The following e-mail will be sent on your behalf.

 has sent the following story to you from ElectricNews.net.

The story is available from https://electricnews.net/news.html?code=877842

In the papers 18 January 
Thursday, January 18 2001
by Sheila McDonald


SoftCo and Nua to cut staff numbers | Analyst firm Jupiter Media Metrix lays off
80

Business and Finance reports that e-business software maker SoftCo and Internet
consultancy Nua are both to cut staff in order to trim costs. SoftCo is expected
to cut around 30 people in its worldwide operations, while Nua chief Gerry
McGovern admitted that some of his 60 staff have been given notice, the magazine
said. 



The Irish Independent reports that telecoms regular Etain Doyle has asked NTL not
to stop rolling out its new digital TV, telephone and high-speed Internet
services. The Independent, which on Tuesday reported that NTL had cancelled its
roll-out, says that Doyle has asked NTL to "review its position" in relation
to the introduction of new services. NTL could lose its cable licence, or its
exclusivity on broadcast television, if as seems likely it fails to upgrade
100,000 homes by March. NTL has upgraded just 36,000 homes in Dublin so far.



The Irish Times reports that CityReach, the Internet hosting and infrastructure
company, on Thursday opens its 120,000 sq. ft. premises in Clonshaugh, Co.
Dublin. The facility is to create 30 jobs.



Abroad the Wall Street Journal reports that Internet analyst firm Jupiter Media
Metrix is to lay off 80 staff in light of poor results, which will see the
company lose USD.22 to USD.23 a share. Analysts had expected a loss of just
USD.01 per share. The cuts at Jupiter, which last year merged with data research
firm Media Metrix, constitute 8 percent of the workforce. Jupiter's fourth
quarter and year-end results are to be published on 8 February.



The Wall Street Journal also publishes a long profile of Irish security
technology firm Orbiscom, which has pioneered the area of "disposable" credit
and debit card numbers: numbers that are linked to a customer's real credit card
or debit card, but that are valid for a single use only for secure Internet
shopping. The paper says Orbiscom plans to create new kinds of financial
products, including credit-card numbers that an overseer -- such as an employer
or a parent -- can monitor in real-time.



The paper also reports on a new line of low-end servers from Sun Microsystems,
including the Unix-based Netra (priced below USD1,000) and so-called "server
appliances" based on Linux and AMD processors.



The Financial Times, finally, reports that a three-way agreement has been struck
between Telecom Italia, NTT Docomo and KPN of the Netherlands to develop 
mobile services for Europe. NTT, which owns a 15 percent stake of KPN, will work
with the two European operators to "exploit the success of I-mode," the paper
said. I-mode is the wildly popular mobile Internet service pioneered by NTT in
Japan. The paper said development centres will be built in Italy and the
Netherlands where staff will develop applications based on the I-mode standard.