Microsoft faces increasing pressure to settle the US government anti-trust suit after last Friday's ruling in the government's favour. A final judgment is not due until early next year, but last week's ruling that Microsoft has monopoly power in PC operating systems - and that this has harmed consumer interests - is a serious setback for Microsoft.
Sun and Caldera have cases pending against Microsoft that could be helped greatly by a verdict that Microsoft holds a monopoly. If, however, the anti-trust action is settled last week's preliminary finding would not stand.
The full text of Friday's ruling and other documentation from the case is available online at: www.usdoj.gov/atr/cases/ms-index.htm
No tax to stay home: The Institute of Tax has recommended tax breaks for employers who give staff PCs for use at home. In its pre-Budget submission, the institute said that this would encourage tele-working, thereby reducing traffic congestion. The submission can be read at: www.taxireland.ie
Excellence in business: Business and IT staff have been invited to enter "Excellence Through IT Awards 2000" which aim to recognise value added to business by use of innovative technology. Entries should justify the business need for the project and explain the business benefits of its development. Closing date for all entries is 30th March 2000. Info - www.capgemini.ie
Bigger than Y2K? Euro conversion will be a much larger project than Y2K for many companies, Noel Crowley, EMU programme director for Cap Gemini, warned at the third Euro Convention in Dublin. Key issues include removing the pound sign, conversion of data, and testing and sourcing of suitable resources.
Bridge with a view: The Esat Telecom subsidiary BridgeCom has bought Viewpoint DataComms, a Cork-based systems integrator. It paid £1.8 million, with an additional £800,000 earn-out over two years.
Linux dons new hat: Red Hat is expected to announce support services for products other than its own distribution of Linux. It plans to support users of the Apache web server and Sendmail messaging server, regardless of the Linux distribution they run on or whether they run on Linux at all, PC Week reported. Eventually Red Hat intends to support all applications that are committed to the open-source development model.
Listening to the listeners: RealNetworks apologised last week after it emerged that it was secretly collecting details about the musical preferences of its customers. It admitted that information from its free RealJukebox software, used by over 12 million people, is sent on the Internet to its headquarters. A software patch to block the tracking can be downloaded from www.real.com.
Cracking the wires: Crackers known as the "United Loan Gunmen" infiltrated the Associated Press web site last week. Content on the news agency's corporate site was replaced with a Halloween greeting and a poem by Edgar Allen Poe, according to AP. It said that its news wires were not affected.
Too much too soon: British ISP CallNet found itself unable to cope with demand for its totally free Internet service, launched last Monday. It admitted that it was not ready for the initial demand, and a notice on its site says that registration has been suspended.
In the frame: British police have arrested six people suspected of violence during June's anti-capitalist riot in London after posting images of the protesters on the Internet. "Nine people have been identified off our list of 72 photos placed on the Web. Six have been arrested so far," said a police spokesman.
Stocks for skills: Silicon chip design company SSL has called on the Government to help tackle the skills shortage by encouraging the introduction of employee stock options. At the launch of the company's new design centre in Cork last week, chief executive Brian Long said that capital gains on stock options should be taxed at 20 per cent, rather than the current 46 per cent.
Surf's up: Esat Clear has joined with IBM to launch a low-cost home Internet package. Users of Surf PC get an IBM computer with Internet access and 10 hours' off-peak Net access per month for just over £1 per day.
In Brief... Training group Interactive Avenue has been awarded Macromedia accreditation for Ireland. . . Eircell has announced the availability of SMS on its pre-paid Ready to Go mobile phone. . . Microsoft has acquired speech recognition software maker Entropic in an effort to help its push for the development of speech-enabled telephony products. . . Bray company Data Edge has launched a new product Optimal Application Vantage aimed at speeding up response times of e-commerce businesses on the Web. . .