European Tech Wire

Pictometry International Teams Up with Norway's Blom

Oslo -- Pictometry International, a U.S.-based provider of digital, aerial
oblique imagery and measuring software, announced that it has signed
an agreement with Norway-based Blom ASA under the terms of which
Pictometry will license its technology to Blom for 10 years with the
option to renew. In addition, Pictometry said it would assist Blom to set
up a separate corporate structure under Blom with the name Pictometry
Europe to distribute aerial imaging technology.
http://www.pictometry.com

3 Wins Appeal against "Significant Market Power" Ruling

Dublin -- In an unprecedented move, the Electronic Communications
Appeals Panel (ECAP) has annulled a recent ruling by ComReg, the
Irish telecommunications watchdog, that Hutchison 3G Ireland Ltd.
(H3GI), the local subsidiary of Hong Kong-based Hutchison
Whampoa, enjoys "significant market power" (SMP) in Ireland. "The
onus is on the Regulator when carrying out its market analysis to
establish whether the Appellant (H3GI) has significant market power,"
ECAP said. "This means examining fully all the constituent elements
… all the relevant factors … this was not done." The decision is
remarkable insofar as it is the first time in history that a
telecommunications operator has successfully appealed against an SMP
designation by a national regulatory authority. Had the SMP label been
upheld, it would have allowed ComReg to fix 3's termination rates, the
fees it charges other operators to terminate calls on its network.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?Y22D122EB

Finland Still Boasts World's Most Competitive Economy

Brussels -- According to the latest rankings from the World Economic
Forum (WEF), Finland still has the most competitive economy in the
world, followed by the U.S. and Sweden. The report ranks 117
economies using a wide range of criteria that include economic
indicators, technological competence and innovation and the quality of
public institutions. While all of the Nordic region's countries made it
into the Top 10, the WEF reserved special praise Finland, which boasts
"one of the most innovative business environments in the world." "The
reasons for the strong performance by the Nordic countries is that they
have very transparent systems, high levels of technology penetration, a
well-educated work force and good macroeconomic management," said
WEF senior economist Margareta Drzeniek.
http://www.weforum.org/

BT to Acquire Infonet Deutschland for Undisclosed Sum

London -- BT Group Plc announced that it has agreed to acquire
Infonet Deutschland, a Germany-based technology company, for an
undisclosed sum. Infonet provides more than 200 major corporate and
public sector organisations with IP-based Virtual Private Networks,
Internet connectivity and Remote Access services. BT will acquire the
remaining 82% of the company that it does not already own from T-
Systems, the IT services subsidiary of German telecommunications
bellwether Deutsche Telekom AG. "This acquisition is a perfect fit as
we are further broadening our footprint in the German market," said BT
Germany CEO Jan Geldmacher. "Infonet is known for its strength in
product quality and customer service and this transaction will
complement BT's strengths in the market for networked IT services."
BT said it expected to close the deal within the next two months,
pending regulatory approval.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?C6AC222EB

Microsoft to Base New Global Development Centre in Serbia

Belgrade -- U.S.-based software giant Microsoft announced that it plans
to base one of its five global development centres in the Serbian capital
of Belgrade. The company said it would appoint Microsoft veteran
Bodin Dresevic as director of the operation. The new centre, which will
develop technology for tablet PCs, will be the third Microsoft has
opened in emerging markets so far (after China and India) and its fifth
overall (including Ireland and the U.S.). "More than ever, Microsoft is
taking an open and collaborative approach to innovation, working with
partners and governments to produce technologies that serve society,
business and the technology industry," Dresevic said. "I am looking
forward to the working with the language experts in broader region."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?W2E2113EB

Apple Acknowledges iPod Nano Screen Manufacturing Flaw

San Francisco -- Apple Computer has acknowledged that a
manufacturing issue affecting a small number of its iPod Nano digital
music players causes their screens to crack easily and said that it would
replace the defective units. "This is a real but minor issue that involved
a vendor quality problem in a small number of units," Apple
spokesman Tom Neumayr told the Associated Press. "This has affected
less than one-tenth of 1 percent of the total iPod Nano units that we've
shipped … it's not a design issue." On a website called
FlawedMusicPlayer.com, a number of Nano owners have complained
that the devices' screens scratch too easily, to the point that they are
difficult to read. Apple rejected these claims, adding that the Nano is
made of the same polycarbonate plastic as other iPod models.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?K16D252EB
http://www.flawedmusicplayer.com 

Report: Average Brits Clueless about Meaning of "Blogging"

London -- According to a survey by London-based advertising firm
DDB London, the average Brit has no clue what the term "blogging"
means. In fact, most of the taxi drivers, pub landlords and hairdressers
surveyed said they thought "blogging" -- a term related to online
journals or "web logs" -- was synonymous with "dogging", the practice
of watching people have sex in car parks. Only 28% of respondents
said they understood "blogging", and even fewer (12%) knew the
meaning of "podcasting". DDB said the survey suggested that many ad
agencies might be pushing clients to use new technologies and media
formats too quickly. "Our research not only shows that there is no buzz
about 'blogging' and 'podcasting' outside of our media industry bubble,
but also that people have no understanding of what the words mean,"
said DDB Planning Director Sarah Carter said. "It's a real wake-up
call."
http://www.ddblondon.com/

Arma Partners Appoints Vanessa Morphet as COO

London -- Arma Partners, a London-based independent corporate
advisory firm focusing exclusively on the technology sector, announced
that it has appointed Vanessa Morphet as its new chief operating officer
for both Europe and the U.S. Prior to joining Arma, Morphet worked
for eight years in the investment banking division of Goldman Sachs,
where she was a member of the communications, media and technology
team. "Arma has now reached a size where we needed to put in place a
stronger management infrastructure," the company said. "(Morphet)
will provide invaluable support to the Partners as we continue to build
the presence and capabilities of the firm across Europe, the U.S. and
internationally."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?T2B2513EB

BT Group Hires C&W Veteran Emma Gilthorpe

London -- BT Group Plc announced that it has appointed Emma
Gilthorpe as director of equivalence and public affairs at the company's
newly created Openreach division. Gilthorpe, who worked for fierce
BT rival Cable & Wireless for 14 years, will be responsible for
ensuring that all of Openreach's processes and policies -- from how
service is delivered to how new systems and products are prioritised --
are fair and equivalent for all communication providers, BT said.
"Having lobbied for equivalence, I am clearly a passionate believer in
it," Gilthorpe said. "This role gives me the opportunity to put this belief
into practice and to ensure that Openreach delivers both the systems
and the behaviour the industry wants."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?B5DC222EB 
http://makeashorterlink.com/?X59C122EB

ntl and BroadbandTV to Trail Digital TV Service

London -- U.K. cable TV provider ntl and BroadbandTV Group -- a
joint venture between interactive TV firms YooMedia and ICTV --
announced that they would being live testing of broadband interactive
digital TV programming and technology in the fourth quarter of 2005
after holding successful lab trials. The trial with ntl subscribers will
deliver Web-based Interactive programming to subscribers' existing
cable set-top boxes. "A huge amount of work has been undertaken with
ntl in the last year in order to integrate the Broadband TV technology
with their infrastructure and various set top boxes," said YooMedia's
Managing Director Neil MacDonald. "We are delighted to be entering
into consumer-facing trials with such a strong line-up of programming
content."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?J2AD122EB