An overview of the week in deals in the Irish and global technology sector.
Intel and Google team up on Android phones
Tech giants Intel and Google are teaming up to enable and optimise future versions of the Android operating system for smartphones and other mobile devices using Intel chips.
“By optimising the Android platform for Intel architecture, we bring a powerful new capability to market that will accelerate more industry adoption and choice, and bring exciting new products to market that harness the combined potential of Intel technology and the Android platform,” said Intel president and CEO Paul Otellini. “Together we are accelerating Intel architecture and bringing new levels of innovation to a maturing Android platform.”
The joint effort is designed to speed time-to-market of Intel technology-based smartphones running the Android platform.
“Combining Android with Intel’s low power smartphone road map opens up more opportunity for innovation and choice,” said Andy Rubin, senior vice-president of Mobile at Google. “This collaboration will drive the Android ecosystem forward.”
Cloud sourcing – €350k deal connects global workforce
Engineering firm Mercury Engineering has signed a deal valued at €350,000 to roll out virtualisation technology from Citrix that will connect its global workforce.
Citrix XenDesktop allows Mercury Engineering to share the information needed to manage and support business operations around the globe. It has created an application delivery network that delivers standardised applications to 530 users and 800 client machines on three continents.
The solution, which was deployed by DataSolutions and IT Force, has enabled Mercury Engineering to enjoy savings of up to €500,000 and is expected to pay for itself in less than a year.
Populis blogging empire expands with €8.2m acquisition
New media publishing empire Populis, which has European headquarters in Dublin, has continued its acquisitive growth with the purchase of Berlin-based Mokono – Germany’s biggest blog network.
The deal comprises the total of Mokono’s localised blog networks across 13 European countries and Canada, adding 14m unique monthly users across its 700,000 registered blogs to Populis’s substantial network of online media properties. Included in the deal are the influential media properties www.blog.co.uk and www.blog.de.
The latest acquisition provides Populis with a portfolio of new skills essential for success as a next-generation media company, including the ability to truly enable the largely untapped creative class online through a comprehensive range of revenue sources.
A deep understanding of content production, social and search distribution at scale, coupled with Mokono’s state-of-the-art advertising solutions that allow advertisers to succeed in the digital space, gives Populis a unique competitive edge in Europe.
Included in the acquisition is Mokono’s pioneering social advertising platform, which is the first of its kind in Europe to provide advertisers with a single access to a wide range of premium and highly-customisable social advertising solutions, such as social ads, video seeding or product reviews across the Mokono network and its affiliated blog portals.
Broadcom to buy NetLogic for US$3.7bn
Semiconductor maker Broadcom is to acquire wired and wireless communications chip maker NetLogic Microsystems for US$3.5bn in cash for shares.
The move will enable Broadcom to deliver seamless network infrastructure technology quicker and cheaper.
The transaction, which has been approved by the boards of both companies, will close in the first half of 2012.
NetLogic shareholder will receive US$50 per share.
Digital Hub e-learning firm wins deal with British Computer Society
I-CANDO, the pioneering e-learning firm that last year embarked on a pioneering campaign to boost Ireland’s digital literacy skills, has secured an exclusive distribution deal with the British Computer Society – BCS The Chartered Institute for IT.
I-CANDO Learning is a wholly-owned Irish e-learning company set up in 2009. The company has created a Digital Skills programme which offers 60 hours of online, interactive, guided learning to help learners with the skills needed to get the most from everyday technology as it relates to music, photos, videos and living online. I-CANDO is located in Dublin’s Digital Hub.
Under this three-year contract, BCS will be the exclusive distributors of I-CANDO courseware throughout the United Kingdom in schools and adult education colleges. The contract is estimated to be worth stg£600k in the first year alone.
Irish software firm wins strategic deal in Malaysia
Irish software company QMS Software’s flagship technology Ulysses has been selected by Canon in Malaysia as its strategic business platform for sales management.
“Canon is adopting Ulysses to manage our entire sales force throughout Malaysia so that the salespeople not only get more time to sell, but also get to sell smarter with the information Ulysses provides,” said Mr Ooi, commercial director of Canon Malaysia.
“Ulysses enables us to deliver an outstanding service to our customers. Staff can instantly access the complete, accurate and up-to-date customer information in Ulysses.”
Ulysses will be deployed at Canon’s headquarters in Shah Alam and across Canon Malaysia’s seven branches.
The CRM solution provides a complete view of customer interactions across sales, marketing, customer service and support. Teams can collaborate and respond promptly and knowledgeably to customer inquiries and sales opportunities. Powerful process automation capabilities, along with a highly customisable platform, can help businesses achieve stronger sales results.
Irish LED lighting firm Nualight buys Dutch tech firm Lumoluce
Irish lighting specialist Nualight, which is pioneering the take-up of LED lighting in the food retail space, has just acquired Lumoluce, a Dutch LED lighting technology firm, for just under €11m, in a move it says will help food retailers reap energy savings of up to 40pc by switching to LED lighting.
The acquisition of Lumoluce is expected to bring Nualight’s revenues to just over €25m for 2011, as the firm strives to accelerate its expansion into the accent lighting market for food retail, an early-stage market that is predicted to grow rapidly as food retailers around the world continue to transition to energy-efficient LED lighting.
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