In Short

A round-up of other technology stories in brief

New initiative to expand e-business

Chambers Ireland and Fás have launched a joint training initiative to increase the use of e-business by smaller Irish companies.

Chambers Ireland head of training and education Michael Cox said: "The benefits of e-business to [ small and medium-sized enterprises] include the ability to reach new markets; reduced administration and overhead costs; increased efficiency; and improved communication with customers, suppliers and distributors."

The one-day training sessions will take place in Letterkenny, Galway, Limerick, Waterford and Blanchardstown over the next two weeks. Each will address: e-business strategy; HR management; internet sales and marketing; and risk management.

Polish community targeted by TV

Magnet Entertainment has launched a communications package targeted specifically at Ireland's Polish community.

The service will allow the 160,000-strong community to access Polish television in Ireland other than by satellite. Users will also be able have a broadband connection and access to cheap calls to Poland.

The Magnet Entertainment Poland package will feature nine TV channels, including three from Poland - TV Polonia, TVP Kultura and TVP3 - and will cost €30 a month on top of line rental.

Software group in €10m export coup

PC and software manufacturer iQon Technologies says it has won export orders worth €10 million following the establishment of a subsidiary, iQon France.

The Dundalk group said the new French subsidiary represented an initial investment of €500,000, with business development director Aidan Donnelly saying it had "the potential to double the size of the company over the next two years".

Award for home health technology

BiancaMed founder Dr Conor Heneghan has won the NovaUCD 2006 Innovation Award for his health monitoring technology.

Dr Heneghan was honoured for "his success in the commercialisation of research undertaken at UCD's School of Electrical, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering".

BiancaMed, a NovaUCD company which employs five people and has raised funds of $400,000 (€316,000), was founded by Dr Heneghan and Dr Philip de Chazal in 2002.

The company is targeting the home health sector and is developing a product that will allow ultra-convenient heart and respiration monitoring at home.

SerCom opens office in China

Supply chain management group SerCom Solutions has opened an office in China to source local suppliers and trading partners for its customers.

SerCom, which has been doing business in China for the past six years, has established the office in Shenzhen, China's first special economic zone.