Computer giant Intel - the employer of over 4,500 people in the Republic - has said it is to cut 5,000 jobs worldwide due to slowing sales. The company will not be seeking redundancies from its operation in Ireland, according to Intel Ireland Public Affairs manager, Bill Riley. He said 1,500 job losses would result after the closure of a plant in Puerto Rico and added that the rest of the job cuts would result from a stringent replacement policy for people who either retire or leave.
The world's largest computer chip-maker says demand for its chips is at its lowest for years. Intel says the slowdown in demand for PCs has continued and spread to the communications sector. As a result, it says first quarter revenues will come in 25 per cent below the $8.7 billion it reported last quarter. It says most of the 5,000 jobs will be lost by "natural attrition" over the next nine months.
RESPONSIBILITY FREE ZONE: The Florida state Supreme Court has ruled America Online cannot be held responsible for child-pornography exchanged in its chatrooms. The court said the Communications Decency Act gives Internet service providers immunity from prosecution for illegal information disseminated by users. The ruling came in a lawsuit filed by a Florida woman whose son appeared in a videotape sold by one AOL user to another. The mother alleged AOL violated Florida criminal law prohibiting the distribution of pornography. INFORMATION OVERLOAD: Information overload on consumers is the primary risk facing digital TV and content orientated Internet providers, a major international conference was told last week. Addressing the worldwide Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) Conference in Dublin, Dr Barry Smyth, Chief Technology Officer at ChangingWorlds, said that the new generation of Digital TV products and services had introduced a new form of information overload as it became increasingly difficult for users to benefit from the availability of more and more channels.
PROJECT GINGER: Ginger, the mysterious invention that promises to change the world, is apparently environmentally friendly as well. An article in the next issue of In- side magazine claims that Ginger is a two-wheeled scooterlike device and further asserts that it will run nearly emission-free using a hydrogen-based engine. Also known as "IT," Ginger has been the subject of the most tech-industry buzz since the days before Transmeta announced its powersaving chip to compete with Intel.
COMMS OFF: Comms 2001 is now set to take place on June 13th, 14th and 15th at the RDS. The exhibition and conference which was due to take place on April 4th, 5th and 6th was postponed because the Foot and Mouth crisis. YAHOO'S TROUBLES: Tim Koogle is stepping aside as chief executive of Yahoo! although he will stay on as chairman. Mr Koogle said he and the board had decided on "building out our senior management bench strength across the company in order to prepare for our next stage of growth". Which almost certainly means something.
PC PRICE WAR: Hewlett-Packard has launched a new round in the computer price war by cutting 28 per cent off the price it charges European service providers for its newest computer servers. HP cited stiff price competition from Sun Microsystems and IBM as well as the continuing and rapid price declines for such servers.
COMING HOME: A survey conducted by Irish Emi- grant Publications - the world's longest established e-zine publisher - shows that 59 per cent of Irish emigrants would return to Ireland, given the right opportunity. The survey asked readers in over 120 countries, "If offered the right opportunity, are you prepared to return to Ireland to work?". A total of 3,893 people completed the questionnaire.
NAKED WIFE SHOCKER: A computer virus called "Naked Wife" is hitting businesses across the US, Canada and Europe. The rogue file uses the same lurid tactics as the Kournikova virus to dupe complacent users into helping it prolifereate. But unlike its predecessor it carries a more damaging payload capable of deleting almost all a computer's vital system files. "It essentially destroys your Windows operating system," says Steve Trilling, director of research at the Symantec Antivirus Research Centre.
SHILLY MISTAKE: Three men were charged last week with driving up prices in Internet art auctions on eBay. The men allegedly created more than 40 different user names on eBay with false registration information, then used those aliases to inflate bids on paintings they were auctioning.
PRIVACY ROW: Members of the US Congress have launched an attack on an EU law that restricts how businesses use personal data, saying it threatens to dry up transatlantic e-commerce and challenges US sovereignty. "I believe that the EU Privacy Directive may act as a de-facto privacy standard on the world," said House Energy and Commerce Chairman Billy Tauzin. "I am very concerned that US companies, which have been the creators and the leaders of e-commerce, will be forced to deal with such a restrictive concept."
IN VERY BRIEF...inflow.com, a US-based data management company, is to open its Internet Data Centre in Clondalkin by the end of the month.