NTP, the company suing the maker of BlackBerry, it is a legal entity created to protect US patents. It is a company without the ability for innovation or productivity obstructs the activity of another that has struggled to bring a technology to the market. The case calls into question the aim of patents: to protect innovations and provide incentives.

Full Story (PDF, 21 Kb)

Title: Implicaciones jurídicas de Internet para las empresas (Legal Implications on Internet for Companies)
Source: Landwell-PwC
Date: December 13, 2005
Abstract: Crimes perpetrated on the Web will be tried by supranational courts in 2010, especially those involving intellectual property. This will serve to minimize the jurisdictional problems between different countries. This is one of the key conclusions drawn from a study carried out by Landwell-PwC, which analyzed the current situation on the Internet as related to several areas of activity as well as offering a development forecast for the next five years.
In the realm of intellectual property, the study predicts an increase in the availability of legal online music, although it recognizes that private networks for exchanging content will continue to exist. In terms of advertising, the experts at Landwell-PwC predict that companies will become more aware of the need to protect their brands and commercial names. 
The study also indicates a toughening of laws on personal data protection, as well as an increasing demand from users regarding the protection of their rights.
The implementation of the e-DNI identity card in Spain will be a key element not only for jump-starting electronic commerce, given the fact that there will be greater reliability and security in user identification, but also for improving interactions with public administration, since the process will be simplified.

Full Story

Title: Pathways to Success: A Taxonomy of Innovation. The World Economic Forum’s Technology Pioneers 2006.
Source: World Economic Forum (WEF)
Date: December 5, 2005
Abstract: A total of 36 companies around the world—17 of which having their headquarters in the US—have been chosen by the World Economic Forum (WEF) to become members of Technology Pioneers 2006. The selection involves an annual report that identifies the leading technological companies in the IT, biotech and energy sectors. The WEF will mainly consider the companies’ participation in the development of technological innovation that has the potential to transform lifestyles and have a long-term impact in society and the business world.
Two standouts in the new technologies sector are the American company Fortinet, which has developed hardware-based security systems through devices incorporating chips that scan for viruses and worms; and the English firm mobileATM, which has developed a service allowing for secure bank transactions to be made from mobile telephones, thanks to the use of encryption.
Technology Pioneers 2006 does not include any Spanish companies, while Great Britain is the European Union country with the most pioneering technology companies in its territory—with a total of 8—followed by France, Sweden and Hungary, which have one each.

Full Story

First there was offshoring, the outsourcing of certain services to third countries, and now the latest trend to make waves in the American business world is the practice of homesourcing or homeshoring. It consists of hiring people in the same country to work from home, primarily in customer-service jobs and companies such as JetBlue Airways or 1-800-Flowers.com have specialized in this practice.
One of the main benefits of homeshoring is that employees have deep knowledge of the local culture, something which diminishes the cultural gap with customers. Furthermore, the job flexibility is greater and the workers’ productivity increases. As for the individuals who hold these jobs, contrary to what one may think, 75% have studied at the university level.
IDC Consulting estimates that there are presently more than 112,000 people working in this capacity and that by 2010 the figure could rise to over 300,000.

IDC studies (payment service)
Articles in BusinessWeek, CFO.com and Line 56

Since February 1, RENFE has been offering the option of electronic tickets for most passengers on its long- and medium-distance trains. The new system allows travelers to buy and print the tickets themselves via Internet, up to an hour prior to the train’s departure, and board directly without having to carry out any additional procedures. RENFE’s intention is to promote ticket sales via Internet, a platform through which the company sold 546,146 tickets in 2005, 99% more than in 2004.
Meanwhile, international airline companies have agreed that starting in 2007 they will issue only electronic tickets. By doing so, the companies expect to save about €2.535 billion every year, according to data by the International Air Transport Association. With the change, the airlines can save nearly eight euros per electronic ticket issued.
The companies have already announced a set of incentives related to the use of e-tickets. Iberia, for instance, since the beginning of the year has been charging €15 extra for each ticket issued in paper format when electronic tickets are also available.

Article in El País
IATA Press release

The technology known as PTT (push to talk), which turns a telephone into a walkie-talkie, is about to land in Spain.
Vodafone will be the first Spanish carrier to offer a service of this kind within Spain, and initially it will be available only to companies.
Movistar, meanwhile, which already offers the service in certain Latin-American countries, also has plans to launch PTT technology in Spain, although no target date has been set.
The service is easy to use. The user simply presses down on a key while speaking in order to establish a simultaneous connection with several people. It is like using traditional walkie-talkies, except with national range.
Additionally, the launch of push-to-talk technology does not require major investments in network infrastructure as it uses the existing GPRS data networks. Thus, the only thing required is the addition of a server that transforms voice into IP packets.
According to a study by Strategy Analytics, at the end of 2004 there were about 22 million PTT users throughout the world, most of which were in the United States. The consulting firm estimates that by 2010 the number of PTT users worldwide will reach 133 million, generating revenues of $12 billion.

News in Yahoo!News
Definition of push to talk at Wikipedia

Many managers are still eluded by how to make information and communication technology (ICT) decisions harmonize with a chosen corporate strategy. Often, they doubt their decisions: Do existing information systems really support the company's goals? Is the company getting value from its ICT spending? Have the latest ICT implementations really improved the company's overall performance? In the book "Los sistemas de la información en la empresa actual. Aspectos estratégicos y alternativas tácticas" ("Information Systems in Companies Today: Strategic Issues and Tactical Alternatives"), IESE Professors Sandra Sieber and Josep Valor and consultant Valentín Porta offer serious, practical answers to these and other questions.

Full Article

By Pablo Fernández, IESE professor
The impressive jump in Google’s stock price over the past year has been accompanied by a massive increase in sales and profits. However, its stock price is around 90 times more than their profit-per-share figures from 2005. Is Google the next stock market bubble?

Full Story (PDF, 22 Kb)

By Pablo Fernández, IESE professor
The impressive jump in Google’s stock price over the past year has been accompanied by a massive increase in sales and profits. However, its stock price is around 90 times more than their profit-per-share figures from 2005. Is Google the next stock market bubble?

Full Story (PDF, 22 Kb)