News in brief

Apple in deal to buy PowerSchool for $62 m.



CUPERTINO: Apple Computer Inc. on Wednesday said it plans to acquire

privately-held PowerSchool Inc., a provider of Web-based student information

systems for schools, for $62 million in stock. PowerSchool gives school

administrators and teachers the ability to easily and cost-effectively manage

student records and gives parents real-time access to track their children's

progress, Apple said. PowerSchool, located in Folsom, Calif., currently has 160

employees. The closing is subject to regulatory approvals, approval of

PowerSchool shareholders, and other customary conditions to closing.-Reuters

CA launches ARCserve 2000



BANGALORE: Computer Associates International (CA) today introduced ARCserve
2000 protection suites for eBusinesses relying on Oracle databases, Microsoft

Exchange or Lotus Notes. By packaging its leading data backup, storage, and

recovery management products for three popular database and messaging

environments, CA is offering mid to large-sized eBusinesses a convenient,

cost-effective way to procure and deploy an integrated, full-featured data

protection solution. ARCserve 2000 protection suite contains a selection of

utilities enabling rapid disaster recovery, "hot" online backups of

open files, unattended tape management, and selective backups of specific files

or databases - all from a centralized point of administration along with CA's

antivirus protection. The ARCserve 2000 Protection Suites priced at $4,395 for

Oracle and Lotus Notes and at $4,995 for Microsoft Exchange are available

immediately through CA and authorized solution providers. Additional cost

savings is available to qualified buyers through CA's Open License Program- CIOL

Bureau

Euclid gets $ 15m. in second round funding



BANGALORE:Euclid, a provider of Web applications and infrastructure
services for enterprises and Internet companies, got $15 million in the second

round of funding led by Leapfrog Ventures and Bay Partners. Raza Foundries and

Redwood Ventures also participated in the second round. The funds will be used

to expand sales and marketing activities and to accelerate development of

Euclid’s solutions and services framework. With the completion of this

round, Euclid has raised more than $20 million to date. Leapfrog Ventures fund

manager, Mark Dubovoy, and General partner of Bay Partners, Loring Knoblauch,

will join Euclid’s board of directors. Euclid has designed a solution for

companies relying on its web infrastructure to support core business

initiatives, including transactions, applications and content delivery.

Designed to meet the service level requirements of mission-critical web

applications, Euclid solution enhances and maintains availability, performance

and security across all layers of Web infrastructure- CIOL Bureau

Stratech, HCL in India venture



SINGAPORE: Information technology systems developer Stratech Systems Ltd. said
on Thursday that it had set up a joint venture to penetrate India's IT market.

Stratech said in a statement it had tied up with India's leading technology

integration company, HCL Infosystems Ltd., and its subsidiary FEC Infosystems

pvt Ltd., to set up an offshore development center (ODC) near New Delhi. The ODC,

which could result in a significant software development cost savings, will

allow Stratech to focus on research and development as well as product

development so as to create innovative software technologies and systems, it

said. "...We see great potential in marketing our technologies in India, by

tapping on the extensive network and contacts that has been established by HCL

Infosystems," said, Stratech's chief executive David Chew-Reuters

US chip companies may own majority in Hyundai



In an effort to reduce its over $4 billion debt, Hyundai Electronics
Industries, the world's second-largest memory-chip maker, announced that it was

holding talks with US semiconductor companies about selling large blocks of

shares for $1 billion in cash. At least two US chip makers are involved, according to Hyundai

CEO Park Chong Sup. The likely candidates could include Intel, IBM, and Texas

Instruments. After the stock sale, foreign investors would own a majority of the

Hyundai stock. -SVNS.