribing, this is fast becoming a reality."
Ovum said the indicator for "extensiveness" was a combination of
the availability of affordable broadband services and the market
context, while "competitiveness" was a combination of consumer
choice, price and the regulatory framework. France, Germany and
Italy came in fifth, sixth and seventh place, respectively, in terms of
competitiveness.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?Z33E1388A
http://www.asemec-london.org/mediacentre.html
_____________________________________________

o Siemens Mobile Acceleration Invests in Telematics Firm 3DiS

Reading, England -- 3DiS Ltd., a U.K.-based provider of an Internet-
based "telematics" management system, announced on Tuesday that
it has secured a venture-capital investment from Siemens Mobile
Acceleration GmbH (SMAC), a unit of German engineering giant
Siemens Communications Group AG. SMAC invests in early stage
start-ups that focus on wireless applications and technologies for
mobile communication. 3DiS offers a Vehicle Management System
called Amicus that records operational data for vehicles and drivers.
The data is delivered using GSM and the Internet for wireless
machine-to-machine (M2M) communication. Although financial
details of the investment were not disclosed, 3DiS, a privately held
company based in Reading, said it would use the funds to step up its
international expansion plan.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?C6894288A
http://makeashorterlink.com/?I2F92188A
_____________________________________________

o AIM-Listed Pannal Plc Plans to Invest in Tech Companies

London -- Pannal Plc, a new U.K.-based shell company that aims to
invest in innovative telecommunications, media and technology
companies, listed on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) of the
London Stock Exchange on Tuesday. The company, set up by former
BT and BSkyB Internet chief John Swingewood and former Sports
Internet Group CEO Jeremy Fenn, has already raised a further £1.5
million through a placing of shares with investors. "We feel there's
growing sentiment towards Internet companies that have survived the
turbulent times, and we feel there are some real opportunities out
there for us," said Swingewood, who will serve as Pannal's chairman.
Last November, Yoomedia acquired Swingewood's most recent
business, Digital Interactive Television Group (DITG), for more than
£14 million.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?K11F2288A
_____________________________________________

o Managers in U.K. and Ireland Predict IT Spending Increase

London -- According to a survey conducted by technology consulting
firm Accenture, managers based in Ireland and the U.K. are
predicting an increase in IT spending over the next three years.
About 56% of the survey's respondents said their companies were
planning to increase IT spending in the near future. The survey also
found that about 84% of business managers and 76% of IT managers
from the 300 large companies questioned said they believed that IT
had been the top driver of productivity gains over the last three years.
Accenture said the figures were a signal that business and IT
managers were beginning to see eye to eye on technology issues.
"Fortunately, business and IT managers are beginning to get over the
'us versus them' mentality," said Accenture analyst Andrew Morlet.
"Aligning IT strategies to business objectives is one of the most
fundamental factors for deriving value from technology."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?V25A1588A
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(Frankfurt) Siemens Communications Group AG, a Germany-based
engineering giant, announced on Tuesday that it plans to cut about
950 jobs at Siemens Business Services (SBS), the company's IT
services division. SBS currently employs about 36,000 people
worldwide and 16,000 in Germany, where the lion's share of the job
cuts will occur. Siemens said it was holding talks with German
labour union IG Metall to determine how the cuts might be
implemented in the most "socially acceptable" way possible. Only a
month ago, Siemens announced that it planned to eliminate 1,350
jobs in its telecommunications activities.
http://www.siemens.com/index.jsp

(Stockholm) Ericsson AB, a Sweden-based telecommunications
equipment maker, announced on Tuesday that it plans to cut 393 jobs
and eventually shut down its production and design facility in
Nynaeshamn, Sweden. The world's largest maker of mobile networks
said 70 employees would be transferred to its facilities in central
Sweden and that the remainder would be cut. "Because the
components are getting more advanced and fewer, the work content
has decreased," said Ericsson Production Director Jan Wassenius.
http://www.ericsson.com/

(Edinburgh) Wolfson Electronics, an Edinburgh-based microchip
maker and one of the darlings of the Scottish technology sector, on
Tuesday reported that full-year profits before tax increased to £8.8
million for the year ended Dec. 31. Over the same period, sales in the
portable product sector increased by 184% to £27.7 million, while
overall sales increased by 58% to 62.5 million. "Despite the
disappointing downturn in sales in the Chinese DVD sector in the
second half of 2004, Wolfson is benefiting from the digital
revolution and has delivered another year of strong growth," said
Wolfson CEO David Milne. Wolfson Electronics is a spin-out of
Edinburgh University's Wolfson Institute.
http://www.wolfsonmicro.com/?flash=true

(Dublin) Cornerstone International, a technology specialist based at
NovaUCD, announced on Tuesday that it has signed two training and
testing agreements worth approximately 2 million euro with China-
based ATA and Neusoft. NovaUCD is University College Dublin's
10-million-euro Innovation and Technology Transfer Centre, which
funds new technology and knowledge-intensive businesses.
Cornerstone is a provider of advanced software development training
and automated testing systems (ATS) for the Chinese market.
http://www.ucd.ie/nova/clientco/cornerstone.htm 
http://www.ucd.ie/nova/

(Cambridge, England) Virtual Business Network (VBN), a
Cambridge-based online intelligent networking software provider,
announced that it has appointed Sean Newell as its new chief
executive officer, effective immediately. "VBN has grown
considerably over the past few years to become a significant player
in the software industry, and I am delighted to become its new
(CEO)," said Newell, who has 15 years of management experience,
mostly in the software sector. VBN's software allows networking
organisations to interact through the creation of sustainable
networking environments.
http://www.vbnonline.com/

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

> AeA Venture Forum and Technology Industry Golf Event
March 15-16, 2005

Access key investment professionals and high-tech executives in one
location. Limited to just 16 companies with revenues between $2
million and $25 million, the AeA Venture Forum's informal setting
fosters the development of important business relationships and
access to capital. Focused on the technology sector, this is an
opportunity you can't afford to miss. Company Applications
Deadline February 11. For more information visit:
http://www.aeanet.org/AVF2005
_____________________________________________

> 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

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

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

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

Copyright: CapWire Inc. 2005

European Tech Wire - Feb. 21, 2005

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

o Siemens Business Services to Acquire Slovakian Companies
o EU Researchers in U.S. Call for More Contact with Europe
o BSA Asks EU to Reconsider Position on Open Standards
o Autodesk to Buy Assets of Germany's Compass Systems
o Ireland-Based Calyx Plans Initial Public Offering on AIM
o Albany Ventures Leads Investment in U.K.-Based Avoco
o Italian Police Fine DJ 1.4 Million Euro for Pirate MP3 Files
o Briefly Noted: Random House-Vocel, Techno Venture
Management-Karl Probst, Shazam Entertainment-SDC AG
_____________________________________________

o Siemens Business Services to Acquire Slovakian Companies

Frankfurt -- Siemens Business Services GmbH (SBS), a Germany-
based IT services giant, announced that it has agreed to acquire Elas
s.r.o and HT Computers, two of Slovakia's largest services vendors,
for an undisclosed sum. Elas is a document management and ERP
services specialist, while HT Computers is Slovakia's second-largest
IT services vendor. "The IT infrastructure business in central and
eastern Europe continues to show high rates of growth," said SBS
Austria President Hanns-Thomas Kopf, who said his company made
the acquisitions in order to be able to make bids for major contracts
as new EU member states upgrade IT infrastructure. SBS expects to
close both deals by June 1, pending regulatory approval by the
Slovakian and Austrian telecommunications watchdogs.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?A2232178A
_____________________________________________

o EU Researchers in U.S. Call for More Contact with Europe

Brussels -- The European Commission has agreed to develop a
networking tool called ERA-Link that will give European researchers
based in the U.S. access to information about career and research
funding opportunities in Europe. ERA-Link will also list possibilities
for collaborative work with EU laboratories, student exchanges and
visiting professorships, and help researchers to contact each other.
"ERA-Link will provide European scientists in the U.S. with a means
of keeping in touch, and perhaps returning in the future," said EU
Commissioner for Science and Research Janez Potocnik. "It will also
help to forge closer links between the European and U.S. research
communities, which can only be positive." The decision to build the
network comes after an EU survey found that more than 90% of
U.S.-based researchers said they would support the creation of a
network for them and about them. The Commission said it expected
ERA-Link to be operational year's end.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?L5FF3258A
http://eurunion.org/legislat/STE/STEHome.htm
_____________________________________________

o BSA Asks EU to Reconsider Position on Open Standards

Brussels -- The Business Software Alliance (BSA), an international
association of computer software companies, has asked the European
Commission to relax its open-standards requirement for all e-
government projects. The EU has openly pushed the use of open
standards in a bid to make e-government services across Europe
more interoperable. According to the EU e-government framework,
the defining characteristics of any open standard should be published
and made available to the public on a royalty free basis. The BSA, on
the other hand, argues that the over-reliance on open standards would
preclude the use of other technologies like DHCP and GSM. "We are
concerned that by defining open standards in this way, the
Commission will actually exclude many standards essential to
achieving interoperability, and the initiative will prove to be
counterproductive," said BSA European Policy Director Benoit
Müller. "We'd like it to be revised to be in line with reality, with the
practices of the major standards organisations."
http://www.bsa.org/eupolicy/
_____________________________________________

o Autodesk to Buy Assets of Germany's Compass Systems

Frankfurt -- Autodesk Inc., a U.S.-based Product Lifecycle
Management vendor, announced that it has agreed to buy the assets
of Compass Systems GmbH, a Germany-based design management
firm, for 13 million euro. Autodesk, which will continue to offer
Compass software in Europe, said the addition of Compass
technology would help it to offer software enabling customers to
accelerate information exchange and share design data. "This is a
clear indicator of our commitment to be a major player in the Product
Lifecycle Management market," said Robert Kross, vice president of
Autodesk's Manufacturing Solutions Division. "By combining our
collective experience in the data management market with our
strength in product design, we are extremely well positioned to
extend the value of design information across the manufacturing
organisation and supply chain."
http://www.autodesk.com/siteselect.htm
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050218/sff019_1.html
_____________________________________________

o Ireland-Based Calyx Plans Initial Public Offering on AIM

Dublin -- Calyx, an Ireland-based provider of information and
communication networks, announced that it is planning an initial
public offering (IPO) on London's Alternative Investment Market
(AIM) stock exchange. The company said it expected to raise
approximately 10 million euro, which it plans to invest in technical,
sales and marketing infrastructure and acquire additional products
and businesses. "I view the prospects for the group for the current
financial year with great confidence," said Calyx Director Maurice
Healy. "The admission to AIM will provide significant opportunities
for the expansion of our service activities, particularly in the area of
centralised remote (IT) network management." Last year, Calyx
reported revenues of more than 32 million euro and earnings before
interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of 3.5 million euro.
http://www.calyx.ie/about_history.htm
_____________________________________________

o Albany Ventures Leads Investment in U.K.-Based Avoco

Edinburgh -- Albany Ventures, a Scotland-based early stage
technology investor, announced on Monday that it has led an
investment round in Avoco Secure, a U.K.-based software
development and distribution company. Although financial terms
were not disclosed, Avoco did say that it would use the funds to
market its enterprise Digital Rights Management product,
secure2trust. secure2trust protects company data by controlling
which users can edit, copy, print or open documents on a time-
controlled basis and using a variety of authentication methods.
"Albany have already demonstrated their ability to bring strategic
value to our company through their introduction to Peter Colaluca,
who will be joining the company as chairman," said Avoco Director
Sandy Porter. "(Colaluca) will bring significant value to Avoco
Secure through his past experience in building a (venture-capital)
backed software company, negotiating OEM relationships, as well as
in corporate (merger and acquisition) activity."
http://www.avocosecure.com/
http://www.albanyventures.co.uk/
_____________________________________________

o Italian Police Fine DJ 1.4 Million Euro for Pirate MP3 Files

London -- An Italian DJ has been served with a record 1.4-million-
euro fine after being discovered by the Italian Fiscal Police of Rieti
to have been performing hundreds of pirate music files in a Roman
nightclub. The unnamed DJ was found to have in his possession
"2,000 music files suspected to be illegal downloads and 500 pirated
video clips". Authorities said they also seized a large quantity of
audiovisual material and software. "This DJ was touring clubs and
making money out of the music he played, while those who had
invested time, talent, hard work and money into creating the music in
the first place did not get a cent," said Enzo Mazza, director of the
Italian recording industry association (FIMI). "We hope this
precedent will serve as a deterrent for those who are thinking of
doing the same." The announcement said the DJ may be subject to
further criminal sanctions.
http://www.ifpi.org/site-content/press/20050216.html 
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(Frankfurt) Random House, a unit of Germany-based media group
Bertelsmann AG, announced that it has bought a minority stake in
Vocel, a U.S.-based provider of educational materials for wireless
devices. Random House said the move would allow the company to
expand Vocel's offerings to deliver foreign language study guides,
video game playing tips and other wireless content over mobile
phones. "Random House considers the mobile phone to be an
important future platform for the delivery of information to
consumers," said Random House Ventures President Richard
Sarnoff. Financial terms for the deal were not disclosed.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?U5AC4268A

(Munich) Techno Venture Management (TVM), a venture capital
firm with offices in the U.S. and Germany, announced that Karl
Probst has joined the firm as head of its business software group.
TVM, which focuses mainly on the IT and life sciences sectors, said
Probst would strengthen the firm's access to corporate Germany and
help its portfolio companies to develop their business and forge
successful relationships with potential Fortune 500 customers.
"(Probst's) operational expertise, paired with an outstanding track
record of growing and forming small and large business in the
software industry, make him a great addition to TVM's investment
practice," said Managing Partner Friedrich Bornikoel. Prior to
joining TVM, Probst worked for T-Systems GEI, TSystems Nova,
Debis Systemhaus and Intertraffic.
http://www.tvmvc.com/site/news/2005/tvm0217.php

(London) Shazam Entertainment, a U.K.-based provider of a mobile
music recognition service, has announced a partnership with SDC
(Secure Digital Container), a Switzerland-based provider of mobile
music digital rights management. The deal will enable mobile-phone
users to purchase and download a song to their phones without
knowing the artist or song name using Shazam's service, which can
identify a song if a handset is pointed toward any music source.
SDC's digital rights management also enables songs to be transferred
from phone to PC. Shazam will offer the service to customers
including O2, Vodafone, SFR and T-Mobile.
http://tinyurl.com/4sut8 
http://www.shazamentertainment.com 
http://www.digicont.ch 

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

> AeA Venture Forum and Technology Industry Golf Event
March 15-16, 2005

Access key investment professionals and high-tech executives in one
location. Limited to just 16 companies with revenues between $2
million and $25 million, the AeA Venture Forum's informal setting
fosters the development of important business relationships and
access to capital. Focused on the technology sector, this is an
opportunity you can't afford to miss. Company Applications
Deadline February 11. For more information visit:
http://www.aeanet.org/AVF2005
_____________________________________________

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European Tech Wire - Feb. 18, 2005

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

o European Parliament Votes to Scrap Software Patent Law
o Report: Sage Expects Microsoft to Face New Antitrust Probe
o GSM Association Presents Awards at Congress in France
o U.K. Leads World for TV Piracy on File-Sharing Networks
o FT: Blackstone Bids 8 Million Euro for Stake in Italy's Wind
o U.K.-Based Cable & Wireless Sells Japanese Unit to Softbank
o Briefly Noted: Oracle-European Electronic Tendering,
International Computer Services-SAP, Energis-Thames Water-
npower, Sigma-Aldrich Corp.-Proligo Group-Degussa AG
_____________________________________________

o European Parliament Votes to Scrap Software Patent Law

Brussels -- The European Parliament this week took an
unprecedented step against the highly controversial software patent
law after its members unanimously called on the European
Commission to scrap it. If the Commission agrees with Parliament,
the bill will go back to the drawing board; however, if it does not
grant Parliament's request, the legislation agreed on last May will be
accepted and progress to its second reading. In essence, the
Computer-Implemented Inventions Directive would allow software
to be patented. Large companies, which argue that billions of euro in
research would be wasted if patent protection were denied, tend to
support the bill as it is. Small and medium-sized companies, on the
other hand, generally oppose the directive, arguing that large
companies would manipulate the patent law to monopolise the
European software market.
http://wiki.ffii.org/Restart050217En
http://swpat.ffii.org/
_____________________________________________

o Report: Sage Expects Microsoft to Face New Antitrust Probe

London -- According to a report by Datamonitor ComputerWire,
Sage Software Plc expects U.S.-based software giant Microsoft to
face European antitrust regulators for planning to bundle a new
accounting programme for small businesses in its Office suite.
"Office is a monopoly, and anything bundled into it is leveraging that
and it is unfair," an unnamed Sage official told ComputerWire. The
official also said his company expected the EU to monitor
Microsoft's strategy closely. Sage said competitors fear Microsoft
will be able to offer a bundled package at a far cheaper price than it
would cost to buy a rival application in addition to Office. A
Microsoft official told ComputerWire that the software firm had yet
to finalise its product, which it plans to offer with and without
Microsoft Office Small Business Accounting.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?Z33A1128A
_____________________________________________

o GSM Association Presents Awards at Congress in France

Cannes, France -- The tenth-annual GSM Association Awards
winners were announced this week at the mobile industry's 3GSM
World Congress 2005 in France. "This year we have recognised
progress in the areas of mobile messaging, entertainment and
content, enterprise applications and, for the first time, 3G devices,"
said GSM Association CEO Rob Conway. "Also, each year in these
awards, we honour those in the GSM world who are changing,
enhancing and saving lives globally, with some breathtaking
community services and initiatives." Some of this year's winners
included Switzerland-based Swisscom Mobile Ltd. (Best Enterprise
Application), U.K.-based Somethin' Else (Best Mobile Entertainment
Content or Service), Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications and
U.K.-based Sharp Telecommunications of Europe Ltd. (Best 3GSM
Handsets), Germany-based LHS (Best Billing or Customer Care
Solution) and Sweden-based Ericsson AB (Best Use of
Mobile/Emergency Situations). Visit the following website for a full
list.
http://www.gsmworld.com/awards/
_____________________________________________

o U.K. Leads World for TV Piracy on File-Sharing Networks

London -- The British are responsible for 18.5% of all of the TV
programmes downloaded from peer-to-peer file-sharing systems,
making it the top country for TV piracy worldwide, according to data
from anti-piracy monitoring firm Envisional. By comparison, the
U.S. accounts for 7.3% of unauthorised TV downloads, in third place
behind Australia (15.6%). Fox's "24" was the most-pirated
programme -- averaging about 100,000 downloads per episode --
along with "The O.C." and "The Simpsons". Envisional said episodes
of "24" and "Six Feet Under" appeared on file-sharing networks
within minutes of their initial airings in the U.S. Also popular among
downloaders are "Enterprise" and "Stargate SG-1". The Motion
Picture Association of America said it has begun to target operators
of file-sharing servers on the BitTorrent and eDonkey networks,
where TV shows are traded freely.
http://www.envisional.com/tv_piracy.html 
_____________________________________________

o FT: Blackstone Bids 8 Million Euro for Stake in Italy's Wind

Milan -- According to a report in the Financial Times, the Blackstone
Group, a U.S.-based private equity firm, has tabled an 8-billion-euro
bid for a 63% majority stake in Wind, an Italy-based
telecommunications company. The bid would value Wind, owned by
Enel, at more than 12.6 billion euro. With 18.5% of the market, Wind
is currently the third-largest mobile phone company in Italy after
Telecom Italia (43%) and U.K.-based operator Vodafone Group Plc
(18.5%). The Blackstone Group is not the only company in the
running for Wind, however. The Financial Times reported that Enel
has invited bids from six other private equity firms and is also
considering an initial public offering (IPO) for the company.
http://news.ft.com/technology
_____________________________________________

o U.K.-Based Cable & Wireless Sells Japanese Unit to Softbank

London -- Cable & Wireless (C&W), the second-largest phone
operator in the U.K., announced on Friday that it has completed the
sale of its stake in Japanese subsidiary Cable & Wireless IDC to
Softbank Corp., a Japan-based Internet group. Under the terms of the
agreement, Softbank will pay C&W approximately £71.7 million for
the stake (£62.3 million in cash and £9.4 million in assumed debt).
C&W, which will retain a sales office and two network data nodes in
Japan to maintain services specifically for its international corporate
customers, said the decision to offload the unit was in line with its
strategy to focus on businesses with strong positions in their primary
markets.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?A1571228A
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(Brussels) Oracle announced that it has become the first business
software provider to be certified to send electronic notices as part of
the EU tendering process. The EU estimates that electronic
procurement could save governments up to 5% on expenditure and
from 50% to 80% on transaction costs for buyers and suppliers. "Our
software makes it easy for suppliers to find the right business
opportunities, and easier to place accurate tenders, lowering their
cost of sales," said Jens Mortensen, Oracle's EMEA Vice President
of Public Services. "This will increase the number of qualified
suppliers, promote competition and create an environment where
buying organisations can get best value for money."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?K1172228A

(Frankfurt) International Computer Services (ICSI), a U.S.-based IT
consulting firm, announced this week that SAP, a Germany-based
business software provider, has certified ICSI's ESPatrol Background
Job Scheduling and Background Job Monitoring programmes for
SAP's Netweaver. "The greatest benefit of this low-cost solution is
the fact that ESPatrol is web-based, which means it can be operated
from anywhere there is an Intranet/Internet connection," said SAP
analyst Anita Grimes. "Another equally nice perk is, if the SAP
system experiences a problem, ESPatrol will send an alert to any e-
mail address specified by the on-call team member even if it leads to
a (mobile) phone, PDA, or Internet address."
http://icsi.com/tech_espatrol.htm
http://www.sap.com/index.epx

(Frankfurt) Sigma-Aldrich Corp., a U.S.-based life science and
technology firm, announced this week that it has signed a definitive
agreement to acquire the Proligo Group from Germany's Degussa
AG. Proligo, which has one of four exclusive licenses to a key MIT
patent application covering the use of RNA in gene silencing, is a
supplier of genomics research tools. "The acquisition of Proligo is
another key step in our strategy to provide tools that fully meet the
research needs of scientists in the rapidly growing field of
genomics," said Sigma-Aldrich Chairman and CEO David Harvey.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
http://www.sigma-aldrich.com

(London) Energis, a U.K.-based telecommunications operator,
announced this week that it has signed a £20-million contract with
RWE's U.K. utilities subsidiaries, Thames Water and npower. RWE
is Germany's fifth-largest industrial company. Under the terms of the
three-year agreement, Energis will provide Thames Water and
npower with a full suite of voice and data services to sites across the
U.K. "This new contract enhances our relationship with RWE and
further strengthens Energis's position in the Utilities and large
corporate market place," said Energis CEO John Pluthero. "Our focus
on understanding and meeting our clients' business needs is a
fundamental part of our strategy to deliver real business value
through effective use of telecommunications."
http://www.energis.com/

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

> AeA Venture Forum and Technology Industry Golf Event
March 15-16, 2005

Access key investment professionals and high-tech executives in one
location. Limited to just 16 companies with revenues between $2
million and $25 million, the AeA Venture Forum's informal setting
fosters the development of important business relationships and
access to capital. Focused on the technology sector, this is an
opportunity you can't afford to miss. Company Applications
Deadline February 11. For more information visit:
http://www.aeanet.org/AVF2005
_____________________________________________

> 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
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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 - Feb. 17, 2005

============================================
EUROPEAN TECH WIRE - Feb. 17, 2005
============================================
To Subscribe: http://www.europeantechwire.com

o Xandros Bundles Skype with Linux Desktop Operating System
o Germany's NRW.BANK Unveils 40-Million-Euro VC Fund
o EU Approves 33-Million-Euro Grant for Philips R&D Project
o Denmark's Kapow Secures 5.1-Million-Euro Investment
o U.S.-Based Optelecom to Buy Dutch Fibre Optic Firm NKF
o Smiths Group Buys Ireland-Based Farran for £16.6 Million
o UKIF Launches Co-Op for Small Internet Service Providers
o Briefly Noted: "Thrill" Response of Humans-Royal College of
Art in London, ECI Telecom-Finnish Defence Forces, Ericsson-
Multimedia Subscription Service, Asyntis-Jihad Kiwan
_____________________________________________

o Xandros Bundles Skype with Linux Desktop Operating System

Luxembourg -- Skype, the fastest-growing Internet telephony
company in the world, announced on Thursday that it has entered
into a partnership with Xandros, a U.S.-based Linux company, to
bundle Skype's VoIP service (voice over Internet protocol) with the
Xandros desktop operating system. "Our users want the latest
features including VoIP," said Xandros CEO Andreas Typaldos.
"Skype delivers secure, crystal-clear Internet telephony, plus it's
simple to use, which makes it a perfect fit for our desktop solutions."
Xandros has released a non-commercial version of its desktop called
Open Circulation Edition Version 3, which includes Skype and can
be downloaded free of charge from the Xandros website. Skype,
which two weeks ago released a Linux version of its application that
allows free phone calls over the Internet, can also be downloaded
free of charge from Skype.com.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?T6471308A
http://www.xandros.com/
http://www.skype.com/
_____________________________________________

o Germany's NRW.BANK Unveils 40-Million-Euro VC Fund

Frankfurt -- Germany's NRW.BANK announced this week that it has
launched a 40-million-euro venture capital fund that will focus on
innovative technologies and start-up firms based in the North Rhine-
Westphalia region. NRW.BANK is a development bank operating in
business start-up and mid-market development, social housing
promotion, infrastructure funding and municipal financing. With the
introduction of the new fund, North Rhine-Westphalia start-ups in
the expansion phase will be eligible for as much as 1.5 million euro,
while any single company will be able to receive a maximum of 3
million euro through several financing rounds. NRW.BANK said the
eight-year fund would invest chiefly in the IT and
telecommunications, life sciences, optics and materials sectors.
http://www.nrwbank.de/index/1,1061,116383,00.html
_____________________________________________

o EU Approves 33-Million-Euro Grant for Philips R&D Project

Brussels -- The European Commission announced on Thursday that
it has approved a 33-million-euro public funding grant for a research
and development project spearheaded by Philips Semiconductors
Ltd., a unit of Dutch electronics giant Royal Philips Electronics. The
project, which aims to develop a new technology to meet the needs
of high-frequency wave communications markets, is located at the
company's facility in Caen, France. The Commission said the project
had satisfied all the EU framework's requirements for R&D state aid
and that it would not distort competition in the single market. The
Commission also said that public support for the project was
intended to assist the development of microelectronics in Lower
Normandy through Philips and its local partners, subcontractors and
laboratories, as well as strengthen links between industry, research
and higher education in this field.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?J5C23108A
_____________________________________________

o Denmark's Kapow Secures 5.1-Million-Euro Investment

Copenhagen -- Kapow Technologies A/S, a Denmark-based Web
Integration firm, announced this week that it has received a 5.1-
million-euro investment from Kennet Venture Partners. Kapow said
it would use the investment to fund the international rollout of its
Web Integration platform, which allows for quick integration of
applications, content and websites. "We have been impressed with
the capability of Kapow's technology and the degree of customer
traction the company has achieved to date," said Kennet Venture
Partners London Managing Director David Carratt. "For Kennet, this
is an opportunity to participate in a software industry paradigm shift,
development of a new breed of integration solutions that can tie
together applications and content with minimal IT skills required."
http://www.kapowtech.com/news_150205.htm
_____________________________________________

o U.S.-Based Optelecom to Buy Dutch Fibre Optic Firm NKF

Germantown, Maryland -- In a deal expected to double its revenue,
Optelecom, a U.S.-based maker of fibre optic-based communications
systems, has announced that it will acquire NKF Electronics, a Dutch
developer of fibre optic and network technologies, for about 20
million euro. The acquisition will give Optelecom, which focuses
primarily on the U.S. market, a strong inroad into Europe. "Having
both cooperated with and competed against NKF for a number of
years, we have been greatly impressed with the NKF team and their
product lines," said Optelecom President and CEO Edmund Ludwig.
Optelecom's systems are used mainly for video surveillance, traffic
monitoring and business video.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?H5002408A
_____________________________________________

o Smiths Group Buys Ireland-Based Farran for £16.6 Million

Cork, Ireland -- Farran Technology Ltd., an Ireland-based maker of
an advanced weapons-detection system, announced that it has been
acquired by Smiths Group Plc, a U.K.-based defence contractor and
medical equipment firm, for approximately £16.6 million (24 million
euro). Farran's Security Imaging System records the radiation
naturally emitted from the human body to produce images of
potentially dangerous items hidden beneath clothing. "There is an
urgent global requirement for equipment that screens people for
explosives and hidden objects," said Smiths Detection Managing
Director Stephen Phipson. "The Farran technology complements our
x-ray and trace detection equipment widely used for airport and
building security, and ensures that we stay at the forefront in the
development of detection systems." Farran is one of the first
companies to be spun off from the National Microelectronics
Research Centre in Cork, Ireland.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?U2341508A
_____________________________________________

o UKIF Launches Co-Op for Small Internet Service Providers

London -- The United Kingdom Internet Forum (UKIF) announced
this week that it has launched an Internet service provider (ISP)
cooperative called the Enterprise Forum to help smaller ISPs in the
U.K. develop their businesses and speed up the growth of broadband.
The organisation said the Enterprise Forum's objective was to help
members build commercial relationships between ISPs and create an
aggregated buying group offering participants discounts on
wholesale broadband and hardware products. "The Enterprise Forum
gives UKIF subscribers the opportunity to discuss the challenges and
concerns facing their business while looking at ways to encourage
innovation in the market," said UKIF Enterprise Forum Chairman
Robert Kemp. "It also offers opportunities for business development
and access to benefits which may previously have been unavailable
to small and medium companies." So far, 17 ISPs have signed up,
UKIF said.
http://www.ukif.org.uk/page.php?cid=20
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(San Francisco) Wired News has reported on a project at the Royal
College of Art in London that aims to create a device to measure the
relative "thrill" response of humans to amusement rides and other
stimuli, with the goal of eventually providing video-game designers
with feedback based on the same galvanic skin response recorded by
polygraph machines. "If a player were hooked up to their console
using a Thrill Measuring Device, the game designer would be in
control of vital personal psychological information which could be
used to tailor the game in real time," Brendan Walker, the research
fellow developing the technology, told Wired News. "Elements that a
player found boring could be removed, and other thrilling elements
enhanced."
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,66598,00.html 
http://www.re-title.com/exhibitions/mr.asp 
http://www.chromo11.com/about.html 

(Helsinki) ECI Telecom, an Israel-based telecommunications
network firm, announced that it has won a 2.3-million-euro optical
equipment deal with the Finnish Defence Forces (FDF). ECI has
already supplied FDF with more than 14 million euro worth of its
XDM optical platform equipment over the last two years. ECI said
FDF's network had XDMs strategically placed around Finland to
provide communications and local response for all areas of the
Finnish army, including the ground forces, naval services and the air
force. "This new order from the FDF for additional equipment further
demonstrates that ECI's solutions offer the extreme reliability
required for the national defence communications backbone," said
ECI President and CEO Doron Inbar.
http://www.ecitele.com/news/2005/pr_16022005.asp

(Stockholm) Ericsson, a Sweden-based wireless developer,
announced that it has signed new agreements with U.S. wireless
carriers to host their mobile multimedia services for music,
multiplayer gaming, video, multimedia subscriptions and downloads.
The carriers can offer branded services with pre-packaged content
from Ericsson partners SonyBMG, Warner Music International,
Bloomberg and others. The branded services will now be offered by
Carolina West Wireless, Centennial Wireless, Golden State Cellular,
Rural Cellular Corporation, Western Wireless Corporation and
WestLink.
http://www.ericsson.com/press/20050216-140559.html

(Frankfurt) Asyntis, a German semiconductor technology firm,
announced this week that it has appointed semiconductor industry
veteran Jihad Kiwan as its new president and chief executive officer.
With the news, Kiwan, replaces Bert Kegel, who co-founded the
company in 2001 and will continue on as a president of the Asyntis
supervisory board. Prior to joining Asyntis, Kiwan served as
president and CEO of Trikon Technologies and senior vice president
and general manager at Amkor Wafer Fabrication. He has also held
various executive positions at Hewlett Packard and SCI Systems.
http://www.asyntis.com/Welcome.html

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

> Blue Canopy -Vice President of Sales

Blue Canopy, a pioneer in aligning Business and Information
Technology is looking to hire a VP of Sales. The primary
responsibilities of this position are to drive marketing and selling of
strategic sourcing engagements and assist in the continued
development of Blue Canopy's sourcing solutions. Qualifications: 10
plus years experience selling strategic sourcing consulting services,
extensive practical experience in structuring and execution of
outsourcing engagements, and ability to present at a board room level
or group of senior executives. Send resumes to
vpsalesposition@bluecanopy.com
_____________________________________________

> AeA Venture Forum and Technology Industry Golf Event
March 15-16, 2005

Access key investment professionals and high-tech executives in one
location. Limited to just 16 companies with revenues between $2
million and $25 million, the AeA Venture Forum's informal setting
fosters the development of important business relationships and
access to capital. Focused on the technology sector, this is an
opportunity you can't afford to miss. Company Applications
Deadline February 11. For more information visit:
http://www.aeanet.org/AVF2005
_____________________________________________

> 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
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============================================

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 - Feb. 16, 2005

============================================
EUROPEAN TECH WIRE - Feb. 16, 2005
============================================
Sponsored By: AeA Venture Forum and Tech Industry Golf Event
http://www.aeanet.org/AVF2005

o Report: EA Holding Preliminary Talks with France's Ubisoft
o EU Launches Probe of Siemens Acquisition of VA Tech
o Sweden-Based TiFiC Secures Private Equity Investment
o Sweden-Based Digital Vision to Buy U.K.-Based Nucoda
o SMEs: EU Plan Should Focus on Competitiveness, Financing
o Report: Global PDA Shipments Increase by 6.6% in 2004
> AeA Venture Forum and Technology Industry Golf Event
o Briefly Noted: Microsoft-Jan Muehlfeit, Ofcom's Kip Meek-
European Regulators Group, Aternity-Vertex Venture Capital
_____________________________________________

o Report: EA Holding Preliminary Talks with France's Ubisoft

Paris -- According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, Electronic
Arts (EA), a U.S.-based video-game giant, is currently holding
preliminary talks with Ubisoft Entertainment, a France-based video-
game maker. Quoting sources familiar with the situation, the Wall
Street Journal said the talks were focusing on price and management
issues and running parallel with a number of approaches by other
unnamed companies. Only two months ago, Ubisoft rejected a
"hostile" offer by EA to acquire about 20% of the French company,
considered by many industry experts as one of the most promising
video-game publishers in Europe. EA, currently the largest video-
game maker in the world, is also Ubisoft's largest shareholder (20%).
So far, neither company has commented on the report.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?Y1D831A4A
_____________________________________________

o EU Launches Probe of Siemens Acquisition of VA Tech

Brussels -- The European Commission announced that it has opened
an in-depth investigation into the proposed acquisition of VA Tech,
an Austrian technology firm, by Siemens, a Germany-based
technology group. The Commission said an initial probe revealed
that the acquisition might create significant competition problems
due to horizontal overlaps and vertical links in markets such as hydro
power equipment, electricity transmission and distribution
equipment, rail transport equipment, metallurgical plant building,
infrastructure and building technology. "This takeover is in a
strategically important sector for the EU economy," said EU
Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes. "It is therefore crucial that
the Commission verifies that effective competition will be preserved
in all the markets concerned." The Commission now has four months
to make a final decision on the matter.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?Z1E421B7A
_____________________________________________

o Sweden-Based TiFiC Secures Private Equity Investment

Stockholm -- TiFiC, a Sweden-based software firm, announced that
it has received an undisclosed amount of private equity financing
from Alliance Venture, a Norwegian venture capital firm. Alliance
Venture invests in Nordic and U.S.-based emerging technology
companies at an early stage and supports their global expansion
through alliances with technology corporations and international
venture capital firms. TiFiC, which includes TeliaSonera, Volvo
Cars, Scania, Volvo IT and Handelsbanken among its clients, said it
planned to use the funds to expand internationally. "We are excited
about this investment and TiFiC's possibilities in the global market,
especially in the U.S.," said Alliance Venture Partner Bjørn
Christensen. "We look forward to (working) with the management to
introduce TiFiC in the American market, win contracts and establish
a successful presence there."
http://www.tific.com/news/press/050211.php
_____________________________________________

o Sweden-Based Digital Vision to Buy U.K.-Based Nucoda

Stockholm -- Digital Vision AB, a Sweden-based provider of image
restoration, enhancement and colour correction systems, announced
that it has agreed to acquire Nucoda Ltd., a privately owned, U.K.-
based supplier of advanced digital media systems for film and video.
"In just five years, Nucoda has established itself as a leading
technology supplier in digital media solutions for film and video,"
said Digital Vision President Robert Ekstrom. "The addition of the
Nucoda product line … offers a full range of value points to our
customers." Digital Vision said the acquisition of Nucoda, which will
remain headquartered in London, would allow it to broaden its range
of post-production systems and expand its technical capabilities,
particularly in the digital intermediate market. Financial terms for the
deal have not been disclosed.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?Y12721D7A
_____________________________________________

o SMEs: EU Plan Should Focus on Competitiveness, Financing

Brussels -- The European Commission announced on Wednesday
that it has received 186 responses -- nearly half of which came from
individuals, business associations and public administrations --
regarding the proposed future framework programme for
competitiveness and innovation. Respondents said the
competitiveness of companies and access to finance were the two
most important aspects of the programme. They also rated the
encouragement of technology transfer and the improvement of
business support services for SMEs (small and medium-sized
enterprises) as very important, the Commission said. The framework
programme aims to streamline efforts in various fields to create a
comprehensive and coherent approach to encouraging innovation. Its
chief goals are to increase the uptake and mastery IT, improve access
to finance for SMEs and stimulate better framework conditions for
European companies.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?T23C42D7A
_____________________________________________

o Report: Global PDA Shipments Increase by 6.6% in 2004

Stamford, Connecticut -- Shipments of personal digital assistant
(PDA) worldwide increased by 6.6% in 2004, according to the
preliminary results of a study released by technology market research
firm Gartner. The study showed that the increase was led by strong
growth by Research In Motion (RIM) BlackBerry shipments and an
increased average selling price for the entire market. The report
predicted that RIM would become the world's leading PDA vendor
by next year -- both in units and revenue. "A major factor in RIM's
recent success has been its ability to rapidly add many new carrier
partners, expanding its geographical reach," said Todd Kort,
principal analyst in Gartner's Computing Platforms Worldwide
group. About 20% of RIM's fourth quarter shipments came in
Europe, the report said.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?R2E621D7A
_____________________________________________

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> AeA Venture Forum and Technology Industry Golf Event
March 15-16, 2005

Access key investment professionals and high-tech executives in one
location. Limited to just 16 companies with revenues between $2
million and $25 million, the AeA Venture Forum's informal setting
fosters the development of important business relationships and
access to capital. Focused on the technology sector, this is an
opportunity you can't afford to miss. Company Applications
Deadline February 11. For more information visit:
http://www.aeanet.org/AVF2005

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

o Briefly Noted:

(Paris) U.S.-based software giant Microsoft announced on
Wednesday that it has appointed Jan Muehlfeit, currently vice
president of Microsoft's operations in Eastern Europe, as its new
head of public-sector sales in the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East
and Africa). With the news, Muehlfeit replaces Peter Hayes, who
joined Citizens Communications. Muehlfeit will largely be
responsible for countering the growing threat of open source
software to Microsoft's public sector sales in Europe. "Governments
and public-sector agencies in EMEA have a unique set of goals and
challenges," said Muehlfeit. "We recognise that, when it comes to
their information and communication technology decisions, they are
concerned about key factors such as economic growth and
educational opportunities."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?L2DD15D7A

(London) U.K. telecommunications watchdog Ofcom announced on
Wednesday that Kip Meek, Ofcom Senior Partner for Competition
and Content, has been appointed Chairman of the European
Regulators Group (ERG). Composed of the heads of
telecommunications regulators from 31 European countries, the ERG
acts as a bridge between national regulators and the European
Commission and provides advice and guidance on the development
of the European communications market. Meek, an executive
member of Ofcom's board, will assume his post in January 2006.
"Ofcom's approach to the market in the U.K. is being followed
closely across Europe," he said. "I look forward to learning from our
European colleagues and helping to inform the wider debate."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?B55B24D7A
http://www.erg.eu.int/

(Jerusalem) Aternity, an Israel-based technology start-up formerly
known as Gelion, announced that it is close to securing 3.8 million
euro in first-round financing. Aternity said Vertex Venture Capital
was leading the round with a 2.3-million-euro investment and that
existing investor U.S.-based PortView Communications was also
participating. Aternity, which develops technologies to improve
access to enterprise IT infrastructures and monitor their
effectiveness, said it is currently seeking another investor to complete
the round. The company said it planned to use the funds to expand its
activities.
http://www.vertexisrael.co.il/

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

> Blue Canopy -Vice President of Sales

Blue Canopy, a pioneer in aligning Business and Information
Technology is looking to hire a VP of Sales. The primary
responsibilities of this position are to drive marketing and selling of
strategic sourcing engagements and assist in the continued
development of Blue Canopy's sourcing solutions. Qualifications: 10
plus years experience selling strategic sourcing consulting services,
extensive practical experience in structuring and execution of
outsourcing engagements, and ability to present at a board room level
or group of senior executives. Send resumes to
vpsalesposition@bluecanopy.com
_____________________________________________

> AeA Venture Forum and Technology Industry Golf Event
March 15-16, 2005

Access key investment professionals and high-tech executives in one
location. Limited to just 16 companies with revenues between $2
million and $25 million, the AeA Venture Forum's informal setting
fosters the development of important business relationships and
access to capital. Focused on the technology sector, this is an
opportunity you can't afford to miss. Company Applications
Deadline February 11. For more information visit:
http://www.aeanet.org/AVF2005
_____________________________________________

> 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
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=================================================
==

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 - Feb. 15, 2005

============================================
EUROPEAN TECH WIRE - Feb. 15, 2005
============================================
To Subscribe: http://www.europeantechwire.com

o EU Regulators to Handle Internet Telephony with "Light Touch"
o Nokia, Loudeye and Microsoft Offer Mobile Music Service
o Report: 35% of Irish VCs Expect Clients to Float in Two Years
o French Group Sues Apple and Sony over Music Services
o Israel-Based Adamind Raises £15 Million in AIM Flotation
o EU Resumes Probe of Microsoft Acquisition of ContentGuard
o Briefly Noted: Dell-U.K. Expansion, Ramtron-U.K. Office,
Silverpop-London Office
_____________________________________________

o EU Regulators to Handle Internet Telephony with "Light Touch"

Brussels -- The European Commission and telecommunications
regulators from all 25 EU member states have agreed to handle
Internet telephony with a "light touch" in a bid to promote
competition and loosen the grip of dominant fixed-line operators like
BT Group Plc, France Telecom and Deutsche Telekom. The
Commission said Internet telephony -- also known as voice over
Internet protocol (VoIP) -- could develop quickly into a serious
competitor to vertically integrated incumbents by introducing more
diverse and innovative services. As such, the Commission said it and
national regulators had agreed not to hinder Internet telephony with
regulatory hurdles. "I expect Voice over IP to lead to more diverse
and innovative services in the market, which may well have an even
bigger impact on consumers and businesses than email," said EU
Information Society and Media Commissioner Viviane Reding. "IP-
based networks and services will be the basis for a whole new range
of communications services, not only benefiting consumers directly,
but feeding through directly to the whole economy."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?T13712EF9
http://makeashorterlink.com/?X24F52B7A
http://makeashorterlink.com/?P25F31B7A
_____________________________________________

o Nokia, Loudeye and Microsoft Offer Mobile Music Service

Cannes, France -- Nokia, a Finland-based mobile phone maker,
announced that it has partnered with Loudeye, a U.S.-based provider
of digital music retail services, to offer wireless network operators
the ability to offer their own branded mobile music services. The
service will let consumers browse, search, listen and download full
tracks and ringtones either to a mobile phone or PC. Nokia partnered
with Microsoft to integrate support for the company's Windows
Media audio and video formats and digital rights management
technology into the branded music services. Separately, Nokia also
introduced a new smartphone model that includes an integrated
music player with stereo output, full Internet browser and both a 1.3
megapixel still image camera and a two-way video camera. The
Nokia 6680 will go on sale in Europe in April for about $580.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050214/ukm022_2.html 
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050214/ukm025_2.html 
http://makeashorterlink.com/?F3AA52B7A
_____________________________________________

o Report: 35% of Irish VCs Expect Clients to Float in Two Years

Dublin -- According to a new report by the Irish Venture Capital
Association (IVCA), more than one-third of IVCA members (35%)
expect one or more of their client companies to make an initial public
offering (IPO) within the next two years. What's more, nearly 90% of
IVCA members said they could foresee an exit strategy for one or
more of their client firms through a trade sale over the same period.
Analysts say the news shows a major upswing in the sell-off and
flotation of Irish start-up firms. Just two years ago, none of the
IVCA's members expected clients to float within two years. "The
survey finds that Irish venture capital companies have more than
retained their appetite for good projects compared to our last survey
two years ago," said IVCA Chairman Shay Garvey.
http://www.ivca.ie/
_____________________________________________

o French Group Sues Apple and Sony over Music Services

Paris -- According to French newspaper Les Echos, a local consumer
advocacy group has filed legal complaints against Apple and Sony,
claiming the companies' respective digital music download stores are
anti-competitive because they only support their own portable music
player devices. "The total absence of interoperability between DRM
removes not only consumers' power to independently choose their
purchase and where they buy it from, but also constitutes a
significant restraint on the free circulation of creative works," said
UFC-Que Choisir, which has sent a court summons to the French
subsidiaries of Apple and Sony. A similar effort by VirginMega last
year in France to get Apple to open its iPod to competitors was
unsuccessful.
http://www.quechoisir.org 
_____________________________________________

o Israel-Based Adamind Raises £15 Million in AIM Flotation

London -- Adamind Ltd., an Israel-based maker of media adaptation
software for mobile devices, announced that it has raised £15 million
in an initial public offering (IPO) on London's Alternative
Investment Market (AIM), valuing the firm at approximately £46.7
million. Adamind said it planned to use the funds to capitalise on the
projected growth of the mobile content services market. The
company, which was formed by the merger of the media transcoding
businesses of Emblaze Ltd. and Royal Philips Electronics NV, said it
expected trading to begin by Feb. 21. Adamind makes software that
allows multimedia messages to be exchanged between devices with
differing configurations.
http://www.adamind.com/
_____________________________________________

o EU Resumes Probe of Microsoft Acquisition of ContentGuard

Bethesda, Maryland -- The European Commission announced that it
has once again taken up its antitrust review of Microsoft's acquisition
of U.S.-based digital rights management firm ContentGuard.
Microsoft and partner Time Warner had sought to buy a controlling
interest in ContentGuard, but the deal came under scrutiny last
August when the EU said it believed Microsoft could emerge with a
monopoly on digital rights management technologies. Commission
spokesman Jonathan Todd said Microsoft had provided additional
information on the deal and that a new deadline of April 7 had been
set for the EU to rule on the deal.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?I54A25B7A
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(Glasgow) Dell, a U.S.-based computer maker, announced that it
plans to expand its U.K. operations by opening a customer sales and
support office in Glasgow, Scotland. "The growth and expansion of
Dell's U.K. operation, our second largest business outside the U.S.,
into Scotland, is testament to our commitment to continue to deliver
our U.K. customers a positive customer experience," said Dell
EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) President Paul Bell. "We
look forward to the Glasgow centre playing a major role in the
further expansion of this company." Bell said the centre, expected to
create about 850 jobs by 2008, would support medium and large
business customers, as well as public sector users.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?X37D21B7A

(London) Ramtron, a U.S.-based semiconductor manufacturer,
announced that it has opened a European sales office in Bracknell,
England, and that it plans to expand its regional sales and customer
service staff. Ramtron is a supplier of non-volatile ferroelectric
semiconductors -- including serial and parallel ferroelectric random
access memory (FRAM) -- as well as processor companion devices.
"Expanding our sales team and facility was required to support our
growing FRAM sales in Europe," said Ramtron Director of European
Sales Terry Andrews.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?G26D51B7A

(London) Silverpop, a U.S.-based e-mail marketing firm, announced
this week that it has opened a new European office in London. "As
companies are realising the benefits that can be gleaned by using the
Internet to acquire and retain customers, on-line marketing is
undergoing explosive growth in the U.K.," said Silverpop Chief
Executive Officer Bill Nussey. Silverpop helps companies to
cultivate and maintain long-term strategic relationships with
customers and partners by maximising the potential of e-mail.
http://www.silverpop.com/news/press/020805.sp

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

> Blue Canopy -Vice President of Sales

Blue Canopy, a pioneer in aligning Business and Information
Technology is looking to hire a VP of Sales. The primary
responsibilities of this position are to drive marketing and selling of
strategic sourcing engagements and assist in the continued
development of Blue Canopy's sourcing solutions. Qualifications: 10
plus years experience selling strategic sourcing consulting services,
extensive practical experience in structuring and execution of
outsourcing engagements, and ability to present at a board room level
or group of senior executives. Send resumes to
vpsalesposition@bluecanopy.com
_____________________________________________

> AeA Venture Forum and Technology Industry Golf Event, March
15-16, 2005

Access key investment professionals and high-tech executives in one
location. Limited to just 16 companies with revenues between $2
million and $25 million, the AeA Venture Forum's informal setting
fosters the development of important business relationships and
access to capital. Focused on the technology sector, this is an
opportunity you can't afford to miss. Company Applications
Deadline February 11. For more information visit:
http://www.aeanet.org/AVF2005
_____________________________________________

> 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