A round-up of other technology stories in brief.
ThirdForce wins UK exam contract
E-learning group ThirdForce has won a contract to develop new electronic assessment and examination services for one of the UK's leading examination bodies.
Under the terms of the agreement with Oxford Cambridge and RSA Examinations (OCR), the Irish group will provide online exams for its CLAiT Plus qualification in computer skills in more than 2,500 educational centres throughout Britain.
Northgate in £16m deal with Boots
Northern Ireland-based software group Northgate Information Solutions has signed a seven-year contract worth more than £16 million (€22.8 million) to provide payroll and HR services to pharmacy Boots.
The contract will cover manpower planning and labour scheduling for Boots' 65,000 employees in the UK and the Republic. Northgate will subcontract part of the deal to Torex Retail.
UCD adopts EU domain name
University College Dublin has become the first Irish institution to adopt a European Union-based domain name. The .eu domain names were first released in December to public bodies and trademarks and in February to limited companies.
Eircom expands DSL network
Eircom has added another 30 communities to its DSL broadband network, bringing coverage in the Republic into line with the rest of the European Union.
The latest expansion brings to 85 per cent the number of telephone lines in the Republic that are connected to broadband exchanges. The EU average is 87 per cent.
Conal Henry is new E-net chief
E-net, a provider of open access regional broadband infrastructure in Ireland, has named Conal Henry as its new chief executive.
Mr Henry (36) who previously worked in lead positions at Energis and Ryanair, will replace Michael Tiernan, the group's founding chief executive. E-net, which was established in 2000 to promote balanced regional development of broadband networks, manages 27 metropolitan area networks across the country.
German nanotech product recalled
Government officials in Germany have reported what appears to be the first health-related recall of a nanotechnology product, raising a potential public perception problem for the rapidly growing but still poorly understood field of science.
At least 77 people reported severe respiratory problems over a one-week period at the end of March after using a "Magic Nano" bathroom cleansing product, according to the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment in Berlin. The spray is meant to be used on glass and ceramic surfaces to make them dirt and water-repellent. - (LA Times service)
