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Optos profits slump on lower first-half sales
Eyecare company Optos has unveiled a 90 per cent plunge in first-half profits, sending its shares down sharply, but insisted its long-term prospects “remain strong”.
Optos shares hit by sharp profit drop
SHARES in Optos, one of Scotland’s most promising technology companies, slumped to their lowest level for more than two years yesterday after a sharp drop in profits.
Business briefs: Scots internet exchange | Mowat | Paradigm
IT FIRMS are joining forces to build an internet exchange in Scotland, so that website traffic doesn’t have to be sent back and forth to London.
Business briefs: BT | BP | Rolls–Royce
TELECOMS giant BT will return to the mobile phone market within a year through the launch of its 4G services.
Novia Financial eye further push into Scotland
A FINANCIAL technology firm that provides key products for insurance and pensions group Aegon is eyeing a further push into Scotland.
QikServe food app in InnSuites US hotels deal
A TECHNOLOGY firm that has helped to deliver food to Butlins holidaymakers and Heart of Midlothian football fans has sealed its first deal in the United States.
Edinburgh-based FanDuel heads for the black
A SCOTTISH internet company that provides “fantasy sports” games to American customers has made a pair of senior appointments as it predicts it will be profitable by the end of the year.
Coutu to pump ‘significant sum’ into Scottish firm
SHERRY Coutu, the Canadian entrepreneur and angel investor, has revealed plans to invest a significant sum in a high-growth Scottish firm.
Facebook in $1bn bid for maps firm
Facebook was last night said to be close to a $1 billion (£650 million) deal to buy an Israeli sat-nav start-up as it seeks to compete with mapping systems from Apple and Google.
Stop moaning and innovate, says Tom Hunter
Sir Tom Hunter told Scotland’s biggest-ever gathering of start-ups and investors yesterday that collaboration among agencies was working and that they should celebrate the opportunities the country offered.
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Sony delivers first annual profit in five years
Japanese electronics icon Sony has said its global sales should pick up significantly this financial year as it launches a series of high-end TVs, PCs and smartphones.
Amor grabs its place on latest cloud
Technology services company Amor Group has gained a place on the UK government’s latest G-Cloud framework.
Profit warning hinders G4S’s Nick Buckles
ANALYSTS last night questioned the outlook for G4S chief executive Nick Buckles after the security firm issued a profit warning that wiped nearly 15 per cent off its share price and some £600 million from its market value.
Phoenix mulling further expansion in Scotland
DISASTER recovery specialist Phoenix is mulling further expansion in Scotland following a £2 million upgrade to its site in South Lanarkshire.
Technology firm Indigovision working on recovery
TECHNOLOGY firm Indigovision “still has a lot to fix” since its chief executive and founder left in an acrimonious boardroom bust-up in 2011.
Cern spin-off boosts optimism in Advanced Oncotherapy
SHARES in medical technology firm Advanced Oncotherapy rose last month after it announced it was acquiring a spin-off from the Cern nuclear research laboratory.
Scottish Business Briefing – May 2nd 2013
WELCOME to scotsman.com’s Scottish Business Briefing. Every morning we bring you a comprehensive round-up of all news affecting business in Scotland today.
Mobile ads help Facebook revenues beat forecasts
Facebook has reported a better-than-expected 38 per cent leap in revenues for the first quarter, boosted by an increase in advertising to mobile users.
Comment: Taxman’s few crumbs of comfort from Apple
THERE’S a hilarious passage in Tom Wolfe’s Bonfire of the Vanities in which bond trader and self-proclaimed “master of the universe” Sherman McCoy tries, and fails, to explain to his daughter what he does for a living.
Apple sets record with £10.9bn bond issue
Apple will set a new record for the largest corporate bond issue when it sells $17 billion (£10.9bn)-worth of paper today.
Scottish Business Briefing – May 1st 2013
WELCOME to scotsman.com’s Scottish Business Briefing. Every morning we bring you a comprehensive round-up of all news affecting business in Scotland today.
Glasgow eyes bio-corridor for attracting investment
STRATHCLYDE University principal Sir Jim McDonald has revealed proposals for a “bio-corridor” in Glasgow to attract international investment and high-value jobs to the city.
Wolfson sales jump due to music on smartphones
Wolfson Microelectronics, the audio-chip developer, is confident it can widen its customer base as it taps into the booming demand for music on the move.
Firms urged to tighten security over cyber attacks
Eight in every ten Scottish businesses experienced a significant cyber security breach last year, according to new research.
Amor looking for £50 million to fund acquisitions
TECHNOLOGY group Amor has confirmed plans to raise up to £50 million to fund acquisitions after posting its fourth consecutive rise in annual sales and profits.
Life sciences firms told to ‘think bigger’
SCOTLAND’S life sciences firms have been urged to be more ambitious by raising their pitch for funds from elow £1 million to up to £20m, according to a senior figure in the industry.
Profit warning knocks 14% off shares in Croma
SHARES in Croma, the security firm run by former members of the Black Watch, dropped by 14 per cent yesterday after the company issued a profit warning.
Regulator moves to axe hidden fees for online investors
FURTHER moves to strip away “hidden” charges so investors can compare costs more easily and shop around for the best deal were announced by the regulator yesterday.
Samsung sales take bite of Apple smartphone market
ELECTRONICS giant Samsung grabbed a bigger share of the lucrative smartphone market from arch rival Apple in the first months of 2013 with quarterly sales of around £19 billion even before the launch of its latest gadget.
Amazon profits fall by more than a third
Online retailer Amazon has reported a dip in profits as the cost of investing in new projects offset a further rise in quarterly sales.
Apple profits fall for first time in a decade
TECHNOLOGY giant Apple has reported its first profit slide in a decade, as the battle with rival Samsung takes its toll.
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£30m cash from SFC for Scots life sciences industry
SCOTLAND’S life sciences industry yesterday welcomed a £30 million cash injection from the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), which could help companies to create more than 2,000 jobs.
Wolfson secures Lenovo deal to add to Samsung success
CHINESE computing giant Lenovo has picked two of the audio chips made by Wolfson for its flagship IdeaPhone K900, just days after the Edinburgh-based micro-chip maker unveiled a “significant milestone” contract with Samsung.
YoYo Games on the rise with plan to double staff
YOYO Games, the Dundee-based software firm backed by former executives from Xbox and Last.fm, is planning to double its headcount by creating 25 jobs as demand for its gaming platform soars.
Lasswade-based G2G3 Group acquired by Capita
CAPITA, the management systems company, has acquired Lasswade-based G2G3 Group, a firm which uses game thinking for training employees.
AvantiCell secures funds to test artificial pancreas
A LIFE sciences firm in Ayrshire has secured a share of £4.7 million in funding as part of efforts to develop an artificial pancreas, the organ involved in regulating blood sugar levels.
Betfred tycoons give backing to Active Win Media
GAMBLING tycoons Fred and Peter Done have invested millions in a new online gaming marketing firm in an effort to compete with billionaire Israeli software magnate, Teddy Sagi.
Stationery veterans buy Letts Filofax
LETTS Filofax, the paper-based stationery products firm based in Dalkeith, has been acquired by HSGP Investments, a company owned by Letts chief executive Gordon Presly and Canadian entrepreneur Harolde Savoy.
Amor seeking £50m to fund buying spree
ONE of Scotland’s fastest-growing technology companies, Amor, is looking to raise up to £50 million in a move that could trigger a change of ownership at the Glasgow-based group.
Pre-clinical data boosts ReNeuron
SHARES in ReNeuron, the life sciences firm that is using Glasgow’s Southern General Hospital for the world’s first stem clinical cell trial for a stroke treatment, dipped yesterday despite it unveiling positive pre-clinical data.
Blackstone shies away from Dell as global PC sales slump
Private equity firm Blackstone pulled its offer for computer giant Dell yesterday, citing concerns over shrinking sales, opening the way for the company’s founder to take the firm private for $24.4 billion (£16bn).
Gadget fixer in Africa takeover
GADGET repair outfit Regenersis, one of the biggest employers in the Scottish electronics industry, yesterday bought South Africa’s largest television set top box repairer for £1.5 million
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Weather for Edinburgh
Friday 17 May 2013
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 8 C to 14 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Heavy rain
Temperature: 9 C to 13 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: North east
