European Tech Wire

European Tech Wire - May 31, 2005

============================================
EUROPEAN TECH WIRE - May 31, 2005
============================================
To Subscribe: http://www.techwiremedia.com/europe

o Spokesman: EU to Wait until July to Decide on Microsoft
o Denmark's TDC Buys Ascom Division for 105 Million Euro
o Finland-Based FRWD Secures Venture-Capital Investment
o Mentor Buys Sweden-Based Network-Design Firm Volcano
o U.K. Survey: Software Directive Will Lead to Too Many Patents
o Report: European Semiconductor Sales Fall 1.6% in April
o Briefly Noted: Empower Interactive-Keith Cornell, Antenova
Asia-Tom Newman, Travelzoo UK-Christopher Loughlin
____________________________________________

o Spokesman: EU to Wait until July to Decide on Microsoft

Brussels -- The EU announced on Tuesday that it plans to wait until the
end of next month to decide whether to impose extra fines on U.S.-
based software giant Microsoft, despite the fact a compliance deadline
ends tonight at midnight. EU spokesman Jonathan Todd, who said the
EU was confident Microsoft would respond to anti-compliance charges
on time, told Business Week that it would likely take several weeks to
analyse the company's proposal properly. "We're in regular contact
with Microsoft, and we have no reason to believe they will not make
their final offer before midnight tonight," Todd told Business Week. "I
can't say whether they're going to fall into line or not." If the EU is
dissatisfied with Microsoft's proposal, it will be able to fine the
company as much as 5% of its daily global sales for each day that it
continues to breach the terms of a recent antitrust ruling against it.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?E20646C2B
____________________________________________

o Denmark's TDC Buys Ascom Division for 105 Million Euro

Copenhagen -- TDC, a Denmark-based telecommunications firm,
announced that it has acquired the business unit of Ascom's Swiss
division for approximately 105 million euro. TDC said the deal, which
still requires the approval of the local regulatory agency, would make
TDC Switzerland a major player in the provision of integrated IP-based
communications for the business market, with Ascom's IP/LAN
networks and systems integration services allowing TDC to offer voice,
data, images and network services to business customers. "We can now
offer for both Ascom's and our own customers a solid platform for
complete IP solutions and have an opportunity of becoming a leading
supplier on the booming business market," said TDC Switzerland CEO
Hans Peter Baumgartner.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?Y50863C2B
____________________________________________

o Finland-Based FRWD Secures Venture-Capital Investment

Helsinki -- FRWD Technologies Ltd., a Finland-based sports
technology start-up, announced that it has received an undisclosed
amount of venture-capital financing. Holtron Ventures, a venture-
capital firm based in the Nordic region, led the round, with Sentica
Partners ja Teollisuussijoitus also participating. Under the terms of the
investment, Holtron Partner Timo Tirkkonen will join FRWD's board
of directors. FRWD's key product, the FRWD Sport Performance
Recorder, records every moment and detail of an outdoor sporting
event -- including speed, distance, 3D route, heart rate and time -- a
later analyses the information using its FRWD Replayer software.
http://www.holtronventures.com/news_20050418.html
http://www.frwd.com/static.php
____________________________________________

o Mentor Buys Sweden-Based Network-Design Firm Volcano

Oslo -- Mentor Graphics Corp., a U.S.-based automotive software
provider, announced that it has acquired Volcano Communications
Technologies, a Sweden-based automotive networking and data
communications firm, for an undisclosed sum. "This is a natural step
forward for Volcano," said Volcano founder Antal Rajnak. "We have
been creating development tools and embedded software since 1998,
but mainly focusing on the European marketplace." Mentor said the
acquisition would strengthen its automotive portfolio through the
addition of Volcano's automotive networking products, including
network design tools, embedded software and test and validation tools
for major automotive networks.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?Q4F331C2B
____________________________________________

o U.K. Survey: Software Directive Will Lead to Too Many Patents

London -- According to a new survey by the U.K. Patent Office
(UKPO), software companies and developers in the U.K. believe that
the definition of "technical contribution" in the software patent
directive's current form is "ambiguous and too liberal" and will lead to
the creation of too many patents. "The results show just how difficult it
can be to come up with a definition which is both easy to apply and
which gives the 'right' result in terms of allowing patents for computer-
implemented technical inventions, but blocking patents for non-
technical software," said UKPO Director of Patents Sean Dennehey.
"The workshops have generated some useful ideas, and I hope they will
be taken into account in the imminent debate on the CII Directive at the
European Parliament." The UKPO, which compiled the report after
holding 13 workshops across the country, said a change in U.K. policy
was unlikely.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?Q13521C2B
____________________________________________

o Report: European Semiconductor Sales Fall 1.6% in April

Paris -- According to the latest report by World Semiconductor Trade
Statistics (WSTS), European semiconductor sales in April fell by 1.6%
compared to the month previous to approximately 2.7 billion euro.
Europeans sales, however, increased by 3% compared to April 2004
and by 6.7 on a year-on-year basis, WSTS said. Worldwide,
semiconductor sales in April fell by 1.2% to approximately 14.7 billion
euro. WSTS, an alliance of the world's main computer-chip makers
representing around 85% of global sales, said growth had been
expected to come down during the year due to tougher year-on-year
comparisons. "Although growth rates remain on the decline, they are
still on the positive side, indicating the possibility of small but positive
growth at the end of the year," said the European Semiconductor
Industry Association.
http://www.wsts.org/plain/content/view/full/2076
____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(London) Empower Interactive Ltd., a U.K.-based wireless technology
firm, announced that it has appointed Keith Cornell as its new chief
executive officer. Empower said Cornell, a veteran of the wireless
industry with more than 23 years of experience in strategy, business
development and operations, would lead the company as it expands in
Asia, Europe and North America. Prior to joining Empower, Cornell
was on the management board of O2 with responsibility for operations
in Germany, Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Netherlands. He has also
served in senior management roles at FirstMark Communications,
Vodafone, Airtouch International and Marakon Associates.
http://www.eigroup.com/newsEventsHome.htm 

(Cambridge, England) Antenova Ltd., a U.K.-based RF antenna firm,
announced that it has appointed Tom Newman as general manager of
its operations in Asia. Antenova said Newman, an industry veteran and
long-term resident of China and Taiwan, would further establish the
company's operations and increase its presence in the world's largest
mobile-phone market. "(Newman's) experience in the antenna industry
and unique insight gained from living and working in China will bring
huge benefits to Antenova's global strategy," said Antenova CEO Greg
McCray. "(He) will be instrumental in pushing Antenova's patented
HDAT technology and Radionova products into this high growth
market."
http://www.antenova.com/#

(New York) Travelzoo, a U.S.-based provider of Internet travel
services, announced that it has named Christopher Loughlin as senior
vice president and general manager of Travelzoo UK. "In his four years
at Travelzoo, (Loughlin) has led the company's business development
in the U.S. with a strong focus on advertising revenue growth and high
quality content," said Travelzoo CEO Ralph Bartel. "I believe that his
talent and experience with Travelzoo's media business model, applied
to the exciting and emerging business in the U.K., will help us execute
our growth strategy in this important market."
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/050523/235649.html?.v=1

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> 2nd Annual Popkomm Innovation in Music and Entertainment
Awards (IMEA)

Popkomm is one of Europe's leading Music & Entertainment - Industry
tradeshows and conferences. IMEA is chaired by Music Futurist Gerd
Leonhard (ThinkAndLink). IMEA's mission is to find, select and
present the best new business ideas, the brightest entrepreneurs and
startups in the music-, media - and entertainment-technology sectors,
worldwide, and provide a new platform for their discovery. Apply now
(it's free)
Contact: http://www.popkommawards.com  or gleonhard@gmail.com
_____________________________________________

> Reach Beyond Your Local Metro Area for Event Attendees

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

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

European Tech Wire - May 27, 2005

============================================
EUROPEAN TECH WIRE - May 27, 2005
============================================
To Subscribe: http://www.techwiremedia.com/europe

o Sweden Bans Downloading of Copyrighted Films and Music
o EU Earmarks 660,000 Euro for Open-Source Collaboration
o Apax Becomes Majority Owner of Infineon Software Spin-Out
o Yahoo Expands Mail Service in Eastern Europe and Asia
o U.S. Puts Russia on "Priority Watch List" for Software Piracy
o iPods Fuelling Street Crime in U.K., Police Commissioner Says
o Briefly Noted: IBM-German Job Cuts, Xilinx-Scotland
Expansion, Group 1 Software-e2T Suite, MobiTV-Orange
UK, GTech-Denmark's National Lottery
____________________________________________

o Sweden Bans Downloading of Copyrighted Films and Music

Stockholm -- The Swedish parliament announced that it has passed a
new law that prohibits the downloading of copyrighted material such as
films and music from the Internet. "The decision means that a clear ban
has been introduced against downloading music, pictures and other
material on the Internet for private use without the copyright holder's
permission," parliament said. Until now, Sweden has permitted the
downloading of copyrighted material, while at the same time banning
the uploading of material. Pressure from Hollywood to crack down on
rampant peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, however, has led the country to
change the law. Parliament said the new law would go into effect on
July 1.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?I5FD2172B
http://www.riksdagen.se/index_en.asp
____________________________________________

o EU Earmarks 660,000 Euro for Open-Source Collaboration

Brussels -- The EU announced that it has approved a 660,000-euro
grant to promote open-source software (OSS) collaboration. The grant,
which comes as part of the EU 6th Framework Research programme,
will be given to FLOSSWorld, a two-year project to promote open-
source collaboration between the EU and developing countries and to
support OSS research and policy development. The project will involve
17 partners in 12 countries, the EU said. FLOSSWorld focuses on three
main issues: human capacity building, which investigates the economic
impact of FLOSS communities; software development and how
approaches vary by region and country; and e-government policy,
which investigates how policy varies from country to country.
http://www.flossworld.org/
____________________________________________

o Apax Becomes Majority Owner of Infineon Software Spin-Out

Frankfurt -- Infineon Technologies AG, a Germany-based
semiconductor maker, announced that it has spun off its design
software unit into a new company that will be majority owned by Apax
Partners, a U.K.-based venture-capital firm. Infineon's Circuit
Verification Environment (CVE) division, responsible for testing
circuits and designing computer chips, will form a new company called
OneSpin Solutions GmbH. "We have decided to spin off the CVE unit
because it is not one of our core businesses," said Infineon spokesman
Gunter Gaugler, who added that his company would continue to be
active in software development, but only in areas that have a direct
impact on Infineon's products. OneSpin will receive approximately 40
million euro (£27.5 million) in funding from Apax.
http://www.infineon.com/cgi/ecrm.dll/jsp/home.do?lang=EN
____________________________________________

o Yahoo Expands Mail Service in Eastern Europe and Asia

Sunnyvale, California -- Yahoo announced that it has launched a test
version of its new e-mail photo-sharing tool that allows users to insert
as many as 300 photos into the body of an e-mail. Yahoo said its
PhotoMail tool, available for free from Yahoo Mail, removes the worry
of exceeding message or attachment size limits. The PhotoMail feature
allows the sender to drag-and-drop images from anywhere on their
computer, Yahoo Photos or the web and insert them into e-mail as
smaller "thumbnail" previews. Yahoo also said that, beginning in June,
its Mail service will add six additional languages and seven new
localised sites in Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia, including Poland,
Turkey, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines and Indonesia. With
the expansion, Yahoo Mail will be available on 34 localised sites
worldwide in more than 20 languages.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/050526/265227.html?.v=1
____________________________________________

o U.S. Puts Russia on "Priority Watch List" for Software Piracy

Washington -- Several U.S. senators have increased pressure on the
leaders of Russia and China to crack down on the rampant movie and
software piracy in their countries, CNET News.com reported. Both
countries were recently placed on the U.S. Trade Representative's
(USTR) "priority watch list" of countries it considers havens for piracy.
"Before Russia enters the (World Trade Organisation), many of us will
have to be convinced that the Russian government is serious about
cracking down on the theft of intellectual property," Senator Orrin
Hatch said.
http://tinyurl.com/e2gss 
____________________________________________

o iPods Fuelling Street Crime in U.K., Police Commissioner Says

London -- According to Sir Ian Blair, commissioner of the
Metropolitan Police, the increasing popularity of Apple's iPod is
fuelling street crime in the U.K. A standard model iPod retails for about
£200. Blair said that robberies increased by about 26% last month
compared to April 2004, a surge he blamed partly on muggers and
street thugs targeting the iconic white digital-music players. All crime
in which an iPod was stolen more than doubled this month to around
400, Blair said. "In street robbery, our concern has been around the
smaller portable pieces of kit … the new generation of mobile phones
and iPods," he said. "iPods have different coloured leads … it is very
obvious when someone is wearing an iPod … that is what is fuelling
this."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?D2532282B
http://www.met.police.uk/index.shtml
____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(Frankfurt) IBM, a U.S.-based computer giant, announced that fewer
jobs would be cut in Germany than previously thought. German unions
had predicted as many as 2,500 job cuts, or nearly 10% of IBM's entire
workforce in the country, but an IBM spokesman this week said the
figure was "clearly exaggerated". Although IBM refused to confirm
exactly how many jobs would be lost, Financial Times Deutschland has
estimated that as many as 700 IBM employees in Germany were facing
redundancy. The job cuts are part of a global restructuring plan as IBM
attempts to reinvent itself after reporting earnings last month that
disappointed most investors and analysts.
http://www.ftd.de/tm/tk/index.html 
http://www.ibm.com/de/

(Edinburgh, Scotland) Xilinx, a U.S.-based technology firm, announced
that it plans to more than double the size of its DSP research operation
in Edinburgh. Xilinx said it planned to recruit more than 25 more
people for its Scottish research and development base, with most being
assigned to the DSP division. "DSP is where we see all the growth,"
said Xilinx Scotland Senior Manager Colin Carruthers. "We're building
on the expertise we've established in wireless applications."
http://www.xilinx.com/

(London) Group 1 Software, a U.K.-based software firm and a wholly
owned subsidiary of Pitney Bowes, announced that it has introduced
the e2T Suite, a new online account management, e-billing and
customer-care software platform for financial, telecommunications,
utility, healthcare, insurance and retail businesses, as well as state and
local governments. Group 1's software is used to consolidate, cleanse
and enrich corporate data and generate personalised business
documents for multi-channel delivery, customer care and efficient
business processing.
http://www.g1.com/

(Berkeley, California) MobiTV, a U.S.-based operator of a global TV
network and technology platform providing live TV on mobile phones,
announced that it has expanded into Europe with the launch of Orange
TV in the U.K. The service, offered on Orange's high-speed network, is
the first multi-channel mobile TV network in the U.K., combining both
live broadcast and made-for-mobile TV stations.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?W29D4272B

(West Greenwich, Rhode Island) GTech, a U.S.-based provider of
lottery technology, announced that it has been awarded a two-year, 8-
million-euro contract extension with Dansk Tipstjeneste, the operator
of the National Lottery in Denmark. Under the terms of the contract
extension, GTech will continue to provide Dansk Tipstjeneste with
software support and terminal maintenance and repair. GTech has
provided online lottery equipment and services to Dansk Tipstjeneste
since 1989.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050526/neth017.html?.v=12

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> 2nd Annual Popkomm Innovation in Music and Entertainment
Awards (IMEA)

Popkomm is one of Europe's leading Music & Entertainment - Industry
tradeshows and conferences. IMEA is chaired by Music Futurist Gerd
Leonhard (ThinkAndLink). IMEA's mission is to find, select and
present the best new business ideas, the brightest entrepreneurs and
startups in the music-, media - and entertainment-technology sectors,
worldwide, and provide a new platform for their discovery. Apply now
(it's free)
Contact: http://www.popkommawards.com  or gleonhard@gmail.com
_____________________________________________

> Reach Beyond Your Local Metro Area for Event Attendees

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

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

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

To subscribe, go to:
http://www.techwiremedia.com/europe

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

Copyright: CapWire Inc. 2005

European Tech Wire - May 26, 2005

============================================
EUROPEAN TECH WIRE - May 26, 2005
============================================
To Subscribe: http://www.techwiremedia.com/europe

o Enel to Sell Wind Stake to Sawiris for 3 Billion Euro in Cash
o OECD: Korea Still Leads Members in Broadband Penetration
o Report: European Mobile-Phone Shipments Fall 8% in 1st Qtr
o EU OKs Proposed Acquisition of Clearwave by Vodafone
o U.K.-Based Nanotech Semiconductor Raises 4.8 Million Euro
o Sweden-Based Proxilliant Systems Raises 2 Million Euro
o Briefly Noted: Nokia 770 Wi-Fi Web Browser, Cape
Technologies-U.K. Office, Surface Technology Systems-
Singapore Office, SurfKitchen-Richard Oliver, Loudeye-
Planet Internet, ChipX-Ophir Nadir
____________________________________________

o Enel to Sell Wind Stake to Sawiris for 3 Billion Euro in Cash

Milan -- Enel SpA, currently the largest utility company in Italy,
announced that it has agreed to sell its controlling stake in Wind
Telecomunicazioni SpA, an Italy-based telecommunications company,
to Egyptian financier Naguib Sawiris for approximately 3 billion euro
in cash. The deal values Wind at more than 12 billion euro. Enel said
that Weather Investments, a group controlled by Sawiris, had agreed to
acquire 63% of Wind, as well as assume nearly 7 billion euro in debt.
Weather Investments, which will have an option to buy the rest of
Wind in the first half of next year, said it would use the company as a
base to expand its Internet and mobile-phone operations into Europe.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?N2443262B
____________________________________________

o OECD: Korea Still Leads Members in Broadband Penetration

Paris -- According to a new report by the Organisation for Economic
Cooperation and Development (OECD), Korea still leads the
broadband rankings among the OECD's 30 members with a broadband
penetration rate of 25%. Korea was followed closely by the
Netherlands, Denmark, Iceland and Canada. The report found that U.K.
broadband penetration currently ranked 14th, up from 22nd place in
2000 and just after Sweden, the U.S. and France. Worldwide, OECD
countries reported more than 118 million broadband users, a 34-million
year-on-year increase. The report also found that DSL is currently the
leading broadband platform in 27 OECD countries, while Canada,
Portugal and the U.S. have more cable modem than DSL subscribers.
Fibre optic is becoming a significant platform in Japan with nearly 2.5
million subscribers, or nearly 12% of all broadband connections, the
OECD said.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?E2B31362B
____________________________________________

o Report: European Mobile-Phone Shipments Fall 8% in 1st Qtr

Paris -- According to the latest report by market analysis firm Strategy
Analytics, mobile-phone shipments in Europe fell by 8% in the first
quarter of this year. Approximately 37 million handsets were shipped in
the first quarter, down from the 41 million shipped during the same
period a year ago. Strategy Analytics, which attributed the decline
mostly to the conclusion of the colour-phone upgrade cycle, said the
downward trend would likely continue for the rest the year. "Moving
into the second half of the year, we expect conditions to remain tough,
as operators and their device partners will be challenged to drive a
compelling range of feature-rich 3G handsets into growth-driving,
prepaid, retail price points below 150 euro (£103)," said Chris
Ambrosio, director of Strategy Analytics Global Wireless Practice.
http://www.strategyanalytics.net/
____________________________________________

o EU OKs Proposed Acquisition of Clearwave by Vodafone

Brussels -- The European Commission announced that it has approved
the proposed acquisition of Clearwave, a holding company with mobile
telecommunications divisions in the Czech Republic (Oskar Mobil) and
Romania (MobiFon), by Vodafone Group Plc, a U.K.-based mobile-
phone giant. The Commission's investigation focused on whether the
acquisition would have any significant effects on the provision of pan-
European mobile telephony services or any significant impact on the
markets for international wholesale roaming services. On Thursday, the
Commission concluded that the deal would not impede effective
competition in the European Economic Area or any substantial part of
it.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?L67E3252B
____________________________________________

o U.K.-Based Nanotech Semiconductor Raises 4.8 Million Euro

Cambridge, England -- Nanotech Semiconductor Ltd., a U.K.-based
fabless IC firm specialising in advanced analogue and mixed-signal ICs
for communications applications, announced that it has raised 4.8
million euro (£3.3 million) in second-round venture-capital financing.
Pond Venture Partners and Atlantic Bridge Ventures led the round.
Under the terms of the investment, Pond Managing Partner Richard
Irving and Atlantic Bridge Founding Partner Brian Long will join
Nanotech's board of directors. "We have been very impressed with the
team's execution to date and their ideas for the future," Long said. "We
believe (Nanotech) will be able to grow rapidly to around 30 strong,
accelerating the pace of innovation and building a team that can take …
exciting new products to customers in all corners of the globe."
http://www.nanosemi.co.uk/press_release250505.html
____________________________________________

o Sweden-Based Proxilliant Systems Raises 2 Million Euro

Stockholm -- Proxilliant Systems Corp., a Sweden-based technology
firm formerly known as SpaceNet Communications AB, announced
that it has raised 2 million euro in first-round venture-capital financing.
Proxilliant provides cable operators with Dynamic Ingress Blocking
tools that improve the scalability, capacity, service quality and
profitability of broadband networks. Nordic venture-capital firms
Creandum and Northzone Ventures led the round. Proxilliant founder
and CEO Arne Ljungdahl said the investment would allow his
company to build on worldwide deployments with operators in Canada,
Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, the U.K., Portugal, Japan and Korea and
expand trials with leading operators in the U.S. and Asia Pacific
markets.
http://www.spacenet.se/
____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(Helsinki) Finland's Nokia, the largest mobile-phone maker in the
world, has unveiled a new pocket-sized Web browser for wireless
broadband networks. Dubbed Nokia 770, the new Wi-Fi device is the
company's first to come without a mobile phone and be based on
Linux. "We're launching a completely new product category," said
Janne Jormalainen, Nokia vice president for convergence products.
Jormalainen said the device would retail for about 350 euro and go on
sale in the third quarter of this year.
http://press.nokia.com/PR/200505/995802_5.html

(Dublin) Cape Technologies, an Ireland-based provider of revenue
assurance services for mobile phone operators, announced that it has
opened a new office in Reading, England. "Revenue leakage is proving
to be a major problem for mobile operators worldwide, with millions of
euros lost each week through poor rating, inaccurate billing and
wrongly provisioned services," said Cape Product Marketing Director
Andy Harper. "Our decision to establish a U.K. base was largely in
response to the growing customer demand in Europe for an end-to-end,
real-time revenue assurance solution to comprehensively tackle this
problem."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?C2231262B

(Cardiff, Wales) Surface Technology Systems Plc (STS), a Wales-
based supplier of plasma etching equipment for silicon and MEMS
applications, announced that it has opened a new office in Singapore.
STS said the office would provide local sales and service support to
customers and STS agents in Singapore, Australia, China, Hong Kong,
India, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand. "We
recognise how vital Asia is to the entire semiconductor market and see
the region playing an even greater role in the future," said STS Vice
Chairman Matsuo Makuda.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?F2032562B

(Reading, England) SurfKitchen, a U.K.-based mobile technology firm,
announced that it has appointed Richard Oliver as its new chief
financial officer (CFO). Oliver is an executive with more than 20 years
of experience in the U.K. entrepreneurial technology sector,
SurfKitchen said. Prior to joining SurfKitchen, Oliver served as the
CFO and chief operating officer of SpiritSoft, a U.K.-based Java
middleware firm. "(Oliver's) extensive knowledge in leading complex
commercial and financial departments at an international level will be
essential as we grow the SurfKitchen business on a global scale," said
SurfKitchen CEO Michel Quazza.
http://www.surfkitchen.com/personnel_26-05-05.html

(London) Loudeye, a U.S.-based provider of branded digital music
stores and other digital media services, announced that it has partnered
with Planet Internet, an Internet service provider based in the
Netherlands, to launch a digital music service for the company's ADSL
subscribers. The service will offer Planet Internet subscribers free
music for a year in the form of promotional credits that can be spent to
stream or download individual tracks and full albums.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050525/sfw025.html 

(Santa Clara, California) ChipX, a U.S.-based maker of programmable
application-specific integrated circuits, announced that it has named
Ophir Nadir as its vice president of engineering and research and
development. Nadir, who most recently served as the switching product
design director for Marvell, will lead ChipX's research and design
centre in Haifa, Israel, as well as its Design Services group in Santa
Clara. Nadir has nearly 14 years of experience in the ASIC and
standard mobile industry, ChipX said.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/050525/255036.html?.v=1

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> 2nd Annual Popkomm Innovation in Music and Entertainment
Awards (IMEA)

Popkomm is one of Europe's leading Music & Entertainment - Industry
tradeshows and conferences. IMEA is chaired by Music Futurist Gerd
Leonhard (ThinkAndLink). IMEA's mission is to find, select and
present the best new business ideas, the brightest entrepreneurs and
startups in the music-, media - and entertainment-technology sectors,
worldwide, and provide a new platform for their discovery. Apply now
(it's free)
Contact: http://www.popkommawards.com  or gleonhard@gmail.com
_____________________________________________

> Reach Beyond Your Local Metro Area for Event Attendees

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

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

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

To subscribe, go to:
http://www.techwiremedia.com/europe

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

Copyright: CapWire Inc. 2005

European Tech Wire - May 25, 2005

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

o U.S. Leads International Campaign against "Zombie" PCs
o 3TS Closes Central and Eastern European Technology Fund
o Atos Origin to Sell Nordic Operations for 145 Million Euro
o BT Teams Up with Westminster Council on Wi-Fi Network
o Scotland Launches £3.6-Million FPGA Computing Alliance
o Northern Ireland Unveils £40-Million Research Institute
o Briefly Noted: Amadeus Capital Partners-Roy Merritt,
Holtron Ventures-Timo Tirkkonen, Greek Language
Internet Sites, BroadSoft-European Offices
_____________________________________________

o U.S. Leads International Campaign against "Zombie" PCs

London -- The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that a
group of 25 government agencies from around the world has launched
an awareness campaign to pressure Internet service providers (ISPs) to
act on the problem of "zombie" PCs. Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus,
Denmark, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Lithuania, the Netherlands,
Norway, Poland, Spain, Switzerland and the U.K. were among those
countries that joined the campaign. Government officials said the letter-
writing campaign, dubbed "Operation Spam Zombies", would urge
more than 3,000 ISPs worldwide to block TCP port 25 used for SMTP
email and implement rate-limiting on outbound email from end users.
The FTC's letter openly encouraged ISPs to "implement these voluntary
anti-zombie measures if you are not already doing so" and said that a
second phase of the campaign would involve identifying individual
zombie PCs and contacting specific ISPs.
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2005/05/zombies.htm
_____________________________________________

o 3TS Closes Central and Eastern European Technology Fund

Prague, Czech Republic -- 3TS Capital Partners, a private equity firm
based in Central Europe, announced that it has closed its second fund
on 100 million euro. 3TS said the Central European Fund II would
target investments in technology, media and communications
companies in new EU member states and the next wave of accession
countries of Central and Eastern Europe. The fund had only one
investor, U.K.-based 3i Group Plc, currently the largest publicly traded
venture-capital firm in Europe. "We are delighted to continue our
investment activities with principally the same focus areas, but with a
considerably larger fund," said 3TS Managing Director Pekka Santeri
Maki. "This new fund is a major commitment to continue to participate
in the growth opportunities of New Europe."
http://www.3tscapital.com/
_____________________________________________

o Atos Origin to Sell Nordic Operations for 145 Million Euro

Paris -- Atos Origin, a France-based IT services provider, announced
that it has agreed to offload its operations in the Nordic region to WM-
data, a local IT company, for approximately 145 million euro in cash.
Atos Origin said it expected to close the deal, which is still subject to
regulatory approval in both Sweden and Norway, by the end of June.
Under the terms of the agreement, Atos Origin and WM-data will form
an alliance to provide extended support for each other's clients in their
respective geographic domains, the companies said. Atos Origin
acquired its IT service operations in the Nordic region as part of its
acquisition of Sema Group from Schlumberger last January.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?Y37F2132B
_____________________________________________

o BT Teams Up with Westminster Council on Wi-Fi Network

London -- Westminster Council announced on Wednesday that its
Wireless City Project would be turned from a private Wi-Fi hotspot
network to a public one after forging an infrastructure partnership with
BT Openzone, the wireless Internet service provider of BT Group.
"This is the first deal of its kind in the U.K. and will establish
Westminster City Council as a world leader for technology and
innovation," said Council Leader Simon Milton. "The Wireless City
will benefit those who live and work in Westminster by improving the
street environment through reducing crime and disorder, improving the
delivery and effectiveness of council services and enabling us to
maintain low tax through delivering significant cost savings." The roll-
out will be extended beyond Soho to wider parts of London's West
End, as well as the Churchill Gardens and Lisson Grove housing
estates, the Council said.
http://www.btopenzone.com/
_____________________________________________

o Scotland Launches £3.6-Million FPGA Computing Alliance

Edinburgh, Scotland -- Scottish Enterprise announced that a £3.6-
million initiative to encourage the use of FPGAs for advanced
computing has been launched in Edinburgh. FPGAs, short for Field
Programmable Gate Arrays, are high-performance chips used in
reconfigurable computing. Dubbed the FPGA High Performance
Computing Alliance (FHPCA), the initiative includes some of the
world's leading technology experts and aims to build a supercomputer
200 times faster than a normal PC. The Alliance will comprise top
academics, Scottish Enterprise, Scottish SMEs and global computing
experts, representatives said. "Scotland has a strong presence in the
technology underpinning reconfigurable computing, and we are
determined to exploit the window of opportunity our expertise offers,"
said Scottish Enterprise Chief Executive Jim McFarlane.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?I24F1132B
_____________________________________________

o Northern Ireland Unveils £40-Million Research Institute

Belfast, Northern Ireland -- Queen's University Belfast announced that
it has launched the Institute for Electronics, Communications and
Information Technology (ECIT), a new £40-million research centre
designed to exploit Northern Ireland's expertise in system-on-chip
design, high-frequency electronics and digital-signal processing. ECIT
also contains the International Centre for System-on-Chip and
Advanced Microwireless (SoCAM), launched two months ago. "ECIT
will combine advanced high technology research with mechanisms to
create and nurture related high technology companies in their early
phases," said ECIT Director John McCanny. "These fledging
companies will then subsequently move out to other facilities in the
Science Park."
http://www.ecit.qub.ac.uk/ 
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(London) Amadeus Capital Partners, a U.K.-based venture-capital firm
focusing on new technologies, announced that Roy Merritt has joined
the firm as a director. Prior to joining Amadeus, Merrit, an experienced
venture capital investor and company executive, worked for Apax and
served as CFO for Esprit Telecom Group. He also worked for
communications and media investor Providence Equity Partners as a
director and Deutsche Bank as managing partner and co-head of DB
Capital Ventures.
http://www.amadeuscapital.com/about.html

(Helsinki) Holtron Ventures, a venture capital management company
focusing on investments within the Nordic IT sector, announced that it
has appointed Timo Tirkkonen as investment director and partner.
Tirkkonen, an experienced early-stage technology investor, especially
in the software industry, is currently chairman of the boards of QPR
Software, Cidercone and Fastrax and a member of the Board of
Livranteanstalten Hereditas. Tirkkonen also served as the managing
director of QPR Software Sweden, and before that held a number of
business-development positions at Telecom Finland and Nokia
Networks.
http://www.holtronventures.com/news_20050418_2.html

(Athens) Greece's telecommunications watchdog (EETT) announced
that Greeks will soon be able to name their Internet sites using letters
from the Greek alphabet. Currently, Greek websites only use the Latin
alphabet. The new service, designed to increase the use of technology
in a country where only 20% of the population uses the Internet, will
become available on July 4, EETT officials said. Greek websites will
still have to be sandwiched between the Latin versions of "http://www"
and the suffix ".gr.", officials said.
http://www.eett.gr/gr_pages/index2n.htm

(Gaithersburg, Maryland) BroadSoft, a U.S.-based maker of Internet
telephony (VoIP) software, announced that it has opened six new
international offices to support its worldwide customer base. The new
offices will be located in Germany, France, the U.K., Australia, New
Zealand and China, the company said. "To win in the VoIP space
today, you can't just be a single-region player," said BroadSoft CEO
Michael Tessler. "You have to be able to scale globally to support
global carriers and maximize revenue opportunities." BroadSoft's
BroadWorks Internet telephony application platform has now been
deployed in more than 35 countries and more than 25 languages.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?O65C2332B

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> 2nd Annual Popkomm Innovation in Music and Entertainment
Awards (IMEA)

Popkomm is one of Europe's leading Music & Entertainment - Industry
tradeshows and conferences. IMEA is chaired by Music Futurist Gerd
Leonhard (ThinkAndLink). IMEA's mission is to find, select and
present the best new business ideas, the brightest entrepreneurs and
startups in the music-, media - and entertainment-technology sectors,
worldwide, and provide a new platform for their discovery. Apply now
(it's free)
Contact: http://www.popkommawards.com  or gleonhard@gmail.com
_____________________________________________

> Reach Beyond Your Local Metro Area for Event Attendees

Hosting a webinar or seminar with a broad geographic appeal? Post
your event announcement on all of the Tech Wire publications for one
price. Reach 80,000 subscribers from technology and emerging growth
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info, go to http://www.potomactechwire.com/Event_Form.html

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

To subscribe, go to:
http://www.techwiremedia.com/europe

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

European Tech Wire - May 24, 2005

============================================
EUROPEAN TECH WIRE - May 24, 2005
============================================
Sponsored By: 2nd Annual Popkomm Innovation Awards
http://www.popkommawards.com

o EU Urges Member States to Speed Up Digital Switchover
o EU Approves Acquisition of Moneyline Telerate by Reuters
o Norway's Trolltech Secures 5.4-Million-Euro Investment
o Belgium's Telindus Acquires Arche for 47 Million Euro
o Electronics Boutique Acquires Spain's Jump Ordenadores
o EU Opens Debate on Safeguarding Internet e-Communications
> Popkomm Innovation in Music and Entertainment Awards
o Briefly Noted: L-3 Communications-London Office, U4EA
Technologies-California Expansion, Digital Theater Systems-Peter
Gabriel's Real World Records, Blinkx-In The Box Media
_____________________________________________

o EU Urges Member States to Speed Up Digital Switchover

Brussels -- The European Commission issued a report on Tuesday
urging EU member states to speed up the switchover from analogue to
digital broadcasting. The report proposed a deadline of early 2012 for
phasing out traditional analogue terrestrial broadcasting and called for a
coordinated approach to making freed-up spectrum available across the
EU. The Commission said digital broadcasting provided improved
picture quality, better sound, better portable and mobile reception, more
TV and radio channels and enhanced information services. What's
more, digital broadcasting uses spectrum more efficiently and would
free up capacity for other uses, such as new broadcasting and mobile
telephony services, the Commission said.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?S61E2212B
____________________________________________

o EU Approves Acquisition of Moneyline Telerate by Reuters

Brussels -- The European Commission announced on Tuesday that it
has approved the proposed acquisition of Moneyline Telerate Holding,
a global provider of real-time financial information, by Reuters Ltd., a
U.K.-based information company. The Commission's review of the
deal highlighted a competition concern for financial market data
platforms (MDPs), but the companies were able to persuade the
Commission after committing themselves to providing a global
exclusive licence for Telerate's MDP product to Hyperfeed
Technologies, a U.S.-based provider of financial market data
technology. All other regulatory clearances necessary to complete the
acquisition have been granted. Reuters said it expected to close the deal
by the second quarter of this year.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?B2BB2312B
____________________________________________

o Norway's Trolltech Secures 5.4-Million-Euro Investment

Oslo -- Trolltech, a Norway-based Linux developer, announced on
Tuesday that it has raised 5.4 million euro in second-round venture-
capital financing. The company said it would use the investment to
fund the further development of its embedded software and cross-
platform desktop. "The market for Linux is quickly extending beyond
the data centre into embedded devices and onto the desktop," said
Trolltech CEO Haavard Nord. "With industry-leading development
software in these areas, we are in an excellent position to build on this
momentum." Venture capital firm Index led the round, with
Teknoinvest and Northzone also participating. Under the terms of the
investment, Neil Rimer, co-founder and general partner of Index
Ventures, will join Trolltech's board of directors.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?B2206222B
____________________________________________

o Belgium's Telindus Acquires Arche for 47 Million Euro

Brussels -- Telindus NV, a Belgium-based network integrator,
announced that it has acquired Arche Communications SAS, a network
security and services vendor, for approximately 47 million euro. Arche
is the France-based subsidiary of the Omnetica Group, which was
acquired by U.K.-based Kingston Communications Plc last December.
Under the terms of the agreement, Telindus will also gain control of
Omnetica France Holdco SA. "The combination Telindus and Arche
will drive our growth on an international level supported in the 14
countries where Telindus is present," said Arche CEO Paul Molinier.
"We will increase our capabilities to manage large projects for
international accounts that require more and more support on a pan-
European level." Telindus said it expected to close the deal by this
summer, pending approval by French competition authorities.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?H66A1312B
____________________________________________

o Electronics Boutique Acquires Spain's Jump Ordenadores

West Chester, Pennsylvania -- Electronics Boutique, a U.S.-based
video game retailer, announced that it has acquired Jump Ordenadores,
a Spain-based retailer. Financial terms of the transaction were not
disclosed. Jump, which operates 141 stores in several Spanish
provinces, currently sells PCs and related products, and will introduce
video game hardware and software over the next several months.
Electronics Boutique said the purchase would give it an established
foothold in the fourth-largest video game market in Europe. Electronics
Boutique agreed in April to a 1.1-billion-euro acquisition by rival
GameStop, which will give the combined company a total of more than
4,000 stores worldwide.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050523/phm014a.html 
____________________________________________

o EU Opens Debate on Safeguarding Internet e-Communications

Brussels -- The European Commission on Tuesday opened a policy
debate on the issue of safeguarding e-communications services for the
Internet. Although there is currently no need to introduce new legal
requirements for mobile and Internet services under EU universal
service rules, there is a need for a "forward-looking" policy debate, the
Commission said. "At the moment, it is very clear that market
developments do not justify additional EU regulatory intervention to
extend the scope of universal service to mobile and broadband
communications," said Information Society and Media Commissioner
Viviane Reding. "However, the growth of Internet-based services, such
as those provided using (Internet telephony), challenges the current
universal service requirements based on access to the public telephone
network."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?W24E5212B
_____________________________________________

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

> 2nd Annual Popkomm Innovation in Music and Entertainment
Awards (IMEA)

Popkomm is one of Europe's leading Music & Entertainment - Industry
tradeshows and conferences. IMEA is chaired by Music Futurist Gerd
Leonhard (ThinkAndLink). IMEA's mission is to find, select and
present the best new business ideas, the brightest entrepreneurs and
startups in the music-, media - and entertainment-technology sectors,
worldwide, and provide a new platform for their discovery. Apply now
(it's free)
Contact: http://www.popkommawards.com  or gleonhard@gmail.com

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

o Briefly Noted:

(London) L-3 Communications, a U.S.-based technology firm,
announced that it has opened an operations office in London that will
play a key role in supporting the company's strategic development
plans in the U.K. and Europe. L-3 Communications is a provider of
intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) systems; secure
communications systems; aircraft modernisation; training and
government services. "In 2004, the U.K. was our largest overseas
customer," said L-3 CEO Frank Lanza. "With this new office, we are
poised to do much more for our U.K., European and international
customers, as we expand international business pursuits across all
sectors."
http://www.l-3com.com/

(Bristol, England) U4EA Technologies, a U.K.-based multi-service
network embedded software provider, announced that it is preparing for
rapid growth by strengthening its management team and expanding its
facilities in Fremont, California. U4EA Technologies said the
expansion was due to growing customer and partner demand for its
integrated access devices, which allow service providers to offer
carrier-class Internet telephony services (voice over IP) to enterprise
customers. U4EA has also appointed Perry Teevens as vice president of
sales and business development and Doug Cross as vice president of
hardware engineering.
http://www.u4eatech.com/ 

(Twyford, England) Digital Theater Systems Inc. (DTS), a U.S.-based
developer of 5.1-channel surround sound audio technology used in
movie theatres and home theatre systems, announced that it has
partnered with musician Peter Gabriel's Real World Records to offer a
free download of a song in DTS 5.1-channel format. "Sandhya", from
Indian artist Amjad Ali Khan, can be downloaded for free and then
burned onto a CD, which may then be listened to in a standard surround
sound system with DTS to hear the 5.1-channel mix, Digital Theater
Systems said.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/050523/235223.html 

(San Francisco) Blinkx, a U.S.-based provider of a searchable index of
Web audio and video content, announced that it has signed an
agreement with U.K.-based In The Box Media to add video content
from three U.K. sporting websites to its index. Blinkx will now include
highlight videos and other content from ConferenceFootball.tv,
PGAPro.tv and Combat.tv. "Passionate sports fans want to get
immediately to the moments that matter, where titles are won and lost,"
said In the Box Media Managing Director Peter Lewinton. "They're
looking for on demand access to the critical seconds without wasting
time searching for those vital moments."
http://www.blinkx.tv 

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

> 2nd Annual Popkomm Innovation in Music and Entertainment
Awards (IMEA)

Popkomm is one of Europe's leading Music & Entertainment - Industry
tradeshows and conferences. IMEA is chaired by Music Futurist Gerd
Leonhard (ThinkAndLink). IMEA's mission is to find, select and
present the best new business ideas, the brightest entrepreneurs and
startups in the music-, media - and entertainment-technology sectors,
worldwide, and provide a new platform for their discovery. Apply now
(it's free)
Contact: http://www.popkommawards.com  or gleonhard@gmail.com
_____________________________________________

> Reach Beyond Your Local Metro Area for Event Attendees

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

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

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

To subscribe, go to:
http://www.techwiremedia.com/europe

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

Copyright: CapWire Inc. 2005

European Tech Wire - May 23, 2005

============================================
EUROPEAN TECH WIRE - May 23, 2005
============================================
To Subscribe: http://www.techwiremedia.com/europe

o EU: Microsoft Could Face Hefty Fines in "Matter of Weeks"
o Court Allows Tech Giants to Join Case against Microsoft
o Telenor Agrees to Acquire Bredbandsbolaget and Cybercity
o Ask Jeeves Acquires Excite Europe for Undisclosed Sum
o Locatel Europe Acquires Denmark-Based 2M Electronic
o Sweden's Mitrionics Secures 2.2-Million-Euro Investment
o Opening of "Revenge of the Sith" Drives Traffic to Movie Sites
o Briefly Noted: Microsoft UK-Edward Gibson, Vodafone Group-
Stripped Down Mobile Handsets, Ireland's Centre for Research in
Engineering Surface Technology, The Fixed-Mobile Convergence
Alliance, PPD-Scotland Expansion, EMS Technologies-U.K.
Maritime and Coastguard Agency
____________________________________________

o EU: Microsoft Could Face Hefty Fines in "Matter of Weeks"

Brussels -- According to a spokesman for the European Commission,
Microsoft now has only weeks until the Commission decides whether
to fine the U.S.-based software giant as much as 4 million euro (£2.7
million) a day. Under the terms of a landmark ruling last year,
Microsoft was ordered to make its Windows operating system available
without Windows Media Player, as well as share protocol information
with rival server makers. "Within a matter of weeks, rather than
months, we will have to decide whether we are satisfied that they are
complying with the remedies to our satisfaction," Commission
spokesman Jonathan Todd said. "And if they're not, we'll have to
decide whether we'll begin the proceedings to begin daily fines." That
said, Todd added that the Commission had not yet reached the stage
where it would levy a fine.
http://europa.eu.int/comm/press_room/index_en.htm
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/legalnews.asp
____________________________________________

o Court Allows Tech Giants to Join Case against Microsoft

Brussels -- A European court announced that it has granted permission
to a group of large technology companies including IBM, Nokia,
Oracle, RealNetworks and Red Hat to join the European Commission's
antitrust case against U.S.-based software giant Microsoft. The
companies had asked to help the Commission to defeat a legal
challenge by Microsoft seeking to overturn last year's landmark
antitrust ruling. Late last week, the Court of First Instance in
Luxembourg ruled that the group, dubbed the European Committee for
Interoperable Systems (ECIS), would be permitted as an "intervener" in
the case. ECIS said it would support the Commission's efforts to keep
Microsoft from using its dominance in the PC operating systems
market to gain an unfair advantage in the related markets.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?L3105602B
http://www.curia.eu.int/en/
____________________________________________

o Telenor Agrees to Acquire Bredbandsbolaget and Cybercity

Stockholm -- Telenor ASA, currently the largest telecommunications
operator in the Nordic region, announced that it has agreed to acquire
Bredbandsbolaget, a Sweden-based progressive telecommunications
firm, and Cybercity, a Denmark-based broadband supplier, for 652
million euro and 191 million euro, respectively. Telenor Executive
Vice President Morten Karlsen Soerby said his company made the
acquisitions in order to strengthen its regional market position.
"Bredbandsbolaget and Cybercity are both well-run companies, and
they improve Telenor's offering to both business and residential
customers in the Nordic region," he said. Soerby said his company
expected to close both deals by next month.
http://press.telenor.com/PR/200505/995348_5.html
____________________________________________

o Ask Jeeves Acquires Excite Europe for Undisclosed Sum

Oakland, California -- Ask Jeeves, a U.S.-based provider of Internet
search and advertising services, announced that it has paid an
undisclosed amount to acquire Excite Italia, the operator of Excite
Europe, a network of pan-European portal properties, from Tiscali. The
move comes a little more than year after Ask Jeeves acquired the U.S.-
operated Excite.com portal. The deal will give Ask Jeeves ownership of
Excite's Internet domains throughout Europe as well as control of
existing portal offerings in several major European markets including
Spain, Italy, France, the U.K., Germany, Austria and the Netherlands.
"This deal is a next step in Ask Jeeves's European expansion strategy,"
said Ask Jeeves CEO Steve Berkowitz.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050520/sff019.html 
____________________________________________

o Locatel Europe Acquires Denmark-Based 2M Electronic

Copenhagen -- Locatel Europe Group, a U.K.-based provider of
interactive guest room systems, announced that it has acquired 2M
Electronic, a Denmark-based provider of interactive hotel guest room
technology, for an undisclosed sum. With the acquisition, Locatel
becomes Europe's leading provider of entertainment hospitality
systems, the company said. "2M Electronic's interactive guest room
video entertainment technology will complement Locatel Europe
Group's products and services and further positions our company as a
global industry leader," said Locatel President Xavier Negiar. "2M
Electronic will play an integral role in our long-term worldwide
expansion plans." Under the terms of the deal, Benny Meiritz, 2M
Electronic founder, will remain as 2M Electronic's chief executive
officer, as well as chair a Locatel technology committee.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?I61F42F1B
____________________________________________

o Sweden's Mitrionics Secures 2.2-Million-Euro Investment

Stockholm -- Mitrionics AB, a Sweden-based technology firm,
announced that it has raised 2.2 million euro in venture capital
financing. Oslo-based Teknoinvest and Stockholm-based Creandum led
the round, with existing investor TeknoSeed, a venture capital firm
focusing on start-ups with ties to academia and the research and
development community in southern Sweden, also participating.
Mitrionics has developed a technology for programming Field
Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) for supercomputing applications.
"The Mitrion platform is shortly ready for a commercial release," said
Mitrionics CEO Anders Dellson. "Our primary target is the U.S., which
is the largest and most advanced market in the world for
supercomputing applications."
http://www.mitrionics.com/press050331.shtml
____________________________________________

o Opening of "Revenge of the Sith" Drives Traffic to Movie Sites

New York -- With the highly anticipated release of "Star Wars: Episode
Three, Revenge of the Sith", movie websites have seen greatly
increased traffic in recent days, according to new information from
Nielsen//NetRatings. Traffic to MovieTickets.com skyrocketed 85%
during the week ending May 15, with more than 600,000 unique
visitors logging on to view show times and pre-purchase tickets.
Movies.com and Moviefone also jumped by 16% and 12%,
respectively, and traffic to Fandango.com rose 9%. StarWars.com, the
official web site for all three movies, attracted 981,000 fans, spiking
32% compared with the week prior.
http://www.nielsen-netratings.com/
____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(London) Microsoft announced that it has selected Edward Gibson to
replace Stuart Okin as its new chief security advisor in the U.K. Gibson
has worked for the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as an
assistant legal attaché for the U.K. and has an extensive track-record of
fighting money laundering, fraud, financial crime and IP theft,
Microsoft said. "(Gibson) brings to Microsoft a wealth of international
experience in fighting crime and fraud, both within the public and
financial sectors," said Nick McGrath, head of platform strategy at
Microsoft. "(He) will help ensure that enterprises and public sector
bodies more effectively integrate their security procedures, getting the
most out of their investments in security technologies."
http://www.microsoft.com/uk/

(London) U.K.-based Vodafone Group Plc announced that it plans to
offer two stripped-down handsets in the U.K. for customers who want
only basic voice and text services. "We have many customers who want
the latest mobile phone with all the advanced services from full track
music downloads to video calling and mobile TV," said Vodafone
Chief Marketing Officer Peter Bamford. "We also have customers who
just want to make and receive calls and text messages on their mobile
phones." Vodafone said it has teamed up with Sagem, a France-based
telecommunications equipment maker, to develop the new phones,
which have large screens and three buttons for direct access to the most
commonly used services: the main screen, contacts and messages.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?F28E35F1B

(Dublin) Micheal Martin, Ireland's Minister for Enterprise, Trade and
Employment, has opened the Centre for Research in Engineering
Surface Technology (CREST), based in the Dublin Institute of
Technology. Martin said that CREST would work in collaboration with
industry on research issues of medium-term interest to Irish-based
industry and provide improved access to technology. "The centre has
made a significant contribution to the development of an R&D
infrastructure for industry in Ireland, having been part of the former
Institute for Industrial Research & Standards, and having gained
extensive experience in R&D, advice and consultancy for
manufacturing industry," Martin said.
http://www.crestdit.com/main.html

(Paris) The Fixed-Mobile Convergence Alliance (FMCA) announced
that eight more telecommunications operators have joined its ranks.
The new members include Spanish operator Auna Group, Belgacom,
Cesky Telecom, Eircom, Hong Kong operator PCCW, Thai operator
TRUE, Telecom New Zealand and Telkom South Africa. Existing
members include AT&T Corp, Bezeq, Brasil Telecom, BT Group,
Cegetel, Korea Telecom, KPN, NTT Com, Rogers Wireless Inc. and
Wwisscom. With the new members, more than 240 million customers
worldwide stand to benefit from the development of so-called
convergence services, FMCA said.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?L12E52F1B 

(Glasgow) PPD, a U.S.-based scientific research services firm,
announced that it is to expand its operations in Lanarkshire, Scotland.
The expansion will create an additional 95 jobs by the year 2007 in the
fields of data management, biostatistics and clinical trials management
and monitoring, the company said. PPD also said it plans to consolidate
its Lanarkshire sites at Carnwath and Bellshill in purpose-built
premises in Strathclyde Business Park. Colin Shannon, executive vice-
president of international clinical operations for PPD, said his company
chose to expand its Lanarkshire operations because of the quality
workforce and business friendly environment.
http://www.ppdi.com/

(Norcross, Georgia) EMS Technologies, a U.S.-based wireless, satellite
and defence firm, announced that its Satcom unit has been awarded a
three-year maintenance contract with the U.K. Maritime and
Coastguard Agency (MCA) for the U.K. Search and Rescue system.
The three-year contract to provide lifecycle and mission-critical support
is worth about £1 million, the company said. "This is another
opportunity for us to demonstrate our leadership in the SAR field by
providing the most up-do-date software with the latest features, and the
timeliest support to the MCA's mission-critical operations," said Steven
Edgett, vice president of EMS SATCOM Emergency Management
Products Group.
http://biz.yahoo.com/pz/050520/78575.html

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

> 2nd Annual Popkomm Innovation in Music and Entertainment
Awards (IMEA)

Popkomm is one of Europe's leading Music & Entertainment - Industry
tradeshows and conferences. IMEA is chaired by Music Futurist Gerd
Leonhard (ThinkAndLink). IMEA's mission is to find, select and
present the best new business ideas, the brightest entrepreneurs and
startups in the music-, media - and entertainment-technology sectors,
worldwide, and provide a new platform for their discovery. Apply now
(it's free)
Contact: http://www.popkommawards.com  or gleonhard@gmail.com
_____________________________________________

> IDEAlliance's XTech 2005 and The Gilbane Conference on Content
Mgmt.

Slated for 24-27 May in Amsterdam, XTech 2005 is the premier
European conference for developers and managers working with XML
and Web technologies, bringing together the worlds of web
development, open source, semantic web and open standards. The
Gilbane Conference is for IT managers, system architects, technical
business and project managers. Topics include: enterprise and web
content management, knowledge management, collaboration, enterprise
search, and document management. For more info visit
http://www.xtech.org  or http://www.lighthouseseminars.com
_____________________________________________

> Reach Beyond Your Local Metro Area for Event Attendees

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

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

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

To subscribe, go to:
http://www.techwiremedia.com/europe

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

Copyright: CapWire Inc. 2005

European Tech Wire - May 20, 2005

============================================
EUROPEAN TECH WIRE - May 20, 2005
============================================
To Subscribe: http://www.techwiremedia.com/europe

o EU Approves Joint Venture between Belgacom and Swisscom
o Delta Closes 95-Million-Euro Tech Fund for Russia and Ukraine
o Report: 20% of Consumers Spend 50% of Leisure Time Gaming
o U.K. Unveils £100-Million Innovation Programme for N. Ireland
o Software Group Aveva Buys U.S.-Based Start-Up Realitywave
o Jupitermedia Acquires Goodshot for 7.8 Million Euro in Cash
o Briefly Noted: Orange-U.K. Mobile TV Service, Trinity
Convergence-Cambridge Business Park, Lextran-Gene Rubel-
U.S. Office, Vonage-U.K. Internet Telephony Service, Mythic
Entertainment-"Warhammer"-Games Workshop
_____________________________________________

o EU Approves Joint Venture between Belgacom and Swisscom

Brussels -- The EU announced on Friday that it has approved the
proposed joint venture between telecommunications giants Belgacom
SA and Swisscom AG. EU regulators said the two companies would
now be able to combine their international wholesale businesses into a
single, Belgium-based venture, of which Belgacom and Swisscom will
own 72% and 28%, respectively. "The (European) Commission's
examination of the transaction showed that, despite Belgacom's strong
position in several Belgian telecommunications markets, the proposed
operation does not raise horizontal or vertical competition concerns,"
the EU said. "Any horizontal overlaps and vertical relationships are
limited." Once the deal is completed, the new venture will create the
world's seventh-largest wholesale telecommunications provider.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?K1DA21C1B
_____________________________________________

o Delta Closes 95-Million-Euro Tech Fund for Russia and Ukraine

Moscow -- Delta Private Equity Partners, a Russia-based private equity
firm, announced that it has closed a 95-million-euro fund for Russia
and the Ukraine. About 90% of fund's resources will be earmarked for
investments in Russian projects and approximately 10% for the
Ukraine. The fund will invest in mid-market companies and focus on
the multimedia/telecommunications, consumer goods and financial
services sectors, the company said. "There are a lot of misconceptions
about Russia," said Delta Managing Director Kirill Dmitriev. "We
think that small and mid-market companies here are very similar to
small and mid-market companies elsewhere in Europe and the U.S."
Earlier this week, venture-capital firm the Carlyle Group abandoned its
Russian fund due to a lack of demand from investors.
http://www.deltacap.ru/eng/press/files/01000350.asp
_____________________________________________

o Report: 20% of Consumers Spend 50% of Leisure Time Gaming

Seattle -- A recent survey of 13,000 consumers in 13 countries found
that more than 20% of respondents spend as much as half their leisure
time playing video games. Conducted by market research firm GMI,
the poll also found that 80% of those surveyed believe that people will
spend more time playing video games over the next 10 years.
"Relatively unexploited markets in Latin America and in Asia such as
India offer new growth to the video game industry," said analyst GMI
Billy Pidgeon. While 58% of consumers overall do not think games are
a good form of social activity, the thinking is reversed in India and
Mexico, where 49% and 64% of those surveyed, respectively, play
games to socialise -- compared with other nations like the Netherlands
and France, where the number is about a third of that size.
http://www.gmipoll.com 
_____________________________________________

o U.K. Unveils £100-Million Innovation Programme for N. Ireland

Belfast, Northern Ireland -- The U.K. Department of Trade and
Industry (DTI) announced that it is now calling for applications from
companies based in Northern Ireland for £100 million in grants to
support innovation in the region. The competition is part of the
Technology Programme, which aims to "turn ideas into commercial
success" and ensure that the U.K. "remains at the forefront of a
knowledge-based economy by exploiting emerging technologies". The
DTI said that a Technology Programme regional information day
would be held in Belfast at the Kings Hall on May 19. "There is a
special focus on the challenge of sustainability and continuing broad
support for a range of underlying technologies," said U.K. Technology
Strategy Board Chairman Graham Spittle. "This mixture represents the
first steps towards the development of a definitive long-term
technology strategy."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?N51011B1B
_____________________________________________

o Software Group Aveva Buys U.S.-Based Start-Up Realitywave

Cambridge, England -- Aveva Group Plc, a U.K.-based engineering
software and services company, announced that it has acquired
Realitywave Inc., a U.S.-based technology start-up, for approximately
£3.2 million. Although Aveva made the announced this week, the deal
was closed in March, the company said. Aveva said Realitywave's
patented technology would be "a critical component" of its VNET
portal, which allows staff to view information developed on its own
software and that of its rivals and other applications such as SAP and
Documentum -- without the need for additional software licences.
"VNET is an important opportunity for us to build on our success in
existing markets, and gives us a platform to penetrate a growing market
for data delivery in the maintenance and operations arena," said Aveva
CEO Richard Longdon.
http://www.aveva.com/newsroom/index.htm
_____________________________________________

o Jupitermedia Acquires Goodshoot for 7.8 Million Euro in Cash

Darien, Connecticut -- JupiterImages, a provider of online images for
creative professionals and a subsidiary of U.S.-based Jupitermedia,
announced that it has acquired Goodshoot, a France-based provider of
free digital images for business users and creative professionals, for
approximately 7.8 million euro in cash. "Goodshoot's operations in
France complement our existing direct sales operations in the U.K. and
Germany, and will enable further expansion of our JupiterImages
business throughout Europe," said Jupitermedia Chairman and CEO
Alan Meckler. Philippe Bigard, founder of Goodshoot, will continue to
provide imagery for Goodshoot and JupiterImages, Meckler said.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/050519/195338.html?.v=1
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(Paris) Orange, the mobile-phone subsidiary of French
telecommunications bellwether France Telecom, announced that it has
become the first provider in the U.K. to offer live TV for mobile
handsets. From May 23, Orange TV will use its 3G network to provide
nine channels -- including news from ITN and CNN, a fashion channel,
an extreme sports channel and the Cartoon Network -- for a monthly
fee of £10. Orange said that more channels would be available in the
near future. "This is truly a service where 3G comes into its own," said
Julian Diment, head of Orange's commercial and brand partnerships.
"We don't expect people to watch for hours at a time, but to dip in and
out."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?J5BD26C1B 

(Cambridge, England) Trinity Convergence, a U.S.-based developer of
embedded communications software for Internet telephony (VoIP) and
video services (V2IP), announced that it is expanding its R&D centre in
Cambridge. "Our team is growing rapidly, and Cambridge offers a
talented pool of engineers from which to draw for our on-going product
development activities in advanced IP-based telephony technologies,"
Trinity CTO David Brown said. The company has moved to a new
facility in the Cambridge Business Park and expanded the team
developing technologies that will make services such as personal video-
conferencing on wireless devices available to Internet-telephony users
worldwide.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?I28E32C1B

(Atlanta) Lextran Ltd., an Israel-based developer of advanced clean air
technology, announced that it has expanded into the U.S. with a new
office in Atlanta. "We are vigorously searching for the partner capable
of taking our innovative technology and applying it in the American
power generation industry," said Lextran Chairman and CEO Yehuda
Sarid. The office will be managed by Gene Rubel, director of business
development, who has extensive experience in managing business
development efforts for Israeli technology start-ups, Lextran said.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050519/clth066.html?.v=9

(London) Vonage, a U.S.-based Internet telephony firm, announced
that it has officially launched its voice over Internet protocol (VoIP)
service in the U.K. after wrapping up a "soft launch" that began in
January. Vonage said it would offer a flat-rate residential phone service
for £9.99 per month for unlimited local and national calls, as well as a
small-business offering for £18.99 that also includes a fax line. The
company said customer service staff would remain in New Jersey for
the time being, but that there was a chance of adding local support in
the U.K. and Europe as the company grew.
http://www.vonage.co.uk/

(Fairfax, Virginia) Mythic Entertainment, a U.S.-based online game
publisher, announced that it has secured the exclusive rights to develop
massively multiplayer online games set in the fantasy world of
"Warhammer," created by U.K.-based Games Workshop. To date,
game publisher THQ has released a series of titles based on
"Warhammer" for consoles and the PC. Virginia-based Mythic, which
also operates the online game "Dark Age of Camelot", said its first
online game based on the Warhammer license is scheduled for release
in 2007.
http://www.warhammeronline.com 
http://www.games-workshop.com 

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

> 2nd Annual Popkomm Innovation in Music and Entertainment
Awards (IMEA)

Popkomm is one of Europe's leading Music & Entertainment - Industry
tradeshows and conferences. IMEA is chaired by Music Futurist Gerd
Leonhard (ThinkAndLink). IMEA's mission is to find, select and
present the best new business ideas, the brightest entrepreneurs and
startups in the music-, media - and entertainment-technology sectors,
worldwide, and provide a new platform for their discovery. Apply now
(it's free)
Contact: http://www.popkommawards.com  or gleonhard@gmail.com
_____________________________________________

> IDEAlliance's XTech 2005 and The Gilbane Conference on Content
Mgmt.

Slated for 24-27 May in Amsterdam, XTech 2005 is the premier
European conference for developers and managers working with XML
and Web technologies, bringing together the worlds of web
development, open source, semantic web and open standards. The
Gilbane Conference is for IT managers, system architects, technical
business and project managers. Topics include: enterprise and web
content management, knowledge management, collaboration, enterprise
search, and document management. For more info visit
http://www.xtech.org  or http://www.lighthouseseminars.com
_____________________________________________

> Reach Beyond Your Local Metro Area for Event Attendees

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

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

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

To subscribe, go to:
http://www.techwiremedia.com/europe

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

Copyright: CapWire Inc. 2005

European Tech Wire - May 19, 2005

============================================
EUROPEAN TECH WIRE - May 19, 2005
============================================
To Subscribe: http://www.techwiremedia.com/europe

o eBay to Buy Gumtree.com, LoQUo.com for Undisclosed Sum
o ECI Telecom to Acquire Laurel Networks for 70 Million Euro
o German Court: ISPs Can Protect Privacy of File-Swappers
o Ireland-Based Software Firm CR2 Raises 10 Million Euro
o Ireland's Arantech Raises 10 Million Euro in Second Round
o Israel's Whole Optics Raises 4 Million Euro in Second Round
o Birmingham Launches Massive Open-Source Software Trial
o Briefly Noted: SAP-NetWeaver Partnership Expansion, BT
Group-Broadband Targets, BT Group-Drogheda Public Wi-Fi
Network, FileTek-U.K. Met Office, Nokia-N-Gage Mobile Games
_____________________________________________

o eBay to Buy Gumtree.com, LoQUo.com for Undisclosed Sum

San Jose, California -- eBay, a U.S.-based online auction giant,
announced that its international classifieds group Kijiji has acquired
Gumtree.com and LoQUo.com, two separate classifieds websites
operating in select international cities. eBay said the deals would help
Kijiji expand its network. Gumtree.com, founded in London in 2000, is
a local classifieds site in the U.K. offering multiple city sites in
countries including Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
LoQUo.com, founded in Barcelona in 2002, is a community-focused
classifieds site in Spain. LoQUo.com also offers city sites in some
other European countries. Financial terms of the deals were not
disclosed.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/050518/185362.html?.v=1
_____________________________________________

o ECI Telecom to Acquire Laurel Networks for 70 Million Euro

Jerusalem -- ECI Telecom Ltd., an Israel-based telecommunications
equipment maker, announced that it has agreed to acquire Laurel
Networks, a U.S.-based designer of Internet edge-routing technology,
for approximately 70 million euro in cash. ECI, which expects to close
the deal within a matter of weeks, said Laurel's edge routers would
expand its Internet service capabilities to include Internet TV, calling
and video on demand. "By acquiring Laurel, we add best-of-breed IP
edge routing products, technology and expertise to our overall portfolio
of IP solutions and strengthen ECI's position as a supplier of next-
generation IP solutions," said ECI President and CEO Doron Inbar.
http://www.ecitele.com/news/2005/pr_16052005.asp
_____________________________________________

o German Court: ISPs Can Protect Privacy of File-Swappers

Hamburg, Germany -- A court in the German state of Hamburg has
ruled that Internet service providers (ISPs) there cannot be compelled
to reveal the identities of subscribers alleged to have traded copyrighted
songs, the German newspaper Heise Online reported. The Higher
Regional Court in Hamburg ruled that current German law protects the
privacy of ISP customers, although new federal legislation is in the
works in Germany that might change this. A lower court had ordered
the identities of the operators of an FTP server in Hamburg that offered
free downloads of songs from the band Rammstein turned over to the
band's label, Universal. But the recent ruling from the Higher Regional
Court overturned this decision, and the alleged file-swappers will
remain anonymous for the time being.
http://www.heise.de/english/newsticker/news/59602 
_____________________________________________

o Ireland-Based Software Firm CR2 Raises 10 Million Euro

Dublin -- CR2, an Ireland-based banking software firm, announced that
it has raised 10 million euro in venture capital financing. The round
was led by Trinity Venture Capital, which invested about 7 million
euro, and ACT Venture Capital, which invested about 2 million euro.
CR2 CEO Martin Dolan, CFO Ronan Murray, Sales Director Kieran
Kilcullen and Development Director Keith Holmes also invested
approximately 1 million euro in the firm. CR2 said it would use the
investment to fund market expansion into Asia and Europe and develop
new products at its Dublin-based development centre. CR2 has offices
in Dublin, Dubai, London, Bangalore, Perth and Johannesburg.
http://www.cr2.com/press_releases.php?id=149
_____________________________________________

o Ireland's Arantech Raises 10 Million Euro in Second Round

Dublin -- Arantech, an Ireland-based technology firm, announced that it
has secured 10 million euro of second-round private equity financing.
Trident Capital, Ericsson, Cross Atlantic Capital Partners, Oyster
Investment Funds and Enterprise Ireland led the round. The company,
whose main product allows mobile network operators to measure
quality of service, said it would use the investment to fund a global-
expansion programme, increasing its presence in the U.S. and Asian
markets before concentrating on Latin America. Separately, Arantech
also announced that it has appointed Cathal McGloin as vice president
of its North America unit.
http://www.arantech.com/#
_____________________________________________

o Israel's Whole Optics Raises 4 Million Euro in Second Round

Jerusalem -- According to a report in Globes Online, Whole Optics, an
Israel-based developer of optical broadband communications, has
raised 4 million euro in second-round venture-capital financing. The
company, whose broadband technologies provide access to networks
using fibre-optics, said it would use the funds to complete product
development and step up production and marketing. Carmel Ventures
led the round, with Israel Infinity Fund and existing investor Concord
Ventures also participating. "The field of access to optical networks is
growing rapidly in both public and enterprise networks," Carmel
Ventures Partner Ori Bendori told Globes. "Whole Optics has a unique
technology, which will enable it to supply important elements of this
access equipment."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?J18223B1B
_____________________________________________

o Birmingham Launches Massive Open-Source Software Trial

Birmingham, England -- Birmingham City Council announced that it
has launched a massive trial of open-source software (OSS) on both
servers and desktops. Despite admitting to a "certain degree of
scepticism" about the benefits of OSS, the city council said it would
migrate about 1,500 desktops and associated back-end servers in its
library service to Linux, OpenOffice and Firefox for a 12-month trial.
The U.K. Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has given Birmingham a
grant worth hundreds of thousands of pounds under the e-Innovations
Programme to conduct the trial, for which a "neutral assessment" will
be given. Birmingham IT Director Les Timms said the council was
taking a "hard-headed" approach to the trial. "We want to know (if we
can) deliver this with a reasonable cost, including integration,
implementation and support," he said. "What is not proven is the long-
term sustainability of open source."
http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(Frankfurt) SAP, a Germany-based business software giant, announced
that it has expanded the partner network for its NetWeaver software.
SAP said a group of global technology heavyweights including IBM,
Microsoft, Intel, Cisco Systems, EMC, Computer Associates
International, Macromedia, Mercury Interactive, Adobe Systems and
Symantec had licensed software from SAP to create SAP-optimised
products. Under the terms of the partnership, the companies will gain
access to the technical specifications, also known as Enterprise Service
Architecture (ESA), that detail the inner workings of SAP's products.
http://www.sap.com/company/press/press.epx?PressID=4629

(London) BT Group Plc, the largest telecommunications company in
the U.K., announced that it has reached its 5-million-connection
broadband target a full year ahead of schedule. BT said it made
825,000 connections in the first quarter of this year, or roughly one
connection every 10 seconds. "We have more than doubled the number
of broadband DSL connections in the year, hit the 5-million target a
year early and are increasing broadband speeds by up to four times,"
BT CEO Ben Verwaayen said. Separately, BT also announced that
broadband revenues for the year ended March 31 increased by 77% to
£292 million, while annual net profit jumped to £1.8 billion.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?A35121B1B

(Cork, Ireland) The Irish town of Drogheda announced that it plans to
build the country's first citywide public Wi-Fi network. Aiming to
boost inward investment in the region, Drogheda's Chamber of
Commerce said it would work with U.K. telecommunications giant BT
Group Plc to set up 10 Wi-Fi hotspots in key locations throughout the
town. Once the network is finished, users will never be more than a
five-minute walk from a hotspot, the Chamber said. "With BT, we have
added yet another critical piece of (telecommunications) infrastructure
to Drogheda's CV and will continue to lead the way in this and other
areas," said Chamber President Graham O'Rourke.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?F26F12A1B

(Rockville, Maryland) U.S.-based FileTek, a maker of data access and
management software, announced that the U.K. Met Office, a scientific
organisation renowned for its work in climate research and numerical
weather prediction, has signed a three-year deal to continue using the
company's system. The U.K. Met Office uses the StorHouse system to
support its 400-terabyte archive of weather modelling data. "StorHouse
has enabled the Met Office to create and perpetuate one of the world's
largest and most active scientific databases, and we are confident that
the system will foster and facilitate future database growth," said Met
Office Central Systems Manager Mike Boyd.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?D69E25A1B

(Los Angeles) Finnish mobile-phone maker Nokia announced that it
plans to make games for its N-Gage hybrid mobile phone/game deck
compatible with a range of Nokia smartphones. The company expects
to sell 25 million smartphones this year. Nokia also announced 13 new
titles for N-Gage that it has brought to the E3 Expo this week.
Upcoming N-Gage titles on display will include "Pathway to Glory",
"Ikusa Island", "ONE", "Rifts: Promise of Power", "Glimmerati",
"System Rush", "Civilization", "Mile High Pinball" and "X-Men
Legends 2: Dawn of Apocalypse", among others.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050518/lnw006.html

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

> 2nd Annual Popkomm Innovation in Music and Entertainment
Awards (IMEA)

Popkomm is one of Europe's leading Music & Entertainment - Industry
tradeshows and conferences. IMEA is chaired by Music Futurist Gerd
Leonhard (ThinkAndLink). IMEA's mission is to find, select and
present the best new business ideas, the brightest entrepreneurs and
startups in the music-, media - and entertainment-technology sectors,
worldwide, and provide a new platform for their discovery. Apply now
(it's free)
Contact: http://www.popkommawards.com  or gleonhard@gmail.com
_____________________________________________

> IDEAlliance's XTech 2005 and The Gilbane Conference on Content
Mgmt.

Slated for 24-27 May in Amsterdam, XTech 2005 is the premier
European conference for developers and managers working with XML
and Web technologies, bringing together the worlds of web
development, open source, semantic web and open standards. The
Gilbane Conference is for IT managers, system architects, technical
business and project managers. Topics include: enterprise and web
content management, knowledge management, collaboration, enterprise
search, and document management. For more info visit
http://www.xtech.org  or http://www.lighthouseseminars.com
_____________________________________________

> Reach Beyond Your Local Metro Area for Event Attendees

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

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

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

To subscribe, go to:
http://www.techwiremedia.com/europe

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

Copyright: CapWire Inc. 2005

European Tech Wire - May 18, 2005

============================================
EUROPEAN TECH WIRE - May 18, 2005
============================================
Sponsored By:
Popkomm Innovation in Music and Entertainment Awards
http://www.popkommawards.com

o FT: Parliament Calls for Changes to Software Patent Directive
o Report: U.K. Continues to Lead European VC Investment
o M.C. Dean Selects Israel's NICE for Video-Surveillance Project
o Konarka Raises 5.5 Million Euro of Venture-Capital Funding
o Dassault to Acquire U.S.-Based Abaqus for 237 Million Euro
o Vodafone to Slash Roaming Fees for European Customers
> Popkomm Innovation in Music and Entertainment Awards
o Briefly Noted: IDC-Business Software Alliance-Irish Software
Piracy, Gizmondo Europe-Electronic Arts, Blue Sphere Games-Coca-
Cola, BladeLogic-Cable & Wireless
____________________________________________

o FT: Parliament Calls for Changes to Software Patent Directive

Brussels -- According to a report in the Financial Times, the European
Parliament has called for changes to the software patent directive that
would make it harder for many technology companies to register
patents for inventions. Parliament has reportedly enlisted the help of
several IP lawyers to change the directive so that companies are
prevented from patenting pure software. JURI, Parliament's legal
affairs committee, is currently deciding how to amend the directive
before a parliamentary plenary session votes on it in July. The
Financial Times said the proposed changes would put Parliament on a
"collision course" with European technology giants like Nokia, Philips
and Siemens, as well as spark "a fierce battle" with a number of EU
member states that supported a more "industry-friendly" version of the
directive earlier this year
http://makeashorterlink.com/?B2255491B
____________________________________________

o Report: U.K. Continues to Lead European VC Investment

Oxford, England -- According to the latest report by Ernst & Young
LLP and market analysis firm VentureOne, the U.K. continues to be the
main market for European venture capital investment, both in terms of
deals done and amounts invested. The report showed an increase in the
amount invested in the U.K. in the first quarter of 2005, up from £177
million (257 million euro) in the first quarter of 2004 to more than
£186 million (270 million euro) this year. However, the U.K. reported a
sharp decline in the number of deals, with just 62 being completed over
the same period compared with 93 in the first quarter of last year and
77 in the fourth quarter of 2004. Overall, VC investment in Europe
reached more than £598 million (880 million euro) in the first quarter, a
19% year-on-year increase, while deal flow fell to fewer than 200
deals, a 27% decrease compared to the same quarter last year.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?J3E42651B
____________________________________________

o M.C. Dean Selects Israel's NICE for Video-Surveillance Project

Baltimore -- M.C. Dean, a U.S.-based electronic systems integration
firm, announced that it has selected Israel's NICE Systems to provide
its digital video systems as part of a new anti-terrorism project in
Baltimore that will use video surveillance to monitor public areas. The
Baltimore Region Anti-Terrorism CCTV Installation, Operation and
Service project will allow security officials to monitor multiple sites
simultaneously, including such areas as rail lines, government buildings
and cultural institutions. NICE's system is designed to alert security
personnel about potential threats. The moments leading up to an alert
will then be automatically replayed, allowing staff to investigate an
incident and decide what action to take. M.C. Dean is currently
integrating NICE's systems into several other projects in the
Washington DC area, the company said.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/050517/175541.html?.v=1
____________________________________________

o Konarka Raises 5.5 Million Euro of Venture-Capital Funding

Lowell, Massachusetts -- Konarka Technologies, a U.S.-based
developer of technology that converts light into electrical energy,
announced that it has raised approximately 5.5 million euro in venture
debt financing from Lighthouse Capital Partners. Konarka said it
planned to use the funds in the U.S. and Europe for research laboratory
expansion, capital equipment and working capital related to the
development of its light-activated power plastic. "The quality of
Konarka's team and the compelling value proposition of its innovative
power plastic have positioned the company to become a leader in
making renewable energy mainstream," said Lighthouse Managing
Director Ned Hazen. "We have a great deal of confidence in the
business Konarka is building and its market potential." In addition to its
headquarters in Lowell, Massachusetts, Konarka has a European
headquarters in Nuremberg, Germany, and research and development
facilities in Austria and Switzerland.
http://tinyurl.com/cbyks
____________________________________________

o Dassault to Acquire U.S.-Based Abaqus for 237 Million Euro

Providence, Rhode Island -- Abaqus, a U.S.-based provider of
engineering design software, announced that it has agreed to be
acquired for 237 million euro in cash by Dassault Systemes, a France-
based provider of product lifecycle management software and services.
Founded in 1978 and privately held, Abaqus specialises in tools for
advanced finite element analysis. The company had revenue of about
79 million euro last year. Dassault said the acquisition had already
received the unanimous support of Abaqus's owners and management
team and that it expected to close the deal by the end of the third
quarter, pending regulatory approvals -- particularly in the U.S. and
Germany.
http://www.abaqus.com/news/pr_050516.html
____________________________________________

o Vodafone to Slash Roaming Fees for European Customers

London -- Vodafone Group Plc, the largest mobile-phone company in
the world, announced that it plans to slash mobile roaming tariffs in
Europe. The U.K.-based company said users of its new Passport service
would be able to make and receive calls at domestic rates while visiting
other countries. Vodafone also claimed to be the first European
operator to cut roaming fees significantly. A spokesman for the
company denied that Passport was a response to an ongoing European
Commission investigation into "unfair and excessive" roaming prices.
Vodafone customers in Germany, Italy and Spain will be able to use the
service starting June 1; no date has been set for the U.K.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?J3D41291B
____________________________________________

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

> 2nd Annual Popkomm Innovation in Music and Entertainment
Awards (IMEA)

Popkomm is one of Europe's leading Music & Entertainment - Industry
tradeshows and conferences. IMEA is chaired by Music Futurist Gerd
Leonhard (ThinkAndLink). IMEA's mission is to find, select and
present the best new business ideas, the brightest entrepreneurs and
startups in the music-, media - and entertainment-technology sectors,
worldwide, and provide a new platform for their discovery. Apply now
(it's free)
Contact: http://www.popkommawards.com  or gleonhard@gmail.com

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


o Briefly Noted:

(Dublin) A new report by technology research firm IDC shows that
Ireland currently suffers a software piracy rate of 38%, exceeding the
EU regional average of 35% and the U.S. average of 22%. Ireland's
Business Software Alliance (BSA) said IDC's report was proof positive
of the prevalence of software piracy in Ireland. "The encouraging
response from Irish companies indicates their increasing respect for
intellectual property and a more responsible attitude overall," said BSA
Ireland's Julian McMenamin. "However, there still remains the
significant challenge of combating software piracy at all levels."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?P2731691B 

(London) Gizmondo Europe Ltd., a subsidiary of Florida-based Tiger
Telematics Inc. and developer of the Gizmondo multi-functional
handheld video game console, announced that Electronic Arts (EA)
would publish two of its titles for the device. EA plans to release "EA
Sports FIFA Football 2005" and "SSX 3" for the Gizmondo in the near
future. "Each of these titles represents another step forward for us in
delivering mainstream games content," said Tiger Telematics Chairman
Carl Freer. "These are among the strongest game franchises in the
world, and a co-publishing relationship with EA has been a priority
goal for us from the outset."
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050517/uktu005.html 

(Birmingham, England) Blue Sphere Games, a U.K.-based mobile
game developer, announced that it has signed an agreement with Coca-
Cola to produce Coke-branded European mobile content including
games, wallpapers, animations and screensavers. The agreement grants
a two-year exclusive license of the mobile content creation and
distribution rights to Blue Sphere Games. Blue Sphere said its first
portfolio of Coca-Cola content would become available later this
month.
http://www.bluespheregames.com 

(Waltham, Massachusetts) BladeLogic Inc., a privately held, U.S.-
based provider of data-centre automation software, announced that
Cable & Wireless (C&W), a U.K.-based telecommunications services
company, has selected BladeLogic's technology as the automation
platform for all of its data-centres. "With BladeLogic Operations
Manager, (C&W) can take a holistic approach to managing its data-
centres by using one platform to provision, change, configure and
manage all types of servers and applications," said BladeLogic EMEA
Vice President Luca Lazzaron. Financial terms of the deal were not
disclosed.
http://www.bladelogic.com/news/news40.html

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

> 2nd Annual Popkomm Innovation in Music and Entertainment
Awards (IMEA)

Popkomm is one of Europe's leading Music & Entertainment - Industry
tradeshows and conferences. IMEA is chaired by Music Futurist Gerd
Leonhard (ThinkAndLink). IMEA's mission is to find, select and
present the best new business ideas, the brightest entrepreneurs and
startups in the music-, media - and entertainment-technology sectors,
worldwide, and provide a new platform for their discovery. Apply now
(it's free)
Contact: http://www.popkommawards.com  or gleonhard@gmail.com
_____________________________________________

> IDEAlliance's XTech 2005 and The Gilbane Conference on Content
Mgmt.

Slated for 24-27 May in Amsterdam, XTech 2005 is the premier
European conference for developers and managers working with XML
and Web technologies, bringing together the worlds of web
development, open source, semantic web and open standards. The
Gilbane Conference is for IT managers, system architects, technical
business and project managers. Topics include: enterprise and web
content management, knowledge management, collaboration, enterprise
search, and document management. For more info visit
http://www.xtech.org  or http://www.lighthouseseminars.com
_____________________________________________

> Reach Beyond Your Local Metro Area for Event Attendees

Hosting a webinar or seminar with a broad geographic appeal? Post
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info, go to http://www.potomactechwire.com/Event_Form.html

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

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

To subscribe, go to:
http://www.techwiremedia.com/europe

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

Copyright: CapWire Inc. 2005

European Tech Wire - May 17, 2005

============================================
EUROPEAN TECH WIRE - May 17, 2005
============================================
Sponsored By: XTech 2005 And The Gilbane Conference
http://www.xtech.org

o Vivendi Universal Sues Deutsche Telekom for 2.2 Billion Euro
o EU Vetoes Call-Termination Ruling by German Regulator
o U.K.-Based IXEurope Acquires Germany-Based GIC mbH
o BBC Launches Trial of "iTunes for the Broadcast Industry"
o Torex Retail Acquires Retail Store Systems for £15 Million
o Vivendi's Blizzard Buys Game Developer Swingin' Ape Studios
> IDEAlliance's XTech 2005/Gilbane Conference on Content Mgmt.
o Briefly Noted: Zend Technologies-Oracle, Alcatel-TCL Corp.,
Altobridge-Ireland Venture Capital-Kernal Capital Partners, Video
Without Boundaries-London Office, South East England Development
Agency-The Proof of Concept Knowledge Transfer Fund, Nokia-New
Mobile Game Titles
_____________________________________________

o Vivendi Universal Sues Deutsche Telekom for 2.2 Billion Euro

Paris -- Vivendi Universal SA, a France-based telecommunications and
media group, announced on Tuesday that it has sued Deutsche Telekom
AG, a Germany-based telecommunications giant, for approximately 2.2
billion euro for backing out of a deal to acquire Polska Telefonia
Cyfrowa (PTC), a Poland-based mobile company. In a Paris
commercial court, Vivendi accused Deutsche Telekom of "wrongful
termination" of talks on last year's possible buyout of a 51% stake in
PTC. "Vivendi Universal considers this sudden withdrawal to have
been motivated by Deutsche Telekom's wish to appropriate the shares
of PTC at the lowest possible cost using methods which Vivendi
regards as unlawful," the company said. So far, Deutsche Telekom has
not responded to the allegations.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?H2933271B
____________________________________________

o EU Vetoes Call-Termination Ruling by German Regulator

Brussels -- The EU announced on Tuesday that it has vetoed a ruling by
German authorities not to regulate fixed-line call-termination charges
by rivals of Deutsche Telekom AG, the largest telecommunications
company in Germany. Operators charge call-termination prices
whenever calls originate from other operators. RegTP, Germany's
telecommunications regulator, wanted to regulate termination charges
from Deutsche Telekom, but not those from rival providers unable to
raise prices above the competitive level. The European Commission,
however, rejected RegTP's ruling. "The Commission is not convinced
that the markets for call termination on alternative fixed networks in
Germany are competitive in practice," said EU Competition
Commissioner Neelie Kroes.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?D2071271B
____________________________________________

o U.K.-Based IXEurope Acquires Germany-Based GIC mbH

London -- IXEurope, a U.K.-based provider of outsourced data-centre
services, announced on Tuesday that it has acquired Gesellschaft fur
Informationstechnologie und Consulting mbH (GIC mbH), a Germany-
based business continuity provider to financial and enterprise clients,
for an undisclosed cash sum. IXEurope said the integration of GIC's
expertise and client base would represent a significant increase in its
business continuity capability. "With increasing level of operational
regulation such as Basel II and Sarbanes-Oxley legislation, clients are
looking for more integrated solutions linking desktop recovery ever
closer to core data-centre infrastructure recovery," said GIC Managing
Director Jorg Rosengart. "We will now be able to deliver a broader and
deeper offering than ever before, providing clients with best-in-class
solutions across Germany, France, Switzerland and the United
Kingdom."
http://www.ixeurope.com/press_releases2005.html
____________________________________________

o BBC Launches Trial of "iTunes for the Broadcast Industry"

London -- The BBC announced that it has begun to trial a new
programme download technology in 5,000 U.K. households that could
pave the way to endless TV repeats. The BBC said it hoped to deliver
its interactive Media Player (iMP), or "iTunes for the broadcast
industry", by year's end, allowing viewers to download any shows from
the previous week. Once up and running, the service, currently in its
second stage, will make around 190 hours of TV shows and 310 hours
of radio programmes available for legal downloading across the U.K.,
the BBC said. "iMP … (will allow) our audience to access our TV and
radio programmes on their terms … anytime, any place, any how," said
Ashley Highfield, BBC director of new media and technology. "We'll
see what programmes appeal in this new world and how people search,
sort, snack and savour our content in the broadband world."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?R3462371B
____________________________________________

o Torex Retail Acquires Retail Store Systems for £15 Million

London -- Torex Retail, a U.K.-based supplier of retail management
systems to European retailers, announced that it has expanded into the
U.S. through the acquisition of Retail Store Systems for £15 million.
Retail Store Systems supplies retail management systems to medium-
sized and large retailers in the U.S. Under the terms of the agreement,
Torex will pay £9.3 million in cash together with the issue of more than
5 million ordinary shares in the company. Torex said the acquisition
was part of its growth plans and that it would provide the company
with access to the world's largest market for retail management
systems, with annual software sales of more than £816 million.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?W2A74171B
____________________________________________

o Vivendi's Blizzard Buys Game Developer Swingin' Ape Studios

Irvine, California -- Blizzard Entertainment, the video game publishing
unit of France-based Vivendi Universal Games SA responsible for titles
including "Warcraft" and "Diablo", announced that it has acquired
Swingin' Ape Studios, a California-based game developer, for an
undisclosed sum. "The acquisition of Swingin' Ape Studios takes us
one step closer to realising our goal of becoming a top-tier console
developer," said Blizzard President Mike Morhaime. "With Swingin'
Ape's talented designers, programmers and artists, we're confident we'll
be able to create console games that meet the quality standards we've
established for every Blizzard title." Under the terms of the acquisition,
Steve Ranck, president and co-founder of Swingin' Ape Studios, will
assume the title of vice president of console development for Blizzard's
new console game development team.
http://www.blizzard.com/press/acquisition.shtml
_____________________________________________

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

> IDEAlliance's XTech 2005 and The Gilbane Conference on Content
Mgmt.

Slated for 24-27 May in Amsterdam, XTech 2005 is the premier
European conference for developers and managers working with XML
and Web technologies, bringing together the worlds of web
development, open source, semantic web and open standards. The
Gilbane Conference is for IT managers, system architects, technical
business and project managers. Topics include: enterprise and web
content management, knowledge management, collaboration, enterprise
search, and document management. For more info visit
http://www.xtech.org  or http://www.lighthouseseminars.com

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


(Jerusalem) Zend Technologies, an Israel-based technology start-up,
announced that it has partnered with Oracle, the world's largest
business software company, to launch an integrated PHP-DB
application. PHP-DB, short for Hypertext Preprocessor, is an open-
source web scripting language used for developing applications. "Over
20% of Zend's customers are creating applications using Oracle
Database, demonstrating the suitability of PHP as the backbone of
enterprise applications," said Zend CEO Doron Gerstel. "Through our
partnership with Oracle, PHP developers now have access to all the
solutions necessary to build and deploy highly-reliable applications for
the enterprise."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?J5761271B

(Paris) Alcatel, a France-based telecommunications group, announced
on Tuesday that it has withdrawn from its mobile-handset joint venture
with TCL Corp., China's largest consumer electronics manufacturer.
Alcatel said that, after nine months, the joint venture had failed to
overcome tough market conditions and rising losses. Last year, the
mobile venture reported a 26-million-euro loss. Under the terms of the
deal, Alcatel will offload its 45% stake and receive 6.4 million euro in
shares of TCL Communication at an 81% discount to the value of
Alcatel's interest. Alcatel will hold just 4.8% of TCL Communication
after the deal closes.
http://www.alcatel.com/

(Dublin) According to a report in the Sunday Times, Altobridge, an
Ireland-based telecommunications software development firm, is
seeking to raise 4 million euro in venture-capital financing in a bid to
build its revenue base and continue its research and development.
Using satellites, Altobridge's software allows mobile phones to work
normally on aeroplanes, ships and other vessels at sea. The Sunday
Times said that Bank of Ireland Venture Capital and Kernal Capital
Partners were currently deliberating whether to invest in the company,
which recently completed a 750,000-euro rights issue among existing
shareholders.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?V5B92171B

(Brighton, England) The South East England Development Agency
(SEEDA) announced on Tuesday that the Proof of Concept Knowledge
Transfer Fund (PoCKeT), which will provide access to funds for small
to medium-sized businesses (SMEs), has been launched in the South
East of England. SEEDA said it agreed to provide £250,000 for
PoCKeT with the aim of encouraging knowledge transfer between the
regions SME's and higher education institutions. Through PoCKeT,
awards of between £5,000 and £30,000 will be made available to
innovative SMEs for joint exploitation with universities, SEEDA said.
http://www.canterburyhub.co.uk/news/news7.html

(London) Video Without Boundaries (VWB), a U.S.-based provider of
interactive home entertainment devices, announced has formed a
London-based European subsidiary to develop wholesale and retail
opportunities for its MediaREADY broadband media devices in
Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). "We have chosen to base
our EMEA operations in the U.K. because that market has been the
leader in digital TV technology deployment," said VWB President and
CEO Jeffrey Harrell. "That, combined with a strong broadcast presence
across Europe, makes this region fertile territory."
http://www.vwbinc.com/press/040605pr.html

(Espoo, Finland) Nokia, a Finland-based mobile-phone giant,
announced a number of upcoming game titles for mobile phones. "Age
of Piracy", developed by Sweden-based Jadestone; "Space Shooter", a
multiplayer title from developer Monkey Business; and U.K.-based The
Code Monkeys' "3D Pool" will all be supported by the Nokia SNAP
Mobile platform when they become available for download later this
year.
http://press.nokia.com/pressreleases.html

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

> 2nd Annual Popkomm Innovation in Music and Entertainment
Awards (IMEA)

Popkomm is one of Europe's leading Music & Entertainment - Industry
tradeshows and conferences. IMEA is chaired by Music Futurist Gerd
Leonhard (ThinkAndLink). IMEA's mission is to find, select and
present the best new business ideas, the brightest entrepreneurs and
startups in the music-, media - and entertainment-technology sectors,
worldwide, and provide a new platform for their discovery. Apply now
(it's free)
Contact: http://www.popkommawards.com  or gleonhard@gmail.com
_____________________________________________

> IDEAlliance's XTech 2005 and The Gilbane Conference on Content
Mgmt.

Slated for 24-27 May in Amsterdam, XTech 2005 is the premier
European conference for developers and managers working with XML
and Web technologies, bringing together the worlds of web
development, open source, semantic web and open standards. The
Gilbane Conference is for IT managers, system architects, technical
business and project managers. Topics include: enterprise and web
content management, knowledge management, collaboration, enterprise
search, and document management. For more info visit
http://www.xtech.org  or http://www.lighthouseseminars.com
_____________________________________________

> Reach Beyond Your Local Metro Area for Event Attendees

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

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

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

To subscribe, go to:
http://www.techwiremedia.com/europe

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

Copyright: CapWire Inc. 2005