2007'02.01.Thu
Ozura's World Soccer 2006 Fulfils Fantasies of Worldwide Football Fans
PR
April 24, 2006
SINGAPORE, April 24 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Ozura
Mobile, a leading publisher and developer of mobile
entertainment, revealed that for the first time ever,
football fans around the world will be able to have a feel
of Ozura's top premium interactive network mobile game
World Soccer 2006. According to Vice President of
Marketing, H.E Mah, World Soccer 2006 is expected to be
officially launched in Singapore by end of April.
Concurrently, World Soccer 2006, the world first soccer
interactive network mobile game will then be released in
following countries such as UK, China and United States in
the upcoming weeks.
World Soccer 2006 is an ultra-new, super-exciting slant
on the world's favourite sport, full of extraordinary
football graphics, authentic football action and fantastic
graphic and sound effects designed to keep even the most
demanding player enthralled for hours!
"The 'twist' of this World Soccer game makes it
incredibly fun for players of all ages. It's a totally new
generation of mobile phone football game - and whether or
not the players are football fans, they're guaranteed to
find it totally addictive!" said H.E Mah. "We are
very excited about the launch of World Soccer as it enables
us to further engage teens and young adults while
leveraging our strong association with football. Ozura have
used their expertise to cleverly integrate the brand in a
new and exciting way which we are sure will prove very
successful."
World Soccer 2006 is expected to be the most popular,
most playable, best selling 2D soccer simulation with
simple and fun gameplay football mobile game. This
brilliant and highly addictive conversion of this award
winning Classic developed by Ozura many of whom created the
original soccer series and it takes mobile phone gameplay
onto an entirely different level. The game's tactical
depth, different game modes and accurate player and team
performances are guaranteed to keep you coming back for
more.
"By June, an estimated amount of 250,000 users are
expected to have hands on World Soccer 2006 and this figure
is predicted to increase to 600,000 users on the following
months to come. Overall, World Soccer 2006 is expected to
be played by around 15 million users worldwide and it truly
appeals to football fans, and serious & casual gamers
everywhere. Besides that, we are planning to widen our
distributions to Europe and China markets which includes
China Mobile, Vodafone and Optus" stated by H.E Mah
Made by football fans for football fans, World Soccer
2006 is a must for all football aficionados wanting to
experience the thrill of the game on their mobile. With
slick and smart game play, mobile football has never been
so much fun and this game is the perfect way to enjoy the
beautiful game at leisure. Now that it's available on a
mobile phone, users can take that excitement with them
anywhere.
About Ozura Mobile
Ozura Mobile is a leading international developer and
publisher for mobile games and game developer engine to
carriers, aggregators, mobile phone manufacturers and
service providers. The company creates games for the mobile
phones based on J2ME, BREW or Symbian platform. Ozura's
games are available all over the world through its
distribution network of thousands of partners spanning
across 130 countries. It is expected that the growth of
mobile phones supporting these platforms will exceed one
billion units worldwide in 2008. For more information,
visit http://www.ozura.com .
For more information, please contact:
Mr. Mah,
Ozura Pte. Ltd.
Tel: +603-7493-1388
Fax: +603-7493-1466
Email: hemah@ozura.com
SOURCE Ozura Mobile
2007'02.01.Thu
Boston Scientific Completes Combination With Guidant
April 24, 2006
NATICK, Mass., April 24 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Boston
Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX) today announced that it
has completed its combination with Guidant Corporation
(NYSE: GDT), creating a global leader in cardiovascular
devices and one of the largest medical technology companies
in the world.
In a related transaction before the closing of the
Boston Scientific-Guidant transaction, Guidant and Abbott
closed the acquisition by Abbott of Guidant's vascular
intervention and endovascular businesses.
"This is a momentous day for the employees and
stockholders of the new Boston Scientific, as well as for
thousands of physicians and millions of patients around the
world," said Pete Nicholas, Chairman of Boston
Scientific. "As we begin this new chapter in Boston
Scientific's history, we are committed to building on our
long, mutual tradition of technological innovation that
helps physicians provide life-saving treatments to their
patients. We are also committed to maintaining a culture
that values initiative, creativity and collaboration -- and
that recognizes the talents and contributions of people who
make a difference for our company and our customers."
"We are looking forward to realizing the
substantial benefits of combining Boston Scientific and
Guidant," said Jim Tobin, President and Chief
Executive Officer of Boston Scientific. "The new
Boston Scientific will be a broadly diversified medical
technology company that we believe will command a market
valuation closer to our peers and generate significant
upside potential for our stockholders. We are confident
the integration will proceed smoothly, and we extend a warm
welcome to the Guidant employees who are joining us. I know
that together we can and we will build a successful
future."
Effective as of the close of trading today, trading in
Guidant's common stock will cease.
Guidant shareholders should expect to receive
information in the coming weeks regarding the exchange of
their Guidant common stock.
Boston Scientific is a worldwide developer,
manufacturer and marketer of medical devices whose products
are used in a broad range of interventional medical
specialties. For more information, please visit:
http://www.bostonscientific.com .
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements,
which are identified by words such as
"anticipates," "believes,"
"estimates," "expects,"
"intends," "may," "projects,"
"plans," "will" and similar expressions
intended to identify forward-looking statements. These
forward-looking statements are subject to risks and
uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ
materially, including risk factors relating to our industry
as detailed from time to time in each of Boston Scientific's
and Guidant's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, including each such company's most recent Annual
Report on Form 10-K. You should not place undue reliance on
these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the
date of this press release. Unless legally required, Boston
Scientific undertakes no obligation to update publicly any
forward-looking statements herein, whether as a result of
new information, future events or otherwise.
For more information, please contact:
Geraldine Varoqui
Boston Scientific PR Manager International
Tel: +49-2102-489-461
Email: varoquig@bsci.com
Maren Koban
BSC press office
Tel: +44-207-973-4497
Mobile: +44-7713-631514
Email: mkoban@hillandknowlton.com
SOURCE Boston Scientific Corporation
2007'02.01.Thu
Orb Networks Expands Support for Playing and Recording Internet TV From Windows, Real, and 3GP Mobile Devices
April 24, 2006
Consumers Can Now Enjoy Both Home and Online TV as Mobile TV
EMERYVILLE, Calif., April 24 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Orb
Networks, the pioneering developer of software for instant
access to content everywhere, today announced expanded
support for playing and recording Internet TV and other
online video from any mobile device with a streaming
Windows Media(R) Player, RealPlayer(R), or 3GP player on
any carrier network and WiFi.
No specialized mobile software or mobile fees other
than a data plan are required. Anyone can now watch and
record Internet TV and enjoy vlogs and other online video
right from their mobile device's native Web browser and
streaming media player.
"This is a fantastic moment for online video, with
full-length traditional TV shows and live feeds of
international soccer matches coming online to augment the
rich content already there. Orb Networks is pioneering the
instant enjoyment on mobile devices of all that
content," said Ian McCarthy, Vice President of Product
Marketing at Orb Networks.
Orb(TM) removes the media-format and bitrate challenges
to making Internet TV mobile TV. Content providers can
publish iTV feeds in their preferred media format and
bitrate and still be sure that their audience can enjoy the
content on their everyday mobile devices. "For example,
if there's an iTV feed of a live soccer match available
online in Windows Media Video format only, I can still
enjoy it live (or record it to view later) from the
RealPlayer on my Nokia(R) mobile phone," said
McCarthy. "Once I've added the URL of the soccer
match's iTV feed to my Orb Custom Channels, the free Orb
software on my home PC transcodes the original stream (or
recording) for me from Windows to Real and ensures that I
get the new stream at the appropriate bitrate for my
phone's data connection right at my moment of viewing.
Watching iTV feeds and recordings on my phone has
expanded the value to me of my mobile data plan and handset
investments."
Orb's support for mobile playback of online video
augments its industry-leading support for the enjoyment of
home TV on Windows, Real, and 3GP mobile devices.
"With Orb and a Hauppauge(R) WinTV(R) tuner-card on my
home PC, I can stream to my phone the new Dr. Who episode
live from my home cable-TV feed and then play an
online-only episode of Dr. Who Confidential to continue my
fan experience," said McCarthy. "Orb deepens
consumers' involvement with the television brands they love
and expands the ways content providers can reach their
audiences."
Orb is available now for free download at
http://www.orb.com .
About Orb Networks, Inc.
Orb Networks is the pioneering developer of software
and services that give people secure, free, and instant
access to all their digital media everywhere. The
award-winning Orb software makes it easy for consumers to
enjoy their home and Internet TV, music, videos, photos,
podcasts, and other digital content from mobile phones,
PDAs, and laptops everywhere. Orb is a member of the DLNA
and is a privately held company in Emeryville, California.
For more information about Orb, please visit
http://www.orb.com .
NOTE: Orb is a trademark of Orb Networks, Inc. All
other trademarks and/or registered trademarks are the
property of their respective owners.
For more information, please contact:
Ann Willey
Orb Networks, Inc.
Tel: +1-510-903-0944
Email: ann.willey@orb.com
SOURCE Orb Networks, Inc.
2007'02.01.Thu
Z Corporation Deepens Commitment to Asia as Companies in Region Compete to Streamline Product Design
Z Corporation Deepens Commitment to Asia as Companies in Region Compete to Streamline Product Design
April 24, 2006
3D printer company sees 56 percent sales increase in Asia Pacific, opens two new offices
BURLINGTON, Mass., April 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Z
Corporation, maker of the world's fastest 3D printers,
today announced it has deepened its commitment to the
fast-growing Asia Pacific market, where companies are
aggressively adopting 3D printing to improve and streamline
product development.
(Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040630/ZCORPLOGO )
Z Corp. opened new regional offices on April 3 on Hong
Kong Island and in Yokohama, Japan. The company also
expanded the largest rapid prototyping channel in the Asia
Pacific region to 25 authorized dealers by signing Euroasia
Enterprises Ltd (China), GDL Software Science &
Technology (China), ETC Service Co. (Thailand), ARKK
Australia & New Zealand Pty Ltd (Australia),
TechniGraphics Inc. (India), Hankook Delcam Ltd (Korea) and
E.Mation Technologies Pte Ltd (Singapore) as partners.
The new offices support escalating 3D printing demand
as companies in the region work to make their product
development processes more efficient. One hundred
twenty-six new Asia Pacific customers invested in Z Corp.
3D printers last year, including HTC (Taiwan), BenQ
(Taiwan), Samsung (Korea), New Balance (China), Sony
(Japan) and Toyota (Japan). Many of these customers
purchased the full-color Spectrum Z(TM)510 3D Printing
System, the only high-definition color 3D printer on the
market, helping boost Z Corp.'s 2005 sales revenue in the
region by 56 percent over 2004.
New service and support for Asia Pacific region
Z Corp. is introducing new services to the region along
with the new offices. Customers can now receive same
time-zone service and support and the convenience of a
sales showroom in Hong Kong. Channel partners can obtain
certification training.
"In addition to last year's success, we saw more
strong growth in the first quarter of this year," said
Tuan Tran, director of Asia Pacific sales for Z Corp.
"This tells us that customers are spreading the word
about the Z Corp. difference, including unsurpassed speed,
color, affordability and high definition. Asia is the
world's manufacturing center, and the region is benefiting
tremendously from the ability to create prototypes on
demand throughout the product development and engineering
processes to bring better products more quickly to
market."
Companies use Z Corp. 3D printers to turn digital
designs into 3D physical models as easily as 2D printers
generate documents. Manufacturing companies and their
suppliers use 3D printing for concept models, presentation
models, functional testing, finite element analysis and
metal casting. Companies in architecture, education,
geographic information systems (GIS) and medicine also
depend on 3D printing for their work.
Contact information for the new offices:
Hong Kong Japan
Regional Sales and Service Regional Sales
Level 3, Three Pacific Place Yokohama
Landmark Tower 30th Floor
No.1 Queen's Road East 2-2-1
Minato-Mirai
Hong Kong Nishi-ku
Tel: (+852) 2855 6937 Yokohama
220-8130
Fax: (+852) 3007 5087 Japan
Email: apac@zcorp.com Phone: +81
(0)45-224-3272
Fax: +81
(0)45-224-3274
Email:
apac@zcorp.com
About Z Corporation
Z Corporation develops, manufactures and markets the
world's fastest high-definition 3D printers -- machines
that produce 3D physical prototypes of real-world objects
with the speed, ease and affordability of 2D desktop
printing. Z Corp. systems are not only the fastest 3D
printers on the market but also offer the only color 3D
printing capabilities. Z Corp. holds patents on its
proprietary 3D printing materials and equipment and
licenses others from MIT, where the company's technology
was originally developed. For the latest news and
information from Z Corp., visit the company's Web site at
http://www.zcorp.com .
For more information, please contact:
Kevin Lach,
Z Corporation
Tel: +1-781-852-5086
Email: klach@zcorp.com
Charna Cummings,
Beaupre & Co. Public Relations
Tel: +1-603-559-5837
Email: ccummings@beaupre.com
SOURCE Z Corporation
2007'02.01.Thu
Internationally Renowned Advertising Leader Joins Corbis
April 21, 2006
Ross Sutherland is New Chief Creative Officer
SEATTLE, April 21 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Corbis ( http://www.corbis.com ) announced today the appointment of Ross Sutherland to the newly created position of Chief Creative Officer. Sutherland who has won numerous awards for his print advertising had until recently been Executive Creative Director / Managing Partner at Young & Rubicam New York. "Ross has been one of the top art directors in the advertising business for many years, and he is uniquely qualified to fill this position," said Gary Shenk, Senior VP Images, Corbis. "He has the creative firepower and global experience to help move Corbis even further out in front of the $2 billion digital image market." Sutherland will oversee the company's sourcing of creative imagery on a global basis. He will also manage a Global Creative team which includes production and photography from Corbis and its wholly owned companies zefa and Image 100. In addition to actively sourcing new content Sutherland will archive and manage Corbis' various Creative photography collections. Sutherland began his advertising career as an art director in New Zealand and was creative director of Ogilvy & Mather offices in Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, Kenya, San Francisco and New York. "I have advocated the importance of powerful images with the zeal of a missionary all my life," Sutherland said. "It is difficult to imagine a more perfect or a more exciting opportunity." ABOUT CORBIS Corbis provides image licensing and related services used every day by publishers, advertising agencies, design firms and the television and motion picture industries. The company's image licensing, assignment and representation, rights and asset management services enable creative people around the world to bring greater flair and impact to their work. Corbis is headquartered in Seattle, with 20 offices throughout North America, Europe and Asia. For more information, please contact: Dov Schiff, Corbis Tel: +1-206-373-6298 Email: Dov.Schiff@corbis.com SOURCE Corbis
2007'02.01.Thu
MasterCard Files Suit Against FIFA
April 21, 2006
Claims Violation of Rights to Sponsor Future FIFA World Cup Events
PURCHASE, N.Y., April 21 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --
MasterCard International today filed a complaint in the
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
seeking an injunction against the Federation Internationale
de Football Association (FIFA), the governing body of the
FIFA World Cup to prevent FIFA from moving forward with an
agreement with Visa International to sponsor the 2010 and
2014 FIFA World Cups.
It was recently revealed that FIFA had entered into
that relationship despite having a contractual agreement
giving MasterCard the right of first refusal to continue to
be the category-exclusive sponsor of those events.
MasterCard's complaint states that after a period of
negotiation in which FIFA assured MasterCard that it was
not going to enter into an agreement with a third party, it
proceeded in doing so. FIFA did this despite the fact that
it had already provided MasterCard with a written contract
-- including all terms -- which MasterCard signed and
returned to FIFA, which then advised MasterCard that a deal
with Visa was completed.
"This action by FIFA is a blatant and deceitful
violation of our right of first refusal," said Noah
Hanft, General Counsel, MasterCard International,
"particularly as we had already signed and accepted
FIFA's offer."
As part of MasterCard's 2002-2006 agreement with FIFA,
which was signed in 2002, MasterCard was granted the right
of first refusal to be the official and exclusive payment
solutions sponsor of future FIFA World Cup events.
Therefore, FIFA was precluded from entering into such an
agreement with Visa.
"Among the key terms we bargained for in the
2002-2006 FIFA World Cup sponsorship negotiation was the
right to obtain future FIFA World Cup sponsorship
opportunities and a critical aspect of any sponsorship --
particularly one as significant as FIFA World Cup -- is
continuity and the building of equity over time,"
continued Hanft.
"MasterCard will vigorously pursue legal action to
compel FIFA to honor the 96-page written and binding
agreement it has with MasterCard, providing for us to be an
official sponsor of the next two FIFA World Cups," he
said.
"MasterCard continues to move forward with the
important customer and consumer programming related to the
2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, which begins in June,"
said Lawrence Flanagan, Chief Marketing Officer, MasterCard
International. "A significant number of our customer
financial institutions, more than 300 of them, are
activating business-building programs worldwide."
MasterCard's complaint can be found in the newsroom
section at http://www.mastercardinternational.com .
About MasterCard International
MasterCard International is a leading global payments
solutions company that provides a broad variety of
innovative services in support of our global members'
credit, deposit access, electronic cash,
business-to-business and related payment programs.
MasterCard manages a family of well-known, widely accepted
payment card brands including MasterCard(R), Maestro(R) and
Cirrus(R) and serves financial institutions, consumers and
businesses in over 210 countries and territories. The
MasterCard award-winning Priceless(R) advertising campaign
is now seen in 105 countries and in 48 languages, giving
the MasterCard brand a truly global reach and scope. For
more information go to
http://www.mastercardinternational.com .
For more information, please contact:
Jon Schwartz,
MasterCard International
Tel: +1-914-249-6806
Email: jon_schwartz@mastercard.com
Web: http://www.mastercardinternational.com
SOURCE MasterCard International
2007'02.01.Thu
Nielsen Outdoor Launches GPS Ratings Service in Los Angeles
April 21, 2006
Advanced, Patented Service to Support Growth of Outdoor Advertising Industry
NEW YORK, April 21 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Taking
another significant step to increase the value of outdoor
advertising, Nielsen Outdoor today announced that it is
expanding its GPS-based ratings service to Los Angeles to
establish an independent, accurate ratings currency for the
outdoor advertising marketplace. This expansion is part of
an immediate roll-out of the technology-based measurement
service in the top ten media markets in the U.S.
The expansion of the service to Los Angeles comes on
the heels of its introduction last year in Chicago, where
it received widespread support among advertising agencies
and media owners. The service was also adopted as the
currency of the outdoor industry in South Africa.
Nielsen Outdoor will begin recruiting a representative
sample for the Los Angeles service in May and expects to
deliver data to clients in the fall. It will begin
marketing the service in Los Angeles immediately.
Through the patent of its technology partner RDPA LLC,
Nielsen Outdoor has proprietary rights to the technology
used in GPS-based outdoor ratings. This unique technology
enables Nielsen to track the travel patterns of consumers
in relation to known outdoor advertising sites, even in
difficult urban canyon areas.
In announcing the decision, Lorraine Hadfield, Managing
Director, Nielsen Outdoor said: "With the outdoor
industry adopting new, high-tech signage, it is essential
that they also adopt the most advanced measurement
capability. Our decision to expand our GPS-based ratings
service into Los Angeles is part of a continuing commitment
to support one of the fastest growing and most dynamic
advertising vehicles. We are confident that advertisers,
their agencies and media owners will appreciate the power
of outdoor as an effective and persuasive marketing
medium."
Using proprietary devices that are entirely portable,
passive and personal, Nielsen Outdoor tracks the passage of
people as they ordinarily walk, drive or travel in other
ways through the marketplace. Combining these findings
with the known locations of outdoor signage, the company
can precisely calculate how many persons see the outdoor
ads and identify them demographically. Accordingly,
Nielsen Outdoor provides advertisers with the total number
of people exposed to outdoor advertising and the frequency
of their exposure.
In addition to standard demographics, information about
respondents' use of other media, products and services is
also collected, allowing greater insight into how different
types of consumers are exposed to outdoor advertising and
delivering further understanding of the value of this
unique medium.
About Nielsen Outdoor
Nielsen Outdoor, a unit of VNU, is dedicated to
developing and launching a global audience measurement
service for outdoor advertising. VNU is a global
information and media company with leading market positions
and recognized brands in marketing information (ACNielsen),
media measurement and information (Nielsen Media Research)
and business information (Billboard, The Hollywood
Reporter, Computing, Intermediair). VNU is active in more
than 100 countries, with headquarters in Haarlem, the
Netherlands and New York, USA. The company employs nearly
41,000 people. Total revenues were EUR 3.5 billion in 2005.
VNU is listed on the Euronext Amsterdam (ASE: VNU) stock
exchange.
For more information, please contact:
Jack Loftus for Nielsen Outdoor
Tel: +1-646-654-8360
Web: http://www.nielsenmedia.com
SOURCE Nielsen Outdoor
2007'02.01.Thu
INTAC International and HowStuffWorks Announce Partnership to Form New Company Focusing on China's Internet Market
April 21, 2006
New Company to Create Interactive Web Site for Information-Seeking Consumers in China
Financial Investors - Including Carl Icahn - Invest $22.5 Million into New Venture
Financial Investors - Including Carl Icahn - Invest $22.5 Million into New Venture
HONG KONG and ATLANTA, April 21 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --
INTAC International, Inc. (Nasdaq: INTN; FSE: WKN 805768)
("INTAC"), an emerging provider of educational
and career development services, software for educational
institutions and distributor of wireless handset products
in China, and HowStuffWorks, Inc.
("HowStuffWorks"), an online publishing company
that is a subsidiary of The Convex Group and widely
recognized as a leading source for clear, reliable
explanations of how everything actually works, today
announced a partnership to form a new company, HSW
International, Inc. ("HSW International"), which
will focus on the online publishing, training and education
markets in China. HSW International will combine
HowStuffWorks' dynamic technological platform, Internet
expertise and expansive digital content resources with
INTAC's local market knowledge and relationships in the
wireless, education and training sectors to create an
interactive media and service platform for Chinese Internet
users. This platform will also provide a contextual and
rich environment for brands to effectively advertise to the
Chinese market.
Under terms of the Agreement and Plan of Merger (the
"Merger Agreement") signed by the parties today,
a wholly-owned subsidiary of HSW International will merge
into INTAC with INTAC surviving the merger and becoming a
wholly-owned subsidiary of HSW International. Upon
completion of the merger, all shareholders of INTAC will
receive the right to exchange their INTAC shares for shares
of common stock of HSW International, which will be publicly
traded on NASDAQ. HowStuffWorks will contribute certain
assets, properties and rights to HSW International in
exchange for shares of common stock. As of the effective
time of the merger, but prior to the completion of the
purchase of shares by the financial investors (as described
below) and issuance of certain additional shares and stock
options pursuant to the Merger Agreement, 50 percent of HSW
International will be owned by the shareholders of INTAC and
50 percent by HowStuffWorks. This agreement will be subject
to standard regulatory approvals.
In addition, INTAC's largest institutional shareholder
and Carl Icahn, an investor in HowStuffWorks, have each
committed $10 million to purchase shares of common stock of
HSW International. StuffWorks, LLC, formed by a group of
current HowStuffWorks investors, will commit an additional
$2.5 million to purchase shares of common stock of HSW
International. This new capital, totaling $22.5 million,
will allow HSW International to rapidly create a robust
online business for the China market.
"We believe this strategic partnership provides
significant value for our shareholders," said Wei
Zhou, CEO of INTAC. "HSW International was formed to
take advantage of the vast potential of China's
significantly expanding Internet market. By joining forces
we will marry HowStuffWorks' technology expertise and
content with our existing business in China, including our
offerings in the educational and career development
services we provide to millions of Chinese students, our
partnership with China's Ministry of Education, the reach
of our wireless distribution business, as well as our other
relationships in China. HSW International has the combined
strengths to take advantage of the strong demand for
consumer information by building a robust online community
of information seekers."
Under the Contribution Agreement for China, INTAC will
have exclusive digital publishing rights to HowStuffWorks'
content. These rights will include access to content
obtained through HowStuffWorks' recently announced
strategic alliance with Publications International, Ltd.
(PIL), a 30-year-old publisher of mass-market books that
sells millions of reference books globally, and has current
product offerings in China. Through the alliance,
HowStuffWorks has exclusive digital publishing rights to
the vast PIL product library of over 10,000 books and one
million images, as well as future works, access to over 350
writers and editors and the leading consumer expert review
resources Consumer Guide(R) and Mobil Travel Guide(R).
These capabilities will now be localized and made
accessible to Chinese consumers. Additionally,
MobilTravelGuide.com will be an excellent resource for
visitors during the 2008 Olympics by providing hotel,
restaurant and other reviews in Beijing. The Contribution
Agreement also extends digital publishing rights to INTAC
in Brazil.
"In today's global economy, it is imperative for
companies and brands to have the scale and reach to
effectively engage with consumers and meet their
information consumption needs," said Jeff Arnold,
Chairman and CEO of HowStuffWorks. "The power of this
business model is the combination of HowStuffWorks'
tremendous digital content assets and expertise to build a
scaleable technology platform, enabling rapid deployment of
content, and INTAC's established distribution and
relationships. Together, we will effectively enter this
market and become a pioneer in providing Chinese consumers
with credible content and expert reviews. Additionally,
HSW International will become a vehicle to expand into
other emerging international markets with the largest
identified need for digital content and highest potential
for growth."
China's technology market is one of the fastest growing
markets in the world with approximately 111 million Internet
users and 20 million new users annually. Obtaining
information is among the primary purposes for using the
Internet in China. Additionally, the consumer e-commerce
segment in China has high growth potential. The
partnership positions HSW International as a leading global
explanation provider, meeting the significant demand for
providing information to the large untapped community in
need of content, and helps Chinese Web users by
establishing a trusted and robust resource for evaluating
and rating consumer products and services. In the same way
that HSW International will empower Chinese Web users with
trusted information to either be better informed or guide
buying decisions, it will also equip local Chinese
businesses with the ability to identify and meet existing
and emerging customer needs through contextual Internet
advertising.
INTAC and HowStuffWorks, in partnership, will offer new
revenue opportunities for HSW International by offering
diversified revenue streams through its Internet business,
including advertising, search, e-commerce and sponsorships.
Following the closing of the transaction contemplated
by the Merger Agreement, Jeff Arnold will assume the
position of Chairman of HSW International, and will recruit
additional executives to help transform it into an
international media company. Jeff Arnold founded WebMD in
1998 and was CEO until October 2000. He is the Chairman of
The Convex Group, which owns HowStuffWorks, Flexplay and
LidRock, and is the Chairman and CEO of HowStuffWorks. Wei
Zhou, the current CEO of INTAC, will be the CEO of HSW
International, and will continue to run INTAC's core
business. The Board of Directors will be comprised of
seven members, with five, including Jeff Arnold, named by
HowStuffWorks and two, including Wei Zhou, named by INTAC.
At least four of the directors will be independent.
Following the consummation of the transaction, HSW
International's headquarters will be located in Atlanta, GA
and Hong Kong.
About INTAC International, Inc.
INTAC International, Inc. is a leading provider of
integrated educational and career development services as
well as management software products for educational
institutions in China. INTAC is also engaged in the
distribution of premium brand wireless handset products.
INTAC is a Nevada corporation and is headquartered in Hong
Kong.
About HowStuffWorks, Inc.
HowStuffWorks, Inc. is an online publishing company
that provides objective, credible and useful information
for people to learn about the world around them and make
smart decisions. The company's award-winning Web site is
the ultimate source for in-depth, easy-to-understand
explanations, expert product reviews, comprehensive buying
guides and informational videos, simplifying thousands of
topics in the areas of health, science, travel, automotive,
electronics and consumer products, among others.
HowStuffWorks is the exclusive digital publisher for
Consumer Guide and Mobil Travel Guide, leading providers of
expert reviews and ratings online at ConsumerGuide.com and
MobilTravelGuide.com. Founded in 1999, HowStuffWorks is
headquartered in Atlanta, GA, and is a subsidiary of The
Convex Group, a media and technology company. For more
information, visit http://www.howstuffworks.com .
About The Convex Group
Convex Group, Inc. is a media and entertainment company
with an extensive patent portfolio that acquires and
integrates unique assets to create new media networks. The
company, based in Atlanta, Georgia, owns several
proprietary distribution and content platforms, including
the "HowStuffWorks(R)" franchise, the exclusive
rights to "in-lid" CD-ROM distribution, which it
operates through the LidRock division, and the Flexplay
technology that enables time-limited, on-demand viewing of
movies, games and other content delivered on a DVD.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking
statements," including, among other statements,
statements regarding the proposed business combination
between INTAC and HSW International, Inc., and the
anticipated consequences and benefits of such transaction.
Statements made in the future tense, and words such as
"anticipate," "expect,"
"project," "believe," "plan,"
"estimate," "intend," "will,"
"may" and similar expressions are intended to
identify forward looking statements. These statements are
based on current expectations, but are subject to certain
risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to
predict and are beyond the control of INTAC. Relevant
risks and uncertainties include those referenced in INTAC's
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission
("SEC") (which can be obtained as described in
"Additional Information" below), and include:
general industry conditions and competition; economic
conditions, such as interest rate and currency exchange
rate fluctuations; technological advances and patents
attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product
development, including obtaining regulatory approvals;
governmental laws and regulations. Risks and uncertainties
relating to the proposed transaction include: required
regulatory approvals will not be obtained in a timely
manner, if at all; the proposed transaction will not be
consummated; the anticipated benefits of the proposed
transaction will not be realized; and the integration of
HSW International, Inc.'s operations with INTAC will be
materially delayed or will be more costly or difficult than
expected. These risks and uncertainties could cause actual
results to differ materially from those expressed in or
implied by the forward-looking statements, and therefore
should be carefully considered. INTAC assumes no
obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a
result of new information or future events or
developments.
Additional Information
This press release is not a substitute for the proxy
statement/prospectus and any other documents INTAC and HSW
International, Inc. would file with the SEC at an
appropriate time. Investors and stockholders are urged to
read such proxy statement/prospectus and any other such
documents, when available, which would contain important
information about the proposed transaction. The proxy
statement/prospectus would be, and other documents filed or
to be filed by INTAC and HSW International, Inc. with the
SEC are or will be, available free of charge at the SEC's
website ( http://www.sec.gov ) or from INTAC by directing a
request to: J. David Darnell, Senior Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer of INTAC International at
469/916-9881 or david.darnell@intac-asia.com .
INTAC is not currently engaged in a solicitation of
proxies from the stockholders of INTAC or HSW
International, Inc. in connection with the proposed
business combination between INTAC and HSW International,
Inc. If a proxy solicitation commences, INTAC, HSW
International, Inc. and their respective directors,
executive officers and other employees may be deemed to be
participants in such solicitation. Information about
INTAC's directors and executive officers is available in
INTAC's proxy statement, dated January 30, 2006 for its
2006 annual meeting of stockholders. Additional
information about the interests of potential participants
will be included in the proxy statement/prospectus INTAC
would file with the SEC at an appropriate time.
For more information, please contact:
J. David Darnell,
Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer,
INTAC International
Tel: +1-469-916-9881
Email: david.darnell@intac-asia.com
Dana Lawing,
Marketing Manager,
HowStuffWorks
Tel: +1-404-760-4328
Email: dlawing@convexgroup.com
Jonathan Mairs,
Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, New York
Tel: +1-212-880-5353
Mobile: +1-917-517-7097
Email: jonathan.mairs@ogilvypr.com
Philip Lisio,
Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, Beijing
Tel: +86-10-8520-6505
Mobile: +86-1350-1166-560
Email: philip.lisio@ogilvy.com
SOURCE INTAC International, Inc.
2007'02.01.Thu
GRAFF Diamonds Wins The Queen's Award For Enterprise: International Trade 2006
April 21, 2006
LONDON, April 21 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Exclusive
British jeweller GRAFF is the proud recipient of its fourth
Queen's Award For Enterprise.
(Photo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060421/209391 )
GRAFF is synonymous with the most fabulous jewels in
the world. As a vertically integrated company GRAFF sources
and buys diamonds in the rough from various mines around the
world. Overseas expansion, including new stores in America,
Russia, the Middle and Far East, has doubled its overseas
earnings in the last three years with over 95% of sales to
overseas customers. Currently there are over 20 stores
worldwide with further stores opening in 2007.
Laurence Graff, Chairman, commented: "We are
extremely pleased to have our achievements acknowledged
with a fourth Queen's Award and following the success of
the Graff stores both here and abroad we are looking
forward to new projects. Our vision continues to be the
world leader in diamonds and fine jewellery".
Today GRAFF is one of the largest producers in South
Africa with polishing and cutting factories based in
Johannesburg, Antwerp, Mauritius and New York employing
over 700 people worldwide.
Only the best and rarest diamonds are brought to its
premises in London where they are designed and mounted into
the world's finest jewellery. All aspects of the business
are overseen personally by Laurence Graff to ensure a
quality control of the highest standard. Each new store
represents a major investment in terms of location,
architectural design, showcases, sales staff and the
display of rare high end jewels.
Laurence Graff says: "The Award endorses our
international strategy and is testament to the energy and
commitment of our people who have made our UK and overseas
operations the success it is today."
THE QUEEN'S AWARDS FOR ENTERPRISE 2006
The Queen's Awards for Enterprise are the UK's most
prestigious awards for business performance. They recognise
and reward outstanding achievement by UK companies. They are
presented in three separate categories:
* International Trade - recognising companies that have
demonstrated
growth in overseas earnings
* Innovation - recognising companies that have
demonstrated commercial
success through innovative products or services.
* Sustainable Development - recognising companies that
have integrated
environmental, social, economic and management
aspects of sustainable
development into their business.
The Awards are made each year by The Queen, on the
advice of the Prime Minister, who is assisted by an
Advisory Committee that includes representatives of
Government, industry and commerce, and the trade unions.
http://www.graffdiamonds.com
For more information, please contact:
Fiona Spence
Tel: +44-207-584-8571
SOURCE GRAFF Diamonds
2007'02.01.Thu
Otis to Design One-Of-A-Kind 100-Passenger Elevators for World's First Interactive Museum of News
April 21, 2006
FARMINGTON, Conn., April 21 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Otis
Elevator Company, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:
UTX), was selected to design and install one-of-a-kind glass
elevators for Washington D.C.'s Newseum, the world's first
interactive museum of news. As part of the 21-unit
contract, Otis will also provide six flat-belt
machine-roomless Gen2(R) elevators.
(Photo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060420/NETH001 )
"I am proud of the Otis engineers who designed
this first-in-kind solution to meet the unique aesthetic,
capacity and performance requirements of this
project," said Ari Bousbib, Otis president. "Otis
is also delighted to showcase our patented,
environment-friendly Gen2 technology for this landmark in
our nation's capital."
Installed side by side along the east wall of its
90-foot atrium, Newseum's three floor-to-ceiling
glass-walled hydraulic elevators will create a bay window
effect and offer visitors panoramic views of sights along
Washington D.C.'s Pennsylvania Avenue. Each will travel 100
feet, nearly double the rise of conventional hydraulic
elevators, and be capable of carrying 100 passengers. With
cars 8 feet wide by 17 feet deep, the 18,000-pound
elevators will be among the largest of their kind in the
world.
"Otis is the only elevator manufacturer capable of
stepping up to the challenge of this complex task,"
said Nick Good, project manager for the general contractor,
Turner Construction. "The hydraulic lift option was
necessary to allow for the aesthetic advantage the
architect had envisioned for the Newseum's atrium
elevators, and Otis has designed the best solution."
Otis Elevator Company is the world's largest
manufacturer and maintainer of people-moving products
including elevators, escalators and moving walkways. With
headquarters in Farmington, Connecticut, Otis employs
60,000 people worldwide, offers products and services in
more than 200 countries and territories, and maintains 1.5
million elevators and escalators worldwide. United
Technologies Corp., based in Hartford, Connecticut, is a
diversified company providing high technology products and
services to the building and aerospace industries.
For more information, please contact:
Tizz Weber,
Director, Communications,
Otis Elevator Company
Tel: +1-860-676-6127
Email: Tizz.Weber@Otis.com
SOURCE Otis Elevator Company
2007'02.01.Thu
Quellan's X-Ten Technology Extends Data Center Reach for 10 Gigabit Ethernet Links
April 20, 2006
Lane Manager Chips Yield Cable Module That Breaks 50 Meter Data Center Barrier
LOS ANGELES, April 20 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Quellan,
Inc., a leading supplier of Analog semiconductors, today
announced it has achieved a 200% Reach Extension for the
burgeoning 10 Gigabit Ethernet Standard -- a breakthrough
for Data Centers.
(Photo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060420/SFTH029 )
At the Server Blade Summit, the company demonstrated
dual-core Opteron servers populated with 10 gigabit Chelsio
T210-CX Protocol Engines communicating error-free across a
50 meter Gore cable link. The Company also pre-announced
the second generation of this technology will reach beyond
65 meters in the third quarter of this year.
The X-Ten Module is approximately the size of a
matchbox and incorporates the Company's LM4602 Lane Manager
embedded between two CX-4 Connectors. The module consumes
just 240mW when active and can be powered by battery, USB
Cable, or an external AC transformer. The LM4602 devices
can also be integrated into network adapters, servers or
cable connectors.
The reach extension is made possible by compensating
for channel noise, attenuation and impairments with the
company's Collaborative Signal Processing architecture.
The resulting LM4602 device is extremely low power and
measures just 7 x 4mm.
"Clearly, data center links are reach limited at
these high data rates," said Joel Goergen, Vice
President of Technology at Force 10 Networks, a pioneer of
high performance 10 Gigabit Ethernet switch routers.
"Extending these links with low power embedded silicon
is extremely valuable and will accelerate 10 gigabit Copper
deployments."
The burgeoning market for 10G Ethernet is expected to
hit 10 million units in 2010 according to the Dell'Oro
group, with almost 50 percent of these links being over
Copper. With over 70 percent of the enterprise and data
center links reaching 50 meters, there is a significant
opportunity for the X-Ten technology.
"While our Lane Managers serve a broad range of
applications, extending 10 gigabit Ethernet reach over
copper has been a consistent cry from our Data Center
partners," said Tony Stelliga, Chairman and CEO of
Quellan. "While our chips can be embedded in
connectors, adapter cards or servers -- the X-Ten module
provides an immediate remedy for reach deprived critical
links."
The Company's lane Manager Chips are priced at under $2
per port in volume and the X-Ten module sells for $99 in
volume.
About Quellan Incorporated
Quellan specializes in analog components that improve
the performance and functionality of consumer electronics
and infrastructure equipment by enhancing signal fidelity.
Quellan serves the Enterprise, Telecom, Broadcast,
Automotive and Consumer Electronics markets. Privately
held, Quellan's investors include Cordova Ventures, Menlo
Ventures and Samsung Ventures Investment Corporation. For
more information, visit http://www.quellan.com , or call
408-774-0084.
For more information, please contact:
Melissa Kallos,
Quellan
Tel: +1-408-774-0084
Email: Melissa@quellan.com
SOURCE Quellan, Inc.
2007'02.01.Thu
CASCADE and True in Ground-breaking Launch to Revolutionize Bangkok's IPTV Market
April 20, 2006
HONG KONG, April 20 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- CASCADE
Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of PCCW Limited,
announced that it had completed building and installing an
IPTV system for True Digital Entertainment Company Limited
in Thailand. True Digital Entertainment Company Limited is
a subsidiary of True Corporation Plc, Thailand's only fully
integrated communications company and leader in convergence
lifestyle solutions. As the leader in broadband service in
Thailand, True has launched Thailand's IPTV (Internet
Protocol Television) service that will revolutionize the
TV-viewing experience in Bangkok for its broadband
subscribers. With QualiTVision, CASCADE's IPTV Solution,
True's subscribers will be able to enjoy DVD-quality movies
and TV programming via broadband connections to their
homes.
CASCADE Limited designed, built and maintains PCCW's
now TV network, the world's largest IPTV deployment. now
TV has attracted over 549,000 subscribers in Hong Kong
since its launch in 2003. CASCADE's QualiTVision, the
proven IPTV solution used by now TV, gives True a
self-contained turnkey solution with unlimited scalability.
True currently dominates Bangkok's broadband market and
will now be able to offer IPTV services, such as broadcast
TV and video-on-demand to increase its revenue streams.
With IPTV and its added value services, True is targetting
over half a million broadband customers by the end of 2006.
CASCADE's complete IPTV solution employs network-based
conditional access (network CA), which unlike traditional
content security and anti-piracy mechanisms that rely on
smartcards or software in set-top boxes, cannot be easily
compromised. Since the "right-to-see" is built
directly into the broadband network equipment on True's
premises, it gives subscribers and content providers the
highest level of security beyond the reach of unauthorized
access.
CASCADE's feature-rich middleware uses state-of-the-art
technology and enables True to implement flexible marketing
strategies to fit its business needs. Using the very
latest MPEG-4 compression technology, subscribers to True's
new IPTV service will be able to enjoy DVD-quality video
delivered to their homes, even at a transmission bandwidth
of only 2 Mbps. CASCADE's QualiTVision solution offers the
highest quality technology and gives True a customized and
complete solution to fit their specifications. CASCADE was
chosen by True among four leading vendors.
Mr. Paisit Vatjanapagom, True's general manager,
Broadband Broadcast and Multimedia, said: "CASCADE's
experience and their ability to give us a complete package
is very attractive to us. Their complete solution with
fully integrated and proven middleware is customizable and
user-friendly, enabling us to deploy IPTV service cost
effectively, securely and quickly. The Network CA and
middleware are both important factors for us, both in what
we can offer to our customers and what we can give in
reassurance to our local and international content
partners. CASCADE's packaged solution lets us keep to the
promise at the heart of our vision, which is to be the
leader in convergence solutions to fulfill the changing
lifestyles of Thai consumers in line with global
communications technology developments."
Mr. W.W. Chan, CASCADE Limited's Managing Director,
said: "We are pleased to offer True a turnkey solution
and provide them with a complete IPTV service. We will
apply our experience and knowledge with developing now TV
in Hong Kong to helping True expand its business into IPTV.
As a 'trusted partner' of our customers, and with a proven
track record in the field, we look forward to providing
True an extremely high level of content protection and
revenue assurance for its cost-effective IPTV business.
CASCADE Limited is among the largest technical services
providers serving telecoms operators and other
network-reliant organizations in Asia Pacific."
About CASCADE Limited
CASCADE Limited is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hong
Kong's PCCW Limited and employs more than 3,000
highly-skilled engineers and technical experts. As well as
meeting PCCW's complex technology requirements, which
include providing a network availability rate of 99.999%,
CASCADE Limited pursues IPTV business opportunities all
over the world. The company also offers a wide range of
other services, such as designing, building and operating
network infrastructures, operations centers and integrated
network management systems, as well as providing
outsourcing and technical consultancy. To learn more about
CASCADE Limited, please go to http://www.cascade-ltd.com .
About True
True Corporation Public Company Limited is Thailand's
only fully-integrated communication solutions provider,
convergence solutions leader and premier lifestyle enabler.
True provides consumers, small and medium enterprises, and
corporations with a full range of voice, data and
multimedia solutions customized to meet their needs. The
company is the largest wireline service provider in
Bangkok, the largest broadband provider in the country and
a major player in the wireless, cellular and Internet
markets. Principal subsidiary companies in the True Group
include UBC, Thailand's dominant pay television operator,
and True Move, a major mobile phone service provider. For
more information please visit: http://www.truecorp.co.th .
For media inquiries please call:
Hans Leung
PCCW
Tel: +852-2883-8747
Email: hans.leung@pccw.com
SOURCE CASCADE Limited
2007'02.01.Thu
AU Optronics Reports 1Q2006 Results
April 20, 2006
First Quarter 2006 Unaudited Consolidated Financial
Highlights
-- Revenues declined 9.0% QoQ to NT$66.3 billion
-- Net income decreased 42.0% QoQ to NT$6.7 billion
-- Earnings per share (basic EPS) of $1.14 per common
share (US$0.35 per
ADR)
-- Gross margin: 16.7%
-- Operating margin: 12.0%
HSINCHU, Taiwan, April 20 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- AU
Optronics Corp. ("AUO" or the
"Company") (TAIEX: 2409; NYSE: AUO) today
announced unaudited results for 1Q2006. For the first
quarter ended March 31, 2006, AUO's consolidated revenue
totaled NT$66.3 billion (US$2.0 billion*), net income
NT$6.7 billion, and basic EPS NT$1.14 per common share
(US$0.35 per ADR unit).
Gross margin for the first quarter declined 5.5
percentage points to 16.7%. This brought operating margin
to 12.0% and EBITDA margin to 27.9%. Mr. Max Cheng, Vice
President and Chief Financial Officer of AUO noted that
overall industry experiences seasonal weakness as well as
supply & demand imbalance. 1Q2006 panel shipments are
much in line to the Company's initial guidance, large-size
panel declined 2.3% QoQ to 9.4 million and small- and
medium-size panel declined slightly by 0.8% post 15.8
million. Panel Average Selling Price by square meter, is a
bit weaker than the Company anticipated, declined by about
11.9% sequentially. The higher-than-expected panel pricing
declines are mitigated by better product mix, customer
portfolio, remarkable market gain on the LCD TV business,
cost competitiveness, manufacturing capability, and
innovative designs. TV segment has substantially grown
from 27% of revenue in 4Q2005 to 35% in 1Q2006.
On a sequential comparison, first quarter revenue
declined 9.0% and net income decreased 42.0%. On the
year-over-year comparison, first quarter results represents
a 70.6% increase in revenue, while net income turned from
loss of NT$2.1 billion to profit of NT$6.7 billion.
In response to the trend towards larger-sized TFT-LCD
TVs in the market, AUO plans to deploy a new investment
plan in Houli, the Central Taiwan Science Park near the
city of Taichung, where at least G7.5 or next-generation
fabrication facilities will be built to cope with the brisk
demand for large-sized TFT-LCD TVs. In its initial phase,
AUO's new G7.5 line in Taichung Houli is expected to begin
volume production with a monthly capacity to process 60,000
glass substrates. As for plans to construct G8 or even more
advanced facilities, AUO may in appropriate times announce
the Company's plan depending on the pace of market demand.
AUO has major competitive advantages with its comprehensive
product lines, allowing for maximum flexibility in
producing LCD TV panels. After its recent merger with
Quanta Display Inc., AUO will be able to leverage the core
competency advantages of both sides to not only increase
production capacity but also better seize ever-shifting
market opportunities.
* Amounts converted by an exchange rate of
NTD32.42:USD1 as of March 31,
2006.
Conference Call & Webcast Notice:
AUO's quarterly review conference call will be held at
8:00 pm Taiwan Time (GMT +8:00) on Thursday, April 20th,
2006. The conference call will be available via webcast
http://www.auo.com .
About AU Optronics
AU Optronics Corp. ("AUO") is the world's
third largest manufacturer* of large-size thin film
transistor liquid crystal display panels
("TFT-LCD"), with approximately 14.2%* of global
market share and generated revenue of NT$217.4billion
(US$6.75 bn)* in 2005. TFT-LCD technology is currently the
most widely used flat panel display technology. Targeted
for 40"+ sized LCD TV panels, AUO's next generation
(7.5-Generation) fabrication facility production is
scheduled for mass production in 4Q 2006. The Company
currently operates one 6th-generation, three
5th-generation, one 4th-generation, and three
3.5-generation TFT- LCD fabs, in addition to four module
assembly facilities and AUO Technology Center specializing
in new technology platform and new product development.
AUO is one of few top-tier TFT-LCD manufacturers capable of
offering a wide range of small- to large- size
(1.5"-46") TFT-LCD panels, which enables it to
offer a broad and diversified product portfolio.
* As shown on DisplaySearch Quarterly Large-Area
TFT-LCD Shipment Report
dated Mar 1, 2006. This data is used as reference
only and AUO does
not make any endorsement or representation in
connection therewith.
2005 year end revenue converted by an exchange rate
of NTD32.2039:USD1.
Safe Harbour Notice
AU Optronics Corp. ("AUO" or the
"Company") (TAIEX: 2409; NYSE: AUO), the world's
third largest manufacturer of large-size TFT-LCD panels,
today announced its unaudited consolidated results of
operations for FY2005. Except for statements in respect of
historical matters, the statements contained in this Release
are "forward-looking statements" within the
meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933
and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of
1934. These forward-looking statements were based on our
management's expectations, projections and beliefs at the
time regarding matters including, among other things,
future revenues and costs, financial performance,
technology changes, capacity, utilization rates, yields,
process and geographical diversification, future expansion
plans and business strategy. Such forward looking
statements are subject to a number of known and unknown
risks and uncertainties that can cause actual results to
differ materially from those expressed or implied by such
statements, including risks related to the flat panel
display industry, the TFT-LCD market, acceptance and demand
for our products, technological and development risks,
competitive factors, and other risks described in the
section entitled "Risk Factors" in our Form F-3
filed with the United States Securities and Exchange
Commission on July 8th, 2005.
For more information, please contact:
Yawen Hsiao
Corporate Communications Dept.
AU Optronics Corp.
Tel: +886-3-500-8899 x3211
Fax: +886-3-5772730
Email: yawenhsiao@auo.com
SOURCE AU Optronics Corp.
2007'02.01.Thu
Innovative Rural Technology Transfer; UNDP Supports Government Agencies in Developing New Mechanisms to Link Farmers to Innovative Technologies and Expertise to Reduce Rural Poverty
April 20, 2006
BEIJING, April 20 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- A joint
initiative to link farmers with innovative technologies was
launched today in Beijing between the United Nations
Development Programme in China, the Ministry of Science and
Technology (MOST), and the China International Center For
Economic and Technical Exchanges (CICETE) under the
Ministry of Commerce.
Entitled "Alleviating Rural Poverty through
Innovative Technologies Transfer," the four-year
project is designed to link farmers with innovative,
environmentally-friendly technologies in order to increase
their income and promote sustainable rural development.
"Integration, innovation and partnerships are the
three key words I would use to characterize this
project," said Khalid Malik, UN Resident Coordinator
and UNDP Resident Representative in China. "The
project is also very timely as it is closely connected to
the Government's commitment to build the socialist new
countryside by applying scientific development
approaches."
With a total fund of US$ 8 million, the project will
set up Technical Task Forces (TTFs) that will not only
introduce better technologies to farmers but also
innovative organizational methods for farmers to receive
tailor-made technological services to increase their
income.
"It is hoped that the project will help generate
new job opportunities in local communities and allow
agriculture technology experts from government agencies,
academies, research institutes, and other organizations to
participate more effectively in lifting farmers out of
poverty," said Malik. "We hope that these
technology personnel can really make a difference for the
rural poor and help them build better lives. If we are to
reach the Millennium Development Goals by 2015 in China,
this is exactly the kind of progress we need to
make."
Liu Yanhua, Vice Minister of the MOST, stressed that
UNDP was the first international development organization
that work with MOST to further develop and enhance TTFs.
He added that since 2002, a total of 598 counties in 24
provinces currently pilot the new market-oriented mechanism
by providing farmers with new technologies and skills for
better livelihoods. "Through this new initiative with
UNDP, we hope to bring TTFs to a higher level by emphasizing
balance between economic growth, social development and
environmental protection to promote sustainable development
in rural China," said Liu.
UNDP is the UN's global development network, advocating
for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience
and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP is
on the ground in 166 countries, working with them on their
own solutions to global and national development
challenges. As they develop local capacity, they draw on
the people of UNDP and its wide range of partners.
For more information, please contact:
Ms. Zhang Wei,
Communications Officer,
UNDP China
Tel: +86-10-6532-3731 x228
Email: wei.zhang@undp.org
Web: http://www.undp.org.cn
SOURCE United Nations Development Programme
2007'02.01.Thu
China Announces 17th Case of Human Infection With Avian Influenza
April 20, 2006
MANILA, Philippines, April 20 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --
The Ministry of Health in China has confirmed the country's
17th case of human infection with the H5N1 avian influenza
virus. The case occurred in a 21-year-old male migrant
worker employed in Wuhan City, Hubei Province. He
developed symptoms on 1 April. He is presently
hospitalized in critical condition.
(Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040610/CNTH001LOGO )
The man's source of exposure is under investigation.
No poultry outbreaks have been reported in Hubei Province
since November 2005. His close contacts have been placed
under medical observation.
To date, China has reported 17 cases of H5N1 infection.
Of these, 11 have been fatal.
For further information, please contact:
Aphaluck Bhatiasevi
Communications Officer
World Health Organization, China
Mobile: +86-1361-117-4072
Tel: +86-10-6532-7189 to 92 x681 or
+86-10-6532-5687
Email: bhatiasevia@chn.wpro.who.int
SOURCE World Health Organization
2007'02.01.Thu
UATP Expands in Asia; Adds China Southern Airlines as New Merchant
April 20, 2006
WASHINGTON, April 20 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- UATP
continues its expansion in Asia, adding China Southern
Airlines as its newest UATP Merchant effective immediately.
China Southern Airlines is meeting the rising demands of
corporate travelers and now accepts all UATP corporate
cards, issued by 13 airlines and accepted as form of
payment by over hundreds of airlines and travel agencies
worldwide.
(Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040318/UATPLOGO )
"As one of the largest carriers in The People's
Republic of China, China Southern must respond to customer
demands to continue to capture market share and expand
services," says Mr. Zhu Yi Ting, Manager of
International Passenger Transport, China Southern Airlines.
"China Southern is positioning itself for the
increasing number of international business that is being
conducted in China and for the demand of UATP acceptance
that we have seen through our client base, while lowering
distribution costs."
China Southern Airlines recently became the most
technically advanced aircraft fleet in The People's
Republic of China with the introduction of the nation's
first-ever automatic check-in boarding system at the new
Baiyun International Airport. This is the first time an
airline in China is offering self-service passenger
check-in for domestic flights. Currently available on one
domestic route -- between Guangzhou and Changsha -- the
airline is planning to significantly expand this service to
all flights by the end of 2005.
"China is expected be one of the largest growth
markets for leisure and business travel worldwide; with an
expected 10% growth rate in 2006 and future
increases," said president and CEO, Ralph Kaiser.
"By becoming a UATP Merchant, China Southern Airlines
is positioning itself to encompass the corporate travel
market growth. UATP will continue to work with China
Southern Airlines to capture market share and increase the
availability of card acceptance within China which we
expect to gain access through BSP China by year-end."
The largest airline in The People's Republic of China
for the past 26 years, China Southern Airlines connects
more than 80 cities around the globe. Major business and
vacation destinations served in China include: Beijing,
Chengdu, Guangzhou, Guilin, Hong Kong, Kunming, Shanghai,
Shenzhen and Wuhan and as well as international service,
including: Amsterdam, Bangkok, Fukuoka, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh
City, Islamabad, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Los Angeles,
Manila, Melbourne, Moscow, Osaka, Paris, Penang, Phnom
Penh, Seoul, Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo.
Visit http://www.uatp.com or http://www.cs-air.com/en
for more information.
About UATP
UATP accounts are accepted as a form of payment for
corporate business travel by more than 220 airlines and
travel agencies worldwide. UATP accounts are issued by
these airlines: Aer Lingus, Air New Zealand, American
Airlines (NYSE: AMR), Austrian Airlines, Continental
Airlines (NYSE: CAL), Delta Air Lines, Japan Airlines
(NasdaqOTC: JALSY), Qantas Airways, Ltd., United Airlines
(Nasdaq: UAUA), US Airways (UAIRQ.OB), and VARIG Brazilian
Airlines. AirPlus International issues the UATP-based
Company Account for: British Airways (NYSE: BAB),
Continental Airlines (NYSE: CAL) and Lufthansa German
Airlines.
For more information, please contact:
Wendy L. Ward,
UATP
Tel: +1-202-626-4077
Email: wward@uatp.com
SOURCE UATP
2007'02.01.Thu
Polymer Group, Inc. Opens New Regional Head Office in Suzhou, China
April 20, 2006
Spunmelt manufacturing and finishing lines on schedule to start up mid-year
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C., April 20 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --
Polymer Group, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: POLGA; POLGB) today
opened its new Asian region head office in Suzhou, China,
bringing a newly constructed manufacturing plant together
with administrative functions under one roof.
The new site in the Suzhou Industrial Park houses
state-of-the-art spunmelt manufacturing and finishing lines
that will begin operations mid-year, serving the medical and
hygiene markets with quality, high-performance engineered
materials.
"The new Asian headquarters will facilitate
greater collaboration and cooperation among our teams, and
also puts the leadership for the Asian business in the same
location as our newest manufacturing site," said Jay
Cheng, Vice President and General Manager, PGI Asia.
Finance operations, headed by PGI Asia's new Financial
Director ZQ Zhan, as well as information technology, sales
and marketing, and administrative support, will be based at
this office in the growing Shanghai region.
The Suzhou manufacturing operations make PGI the
largest spunmelt supplier in China and the country's only
vertically integrated producer of finished medical fabrics.
The new, multi-beam Reifenhauser line will manufacture
ultra-high-performance medical barrier fabrics, including
PGI's MediSoft(TM) products.
The world-class finishing line installed at the new
location will provide customers with treated medical
fabrics produced in a pristine environment to meet the
highest quality standards.
At PGI's Nanhai location, the recently installed
advanced chemical bonding is ramping up and will also serve
the hygiene and medical markets.
Polymer Group, Inc., one of the world's leading
producers of nonwovens, is a global, technology-driven
developer, producer and marketer of engineered materials.
With the broadest range of process technologies in the
nonwovens industry, PGI is a global supplier to leading
consumer and industrial product manufacturers. The company
operates 22 manufacturing facilities throughout the world.
Additional company information is available at
http://www.polymergroupinc.com .
Safe Harbor Statement
Except for historical information contained herein, the
matters set forth in this press release are forward-looking
statements that involve certain risks and uncertainties
that could cause actual results to differ materially from
those described in the forward-looking statements within
the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933
and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date
of this release. Important factors that could cause actual
results to differ materially from those discussed in such
forward-looking statements include: general economic
factors including, but not limited to, changes in interest
rates, foreign currency translation rates, consumer
confidence, trends in disposable income, changes in
consumer demand for goods produced, and cyclical or other
downturns; substantial debt levels and potential inability
to maintain sufficient liquidity to finance the company's
operations and make necessary capital expenditures;
inability to meet existing debt covenants; information and
technological advances; changes in environmental laws and
regulations; cost and availability of raw materials, labor
and natural and other resources and the inability to pass
raw material cost increases along to customers; domestic
and foreign competition; reliance on major customers and
suppliers; and risks related to operations in foreign
jurisdictions. Investors and other readers are directed to
consider the risks and uncertainties discussed in documents
filed by Polymer Group, Inc. with the Securities and
Exchange Commission, including the company's Annual Report
on Form 10-K.
For further information, please contact: Dennis Norman
Vice President - Strategic Planning & Communication
(843) 329-5151 normand@pginw.com .
For more information, please contact:
Dennis Norman, Vice President - Strategic Planning
& Communication, Polymer Group, Inc.
Tel: +1-843-329-5151
Email: normand@pginw.com
SOURCE Polymer Group, Inc.
2007'02.01.Thu
Chilectra Initiates Power Supply Tender Process
April 20, 2006
SANTIAGO, Chile, April 20 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- With
the publication of its bidding terms and the launch of a
web page especially dedicated to this process, Chilectra,
jointly with Electrica de Puente Alto Ltda., Empresa
Electrica Municipal de Til Til, Empresa Electrica de Colina
Ltda., and Luz Andes Ltda., have initiated the power supply
tender process for the years 2009 through 2020.
"Our companies concentrate the largest consumption
in the Metropolitan Area, where 40% of the population and
45% of the power consumption of all the distributors in the
country is located. In this context, we trust that this
tender will significantly contribute to enabling the
incorporation of new generation capacity to the Sistema
Interconectado Central (Chile's central grid)," said
Guillermo Perez del Rio, Chilectra's Manager of Regulatory
Matters and Energy Management.
The tender involves over 40,000 GWh of energy,
equivalent to a transaction valued in excess of $2.3
billion (at current grid-connection prices).
The executive added, "The power supply
requirements of Til Til, Colina and Luz Andes are
incorporated in the energy and power tendered by Chilectra,
so successful bidders will enter into power supply contracts
with Chilectra and Electrica de Puente Alto."
Candidates may submit offers for energy and power based
on base and variable supply products, which are awarded
separately. They may also submit offers for supplying one,
several or all the products, partially or wholly.
The Sole Bidding Point is Polpaico at 220 kV, and,
therefore, all prices offered shall refer to said point.
The Purchase Points, where the power will be supplied,
correspond to the substations of Alto Jahuel, Cerro Navia,
Quillota and Polpaico, all at 220 kV.
The bidding terms may be purchased by any Chilean or
foreign legal entity, individually or through a consortium
or association. The price of the bidding terms is
USD$5,000.
Interested parties should have a credit rating no lower
than B for the past 12 months, or meet the tender
specifications.
The bidding terms may be purchased through the
http://www.licitacion.cl web site, as well as from the
Chilectra offices, located at Santa Rosa 76, piso 8,
Santiago, between the hours of 9 AM and 3 PM.
For more information, please contact:
Marcelo Castillo S.,
Chilectra,
Tel: +011-56-2-675-2746
Email: mjcs@chilectra.cl
SOURCE Chilectra S.A.
2007'02.01.Thu
Verizon Business Adds 'Dashboard' to Customer Center Portal to Help Customers Manage and Trouble-Shoot Their Networks More Efficiently
April 20, 2006
Customers to Gain Single, Real-Time View of Network Operations, Including Availability, Alarms and Trouble-Ticket Status
BASKING RIDGE, N.J., April 20 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --
Verizon Business, a premier provider of advanced global
communications and information technology (IT) solutions,
today announced the launch of Dashboard, a powerful new
interface for the Verizon Business Customer Center online
trouble-ticket management system. Dashboard enables
eligible Verizon Business voice, IP and data customers to
more efficiently manage their network resources through a
single, real-time view of network alarms, trouble ticket
status, network availability and service locations.
The Verizon Business Customer Center Dashboard
eliminates the need to use multiple tools to track network
activity. Instead, the Dashboard provides a bird's-eye
view of the network, problems and associated trouble
tickets -- all within a single application. It will be
offered free of charge to eligible Verizon Business
customers in the United States, Europe, Middle East,
Africa, Asia Pacific and Latin America, starting next
month.
"Dashboard is yet another example of how Verizon
Business is getting closer to our customers by putting
valuable tools in their hands that enhance our business
relationship," said Nancy Gofus, vice president of
product management, Verizon Business. "Through this
dynamic window to their Verizon Business world, our
customers have more power to make the products we offer
work even harder to boost their business."
With the introduction of Dashboard, Verizon Business
Online Trouble Management customers can benefit from
network alarm and trouble-ticket correlation capabilities
available through the award-winning, patent pending Verizon
Business IMPACT network management platform. IMPACT
provides Verizon Business customers with one of the most
advanced, automated network fault management systems
available.
"The new global Dashboard capabilities help reduce
customer time spent correlating alarms, trouble tickets and
associated circuit IDs, and enable faster assessment and
coordination for event resolution," said Rona Shuchat,
research director, Web hosting/telecom transformation
strategies for IDC, a leading industry analysis firm.
"This Dashboard release is a major step forward for
Verizon Business in aggregating data from multiple back-end
systems to provide customers around the globe with a
consolidated network-management view for monitoring,
problem identification and resolution."
Dashboard extends the workflow process to customers as
well. Through a seamless single sign-on integration with
Verizon Business Online Trouble Management application,
customers can proactively manage incidents by updating
ticket details and referring them back to the company for
resolution.
The Verizon Business Dashboard also provides key
performance indicators regarding the categorization and
history of trouble tickets. Tickets -- such as
deferred-time tickets requiring customer action -- are
grouped for quick identification and tracking. Dashboard
also provides a history of key performance indicators for
trouble tickets that includes a rolling 13-month trend
highlighting repeat and chronic issues.
Additionally, Dashboard keeps track of network
availability by access type. Each time a user logs in, the
user can immediately determine if the network is performing
above the minimum acceptable quality level or if it is in a
degraded or critical state. The overall network
availability metrics can be viewed as a rolling "30
day" and "last 24 hours" window to pinpoint
when incidents occur.
In the future, Verizon Business plans to enhance the
Dashboard capabilities to include the introduction of
network traffic utilization key performance indicators,
configuration management tools to monitor order
provisioning and inventory, as well as application
management visibility into Web hosting and network security
threats.
About Verizon Business
Verizon Business, a unit of Verizon Communications
(NYSE: VZ), is a leading provider of advanced
communications and information technology (IT) solutions to
large business and government customers worldwide.
Combining unsurpassed global network reach with advanced
technology and professional service capabilities, Verizon
Business delivers innovative and seamless business
solutions to customers around the world. For more
information, visit http://www.verizonbusiness.com .
VERIZON'S ONLINE NEWS CENTER: Verizon news releases,
executive speeches and biographies, media contacts, high
quality video and images, and other information are
available at Verizon's News Center on the World Wide Web at
http://www.verizon.com/news . To receive news releases by
e-mail, visit the News Center and register for customized
automatic delivery of Verizon news releases.
For more information, please contact:
Carolyn Tyler,
Verizon Business
Tel: +1-303-390-6593
Email: carolyn.tyler@verizon.com
SOURCE Verizon Business
2007'02.01.Thu
3G Dynasty Launches Risk3Search, the Mobile-Music Search Engine for Users of SEO4Mobile
April 19, 2006
HONG KONG, April 19 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Telecom
Communications, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: TCOM) today
announced that its subsidiary, 3G Dynasty Inc.(3G),
launched the mobile-music search engine Risk3Search for
cellphone users of SEO4Mobile in China.
Fuzhou Zhang, the vice president of 3G said, "This
signifies the successful progress of TCOM's SEO4Mobile to
generate service provider SP revenue sharing, plus earn
revenue on a per-search basis through SMS/MMS. Risk3Search
allows digital musicals, internet companies (SPs) to reduce
the amount of time spent managing their listings by offering
them the ability to simplify. Cellphone users can get music
list updates by simply searching, and there is no risk of
making wrong payments or participating in the illegal
downloading of music."
The exploding popularity of mobile music in China is
boosting revenue for Chinese cellphone providers and
Internet companies and helping fuel a run-up in their share
prices. But many analysts believe there is more room for
growth. (at The Wall Street Journal Online "Wall
Street Journal," NY -- April 17, 2006)
About SEO4Mobile
SEO4Mobile is the original unique new service solution
creation by Alpha Century Holdings Limited, a wholly-owned
subsidiary of Telecom Communications, Inc. (OTC Bulletin
Board: TCOM). SEO4Mobile -- Search Engine Optimizer for
mobile phones via text messages (SMS) and multimedia
message services (MMS), offers wireless mobile phone
value-added service providers the ability to use a short
message service (SMS) search implementation for their
users. Mobile phone users who enter a relevant keyword or
keyword phrase, along with a geographic identifier, can
send searches in via an SMS to a service code. The search
results will be received by a multimedia message service
(MMS) and within 5 minutes Search Engine Optimization
processes the search through the Internet. Many searchers
don't realize that within an SMS search query they can add
in a geographic identifier. By specifically laying out a
separate search SMS for the geographic portion, SEO4Mobile
helps structure the search in a simple and efficient way
for the searcher. Now, SEO4Mobile has selected by such
service providers (SP) of China Mobile and China Unicom.
SEO4Mobile will then parse out its advertiser keyword
ads that have a local identifier as it sends them to its
distribution partners, thereby returning very targeted
results for mobile searches. This augments Alpha Century's
recently announced pay-per-SMS service, as pay-per-search
advertisers choose the region in which they wish their ads
to be displayed The SMS/MMS mobile search market is already
here, and growing.
About Telecom Communications, Inc.
Telecom Communications, Inc. (TCOM) is a Total
Solutions Provider that offers Integrated Communications
Network Solutions and Internet Content Service in universal
voice, video, data web and mobile communications for
interactive media applications, technology and content
leaders in interactive multimedia communications. It
develops, markets and sells a universal media software
solution for enterprise-wide deployment of integrated
voice, video, data web and mobile communications and media
applications. Telecom Communications, Inc. does business in
Asia via its wholly owned subsidiaries, Alpha Century
Holdings Ltd. ( http://www.subaye.com ), IC Star MMS, Ltd.
( http://www.icstarmms.com ) and 3G Dynasty Inc. (
http://www.skyestar.com ).
Safe Harbor
The statements made in this release constitute
"forward-looking" statements, usually containing
the words "believe," "estimate,"
"project," "expect," or similar
expressions. These statements are made pursuant to the safe
harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements inherently
involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual
results to differ materially from the forward-looking
statements. Factors that would cause or contribute to such
differences include, but are not limited to, changing
economic conditions, interest rates trends, continued
acceptance of the Company's products in the marketplace,
competitive factors and other risks detailed in the
Company's periodic report Filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. By making these forward- looking
statements, the Company undertakes no obligation to update
these statements for revisions or changes after the date of
this release.
For more information, please contact:
Ms. Sandy Tang
Telecom Communications, Inc.
Tel: +852-2782-0983
Email: pr@tcom8266.com
SOURCE Telecom Communications, Inc.
2007'02.01.Thu
Sasol Chevron Embarks on Unique South Africa to Qatar Challenge to Test GTL Fuel
April 19, 2006
Toughest Ever Test for Cleaner, Greener Fuel Technology Ahead of Ground-breaking GTL Oryx Plant Opening in Qatar
LONDON and JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, April 19
/Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Sasol Chevron, the joint venture
between Chevron Corporation, one of the world's leading
energy companies, and South African petrochemical company
Sasol Limited, an innovative and competitive global energy
company, today launched an unprecedented challenge to
showcase its cleaner, greener GTL (gas-to-liquid) diesel
fuel technology.
The Sasol Chevron GTL Challenge will see a team of
twelve men and women embarking on a symbolic journey from
Sasolburg, South Africa to Qatar, to signal the
inauguration of the ORYX GTL plant in Qatar on 6th June.
John Gass, President of Chevron Global Gas and Sasol
Chevron Chairman of the Board, said: "Drawing on
cutting edge technology, Sasol Chevron is delivering a
high-performing, ultra clean fuel from natural gas.
Throughout this challenging trip, we will be demonstrating
the fuel's capabilities and performance under some of the
world's toughest road conditions -- the same fuel that may
be used in existing diesel engines. We're excited about the
future of GTL."
The team has been challenged by Sasol Chevron to
complete the 11,000 km journey, across six countries in
Africa and some of the toughest conditions on the planet,
in 46 days, arriving in Doha, Qatar by 5th June for the
official opening of the US$950 million ORYX GTL production
facility.
One of the team's five vehicles, a Toyota Hilux Raider,
dubbed African Renaissance -- highlighting the African
continent's growing influence on the world's energy
industry -- will be fuelled from beginning to end with GTL
(gas-to-liquid) diesel fuel from Sasol's plant in
Sasolburg. The GTL fuel burns significantly cleaner than
conventional diesel and provides superior performance.
George Couvaras, Sasol Chevron CEO, said, "Sasol
Chevron is proud to be involved in the marketing of the GTL
products from the ORYX plant. We are developing markets and
applications that take advantage of the unique properties
of the fuel and position it in its rightful place as the
benchmark for high quality diesel."
Sasol's Chief Executive Pat Davies added: "We want
to show the world that our new GTL diesel burns
significantly cleaner and exceeds every performance
standard of conventional oil derived diesel fuel. I warmly
thank our partner Qatar Petroleum for helping us build on
what we have developed in South Africa -- creating in Qatar
the world's largest and most technologically advanced GTL
plant."
People round the world will be encouraged to follow
this personal and technological challenge online at a new
website -- http://www.sasolchevron.com/gtlchallenge --
detailing the progress of the trip with downloadable
broadcasts of the team's personal experiences while
travelling through Eastern Africa to Doha.
A joint venture between the state-owned petroleum
company Qatar Petroleum (51%) and Sasol (49%), ORYX GTL in
Qatar is the first low-temperature Fischer-Tropsch GTL
plant outside South Africa dedicated to the production of
new generation GTL diesel and the world's first commercial
GTL facility. The plant will use Sasol's proprietary
Fischer-Tropsch technology. London-based Sasol Chevron will
market the high-quality, environmentally-friendly GTL diesel
worldwide later this year.
GTL diesel dovetails neatly into tighter environmental
controls and increased diesel consumption in many parts of
the world. In markets such as the US, Europe, Japan and
Australia the maximum permissible sulphur content in diesel
has plummeted from 5,000 parts per million (ppm) 15 years
ago to as little as 10 ppm today. This GTL diesel has a
sulphur content of less than 5 parts per million and has
been developed entirely at the Sasol plant in Sasolburg. It
provides superior performance to diesel engines while
reducing emissions.
The ORYX GTL plant will scale up over the next few
months to convert gas from the North Field in the Gulf into
34,000 bpd of liquid hydrocarbons (mainly GTL diesel). In
conjunction with Sasol Chevron and Qatar Petroleum, the
intention is to increase the plant's capacity to more than
100,000 bpd. The partners are also exploring building an
integrated GTL plant with a capacity of about 130,000 bpd
in the future.
Also under construction is the Escravos GTL (EGTL)
plant in Nigeria. It is being built by the Nigerian
National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Chevron Nigeria
Limited (CNL). Sasol Chevron is licensing the technology
from Sasol and will provide the technology, engineering
services and engineering support needed to take the project
through the engineering, procurement and construction
phase.
The world has abundant natural gas resources, and GTL
offers gas-producing countries a way to commercialize their
resources while meeting a growing need for clean
transportation fuels. Sasol Chevron is fostering the
development of a GTL industry and global markets for GTL by
designing, building and operating plants throughout the
world to manufacture and market alternative fuels and
products.
Sasol Chevron was established in October 2000 as a
50/50 joint venture to actively pursue commercial
application of GTL technology for selected Chevron and
Sasol-held reserves of natural gas; third-party gas
reserves and host countries seeking to monetize their gas
reserves. GTL will be produced using the Sasol Slurry Phase
Distillate process (SPD).
Chevron Corporation is one of the world's leading
energy companies. With more than 53,000 employees, Chevron
subsidiaries conduct business in approximately 180
countries around the world, producing and transporting
crude oil and natural gas, and refining, marketing, and
distributing fuels and other energy products. Chevron is
based in San Ramon, Calif. More information on Chevron is
available at http://www.chevron.com .
Sasol is an integrated oil and gas company with
substantial chemical interests. Based in South Africa and
with international operations, Sasol is listed on the New
York Stock Exchange and JSE stock exchange in Johannesburg.
Sasol is the leading provider of liquid fuels in South
Africa and a major international producer of chemicals.
Sasol uses proprietary Fischer-Tropsch technologies for the
commercial production of synthetic fuels and chemicals from
low-grade coal and natural gas. It manufactures more than
200 fuel and chemical products that are sold worldwide. In
South Africa Sasol also operates coal mines to provide
feedstock for its synthetic fuels plants. Sasol operates
South Africa's only inland crude oil refinery. The group
produces crude oil in offshore Gabon, supplies Mozambican
natural gas to end-user customers and petrochemical plants
in South Africa, and with partners is developing
gas-to-liquids fuel joint ventures in Qatar and Nigeria.
More information on Sasol is available at
http://www.sasol.com .
For more information, please contact:
Malcolm Wells of Sasol Chevron
Tel: +44-781-216-6261
Michael Barrett of Chevron
Tel: +44-207-719-4463
Marina Bidoli of Sasol
Tel: +27-11-441-3511
SOURCE Sasol Chevron
2007'02.01.Thu
2006 Global Expansion Strategies Conference to be Held Soon
April 19, 2006
BEIJING, April 19 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- The Global
Expansion Strategies Conference is to be held at Plaza
Royale Hotel Beijing from May 25th to 26th. It is jointly
organized by China Group Company Promotion Association
(CGCPA) and Avail Corporation and has received warm support
from PricewaterhouseCoopers, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer,
China Africa Business Council, British Chamber of Commerce
in China, Canada China Business Council and other commerce
chambers stationed in China.
Representatives from various kinds of fields and
leaders on business globalization have been invited to the
conference. Having evaluated the capacity and preparation
work of Chinese companies, they will give lectures from
different angles on how Chinese companies can enter the
world market. Specifically, they will give their
professional suggestions on how local companies align their
operation, management and resources with the target overseas
investment.
Many honored guests will be invited to the conference.
Official guests include: Gu Jiaqi, Vice Chairman of CGCPA;
Zhao Chuang, Deputy Director of Foreign Economic
Cooperation Department of Ministry of Commerce; Long
Guoqiang, Deputy Director-General of Foreign Economic
Relations, Development Research Center of China State
Council; Li Daoyu, Chairman of China International Public
Relations Association. Corporate leaders include: William
Valentino, General Manager of Corporate Communications of
Bayer; Charles Sampson of Saatchi & Saatchi. Edwin
Wang, partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers and Richard Chalk,
head of Asian Dispute Solutions of Freshfields Bruckhaus
Deringer are also invited to the conference. In a word,
guests from different fields and of various backgrounds
will gather together and give lectures on the problems and
chances Chinese companies have when they expand their
business globally. The conference will certainly be a great
business conference of 2006.
China's extraordinary performance in its economic
growth has made it one of the most prominent economy forces
in the global economy. China realizes that only global
expansion can achieve sustainable growth in an increasingly
competitive global marketplace. Therefore, the Chinese
government initiated a `Go Out' plan to create more than 30
`national champions' by 2010. This has started the local
behemoths such as Lenovo, Haier, TCL, CNOOC and the list go
on to look beyond their own border to achieve new heights.
However, despite that some Chinese companies have taken
a seat in Fortune 500, Some have failed due to insufficient
market intelligence, lack of marketing and brand
management, unsuitable corporate culture and management
approach, international legal issues, and others have had
an uphill task to gain recognition in a totally fresh
market or overcome political obstacles.
This summit consists of different sessions and last for
one and half days. A series of theme lectures will be given
in the conference. They are: "Government Policies and
its Support For Outward Direct Investment," "Legal
Considerations and Managing Disputes Internationally,"
"Strategic Public Relations and Corporate Image,"
and "Finance and Treasury Management" etc.
Successful case studies of famous multinational companies
are adopted in the lectures together with experience
review, etc. to provide the necessary information for the
domestic enterprises when they go global.
For more information about this conference, please
contact:
Josy Wei
Tel: +86-21-6229-1717
Fax: +86-21-6229-1718
Email: jwei@availcorp.com
Web: http://www.availcorp.com
SOURCE Avail Corporation
2007'02.01.Thu
China Life Insurance Company Limited Announces 2005 Annual Results
April 19, 2006
HONG KONG, April 19 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- China Life
Insurance Company Limited (SEHK: 2628; NYSE: LFC) today
announced the consolidated audited results of the Company
and its subsidiaries ("China Life" or the
"Company") for the full year ended 31 December
2005.
Key Highlights
-- Net profit attributable to shareholders of the
Company for the year
amounted to RMB 9,306 million, up 29.77% from 2004.
-- Basic and fully diluted earnings per share were RMB
0.35.
-- Total revenues for the year reached RMB 98,212
million, up 27.87% from
2004.
-- Gross written premiums and policy fees reached RMB
81,022 million, up
22.28% from 2004.
-- As at 31 December 2005, the Company's embedded value
was RMB 113,954
million, up
-- 26.51% from 2004, and the value of one year's sales
was RMB 7,489
million, up 15.14% from 2004.
-- As at 31 December 2005, the Company's total assets
were RMB 559,219
million. Investment assets were RMB 494,356 million,
while investment
yield (on investment assets that include financial
assets and cash and
cash equivalents but exclude accrued investment
income) was 3.86%, up
37 basis points from 2004.
-- The Company continued to maintain its leading
position in the life
insurance market in China, with a market share of
44.07%.
-- The Board of Directors recommended the payment of a
final dividend of
RMB0.05 per share for the year to the shareholders
whose names are on
the register of shareholders on 17 May 2006.
In year 2005, the Company achieved record levels of net
profit, total revenues and total assets. For the year ended
31 December 2005, China Life's net profit attributable to
shareholders of the Company amounted to RMB 9,306 million,
an increase of 29.77% from 2004, primarily driven by
adjustments in the structure of the business, improvement
in investment income and enhancement of management
practices. Basic and fully diluted earnings per share were
RMB 0.35. The Company's total revenues amounted to RMB
98,212 million, a 27.87% increase over the previous year.
As at 31 December 2005, the Company's total assets were RMB
559,219 million. The Board of Directors recommended the
payment of a final dividend of RMB 0.05 per share for the
year to the shareholders whose names are on the register of
shareholders on 17 May 2006.
Commenting on the annual results of the Company for the
financial year 2005, Mr Yang Chao, Chairman of the Board of
China Life, said: "I am pleased to report encouraging
progresses in terms of reforms and business development by
the Company in 2005. The Company has made adjustments to
its Board of Directors and senior management in its
continuing effort to improve corporate governance. As the
core member of the China Life Insurance Group Company
("the Group"), China Life has adopted the Group's
new development strategy of transforming itself into a major
international financial and insurance group with rational
resource allocation, clear strategic advantages, strong
core businesses, appropriately diversified operations and
the respect of the community and the industry. The Group
will be characterised by a high embedded value, strong core
competitiveness and highly sustainable development. China
Life has integrated this Group strategy into its business
objectives, namely, to establish the Company as a
world-class life insurance Company with advanced corporate
governance, a well-established management system, stringent
internal controls, leading technologies, a first-class team,
superior service and an outstanding brand. The Company will
uphold the guiding principle of scientific development and
contribute to the rapid development and improvement of the
mainland insurance industry. The Company is committed to
expanding and strengthening its business to enhance
shareholder value."
Mr. Wu Yan, President of China Life, said: "During
the year, the Company adhered to a prudent development
strategy, resulting in steady business growth, continuous
improvement in business structure, and substantial increase
in investment income. In addition to continuous growth in
operating profits, the Company also achieved further
improvement in management as well as greater influence in
the society, and maintained our leading position in PRC
life insurance market. All staff members of the Company
share the same vision, and are determined to fulfil the
mission of `Focusing on people, Caring for life, Creating
value, Serving society'."
Strong growth in business, leading position in the
market
In 2005, the Company's total revenues were RMB 98,212
million, up 27.87% from 2004. Gross written premiums and
policy fees reached RMB 81,022 million, up 22.28% from
2004. Net profit attributable to shareholders of the
Company reached RMB 9,306 million, up 29.77% from 2004.
According to figures released by the China Insurance
Regulatory Commission ("CIRC"), the Company
continued to maintain its leading position of China's life
insurance market, with a market share of 44.07% in 2005.
Business structure further optimized, embedded value
further increased
In 2005, leveraging on the positive effects of total
budget management and cost management, the Company
continued to adjust its business structure with a view to
achieving a balanced business growth.
In 2005, gross written premiums were RMB 74,939
million, representing a 22.72% increase from 2004.
First-year gross written premiums from long-term
traditional insurance contracts amounted to RMB 20,425
million, up 1.14% from 2004. First-year regular gross
written premiums reached RMB 18,529 million, up 6.44% from
2004. First-year regular gross written premiums accounted
for 90.72% of first-year gross written premiums from
long-term traditional insurance contracts.
As at 31 December 2005, the Company's embedded value
was RMB 113,954 million, an increase of 26.51% from 2004.
The value of one year's sales for the year ended 31
December 2005 was RMB 7,489 million, up 15.14% from 2004.
Embedded value is an actuarially determined estimate of the
economic value of life insurance business of an insurance
Company, excluding the economic value of future new
business. The value of one year's sales provides an
indication of the value being created for investors by new
business activity and hence the potential of the business.
Optimized asset structure, increased investment income
In 2005, the Company adhered to prudent principles and
adjusted its investment strategies according to changes in
the capital markets. During the year, the Company
increased the proportion of bond investments with longer
maturities and lowered the proportion of term deposits. In
addition, the Company adopted a proactive and yet prudent
approach to equity investments and optimized the structure
of its foreign exchange assets. The Company also extended
the durations of its assets, improved asset-liability match
and effectively increased investment income. As at 31
December 2005, the Company's total investment assets
(including financial assets and cash and cash equivalents
but excluding accrued investment income) amounted to RMB
494,356 million. Investment yield was 3.86%, up 37 basis
points from 2004.
Stringent cost control, strong financial positions
In 2005, the Company strived to achieve the realization
of business development, structural adjustment and earnings
growth, and highlighted core significance of financial
management in the Company's overall business management.
While ensuring continuous business development, the Company
further implemented total budget management to stringently
control costs. In 2005, the consolidated cost control
ratio was 17.2%, down 1.4 percentage points from 2004.
As at 31 December 2005, the Company's total assets were
RMB 559,219 million. Shareholders' equity was RMB 80,378
million. The Company's solvency level was approximately
2.73 times the minimum regulatory requirement. A strong
financial position and an adequate solvency level have
enabled the Company to expand its business at a rapid pace.
Broadened sales channel, enhanced service quality
The Company has the largest sales team in China's life
insurance industry, with the broadest geographic coverage.
In 2005, the Company continued to maintain its leading sales
capabilities by continuously expanding sales channels and
scope of cooperation, as well as stepping up efforts in
sales staff training and management. As at 31 December
2005, the Company has approximately 640,000 individual
agents, 12,000 direct sales staff, and a network of more
than 89,000 cooperating bank branches and post saving
offices that have established bancassurance business
relationships.
In 2005, the Company continued to strive to improve
underwriting and claims management as well as customer
service standards. The Company formulated and revised a
series of policies and management rules, adjusted and
optimized business flows, strengthened controls on business
risks, improved its service and upgraded its effectiveness
and quality of business processing. The centralized service
platform "95519" Call Center was awarded the Best
Performing Call Centre in China 2005 by the Customer
Relationship Management Professional Committee of the
Alliance for Promotion of Informationalization under the
Ministry of Information Industry. China Life was the only
life insurance Company to receive such award in China.
This was also the second consecutive year the Company was
granted with this award.
Further improvement in corporate governance and
internal control
In order to satisfy regulatory requirements at which
the Company is listed in a more effective manner, and to
further enhance its corporate governance standards, China
Life introduced a series of enhancement initiatives in this
area. The Company made changes and enhancements to the
Board of Directors and its special committees to further
emphasise the roles of independent directors. According to
the requirements of the Code on Corporate Governance
Practices of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong, the roles of
the Chairman and the President were also separated. In
addition, the Company further optimizes its vertically led
and centrally managed audit system, with the internal audit
team further strengthened and a series of internal auditing
systems and guidelines formulated and revised. The Company
also allocates sufficient resources and continues to
optimize internal control systems and is preparing itself
for compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act Section 404.
Since its listing, the Company has placed strong
emphasis on the supervision and management on three types
of risks: financial, investment and operational. The
Company also continuously improved its information
disclosure system. The supervisory and control system for
internal control and risk management is comprised of the
Board of Directors and its Audit Committee and Risk
Management Committee, the Company's Supervisory Committee,
the Internal Control and Risk Management Committee under
the Management, as well as departments exercising internal
control and supervisory roles for the Company, including
the newly established Internal Control and Compliance
Department, as well as the Legal Affairs Department and
Audit Department. Continuous improvement in internal
control facilitates prevention and management of business
risks, which will result in better protection of interests
of customers and shareholders.
In February 2006, the Company was awarded "The
Most Trusted Life Insurance Company" in the 2005
Financial Entities Election in China, a major online
election in the country. According to the ranking
announced by Forbes in April 2006, the Company was ranked
297th among the Top 2000 Global Listed Companies, and was
ranked seventh among the companies based in Greater China
(including Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Macau
Special Administrative Region and the Taiwan Region). In
April 2006, the Company was named "The 2005 Leader in
Insurance Industry" in the "2005 Chinese Service
Industry Leaders Awards" organized by a number of
market research institutes including the Horizon Research
Consultancy Group.
2006 Outlook
In 2006, further development of the country's economy
and the expansion of investment channels for insurance
funds will bring about more development opportunities for
the Company. On the other hand, keen competition in the
industry and uncertainties in the capital markets will
bring challenges. The Company will adopt a development
strategy that is both proactive and balanced. It will
further improve corporate governance and enhance its
internal control, risk management and business management
capabilities. By integrating sales resources, China Life
will establish an efficient and effective sales system and
back-office support system. The Company will strengthen
its market leading position and continue to restructure its
business, optimize asset allocation, and strengthen cost
control to further enhance profitability.
Forward-looking statements
Certain statements contained in this announcement may
be viewed as "forward-looking statements" within
the meaning of Section 21E of the US. Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended. Such forward-looking statements
involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other
factors, which may cause the actual performance, financial
condition or results of operations of the Company to be
materially different from any future performance, financial
condition or results of operations implied by such
forward-looking statements. Further information regarding
these risks, uncertainties and other factors is included in
the Company's Registration Statement on Form F-1 for its
initial public offering (333-110615) and in the Company's
other filings with the SEC.
About China Life Insurance Company Limited
China Life Insurance Company Limited (the
"Company") (SEHK: 2628; NYSE: LFC) was
established in Beijing on 30 June 2003. On 17 and 18
December 2003, the Company successfully listed on the New
York Stock Exchange and the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong
respectively.
The Company is the leading life insurance Company in
the insurance market of China (referring to the People's
Republic of China for this press release, excluding the
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Macau Special
Administrative Region and the Taiwan Region). The Company
has the most extensive distribution network in China that
comprises exclusive agents, direct sales representatives
and dedicated and non-dedicated agencies.
The Company offers a series of products and services,
including individual and group life insurance, accident
insurance and health insurance. It is the largest life
insurance Company in China, and is the leading provider of
individual and group life insurance, annuities products,
accident insurance and health insurance. As at 31 December
2005, the Company had over 70 million individual and group
life insurance policies, annuities contracts and long-term
health insurance policies that are in force, and also
offers individual and group accident and short-term health
insurance policies. The Company also controls China Life
Asset Management Company Limited, and is the largest
insurance asset manager and one of the largest
institutional investors in China.
Appendix 1
CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31
DECEMBER 2005
2005 2004
RMB
million RMB million
(Restated)
REVENUES
Gross written premiums and policy fees
(including gross written premiums and
policy fees from insurance contracts
2005: RMB 80,651 million, 2004:
RMB 65,878 million )
81,022 66,257
Less: premiums ceded to reinsurers
(769) (1,182)
Net written premiums and policy fees
80,253 65,075
Net change in unearned premium reserves
(215) (67)
Net premiums earned and policy fees
80,038 65,008
Net investment income
16,685 11,317
Net realised losses on financial assets
(510) --
Net realised losses on investments
-- (237)
Net fair value gains on assets at fair value
through income
260 --
Net unrealised losses on trading securities
-- (1,061)
Other income
1,739 1,779
Total revenues
98,212 76,806
BENEFITS, CLAIMS AND EXPENSES
Insurance benefits and claims
Life insurance death and other benefits
(8,311) (6,816)
Accident and health claims and claim
adjustment expenses
(6,847) (6,418)
Increase in long-term traditional insurance
contracts liabilities
(33,977) (25,361)
Interest credited to long-term investment
type insurance contracts
(4,894) (3,704)
Interest credited to investment contracts
(973) (616)
Increase in deferred income
(8,521) (7,793)
Policyholder dividends resulting from
participation in profits
(5,359) (2,048)
Amortisation of deferred policy acquisition
costs
(7,766) (6,263)
Underwriting and policy acquisition costs
(1,845) (1,472)
Administrative expenses
(7,237) (6,585)
Other operating expenses
(798) (131)
Statutory insurance fund
(174) (96)
Total benefits, claims and expenses
(86,702) (67,303)
Net Profit before income tax expenses
11,510 9,503
Income tax expenses
(2,145) (2,280)
Net profit
9,365 7,223
Attributable to:
- shareholders of the Company
9,306 7,171
- minority interest
59 52
Basic and diluted earnings per share RMB
0.35 RMB 0.27
Dividends proposed after the balance sheet
date
1,338 Nil
Appendix 2
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2005
As at
As at
31
December 31 December
2005
2004
(Restated)
RMB
million RMB million
ASSETS
Property, plant and equipment
12,710 12,250
Deferred policy acquisition costs
37,741 32,787
Financial assets
Debt securities:
255,554 150,234
- held-to-maturity securities
146,297 79,603
- available-for-sale securities
96,425 --
- non-trading securities
-- 69,791
- financial assets at fair value
through income
12,832 --
- trading securities
-- 840
Equity securities:
39,548 17,271
- available-for-sale securities
26,261 --
- non-trading securities
-- 12,597
- financial assets at fair value
through income
13,287 --
- trading securities
-- 4,674
Term deposits
164,869 175,498
Statutory deposits-restricted
5,353 4,000
Policy loans
981 391
Securities purchased under agreements
to resell
-- 279
Accrued investment income
6,813 5,084
Premiums receivables
4,959 3,912
Reinsurance assets
1,182 1,297
Cash and cash equivalents
28,051 27,217
Other
1,458 3,451
Total Assets
559,219 433,671
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Liabilities
Insurance contracts
Short-term insurance contracts:
- reserves for claims and claim
adjustment expenses
1,784 1,215
- unearned premium reserves
5,147 5,212
Long-term traditional insurance
contracts
124,656 89,698
Long-term investment type insurance
contracts
237,001 191,885
Deferred income
34,631 27,603
Financial Liabilities
Investment contracts
- with discretionary participation
feature ("DPF")
42,230 32,476
- without DPF
1,872 1,635
Securities sold under agreements to
repurchase
4,731 --
Annuity and other insurance balances
payable
4,492 2,801
Premiums received in advance
2,951 2,447
Policyholder dividends payable
6,204 2,037
Other liabilities
4,106 4,922
Current income tax liabilities
525 38
Deferred tax liabilities
7,982 4,371
Statutory insurance fund
98 429
Total liabilities
478,410 366,769
Contingencies and commitments
-- --
Shareholders' equity
Share capital
26,765 26,765
Reserves
37,225 31,573
Retained earnings
16,388 8,192
Total shareholders' equity
80,378 66,530
Minority interest
431 372
Total equity
80,809 66,902
Total liabilities and equity
559,219 433,671
Appendix 3
GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS AND DEPOSITS
For the year ended 31 December 2005
2005
2004
RMB million
RMB million
Individual life insurance
Gross written premiums 63,205
50,113
First-year gross written
premiums 19,574
19,900
Single gross written premiums 1,085
2,526
First-year regular gross written 18,489
17,374
premiums
Renewal gross written premiums 43,631
30,213
Deposits 62,483
66,981
First-year deposits 49,144
54,662
Single deposits 46,061
52,343
First-year regular deposits 3,083
2,319
Renewal deposits 13,339
12,319
Group life insurance
Gross written premiums 867
344
First-year gross written
premiums 851
295
Single gross written premiums 811
261
First-year regular gross written
premiums 40
34
Renewal gross written premiums 16
49
Deposits 23,463
21,756
First-year deposits 23,452
21,738
Single deposits 23,401
21,726
First-year regular deposits 51
12
Renewal deposits 11
18
Accident and health insurance
Gross written premium 10,867
10,606
Short-term accident insurance
Gross written premiums 5,135
4,977
Short-term health insurance
Gross written premiums 5,732
5,629
Total gross written premiums 74,939
61,063
Total deposits 85,946
88,737
For further information, please contact:
Media Enquiries:
English / Mandarin
Mr. Bruce Shu
Citigate Dewe Rogerson
Tel: +852-9132-2906 or +852-2533-4607
Fax: +852-2524-5599
Email: bruce.shu@citigatedr-hk.com
English / Cantonese / Mandarin
Mr. Mill Seen
Citigate Dewe Rogerson
Tel: +852-9224-9240 or +852-2533-4612
Fax: +852-2524-5599
Email: mill.seen@citigatedr-hk.com
Mandarin
Ms. Liu Yang
Citigate Dewe Rogerson
Tel: +86-138-0110-4947 or +86-10-6505-2082
Fax: +86-10-6505-2080
Email: liu.yang@citigatedr-hk.com
Mr. Jason Qingyang Cao
China Life Insurance Company Limited
Tel: +852-9610-2760 (Tuesday, April 18)
Tel: +86-10-8565-9778 (Regular contact number)
Fax: +86-10-8525-2210
Email: caoqingyang@e-chinalife.com
Investor and Analyst Enquiries:
Mr. Jason Qingyang Cao
China Life Insurance Company Limited
Tel: +852-9610-2760 (Tuesday, April 18)
Tel: +86-10-8565-9778 (Regular contact number)
Fax: +86-10-8525-2210
Email: caoqingyang@e-chinalife.com
SOURCE China Life Insurance Company Limited
2007'02.01.Thu
The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil
April 19, 2006
Director - Dominic Champagne, Music Directors - Sir George Martin & Giles Martin
Preview Performances Begin June 2 at The Mirage in Las Vegas
TICKETS ON SALE TODAY!
Preview Performances Begin June 2 at The Mirage in Las Vegas
TICKETS ON SALE TODAY!
LAS VEGAS, April 19 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Preview
performances begin June 2 for The Beatles LOVE, the latest
Cirque du Soleil production which celebrates the musical
legacy of The Beatles. The Gala Premiere will be held
Friday, June 30, 2006. LOVE will be presented exclusively
at The Mirage in Las Vegas. This joint artistic venture
marks the first time that The Beatles company, Apple Corps
Ltd., has agreed to a major theatrical partnership. The
project was born out of a personal friendship and mutual
admiration between the late George Harrison and Cirque du
Soleil founder Guy Laliberte.
LOVE will bring the magic of Cirque du Soleil together
with the spirit and passion behind the most beloved rock
group of all time to create a vivid, intimate and powerful
entertainment experience.
Sir George Martin, The Beatles original producer, and
his son Giles Martin have been working with the entire
archive of Beatles recordings to create the musical
component for LOVE. The result is an unprecedented
approach to the music for a stage production. "After
spending more than 40 years of my life working with The
Beatles and their wonderful music, I am thrilled to be
working with it once again, on this exciting project with
Cirque du Soleil," said Sir George Martin. "The
show will be a unique and magical experience."
Using the master tapes at Abbey Road Studios, Sir
George and Giles have created a unique soundscape for LOVE.
"I think we will achieve a real sense of drama with
the music, the audience will feel as though they are
actually in the theatre with the band. People are going to
be knocked out by what they are hearing!" said Giles
Martin.
Dominic Champagne directed and wrote the original
concept for the show which captures the essence of love
that John, Paul, George and Ringo inspired during their
astonishing adventure together. LOVE evokes the exuberant
and irreverent spirit of The Beatles. "When we
embarked on this extraordinary adventure in 2002,"
said Gilles Ste-Croix, Show Concept Creator and Director of
Creation, "we set out to create a timeless,
three-dimensional evocation of The Beatles music. Drawn
from the poetry of the lyrics, we developed a preliminary
concept that explored the content of the songs in a series
of scenes inhabited by real and imaginary people."
The international cast of 60 channels a raw, youthful
energy underscored by aerial performance, extreme sports
and urban, freestyle dance.
LOVE will be presented in a custom-built theatre at The
Mirage featuring 360-degree seating and advanced high
definition video projections with 100-foot digital, moving
images. The panoramic surround sound system will envelop
the audience who will experience The Beatles music like
never before ...
Apple Corps Ltd. is planning to release the album
through the EMI Music
later this year.
Cirque du Soleil Creative Team:
Guy Laliberte -- Guide, Show Concept Creator
Dominic Champagne -- Director, Show Concept Writer
Gilles Ste-Croix -- Director of Creation, Show Concept
Creator
Chantal Tremblay -- Associate Director of Creation
Jean Rabasse -- Theatre and Set Designer
Philippe Guillotel -- Costume Designer
Jonathan Deans -- Sound Designer
Yves Aucoin -- Lighting Designer
Francis Laporte ¨C Video Projection Designer
Hansel Cereza and Dave St-Pierre -- Choreographers
Guy St-Amour -- Acrobatic & Rigging Designer
Daniel Cola -- Acrobatic Performance Designer
Nathalie Gagne -- Make-up Designer
Patricia Ruel -- Props Designer
Michael Curry -- Puppet Designer
Guest Creators:
Andre Simard -- Aerial Acrobatic Designer
Alexis Martin - Dramaturgist
Francois Perusse -- Comic Audio-clips Designer
For Apple Corps Ltd.:
Sir George Martin -- Music Director
Giles Martin -- Music Director
Neil Aspinall -- Executive Producer
Tickets to LOVE go on sale at 12:01am EDT April 19.
TICKET PRICES:
*$150, $125, $99, $69
All preview performances* will be discounted 25
percent.
*Preview performances for LOVE begin June 2 and run
through June 29. During these performances, the creative
team is in the very final stages of creation. The
audience's reaction and participation is an important step
in this process. The artistic direction of LOVE reserves
the right to interrupt the performance to make adjustments
as necessary.
SHOW SCHEDULE:
Preview performances will be presented nightly at
7:00pm. In addition, there will 10:30pm performances on
limited dates. Please consult the most current show
schedule at http://www.cirquedusoleil.com . Schedule is
subject to change without notice.
Following the Preview period, LOVE will be performed
Thursday through Monday with no shows on Tuesdays or
Wednesdays. Beginning July 1, there will be two shows
nightly at 7:30pm & 10:30pm
TO RESERVE TICKETS:
By phone: 702 792 7777 or 800 963 9634
Online: http://www.cirquedusoleil.com ,
http://www.thebeatles.com or
http://www.mirage.com .
In person: At the LOVE box office at The Mirage or any
of the MGM MIRAGE
box offices in Las Vegas.
Ownership of the trademarks: Apple Corps Limited for
The Beatles (word and design), Cirque du Soleil for Cirque
du Soleil (word and design) and The Cirque Apple Creation
Partnership for LOVE (word and design). Trademarks used
under license.
For more information, please contact:
Anita Nelving, Public Relations Manager,
Cirque du Soleil
Tel: +1-702-352-0224 or +1-702-352-0200
Email: anita.nelving@cirquedusoleil.com
/NOTE TO EDITORS: PLEASE NOTE:
* A press conference will be held in the LOVE Theatre
at The Mirage in
Las Vegas, tentatively on May 24. Details about
this event are
forthcoming.
* For Creative Team biographies, images and additional
information, visit
the Cirque du Soleil Press Room at
http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/CirqueDuSoleil/en/pressroom/default.htm
(Registration is required to access images and media
information) /
SOURCE Cirque du Soleil; Apple Corps Ltd.
2007'02.01.Thu
TI Introduces Dual-Output Boost Converters for OLED and White LED Displays
April 19, 2006
Highly Integrated 1.2-MHz Power Conversion ICs Simplify Power Design; Drive up to 12 White LEDs for Backlighting Applications
DALLAS, April 19 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) (NYSE: TXN) introduced today two new high-efficiency, dual-output DC/DC boost converters that can manage two sets of six white light emitting diodes (LEDs) -- all from a single integrated circuit plus inductor. The devices feature an input voltage of 3 V to 6 V and can deliver up to 0.7 A of output current, making them well suited to drive organic LED (OLED) sub-displays and white LED backlighting for the liquid crystal display (LCD) main display in today's clamshell phones. See: http://www.ti.com/sc06093 . TI's TPS61140 device allows a portable electronics designer to program each individual voltage and current level through external resistors. For additional flexibility, the designer can use each output's dedicated selection pin to turn them on separately or simultaneously. If the TPS61140's voltage output is enabled, the boost converter is controlled by pulse frequency modulation (PFM) to achieve high efficiency over a wide load range. If the current output is selected, the device adopts a 1.2-MHz pulse width modulation (PWM) control method to maximize output current. Applying an external PWM signal to the select pin reduces the output current, thereby allowing white LED dimming. High-Efficiency White LED Backlighting TI's new TPS61150 high-frequency boost converter with two regulated current outputs drives white LEDs in LCD backlights for the sub and main displays in clamshell phones. As with the TPS61140, this device's output current can be reduced by implementing a PWM signal on the select pins or an analog voltage on the ISET pin, resulting in PWM dimming of the white LEDs. The TPS61150 regulator's 1.2-MHz fixed switching frequency reduces output ripple and avoids audible noises associated with PFM control. The device's two outputs can also drive display and keypad backlights, together driving up to 12 white LEDs in one large display. The TPS61140 and TPS61150 eliminate the need for any external active power components, while maintaining a high degree of efficiency and design flexibility. The devices incorporate a power MOSFET and power diode. In addition, the high switching frequency reduces the size requirements of the external inductor and capacitor. Key Features of the TPS61140 and TPS61150: -- 3 V to 6 V Input Voltage Range -- Two Outputs Each up to 27 Vs -- 0.7-A Integrated Switch -- Built-in Power Diode -- 1.2-MHz PWM for white LED Driver -- PFM for OLED Supply -- Up to 82 Percent Efficiency -- Up to 30 kHz PWM Dimming Frequency -- Individually Programmable Output -- Input to Output Isolation -- Overvoltage and Short-Circuit Protection -- Internal Over-Temperature Protection -- Undervoltage Protection Pricing and Availability The TPS61140 and TPS61150 are available in volume production from TI and its authorized distributors. The devices come in a tiny, 10-pin, 3 mm x 3 mm QFN package, and are priced at $1.85 for the TPS61140 and $1.65 for the TPS61150 in quantities of 1,000 units. Evaluation modules of both converters, application notes and TI's newly updated Power Management Selection Guide are available through power.ti.com. Portable Power Seminar During the month of May, TI will conduct its Portable Power Design Seminar series in North America. The one-day technical seminar will focus on practical design techniques and will illustrate with application solution examples. Topics range from basic power conversion topologies to battery chemistries in today's portable applications. It will demonstrate practical, high-performance portable power design solutions, tools, techniques and topologies based on available ICs. See: power.ti.com/portabletraining. About Texas Instruments Texas Instruments Incorporated provides innovative DSP and analog technologies to meet our customers' real world signal processing requirements. In addition to Semiconductor, the company's businesses include Sensors & Controls, and Educational & Productivity Solutions. TI is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and has manufacturing, design or sales operations in more than 25 countries. Texas Instruments is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol TXN. More information is located on the World Wide Web at: http://www.ti.com . Please refer all reader inquiries to: Texas Instruments Incorporated Semiconductor Group, SC-06093 Literature Response Center 14950 FAA Blvd. Fort Worth, TX 76155 1-800-477-8924 Trademarks All other trademarks and registered trademarks belong to their respective owners. For more information, please contact: Matt McKinney Texas Instruments Tel: +1-214-480-6894 Email: m-mckinney1@ti.com Jacqi Moore Golin/Harris Tel: +1-972-341-2514 Email: jmoore@golinharris.com SOURCE Texas Instruments Incorporated
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