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2007'02.01.Thu
New Era Cap to Open Flagship Store in New York City
April 19, 2006

'New Era: New York' Makes a Home in the Village
    DERBY, N.Y., April 19 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- New Era
Cap Co., Inc., the premier, global headwear designer,
developer and manufacturer, announced today that it will
open a Flagship store in New York City.  New Era: New York,
which will be located at 9 E. 4th Street, in New York City's
Greenwich Village, is slated to open in May 2006.  This is
the company's first flagship store.

    New Era: New York will feature the broadest and most
exclusive selection of New Era headwear in the world.  The
New Era 59FIFTY, the company's famed, signature fitted
baseball cap will take center stage in this highly
anticipated retail space.  The store will also feature
looks across New Era's many market segments, like fashion;
styles in Women's and Kid's fits; and caps that satisfy the
true sports enthusiast.  Additionally, consumers will find
New Era branded product; hats from the EK by New Era brand,
and caps made for New Era's Action Sports partners including
DC Shoes, Stussy and Billabong.

    "It is an exciting time at New Era, the launch of
the company's first Flagship store is a definitive step
into the company's future," said New Era's Director of
Retail Sid Dey.  "Opening New Era: New York presents us
with the opportunity to develop a direct relationship with
our consumers, while showcasing the great cross section of
headwear we make, giving us the ability to satisfy a large
audience.  It also allows us to show off New Era's most
innovative looks; offering consumers some of the hottest
headwear they have ever seen!"

    The look of New Era: New York, a 2,000 sq ft boutique
space, was developed by Jager Di Paola Kemp Design,
Burlington, VT, with final design executions by
architectural firm TPG, whose portfolio includes Barney's
New York, Dolce & Gabbana and the NBA Store.  Housed in
one of New York's historically land marked gems, the E. 4th
Street building was built in the 1800s and was home to a
manufacturing company for most of the 1900s.  The boutique
has a distinguished look, a unique departure from
traditional headwear stores; it features exposed brick,
maple hardwood floors, custom cabinetry and iron cast,
floor inlays of the company's logo and the famed visor
sticker found on the New Era 59FIFTY.
    
    New Era Cap is an 86-year-old global headwear company
making more than 25 million licensed and non-licensed,
performance and fashion units per year.  The exclusive
manufacturer and marketer of Major League Baseball's
official uniform caps, its other licenses include National
Basketball Association, National Hockey League, College -
Bowl Games and National Championships and Little League. 
New Era is the sole owner of the EK by New Era brand
launched in 2005.  Founded in 1920, New Era is a privately
owned company, headquartered in Derby, New York, with
divisions in Canada, Europe and Japan; it employs more than
1,500 people.  New Era is a Category A member of the Fair
Labor Association. 

    For more information, please contact:

     Crystal Howard,
     New Era Cap Co., Inc.
     Tel:    +1-716-562-3069
     Mobile: +1-716-400-3057   
     Web:    http://neweracap.com

SOURCE  New Era Cap Co., Inc.


PR
2007'02.01.Thu
Venetian Macau Ltd. Chooses First Advantage Hiring Management Systems to Facilitate Ambitious Recruitment Program in Multiple Asian Languages
April 18, 2006

    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., April 18 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --
First Advantage Corporation (Nasdaq: FADV), a global risk
mitigation and business solutions provider, today announced
that its applicant tracking and talent management software
solution, First Advantage Hiring Management System (HMS),
has been selected by the Venetian Macau Ltd. to automate
its recruiting process for the Sands Macao, a
one-million-square-foot casino and entertainment complex,
as well as its integrated resort The Venetian
Macao-Resort-Hotel under construction at the Cotai
Strip(TM), located in Macao, Special Administrative Region
of the People's Republic of China.

    "An automated system such as First Advantage HMS
will help us greatly in achieving our ambitious recruitment
objectives," said Bill Gasparek, non-gaming application
development manager for Sands Macao.

    First Advantage HMS offers multilingual support to
Venetian Macau Ltd. in the Special Administrative Region of
the People's Republic of China.  "We needed a system
that had a proven capability to support Asian languages
concurrently," said Gasparek.

    In addition to its ability to support Asian languages,
Venetian Macau Ltd. selected First Advantage HMS for its
integration with the Infinium HR system, its proven record
of automating recruiting processes for gaming industry
clients, and its use of .NET and XML as underlying
technologies.  "First Advantage HMS is one of the
components that will allow us to automate our entire HR
recruitment process and make it essentially
paperless," added Gasparek.

    "The global market is expanding, and it is
increasingly important that automation tools, such as First
Advantage HMS, help companies reach out to potential
candidates in multiple languages," said Robert Neveu,
executive vice president of First Advantage's Hiring
Management Systems group.  "Our HMS software speeds
the recruiting process for companies like Venetian Macau
Ltd., which need to hire a high volume of employees in a
short period of time.  We're excited to be working with
Venetian Macau Ltd. as they launch Macao's first luxury
integrated resort."

    Available as a hosted ASP offering or as a
client-hosted licensed solution, First Advantage HMS
supports all aspects of the hiring process, manages both
hourly and salaried hiring, and is based on the most
flexible technology available.  First Advantage HMS
solutions support talent management across an organization
and around the globe, offering 13 standard language
translations and complete localization of the data scheme. 
First Advantage HMS is tailored to a company's particular
recruiting process, including seamless HRMS integration,
complementary service offerings and advanced workflow
support.  Its comprehensive, integrated hiring solution
includes a Monster Premier ATS Alliance Membership,
background checking, behavioral assessments, tax screening
and a variety of other client specific service
collaborations.  First Advantage HMS has been consistently
ranked as a leading applicant tracking solution by
independent sources, including Gartner, AMR, Workforce
Management and ERExchange.

    The HMS service is part of a comprehensive hiring
solutions platform offered by First Advantage's Employer
Services segment.  The platform also includes domestic and
international recruiting services, skills and behavioral
assessments, background verifications, occupational health
services, tax credits screening and more.

    About Venetian Macau Limited

    Venetian Macau Limited, a subsidiary of Las Vegas Sands
Corp., operates the Sands Macao, located near Macao's
existing casino and entertainment district and across from
the Macao Hong Kong Ferry Terminal.  The
one-million-square-foot Sands Macao features a gaming area
that includes 438 table games and more than 921
state-of-the-art electronic gaming devices.  The complex
also includes 51 luxurious suites, full service spa and
salon, and a 24-hour teahouse.  The company also is
developing additional casino hotel resort properties in
Macao, including The Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel on the
Cotai Strip(TM) - Asia's Las Vegas(TM).

    About First Advantage Corporation

    First Advantage Corporation (Nasdaq: FADV) combines
industry expertise with information to create products and
services that organizations worldwide use to make smarter
business decisions.  First Advantage is a leading provider
of consumer credit information in the mortgage, automotive
and subprime markets; business credit information in the
transportation industry; lead generation services; motor
vehicle record reports; supply chain security consulting;
employment background verifications; occupational health
services; applicant tracking systems; recruiting solutions;
skills and behavioral assessments; business tax consulting
services; insurance fraud, corporate and litigation
investigations; surveillance; computer forensics;
electronic discovery; data recovery; due diligence
reporting; resident screening; property management
software; renters insurance and consumer location services.
 First Advantage ranks among the top three companies in all
of its major business lines.  First Advantage is
headquartered in St. Petersburg, Fla., and has more than
3,800 employees in offices throughout the United States and
abroad.  More information about First Advantage can be found
at http://www.FADV.com .

    First Advantage is a majority-owned subsidiary of The
First American Corporation (NYSE: FAF), a FORTUNE 500(R)
company that traces its history to 1889.  First American is
America's largest provider of business information,
supplying businesses and consumers with valuable
information products to support the major economic events
of people's lives.  Additional information about the First
American Family of Companies can be found at
http://www.firstam.com .

    For more information, please contact:

     Amy Beaulieu, Marketing Manager - HMS, 
     First Advantage Corporation
     Tel:    +1-207-774-1411 x317
     Email:  abeaulieu@FADV.com

     Renee Svec, Director,
     Corporate Marketing & Communications,
     First Advantage Corporation
     Tel:    +1-727-214-3440
     Email:  rsvec@FADV.com 

SOURCE  First Advantage Corporation
2007'02.01.Thu
Cendant Appoints Leading Technology Industry Executive Jeff Clarke as CEO and President of its Travel Distribution Services Division
April 18, 2006

New Name for Company's Travel Distribution Services Division Will be Travelport
    NEW YORK, April 18 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Cendant
Corporation (NYSE:  CD) today announced that leading
technology executive, Jeff Clarke, has been appointed CEO
and president of its Travel Distribution Services (TDS)
Division, effective May 1, 2006.  

    Mr. Clarke joins TDS from CA, formerly Computer
Associates Inc., where he had served as the software
company's chief operating officer since 2004. The naming of
Mr. Clarke as CEO and president further strengthens the TDS
management team, and completes the division's senior
leadership.  Gordon Bethune became Chairman of the division
last month.  

    "Jeff Clarke has been a rising star in the
technology sector for many years and I am delighted that he
has agreed to accept the position as CEO and
president," Cendant's Chairman and CEO, Henry R.
Silverman, said. "Jeff's strong management and
operational skills played an integral role in the
successful revitalization of CA. As head of global
operations at Hewlett-Packard following its merger with
Compaq Computer Corporation, he helped to facilitate one of
the largest and most successful merger integrations within
the technology sector. Jeff's unique experiences make him a
seasoned executive who is well prepared to continue to
strengthen TDS's position as one of the world's leading
travel distribution services businesses."

    "As we noted in December 2005, we have moved from
the acquisition phase to the execution phase of TDS's
development, and Jeff is an ideal choice to lead that
effort.  His experiences at CA and HP will be extremely
helpful in driving revenue and profit growth from our
global, leading portfolio of brands and businesses. 
Together with Gordon Bethune's extensive background in
travel, our world-class management team is now
complete."

    Mr. Clarke began his career at Digital Equipment
Corporation in 1985, holding several financial, operational
and international positions before joining Compaq in 1998.
He was Compaq's Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice
President of Finance and Administration before being asked
to lead the integration with HP. Clarke joined CA in 2004,
and in his role of Chief Operating Officer, he was
responsible for sales, services, corporate strategy,
business development, finance and information technology
for the $3.5 billion company.  

    "I am thrilled to have the opportunity to lead a
company with such a strong management team and a remarkable
portfolio of assets," Mr. Clarke said. "TDS, with
its leading brands such as Orbitz, Galileo and GTA
(Gullivers Travel Associates), is ideally positioned to
experience considerable growth in the months and years
ahead and I am excited about being part of its
success."

    Mr. Bethune joined TDS in March after a career spent in
the airline industry, including his role as Chief Executive
Officer of Continental Airlines, where he was credited with
turning around the struggling carrier. Between 1979 and
1988, Mr. Bethune held executive positions at several other
major airlines including Braniff, Western and Piedmont,
along with serving as a vice president and general manager
at Boeing Corporation.

    TDS to be Named as Travelport, Inc.

    The Company also announced that TDS, comprised of
widely recognized travel industry brands such as Orbitz,
Galileo and GTA (Gullivers Travel Associates), has been
re-named Travelport, Inc.

    "Taking on the Travelport name offers us the
opportunity to create a strong and unifying brand identity
for the distinct travel businesses that comprise our
company.  It also allows us the opportunity to leverage the
brand equity that already exists in the Travelport name and
identifies our company as the destination for travel
bookings," Mr. Bethune said. "Travelport will
continue to focus on transforming the travel experience by
improving operating systems and employing a more
customer-focused approach."

    The division will continue to be referred to as TDS
until such time as the logo and complete brand identity
have been announced, which is expected to be in the early
summer.  

    Travelport will be headquartered in New Jersey and is
one of the most geographically diverse and vertically
integrated travel distribution companies in the world, with
over 8,000 employees operating in more than 130 countries. 


    About Cendant Corporation

    Cendant Corporation is primarily a provider of travel
and residential real estate services.  With approximately
85,000 employees, New York City-based Cendant provides
these services to businesses and consumers in over 100
countries.  More information about Cendant, its companies,
brands and current SEC filings may be obtained by visiting
the Company's Web site at http://www.cendant.com .

    About TDS

    Cendant Corporation's (NYSE: CD) Travel Distribution
Services division is one of the world's largest and most
geographically diverse collections of travel brands and
distribution businesses.  The division, employing
approximately 8,000 people and operating in nearly 130
countries, includes:  leading GDS (global distribution
system) Galileo, serving more than 50,000 travel agencies
and over 60,000 hotels; GTA (Gullivers Travel Associates),
a leading wholesaler and global online provider of hotels,
destination services, travel packages and group tours; and
leading online travel agencies including Orbitz(R).

    Forward Looking Statements

    Certain statements in this press release constitute
"forward-looking statements" within the meaning
of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown
risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the
actual results, performance or achievements of the Company
to be materially different from any future results,
performance or achievements expressed or implied by such
forward-looking statements. Statements preceded by,
followed by or that otherwise include the words
"believes," "expects,"
"anticipates," "intends,"
"projects," "estimates,"
"plans," "may increase," "may
fluctuate" and similar expressions or future or
conditional verbs such as "will,"
"should," "would," "may" and
"could" are generally forward-looking in nature
and not historical facts. Any statements that refer to
expectations or other characterizations of future events,
circumstances or results are forward-looking statements.
The Company cannot provide any assurances that the
separation or any of the proposed transactions related
thereto (including a possible sale of Travelport) will be
completed, nor can it give assurances as to the terms on
which such transactions will be consummated. These
transactions are subject to certain conditions precedent,
including final approval by the Board of Directors of
Cendant. 

    Various risks that could cause future results to differ
from those expressed by the forward-looking statements
included in this press release include, but are not limited
to: risks inherent in the contemplated separation and
related transactions (including a possible sale of
Travelport), including risks related to borrowings and
costs related to the proposed transactions; increased
demands on Cendant's management teams as a result of the
proposed transactions; changes in business, political and
economic conditions in the U.S. and in other countries in
which Cendant and its companies currently do business;
changes in governmental regulations and policies and
actions of regulatory bodies; changes in operating
performance; and access to capital markets and changes in
credit ratings, including those that may result from the
proposed transactions. Other unknown or unpredictable
factors also could have material adverse effects on
Cendant's and its companies' performance or achievements.
In light of these risks, uncertainties, assumptions and
factors, the forward-looking events discussed in this press
release may not occur. You are cautioned not to place undue
reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak
only as of the date stated, or if no date is stated, as of
the date of this press release. Important assumptions and
other important factors that could cause actual results to
differ materially from those in the forward looking
statements are specified in Cendant's 10-K for the year
ended December 31, 2005, including under headings such as
"Forward-Looking Statements," "Risk
Factors" and "Management's Discussion and
Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations." Except for the Company's ongoing
obligations to disclose material information under the
federal securities laws, the Company undertakes no
obligation to release any revisions to any forward-looking
statements, to report events or to report the occurrence of
unanticipated events unless required by law.

    For more information, please contact:

    Media
     Elliot Bloom
     Tel:   +1-212-413-1832

     Elizabeth Harraway
     Tel:   +1-973-496-8373

    Investors
     Sam Levenson
     Tel:   +1-212-413-1834

     Henry A. Diamond
     Tel:   +1-212-413-1920

SOURCE  Cendant Corporation

2007'02.01.Thu
Digital Rapids Chosen by Starwin Media Holdings as Media Content Processing Technology Partner
April 18, 2006

    MARKHAM, Ontario, April 18 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --
Digital Rapids Corporation is pleased to have been chosen
to provide media content processing technology to Starwin
Media Holdings Inc. (OTC: SWMD), a U.S.-based satellite and
IPTV service for the ethnic media market worldwide.

    Digital Rapids and Starwin have entered into a
partnership agreement under which Digital Rapids will
provide hardware and software solutions to support future
deployment of media content via satellite and IPTV
platforms. The companies are also partnering for product
development in support of satellite and IPTV set-top-box
distribution, and for marketing of their collaborative
efforts. 

    Starwin has recently acquired Strategic Media
International (SMI).  The acquisition allows Starwin to
step directly into the China media sector through an
ownership stake in SMI subsidiary Stellar Mega Media, the
largest private media corporation in mainland China.
Starwin and Digital Rapids will work together to leverage
existing brand equity and global market presence to address
new opportunities and broaden penetration in the Asia
Pacific and worldwide markets.

    Planned elements of the Starwin & Digital Rapids
partnership include: 

      * Participation in the building of a super head-end,
master control 
        studio center in the U.S. and mainland China to
produce, process 
        (ingest and encode) and distribute content
programming from Asia 
        Pacific countries to the ethnic media market
globally.

      * Conversion (ingest, encoding and transcoding) of
the intended 
        300 (plus) aggregated channels to be ready for
distribution on IPTV 
        and satellite platforms.

      * On-going research & development to produce new
technology products 
        that meet the requirements of the media
entertainment and broadcast 
        industry.

    For more information on Digital Rapids products, please
visit http://www.digital-rapids.com .

    About Starwin Media Holdings Inc. - Starwin Media
Holdings Inc., a Nevada corporation in the United States,
is the first U.S. media group aiming to cover both U.S. and
China with programs including: financial, education, movies,
drama, entertainment, documentary, variety shows, sports,
food and travel. Starwin's television broadcasting network
is actively planning to deploy a worldwide media network
via satellite & IPTV platforms to bring different
cultures in the world together. For more information, visit
http://www.starwinmedia.com and http://www.smicorp.com.hk .

    About Digital Rapids Corporation 

    Digital Rapids is a leading developer of professional
hardware and software solutions for real-time video ingest,
playout, transcoding, and streaming. Product lines include
Stream video ingest and transcoding solutions, Copper for
the secure and error corrected distribution of digital
media over diverse networks, StreamZHD and CarbonHD, an HD
product line for real-time HD acquisition, playout, and
transcoding. Digital Rapids products integrate seamlessly
into existing post production, broadcast, and corporate
environments, dramatically increasing the volume and
quality of media produced while increasing productivity and
lowering overall costs. Digital Rapids Corporation (
http://www.digital-rapids.com ) is headquartered in
Ontario, Canada and has sales offices in California, the UK
and Australia.

    Digital Rapids, the Digital Rapids logo, StreamZ,
StreamZHD, CarbonHD, Copper and DRC-Stream are trademarks
or registered trademarks of Digital Rapids Corporation. 
All other trademarks are the property of their respective
holders. Features, pricing, availability and specifications
are subject to change without notice.

    For more information, please contact:

     Mike Nann, Marketing Manager,
     Digital Rapids Corp.
     Tel:    +1-905-946-9666 ext.135
     Email:  mike.nann@digital-rapids.com

     IR Department,
     Starwin Media Holdings 
     Tel:    +1-213-627-1280
     Email:  ir@starwinmedia.com

SOURCE  Digital Rapids Corporation
2007'02.01.Thu
Calyon Financial Offers Access to Taiwan Futures Exchange
April 18, 2006

First Foreign Broker to Provide Clients Access Via Omnibus Account
    CHICAGO, April 18 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Calyon
Financial now offers access to the Taiwan Futures Exchange
(TAIFEX), becoming the first foreign-owned broker to
establish an omnibus account with the Exchange.

    The TAIFEX, one of the world's fastest growing
exchanges, recently introduced omnibus accounts which
provide for efficient cross-border trading and investing. 
Calyon Financial's omnibus account allows the firm's
clients to trade TAIFEX products without disclosing their
identity or trading strategies to the marketplace.  

    The TAIFEX, which ranked No. 18 in futures and options
contracts traded and increased volume by 57% during 2005,
also recently changed its restriction on foreign investors,
allowing trading for non-hedging purposes.  

    "We're pleased to offer our global customers
access to the TAIFEX," said Richard Ferina, Chairman
and CEO of Calyon Financial.  "We are encouraged by
the changes the exchange has made and see significant
opportunities for continued growth."

    Calyon Financial's clearing broker on the TAIFEX is
SinoPac Futures Inc.

    Calyon Financial offers access to nearly 70 global
markets and is among the world's top brokers in customer
volumes and assets on deposit.  The firm, which is
headquartered in Chicago, has offices in 13 major financial
centers, including Asian offices in Tokyo, Singapore, Seoul
and Hong Kong.

    About Calyon Financial

    Calyon Financial ( http://www.calyonfinancial.com ) is
a leading global brokerage firm dedicated to providing
institutional clients efficient access to all major
markets.  The firm ranks among the top futures commission
merchants in the world in customer trading volumes and
assets on deposit.  Headquartered in Chicago, Calyon
Financial has a presence in 13 major global financial
centers.  Calyon Financial is a wholly owned subsidiary of
Calyon Corporate and Investment Bank (
http://www.calyon.com ), the corporate banking arm of
Credit Agricole.  Calyon is a major player in financial
markets and among Europe's leading corporate and investment
banks.  Credit Agricole and Calyon each hold AA credit
ratings.

    For more information, please contact:

     Barry Neumann,
     Calyon Financial
     Tel:  +1-312-441-4564

SOURCE  Calyon Financial

2007'02.01.Thu
Crossbeam Systems and Digital China Form Partnership to Bring Unified Threat Management to Rapidly Growing Chinese Market
April 18, 2006

    CONCORD, Mass., April 18 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --
Crossbeam Systems(R), Inc., the leader in unified threat
management (UTM) for the world's largest networks, today
announced a distributor agreement with Digital China
Limited, China's largest IT products distributor and
systems integrator.  Under the terms of the agreement,
Crossbeam is Digital China's UTM vendor.
 
    "As security threats continuously evolve,
enterprise organizations look to Digital China to provide
next generation security solutions," said Ding Zhe,
general manager, Network Value Added Business Unit,
Enterprise Product System Dept of Digital China. "Our
partnership with Crossbeam enables us to offer customers
the world's only best-of-breed UTM offering, providing a
flexible solution that meets their specific security
needs." 

    According to IDC, a leading IT market research firm,
the compound annual growth rate of the Chinese IT security
market is 20.9 percent from 2006 to 2010, (1) providing
Crossbeam with a tremendous opportunity to further
introduce best-of-breed UTM into this rapidly growing
region. 

    "Being selected by Digital China further validates
the increased global demand for UTM and Crossbeam's position
as the industry leader," said Tim Lee, vice president
of Asia Pacific for Crossbeam Systems. "Crossbeam
recognizes China as one of its most strategic markets and
is committed to bringing flexible UTM solutions to both
enterprise and telecom organizations."

    Crossbeam Systems provides high performance, high
availability security switches that run multiple
applications from a "who's who" list of leading
security vendors such as Check Point, Sourcefire, Trend
Micro, Forum, Imperva and Websense on a single platform.
Scaling capabilities drive consolidation by a factor of 20
devices down to one. 

    About Crossbeam Systems

    Crossbeam Systems secures the world's largest networks
with its pioneering best-of-breed Unified Threat Management
(UTM) solutions. The company has tailored security solutions
for global corporations, carrier networks and small to
medium-sized enterprises.  Founded in early 2000 and led by
senior executives from Bay Networks, Cisco, Nortel/Wellfleet
and Alcatel, Crossbeam is headquartered in Concord,
Massachusetts, USA, and has offices in Europe and Asia
Pacific.  The company is backed by top-tier investors,
including Focus Ventures, Tudor Ventures, Matrix Partners,
North Bridge Venture Partners, Commonwealth Capital Venture
Partners, Intel Capital and Charles River Ventures. More
information is available at http://www.crossbeamsystems.com
.

    Crossbeam Systems and Crossbeam are registered
trademarks of Crossbeam Systems, Inc. All other company,
product or service names not owned by Crossbeam mentioned
in this press release are the property of their respective
owners.

    (1) IDC China Semiannual IT Security Market Analysis,
March 2006

    For more information, please contact:

     Throop Wilder,
     Crossbeam Systems
     Tel:    +1-978-318-7524
     Email:  throop@crossbeamsystems.com
     Web:    http://www.crossbeamsystems.com

     Brian Greehan,
     Davies Murphy Group
     Tel:    +1-781-418-2414
     Email:  bgreehan@daviesmurphy.com
     Web:    http://www.daviesmurphy.com

SOURCE  Crossbeam Systems, Inc.
2007'02.01.Thu
Frontier Silicon and Factum Electronics Form Strategic Alliance to Supply Complete Broadcast Solutions From Transmitter to Receiver for Mobile TV and Radio
April 18, 2006

    BEIJING, April 18 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Frontier
Silicon, the market leader in semiconductor solutions for
mobile TV and digital radio, and Factum Electronics, the
world's leading supplier of head-end solutions for DAB and
T-DMB, have today announced a strategic alliance to supply
broadcasters with complete broadcast solutions for mobile
TV and digital radio.  The alliance is being announced at
the Beijing DAB Digital Broadcasting event (April 20-21),
as China rapidly moves forward to roll out mobile TV
services in 2006.

    The two companies are leaders in digital broadcast
technology in their respective fields: Factum Electronics
in head-end infrastructure and Frontier Silicon in receiver
modules.  The complete solutions jointly offered will allow
broadcasters to benefit from and adopt new T-DMB/DAB
features quickly and yield complete, well-tested and
flexible solutions featuring a higher level of quality and
stability. 
 
    "We recognize Factum Electronics as a key player
in delivering DAB and T-DMB solutions to the broadcast
industry, demonstrated by its strong position in providing
infrastructure to the Korean T-DMB market," comments
Anthony Sethill, CEO Frontier Silicon.  "Our decision
to team up with Factum will deliver significant benefits to
all parts of the T-DMB/DAB value chain."

    "Frontier Silicon is the leading supplier of
T-DMB/DAB receiver modules and ICs," states Kenneth
Lundgren, managing director of Factum Electronics. 
"By combining efforts, we will effectively supply
broadcasters world-wide with state-of-the-art digital
broadcasting systems," concludes Kenneth Lundgren. 

    Editor's notes:

    About Factum Electronics

    Factum Electronics AB is the world leading supplier of
head-end solutions for DAB and T-DMB.  The Factum head-end
solution is recognized for flexibility and reliability, and
used by professional broadcasters all over the world.

    The company develops and delivers products for audio,
video and data signal processing, encoding and
multiplexing.  Factum's systems fully support DAB, T-DMB
and DAB-IP including Chinese characters, CA, EPM,
redundancy, etc.

    Factum Electronics also offers middleware, software
modules for receiver chip manufacturers.  The products
include base-band decoding of EPG, MOT etc.  Factum also
offers test and measurement equipment. 

    Factum specializes in professional products for DAB,
T-DMB and NICAM.  Key customers among others are BBC, KBS,
Radio Beijing Corporation (RBC), Samsung Electronics, KBS,
T-Systems, etc.  All T-DMB applications on air in South
Korea use the Factum solution.

    Factum Electronics is located in Sweden and is a
subsidiary of Effnet Holding AB (publ) traded on the New
Market of the Stockholm Stock Exchange, under the ticker
(EFFN).

    About Frontier Silicon

    Frontier Silicon is the leading supplier of digital and
RF integrated circuits and modules for mobile TV and DAB
digital radio products.  Frontier is supplying solutions
for leading products such as the Samsung B2300 and SGH-P900
T-DMB mobile phones and has over 70 percent market share for
DAB receiver solutions.

    Frontier Silicon's products include solutions for DAB
digital radio, T-DMB and DAB-IP and a multi-standard
receiver solution for mobile TV reception combining DVB-H,
T-DMB and DAB-IP.

    Customers include Bang & Olufsen, Denon, Grundig,
JVC, Philips, PURE Digital, Roberts Radio, Samsung, Sharp,
Sony and TEAC.

    Frontier Silicon has operations in UK, Ireland, China,
South Korea and Japan.

    For more information, please contact: 

     Steve Evans
     VP sales and marketing, of Frontier Silicon
     Tel:    +44-192-347-4200
     Email:  steve.evans@frontier-silicon.com

     Kenneth Lundgren
     Managing director, of Factum Electronics
     Tel:    +46-13-36-86-07
     Mobile: +46-703-69-00-29
     Email:  kenneth.lundgren@factum.se

SOURCE  Frontier Silicon; Factum Electronics
2007'02.01.Thu
Meet Beyondsoft at LISA Forum Asia
April 18, 2006

    BEIJING, April 18 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Beyondsoft
Co., Ltd., a leading provider of end-to-end software
engineering services will attend and exhibit at LISA Forum
Asia 2006 in Shanghai from April 18 to 21.

    LISA, the largest localization industry association in
the world, organizes annual events for companies and
professionals.  LISA Forum Asia 2006 is a place to meet and
discuss the business knowledge and technical skills
necessary to succeed in China's globalization,
internationalization, localization and translation
marketplace. 

    Beyondsoft, a corporate member of LISA and annual
participant to this event, will meet with representatives
from leading IT companies, financial groups and
globalization services providers to exchange information
and insights on the newest industry trends and to share our
localization and globalization capabilities.

    About Beyondsoft

    Established in 1995, Beyondsoft Co., Ltd. is a leading
China based provider of end-to-end software engineering
services, ranging from software development, QA/Testing,
and localization, to China market entry.  Headquartered in
Beijing, Beyondsoft has domestic branches in Shanghai &
Wuhan, as well as overseas offices in Silicon Valley,
Seattle, Fort Collins in the United States, and Tokyo,
Japan.  Beyondsoft is recognized as one of the top 3 US
& Europe oriented outsourcing companies in China by IDC
(Feb06).  For more information, please visit
http://www.beyondsoft.com .

SOURCE  Beyondsoft

2007'02.01.Thu
CIMG Environment Workshop Held
April 17, 2006

    BEIJING, April 17 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- The CIMG
(China International Mining Group) is pleased to report the
successful completion of its Environment Workshop held in
Beijing on April 14.  The seminar was attended by 60
participants from the international mining industry and
their Chinese government and private sector counterparts. 
The focus of the seminar were issues and approaches used by
the international mining community and how it would use its
experience to realize its commitment to implement
sustainable mining practices in China. 

    The seminar including participants from the State
Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA), the Ministry of
Land Administration and Resources (MOLAR), the China Mining
Association and speakers from a number of local and
international advisory firms. 

    Speakers from the SEPA and MOLAR detailed government
policies and laws as they are applied to the environment
and mining in China.  The importance of these policies is
to implement sustainable practices and develop harmonious
society were stressed by many of the speakers.

    The workshop was supported by Mundoro Mining, which is
a Canadian mining company with a gold project in China.  It
was also supported by the Canada-China Business Council and
the China-Australian Chamber of Commerce in Beijing.

    The CIMG also outlined its member's commitment to
sustainable mining. CIMG Deputy Chairman, Auslan Ishmael
explained, "CIMG's resource companies and their
technical advisers are committed to design, construct and
operate their projects in a manner that is environmentally
friendly and economically viable. In the past these two
approaches were perceived as being opposite.  The current
thinking of the industry that the proper balance of these
two needs is a better long term approach and also not
restrictive of economic performance."

    Pat Powers, the Vice President of Mundoro stated:
"It is important to work worldwide and naturally in
China starting at the exploration stage by adhering to the
guidelines "E3" promulgated by PDAC and then
later at a planning and design stage plans to operate a
mine based on the Equator principals of sustainable mining.
 These guidelines also highlight a commitment to understand
and adhere to the national laws of the country where a
company is committed to invest in a resource project."
 He also explained that public companies are also governed
by the laws of their country of origin and are required by
shareholders and financial markets to apply the strictest
standards of governance to environmental issues."

    About the CIMG 

    The China International Mining Group (CIMG) is a forum
for International mining and service companies plus
individuals with interests in creating sustainable business
opportunities in China's mining industry.  The CIMG aims to
promote sustainable investment and best business practice
in the mining sector through sharing non-competitive
information and addressing issues of common concern to
potential mining investors in China by providing channels
for dialogue with the relevant authorities.

    The CIMG is an official industry-working group of the
China-Australia Chamber of Commerce in Beijing (AustCham
Beijing).  The CIMG is supported by the Australian Embassy
in Beijing, British Chamber of Commerce in Beijing,
Canadian Embassy in Beijing, the CCBC and South African
Business Council.

    For further information please contact:

     Auslan Ishmael - CIMG Deputy Chairman
     Tel:    +86-10-6595-9252
     Mobile: +86-1352-044-0703

     CIMG Secretariat
     Executive Floor, Office Tower, 
      Beijing Hong Kong Macau Center, 
      2 Chaoyangmenbei Dajie, Beijing 100027
     Tel:    +86-10-6595-9252 
     Fax:    +86-10-6595-9253 
     Email:  mining@austcham.org
     Web:    http://www.cimg.org.cn 

SOURCE  China International Mining Group

2007'02.01.Thu
KKR to Acquire Flextronics' Software Development and Solutions Business
April 17, 2006

Acquisition is KKR's First Investment in India
    MENLO PARK and PALO ALTO, Calif., April 17
/Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.
("KKR") today announced that an affiliate of KKR
has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the software
development and solutions business ("the software
business") of Flextronics International Ltd. (Nasdaq:
FLEX) in a transaction valued at approximately $900
million.  Flextronics will retain a 15% equity stake in the
software business and continue as an important business
partner and customer.

    The software business is headquartered in Palo Alto,
California, with operations located predominantly in India
under the banner of Flextronics Software Systems
("FSS"). The business is unique in its ability to
deliver communications solutions that stretch from the
network infrastructure to end user devices. As a key
research and development partner to top tier communications
companies worldwide, the business has developed a
sophisticated global delivery model.  Comprised of a
software solutions group and a strategic design consulting
group, the business is experiencing rapid growth and has
approximately 6,100 employees worldwide. In addition to
operations in the United States and India, it has a
significant presence in Eastern Europe.

    Following completion of the transaction, CEO Ash
Bhardwaj, FSS President Arun Kumar, and the existing
management team will continue to lead the software
business.  It will operate under a new name, which has yet
to be selected. 

    The acquisition is KKR's first investment in India and
second investment in Asia, following its 2005 investment in
Avago Technologies, the former Semiconductor Products Group
of Agilent Technologies.  It is also believed to be the
largest leveraged buyout and technology investment in India
to date.

    Adam H. Clammer, a Member of KKR, said, "Our
investment in Flextronics' software development and
solutions business is an outstanding opportunity to create
value in a high-growth sector.  Led by a world-class
management team, the software business has an unmatched
record of success in the delivery of communications
technology.  We believe the business is well positioned to
build on the strong foundation it has developed in its
markets."

    James H. Greene, Jr., a Member of KKR, added,
"This transaction demonstrates the strength of the
global investment approach KKR has developed in recent
years.  In executing this transaction, we leveraged the
resources of our worldwide franchise.  KKR is excited about
the software development and solutions business and the
expansive market it addresses."

    Ash Bhardwaj, CEO of the software business, said,
"This transaction is a positive development for our
customers, employees and stakeholders.  KKR is the world's
premier private equity investment firm, and its interest in
our business validates what we have accomplished and our
significant potential.  As a standalone business, we will
be better positioned to further develop our service and
product offerings, and expand our customer relationships. 
We look forward to collaborating with KKR and to our
continued relationship with our colleagues at
Flextronics."

    KKR will finance the acquisition with fully
underwritten debt facilities.  Citigroup Global Markets
(Asia) and Merrill Lynch are acting as Joint Bookrunners
and Joint Lead Arrangers for the acquisition financing.

    Completion of the transaction, which is expected in the
summer of 2006, is subject to regulatory approvals and
customary closing conditions. 

    Citigroup Global Markets and Morgan Stanley acted as
the exclusive financial advisors to KKR on the transaction
and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP served as legal
counsel.  

    About KKR:

    KKR is one of the world's oldest and most experienced
private equity firms specializing in management buyouts,
with offices in New York, Menlo Park, California, London,
Paris, Hong Kong and Tokyo.  Over the past year, KKR has
committed more than $1 billion to technology businesses,
including SunGard Data Systems and Avago Technologies,
which are considered the two largest private equity
technology investments in history, with transaction prices
of $11.8 billion and $2.8 billion, respectively.  Past KKR
technology industry investments include: Amphenol, RELTEC,
Wincor Nixdorf, Tenovis and Zhone Technologies.  Over the
past thirty years, KKR has invested in more than 140
transactions with a total value of US$193 billion.  For
more information, please visit http://www.kkr.com .

    About Flextronics' Software Development and Solutions
Business:

    Flextronics' software development and solutions
business is the leading provider of high impact, innovative
software solutions to the global communications industry. 
Customers for its full spectrum offering of software
services, software products, and strategic design
consulting are the world's leading communications
companies. The software business has the unprecedented
ability to deliver complete software solutions that stretch
from network infrastructure to end user devices. In addition
to its operations in India and the United States, the
business has locations in China, Germany, Italy, South
Africa and Ukraine.

    For more information, please contact:

    In the US: 
     Mark Semer or Molly Morse
     Kekst and Company
     Tel:   +1-212-521-4802 or +1-212-521-4826

    In Asia: 
     Richard Barton
     Gavin Anderson & Company
     Tel:   +852-2218-9988 or +852-9308-1056

    In Europe: 
     Simon Moyse or Zoe Watt
     Finsbury
     Tel:   +44-7810-505-473 or +44-7713-157-561

    For Flextronics' Software Development and Solutions
Business:

    In the Americas and Europe: 
     Jashojit "Jojo" Roy
     Tel:   +1-650-391-1605
 
    In Asia: 
     Gauri Arora
     Tel:   +91-124-234-6666 x2865

SOURCE  KKR
2007'02.01.Thu
McGraw-Hill Construction and China International Contractors Association 2006 Global Construction Summit Highlights Innovation and Opportunities for Global Design and Building Leaders, April 25-27 in Beijing
April 14, 2006

    NEW YORK, April 14 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- The world's
leaders in design and construction will meet in Beijing on
April 25-27 to discuss global construction trends and
opportunities at the 2006 Global Construction Summit,
organized by McGraw-Hill Construction and the China
International Contractors Association.  

    The 2006 Summit, "Innovating for Excellence:
Opportunities for Global Players", draws senior
executives from leading real estate developers,
contractors, design firms, financiers, and government
agencies around the world. They will share best practices
and brainstorm solutions to problems in the increasingly
global $4.2-trillion construction marketplace.  The Summit
will address topics such as Innovative Project Financing,
Sustainability/Green Building in China, Needs of Global
Owners, and Managing Investment Risks in Global Mega
Projects.  In addition, participants will attend two
special ceremonies: 

    -- The Inaugural Business Week/Architectural Record
"Good Design is Good 
        Business" China Awards Luncheon
    -- The ENR Top International Firms Awards Dinner

    "We look forward to meeting with the world's
leading contractors, design firms, developers, financiers
and building product manufacturers in Beijing to discuss
global issues facing this great industry," said
Norbert W. Young, Jr. FAIA, president, McGraw-Hill
Construction. 

    Keynote speakers confirmed for the 2006 Global
Construction Summit include:

    -- Thomas J. O'Neil, Chairman and CEO, Parsons
Brinckerhoff 
    -- Gregory Hodkinson, Chairman, ARUP Americas
    -- Zhang Tao, Deputy Director General, Research
Department, People's Bank 
       of China (PBOC)

    The panel discussions will feature prominent speakers
from GE, Intel, P & G, Saudi Aramco, Eastman Chemical,
SOHO China, China Import & Export Bank, Standard &
Poor's, Bechtel, Bovis Lend Lease, Halcrow, Hill &
Associates, EDAW, OMA, SOM,  Armstrong, Johnson Controls,
China Machinery Group, China State Construction Engineering
Corp., Sinohydro, China Railway Engineering Corp., JMJ,
China Export & Credit Insurance Co., Thelen Reid &
Priest, and Tsinghua University. In addition, participants
will hear from senior representatives of the Chinese
government, including Ministry of Construction, Ministry of
Commerce, Beijing Municipality /Beijing Organizing Committee
for the Games of XXIX Olympiad, and West Regional
Development Office of the State Council. 

    For more information about the event, please visit
http://www.construction.com/event/BeijingSummit/, or call
+212-904-4634.  

    The 2006 Global Construction Summit is supported by:

    -- Associated General Contractors of America
    -- American Society of Civil Engineers
    -- American Society of Landscape Architects
    -- China Association of International Engineering
Consultants
    -- China Building Material Industry Association
    -- China Survey and Design Industry Association
    -- Construction Industry Institute
    -- Construction Users Roundtable
    -- New York Building Congress
    -- Royal Architectural Institute of Canada
    -- Tongji University School of Architecture and Urban
Planning 
    -- Tsinghua University School of Architecture
    -- U.S. Green Building Council

    The event is sponsored in partnership with Bentley. 
Gold level sponsors include by Assa Abloy, CENTRIA, China
State Construction Engineering Corporation, Dow Corning,
Emerson, Parsons Brinckerhoff, PPG Industries, Sloan,
Pinsent Masons, and Thelen Reid & Priest LLP.  Silver
sponsors include China Civil Engineering Construction
Corporation,  CGC Overseas Construction Co., China Road
& Bridge Corporation, China Henan International
cooperation Group Co., China Harbor Engineering Company
Ltd., China Metallurgical Construction Group Corp., China
National Chemical Engineering Group Corporation, China
National Machinery & Equipment Import & Export
Corporation,  China Petroleum Engineering &
Construction (Group) Corporation, China Railway Engineering
Corporation, China Shanghai (Group) Corporation for Foreign
Economic & Technological Cooperation, Halcrow Group,
Navigant Consulting, Project Management Institute, Shanghai
Construction Group, Shenyang Yuanda Enterprise Group,
SINOMACH, Washington Group International, and EMSI. 

    About McGraw-Hill Construction 

    McGraw-Hill Construction, part of The McGraw-Hill
Companies (NYSE: MHP), connects people, projects and
products across the design and construction industry. From
project and product information to industry news, trends
and forecasts, the Company provides industry players the
tools, resources and applications that help them save time,
money, and energy, especially through the new McGraw-Hill
Construction Network(R). Backed by the power of Engineering
News-Record (ENR), Dodge, Sweets, Architectural Record, and
10 regional publications, McGraw-Hill Construction serves
more than one million customers within the $4.6 trillion
global construction community. For more information, visit
http://www.construction.com .

    About China International Contractors Association
(CHINCA)

    CHINCA is a contractor trade organization that acts as
a link between the Chinese government and CHINCA's members
who operate in over 180 countries and regions.  Since 1988,
it has been engaged in promoting China's international
economic and technological co-operation, including
international project contracting and labor services. For
more information, see http://www.chinca.org .

    About The McGraw-Hill Companies

    Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies is a leading
global information services provider meeting worldwide needs
in the financial services, education and business
information markets through leading brands such as Standard
& Poor's, McGraw-Hill Education, BusinessWeek and J.D.
Power and Associates. The Corporation has more than 290
offices in 38 countries. Sales in 2005 were $6.0 billion.
Additional information is available at
http://www.mcgraw-hill.com .

    For more information, please contact:

     Kathy Malangone
     McGraw-Hill Construction                              
                               
     Tel:   +1-212-904-4376
     Email: kathy_malangone@mcgraw-hill.com;
               
     Rob Kulat                                             
 
     Kulat Communications  
     Tel:   +1-732-219-5816
     Email: Kucomm@hotmail.com

SOURCE  McGraw-Hill Construction 
2007'02.01.Thu
MEDIA INVITATION: Zsoft Outsourcing Summit
April 14, 2006

    Dear press representative,

    Welcome to the Zsoft Outsourcing Summit -- Baiyan
Building, Beijing.

    Zsoft Outsourcing Summit offers a unique opportunity to
explore China's essential role both as a global outsourcing
resource and marketplace.  It is the forum in China that
creates direct access for global software outsourcing
enterprises entering China.  Previous conference has taken
place in China last year.  This year's edition, which will
be held in Beijing on 18th April, leaders from China and
American software enterprises will gather in Beijing to
share insights and ideas that will help the industry for
years to come and will lay the foundation for new ventures
and the creation of rewarding relationships of rewarding
partnerships.  

    The organizer of Zsoft Outsourcing Summit is the
Zhongguancun Software Association, Zsoft, which was
established in 1995.  As a non-profit association, it is
open to international membership.  In addition, it
represents the software enterprises located at Zhongguancun
Science Park for international cooperation and
communication.  

    Today, Zsoft bring a snapshot of China's most important
event in software outsourcing.

    Time:      9:00 - 17:00 on 18th April 2006      
    Venue:     308, Baiyan Building, Beijing      
    Agenda:    Enclosed     

    For press inquiries, please kindly reply:      

    Ms. Ada (Lu Jun)      
    Zhongguancun Software Association      
    Tel:   +86-10-8232-8001      
    Email: adalu@vip.sina.com    

    AGENDA:     
     Zsoft Outsourcing Summit     
     Beijing, China      
     18th April 2006                         
     Preliminary Agenda

    Monday, 17th April 2006      
     14:00 - 21:00  Registration for VIP Guests 

    Tuesday, 18th April 2006
     08:00 - 09:00  Registration      
     09:00 - 09:15  Opening Ceremony
     09:15 - 09:30  Introduction of project (A)
     09:30 - 09:45  Introduction of project (B)
     09:45 - 10:00  Introduction of project (C)
     10:00 - 10:15  Introduction of project (D)      
     10:15 - 10:30  Signing Ceremony with an American
Partner
     10:30 - 11:00  Tea Break
     11:00 - 12:00  Executive Dialog (Chinese Enterprises,

                    Europe-American Buyers, Science Parks,

                    Associations and Government officials)


     12:00 - 14:00  VIP Lunch
     14:00 - 17:00  One on One Meetings

    Wednesday, 19th April 2006      
     10:00 - 12:00  Visit the enterprises 
     12:00 - 14:00  Lunch
     14:00 - 16:00  Visit the enterprises

    Thursday, 20th April 2006      
     10:00 - 12:00  Visit the enterprises 
     12:00 - 14:00  Lunch
     14:00 - 16:00  Visit the enterprises

    This press release is distributed by Xinhua PR Newswire
on behalf of the above-mentioned organization.  

    For inquiries regarding Xinhua PR Newswire's
distribution service, please contact:

     Tel:    +86-10-5864-5286
             +86-10-5864-5296
     Email:  tomedia@xprn.com

SOURCE  Zsoft  

2007'02.01.Thu
QNX Introduces Support for DaVinci(TM) Technology from Texas Instruments
April 14, 2006

    HOUSTON and OTTAWA, Canada, April 14
/Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI)
(NYSE: TXN) and QNX Software Systems today announced their
collaboration to enhance the development of digital audio
and video applications for the embedded market, including
QNX's support for TI's DaVinci(TM) technology.  The
combination of TI's technology and the realtime performance
and reliability of the QNX(R) Neutrino(R) RTOS will enhance
the development and integration of digital audio and video
for embedded products in a variety of markets, including
automotive infotainment, consumer electronics, in-flight
entertainment, industrial automation, and medical
technology. 

    TI's DaVinci technology is the industry's first
platform to enable digital audio, video and multimedia
innovation without requiring extensive codec expertise. 
DaVinci technology-based products save developers time and
money by allowing them to build upon existing,
production-tested software components optimized for digital
audio, video and multimedia.

    To maximize the performance of media-rich applications
running on DaVinci technology-based TMS320DM644x
processors, QNX will support an interface layer between the
ARM and the DSP cores, based on TI's DSP/BIOS(TM) LINK
technology. QNX's multimedia solutions leverage the power
of the DSP and automatically pass along this performance
benefit to higher-level multimedia applications.  By
offloading complex media processing to the DSP, this
approach frees up the ARM core to perform other functions,
giving designers greater design flexibility and allowing
them to build more value-added features into their
DaVinci-based products.  The QNX design also promotes
maximum reliability. If an application fails on the ARM
core, the QNX Neutrino RTOS will automatically contain the
problem and the application can be automatically restarted,
without affecting other software.  This brings
automotive-grade reliability to consumer-class devices.

    "As video is increasingly added to fault-tolerant
systems, including medical devices, space stations,
automobiles, traffic and flight control, customers require
a simplified digital video solution combined with a
reliable operating system.  Together, TI's DaVinci
technology and the QNX Neutrino RTOS provide the
performance, reliability, and scalability that is exactly
what these markets need," said Huy Pham,
system-on-chip platform marketing, TI.

    "QNX offers the only fault-tolerant microkernel
RTOS for the embedded industry's most rugged computing
platforms, from the International Space Station to the
automobile," said Andrew Poliak, automotive segment
manager, QNX Software Systems.  "We are always looking
for opportunities to support hardware innovation that can
speed the emergence of new markets and technologies in the
embedded world, and we are proud to work together with TI
to accelerate the delivery of cutting-edge digital video
and multimedia applications."

    As part of this collaborative relationship, QNX will
release a board support package (BSP) designed to
accelerate development of embedded video applications based
on the DM644x. The BSP will be available in Q3 2006.

    About Texas Instruments

    Texas Instruments Incorporated provides innovative DSP
and analog technologies to meet our customers' real-world
signal processing requirements. In addition to
Semiconductors, 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 .

    About QNX Software Systems 

    QNX Software Systems, a Harman International company
(NYSE: HAR), is the industry leader in realtime, embedded
OS technology.  The component-based architectures of the
QNX(R) Neutrino(R) RTOS and QNX Momentics(R) development
suite together provide the industry's most reliable and
scalable framework for building innovative,
high-performance embedded systems.  Global leaders such as
Cisco, DaimlerChrysler, General Electric, Lockheed Martin,
and Siemens depend on QNX technology for network routers,
medical instruments, vehicle telematics units, security and
defense systems, industrial robotics, and other mission- or
life-critical applications.  Founded in 1980, QNX Software
Systems is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, and distributes
products in over 100 countries worldwide.  Visit
http://www.qnx.com .

    TRADEMARKS

    DaVinci and DSP/BIOS are trademarks of Texas
Instruments. QNX and Neutrino are trademarks of QNX
Software Systems GmbH & Co. KG, registered in certain
jurisdictions and are used under license.  All other
trademarks and trade names belong to their respective
owners.

    For more information, please contact:

     Lisa Ferrara
     Texas Instruments
     Tel:   +1-281-274-4213
     Email: lferrara@ti.com

     Kellie Potucek
     GolinHarris
     Tel:   +1-713-513-9576
     Email: kpotucek@golinharris.com

     Jennifer Barlow
     Schwartz Communications
     Tel:   +1-781-684-0770
     Email: qnx@schwartz-pr.com

     Paul Leroux
     QNX Software Systems
     Tel:   +1-613-591-0931
     Email: paull@qnx.com 

SOURCE  Texas Instruments Incorporated
2007'02.01.Thu
NEXTNATION Proposed Acquisition of a Subsidiary for Business Expansion in the People's Republic of China
April 14, 2006

    KUALA LUMPUR, April 14 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --
Nextnation Communication Berhad ("Nextnation")
had on 12 April 2006 entered into a Heads of Agreement with
Beijing Himo Tech Co., Ltd, and Jumpstart Investments
Limited to acquire Often Reach Investments Limited in
respect of the company's investment in relation to the
research, development and the provision of mobile
communication, wireless technologies, wireless value added
services, Internet and related software and business
ancillary thereto ("Subject Activities") in the
People's Republic of China (PRC).

    Nextnation and its subsidiaries has a 50% shareholding
in the enlarged issued and paid-up ordinary share capital
of Often Reach and the Board of Directors of Often Reach
will comprise of four (4) representatives of Nextnation (or
its affiliate) and three (3) representatives of Jumpstart,
where Nextnation will control the board.

    Often Reach will establish a wholly-owned foreign
entity ("WOFE") in the PRC to undertake the
Subject Activities.  The Board of Directors of WOFE will
consist of four (4) representatives of Nextnation (or its
affiliate) and three (3) representatives of Jumpstart,
where Nextnation will control the board. 

    Upon the establishment of WOFE, WOFE and Beijing Himo
shall execute agreements which include Exclusive Business
Cooperation and Operating Agreement in relation to
research, development and provision of mobile platform,
contents and applications; Exclusive Technical Consulting
Service Agreement whereby WOFE will be the exclusive
technical and consulting service provider in relation to
network and web development, maintenance, research and
development and consulting services on sales, marketing,
customer services, human resources, corporate exercises,
market research and public relations. WOFE shall be the
sole owner of all the copyrights of the software developed
by WOFE and/or jointly by WOFE and Beijing Himo.  In
consideration for the services provided by WOFE, Beijing
Himo shall pay WOFE a fee of USD1,000,000 (equivalent to
approximately RM3,700,000 based on the exchange rate of
USD1.00 : RM3.70) per annum; and such other agreements to
be agreed between WOFE and Beijing Himo to enable WOFE to
have a substantial influence on Beijing Himo's daily
operations and financial affairs.

    As of April 2006, Nextnation messaging platform covers
30 mobile operators worldwide across Asia, Europe and North
American.  South East Asian operators includes Singtel,
MobileOne and StarHub in Singapore; Maxis, Celcom and DiGi
in Malaysia; Telkomsel, IM3, Satelindo and Excelcom in
Indonesia and AIS, DTAC in Thailand.

    Impact on Nextnation

    The acquisition will enable Nextnation to penetrate the
fast-growing wireless value-added services market and the
related industry in China, and this is in line with the
Nextnation overseas market expansion strategies to
diversify and grow its revenue base.  The Board of
Nextnation believes the Chinese market offers Nextnation
significant expansion potential.

    Market for advanced entertainment content services is
expected to be the largest growth segment, increasing from
$291 million in 2005 to over $450 million and $650 million
in 2006 and 2007 respectively.  Recent estimates suggest
that less than 25% of mobile handsets in China can access
premium content.  However, this is set to grow rapidly as
such phones now account for the majority of handset sales
in China.  Nextnation be well placed to build upon its
leading position in the market. 

    "Beijing Himo is one of the most talented,
technically-advanced and successful nationwide service
provided (SP) in China.  We are very pleased to have them
on our team." said P.Y Tey, CEO of Nextnation. 
"China is the world's largest mobile
telecommunications market with approximately 400 million
mobile phone users.  The number of users is expected to
increase to 570 million in 2008.  The revenue generated by
wireless value added content providers is forecast to
increase to $1.9 billion by 2008.  As a global leader in
wireless value added service provider, Nextnation is
ideally positioned to capitalize upon this growth
trend."

    About Nextnation

    Nextnation, a mobile application service provider,
enables businesses and individuals to access, connect, and
transact across today's complex global mobile networks. 
Its core product MINDCEP(TM) Platform is a mobile
multimedia communication platform, facilitating and
enabling mobile data transmission worldwide using WAP, MMS,
SMS and Java technologies.

    MINDCEP(TM) is connected to some of the largest premium
messaging networks in the world in order to offer a broad
range of services from content distribution to mobile
m-commerce and place the company at the forefront of this
rapidly growing messaging market.  Additional news and
information about the company is available at
http://www.nextnationnet.com .
  
    About Beijing Himo

    Beijing Himo is a company established in the PRC and is
involved in the provision of telecommunication and wireless
value added services in the PRC.  Beijing Himo provides its
services via telecommunication companies in the PRC
("PRC Telcos") such as China Mobile Communication
Corporation, China Unicom Ltd, China Telecom Corporation
Limited and China Netcom Communication Group Corporation.

    Beijing Himo is one of the few service providers in the
PRC which was granted the national operation permit to
operate mobile value added services, and has been granted
three (3) years of tax exemption and subsequent three (3)
years of fifty percent (50%) tax exemption.  

    For more information, please contact:
 
     Nextnation Communication
     Ms. Sally Peh 
     Tel:   +603-7660-5510
     Fax:   +603-7660-5525
     Email: pr@nextnationnet.com 

SOURCE  Nextnation

2007'02.01.Thu
Her Majesty Sparkles on 80th Birthday Stamps
April 14, 2006

    LONDON, April 14 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Royal Mail
celebrates the 80th birthday of Her Majesty the Queen with
eight warm and informal photographic portraits taken
throughout her life. 

    The stamps will be issued on Tuesday 18th April, three
days before the Queen's birthday, and feature smiling
images of Her Majesty drawn from thousands of archive
photographs. 

    Julietta Edgar, Head of Stamps, Royal Mail said:
"I'm sure every one of these enchanting portraits will
be a huge hit with people throughout the Commonwealth, and
prove a memorable way to say 'Happy Birthday' to our
Queen." 

    "Special Stamp issues have always played a special
role in marking the UK's key events and anniversaries -- and
this beautiful set of stamps is no exception." 

    People who wish to purchase Royal Mail stamps,
presentation packs and first day covers can do so online by
visiting http://www.royalmail.com/stamps .

    Royal Mail is also offering customers the chance to
enter a prize draw with one very lucky winner receiving a
piece of jewellery containing 80 diamonds and worth
GBP25,000. The winner's unique choice of design will be
crafted specially by Garrard, The House of the Crown
Jeweller. 

    Two further special products will accompany the new
stamps. The first, issued on the Queen's birthday, is a
Coin Cover produced with the Royal Mint featuring a new
GBP5 Crown alongside the eight stamps. 

    On June 17th, a set of 'silver stamps' and a
commemorative document will be made available to the
public. Produced with the Royal Dutch Mint, the eight
ultra-thin, 'silver stamps' made out of pure precious metal
are being issued in a limited edition of 2006 sets. 

    Stamp Technical Details:

    Value                               Description
 
    First Class                         Meeting dignitaries
at Heathrow
                                        Airport 2001

    First Class                         With her Mother the
Duchess of York
                                        1931

    Second Class                        Aboard Britannia
1972

    Second Class                        Royal Windsor Horse
Show May 1985

    European basic rate                 State Banquet
Ottawa, Canada,
                                        October 1951

    European basic rate                 HM The Queen 1960

    Rest of the World airmail rate up   Age 14, 1940
    to 20gms

    Rest of the World airmail rate up   With the Duke of
Edinburgh c.1950
    to 20gms

    NOTE TO EDITORS:  Images of the Queen's 80th birthday
stamps are available by telephoning Mark Barber at Eulogy!
on +44-(0)20-7927-9999 or via e-mail from mark@eulogy.co.uk
.

    For more infomation, please contact:

     Eulogy!
     Tel:   +44-0-20-7927-9999
     Email: christie@eulogy.co.uk 
            mark@eulogy.co.uk. 
     Web:   http://www.royalmail.com/stamps

SOURCE  Royal Mail
2007'02.01.Thu
You to Join Its First Quarter 2006 Conference Call
April 13, 2006

    HAMILTON, Bermuda, April 13 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- In
conjunction with W.P. Stewart's First Quarter 2006 Earnings
Release, you are invited to participate in a conference call
on Thursday, 27th April, 2006.  Attending on behalf of the
Company will be John C. Russell -- President and Chief
Executive Officer, Rocco Macri -- Chief Operating Officer,
Susan Leber -- Chief Financial Officer and Harry W. Segalas
-- Chief Investment Officer of W.P. Stewart & Co., Inc.

    What:       W.P. Stewart & Co., Ltd.'s First
Quarter 2006 Earnings Release

    When:       Thursday, 27th April, 2006
                9:15 a.m. (EDT) - 10:00 a.m. (EDT)
    
    How:        By teleconference, dial:

                1-800-370-0898 (within the United States)
                + 973-409-9260 (outside the United States)

    Password:  "W.P. Stewart"

    Or:        Visit our website at
http://www.wpstewart.com and click on the 
               Investor Relations tab for a link to the
webcast

    (Minimum requirements to listen to the Internet
broadcast:  RealPlayer software and at least a 28.8 Kbps
connection to the Internet.  RealPlayer is downloadable at
no charge on a trial basis from http://www.real.com/player
.  You should complete your download well in advance of the
Internet broadcast.  If you experience problems listening to
the Internet broadcast, please send an e-mail to
webcastsupport@tfprn.com.)

    The teleconference will be available for replay from
Thursday, 27th April, 2006 at 12:00 noon (EDT) through
Friday, 28th April, 2006 at 5:00 p.m. (EDT).  To access the
replay, please dial 1-877-519-4471 (within the United
States) or + 973-341-3080 (outside the United States).  The
PIN number for accessing this replay is 7280245.

    You will be able to access a replay of the Internet
broadcast through Thursday, 4th May 2006, on the Company's
website at http://www.wpstewart.com . The Company will
respond to questions submitted by e-mail, following the
conference.

    W.P. Stewart & Co., Ltd. is an asset management
company that has provided research-intensive equity
management services to clients throughout the world since
1975. The Company is headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda and
has additional operations or affiliates in the United
States, Europe and Asia.

    The Company's shares are listed for trading on the New
York Stock Exchange (NYSE: WPL) and on the Bermuda Stock
Exchange (BSX: WPS).

    For more information, please visit the Company's
website at http://www.wpstewart.com , or call W.P. Stewart
Investor Relations (Fred M. Ryan) at +441-295-8585 or
e-mail to IRINFO@wpstewart.com.

    For more information, please contact: 

     Fred Ryan of W.P. Stewart & Co., Ltd.
     Tel:   +1-441-295-8585

SOURCE  W.P. Stewart & Co., Ltd. 
2007'02.01.Thu
TI's DaVinci(TM) Technology Now Features ObjectVideo OnBoard(TM) to Digitally Enable Smart Video Surveillance
April 13, 2006

Combination of Video-Optimized Hardware and Leading Video Software will Address Demand in Booming IP Video Surveillance Market
    HOUSTON, April 13 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Addressing the
growing demand for greater intelligence in the surveillance
market, Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) (NYSE: TXN)
today announced that ObjectVideo OnBoard, an award-winning,
video-intelligence software suite, is now running on TI's
DaVinci(TM) technology.  The combination of hardware and
software will enable original equipment manufacturers
(OEMs) to rapidly develop new products that perform robust
intelligent video functions, such as analyzing video and
generating alerts and other actionable information, on the
basis of user-defined rules.  With intelligent video and
codecs running on high-performance digital media processors
based on DaVinci technology, OEMs can save significant
development time and cost in the creation of a variety of
intelligent video applications.  For more information,
please see:
http://focus.ti.com/dsp/docs/dspsplash.tsp?contentId=12648
. 

    Industry analyst firm, iSuppli, projects a 100 percent
growth rate for IP video surveillance cameras alone in 2006
with the worldwide market surpassing analog CCTV cameras by
the end of 2009.  IMS Research of the UK expects
manufacturers of IT infrastructure to embed software for
video analysis in their products to further improve the
performance of video networks.  By 2009, IMS forecasts that
embedded applications will account for approximately 60
percent of the video analysis software market.  The union
of TI's DaVinci technology and ObjectVideo OnBoard will
fuel this growth.  

    "TI's DaVinci technology is ideal for our software
because it was designed to make the next generation of
digital video end-equipment applications possible,"
said Bruce Thompson, Vice President of Corporate
Development for ObjectVideo.  "By combining processors
based on DaVinci's technology with our analytic technology,
OEMs can create new sales opportunities by delivering
advanced intelligence capabilities for security and other
applications."

    ObjectVideo technology allows users to specify objects
of interest and determine if those objects, for example,
cross a video tripwire, enter a specified area of interest
or simply appear in the camera view.  Rules are processed
within the intelligent device for real-time comparison to
the video analysis.  Reference hardware designs and robust
API frameworks enable plug-and-play with any device or
existing environment.  Additionally, network bandwidth is
optimized through the selective output of video on alert
only.

    DaVinci technology makes breakthrough innovation
possible in digital media devices for the hand, home and
car.  DaVinci technology is optimized for digital video
systems and includes DSP-based SoCs, multimedia codecs,
APIs and frameworks and development tools.  These
integrated components are the industry's first complete
offering of an open platform.  OEMs can create unique,
feature-rich devices optimized with specific applications
in mind and get them to market quickly.

    To learn more about technology offered from TI and
ObjectVideo, please visit booth number 19079 at ISC West,
held from April 5-7, 2006 at the Sands Expo and Convention
Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.  

    DaVinci technology featuring ObjectVideo OnBoard is
available now through TI distributors and the e-store.

    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 .

    About ObjectVideo

    ObjectVideo(R) provides intelligent video technology
products for the protection of critical infrastructure and
high-risk environments such as borders, airports, seaports,
oil refineries, chemical and nuclear plants and water
treatment facilities. Based on patented computer vision
technology, ObjectVideo's software is deployed in more than
170 locations in eight countries, including Iraq, where the
U.S. Marines use it to protect soldiers in
forward-operating bases.  ObjectVideo provides a variety of
markets with an advanced ability to detect, classify, track
and analyze video data, allowing end users to proactively
address threats, improve security planning and enhance
overall effectiveness.  ObjectVideo markets and sells its
products through a Video Intelligent Partner (VIP) program
of OEMs, integrators and leading security companies on
digital media processor and server platforms.  ObjectVideo
is the recipient of the Wall Street Journal's Technology
Innovation Award and Frost & Sullivan's Excellence in
Technology Award.

    Trademarks

    DaVinci is a trademark of Texas Instruments.  All other
trademarks and registered trademarks are property of their
respective owners.

    For more information, please contact:

     Media Contacts:
     Christy Brunton
     Texas Instruments
     Tel:   +1-281-274-5805
     Email: cbrunton@ti.com 

     Tara Hanney
     GolinHarris
     Tel:   +1-713-513-9561
     Email: thanney@golinharris.com

     Lara Kline
     ObjectVideo
     Tel:   +1-202-905-8370
     Email: pr@objectvideo.com

SOURCE  Texas Instruments Incorporated
2007'02.01.Thu
Baidu and Intel Announced All-round Cooperation
April 13, 2006

    BEIJING, China, April 13 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --
2006-Intel China Ltd., a subsidiary of Intel Corporation,
the world leader in silicon innovation, and Baidu, the
leading Chinese language Internet search provider today
signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for cooperation
in the development of Internet search and related
applications in China. 

    (Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20041011/BAIDULOGO )

    According to the MOU, the two parties will cooperate in
advancing Internet search applications for laptops, handsets
and PC in the digital home environment, coupling Intel's
server platform with Baidu's backend search systems to
achieve optimized performance and operational stability. 

    "Baidu is committed to providing the best way for
people to find information.  In addition to PCs, our users
will soon be able to access Baidu search services on their
handsets and home devices," Said Jerry Liu, CTO of
Baidu.  "Intel is the global leader in silicon
technology and has played a critical role in enhancing
Internet user experience.  We are pleased to join hands
with Intel in making Internet search more convenient and
fun for people on their wireless devices and home
appliances."   

    The two parties will rely on their respective strengths
in technology to develop optimized Baidu search applications
for Intel platforms, and facilitate implementation on PC,
laptops, handsets and home appliances. 

    Intel is also Baidu's backend server platform provider.
 "A high performance, high stable and high scalable
server platform is very important to Baidu's powerful
search engine system.  Intel has been a reliable long-term
provider and partner," said Jerry Liu. 

    "Baidu is the most frequently used search engine
in China with an enormous user base.  Its high traffic
volume requires the highest standard of performance and
stability in its server platform.  Intel is pleased to work
together with Baidu to provide optimized search performance
and exciting search experience to end users," said
Thomas M. Kilroy, Vice President of Intel Corporation and
General Manager of Digital Enterprise Group, "With
regard to server platform, 80% of the current enterprise
servers are all based on Intel(R) Itanium(R) 2 processor or
Intel(R)Xeon(R) processor.  The cost-effective and
innovative server platform of Intel will surely provide
powerful backend support for hundreds of million users of
Baidu."

    About Baidu

    Baidu.com, Inc. is the leading Chinese language
Internet search provider. As a technology-based media
company, Baidu aims to provide the best way for people to
find information.  In addition to serving individual
Internet search users, Baidu provides an effective platform
for businesses to reach potential customers.  Baidu's ADSs,
each of which represents one Class A ordinary share,
currently trade on the NASDAQ Global Market under the
symbol "BIDU".

    About Intel

    Intel, the world leader in silicon innovation, develops
technologies, products and initiatives to continually
advance how people work and live. Additional information
about Intel is available at http://www.intel.com/pressroom
.

    For more information, please contact:
 
     Cynthia He
     Baidu.com, Inc.
     Tel:   +86-10-8262-1188
     Email: cynthiahe@baidu.com

SOURCE  Baidu.com, Inc.
2007'02.01.Thu
ING Launches Global Management Recruitment Programme in China
April 13, 2006

    BEIJING, April 13 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- ING today
announced the roll-out of its global management trainee
programme in China as the company steps up its efforts to
attract talented individuals to build up ING's
organizational capabilities and help support the growth of
ING's six businesses in the country.

    The announcement came as part of ING's partnership with
CCTV2 in "Absolute Challenge", a television
recruitment programme in which ING today short-listed three
finalists.  These three participants now go forward to the
next round of the competition which is to be decided in
July 2006, with the winner awarded an employment contract
with ING as a brand management trainee for its insurance
and asset management activities in China.  The ING
recruitment drive originally began in March 2006 and
attracted over 2,000 applications.

    ING Insurance Asia/Pacific's global management trainee
programme offers candidates the opportunity to participate
in a structured development programme which integrates job
assignments, workshops and in-class training.  The
programme has proved successful across the world and the
roll-out to China is aimed at helping ING build out its
leadership pipeline, while giving local management
graduates an opportunity to have a challenging and
rewarding career in one of the world's largest global
financial services company.

    Mr. Bartholomew Ng, Country Manager for China, ING
Insurance Asia/Pacific stated: "Since the
establishment of our first insurance representative office
in Beijing in 1993, ING has been actively involved in
training local graduates in the field of financial services
in cooperation with major universities, including Beijing
University, Dongbei University of Finance and Economics,
Guangxi Normal University and Shanghai Jiaotong University.
 This year, we are stepping up those efforts through the
introduction of this structured programme which nurtures
the careers of talented management graduates, providing
them with the skill set necessary to achieve a company's
global ambitions and offering them the opportunity to work
in an international financial services company."

    ING currently operates in ten cities in China.  Pacific
Antai Life Insurance Company, ING's first life-insurance
joint venture, operates in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Dongguan,
Nanhai and Shunde.  ING Capital Life, ING's second
life-insurance joint venture, is active in Dalian, Beijing,
Shenyang and is currently setting up operations in Jinan. 
Other ING businesses in China include retail banking
through its 19.9% stake in Bank of Beijing; corporate and
investment banking through ING Wholesale Banking; and asset
management through China Merchants Fund Management, based in
Shenzhen and the largest foreign joint-venture fund manager,
and ING Real Estate, which develops and manages properties
in Beijing and Shanghai.

    ING is a global financial institution of Dutch origin
offering banking, insurance and asset management to over 60
million private, corporate and institutional clients in more
than 50 countries.  With a diverse workforce in excess of
115,000 people, ING comprises a broad spectrum of prominent
companies that increasingly serve their clients under the
ING brand.

    For more information, please contact: 

    ING Asia/Pacific
     Karen Williams 
     Tel:   +852-2913-8536
     Email: karen.williams@ap.ing.com

     Polly Leung
     Tel:   +852-2913-8792
     Email: polly.leung@ap.ing.com

SOURCE  ING
2007'02.01.Thu
Acquisition of Stellar Mega Media Empire from Mr. Qin Hui Cost Starwin Media Holdings Inc $225 Million
April 13, 2006

    LOS ANGELES, April 13 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Starwin
Media Holdings Inc. (OTC: SWMD) announced today that the
acquisition of Stellar Mega Media Empire from Mr. Qin Hui
cost Starwin $225 million.

    Both parties have been negotiating since August 2005
and have reached a final agreement on February 25, 2006. 
In the agreement, Starwin to immediately acquire from Mr.
Qin 70% stake of Strategic Media International Limited for
a consideration of $25 million in stock and cash.  Under
the agreement Starwin shall raise an additional capital of
$200 million for Stellar Mega Media Group of Companies. 
Mr. Qin shall provide audited financial statements prepared
by an acceptable U.S. firm of auditor; transfer the
ownership of Stellar Mega Media Group in China to Starwin,
and hand-over of management and board to Starwin.  

    Currently, Starwin is planning to take over the media
empire, and also to restructure the management and heavy
debit structure.  Starwin is seeking assistances from the
regulatory agencies, Finance Department, and China Stock
Exchange Commission.  Based on the financial information
provided by Mr. Qin Hui (who directly and indirectly
controls).  Stellar Mega Media Group has a total debt of
more than RMB 2 billions equivalent to $250 million with
net assets of not less than $350 million.  The injection of
$200 million as capital by Starwin for Stellar Mega Media
Group is not sufficient to settle the current debts of the
group, and Starwin plans to raise an additional 
US$50 million to payoff Stellar's debts.

    List of creditor banks in mainland China of Stellar
Group are: Minsheng Bank, Construction Bank, Huaxia Bank,
Beijing Bank, Guangdong Development Bank, Pudong
Development Bank, Merchant bank, Bank of Communication,
Shenzhen Development Bank, Citic Bank, Industrial Bank,
Bank of China, CIBC, Agriculture Bank, Nanjin Commercial
Bank, Everbright Bank, Zhongguanchun Quantee Company,
Sanshen Credit Union, Bank of China-Hong Kong Branch. 

    For more information, please contact:

     Wendyfer Zhong
     President of Starwin Media Holdings Inc.
     Tel: +1-626-347-8535

SOURCE  Starwin Media Holdings Inc.
2007'02.01.Thu
Bleum CEO Appointed Chair of International Association of Outsourcing Professionals (IAOP) Shanghai Chapter
April 13, 2006

    SHANGHAI, China, April 13 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Bleum,
a leading software outsourcing provider based in Shanghai,
China, announced today the foundation of the Shanghai
Chapter of the International Association of Outsourcing
Professionals (IAOP), and the appointment of Bleum CEO,
Eric Rongley as the Chapter chair.  

    Commenting on the establishment of an IAOP Shanghai
Chapter, Eric Rongley advised, "With the outsourcing
industry in China currently valued at 3.2 billion, there is
a need to ensure that the industry in China is viewed as
part of a truly global profession with the highest of
standards and professionalism."  

    He continued, "Operating under the highest
professional standards and levels of accreditation is a key
operating pillar for Bleum and something I firmly believe
in.  I am therefore delighted to take the role of IAOP
Shanghai Chapter chair and strive to take the outsourcing
industry as a whole in China onto the next level."

    The Shanghai Chapter is the latest in a number of IAOP
Chapters that have been set up around the world in cities
as diverse as Munich, Boston, Mexico, San Francisco and
London.  The Shanghai Chapter aims to build a body for
vendors, customers and advisors operating in the China
market that is both educational and social.  The focus will
be on shaping the future of outsourcing in China and on
enhancing the professionalism of the industry in the China
market place.  

    Meetings in the inaugural year will be quarterly, and
an executive committee will be established comprising
sub-committees reflecting different industries,
associations, vendors and strategic partners. 

    "We are very excited about the launch of the
Shanghai chapter," said Michael Corbett, Executive
Director, IAOP.  "The active support of leading
organizations like Bleum and many others all around the
world is the essential in helping ensure that outsourcing
continues to grow globally as a profession and as an
industry.  And, most importantly, making sure IAOP delivers
the value businesses expect and need."

    About Bleum

    Bleum is a leading offshore software outsourcing
service provider in China.  The company combines
world-class CMM Level 5 process with the highest security
practices, top talent from China and strong English skills
under the strategic direction and guidance of international
management.

    About IAOP Shanghai Chapter

    Those interested in involvement in the IAOP Shanghai
chapter should contact Eric Rongley at smong@bleum.com

    About IAOP

    The international Association of Outsourcing
Professionals (I'AOP) is the global, standard-setting
organization and advocate for the outsourcing profession. 
IAOP's global membership encompasses almost 200
organizations from around the world representing almost
every industry segment and functional activity.  In total,
more than 37,000 individuals working in the field of
outsourcing are members or subscribers.  For more
information, please visit
http://www.outsourcingprofessional.org .

    For further information, please contact:

    Media												
     Luke Zhang
     Marketing Manager			
     Tel:    +86-21-5308-1196
     Email:  luke.zhang@bleum.com

    Sales/General	
     Mike Signorelli
     Senior Vice President Global Sales
     Tel:   +86-21-5308-1196
     Email: mike.sig@bleum.com/info@bleum.com

SOURCE  Bleum
2007'02.01.Thu
Future Waves Provides Highly Flexible RF Solution for DAB and T-DMB
April 12, 2006

    TAIPEI, Taiwan, April 12 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- At
worldDAB Beijing event this month, Future Waves will
demonstrate its RF front end solution working with various
baseband chips.

    Future Waves' FENIX FNX 14701 is a highly integrated RF
tuner chip for DAB/DMB receiver solutions which features low
power consumption, low component counts and form factor, and
offers tri-band reception.  However, the key advantage is
its flexibility to operate with all existing baseband
solutions in the market. 

    "We provide the market with a high compatibility
feature because we understand that each market has its own
unique requirements and each solution provides different
benefits," said Glenn Vandevoorde, CEO of Future
Waves.  "Besides, working closely with our customers
is vital to us.  Offering a variety of options to our OEM,
ODM customers can also speed up the proliferation of
DAB/DMB enabled devices.  Providing easy-to-use and
flexible front-end solutions will open up markets to new
players.  It also enforces technical edge and know-how
which current players have built up.

    According to DRDB, there are nearly 6 million DAB
listeners in the U.K. already.  In-Stat also predicts that
Mobile TV subscribers in China will maintain fast growth in
next couple of years with a CAGR of 315% reaching 94 million
in 2009.  It seems that the digital broadcasting market has
taken off.  "People have been waiting for a while to
see China's action toward the digitalization trend in
electronic consumer products; especially the 2008 Beijing
Olympics has been a driving force to speed up the
introduction of mobile digital TV and radio
standards," pointed out by Mr. Vandevoorde.  "In
order to serve the market efficiently, Future Waves
believes in local support.  We do work with local baseband
IC and solution providers in each area, such as Isis-IP in
China, to obtain better market position and geographical
advantages.  More importantly, by doing this we can provide
real-time services and technical support to the
manufacturers, and this is essential to lift the industry
growth and assist our customers' success."  

    About Future Waves

    Future Waves is a fabless design house focusing on RF
and mixed-signal chips for next generation communication
and broadcast technologies.  Future Waves targets digital
tuners for portable applications and provides the most
flexible RF solution in addition to industry leading
performance regarding power consumption, cost effectiveness
and ease of use. 

    http://www.f-waves.com 

    Contact
     Kelly Wang, Marketing manager
     Tel:   +886-2-27998108
     Email: kelly@f-waves.com

SOURCE  Future Waves

2007'02.01.Thu
Xinhua Far East Assigns AA Issuer Credit Rating to Shanghai Port Container Co., Ltd.
April 12, 2006

    HONG KONG, April 12 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Xinhua Far
East China Ratings today assigned Shanghai Port Container
Co., Ltd. ("the Company" or "SPC", SH A
600018) with an AA domestic currency issuer credit rating.
The Company's rating outlook is stable.  The rating
reflects SPC's advantageous location in Shanghai, a hub of
China's buoyant international trade, and in the prosperous
Yangtze River Delta -- the main engine of China's economy,
which represented more than 20% of China's GDP in 2005. 
SPC's position has been bolstered by rapid development at
Shanghai port, which is currently the third largest port in
the world in terms of container throughput; it is also the
largest in mainland China in terms of both container and
cargo throughput.  The government's decision to build an
international shipping center in Shanghai and the
construction of Yangshan Port will also benefit the Company
in the long run. 

    Xinhua Far East believes that the acquisitions of
stakes in Waigaoqiao Phase V and Yangshan Phase I will
enable the Company to maintain vibrant growth in its core
business, giving it an expansion of 50% in its container
handling capacity.  The Company's strategy of taking an
equity position in branch ports along the Yangtze River has
strengthened the hub position of the Shanghai port by
attracting stable container sources.

    In addition, the Company has efficient container
handling operations, ample cash reserves, sound cash flow
and profit generating capacity, flexible fund raising
channels, and relative conservative financial leverage.

    There are concerns, however, related to the cyclical
nature of the container shipping industry, a possible
slowdown of China's economy, the huge capital expenditure
required for the construction of the new port facilities,
and the inadequate berth water depth of Shanghai port.

    Additionally, Xinhua Far East notes that the Company
may not receive the same level of support from its parent
company, Shanghai International Port (Group) Co., Ltd., as
it enjoyed previously as a result of stringent corporate
governance requirements implemented for SIPG's planned IPO
in Hong Kong.

    Shanghai Port Container Co., Ltd. ("SPC") is
a leading company specializing in container terminals
handling and value-added services at Shanghai port.  The
Company's activities mainly include port handling, road
transportation, agency and other port-related business.  In
2005, the Company reported turnover and EBIT of RMB4,776
million and RMB1,925 million respectively.  Turnover
generated from its port handling business reached RMB2,824
million, accounting for 59% of total turnover in 2005.  The
Company mainly operates in the Shanghai area, with turnover
from this region accounting for 99.18% of total turnover in
2005.

    SPC's parent company is Shanghai International Port
(Group) Co., Ltd. ("SIPG"), which held a 70.18%
stake in the Company at the end of 2005. SIPG is the
biggest port company with the highest container loading and
transportation capacity in mainland China.  SIPG's
predecessor was the Shanghai Port Authority, and the
state-owned Shanghai Assets Supervision and Administration
Commission controlled 50% of the stake of SIPG at the end
of 2005. 

    Shanghai Port Container Co., Ltd. is also a large cap
company in the Xinhua/FTSE China A50 Index.  As of April
11, 2006, its total market cap was RMB20 billion with
investable market cap of RMB6 billion.

    For the rating report summary, please visit
http://www.xinhuafinance.com/creditrating .

    Note to Editors:

    About FTSE/Xinhua China A50 Index 

    The FTSE/Xinhua China A50 Index is a real-time tradable
index comprising the largest 50 A Share companies by full
market capitalization.  Designed to meet the needs of
QFIIs, it can be used as a basis for both on-exchange and
OTC derivative products, mutual funds and ETFs.  For daily
data and further information, see http://www.xinhuaftse.com
.

    About Xinhua Far East China Ratings

    Xinhua Far East China Ratings (Xinhua Far East) is a
pioneering venture in China that aims to rank credit risks
among corporations in China.  It is a strategic alliance
between Xinhua Finance (TSE Mothers: 9399), and Shanghai
Far East Credit Rating Co., Ltd.  Shanghai Far East became
a Xinhua Finance partner company in 2003 and the first
China member of The Association of Credit Rating Agencies
in Asia in December 2003. 

    Capitalizing on the synergy between Xinhua Finance and
Shanghai Far East, Xinhua Far East's rating methodology and
process blend unique local market knowledge with
international rating standards.  Xinhua Far East is
committed to provide investors with independent, objective,
timely and forward-looking credit opinions on Chinese
companies.  It aims to help investors differentiate the
credit risks among the corporations in China, thereby,
cultivating their awareness and promoting information
disclosures and transparency in China market.  For more
information, see http://www.xfn.com/creditrating .

    About Xinhua Finance Limited

    Xinhua Finance Limited is China's unchallenged leader
in financial information and media, and is listed on the
Mothers board of the Tokyo Stock Exchange (symbol: 9399)
(OTC ADRs: XHFNY).  Bridging China's financial markets and
the world, Xinhua Finance serves financial institutions,
corporations and re-distributors through four focused and
complementary service lines: Indices, Ratings, Financial
News and Investor Relations.  Founded in November 1999, the
Company is headquartered in Shanghai with 21 news bureaus
and offices in 18 locations across Asia, Australia, North
America and Europe.  For more information, please visit
http://www.xinhuafinance.com . 
 
    About Shanghai Far East Credit Rating Co., Ltd

    Shanghai Far East Credit Rating Co., Ltd. is the first
and leading professional credit rating company with
comprehensive business coverage in China.  It is an
independent agency established by the Shanghai Academy of
Social Sciences with the mission to develop internationally
accepted standards for capital market in China.  The company
is a pioneer in conducting bond-rating business in China. 
For years, it has been authorized by the Shanghai branch of
the PBOC to undertake loan certificate credit rating.

    Since establishment, it has rated over 1,000 corporate
long-term bonds and commercial papers, based on the
principles of objectivity, fairness and independence.  The
company has also maintained over 50% market share in the
loan certificate-rating sector in Shanghai for three
consecutive years. With its strong local presence and
knowledge, it provides investors with unique and the most
insightful credit opinion.  For more information, see
http://www.fareast-cr.com .

    For more information, please contact:    

    Hong Kong
     Joy Tsang, 
     Corporate & Investor Communications Director, 
     Xinhua Finance
     Tel:   +852-3196-3983, +8621-6113-5999 or
+852-9486-4364   
     Email: joy.tsang@xinhuafinance.com

    US
     David Leeney, 
     Taylor Rafferty (IR/PR Contact in US)
     Tel:   +1-212-889-4350
     Email: david.Leeney@taylor-rafferty.com

SOURCE  Xinhua Far East China Ratings

2007'02.01.Thu
Xinhua Far East Assigns A+ Issuer Credit Rating to Shenzhen Chiwan Wharf Holdings Co., Ltd.
April 12, 2006

    HONG KONG, April 12 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Xinhua Far
East China Ratings today assigned Shenzhen Chiwan Wharf
Holdings Co., Ltd. ("CWH" or "the
Company," SZ A 000022, SZ B 200022) with an A+
domestic currency issuer credit rating.  The Company's
rating outlook is stable.  The rating reflects Xinhua Far
East's view about the high entry barriers and operating
requirements for port operation businesses and the benefits
of soaring foreign trade volumes resulting from the vibrant
economy in China's Pearl River Delta region.

    In fact, Shenzhen port ranked fourth in the world and
second in mainland China in 2005 in terms of container
throughput.  Shenzhen Chiwan port, one of the major
terminals in Shenzhen, handled 3.13 million TEUs in 2004,
representing 22.9% of total container throughput for
Shenzhen port that year. Moreover, Shenzhen Chiwan port is
one of the main bulk trans-shipment bases used for the
import and export of bulk chemical fertilizers in China,
with one-fourth of the market share for Shenzhen's bulk and
general cargo business in 2004.

    The Company is expected to enjoy strong growth,
particularly with full operation in Berth 13 of Shenzhen's
Chiwan port and Berths 5, 6 and 7 of Shenzhen's Mawan port.
 These ports will bring an extra two million TEUs (more than
50% increase) over the current container handling capacity.

    The new rating also takes into account the Company's
competitive advantage in container handling charges
compared to its Pearl River Delta peers, its robust
profitability, improved cost control capability and sound
cash flow generating capacity.

    However, container shipping industry is cyclical in
nature, and there is a possibility that China's economy
will slow in the near future.  There are other factors that
may place pressure on the Company's performance, including
competition among the ports in the Pearl River Delta,
projected capital expenditure for new port facilities,
restrictions on stacking yards availability, and congestion
on the road linking Shenzhen Chiwan port to other
locations.

    Shenzhen Chiwan is engaged mainly in port handling,
warehousing and transportation of containers and bulk and
general cargo at the Shenzhen Port terminals.  In 2004, it
generated 90.9% of turnover from its port handling
business.  China Nanshan Development (Group) Incorporation
("CND") held a 58.84% stake in the Company in
1H05.  In the first three quarters of 2005, the Company
reported turnover and EBIT of RMB1,397 million and RMB876
million respectively.

   Shenzhen Chiwan Wharf Holdings Co., Ltd. is also a large
cap company in the Xinhua/FTSE China A50 Index.  As of April
11, 2006, its total market cap was RMB7.37billion, with
investable market cap of RMB1.47 billion.

    For the rating report summary, please visit
http://www.xinhuafinance.com/creditrating .

    Note to Editors:

    About FTSE/Xinhua China A50 Index 

    The FTSE/Xinhua China A50 Index is a real-time tradable
index comprising the largest 50 A Share companies by full
market capitalization.  Designed to meet the needs of
QFIIs, it can be used as a basis for both on-exchange and
OTC derivative products, mutual funds and ETFs.  For daily
data and further information, see http://www.xinhuaftse.com
.

    About Xinhua Far East China Ratings

    Xinhua Far East China Ratings (Xinhua Far East) is a
pioneering venture in China that aims to rank credit risks
among corporations in China.  It is a strategic alliance
between Xinhua Finance (TSE Mothers: 9399), and Shanghai
Far East Credit Rating Co., Ltd.  Shanghai Far East became
a Xinhua Finance partner company in 2003 and the first
China member of The Association of Credit Rating Agencies
in Asia in December 2003. 

    Capitalizing on the synergy between Xinhua Finance and
Shanghai Far East, Xinhua Far East's rating methodology and
process blend unique local market knowledge with
international rating standards.  Xinhua Far East is
committed to provide investors with independent, objective,
timely and forward-looking credit opinions on Chinese
companies.  It aims to help investors differentiate the
credit risks among the corporations in China, thereby,
cultivating their awareness and promoting information
disclosures and transparency in China market.  For more
information, see http://www.xfn.com/creditrating .

    About Xinhua Finance Limited

    Xinhua Finance Limited is China's unchallenged leader
in financial information and media, and is listed on the
Mothers board of the Tokyo Stock Exchange (symbol: 9399)
(OTC ADRs: XHFNY).  Bridging China's financial markets and
the world, Xinhua Finance serves financial institutions,
corporations and re-distributors through four focused and
complementary service lines: Indices, Ratings, Financial
News and Investor Relations.  Founded in November 1999, the
Company is headquartered in Shanghai with 21 news bureaus
and offices in 18 locations across Asia, Australia, North
America and Europe.  For more information, please visit
http://www.xinhuafinance.com . 
 
    About Shanghai Far East Credit Rating Co., Ltd

    Shanghai Far East Credit Rating Co., Ltd. is the first
and leading professional credit rating company with
comprehensive business coverage in China.  It is an
independent agency established by the Shanghai Academy of
Social Sciences with the mission to develop internationally
accepted standards for capital market in China.  The company
is a pioneer in conducting bond-rating business in China. 
For years, it has been authorized by the Shanghai branch of
the PBOC to undertake loan certificate credit rating.

    Since establishment, it has rated over 1,000 corporate
long-term bonds and commercial papers, based on the
principles of objectivity, fairness and independence.  The
company has also maintained over 50% market share in the
loan certificate-rating sector in Shanghai for three
consecutive years.  With its strong local presence and
knowledge, it provides investors with unique and the most
insightful credit opinion.  For more information, see
http://www.fareast-cr.com .

    For more information, please contact:    

    Hong Kong
     Joy Tsang, 
     Corporate & Investor Communications Director, 
     Xinhua Finance
     Tel:   +852-3196-3983, +8621-6113-5999 or
+852-9486-4364   
     Email: joy.tsang@xinhuafinance.com

    US
     David Leeney, 
     Taylor Rafferty (IR/PR Contact in US)
     Tel:   +1-212-889-4350
     Email: david.Leeney@taylor-rafferty.com

SOURCE  Xinhua Far East China Ratings
2007'02.01.Thu
SIEC Announces China Cycle 2006 Fully Booked
April 12, 2006

    SHANGHAI, China, April 12 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --
Shanghai International Exhibition Co., Ltd. announced today
CHINA CYCLE 2006, the 16th China International Bicycle and
Motor Fair, will be held in the Shanghai New International
Expo Center on April 17-20, 2006, as originally scheduled. 
This year, however, the show is already fully booked due to
the lack of exhibition space.  Unfortunately, the new Hall
E3 and E4 will not be completed on time.  The organizers
have made available every inch of space to feed the growing
needs of the exhibitors, including the outdoor area. 
Despite the set-back, statistics are still exciting, with
all seven exhibition halls and the outdoor space being
utilized, accounting for more than 900 exhibitors and
85,000 square meters.

    Local Companies: Eager to Expand

    In 2006, many local companies chose to increase the
size of their stands, some up to 300 square meters.  Some
intend to keep their booths simple, leaving more space
available for buyers.  It seems that local companies have
benefited more from the annual Shanghai show, treating it
as their primary export channel. The growing number of
international buyers makes them quite satisfied with the
show, and this is the only show in China that can offer
such high quality international buyers. 

    At the same time, the local industry is more
represented than ever before. Major players in the industry
attend the show annually and this in turn helps to attract
more buyers from abroad, especially for those focusing on
mid and low range products. 

    International Companies: Growing Steadily

    International brands have seen a steady growth.  In
2006, international brands will be given the best locations
in Hall W1, while local and Taiwanese brands are in Hall E1.
 Most of these come from the US and Europe.  Some have
already entered local markets, including Shimano, Trek and
Specialized, and still hold the largest exhibition spaces,
as they continue to invest in the Chinese market together
with other marketing activities.  As many international
buyers come to Shanghai, the show lures more European small
and medium-sized company.  This year, the show will welcome
companies from Pakistan and Canada for the first time.  The
international brands in attendance bring with them various
product lines, focusing on more sports-related products,
such as bike racks, BMXs and accessories.

    New Development in the IBD Market

    In the past year, the IBD market has seen a rapid
development in China.  IBD stores have become popular in
big cities.  There are no official statistics, but taking
Shanghai as an example, four news IBD stores opened in the
past year, including Trek's concept store, Giant's 400
square-meter mega store, GR Bike's Italian Bike showroom,
and "Labici," specializing in Italian products. 
The same story has been evident in other cities too. 
Meanwhile, there are a growing number of biking activities
and many people have begun to rethink the role of the bike,
seeing it more and more as a leisure sport.  We can imagine
that if this trend continues, a premium market can be
expected.

    About Shanghai International Exhibition Co., Ltd.
(SIEC) 

    Shanghai International Exhibition Co., Ltd. (SIEC) is
jointly invested by Shanghai World Expo (Group) Co., Ltd.
and the Council for the Promotion of International Trade,
Shanghai.  The SIEC was founded on July 1st, 1984 with the
approval of the Ministry of Foreign Trade & Economic
Cooperation and the People's Government of Shanghai
Municipality. 

    The SIEC is a full member of Union des Foires
Internationales (UFI).  The SIEC has held 500 international
exhibitions of various themes and sizes.  It also has
successfully held a number of solo exhibitions at national
level. 

    "AUTO SHANGHAI," "SHANGHAITEX,"
"CHINA CYCLE," "FASHION SHANGHAI,"
"ELE/PT COMM CHINA" are among the first eight
exhibitions approved excellent by THE EVALUATION COMMITTEE
OF SHANGHAI CONVENTIONAL & EXHIBITION INDUSTRIES.

    For more information, please contact:

     Kevin Zhou
     Project Manager
     Tel:     +86-21-6279-2828
     Fax:     +86-21-6545-5124
     Website: http://www.siec-ccpit.com      

SOURCE  Shanghai International Exhibition Co., Ltd.

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