Billiards hall puts Baltimore in the frame

The Irish were everywhere last week in San Jose, California at the RSA Data Security Conference - the premier gathering of 5,000 geeky types who like to use mathematical formulas to encode information stored on, or sent over, computer networks.

Three Dublin companies were there, each with a stand in the exhibition hall and all hosting either parties and press conferences or presenting sessions: Siemens spin-off SSE, financial transaction software company Trintech, and security software company Baltimore Technologies.

Baltimore did its usual fine job of drawing attention to itself by hosting a bash at a billiards hall, rather than the dull old hotel reception room like everyone else. It also charmed jaded tech journalists by giving away little Baltimore-emblazoned boxes of Lily O'Brien's chocs in the press room.

As if that wasn't enough glory, 16-year-old young scientist award winner and wunderkind Sarah Flannery's name came up during one of the top sessions of the conference, a gathering of some of the leading cryptography mathematicians in the field.

As one of IBM's top researchers noted drily, in response to a question from the audience, "You can ask her these questions directly next year, when she's on this panel."

And finally, what's a cryptography conference without U2? OK, then, not exactly U2, but close. The conference, which always opens with a bang, this year featured a gospel choir and a Bono soundalike singing these very special lyrics:

I have purchased firewall crypto products

I bought them all

Only to be confused Only to be confused

PKI's I've installed

Made my people crawl up the wall

Crawl up the wall

Only to be confused

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

Biometrics smart cards too

I've spent millions but don't have a clue P}It burned me like fire

Then why this desire. . .