2007'02.11.Sun
Residential Cruise Line Signs Memorandum of Understanding with Aker Yards
February 07, 2007
The Magellan Private Residential Cruise Ship's Shipyard
Selected
PHOENIX, Feb. 7 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Randall B.
Jackson, chief executive officer of Residential Cruise Line
Ltd. (RCL), announces the Company has signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (M.O.U.) with Aker Yards to build the world's
largest residential cruise ship, the Magellan. Aker Yards,
a part of the Aker Group, is one of the largest and most
renowned shipbuilders in the world.
"We selected Aker Yards as our shipyard of choice
for their proven track record of building world-class,
sophisticated and innovative ships," said Randall B.
Jackson. "The Memorandum of Understanding is our
first step in building the most luxurious residential
cruise ship ever built."
Designed by the internationally acclaimed Norwegian
firm of Petter Yran and Bjorn Storbraaten Architects A.S.,
the Magellan offers fractional and full-ownership of
luxuriously appointed residences and penthouses as well as
such unprecedented amenities as a full-service retractable
marina, on-call private Bell 429 helicopters, a 450-seat
satellite broadcast capable theater and 24-hour on-call
concierge service to name just a few. Private residences
on the Magellan range in price from $1.875 million to $8
million for penthouses and from $156,250 for fractional
ownership residences.
The finalization of the project is subject to the
completion of the financing. For more information about
ship specifics and fractional ownership opportunities, call
+1-480-497-8833 or visit the Web site at
hhtp://www.residentialcruiseline.com .
For more information, please contact:
Teri James
Tel: +1-602-258-5088
Cell: +1-602-430-0374
Email: terijamespublicrelations@msn.com
SOURCE Residential Cruise Line
PR
2007'02.11.Sun
Quellan Presents at Thomas Weisel Partners Tech2007 Conference
February 06, 2007
Company CEO will confirm Quellan's growth potential at
leading technology conference
SAN FRANCISCO, Thomas Weisel Partners Tech2007
Conference, Feb. 6 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Quellan, a leader
in analog noise cancellation devices, will showcase its
revolutionary technology at the Fairmont Hotel in San
Francisco tomorrow and confirm once again the company's
vast potential for financial growth.
Quellan's adaptive Noise Cancellation Chips are a
subset of the expanding Analog IC market, expected to grow
to $46.9B in 2007, according to iSuppli. Quellan's served
market is expected to exceed $3B, and consist of
applications in data centers, cell phones, consumer
electronics, and automotive segments. The benefits in these
applications include fewer dropped calls, instant GPS
location locks in high density urban areas and continuous
video capability for high quality mobile TV.
"It's very clear that Quellan's innovative noise
cancellation techniques will have significant quality of
service benefits in wireless systems such as cellular, GPS,
and digital terrestrial television systems," said
Dermot Nolan, Director of Telecommunications &
Broadcast Services in London, England. "For carriers
and operators, the improvement in overall end-to-end link
budgets if Quellan's techniques are implemented in
receivers may lead to significant network cost savings and
a massively enhanced customer experience."
Quellan's Noise Cancellers operate similar to Noise
Canceling Headphones, but at one million times higher
frequency -- in the radio frequency spectrum. The devices
are embodied in tiny, ultra-low power CMOS silicon,
yielding tens of thousands of devices on a single silicon
wafer, making them very inexpensive and embeddable in any
consumer device.
"I was looking for a technology that addressed the
noise issue, which becomes more relevant as cell phones
become smaller and use more radios," said Bill Byun,
partner of Samsung Ventures America. "Quellan has a
proven technology that can be used in a variety of
ways."
Quellan CEO Tony Stelliga will be presenting at 3:15
p.m. in the French Room of the Fairmont Hotel in San
Francisco on Wednesday, February 7th.
"We are honored to present at such a prestigious
west-coast technology conference and look forward to
accelerating our growth ramp in the upcoming year,"
said Quellan CEO, Tony Stelliga.
About Quellan
Quellan serves the Enterprise, Telecom, Broadcast,
Automotive and Consumer Electronics markets by developing
complex analog interconnects that remove noise from radio
frequency receivers. Quellan's Q:Active(TM) technology is
used in both narrowband and wideband devices. For more
information visit http://www.quellan.com ; email:
pressrelations@quellan.com
For more information, please contact:
Kristen Domingo
Quellan
Tel: +1-408-625-2200
Email: kristen@quellan.com
SOURCE Quellan
2007'02.11.Sun
China Poses the Greatest Impact on Business Owners Around the World
February 06, 2007
HONG KONG, Feb. 6 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- According to
the findings published today from the Experian(R) Grant
Thornton International Business Report (IBR) 2007, economic
expansion in mainland China has had the greatest impact of
the four BRIC economies (Brazil, Russia, India and China),
on business owners around the globe with a positive
balance* of +12% (see Table 1), over the past two years.
Both Russia and India share second place in the survey at
+8%, followed by Brazil at +5%. The positive impact of
mainland China on business owners has doubled in the past
year, rising from +6% in last year's survey.
Table 1: Impact of the economic expansion in BRIC
economies on
business owners around the world over the
last two
years
Economies % balance*
Mainland China +12%
India +8%
Russia +8%
Brazil +5%
Source: Experian Grant Thornton International Business
Report (IBR) 2007
"Mainland China's economic size and rapidly
expanding share of world trade and investment gives it a
growing influence in regional and world economic affairs.
Its ability to produce goods at low cost has had major
consequences for international competition and trade,"
commented Dr Tapan Datta, Experian's global economist.
The economic boom in mainland China has significantly
increased business in recent years in the global economy,
but the biggest impact is in the Asia Pacific region.
Among all 32 surveyed countries/regions, Hong Kong, with a
balance of +69%, is the main beneficiary, followed by
Singapore (+35%) and the Philippines (+31%).
"It is interesting to note that the positive
effect of mainland China's economic boom is also growing
substantially for businesses in many other parts of the
world. When comparing the responses to the same question
asked in last years' survey, we notice that many more
businesses are catching up in capitalising on opportunities
in this fast emerging economy," said Desmond Yuen,
partner and head of China services at Grant Thornton.
Table 2: Impact of the economic expansion in mainland
China on
business owners around the world
-- responses in 2007 & 2006
Surveyed countries
/regions 2007 2006
Ranking# Balance* Ranking#
Balance*
Hong Kong 1 +69% 1
+53%
Singapore 2 +35% 5
+15%
Philippines 3 +31% 7
+13%
Germany 4 +29% 9
+12%
Taiwan 5 +24% 21
-4%
Malaysia 6 +23% 2
+22%
United States 7 +22% 3
+19%
Netherlands 8 +21% 7
+13%
Spain 9 +17% 23
-6%
Japan 10 +14% 21
-4%
Russia 12 +9% 19
-2%
United Kingdom 12 +9% 15
+1%
India 15 +7% 5
+15%
Canada 20 +3% 14
+7%
Australia 20 +3% 3
+19%
Brazil 27 -4% Not
Not
surveyed
surveyed
Poland 30 -8% 27
-9%
Turkey 31 -17% 28
-16%
Thailand 32 -39% 30
-39%
Global average -- +12% --
+6%
Source: Experian Grant Thornton International Business
Report (IBR) 2007 & 2006
The boom is, however, perceived to have had adverse
effects in several countries, notably Thailand, where a
negative balance of -39% of respondents say that they have
seen a significant decrease in business, followed by Turkey
(-17%) and Poland (-8%).
On the other hand, the economic expansion in the other
three BRIC economies, namely Brazil, Russia and India has
had a modest effect on businesses in mainland China. A
balance of +10% of Chinese businesses have increased
business as a result of the expansion in Russia, while +5%
and +7% have increased business due to the expansion in
Brazil and India respectively.
"Nonetheless, a large majority (71%) of mainland
Chinese businesses see globalisation as presenting an
opportunity for their company, in common with perceptions
of businesses in other countries in the region. This no
doubt reflects the huge export boost they have already
enjoyed and the further potential which globalisation
offers," explained Dr Tapan Datta.
In the survey, relatively few of the 32 economies
perceive finance as a major constraint on their ability to
grow. However, in three out of four BRIC countries,
businesses perceive access to finance as a major constraint
on their ability to grow (see Table 3). Mainland China cites
cost of finance, shortage of working capital and shortage of
long term finance as the major constraints on expansion,
which is well over the global average.
Table 3: Financial constraints on business expansion
Cost of Finance Shortage of
Shortage of
long term working
capital
finance
Brazil 36% 32%
34%
Mainland China 35% 41%
38%
India 23% 20%
23%
Russia 40% 42%
40%
Global average 23% 23%
21%
Source: Experian Grant Thornton International Business
Report (IBR) 2007
% of respondents rating the constraint 4 or 5 on a
scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is a minor constraint and 5 a major
constraint
"Mainland China's spectacular progress in the past
25 years has produced a new global economic superpower.
Strong growth in exports and investment inflows continue to
underpin robust output growth. Nevertheless, the key
constraint of accessibility of finance could be a hindrance
for expansion and development of many businesses in mainland
China and should not be overlooked," concluded Desmond
Yuen.
*The figure is the percentage balance of the
respondents who are positively impacted less those are
negatively impacted. The highest possible figure countries
are able to record is +100% and the lowest is -100%.
Notes to editors
About the Experian Grant Thornton International
Business Report (IBR)
Entering its 5th year, the Experian Grant Thornton
International Business Report (IBR) was carried out among
7,200 owners of medium to large privately held businesses
from 32 countries/territories during late 2006. Among them,
300, 250 and 150 medium to large privately held businesses
were surveyed in mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan
respectively. IBR began in 2002 and builds on the European
Business Survey (EBS) which Grant Thornton ran from 1993 to
2001. In 2007, the survey's name was changed from the
International Business Owners Survey (IBOS) to the
International Business Report (IBR). The research was
conducted by Experian Business Strategies Limited and
Harris Interactive. For more information, please visit
http://www.internationalbusinessreport.com
About Grant Thornton
Grant Thornton is one of the leading accounting, tax,
and business advisory firms dedicated to serving the needs
of entrepreneurial and owner managed companies. In Hong
Kong and mainland China, Grant Thornton has offices in Hong
Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, employing
in excess of 650 people. Grant Thornton in Hong Kong is a
member of Grant Thornton International - one of the world's
leading organisations of independently owned and managed
accounting and consulting firms providing assurance, tax
and specialist advice to independent businesses and their
owners. Firms operate in 110 countries in 520 offices with
more than 22,600 employees. For more information, please
visit http://www.gthk.com.hk
About Experian
Experian provides an unrivalled understanding of
consumers, markets and economies in the UK and around the
world, past, present and future. The business is a market
leader in consumer profiling and market segmentation,
economic forecasting and public policy research, supporting
businesses, policy makers and investors in making tactical
and strategic decisions. Experian's economic forecasting
arm, Business Strategies, has operations in sixteen
countries: UK, France, Netherlands, Spain, Norway, Sweden,
Finland and Hong Kong - China, Germany, Czech Republic,
Ireland, Greece, USA, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
For more information about Experian go to
http://www.experian.com.hk/ebs/
For more information, please contact:
Grant Thornton
Desmond Yuen (Partner and head of China services)
Tel: +852-2218-3113
Fax: +852-2218-3613
Email: desmond.yuen@gthk.com.hk
Estella Tsui (Marketing manager)
Tel: +852-2218-3207
Fax: +852-2218-3707
Email: estella.tsui@gthk.com.hk
Experian
Dr Tapan Datta (Global economist)
Tel: +44-207-355-8234
Email: tapan.datta@uk.experian.com
Bruno Rost (PR manager)
Tel: +44-115-968-5009
Email: bruno.rost@uk.experian.com
SOURCE Grant Thornton
2007'02.11.Sun
Robert A. Yungk to Join Mercer Human Resource Consulting as President and Global Head of Mercer Health & Benefits
February 06, 2007
SINGAPORE, Feb. 6 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Robert A.
Yungk, 50, is to join Mercer Human Resource Consulting as
President and Global Head of Mercer Health & Benefits,
it was announced today by M. Michele Burns, Chairman and
Chief Executive Officer of Mercer Human Resource
Consulting. Mr. Yungk will take up his assignment at the
end of February. He succeeds Bernard Morency who retired
in 2006 after more than 30 years of service with Mercer.
"Bob has 27 years of healthcare management
experience with some of the largest payor and hospital
organizations," said Ms. Burns. "His broad and
deep understanding of the healthcare industry provides him
with a sound foundation for understanding the challenges
our clients face around the world in effectively managing
their employee health and benefits programs. We intend to
build upon our leading market share position as we address
problems of rising healthcare costs, an aging workforce,
privatization of health care in many industrialized
countries and sweeping changes in healthcare delivery
around the world."
Mr. Yungk joins Mercer from Tenet Healthcare
Corporation where he has served as the Senior Vice
President, Managed Care, since 2003. In addition, he is the
Chairman/President of TCI, Inc., one of the largest
independent Medicare Advantage Health Plans in the country.
He also serves as a board member of Peoples Health Network.
At Tenant, Mr. Yungk has been accountable for the
performance of $4.5 billion in managed care revenue. His
operational responsibilities have included strategy and
development, national accounts, managed care operations,
managed care economics and payor Centers of Excellence.
Prior to joining Tenet, Mr. Yungk served as President,
Cigna Healthcare of Georgia/Alabama from 2001 to 2003. He
was Executive Vice President of Blue Cross Blue Shield of
Georgia, a WellPoint subsidiary from 1997 to 2001.
Previously, for six years, he was with UHC, serving as
Chief Operations Officer of United Healthcare South, a UHC
subsidiary, and Corporate Vice President of Sales. In
addition, he spent the first 11 years of his career with
Lincoln National HealthPlans in general management and as
Western Division Vice President of Sales.
Mr. Yungk holds a Bachelor of Science in Business
Administration from Florida Atlantic University, 1979. He
has also served on many healthcare boards. He served in
the Strategic Air Command, United States Air Force, 1976.
About Mercer Human Resource Consulting
Mercer Human Resource Consulting is a global leader for
HR and related financial advice and services, with more than
15,000 employees serving clients in more than 180 cities and
40 countries and territories worldwide. The company is a
wholly-owned subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Companies,
Inc., which lists its stock (ticker symbol: MMC) on the New
York, Chicago, and London stock exchanges. For more
information, visit http://mercerHR.com .
For more information, please contact:
Charles G. Salmans
Tel: +1-212-345-4512
Email: charles.salmans@mercer.com
SOURCE Mercer Human Resource Consulting
2007'02.11.Sun
Texas Instruments Introduces Rugged Encapsulated Tag for Harsh Process Environments
February 06, 2007
Company Adds Overmolded RFID Transponder to Its High
Frequency Product Line
DALLAS, Feb. 6 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Texas Instruments
Incorporated (NYSE: TXN) (TI) today introduced its
Overmolded (OM) transponder family comprised of the most
rugged RFID tags in its portfolio of ISO 15693 compliant
transponders. The OM tags are designed to withstand
extreme environments where temperature, high pressure and
harsh chemicals inhibit the performance of line-of-sight
automatic identification technologies such as bar codes and
other less robust RFID tags. With their durability and
small, 22 mm circular dimensions, TI's 13.56 MHz OM tags
provide increased read performance compared with
competitive offerings for applications ranging from
industrial laundry and textile rental to process industries
such as perishable foods.
(Logo:
http://www.xprn.com.cn/xprn/sa/20061107170439-20.jpg )
TI's OM tags are available in two memory options: a 2K
bit version with the option for higher functionality and
security features and a 256 bit version for customers who
require less memory. With two options from TI, customers
have the flexibility to choose the tag best suited to their
particular needs. In addition, the tag packaging is
optimized for mechanical robustness so that each tag can be
reused hundreds of times in physically demanding
environments. For example, the 13.56 MHz tags are capable
of enduring more than 200 industrial laundry wash cycles.
"TI's latest RFID transponders, with solid
overmolded casing, are effective in one of the harshest
applications that RFID is used for: laundry," said
Jeff Markman, President of Positek, a leading RFID systems
integrator for laundry applications. "The extended
read range enabled by the 22mm size provides for more
efficient reading of large bundles of clothing."
TI's 2K bit overmolded tag is already at work in
various applications such as the tracking of 130,000 staff
garments in the laundry service at one of Norway's top
hospitals, St Olavs University Hospital in Trondheim. A
case study on this customer application is now available on
TI's website at
http://www.ti.com/rfid/shtml/news-casestudies-02-01-07.shtml
.
In addition, a milk producer is currently using TI's 2K
bit OM tag to identify test vials of milk samples for the
purpose of controlling and tracking the complete chain of
quality inspection. Each vial includes an RFID transponder
and must be correctly identified as it passes through a
number of safety checks in a variety of harsh testing
environments. Using TI's tags, the accuracy and safety of
these checks are increased, and the reusability of the tag
makes it more cost-effective.
"The durability of TI's new overmolded
transponder, combined with the flexibility of two memory
options and improved read performance, enables companies to
select the best tag for their specific application and work
environment," said Ulrich Denk, RFID product marketing
manager for TI.
The 13.56 MHz Overmolded RFID tags are available in a
read/write format and compatible with the ISO/IEC 15693 and
ISO/IEC 18000-3 global standards. For more information,
visit http://www.ti.com/rfid/shtml/prod-trans.shtml .
About Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments is the world's largest integrated
manufacturer of radio frequency identification (RFID)
transponders and reader systems. Capitalizing on its
competencies in high-volume semiconductor manufacturing and
microelectronics packaging, TI is a visionary leader and at
the forefront of establishing new markets and international
standards for RFID applications. For more information,
contact TI-RFid(TM) Systems at 1-800-962-RFID (7343) (North
America) or +1 214-567-7343 (International), or visit the
Web site at http://www.ti-rfid.com .
Texas Instruments Incorporated provides innovative DSP
and analog technologies to meet our customers' real world
signal processing requirements. In addition to
Semiconductor, the company includes the Education
Technology business. 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
Tag-it and TI-RFid are trademarks of Texas Instruments.
All other trademarks and registered trademarks are property
of their respective owners.
For more information, please contact:
Media Contacts:
Jamie Horton
Tel: +1-214-567-2463
Email: jhorton@ti.com
Kim Novino
Tel: +1-617-742-7270
Email: kim@bridgeman.com
SOURCE Texas Instruments
2007'02.11.Sun
Carbon Finance: a New Weapon to Fight Poverty
February 06, 2007
Initiative Aims to Channel "Green Investment"
From Developed Countries to China's Western Provinces
BEIJING, China, Feb. 6 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Carbon
finance will be used to alleviate poverty and develop the
renewable energy sector in western China through a new
project launched today in Beijing between the United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Chinese
government.
(Logo:
http://www.xprn.com.cn/xprn/sa/20061107113358-34.jpg )
Entitled "MDG Carbon: Carbon Finance for Achieving
Millennium Development Goals", the US$1.7 million
initiative aims to pilot carbon trading in 12 provinces,
build capacity and provide policy input for the expansion
of carbon market and reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions in China.
"As highlighted in the recently issued Report of
the UN Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change, climate
change has emerged as one of the most important issues
facing the world," said Khalid Malik, UN Resident
Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in China, at
the launching ceremony.
"Assisting China in its efforts to cope with the
impact of global climate change and to create more
sustainable, less GHG intensive development paths is an
important focus for UNDP. A range of market-based
instruments has now emerged to support this effort, with
carbon trading emerging as a major opportunity," he
said.
Carbon trading, through the Clean Development Mechanism
(CDM), is one of the ways that developed countries can meet
their obligations of reducing GHG emissions under the Kyoto
Protocol by investing in GHG emission reduction projects in
developing countries.
China now supplies over 1/3 of carbon credits to the
global carbon market established under the CDM. Currently,
however, there are few efforts in place to ensure that
"carbon credits" are used to benefit the poor, as
ongoing CDM projects often focus on "end of pipe"
solutions, by, for example, reducing GHG emissions caused
by chemical industry process. Many do not lead to
technology transfer or foster the development of clean
energy in China.
The 'MDG Carbon' initiative, by contrast, will use
carbon trading as a tool to generate income for
impoverished communities in China's western region by
increasing investment and job opportunities through
promoting "green" industry. It is part of a
global drive to achieve the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs), a set of internationally recognised targets aiming
to eradicate poverty and ensure sustainable development by
2015.
The 3-year project aims to establish CDM technical
service centres in 12 provinces, such as Xinjiang, Qinghai,
and Inner Mongolia. These centres will act as brokers
between international investors and local partners to
kick-start "green" investment in China's less
developed regions.
"The 11th Five Year Plan sets an energy
conservation target of reducing 20% of energy consumption
per unit GDP by 2010, along with targets for greatly
increasing use of renewable energy by 10%. We hope that
CDM projects can contribute to achieve these ambitious
energy goals, "said Liu Yanhua, vice minister of
Science and Technology.
"The MDG Carbon Programme presents an innovative
market-based approach to attract large amounts of foreign
investment and establish public-private partnerships in
developing sustainable energy solution to alleviate poverty
and achieve Xiaokang and MDG goals." he added.
The programme is a joint effort between the United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Ministry of
Science & Technology (MOST), and China International
Centre of Economic and Technical Exchange (CICETE) under
the Ministry of Commerce, with financial support from
Arcelor Mittal, the world's largest steel producer. The
company also brings best practices in terms of energy
efficiency steel production, for which it has been a leader
in innovation.
UNDP fosters human development to empower women and men
to build better lives in China. As the UN's development
network, UNDP draws on a world of experience to assist
China in developing its own solutions to the country's
development challenges. Through partnerships and
innovation, UNDP works to achieve the Millennium
Development Goals and an equitable Xiao Kang society by
reducing poverty, strengthening the rule of law, promoting
environmental sustainability, and fighting HIV/AIDS.
http://www.undp.org.cn
For more information, please contact:
Ms. Zhang Wei
Communications Officer,
UNDP China
Tel: +86-10-8532-0715
Email: wei.zhang@undp.org
SOURCE United Nations Development Programme
2007'02.11.Sun
Teliris Receives $40 Million Investment From Fidelity Ventures and Columbia Capital
February 06, 2007
Funding Will Help Drive Telepresence Market Leadership
Through Expanded Global Sales, Marketing, Operations
NEW YORK, Feb. 6 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Teliris, the
leading provider of telepresence solutions, today announced
that it has received a $40 million majority equity
investment led by Fidelity Ventures and co-lead Columbia
Capital.
Additionally, Teliris announced that Fidelity Ventures
partner, Anne Mitchell, and Columbia Capital partner, John
Siegel, have joined Teliris co-founder and CEO, Marc
Trachtenberg, on the Teliris Board of Directors.
Teliris' VirtuaLive(TM) telepresence solution provides
the most natural and intimate virtual meeting environment
available on the market. Its flexibility, reliability and
cost effectiveness meet the demanding needs of a large,
diverse customer base. Teliris will use the additional
funding to capitalize on its market leadership,
accelerating the company's visibility and business
opportunity via global expansion of its sales and marketing
capabilities and InfiNet(TM) network -- all while
maintaining its industry-leading managed service.
"With six years of experience and a fourth
generation solution now in the marketplace, Teliris has
helped more businesses reduce costs, increase productivity
and address business continuity challenges than any other
telepresence provider," said Trachtenberg.
"This investment by Fidelity Ventures and Columbia
Capital validates our unparalleled leadership at a time when
major vendors like Cisco, HP and Polycom are entering the
market," said Martyn Lewis, Teliris EU Chairman.
"Teliris has done an excellent job of building a
pre-eminent position in the telepresence market," said
Mitchell. "With deployments in 18 countries, the
company has the largest installed base of global Fortune
500 companies and the deepest experience in serving
businesses in the pharmaceutical, financial, media,
exchange, product, consulting and manufacturing
industries."
"We have seen tremendous interest in the
telepresence sector from both the enterprise market and
several potential distribution channels. We believe Teliris
has the unique mix of technology leadership and a
service-focused delivery model to drive widespread
adoption," said Siegel. "In our opinion, Teliris'
scalable and reliable managed service offering addresses a
large market need and positions the company for long-term
success."
About Teliris:
Founded in 2001, Teliris develops, implements and
manages the world's most widely deployed telepresence
systems, realistically replicating the human dynamics of a
live meeting. Teliris has deployments in 18 countries with
the largest installed base of Fortune 500 companies,
including Pearson plc, GlaxoSmithKline and Vodafone, among
others. Headquartered in New York and London, the company
combines a fully managed service with end-to-end
integration that offers businesses a 24/7 multipoint
capability with a 99%+ availability guarantee, ensuring
they can respond and collaborate as needed. For further
information regarding Teliris, visit the company's web site
at http://www.teliris.com or email Teliris at
info@teliris.com .
About Fidelity Ventures:
Fidelity Ventures invests in technology companies at
the "Go-To-Market" stage. Its 40-year track
record includes hundreds of successful investments in the
consumer, communications, systems and software markets.
Fidelity Ventures is distinguished by the ability to
accelerate market adoption for its portfolio companies'
offerings, and by a global network of senior technology and
business executives. Fidelity Ventures actively manages over
$800 million from offices in Boston and London. Sister fund
Fidelity Asia Ventures manages over $220 million from
Shanghai and Hong Kong. For more information, visit
http://www.fidelityventures.com .
About Columbia Capital:
Columbia Capital is a venture firm specializing in
communications, media and information technology
investments. The firm has experienced investment team with
diverse industry backgrounds in entrepreneurial ventures,
management, finance, regulation and engineering. The team
has managed investments in approximately 100 companies in
the communications, media and information technology
sectors, ranging from small, early-stage investments to
multibillion-dollar public companies. The most recent fund
of $560 million closed in 2006 and brings total dollars
under management to over $2.0 billion.
For more information, please contact:
Amy Rajendran
Bell Pottinger
Tel: +44-20-7861-3885
Email: ARajendran@Bell-Pottinger.co.uk
Fidelity Ventures
Media Relations
Tel: +1-617-563-5800
SOURCE Teliris
2007'02.11.Sun
CCww, a Leader in Wireless Protocol-Stack Solutions, and Winity Technology, a Leader in Wireless System Design / Integration, Announce Immediate Availability of an Eco-Platform for GSM/GPRS Terminals
February 06, 2007
BOURNEMOUTH, England, and TAIPEI, Feb. 6
/Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- STAR (Single-chip Terminal
ARchitecture) combines an innovative, flexible and
comprehensive eco-platform with Silicon Laboratories'
AeroFONE(TM) single-chip phone, providing the most
cost-effective and best time-to-market solution for
terminal developers creating GPRS modems, and handsets from
ULC to high-end. STAR is available as a turn-key solution or
as a software toolkit for immediate licensing. It includes:
-- STAR-Base: framework for RTOS, diagnostics,
peripherals, and
memory configuration
-- STAR-Stack: CCww's GSM/GPRS protocol-stack
solutions
-- STAR-Sign: full-feature MMI
-- STAR-Player: range of music / video formats
-- STAR-Tune: FM-tuner
-- STAR-Camera: camera capture/playback
-- STAR-Creator: software toolkit options
-- STAR-Maker: download, calibration and test
solutions
-- STAR-Quality: support, customisation and service
Pre-configured solutions for maximising
time-to-market:
-- STAR-Lite GPRS modem
-- STAR-Talk: ULC GSM handset with MP3 player
-- STAR-Shine: adds, FM, Bluetooth, SD-MMC card
-- STAR-Power: adds camera/video option
"It's been a hectic 18 months creating the
multi-media framework and codecs, and validating the STAR
eco-platform with CCww," said John Wong, CEO of
Winity, "and we're pleased to announce the leading
single-chip approach that simplifies the creation of
innovative products."
Richard Carter, Managing Director of CCww and CTO of
CCasia, added, "STAR addresses the cost and
time-to-market pressures with the most powerful and
flexible single-chip eco-platform that maximise the
advantages of AeroFONE(TM).
Find out how the STAR single-core eco-platform can
speed the introduction of your next-generation product
family by visiting CCww on Stand: 2A98 Hall No: 2 level 0.
About CCww
Communications Consultants Worldwide Ltd. (CCww) has a
strong reputation over 10 years providing wireless
innovation to industry-leading companies, powering more
than 50 sector-leading handsets. CCww supplies a complete
range of IP for GSM/GPRS/EGPRS protocol-stacks, proven on 6
chipsets. With CCasia, its joint venture partner, CCww
creates reference designs, manages conformance testing and
optimises production.
Winity Technology
Winity Technology Inc., founded 2004 and incorporating
CCasia, is a System Integration solutions agent company,
focussed on mobile-phone applications IP. CCasia's
engineers comprise the original core teams of TI Asia
Reference Design (revenue $0.5B/yr) and HTC Wireless System
Division (creation of 7 smart-phones). This cumulative
experience gives CCasia engineers familiarity with handset
design and production on 50 networks.
For more information, please contact:
John Wong
Tel: +886-2-2657-0166
Email: john_wong@ccasia.com.tw
Anthony Cutler
Tel: +44-1684-893-999
Email: cutler@ccww.co.uk
SOURCE CCww Ltd
2007'02.11.Sun
Assist America Global Emergency Services Become Available in China through China Assist
February 06, 2007
Landmark Approval Allows U.S.-Based Assistance Services to
be Sold in the People's Republic of China for the First
Time Ever
PRINCETON, N.J., Feb. 6 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Assist
America announced today that its global emergency services
are now available in the People's Republic of China through
a licensing agreement with China Assist, a Chinese company
based in Beijing. Assist America is the first U.S.-based
assistance company to offer services within China through
this unique partnership. A world leader in global
emergency services offered through group employee benefit
plans, Assist America supports members with an array of
resources when they travel, including medical evacuation,
repatriation, hospital admission guarantee, medical
referrals, care of dependent children, return of mortal
remains and much more. The Chinese government's validation
of the agreement with China Assist is a landmark approval in
the country and a testament to the singularly high regard
given Assist America worldwide.
China Assist has a dedicated operations center staffed
with personnel who are fully trained by Assist America to
handle emergencies quickly and efficiently. Worldwide
emergency coverage is in effect 24 hours a day, 365 days a
year, whenever members travel more than 100 miles (150
kilometers) from home or outside their country of
residence. As with all Assist America providers, China
Assist will pay for all services rendered to its members
without charge-backs, limits or exclusions for pre-existing
conditions, adventure sports or geographic risk.
Last week, China announced that its economy grew 10.7
percent in 2006, its fastest rate in more than a decade and
a double-digit increase for the fourth consecutive year.
While more than 24 million foreign travelers are expected
to visit China in 2007, the outbound travel statistics are
even more impressive. More than 34 million Chinese
traveled overseas last year, with tourists now permitted to
visit 132 countries and regions.
"As a partner with China Assist, we are extremely
pleased at the prospect of extending our global emergency
services to a market that is experiencing such
growth," said George W. Howard, III, President and
Chief Executive Officer of Assist America. "The
middle class in China is expected to account for 40 percent
of the total population by 2020, according to the Chinese
Academy of Social Sciences. The huge purchasing power of
that group, along with the booming economy and the
potential for increased tourism and travel, creates many
opportunities to put our global emergency services to
work."
Founded in 1990, Assist America, Inc. is the world's
largest provider of global emergency assistance in
partnership with employee benefit plans. Its worldwide
network of professionals responds quickly to any eligible
participant who becomes medically compromised while
traveling more than 100 miles (150 kilometers) from home.
From simple doctor referrals to complex intercontinental
evacuations and more, Assist America saves lives every day.
The company, headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey, serves
more than 30 million members and over 300,000 enterprises
through programs from the world's most prominent group
benefit providers. For more information about Assist
America, visit http://www.assistamerica.com
For more information, please contact:
Mary Conti
Director of Corporate Communications
Assist America, Inc.
Tel: +1-609-921-0868 x212
Email: mconti@assistamerica.com
SOURCE Assist America, Inc.
2007'02.11.Sun
Entrust to Introduce Five Dollar Security Token, Disrupting $500 Million Security Token Market
February 06, 2007
Expedia to Be First to Deploy Entrust IdentityGuard
One-Time-Password Security Token
DALLAS, Feb. 6 /Xinhua-PRNewswire / -- Building on the
wide range of options already available with Entrust
IdentityGuard, Entrust, Inc. (Nasdaq: ENTU) is launching a
five dollar one-time-password (OTP) hardware token. With
the introduction of this OTP token, Entrust will officially
enter the $500 million security hardware token market. In
addition, Expedia will become the first to deploy the new
Entrust token.
( Photo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070130/DATU011 )
"Last year, we entered into a strategic
relationship with Entrust because they had the best
customer value proposition and the full suite of solutions
that we needed. We plan to further expand our brand
globally this year and required a more flexible and
extensible authentication solution. The Entrust
IdentityGuard token solution fills that gap at a price that
is best in class in the industry. This is another data point
to reassure us that we picked the right company. We continue
to view our 2006 investment with Entrust as a secure
foundation from which to grow our business globally,"
said Expedia Chief Information Officer Bill Holtz.
"From digital certificates to grid authentication to
hardware tokens, in a single platform Entrust delivers the
range of authentication choices we need to address our
range of business needs."
Entrust's OTP tokens are designed to deliver
exceptional security and reliability at a fraction of the
cost of traditional suppliers, making them an excellent
choice for deployments where tokens are the preferred
authentication method. Entrust IdentityGuard tokens can be
integrated seamlessly as one of multiple authentication
methods in use with the Entrust IdentityGuard multifactor
authentication platform. By deploying Entrust
IdentityGuard, administrators can tailor authentication
methods to various users' individual security needs while
seamlessly managing a variety of authentication methods --
simply, easily and inexpensively. Currently in production,
the Entrust IdentityGuard token commercial availability is
targeted for Q2 2007.
"Tokens can be a very effective authentication
method but historically have had a prohibitively high price
tag. That changes today with the launch of our inexpensive
token option," said Entrust Chairman, President and
Chief Executive Officer Bill Conner. "Entrust cares
about helping our customers be secure while creating value
for their stakeholders, not painfully gouging them with a
single authentication method. In addition, our customers
will spend a fraction while getting a complete
authentication platform that offers a range of additional
authenticators -- not just one."
Expedia, Inc. is the world's leading online travel
company, empowering business and leisure travelers with the
tools information they need to easily research, plan, book,
and experience travel. Expedia, Inc. also provides
wholesale travel to offline retail travel agents. Expedia,
Inc.'s portfolio of brands include: Expedia.com(R),
Hotels.com(R), Hotwire Expedia(R) Corporate Travel,
TripAdvisor(TM) and Classic Vacations(R). Expedia, Inc.'s
companies also operate internationally with sites in
Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, the
Netherlands, Australia and China, through its investment in
eLong(TM).
"Adding a time-based token to our arsenal gives us
even more flexibility to choose the appropriate
authentication mechanism for different users," said
Expedia Chief Information Security Officer John Millican.
"The best part is that we can issue tokens to users
who, by the nature of the information they need to access,
must have a stronger level of authentication while offering
more appropriate options to a broader audience, all from the
same authentication platform."
A principal benefit of the Entrust IdentityGuard
multifactor authentication platform is the flexibility and
convenience it offers, allowing organizations to support a
range of consumer and enterprise authentication
capabilities from a single software base. With centralized
policy, these methods can be deployed individually or
layered without requiring the deployment of separate
security infrastructures. Entrust OTP tokens continue this
focus on providing users a variety of options by providing
strong, flexible authentication tailored to a user's needs
-- all at a fraction of the cost of competing solutions.
This flexibility makes the Entrust solution
particularly appealing to businesses with a varied customer
base, such as financial institutions which may prefer
different authentication methods for different customer
segments. For enterprise authentication, Entrust's
consistent focus on providing a flexible open platform
means Entrust IdentityGuard can support remote access
solutions from all the leading remote VPN access vendors,
including Cisco, Nortel, Check Point and Juniper -- giving
users a wide array of options to help meet their remote
access needs.
Other authentication options that are supported by
Entrust IdentityGuard include machine fingerprinting,
questions and answers, out-of-band one-time passcodes,
mutual authentication through picture replay and physical,
second-factor authentication through Entrust's patented
grid card technology. Entrust IdentityGuard also supports
other third party OTP tokens today. Additional information
about multifactor authentication and the Entrust
one-time-password tokens can be found by visiting
http://www.entrust.com/savings .
About Entrust
Entrust, Inc. is a world leader in securing digital
identities and information. Over 1,500 enterprises and
government agencies in more than 50 countries use Entrust
solutions to help secure the digital lives of their
citizens, customers, employees and partners. Our proven
software and services can help customers in achieving
regulatory and corporate compliance, while helping to turn
security challenges such as identity theft and e-mail
security into business opportunities. For more information
on how Entrust can help secure your digital life, please
visit: http://www.entrust.com .
Entrust is a registered trademark of Entrust, Inc. in
the United States and certain other countries. In Canada,
Entrust is a registered trademark of Entrust Limited. All
Entrust product names are trademarks or registered
trademarks of Entrust, Inc. or Entrust Limited. All other
company and product names are trademarks or registered
trademarks of their respective owners.
Forward Looking Statement:
This press release contains forward-looking statements
relating to commercial products that Entrust expects to
release and the expected benefits of such products
including the future deployment by Expedia, and such
statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties.
Among the important factors that could cause actual results
to differ materially from those indicated by such
forward-looking statements are delays or failure to
complete development and/or testing of the IdentityGuard
token, delay or default by third party suppliers, and
general economic conditions and the risk factors detailed
from time to time in Entrust's periodic reports and
registration statements filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission, including without limitation Entrust's
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended
September 30, 2006. Entrust cautions investors that it
might not update any or all of the foregoing
forward-looking statements.
For more information, please contact:
Michelle Metzger
Media Relations, Entrust, Inc.
Tel: +1-972-713-5866
Email: michelle.metzger@entrust.com
SOURCE Entrust, Inc.
2007'02.11.Sun
Manufacturing Marketplace MFG.com Secures Funding for Global Expansion
February 05, 2007
European Founders Fund Joins Bezos Expeditions as Key
Investors
Funding Follows Record Breaking Year in 2006 for RFQs and
Revenue
ATLANTA, Feb. 5 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- MFG.com, Inc.,
the largest global online marketplace for the manufacturing
community, today announced the closing of a round of funding
by European Founders Fund (EFF), based in Munich, Germany.
Existing investor Bezos Expeditions, LLC, led the round of
funding. The funds will be utilized for MFG.com's
continued global expansion and the creation of innovative
new online services for the manufacturing community.
"The manufacturing industry is one of the largest
industries in the world, it is global by nature and highly
fragmented," said Oliver Samwer, co-founder of the
European Founders Fund. "MFG.com is bringing
tremendous efficiency to the manufacturing industry and has
garnered the all important critical mass that a marketplace
requires to be successful. Our organization knows the
marketplace business firsthand and looks forward to
contributing our experience and expertise to
MFG.com."
MFG.com also announced that for the year ending
December 31, 2006, the Company saw a new record in the
volume of manufacturing projects sourced through the online
marketplace and recorded the highest sales and revenue in
company history. Marketplace volume increased by 103% and
revenue was up 97% from 2005.
"The Internet and the manufacturing ecosystem are
both global and an online marketplace for the manufacturing
industry won't work on a localized basis," said Mitch
Free, Founder & CEO of MFG.com. "2006 was a
fantastic year for us with a lot of focus on creating a
global foundation for us to build upon. With our
acquisition of SourcingParts.com in Geneva, the
establishment of a wholly-owned foreign entity in China,
our new offices in Europe, and a strategic partnership in
India, we are now a significant player in the most
important buy and supply markets."
"I am pleased to have Bezos Expeditions and
European Founders Fund as partners," continued Free.
"Jeff Bezos and the Samwer brothers are highly
successful entrepreneurs with hands on experience building
large global online businesses. They invest their own
money and bring a level of expertise and experience that
pure financial investors just can't offer."
The MFG.com online marketplace, which facilitates
billions of dollars in manufacturing transactions annually,
supports 10 languages and 12 currencies and has offices in
Atlanta, Geneva, Shanghai, Paris and London.
About MFG.com
MFG.com is an online marketplace servicing the global
manufacturing community. MFG.com instantly and
intelligently matches sourcing professionals and engineers
with suppliers who have the right expertise and capacity to
manufacture parts and tooling on demand in accordance with
their engineering drawings and CAD files. MFG.com's
on-demand service is consolidating the once-fragmented
world of custom manufacturing into an efficient
marketplace, enabling products to be sourced and built more
easily, quickly, inexpensively, and at higher quality
levels. For more information, please visit
http://www.mfg.com
About Bezos Expeditions, LLC
Bezos Expeditions, a personal investment company of
Jeff Bezos.
About the European Founders Fund GmbH
European Founders Fund GmbH is a highly selective
investment company run by brothers Marc, Oliver and
Alexander Samwer, with offices in Munich, Germany. The
Samwers are the founders of eBay Germany (alando) and
Jamba! (now part of News Corporation). The internet
companies founded by the Samwers have achieved combined
sales of more than euro 1 billion. They are entirely
focused on investing in the equity of young technology
companies, especially internet & wireless. The Samwers
have direct experience in these segments and an extensive
network of partners who bring significant value-add to
their portfolio companies. With every investment, the
Samwers aim to make a difference and to build enduring,
significant companies.
For more information, please contact:
Dave Faupel
MFG.com
Tel: +1-678-556-2956
Email: dfaupel@mfg.com
SOURCE MFG.com, Inc.
2007'02.11.Sun
Wyeth Pharmaceuticals and MediVas Announce Research Partnership to Develop Advanced Hemophilia Therapies
February 05, 2007
Wyeth - World's Fourth Largest Biopharmaceutical Company -
Seeks to Further Its Innovation in Hemophilia
MADISON, N.J., Feb. 5 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- As part of
its ongoing commitment to provide advanced therapies for
hemophilia, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, a division of Wyeth
(NYSE: WYE), announced the signing of a research
collaboration with MediVas, LLC, a San Diego, California,
biomaterials company specializing in improved delivery of
biologics. This collaboration was initiated to discover,
develop, manufacture and commercialize novel
biopharmaceuticals that extend the duration of action of
recombinant factor treatments for hemophilia.
MediVas will employ a unique polymer-based drug
delivery system to develop advanced delivery methods for
recombinant hemophilia products and improve patient
convenience through the creation of a longer half-life for
these proteins.
"Our new research collaboration is in keeping with
Wyeth's strong presence in biopharmaceuticals and the
history of innovation in hemophilia research. The novel
approach of polymer-based delivery systems could offer
promise for other therapeutic applications," says
Cavan Redmond, Executive Vice President and General
Manager, BioPharma Business Unit at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals.
Under the terms of the agreement with Wyeth, MediVas
will receive milestone payments associated with
development, regulatory filings and approvals and royalty
payments based on net sales of products. Wyeth will
research, develop, manufacture and market any products
derived from the agreement.
"We are hopeful that by combining recombinant
hemophilia products with our best-in-class polymer delivery
system, we can offer an alternative to the intravenous
administration of these proteins. We also believe this
agreement will be part of a far-reaching relationship
between the two companies in many therapeutic areas,"
says Kenneth W. Carpenter, President and CEO of MediVas.
Hemophilia is a rare, inherited blood clotting
disorder, which affects approximately 130,000 worldwide.
People with hemophilia are deficient in one of the key
proteins - either Factor VIII (hemophilia A) or Factor IX
(hemophilia B) - that are vital in the clotting cascade to
prevent bleeding. Both forms of hemophilia are
characterized by spontaneous hemorrhages or prolonged
bleeding, typically into joints and soft tissue. Patients
with hemophilia A or hemophilia B are dependent on protein
replacement therapy with Factor VIII or Factor IX,
respectively, for life.
Wyeth Pharmaceuticals has leading products in the areas
of women's health care, cardiovascular disease, central
nervous system, inflammation, transplantation, hemophilia,
oncology, vaccines and nutritional products. Wyeth is one
of the world's largest research-driven pharmaceutical and
health care products companies. It is a leader in the
discovery, development, manufacturing and marketing of
pharmaceuticals, vaccines, biotechnology products and
non-prescription medicines that improve the quality of life
for people worldwide. The Company's major divisions include
Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Wyeth Consumer Healthcare and Fort
Dodge Animal Health.
The statements in this press release that are not
historical facts are forward-looking statements based on
current expectations of future events and are subject to
risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to
differ materially from those expressed or implied by such
statements. These risks and uncertainties include risks
associated with the inherent uncertainty of the timing and
success of product research, development and
commercialization (including with respect to our pipeline
products), drug pricing and payment for our products by
government and third-party payors, manufacturing, data
generated on the safety and efficacy of our products,
economic conditions including interest and currency
exchange rate fluctuations, changes in generally accepted
accounting principles, the impact of competitive or generic
products, trade buying patterns, global business operations,
product liability and other types of litigation, the impact
of legislation and regulatory compliance, intellectual
property rights, strategic relationships with third
parties, environmental liabilities, and other risks and
uncertainties, including those detailed from time to time
in our periodic reports filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission, including our current reports on Form
8-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and annual report on
Form 10-K, particularly the discussion under the caption
"ITEM 1A, RISK FACTORS." We assume no obligation
to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether
as a result of new information, future developments or
otherwise.
For more information, please contact:
Media:
Gerald Burr
Wyeth Pharmaceuticals
Tel: +1-484-865-5138
Candace Steele
Wyeth Pharmaceuticals
Tel: +1-484-865-5428
Investors:
Justin Victoria, Wyeth
Tel: +1-973-660-5340
SOURCE Wyeth Pharmaceuticals
2007'02.11.Sun
Kellen Company Opens First Association Management Company Office in Beijing
February 05, 2007
BEIJING, Feb. 5 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Kellen Company,
a premier global professional services firm, and the
largest international association management company,
announces the opening of its new office in Beijing, China.
Kellen Company is establishing this significant presence in
Asia with advanced resources, membership development and
market intelligence for the benefit of the company's
international clients. Kellen Company is the first
association management company to operate in Beijing,
China.
"China is a crucial component of the global
economy," says Peter Rush, Chairman and CEO of Kellen
Company. "Many associations and professional societies
need to be there. Kellen can provide them with a way to
enter the Chinese market with an infrastructure to develop
or serve their organization and membership."
With its new location, Kellen now has six global
offices: Beijing, Brussels, Washington, DC, New York,
Atlanta and Tucson. Among the professional services offered
in Beijing are association management, consulting and
strategic advisory, membership development, market
research, communications, monitoring, government affairs
and exhibition and conference management.
Kellen can also assist associations with global
regulatory and legislative advisory services in China, as
it does in the United States and the European Union.
The company serves more than 100 client organizations
and their member companies and professionals worldwide in
several industries, including construction, home
furnishings, food and nutrition, electronics, medical,
media, law and technology.
Kellen's global services component was accelerated by
the acquisition of Ernst & Young Association Management
in Brussels in 2004, now Kellen Europe. Alfons Westgeest,
managing partner of Kellen Europe, and group vice president
of Kellen Company, is leading Kellen's global expansion
efforts.
"Our clients are excited to be an integral part of
this new expansion, as Kellen continues to enhance its
services and strengthen its global reach," says
Westgeest. "With our team of multinational experts and
alliances, we can now provide associations and companies
with truly global solutions and capabilities."
Kellen Management and Consulting (Beijing) Ltd. is a
Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprise, located in the Chaoyang
district, Beijing China.
About Kellen Company
Founded in 1964, Kellen Company provides association
management, government affairs, public relations, meetings
management, creative communications, Web site development
and other professional services to associations, as well as
individual companies and other organizations. Kellen serves
more than 10,000 companies and 100,000 professionals
worldwide, either through its more than 100 client
associations or directly, from offices in Atlanta,
Washington, D.C., New York City, Tucson, Beijing and
Brussels. For more information, visit
http://www.kellencompany.com , http://www.kelleneurope.com
.
For more information, please contact:
Cara Clinton,
New York
Tel: +1-212-297-2109
Email: cclinton@kellencompany.com
Alfons Westgeest,
Brussels
Tel: +32-2-774-9610
Email: awestgeest@kelleneurope.com
SOURCE Kellen Company
2007'02.11.Sun
FXDD Launches Automated Currency Trading Platform
February 05, 2007
NEW YORK, Feb. 5 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- FXDD, a global
leader in online foreign currency exchange, is pleased to
announce the launch of FXDDAuto, an automated currency
trading platform based on Tradency's forex platform. The
exclusive venture between FXDD and Tradency brings together
cutting-edge technology, proprietary access and a global
support network. FXDDAuto allows forex traders to
streamline their efforts, adjust strategies and design and
test portfolios using real-time and historical data without
incurring prepaid subscription fees or requiring complex
programming. This customized perspective greatly enhances
a trader's ability to manage and assess the risk in their
portfolios and to make changes as the market demands.
FXDDAuto's basket of over 50 systems and signals adds a
powerful new dimension to online forex trading.
Forex trading is a demanding 24-hour activity that
usually requires constant monitoring. With FXDDAuto,
traders can select and automate complete systems or
components of systems and trade them automatically or
manually via remote servers. This serves to increase
traders' confidence by removing the psychological barriers
many traders encounter when structuring trades. FXDDAuto
records every trade and offers traders a detailed audit
trail of their activities.
About FXDD
FXDD, headquartered in New York City, is a leader of
online foreign exchange. The Company provides retail,
institutional and automated trading platforms; 100:1
leverage for regular accounts and 200:1 leverage for mini
accounts; narrow bid-to-ask spreads (2-3 wide on most
majors); and commission-free forex trading. For a free
demo, please visit http://www.fxdd.com , or call toll-free
in the U.S. at 1.866.FOR.FXDD or +1.212.791.3950.
About Tradency
Tradency, formed in 2005, offers a remote server-based
automated trading system to assist FX traders worldwide.
The trading platform allows FX traders to select from over
50 trading signal and system providers. For more
information, please visit http://www.fx-auto.com or call
toll-free in the U.S. at 1.800.771.4249.
For more information, please contact:
Inquiries:
Jennifer Van Hofwegen
Marketing and Communications, FXDD
Tel: +1-212-791-6491
Greg Hay
VP Business Development of Tradency
Tel: +1-800-771-4249 (US toll-free)
SOURCE FXDD
2007'02.11.Sun
UCB Licenses BioWa's POTELLIGENT(R) Technology for Use in Antibody Research and Development
February 05, 2007
PRINCETON, N.J. and SLOUGH, England, Feb. 5
/Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- BioWa, Inc. and UCB (Euronext: UCB),
announced today that they have entered into an agreement
which provides UCB with access to BioWa's patented
POTELLIGENT(R) technology platform for the development of
antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) enhanced
antibodies. The agreement grants UCB non-exclusive rights
to research and develop antibodies for an undisclosed
number of targets. In return, BioWa will receive license
fees, milestone payments and royalties on products
developed by UCB. Details of financial terms were not
disclosed.
"We are very pleased that UCB, a company that is
among the worldwide leaders in antibody research, will
incorporate POTELLIGENT(R) as part of its discovery
platform. The signing of this agreement is another example
of the wide acceptance of the technology's potential to
develop better antibodies with enhanced therapeutic
efficacy," said Dr. Nobuo Hanai, BioWa's President and
CEO. "Collaborating with UCB advances the BioWa mission
to significantly aid the development of more effective
targeted treatments for cancer and other life-threatening
and debilitating diseases."
"We are excited to add the BioWa technology to our
range of options for adapting the structure of our antibody
products to optimally address the therapeutic need,"
said Dr. Neil Weir, Senior VP UCB Research.
About POTELLIGENT(R) Technology
ADCC activity is an important function of the human
immune system, whereby immune cells can kill target cells,
e.g. cancer cells. Several anti-cancer therapeutic
antibodies that are on the market today have ADCC activity
as one of their mechanisms for the killing of tumor cells.
Enhancement of this activity is one promising approach in
the next generation of antibody technologies.
POTELLIGENT(R) technology involves the reduction of the
amount of fucose in the carbohydrate structure of an
antibody using a proprietary fucosyltransferase-knockout
CHO cell line as a production cell. Research shows that
POTELLIGENT(R) technology significantly enhances ADCC
activity of an antibody in vitro, thereby increasing the
potential for improved activity in vivo.
About BioWa, Inc.
BioWa is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kyowa Hakko Kogyo
Co., Ltd., Japan's leading pharmaceutical and largest
biotech company, and is the exclusive worldwide licensor of
POTELLIGENT(R) technology, which creates high ADCC
monoclonal antibodies. Currently, BioWa is developing ADCC
enhanced monoclonal antibody-based therapeutics to fight
cancer and other life-threatening and debilitating diseases
and both BioWa and Kyowa have POTELLIGENT(R) antibody
products in various clinical stages. BioWa creates and
develops enhanced ADCC antibodies for itself and others,
offering a full range of antibody discovery and development
capabilities. For more information about BioWa, visit its
web site at http://www.biowa.com .
POTELLIGENT(R) is the trademark of Kyowa Hakko Kogyo
Co., Ltd. All rights are reserved.
About UCB
UCB ( http://www.ucb-group.com ) is a leading global
biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the research,
development and commercialization of innovative
pharmaceutical and biotechnology products in the fields of
central nervous system disorders, allergy/respiratory
diseases, immune and inflammatory disorders and oncology --
UCB focuses on securing a leading position in severe disease
categories. Employing over 8,300 people in over 40
countries, UCB achieved revenue of 2.3 billion euro in
2005. UCB is listed on the Euronext Brussels Exchange.
Worldwide headquarters are located in Brussels, Belgium.
For more information, please contact:
Media:
Nobuo Hanai, Ph.D., President & CEO
BioWa, Inc.
Tel: +1-609-734-3420 x3422
Investors:
Martina Molsbergen, VP, Business Dev.
BioWa, Inc.
Tel: +1-609-734-3420 x3430
SOURCE BioWa, Inc.
2007'02.11.Sun
Wyeth Pharmaceuticals and Nautilus Biotech Announce Collaboration to Develop Hemophilia Therapies
February 05, 2007
Wyeth - World's Fourth Largest Biopharmaceutical Company -
Builds on Commitment to Innovation in Hemophilia
MADISON, N.J., Feb. 5 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Wyeth
Pharmaceuticals, a division of Wyeth (NYSE: WYE), and
Nautilus Biotech in Evry, France, today announced the
signing of a research collaboration and license agreement
to discover and develop novel recombinant Factor IX
proteins for the treatment of hemophilia B. These extended
half-life proteins will be designed to enhance patient
convenience as they will reduce the number and frequency of
treatments needed.
As part of the agreement, Nautilus Biotech will apply
its proprietary technology to improve the duration of
action of recombinant hemophilia B therapy. The Nautilus
Biotech technology makes minimal and specific changes to
amino acids sequences in order to slow the breakdown of the
protein in the body.
"Wyeth is continually evaluating technologies for
next-generation hemophilia products that provide unique and
improved features for patients. This research partnership
enhances Wyeth's presence in biopharmaceuticals and builds
upon our history of innovation in hemophilia
research," says Cavan Redmond, Executive Vice
President and General Manager, BioPharma Business Unit at
Wyeth Pharmaceuticals.
Under the terms of this agreement, Wyeth will develop,
manufacture and market products derived from the
collaborative research. Nautilus Biotech will receive an
upfront payment, research and development fees, milestone
payments from Wyeth associated with development, regulatory
filings and approvals, and royalty payments based on net
sales of products.
"Wyeth has an impressive track record as a pioneer
in developing state-of-the-art hemophilia therapies and
Nautilus Biotech has a unique technology for improving
protein medicines. We believe that the collaboration
between Wyeth and Nautilus will offer exciting new
therapeutic approaches for hemophilia," says Manuel
Vega, Chief Executive Officer of Nautilus Biotech.
Hemophilia is a rare, inherited blood-clotting disorder
that affects approximately 130,000 people worldwide. People
with hemophilia are deficient in one of the key proteins --
either Factor VIII (hemophilia A) or Factor IX (hemophilia
B) -- that are vital in the clotting cascade to prevent
bleeding. Both forms of hemophilia are characterized by
spontaneous hemorrhages or prolonged bleeding, typically
into joints and soft tissue. Patients with hemophilia A or
hemophilia B are dependent on protein replacement therapy
with Factor VIII or Factor IX, respectively, for life.
Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, a division of Wyeth, has leading
products in the areas of women's health care, cardiovascular
disease, central nervous system, inflammation,
transplantation, hemophilia, oncology, vaccines and
nutritional products. Wyeth is one of the world's largest
research-driven pharmaceutical and health care products
companies. It is a leader in the discovery, development,
manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceuticals, vaccines,
biotechnology products and non-prescription medicines that
improve the quality of life for people worldwide. The
Company's major divisions include Wyeth Pharmaceuticals,
Wyeth Consumer Healthcare and Fort Dodge Animal Health.
The statements in this press release that are not
historical facts are forward-looking statements based on
current expectations of future events and are subject to
risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to
differ materially from those expressed or implied by such
statements. These risks and uncertainties include risks
associated with the inherent uncertainty of the timing and
success of product research, development and
commercialization (including with respect to our pipeline
products), drug pricing and payment for our products by
government and third-party payors, manufacturing, data
generated on the safety and efficacy of our products,
economic conditions including interest and currency
exchange rate fluctuations, changes in generally accepted
accounting principles, the impact of competitive or generic
products, trade buying patterns, global business operations,
product liability and other types of litigation, the impact
of legislation and regulatory compliance, intellectual
property rights, strategic relationships with third
parties, environmental liabilities, and other risks and
uncertainties, including those detailed from time to time
in our periodic reports filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission, including our current reports on Form
8-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and annual report on
Form 10-K, particularly the discussion under the caption
"ITEM 1A, RISK FACTORS." We assume no obligation
to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether
as a result of new information, future developments or
otherwise.
For more information, please contact:
Media:
Gerald Burr
Wyeth Pharmaceuticals
Tel: +1-484-865-5138
Candace Steele
Wyeth Pharmaceuticals
Tel: +1-484-865-5428
Investor:
Justin Victoria, Wyeth
Tel: +1-973-660-5340
SOURCE Wyeth Pharmaceuticals
2007'02.11.Sun
Wealth Index Capital Group Holds Conference to Bridge Overseas Capital Markets for Chinese Enterprises
February 05, 2007
BEIJING, Feb. 5 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Wealth Index
Capital Group LLC, a premier corporate finance consultant,
announced today the successful completion of their
conference, "A Bridge to Overseas Capital Markets for
Chinese Enterprises." Held at the Shangri-La Hotel in
Beijing, the conference was aimed at SMEs, entrepreneurs,
solicitors, professional accountants and officers from the
National Development and Reform Commission, State Council
and China Securities Depository & Clearing. During the
conference, Dr. Bill Wong, General Manager of Wealth Index
Capital Group LLC, systematically introduced and compared
current international capital markets to the 300-large
audience.
Dr. Wong stated, "Through 30 years of economic
reform, China's economy has been playing a more and more
significant role in the global economic arena. This
dramatic and long-term economic growth cannot be separated
from the financial support received from both international
and domestic capital. However, for most of China's
privately run firms, obtaining domestic capital is
comparatively difficult, even more so when you note that
domestic capital resources are insufficient. In regards to
overseas capital, although China has been taking huge
efforts to improve its financing reform, the lack of
appropriate legislations has resulted in most international
capital not leveraging quickly enough, and this situation
does not look like changing any time soon.
"Behind the scenes, China's SMEs, the most dynamic
economic sector, are facing more opportunities and
challenges than ever before. On the one hand, the
international market has been implying that there is a huge
business potential, however, on the other hand, the issue of
insufficient financial support and inadequate financing
methods are stunting that growth potential. The biggest
issues that are now facing entrepreneurs who have long-term
development strategies is how to legally and effectively
obtain sufficient capital from overseas and who can help to
comprehensively introduce the right overseas capital
markets," explained Dr. Wong.
Finally, Dr. Wong addressed the fact that enterprises
entering international capital markets are being seen more
favourably in China under the current circumstances. The
earlier enterprises do it, the more optimal the benefit
will be to them. However, like any other flotation, the
enterprises must have a professional and experienced team
to guide the whole undertaking. Without a comprehensive
view of the target market and enterprise itself, any
misleading information or overhasty decision will
irreversibly result in a huge risk and probable loss for
the company.
About Wealth Index Group
Wealth Index Capital Group (Beijing) is composed of
many returned overseas specialists. Based on their
professional, financial, legal and management skills in
corporate finance, and their familiarity of domestic SMEs,
the company aims to be a bridge to overseas capital markets
for Chinese enterprises.
Last year, the company published a book called "A
Guide for SMEs Overseas and HK Floatation." Many
entrepreneurs now see this book as a necessary guide for
their overseas flotation. Since its launch, media like
CCTV, SINA and Hunan Satellite TV have invited the
company's experts to attend many of their programs in
respect to the flotation of Chinese enterprises overseas.
During the last two years, Wealth Index has assisted
nearly 20 SMEs successfully obtain financial support from
the US and UK markets, as well as holding many training
conferences. Over 2,000 SME entrepreneurs have attended
the Company's training programs. Wealth Index's
professional attitude and performance have been accepted by
not only the entrepreneurs but also the government, also
seeing them being invited to host many official meetings.
Currently, the company is cooperating with the LSE, KSX
and HKEx. Over 10 SMEs have appointed the company to be
their corporate finance consultant for their overseas
listing events.
For more information, please contact:
Phillips Han
Wealth Index Capital Group LLC
Tel: +86-10-8608-6161
Email: P.han@wealthindex.net
Web: http://www.wealthindex.net
SOURCE Wealth Index Capital Group LLC
2007'02.11.Sun
WuXi PharmaTech Kicks off this Year's Science Seminar Series by Welcoming Dr. Edward J.J. Grabowski
February 05, 2007
SHANGHAI, China, Feb. 5 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- WuXi
PharmaTech, China's leading provider of pharmaceutical
R&D outsourcing services started its 2007 Science
Seminar Series off on a big step by welcoming Dr. Edward
J.J Grabowski. Dr. Grabowski, retired VP of Chemistry
(Process Research) at the Merck Research Laboratories, a
division of Merck & Company (NYSE: MRK), delighted
eager young scientists with his expertise and experience in
Process Research and Development.
(Logo:
http://www.xprn.com.cn:9080/xprn/sa/200611271812.jpg )
The WuXi PharmaTech Science Seminar Series is a monthly
program that invites top minds in the pharmaceutical
industry to share their wealth of experience and years of
expertise with the next generation of scientists. As well,
WuXi PharmaTech's scientific staff gains a new perspective
on the industry.
Dr. Grabowski, a 39-year veteran of Merck, held
engaging lectures on Process Research and Development full
of anecdotes and insightful personal experiences from his
many years with Merck Research Laboratories.
Dr. Grabowski recently retired as VP of chemistry
(Process Research) at the Merck Research Laboratories.
During his almost four decades in the industry, Dr.
Grabowski co-authored approximately 100 research papers,
and was a co-inventor on over 50 U.S. patents. As well, he
has been a guest lecturer to over 150 symposia and held
courses in Process Research at prestigious universities
such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the
University of Wisconsin.
"To be the best, we must learn from the
best", commented Dr. Ge Li, Chairman and CEO of the
company. "We are honored to welcome Dr. Edward
Grabowski to share his experiences and knowledge of Process
Research Chemistry with our scientists. As a growing
company, we value the wisdom of an industry leader. Our
scientists are fortunate to learn from such a visionary
chemist," continued Dr. Li.
About WuXi PharmaTech Co., Ltd.
Founded in 2001, Shanghai-based WuXi PharmaTech is
China's leading drug R&D service company. As a
research-driven and customer-focused company, WuXi
PharmaTech offers global pharmaceutical and
biopharmaceutical companies a diverse, value-added, and
fully integrated portfolio of outsourcing services ranging
from discovery chemistry, and process chemistry to service
biology, bioanalytical chemistry, and large scale GMP
manufacturing. WuXi PharmaTech assists its global partners
in shorting the cycle and lowering the cost of drug
discovery and development by providing cost-effective and
efficient outsourcing solutions that save our clients both
time and money. Currently, our client list consists of 19
of the top 20 pharmaceutical, and 8 of the top 10
biopharmaceutical companies. For more information, please
visit: http://www.pharmatechs.com .
For more information, please contact:
Sherry Shao
Tel: +86-21-5046-4002
Email: PR@pharmatechs.com
SOURCE WuXi PharmaTech Co., Ltd.
2007'02.11.Sun
Abu Dhabi to Host Formula 1(TM) Grand Prix in 2009
February 05, 2007
Thousands celebrate Ecclestone confirmation at F1 showcase
on Abu Dhabi streets
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, Feb. 5
/Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- In front of an elated crowd of tens
of thousands of people, Formula One(TM) Management today
announced that Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United
Arab Emirates, has secured the rights to host a Formula
1(TM) Grand Prix from 2009.
On behalf of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al
Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates and in the
presence of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al
Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, the announcement was
made to the public who had gathered to watch the sport's
elite at the first-ever Abu Dhabi F1(TM) Festival --
featuring the largest gathering of current Formula One(TM)
drivers and cars ever assembled outside of a Grand Prix.
An official signing ceremony immediately followed at
the stunning Emirates Palace Hotel by the Chairman and CEO
of Formula One(TM) Management, Mr Bernie Eccelstone and the
Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Affairs Authority (EAA),
His Excellency Khaldoon Al Mubarak, in the presence of His
Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown
Prince of Abu Dhabi.
"A Formula 1(TM) Grand Prix is one of the world's
most prestigious sporting events, in the same category as
an Olympic Games or World Cup, and is unrivalled in terms
of continuous global resonance. That is why this new
partnership is such an exciting one for Abu Dhabi and the
entire UAE," said His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin
Zayed Al Nahyan.
"For Abu Dhabi, and indeed the whole of the UAE,
the opportunities that are presented by increased
international attention and connectivity will deliver very
real macroeconomic benefits."
Abu Dhabi, the capital, and largest of the seven
Emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates, will
provide an idyllic location for one the world's most
popular sport. With over 200 natural islands, offering some
of the most untouched beaches in the region, it is fast
becoming one of the most sought out destinations in the
world.
Formula One(TM) Management CEO Bernie Ecclestone
commented: "We are delighted to welcome Abu Dhabi into
the Formula One(TM) family, and look forward to a long and
successful partnership. Abu Dhabi's hospitality, the
genuine warmth of its people, and ever increasing number of
world class facilities, will ensure that its round of the
FIA Formula One(TM) World Championship is a wonderful
addition to the Formula One(TM) calendar."
The 2009 Formula 1(TM) Abu Dhabi Grand Prix track is
being constructed by ALDAR Properties, one of the UAE's
leading property development companies, and designed by
renowned Formula 1(TM) circuit designer Hermann Tilke.
Already under construction, the track is situated on a
2,550 hectare, natural leisure island, Yas Island, situated
on the east coast of Abu Dhabi and only minutes away from
the expanding Abu Dhabi International Airport.
"Abu Dhabi will bring its own unique culture,
landscape and fans to the F1(TM) experience," said HE
Khaldoon Al Mubarak. "The track design alone is an
indication of the visionary approach we are taking and I am
confident we will deliver something truly special," he
added.
"Spectators will enjoy high speed action played
out on three distinct sections of the 5.6km circuit,
including high speed areas ending in tight overtaking
turns, a street section and a marina section. Each section
of the circuit combines to deliver an unrivalled viewing
experience."
Note to Editors
-- A five minute video news release of this event will
be made available
to Reuters and SNTV for their clients to access
after 16.00 GMT
-- This is rights free material
For further information and images please visit
http://www.abudhabigp.com
For more information, please contact:
Alec Peck
Tel: +973-394-04490
Email: Alec.peck@hillandknowlton.com
SOURCE Abu Dhabi Executive Affairs Authority (EAA)
2007'02.11.Sun
AKQA Announces New Investment Partner General Atlantic
February 05, 2007
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 5 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- AKQA, a
leading interactive marketing agency, announced today that
it plans to accelerate its growth as a global independent
with the addition of its new investment partner, General
Atlantic LLC, a leading global private equity firm focused
on growth companies. AKQA's existing management team will
continue to hold a substantial stake in the business. The
terms of General Atlantic's investment were not disclosed.
(Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20051213/DCTU050LOGO )
A recognized pioneer in online marketing, AKQA uses
innovative ideas and technology to deliver results for the
world's leading brands including Coca-Cola, Nike, Microsoft
and Visa. For the second consecutive year, AKQA has received
Agency of the Year honors on both sides of the Atlantic.
AKQA was named Agency of the Year by OMMA Magazine in the
U.S. and Digital Agency of the Year by Marketing Magazine
in the U.K.
"We are very pleased with this long-term
commitment by General Atlantic," said Tom Bedecarre,
CEO of AKQA. "Working with General Atlantic allows
AKQA to remain independent and concentrate on our work, our
employees and our clients."
Anton Levy, managing director of General Atlantic said,
"We're delighted to partner with Tom Bedecarre and Ajaz
Ahmed and their highly creative AKQA team. AKQA is a clear
leader in digital marketing with recent wins from
Coca-Cola, Diageo, Fiat and McDonald's. We will make our
global resources available to AKQA and its strong
management, and we look forward to a long and productive
association with AKQA."
General Atlantic is an experienced long-term investor
in the Consumer & Media sector with significant current
or past investment partnerships including Dice, Zagat,
Priceline.com and E*trade..
Morgan Stanley acted as financial advisor to AKQA.
About AKQA
AKQA is the leading independent digital marketing
agency with 500 employees in six locations: San Francisco,
New York, Washington D.C., London, Singapore and its newest
office in Shanghai. AKQA provides digital strategy, creative
and technology solutions to the world's leading marketers,
including Coca-Cola, Diageo, Microsoft, Nike, Unilever and
Visa. For more information about AKQA see
http://www.akqa.com .
About General Atlantic
General Atlantic LLC is a leading global private equity
firm providing capital for growth companies driven by
information technology or intellectual property. The firm
was founded in 1980 and has approximately $12 billion of
capital under management. General Atlantic has invested in
over 150 companies, with current holdings in 50 portfolio
companies of which about one-half are based outside the
United States. The firm is distinguished within the
investment community by its global strategy and worldwide
presence, its commitment to provide sustained value-added
assistance for its portfolio companies and its long-term
approach. General Atlantic has over 70 global investment
professionals among its 150 employees worldwide with
offices in Greenwich, New York, Palo Alto, London,
Dusseldorf, Hong Kong and Mumbai. For further information
and a listing of GA's public and private portfolio
companies see http://www.generalatlantic.com .
For more information, please contact:
Molly Parsley, AKQA
Tel: +1-415-645-9473
Email: molly.parsley@akqa.com
Pat Hedley, General Atlantic
Tel: +1-203-629-8658
Email: phedley@generalatlantic.com
SOURCE AKQA
2007'02.11.Sun
Lawyers' Network Launched to Enhance Free Legal Aid Service for Migrant Workers
February 03, 2007
BEIJING, China, Feb. 3 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- A project
to establish a nationwide network of lawyers specialized in
providing legal aid services to migrant workers was
launched today in Beijing.
(Logo:
http://www.xprn.com.cn/xprn/sa/20061107113358-34.jpg )
This is a joint effort between the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP), the All China Lawyers'
Association and the China International Centre of Economic
and Technical Exchange (CICETE) under Ministry of Commerce.
Entitled "Enhancing Legal Aid Service for Migrant
Workers in China", the US$0.5 million project aims to
establish a nationwide network of qualified lawyers
dedicated to voluntary work for helping migrant workers.
This initiative will set up local legal aid service centers
in 15 provinces and provide trainings for lawyers in order
to sharpen their skills and develop their specialties in
protecting the rights of migrant workers.
The project will also support the existing legal aid
centers in 7 provinces. As a result, it will provide
assistance in improving legal service for migrant workers
in more than 20 provinces across the country.
"The protection of the rights of disadvantaged
groups is an indispensable aspect of human development.
Human poverty will not be eradicated without addressing
inequalities and injustice," said Khalid Malik, UN
Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in
China, at the launching ceremony.
Tong Lihua, a veteran lawyer of defending the rights of
vulnerable groups such as children and migrant workers, will
lead the implementation of the project. Tong became
well-known in China in a publicized case where he helped a
group of migrant workers sue an international fast food
franchise for abusive labour practices. The lawsuit forced
the franchise to a settlement with some of its employees
and to change its labour practices, in alignment with
Chinese labour regulations.
"In spite of the government's tremendous efforts
in helping migrant workers obtain their rightful money from
employers, many migrant workers are still owed wages from
their employers," said Tong.
According to Tong, many employers of migrant workers do
not follow labour regulations. Collectively, China's 120
million migrant workers are owed billions in delayed
salaries, or so-called "back pay" from their
employers, but may lack access to legal aid.
The project will have its base at the Working Station
of Beijing Legal Aid Service for Migrant Workers, a civil
society organization established in September 2005 and led
by Tong. The 1-year project will be implemented by the All
China Lawyers' Association, with the endorsement of the
Ministry of Justice and financial support from the Belgian
Embassy.
"With the financing of this project, Belgium is
willing to contribute to the efforts of the Chinese
government in the field of promotion of human rights, good
governance and rule of law," said Bernard Pierre,
Ambassador of Belgium.
"The improvement of the situation of migrant
workers is indeed one of the biggest present challenges and
this very innovative project supported by UNDP and the
All-China Lawyers' Association can have a positive impact
and an added value," Pierre said.
"If the initial pilot project is successful, the
All China Lawyers' Association is planning to scale up this
network to cover more provinces in the country," said
Yu Ning, Chairperson of the All China Lawyers'
Association.
About UNDP
UNDP fosters human development to empower women and men
to build better lives in China. As the UN's development
network, UNDP draws on a world of experience to assist
China in developing its own solutions to the country's
development challenges. Through partnerships and
innovation, UNDP works to achieve the Millennium
Development Goals and an equitable Xiao Kang society by
reducing poverty, strengthening the rule of law, promoting
environmental sustainability, and fighting HIV/AIDS.
http://www.undp.org.cn
For more information, please contact:
Ms. Zhang Wei,
Communications Officer,
UNDP China
Tel: +86-10-8532-0715
Email: wei.zhang@undp.org
SOURCE United Nations Development Programme
2007'02.11.Sun
MAD Indicator Shows Increasing Reliance on Equity Capital Financing Among Chinese Companies
February 02, 2007
SHANGHAI, China, Feb. 2 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Xinhua
Finance and Milken Institute released updated values for
the Market Adjusted Debt (MAD) Indicator for the second and
third quarters of 2006, both of which dropped from the first
quarter 2006 and were lower than a year prior.
(Logo: http://www.xprn.com.cn/xprn/sa/200611140926.gif
)
The quarterly released MAD indicator focuses on China's
debt market. It measures the capital structure of Chinese
companies using a long-term debt-to-equity ratio based on
market value instead of book value. The MAD indicator for
the second quarter of 2006 was 11.3, falling 10.9
percentage points from the first quarter, and 6.6
percentage points from a year prior. The indicator value
for the third quarter 2006 was 15.5, which is a 4.2
percentage point increase from the previous quarter and 5.5
percent point decrease from a year prior. The updated
indicator chart can be found at
http://www.xinhuafinance.com/en/charts/mad.html and
http://www.milkeninstitute.org/chinaindicators .
The indicator decrease in the second quarter 2006 was
partially determined by seasonal factors. Blue chip
companies such as China Unicom (A share, 600050; H share,
0762) and Baoshan Iron & Steel (A share, 600019) are
among those companies that had significant changes in book
value during this period. China Unicom retired
approximately 5.6 billion yuan in debt from March to June
2006. In the same period, Baoshan Iron & Steel also
reduced its long-term loans by 2.5 billion yuan. The
domestic interest rates rises in April and August also led
to a lower market value of outstanding debts.
Furthermore, the performance of the Chinese stock
market contributed significantly to an increase in
companies' market value. The free-float market
capitalization increased by 36 percent in the second
quarter of 2006, and another seven percent in the third
quarter of 2006. All these factors combined pulled down
the indicator values.
Glenn Yago, Director of Capital Studies at the Milken
Institute, pointed out, "The low mark-to-market debt
to equity ratio shows that Chinese companies continue to
rely on equity capital as major source of financing."
The MAD Indicator is calculated and released quarterly.
The next releases of the indicator will be in March 2007.
The MAD Indicator is one of the eight economic
indicators designed to increase transparency and data
quality in China's burgeoning financial markets. The
series applies the world-class index calculation
methodologies of Milken Institute, one of the world's
leading economic and financial research think tanks, and
the extensive data resources of Xinhua Finance, China's
premier financial information and media service provider.
The Xinhua Finance / Milken Institute China Indicators are
used by asset managers, underwriters, economists, and
product developers in assessing China's market environment
in support of investment decision-making.
To view additional information, visit
http://www.xinhuafinance.com/indicators or
http://www.milkeninstitute.org/chinaindicators .
About Xinhua Finance Limited
Xinhua Finance Limited is China's unchallenged leader
in financial information and media, and is listed on the
Mothers board of the Tokyo Stock Exchange (symbol: 9399)
(OTC ADRs: XHFNY). Bridging China's financial markets and
the world, Xinhua Finance serves financial institutions,
corporations and re-distributors through four focused and
complementary service lines: Indices, Ratings, Financial
News and Investor Relations. Founded in November 1999, the
Company is headquartered in Shanghai with 20 news bureaus
and offices in 19 locations across Asia, Australia, North
America and Europe. For more information, please visit
http://www.xinhuafinance.com .
About the Milken Institute
The Milken Institute is a nonprofit, independent
economic think tank whose mission is to improve the lives
and economic conditions of diverse populations around the
world by helping business and public policy leaders
identify and implement innovative ideas for creating
broad-based prosperity. The Milken Institute has extensive
expertise in China and conducts ongoing research on China's
banking and capital markets. It is based in Santa Monica,
CA. For more information, please visit
http://www.milkeninstitute.org .
Contact information:
Xinhua Finance
China
Ms. Joy Tsang
Tel: +86-21-6113-5999, +852-948-64363
Email: joy.tsang@xinhuafinance.com
Japan
Mr. Jiong Sun
Tel: +81-3-3221-9500
Email: jsun@xinhuafinance.com
Taylor Rafferty (Media contact for Xinhua Finance)
Japan
Mr. James Hawrylak
Tel: +81-3-5733-2621
Email: James.hawrylak@taylor-rafferty.com
United States
Ms. Ishviene Arora
Tel: +1-212-889-4350
Email: ishviene.arora@taylor-rafferty.com
Europe
Mr. John Dudzinsky
Tel: +44-20-7614-2900
Email: John.Dudzinsky@taylor-rafferty.co.uk
Milken Institute
Ms. Jennifer Manfre
Communications Manager
Tel: +1-310-570-4623
Email: jmanfre@milkeninstitute.org
SOURCE Xinhua Finance Limited; Milken Institute
2007'02.11.Sun
World Tourism Organization (UNWTO): YouTourist - the Social Network Platform for the Tourism Industry
February 02, 2007
MADRID, Spain, Feb. 2 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- UNWTO and
WISeKey announced an agreement today to expand the use of
traveller identification and authentication technologies in
the multibillion dollar tourism sector.
This collaboration builds on the Public Private
Partnership agreement signed by UNWTO and Microsoft in
2006. The partners will seek to deliver YouTourist as a
unique e-Tourism Social Network (youTourist.net). Based on
WISeKey Digital Identification and Microsoft Cardspace
technologies, this platform allows tourists to connect with
one another to exchange information based on the UNWTO's
Global Code of Ethics for Tourism.
The Code is a blueprint for safeguarding the resources
upon which tourism depends, ensuring that its benefits are
equitably shared in the spirit of the Millennium
Development Goals. It sets out guiding principles for
governments, destinations, tour operators, travel agents,
tourism workers, developers, and travelers themselves.
Geoffrey Lipman Assistant Secretary-General of UNWTO
said "the time is right to take advantage of new
technologies to advance the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics.
The explosion of social networks fits perfectly with the
spirit of the responsible and sustainable tourism that we
are seeking to encourage."
YouTourist will encourage tourist exchanges of
pictures, videos, and comments and give special
communication opportunities for local communities and
travel companies involved in the whole chain of tourism
development. Crosscutting areas in poverty alleviation can
be greatly aided by introducing the type of technology
available for travel industry Trusted Social Networks.
Digital Identification for secure participation will be a
key element.
Carlos Moreira, CEO of WISeKey quoted: "We are
truly in support of the UNWTO Code of Ethics. In the years
to come `Sustainable Tourism' will be the only way out and
emerging economies expect from global players like us that
we contribute to close the gap for the benefit of everyone.
The link between WISeKey's leading edge secure digital
identification and UNWTO's Global Code of Ethics brings a
new dimension to the concept of trusted travel via
YouTourist.net."
The Trusted Social Network for the Tourism Industry
will inter connect to the global information infrastructure
provided by agencies offering e-Tourism Services. It will
federate participating agencies into a global e-Tourism
Portal using Single Sign On technologies.
For more information, please contact:
Marcelo Risi,
UNWTO Press and Communications Department
Tel: +34-91-567-8193 / +34-91-567-8194
Fax: +34-91-567-8218
Email: comm@unwto.org
Web: http://www.unwto.org
SOURCE WISeKey SA
2007'02.11.Sun
SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT and Warner Music Group Announce Investment in ACCESS China Media Solutions, a Leading Digital Media Technology Company in China
February 02, 2007
ACCESS China Media Solutions - a Company Formed by ACCESS
CO., LTD., and MELODEO, Inc. - Develops Secure and Trusted
Digital Media Technology Solutions for Media Companies and
Mobile Operators
BEIJING, NEW YORK, and SEATTLE, Feb. 2
/Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Warner Music Group (NYSE: WMG), SONY
BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT, ACCESS CO., LTD., MELODEO, Inc. and
ACCESS China Media Solutions today announced they are
working together to develop and distribute world-class
solutions for delivering mobile music and multimedia
entertainment to wireless customers throughout China and
other Asia Pacific marketplaces and beyond.
Warner Music Group and SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
have each made a strategic investment in ACCESS China Media
Solutions, a company formed by ACCESS CO., LTD., and
MELODEO, Inc. With this investment, Warner Music Group and
SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT are now key partners in ACCESS
China Media Solutions, adding both capital and marketplace
expertise.
ACCESS China Media Solutions develops cutting-edge
music based mobile platforms for wireless carriers and
handset manufacturers. These platforms provide consumers
with the highest-quality music experience available on the
mobile handset, incorporating user-friendly interfaces and
innovative mobile music products.
Music companies have long sought a secure, economically
viable way to distribute their content in China and
throughout the world. Piracy of both physical CDs and
online digital music has made these efforts difficult over
the past decade.
In contrast, mobile phone networks are inherently more
secure, and have a built-in payment system that is ideal
for the sale of high-value, copyrighted digital media.
ACCESS China Media Solutions was formed to develop
solutions designed specifically to securely deliver mobile
music and multimedia content to wireless customers.
Ultimately, ACCESS China Media Solutions seeks to
encourage the growth of a vibrant, legitimate digital music
business in China and beyond that will foster the creative
and economic development of regional music companies,
recording artists and songwriters by ensuring that they are
properly compensated for their work.
"This investment by Warner Music Group and SONY
BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT a strong show of faith in bringing
together all the key elements to unlock the power of
digital music marketing on mobile platforms," said
Wayne Zhang, CEO of ACCESS China Media Solutions. "We
believe this partnership represents a pivotal point in the
industry as we work together in this joint venture (ACCESS
China Media Solutions) to unleash a new wave in the music
business. Together we have the content, proven
technologies, and network operators' support to ensure that
wireless customers can get their music and multimedia
entertainment content the way they want it, whenever and
wherever."
"Our participation in this company is an integral
part of our overall strategy to innovate and develop the
legitimate music marketplace around the world,"
commented Thomas Hesse, President, Global Digital Business,
SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT. "At SONY BMG we are
particularly excited about the opportunities from
distributing music on mobile phones in China, and this
project complements our successful Chinese direct licensing
activities for digital music. ACCESS China Media Solutions
is offering next generation mobile music platforms, to be
used, for example, for mobile podcasting and Full Track
Downloads. As one of the leading major music companies in
the world providing a huge depth of international and
Mandarin repertoire we are keen to see these technologies
introduced into the marketplace by our new joint venture in
conjunction with major local mobile phone operators."
"As the first major music company to open a
dedicated Chinese office in 2000 and the first to strike a
direct, catalog-wide content agreement with a Chinese
mobile operator in 2006, Warner Music Group views ACCESS
China Media Solutions as an important advancement in our
longstanding commitment to the dynamic Chinese music
business," said Alex Zubillaga, Executive Vice
President, Digital Strategy and Business Development,
Warner Music Group. "We're confident that with
ACCESS's technology deployment expertise and MELODEO's
cutting edge platforms and user-interfaces, this new
venture will unlock tremendous opportunities for content
owners, wireless operators and consumers alike in the
largest mobile marketplace in the world, which is the
strategic key to the music business in this region."
"Ensuring that digital music and entertainment
content is delivered securely is crucial for all
participants in the wireless marketplace," said
William Valenti, Founder/EVP, MELODEO, Inc. "MELODEO
is committed to providing solutions that enable the
delivery of on-demand digital content in the most
user-friendly mode. As part of the ACCESS China Media
Solutions joint venture, we are pleased to work with such
content and technology leaders as SONY BMG MUSIC
ENTERTAINMENT, Warner Music Group and ACCESS."
"As part of our mission to build a connected
world, we're excited to be part of this joint venture along
with industry leaders SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT, Warner
Music Group and MELODEO to help develop and deliver a
commercialized solution for safely and securely delivering
digital music and entertainment content to wireless
customers," said Toru Arakawa, CEO, President and
co-founder of ACCESS CO., LTD. "Providing the mobile
phone industry with a powerful and secure digital music
delivery solution benefits all members of the mobile
ecosystem-operators, handset and device manufacturers,
content providers, application developers and artists. And
most importantly, the wireless customers benefit with
access to the music they want to hear."
About ACCESS China Media Solutions
Formed as a joint venture between ACCESS CO., LTD., and
MELODEO, Inc, in early 2006, ACCESS China Media Solutions
develops technologies and solutions designed to enable the
secure delivery of digital music and multimedia content to
wireless customers. The company is focused on providing
wireless operators and handset manufacturers world-class
solutions to power advanced digital music and entertainment
content services.
About ACCESS CO., LTD.
ACCESS CO., LTD. is a global company providing leading
technology, software products and platforms for web
browsing, mobile phones, wireless handhelds and other
networked devices . ACCESS' product portfolio, including
its NetFront(TM) Browser, Palm OS(R) and the ACCESS Linux
Platform(TM) provide customers with solutions that enable
faster time-to-marketplace, flexibility and
customizability. The company, headquartered in Tokyo,
Japan, operates 29 subsidiaries and affiliates within Asia,
Europe and the United States. ACCESS is listed on the Tokyo
Stock Exchange Mothers Index under the number 4813. For
more information about ACCESS, please visit
http://www.access-company.com/ .
About MELODEO, Inc.
MELODEO Inc., a leader in synchronized Web / mobile
digital media delivery, is dedicated to bringing consumers
the best selection of on-demand podcasts, video and radio
programs for the Web and mobile phone. MELODEO combines
powerful content, a simple user interface and access from
any device, making it easy to enjoy and share music, video
and podcasts on any topic with friends.
Web site: http://www.melodeo.com/
About SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT is a global recorded music
joint venture with a roster of current artists that includes
a broad array of both local artists and international
superstars, as well as a vast catalog that comprises some
of the most important recordings in history. SONY BMG
MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT is 50% owned by Bertelsmann A.G. and
50% owned by Sony Corporation of America.
About Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group became the only stand-alone music
company to be publicly traded in the United States in May
2005. With its broad roster of new stars and legendary
artists, Warner Music Group is home to a collection of the
best-known record labels in the music industry including
Asylum, Atlantic, Bad Boy, Cordless, East West, Elektra,
Lava, Maverick, Nonesuch, Perfect Game, Reprise, Rhino,
Rykodisc, Sire, Warner Bros. and Word. Warner Music
International, a leading company in national and
international repertoire, operates through numerous
international affiliates and licensees in more than 50
countries. Warner Music Group also includes Warner/Chappell
Music, one of the world's leading music publishers. For more
information about Warner Music Group, visit our corporate
website at http://www.wmg.com .
Copyright (C) 2007, ACCESS CO.,LTD., MELODEO, Inc.,
SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT, WARNER MUSIC GROUP
ACCESS, ACCESS Linux Platform, NetFront, and certain
other trade names, trademarks and logos are trademarks or
registered trademarks of ACCESS CO.,LTD, and ACCESS Systems
Americas, Inc., which may be registered in Japan, the United
States, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and other
countries. PalmSource, Palm OS, Palm Powered and certain
other trade names, trademarks and logos are trademarks
which may be registered in the United States, France,
Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and other countries and
are either owned by ACCESS Systems Americas, Inc. or its
affiliates, or are licensed exclusively to ACCESS Systems
Americas, Inc. by Palm Trademark Holding Company, LLC.
These marks may not be used in connection with any product
or service that does not belong to ACCESS Systems Americas,
Inc. (except as expressly permitted by a license with ACCESS
Systems Americas, Inc.), in any manner that is likely to
cause confusion among customers, or in any manner that
disparages or discredits ACCESS Systems Americas, Inc., its
licensor, its subsidiaries or affiliates.
The registered trademark LINUX(R) is owned by Linus
Torvalds, owner of the mark in the U.S. and other
countries, and licensed exclusively to the Linux Mark
Institute.
SONY and BMG, as used in the name SONY BMG MUSIC
ENTERTAINMENT and in the SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT logo,
are trademarks of, and are used under licenses from, Sony
Corporation and Bertelsmann AG, respectively.
All other trademarks are the property of their
respective owners.
ACCESS Linux Platform is a codename subject to change
upon release of the final product without prior notice, in
the sole discretion of ACCESS CO.,LTD, ACCESS Systems
Americas, Inc., or the applicable third party.
For more information (press only), please contact:
ACCESS CHINA MEDIA SOLUTIONS
Tracy Hu
Tel: +86-10-64396436
Email: Tracy.hu@accessmedia.com.cn
ACCESS CO., LTD.
China
Delia Liu
Tel: +86-10-63496167
Email: delia.liu@accesschina.com.cn
MELODEO, INC.
Nate Murphy
MWW Group
Tel: +1-206-505-8390
Email: nmurphy@mww.com
SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
John McKay
Tel: +1-212-833-5520
Email: john.mckay@sonybmg.com
WARNER MUSIC GROUP
Will Tanous
Tel: +1-212-275-2244
Email: Will.Tanous@wmg.com
Amanda Collins
Tel: +1-212-275-2213
Email: Amanda.Collins@wmg.com
SOURCE ACCESS China Media Solutions
2007'02.11.Sun
Orchid Asia's Portfolio Company, Wuyi Pharmaceutical, Achieves a Auccessful IPO Listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange
February 01, 2007
Orchid Asia Led Transaction of US$18 Million in Wuyi Prior
to IPO
HONG KONG, Feb. 1 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Orchid Asia, a
leading private equity group focused on Chinese companies,
announced that one of its portfolio companies, Wuyi
International Pharmaceutical Company Limited (HKEX: 1889),
has successfully achieved an IPO listing on the Main Board
of Hong Kong Stock Exchange on Feb 1, 2007. Wuyi is a
pharmaceutical group focused on manufacturing, marketing,
and selling branded prescription with over-the-counter
western pharmaceuticals and modern Chinese medicine
products. Orchid Asia led the private equity transaction
in investing US$18 million in Wuyi in 2006. Mr. Gabriel Li,
Managing Director of Orchid Asia says, "We are very
pleased to be a financial partner and strategic partner to
Wuyi."
Orchid Asia has been investing in China for over 10
years and is one of the first international private equity
investors in China. Throughout the past decade, Orchid Asia
has invested in numerous successful companies in China
including Ctrip International (listed on the Nasdaq),
Eachnet (sold to eBay), Zhaopin (a leading online
recruitment firm in China), Sport100 (the leading
multibrand sporting goods retail chain in China), Longsheng
Tea (the leading Puer tea company in China) and many other
leading companies. Orchid Asia currently manages over
US$250 million of capital commitments and has offices in
Hong Kong, Shanghai, Guangzhou and San Francisco. The
investment team consists of professionals with different
backgrounds from Goldman Sachs, Carlyle, Lehman Brothers,
McKinsey, GE, and others.
For more information, please contact:
Hong Kong
Vivian Wong
Tel: +852-2115-8017
Email: vwong@orchidasia.com
Shanghai
Bei Wang
Tel: +86-21-5298-6222
Email: bwang@orchidasia.com
SOURCE Orchid Asia
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