2007'04.19.Thu
アルバ、次期ＦＯＭＡ／無線ＬＡＮデュアル端末「Ｎ９０２ｉＬ」で相互接続性向上につながる機能など追加
アルバワイヤレスネットワークスの無線ＬＡＮモビリティ・システムは、ＮＴＴドコモの次期ＦＯＭＡ（Ｒ）／無線ＬＡＮデュアル端末「Ｎ９０２ｉＬ」に対し相互接続性向上につながる各種機能対応
アルバワイヤレスネットワークス（本社：米国カリフォルニア州サニーベール、日本オフィス：東京都港区、代表取締役社長：杉本隆英 （以下アルバ）は、次期ＦＯＭＡ／無線ＬＡＮデュアル端末ＦＯＭＡ「Ｎ９０２ｉＬ」に対して、相互接続性検証に取り組み、音声機能の飛躍的改善につながる各種機能の追加・対応を行っていることを発表した。
モバイルセントレックス市場の急速な発展が期待される現在、無線ＬＡＮ機器と端末の相互接続性を高めることで、お客様がワイヤレスＩＰ電話システムを導入しやすい環境を整えるとともに、情報端末としても各種アプリケーションとともに利便性の高い効果的な環境を整えていくため、アルバは、次期ＦＯＭＡ／無線ＬＡＮデュアル端末「Ｎ９０２ｉＬ」やモバイルセントレックスサービスに対するアルバ無線ＬＡＮモビリティ・システムの新機能として以下機能を追加しました。
・ＷＭＭ， ＴＳｐｅｃ， Ｕ－ＡＰＳＤをサポート
－ クライアントと統合的に動作するＱｏＳ ＆ ＣＡＣ機能により、より良い音声品質を提供可能となります。
－ 新標準Ｕ－ＡＰＳＤによるパワーセーブ機能により、端末バッテリーの長時間稼動を可能とします。
・Ａｒｕｂａ独自機能による端末バッテリーの長時間稼動向け機能を拡張
－ 無線環境のブロードキャスト／マルチキャスト・パケットを排除
－ ＡＲＰのユニキャスト化
・ＩＰセントレックス・サービス向けにＣＡＣ機能を拡張
－ 通話数のハードリミットを追加し、音声品質を保証可能とします。
－ ローミング端末向けに別途帯域を確保することが可能です。
尚ＷＭＭ， ＴＳｐｅｃ， Ｕ－ＡＰＳＤは、ＡｒｕｂａＯＳ ３．０にてサポートしていきます。他の機能は２．５．４．０（１０／１７出荷）にてサポート済みです。
尚、本発表にあたり、株式会社ＮＴＴドコモ ソリューションビジネス部長 澤田 寛氏より以下のとおり賛同コメントを頂いております。
ＮＴＴドコモ法人営業部門は、アルバワイヤレスネットワークスの提供する無線ＬＡＮモビリティ・システムの「Ｎ９０２ｉＬ」対応を歓迎いたします。アルバワイヤレスネットワークスの無線ＬＡＮモビリティ・システムは既存の有線ＬＡＮ環境との整合性に優れ、セキュアな無線ＬＡＮ環境を実現する無線ＬＡＮシステムです。また無線ＩＰ電話の最適化に優れており、「Ｎ９００ｉＬ」においてもＮＴＴコミュニケーションズ（株）やユニアデックス（株）の提供するサービスやシステムに採用され、数多くの導入実績がございます。ＮＴＴドコモは、アルバワイヤレスネットワークスをはじめ各社の協力をもって、今後もＩＰテレフォニー『ＰＡＳＳＡＧＥ ＤＵＰＬＥ（Ｒ）（パッセージ・デュプレ）』を展開してまいります。
【 Ａｒｕｂａ Ｗｉｒｌｅｓｓ Ｎｅｔｗｏｒｋｓ， Ｉｎｃ．について 】
Ａｒｕｂａ Ｗｉｒｅｌｅｓｓ Ｎｅｔｗｏｒｋｓ， Ｉｎｃ．は、モビリティ、セキュリティ、集中管理というＩＴマネージャの上位３つの関心事を解決するモバイルエッジソリューションおよび画期的な新型のネットワークアーキテクチャを開発・製造・提供している、現在急成長中のエンタープライズインフラストラクチャ企業です。モバイルエッジにより、企業のネットワークの範囲を拡大、情報や音声サービスへのセキュアなアクセスをユーザが必要とする場所に提供し、大幅な経済的利益の向上を実現しています。昨今では音声とデータの混在ネットワークの導入として国内最大級の導入も実現し、豊富な実績と画期的なアーキテクチャおよびソリューションにより次世代のモビリティ時代を築きつつあります。モビリティを提供するために、アルバでは固定・モジュラー式のモビリティ・コントローラー、無線・有線アクセスポイント、高機能モビリティ・ソフトウェアセットなどの全製品を製造・販売しています。 株式非公開で、カリフォルニアのサニーベールに本拠を構えるアルバは、アメリカ、中東、ヨーロッパ、アジア太平洋および日本でビジネスを展開しております。詳しくは、アルバのサイト http://www.arubanetworks.co.jp または http://www.arubanetworks.com にアクセスしてください。
以上
・「ＦＯＭＡ／フォーマ」、「ＰＡＳＳＡＧＥ ＤＵＰＬＥ」は株式会社ＮＴＴドコモの登録商標です。
その他すべての商標、商標登録は各所有者の所有物です。
PR
2007'04.19.Thu
クレディア、大東銀行の事業者向け証書貸付商品の保証業務を受託
株式会社大東銀行の事業者向け証書貸付商品の保証業務受託について
弊社は、株式会社大東銀行（本店：福島県郡山市、社長：能勢秀幸）が販売する事業者向け証書貸付商品「だいとうビジネスサポートローン」及び「だいとうアグリサポートローン」の保証業務提携で合意し、取扱いを開始することになりましたのでお知らせいたします。
弊社は、「収益構造の変革」を目標に事業の多角化を推進しており、その一環として弊社が有する与信・審査ノウハウを活かした金融機関等との保証業務提携を積極的に展開しております。
これにより、弊社の保証業務受託は、本日リリース分を含め受託先７８社、１１９商品となります。
１．提携先概要
社名 株式会社大東銀行
本店所在地 福島県郡山市中町１９番１号
創業 昭和１７年８月１８日
代表者 代表取締役社長 能勢秀幸
資本金 １４２億５６百万円
店舗数 ６３店舗
２．商品概要
＊ 関連資料 参照
３．取扱開始日
平成１８年１１月６日（月）
４．本件問合せ先
株式会社クレディア 提携事業部 東京本部
ＴＥＬ ０３－６２１２－６２７１
以上
2007'04.19.Thu
クレディア、大東銀行の事業者向け証書貸付商品の保証業務を受託
株式会社大東銀行の事業者向け証書貸付商品の保証業務受託について
弊社は、株式会社大東銀行（本店：福島県郡山市、社長：能勢秀幸）が販売する事業者向け証書貸付商品「だいとうビジネスサポートローン」及び「だいとうアグリサポートローン」の保証業務提携で合意し、取扱いを開始することになりましたのでお知らせいたします。
弊社は、「収益構造の変革」を目標に事業の多角化を推進しており、その一環として弊社が有する与信・審査ノウハウを活かした金融機関等との保証業務提携を積極的に展開しております。
これにより、弊社の保証業務受託は、本日リリース分を含め受託先７８社、１１９商品となります。
１．提携先概要
社名 株式会社大東銀行
本店所在地 福島県郡山市中町１９番１号
創業 昭和１７年８月１８日
代表者 代表取締役社長 能勢秀幸
資本金 １４２億５６百万円
店舗数 ６３店舗
２．商品概要
＊ 関連資料 参照
３．取扱開始日
平成１８年１１月６日（月）
４．本件問合せ先
株式会社クレディア 提携事業部 東京本部
ＴＥＬ ０３－６２１２－６２７１
以上
2007'04.19.Thu
Banks Endorse Measures to Enhance Transparency in International Payments
April 19, 2007
NEW YORK, April 19 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- The Wolfsberg
Group and The Clearing House Association L.L.C. today issued
a statement endorsing measures to enhance the transparency
of international wire transfers to promote the
effectiveness of global anti-money laundering and
anti-terrorist financing programs. The measures include
both the development of an enhanced payment message format,
which would include more detailed information about those
conducting wire transfers in certain instances, as well as
calling for the global adoption of basic messaging
principles aimed at promoting good practice with respect to
the payment system.
Over the last 30 years, the world's banks have
developed an efficient and effective international payment
system. The smooth functioning of this system is vital to
global financial stability. The steps outlined above will
both better protect the integrity of the system and help
ensure its continued efficient functioning.
With the support of the global regulatory community and
subject to acceptance by the membership of the Society for
Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT),
the co-operative supplying secure standardized messaging
services and interface software, it is anticipated that an
enhanced payment message format will be developed.
The statement, including the messaging principles, is
included below.
Members of the Wolfsberg Group are ABN AMRO, Banco
Santander Central Hispano, Bank of Tokyo - Mitsubishi UFJ,
Barclays, Citigroup, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Goldman
Sachs, HSBC, JPMorgan Chase, Societe Generale, and UBS.
Members of The Clearing House Association L.L.C. are
Bank of America, National Association; The Bank of New
York; Citibank, N.A.; Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas;
HSBC Bank USA, National Association; JPMorgan Chase Bank,
National Association; LaSalle Bank, National Association;
UBS AG; U.S. Bank National Association; Wachovia Bank,
National Association; and Wells Fargo Bank, National
Association.
Statement on Payment Message Standards
We endorse the following actions to enhance
transparency regarding parties to transactions in
international payments. These actions will promote the
effectiveness of risk-based programs designed to reduce
vulnerabilities associated with financial intermediation
and enable banks to avoid the use of their facilities by
individuals and organizations that the banks would not
accept as their own customers, including, most
particularly, those engaged in money laundering, terrorist
financing or transactions in violation of relevant
sanctions.
These actions are: (i) the creation of a new or
enhanced SWIFT payment message format for third-party cover
payments that enables information regarding the originator
and the beneficiary to be included; and (ii) the adoption
of certain basic payment message standards within the
banking industry.
With the support of the global regulatory community,
and assuming acceptance by the SWIFT membership, it is
anticipated that an appropriate message format change could
be implemented as early as November 2008.
The four payment message standards that should be
observed by all financial institutions are:
-- Financial institutions should not omit, delete or
alter information
in payment messages or orders for the purpose of
avoiding detection
of that information by any other financial
institution in the
payment process.
-- Financial institutions should not use any particular
payment message
for the purpose of avoiding detection of information
by any other
financial institution in the payment process.
-- Subject to all applicable laws, financial
institutions should
cooperate as fully as practicable with other
financial institutions
in the payment process when requested to provide
information about
the parties involved.
-- Financial institutions should strongly encourage
their correspondent
banks to observe these principles.
The major financial institutions that have developed
and will observe these standards will also strongly
encourage their correspondent banks to observe them. To be
successful, however, this initiative must necessarily
involve the public and private sectors. The effectiveness
of these standards requires adherence by the financial
institutions originating payment messages and encouragement
of their adherence by their regulators.
For more information, please contact:
Media contacts: For the Wolfsberg Group
David Bagley, Co-Chair
Tel: +44-20-7991-8645
Email: davidbagley@hsbc.com
Philipp von Turk, Co-Chair
Tel: +1-212-464-1226
Email: philipp.von.turk@jpmorgan.com
Media contacts: For The Clearing House Association
L.L.C.
Greg Berardi
Tel: +1-415-239-7826,
Mobile: +1-415-672-2377
Email: greg@bluemarlinpartners.com
Chip Savidge
Tel: +1-212-613-9896
Mobile: +1-917-576-0957
Email: chip.savidge@theclearinghouse.org
2007'04.19.Thu
W.P. Stewart & Co., Ltd. Invites You to Join its First Quarter 2007 Conference Call
April 19, 2007
HAMILTON, Bermuda, April 19 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- W.P.
Stewart & Co., Ltd. will announce earnings results for
the first quarter 2007 on Thursday 3rd May 2007 in a press
release that will be issued at 8:00 a.m. (EDT). The press
release also will be available on the Company's website at
http://www.wpstewart.com .
In conjunction with the first quarter earnings release,
William P. Stewart, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer,
will be hosting a conference call at 9:15 a.m. (EDT).
Complete details to participate in the conference call are
as follows:
What: W.P. Stewart & Co., Ltd.'s First Quarter
2007 Earnings Release
When: 3rd May 2007
9:15 a.m. (EDT) - 10:00 a.m. (EDT)
How: By teleconference, dial:
1-800-922-9655 (within the United States)
+ 973-935-2407 (outside the United States)
Password: "W.P. Stewart" or
"8701547"
Or: Visit our website at http://www.wpstewart.com
and click on the
Investor Relations tab for a link to the
webcast
(Minimum requirements to listen to the Internet
broadcast: RealPlayer software and at least a 28.8 Kbps
connection to the Internet. RealPlayer is downloadable at
no charge on a trial basis from http://www.real.com/player.
You should complete your download well in advance of the
Internet broadcast. If you experience problems listening
to the Internet broadcast, please send an e-mail to
webcastsupport@tfprn.com.)
The teleconference will be available for replay from
Thursday 3rd May 2007 at 12:00 p.m. (EDT) through Friday
4th May 2007 at 5:00 p.m. (EDT). To access the replay,
please dial 1-877-519-4471 (within the United States) or
+ 973-341-3080 (outside the United States). The PIN number
for accessing this replay is 8701547.
You will be able to access a replay of the Internet
broadcast through Thursday 10th May 2007 on the Company's
website at http://www.wpstewart.com. The Company will
respond to questions submitted by e-mail following the
conference.
W.P. Stewart & Co., Ltd. is an asset management
company that has provided research-intensive equity
management services to clients throughout the world since
1975. The Company is headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda and
has additional operations or affiliates in the United
States, Europe and Asia.
The Company's shares are listed for trading on the New
York Stock Exchange (NYSE: WPL) and on the Bermuda Stock
Exchange (BSX: WPS).
For more information, please visit the Company's
website at http://www.wpstewart.com, or call W.P. Stewart
Investor Relations (Fred M. Ryan) at + 441-295-8585 or
e-mail to IRINFO@wpstewart.com.
2007'04.19.Thu
TMF launches Asia Hub in Hong Kong
April 19, 2007
HONG KONG, April 19 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- On 1st
February 2007, global management and accounting outsourcing
firm, TMF, took a major step in its Asia strategy to acquire
two companies - Asian Financial Services Limited (AFS) and
the client accounting and company secretarial businesses of
Baker Tilly Hong Kong.
The two organizations will merge to form the Hong Kong
office, and regional headquarters of the TMF Group. This
new office will fulfil the management and accounting needs
of regional clients, from high net-worth individuals to
fortune 500 companies. It will also bring TMF one step
closer to becoming the sole provider of comprehensive
global services.
TMF has recently been enjoying a rapid rate of growth.
This global management and accounting outsourcing firm has
over 2,000 professionals working from 72 offices in 56
countries around the world. With established offices in
Shanghai and Beijing, TMF is pursuing an aggressive growth
strategy in Asia. Offices are planned in Singapore,
Bangkok, Seoul and Tokyo in the coming months.
For AFS, a merger with an important global firm
represented a timely progression in its strategic plan.
Since its incorporation five years ago AFS has grown
rapidly, from a small start-up to a thriving firm of 20
employees and over 500 clients. Ken Deayton, the CEO of
AFS, remarked "AFS becoming part of a truly global
firm is the next logical step in growth and
development."
The merger was prompted by TMF's recognition of a gap
in the market, a gap which evolved when the Big 4, along
with other large international accounting practices,
divested their corporate services divisions. This move
created a need for a full range of services available on a
truly global basis. TMF is determined to answer this call.
To that end, TMF began the search for suitable local
partners. Recognizing the synergy with the two dynamic
companies, TMF initiated negotiations with AFS and Baker
Tilly in the middle of 2006. The final agreements were
signed in January and February of this year. Brian Jackson,
Regional Director of TMF Asia, reported "We are very
pleased to have completed phase one of our Asian strategy
plan. We are looking forward to rapid growth for TMF Hong
Kong."
AFS will retain its name for a short period, until the
two companies are relocated to one office. At that time,
the whole company will be re-branded TMF Hong Kong Limited.
In the meantime services will not be interrupted and AFS
clients can now benefit from the international network of
resources and comprehensive range of services.
TMF is a global management and accounting outsourcing
firm with 72 offices in 56 countries and over 2,000
professionals (February 2007). TMF is expanding rapidly
throughout the world. Learn more about our unique network
and our services and visit our website at
www.tmf-group.com.
Press Office and PR: Covatta Communications Ltd
For more information, please contact:
Amy Ling
Tel: +852-3115-0123
Mobile: +852-9667-9762
Email: amy@covatta.net
Rachel Muscat
Tel: +852-3115-0125
Mobile: +852-9669-8272
Email: rachel@covatta.net
Mary Covatta
Tel: +852-2525-7488
Email: mary@covatta.net
2007'04.19.Thu
ASPIRE Africa. Football Dreams - Largest Football Talent Search in History Launched in Qatar
April 19, 2007
- More Than 500,000 African Children Have a Once in a
Lifetime Chance to Study and Train at ASPIRE Academy
DOHA, Qatar, April 19 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- The ASPIRE
Academy in Qatar today launched an ambitious programme that
will provide talented African students from seven nations
with a chance to study and train in one of the world's most
advanced sports Academies.
( Photo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070419/253693 )
"ASPIRE Africa. Football Dreams" was unveiled
at a ceremony in Qatar today attended by legendary soccer
star Pele.
ASPIRE Africa. Football Dreams is the largest football
talent search project in history and when testing starts at
the end of May, six thousand staff will screen more than
500,000 boys born in 1994 in seven different countries
across 700 locations.
In the first phase the best 50 players from each
country, identified in the selection process, will go for a
week of trials in the capital city of their respective
nations.
The top three from each country will then come to
ASPIRE for four weeks of trials and testing. From here,
following a period of assessment and discussions with the
families, the most talented players will be enrolled into
the ASPIRE Academy.
Dr. Andreas Bleicher, Sports Director at ASPIRE said:
"This is an incredible opportunity for talented young
African boys to reach the heights of international football
in the future, as well as for ASPIRE's football players to
be inspired in their daily training programme by
outstanding international talents. This is a huge boost
especially for the Qatari football talents as well.
"Everyone in football is aware of the significant
talent that exists in Africa, and also of the challenges
that can prevent this talent reaching its full potential.
ASPIRE will offer a new window of opportunity for those
players who have the talent and dedication necessary to
succeed at the highest levels of professional
football."
Through ASPIRE's scholarships, opportunities to study
at the Academy have already been extended to talented
students from countries as diverse as Ghana, Senegal,
Comoros and Cameroon.
ASPIRE Africa. Football Dreams is designed to take this
process to the next level, according to Dr. Thomas Flock,
Director General of ASPIRE: "This programme will
become a recognised path to development for young African
footballers. The youth football programme offered here is
among the most advanced in the world, and successful
applicants will have the chance to earn a place in the
ASPIRE teams, receiving exposure to the international
standards of talent and application we expect at the
Academy."
Each successful player will receive the full benefits
and opportunities available as an ASPIRE student. They will
live within the Academy, training and developing their
skills, with the potential to grow into professional
footballers.
This African quest will initially visit seven nations
in Africa, comprised of Algeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya,
Nigeria, Senegal and South Africa.
The project is endorsed and supported by the United
Nations Office of Sport for Development and Peace. It is
carried out in partnership with Bonus Sport Marketing
(BSM), a recognised international football events company
from Spain.
ASPIRE Africa is an annual programme, with plans in
place to extend the number of countries involved over the
forthcoming years.
To add to the impact of the programme, and to stimulate
greater interest across the widest possible territory, the
programme will be the subject of a special documentary
broadcast by satellite television channel ART.
Organisers and ASPIRE students were thrilled when the
launch ceremony received a special guest in the form of
Edson Arantes do Nascimento, best known by his nickname
Pele, who was in Qatar on a private visit.
Pele, FIFA Footballer of the Century and International
Olympic Committee Athlete of the Century, said:
"Investment in sports and talent development are vital
for the health of world sport and Qatar has made a very
important contribution through developing this programme.
ASPIRE has grown significantly since my first visit here in
2005 and it is very exciting to see that it continues to
develop through innovative programmes like ASPIRE Africa.
Football Dreams."
Photo caption: Pele, FIFA Footballer of the Century, at
the launch of ASPIRE Africa. Football Dreams, which will
test over 500,000 young African football players and offer
them the chance of a place at the ASPIRE Academy for Sports
Excellence, Doha.
About ASPIRE
ASPIRE, the Academy for Sports Excellence, is an elite
facility that aims to identify, educate and train talented
athletes to compete in professional sports at the highest
levels. ASPIRE provides an exceptional learning
environment, including full educational and recreational
facilities, advanced dormitories, an amphitheatre, lecture
halls, seven outdoor football training fields, and
state-of-the-art weight rooms and physiotherapy.
The Academy is distinguished by a philosophy which aims
to develop the whole student, providing them with full
academic and sports development so that they have the
widest possible range of opportunities in adult life.
ASPIRE TODAY, INSPIRE TOMORROW
For more information, please contact:
Edward Barnfield, General Manager
WMC FZ - LLC
P.O. Box 502281, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Tel: +971-4-390-1950
Fax: +971-4-367-2801
Mobile: +971-50-342-8240
Email: edward.barnfield@wallismc.com
2007'04.19.Thu
Chinese Initial Public Offering Indicator Reaches Historic High as Stock Markets Rebound
April 19, 2007
SHANGHAI, China, April 19 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Xinhua
Finance Limited and the Milken Institute today release the
media update on the Chinese Initial Public Offering
Indicator for March.
March 2007: 244.5
February 2007: 232.0
Month-to-month change: 5.5%
March 2006: 187.6
Year-to-year change: 30.3%
Please visit
http://www.xinhuafinance.com/en/charts/ipo_rpi/0704/ipo_chart_en.jpg
to download the chart.
Highlights
China's stock markets continued to rise in March,
despite slumps in late February; and the IPO Indicator
reached an historic high at the end of the period, up 12.5
points, to 244.5 from the previous month's score of 232.0.
Four equities were added to the indicator, which comprises
small and medium-sized enterprises listed on Shenzhen Stock
Exchange.
Analysis
Of the ninety-two stocks included in the March
indicator, nineteen declined in price, while seventy-one
increased. The rise in the IPO Indicator score is
attributable chiefly to gains in financial-sector stocks;
the Bank of China (A share, 601988; H share, 3988),
Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (A share, 601398; H
share, 1398), and Industrial Bank (A share, 601166) together
contributed to 58 percent of the increase in score. Given
the large market-capitalization share of bank stocks in the
indicator, the sector will continue to influence scores. In
addition, energy and infrastructure equities, including
China Coal (H share, 1898) and Daqin Railway (A share,
601006), showed ongoing strong performance. Two companies
were removed from the indicator, and four newly listed
companies were added.
Methodology
A stock's float-adjusted market capitalization over
time forms the basis for indicator calculations. Stock
dividends, stock splits, special dividends, share
consolidations, repurchases, spin-offs, and combination
stock distributions may trigger adjustments to the
indicator values. Only companies incorporated and
domiciled in mainland China that go public on the Shanghai,
Shenzhen, and Hong Kong stock exchanges are included.
Companies are removed from the indicator after a period of
twelve months.
Xinhua Finance/Milken Institute China Indicators
The Xinhua Finance/Milken Institute China Indicators
are aimed at providing investors, analysts, and financial
professionals deeper insight into China's money and capital
markets. Three of the eight indicators were launched in
November 2006: the Renminbi Pressure Indicator, the Chinese
IPO Indicator, and the Market Adjusted Debt (MAD) Indicator.
The remaining indicators will be launched in 2007.
Time Period Coverage and Frequency
New companies are added to the indicator as soon as
they are listed, while current companies are removed after
twelve months. The IPO Indicator has a base date of
December 31, 1997, when the indicator's value was set equal
to 100, and covers the period from December 31, 1991, to the
present. Values are calculated on a monthly basis. The
indicator for each month is released in the third week of
the following month.
Sources of Data
The real-time and historical trading data used in the
construction of this indicator are provided by Bloomberg
and Xinhua Finance; underlying information used to
calculate the float ratio is obtained from a variety of
sources, including Xinhua Finance's subsidiary Mergent,
stock exchanges, regulators, and the companies themselves.
Corporate actions are sourced from Xinhua Finance,
regulatory filings, and news services.
To view additional information, visit
http://www.xinhuafinance.com/indicators and
http://www.milkeninstitute.org/chinaindicators .
Xinhua Finance Limited is China's unchallenged leader
in financial information and media, and is listed on the
Mothers board of the Tokyo Stock Exchange (symbol: 9399)
(OTC ADRs: XHFNY). Bridging China's financial markets and
the world, Xinhua Finance serves financial institutions,
corporations and re-distributors through four focused and
complementary service lines: Indices, Ratings, Financial
News and Investor Relations. Founded in November 1999, the
Company is headquartered in Shanghai with 20 news bureaus
and offices in 19 locations across Asia, Australia, North
America and Europe. For more information, please visit
http://www.xinhuafinance.com .
The Milken Institute is a nonprofit, independent
economic think tank whose mission is to improve the lives
and economic conditions of diverse populations around the
world by helping business and public policy leaders
identify and implement innovative ideas for creating
broad-based prosperity. The Milken Institute has extensive
expertise in China and conducts ongoing research on China's
banking and capital markets. It is based in Santa Monica,
Calif. For more information, please visit
http://www.milkeninstitute.org .
For more information, please contact:
Xinhua Finance
China
Ms. Joy Tsang
Tel: +86-21-6113-5999 or +852-948-64363
Email: joy.tsang@xinhuafinance.com
Mr. Scott Zhang
Tel: +86-21-6113-5996
Email: scott.zhang@xinhuafinance.com
Japan
Mr. Jiong Sun
Tel: +813-3221-9500
Email: jsun@xinhuafinance.com
Taylor Rafferty (Media contact for Xinhua Finance)
Japan
Mr. James Hawrylak
Tel: +813-5733-2621
Email: James.hawrylak@taylor-rafferty.com
United States
Mr. John Dudzinsky
Tel: +1-212-889-4350
Email: John.Dudzinsky@taylor-rafferty.com
Europe
Faisal Kanth
Tel: +44-20-7614-2900
Email: Faisal.Kanth@taylor-rafferty.co.uk
Milken Institute
Ms. Jennifer Manfre
Associate Director of Communications
Tel: +1-310-570-4623
Email: jmanfre@milkeninstitute.org
2007'04.19.Thu
January Reports Highest-Ever Monthly Growth in China's Foreign Exchange Reserves
April 19, 2007
SHANGHAI, China, April 19 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Xinhua
Finance Limited and the Milken Institute today release the
media update on the Renminbi Pressure Indicator.
(Logo: http://www.xprn.com.cn/xprn/sa/200611140926.gif
)
Indicator Value Change
January 2007 196.6
December 2006: 194.1
Month-to-month change: 1.33%
January 2006: 177.8
Year-to-year change: 10.57%
Please visit
http://www.xinhuafinance.com/en/charts/ipo_rpi/0704/rpi_chart_en.jpg
to download the chart.
Highlights
In January 2007, the Renminbi Pressure Indicator (RPI)
increased by 1.33 percent, the largest month-to-month
increase since the initial revaluation in July 2005.
China's foreign exchange reserves rose to US$1.1 trillion.
Analysis
The gain in the RPI, from 194.1 to 196.6 over the
previous month, was attributable to appreciation of the
yuan and an increase in foreign exchange reserves, which
increased nearly US$38.3 billion from December. The
reserves increase was the highest month-to-month jump in
absolute dollar amount. In percentage points, China's
foreign exchange reserves represented the greatest gain
since December 2004. The rate of yuan appreciation against
the U.S. dollar accelerated to 0.40 percent, from 0.31
percent in December, while growth in China's foreign
exchange reserves accelerated to 3.60 percent, from 2.67
percent. Of the 1.33 percent growth in RPI, the yuan
appreciation accounted for a 0.13 percentage point
increase, and growth in reserves contributed the remaining
1.20 percentage point increase. There was no change in
domestic interest rates in January. (In February and March
2007, the rates of yuan appreciation against the dollar grew
0.47 and 0.07 percent, respectively. Interest rates
increased by 0.27 percent in March.)
Methodology
The RPI is based on a monthly examination of the
interaction between the following variables to compute
overall cumulative exchange rate pressure: the percentage
change in the spot exchange rate, the percentage change in
foreign exchange reserves, and the change in domestic
interest rates.
The indicator measures the pressure on China's currency
relative to the U.S. dollar. It is set equal to 100 on
January 1, 2000. Increases in the RPI reflect appreciation
pressure on the renminbi (RMB).
Xinhua Finance/Milken Institute China Indicators
The Xinhua Finance/Milken Institute China Indicators
are aimed at providing investors, analysts, and financial
professionals deeper insight into China's money and capital
markets. Three of the eight indicators¨Dthe Renminbi
Pressure Indicator, the Chinese IPO Indicator, and the
Market Adjusted Debt Indicator¨Dwere launched in November
2006. Banking Strength Indicator and Adjusted Trade and
Finance Indicator will be launched in April 2007. The
remaining indicators will be launched in 2007.
Time Period Coverage and Frequency
The indicator covers the period from November 30, 1980,
through January 2007. Data are available from the Milken
Institute upon request. There will be a two- to four-month
delay in reporting values for the indicator, depending on
the release of information from authorities in China.
Sources of Data
The data used in the construction of the indicator are
obtained from the International Monetary Fund, People's
Bank of China, and State Administration of Foreign
Exchange.
To view additional information, visit
http://www.xinhuafinance.com/indicators and
http://www.milkeninstitute.org/chinaindicators .
Xinhua Finance Limited is China's unchallenged leader
in financial information and media, and is listed on the
Mothers board of the Tokyo Stock Exchange (symbol: 9399)
(OTC ADRs: XHFNY). Bridging China's financial markets and
the world, Xinhua Finance serves financial institutions,
corporations and re-distributors through four focused and
complementary service lines: Indices, Ratings, Financial
News and Investor Relations. Founded in November 1999, the
Company is headquartered in Shanghai with 20 news bureaus
and offices in 19 locations across Asia, Australia, North
America and Europe. For more information, please visit
http://www.xinhuafinance.com .
The Milken Institute is a nonprofit, independent
economic think tank whose mission is to improve the lives
and economic conditions of diverse populations around the
world by helping business and public policy leaders
identify and implement innovative ideas for creating
broad-based prosperity. The Milken Institute has extensive
expertise in China and conducts ongoing research on China's
banking and capital markets. It is based in Santa Monica,
Calif. For more information, please visit
http://www.milkeninstitute.org .
For more information, please contact:
Xinhua Finance
China
Ms. Joy Tsang
Tel: +86-21-6113-5999 or +852-948-64363
Email: joy.tsang@xinhuafinance.com
Mr. Scott Zhang
Tel: +86-21-6113-5996
Email: scott.zhang@xinhuafinance.com
Japan
Mr. Jiong Sun
Tel: +813-3221-9500
Email: jsun@xinhuafinance.com
Taylor Rafferty (Media contact for Xinhua Finance)
Japan
Mr. James Hawrylak
Tel: +813-5733-2621
Email: James.hawrylak@taylor-rafferty.com
United States
Mr. John Dudzinsky
Tel: +1-212-889-4350
Email: John.Dudzinsky@taylor-rafferty.com
Europe
Faisal Kanth
Tel: +44-20-7614-2900
Email: Faisal.Kanth@taylor-rafferty.co.uk
Milken Institute
Ms. Jennifer Manfre
Associate Director of Communications
Tel: +1-310-570-4623
Email: jmanfre@milkeninstitute.org
2007'04.19.Thu
Turtle Power! Heroes in a Half Shell Race to the Galapagos
April 19, 2007
Bookmakers Ready for Punters to Shell Out
GIBRALTAR, April 19 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --
http://www.PartyBets.com is pleased to announce that it is
offering odds on a `turtley' different kind of race. Forget
the Grand National, the focus is now on the "The Great
Turtle Race," which sees tracking devices attached to
11 female leatherback turtles to monitor them as they take
their annual journey from Costa Rica to the Galapagos
Islands in the Pacific Ocean. Their progress can be
tracked on the web.
The race, which is being held to highlight the plight
of these beautiful creatures, which are the world's largest
turtles, is already underway with Genevieve and Stephanie
Colburtle the early joint 6/1 favourites. There is
speculation that Genevieve is battle hardened from a run-in
with a shark, while Stephanie Colburtle is said to be the
largest turtle in the race.
A PartyBets.com spokesman said: "We've had a
number of enquiries from punters who are keen to shell out
on a bet on which one of the swimmers has enough turtle
power to reach the Galapagos. Darwin formed many of his
theories of evolution on the famous islands and this
survival of the fittest is bound to capture the imagination
of many. There are no pizza breaks in this race, these are
super turtles not ninja turtles."
"Studying the form of the turtles is something we
have never done before! Factors that were taken into
account include condition, weight, speed and egg laying
history. All are likely to be key to determining who the
winner might be. It's not really a case of `they're under
starters orders and they're off' with female leatherback
turtles -- it is said they can grow to up to six feet and
weigh over 2,000 pounds."
The race is organized and sponsored by a variety of
organizations and promotes a serious message. It is said
that the female leatherback turtle population has shrunk
from an estimated 115,000 in 1980 to around 43,000 today.
http://www.PartyBets.com will settle results based on
the official outcome.
PARTYBETS.COM: WHO WILL WIN "THE GREAT TURTLE
RACE?"
Stephanie Colburtle 6/1
Genevieve 6/1
Turtleocity 7/1
Freedom 7/1
Saphira 8/1
Champiro 8/1
Billie 8/1
Purple Lightning 9/1
Windy 10/1
Sundae 16/1
Drexelina 16/1
PartyBets.com is a popular member of PartyGaming Plc's
growing suite of online products that includes
PartyPoker.com, PartyCasino.com, PartyBingo.com,
PartyGammon.com, Gamebookers.com and EmpirePoker.com.
For more information, please contact:
Warren Lush
PartyBets.com
Email: warrenl@partygaming.com
2007'04.19.Thu
Reed MIDEM Launches Pan-Asian Entertainment Exhibition & Conference
April 19, 2007
PARIS, April 19 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Reed MIDEM, the
Paris-based organizer of international exhibitions, today
announces the launch of AMAZIA, the first pan-Asian,
business-to-business exhibition and conference devoted to
the creation and distribution of international
entertainment content across all delivery platforms.
AMAZIA will take place in Hong Kong in November, 2008.
"AMAZIA will be a unique event. It will be the
only multi-platform, content-driven market in the Asian
region, bringing together in one place and at one time, the
key Asian players and their international counterparts from
the entertainment industry," says Reed MIDEM Chief
Executive Officer, Paul Zilk. "AMAZIA will combine
the best elements of our successful MIPTV featuring MILIA,
MIPCOM, MIDEM television and music markets, along with
other entertainment content industries such as
games."
"Our decision to bring together the most exciting
elements of the entertainment content industry with the
different distributors at a single event, reflects the
evolution of the market, particularly in Asia, where the
number of distribution platforms has dramatically
increased. AMAZIA will offer these platforms a
one-stop-shop to acquire content from the widest selection
of providers possible," says Paul Zilk.
Entertainment and media industries in Asia are expected
to grow 10% per year until 2010 -- the fastest growth rate
in the world and double the growth in the United States.
Asia's entertainment and media markets are predicted to be
worth $425 billion in 2010, compared to $330 billion this
year. With Chinese entertainment and media showing 18%
annual increases, China's entertainment business will reach
$121.5 billion in 2009.
Asian nations have also been particularly quick to
innovate and adopt new technology. The region currently
accounts for 50% of global 3G telephone subscribers and by
2010, Asia will represent more than 50% of the broadband
internet market. The strength of the mobile telephone
sector has had a beneficial effect on traditional
entertainment sectors, particularly the recorded music
industry. In the wake of declining revenues between 2001
and 2003, Asia's music market has been growing by over 7%
per year since 2005, as the increase in mobile music has
off-set the decline in physical distribution.
AMAZIA will play host to Asian and international
content creators and rights owners including television and
film production and distribution companies, broadcasters,
record companies, music publishers and distributors, live
music specialists, mobile music services, online game
platforms, as well as mobile operators, digital content
providers, technology enablers, licensing and merchandising
companies, advertising agencies and consumer brands that are
looking to associate themselves with entertainment content.
Participation in the first year is expected to be 70% from
the Asian-Pacific countries and 30% from outside the
region.
For more information, please contact:
Michael Williams
Director of Press and Public Relations Reed MIDEM
Tel: +33-1-4190-4933
Email: mike.williams@reedmidem.com
Mobile: +33-6-2419-3657
2007'04.19.Thu
PR Newswire to Acquire Fastest Growing EDGAR Filing Firm, Vintage Filings, LLC
April 19, 2007
Combination to satisfy growing demand for seamless
coordination of press release distribution and regulatory
filings
NEW YORK, April 19 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- PR Newswire,
the global leader in commercial news distribution,
announced today its acquisition of Vintage Filings, LLC,
one of the leading and fastest growing EDGAR filing
companies in the United States.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to:
http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/prnewswire/27531/
(Logo: http://www.xprn.com/xprn/sa/200704191652.gif )
(Photo: http://www.xprn.com/xprn/sa/200704191651.jpg )
(Photo: http://www.xprn.com/xprn/sa/200704191649.jpg )
(Video: http://www.xprn.com/xprn/sa/200704191647.wmv )
(Photo: http://www.xprn.com/xprn/sa/200704191650.jpg )
(Video: http://www.xprn.com/xprn/sa/200704191648.wmv )
Vintage Filings, headquartered in New York, will become
a division of PR Newswire and will continue to be led by
Chief Executive Officer Shai Stern and President Seth
Farbman. Vintage Filings will facilitate all electronic
financial filings for PR Newswire's EDGAR Express
customers.
"Vintage Filings is a valued and trusted resource
for the Fortune 500, mid-size and small cap public
companies, and investment banking firms it serves, and is
well known for providing superior and unmatched customer
service around the clock, at highly competitive
prices," said Charles Gregson, chief executive
officer, PR Newswire. "Electronic and simultaneous
delivery of information to all audiences -- the media,
investors both institutional and retail, as well as
regulatory organizations -- is increasingly important.
Together, we will deliver all of these things."
From distributing press releases, hosting webcasts and
creating and disseminating XBRL documents to filing
regulatory EDGAR documents with the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission and providing financial printing
services, PR Newswire can help public companies comply with
all facets of disclosure.
Shai Stern, chief executive officer of Vintage Filings,
said, "We are extremely pleased to join the PR Newswire
family. With the largest distribution network to media and
an unparalleled reach to investors, bolstered by an
exclusive channel on Thomson Financial's First Call
Network, PR Newswire will offer our customers the greatest
opportunity for their financial news to reach critical
audiences, wherever they are."
Vintage Filings' President Seth Farbman stated,
"We look forward to bringing our EDGAR, typesetting
and financial printing experience and value to the PR
Newswire family. Public companies will surely benefit from
our combined expertise in electronic filing and
simultaneous news distribution and webcasting
services."
The SEC created EDGAR -- an acronym for Electronic
Data-Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval -- in 1993 and
recently embarked on a $50 million upgrade of the web-based
system in preparation for an expected upsurge in
corporations furnishing interactive data. For its part, PR
Newswire has been an active participant in a not-for-profit
coalition, XBRL-U.S., working closely with the SEC on the
development of a new interactive data standard known as
eXtensible business reporting language (XBRL), an XML-based
standard that permits the automatic exchange and reliable
extraction of financial and business information across all
software formats and technologies.
"The acquisition of Vintage Filings was a natural
outgrowth of the convergence of news dissemination,
regulatory filings and interactive data," said Ira
Krawitz, PR Newswire's newly appointed senior vice
president of Investor Relations Services. "Together,
PR Newswire and Vintage Filings will be able to offer
public companies a one-stop-shop for all their disclosure
and regulatory needs."
Vintage Filings, LLC is a five-year old company with 65
full-time employees working at offices in New York, Los
Angeles, and San Francisco. The company provides
full-service filing capabilities, typesetting and financial
printing to more than 1,000 public companies, mutual funds,
investment management firms, law firms and individuals
around the world, assisting them in meeting the EDGAR
filing requirements of the SEC.
PR Newswire is recognized as an established, secure
means for listed companies around the world to meet
disclosure regulations. The company and its subsidiaries
are employed by thousands of corporations in the United
States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, The
Netherlands, Ireland, Switzerland, China, Brazil and dozens
of additional nations. In January, PR Newswire launched its
TOD Wire, a service that facilitates listed companies'
compliance with the new regulations required under the
European Union's Transparency Obligations Directive (TOD),
while also helping them satisfy best practices in
communicating with institutional and retail investors
across the EU. Additionally, PR Newswire provides news
distribution services for companies throughout Asia, Latin
America and the Middle East. PR Newswire also plays a
critical role in educating the corporate, investor and
regulatory communities around the world on issues of
disclosure and transparency.
About PR Newswire
PR Newswire Association LLC ( http://www.prnewswire.com
) provides electronic distribution, targeting, measurement
and broadcast services on behalf of tens of thousands of
corporate, government, association, labor, non-profit, and
other customers worldwide. Using PR Newswire, these
organizations reach a variety of critical audiences
including the news media, the investment community,
government decision-makers, and the general public with
their up-to-the-minute, full-text news developments.
Established in 1954, PR Newswire has offices in 11
countries and routinely sends its customers' news to
outlets in 135 countries and in more than 40 languages.
Utilizing the latest in communications technology, PR
Newswire content is considered a mainstay among news
reporters, investors and individuals who seek breaking news
from the source. PR Newswire's leading services include
ProfNet Experts(SM), eWatch(TM), MEDIAtlas(TM), Search
Engine Optimization, MediaRoom, MediaSense(TM), MultiVu(TM)
and U.S. Newswire, the preeminent policy newswire in the
industry. PR Newswire is a subsidiary of United Business
Media plc of London.
For more information, please contact:
Rachel Meranus, Vice President
Public Relations,
PR Newswire
Tel: +1-212-282-1929
Email: rachel.meranus@prnewswire.com
2007'04.19.Thu
Thomson Scientific Publishes 'Who is Making The Biggest Splash?' - A Quarterly Review of Scientific Literature on Drugs and Therapies
April 19, 2007
GlaxoSmithKline Tops Charts for Third Quarter in a Row
PHILADELPHIA, April 19 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Thomson
Scientific, part of The Thomson Corporation (NYSE: TOC;
TSX: TOC) and leading provider of information solutions to
the worldwide research and business communities, today
announced the release of its most recent quarterly review
of scientific literature on drugs and therapies. "Who
is Making the Biggest Splash?" was created to provide
an objective assessment of how this tremendous volume of
research is being received within the clinical community
and to give expert measured insight into organizations that
helped to shape professional opinions. This just published
report covers the months from December 2006-February 2007.
Findings are based on information compiled by the
Thomson Message Mapping SystemSM which provides data to the
pharmaceutical industry in real-time, evaluating specific
drugs and therapies against competitors as new studies are
being published. By applying proprietary algorithms to
assess both the quantity and quality of scientific
literature on drugs and therapies from the point of view of
the practicing clinician, the Thomson Message Mapping
SystemSM helps pharmaceutical companies measure the overall
impact of published scientific information.
"Our goal at Thomson Scientific is to provide not
only the most comprehensive collection of scientific data
available, but also to continually devise new ways for
companies that operate in the scientific and healthcare
industries to leverage that data in the most effective
manner possible," said Lawrence Liberti, VP, General
Manager, Thomson Pharmaceutical Services. "The
international pharmaceutical industry is among the most
prolific sponsors of scientific research. We at Thomson
Scientific are assessing the quantity and quality of the
materials published by pharmaceutical companies, research
institutions and other non-commercial bodies to identify
which organizations have made the biggest splash."
Who Made the Biggest Splash this Quarter?
Thomson Scientific's findings report that for the third
straight quarter, GlaxoSmithKline made the biggest impact in
scientific literature between December 2006 and February
2007, more than doubling the 53 identified in the previous
quarter and maintaining a strong enough quality score to
hold its rank of #1. Researchers affiliated with the firm
issued 125 articles, abstracts or scientific posters
between December 2006 and February 2007. The quality of
those articles was enough to continue GlaxoSmithKline's
prime position in terms of the impact it has made.
Rounding out the top five were AstraZeneca, Merck,
Pfizer and Eli Lilly.
Big Pharma continued to feature prominently in the
rankings: the first seven entries on the list are among the
world's leading pharmaceutical companies. The quality of the
literature backed by Schering, GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer
has been particularly high, with Thomson Source Scores of
80% or greater.
Of note are the smaller, more focused companies that
have also made their mark. While the volume of their
publication activity was lower than that of Big Pharma,
Sepracor achieved the highest average Thomson Source Scores
for their publications of all the companies on our chart.
*For a copy of the full report, including the
methodology behind the findings, please visit:
http://www.thomsonpharma.com//media/pdfs/tpqr/making-a-splash-0702.pdf
About The Thomson Corporation
The Thomson Corporation ( http://www.thomson.com ) is a
global leader in providing essential electronic workflow
solutions to business and professional customers. With
operational headquarters in Stamford, Conn., Thomson
provides value-added information, software tools and
applications to professionals in the fields of law, tax,
accounting, financial services, scientific research and
healthcare. The Corporation's common shares are listed on
the New York and Toronto stock exchanges (NYSE: TOC; TSX:
TOC).
Thomson Scientific is a business of The Thomson
Corporation. Its information solutions assist
professionals at every stage of research and
development-from discovery to analysis to product
development and distribution. Thomson Scientific
information solutions can be found at
scientific.thomson.com.
For more information, please contact:
Allison Hagan
Thomson Scientific
Tel: +1-215-823-1881
Email: allison.hagan@thomson.com
2007'04.19.Thu
Mendis to Offer $1,000,000 Collector's Bottle
April 19, 2007
NEW YORK, April 19 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Mendis
International, Inc. has announced that the world's first
ultra-premium coconut brandy bottle of Mendis will be
presented for sale for $1,000,000 USD.
(Photo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070320/NYTU071 )
"To own the very first Johnnie Walker or Remy
Martin bottle made would be an absolute dream for most fine
spirits connoisseurs," says Chris Richardson, President
and CEO of Mendis International. "We are very happy to
be able to offer one person the chance to own this
exclusive collector's bottle."
For the purchaser, there is much more to the offering.
Mendis will provide a First Class flight to the Maldives
for a luxurious stay in a five-star resort. During the
trip, an excursion to Sri Lanka will include a personal
tour of the distillery by the founder of The House of
Mendis, Mr. W.M. Mendis himself, who founded the distillery
in 1948. At the tour's conclusion the $1,000,000 bottle,
signed and numbered by Mr. W.M. Mendis, will be presented.
A certificate of authenticity will be provided by The House
of Mendis confirming that it is the first coconut brandy
bottle of Mendis issued.
To ensure that the return trip goes smoothly, Mendis
will provide two security escorts to fly with the bottle to
its final destination.
Collectors and consumers can find more information
about the Million Dollar Bottle and Mendis coconut brandy
at: http://www.mendisbrandy.com
About Mendis Coconut Brandy:
Mendis coconut brandy is a 100% all-natural clear
brandy distilled from coconut and matured for a minimum of
two years in Hamilla wood casks. Mendis has a subtle taste
of coconut with a velvety sweet texture and unmatched
smoothness. The product can be experienced neat or on the
rocks and offers limitless options for mixing as a clear
spirit. Mendis coconut brandy will be available in Autumn
of 2007 in the United States. For more information see:
http://www.mendisbrandy.com
For more information, please contact:
Cherise Brogdon, Director
Media Relations of Mendis International, Inc.
Tel: +1-718-233-3960 x706
Email: cbrogdon@mendisbrandy.com
2007'04.19.Thu
Advanced Ringtone Format Creates Dynamic Conversations Between Callers - Before the Phone Gets Answered - Flipping the Script on Personalization and Storefronts
April 19, 2007
MONTE CARLO, Monaco, April 19 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --
Major music, media and technology investment companies
invest in evolutionary media-telephony venture to
significantly increase the value of the mobile music
market. The D. E. Shaw group, Bertelsmann Digital Media
Investments, Warner Music Group and prominent media and
telephony angel investors have invested $7.7 million in
Emotive Communications, Inc., a media technology and
services provider that has developed a real-time
interactive ringtone format for 3G, 4G and VoIP services.
Emotive's flagship product, the patent-pending
"Push Ringer", reverses the common ringtone
model. It enables a caller to push an outgoing ringtone to
the receiving phone allowing the caller, not the called
person, to set the tone. The chosen Ringer is transmitted
to the recipient's handset and temporarily overrides the
phone's pre-set ringer. The ringers can comprise audio,
video, animations, avatars or flash files. Closing the
loop, if the called person likes the ringtone, the service
also enables him or her to instantly buy a copy of the
ringtone for his or her own phone. Emotive's Push Ringer
moves beyond traditional mobile personalization by both
adding value to the ringtones users purchase for their own
phones and providing content recommendation and
impulse-purchase opportunities to the users' friends,
family and coworkers. This new technology represents a
vastly more active, expressive and compelling form of call
personalization than exists in today's ringtone market
which is otherwise showing signs of leveling off at only
about 6% of mobile subscribers, worldwide, The Push Ringer
leverages rapidly emerging broadband wireless telephone and
wire-line VOIP networks.
The product has already gained significant traction
with consumers. Since its launch on Skype's VOIP network
in 2006, Push Ringer (known to Skype users as
"Ringjacker") has been installed more than
800,000 times and is demonstrating significant peer to peer
pass-along rates. Emotive is unveiling its mobile prototype
of the Push Ringer at the IMS World Forum in Monaco on April
24th 2007.
"Our Push Ringer brings a new level of real-time
interactive multimedia enhancement to
telecommunications," said Emotive CEO Anthony
Stonefield. "Consumers are influenced by their peers.
We are creating the ultimate `word of mouth' network,
literally by inserting music and video into the initiation
of a phone call."
"Emotive Communications represents the arrival of
`social' sampling and distribution of ringtones and other
media using mobile devices, a phenomenon of potentially
great import for both content companies and
consumers," said Richard Sarnoff, President of
Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments.
"We think that the widespread emergence of IP
telecoms is opening new fields of innovation," said
Andre Turenne, a senior vice president at the D. E. Shaw
group. "In our opinion, Emotive is a key innovator at
the point of convergence between multimedia and network
communications."
"Emotive Communications has created a product that
further advances mobile social networking. We view our work
with Emotive as an extension of our product innovation
efforts in the digital music space," said Alex
Zubillaga, executive vice president of Digital Strategy and
Business Development, Warner Music Group.
About Emotive Communications
Emotive is an entertainment focused innovation company
that provides real-time interactive multimedia products and
services to network operators and service providers (3/4G
mobile and broadband) worldwide. The company's "Push
Ringer" product introduces active social media
networking to the network communications industries by
deploying a ring-forward tone for fast IP networks.
Emotive was founded by the original management of Moviso
(acquired by InfoSpace) who are responsible for creating
and leading the mobile ringtone market and architecting the
mobile content business and wireless copyright exploitation
models in North America. Emotive is a privately held
company based in Los Angeles, California. For more
information, visit: http://www.emotive.com
About The D. E. Shaw Group
The D. E. Shaw group is a global investment and
technology development firm. Since its organization in
1988, the firm has earned an international reputation for
financial innovation, technological leadership, and an
extraordinarily distinguished staff. The D. E. Shaw group
encompasses a number of closely related entities with more
than 1,000 employees, approximately $29 billion in
aggregate investment capital, and offices in New York,
London, Silicon Valley, Houston, Kansas City, San
Francisco, Washington D.C., Bermuda, and Hyderabad and
Gurgaon, India.
About Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments (BDMI)
Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments (BDMI) is a
strategic venture investor focused on innovative digital
media technologies, products and distribution channels
across the globe. BDMI is a wholly owned subsidiary of
Bertelsmann AG, one of the largest media and entertainment
companies in the world with over $25 billion in revenues.
With more than 600 individual companies, Bertelsmann AG has
significant interests in all areas of media including
television, music, books, magazines, direct marketing and
media services. For more information, visit:
http://www.bdmifund.com
About Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group became the only stand-alone music
company to be publicly traded in the United States in May
2005. With its broad roster of new stars and legendary
artists, Warner Music Group is home to a collection of the
best-known record labels in the music industry including
Asylum, Atlantic, Bad Boy, Cordless, East West, Elektra,
Lava, Maverick, Nonesuch, Reprise, Rhino, Roadrunner,
Rykodisc, Sire, Warner Bros. and Word. Warner Music
International, a leading company in national and
international repertoire, operates through numerous
international affiliates and licensees in more than 50
countries. Warner Music Group also includes
Warner/Chappell Music, one of the world's leading music
publishers, with a catalog of more than one million
copyrights worldwide.
For more information, please contact:
Mary Stuyvesant
Emotive Communications, Inc.
Tel: +1-323-841-2557
Email: media@emotive.com
2007'04.19.Thu
Message from Dr Henk Bekedam, WHO Representative In China
April 19, 2007
ROAD SAFETY WEEK - 23 - 29 APRIL 2007
BEIJING, April 19 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- The first
United Nations Global Road Safety Week is an important
reminder that traffic injuries are no accident and that
much can be done to prevent the damage occurring on roads.
(Logo:
http://www.xprn.com.cn/xprn/sa/20061102095006-51.jpg )
Traffic injuries are a major cause of death in China,
where there is an explosion in the use of vehicles. There
are around 34 million cars on the road, growing each year
by 12 per cent.
Official statistics report more than 100,000 deaths and
500,000 injuries on China's roads each year, with roughly
one death every five minutes.
The burden of injury falls disproportionately on the
young. Lack of awareness and experience means that young
people are more likely to engage in dangerous behaviour
such as speeding, driving without a seatbelt or a helmet,
and drink driving.
Road safety measures such as using seatbelts and
helmets save lives.
The Chinese Government recognizes the importance of
road safety and there is growing political will for more
strategies to prevent injury on China's roads.
As well as many activities as part of Global Road
Safety Week, China will host a National Conference on Road
Traffic Injuries later this year. A national report and
national action plan for injury prevention in China that
includes traffic injuries are also near completion.
China's next challenge is to introduce national road
safety measures and enforce them so they are effective.
China needs to enforce penalties for people who speed,
break road rules, drink-drive or drive without seatbelts.
China is committed to preventing road injury and should
be congratulating for embracing Global Road Safety week to
promote life-saving measures.
More information on China's Road Safety Week activities
is available at
http://www.who.int/roadsafety/week/activities/national/chn/en/index.html
.
For more information, please contact:
Joanna Brent
Communications Team Leader
WHO China
Tel: +86-10-6532-7189 ext 646 or +86-1391-120-5176
2007'04.19.Thu
Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino Unveils the Ultimate Las Vegas Entertainment Luxury Destination
April 19, 2007
New Resort & Casino Features State-of-the Art Casino
Floor,
Award-Winning Restaurants, Leading Entertainment Shows,
Comprehensive Shopping Experience and the Most Exclusive
Nightlife On The Strip
LAS VEGAS, April 19 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Planet
Hollywood is proud to announce the arrival of the new
Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, a fully renovated
entertainment and luxury destination on the former site of
the Aladdin, in the heart of the legendary Las Vegas Strip.
The unprecedented head-to-toe renovation is retro-chic.
From the floor to ceiling Swarovski crystal chandeliers in
the glamorous lobby, to the cutting edge casino floor with
majestically high ceilings and architectural touches that
are unrivaled in the city, the resort is positioning itself
as one of the major players on the Strip.
(Photo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070417/NYTU163 )
Plans for the complete re-branding of the resort were
revealed today and include a highly anticipated group of
restaurants, lounges, nightclubs, live shows and retail
partners by Robert Earl, co-chairman of Planet Hollywood
Resort & Casino.
"Here we are, standing in the ultimate location in
Las Vegas, in the center of the Las Vegas Strip to unveil
Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino," said Robert
Earl, co-chairman. "This project is the fulfillment of
a dream, and I am very proud to say that the Planet is
rising!"
The new Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino offers
guests the ultimate VIP experience with 2,600 movie-themed
rooms and suites, as well as the chance to immerse
themselves in the elite world of celebrity and Hollywood
culture. The resort boasts the latest in technology with
5,000 Panasonic high definition plasma televisions in the
public areas and guest rooms, including over 250 hi def
plasmas on the main casino floor, an expansive gaming area
with all the hottest table games, slot machines, newly
opened poker room and, opening this summer, a
state-of-the-art Pink's Race and Sports Book Lounge serving
authentic hot dogs from LA's famous Pink's.
Award-winning restaurants are featured throughout the
property offering world-class cuisine to satisfy any
cravings. Opening this summer Strip House, one of New
York's most acclaimed upscale steakhouses; KOI a celebrity
favorite from Los Angeles; Yolos, a quirky, neon Mexican
restaurant; traditional Italian fare from Alfredo of Rome;
and for quick treats like sandwiches and salads on the run,
Earl of Sandwich is schedule to make its Las Vegas debut.
Already open on the casino floor for early morning
breakfast, late night munchies and everything in-between,
the new 24 hour sexy coffee shop, Planet Dailies and
favorites such as P.F. Chang's China Bistro and the
acclaimed Spice Market Buffet are always crowd pleasers.
Nightlife at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino is
certain to keep the party going with new meeting spots
including the Extra Lounge with entertainment and the most
current celebrity happenings named for the entertainment
news magazine that has its exclusive Las Vegas headquarters
on property; Heart Bar, located in the center of the casino
floor is quickly becoming the hot spot to enjoy cocktails
and rendezvous with friends; and, three projects from South
Beach Miami's hottest club operators including, Living Room
a sexy lounge; opening soon, Prive nightclub and, later in
the fall, a third, soon-to-be-announced club from the Opium
Group.
Entertainment at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino
offers a variety of unique standing productions as well as
special events. At the 7,000 seat newly renovated Theatre
for the Performing Arts or at the 1,500 seat brand new
Showroom guests can enjoy headline concerts, the all new,
highly anticipated The Beauty of Magic starring magician
Hans Klok and featuring guest superstar Carmen Electra and
an original production of Stomp Out Loud from the creators
of Stomp.
Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino creates dream Las
Vegas weddings in The Chapel, a romantic setting for
couples to tie-the-knot and fulfill their desires for their
most treasured day. For larger affairs and meetings, the
resort has over 75,000 square feet of meeting space
including an impressive Grand Ballroom and a full service
business center.
Pampering is an important part of the entire Las Vegas
experience and the Planet Hollywood Spa by Mandara has all
you need to treat yourself to the ultimate in Hollywood
indulgences. With specialty massages, exotic facials, body
treatments to relax and invigorate the body and spirit, a
fitness center and a full range of hair, nail services and
make-up application, there is something for everyone at the
spa. If tanning and swimming are more your style, the pool
deck on the sixth floor of the resort has two over-sized
pools, hot tubs, plenty of lounge chairs for relaxing and a
seasonal cafe featuring al fresco dining.
Las Vegas is known for great shopping experiences and
guests looking for retail therapy will not be disappointed.
The retail shops located in the hotel lobby include
Hollywood Obsessions for memorabilia collectors, and PH The
Store offering the latest in Planet Hollywood gear and
sundries. Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood with over
170 unique retailers and dining offerings is situated within
the main resort complex. Soon guests and shoppers will have
access to world famous Trader Vic's for dining and sipping
their trade-mark cocktails; Hawaiian Tropic Zone will
feature an inventive menu with a tropical flavor; the
first-ever Las Vegas H&M and, already open, a four
story Urban Outfitters full of funky and trendy clothing
and items for the home and body.
On the Southeast corner of the property construction is
underway for the Planet Hollywood Towers by Westgate, set to
open in 2009. A soaring glass tower at fifty stories high,
Planet Hollywood Towers by Westgate will feature 1200
luxuriously appointed vacation villas and 28 exclusive
penthouse suites with 3.2 million square feet of living
space, an exotic tropical pool complete with sandy beach
and private cabanas, an elite 46th floor pool for the
exclusive penthouse suites, a world class fitness facility,
restaurants, and meeting space.
ABOUT PLANET HOLLYWOOD RESORT & CASINO
Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino is a joint venture
partnership involving Robert Earl, Founder and CEO of Planet
Hollywood International Inc, Bay Harbour Management LLC, and
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc and is a member
of the Starwood Preferred Guest program. For more
information log onto http://www.planethollywoodresort.com .
For more information, please contact:
Amy Sadowsky
Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino
Tel: +1-702-785-9155
Email: Asadowsky@planethollywood.com
Andrea Roqueni
Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino
Tel: +1-702-785-9157
Jose Martinez
Freud Communications
Tel: +1-323-866-6060
Email: Jose.Martinez@freud.com
2007'04.19.Thu
Lagan Receives 'Strong Positive' Rating in Leading Analyst Firm's Local Government CRM Products MarketScope Report
April 19, 2007
WASHINGTON, April 19 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --
Lagan, provider of enterprise software dedicated to
streamlining the delivery of public services to
constituents, today announced that it has received the
highest possible rating in Gartner's MarketScope: Local
Government CRM products 2007. (1) Lagan was one of eight
software suppliers evaluated in the report, and received a
"Strong Positive" rating.
MarketScope research is a review of vendors worldwide
offering a similar product or service, and provides
specific guidance for users. Vendors were reviewed
according to their vertical/industry strategy, product and
service, product strategy, overall viability and geographic
strategy with different weighting accorded to each category.
Commenting on the result, Des Speed, President and CEO
of Lagan, said, "We believe Lagan's sole focus on
providing software solutions for government has helped us
achieve this place within Gartner's local government CRM
MarketScope. We believe Gartner's 'Strong Positive' rating
confirms Lagan's position in the market and our commitment
to providing local government with CRM technology solutions
that meet their unique challenges. We would like to thank
our customers for their support and confidence in Lagan,
and we promise to continue developing CRM solutions to meet
their evolving needs."
Lagan's strong positive rating in the 2007 local
government CRM MarketScope comes soon after Lagan was
positioned in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for CRM Customer
Service Contact Centres 2007. (2) The Magic Quadrant is a
qualitative evaluation of a set of vendors in a specific
market.
Des Speed continues, "We are particularly proud
that Lagan's position in the local government CRM
MarketScope comes so soon after being positioned in the
Gartner CRM Customer Service Contact Centres 2007 Magic
Quadrant. The Magic Quadrant report highlights customer
service as a 'key business factor that will drive CIO
decision making during the next 24 months'. Lagan's
software solutions support this by focusing on meeting the
needs of government customers, enabling them to provide
services that can be accessed quickly and effectively, and
meet performance criteria."
Magic Quadrant companies are assessed by Gartner using
a range of weighted criteria, including ability to execute,
market responsiveness, customer experience and support,
market understanding and innovation.
A complete Gartner MarketScope for local government CRM
products report is available on the Lagan website at:
http://www.lagan.com .
About Lagan
Lagan is a leading provider of solutions that enable
government organizations to become more responsive,
accessible and effective in meeting the needs of their
citizens. Lagan's flagship product is an enterprise case
management and citizen relationship management solution
that integrates into non-emergency 311 systems and human
services programs. Lagan is easily scalable and adaptable
to serve cities, states and counties with varying sized
populations.
The Lagan product suite offers an open architecture
designed to integrate easily with mainframe and legacy
systems, data warehouses and other back-office systems.
Lagan streamlines the provision of public services and
enables state and local governments to communicate more
effectively with constituents, whether by telephone, email
or face-to-face meeting. Lagan also supports multiple
language translation options.
Founded in 1994, Lagan is based in Belfast, Northern
Ireland, with offices in Washington, DC; Chicago, IL; and
London, UK. North American and European customers include
Los Angeles County, CA; San Francisco, CA; New Orleans, LA;
Minneapolis, MN, Blackpool Council, West Sussex, Transport
for London and Newcastle City Council. Learn more at:
http://www.lagan.com
1. MarketScope for local government CRM products, 2007.
By John Kost and Esteban Kolsky
2. Magic Quadrant for CRM Customer Service Contact
Centers, 2007 by Michael Maoz
For more information, please contact:
Europe:
Grace Meehan, European Marketing Executive
Lagan
Tel: +44-2890-788308
Fax: +44-2890-788339
Email: grace_meehan@lagan.com
PR Agency (The itpr Partnership)
Kathy Freeman
Email: kathyf@itpr.co.uk
Celia Dixon
Tel: +44-1932-578800
Fax: +44-1932-578801
North America:
Katie Sieck, Marketing Manager
Lagan, North America
Tel: +1-301-263-6245
Email: katie_sieck@lagan.com
PR Agency
Troy D. Gravitt
Strategic Communications Group
Tel: +1-301-408-4500
Email: tgravitt@gotostrategic.com
2007'04.19.Thu
Eleksen Grows U.S., Asia Pacific Presence - Opens New U.S. West Coast and Pacific Rim Operations
April 19, 2007
Company Stakes Global Claim with San Francisco, Hong Kong
Offices
SAN FRANCISCO, April 19 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Eleksen
Group plc (AIM: ELG.L), the inventor and manufacturer of
ElekTex(R) touch-sensitive smart fabrics for consumer
electronics, apparel and accessories, today announced the
expansion of its global presence with the opening of new
offices in San Francisco and Hong Kong.
To support Eleksen's unprecedented growth, the company
is expanding its business development and sales teams on
the West Coast and in the Pacific Rim -- both hot areas for
the innovative development of interactive soft-goods.
2006 marked a banner year for Eleksen as the company signed
a record amount of deals and was the first smart fabrics
company to have an initial public offering. Capitalizing
on the large demand for smart fabrics design, innovation
and products, Eleksen leads the market in wearables from
sportswear to outdoor gear and high-end fashion.
Last year, the company sealed its status as the leader
by being the only company in this space to go public and
selling over 300,000 units to date. Eleksen's roster of
partnerships and customers includes leading companies such
as Belkin, Intel, Microsoft and Apple. Eleksen's
ElekTex(R) is the smart fabric sensor of choice by name
brands such as Zegna, Spyder and O' Neill.
"With demand for wearable technology growing
swiftly worldwide, it became eminently clear that these new
San Francisco and Hong Kong facilities were a necessity to
keep us ahead of the curve," said Robin Shephard, CEO
of Eleksen. "This reflects our continued growth in
both markets and the immense promise that Eleksen is
bringing to consumer electronic and wearable technology
markets."
Eleksen's new offices are located at:
Hong Kong: San Francisco:
One Exchange Square 795 Folsom Street
Level 39 1st floor
8 Connaught Place San Francisco,
California
Central Hong Kong
About Eleksen
Eleksen Group plc is the world leader in touch
sensitive interactive textiles for electronics interface
design. The company's core technology, ElekTex, is a unique
electro-conductive fabric touch pad optimized for the
creation of flexible, durable and rugged fabric touch
screen interfaces. ElekTex is used in applications ranging
from wearable electronic controls for consumer electronics
and industrial wear to lightweight, low-power touch
interfaces for CE accessories, telematics, military,
transportation and space suits. It replaces the hard touch
pads, flexi-circuits and polymer switches which have
limited the growth of the wearable electronics markets.
Eleksen licenses ElekTex and reference design to
manufacturers for use in custom electronics design and also
markets a range of ready-to-integrate solutions for garment,
bags and accessories manufacturers. Eleksen is headquartered
in Pinewood Studios near London, England.
For more information, please contact:
PAN Communications
Ann Shannon
Tel: +1-978-474-1900
Email: eleksen@pancomm.com
2007'04.19.Thu
IHG Launches Hotel Franchising Program for Holiday Inn Express in China
April 19, 2007
SHANGHAI, April 19 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- IHG
(InterContinental Hotels Group) announced today that it
will offer a hotel franchising program for the Holiday Inn
Express brand in China. This announcement follows the
successful opening of the first six Holiday Inn Express
hotels and the signing of close to 20 additional management
contracts for the brand in Greater China.
(Logo: http://www.xprn.com.cn/xprn/sa/200702131431.jpg
)
Kieron Ritchard, vice president, strategy for Greater
China, IHG Asia Pacific, said: "From the outset, we
designed our Holiday Inn Express support platform in China
with franchising in mind. Our support model is based on
our insights and experience gained from 23 years of
successfully operating market-leading hotels in China.
This, together with our 50 years of global franchising
experience, unparalleled brand equity and our strong local
support team, will ensure our success as a hotel franchisor
in China."
The Holiday Inn Express China Franchise Program will be
offered to hotel owners who share IHG's vision for the brand
and possess the necessary skills and resources to operate a
portfolio of hotels directly, with IHG's support. IHG will
focus its Holiday Inn Express development efforts on China's
gateway cities and major economic centres, with the
intention to partner with franchisees on a multi-property
basis. IHG will continue to offer management services for
Holiday Inn Express investors who prefer to have their
hotels managed by IHG.
Ritchard added that over the years, IHG has developed
strong relationships with a broad base of talented business
partners in China. Several of these partners have indicated
their interest in making Holiday Inn Express a significant
part of their future business focus. "Introducing the
franchise program is a logical extension of IHG's growth
strategy in China, where we have the depth of management
talent, scale, local resources and widespread distribution
to effectively support our franchise partners," he
added.
Holiday Inn Express is a smart, innovative and
refreshing hotel choice, offering high-quality, reliable
and well-designed hotel accommodation with focused
services. Hotel owners worldwide have embraced the brand
as a smart investment choice. With 574 new Holiday Inn
Express hotels in the global development pipeline, the
brand is one of the fastest growing hotel brands in the
world. In China, the rapid expansion of domestic business
as well as leisure travel has exposed the need for a
credible hotel product positioned between full-service four
star hotels and budget hotels. Holiday Inn Express fills
this gap, offering value and convenience to China's savvy
business and leisure travellers.
The first Holiday Inn Express hotels in Greater China
have been launched in cities such as Hong Kong, Beijing,
Shanghai, Dalian and Tianjin. Five more Holiday Inn
Express hotels are scheduled to open in 2007, covering new
markets such as Suzhou and Hefei as well as extending the
brand presence in Shanghai.
Holiday Inn Express was established in the US in 1991
and has a current portfolio of nearly 1,700 hotels and more
than 143,500 rooms worldwide.
Notes to Editors:
About IHG
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC of the United Kingdom
(LON: IHG; NYSE: IHG (ADRs)) is the world's largest hotel
group by number of rooms. InterContinental Hotels Group
owns, manages, leases or franchises, through various
subsidiaries, over 3,700 hotels and 556,000 guest rooms in
nearly 100 countries and territories around the world. The
Group owns a portfolio of well recognised and respected
hotel brands including InterContinental(R) Hotels &
Resorts, Crowne Plaza(R) Hotels & Resorts, Holiday
Inn(R) Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express(R),
Staybridge Suites(R), Candlewood Suites(R) and Hotel
Indigo(TM), and also manages the world's largest hotel
loyalty programme, Priority Club(R) Rewards.
InterContinental Hotels Group offers information and
online reservations for all its hotel brands at
http://www.ihg.com and information for the Priority Club
Rewards programme at http://www.priorityclub.com .
For the latest news from InterContinental Hotels Group,
visit our online Press Office at http://www.ihg.com/media .
For more information, please contact:
Sharona Tao
IHG
Tel: +86-21-2893-3309
Fax: +86-21-2893-3399
Email: sharona.tao@ihg.com
2007'04.19.Thu
Don't Turn Your Back on Asthma - Get an Apod(TM)
April 19, 2007
LONDON, April 19 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- The asthma
inhaler has been transformed. With cool modern colours
including two that glow in the dark and a thermo chromic
(heat change sensitive) version; children, teenagers and
sufferers of all ages now have a clever, stylish choice
that also keeps their inhalers clean.
(Photo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070419/252961 )
Apods(TM) can be purchased online at
http://www.asthmapods.com .
The iconic looking Apod(TM) is a new funky clip-on case
that encapsulates the ugly old inhaler. The unique design is
easy to use, aesthetically pleasing and sits comfortably in
your hand. An integral cap that won't get lost prevents
debris/dust from pockets, handbags etc, getting inside the
inhaler, keeping what you inhale limited to the medicine.
Ben Oakley Design Limited (BOD), designer of the
Apod(TM), created Computer Aided Design drawings with
technicians at The Royal College of Art, London.
Our premium Apod(TM) product is UK food standard and
toy industry approved. The Apod(TM) is 100% recyclable and
manufactured in the UK. B&K Ltd, who are affiliated
with Action for Blind People, are packaging this new
product. Included within the packaging is the Apod(TM)
leaflet which heightens asthma awareness for both sufferers
and carers.
BOD commissioned an independent survey from OMD, one of
the largest and most influential media communications
specialists operating in 80 countries worldwide. Among
numerous other findings, nearly half of the survey
respondents thought the Apod(TM) would reduce the stigma of
using inhalers in public (Summary at
http://www.asthmapods.com ).
We are raising global awareness and plan to donate a
percentage of our profits to fund research at selected
universities with accredited asthma research departments,
such as Imperial College London and University of
Pittsburgh, USA.
According to US Census Bureau 2004 extrapolations, the
estimated global population of people who are managing
asthma at any given time exceeds 374 million. (see asthma
facts by country at http://www.asthmapods.com , click on
"asthma info")
Ben Oakley, designer and inventor of the Apod(TM)
said:
"This is a fantastic product solution to a
brilliant invention. The inhaler has saved thousands of
lives; we have now transformed it with a new iconic
identity."
Read the Apod(TM) story `How change can happen in one
dramatic moment' at http://www.asthmapods.com , click on
about apod, see celebrities; Nicola Tappenden, Lee Ryan.
For more information, please contact:
Ben Oakley
Managing Director
Tel: +44-8447-700284
Email: ben@asthmapods.com
Paul Tebbutt
Marketing Director
Tel: +44-8447-700284
Email: paul@asthmapods.com
2007'04.19.Thu
$79 Million Order for ZAP (OTC BB: ZAAP) Electric Cars
April 18, 2007
ZAP is pleased to announce their largest order for consumer
electric vehicles
SANTA ROSA, Calif., April 18 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --
Electric car pioneer ZAP (OTC Bulletin Board: ZAAP) has
received an order for $79 Million from a Chicago-based
start-up, The Electric Vehicle Company.
(Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070130/SFTU060LOGO )
(Photo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070418/AQW079 )
The Electric Vehicle Company (EVC) was founded with the
goal of promoting economical non-polluting electric
transportation. EVC is being funded by two hedge funds,
Diversified Equity Funding, L.P. and Diversified Strategies
Fund, LLC, which both have an investment interest in ZAP.
EVC will focus on sales of electric vehicles to
municipalities, distributors, university campuses, auto and
recreational dealers, foreign countries and the military.
Additionally, the company has the goal of developing the
first retail chain committed to the sale of all electric
vehicles. The two funds have committed the funding
necessary to develop the marketing organization. The hedge
funds will also provide financing for the purchase of ZAP
vehicles by fleets and municipalities.
ZAP CEO Steve Schneider said the order is for ZAP's
electric cars, trucks and other vehicles. Schneider noted
that EVC would receive an 8% discount if orders were filled
within the next 12 months. The order is subject to meeting
the performance criteria of EVC and certain terms of ZAP.
"We believe this order, which constitutes
thousands of vehicles, is the largest order for consumer
electric vehicles in history," said Steve Schneider,
CEO of publicly owned ZAP. "Many municipalities have
been talking recently about mitigating greenhouse gas
emissions, so we are grateful to be involved in this
historic effort."
Schneider noted that in March, large pension funds and
business enterprises called for Congress to place limits on
emissions of carbon dioxide and other gases blamed for
global warming, the latest among several business-oriented
groups to call for a national climate policy.
ZAP, the only full-line electric vehicle company in the
US, made news recently with the sale of its XEBRA electric
cars and trucks, the first vehicles designed for the US
market by a Chinese automobile manufacturer. ZAP also
recently announced an automotive business plan to design a
new generation of high performance electric vehicles
designed by Lotus Engineering.
About ZAP
Disclosure:
Larry Spatz, of EVC, has entered into a consulting
agreement with ZAP in which he will utilize his
relationships and expertise to assist in the company's
growth.
ZAP has been a leader in advanced transportation
technologies since 1994, delivering over 90,000 vehicles to
consumers in more than 75 countries. At the forefront of
fuel-efficient transportation with new technologies
including energy efficient gas systems, hydrogen, electric,
fuel cell, ethanol, hybrid and other innovative power
systems, ZAP is developing a high-performance crossover SUV
electric car concept called ZAP-X engineered by Lotus
Engineering. The Company recently launched a new portable
energy technology that manages power for mobile
electronics, like cell phones and laptops. For more
product, dealer and investor information, visit
http://www.zapworld.com .
Forward-looking statements in this release are made
pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors
are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve
risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation,
continued acceptance of the Company's products, increased
levels of competition for the Company, new products and
technological changes, the Company's dependence upon
third-party suppliers, intellectual property rights, and
other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's
periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission.
For more information, please contact:
Media£º
Alex Campbell
ZAP
Tel: +1-707-525-8658 ext. 241
Email: acampbell@zapworld.com
Investors£º
Sherri Haskell
ZAP
Tel: +1-707-525-8658 ext. 232
Email: shaskell@zapworld.com
Other:
Sonya Stay
The Electric Vehicle Co.
Tel: +1-847-656-8100
2007'04.19.Thu
/C O R R E C T I O N -- OSRAM GmbH/
April 18, 2007
For the news release, "OSRAM CEO Martin Goetzeler
at UN Conference in Singapore", issued earlier today
by OSRAM GmbH over Xinhua PR Newswire, we are advised by
the company that the release headline should read
"OSRAM: A 30% Migration to Energy-Efficient Lighting
Cuts Worldwide CO2 Emissions by 260 Million Tons and
Electricity by 460 Billion kwhrs", instead of
"OSRAM CEO Martin Goetzeler at UN Conference in
Singapore".
2007'04.19.Thu
三井住友カード、靴チェーンのワンゾーンが展開する「ＦＯＯＴ ＰＡＲＫ」などに「ｉＤ」を導入
大手靴チェーンワンゾーンの「フットパーク・エアーキック・カルサドール」でケータイクレジット「ｉＤ（ＴＭ）」取り扱い開始！
～接触ＩＣクレジットカードにも対応し、安心・便利なお買物シーンを提供～
大手靴チェーンである株式会社ワンゾーン（本社：東京都千代田区、社長：桑原 尚郎）と三井住友カード株式会社（本社：東京都港区、社長：月原 紘一）は、ＮＴＴドコモのおサイフケータイ（Ｒ）を活用したケータイクレジット「ｉＤ（アイディ）」を、１１月７日（火）より全国の３３０店舗に導入いたします。
あわせて、ＰＯＳレジシステムを接触ＩＣクレジットカードにも対応させ、お客様に安心・便利にお買物を楽しんでいただける環境を整えます。
「ｉＤ」は、ＮＴＴドコモのおサイフケータイによるクレジット決済サービスです（注）。おサイフケータイを専用読み取り端末にかざすだけで、サインレスでスピーディーにお支払いが完了します。またポストペイ（後払い）方式のため、チャージ（入金）手続きの煩わしさや残金を意識する必要もありません。「ｉＤ」なら１００円程度の小額から、中・高額までフルレンジでご利用いただけますので、例えば、サンダルから高級ブランド靴までケータイ１つでお支払いいただけるようになります。
（注）２００７年１月からは、三井住友カード会員の方へ「ｉＤクレジット一体型カード」を発行します。
これによりおサイフケータイ以外でも「ｉＤ」をご利用いただけるようになります。
株式会社ワンゾーンは、「ＦＯＯＴ ＰＡＲＫ」「ＡＩＲ ＫＩＣＫ」「ＣＡＬＺＡＤＯＲ」と、お客様のニーズに合わせた３業態で全国規模の店舗展開を行なっております。今般、「ｉＤ」という携帯電話で決済を行う先進的な決済方法を導入することで、お客様のニーズにお応えし、より利便性の高いサービスをご提供することが可能となります。
さらに、「ｉＤ」導入にあわせ、ＰＯＳレジシステムを接触ＩＣクレジットカードにも対応することで、安心・便利にお買物いただける環境を整備し、顧客満足の向上に努めるとともに、更なる利用者の拡大と売上げ増加を図ります。
三井住友カードでは、今後も生活に密着した利便性の高い「生活インフラ」として「おサイフケータイ」を推進していくとともに「ｉＤ」の早期普及・拡大を図る為様々な業種での利用可能店舗の開拓を推進していきます。
※「おサイフケータイ」「ｉＤ」は株式会社ＮＴＴドコモの商標または登録商標です。
以 上
2007'04.19.Thu
三菱東京ＵＦＪ銀行、カブドットコム証券に対する公開買付け結果を発表
カブドットコム証券株式会社に対する公開買付けの結果について
株式会社三菱ＵＦＪフィナンシャル・グループ（取締役社長 畔柳 信雄／くろやなぎ のぶお、以下「ＭＵＦＧ」といいます。）の子会社である株式会社三菱東京ＵＦＪ銀行（頭取 畔柳 信雄、以下「当行」又は「公開買付者」といいます）は、平成１９年３月５日開催の取締役会において、カブドットコム証券株式会社（以下「カブドットコム証券」又は「対象者」といいます。）株式に対する公開買付け（以下「本公開買付け」といいます。）の開始を決議し、平成１９年３月２０日から実施しておりましたが、本公開買付けが平成１９年４月１８日をもって終了いたしましたので、下記のとおり本公開買付けの結果についてお知らせいたします。
また、平成１９年３月５日に発表しました当行とカブドットコム証券との業務提携強化の柱の一つである、当行を所属銀行とするカブドットコム証券の銀行代理業のサービスを、本日より一部開始いたしました。今後も当行並びにＭＵＦＧグループ各社では、証券仲介業、銀行代理業及び総合カード事業等の各分野でカブドットコム証券との提携業務を充実させ、ＭＵＦＧグループがインターネットを通じて提供する金融サービスの一層の充実を目指してまいります。
記
１．買付け等の概要（平成１９年３月５日公表）
（１）公開買付者の名称及び所在地
株式会社三菱東京ＵＦＪ銀行
東京都千代田区丸の内二丁目７番１号
（２）対象者の名称
カブドットコム証券株式会社
（３）買付予定の株券等の数
※添付資料１を参照。
（注１）応募株券等の総数が買付予定数（９４，０００株）に満たないときは、応募株券等の全部の買付けを行います。応募株券等の総数が買付予定数（９４，０００株）を超えるときは、その超える部分の全部又は一部の買付けを行わないものとし、証券取引法（以下「法」といいます。）第２７条の１３第５項及び発行者以外の者による株券等の公開買付けの開示に関する内閣府令（以下「府令」といいます。）第３２条に規定するあん分比例の方式により、株券等の買付け等に係る受渡しその他の決済を行います。
（注２）対象者が保有する自己株式については、本公開買付けを通じて取得する予定はありません。
（注３）端株については、本公開買付けの対象となりません。
（４）買付け等の期間
平成１９年３月２０日（火曜日）から平成１９年４月１８日（水曜日）まで（２１営業日）
（５）買付け等の価格
１株につき、２４０，０００円
※「買付け等の結果」など詳細は添付資料２を参照。
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