In Short

A round-up of today's other stories in brief...

Irish Software Association looks to new council's expertise to chart course through downturn

The Irish Software Association will facilitate members to "navigate an economic downturn", according to director Shane Dempsey, with seven new members elected to its executive council at its AGM.

The new members include those pursuing newer business models such as software as a service (Joe Drumgoole, chief executive of Put Place, and Declan Kearney, chief executive of Supplierforce), as well as representatives of the leading multinationals based here (John Caulfield, Oracle). Those stepping down include former chairperson Bernie Cullinan.

A new survey of members found that the UK is the most common market Irish software companies sell into (over 70 per cent), with approximately 68 per cent selling into Europe and over 55 per cent active in the US market. Less than 15 per cent sell into the Chinese market.

The most common sectors which Irish software companies target are finance (62 per cent), telecoms (50 per cent) and pharmaceuticals (28 per cent).

In terms of turnover, the bulk of members (47 per cent) have annual revenues of between €1-10 million. Ten per cent have a turnover of €20-50 million, while just 13 per cent have managed to break through the €50 million ceiling.

New Nokia phones will provide enhanced music experience

Nokia has extended its music strategy with the announcement of a deal with Sony BMG which will provide free 12-month access to the label's artists for users of its Comes with Music service. This follows a similar deal with Universal, signed last December.

The Finnish mobile phone maker said at least three new music phones will go on sale in the second half of the year which will support the new service.

Having the world's two largest labels on board will help Nokia to sign up smaller labels as it challenges the dominant pay-per-track model for digital music which has been so successful for Apple in particular.

Nokia also announced the Irish availability of two new handsets optimised for entertainment, music and games.

The aluminium-finished Nokia 5310 XpressMusic offers 18 hours of music playback and storage for up to 3,000 songs on an optional 4GB memory card. It is 9.9mm thick and weighs 71 grams.

The Nokia 5610 XpressMusic has a large 2.2-inch 16 million colour display and battery life for 22 hours of music play. It can store 3,000 songs on an expansion card. Prices range from €225 to €560.

Microsoft tests Live Mesh

Microsoft has begun testing Live Mesh, a web-based service which lets users share computer files from different locations and devices. Testers for the programme will use a personal website to register the devices and designate files which can be accessed. Live Mesh can also create a remote desktop which enables users to reach applications on registered computers online.

Microsoft, facing a challenge from internet-based software and programmes for wireless devices, aims to make its programmes more mobile. The new technology, initially available on Windows, will be adapted to work with the mobile-phone version of Windows and Apple's Macintosh software.

"Devices should all work together," said Amit Mital, general manager of Microsoft Live Mesh. "The data and applications that you use on a daily basis should be available from anywhere."

Ten thousand people will take part in Microsoft's initial trial. A beta version of the technology will be available before the end of the year, Mital said. He declined to say how much the software will cost or how it will be sold. The goal is to make contacts, data and software available from any device, including those not connected to the internet.

Arantech's Touchpoint software is set to go live in SE Asia

Arantech, the Dublin company which sells software to help mobile operators manage customer experience, has won a tool with Singapore's M1. Arantech's Touchpoint software will go live on the M1 network by the middle of the year and will monitor the end-user experience of subscribers using its 3G data services.

"M1 wishes to proactively identify customer issues, which will now be possible in near real time using the Arantech system, helping us to further establish ourselves as an innovative and customer-centric operator," said M1 chief executive Neil Montefiore.

Arantech chief executive Brendan McDonagh said it was the firm's first win in southeast Asia. The company has established a regional office in Singapore which will be responsible for sales and customer inquiries. The office will be headed by Arantech's regional director, Simon Hudson.