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TechnologyDaily Mobile
Google, DoubleClick Get European Review
by Winter Casey
The European Commission announced Tuesday that it will investigate Google's proposed merger with the DoubleClick online advertising firm.
"The commission's initial market investigation indicated that the proposed merger would raise competition concerns in the markets for intermediation and ad serving in online advertising," according to a commission statement. The body has until April 2 to make a final decision on competition concerns related to the merger.
The commission plans to specifically investigate whether DoubleClick would grow into an effective online ad competitor against Google without the transaction. The government body also will investigate whether the merger of the leader in online advertising space and intermediation services with the leader in ad-serving technology "could lead to anti-competitive restrictions for competitors operating in these markets and thus harm consumers."
Google Chairman and CEO Eric Schmidt voiced disappointment at the commission's decision to review the merger further. "We seek to avoid further delays that might put us at a disadvantage in competing fully against Microsoft, Yahoo, AOL and others whose acquisitions in the highly competitive online advertising market have already been approved," Schmidt said.
Last month, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said it will not block the $3.1 billion acquisition of DoubleClick by Google. Australian regulators found that the two companies are not close competitors in the provision of ad-serving and that other competitors would put some constraints on the merged company.
The merger also has been under scrutiny by regulators and lawmakers in the United States.
Europe Eyes Central Telecom Authority
Also on Tuesday, the European Commission proposed the creation of a European Telecom Market Authority to help the commission and European Union telecom regulators ensure that market rules and consumer regulation are applied to communications services consistently in EU nations.
"From today onwards, a single market without borders for Europe's telecom operators and consumers is no longer only a dream," commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said in a statement. "A more European regulatory approach is particularly justified in telecoms. After all, airwaves know no borders. And the Internet protocol has no nationality."
The commission also proposed "strengthening consumer rights; giving consumers more choice by reinforcing competition between telecom operators; promoting investment into new communication infrastructures, in particular by freeing radio spectrum for wireless broadband services; and making communication networks more reliable and more secure, especially in case of viruses and other cyber attacks."
The proposals must be approved by the European Parliament and the EU Council of Ministers.
In other European news, the commission's Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency issued a call for proposals for a study on information and communication technologies in education.
European Nations Embrace Emergency Calling
The government of Netherlands on Nov. 8 signed an agreement to support the implementation of an automatic emergency calling system for cars known as eCall.
The technology works by calling an emergency service in the event of an accident. It uses a European emergency number and reports the crash site's geographical location. An eCall may be spurred automatically or manually by a person in the vehicle.
The service is expected to drastically cut emergency response time, save up to 2,500 lives each year and reduce the severity of accident-related injuries. Thus far, 15 countries besides the Netherlands have signed the agreement: Austria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Lithuania, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
In September, the commission called on EU nations to work toward making eCall a reality. The commission also currently is negotiating with the automotive industry to install eCall equipment in cars by 2010 and support the standardization of the technology, and the body is promoting eCall in public-awareness campaigns.
Malaysia, Pakistan Sign Trade Pact
Officials from Malaysia and Pakistan on Tuesday inked a trade accord, according to Malaysia's International Trade and Industry Ministry.
The agreement will take effect Jan. 1 and is meant to "further facilitate and strengthen the two-way trade and investment, as well as enhanced bilateral economic and industrial cooperation on a long-term basis between Malaysia and Pakistan."
The pact calls for "bilateral technical cooperation and capacity-building" in intellectual property and telecommunications, among other areas. Major exports from Malaysia to Pakistan and from Pakistan to Malaysia in 2006 included electronic and electrical products.
Chinese Official Addresses E-Waste Problem
The Chinese government is working on more measures to encourage the development of an e-waste recycling industry within the country, according to a report from China's state press.
China plans to run pilot e-waste treatment plants in a number of cities, China Daily reported. China also is expected to consider preferential tax policies and the allocation of treasury bonds to encourage the e-waste industry, according to Li Jing, an environmental official with the National Development and Reform Commission.
Also in China, the country's official information portal reports that most users surf the Internet at around 8 p.m., or during the same time that prime-time television is airing. According to a recent survey conducted by the China Youth Daily and Sina.com, the Internet is gaining more popularity and necessity than watching television for many.
In other world news, Highway Africa News Agency reported that a computer glitch at the Kenyan-Ugandan border of Malaba resulted in a huge traffic jam this week. Computers at the Ugandan side of the border were infected with a virus that slowed the process of clearing trucks at the border.
Custom officials reportedly worked around the clock to clear the long line of vehicles. The problem was further complicated by the fact that officials could not clear the tankers manually because the process was strictly operating as an online clearing system.
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