An overview of the week in deals in the Irish technology sector, including two companies working together with Australian organisations – mobile software firm NewBay with mobile operator Telstra, and technology player Calyx with the state of Queensland’s government.
Telstra in major mobile social networks deal with NewBay
Australian mobile operator Telstra has signed a major deal with Irish mobile software firm NewBay to deploy LifeCache Social Networking Gateway to drive Facebook, Twitter and MySpace to its Tribe mobile social service.
Telstra is providing its customers with unmetered access to the service, meaning most Tribe features are available at no cost.
“An increasing number of Australians are accessing social networking sites on their mobiles. To help more Aussies get in on the act, Telstra is providing millions of its Next G network customers with access to a NewBay LifeCache-powered service called Tribe,” said Ross Fielding, executive director, Telstra Mobility Products.
“Tribe allows customers to manage their social profile from a single, easy-to-use portal that can be accessed from a range of Next G mobiles – not just smartphones. Customers can access comments, view pictures, post updates and upload photos via a neat and secure mobile portal. They can even update their status to multiple sites simultaneously.”
LifeCache SNG provides a single interface and integration point for the operator to quickly and easily connect to the various social networks on the Tribe deck. LifeCache SNG manages the technical and business relationship with each online community.
NewBay also provided the user interface and integration with the operator’s infrastructure.
Calyx in landmark schools IT contract in Australia
Technology player Calyx’s income management software M+ has been selected as part of a major schools IT initiative that is being deployed by the Queensland Government in Australia.
The M+ Income Manager software forms a core component of the AGRESSO Business World solution chosen by the Queensland Government Department of Education & Training to support the transformational ‘SmartClassroom’ educational initiative.
UNIT4 Business Software, a provider of change embracing ERP (enterprise resource planning) software, announced details of the US$7m deal to manage the financial transactions of more than 400,000 students across the Queensland school network.
eBay acquires mobile barcode app scanner RedLaser
Online retail giant eBay has acquired RedLaser for an undisclosed sum. With more than 2 million downloads, RedLaser is the top-selling iPhone barcode-scanning application for comparison shopping and finding product information using a mobile device.
“With RedLaser’s innovative technology, eBay is continuing to help shoppers quickly find the best deals online, and eBay sellers will be able to list their items faster,” said Mark Carges, chief technology officer and senior vice-president, global products, eBay Marketplaces.
The deal could drive eBay in many new potential directions, for example allowing consumers on the High Street to compare items in stores with lower cost items available on eBay.
Health and Safety Authority invests in Wide Area Network
The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) has invested in a new Wide Area Network which it claimed will reduce its annual recurring network costs by 30pc.
The state body is responsible for promoting safety, health and welfare for people in the workplace and its remit is to provide information and advice to company employers and staff. It has seven regional offices around the country and its headquarters are in Dublin.
The WAN links allow staff in headquarters or the regional offices to answer calls to the HSA’s Workplace Contact Unit (WCU), which is a helpdesk resource for employers, employees and the public. WCU is the primary contact for serious injuries/fatalities, complaints and obtaining health and safety information in the workplace.
