European Tech Wire - July 11, 2005

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EUROPEAN TECH WIRE - July 11, 2005
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Thames Tech Wire/European Tech Wire Networking Event
http://www.techwiremedia.com/londonevent.html

o Report: Bo Vesterdorf to Take Over Microsoft Antitrust Appeal
o Misys Acquires France-Based Almonde for £10.3 Million
o LDA Launches Programme to Develop London Technology
o Newnham Research Raises £4.6 Million in Second Round
o U.K. Metes Out First-Ever Conviction for Console Modification
o Intelsat to Provide Content Distribution for Israel-Based RR Sat
o Semiconductor Capital Equipment Sales Set to Fall by 11.9%
> Thames Tech Wire/European Tech Wire Networking Event
o Briefly Noted: Calyx-Convergent Systems Ireland, Ofcom-New
Chairs for Advisory Committees, Opera Software-BitTorrent, Tiger
Telematics-Jordan Grand Prix
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o Report: Bo Vesterdorf to Take Over Microsoft Antitrust Appeal

Brussels -- According to a report by Reuters, Microsoft's antitrust
appeal will be heard not by Hubert Legal -- the judge who has handled
the case to date -- but rather Bo Vesterdorf, president of the Court of
First Instance. "I can confirm that the case has been moved to the
Grand Chamber," an unnamed court official told Reuters. Pundits say
the decision to remove Legal, who will not sit on the new 13-judge
panel led by Vesterdorf, may be a reaction against a recent interview
Legal gave to French journal Concurreces in which he criticised some
of the court's assistants. Concurreces quoted Legal as saying that some
of the assistants, dubbed "ayatollahs of free enterprise", had a tendency
to argue in favour of overturning Commission rulings. Legal, however,
has insisted that what he said in the interview was not meant as attack
on the way the Commission operates.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?L3D04196B
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o Misys Acquires France-Based Almonde for £10.3 Million

Paris -- Misys Plc, a U.K.-based software and services provider,
announced that it has acquired Almonde SA, a France-based regulatory
risk-management software firm, for approximately £10.3 million (15
million euro). Misys said the deal would expand its Banking Systems'
risk-management capabilities. "This acquisition is a significant
development for risk-management in the international banking market
and is an example of our company strategy of organic growth
complemented by product and market enhancing acquisitions," said
Misys Banking Systems CEO Ivan Martin. Founded in 2000, Almonde
is backed by California-based venture-capital firm Benchmark Capital,
technology consultancy Accenture and Canadian Imperial Bank of
Commerce.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050708/ukf004.html?.v=17
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o LDA Launches Programme to Develop London Technology

London -- The London Development Agency (LDA) announced that a
£3-million Gateway to Investment (g2i) scheme has been launched in
London to boost the capitol's position as a global centre for science and
technology companies. The LDA said that a group led by Grant
Thornton and including E-Synergy, Library House, the Innovatory and
Quo-Tec would pool its resources in order to help technology start-ups
to secure investment in the £50,000-to-£2 million range. The scheme
will focus on companies in the biotechnology, medicine,
pharmaceuticals, healthcare, IT, electronics, telecommunications,
energy, environment, science, engineering and new materials sectors,
LDA said. The g2i scheme will also provide an online portal giving
access to resources including business planning, "finance readiness"
advice and training and even a "virtual investor".
http://www.g2i.org/
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o Newnham Research Raises £4.6 Million in Second Round

Cambridge, England -- Newnham Research, a U.K.-based technology
firm, announced that it has secured £4.6 million in second-round
venture-capital financing. Atlas Venture and Benchmark led the round.
"We're delighted to welcome Atlas Venture and Benchmark as
shareholders in Newnham," said Newnham Research CEO Michael
Ledzion. "Between them, they have been investing in leading
international technology companies for more than 35 years." Ledzion
said his company would use the investment to accelerate its
development and commercialisation plans. Newnham Research, which
is currently developing new ways of connecting displays to computers,
said it was also preparing to launch its first products with a selected
group of international partners.
http://www.newnhamresearch.com/news/index.htm
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o U.K. Metes Out First-Ever Conviction for Console Modification

London -- A 22-year-old U.K. man has been convicted of illegally
modifying and selling Xbox videogame consoles. The ruling marks the
first ever conviction under a provision of the EU Copyright Directive,
which prohibits circumventing copyright protections. The unidentified
man modified Xbox consoles so they could play pirated games, adding
a 200GB hard drive and 80 pre-installed games. He was given 140
hours of community service and ordered to forfeit all hardware and pay
a £745 fine. "This case sets a major precedent which marks a milestone
in the fight against piracy and in protecting the games industry's
intellectual property," said ELSPA, a European videogame trade group.
"It sends a clear message to anyone tempted to become involved in
'chipping' consoles that this is a criminal offence and will be dealt with
accordingly."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?B29B5186B
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o Semiconductor Capital Equipment Sales Set to Fall by 11.9%

Stamford, Connecticut -- Worldwide semiconductor capital equipment
sales are on pace to decline by 11.9% in 2005, with sales totalling 27.6
billion euro (£19 billion) in 2005, according to a new report by
technology market research firm Gartner. "While the first quarter of
2005 marked the peak of the last upcycle, declining orders over the past
few months and quarters paint a picture of slower sales for the rest of
the year," said Klaus Rinnen, research vice president for Gartner's
semiconductor manufacturing and design research group. All segments
of the semiconductor capital equipment market are projected to decline
in 2005, the firm reported.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/050707/75264.html?.v=1
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o Intelsat to Provide Content Distribution for Israel-Based RR Sat

Washington, DC -- Intelsat, a U.S.-based provider of satellite
communications services with primary operations in Washington, DC,
announced that RR Satellite Communications (RR Sat), an Israel-based
broadcast service provider, has selected the company to provide two
new content distribution platforms in the U.S. and Asia. In one of the
new contracts, RR Sat has chosen the Intelsat Americas-5 satellite to
distribute Asian, European and Middle Eastern content through a new
direct-to-home platform in the U.S. In the other, the company has
launched a new Pan-Asian distribution platform through Intelsat on the
APR-1 satellite.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?G53C2156B
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Thames Tech Wire/European Tech Wire Networking Event

Meet dozens of other Thames Tech Wire and European Tech Wire
readers at the Samuel Pepys pub in Blackfriars, London, on July 13.
The event will be very casual, running from 6pm to 9pm. Attendance is
free, and you are welcome to bring colleagues and associates. Please
RSVP by emailing your name and contact information to:
londonevent@thamestechwire.com 

The Samuel Pepys
Stew Lane
London EC4V 3PT
6pm to 9pm, Wednesday, July 13

For full details and directions, visit
http://www.techwiremedia.com/londonevent.html

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o Briefly Noted:

(Dublin) Calyx, an Ireland-based IT firm, announced that it has
acquired Convergent Systems Ireland Ltd. for approximately 600,000
euro (£413,000) in cash. Calyx, which recently completed a successful
initial public offering (IPO) on the London Stock Exchange's
Alternative Investment Market, offers IT network design, sales,
installation, training and support. Convergent provides consultancy,
project management, installation and support of voice and data
products. Calyx said the deal would increase its skills set in
professional services and systems integration, as well as bring in a
healthy client portfolio and a "positive, ambitious approach to the
converging voice and data market".
http://www.calyx.ie/promo_article.asp?content_rid=76

(London) Ofcom, the U.K. telecommunications regulator, announced
that it has appointed four new chairs for its Advisory Committees for
the Nations and Regions. The committees were established to provide
advice on the interests and opinions of people living in England,
Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales on communications matters.
Suzy Brain has been appointed chair of the Advisory Committee for
England; Wallace Ewart, the chair for Northern Ireland; Evan Jones,
the chair for Wales; and Joyce Taylor the chair for Scotland. Each
committee will report directly to the Ofcom Board and publish its own
annual report, Ofcom said.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?D2EF2186B

(Oslo) Norway-based Opera Software announced that the newest
version of its web browser will include support from the BitTorrent
peer-to-peer file-sharing network. In addition to distributing the Opera
browser through BitTorrent, the company said BitTorrent could be used
to download Linux software and videogame demos. "While BitTorrent
has been on Opera's radar screen for more than a year, the true value of
the technology became evident when the company launched Opera 8 in
April this year," said Opera's Christen Krogh. "The massive response,
with more than 100 downloads per second, dealt a technical knock-out
to Opera's servers."
http://www.opera.com/pressreleases/en/2005/07/07/ 

(London) Tiger Telematics, the developer of the Gizmondo multi-
functional handheld video game device, announced that it has settled a
dispute with Jordan Grand Prix Ltd. over a racing sponsorship. Under
the terms, Tiger will pay £860,000 in cash and 30,000 shares of its
stock to Jordan. Tiger has already released its Gizmondo in the U.K.
and is currently gearing up to market and launch the Gizmondo in
North America and continental Europe in August.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050708/ukf008.html 

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The Associated Press is an equal opportunity, affirmative action
employer. Send your resume to APbroadcastHR@apjobs.org
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