Hackers have forced the temporary closure of the Connect Ireland server. The company said in a statement that the attack last week was part of a pattern of attacks apparently aimed at disrupting the East Timorese Internet domain, established a year ago by the East Timor Project.
The East Timor Project, supported by Connect Ireland, has promoted the recognition of East Timor's right to its own domain name (.tp), despite Indonesia's occupation of its territory. Connect Ireland said that "international efforts to trace the hackers" were under way, and that "the Indonesian government is known to be very antagonistic to [East Timor's] display of virtual sovereignty."
Iona In Clover: Good news for Iona investors as the Dublin-based company declared record results for 1998, with revenue of almost $84 million, marking growth of 72 per cent for 1997. Growth has been attributed to the successful release of a slew of middleware products in 1998, including most recently, OrbixWeb 3.1, OrbixTalk 2.0 and OrbixSSL. Iona also picked up a goodly number of high-profile new customers during the year, including American Airlines, Cable & Wireless and the ubiquitous British Sky Broadcasting.
Co-Operating On Convergence: 3Com and Microsoft are extending their co-operative efforts, the latest involving converged networks that carry data, voice and video. As part of the deal, 3Com is to open a development centre near the Microsoft campus in Redmond so it can expand its range of Windows-based networking products.
Ecommerce Enhancement: A programme of seminars which might help so far-reluctant businesses to embrace ecommerce is to be launched by the Minister for Science, Technology and Commerce, Noel Treacy, this week in Kilkenny. The inaugural forum goes back to basics with a seminar entitled, "So you want to build a website?" to be held in the Orchard Suite Hotel on Thursday night at 8.00 p.m.
Transaction Gold: The Taoiseach will today launch an e-commerce software package aimed at allowing companies to "set up shop" on the Web. Irish ecommerce development company Cyrona has developed the Trans-Action Gold package, which allows companies to create a sales presence which incorporates design, product information and inventory control. - info: www.cyrona.com
Apex Peaks: Apex Software has become one of the top three accountancy software companies worldwide with its purchase of British-based IBIS Business Systems Ltd. in a £2.6 deal. This will double Apex's turnover to over £4 million in the current year with employment in excess of 100.
Netscape Knows: Netscape has chosen directory software designed and manufactured in Ireland for its new product suite, Netscape Meta-Directory 1.0, to be released later this year. The Dublin operation of Internet software development company Isocor is to collaborate with Netscape in delivering advanced meta-directory technology over the coming months.
Intel Invests: Intel is to invest $100 million in Samsung Electronic's next-generation memory product, Direct RDRAM. Samsung will use the investment to invest in Direct RDRAM fabrication, assembly and test.
More Excitement @Home: AT&T is considering selling its Internet-access business to the US service provider @Home for $1 billion. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, the proposed deal would entail the sale of AT&T's dialup service, WorldNet, which is the second-largest online service after America Online.
Supply With Intent: A Chinese businessman, accused of subversion for supplying email addresses to dissidents abroad, has been sentenced to two years in prison. Lin Hai, 30, is the first person to be convicted in China's effort to crush dissent on the Internet. Lin was convicted of "inciting the subversion of state power," in giving email addresses of computer users to a pro-democracy journal.
Network Result: Net Results has released WinGate 3.0, an application which, the company says, will permit easy Internet access. It allows multiple network users to share a single Internet connection through dial-up, ISDN modems, DSL and cable modems, as well as dedicated Internet connections and satellite connections.
In Brief... Visio has reported revenues of $48.2 million for the first quarter of 1999; a 29 percent increase on the same period last year . . . Next month, Fios Feasa will introduce their new bilingual CD-Rom of Irish Proverbs . . . Corel is back in profit, with revenue of £67 million for the last quarter of 1998; an increase of 54 per cent over the same period in 1997 . . . ICL has announced that it will be prime contractor in a £6 million Dept of Justice project to computerise the prison service . . . Microsoft has succumbed to another delay in delivery of the Windows 2000 operating system, with news of a hold-up in the release of its beta version. But the company says it is committed to delivering a final version before the end of 1999 . . . Lycos is said to be considering an alliance with German media giant Bertelsmannn in its search for a media or telecommunications partner