The week in review

AT HOME

THE MULTIMILLION-RAND system that allows cellphone users to switch networks and take their number with them has been used by just 23 000 people. That means that only one in every 1 521 cellphone users has bothered with number portability, with close to 35 million people ignoring it. - Business Day

THE E-RATE project, designed by the Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) and the Department of Education to bring Internet connections to about 27 000 schools by 2011, is running a year behind schedule. Last week, Icasa councillor Zolisa Masiza blamed the delay on logistics, including lack of electricity and infrastructure in some remote areas and cable theft, rather than regulatory issues. - Business Report

DIEBOLD SA, a leading provider of ATMs and self-service solutions to the financial services industry, concluded a BEE deal with Dieco Investments and is now 25.1%-owned by the black investment company, wholly owned by the Diebold Staff Trust.

STANDARD BANK launched its revamped Internet banking site, with "more intuitive navigation, less clutter, and added security features", such as one-time passwords, SMS alerts and free antivirus software downloads. But the bank also drew criticism from customers by announcing a monthly fee of R17.50 on overdrafts greater than R250, whether or not the facility is used.

INTERNET services company, Cyberhost, has had its trading suspension lifted by the JSE. By midday on its first day of renewed trading, January 24, the company`s shares rose to 6 cents from 1 cent.

DUE TO AN increasing demand for online travel content, Independent Online`s (IOL) has launched its new independent travel site www.ioltravel.co.za. IOL`s travel site features a selection of South African, African and global travel opportunities, in addition to currency converters, flight bookings, restaurant reservations and car hire quotes from anywhere in the world and helpful travel tips.

THE TOP JOB at the Independent Communications Authority of SA is finally being advertised to find a replacement for former CEO Jackie Manche, who resigned midway through a hearing on her alleged violation of the Public Finance Management Act. The CEO`s job is a three-year post for "a highly competent individual" up to the challenge of cultivating a culture of discipline, accountability, efficiency and effectiveness, the advertisement says. - Business Day

THE FILMS and Publications Board says not all .za websites trading adult content have shut down and those still doing business now face prosecution. The board in September gave sites selling DVDs or other adult content online until 31 December to stop trading.

THE SEVEN Fountains Primary School in Shayamoya township, in KZN, will soon have a new lease on life. Students of the school have recently been moved around from one makeshift building to another after their school was evicted from the farm where it resided. But soon they`ll be getting a brand new school, thanks to Oprah`s Angel Network. And with the involvement of AMD as part of its 50x15 Initiative, the new school, which will house about 1 200 students, will be equipped with an Internet-connected computer laboratory.

INTO AFRICA

AFRICA: Microsoft`s products have been locked out of the on-going World Social Forum (WSF) in Nairobi, Kenya. With over 300 computers provided for participants and the press, organisers of the WSF have preferred to provide open source software products and blocked all Microsoft related products for the forum`s usage and its related activities. Participants say that this was a way of fighting Microsoft`s "imperialistic tendencies". - Highway Africa News Agency

EAST AFRICA: Say goodbye to roaming charges on Safaricom lines used in Uganda and Tanzania. Kenya`s leading mobile operator has partnered with MTN Uganda and Vodacom Tanzania to provide a joint network for subscribers within East Africa as of February 1. The service will rival Celtel`s `One Network`, also a seamless cross-border network, in the same three countries, launched in September. - The East African Standard

LIBERIA: Information Minister Lawrence Bropleh has disclosed that the Liberian government is reviewing all contracts entered into with GSM companies. He said in the case where the government finds out that contracts are in contravention of the laws of the country, they will be reviewed, renegotiated, cancelled or considered null and void. - The Inquirer

KENYA: Africa Online, which is based in Kenya, was in talks with several potential bidders, it said, after reports that Telkom was interested in buying the Internet service provider. Africa Online declined to give the names of the potential bidders. - Reuters

KENYA: The eagerly awaited initial public offer by mobile telephone company Safaricom may happen as early as within the next six months. After months of negotiations, the two shareholders of the company - the government and Vodafone of the UK - have finally agreed on the terms under which the shares will be offered to the public. - The East African

NIGERIA: The Nigerian Communications Commission has confirmed the receipt of full payment of $400 million by Mubadala Development Company, of the United Arab Emirates, for its unified access service licence by the January 19 deadline. - Highway Africa News Agency

ABROAD

SANDISK Corporation, the world`s largest supplier of flash data storage card products, has announced a two-year sponsorship of Ducati Corse`s MotoGP race team, a leader in the high-speed world of motorcycle racing. SanDisk`s name and logo will appear on Ducati Corse MotoGP motorcycles, team clothing and riders` leathers.

MOTOROLA, the world`s second-largest cellphone maker, announced 3 500 job cuts after reporting a sharp fall in fourth-quarter earnings due to an industry price war. The US company`s net profit slumped 48% to $624 million (R4.4 billion) as it slashed prices to keep up with competition from Nokia. The lay-offs amount to 5% of the firm`s global workforce. - Sapa-AFP

HEWLETT-PACKARD announced the formation of a new business unit in its software division to go after the business intelligence and information management markets. HP`s new Business Information Optimization unit`s flagship product will be internally developed data warehousing technology, said Ben Barnes, the newly appointed vice-president and GM of the BI group. - Computerworld

GERMANY, the holder of the EU`s six-month presidency, has proposed capping the amount that cellphone companies can charge customers when they travel. Operators would have to offer a plan where calls made in another EU nation might not exceed €0.50 (R4.64) a minute and calls received outside their home country might not be charged at more than 25c, according to the proposal. The EU measure, which must be approved by EU governments and the European Parliament, would cut about €5 billion from EU wireless carriers` annual revenue of €8.5 billion from roaming charges. - Bloomberg

VENTURE capitalists invested $25.5 billion in 2006, marking the industry`s biggest burst of deal-making in the US since the dot-com bust clogged the financial spigot for entrepreneurs five years ago. A renewed interest in Internet start-ups, combined with expanding opportunities in the healthcare and alternative energy markets, spurred a 12% increase from the $22.8-billion invested in 2005, according to figures jointly released by PricewaterhouseCoopers, Thomson Financial and the National Venture Capital Association. - Sapa-AP

COMPUTER maker Dell opened its first global business centre outside the US to provide 24-hour engineering and technology support to its branches worldwide. Chief executive Kevin Rollins opened the 18 580m2 centre in Malaysia`s hi-tech city of Cyberjaya. Dell said the centre would employ 600 people by year-end and 1 000 within five years. - Sapa-AP

UK MONEY transfer firm Neteller closed its US Internet gambling services, wiping out 65% of its business, after two of its founders were arrested this week. Neteller is the latest victim in a US crackdown on online gaming. Stephen Lawrence and John Lefebvre have been charged with handling billions of dollars in illegal gambling proceeds. They face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. - Reuters

TEXAS Instruments, the world`s biggest maker of chips for cellphones, said that its quarterly profit rose from a year ago because of a tax credit. The company, which makes chips for everything from calculators to the latest high-tech televisions, said its fourth-quarter profit was $668 million, compared with $655 million, in the year-ago quarter. Revenue rose to $3.46 billion, from $3.32 billion. - Reuters

ALMOST 65% of US consumers spend more time with a computer than with their partners, new research has claimed. A study conducted by independent research firm Kelton Research on behalf of Support.com confirmed consumers` growing relationship with technology in their everyday lives. - vnunet.com