Baltimore Technologies abhors a PR vacuum, so one imagines there was little complaining when rumours about the company's supposed takeover by Microsoft electrified both the Internet share trading chatrooms and, in consequence, the online traderooms themselves. Over at Baltimore's brand new corporate offices (conveniently located across the road from Ryan's pub on Parkgate Street in Dublin) the company displayed its usual sense of humour. The company address would soon be altered to Park Gates Street, suggested one wag, amid other jocularities.

But based on Baltimore's past performances, the Margin was convinced that the company was engaged in a wily reverse takeover and that CEO Fran Rooney would soon be calling the shots from Redmond.

Certainly, Baltimore could make good use of the talents of tech-savvy Mr Gates. It's hard to find people who can knowledgably explain those complex PKI tech security products, isn't it?

However, news agencies seem confused about the company's identity. Reuters describes the Irish company as a "US-based" company, while Bloomberg, in an earlier piece, said Baltimore was a "British company . . . which has strong Irish links."

That's what comes of all those confusing mergers and takeovers and, of course, from conveniently picking a Yank-sounding name to begin with.