The start of the month saw the quiet introduction of Telecom Eireann's extension of the call unit for peak-rate calls to ISPs from three minutes to five minutes, writes Eoin Licken. Under the new call structures, all ISPs are to change their numbers, adding special ["]1891["] prefixes and using a single number for the whole country. Calls from modems will then be charged at the local-call rate, with five minutes per 11.5p unit during peak time and the usual 15 minutes per unit off peak.
For the next three months, until the changes are universal, Telecom says it will automatically rebate all customers who call existing ISP numbers. Telecom's own ISP, Tinet, will undergo number changes, even though it already uses a "1891" prefix and a single national number. Though not necessary for the new charge structure, this is being done to ensure all ISPs are equally affected by Telecom's decision in May to reduce charges for Internet access.
NET ACCESS NOT FOR ALL: A research project, The Voluntary Sector in the Information Age, published by the School of Communications in DCU, has found that while cost and stretched financial resources remain the most significant barriers preventing voluntary and community organisations embracing new technology, many believed that the exploitation of information technology was not relevant to their work. The research found that, although Internet usage in the sector, particularly among the higher-income groups, was growing, rural, small community and women's organisations were under-represented.
JAVA ERUPTION POSTPONED: The struggle between Microsoft and Sun Microsystems continues to simmer but has been taken off the boil until September in order to give both companies more time to prepare. They have been squabbling for months over Microsoft's use of Sun's Java logo with Sun contending that Microsoft's operating system is not fully compliant with the current specification required to use the logo.
PORTALS OF BOOM: Portals - sites that aggregate content and services to become Web users' point of entry - have become the Web's most highly-valued properties and in an effort to promote their newly revamped portal, Netscape has announced its ["]Silver Screen Sweepstakes,["] part of a $10 million marketing campaign co-sponsored by Warner Brothers Online, Paramount Digital and Hollywood Online.
GLOOMY PROGNOSIS: Leading technical consultants assembled in Chicago last week to offer a chilling analysis of Y2K prospects. Most presenters concluded that it's already too late for major corporations to tend successfully to their Y2K problems and focus at the conference shifted to tactics designed to minimize potential lawsuits from unsuccessful Y2K projects.
PROSPECTS FOR PROSPECTUS: A new joint venture signed between Irish based strategy consultants, Prospectus and international consulting firm, COBA Technology, will help Irish software firms exploit the potential of their products on a global basis. COBA Technology has pioneered a service which allows software firms to exploit new markets speedily by delivering a low-risk action programme to maximise the commercial potential of company's intellectual property through the establishment of worldwide licensing agreements.
HARD SELL ONLINE: Californian State health officials are investigating an online pharmacy after a newspaper reported Internet customers were ordering Viagra and other drugs without prescriptions. The San Francisco Chronicle found that Performance Drugs, a web-based company selling Viagra as well as female sexual enhancement["] drugs and hair growth treatments, required only a cursory questionnaire and a credit card number to fill orders. The reporter said he received ten Viagra tablets and 10 doses of ["]Stimula,["] advertised as a ["]female erectile cream,["] after agreeing to pay $99.50.
MOOS UPDATES: One of the first email services for Irish farmers has been introduced by Progressive Genetics, Ireland's largest milk recording service provider. Farmers can now receive the milk recording updates on the performance of their herds digitally.
IN VERY BRIEF. . . Managed Solutions Corporation has signed a partnership agreement with FileNET Ltd. to integrate Panagon, Integrated Document Management into its customer management and financial services software product set. . .