European Tech Wire - April 29, 2005

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EUROPEAN TECH WIRE - April 29, 2005
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To Subscribe: http://www.techwiremedia.com/europe

o Report: European Businesses Expect to Increase IT Spending
o EU Approves Alcatel Space-Alenia Spazio Joint Venture
o Germany Gives Evergreen Solar 27 Million Euro for Plant
o Telecom Italia Buys Brasil Telecom Stake for 341 Million Euro
o Report: U.K. Education Agency Set to Advocate Open Source
o Wi-Fi Security Firm Red-M to Float Shares on London Exchange
o Briefly Noted: Alcatel-Telefonica Moviles, iBasis-U.K. Internet
Telephony Services, Clearswift-Jon Lee, Google-New Internet
News Service
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o Report: European Businesses Expect to Increase IT Spending

London -- A new survey by market analysis firm IDC gives a rosy
outlook for IT infrastructure spending this year. IDC said that more
than half of the survey's respondents said they expected to spend more
on IT infrastructure this year than in 2004, while PC sales are also
expected to increase significantly. IDC said an improved perception of
increased productivity and flexibility were placing mobile platforms at
"the heart" of business IT strategies. "With 2004 being driven by a
major uptake of notebook penetration, and in particular strong desktop
replacement trends in the (small to medium-sized business) market,
European businesses are clearly displaying a far greater commitment to
the integration of mobile solutions into their IT strategy," said IDC
analyst Ian Gibbs.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?H24F42CFA
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o EU Approves Alcatel Space-Alenia Spazio Joint Venture

Brussels -- The European Commission announced that it has approved
the proposed joint venture between Alcatel Space and Alenia Spazio.
Under the EU Merger Regulation, the Commission approved two joint
ventures resulting from Alcatel, a France-based electronics company,
merging its space activities with those of Alenia Spazio and Telespazio,
which is part of Italian defence and engineering company
Finmeccanica. The Commission said its investigation highlighted
serious concerns regarding certain satellite subsystems, but approved
the deal after Alcatel and Alenia offered a license for both subsystems
and agreed to price monitoring. "These conditions will maintain
effective competition in the European space industry, while allowing
the parties to structure their businesses more efficiently through the
joint ventures," EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes said.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?G1D224DFA
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o Germany Gives Evergreen Solar 27 Million Euro for Plant

Marlboro, Massachusetts -- Evergreen Solar, a U.S.-based maker of
solar power products, announced that EverQ, its strategic partnership
with Germany-based Q-Cells AG, has received commitments for a total
of 27 million euro in grants from German government sources to fund
its manufacturing facility in Thalheim, Germany. "EverQ received
notification from the local German government that it will fund
approximately 45% of the factory's projected (54-million-euro) cost,"
said Evergreen CEO Richard Feldt. "The EverQ project remains on
schedule with the facility and its design phase is nearly complete."
Evergreen said it expected EverQ to be fully operational by mid-2006.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/050428/285175.html?.v=1
http://www.q-cells.com/1_eng.php
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o Telecom Italia Buys Brasil Telecom Stake for 341 Million Euro

Milan -- Telecom Italia SpA, the largest telephone company in Italy,
announced that it has agreed to pay 341 million euro for a stake in
Brasil Telecom, Brazil's third-biggest phone company. The
announcement effectively resolves a long-running dispute with Daniel
Dantas, a former fund manager with Citigroup. About a month and a
half ago, Citigroup fired Dantas as manager of its Brazilian private
equity fund, which bought controlling stakes in Brasil Telecom and two
Brazilian mobile phone companies. Telecom Italia said it would pay
Dantas's firm, Opportunity, 291 million euro to buy out Dantas's
interests. Telecom Italia said the agreement would eliminate
overlapping phone services that ran afoul of the local
telecommunications watchdog.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?S48312DFA
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o Report: U.K. Education Agency Set to Advocate Open Source

London -- According to media reports, the British Educational
Communications and Technology Agency (Becta), which is in charge
of formulating IT policies in education, is set to release a new report
claiming that local schools could save significant sums by switching to
open-source software. Becta's assessment will reportedly show how
open-source software can be implemented successfully and present
documented examples of its cost savings. The report, which follows a
three-year study on the use of open-source software in 15 schools, has
been embargoed until after May 5, due to restrictions on government
announcements during a general election.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?T1BF21CFA
http://www.becta.org.uk/
http://www.schoolforge.org.uk/index.php/Main_Page
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o Wi-Fi Security Firm Red-M to Float Shares on London Exchange

London -- The Red-M Group, a Berkshire-based wireless security and
management provider, announced that it is planning an initial public
offering (IPO) on the London Stock Exchange's Alternative Investment
Market (AIM) within the next two months. The flotation is expected to
value the company at as much as £40 million. Red-M, which
specialises in preventing the hacking of Wi-Fi networks, said it would
use the proceeds from the IPO to invest in research and development
and fund its international expansion. The Red-M Group, initially spun
out of Madge Networks in 2000, was formed by the merger of Red-M
with Cellular Design Services, a unit of U.K. merchant bank
Interregnum Plc.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?A62024DFA
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o Briefly Noted:

(Paris) Alcatel, a France-based telecommunications equipment maker,
announced that it has been selected by Telefonica Moviles, the largest
mobile operator in Spain, as a supplier for its 3G network. Under the
terms of the agreement, Alcatel will supply 3G/UMTS radio based
stations that are particularly suited to "closed environments" and indoor
broadband traffic. Alcatel said that its multi-standard Evolium
technology would allow mobile users in shopping centres, corporate
buildings, underground areas and even car parks, train and bus stations
to access to all of Telefonica Moviles's 3G broadband services.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?N26325DFA

(London) iBasis Inc., a U.S.-based provider of long-distance telephone
services, Internet telephony (VoIP) and prepaid calling cards,
announced that it is expanding its regionalised global architecture by
adding to its facility in London to meet growing demand for VoIP
services among European consumers, small and medium-sized
enterprises (SMEs) and corporations. "This expansion gives us plenty
of capacity to keep up with the rapidly growing demand for retail VoIP
services, such as the SkypeOut service, and deliver the same high
quality of service to other emerging VoIP providers and their
subscribers throughout Europe," said iBasis CEO Ofer Gneezy.
http://www.ibasis.net/news/PR2005/pr04282005.htm 

(Redwood City, California) Clearswift, a U.K.-based maker of content
security software with its U.S. headquarters in Redwood City,
California, announced that it has named Jon Lee as its new chief
executive officer. With the news, Lee replaces David Guyatt, who will
remain on the company's board. Lee most recently served as the vice
president of international operations for Fair Isaac, and previously was
the CEO at London Bridge Software Holdings. He has also held senior
roles with McKinsey & Company and Ernst & Young Management
Consultants.
http://www.clearswift.com/news/item.aspx?ID=816

(London) NewScientist.com reported that Google is looking to
dramatically improve its Internet news service, based on new patents
filed in the U.S. and abroad. The company is building a database that
will factor in the track record and credibility of individual news
sources, as well as traffic to their websites, giving more prominent
sources higher spots in its rankings. Currently, Google's news search
service returns results based on the most recently published stories and
their degree of relevance to the search terms used.
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=mg18624975.900

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