Irish businesses may curtail IT spending this year

The IT market in Ireland is set to grow in 2005, but expansion may be limited by pressure to reduce costs. IDC found that although the market is expected to expand this year, pressure to keep business costs down and growing competition may lead to a squeezing of IT departments' budgets. Less than half of all organisations surveyed expect their spend to be up on last year; 29 percent believe it will fall. IDC noted that large organisations polled for the survey - those with 500 or more employees - were more positive about their future IT budgets, with a significant percentage expecting to increase, rather than decrease, their IT spending during the year. Some 37 percent of all organisations expect hardware spending to increase, with a similar number predicting a rise in their software expenditure. To read more on this story visit Tekrati.com.

GigaBeam launches high-speed wireless broadband

US wireless-broadband equipment maker GigaBeam is introducing a wireless broadband product to Ireland that can carry as much data as 1,000 DSL connections. GigaBeam's WiFiber product removes the need for a copper or fibre-optic connection between a Metropolitan Area Network and a company's offices -- the so-called "last mile." The lack of a broadband-enabled last mile has delayed the introduction of broadband to many Irish companies in recent years. Although Irish companies can already get wireless broadband using other products, WiFiber is distinguished by the data speeds it can achieve. WiFiber can carry data at speeds of 1Gbps, which is equivalent to 647 T1 lines, or 1,000 DSL connections. However, the technology requires a line of sight between network points. For more on this story read ElectricNews.Net.

BT targets SMEs in broadband promotion

In other broadband news, a new promotion from BT Ireland will offer broadband to small and medium-sized enterprises for EUR10 per month. The offer is valid for the first 12-months of service and is part of a complete communications package which includes calls, line rental and 2MB broadband bundled together on a single bill. For companies that cannot receive broadband because of line quality or exchange availability issues, BT Ireland is offering BT Anytime: flat-rate, ISDN/PSTN dial-up access for 12 months free of charge. For more on this story see Business World.

Virus writers compete to infect PCs

An increase in virus activity in the past week is being caused by hacking groups competing with each other to create large groups of remote-controlled PCs, according to security experts. It appears that three separate groups of virus writers are behind a spate of worm attacks which exploit a flaw in Microsoft's Plug&Play software. "Owning a large network of compromised computers is a valuable asset to these criminals and every business needs to take steps to ensure they are not the next victim on their list," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos. Microsoft has issued patches for the flaw but the worms are taking advantage of PCs that as yet remain unpatched. For more on this story read Vnunet.com.

Online forums: listening to your customers

In profile: IT@Cork

Case study: Pigsback.com

Make the most of a VoIP connection

21 September, The Alexander Hotel, Merrion Square, Dublin 2
As business continuity and security become increasingly important to the success of both large and small organisations, companies need to be aware of the various processes and available solutions. This IDC event aims to offer advice on identifying business-critical processes, understanding and quantifying threats, lowering management costs, understanding the technology available, and implementing realistic plans for protecting your business.

The Business Shop is an online resource where people from Ireland and abroad can advertise the selling or buying of a business, seek investment funding, or acquire a franchise opportunity. The website currently features businesses for sale, franchises and short-term contracts. It is designed to be easy-to-use and is full of useful features; for example, users can register for free email/mobile alerts when a business opportunity that matches their requirements is posted on the site.