Archive of thenextweb.com
Written on 14th May 2009
4 COMMENTS 
Zee, Editor in Chief at The Next Web, Principal at WeDoCreative.
Intel have been fined a record $1.45 billion by the European Union for using unfair sales tactics in the computer chip market.
The fine is a huge victory for Intel’s number one rival Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) who have sued Intel and urged regulators to review Intel’s pracices globally for a number of years.
“Today’s ruling is an important step toward establishing a truly competitive market. AMD has consistently been a technology innovation leader and we are looking forward to the move from a world in which Intel ruled, to one which is ruled by customers,” said Dirk Meyer, AMD president and chief executive officer.
EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes said Intel has harmed millions of European consumers by “deliberately acting to keep competitors out of the market.”
“Intel did not compete fairly, frustrating innovation and reducing consumer welfare in the process,” she said.
The commission told Intel to immediately stop some sales practices in Europe, though it wouldn’t say what those were. Intel said it was “mystified” about what it was supposed to change but would comply while it appeals the fine. (more…)
Written on 5th August 2008
4 COMMENTS
Ernst-Jan Pfauth, editor in chief
Eight members of the European Parliament are pretty fed up with Internet censors like the Chinese government and some obscure dictators. In a proposal for a new European guideline – EU Global Online Freedom Act, representatives from Sweden, Holland, the UK, Portugal, Denmark, Finland, Austria, and Germany ask for a black list of countries that can’t stop themselves from censoring web content.
They believe every citizen has the right to publish information and opinions. Whenever their government violates this human right, the EU should punish these countries with export sanctions. Moreover, European tech companies won’t be allowed to supply software and hardware to support censorship practices.
The eight politicians also believe in a pro-active approach. Therefor, they asked for a yearly budget of €20 million to develop software that visualizes and promotes digital human rights.
I’m glad these European representatives make an effort to battle Internet censors. Especially since China, world’s next super power, keeps pumping money in their censorship efforts. China is even paying commenters to say the ‘right’ thing. Many diplomats expect China to start exporting their advanced firewall.
On the other hand, will the EU be brave enough to punish China for censoring online content? In the end, I’m afraid, the economic benefits will rule out the ethical ones. No country can’t afford to ignore, let alone punish, China.
Written on 14th July 2008
3 COMMENTS
David Petherick, Contributing Editor, United Kingdom
Image via WikipediaSocietas Privata Europaea (SPE) is a proposed EU-wide company type designed specifically for small to medium sized companies to operate in EU member countries, which could be enacted as soon as 2009. This is a core part of the Small Business Act for Europe, which the European Commission unveiled at the end of June, based on ten guiding principles and proposing policy actions for both the Commission and Member States.
Here are some of the headlines in what is being planned:
- An SPE formation should be effected within 7 days.
- A cap on obtaining business licences and permits of one month.
- Lower VAT for services supplied locally.
- SMEs can set up their company in the same form, no matter if they do business in their own Member State or in another.
- Cut the administrative burden by 25% by 2012.
The press release begins with the wonderful phrase “a step towards a Europe of entrepreneurs, with less red tape and more red carpet for Europe’s 23 million SMEs“. [English Version] [Dutch Version] A set of Frequently Asked Questions also helps to explain the benefits of this initiative.
The lawyers, accountants, international tax experts, company formation outfits and administrative bureaucrats will hate this, as they have long grown fat from the cumbersome and often antiquated legislation and regulations that small businesses are forced to deal with, often irrespective of their size, and the necessity to follow separate, complex, and expensive company formation rules and registrations in each country. I would not be too surprised to see attempts from these types of organisations to slow down and undermine this initiative, as it of course lessens their role, and reduces the number of intermediaries involved when a company expands and works in more than one country.
However, the European entrepreneurs of today and tomorrow will love this – and it is in the long-term interests of every member nation in Europe to support this type of initiative. This is how one creates the jobs of tomorrow. It is a sad fact that long-term enlightened thinking has not always been a strong point for politicians and entrenched vested interests in Europe, so it is up to enterepreneurs across Europe to applaud, support and spread the word about this initiative.
Written on 4th July 2008
0 COMMENTS
Ernst-Jan Pfauth, editor in chief
Every year, the European Commission carries out a study on the digital lives of the citizens in its 27 member countries: the E-Communications Household Survey. The research mainly concerns telecommunications – we’re giving up on landlines -, but also contains some interesting facts about the use of computers and Internet.
The survey of 27,000 households was carried out between November 9 and December 14, 2007. You can either download the report (2.8 MB) – which you don’t have the time for – or glance at this short fact sheet to see what your target group is up to.
- A majority of the European households – 53 percent – have access to a computer.
- Half of the European houses have access to the Internet. Although this is an increase of seven percent compared to last year, 51 percent still can’t check their email at home.
- Half of the people who don’t have Internet access just don’t really care about the web.
- Access via broadband has once again become more widespread, it increased with eight percent over the last year to 36 percent.
- 22 percent of the European households have a wireless Internet connection. An increase of eight percent.
- another 22 percent figure: this is the percentage of people who make VoIP calls. This is an increase of five percent and similar to the trend in the U.S.
We can be really satisfied with these numbers. Especially as a recent study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) shows that of the fifteen countries with the highest number of broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, twelve are European. Like I stated before, Europe is broadband paradise.
Written on 24th June 2008
3 COMMENTS
Ernst-Jan Pfauth, editor in chief
Research by Gartner shows that the number of computers in use around our globe has surpassed the legendary mark of 1 billion. So yes, that means in a world where 2.7 billion people live on less than $2 a day, there’s a computer for every six persons. Moreover, thanks to growth in emerging markets, the number of pc’s will probably have been doubled in 2014. As a result from these growing markets, more mature markets will then only count for about 30 percent of the next billion computers. Now that percentage is 58 percent.
When I read these first lines of the Reuters report, I immediately thought of e-waste. When I worked for a press agency in the United Nations headquarters last year, I covered this important issue. With the ever growing amount of mobile phones, iPods (see the Greenpeace manifest), flat screens, and … computers, the world slowly becomes one big dump place for electronic waste. As Gartner analyst Meike Escherich said: “We estimate … some 35 million PCs will be dumped into landfill with little or no regard for their toxic content.” Last year, Jeremy Gregory, a postdoctoral associate in the Materials Systems Laboratory and the Laboratory for Energy and the Environment at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, told me that “every year, the world generates 40 million metric tonnes of electronic scrap”.
www.greenpeace.org/apple
What struck me the most when I wrote a piece on this matter, is that the problem isn’t just a threat to nature, but also to our wallets. Normally, when it comes to money, companies are quite eager to collect some. But the reality is that companies throw away large amounts of valuable materials, like indium. The price of this metal – that’s used in more than one billion products per year – has risen six-fold.
Only a small amount of e-scrap is recycled. Last year, the European Union, one of the few regions with accurate statistics, generated 8.5 million metric tonnes of electronic waste, but recycling companies only handled 0.5 million tonnes.
The subject of my article was a new global public-private initiative called Solving the E-Waste Problem (StEP). Amongst the 48 members are major high-tech manufactures, including Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, Dell, Ericsson and Philips, as well as U.N., governmental, NGO and academic institutions, and recycling companies. So I’d like to use the 1 billion celebration as an excuse to focus some attention on this upcoming threat to our planet.. and wallets.
Written on 23rd May 2008
0 COMMENTS
Ernst-Jan Pfauth, editor in chief
Who says European politics is boring? I’ve been following the Microsoft/ EU/ European Commissioner for Competition Neelie Kroes soap with great interest. Definite highlights: the 899 million euro fine, Arrington’s emotional and beautifully written reaction – you gotta love the ATM metaphor -, and the almost forbidden Powerpoint presentations. Of course, we’re talking about real money and problems here. But who doesn’t love some juicy details?
Neelie Kroes
Now a new element enters the Kroes-dominated soap: open-source. Microsoft has announced to improve the open-source compatibility of their products, making it easier for users to work together with users of an open-source rival like OpenOffice. This would give consumers a greater choice and ease Kroes’ worries down. Right?
Well here’s the official statement from the European Commission: “The Commission will investigate whether the announced support of ODF (Open Document Format) in Office leads to better interoperability and allows consumers to process and exchange their documents with the software product of their choice.”
I think it’s just a strategic move by Microsoft to distract the EU from the real problem. The average Windows user doesn’t even know what open source is, let alone use a program like OpenOffice. This step by Microsoft is just a way to create the impression of a compromising attitude. Will the EU buy it?
Written on 19th April 2008
0 COMMENTS
Ernst-Jan Pfauth, editor in chief
As we reported last week, France is on the verge of adopting a law against “incitement to anorexia” that is mainly focused on the web. It wouldn’t be the last Internet-related law this week, since the European Union announced some tight laws against “incitement to terrorism” on the Internet. By doing this, the EU wants to fight militant groups who amongst other things recruit and mobilize young people.
A statement by the ministers said that the existing Framework Decision of 13 June 2002 will be expanded by introducing three new offenses: “public provocation to commit a terrorist offense, recruitment and training for terrorism.”
Reuters reports that countries like Spain and Italy already punish public provocation to terrorism, but others, like Scandinavian countries will have to change their laws. Spain’s secretary of state for justice, Julio Perez Hernandez, told the press agency that “The battle to anticipate terrorist acts is crucial for Spain. One should not wait for smoke to know there is terrorism.”
Although the statement says that it’s “well-balanced in terms of its effects on freedom of speech and general respect for human rights”, civil action groups will probably ring the alarm bells. Though I’m not sure whether the public will actually care. Europeans have seen so many anti-terrorism laws that limit their freedom already, that they might have become numb for amendments like these.
Written on 14th April 2008
3 COMMENTS
Ernst-Jan Pfauth, editor in chief
After the EU fined software giant Microsoft 899 million euro last February, things have been relatively peaceful. But a question by EU Parliament representative and Green Party member Heide Rühle is about to stir things up again. Ars Technica reports that Rühle asked the Parliament whether the EU’s legal findings against the company should prevent Microsoft from taking part in future public procurement discussions:
Rühle’s complaint rests on the fact that Microsoft was convicted in 2004 of “abusing its dominant position in the software market, causing a huge damage both on competitors and consumers.” Redmond appealed that decision, but the Court of First Instance (CFI) rejected the company’s appeal in September, 2007. Microsoft chose not to appeal that ruling, which, according to Rühle, gives the court’s decision res judicata status. The term refers to a situation in which the validity of the court’s findings, and the evidence of Microsoft’s abuse, is considered settled and is no longer contested.
So no more Excel spreadsheets and Powerpoint presentations in the EU offices? Will every European diplomat now browse with Firefox? Probably not, as the EU wouldn’t want to get into this ‘trouble’. They’ll find a way to make sure Rühle’s questions will remain rhetorical. The software company should probably just take it as a “effective warning”, says Joel Hruska from Ars Technica.
When EU’s antitrust chief Neelie Kroes fined the – now legendary – 899 million euro, reactions from the other side of the ocean were pretty negative, sometimes even emotional. TechCrunch’s Michael Arrington called Microsoft the “EU’s ATM machine” and The New York Times wrote that the fine “might pose problems for companies like Apple, Intel and Qualcomm, whose market dominance in online music downloads, computer chips and mobile phone technology is also being scrutinized by the European Commission.” In their eyes, this question by Rühle might even seem like a provocation. I hope the reassuring words on Ars Technica might ease their minds.
Written on 8th April 2008
2 COMMENTS
Ernst-Jan Pfauth, editor in chief
In a discussion on TechCrunch about where Europe’s own Silicon Valley would emerge, some interesting suggestions were made (warning: many links to specific comments follow). From Moscow to Lisbon and from Estonia to London.
The latter was the most mentioned location, followed by Finland and Switzerland. Finland has an USP that is their biggest pro and con at the same time: Nokia. On the one hand, it’s THE European tech company, on the other: it sucks up all the talent.
Switzerland would be a fair option, since it’s an innovative country and home of some important venture capitalists like Index Ventures. Yet a new development makes the question even more complicated: Nokia has just announced that it would establish a research center in Lausanne. It will be a joint lab with two Swiss federal institutes of technology. It will open its doors in June.
According to All About Symbian, the research agenda will focus on persuasive communications:
- Exploring new interaction experiences and technologies utilizing all the human senses;
- Services and applications based on the user’s context, such as location, and personal preferences, e.g.,
information provided by sensors within a mobile device or in the surrounding world;
- Internet services and technologies – enriching the Internet experience on mobile devices.
Nokia’s Chief Technology Officer Bob Iannucci said to Reuters that Nokia ’sees the fusing of the digital and physical worlds as a key objective in mobility.’
So, will this cause some sort of local brain drain? Kai Lemmetty from Floobs told me during The Next Conference that this is the case in Finland. Nokia just picks out the talent and makes them an offer they can’t refuse. As you can imagine, this is deadly for local start-up action. And a good start-up atmosphere is one of the most important conditions for a Silicon Valley-like area. So all you European start-up experts, please lend me your thought on this matter.
Written on 2nd April 2008
2 COMMENTS
Ernst-Jan Pfauth, editor in chief
Yesterday, the upper house of the Dutch parliament voted against an online gambling trial of the country’s gambling monopolist Holland Casino – which is state-owned. 37 of the 75 members voted against the bill of minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin. It was a close call, since 35 members agreed with the minister. Ballin wanted to give Holland Casino permission to offer online gambling for three years, to see how it would develop. The plan was to reassess the gambling activities every year.
Dutch gamblers now often go to illegal gambling sites to fulfill their gambling needs. The minister wanted to lure this group of approximatively 40,000 people away from the dark side of the web to a state-controlled site. Makes sense in my opinion. I think it’s quite remarkable that in a country that is famous for its progressive and liberal laws, online gambling still stays unregulated.
Holland is not alone in its online gambling fear. Countries like Germany, France and Greece also remain reluctant to allow any kind of online gambling initiative. Reuters reports that their main concerns are addiction and a decrease in income from state betting monopolies. The European Union isn’t really fond of this attitude since it prevents competition. Therefore, the EU recently gave the Netherlands and Greece a final warning before court action over restrictions in their gaming markets.
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