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Asia's Top Tech News: Week in Review

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The telecommunications, computer, and technology industry has been bustling in Asia, with major news and developments across the region. One notable story involves a blind man's accessibility battle against the organizers of the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, which had a website that was inaccessible to individuals with visual impairments. In Japan, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. completed its $5.5 billion acquisition of ISP Verio Inc. amidst concerns of espionage risks. Meanwhile, Intel Corp. recalled its new Pentium III chip due to technical issues, while IBM Corp. announced a $200 million investment in research and development in the Asia-Pacific region.

Key Takeaways:

  • SOCOG was found to have discriminated against a blind man by not developing an Olympics website that he could access properly, with the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission ruling in his favor.
  • NTT Communications' acquisition of Verio for $5.5 billion was completed, despite concerns about espionage risks and the potential impact on US wiretapping activities.
  • Intel Corp. recalled its new Pentium III chip due to technical issues, which will set back its rollout by a couple of months.
  • IBM Corp. announced a $200 million investment in research and development in the Asia-Pacific region, with a focus on developing Linux-ready product lines.
  • Pacific Century CyberWorks announced its plan to internationalize the Internet's addressing system, which was supported by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) in principle.
  • The Philippines government agency, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, granted a five-year exclusive license to SAGE, a local operator of online gambling operations.
  • Cable & Wireless Optus shares jumped 5% on the Australian Stock Exchange as reports spread that Hong Kong conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa and Japan's NTT were considering a joint offer for Australia's number two telephone company.
  • IBM Corp. committed $200m to Asia-Pacific Linux initiatives, emphasizing its focus on developing Linux-ready product lines.

Statistics:

  • More than half of all Australian households owned a computer at the end of May, according to a study by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
  • A study found that people earning A$84,000 or more a year were 3.2 times more likely to have Net access than those earning under A$22,000.
  • Fujian Mobile completed construction of what it claims is the world's first latest-generation GPRS mobile network.
  • China State Farms Agribusiness launched FoodNet100, a nationwide online exchange platform for the food industry in China.
  • Iomega Pacific plans to broadbase its operations in India, with talks for joint ventures and potential acquisitions.
  • Spectranet launched a high-speed cable Net service in New Delhi.
  • Infosys set up an offshore development center in the UK this year.
  • Ariba Inc. set up a wholly owned subsidiary, Ariba Technologies India Pvt. Ltd. (ATIPL), based in Bangalore.

Sources:

  • "Olympics Site Discriminates Against The Blind - Update" (Archive Story: http://www.newsbytes.com/news/00/154276.html)
  • "NTT Completes $5.5 Billion Verio Buy" (Archive Story: http://www.newsbytes.com/news/00/154473.html)
  • "ICANN Supports Foreign Language Domain Names In Principle" (Archive Story: http://www.newsbytes.com/news/00/154333.html)
  • "Intel Recalls Its Fastest Pentium Chip" (Archive Story: http://www.newsbytes.com/news/00/154340.html)
  • "IBM Commits $200m To Asia-Pacific Linux Initiatives" (Archive Story: http://www.newsbytes.com/news/00/154568.html)
  • "Philippines - Gambling Operator Faces Charges" (Archive Story: http://www.newsbytes.com/news/00/154464.html)
  • "Takeover Fever Grips Australian Telecoms Market" (Archive Story: http://www.newsbytes.com/news/00/154497.html)
  • "Other news of note from around the region reported by Newsbytes this week"

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