2007'02.11.Sun
TI Introduces First Digital Audio Amplifier Power Stages That Drive More Than 300 Watts on a Single Channel
October 26, 2006
-- Single-Chip Devices Provide All-Digital Clarity and Efficiency, While Reducing Component Count, System Cost and Board Size
DALLAS, Oct. 26 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) (NYSE: TXN) today introduced two new PurePath Digital(TM) power stages. The TAS5261 provides OEMs with the industry's highest power single-chip digital amplifier power stage, capable of driving more than 300 watts (W) into a 4-ohm speaker, while the two-channel TAS5162 digital amplifier power stage can drive 200 W per channel at 6 ohms and 125 W at 8 ohms. The devices enable higher efficiency and sound quality in a variety of audio applications, including many previously restricted from using digital amplifiers due to power requirements, such as high-end DVD receivers and mid- to high-end audio/video receivers (AVRs). (For more information, see http://www.ti.com/tas5261 .) (Photo: http://211.154.41.99:9080/xprn/back/upload/story_attchment/20061026171416-54.jpg ) (Photo: http://211.154.41.99:9080/xprn/back/upload/story_attchment/20061026171620-27.jpg ) "Digital amplifier and Class-D chips comprise one of the more promising audio markets, where we predict a compound annual growth of 40 percent," said Will Strauss, president of Forward Concepts, which published the June 2006 report "Audio Chip Markets: The Foundation of Multimedia." "As the world leader in Class-D and digital audio amplifier technology, TI continues to set the bar in this market with the TAS5261, capable of driving up to 17 amps in a very small area of silicon." All-Digital Quality and Efficiency Existing 300-W systems (4 ohms) such as AVRs have had to utilize less efficient Class-AB amplifiers or modules due to power and current limitations of available digital audio power stages. Now, with the TAS5162 and TAS5261 single-chip power stages, designers can leverage TI's industry-leading Class-D technology, which offers an efficiency of greater than 95 percent and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 110 dB. The TAS5261 features total harmonic distortion plus noise (THD+N) of less than 0.09 percent THD+N at 125 W (8 ohms). The TAS5162 can drive two channels simultaneously at 200W. These enable a cooler-running system that uses less energy, while increasing performance and sound clarity. In addition, unlike other high-power digital amp or Class-D solutions, the single-chip devices eliminate discrete components such as MOSFET H-bridges, reducing board size, easing layout, simplifying heat sink design and lowering manufacturing costs. "TI's Class-D expertise allows OEMs to take advantage of all the benefits of a digital amplifier, including a cost-effective, all-digital, end-to-end implementation and crystal-clear audio with no signal degradation at even the highest power levels," said Art George, senior vice president of TI's high-performance analog business unit. "The TAS5261 is unmatched in how much power and current it can reliably drive, more than doubling what is available in today's digital amplifier power stages." The TAS5162 power stage is also pin-compatible with earlier TAS51x2 devices, enabling OEMs to design a single board that can drive 100 W (TAS5142), 125 W (TAS5152), or 200 W (TAS5162) per channel, eliminating multiple designs and simplifying logistics. Similar to the TAS5152 and TAS5142, these new power stages include improved gate drive technology, as well as cycle-by-cycle, two-stage over-current and under-voltage detection. TI's PurePath Digital(TM) Audio Technology The TAS5162 and TAS5261 digital amplifier power stages are part of TI's PurePath Digital technology, which allows consumer electronics manufacturers to build completely digital, end-to-end audio products with cutting-edge sound reproduction and the most lifelike sound in a compact form factor. By reproducing movie soundtracks or music exactly the way the artist intended, PurePath Digital technology offers high-end digital entertainment to the everyday consumer. PurePath Digital technology complements TI's complete signal chain for audio applications, including digital and high-performance analog products such as digital signal processors (DSPs), switch mode power management, analog Class-D amplifiers and audio converters. Availability, Packaging and Pricing The TAS5261 300-W digital amplifier power stage is available today in volume in PSOP-3 packaging at $5.25 each in quantities of 1,000 or more. The TAS5162 200-W stereo digital amplifier power stage, available in both PSOP-3 and HTSSOP packaging, is slated for volume production by December. 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 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 . Trademarks PurePath Digital is a trademark of Texas Instruments. All registered trademarks and other trademarks belong to their respective owners. For more information, please contact: Stephanie Groswirt Texas Instruments Tel: +1-214-480-2512 Email: s-groswirt@ti.com Wes Robinson GolinHarris Tel: +1-213-623-4200 Email: wrobinson@golinharris.com SOURCE Texas Instruments Incorporated
PR
2007'02.11.Sun
British American Tobacco -- Quarterly Report to 30 September 2006
October 26, 2006
LONDON, Oct. 26 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --
SUMMARY
NINE MONTHS RESULTS 2006 2005
Change
Revenue -- as reported GBP7,251m GBP6,884m
+5%
Profit from operations - as GBP1,944m GBP1,901m
+2%
Reported
- like-for-like GBP2,124m GBP1,961m
+8%
Adjusted diluted earnings per 75.00p 66.64p
+13%
Share
-- Reported Group profit from operations was 2 per cent
higher at GBP1,944 million. However, profit from operations
would have been 8 per cent higher, or 6 per cent at
comparable rates of exchange, if exceptional items and the
impact arising from the change in terms of trade following
the sale of Etinera are excluded, with all regions except
Europe contributing to this good growth. This like-for-like
information provides a better understanding of the
subsidiaries' trading results.
-- Group volumes from subsidiaries increased by 1 per
cent to 509 billion on both a reported and like-for-like
basis, with impressive growth of 16 per cent from the four
global drive brands. The reported Group revenue at GBP7,251
million rose by 5 per cent or 3 per cent at comparable rates
of exchange. This volume and revenue growth was achieved
across a broad spread of markets.
-- Adjusted earnings per share rose by 13 per cent as
the higher net finance costs and minority interests were
more than offset by the improvement in profit from
operations, the share of associates' post-tax results, a
lower tax rate and the benefit from the share buy-back
programme.
-- The Chairman, Jan du Plessis, commented:
"Adjusted diluted earnings per share increased by 13
per cent, which is a very good result, reflecting strong
performances from both our subsidiaries and our associates.
Although exchange gains are expected to deteriorate further
in the fourth quarter, the growth in volume, revenue and
profit for the nine months shows that British American
Tobacco is on track for a good year."
For more information, please contact:
INVESTOR RELATIONS:
Ralph Edmondson
Tel: +44-20-7845-1180
Rachael Brierley
Tel: +44-20-7845-1519
PRESS OFFICE:
David Betteridge, Kate Matrunola, or Catherine
Armstrong
Tel: +44-20-7845-2888
SOURCE British American Tobacco
2007'02.11.Sun
Gemalto Reports Third Quarter 2006 Revenue(1)
October 26, 2006
-- Third Quarter Revenue at EUR 390 Million, Down 8% at
Constant Exchange
Rates, as Market Environment Remains Difficult in
Mobile Communication
-- Year-to-date Pro Forma Revenue at EUR1,237 Million,
1% Lower Than Last
Year at Constant Exchange Rates, and Stable at
Current Exchange Rates
-- Deployments of Electronic Passports Projects Lead to
20% Growth in ID &
Security in the Third Quarter 2006 at Constant
Exchange Rates
AMSTERDAM, Oct. 26 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --
- Strong Improvement in Net Cash, up EUR42 Million, to
EUR385 Million
- Integration Program and Synergy Generation Well
On-Track
Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 - GTO), a leader in
digital security, today announced its revenue for the
quarter ended September 30, 2006.
In millions Q3 06 Year-on- Year-on- YTD 06
Year-on- Year-on
of euros year year Pro
year year
change at change at forma
change at change at
historical constant
historical constant
exchange exchange
exchange exchange
rates rates
rates rates
Mobile 230.4 -14% -12% 721.2
-8% -9%
Communication
Secure 93.0 -5% -4% 284.3
+8% +8%
transactions
ID & Security 42.2 +19% +20%
148.8 +56% +55%
Public 13.6 -24% -21% 46.5
-11% -12%
Telephony
Point of 11.3 -31% -29% 36.1
-21% -21%
Sales
Terminals
Total revenue 390.5 -10% -8% 1,236.9
0% -1%
Olivier Piou, Chief Executive Officer, commented:
"Market demand for Gemalto products and services
remained strong in our major business segments. However,
price pressure particularly in Mobile Communication
eliminated revenue growth for the quarter and year to date.
We continue to see significant strength in our ID &
Security segment, which turned in another strong quarter
and secured several new e-passport projects.
Our merger integration program is moving ahead, on
target and on schedule. The integration process has
validated the net synergies we anticipated at the outset,
and revealed additional opportunities that we are
implementing. The markets we serve are dynamic and we are
fully committed to making the adjustments needed to ensure
that we remain in line with our long-term
objectives."
Third quarter 2006 and year-to-date pro forma revenue
impacted by a difficult market environment in Mobile
Communication
Microprocessor card deliveries(2) grew 31% to 281
million units in the third quarter 2006, sustained by
strong demand in all core business segments. Year-to-date,
deliveries were up 34% to 826 million units.
Third quarter total revenue was down 8%, at constant
exchange rates, reflecting varying performance between
business segments. Strong growth in Identity & Security
was offset by lower revenue in Mobile Communication, a
remnant of strong average selling price decrease in the
first quarter.
On a pro forma basis, year-to-date revenue was stable.
After adjusting for the Setec acquisition, revenue was down
3% year-to-date at constant exchange rates.
Third quarter 2006 segment analysis
Mobile Communication performance reflects the strong
ASP decline incurred earlier in the year and a shift in
geographical mix
In millions of 2005 2006 Year-on-year change
Year-on-year change
euros Pro Pro at historical
at constant
forma forma exchange rates
exchange rates
Third quarter 267.8 230.4 -14%
-12%
revenue
Year-to-date 784.7 721.2 - 8%
-9%
revenue
Strong unit volume growth in SIM cards did not offset
the effect of the decrease in the average selling price:
- Deliveries for the third quarter 2006 were up 34%
year-on-year to 219
million units, driven by strong demand in Asia and in
EMEA(3), notably in
Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Lower
sales in the Americas
reflect a slowdown in new subscriber additions as
well as price competition.
- Average selling price for the third quarter 2006 was
down 32% year on
year, at constant exchange rates, mainly due to the
strong competitive
price pressure during the first quarter and a shift
in the geographic
mix. Compared with the second quarter 2006, average
selling price was
down 3.9%, at constant exchange rates.
In the quarter, Gemalto's digital security leadership
and high end application expertise were rewarded:
- The Group was selected to supply high-end products,
consulting services
and project management for two nationwide mobile TV
rollouts.
- The Company Over-The-Air personal information and
phonebook
synchronization applications continued to receive
strong interest from
network operators and are generating new value-added
services revenue
in the Americas.
Secure Transactions posted a slight decline due to
slower EMV(4) revenue in Europe
In millions of 2005 2006 Year-on-year
Year-on-year
euros Pro forma Pro forma change at
change at
historical
constant
exchange rates
exchange rates
Third quarter 97.9 93.0 -5%
-4%
revenue
Year-to-date 262.3 284.3 +8%
+8%
revenue
Microprocessor card deliveries for the third quarter
2006 were up 11% to 52 million units, driven by on-going
EMV deployment, particularly in Turkey, Latin America and
North Asia. Volumes were slightly down in EMEA reflecting
completion of the initial EMV migration in the United
Kingdom and delays in EMV rollouts in Southern Europe.
Revenue was also impacted by price pressure in mature
markets.
Contactless payment activity has now moved beyond the
United States to Asia, where Gemalto achieved strong
recognition and growth. The Group is also supplying
technology for several pilot projects in Asia and in
Europe.
Excellent performance in ID & Security
In millions of 2005 2006 Year-on-year
Year-on-year
euros Pro forma Pro forma change at
change at
historical
constant
exchange rates
exchange rates
Third quarter 35.6 42.2 +19%
+20%
revenue
Year-to-date 95.2 148.8 +56%
+55%
revenue
Revenue growth was driven by deliveries of e-passports
solutions, including initial deployments of large scale
programs in France and Poland.
Gemalto received initial orders in the third quarter
for e-passports solutions from the USA, Poland and
Slovenia, adding several meaningful and highly visible
contracts to those awarded earlier this year in France, the
Czech Republic, Portugal and Russia.
Gemalto technology was also selected in the second
phase of the Sultanate of Oman e-government program.
Gemalto will provide an update of the Registration System,
integration services, and 2.5 million high-end smart ID
cards to offer additional e-government services to the
population of the Sultanate.
Point-of-Sale Terminals
Slower activity in this segment reflects delays earlier
this year in tender awards in Asia a transition to a new
range of products scheduled for introduction later in the
fourth quarter 2006.
Regional analysis
Third quarter revenue by region
In millions of Q3 05 Q3 06 % change at
% change at
euros Pro forma historical
constant
exchange rates
exchange rates
EMEA 227.4 215.6 -5%
-4%
North & South 128.3 92.3 -28%
-26%
America
Asia 79.7 82.6 +4%
+8%
Total revenue 435.4 390.5 -10%
-8%
Regional analysis shows a substantial shift in revenue
contribution by region: Asia accounted for 21% of third
quarter 2006 revenue compared with 18% a year ago. Revenue
growth in this area was driven by Secure Transactions and
Mobile Communication. In EMEA, remarkable growth in ID
& Security was offset by lower revenue in Mobile
Communication and Secure Transactions. The Americas sharply
lower contribution to total revenue reflects the much lower
market demand for Mobile Communication products, while
Secure Transactions recorded strong growth over last year
in Latin America, building solid positions around the EMV
deployments.
Outlook
The third quarter market environment proved
challenging, and the Company expects an improvement in the
fourth quarter. With synergies from the combination
materializing progressively, in line with plans, and the
significant resources required this year to converge
product roadmaps and processes, Gemalto continues to expect
operating margin in the second half 2006 to be similar to
that of the first half.
The Group is confident in its ability to play a leading
role in the global development of digital security. It has
taken cost reduction measures beyond the initially
identified synergies, and continues to adapt to match the
changing needs of the marketplace. Management is determined
to ensure that Gemalto meets its long term objective of an
operating margin in the low teens in 2009.
Conference call
The company has scheduled a conference call for
Thursday, October 26, 2006 at 2:30 pm CET (1:30 pm BST and
8:30 am New-York time). Callers may participate in the live
conference call by dialling:
+44(0)207-365-1836 or +1-718-354-1158 or
+33-1-70-99-42-72.
The slide show will be available on the web site at
12:00 CET (11:00 BST).
Replays of the conference call will be available
approximately 3 hours after the conclusion of the
conference call until November 2, 2006 midnight by
dialling:
+44(0)207-806-1970 or +1-718-354-11-12 or
+33-1-71-23-02-48, access code: 2104153.
Earnings calendar
Full year 2006 revenue is scheduled to be reported on
February 1, 2007, before the opening of Euronext Paris.
The schedule for the announcement of fiscal year 2006
results will be communicated on February 1, 2007.
About Gemalto
Gemalto (Euronext NL 0000400653 GTO) is a leader in
digital security with pro forma 2005 annual revenues of
$2.2 billion (EUR1.7 billion), operations in 120 countries
and 11,000 employees including 1,500 R&D engineers. The
company's solutions make personal digital interactions
secure and easy in a world where everything of value - from
money to identities - is represented as information
communicated over networks.
Gemalto thrives on creating and deploying secure
platforms, portable and secure forms of software in highly
personal objects like smart cards, SIMs, e-passports,
readers and tokens. More than a billion people worldwide
use the company's products and services for
telecommunications, banking, e-government, identity
management, multimedia digital right management, IT
security and other applications. Gemalto was formed in June
2006 by the combination of Axalto and Gemplus.
For more information please visit
http://www.gemalto.com
APPENDIX
Revenue breakdown by business segment
In millions of Q3 05 As a % Q3 06 As a % YTD 05 As
a % YTD 06 As a %
euros of of
of of
Pro total total Pro forma
total Pro total
forma
forma
Mobile 267.8 62% 230.4 59% 784.7
63% 721.2 58%
Communication
Secure 97.9 22% 93.0 24% 262.3
21% 284.3 23%
transactions
ID & Security 35.6 8% 42.2 11% 95.2
8% 148.8 12%
Public Telephony 17.8 4% 13.6 3% 52.1
4% 46.5 4%
Point of Sales 16.3 4% 11.3 3% 45.8
4% 36.1 3%
Terminals
Total revenue 435.4 100.0% 390.5 100.0% 1,240.1
100.0% 1,236.9 100.0%
First quarter revenue by business segment
In millions of Q1 05 Q1 06 % change at
% change at
euros Pro forma Pro forma historical
constant
exchange rates
exchange rates
Mobile 236.7 229.9 -3%
-8%
Communication
Secure transactions 71.9 91.4 +27%
+25%
ID & Security 22.6 53.2 +135%
+127%
Public Telephony 17.8 17.9 +1%
-4%
Point of Sales 15.7 13.8 -12%
-14%
Terminals
Total revenue 364.7 406.2 +11%
+7%
Second quarter revenue by business segment
In millions of Q2 05 Q2 06 % change at
% change at
euros Pro forma Pro forma historical
constant
exchange rates
exchange rates
Mobile 280.3 260.8 -7%
-8%
Communication
Secure transactions 92.5 99.9 +8%
+7%
ID & Security 36.9 53.4 +45%
+44%
Public Telephony 16.5 15.0 -9%
-11%
Point of Sales 13.9 11.0 -20%
-21%
Terminals
Total revenue 440.0 440.1 0%
-1%
Year-to-date revenue by region
In millions of YTD 05 YTD 06 % change at
% change at
euros Pro forma Pro forma historical
constant
exchange rates
exchange rates
EMEA 651.7 665.0 +2%
+2%
North & South 340.1 304.3 -11%
-13%
America
Asia 248.2 267.6 +8%
+6%
Total revenue 1,240.1 1,236.9 0%
-1%
In the first half 2006 earnings release, the Company
presented additional financial information on an adjusted
pro forma basis which was prepared in US dollars. The
adjusted pro forma information of the corresponding periods
have been prepared assuming that the combination with
Gemplus had taken place as of January 1, 2005, and
excluding charges arising from the accounting treatment of
the transaction and one-off expenses incurred in connection
with the combination with Gemplus. This adjusted pro forma
information is presented below in euros for the six month
periods ended June 30, 2005, June 30, 2006 and December 31,
2005.
For a more detailed description of the basis of
preparation of this adjusted pro forma information, please
refer to EXPLANATION OF ADJUSTED AND PRO FORMA MEASURES at
the end of the first half 2006 earnings press release.
Gemalto adjusted* pro forma income statement
(assuming the combination was executed on January 1,
2005)
All amounts in euro thousands (except where otherwise
stated)
Six months ended
30-Jun-05 31-Dec-05
30-Jun-06
Sales 804,750 919,659
846,312
Cost of sales (541,434) (623,593)
(590,343)
Gross profit 263,316 296,066
255,969
Gross margin 32.7% 32.2%
30.2%
Operating expenses:
Research and engineering (55,763) (60,760)
(59,388)
Sales and marketing (97,767) (109,545)
(108,469)
General and administrative (52,273) (62,108)
(57,183)
Other income, net 2,214 1,397
(128)
Operating income 59,728 65,051
30,801
Operating margin 7.4% 7.1%
3.6%
Financial income (expenses), net 2,069 2,535
5,720
Share of profit (losses) of
associates (990) 1,426
271
Profit before income tax 60,806 69,012
36,792
Income tax expense (10,928) 14,024
(2,408)
Profit for the period 49,879 83,035
34,385
Attributable :
Equity holders of the company 31,586 46,935
16,399
Minority interest 18,292 36,100
17,986
Basic earnings per share
(in euros) 0.51 0.75
0.26
In thousands:
Basic average number of shares
outstanding 62,425 62,316
62,399
* excluding one-off expenses incurred in connection
with the combination with Gemplus and charges resulting
from the accounting treatment of the transaction
DISCLAIMER
The Gemalto N.V. securities referred to herein issued
in connection with the exchange offer of Gemalto N.V. for
the securities of Gemplus International S.A., and the
Gemalto N.V. shares issued in connection with the reopening
of such exchange offer, have not been (and are not intended
to be) registered under the United States Securities Act of
1933, as amended, (the "Securities Act") and may
not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, into the
United States except pursuant to an applicable exemption.
The Gemalto securities have been and will be made available
within the United States in connection with the exchange
offer pursuant to an exemption from the registration
requirements of the Securities Act.
The exchange offer and its reopening relate to the
securities of a non-US company and are subject to
disclosure requirements of a foreign country that are
different from those of the United States. Financial
statements presented have been prepared in accordance with
foreign accounting standards that may not be comparable to
the financial statements of United States companies.
It may be difficult for an investor to enforce its
rights and any claim it may have arising under U.S. federal
securities laws, since Gemalto N.V. and Gemplus
International S.A. have their corporate headquarters
outside of the United States, and some or all of their
officers and directors may be residents of foreign
countries. An investor may not be able to sue a foreign
company or its officers or directors in a foreign court for
violations of the U.S. securities laws. It may be difficult
to compel a foreign company and its affiliates to subject
themselves to a U.S. court's judgment.
This release does not constitute an offer to purchase
or exchange or the solicitation of an offer to sell or
exchange any securities of Gemalto N.V. or an offer to sell
or exchange or the solicitation of an offer to buy or
exchange any securities of Gemplus International S.A.
Gemplus security holders are strongly advised to read
the offering circular relating to the exchange offer and
related exchange offer materials regarding the transaction
(see below), as well as any amendments and supplements to
those documents because they contain important
information.
The exchange offer and its reopening described herein
are not (and are note intended to be) made, directly or
indirectly, in or into the United Kingdom, Italy, the
Netherlands, Canada or Japan or in or into any other
jurisdiction in which such offer would be unlawful prior to
the registration or qualification under the laws of such
jurisdiction. Accordingly, persons who come into possession
of this release should inform themselves of and observe
these restrictions.
Copies of the free English translation of the joint
French language offering document which has received visa
No. 06-252 of July 6, 2006 from the French Autorite des
marches financiers and of the documents incorporated by
reference thereto are available from the Internet websites
of Gemalto N.V. ( http://www.gemalto.com ) and of Gemplus
International S.A. ( http://www.gemplus.com ) as well as
free of charge upon request to the following: Gemalto N.V.:
Koningsgracht Gebouw 1, Joop Geesinkweg 541-542, 1096 AX
Amsterdam, the Netherlands;
Gemplus International S.A.: 46A, avenue J.F. Kennedy,
L-1855 Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg; Mellon
Investor Services LLC, U.S. Exchange Agent: 480 Washington
Boulevard, Attn: Information Agent Group,AIM # 074-2800,
Jersey City, New Jersey 07310, Call Toll Free:
1-866-768-4951.
(1) Third quarter 2005, year-to-date 2005 and
year-to-date 2006 revenue
provided in this press release are on a pro forma
basis, reflecting
the combined activity of Gemalto and Gemplus over
the corresponding
period, assuming that the combination had taken
place as of January
1, 2005.
(2) Deliveries reported in the first half 2006 earnings
release included
some contactless memory cards in Secure
Transactions and ID &
Security: actual microprocessor card deliveries in
the first half 2006
was 545 million units of which 97 million units in
Secure Transactions
(3) Europe, Middle East, Africa
(4) EMV is a jointly defined set of specifications
dedicated to payment
safety improvement, adopted by Europay, MasterCard
and Visa for the
migration of bank cards to microprocessor card
technology.
For more information, please contact:
Emmanuelle Saby, M.
Corporate Media Relations
Tel: +336-09-10-76-10
Email: emmanuelle.saby@gemalto.com
Remi Calvet, M.
Corporate Communication
Tel: +336-22-72-81-58
Email: remi.calvet@gemalto.com
Stephane Bisseuil
Investors Relations
Tel: +331-55-01-50-97
Email: stephane.bisseuil@gemalto.com
FINEO
Tel: +331-56-33-32-31
SOURCE Gemalto
2007'02.11.Sun
KONE Introduces the World's Flattest Technology for Autowalks -- First InnoTrack(TM) Units to Be Installed at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
October 26, 2006
ESPOO, Finland, Oct. 26 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- KONE has
developed the world's flattest autowalk technology, which
makes designing locations for and installing autowalks
considerably easier. Due to the innovative pallet return
mechanism and a new kind of motor solution, each KONE
InnoTrack(TM) autowalk is so flat that, unlike conventional
solutions, it can be installed entirely on the floor level.
The first six KONE InnoTrack(TM) autowalks will be
installed in Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, one of the world's
most modern airports with advanced systems for efficient
people flow management. The new autowalks will be installed
in the expanded terminal B in April 2007.
"KONE InnoTrack is a breakthrough innovation in
the escalator business. The modular-based flat technology
platform and the reinstallation possibility enable the use
of InnoTracks also in buildings and premises in which
autowalks have not been used before. An InnoTrack can be
installed without changes in the floor structure, which
enables the easy installation of InnoTracks in both
existing and new buildings. These features make InnoTrack a
solution for a wide range of different locations and
premises with a need for efficient traffic flow," says
Heikki Leppanen, EVP, New Elevators and Escalators.
Autowalks utilizing the KONE InnoTrack(TM) technology
weigh significantly less than conventional autowalks. As a
result of their modular design, they can be delivered to
the installation site in parts. Moreover, the installation
method makes it possible to easily alter the size and
location of each autowalk, giving greater lifetime
flexibility. The new technology will allow more efficient
and flexible use of space, and will give greater
architectural freedom in designing buildings. Due to its
flat and light structure, a KONE InnoTrack(TM) autowalk can
also be installed in upper floors of existing buildings
without changes in the floor structure.
The distinguishing features of the new KONE
InnoTrack(TM) autowalk technology are that the pallets
arriving at the end of the autowalk are lowered to return
tracks placed just under the walking level, and that the
motor is located inside the autowalk balustrade. In
contrast, the motor, drive system and pallet return tracks
of conventional autowalks are located in a pit up to one
meter below the floor level.
Due to these new properties, the KONE InnoTrack(TM)
autowalk reduces architectural design and installation
costs. The savings in the planning and installation phase
can even exceed the acquisition cost of the autowalk. The
equipment's optimized maintenance program also minimizes
stoppages and ensures reliable operation throughout its
lifetime.
KONE InnoTrack(TM) is environmentally friendly because
of its oil-free drive system and pallet chain and the fact
that it uses significantly less material than traditional
solutions. The new technology utilizes the KONE
PowerDisc(TM) machinery, which has proven itself as a
reliable and energy-efficient solution in KONE's
elevators.
Autowalks are mainly used for heavy-duty transportation
needs at airports, railway stations, commercial buildings
and other crossover points between different forms of
public transportation.
The new order strengthens KONE's long-term and
successful collaboration with Amsterdam Airport Schiphol,
which dates back to the early 1960s.
Web Cast and Conference Call
A live web cast and conference call of the press event,
conducted in English, can be followed on the company website
http://www.kone.com/innotrack at 12:00 p.m. CET.
For more information about the KONE InnoTrack(TM)
technology please visit http://www.kone.com/innotrack .
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol served 44.2 million
passengers and handled over 1.4 million tonnes of cargo in
2005, ranking as Europe's fourth-largest passenger and
third-largest cargo airport. Around 90 scheduled airlines
operate flight services from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol to
some 250 destinations worldwide. The airport thus ranks as
one of Europe's four major hubs. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
is a major driver of the regional Dutch economy generating
on-airport jobs for 58,000 people as of the end of October
2005.
KONE is one of the world's leading elevator and
escalator companies. It provides its customers with
industry-leading elevators and escalators and innovative
solutions for their maintenance and modernization. KONE
also provides maintenance of automatic building doors. In
2005, KONE had annual net sales of EUR 3.2 billion and
about 27,000 employees. Its class B shares are listed on
the Helsinki Stock Exchange.
http://www.kone.com
For more information, please contact:
Matti Hyytiainen
SVP,
New Escalators
Tel: +358-20475-4770
SOURCE KONE Corporation
2007'02.11.Sun
Singapore Airlines is AirPlus' New Cooperation Partner
October 26, 2006
Airline's Corporate Customers to Benefit from AirPlus Payment Solution
SINGAPORE and FRANKFURT, Oct. 26 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --
AirPlus International, leading provider of global business
travel payment solutions, has entered into a partnership
with Singapore Airlines in the field of business travel
management. AirPlus will offer companies in Singapore a
complete payment and cost analysis solution for corporate
travel on the international carrier, enabling companies to
thoroughly analyze all their travel expenses and benefit
from a unique cost transparency.
Core element of the new partnership is the AirPlus
Company Account. It is a central payment account which
makes paying and evaluating business travel much simpler
for companies. The AirPlus Company Account enables
corporate customers to better analyze and control their
travel spending by providing detailed and accurate data
including company, traveller and trip-specific information.
"We are delighted that we can offer corporate
customers in Singapore an advanced payment system
representing both cutting-edge technology and an
individual-tailored solution. In addition, the
collaboration with one of the world's leading carriers will
strengthen our position as a provider of global business
travel payment solutions and preferred partner for
airlines," states AirPlus Managing Director Patrick W.
Diemer. Within the framework of the collaboration,
corporate customers will also gain access to a powerful
management information system: The AirPlus Information
Manager enables complete analysis of all travel services.
With the information that is gained, companies will
recognize cost-cutting opportunities and have the optimal
basis for negotiations with airlines, hotels, car rental
companies and other service providers.
About AirPlus International
With more than 30,000 corporate customers worldwide
AirPlus International is a global leader in business travel
payment solutions, offering central payment accounts,
corporate cards and online management tools. AirPlus
settles flight tickets from more than 260 airlines and is
the preferred partner of various airlines such as Austrian
Airlines, British Airways, Continental Airlines, Lufthansa
German Airlines, Luxair, Swiss International Air Lines, TAP
Portugal and now Singapore Airlines. For more information
please go to http://www.airplus.com .
For more information, please contact:
Mark Wee
AirPlus International Singapore
Tel: +65-6866-3275
Email: mwee@airplus.com
Address: 8 Temasek Blvd, Penthouse Level,
Suntec Twr 3, Singapore 038988
SOURCE AirPlus International
2007'02.11.Sun
A Large, Untapped Global Market Exists for Improved TB Tests
October 26, 2006
US$1 Billion Is Already Spent Every Year on TB Diagnostics Still Millions of Cases in Developing Countries Are Never Diagnosed
GENEVA, Oct. 25 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- A significant
and largely untapped global market exists for more
effective and affordable tests to diagnose tuberculosis in
low and middle income countries, where most TB cases today
occur.
(Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040610/CNTH001LOGO )
This is the major finding of a new report, Diagnostics
for Tuberculosis: Global Demand and Market Potential,
released today by the Special Programme for Tropical
Disease Research and Training (WHO/ TDR) and the Foundation
for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND).
Most people in the world who have tuberculosis (TB), or
live in TB risk areas, do not have good access to rapid and
accurate testing, states the report, the most comprehensive
review of the TB diagnostics market to date. Improved tests
could bolster international TB control efforts and respond
to a significant market demand, adds the report, calling
for industry investment in new diagnostic tools targeted to
low and middle income countries.
One third of the world's population is infected with
latent TB, and at risk of developing the active disease.
HIV is fuelling TB epidemics in many countries and
multi-drug resistance is a growing threat. 1.7 million
people a year die from TB, many because the infection goes
undiagnosed, or is diagnosed too late to be cured.
"The TB and HIV threat continues to grow in many
parts of the world, and governments need high quality
diagnostics to help manage these epidemics," says Dr.
Robert Ridley, director of TDR. "We need simple tests
to accurately screen for, and identify, active tuberculosis.
New tests also are needed to monitor treatment response, to
identify bacterial drug resistance, and to detect latent
infection in people at greatest risk for progression to
active TB."
Of the estimated 9 million people who develop active TB
every year, most still do not receive a laboratory-confirmed
diagnosis. Only about 2.2 million TB cases annually are
diagnosed and reported with sputum smear microscopy, the
most widely available test. Other cases are diagnosed
through an often inefficient and sometimes wasteful
combination of chest x-rays, bacterial cultures and
guesswork.
The global market for TB diagnostics is more than twice
that of the market for drugs used to treat the disease.
Worldwide, about US$1 billion is spent on TB tests and
evaluations, which screen some 100 million people annually;
around US $300 million is spent on drugs for treatment.
In low and middle income countries where three-quarters
of the TB tests and screenings are carried out, around
US$326 million annually is spent on TB diagnostics -- and
an even larger potential market exists for more effective
and affordable tools. Between 70-90% of the potential
available market for new TB diagnostics is concentrated in
22 countries with the highest burden of TB.
High-tech molecular and rapid culture diagnostics
available in developed countries are too complex and costly
for many settings where TB is most prevalent, the report
notes. Yet traditional sputum smear, x-ray and culture
tests may not accurately identify active TB, particularly
in HIV-positive patients. Such diagnostics also may fail to
make critical distinctions between latent and active TB, and
between drug sensitive and drug resistant forms of the
disease.
"The technology exists to make better TB tools,
and this report leaves no doubt that there is a large
global market," said Dr Giorgio Roscigno, Chief
Executive Officer of FIND. "There is a huge
opportunity for diagnostics developers to expand their
investments to meet this very real need. We need to use
this market analysis to encourage the development of
accurate, affordable and easy-to-use diagnostics for
developing countries."
The report represents the first time an international
network of researchers and policy experts has examined the
full range of tests available on the market for: active
disease; latent infection; drug resistance; and treatment
response. The report was financed by the Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation, and involved more than 100 public health
and industry experts as well as several international
agencies.
Despite increased global funding for TB control, and
the emergence of public-private partnerships to support
product development, commercial interest in TB diagnostics
has been limited by a dearth of information on the size and
character of the TB diagnostics market, especially in the
developing world, the report states. The majority of
recently developed tests serve sophisticated laboratories
in industrialized countries, where less than 5% of global
tuberculosis cases are found.
"The world urgently needs new, safe and affordable
diagnostics to simplify case detection," said Dr Mario
Raviglione, Director of WHO's Stop TB Department.
"Despite scientific progress that is rapidly changing
other fields, most of the world's TB patients have access
only to conventional microscopy which requires repeated
testing, may miss half the cases, and which works
especially poorly for HIV co-infected patients."
In middle and low-income countries alone, over 66
million sputum microscopy examinations, 39 million chest
x-rays, and 8.5 million cultures are performed each year on
suspected TB patients -- using technologies developed 50-100
years ago. The report found striking regional variations in
testing, with Russia, India and South Africa together
accounting for 91% of TB cultures performed in TB-endemic
countries, and Asia making up 68% of the global chest x-ray
market.
Compared to vaccines and medicines, the cost of
developing new diagnostics and adapting existing ones is
relatively low -- about US $1-10 million per technology
platform, the report notes. It projects demand for seven
hypothetical products that could feasibly be developed
within such an investment scale.
A test that detects latent infection and predicts
progression to active disease could see the greatest use,
with a potential available market of some 204 million
patient evaluations a year, the report concludes stating:
"Such a test, if widely implemented and accompanied by
successful treatment, could revolutionize TB control."
Large markets also exist for:
-- point-of-care screening -- (at clinics and health
posts) with a
potential available market of some 79 million
patient evaluations a
year.
-- less revolutionary `replacement' technologies for
smear, culture, and
drug susceptibility testing. These have potential
annual markets of 49
million, 20 million, and 23 million patient
evaluations respectively.
Jean-Francois de Lavison, President of the European
Diagnostics Manufacturers Association, called the report
"ground-breaking" and highlighted how it
"sets out clearly the problems surrounding the
existing tests and explains what kinds of improved
diagnostic tools are needed and where they could have their
greatest impact."
TDR works with its sponsors UNICEF, UNDP, the World
Bank and the World Health Organization, as well as with
public-private partnerships like FIND, to help coordinate a
health research approach that serves developing countries.
FIND is a non-profit organization dedicated solely to the
development of rapid, accurate and affordable diagnostic
tests for poverty-related diseases in the developing
world.
About WHO/TDR
The Special Programme for Research and Training in
Tropical Diseases (TDR) is a global program of scientific
collaboration established in 1975, sponsored by the World
Health Organization, World Bank, United Nations Development
Programme and United Nations Children's Fund, and based in
Geneva, Switzerland. Its focus is research into neglected
diseases of the poor, with the goal of improving existing
approaches and developing new ways to prevent, diagnose,
treat and control these diseases. For more information,
visit them online at http://www.who.int/tdr .
For more information contact:
Jamie Guth
TDR, WHO Geneva
Mobile: +41-79-441-2289
Email: guthj@who.int
Samantha Bolton/Jewel Thomas
FIND, Geneva
Mobile: +41-79-239-2366
Email: media@finddiagnostics.org
Glenn Thomas
Stop TB Partnership, WHO Geneva
Mobile: +41-79-13893
Email: Thomasg@who.int
SOURCE World Health Organization
2007'02.11.Sun
People and Processes More Important than Technology in Securing the Enterprise, According to Global Survey of 4,000 Information Security Professionals
October 26, 2006
3rd Annual (ISC)2-Sponsored Global Information Security Workforce Study Says Asia-Pacific Offers Attractive Employment Incentives and Opportunities for Information Security Professionals
HONG KONG, Oct. 26 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- The
International Information Systems Security Certification
Consortium ((ISC)2(R)), the non-profit global leader in
educating and certifying information security professionals
throughout their careers, today announced the results of the
third annual Global Information Security Workforce Study,
conducted by global analyst firm IDC and sponsored by
(ISC)2.
According to more than 4,000 information security
professionals in more than 100 countries in the largest
study of its kind, the most important elements in
effectively securing their organization's infrastructure
are (in order of importance):
-- Management support of security policies
-- Users following security policy
-- Qualified security staff
-- Software solutions
-- Hardware solutions
According to the study, the top three success factors
highlight the need for public and private entities to focus
more time and attention on policies, processes and people,
all areas which have been traditionally overlooked in favor
of trusting hardware and software to solve security
problems. Survey respondents say organizations are now
beginning to recognize that technology is an enabler, not
the solution, for implementing and executing a sound
security strategy.
The study also found that responsibility for executing
a sound security strategy is being increasingly shared
across the organization, making C-level officers
accountable as part of a well-defined and articulated risk
management program. Continuing a trend identified in last
year's study, responsibility for securing information
assets is shifting from the Chief Information Officer (CIO)
into other areas of senior management and business,
including chief executive officer, chief financial officer,
chief risk officer and chief information security officer,
as well as legal and compliance departments.
"For organizations to proactively secure and
protect their infrastructure, information, financial and
physical assets requires the unconditional commitment to
security at the financial, management and operational
levels," said Allan Carey, program manager at IDC who
led the study. "Security management will always
require the proper balance between people, policies,
processes and technology to effectively mitigate the risks
associated with today's digitally connected business
environment."
IDC analyzed responses from 4,016 full-time information
security professionals in more than 100 countries, with
nearly 40 percent employed by organizations with US$1
billion or more in annual revenue. Respondents came from
three major regions of the world: North, Central and South
America (57.3%), EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) (22.8%)
and A-P (Asia-Pacific, including Japan) (19.5%), and
represent organizations of various sizes from both the
public and private sectors, different vertical industries,
and varying core competencies and skill sets from
organizations. Respondents typically had purchasing,
hiring and/or management responsibilities. Other
highlights from the 2006 study include:
-- IDC estimates the number of information security
professionals
worldwide in 2006 to be 1.5 million, an 8.1 percent
increase
over 2005. This figure is expected to increase to
slightly more
than 2 million by 2010, displaying a compound
annual growth rate
(CAGR) of 7.8 percent from 2005 to 2010. As a
comparison, the
projected growth in the number of IT employees
globally in the
same timeframe is 4.6 percent.
-- A-P presents the highest growth opportunities for
information
security professionals over other regions. IDC
estimates the
number of information security professionals in A-P
to grow from
458,844 to 733,943, representing CAGR of 9.8
percent from 2005
to 2010.The growth for 2005-2006 has been 10.6
percent.
-- A-P salaries have progressed and are starting to
come inline with
other regions of the world. For individuals
earning between
US$70,000 and $125,000, there was a 6.2 percent
positive
difference between 2005 and this year. On the
lower end of
the spectrum, security professionals in A-P earning
less than
US$40,000 still consist of more than 39 percent of
all
respondents in the region; however, this is seven
percent fewer
than last year, which was on par with 2004.
-- A-P tends to lag the US by approximately 18 months
when it comes
to information security market maturity, therefore,
A-P is now
experiencing above average growth that occurred in
the US four
to five years ago.
-- Common security technologies being implemented by
organizations
across all regions are biometrics, wireless
security, intrusion
prevention and forensics tools. Biometrics ranked
either No. 1
or 2 across all regions.
-- The area of information security risk management has
risen to the
top as a training priority in both the Americas and
EMEA and is
No. 2 in A-P. This will continue for the
foreseeable future as
organizations struggle to gain control over their
risk posture,
develop a flexible framework to quickly adapt to
new
environmental factors, and provide visibility into
their
greatest risks. Business continuity and forensics
are also
topics where professionals are looking to increase
their
knowledge base and sharpen their skills.
-- During the past 12 months, 67 percent of security
practitioners
believe their efforts were effective in influencing
management
and the business stakeholders to drive security
awareness and
responsibility to their organizations. Looking
forward to 2007,
73 percent believe that they will be able to drive
change in
their organizations.
-- Overall, organizations are spending a greater
percentage of their
information security budgets on personnel and
training in 2006
than in 2005. Organizations are spending more than
41 percent
of their security budgets, on average, on personnel
and training
to staff projects and support post-deployment
management.
-- The importance of information security
certifications as a hiring
criterion remained high with 85 percent of hiring
managers but
was down from a peak of 92 percent in 2004.
"IDC believes that the security professionals who
participated in this study are taking their message to the
masses and acting as 'change agents' within their
organizations to ensure information security is recognized
for its positive contributions to the business, as opposed
to the sunk cost it has been perceived to be in past
years," Carey said. "The message of people and
processes being absolutely crucial to effective information
security is finally starting to resonate with business
leaders."
"Security breaches that have made headlines during
the past year have been a result of human error, and this
year's Global Information Security Workforce Study further
validates the conventional wisdom long-held by information
security professionals that people are the critical
component of an effective information security
program," said Ed Zeitler, CISSP, executive director,
(ISC)2. "The fact that professionals are being heard
by the C-suite and security responsibility is being shared
across the organization demonstrates that the information
security profession has arrived and is being valued as an
indispensable business component."
"In regard to certification, this survey did not
differentiate between certifications that rely on a test
solely and those that require validated work experience,
continuing education, peer sponsorship and other
requirements generally associated with professional
certifications in other more established fields,"
added Zeitler. "We believe accredited certifications
that support management's need for professionals with
real-world experience and ongoing education are viewed more
favorably than certifications earned for passing a test
alone."
The 2006 Global Information Security Workforce Study
(IDC Doc # 203970, October 2006) was conducted by IDC on
behalf of (ISC)2 to provide detailed insight into important
trends and opportunities within the information security
profession. The study aims to provide a clearer
understanding of how professionals are compensated, how
their organizations view security, and next steps required
to advance information security careers and the profession.
To download a copy of the study, please visit
http://www.isc2.org/workforcestudy .
About (ISC)2
The International Information Systems Security
Certification Consortium "(ISC)2" is the premier
non-profit organization dedicated to certifying information
security professionals around the world. Founded in 1989,
(ISC)2 has certified over 45,000 information security
professionals in more than 120 countries. Based in Palm
Harbor, Florida, USA, with offices in Vienna, Virginia,
USA, London, Hong Kong and Tokyo, (ISC)2 issues the
Certified Information Systems Security Professional
(CISSP(R)) and related concentrations, Certification and
Accreditation Professional (CAPCM) and Systems Security
Certified Practitioner (SSCP(R)) credentials and related
concentrations to those meeting necessary competency
requirements. The CISSP, the CISSP-ISSEP(R) and SSCP(R)
are among the first information technology credentials to
meet the stringent requirements of ANSI/ISO/IEC Standard
17024, a global benchmark for assessing and certifying
personnel. (ISC)2 also offers a portfolio of educational
related products and services based upon (ISC)2's CBK(R), a
taxonomy of information security topics, and is responsible
for the (ISC)2 Global Information Security Workforce Study.
More information about (ISC)2 is available at
http://www.isc2.org .
(C) 2006, (ISC)2 Inc. (ISC)2 , CISSP, ISSEP, SSCP and
CBK are registered certification marks and CAP is a service
mark of (ISC)2 Inc.
Note to Editors:
For more information, please contact:
Kitty Chung
(ISC)2 Asia-Pacific
Tel: +852-3520-4001
Email: kchung@isc2.org
SOURCE (ISC)2 Inc.
2007'02.11.Sun
InterContinental Hotels Group Introduces a New Level of Luxury to China
October 26, 2006
SHANGHAI, China, Oct. 26 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --
InterContinental Hotels Group, the world's largest hotel
group by number of rooms, is bringing more than a touch of
luxury to China, with the upcoming opening of no less than
seven InterContinental Hotels & Resorts across the
country. New InterContinental properties in Chengdu,
Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area, Ningbo Qingdao, Sanya, Nanjing and
Shenzhen promise to change the face of luxury across
China.
The story begins with the launch of the heralded
InterContinental Shenzhen, which brings the flagship
InterContinental brand to the growing marketplace of
Shenzhen.
"Where once a "first of its kind",
full-service hotel stood, a newer, more spectacular
InterContinental Shenzhen stands proud," said Edmond
Ip, chief operating officer, North Asia, InterContinental
Hotels Group, "We are thrilled to open the
InterContinental Shenzhen on such a historic site. This is
a hotel which upholds our standards of excellence with a
unique theme in a unique location."
The newly built hotel will open in late December 2006,
marking the InterContinental Hotels Group seventh
InterContinental Hotels & Resorts brand property to
open in Greater China. The 549-room InterContinental
Shenzhen will be the country's first luxury city-resort,
with a classical Spanish theme, complete with a life-sized
reproduction of a Spanish galleon overlooking the
entranceway. These attributes will make it a destination
of choice for everyone from business conference planners to
honeymooners.
To serve the wedding market, the InterContinental
Shenzhen presents the first full service wedding boutique
complete with gown selections, florists, and an in-hotel
chapel-styled service.
Other upcoming InterContinental Hotels and Resorts
openings include:
InterContinental Century City Chengdu
Positioned as Chengdu's foremost upscale business
hotel, the InterContinental Century City Chengdu will
combine the latest in communication and business
technologies, high-end food and beverage options and
conference facilities with the silky service which has made
InterContinental hotels famous. Newly built as a part of
the Century City conference and shopping centre, the hotel
is part of the award-winning six hotel deal signed earlier
this year. It is scheduled to open in 2007.
InterContinental Resort Jiuzhai Paradise
Located in glorious Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area, the
InterContinental Resort Jiuzhai Paradise promises to be the
destination of choice for conferences and leisure. It is
scheduled to open in 2007.
InterContinental Lake View Ningbo
The 500-room InterContinental Lake View Ningbo is
located in the centre of the Ningbo Hi-Tec Park, two
minutes from the Ningbo Convention & Exhibition Centre
and seven minutes from the centre of the city. It features
five food and beverage outlets, superb conference
facilities, swimming pool and health club. It is scheduled
to open in the third quarter of 2007.
InterContinental Qingdao
The newly built, 438-room InterContinental Qingdao will
deliver a new level of luxury to Qingdao, one of China's top
ten economic and tourist destinations and host to the
sailing events in the 2008 Olympics. Scheduled to open
well ahead of the 2008 Olympics, the InterContinental
Qingdao features five food & beverage outlets and
meeting facilities that can accommodate up to 2,000. The
hotel's other amenities include a spa, health club,
swimming pool, executive lounge, and business centre. It
is scheduled to open in 2008.
InterContinental Sanya Resort
The 600-room luxury resort will bring the distinctive
InterContinental hotels' touch of luxury to China's
favourite resort destination. With six food and beverage
outlets, extensive conference facilities, and a selection
of pampering options including health club, swimming pool
and spa, the InterContinental Sanya Resort promises to be
the jewel of Sanya. It is scheduled to open in 2008.
InterContinental Nanjing
This 450-room luxury hotel located within the proposed
Nanjing International Financial Center will be the world's
tallest hotel. From its perch atop Nanjing's bustling
downtown, the InterContinental Nanjing will offer top-notch
conference and business facilities, three food and beverage
outlets, spa and pool. It is scheduled to open in 2010.
(Photo:
http://211.154.41.99:9080/xprn/back/upload/story_attchment/20061025171531-87.jpg
)
"These upcoming InterContinental Hotels and
Resorts openings are more than just an achievement for the
InterContinental Hotels Group," added Edmond.
"They are a testament to the rising popularity of the
InterContinental Hotel & Resorts brand, and they
promise to change the face of the luxury hospitality market
across China. We are very proud of this portfolio, and all
our new properties."
InterContinental Hotels Group's award winning
InterContinental Hotels & Resorts brand is a truly
global, luxury brand that is located in major cities and
key resort destinations in more than 60 countries around
the world. Offering high levels of comfort and excellent
service, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts is a symbol
of prestige, sophistication and success. It delivers
comprehensive services specifically designed for the
international business traveller, as well as a blend of
luxury and local flavour that enhances leisure stays as
well. Currently, InterContinental Hotels Group has 28
InterContinental hotels in Asia Pacific, including six in
Greater China, namely InterContinental Hong Kong,
InterContinental Grand Stanford, InterContinental Pudong
Shanghai, InterContinental Shenyang, InterContinental
Financial Street Beijing and the recently opened
InterContinental Chongqing.
Notes to Editors:
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC of the United Kingdom
(LON: IHG, NYSE: IHG (ADRs)) is the world's largest hotel
group by number of rooms. InterContinental Hotels Group
owns, manages, leases or franchises, through various
subsidiaries, over 3,600 hotels and 537,500 guest rooms in
nearly 100 countries and territories around the world. The
Group owns a portfolio of well recognised and respected
hotel brands including InterContinental(R) Hotels &
Resorts, Crowne Plaza(R) Hotels & Resorts, Holiday
Inn(R) Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express(R),
Staybridge Suites(R), Candlewood Suites(R) and Hotel
Indigo(TM), and also manages the world's largest hotel
loyalty programme, Priority Club(R) Rewards.
Asia Pacific is the fastest growing region for
InterContinental Hotels Group worldwide. The Group's
portfolio in this region includes more than 160 hotels and
over 45,000 guest rooms under the InterContinental(R)
Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza(R) Hotels & Resorts,
Holiday Inn(R) Hotels and Resorts, and Express by Holiday
Inn(R) brands.
InterContinental Hotels Group offers information and
online reservations for all its hotel brands at
http://www.ichotelsgroup.com and information for the
Priority Club Rewards programme at
http://www.priorityclub.com .
For the latest news from InterContinental Hotels Group,
visit our online Press Office at http://www.ihgplc.com/media
.
For more press information and photos, please contact:
Sharona Tao
Brand Public Relations & Communications Manager,
Greater China
InterContinental Hotels Group
Tel: +86-21-2893-3309
Fax: +86-21-2893-3399
Email: sharona.tao@ichotelsgroup.com
SOURCE InterContinental Hotels Group
2007'02.11.Sun
CORRECTION -- New Book Release: `Six Sigma For Financial Services' by Rowland Hayler of Pivotal Resources and Michael Nichols of Nichols Quality Associates
October 26, 2006
In the news release, New Book Release: `Six Sigma For
Financial Services' by Rowland Hayler of Pivotal Resources
and Michael Nichols of Nichols Quality Associates, issued
earlier today by Pivotal Resources over PR Newswire, the
source should read "Pivotal Resources" rather
than "Nichols Quality Associates" as incorrectly
transmitted by PR Newswire.
How Leading Companies are Driving Results Using Lean, Six
Sigma, and Process Management
LONDON and NEW YORK, Oct. 26 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --
Rowland Hayler, Vice President of International Operations
at Pivotal Resources and Michael Nichols of Nichols Quality
Associates and formerly Director of Six Sigma Design at
American Express, today announced the release of their new
book "Six Sigma for Financial Services: How Leading
Companies are Driving Results Using Lean, Six Sigma, and
Process Management" -- published by McGraw Hill. The
book fully explores why the world's leading financial
services organizations are striving to achieve sustainable
world-class business process excellence, and demonstrates
how Lean, Six Sigma, and Business Process Management are
being used to deliver dramatic improvements in results.
The authors have detailed numerous examples,
illustrations, and direct practical applications from
organizations at the forefront of implementing Lean, Six
Sigma, and Business Process Management within the global
financial services industry. Organizations include:
American Express, Bank of America, Barclays Stockbrokers,
Development Bank of Singapore, Fidelity, First Data
Resources, ICICI Bank, JPMorgan Chase, Lloyds TSB, and
Wachovia.
"The book gives a thorough explanation of the
rationale for business process excellence within the
financial services industry," says Hayler. Nichols
continues, "The methods described provide a clear and
simple structure to enable readers to build their knowledge
on how to become a world-class financial services
organization within today's complex global business
environment."
What others have said:
* "An excellent book for anyone involved in a
business process excellence
journey!"
-- Paul Baker, Managing Director, Group Operations,
Lloyds TSB;
* "Customer service, top-line growth, compliance,
and regulatory oversight
have all become crucial for financial
institutions...The authors
masterfully illustrate how Six Sigma and Lean, under
a process
management umbrella, support these relevant business
objectives."
-- Juan Carlos Paez, Chief Operating Officer, BAC
Credomatic Network;
* "A great reference for those of us who want to
`fast-forward' our
process innovation initiatives to achieve outstanding
results."
-- Teng Soon Lang, Executive Vice President and Head,
Group Quality &
Process Innovation, Overseas Chinese Banking
Corporation;
* "The approaches that Hayler & Nichols
describe are not just for the
Operations function -- they apply equally to
Marketing and Sales ...
business process excellence is critical for
maximizing the return on
marketing investments and an organization's value
creation."
-- Arjen Kruger, former Chief Marketing Officer,
MasterCard Europe.
Rowland Hayler is Vice President of International
Operations for Pivotal Resources. Based in the United
Kingdom he is responsible for Pivotal's client engagements
outside of North America, including such high profile
companies as BP, Cisco Systems, and adidas-Salomon. Before
joining Pivotal Resources, Hayler was Vice President of Six
Sigma at American Express where he led the in-house
development of Six Sigma Design methodology and curriculum,
and Six Sigma Process Management across the company
worldwide.
Michael Nichols is currently Principal
Consultant/Senior Master Black Belt for Nichols Quality
Associates, a consortium of Lean Six Sigma professionals.
He was previously the Director-Six Sigma Design/Senior
Master Black Belt at American Express, where he
co-developed the Six Sigma Design and Six Sigma Process
Management programs. Nichols's interest in quality
management has led him over the years to assume numerous
leadership positions in the American Society for Quality,
culminating in his service as president of the Society for
the 2007-08 year.
The Authors can be contacted at Info@SSPM-IDEAS.com.
About Pivotal Resources
Pivotal Resources is a global consulting and training
firm that focuses on organizational improvement through the
implementation of Six Sigma, Lean and related methodologies.
Pivotal Resources has published 4 highly respected books on
Six Sigma Deployment - The Six Sigma Way, The Six Sigma Way
Team Fieldbook, What is Six Sigma?, and What is Six Sigma
Process Management? The company offers a range of process
management solutions, serving Fortune 500 companies in
diverse industries across the world. With operations in
North America, Europe and Asia, the company is
headquartered in Walnut Creek, California. For more
information on Pivotal Resources, call 925-975-0500 (US);
or +44 (0)1273 711 195 (UK), or visit
http://www.pivotalresources.com .
For more information, please contact:
John Lee
Pivotal Resources
Tel: +1-925-975-0500
Email: jlee@pivotalresources.com
SOURCE Pivotal Resources
2007'02.11.Sun
TopCoder Launches Operations in China with New Beijing Appointment
October 26, 2006
TopCoder Announces Ms. Yingying Wu to Lead TopCoder Operations in Asia
GLASTONBURY, Conn., Oct. 26 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --
TopCoder(R), Inc., the leader in online programming
competition, skills assessment and competitive software
development, today announced it has hired Yingying Wu as
Vice President of Operations for TopCoder in Asia. Wu will
oversee and manage TopCoder business relationships and will
build TopCoder's market presence and member enrollment
throughout the greater China and Asia region. The new
office will be known in China as
ÃÀ¹úÍÐÆտƵ¹«Ë¾±±¾©´ú±í´¦.
Wu has earned accolades for her technical skills
including the Innovation and Technology Prize of China in
2006, the highest award of its kind from China's Ministry
of Education, and the 2005 National Contest in Modeling in
Beijing where she took first prize. Technically
accomplished, she holds patents for several of her 100
inventions including OPEN Indexing Technology and Dynamic
Counter Cachet Technology. Wu also authored several
technology books including Data Structure and Comprehensive
Practical Activity and is a member of the American
Psychology Association and the Association for Computing
Machinery.
Previous to TopCoder, she held a position with Edoor
Information and Technology Co. Ltd, in Dalian, China and
was the Asia coordinator for the ACM International
Collegiate Programming contest. Wu is currently a student
at California's Stanford University in the graduate program
of the university's Department of Psychology.
"TopCoder has a large number of Chinese members
and has sought to establish a presence in China for some
time, however a unique person with a highly specialized set
of skills was needed," said Rob Hughes, President and
COO of TopCoder, Inc. "Yingying Wu brings with her a
graduate degree in psychology, extensive technical
understanding and a deep awareness of business management
all of which will bring significant value as we expand
membership and the TopCoder brand in China."
About TopCoder, Inc.
TopCoder is the recognized leader in identifying,
evaluating and mobilizing effective software development
resources. Through its proprietary programming competitions
and rating system, TopCoder recognizes and promotes the
abilities of the best programmers around the world.
TopCoder Software harnesses the talent of these developers
to design, develop and deploy software through its
revolutionary competitive development methodology.
TopCoder's methodology emphasizes thorough specification
and design, distributed development using reusable
components, and a rigorous quality assurance review process
and results in higher quality, lower cost software solutions
than traditional software development methodologies. For
more information about sponsoring TopCoder Events,
recruiting TopCoder members and utilizing TopCoder
Software, visit http://www.topcoder.com .
TopCoder is a registered trademark of TopCoder, Inc. in
the United States and other countries. All other product and
company names herein may be trademarks of their respective
owners.
For more information, please contact:
Jim McKeown
TopCoder, Inc.
Tel: +1-860-633-5540
Email: jmckeown@topcoder.com
SOURCE TopCoder, Inc.
2007'02.11.Sun
eOn Communications and HengSys Data Net Partner to Provide Emergency Response Communications Solution for Chinese Local Governments
October 26, 2006
Partners Supply Solution to Dong Ying City Government to Enhance Communications Reliability and Service Responsiveness
ATLANTA, Oct. 26 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- eOn
Communications Corporation(TM) (Nasdaq: EONC), a leading
provider of telecommunications solutions, today announced
that it has partnered with HengSys Data Net Inc. to supply
an emergency response management communications solution
platform for the government of Dong Ying City, located in
the Shan Dong province of the Peoples Republic of China.
The contract was awarded to HengSys Data Net, a major
technology systems integrator serving the Shan Dong
province, which has a population of over 90 million.
The eOn and HengSys solution provides a multifaceted
solution, designed to specifically meet the emergency
response management needs of large Chinese metropolitan
areas. The government of Dong Ying City, with a population
of 1.7 million, identified the need for a more sophisticated
and reliable system as part of an effort to improve its
responsiveness in delivering fire, police, medical and
emergency relief services to its rapidly expanding citizen
base.
After evaluating several proposals, representatives of
Dong Ying City selected the eOn/HengSys solution which at
its core is powered by eOn's eQueue Contact Center
Solution. Key to winning the contract was eOn's rich
history in providing communications solutions for the
specific needs of mission critical applications. The
eQueue currently provides interaction switching and routing
for many US based emergency 911 centers, US Federal Aviation
Administration flight control centers and US Department of
Defense command and control centers.
"We were privileged to partner with HengSys Data
Net on this project and are delighted that the team was
awarded the contract by Dong Ying City," said David
Lee, eOn's chairman and chief executive officer. "We
expect this initial installation will result in similar
sales opportunities for us in the Shan Dong province. As
an open solution, the eQueue easily interfaces with the
other applications and communications technology needed for
today's emergency response management centers. This is
another example of eOn's ability to the deliver the
redundancy and reliability needed in mission critical
communications environments."
About eOn Communications(TM)
eOn Communications Corporation(TM) is a global provider
of innovative communications solutions. Backed by over 20
years of telecommunications engineering expertise, our
solutions enable our customers to easily leverage advanced
technologies in order to communicate more effectively. To
find out more information about eOn Communications and its
solutions, visit the World Wide Web at
http://www.eoncommunications.com , or call 800-955-5321.
Note:
This press release may contain forward-looking
statements within the meaning of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking
statements involve risks and uncertainties, including
technical and competitive factors, which could cause the
Company's results and the timing of certain events to
differ materially from those discussed in the
forward-looking statements. Such risks are detailed in eOn
Communications Corporation's most recent Form 10-Q filing
with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
eOn Communications Corporation, the mark eOn, eQueue
and eNterprise are trademarks of eOn Communications
Corporation.
For more information, please contact:
Investor Relations
eOn Communications
Tel: +1-800-955-5321
Email: investorrelations@eoncc.com
SOURCE eOn Communications Corporation
2007'02.11.Sun
Actions Speak Louder than Words: CEO Apologies Losing Potency in Times of Crisis and Reputation Recovery
October 26, 2006
Nearly 40% Choose to Avoid Responding to Bloggers
Only 20% Recommend Keeping CEO Invisible Post-Crisis
Only 20% Recommend Keeping CEO Invisible Post-Crisis
NEW YORK, Oct. 26 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Global
business executives view public CEO apologies less
effective than other strategies to repair tarnished company
reputations (59 percent), according to a new 11-country
survey by global public relations firm Weber Shandwick and
KRC Research.
"CEO apologies are quickly losing their power to
allay public concern now that they are almost expected when
a crisis strikes or companies are accused of
wrongdoing," said Weber Shandwick's Chief Reputation
Strategist Dr. Leslie Gaines-Ross, architect of the new
research. "Taking responsibility by apologizing is
important, but more is expected from CEOs in crisis such as
greater public outreach on what the company intends to do
about the problem on an immediate and regular basis."
According to nearly three-quarters of the 950 global
business leaders participating in the "Safeguarding
Reputation(TM)" survey, the best steps to beginning
the reputation recovery process are announcing specific
actions the company will take to fix the problem (76
percent), creating an early warning system (76 percent),
and establishing procedures and policies the company will
follow to demonstrate its commitment to being a responsible
citizen (73 percent). Other frequently mentioned strategies
for repairing post-crisis reputation are working closely
with legal counsel on public disclosures (72 percent),
issuing regular public progress reports to address the
problem (71 percent) and quickly and publicly disclosing
what happened (71 percent). Many of these action steps
help stem hyper-media coverage as stakeholders are assured
that the company is being as transparent and proactive as
possible under the circumstances.
To Respond or Not to Respond to Bloggers
The majority of global business executives agree that
responding to bloggers post-crisis is not an effective way
to begin the recovery process, regardless of region. Less
than four in 10 (39 percent) believe that engaging with
bloggers who may have the facts wrong is a good idea in
rebuilding lost reputation. "Perhaps business
decision-makers around the globe believe that companies
should concentrate on fixing the problem and understanding
what went wrong before turning their attention to
correcting online conversations," said Dr.
Gaines-Ross. "This is not surprising since our
research also reveals that only a minority of companies pay
attention to online coverage of their company's
reputation."
Steps to Help Companies Recover Reputation after
Crisis Strikes
% Always/Usually
North
Asia-
Total America
Europe Pacific
Announce specific actions company
will take to fix the problem 76% 83%
73% 78%
Establish early warning system 76 83
69 82
Establish specific policies and
goals demonstrating corporate
responsibility 73 75
69 74
Make sure legal team approves all
statements 72 74
68 76
Issue regular public progress reports
addressing the problem 71 78
69 70
Disclose quickly and publicly what
happened 71 73
72 70
Determine if problem is industry-wide
or limited to the company before
acting 67 60
68 62
Provide public apology from CEO or
Chairman 59 57
57 64
Achieve quarterly earnings goals 57 50
59 47
Create senior position with specific
responsibility for managing company
reputation 47 45
50 42
Avoid any public communications until
all facts are in 45 46
39 46
Respond to bloggers who have facts
wrong 39 31
40 41
Restructure or eliminate board
members 26 14
27 21
Keep the CEO out of the media 20 16
21 17
Source: Weber Shandwick Safeguarding Reputation(TM)
conducted with KRC Research, 2006
Keeping CEO Invisible after Crisis Strikes Not
Advisable
Only one out of every five global business executives
(20 percent) believe that keeping the CEO out of the media
after a crisis helps restore reputation.
"CEOs are the public face of their organization
and in times of turmoil are expected to be visible and
forthright about any problems that arise on their
watch," said Dr. Gaines-Ross. "In addition to
straightforward CEO communications, companies can begin
restoring equity in their company name by publicly stating
problem-solving actions, making crisis preparedness a
priority and setting clear responsibility standards."
New Rules of Engagement
"Leaders need to better understand the rules of
engagement as they increasingly find themselves in the
spotlight for wrongdoing or mounting crises. Considering
that nearly nine out of 10 global business executives see
an increasing trend in damage to corporate reputations, it
is wise to identify the best recovery strategies now,"
said Weber Shandwick President Andy Polansky.
"Interestingly, the survey reveals that despite
vastly different business practices, cultures and work
styles, leaders share a global perspective on reputation
recovery following a crisis," said Polansky.
"Our groundbreaking research offers insights into how
companies can safeguard and repair their reputations,
identify the early warning signs of reputation failure, and
take the right steps to reputation recovery."
Safeguarding Reputation(TM)
Safeguarding Reputation was conducted by Weber
Shandwick in partnership with KRC Research among 950 global
business executives in 11 countries spanning North America,
Europe and Asia-Pacific. Brazil was the only Latin American
country participating in the survey. All interviews were
conducted by telephone between July 20 and August 8, 2006.
The sampling error for the total sample is +/- 3.2
percentage points.
About Weber Shandwick
Weber Shandwick is one of the world's leading global
public relations firms with offices in major media,
business and government capitals around the world. The firm
specializes in strategic marketing communications, media
relations programs, public affairs and issues management,
reputation management, and provides corporate
communications counseling. Weber Shandwick also provides
specialized integrated services including Web relations,
advocacy advertising, market research and visual
communications. Find out more at
http://www.webershandwick.com .
Weber Shandwick is a unit of The Interpublic Group of
Companies (NYSE: IPG), which is among the world's largest
advertising and marketing services organizations.
About KRC Research
KRC Research is a full service market and attitudinal
research firm. Research partner to Weber Shandwick and
other Interpublic Group agencies, KRC specializes in
strategic communications research, including research to
support product communications, corporate communications,
public affairs, and social marketing. KRC provides a full
range of primary research services, including surveys,
focus groups, and executive interviewing. Find out more at
http://www.krcresearch.com .
For more information, please contact:
Laura Bachrach
Weber Shandwick
Tel: +1-212-445-8467
Email: lbachrach@webershandwick.com
SOURCE Weber Shandwick
2007'02.11.Sun
VeriSilicon Licenses ZSP(R) G2 Processor Family to Yamaha for Advanced Multimedia Applications
October 26, 2006
Industry-Standard ZSP500 Superscalar Architecture Uniquely Enables Software Flexibility for Demanding Multimedia Applications
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Oct. 26 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --
VeriSilicon Holdings Co., Ltd. (VeriSilicon), a leading
world class ASIC design foundry and semiconductor IP
provider, today announced that Yamaha Corporation (Yamaha),
a world leading provider of semiconductor solutions for
professional and consumer multimedia products, has renewed
its commitment to the ZSP architecture by licensing
VeriSilicon ZSP500 DSP for use in its next-generation,
high-end audio/video products.
ZSP500, a member of VeriSilicon ZSP G2 superscalar
product family, features best in class code density while
executing 4 instructions per cycle. With its powerful
dual-MAC, five ALU architecture it is the ideal customer
choice for multimedia applications requiring high
performance at the lowest silicon cost.
"We have been very pleased with the ZSP
architecture and comprehensive software offering, which we
have already incorporated into a number of successful
product lines. When it came time to select a processor for
our high-end multimedia products, it was a natural choice
for us to consider ZSP500. We believe that the ZSP G2
processor family significantly enhances the competitiveness
of our audio/video product lines", said Mr. Ohara,
General Manager, Semiconductor Division, Yamaha
Corporation.
"We are delighted to extend our partnership and
commitment to a world leader like Yamaha. The market
adoption of ZSP is continuing at uninterrupted rate and
this design win reflects the leadership position our
processor families have achieved for a range of latest
generation devices, such as 3G handsets and high-end
audio/video. Our superscalar DSP architectures offer an
unrivalled performance-to-cost ratio while insuring
solution scalability thanks to full software code
compatibility", said Dr. Wayne Dai, chairman,
president, and CEO of VeriSilicon.
About VeriSilicon
VeriSilicon Holdings Co., Ltd. is a leading world class
ASIC design foundry providing libraries, semiconductor IPs,
design and turnkey manufacturing services with multi-fab
capability supporting process technologies down to 90nm.
VeriSilicon has achieved first silicon success and entered
volume production of many complex, multi-million gates SoCs
using the leading wafer foundries in APAC and China.
VeriSilicon has operations in US, China, Taiwan, Japan,
France, Europe, and Korea. Over 500 customers worldwide
have licensed VeriSilicon IPs and Standard Design
Platforms. In 2005, VeriSilicon was ranked number three in
Deloitte Technology Fast 50 China, the top 50
fastest-growing technology companies in China and number
six in Deloitte Fast 500 Asia Pacific, the top 500
fastest-growing technology companies in Asia Pacific.
VeriSilicon was also named one of the Red Herring 100
Private Companies of Asia, and selected as one of the EE
Times 60 Emerging Startups. More information is available
at http://www.verisilicon.com .
About ZSP(R)
ZSP is a family of licensable digital signal processing
(DSP) cores and solutions from VeriSilicon. With more than
50 customers worldwide, the ZSP processor architecture
enables customer innovation as the DSP of choice in many
key vertical markets including 3G wireless handsets,
multimedia and networked voice applications. The ZSP
portfolio offers two generations of architectures, G1 and
G2, with software compatible cores delivering performance
points that meet the cost, power and efficiency constraints
of today's SoC designs. A number of standard products are
also available for VoIP applications. ZSP Solution Partners
augment the technology with world-class software tools, EDA
modeling support and a large portfolio of application
software. ZSP customers include Broadcom, Marvell, IBM,
Renesas, Yamaha, Huawei, Datang, Murata, AVID and many
other world-class companies. More information is available
at http://www.verisilicon.com/zsp .
About Yamaha
For more information about Yamaha LSI technology, visit
http://www.global.yamaha.com .
For more information, please contact:
Federico Arcelli, Corporate VP,
WW Marketing, VeriSilicon
Tel: +33-4-9710-0138
Email: federico.arcelli@verisilicon.com
SOURCE VeriSilicon Holdings Co., Ltd.
2007'02.11.Sun
PCCW Selects ICTV ActiveVideo Distribution Network for "now TV" Interactive Services
October 25, 2006
LOS GATOS, Calif. and HONG KONG, Oct. 25
/Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- ICTV(R), creator of on-demand
solutions that seamlessly blend the choice and control of
broadband video with the quality and responsiveness of
television, and PCCW Limited, the leading communications
provider in Hong Kong, today announced that the ICTV
ActiveVideo Distribution Network (AVDN(TM)) has been
selected to enable interactive channels via television to
subscribers of PCCW's now TV service.
The first ActiveVideo channel offered by now TV is the
completely interactive "Movie Trailer Channel"
that PCCW has launched in partnership with United Artists,
one of the leading cinema groups in Hong Kong. The Movie
Trailer Channel allows subscribers to preview movies,
choose cinema locations, check program times, request seat
locations, and buy tickets using just their standard remote
controls. The channel is the first in a series of
ActiveVideo channels and applications that will deliver
more interactive services to now TV's 654,000 subscribers.
The ActiveVideo Distribution Network is a usage-based
content distribution service that enables operators,
programmers and advertisers to bring video programming and
advertising models from the Internet to the television,
including high-CPM ads that are targeted, auditable,
interactive and actionable. AVDN delivers Web-driven
programming and live and VOD streams -- all with superior
TV quality -- over the existing two-way network
infrastructure to any digital set-top box.
"ICTV has provided the quality and scalability
that have enabled us to offer the most powerful interactive
television platform in the world," said Dominic Leung,
Managing Director, Television & Content of PCCW.
"The Movie Trailer Channel is the first example of how
ActiveVideo Distribution Network will enable our subscribers
to find and control an entirely new series of television
channels of high-quality video with interactivity and
information that specifically meets their individual
preferences."
"Over the past two years, PCCW has established now
TV as a world leader in the deployment of IPTV," said
Jeff Miller, President and CEO of ICTV. "We believe
that the ability of ActiveVideo to bring standards-based,
Web-driven programming and Internet-style advertising to
the television will be a significant factor in helping
operators like PCCW to dynamically expand the scope of
their offerings and capture new subscriber and advertising
revenue."
One of the world's largest and most advanced IPTV
deployments, now TV enables subscribers to choose their
preferred programs from more than 110 channels. The
service provides 15 channels at no charge, and allows
subscribers to select others using an "a la
carte" pricing system.
Capitalizing on the ability to deliver Web programming
as MPEG video to any digital set-top box, the ICTV
ActiveVideo platform is entirely standards-based, requiring
no custom integration or proprietary development. Live and
VOD programming can be blended seamlessly with content that
is created and modified quickly using standard Web tools and
talent, and distributed via standard Web infrastructure.
The ActiveVideo platform utilizes existing on-demand
infrastructure, delivering all programming from the headend
as MPEG video while using the on-demand return path to
receive user input to control the programming and provide
interactivity. This unique approach requires little set
top resources and integrates with and extends existing
set-top based interactive approaches.
With ActiveVideo Channels, network operators and
programmers can enhance the value of existing channels by
allowing viewers to take active control of what they see
and when they see it. As an example, through simple clicks
on their remote controls, television viewers can select an
ActiveVideo Channel from the standard program guide and
enter a broadband experience that includes multiple video
windows, navigational elements, channel branding, banner
advertisements, and links to different video segments and
images. Screens can be manipulated to reflect personal
viewing interests and purchasing preferences. Clicking on
advertisements within the ActiveVideo experience enables
interaction with sponsor messages, including
"telescoping" to let consumers request more
information, watch a demonstration or make a purchase.
About ICTV
ICTV(R) offers network-based television solutions that
combine broadband video choice, control and Internet-style
advertising models with TV quality and responsiveness. The
company's ActiveVideo(TM) platform uses standards-based
content creation, distribution and delivery technologies to
seamlessly deliver Web-driven programming and elements, live
video and VOD to the television. The company's
HeadendWare(R) platform enables the highest quality
interactive experience -- including animation,
high-fidelity audio, and live and Web video. Using ICTV
technology, programmers and advertisers can deliver a
limitless array of personalized content and advertising,
all developed and managed with open Web tools, technology,
and talent. The company is based in the heart of
California's Silicon Valley, with offices in Baltimore and
the United Kingdom. Strategic investors include Liberty
Media, Motorola, OpenTV and Lauder Partners. For more
information, visit http://www.ictv.com .
ICTV and HeadendWare are registered trademarks, and
ActiveVideo and AVDN are trademarks of ICTV, Inc.
For more information, please contact:
Paul Schneider
PSPR, Inc.
Tel: +1-215-702-9784
Email: pspr@att.net
SOURCE ICTV
2007'02.11.Sun
Healthcare Leaders Receive Top Honours
October 25, 2006
BOSTON, Oct. 25 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Karen Davis,
president of The Commonwealth Fund and Planetree, the
Connecticut-based organisation that has pioneered
personalizing the healthcare experience for patients and
their families, have been awarded top honours in the 2006
Annual Picker Institute Awards for Excellence in Patient
Centered Care.
The presentations, made in London, England on October
25, acknowledge individuals who have made outstanding
contributions to improving the lives of patients and their
experiences of the healthcare system.
The organisation's founder, Harvey Picker, said:
"Our mission is to improve the healthcare provider's
understanding of each patient's values, preferences and
expressed needs.
"Through these awards, we recognise people whose
work has provided outstanding advances toward our common
mission."
Karen Davis was congratulated for her achievements in
the advancement of patient-centered care, and in
recognition of her national and international leadership,
which has promoted patient-centeredness in policy and
practice as a hallmark of a high performing healthcare
system.
Planetree won its award for excellence in recognition
of the institution's pioneering work in advocating the
concept of a healing and humanistic approach to the
environments in which healthcare services are provided.
A third winner, for his achievements in the field of
patient-centred care and patient safety, was the UK's Chief
Medical Officer, Professor Sir Liam Donaldson.
The awards come at a time when many Americans are
dissatisfied with the care they receive. According to the
NRC + Picker's 2004-2005 survey of about a million patients
in the United States:
-- 34 percent of surgical patients and 35 percent of
medical
patients reported hospital staff failed to tell them
what danger signs
to look out for when they were sent home from
hospital
-- More than one-third of all patients said their
doctors and nurses
did not answer their questions in a way they could
understand
-- 40 percent of patients responded that, if they had
any anxieties
or fears about their condition or treatment, a
doctor failed to discuss
them with the patient, while 52 percent of patients
said the same for a
nurse.
Notes to Editors
1. The Picker Institute is an independent non-profit
organization that promotes the advancement of
patient-centered care, and the improvement of patients'
experiences and interactions with healthcare providers.
For further information and photographs, visit
http://www.pickerinstitute.org
For more information, please contact:
Lucile Hanscom
Tel: +1-888-650-7800
Email: info@pickerinstitute.org
SOURCE Picker Institute Europe
2007'02.11.Sun
New Book Release: "Six Sigma For Financial Services" by Rowland Hayler of Pivotal Resources and Michael Nichols of Nichols Quality Associates
October 25, 2006
How Leading Companies are Driving Results Using Lean, Six Sigma, and Process Management
LONDON and NEW YORK, Oct. 25 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --
Rowland Hayler, Vice President of International Operations
at Pivotal Resources and Michael Nichols of Nichols Quality
Associates and formerly Director of Six Sigma Design at
American Express, today announced the release of their new
book "Six Sigma for Financial Services: How Leading
Companies are Driving Results Using Lean, Six Sigma, and
Process Management" -- published by McGraw Hill. The
book fully explores why the world's leading financial
services organizations are striving to achieve sustainable
world-class business process excellence, and demonstrates
how Lean, Six Sigma, and Business Process Management are
being used to deliver dramatic improvements in results.
The authors have detailed numerous examples,
illustrations, and direct practical applications from
organizations at the forefront of implementing Lean, Six
Sigma, and Business Process Management within the global
financial services industry. Organizations include:
American Express, Bank of America, Barclays Stockbrokers,
Development Bank of Singapore, Fidelity, First Data
Resources, ICICI Bank, JPMorgan Chase, Lloyds TSB, and
Wachovia.
"The book gives a thorough explanation of the
rationale for business process excellence within the
financial services industry," says Hayler. Nichols
continues, "The methods described provide a clear and
simple structure to enable readers to build their knowledge
on how to become a world-class financial services
organization within today's complex global business
environment."
What others have said:
* "An excellent book for anyone involved in a
business process excellence
journey!"
-- Paul Baker, Managing Director, Group Operations,
Lloyds TSB;
* "Customer service, top-line growth, compliance,
and regulatory oversight
have all become crucial for financial
institutions...The authors
masterfully illustrate how Six Sigma and Lean, under
a process
management umbrella, support these relevant business
objectives."
-- Juan Carlos Paez, Chief Operating Officer, BAC
Credomatic Network;
* "A great reference for those of us who want to
`fast-forward' our
process innovation initiatives to achieve outstanding
results."
-- Teng Soon Lang, Executive Vice President and Head,
Group Quality &
Process Innovation, Overseas Chinese Banking
Corporation;
* "The approaches that Hayler & Nichols
describe are not just for the
Operations function -- they apply equally to
Marketing and Sales ...
business process excellence is critical for
maximizing the return on
marketing investments and an organization's value
creation."
-- Arjen Kruger, former Chief Marketing Officer,
MasterCard Europe.
Rowland Hayler is Vice President of International
Operations for Pivotal Resources. Based in the United
Kingdom he is responsible for Pivotal's client engagements
outside of North America, including such high profile
companies as BP, Cisco Systems, and adidas-Salomon. Before
joining Pivotal Resources, Hayler was Vice President of Six
Sigma at American Express where he led the in-house
development of Six Sigma Design methodology and curriculum,
and Six Sigma Process Management across the company
worldwide.
Michael Nichols is currently Principal
Consultant/Senior Master Black Belt for Nichols Quality
Associates, a consortium of Lean Six Sigma professionals.
He was previously the Director-Six Sigma Design/Senior
Master Black Belt at American Express, where he
co-developed the Six Sigma Design and Six Sigma Process
Management programs. Nichols's interest in quality
management has led him over the years to assume numerous
leadership positions in the American Society for Quality,
culminating in his service as president of the Society for
the 2007-08 year.
The Authors can be contacted at Info@SSPM-IDEAS.com .
About Pivotal Resources
Pivotal Resources is a global consulting and training
firm that focuses on organizational improvement through the
implementation of Six Sigma, Lean and related methodologies.
Pivotal Resources has published 4 highly respected books on
Six Sigma Deployment - The Six Sigma Way, The Six Sigma Way
Team Fieldbook, What is Six Sigma? and What is Six Sigma
Process Management? The company offers a range of process
management solutions, serving Fortune 500 companies in
diverse industries across the world. With operations in
North America, Europe and Asia, the company is
headquartered in Walnut Creek, California. For more
information on Pivotal Resources, call 925-975-0500 (US);
or +44 (0)1273 711 195 (UK), or visit
http://www.pivotalresources.com .
For more information, please contact:
John Lee
Pivotal Resources
Tel: +1-925-975-0500
Email: jlee@pivotalresources.com
SOURCE Nichols Quality Associates
2007'02.11.Sun
Comptel Chosen by Huawei as Qualified Partner for Mediation and Provisioning
October 25, 2006
Agreement between Huawei and Comptel Builds on Existing Successful Joint-project Deliveries
HELSINKI, Finland, Oct. 25 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --
Comptel Corporation (OMX Helsinki: CTL1V), a leading OSS
software vendor for convergent mediation, charging,
provisioning and network inventory, announced today that it
has been selected by next generation network solutions
supplier Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd ("Huawei"),
as a qualified partner. This selection, which follows a
formal and lengthy evaluation process, means that Comptel
is now a preferred Huawei partner for the deployment of
mediation & provisioning services to its customers.
Huawei and Comptel have already delivered joint-projects,
including a CDMA Voice, Data Provisioning and Mediation
solution for Telecom Namibia, which was recently announced
by Comptel.
The Comptel InstantLink(R) provisioning solution covers
all the processes from accepting an order to activating a
billable service. It interacts with Huawei equipment,
allowing service providers to activate new customers and
services fast and efficiently. Comptel Eventlink(R) is a
convergent mediation solution that is designed to collect
and process usage information from many diverse sources,
including Huawei network elements, and forward them to
billing systems so that operators can bill their customers
in an accurate and timely manner.
Mr. Mika Korpinen, General Manager, Comptel
Communications (Hong Kong) concludes: "Comptel is
obviously very proud to have been selected by Huawei as a
qualified partner. This is a real endorsement of Comptel's
ability to deliver leading edge solutions that can meet
leading operators' needs."
About Huawei
About HUAWEI Technologies Co., Ltd.
HUAWEI Technologies Co., Ltd. ("HUAWEI") is a
leader in providing next generation telecommunications
network solutions for operators around the world. The
company is dedicated to providing innovative and customized
products, services and solutions to create long-term value
and potential growth for its customers. HUAWEI's products
and solutions are deployed in over 100 countries and serve
28 of the world's top 50 operators, as well as over one
billion users worldwide. For more information, please visit
http://www.HUAWEI.com .
About Comptel Corporation:
Comptel is a world leading OSS software product vendor
for convergent mediation, charging, provisioning and
network inventory solutions. Comptel is listed on the
Helsinki Stock Exchange (CTL1V) in Finland. For more
information, visit http://www.comptel.com .
For more information, please contact:
Olivier Suard
Tel: +44-20-7887-4513
Email: olivier.suard@comptel.com
SOURCE Comptel Corporation
2007'02.11.Sun
AU Optronics Reports 3Q2006 Results
October 25, 2006
Third Quarter 2006 Unaudited Consolidated Financial
Highlights
* Revenues increased 17.1% QoQ to NT$71.313 billion
* Net income increased 236.9% QoQ to NT$613 million
* Earnings per share (basic EPS) of NT$0.10 per common
share (US$0.03 per
ADS)
* Gross margin: 8.3%
* Operating margin: 2.9%
HSINCHU, Taiwan, Oct. 25 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- AU
Optronics Corp. ("AUO" or the
"Company") (TAIEX: 2409; NYSE: AUO) today
announced unaudited results for 3Q2006. For the third
quarter ended September 30, 2006, AUO's consolidated
revenue totaled NT$71.31 billion (US$2.15 billion*), net
income NT$613 million (US$19 million), and basic EPS
NT$0.10 per common share (US$0.03 per ADS). For the nine
months ended September 30, 2006, AUO's consolidated
revenues totaled NT$198.46 billion (US$6.00 billion), net
income NT$7.45 billion (US$225 million), and basic EPS
NT$1.22 per common share (US$0.37 per ADS.)
* Amounts converted by an exchange rate of
NTD33.1:USD1 as of September
29, 2006.
Mr. Max Cheng, Vice President and Chief Financial
Officer of AUO noted that 3Q2006 panel shipments are better
than the Company's guidance announced on July 25. Shipments
of large-sized panels increased 24.6% to 12.6 million from
2Q, and a remarkable Y-o-Y growth of 58.4%. In the mean
time, shipments of small- and medium-sized panels rose by
15.1% post 20.8 million from last quarter, up 18.3% from a
year earlier. Although the ASP (average selling price) in
some PC-related applications had hit rock bottom and began
to rebound, the company's operation in the third quarter
still experienced the drop in ASP in LCD TV panels,
resulting panel ASP by square meter declined by about 12%.
However, through effective increase in capacity utilization
rate and component cost-down, the company's 3Q gross margin
recorded 8.3%, operating margin grew to 2.9% from 2.2% of
last quarter, and maintained a stable EBITDA margin.
Earlier this month, AUO completed its merger with
Quanta Display Inc., ushering totaled capacity of the
company's G5 and G6 lines leaped to the world's leading
position. AUO will leverage its competitive advantage to
not only increase the shipment volume and revenue in the
next coming quarters but also assure worldwide customers
with the most flexible solutions to meet their needs.
About AU Optronics
AU Optronics Corp. ("AUO") is one of the top
three largest manufacturers* of large-size thin film
transistor liquid crystal display panels
("TFT-LCD"), with approximately 20.9%* of global
market share with revenues of NT$217.4billion (US$6.75 bn)*
in 2005. TFT-LCD technology is currently the most widely
used flat panel display technology. Targeted for 40"+
sized LCD TV panels, AUO's next generation (7.5-generation)
fabrication facility production is scheduled for mass
production in the fourth quarter of 2006. The Company
currently operates two 6th-generation, four 5th-generation,
one 4th-generation, and four 3.5-generation TFT- LCD fabs,
in addition to eight module assembly facilities and the AUO
Technology Center specializes in new technology platform and
new product development. AUO is one of few top-tier TFT-LCD
manufacturers capable of offering a wide range of small- to
large- size (1.5"-46") TFT-LCD panels, which
enables it to offer a broad and diversified product
portfolio.
* As shown on DisplaySearch Quarterly Large-Area
TFT-LCD Shipment Report
dated August 25, 2006. This data is used as
reference only and AUO does
not make any endorsement or representation in
connection therewith. 2005
year end revenue converted by an exchange rate of
NTD32.2039:USD1.
Safe Harbour Notice
AU Optronics Corp. ("AUO" or the
"Company") (TAIEX: 2409; NYSE: AUO), the world's
third largest manufacturer of large-size TFT-LCD panels,
today announced the above news. Except for statements in
respect of historical matters, the statements contained in
this Release are "forward-looking statements"
within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities
Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange
Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements were based on
our management's expectations, projections and beliefs at
the time regarding matters including, among other things,
future revenues and costs, financial performance,
technology changes, capacity, utilization rates, yields,
process and geographical diversification, future expansion
plans and business strategy. Such forward looking
statements are subject to a number of known and unknown
risks and uncertainties that can cause actual results to
differ materially from those expressed or implied by such
statements, including risks related to the flat panel
display industry, the TFT-LCD market, acceptance and demand
for our products, technological and development risks,
competitive factors, and other risks described in the
section entitled "Risk Factors" in our Form 20-F
filed with the United States Securities and Exchange
Commission on June 1st, 2006.
For more information, please contact:
Yawen Hsiao
Corporate Communications Dept.
AU Optronics Corp.
Tel: +886-3-500-8899 x3211
Fax: +886-3-577-2730
Email: yawen.hsiao@auo.com
SOURCE AU Optronics Corp.
2007'02.11.Sun
TI Introduces Industry's First Triple Video Amplifier with Integrated Filters and HV Sync Capability
TI Introduces Industry's First Triple Video Amplifier with Integrated Filters and HV Sync Capability
October 25, 2006
High Integration Simplifies Design, Saves Board Space and System Cost
DALLAS, Oct. 25 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) (NYSE: TXN) today introduced the first video amplifier with integrated filters that is capable of handling both analog RGB signals and digital horizontal and vertical (HV) sync signals on a single chip. The new device saves up to 80 percent board space when compared to traditional amplifier solutions for video projectors, professional video, broadcast video, computer display, traditonal and digital TV systems. In addition, designers benefit from improved performance and maximum flexibility via I2C programmability of all functions. ( http://www.ti.com/sc06174 ). The THS7327 integrates three analog video channels and two digital channels for HV sync, greatly simplifying systems design and reducing component count. The three analog channels incorporate unity gain buffering and monitor feed-through paths to handle all standard video formats, including RGB, YPbPr and CVBS. Designers gain flexibility with the amplifier's I2C-programmable functions including: integrated two-to-one input multiplexers to enable switching of multiple video sources; fifth-order antialiasing filters to enable use with multiple video standards; and input bias modes including DC, DC plus level shift, AC and AC sync tip clamp to enable interfacing to multiple video sources. The programmable filters and input bias modes provide all the common analog signal conditioning requirements for implementation of the following standards, while eliminating the need for more than 20 external components: -- 9-MHz filter for SDTV video including CVBS, S-Video and 480i/576i; -- 16-MHz filter for EDTV 480p/576p and VGA signals; -- 35-MHz filter for HDTV 720p/1080i and SVGA signals; -- 75-MHz filter for HDTV 1080p and XGA/SXGA signals; -- For UXGA/QXGA RGB signals, the filters can be bypassed to provide 500-MHz bandwidth and 1150-V/¦Ìs slew rate amplifiers to buffer the signals. Each analog channel with an integrated programmable filter provides a unity gain buffer for input into a video decoder or video analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and a separate path without a filter for monitor pass-through. The monitor pass-through includes a 6-dB gain output buffer with SAG correction capability, bandwidth of 500 MHz and slew rate of 1300 V/ ¦Ìs. Manufactured in TI's proprietary BiCom3 complementary bipolar silicon germanium process, the THS7327 offers 2.7-V to 5-V single-supply operation, which results in power savings of up to 50 percent by eliminating the negative supply required by traditional designs. The THS7327 device joins TI's extensive offering of high-performance analog and digital signal processor (DSP) products for video applications, including DaVinci(TM) processors optimized for digital video systems, the TVP7000/1 triple 8/10-bit video ADC, and DLP(R) technology. TI provides the silicon, software, systems expertise and support for customers' video designs, enabling them to accelerate market entry. For more information on TI's video products, see the Video and Imaging Solutions Guide at http://www.ti.com/video . Pricing and Availability The THS7327 video amplifier is available now in a Lead (Pb)-Free and RoHS-compliant 48-pin TQFP package from TI and its authorized distributors. Suggested resale pricing in quantities of 1,000 is $3.35. A complete evaluation module is also available for $199 each. 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 Educational & Productivity Solutions. TI is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and has manufacturing, design or sales operations in more than 25 countries. Texas Instruments is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol TXN. More information is located on the World Wide Web at http://www.ti.com . Please refer all reader inquiries to: Texas Instruments Incorporated Semiconductor Group, SC-06174 Literature Response Center 14950 FAA Blvd. Fort Worth, TX 76155 1-800-477-8924 Trademarks DaVinci is a trademark of Texas Instruments. DLP is a registered trademark of Texas Instruments. All registered trademarks and other trademarks belong to their respective owners. For more information, please contact: Lindsey Starnes Texas Instruments Tel: +1-214-480-2426 Email: l-starnes@ti.com Jacqi Moore GolinHarris Tel: +1-972-341-2514 Email: jmoore@golinharris.com SOURCE Texas Instruments Incorporated
2007'02.11.Sun
Independent Meta-Analysis Confirms Safety and Efficacy of TAXUS(TM) Stent
October 25, 2006
-- Results also Show Statistically Significant Late Stent Thrombosis Rate for Cypher(TM) Stent vs. Bare-Metal Stent
NATICK, Mass., and WASHINGTON, Oct. 25
/Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE:
BSX) today announced that an independent meta-analysis of
more than 3,500 patients from five clinical trials,
conducted by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation,
confirmed the Company's own analysis that the TAXUS(TM)
paclitaxel-eluting coronary stent is safe and effective.
The new analysis was presented by Gregg W. Stone, M.D.,
Vice Chairman of the Cardiovascular Research Foundation and
Professor of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center in
New York, at a symposium hosted by Boston Scientific in
conjunction with the eighteenth annual Transcatheter
Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium in
Washington, D.C.
The patient-level meta-analysis reported data on the
TAXUS stent from the TAXUS I, II, IV, V and VI trials that
studied 3,506 patients. A parallel patient-level
meta-analysis was also performed on the Cypher(TM) stent
from the RAVEL, SIRIUS, E-SIRIUS AND C-SIRIUS trials that
studied 1,748 patients, and will be presented in full by
Dr. Stone today.
The results presented today showed similar rates of
freedom from stent thrombosis and similar rates of stent
thrombosis beyond one year for both the TAXUS and Cypher
stents.
For the TAXUS stent, the rate of freedom from stent
thrombosis at up to four years was 98.7 per cent (1.3 per
cent thrombosis rate), compared to a 99.1 per cent rate of
freedom from stent thrombosis (0.9 per cent stent
thrombosis rate) in the bare-metal stent (BMS) control
group. This meta-analysis showed a small but statistically
significant (0.40 per cent, p = 0.033) increase in the
incidence of stent thrombosis after one year for the TAXUS
stent as compared to the BMS control. However, there was no
corresponding increase in death or myocardial infarction
(MI).
Dr. Stone also presented data that showed for the
Cypher stent, the rate of freedom from stent thrombosis
over four years was 98.8 per cent (1.2 per cent stent
thrombosis rate), compared to a rate of 99.4 per cent (0.6
per cent stent thrombosis rate) in the BMS control group.
This meta-analysis also showed a small but statistically
significant (0.57 per cent, p = 0.025) increase in the
incidence of stent thrombosis after one year for the Cypher
stent as compared to the BMS control. This is the first time
a statistically significant increase in late stent
thrombosis has been reported for the Cypher stent.
The results for up to four years follow-up also showed
a trend toward a lower rate of all-cause death, as well as
the combination all-cause death or Q-wave MI, for the TAXUS
stent compared to its BMS control. Despite the 0.4 per cent
increase in late-stent thrombosis, the all-cause death rate
at up to four years was 6.4 per cent for the TAXUS stent
compared to 7.0 per cent for bare-metal (a statistically
non-significant decrease). Similarly, the all-cause death
or Q-wave MI rate showed a trend toward better outcomes for
the TAXUS stent at 7.6 per cent compared to 8.1 per cent for
BMS (a statistically non-significant decrease).
"It is now fully apparent that the small increase
in late stent thrombosis that we previously reported is
actually found in both drug-eluting stents," said Dr.
Donald S. Baim, the Chief Medical and Scientific Officer
for Boston Scientific. "Importantly, the TAXUS
paclitaxel-eluting stent continues at four-year follow-up
to show the same or lower risk of death or MI as BMS, and a
50 per cent lower need for repeat procedures. In net, it
clearly remains a safe and effective therapy."
Boston Scientific is a worldwide developer,
manufacturer and marketer of medical devices whose products
are used in a broad range of interventional medical
specialties. For more information, please visit:
http://www.bostonscientific.com .
This press release contains forward-looking statements.
Boston Scientific wishes to caution the reader of this press
release that actual results may differ from those discussed
in the forward-looking statements and may be adversely
affected by, among other things, risks associated with new
product development and commercialization, clinical trials,
intellectual property, regulatory approvals, competitive
offerings, integration of acquired companies, Boston
Scientific's overall business strategy, and other factors
described in Boston Scientific's filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission.
For more information, please contact:
Geraldine Varoqui
Boston Scientific, PR Manager International
Tel: +49-2102-489-461
Email: varoquig@bsci.com
Tracy Paul
BSC press office
Tel: +44-20-7413-3101
Email: tpaul@medicalknowledgegroup.com
SOURCE Boston Scientific Corporation
2007'02.11.Sun
Women Art Exhibition to Celebrate UN Day
October 24, 2006
BEIJING, Oct. 24 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- An Art
Exhibition featuring Chinese women artists was unveiled
today at the United Nations Compound in Beijing to
celebrate the 61st Anniversary of the United Nations and
the UN Day, in partnership with the Three Quarters Art
Gallery.
"The United Nations is making strong efforts to
harness the power of Chinese culture to raise awareness on
pressing development challenges in China and mobilize
support from all sectors of the society to address these
challenges", said Khalid Malik, UN Resident
Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in China.
"This exhibition is aimed to provide access to the
voice of Chinese women artists on this special occasion in
an effort to empower women and promote gender equity in
China," he added.
The Exhibition features 14 leading and emerging China's
women artists including Wang Yingchun, He Yulan, Chen
Qingqing, Pan Ying, Peng Wei, among others. According to
Malik, this initiative is a continued effort of the UN
Development Programme to engage the culture sector in China
to contribute to development work, as the culture sector
plays an important and unique role in promoting the
attainment of the Millennium Development Goals and an
all-around Xiao Kang society.
UNDP has been active in exploring innovative ways of
reaching out to China's culture sector and engaging them in
development. Some key activities include rotating art
exhibitions of Chinese artists in the UNDP China Office,
forging partnership with prominent Chinese artists for the
MDG campaign, contribution fro, Chinese artists for the
UNDP Environmental Awareness Programme, and a donation from
the prominent artist Huang Yongyu to the UN System in China
of a painting featuring World Peace, which is displaced in
the UN Large Conference Room of the UN Compound in Beijing.
The exhibition also coincides with the launch of the UN
Resource and Information Center, located in the UN Compound
in China. The Resource Center will be open to the general
public and help them to learn and find more about the UN
mandate and its initiatives and activities, in both China
and worldwide.
For more information, please contact:
Wu Tao
Tel: +86-10-8532-0714
Email: tao.wu@undp.org
SOURCE UN in China
2007'02.11.Sun
WHO Assistant Director General: Visit to Beijing
October 24, 2006
BEIJING, Oct. 24 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Timothy G.
Evans, Assistant Director-General - Evidence &
Information for Policy, the World Health Organization, will
be in Beijing on 26 and 27 October 2006 to attend the
International Conference on Health and Development.
(Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040610/CNTH001LOGO )
Dr. Tim Evans will deliver a keynote speech at the
conference, along with Nobel Laureate Prof. Amartya Sen and
Dr. Wang Longde, Vice Minister of Health.
Dr. Tim Evans will speak about the importance of an
equitable, and well functioning health system for balanced
country development.
The conference is being co-hosted by the Ministry of
Health, Peking University and WHO. While the conference is
not open to the media, WHO speakers are available for
interview.
For more information, please contact:
Joanna Brent
Tel: +86-10-6532-7189 to 92 x681
Mobile: +86-1361-117-4072
Yuan Bo Yong
Tel: +86-10-6532-7189 to 92 x682
Mobile: +86-1361-117-4072
Web: http://www.wpro.who.int/china
SOURCE World Health Organization
2007'02.11.Sun
World Peace Flag Presented by Children to Celebrate UN Day
October 24, 2006
BEIJING, Oct . 24 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- On the
occasion of the 61st Anniversary of the United Nations and
the UN Day, a World Peace Flag painted by the children from
51 countries was presented today to the United Nations in
China, with the support of the China Association for
Promoting Children's Culture and Art.
Around 800 children of different origins, religions and
backgrounds got together on 21 October in Beijing to paint
their vision and best wishes of peace on a giant flag to
disseminate their messages to the world. This World Peace
Flag was then exhibited on the Great Wall before it arrived
at the UN Compound in Beijing.
The 100-square-meter flag will then be sent to the UN
Secretary-General Kofi Annan at the UN headquarters in New
York.
For more information, please contact:
Wu Tao
Tel: +86-10-8532-0714
Email: tao.wu@undp.org
SOURCE UN in China
2007'02.11.Sun
MEDIA ADVISORY: Mayors to Pledge Action on Social Determinants of Health
October 24, 2006
Mayors from six cities around the world are gathered in
Suzhou to lend their voice to the emerging theme of
"healthy urbanization".
The mayors will speak at the Symposium on Healthy
Urbanization held by the WHO Centre for Health Development
tomorrow on their view of making life healthier and more
equitable in their cities.
Mr Sergio Echeverria Garcia, San Joaquin, Chile; Dr Yan
Li, Suzhou, China, (represented by Dr Fu Caiqin, Director
General of Suzhou Health Bureau); Ms Mumtaz Begum,
Bangalore, India; Mr Tatsuo Yada, Kobe-Hyogo, Japan; Mr
Samuel Mithamo Kibue, Nakuru, Kenya and Dr Slah Ben Ahmed
Balti, Ariana, Tunisia, will then formalize their agreement
to engage with the Centre in a programme of action on
urbanization and health in their cities.
WHAT: Press conference to inform about the new Healthy
Urbanization
project: Optimizing the impact of social
determinants of health on
exposed populations in urban settings. The
project is posted at
http://www.who.or.jp.
WHEN: Sunday, 29 October, 10.45-11:00 am (Beijing
time).
WHERE: Yuanhe Hall, Suzhou Conference Centre/Centre
Hotel
WHO: The Director of WHO Kobe Centre, Dr. Soichiro
Iwao, will be leading
the press conference and mayors from the Healthy
Urbanization Field
Research Sites.
For more information, please contact:
Ms Susan Loo,
Policy Advocacy,
WHO Centre for Health Development
Tel: +81-078-230-3131
Email: chungs@wkc.who.int
Mr Richard Bradford,
Public Information,
WHO Centre for Health Development
Tel: +81-078-230-3136
Email: bradfordr@wkc.who.int
SOURCE World Health Organization
2007'02.11.Sun
Mayors Pledge Action on Social Determinants of Health
October 24, 2006
SUZHOU, China, Oct. 24 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Mayors
from six cities around the world are gathered in Suzhou to
pledge commitment to the emerging theme of "healthy
urbanization". The leaders will speak at the Symposium
on Healthy Urbanization held by the WHO Centre for Health
Development today under the subheading, "Optimizing
the impact of social determinants of health on exposed
populations in urban settings".
(Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040610/CNTH001LOGO )
In recent decades, economic globalization has pushed
rapid and often unplanned urbanization with serious
consequences. The mayors of Kobe, Japan, Suzhou, China,
Bangalore, India, San Joaquin, Chile, Ariana, Tunisia and
Nakuru, Kenya will address key issues that have emerged
from preliminary research and scoping papers under the
Healthy Urbanization Project. Findings include:
-- In Bangalore, around 25% of the population lives in
slums, while some
40% of those in greater Bangalore are part of
informal settlements.
One-fifth of slum dwellers suffer from
noncommunicable diseases, with
15-20% dying from injury - suicide, road accidents
and violence.
-- In San Joaquin, Santiago, Chile, a strong
correlation between income
and mortality rate is observed, with men in San
Joaquin losing 123.4
years of life between 1999 and 2001, compared to
45.7 years in the
wealthy nearby borough of Lo Barneachea.
-- In Japan, home to the WHO Centre for Health
Development, despite
economic expansion, working hours are up and wages
are down. Of workers
visiting health centres in 2003, 71% had
hypertension, 67% had high
cholesterol and 53% had diabetes.
Dr Soichiro Iwao, Director of the Centre, will speak on
the theme, "From Healthy Cities to Healthy Urbanization
in the 21st Century" on Saturday, 28 October, at 2.00
pm on the emerging "elements" required for
healthy urbanization in a city.
During this event, the mayors will sign a statement to
pledge their commitment to support the Healthy Urbanization
Project.
More on the Healthy Urbanization Project can be found
at http://www.who.or.jp .
For more information, please contact:
Ms Susan Loo,
Policy Advocacy,
WHO Centre for Health Development
Tel: +81-078-230-3131
Email: chungs@wkc.who.int
Mr Richard Bradford,
Public Information,
WHO Centre for Health Development
Tel: +81-078-230-3136
Email: bradfordr@wkc.who.int
SOURCE World Health Organization
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