Europe's best-known anti-virus software provider, Dr Solomon's, is being bought by its biggest rival. Network Associates, producer of the McAfee anti-virus programs, has announced a $640-million takeover and Dr Solomon's Anti-Virus Toolkit will now be included in Network Associates' range of security software alongside Net Tools Secure, an integrated package providing anti-virus, encryption, authentication, firewall, intrusion detection and scanning technology. Since it was formed late last year by the merger of McAfee Associates and Network General, Network Associates has also acquired one of the Net's best-known encryption brands - Philip Zimmermann's Pretty Good Privacy.
The Good News: Compaq, which formally took over Digital late last week, expects to break even in the second quarter and to shoulder through a "transitional" third quarter before the merger starts contributing to the company's coffers by the end of this year. The company, which looks set to shed 2,000 jobs, or 6 per cent of its global work force, (there is no indication that any jobs in the company's Irish operation are at risk) made the announcement immediately after Digital's shareholders approved the $9 billion acquisition last Thursday.
And Then The Bad: The same company is facing a $10 billion lawsuit claiming copyright infringement and fraud. The complaint alleges that Compaq reproduced in its own guidebook portions of a book published by Ergonome Incorporated on preventing computer-related injuries. Ergonome claimed in a New York court that Compaq has distributed at least 21 million copies of its Safety and Comfort Guide with computers sold since August 1994.
A Flexicom Friend: Flexicom, the Dublin payment card software specialists, were part of a pioneering Euro transaction in Brussels last Thursday. A test transaction - the purchase of a Euro-branded wrist-watch for €36.86 - was conducted by Visa with a Euro-denominated test card. Flexicom software enables banks and retailers to process transactions in both their national currency and the Euro.
In The Navy: A major US online privacy case - involving a sailor who was discharged after the navy used his America Online (AOL) profile as evidence that he was gay - has been settled. AOL admitted that it had breached its privacy policy in confirming to a naval investigator that an anonymous profile belonged to Timothy McVeigh. On Friday the navy dropped its appeal and agreed that McVeigh could retire next August with enhanced benefits. The US Electronic Communications Privacy Act requires government agencies to obtain court orders or subpoenas for such information.
Intel In School: More than 300 students in Kildare and Dublin secondary schools have benefited from a pilot information technology tuition programme run by Intel Ireland. Sixty employees volunteered to teach computer applications in one-hour sessions over six weeks as part of the "Intel Involved" scheme, which aims to give practical support to employees doing voluntary work in their local communities.
Clean Slate: Despite industry predictions, Microsoft's Slate magazine (www.slate.com) looks set to succeed after announcing that it held on to more than 20,000 subscribers upon switching to paid circulation three months ago. Editor Michael Kinsley wrote to subscribers last week that the subscription results matched the magazine's targets for its first few months as a paid publication, (costing $19.95 a year).
Hitting The Key Notes: Amazon.com has turned a new page, moving into online music sales. The Seattle-based operation which used the Internet to propel it from a start-up book seller to one of America's leading book retailers, said its new music store will discount over 125,000 titles. Internet music sales are projected to rise from about $300 million this year to $2.5 billion in 2002.
Scholarly Delight: At the official opening of its new server facility in Mulhuddart, Co Dublin, IBM announced plans to donate computer services, hardware and software worth £1,000,000 sterling to Dublin City University. Over 1,000 students will use the new facilities which include a high-end server, operating software, disks, tapes and up to 100 Java-based IBM NetStations.
Esat/Cisco: A major contract between Esat Telecom and Cisco Systems provides for Cisco to supply Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) broadband switches for Esat's national backbone fibre optic network. Two switches will become operational at the end of this month to provide international links for Dublin companies and six more switches will be active by September. High transfer speeds for voice, data, Internet and video applications will be possible.
In Brief... Net Results has won the Dublin regional final of the "New Business Ideas" competition with a product called net.works. . . Cyber-artist, Victoria Vesna returns to Arthouse to set up her exhibition, Dublin Bodies. . . BT has announced the formation of the largest pan-European high-speed data network with 32,000 km of fibre and points of presence in more than 200 cities. . . History will be made this week when the delivery of a baby will be relayed live via the Net. America's Health Network, an Orlando-based cable TV network, plans to broadcast the birth on its Website. . . Revenue from sales of PCs fell by $710 million, or 20 per cent, in the first quarter of 1998. . . AOL has paid $287 million for Mirabilis, the Internet "chat" firm established two years ago. The acquisition was aimed at the company's main product, ICQ (as in I Seek You), an instant communications software tool. . . Oracle has acquired Price Waterhouse's activity-based costing, budgeting and management software Activa. . .John Bruton is proposing that tax credits worth up to £500 a time should be made available to enable more people to buy PCs. Shame he didn't suggest it while Taoiseach.