TechTalent Technology Portal


	MySpace slashes head count by 30 percent Amid economic woes, stagnant growth, and a management shakeup, onetime social-networking pioneer MySpace has announced that it has cut its head count by slightly under 30 percent in what the company calls a "return to start-up culture." Well, that's a nice way to put it. MORE>> Healthy savings for Ministry TalentPoint using leading edge PeopleNet technology to help Ministry save millions of dollars in recruitment of IT staff... MORE>> Axe swings for Symantec staff Two New Zealand employees are the latest victims of Symantec’s 4.5% cost savings, with both the Security Pre-Sales Engineer and the New Zealand Professional Services Manager now missing from the company’s local staff list. MORE>> CA sponsors Computers in Homes Fourteen local Mangere families have graduated from the national Computers in Homes program last week, in a graduation ceremony held at Jean Batten School and attended by Labour MP Su’a Sio, Mayor Len Brown and Richard Hackett from local funder CA. The company has sponsored the initiative by giving a computer to each of the families. MORE>> Google offers custom search Written by Duncan Campbell/ NetGuide Monday, 24 November 2008 Google is unveiling a new feature enabling users to customise their search results by re-ranking, deleting, adding and commenting on Web search results. MORE>> Fronde announces major profit Wellington-based systems integrator Fronde has announced a $1 million net profit for the six months to 30 September – a turn-around of $4 million on the $3.1 million loss for the same period last year. MORE>> Microsoft launches new SBS and EBS Microsoft launched last week the new versions of the Small Business Server (SBS) and the Essential Business Server (EBS). MORE>> Frucor picks Axon for major Trans-Tasman solution. Frucor Beverages Group has selected Axon to design and implement a major new desktop management system across its Australian and New Zealand operations. MORE>> Video Game with International Distribution Deal Dunedin-based company Clocktower Games Limited has signed a contract with the world’s largest online distributor of casual video games, Big Fish Games, to distribute its first online game Casebook, Episode I. MORE>> Apple unveils new iPod Touch and Nano Apple announced today the launch of two new iPods, the second generation iPod touch and the fourth generation iPod nano. MORE>> Codec acquires Black Coffee Software Codec Software has acquired Wellington-based Java developer Black Coffee. MORE>> Beijing Olympics Success for Zen Track Bike Dynamic Composites - an innovative Kiwi company - designed, developed and manufactured the Zen bike Hayden Roulston rode to Silver. Dynamic are delighted to be associated with the New Zealand Olympic team and their Beijing success. MORE>> FlightCheck service brings flight information via New Zealand-based YouTXT Ltd is launching a service that allows air travellers with a mobile phone to receive information about their flights... MORE>> Kiwi Sites - 2nd most hacked nation per population New Zealand is the second most hacked country on earth per head of population, a new report says. MORE>> Grand Theft Auto IV April is here, marking the explosive return of the Grand Theft Auto franchise to PLAYSTATION®. Arriving April 29th, Grand Theft Auto IV is the most anticipated game of the year, and now, you'll finally get to own it on PLAYSTATION®3. MORE>> Grand Turismo 5 Prologue Gran Turismo 5 Prologue™, the prequel title showcasing the forthcoming Gran Turismo 5 for PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™), is the latest instalment of one of the most successful global gaming franchises of the last ten years – renowned for its realism, quality of design and in-car physics technology – now, with the power of PS3 behind it, it’s going from strength to strength. The 71-car-strong vehicle list i MORE>> iPod remote changes tracks in the blink of an eye TOKYO - Bat an eyelid to replay your favorite iPod tune with a new Japanese remote control that works in the blink of an eye. MORE>> Lost the Video Game If you like the series, you may love the game... MORE>> JobCafe Upgraded PeopleNet LTD released the latest upgrade of JobCafe today. The new site allows members to manage their personal profile across multiple sites... MORE>> Google integrates AIM into Gmail Google has integrated AOL's popular AIM instant-messaging service into its Gmail Web-based e-mail client, the company announced on Tuesday. MORE>> Microsoft pulls plug on potty-mouth Santa Microsoft cuts off Big Man after he starts talking about sex acts, using foul language MORE>> Kiwi game inventor breaks 10yr losing streak The New Zealander who invented Tantrix has finally won the game's world title after a decade of defeats. MORE>> Microsoft working on Web proxy vulnerability Microsoft is working on a fix for an eight-year-old flaw in Windows that lets hackers exploit a Web proxy auto configuration protocol and take over groups of machines via a single attack. MORE>> Hackers jack Monster.com, infect job hunters Monster.com took a portion of its Web site offline Monday as researchers reported that it had been compromised by an IFrame attack and was being used to infect visitors with a multi-exploit attack kit. MORE>> Bebo launches free video content deal Bebo said on Tuesday its new "Open Media" system would allow users to store their favourite video and music content within their profile pages MORE>> Dunedin firm tracks Aussie kayakers If the 2200km trip is successful, it will be the first ever kayak expedition between the two countries. MORE>> Intel's 45-nano Penryn chip The chips are the first in the world to be mass-produced with a 45-nanometre process, about one-third smaller than current 65-nanometre technology. MORE>> Oracle takes on VMware Oracle VM, unveiled Monday at the Oracle OpenWorld convention in San Francisco, enables virtualization on Oracle and non-Oracle software applications and on the Linux and Windows operating systems. MORE>> Google offers software for mobile web access Google said yesterday that it would offer a software system to make the internet work smoothly on mobile phones MORE>> Broadband uptake slips The pace of internet broadband uptake is too slow for New Zealand MORE>> Microsoft sets release dates Microsoft sets release dates for Visual Studio 2008, .Net Framework 3.5. New releases are first pieces of Microsoft’s software-as-a-service infrastructure MORE>> Humans will love, marry robots by 2050 An artificial intelligence researcher predicts that robotics will make such dramatic advances in the coming years that humans will be marrying robots by the year 2050. MORE>> IT job boom coming? New Zealand's IT sector will generate more than 11,000 new jobs from 2007 to 2011.... MORE>> Strong dollar pushing tech-companies overseas Technology companies are increasingly looking overseas to protect margins under pressure from high exchange rates, says the latest Technology Investment Network 100 report. MORE>> Ballmer claims Red Hat violates Microsoft IP Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer says Red Hat Linux uses intellectual property owned by Microsoft and that Red Hat’s customers should pay Microsoft for it. MORE>> Gartner's top 10 strategic technologies for 2008 Green IT, unified communications, virtualization, mashups among most important, Gartner says MORE>> The top 10 reasons web sites get hacked Web developers ignore security flaws at customers' peril. MORE>> New Zealand 2007 Daylight Saving Changes In April 2007 the New Zealand Government announced an update to the Time Act of 1974. MORE>> Trade Me gets the Travel Bug Trade Me launched their travel website, Travelbug, yesterday with listings from around 1500 travel providers around the country. MORE>> Online auctions revolutionise NZ home loan market Forget the couch or car – home loans are New Zealand’s hottest new online auction items. The online mortgage marketplace fundit.co.nz launched yesterday morning (27 August ’07), pitching home loan lenders directly against each other in live web-based auctions to offer the best deals for prospective customers. MORE>> Robots Save Lives Robot-Hosting of New Zealand has solved the dangers associated with using humans in mines. MORE>> New Zealand - Blast Off New Zealand is about to join the growing international space industry with a suborbital rocket capable of shooting 150 kilometres into the sky. MORE>> TracPlus™ version 1.01 released TracPlus Version 1.0.1 with multiple map support and automatic updates has been released today and is being shipped on DVD by courier to all existing TracPlus users. All existing users are urged to update to this latest version of TracPlus to take advantage of this new functionality. MORE>> Latest Playstation Starter Pack released Sony Computer Entertainment Australia and New Zealand are pleased to announce the PLAYSTATION®3 Starter Pack, made available through retailers from the beginning of August. MORE>> iYomu New Zealands own social networking site will take on Bebo... MORE>> Microsoft's JPEG XR The international organization responsible for establishing the standards for image compression has agreed to consider the adoption of a new photo file format developed by Microsoft. MORE>> Meridian go with Cisco When Meridian Energy moves into its new Wellington offices in October, staff will have state-of-the-art telecommunications equipment at their disposal. MORE>> Drunk Astronants cleared for liftoff Drunk astronauts were cleared for both a space shuttle mission and a flight aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket, a doctor who conducted an independent review of Nasa crew behaviour said yesterday. MORE>> NZ Wireless offers Wellington clients VOIP Wellington WiMax network operator NZ Wireless has increased its service to small businesses in the capital and is offering voice lines as well as broadband over its wireless network. MORE>> Lets get real About My Space 29,000 known sex offenders on MySpace. So claims the office of North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper. MySpace says the number isn't accurate, and says it's taking its own steps to keep the baddies of its site. MORE>> Aussie Invasion into Mobile Space An Australian telco is set to enter the New Zealand mobile market, signing a deal with Vodafone to use its mobile network. Australian telco M2 Telecommunications is expected to make an announcement in the next few days about a wholesale deal with Vodafone. MORE>> Telecom acheive 50% upgrade of Mobile Network Telecom’s GM of Business Products Martin Butler says that the first phase, which began in Auckland last December, is now complete and deployment to the rest of the country has begun. MORE>> New Venture launched to bring Tech Talent into NZ Kiwi-Lifestyle.com is a new concept in international recruitment marketing. The venture will provide a variety of resources to help New Zealand organisations achieve an improved return on their investment with offshore recruitment. MORE>>

Codec acquires Black Coffee Software

9/09/2008

According to Sean Wilson, Codec’s Managing Director, this acquisition will boost the company’s capabilities by combining Black Coffee’s Java development expertise with Codec’s Microsoft .Net skills.

“Our customers work in a heterogeneous world, not in an abstract theoretical homogeneous environment. We need to be able to offer them real choices that assist their organisations to perform and grow, not constrain them due to artificial technology limitations,” commented Wilson.

“Customers of both Black Coffee and Codec have expressed an interest in dealing with a company that offers both Java and Microsoft services and these clients have shown their support towards the merger of our two companies,” he added.

The two companies have an extensive list of clients including Toyota New Zealand, NZ Police, Kiwibank, National Library, NZ Defence, Trustees Executors, m2Wealth International, Concordia, and TBI Health.

Craig Wilson, Managing Director of Black Coffee Software, will join Codec’s senior management team and also take on the role of Codec Development Manager.

“Combining Black Coffee Software with Codec was an easy choice as the organisational cultures of Black Coffee and Codec are similar. Both Sean and I see the technical team as being at the centre of the business — our role as managers is to provide an environment in which the development team can be the best they can be,” said Craig Wilson.

Ten staff from Black Coffee will join Codec Software, which will bring the company’s staff numbers to 23. The team will be based at Codec’s Lumley House office in Wellington.