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For the record 21 May
Tuesday, May 21 2002
by Sylvia Leatham


Expenditure on technological R&D in the business sector in Ireland hit EUR784m in
1999 | Dilbert has made an appearance on Google



Expenditure on technological research and development in the business
sector in Ireland amounted to EUR784 million in 1999, according to a report
published by Forfas. The report, which updates a regular series on Business
Expenditure on Research and Development, notes that there has been an increase of
11 percent per annum in business spending on R&D for the period 1997 to 1999. The
annual growth rate for the 1990s stands at almost 15 percent per annum.



Irish-based independent directory enquiry service provider Conduit has
been provisionally allocated the number 118 899 by Oftel, the British
telecommunications regulator. The decision, made at the Oftel Directory Enquiry
Lottery procedure in the UK, means that BT's monopoly of the market and the
number 192 will no longer exist, Conduit said. The business further explained
that the numbers allocation process is the first step in levelling the playing
field for directory enquiry companies in the UK. 



Secure payment company Trintech has launched its PayWare Merchant Retail
Edition, a card-processing solution for retailers and merchants that the company
says reduces costs and deployment times. The product is aimed at retailers and
merchants who require integrated on-line card payment processing. Trintech said
the solution provides seamless card processing integrated with the merchant's
electronic point-of-sale system.





After winning a major contract with US telecommunications and entertainment
company Cablevision earlier this year, Dublin-based Internet services company
WebBusters is expanding. The profitable company, which is based in the
Guinness Enterprise Centre, currently employs 11 but is hoping to increase
employment levels over the next few months thanks to a number of new deals with
companies like Cablevision as well as Carlsberg and eBookers.  WebBusters' deal
with Cablevision, which was signed in February, will see the company provide five
of Cablevision's Web properties with on-line marketing and visibility services.





Cork-based Media Satellite has launched what it claims is Ireland's first
comprehensive national broadband network with the introduction of its B-DSL suite
of products. Using satellite technology, the B-DSL (Broadband Digital Subscriber
Line) suite is available to subscribers for EUR50 a month. The company says the
system will provide cheaper and faster access to broadband for businesses of all
sizes in every part of Ireland. 





KDDI, Japan's second-largest wireless network operator, has surpassed its
initial projections by signing 334,000 third generation subscribers in the first
30 days of offering its 3G voice and data services. KDDI launched its Code
Division Multiple Access (CDMA) 2000 1X voice and data services on 1 April on all
its Motorola-supplied wireless radio access network. CDMA 2000 1X technology
nearly  doubles the voice capacity on the network and is capable of
transmitting data at a peak rate of up to 153kb/s.





Six people were arrested in South Africa at the weekend on suspicion of being
involved in the infamous Nigerian e-mail and letter fraud. South African
police believe the six people are part of an international fraud and drug-dealing
cartel and have been sending thousands of e-mails and letters in an attempt to
defraud. Police seized a large amount of drugs, computer equipment and false
identification papers. 



Cartoon office worker Dilbert has popped up on the home page of
Google. Search engine Google said it is temporarily redesigning its logo
this week by featuring "doodles" of Dilbert and his fellow workers on their
home page. Fans of the popular cartoon can also purchase Dilbert coffee mugs for
five days by clicking on the Google logo or by visiting the Comics.com Web site.