2007'02.11.Sun
Mobile Leaders Around the World Launch LiMo Foundation
January 25, 2007
World's First Global Mobile Linux Initiative Begins
Membership Process, Encourages Creation of an Ecosystem
Spanning Application and Middleware Developer Communities
LIBERTYVILLE, Ill., TOKYO, YOKOHAMA, Japan, SEOUL,
South Korea and NEWBURY, England, Jan. 25
/Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- To support their goal of creating
the world's first globally competitive, Linux-based
software platform for mobile devices, Motorola, NEC, NTT
DoCoMo, Panasonic Mobile Communications, Samsung
Electronics, and Vodafone announced today the official
launch of the LiMo Foundation.
A not-for-profit organization, the LiMo Foundation is
aimed at blending the community-based development benefits
of transparency, innovation and scalability with the best
development practices from the mobile community to create
an innovative new business model. Overseen by a Board of
Directors comprising representatives from the founding
member companies including Foundation Chairman, Greg Besio
of Motorola and Vice Chair, Kiyohito Nagata of NTT DoCoMo,
the LiMo Foundation will be seeking new members interested
in participating in the development of a set of APIs,
architecture, and contributing source code for the common
components of the Linux based mobile platform. Foundation
members will be available to discuss membership
opportunities at the upcoming 3GSM World Congress in
Barcelona, Spain, February 12-15, 2007.
LiMo Foundation details -- along with guiding
principles and bylaws -- can be found at
http://www.limofoundation.org . Foundation members will be
involved in building an active ecosystem and will have the
opportunity to influence the evolution of the platform,
leaving them free to provide compelling and differentiated
services to customers.
The LiMo Foundation, through a fair and balanced
contribution and participation process, will focus
primarily on the joint development of a competitive
Linux-based mobile platform, built around a common source
code tree that can adapt to ever evolving market
requirements around the world. In addition, members will
also work on the following:
-- Establishment of safeguards to minimize
fragmentation;
-- Collaboration on a mobile Linux developer
ecosystem;
-- Co-operation with existing industry organizations
-- Securing new members from across the industry:
device
manufacturers, operators, chip set manufacturers,
independent software vendors, integrators and third
party developers
About the LiMo Foundation
The LiMo Foundation is an independent, not-for-profit
entity that strives to increase the adoption of Linux
within the mobile industry. The LiMo Foundation aims to
leverage the mobile Linux platform to create an open,
transparent, scalable ecosystem spanning application and
middleware developer communities and to encourage the
creation of compelling, differentiated and enhanced
consumer experiences. A full description of the
foundation, including the vision, goals, charter and
membership information can be found at
http://www.limofoundation.org .
MOTOROLA and the Stylized M Logo are registered in the
US Patent & Trademark Office. VODAFONE, the Vodafone
logos and Vodafone live! are trade marks of the Vodafone
Group. All other product or service names are the property
of their respective owners.
For more information, please contact:
Sharen Santoski
Motorola, Inc.
Tel: +1-781-372-4264
Email: Sharen.Santoski@motorola.com
Akiko Shikimori
NEC Corporation
Tel: +81-3-3798-6511
Email: a-shikimori@ay.jp.nec.com
Masanori Goto
NTT DoCoMo, Inc.
Tel: +81-3-5156-1366
Email: gotoum@nttdocomo.co.jp
Junji Kanegawa
Panasonic Mobile Communications Co., Ltd.
Tel: +81-45-939-6455
Email: kanegawa.junji@jp.panasonic.com
Sophia Kim
Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
Tel: +82-2-751-2215
Email: Sophia.Kim@samsung.com
Vodafone Group Media Relations
Vodafone Group Services Limited
Tel: +44-1635-664444
Email: Media.Relations@vodafone.com
SOURCE LiMo Foundation
PR
2007'02.11.Sun
Take Your Business Global: a New and Easy Way for Small and Medium Size Companies to Achieve a Successful International Development
January 25, 2007
Swensee Announced the Launching of an Innovative
e-contactplace
PARIS, Jan. 25 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Swensee is the
first global e-contactplace fully dedicated to businesses
involved in international trade. With a safe, trustful,
user friendly and customised environment, Swensee's
ambition is to bring internationalization within the reach
of all businesses, especially to small and medium size
companies whatever their nationality or sector, thanks to
specially designed tools and a community grounded on mutual
aid and trust among members.
http://www.swensee.com is a breakthrough service at the
center of multimedia convergence
Blending latest networking and communication
technologies, http://www.swensee.com is a breakthrough
service at the center of multimedia convergence: the
platform combines Web 2.0 compatible internet applications
with phone expert services, to assist international players
with getting qualified contacts, therefore speeding up their
international expansion.
Two web applications are available to subscribers, one
for companies and the other for network leaders to lead and
coordinate their networks, building up a platform which is
both an online community and a collaborative tool.
Qualified contacts are decisive to a successful
international development
Matthieu Delouvrier, former French banker and founder
of the company Swensee, said that "these qualified
contacts are decisive to a successful international
development, allowing a better knowledge of markets,
understanding of behaviors and identification of business
opportunities. Swensee is a documented system where you can
get to know people and double-check their story before
committing to a face-to-face meeting because finally,
building personal relationships is critical to the
achievement of real business transactions."
A collaboration with world leaders
Some services have been specifically designed by
Swensee in collaboration with Altares, the exclusive French
member of the D&B WWN, world's leading source of
business information, with Dow Jones Newswires, the world's
leading independent provider of real-time business and
financial news, and with SVP, leader in providing
professional consulting by phone to businesses.
Agreements with other leaders are under negotiation.
Swensee: a focused business solution for globalization
Swensee brings Web 2.0 to professional B2B
applications. During an experiment made with two groups of
French and German businessmen, Swensee revealed the immense
potential of business opportunities between themselves. In
the march to globalization, others are your hidden fortune
and Swensee helps you get it.
For more information, please contact:
Matthieu Delouvrier
Tel: +33-153-531-500
Email: md@swensee.com
SOURCE Swensee
2007'02.11.Sun
Praxair Announces Major Contract With Jiangsu Sopo for Industrial Gases Supply
January 25, 2007
SHANGHAI, China, Jan. 25 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Praxair
China, a subsidiary of Praxair, Inc. (NYSE: PX) announced
that it has signed a major contract with Jiangsu SOPO
(Group) Co., Ltd, for the supply of industrial gases to
SOPO"s acetic acid plant.
Praxair will design, build, operate, and own a
state-of-the-art large air separation unit (ASU) which is
due to come on stream in 2009. The ASU will have a capacity
of 3,000 tons of oxygen per day. It will be the largest
single plant for sale of gas and also the largest
single-train ASU to be built in Asia.
The oxygen plant will be integrated with a
state-of-the-art, low cost coal gasification process for
SOPO"s acetic acid plant.
In addition to the oxygen produced by the plant,
Praxair will also supply liquid oxygen, nitrogen and argon
to the rapidly growing market in East China.
Jiangsu SOPO (Group) Co., Ltd, the largest acetic acid
producer in China with a 30% market share, is located in
Zhenjiang in Jiangsu Province northwest of Shanghai, one of
the fastest growing industrial regions in the world. SOPO is
focused on improving the cost competitiveness of its
feedstocks for acetic acid production. Acetic acid is
widely used in the production of adhesives, textiles,
paint, paper, polyester fiber and plastic bottles.
"After a thorough evaluation of potential
suppliers, SOPO chose Praxair to supply industrial gases
for our project. We are confident in Praxair"s
capability as a world-class supplier to build large plants
and in its commitment to high-quality products and
service," said Song Qinhua, President, General Manager
of Jiangsu SOPO (Group) Co., Ltd. "We are deeply
impressed with Praxair"s professionalism, expertise
and company management and look forward to working with
Praxair."
"SOPO has developed rapidly in recent years under
its new management team to become one of the largest
chemical enterprises in China and we are pleased to be
their supplier," said David Chow, President, Praxair
China. "This is our single largest investment in China
to date and will become our flagship site. It demonstrates
our confidence in China and expands our leadership position
as a gas supplier. More important, integrating oxygen into
a coal gasification process allows Praxair to share our
technology in advanced control systems and systems
integration."
About Praxair China
Praxair China, a subsidiary of Praxair Inc., is a
leading global industrial gases supplier in China, serving
a diverse group of industries through the production, sale,
distribution and application of industrial gases. With over
1000 employees, Praxair China is headquartered in Shanghai
and operates 13 wholly owned companies and 11 joint
ventures. More information on Praxair China is available on
the Internet at http://www.praxair.com.cn
About Praxair
With 28,000 employees and operations in more than 30
countries, Praxair, Inc. (NYSE:PX) is a global Fortune 300
company. Praxair is the largest industrial gases company in
North and South America, and one of the largest worldwide,
with 2005 sales of $7.7 billion. The company supplies
atmospheric, process and specialty gases, high-performance
coatings and related services and technologies. Praxair
products, services and technologies bring productivity and
environmental benefits to a wide range of industries: food
and beverages, healthcare, semiconductors, chemicals,
refining, primary metals and metal fabrication, as well as
other areas of general industry. More information on
Praxair is available on the Internet at
http://www.praxair.com
About Jiangsu SOPO
Jiangsu SOPO (Group) Co., Ltd was founded in 1958. With
more than 4,200 employees, SOPO has developed into a
large-scale enterprise focusing on chemicals while actively
involved in biochemical and material chemical fields. SOPO
has total assets of RMB 3.4 billion (US$450 million) ) and
2006 sales of RMB 3.73 billion (US$479 million). It is
listed as one of the 100 top petrochemical enterprises in
China. More information is available on the Internet at
http://www.sopo.com.cn
For more information, please contact:
Mr. Li Zhengmin
Product and Marketing Director
Praxair (China) Investment Co., Ltd
Tel: +86-21-2894-7000
Fax: +86-21-6876-9970
Email: zhengmin_li@praxair.com
SOURCE Praxair (China) Investment Co., Ltd
2007'02.11.Sun
Corning Announces Fourth-Quarter Results
January 25, 2007
Company Achieves Record Results in 2006
Highlights LCD and Diesel Products Growth for 2007
CORNING, N.Y., Jan. 25 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Corning
Incorporated (NYSE: GLW) on Jan 24, 2007 announced
fourth-quarter sales of $1.37 billion and net income of
$646 million, or $0.41 per share. The net income includes
net after-tax special gains of $158 million, or $0.10 per
share.
(Logo:
http://www.xprn.com.cn:9080/xprn/sa/200612081746.jpg )
Excluding these special gains, Corning's fourth-quarter
net income would have been $488 million, or $0.31 per share,
which exceeded the company's guidance for the quarter and
also the consensus of Wall Street estimates as compiled by
Thomson/First Call. These are non-GAAP financial measures.
These and all non-GAAP financial measures are reconciled on
the company's investor relations Web site and in
attachments to this news release.
"Our excellent fourth-quarter results capped an
outstanding full-year performance for Corning,"
Wendell P. Weeks, president and chief executive officer,
said. "This was the fourth consecutive year that we
recorded significant improvement in the company's
profitability and we reached a new all-time record for net
income and earnings per share. We are extremely pleased
with our 2006 performance and we believe we are well
positioned for continued growth and success in 2007."
These are non-GAAP financial measures.
Corning's fourth-quarter results included the following
non-cash special gains and charges:
-- A $139 million pretax and after-tax gain primarily
to reflect the
decrease in the market value of Corning common
stock to be
contributed to settle the asbestos litigation
related to Pittsburgh
Corning Corporation.
-- Restructuring and impairment pretax and after-tax
charges of $44
million related to the company's Telecommunications
segment.
-- A $35 million reduction in income tax expense
related to the release
of the valuation allowance on certain deferred tax
assets in Germany.
-- A $28 million increase in equity earnings resulting
from net
nonrecurring gains at Samsung Corning Co., Ltd., a
Korean
manufacturer of glass panels and funnels for
cathode ray tube (CRT)
television and computer monitors.
Full-Year Operating Results
For the full year, Corning recorded sales of $5.17
billion, an increase of 13 percent over 2005 sales of $4.58
billion. The sales increase was the result of continuing
strong growth in Display Technologies and improvements in
most of the company's other business segments. Corning had
net income of $1.86 billion, or $1.16 per share, versus $585
million, or $0.38 per share, in 2005.
Corning's net income for 2005 and 2006 included several
special gains and charges. Excluding these items, Corning's
net income for 2006 increased 35 percent to $1.78 billion or
$1.12 per share compared to $1.32 billion or $0.86 per share
in 2005. These are non-GAAP financial measures. The
company's 2006 results also include $81 million, or $0.05
per share, of stock compensation expense resulting from the
adoption of SFAS 123R at the beginning of 2006.
"Our Display Technologies business had an
excellent year. Volume grew more than 50 percent on strong
shipments of larger-generation glass substrates. We are
especially pleased that we held our gross margin percentage
in 2006 compared to 2005 as strong cost reductions offset
price declines that were higher than our historical
trend," Weeks said.
He added, "Year-over-year, our Telecommunications
segment experienced sales gains of 6 percent. Excluding
the impact of the shift of our Japanese business to an
equity affiliate, sales increased 10 percent. The
Telecommunications segment also improved profitability,
before special items, for a second consecutive year. We
sense that a broader recovery in the Telecommunications
industry may finally be underway." These are non-GAAP
financial measures.
"We also had another excellent year at our equity
affiliates, particularly Dow Corning Corporation and Samsung
Corning Precision Glass Co., Ltd. (SCP), which drove a
significant increase in equity earnings," Weeks said.
Samsung Corning Precision is a 50-percent owned equity
company in Korea which manufactures LCD glass substrates.
Fourth-Quarter Operating Results
Corning's fourth-quarter sales increased 7 percent over
third-quarter sales of $1.28 billion and by 14 percent over
last year's fourth-quarter sales of $1.2 billion.
Fourth-quarter gross margin for the company remained strong
at 44 percent, comparable to the third quarter.
Including the $28 million net nonrecurring gains at
Samsung Corning, equity earnings for the fourth quarter
were $272 million compared to third-quarter equity earnings
of $232 million. Absent this item, the fourth-quarter
equity earnings increase was the result of continued strong
performance at both Dow Corning and Samsung Corning
Precision.
Fourth-quarter sales for Corning's Display Technologies
segment were $619 million, a 19 percent increase over 2005
fourth-quarter sales of $518 million, caused by volume
growth of 48 percent which was partially offset by price
declines. Sequentially, fourth-quarter sales increased 22
percent from third-quarter sales of $506 million as volume
increases of 28 percent were partly offset by price
declines of 5 percent.
Samsung Corning Precision's fourth-quarter glass volume
increased 43 percent year-over-year and 13 percent
sequentially. Equity earnings from SCP were $147 million,
up 14 percent over last year and up 9 percent compared with
the third quarter.
Total LCD glass volume, including both Corning's wholly
owned business and SCP, increased 46 percent year-over-year
and 20 percent sequentially. Net income for the Display
Technologies segment, which includes results of Corning's
wholly owned business and equity earnings from SCP,
increased 25 percent to $461 million in the fourth quarter
compared to $368 million in the fourth quarter of 2005, and
17 percent compared to the third quarter.
Weeks said, "As the year went on it became
apparent that television was becoming the primary driver
for LCD glass growth. We estimate that LCD television
penetration reached 22 percent of the world market in 2006,
and preliminary retail sales figures indicate that one out
of every three TVs sold in the United States last year was
an LCD television.
"Greater than one-third of the total LCD glass
manufactured last year, measured in square footage, was
used to produce LCD televisions." Weeks added,
"In making this transition toward an industry driven
increasingly by television sales, we have learned a lot
about its seasonality patterns which should help us
effectively manage capacity in the future."
Fourth-quarter Telecommunications segment sales
declined by 11 percent to $404 million from $456 million in
the third quarter. This fourth-quarter seasonal decline was
much less than the company had previously expected due to
strong demand from European and North American
telecommunications carriers. Year-over-year fourth-quarter
Telecommunications sales increased 5 percent.
In the fourth quarter, Environmental Technologies
segment sales increased slightly to $155 million from $153
million in the third quarter. Life Sciences segment
fourth-quarter sales were $72 million, an increase over
third-quarter sales of $68 million.
Cash Flow/Liquidity Update
Corning ended the fourth quarter with $3.2 billion in
cash and short-term investments, an increase over the $2.8
billion at the end of the third quarter. The company ended
2006 with total debt of $1.7 billion. "We had
positive free cash flow of $540 million in 2006,"
James B. Flaws, vice chairman and chief financial officer,
said. "Our board of directors has established a goal
to maintain a cash balance in excess of debt as a
protection against volatility in our markets. The board
has also approved priorities for the use of any cash beyond
this level. First, we will repay debt maturities within the
upcoming three years. Second, we will earmark funds needed
for potential major new developments coming out of our
laboratories. After these priorities are achieved, the
board will consider share repurchases or the reinstatement
of dividend payments," he said. Free cash flow is a
non-GAAP financial measure.
Weeks added, "We believe we may be on the cusp of
a very productive decade of innovation at Corning. It will
be extremely important that we have enough cash-on-hand to
fund the development of emerging technologies in our
laboratories. Examples of such emerging technologies
include green lasers for mobile projection devices and
micro reactors for chemical processing."
2007 Market Outlook
For 2007, Corning expects the overall LCD glass
substrate market to grow in the mid-30 percent range, with
an increase of at least 400 million square feet of glass
over last year's total volume. The expected volume growth
for the year will be equal to or greater than the total
amount of LCD glass added to the market in 2006. Corning
said that its LCD glass volume is expected to grow at the
upper end of this range, while SCP's volume may be slightly
lower than the range. Growth rates by region, and thus by
Corning's wholly owned business and SCP, may be different
based on market dynamics.
Corning said that LCD televisions should reach 33
percent of the global television market or approximately 68
million units in 2007. This would be a significant increase
over the estimated 22 percent penetration rate or 43 million
units produced last year. "This nearly 60 percent
increase in television units produced, coupled with an
increase in average screen size, may result in almost half
of all the LCD glass produced this year going to the
television market," Flaws said.
Corning also expects it will see significant growth in
its heavy-duty diesel products this year due to the new
U.S. emissions regulations which became effective on
January 1, 2007. Diesel products are a part of Corning's
Environmental Technologies segment. The company expects
that diesel product sales should increase by more than 60
percent from the $164 million of sales in 2006. This sales
ramp is expected to be stronger in the second half of the
year.
First-Quarter Outlook
Corning said that it expects first-quarter sales to be
in the range of $1.26 billion to $1.31 billion and earnings
per share (EPS) in the range of $0.24 to $0.27, before
special items. This EPS estimate is a non-GAAP financial
measure and excludes any possible special items. The gross
margin percent for the first quarter is expected to be 43
percent to 45 percent. The company also expects that its
effective tax rate for the first quarter will be in the
range of 15 percent to 18 percent.
In its Display Technologies segment, Corning said that
first-quarter sequential glass volume for both its wholly
owned business and Samsung Corning Precision will be down
10 percent to 15 percent compared to the fourth quarter.
Flaws said, "This sequential volume decline reflects
the seasonality of the LCD TV market as television becomes
a larger part of the LCD industry. Historically, the color
television end market has seen 55 percent of total sales
occur in the second half of the year. Retail sales of LCD
televisions are more weighted in the second half due to the
rapid increase in penetration.
"We anticipate that this seasonality decline may
fall more heavily on Corning in quarter one due to our
overall market share and our new pricing strategy. We
expect to see our total glass volume increase significantly
as the market expands in the second half of this year.
Additionally, we are encouraged that the LCD industry
appears to be operating at lower levels during the first
quarter in order to avoid a repeat of last year's panel
inventory buildup which caused significant disruption in
the LCD supply chain."
Price declines of one percent to two percent are
expected in the first quarter for Corning's wholly owned
business. At SCP, first-quarter price declines are
anticipated to be higher and any subsequent declines are
expected to be moderate for the remainder of the year.
Flaws said there are a number of factors contributing
to Corning's overall belief that it will be able to achieve
lower price declines this year than in 2006.
"First," he said, "last year's first-quarter
inventory buildup by panel manufacturers and the subsequent
inventory correction, along with the introduction of
significantly more Gen 6 and larger capacity by
competitors, were major contributors to the higher than
historical price declines in 2006. Second, we are using a
new pricing strategy by offering lower price declines in
the first part of the year, when demand is seasonally
weaker, in order to maintain higher prices in the second
half of the year, when we believe that LCD glass will be in
tight supply."
Corning said that lower first-half capacity
requirements will allow the company to make necessary
melting tank repairs and improvements and accelerate its
transition to its environmentally green EAGLE XG(TM) glass
composition.
Corning's Telecommunications segment first-quarter
sales are expected to increase modestly over the previous
year and sequentially due to increased demand in North
America and Europe. "We are beginning to feel much
better about the growth opportunities in the
telecommunications industry," Flaws said, "We
expect to see earnings improvement for the full year."
The company's Environmental Technologies segment sales
are expected to increase about 5 percent from the fourth
quarter of last year due to seasonally stronger automotive
sales and a modest increase in diesel products sales.
Sales for the Life Sciences segment should be up slightly
from the fourth quarter of 2006.
Equity earnings for the first quarter are expected to
decline 25 percent to 30 percent due to the lower earnings
from Samsung Corning Precision and the absence of the
fourth quarter nonrecurring gain at Samsung Corning.
"Seasonality factors across a number of our
businesses will have an impact in the first quarter but we
believe that Corning is well-positioned to achieve another
full year of sales and earnings growth. At the same time,
we will continue to make the necessary investments in
innovation and research that should lead to the next
generation of successful products to ensure the long-term
success of Corning," Weeks said.
Fourth-Quarter Conference Call Information
The company will host a fourth-quarter conference call
at 8:30 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, Jan. 24. To access the
call, dial (210) 234-0002. The password is QUARTER FOUR.
The leader is SOFIO. A replay of the call will begin at
approximately 10:30 a.m. EDT, and will run through 5 p.m.
EDT, Wednesday, Feb. 7. To listen, dial (203) 369-3852. No
pass code is required. To listen to a live audio webcast of
the call, go to Corning's Web site:
http://www.corning.com/investor_relations, and follow the
instructions. The audio ebcast will be archived for one
year following the call.
Presentation of Information in this News Release
Non-GAAP financial measures are not in accordance with,
or an alternative to, GAAP. Corning's non-GAAP net income
and EPS measure excludes restructuring, impairment and
other charges and adjustments to prior estimates for such
charges. Additionally, the company's non-GAAP measure
excludes adjustments to asbestos settlement reserves
required by movements in Corning's common stock price,
gains and losses arising from debt retirements, charges
resulting from the impairment of equity or cost method
investments, or adjustments to deferred tax assets, and
gains or losses recognized in equity earnings from
restructuring, impairment or other charges or credits taken
by equity method companies. Corning's free cash flow
financial measures are also non-GAAP measures. The company
believes presenting non-GAAP free cash flow; net income and
EPS measures are helpful to analyze financial performance
without the impact of unusual items that may obscure trends
in the company's underlying performance. These non-GAAP
measures are reconciled on the company's Web site at
http://www.corning.com/investor_relations and accompany
this news release.
About Corning Incorporated
Corning Incorporated ( http://www.corning.com ) is a
diversified technology company that concentrates its
efforts on high-impact growth opportunities. Corning
combines its expertise in specialty glass, ceramic
materials, polymers and the manipulation of the properties
of light, with strong process and manufacturing
capabilities to develop, engineer and commercialize
significant innovative products for the telecommunications,
flat panel display, environmental, semiconductor, and life
sciences industries.
Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements
that involve a variety of business risks and other
uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ
materially. These risks and uncertainties include the
possibility of changes in global economic and political
conditions; currency fluctuations; product demand and
industry capacity; competition; manufacturing efficiencies;
cost reductions; availability of critical components and
materials; new product commercialization; changes in the
mix of sales between premium and non-premium products; new
plant start-up costs; possible disruption in commercial
activities due to terrorist activity, armed conflict,
political instability or major health concerns; adequacy of
insurance; equity company activities; acquisition and
divestiture activities; the level of excess or obsolete
inventory; the rate of technology change; the ability to
enforce patents; product and components performance issues;
stock price fluctuations; and adverse litigation or
regulatory developments. Additional risk factors are
identified in Corning's filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements speak only
as of the day that they are made, and Corning undertakes no
obligation to update them in light of new information or
future events.
Attached File:
CORNING INCORPORATED AND SUBSIDIARY COMPANIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(
http://www.corning.com/media_center/press_releases/2007/2007012401.pdf
)
For more information, please contact:
Media Relations Contact:
Corning China
Lydia Lu
Tel : +86-21_5467-4666-1900
Email: lulr@corning.com
US Corning
Daniel F. Collins
Tel : +1-607-974-4197
Email: collinsdf@corning.com
Investor Relations Contact:
Kenneth C. Sofio
Tel: +1-607-974-7705
Email: sofiokc@corning.com
SOURCE Corning Incorporated
2007'02.11.Sun
WuXiPharmaTech Fills Two Key Leadership Positions with Internal Candidates
January 25, 2007
SHANGHAI, China, Jan. 25 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- WuXi
PharmaTech, China's leading provider of pharmaceutical
R&D outsourcing services announced today that it has
promoted Dr. Suhan Tang and Dr. Hai Mi to Chief
Manufacturing Officer and Vice President of Corporate
Communications respectively.
(Logo:
http://www.xprn.com.cn:9080/xprn/sa/200611271812.jpg )
Dr. Suhan Tang joined the company in 2003 as Vice
President of Process R&D, from Schering-Plough (NYSE:
SGP), New Jersey, US. Over the last three years, he has
been instrumental in shaping and developing the process
chemistry and scale-up manufacturing service offerings.
Under his leadership, SynTheAll Pharmaceutical, the wholly
owned subsidiary of WuXi PharmaTech, has successfully
passed a number of client audits and won many supplier
awards. As a result, SynTheAll has seen an increasing
number of long-term collaboration agreements with many
well-known pharmaceutical companies.
As a former business consultant and scientist for
Pfizer (NYSE: PFE), Dr. Hai Mi joined the company two years
ago as the Senior Director of Strategic Planning. In this
role he provided guidance on numerous executive decisions
and oversaw the Public Relations Department. His promotion
reflects the importance of enhanced communication with all
of WuXi PharmaTech's internal and external partners.
Both Suhan Tang and Hai Mi will report directly to Dr.
Ge Li, Chairman and CEO of the company.
"We are very happy to have two well-qualified
internal candidates to fill the two very important
executive posts. Both Suhan and Hai are proven leaders who
have a strong commitment to WuXi PharmaTech," commented
Dr. Li, "I am confident that both of them will continue
to build on the company's strengths, as well as effectively
provide leadership for new directions in their respective
functional areas."
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: +86-21-50464002
Email: PR@pharmatechs.com
SOURCE WuXi PharmaTech., Ltd.
2007'02.11.Sun
ING Renault F1 Team launches 2007 R27 Car
January 25, 2007
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands and LONDON, Jan. 25
/Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- The ING Renault F1 Team officially
launched the ING-branded R27 2007 F1 car to over 600
journalists from the international media in Amsterdam
today.
(Photos:
http://xprnnews.xfn.info/ING/20070125/HK076121A.htm
http://xprnnews.xfn.info/ING/20070125/HK076121B.htm
http://xprnnews.xfn.info/ING/20070125/HK076121C.htm
http://xprnnews.xfn.info/ING/20070125/HK076121D.htm )
ING CEO Michel Tilmant, ING Renault F1 Team President
Alain Dassas and Managing Director Flavio Briatore unveiled
the car together with drivers, Giancarlo Fisichella and
Heikki Kovalainen, as the ING Renault F1 Team begins its
2007 season challenge.
Following ING's announcement of the three year
sponsorship with the Renault F1 Team in November, the team
is now referred to as the "ING Renault F1 Team"
with immediate effect
Through the title sponsorship, ING will further build
its global brand awareness as one of the leading global
financial institutions providing Banking, Insurance and
Asset Management services to over 60 million customers in
50 countries across the world. With a global audience of
over 850 million, across a broad demographic and with ING
active in 15 of the 17 countries hosting Grands Prix, F1
offers an unrivalled opportunity to bolster ING's global
brand. ING will also support the ING Renault F1 Team title
sponsorship with a targeted advertising and marketing
campaign.
2007 sees the debut of Heikki Kovalainen, widely
regarded as one of the upcoming F1 talents, together with
Giancarlo Fischella, in his third year with the team.
Giancarlo and Heikki will form a highly competitive team
combining upcoming talent and proven race ability. They
will be supported by test-drivers Nelson Piquet Jr and
Ricardo Zonda.
Michel Tilmant, Chairman of the Executive board of ING
Group, said: "Our Formula 1 programme is a global
sponsorship initiative which will help us to enhance the
awareness of one unified ING brand worldwide."
explained Mr Tilmant. "Formula 1 is currently the best
platform for a global sponsorship programme, as it has the
potential to reach a broad customer base. We chose Renault
for its track record as a high-performing team. We are
convinced that teaming up with the Renault F1 Team fosters
our objectives of encouraging teamwork, instilling a
performance culture and permanent progress. I am confident
that the ING Renault F1 Team will remain highly competitive
in the coming years. I wish the team a lot of success in the
coming season".
ING Renault F1 Team Managing Director Flavio Briatore
said: "This is no year of transition for the ING
Renault F1 Team. We have always said that the team is what
matters, and that success comes from the team spirit that
unites us. 2007 is a fantastic opportunity to prove exactly
that. There are some big changes for this season, not just
at Renault but throughout the grid. We believe in our
choices, and we are confident that they will help us
achieve more success in 2007. It will be a year of tough
competition at every level. Those are the conditions that
allow the best teams to shine. And that is exactly what we
intend to do."
ING is a global financial institution of Dutch origin
offering banking, insurance and asset management to over 60
million private, corporate and institutional clients in 50
countries.
With a diverse workforce of over 115,000 people, ING
comprises a broad spectrum of prominent companies that
increasingly serve their clients under the ING brand.
For more information, please contact:
Tony Wong
Tel: +852-3762-8292
Email: tony.wong@ap.ing.com
SOURCE ING
2007'02.11.Sun
Skinvisible Continues to Expand Its Marketing Efforts to Combat Bird Flu
January 25, 2007
Skinvisible's Hand Sanitizer Lotion, Which Kills the Bird
Flu Virus, H5N1, Gets Increased Exposure to Potential Asian
Distributors
LAS VEGAS, Jan. 25 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Skinvisible
Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: SKVI), incited
by the latest increase in worldwide news reports of a rise
in bird flu incidents, has expanded its marketing efforts
in Asia, effective immediately. Skinvisible's
Chlorhexidine Antimicrobial Hand Sanitizer Lotion with its
patented delivery system Invisicare(R), can kill the Avian
Bird Flu virus, H5N1, with greater than 99.9 percent
inactivation -- according to studies conducted by Europe's
leading contract virology research company Retroscreen
Virology ( http://www.skinvisible.com ). To effectively
facilitate our key corporate strategies in targeting the
Asian region, Skinvisible has retained Ms. Evelyn Lee as
our Regional Corporate Advisor (Hong Kong) to spearhead our
activities. Ms. Lee in collaboration with our marketing
partner, EMD Chemicals Inc./Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
(Merck KGaA stock symbols Reuters: MRCG, Bloomberg: MRK GY,
Frankfurt Stock Exchange: ISIN: DE 000 659 9905 - WKN: 659
990) is introducing Skinvisible's Chlorhexidine
Antimicrobial Hand Sanitizer Lotion to potential licensees
and various governmental agencies.
(LOGO:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030416/LAW068LOGO )
(LOGO:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040503/INVISICARELOGO
)
"When large reputable publications like the Wall
Street Journal cite incident after incident of new cases of
the bird flu in Egypt, Japan, China, Indonesia, Vietnam and
Hong Kong, you have to take notice," said Terry
Howlett, President and CEO of Skinvisible. "We at
Skinvisible know that our Chlorhexidine Antimicrobial Hand
Sanitizer Lotion, along with regular hand washing, reduces
the spread of this H5N1 virus. The active ingredient in
Skinvisible's product is Chlorhexidine (klor-HEX-i-deen),
an easily tolerated and effective antiseptic that kills or
inhibits the growth of disease-causing bacteria, viruses
and other microorganisms, and is used for surgical scrubs,
skin wounds, germicidal hand rinse and antibacterial dental
rinse. This compound is delivered via Skinvisible's
patented Invisicare(R) polymer delivery system. Studies
have further shown that our product stays effective for up
to four hours and cannot be rubbed off or washed off."
Skinvisible's Chlorhexidine Antimicrobial Hand
Sanitizer Lotion has recently received government approval
in Canada. Mr. Howlett adds: "We, at Skinvisible,
continue our efforts around the globe to expand our reach.
This has been an important objective for Skinvisible as its
business model is focused on licensing its proprietary
formulations with Invisicare(R) to Pharmaceutical companies
worldwide."
About Retroscreen Virology Ltd.
London-based Retroscreen Virology is Europe's leading
contract virology research company, created in 1989 by
Professor John Oxford, a world-renowned influenza
virologist. Contact: Dr. Rob Lambkin-Williams, Tel:
44-20-7882-7966.
About Skinvisible Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Skinvisible Pharmaceuticals is a
research-and-development company that has patented
Invisicare(R), an innovative polymer delivery system that
enhances the delivery of active ingredients for topical
skincare products. Skinvisible's primary marketing
objective is to license its technology to brand
manufacturers of Rx and OTC dermatological, medical,
cosmetic and skincare products. http://www.skinvisible.com
and http://www.invisicare.com .
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains `forward looking'
statements within the meaning of Section 21A of the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and are
subject to the safe harbors created thereby. Such
statements involve certain risks and uncertainties
associated with an emerging company. Actual results could
differ materially from those projected in the forward
looking statements as a result of risk factors discussed in
Skinvisible, Inc. reports on file with the U.S. Securities
and Exchange Commission (including, but not limited to, a
report on Form 10QSB for the quarter ending September 30,
2006).
For more information, please contact:
Corporate Contact:
Terry Howlett, President/CEO
Skinvisible Pharmaceuticals, Inc
Tel: +1-702-433-7154 (USA)
Email: info@invisicare.com
SOURCE Skinvisible Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
2007'02.11.Sun
Microsoft Announces Extended Support for Windows XP Home Edition, Windows XP Media Center Edition
January 24, 2007
Microsoft adds the Extended Support phase to two consumer
products, providing customers with an additional five years
of support.
REDMOND, Wash., Jan. 24 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --
Who: Microsoft Corp.
What: Today, Microsoft is announcing the addition of
an Extended Support
phase for the Windows(R) XP Home Edition and
Windows XP Media
Center Edition operating systems, providing
consumers with an
additional phase of support.
With the addition of Extended Support, the
support life cycle for
Windows XP Home Edition and Windows XP Media
Center Edition will
include a total of five years of Mainstream
Support (until April
2009) and five years of Extended Support,
matching the support
policy provided for Windows XP Professional.
The Microsoft Support Lifecycle policy
standardizes Microsoft(R)
product support policies for business and
developer products as
well as for consumer, hardware, multimedia and
Microsoft
Dynamics(TM) products.
When: Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2007, 6 a.m. EST
NOTE: Microsoft, Windows and Microsoft Dynamics are
either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft
Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
(Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO )
NOTE TO EDITORS:
If you are interested in viewing additional information
on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft Web page at
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass on Microsoft's corporate
information pages. Web links, telephone numbers and titles
were correct at time of publication, but may since have
changed. For additional assistance, journalists and
analysts may contact Microsoft's Rapid Response Team or
other appropriate contacts listed at
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/contactpr.mspx .
For more information, please contact:
Microsoft
Greg Caldwell
Tel: +1-425-707-0815
Email: greg.caldwell@microsoft.com
Waggener Edstrom Worldwide
Kami Lohry
Tel: +1-503-443-7000
Email: kamil@waggeneredstrom.com
Rapid Response Team
Tel: +1-503-443-7070
Email: rrt@wagged.com
SOURCE Microsoft Corp.
2007'02.11.Sun
Three Leading Regional Executive Search Firms Forge Global Strategic Alliance
January 24, 2007
Alexander Hughes Joins Forces With Nosal Partners LLC and
Strategic Executive Search
SAN FRANCISCO and PARIS and SHANGHAI, China, Jan. 24
/Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Nosal Partners LLC -- the Executive
Leadership Solutions(TM) firm, Alexander Hughes and the
Strategic Executive Search (SES) Group announced today a
global strategic alliance. Under the agreement, the three
firms will partner to deliver executive search services
throughout North America, Europe and Asia.
"Alexander Hughes and SES both have outstanding
reputations for delivering high-touch client service in
their respective geographies," said David Nosal,
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Nosal Partners LLC.
"Our collective reach, combined with our mutual
philosophy for quality delivery, positions us under the
alliance as the strongest global player in all three
regions."
Headquartered in Paris, Alexander Hughes was founded in
1957 and has 34 offices in 24 countries throughout Europe,
the Middle East and Africa. Founded in 1986, the SES Group
delivers executive search services throughout Asia through
its four offices in Singapore, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and
Taipei. San Francisco-based Nosal Partners has seven
offices throughout North America and was established in
2005.
The three firms share a number of areas of industry
expertise, and will initially focus their efforts through
dedicated practices groups in seven key sectors: advanced
technology; clean technology; consumer, retail and
hospitality; financial services; industrial; life sciences;
and private equity.
"Our firms' philosophies are fundamentally
aligned," said Chris Traub, co-founder and Group
Managing Director of SES. "SES has been a leader in
executive search in the Asia Pacific region, and a
sought-after alternative to the largest search firms for
the past two decades. We are delighted to extend our reach
around the globe in collaboration with two high-calibre
partners."
Added Maurice Rozet, President of Alexander Hughes,
"This is an extraordinary opportunity for three firms
that share a track record of quality work and high success
rates. We look forward to executing seamlessly throughout
North America and Asia on behalf of our multi-national
clients through these two exceptional partners."
About Alexander Hughes
Alexander Hughes is a European executive search firm
headquartered in Paris with over 30 years experience
advising top management in searches for Board-level
executives, senior managers, non-executive directors and
recognized experts in their specialist fields. With 34
offices located in 24 countries and 110 consultants,
Alexander Hughes offers local expertise combined with
international capabilities. For more information, please
visit http://www.alexanderhughes.com .
About Nosal Partners
Nosal Partners LLC is the first and only Executive
Leadership Solutions firm. Headquartered in San Francisco
and with capabilities around the globe, the company
delivers flexible, customized executive search, executive
development, and interim executive leadership solutions to
a worldwide clientele. For more information, please visit
http://www.nosalpartners.com .
About the Strategic Executive Search Group
The Strategic Executive Search Group is the premier,
Asia-based alternative to the largest global executive
search firms. With offices in Hong Kong, Singapore,
Shanghai, and Taipei, SES is a generalist firm with strong
industry practice groups in technology, financial services,
private equity, consumer goods & services, industrial
supply chain, life sciences, as well as the world's first
dedicated executive search practice focusing on clean
technology. For more information about SES, please visit
the firm's website at: http://www.sesasia.com .
For more information, please contact:
Kristin Pittman
Alexander Hughes
Tel: +33-1-44-30-21-75
Email: k.pittman@alexanderhughes.com
Paula Elmore
Nosal Partners
Tel: +1-415-369-2234
Email: paula.elmore@nosalpartners.com
Chris Traub
Strategic Executive Search Group
Tel: +886-2-2514-0443
Email: ctraub@sesasia.com
SOURCE Nosal Partners LLC
2007'02.11.Sun
Liquidnet Announces 2006 Results
January 24, 2007
Company Ranked #1 Broker for Global Trading and #1 Broker
for European Clearing and Settlement
NEW YORK, Jan. 24 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Liquidnet, the
#1 electronic global marketplace for block trading,
announced its 2006 results today, finishing the year with
two major distinctions: #1 broker for global trading based
on transaction cost savings;(1) and #1 broker for clearing
and settlement for European equities.(2)
"Liquidnet is extremely proud to be named #1
broker for global trading," said Seth Merrin, CEO of
Liquidnet. "Our ranking means that our Members saved
more in transaction costs by trading in Liquidnet than with
any other broker - globally. It's a great acknowledgement of
our mission to bring greater efficiencies to the way
institutions trade equities."
In 2006, Liquidnet made significant achievements in
each of its five major operational centers: United States,
Europe, Canada, Asia Pacific and Japan (see below for
select highlights).
U.S. Highlights
By the close of 2006, Liquidnet's average daily volume
in U.S. equities reached 53.6 million shares, a 15 percent
increase over the third quarter 2006 and a 53 percent
increase over the same quarter last year. The record volume
traded in Liquidnet on any one day in 2006 was 84.5 million
shares. Liquidnet Members executed 232
one-million-share-or-above trades in 2006. The company also
ended the year with the largest pool of institutional-only
liquidity in the industry at more than 2 billion shares.
"Liquidnet's U.S. equity volumes have continued to
climb. Volume traded by our Members in the first three weeks
of 2007 has already jumped to more than 66 million shares
per day," added Merrin. "In just under six years
of operations, we are now the eighth and ninth largest
broker for NASDAQ- and NYSE-listed securities,
respectively."(3)
Liquidnet H2O, the company's latest product innovation
that enables Members to interact with additional liquidity
from Streaming Liquidity Partners (SLPs), reached several
major milestones by the close of 2006. The company added 10
SLPs, bringing the total number of live SLPs to 14. Our
liquidity partners collectively added nearly 1 billion
shares per day of active liquidity to the company's base of
2 billion shares of natural liquidity. The Liquidnet H2O
fill rate climbed to 13 percent in the fourth quarter, more
than double the average fill rate of other crossing
networks.(4)
Europe Highlights
2006 was Liquidnet Europe's third straight year of more
than 100 percent growth in total principal traded. During
the year, Liquidnet Europe Members traded more than 17.4
billion pounds Sterling, a 113 percent increase over 2005.
Total principal traded in the fourth quarter increased 32
percent over the third quarter 2006. In addition to U.K.
equities, the company now trades in 17 Continental Europe
markets, where the growth in principal traded was 340
percent above 2005 levels. At the close of 2006, Liquidnet
Europe was named the #1 broker for clearing and settlement
of U.K. and European equities.
"After four years in operation, being named the
top broker in Europe for clearing and settlement is a
significant achievement for Liquidnet," said John
Barker, Managing Director of Liquidnet Europe. "An
important part of delivering best execution to our Members
is the successful clearing and settlement of their
transactions."
Canada Highlights
Liquidnet launched Canadian equities trading in October
2006. In the 47 days of trading leading up to year end,
Liquidnet Members traded more than 14 million shares of
Canadian equities, forming the first successful
institutional-only electronic alternative trading system
for Canadian equities. At the close of 2006, Liquidnet had
12 live Members in Canada, and more than 100 additional
Members throughout the U.S. and Europe with Canadian equity
assets under management.
"Liquidnet's successful launch in Canada opened
the door for institutional liquidity to flow in and out of
Canada more efficiently than ever before," said Robert
Young, Managing Director of Liquidnet Canada. "Canadian
institutions now have access to the significant amount of
Canadian liquidity held by Liquidnet Members around the
world."
Asia Pacific and Japan Highlights
In 2006, Liquidnet made major strides toward launching
Asian and Japanese equities trading. The company began
operations in both Hong Kong and Tokyo, appointing David
Klinger - former head of Asian Equity Execution at Credit
Suisse - as managing director of Liquidnet Asia, and Eisuke
Hattori as managing director of Liquidnet Japan. Liquidnet
plans to launch electronic equities trading in five Asian
equities markets in the second quarter of 2007.
About Liquidnet
Liquidnet is the #1 electronic marketplace for block
trading. Liquidnet allows money management institutions to
trade large blocks of equities directly and anonymously
with significant price improvement and little-to-no market
impact. Liquidnet launched in 2001, and the company now
enables its Members to trade in 20 equity markets globally.
Liquidnet is headquartered in New York with offices in
London, Toronto, Tokyo and Hong Kong. Additional company
information is available online at http://www.liquidnet.com
.
Liquidnet, Inc. is a member of the NASD/SIPC. Liquidnet
Europe Limited is regulated by the U.K. Financial Services
Authority and is a member of the London Stock Exchange.
Liquidnet Canada Inc. is regulated by the Ontario
Securities Commission and is a member of IDA/CIPF.
Liquidnet Asia Limited is applying to the Hong Kong
Securities and Futures Commission for the relevant license
/ authorization to conduct regulated activities in Hong
Kong and to the Australian Securities and Investments
Commission for the relevant license / authorization to
conduct regulated activities in Australia. Liquidnet Asia
Limited is not currently licensed, regulated or otherwise
authorized by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, and is
not currently holding itself out as operating a market in
Singapore. Liquidnet Japan Inc. is applying for a
license/approval from the Financial Supervisory Agency of
Japan and the Japan Securities Dealers Association.
(1) Liquidnet's global ranking is based on a 2006
analysis of
transaction cost savings by Elkins McSherry.
(2) Liquidnet's ranking is based on a 2006 study
conducted by ZYen Ltd.
(3) Source: Plexus report, November 2006.
(4) Source: TowerGroup report, February 2006.
For more information, please contact:
Nicole Olson
Liquidnet Corporate Communications
Tel: +1-646-674-2149
Email: nolson@liquidnet.com
SOURCE Liquidnet
2007'02.11.Sun
Norkom Launches Market Leading Risk-Based Customer Due Diligence Solution
January 24, 2007
SYDNEY, Australia, Jan. 24 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --
Norkom Technologies launches its new risk-based customer
due diligence (CDD) solution designed to enable financial
services organizations' to effectively comply with today's
stricter and more stringent worldwide `Know Your Customer'
regulations as outlined in the US PATRIOT ACT, the 3rd EU
Money Laundering directive, Australia's AML/CTF Act, the
OFSI B8 guidelines and the FATF 40 recommendations.
Norkom's new offering is an end to end CDD solution
with tailored risk-based methodologies that differentiate
low and high risk customers at the point of account
opening. This enables organizations to focus attention on
verifying and validating higher risk clients while allowing
business to commence quickly with lower risk customers.
Furthermore, the technology spans the lifecycle of a
customer continually monitoring a customer's initial risk
assessment to ensure it remains valid in light of
additional transactional and behavioral information. Should
unusual behavior occur the solution will automatically
assess the relevance of the assigned risk category and make
system-generated recommendations, with supporting rationale,
on changes that should be made. This approach enables
organizations to ensure that customers are correctly risk
profiled right throughout their lifecycle and not just at
the time of account opening.
Norkom's CDD solution comes with a comprehensive case
management module which ensures investigation efficiency is
optimized at all stages of the investigation process.
Regulatory reports such as SARs can be generated
automatically as well as business reports to check on
performance metrics and risk exposure and ensure an
efficient and effective CDD operation.
Norkom's solution is already delivering benefits to
Fortis -- the major European financial services group.
Rudmer van der Meulen, Integrity Services -- Development at
Fortis comments: "Norkom's customer due diligence
solution enables us to meet our regulatory obligations and
execute a risk based approach to managing our business. The
Norkom solution enables us to apply different processes for
different customers based on the risk they represent to the
business -- for example, account opening requests from low
risk customers can be processed swiftly and efficiently
leaving investigators free to focus their efforts on those
customers that require enhanced due diligence which makes
sense for the business."
The solution has been designed and developed with
expert practical input from Norkom's Client Advisory Board
which includes members from Norkom's global client base
making it a truly market leading offering.
The risk-based CDD solution is the latest addition to
the company's financial crime and compliance suite which
includes solutions for anti-money laundering and all types
of fraud. Its launch further strengthens Norkom's portfolio
which was described as `outclassing its competitors' by the
recent evaluation of AML solutions by the analyst group
Celent.
Norkom's financial crime software suite is underpinned
by a common technology platform enabling clients to detect
and investigate multiple types of crime. It provides the
infrastructure required for an end-to-end financial crime
strategy reducing the total cost of ownership and
protecting clients from the need for large-scale technology
investments with every new type of regulation or crime.
Paul Kerley, CEO of Norkom comments: "Our CDD
solution is available as a stand alone product or as part
of our financial crime and compliance suite. The solution
is capable of transforming an organization's business by
enabling them to take a real risk based approach to their
customer due diligence processes."
About Norkom Technologies
Norkom Technologies is a leading provider of financial
crime solutions to the global financial services industry.
Its solutions enable organizations to detect and combat
financial crime, reducing their operational losses, and
addressing the industry's ever-changing compliance and
regulatory requirements. Norkom provides a portfolio of
financial crime solutions, which include products for
Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Watch List Management, Card
Fraud, Identity Theft, Check Fraud and Internal Fraud.
Founded in 1998, Norkom has operations across North
America, Europe and Asia Pacific. Clients include: HSBC,
Credit Agricole, Fortis, Rabobank, Standard Chartered Bank,
Erste Bank Group, Travelex, the New York Clearing House,
Bank of Montreal Financial Group, Allied Irish Bank, KBC
Bank, National Australia Bank Group, and other global
financial institutions and organizations. For more
information please visit www.norkom.com
For more information, please contact:
Rosemary Turley,
Marketing Director - Norkom Technologies
Tel: +353-86-829-1393
Email: rosemary.turley@norkom.com
SOURCE Norkom Technologies
2007'02.11.Sun
The9 Limited to Report Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2006 Unaudited Financial Results on February 14, 2007
January 23, 2007
SHANGHAI, China, Jan. 23 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- The9
Limited (Nasdaq: NCTY), a leading online game operator and
developer in China, announced today that it will host a
conference call and webcast on Wednesday, February 14, 2007
at 8:00 PM, US Eastern Time (corresponding to Thursday,
February 15, 2007 at 9:00 AM, Beijing Time), to discuss
The9's unaudited financial results for the fourth quarter
and fiscal year 2006, which will be released shortly after
the close of the market on the same day. The press release
will also be posted on The9's Investor Relations section of
its website located at http://www.corp.the9.com .
Conference call details:
Investors, analysts and other interested parties will
be able to access the live conference by calling
+1-617-597-5325, password "88306312". In the
U.S., members of the financial community may also
participate in the call by dialing toll-free
+1-866-713-8566, password "88306312". A replay
of the call will be available through February 22, 2007.
The dial-in details for the replay: U.S. toll free number
+1-888-286-8010, International dial-in number
+1-617-801-6888; Password "34934768".
Webcast details:
The9 Limited will also provide a live webcast of the
earnings call. Participants in the webcast should log onto
the Company's web site http://www.corp.the9.com 15 minutes
prior to the call, then click on the icon for "The9
Limited Q4 and Fiscal Year 2006 Earnings Conference
Call" and follow the instructions.
About The9 Limited
The9 Limited is a leading online game operator in
China. The9's business is primarily focused on operating
and developing MMORPGs for the Chinese online game players
market. The9 directly or through affiliates operates
licensed MMORPGs, consisting of Blizzard Entertainment(R)'s
World of Warcraft(R), MU(R) and Mystina Online(R) and its
first proprietary MMORPG, Joyful Journey West, in China.
It has also obtained exclusive licenses to operate
additional MMORPGs in China, including Granado Espada(R),
Soul of The Ultimate Nation(R), Guild Wars(R), Hellgate:
London(R), Ragnarok Online 2(R) and Emil Chronicle
Online(R). In addition, The9 is also working on the
development of a 3D fantasy MMORPG game, Fantasy Melody
Online.
For further information, please contact:
Ms. Dahlia Wei
Senior Manager, Investor Relations
The9 Limited
Tel: +86-21-5172-9990
Email: IR@corp.the9.com
Web: http://www.corp.the9.com
SOURCE The9 Limited
2007'02.11.Sun
HIV/AIDS Affected Families in Shanxi Supported by Microfinance
January 23, 2007
UNDP Initiative Increases Incomes of HIV/AIDS Affected
Households Through Microcredit Scheme
BEIJING, Jan. 23 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- A conference
was held today in Beijing highlighting lessons learned from
a United Nations microfinance initiative that has empowered
people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Shanxi province to
lift themselves out of poverty and restore hope in their
lives.
(Logo:
http://www.xprn.com.cn:9080/xprn/sa/20061107113358-34.jpg
)
To date, over 130 households affected by HIV/AIDS have
benefited from the project's microfinance scheme and many
other affected households are eager to join it. Through
starting household enterprises or scaling up existing
income generating activities, such as animal husbandry,
some beneficiaries have doubled or tripled their annual
incomes.
"Microfinance is such a powerful mechanism for
empowerment and poverty reduction because it unleashes the
drive and innovation of the poor, including people living
with HIV/AIDS, to improve their own lives and grow out of
deprivation," said Alessandra Tisot, Senior Deputy
Resident Representative of the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) in China when addressing the conference.
Entitled "Community-Based HIV/AIDS Care,
Prevention and Poverty Reduction", the project aims to
improve livelihoods, self-reliance and human dignity for
people living with HIV/AIDS and their families through
enhanced skills and access to microfinance services; and to
build a replicable model for poverty reduction among people
living with or affected by the virus.
The project is a joint effort between UNDP, the China
International Centre for Economic & Technical Exchanges
(CICETE) under the Ministry of Commerce and the National
Center for STD/AIDS Prevention and Control.
Shanxi is one of the provinces in Central China that
experienced a HIV epidemic among former commercial plasma
and blood donors. The total numbers of people living with
HIV/AIDS in both project counties around Yuncheng city
account for nearly one half of the whole province.
According to the 2003 data, poverty is prevalent in
both counties. In one county, 28 percent of the population
lived below the national poverty line, while in the other,
it accounted for 40 percent.
"In early of the 1990s, many villagers in Yuncheng
were affected by HIV due to illegal blood selling,"
said Wu Juxian, vice mayor of Yuncheng city. "These
families faced various difficulties in their lives -- many
went back into poverty besides suffering physically from
the disease. Their children dropped out of school and they
faced severe discrimination."
According to Wu, with the help of microfinance, over
130 households have benefited from microfinance loans; over
1,200 people have received material assistance, technical
support and training and psychological support; over 400
children were provided school fees, stationeries and other
study materials.
Based on extensive experience with microfinance
operations in 48 rural counties in China over the past few
years, UNDP and its executing partner CICETE advocated an
approach that addresses the root causes of HIV/AIDS by
linking it to poverty reduction. UNDP and CICETE provided
guidance and broadened multi-sector partnerships by
selecting the Rural Credit Cooperatives (RCC), which has
extensive networks down to township and village levels
across rural China, as the implementing microfinance
institution.
"While the poor have little physical or financial
capital, there are no limits to their creativity,
innovation and entrepreneurial spirit," said Tisot.
"That fact that numerous men and women living with HIV
have successfully improved their quality of life through
microcredit clearly demonstrates that AIDS affected
families do not require charity but opportunity -- the same
opportunities the rest of us too often take for
granted."
As in previous microfinance projects, financial
literacy was one of the first steps in mobilizing people
living with HIV/AIDS and their families to participate in
the project and was strengthened through the project.
One of the most important aspects involving people
living with HIV/AIDS is the need to maintain
confidentiality on their HIV status. Therefore, special
training programmes were conducted for loan managers and
other staff members of the Rural Credit Cooperatives. The
loan agreements state explicitly that the cooperatives
should not disclose the HIV status of the beneficiary.
UNDP provided guidance in modifying the financial
management practices which resulted from its previous
large-scale microfinance operations in rural China, and
provided HIV/AIDS sensitization training to loan staff and
government personnel at various levels including the Rural
Credit Cooperative (RCC). The project also provided
training to the local Center for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) staff who assisted in the mobilization of
AIDS affected families to apply for microfinance services
from the RCC.
Through the dissemination workshops, UNDP and its
national partners intend to demonstrate the project's
feasibility, its importance to local development goals and
its replicability in other areas of high HIV-prevalence and
high levels of poverty. In the near future, UNDP in
partnership with local governments hope to further
integrate and scale up this model to include ethnic
minority areas which are also heavily affected by AIDS.
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:
Edmund Settle,
Programme Manager on HIV/AIDS
Tel: +86-10-8532-0775
Email: edmund.settle@undp.org
SOURCE United Nations Development Programme
2007'02.11.Sun
Xinhua Finance Establishes Research Laboratory with Chinese Academy of Sciences
January 23, 2007
BEIJING, Jan. 23 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Xinhua Finance
(TSE Mothers: 9399 and OTC: XHFNY), China's premier
financial information and media services provider,
announced that it has entered into an agreement to
establish the Financial Innovation and Risk Solution
Laboratory (hereafter, "the Laboratory") with the
Institute of Applied Mathematics (IAM) under the Chinese
Academy of Sciences. The Laboratory is chartered with the
mission of furthering research in the fields of financial
innovation and risk management and making contributions to
the continued growth of the Chinese economy.
(Logo: http://www.xprn.com.cn/xprn/sa/200611140926.gif
)
The Institute of Applied Mathematics is a world-class
research institute founded in 1979 by Dr. Hua Loo-keng, the
renowned Chinese mathematician, under the approval of the
Chinese Academy of Sciences. Since its formation, IAM has
engaged in numerous consulting projects, both in the public
sector assisting Chinese government ministry policy-making
and in the private sector performing risk analyses for
Chinese financial institutions. It continues to spearhead
the theoretical studies and practice of applied mathematics,
particularly in the fields of probability, stochastic
analysis and financial mathematics.
Financial Innovation and Risk Solution Laboratory
researchers will develop suggestions on the improvement of
China's credit market through in-depth analysis of related
market data. The Laboratory will also release quarterly
progress reports on the healthy and sustainable development
of China's financial and credit risk management systems.
The Director of IAM, Dr. Gong Fuzhou, said, "The
Laboratory's establishment demonstrates both IAM's and
Xinhua Finance's commitment to building knowledge that will
be instrumental in bringing greater efficiency to China's
financial markets. We are optimistic that our mutual
efforts will lead to greater diversification in terms of
the financial instruments and risk management platforms
available in China."
Mr. Jae Lie, President of Xinhua Finance, remarked,
"We are delighted to forge a bond with the Institute
of Applied Mathematics, undeniably the foremost
organization of its kind in China. I expect that, through
its research capabilities and Xinhua Finance's support, a
body of knowledge will be produced which will contribute to
China's financial markets and which can be directly applied
to the development of cutting-edge financial
applications."
Notes to Editors
About Xinhua Finance Limited
Xinhua Finance Limited is China's premier financial
information and media service provider and is listed on the
Mothers board of the Tokyo Stock Exchange (symbol: 9399)
(OTC ADR: 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 Institute of Applied Mathematics
The Institute of Applied Mathematics (IAM) is a
world-class mathematical research which was founded in 1979
by the prominent Chinese mathematician, Professor Hua
Loo-keng. IAM is engaged in fundamental theoretical
research which may be applied to such fields as the natural
sciences, technology, economics, finance, and management, in
the service of national development. Since its foundation,
the Institute has been focused on operations research,
probability and statistics, and differential equations. In
particular, the Institute has had international impact in
the subfields of stochastic analysis, combinatorial
mathematics, and nonlinear evolution equations. It has
engaged in numerous consulting projects, both in the public
sector assisting Chinese government ministry policy-making
and in the private sector, performing risk analyses for
Chinese financial institutions. IAM personnel provided
valuable counsel to the State Council during the 1997 Asia
financial crisis. There are 49 leading researchers
presently at the Institute of Applied Mathematics.
For more information, visit http://www.amt.ac.cn .
For more information, please contact:
Xinhua Finance
Hong Kong/Shanghai
Ms. Joy Tsang
Tel: +852-3196-3983 / +852-9486-4364 /
+86-21-6113-5999
Email: joy.tsang@xinhuafinance.com
Japan
Mr. Sun Jiong
Tel: +81-3-3221-9500
Email: jsun@xinhuafinance.com
Taylor Rafferty (Media/IR Contact)
Japan
Mr. James Hawrylak
Tel: +81-3-5444-2730
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
SOURCE Xinhua Finance Limited
2007'02.11.Sun
Global 500 CEO Departures at 15 Percent and Sweep All Regions According to New Analysis
January 23, 2007
North American Global 500 CEO Turnover Declines Markedly
NEW YORK, Jan. 23 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- When it comes
to the super class of CEOs in the world's largest
companies, upheaval in the chief executive suite is not in
the exclusive domain of one region, according to a new
Global 500 CEO Departures(TM) in-depth analysis by public
relations firm Weber Shandwick. Overall, a sizeable 15
percent of the world's largest companies experienced a
chief executive change in 2006 (10 percent in North
America, 18 percent in Europe and 16 percent in Asia
Pacific). These findings are based on CEO departures at the
world's 500 largest revenue-producing companies and show
that disruption in the chief executive suite is clearly a
worldwide phenomenon.
On a positive note, the proprietary analysis reveals
that the overall departure rate of global 500 CEOs declined
from 17 percent in 2005 to 15 percent in 2006 -- an 11
percent drop proportionally. On a regional basis, the
world's largest companies headquartered in North America
experienced the most marked decline, from 18 percent in
2005 down to 10 percent in 2006. In contrast, the world's
largest company CEOs in Europe saw a modest rise (from 15
percent in 2005 to 18 percent in 2006) while Asia Pacific
witnessed no change.
GLOBAL 500 CEO DEPARTURES
2006 Percentage of 2005
Percentage of
CEO 2006 CEO CEO
2005 CEO
Departures Departures
Departures Departures
Within Region
Within Region
# % #
%
Total 74 15 83
17
North America 18 10 34
18
Europe 33 18 28
15
Asia Pacific 20 16 19
15
Latin America 3 * 2
*
Source: Weber Shandwick Global 500 CEO Departures(TM)
Analysis
* Due to small sample sizes in Latin America, the
percentages are not
shown.
Weber Shandwick President Andy Polansky says,
"Considering that the world's leading 500 companies
are responsible for generating approximately $19
trillion(1) in revenue, quality CEO succession planning,
leadership training and board accountability have
far-reaching consequences, not only for individual
companies but also for members of the worldwide business
community. Weber Shandwick has a great deal of experience
helping companies navigate communications challenges in an
environment that rewards transparency and outreach to key
constituencies. These components are integral to good
corporate governance and management practices."
The analysis revealed other significant shifts in the
chief executive suite of the world's 500 largest
companies:
-- Country CEO Turnover - The top five countries
worldwide experiencing
the greatest CEO turnover in 2006 were the United
States, Japan,
Britain, Germany and France. In 2005, the greatest
CEO churn
worldwide occurred in the United States, Japan,
France, Britain and
the Netherlands. In the past year, Germany jumped
into the top five.
-- Reasons for CEO Departures - In 2006, over one-half
(57 percent) of
global 500 CEOs retired or left office for reasons
such as planned
succession, promotion to chairman, political
appointment or a new
position at another company. Nearly one-third (31
percent) left
against their will and the remainder (12 percent)
exited due to
mergers, illness, interim positions and corporate
governance changes.
-- Insider vs. Outsider Turnover - In both 2006 and
2005, insider
executives continued to outnumber outsider
executives among new CEOs
at the world's largest companies. In 2006, 65
percent of global CEOs
were chosen from inside the company versus 35
percent chosen from
outside. The proportion of insider to outsider
executives has remained
stable year over year (67 percent and 33 percent in
2005).
-- Seasonal CEO Departures - In 2006, global CEOs left
their positions in
fairly equal proportions each quarter. In 2005,
more of the world's
largest company CEOs departed in the first two
quarters versus the
last two quarters of the year.
GLOBAL 500 CEO DEPARTURES BY QUARTER
2006 2005
% %
First Quarter 23 31
Second Quarter 23 34
Third Quarter 26 17
Fourth Quarter 28 18
Source: Weber Shandwick Global 500 CEO Departures(TM)
Analysis
"Despite the good news that overall CEO churn
among the world's largest 500 companies appears to be
slowing down, uncertainty from CEO change is felt from the
boardroom to the mailroom. Whether CEO departures are due
to standard succession planning, mergers, poor financial
performance or wrongdoing, boards everywhere must fill the
leadership pipeline with the best and the brightest for the
challenging times ahead," said Weber Shandwick's Chief
Reputation Strategist and CEO expert Dr. Leslie
Gaines-Ross.
Global 500 CEO Departures(TM) Methodology
Weber Shandwick's Global Departures(TM) analysis is
based on the world's largest companies by revenue according
to Fortune magazine's Global 500 ranking (July 24, 2006 and
July 25, 2005). Fortune calculates revenue using publicly
available data based on the companies' fiscal year ending
on or before March 31, 2006. Weber Shandwick divided the
global market into four regions -- North America (U.S. and
Canada), Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America (including
Mexico).
To track daily CEO turnover, Weber Shandwick used a
variety of electronic search engines, such as Factiva,
LexisNexis, The Corporate Library's Board Analyst and
company Web sites. After a CEO departure was identified,
Weber Shandwick confirmed the departure with the company's
official press release.
Weber Shandwick also investigated the reasons for each
CEO departure -- retirement, succession plan, promotion,
political appointment, move to a new company, resignation,
termination, conclusion of interim period, corporate
governance change, merger or demerger, or illness. For each
CEO departure, Weber Shandwick obtained information on the
new CEO's name, title, insider/outsider status, date of
announcement and start date. The firm also tracked the
outgoing CEO's name, title, insider/outsider status, any
continuation with the company and additional relevant
information.
For purposes of the analysis:
-- Insider CEOs are defined as executives who have
worked inside the
company for three or more years before being
announced as the new
CEO.
-- Outsider CEOs are defined as executives who either
have never worked
for the company or have been employed by the company
for less than
three years before being announced CEO.
-- CEOs were defined as the company's highest-ranking
executive. In some
countries, such as Japan, the president holds this
position.
About Weber Shandwick
Weber Shandwick is one of the world's leading global
public relations firms with offices in major media,
business and government capitals around the world. The firm
specializes in strategic marketing communications, media
relations, public affairs, reputation and issues
management, and offers corporate communications counseling
services. Weber Shandwick also provides specialized
integrated services including Web relations, advocacy
advertising, market research and visual communications. In
2006, Weber Shandwick was named Large PR Firm of the Year
(PR News U.S.), European Consultancy of the Year (The
Holmes Report) and Network of the Year (Asia Pacific PR
Awards). The firm also won the United Nations Grand Award
for outstanding achievement in public relations. To learn
more, please visit http://www.webershandwick.com.
Weber Shandwick is a unit of The Interpublic Group
(NYSE: IPG), which is one of the world's leading
organizations of advertising agencies and marketing
services companies.
About reputationRx (
http://www.webershandwick.com/reputationRx )
Weber Shandwick's new reputationRx Web site provides
professionals interested in leadership issues with the
latest news, research findings, insights, best practices
and commentary on how to build and safeguard CEO and
corporate reputation. It covers a full range of topics
such as reputation care and recovery, CEO turnover,
corporate responsibility, and strategies for communicating
CEO and corporate reputation. The site is also continually
updated to include the most recent newsmakers and
fast-breaking trends that are transforming the business and
reputation landscapes.
(1) Fortune (July 24, 2006)
For more information, please contact:
Laura Bachrach
Weber Shandwick
Tel: +1-212-445-8467
Email: lbachrach@webershandwick.com
SOURCE Weber Shandwick
2007'02.11.Sun
Albemarle Introduces Higher Purity Decabromodiphenyl Ether Flame Retardant, SAYTEX(R) 102HP
January 23, 2007
BATON ROUGE, La., Jan. 23 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --
Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB), the world leader in
flame retardant solutions for polymers, has developed and
is commercializing SAYTEX 102HP flame retardant, a new,
high-assay form of decabromodiphenyl ether, or DecaBDE.
Patent applications covering both the high-assay product
and the processes for its manufacture are currently
pending.
(Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050801/ALBEMARLELOGO
)
This new product is designed to help Albemarle
customers and their downstream users meet the strictest
interpretation of the European Union (EU) Restriction on
the Use of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive and
related EU Commission Decisions regarding the use of
polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs.
As part of its continued commitment to support the
sustainable use of its products, Albemarle will work with
its customers to maximize the efficient use of SAYTEX 102HP
flame retardant while minimizing overall emissions to the
environment.
Albemarle flame retardants help improve the fire safety
of polymeric materials found in enclosures, circuit boards
and connectors for electronic and electrical devices;
comfort foam in furniture and automobiles; wire &
cable; and roofing, rigid insulation foam, adhesives,
coatings and other construction materials.
Albemarle Corporation, headquartered in Richmond,
Virginia, is a leading global developer, manufacturer and
marketer of highly engineered specialty chemicals for
consumer electronics; petroleum and petrochemical
processing; transportation and industrial products;
pharmaceuticals; agricultural products; and construction
and packaging materials. The Company operates in three
business segments -- Polymer Additives, Catalysts and Fine
Chemicals, and serves customers in approximately 100
countries. Learn more about Albemarle's flame retardants
at http://www.saytex.com and http://www.albemarle.com .
SAYTEX is a registered trademark of Albemarle
Corporation.
"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in
this press release regarding Albemarle Corporation's
business which are not historical facts are
"forward-looking statements" that involve risks
and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and
uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ
from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see
"Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on
Form 10-K.
For more information, please contact:
Media:
Rene Milligan
Albemarle Corporation
Tel: +1-225-388-7106
Email: Rene_Milligan@albemarle.com
Investor Relations:
Nicole Daniel
Albemarle Corporation
Tel: +1-804-788-6096
Email: Nicole_Daniel@albemarle.com
SOURCE Albemarle Corporation
2007'02.11.Sun
New Ownership Group Acquires WorldGolf.Com Network Of Golf and Travel Web Sites
January 23, 2007
WorldGolf.com One of 477 Web Sites Included in
Multi-Million Dollar Acquisition
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. Jan. 23 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- A
group of investors today announced its purchase of
WorldGolf.com and 476 other subsidiary Web sites that make
up the extensive WorldGolf.com network of golf and
travel-related Web sites. The multi-million dollar
transaction included the purchase of a total of 477 Web
sites. With this purchase, investors have secured ownership
of the Internet's most visited golf-related network, which
currently receives more than two million unique site visits
per month and includes such sites as WorldGolf.com,
TravelGolf.com, WorldGolfWire.com and Golf Publisher
Syndications.
The investor group, which will conduct business as
WorldGolf.com LLC, includes professionals with more than
100 years combined experience in golf, travel, marketing
and Web-based industries. WorldGolf.com LLC will manage and
operate all sites within the network, which offer a complete
and extensive variety of golf information ranging from
destination articles, product overviews and golf tips to
golf travel packages and course reviews.
"The chance to purchase the Internet's most
visited network of golf and travel Web sites was an
opportunity we could not pass up," said David
Brittain, lead investor with WorldGolf.com LLC. "The
WorldGolf.com ownership group brings an extensive knowledge
of Web-hosting and management backed by a proven track
record of success in the travel, golf and advertising
industries. To apply this knowledge toward the enhancement
of the industry's top-tier Web sites is an endeavor we are
thrilled to pursue."
The flagship Web site included in the acquisition,
WorldGolf.com features candid reviews of golf courses and
resort destinations, as well as helpful tips and
instructions for site visitors interested in improving
their golf game. The site also includes a comprehensive
booking feature that allows visitors to reserve package
deals at destinations throughout the world. Plans for a
redesigned WorldGolf.com site, which will launch in the
first quarter of 2007, include enhancements to site content
and the product review section as well as additional
commentary on equipment, apparel and courses throughout the
world.
The investors' plans for the other sites acquired in
the transaction include; expanded content, refocused
features sections, deals on golf packages for key golf
travel destinations throughout the world, practical
equipment reviews posted by golfers, product testing, and a
general redesign to enhance the sites' aesthetic appeal.
Additional Web sites purchased in the WorldGolf.com
network include BadGolfer.comNetCaddie.com,
GolfPublisher.com, GolfInstruction.com, GolfEurope.com,
ScotlandGolf.com, FloridaGolfGuide.com,
GolfCourseRealty.com, HiltonHeadGolf.com, GolfArizona.com,
GolfCalifornia.com, MontereyGolf.com, LasVegasGolf.com,
ArizonaGolf.com, JacksonvilleGolf.com,
GolfCanada.com,CaribbeanGolf.com, TravelGolfMexico.com,
HawaiiGolfGuide.com, EuropeGolf.com, SouthAfricaGolf.com,
PennsylvaniaGolf.com, GolfNewYork.com, NewJerseyGolf.com,
NewEnglandGolf.com, GolfTexas.com, GolfGeorgia.com,
GolfMichigan.com, GolfIllinois.com,
GulfCoastGolf.comandGolfOhio.com.
A great deal of effort will also be dedicated to the
enhancement of WorldGolfWire.com, which will serve as a
daily email newsletter to media and consumers featuring
developments, updates, product information and general news
from the golf industry. WorldGolfWire.com currently has
more than 100,000 subscribers.
Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the
listed expert(s), click appropriate link. David Brittain
http://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=57227
For more information, please contact:
Cheryl Harden
Brandon Advertising and Public Relations
Tel: +1-843-916-2000
Email: charden@brandonadvertising.com
Reid Harper
Brandon Advertising and Public Relations
Tel: +1-843-916-2000
Email: rharper@brandonadvertising.com
SOURCE WorldGolf.com
2007'02.11.Sun
WHO Executive Board to Tackle Key Global Health Issues
January 23, 2007
Agenda Includes Measles, Polio, Chronic Diseases and
Pandemic Influenza
GENEVA, Jan. 23 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- The Executive
Board of the World Health Organization (WHO) opened its
twice-yearly session on Monday with a speech from the new
Director-General, Dr Margaret Chan, highlighting recent
public health successes and setting out some of the threats
to global health. The 34-member Board will discuss a range
of issues including measles, malaria, polio, the prevention
and control of chronic diseases, avian and pandemic
influenza, and implementation of the International Health
Regulations.
(Logo:
http://www.xprn.com.cn/xprn/sa/20061102095006-51.jpg )
In her opening speech, Dr Chan told the Board members,
"We begin our discussions in what I believe are
optimistic times for health." She outlined what she
called the "spectacular success story" of
measles. WHO announced last week that global deaths from
measles have been reduced by 60 per cent since 2000,
exceeding the already ambitious target of a 50% cut.
Dr Chan set out the wider health gains linked to
measles immunisation. "The news gets even better.
Increasingly, this initiative is delivering a bundle of
life-saving and health-promoting interventions: bed nets
for malaria, vitamin A to boost the immune system,
de-worming tablets that help keep children in school, polio
vaccine, and tetanus vaccine for pregnant women."
"I view this initiative as a model of what can be
achieved through integrated service delivery," she
said. "This is a value-added approach that amplifies
the power of public health."
Dr Chan then returned to one of her key themes: the
work of the World Health Organization should be judged by
the impact it has on the health of women and of people in
Africa. "Much of what we are already doing has an
impact on women and the African people. This is not
surprising. The threats to these two groups are numerous.
Many of these threats are receiving high-level attention as
we strive to meet the Millennium Development Goals, to
which I am fully committed."
Dr Chan addressed another potentially huge gain for
children around the world: the eradication of polio. She
reported the conclusion of the advisory committee on polio
eradication that "it is technically feasible to
interrupt polio transmission worldwide." However, she
said the world now faces a key question: "Are we now in
a position to overcome the operational and financial
obstacles? I believe we need to assess the country-level
operations very carefully to ensure that we can indeed
interrupt transmission globally."
She told the Board that she will convene an
"urgent high-level consultation" from 27 to 28
February: "The expected outcome is a set of milestones
that must be met if transmission is to be interrupted in the
four remaining endemic countries. The consultation will
also consider the funding required to meet these
milestones."
Dr Chan also re-emphasized her focus on evidence.
"As I have said, what gets measured gets done ... If
we want to set out a compelling health agenda, we must look
not only at the needs we are addressing, but also at the
results of our efforts. We must keep track to stay on
track."
She went on to address avian influenza and the threat
of an influenza pandemic. "The message is
straightforward: we must not let down our guard," she
said. "The whole world has lived under the imminent
threat of an influenza pandemic for more than three years.
These years of experience have taught us just how tenacious
this H5N1 virus is in birds."
The Board also heard a report from Dr Anders Nordstr?m,
acting WHO Director-General until January 3, on the work of
the Organization since May. Dr Nordstr?m told the Board
that since the death in May of the previous
Director-General, Dr LEE Jong-wook, WHO has been
"continually focusing on improving the health of
people across the world."
Dr Nordstr?m outlined key areas in which progress has
been made since May, including collaboration with other UN
agencies and with the World Bank, direct engagement in the
G8 summit in July, engaging in and providing leadership in
health partnerships, advancing work on chronic,
non-communicable diseases and on communicable diseases,
including the neglected tropical diseases. Dr Nordstr?m
also outlined important developments in the areas of health
systems development and the management of WHO.
A report to the Executive Board on implementation of
the global strategy for the prevention and control of
chronic diseases concludes that much has been done but more
progress is still needed. The global epidemic of chronic
diseases continues. Last year, 35 million people died as a
result of chronic diseases, equivalent to 60% of all deaths
globally. These deaths are projected to increase by a
further 17% over the next decade.
Other issues on the Board's agenda include:
tuberculosis; gender, women and health; oral health; health
systems; and the rational use of medicines, including better
medicines for children. 10.5 million children under the age
of five years die every year. Most of these deaths are
from treatable conditions. Treatments exist, but some are
not available in dosages that are suitable for children; of
those that do exist in appropriate dosages, many are not
available in low- and middle-income countries.
Also on the agenda at next week's Board meeting are:
health promotion; progress reports on public health,
innovation and intellectual property; cancer prevention and
control; public health problems caused by the harmful use of
alcohol and the Commission on Social Determinants of Health.
The Executive Board is comprised of representatives
from 34 WHO Member States. The individuals are designated
by Member States elected to do so by the World Health
Assembly. The main functions of the Executive Board are to
give effect to the decisions and policies of the Assembly,
to advise it and generally facilitate its work. This
session of the Board is scheduled to last from 22-30
January.
Information for journalists wishing to cover the
event:
For accreditation, journalists are invited to contact
the WHO Media Centre at +41 22 791 2222 or email:
mediainquiries@who.int.
For journalists wishing to cover the public meetings of
the Executive Board, there is a clearly marked press gallery
on level SS1 on the left-hand side of the Executive Board
Room. Please note that TV cameras and photographers are
not allowed on the main floor during meeting hours.
All WHO information, fact sheet and news releases are
available at http://www.who.int . All the documents on the
EB session are available at: http://www.who.int/governance
in six languages.
For more information, please contact:
Christine McNab
Acting Director
Communications Department
Tel: +41-22-791-4688
Mobile: +41-79-254-6815
Email: mcnabc@who.int
Iain Simpson
Communications Officer
Communications Department
Tel: +41-22-791-3215
Mobile: +41-79-475-5534
Email: simpsoni@who.int
Chris Black
Multimedia Communications Officer
Department of Communications
Tel: +41-22-791-1460
Mobile: +79-472-6054
Email: blackc@who.int
Communications assistants:
Cecilia Mazuy
Tel: +41-22-791-2108
Email: mazuyc@who.int
Veronica Riemer
Tel: +41-22-791-2747
Email: riemerv@who.int
SOURCE World Health Organization
2007'02.11.Sun
Liquidnet to Acquire Miletus Trading
January 23, 2007
NEW YORK, Jan. 23 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Liquidnet, the
#1 electronic global marketplace for block trading,
announced today that it has signed a definitive agreement
to acquire Miletus Trading, a leading agency-only brokerage
firm that provides advanced, quantitative execution
strategies and analytics to institutional investors. The
transaction is expected to close by the end of March,
pending regulatory approval.
"Liquidnet's acquisition of Miletus is an integral
part of our strategy to build a more efficient global
institutional marketplace for the buy side," said Seth
Merrin, CEO of Liquidnet. "Miletus and Liquidnet are
like-minded firms. Both companies are focused on how
innovation and technology can empower buy-side traders and
improve their trading results. Together, Liquidnet and
Miletus will introduce the next-generation institutional
trading model. We look forward to unveiling our new
products to our joint Membership base in the coming
months."
Michael Capelli, Co-founder and Managing Director of
Miletus Trading, added, "By fusing Miletus' technology
with Liquidnet's 3.5-billion-share liquidity pool we will
create an even more compelling marketplace that advances
the way institutions trade equities."
Putnam Lovell NBF Securities Inc. acted as sole
financial adviser to Miletus during this transaction.
About Miletus Trading
New York-based Miletus Trading (
http://www.Miletustrading.com ) is a leader in quantitative
execution technology. The agency-only broker was founded on
the belief that buy-side traders and portfolio managers
need more efficient and effective ways to employ real-time
quantitative execution strategies. Miletus is a member of
the NASD/SIPC.
About Liquidnet
Liquidnet is the #1 electronic marketplace for block
trading. Liquidnet allows money management institutions to
trade large blocks of equities directly and anonymously
with significant price improvement and little-to-no market
impact. Liquidnet launched in 2001, and the company now
enables its Members to trade in 20 equity markets globally.
Liquidnet is headquartered in New York with offices in
London, Toronto, Tokyo and Hong Kong. Additional company
information is available online at http://www.liquidnet.com
.
(C)2006 Liquidnet Holdings, Inc. and its subsidiaries.
Liquidnet, Inc. is a member of the NASD/SIPC. Liquidnet
Europe Limited is regulated by the U.K. Financial Services
Authority and is a member of the London Stock Exchange.
Liquidnet Canada Inc. is regulated by the Ontario
Securities Commission and is a member of IDA/CIPF.
Liquidnet Asia Limited is applying to the Hong Kong
Securities and Futures Commission for the relevant license
/ authorization to conduct regulated activities in Hong
Kong and to the Australian Securities and Investments
Commission for the relevant license / authorization to
conduct regulated activities in Australia. Liquidnet Asia
Limited is not currently licensed, regulated or otherwise
authorized by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, and is
not currently holding itself out as operating a market in
Singapore. Liquidnet Japan Inc. is applying for a
license/approval from the Financial Supervisory Agency of
Japan and the Japan Securities Dealers Association.
For more information, please contact:
Nicole Olson
Liquidnet Corporate Communications
Tel: +1-646-674-2149
Email: nolson@liquidnet.com
SOURCE Liquidnet
2007'02.11.Sun
China Kangtai Cactus Biotech Announces Preliminary Year End 2006 Results
January 23, 2007
Net Sales Increase 110%; Net Income Grows Over 300%
HARBIN, China, Jan. 23 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- China
Kangtai Cactus Biotech, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: CKGT), a
vertically integrated grower, developer, manufacturer and
marketer of a variety of cactus-based consumer products,
today reported preliminary, unaudited results for the year
ended December 31, 2006. All estimated results reported
are in U.S. dollars. The preliminary unaudited results
indicate that net sales for the year-ended December 31,
2006 will increase to approximately $17 million, which
would represent an increase of approximately 110% as
compared to net sales of $8 million for the year ended
December 31, 2005. The preliminary unaudited results also
indicate that net income from operations for the year ended
December 31, 2006 will increase to approximately $3.4
million, which would represent an increase of more than
300% over net income from operations of $795,000 for the
year ended December 31, 2005. Final audited results are
expected to be reported in mid-February.
Jinjiang Wang, Chief Executive Officer of China Kangtai
Cactus Biotech commented, "Our projected revenue growth
for 2006 is attributed to a growing demand for our high
quality cactus-based consumer products throughout China, as
well as our continuing efforts to expand our growing
distribution network."
Wang concluded, "Our Company remains focused on
creating more product categories and lines for distribution
and enhancing our sales support as well as our inventory
management systems. With 17 product patents and 15 pending
approval, China Kangtai is the dominant company in the
cactus-based consumer product sector."
About China Kangtai Cactus Bio-Tech Inc.
China Kangtai Cactus Bio-Tech Inc. is market-leading
cactus grower and producer of cactus-related products with
over 520 acres of plants and an active R&D group that
holds 17 product patents and is seeking another 15 in a
variety of product categories. Kangtai's high-quality
products are sold throughout China through a growing
distribution network that includes franchised,
company-owned and third party stores, as well as store
counters in supermarkets, department stores, hotels,
restaurants and malls.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking
Information
This press release contains forward-looking information
about China Kangtai Cactus Bio-tech that is intended to be
covered by the safe harbor for forward-looking statements
provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not
historical facts. These statements can be identified by the
use of forward-looking terminology such as
"believe," "expect," "may,"
"will," "should," "project,"
"plan," "seek," "intend," or
"anticipate" or the negative thereof or
comparable terminology, and include discussions of
strategy, and statements about industry trends and China
Kangtai Cactus Bio-tech future performance, operations and
products.
This forward-looking information should be considered
only in connection with "Risk Factors" in China
Kangtai Cactus Bio-tech's quarterly report on Form 10-Q
filed with the SEC on November 14, 2006, and its other
current and periodic reports filed with the SEC. China
Kangtai Cactus Bio-tech assumes no obligations to update
any forward-looking statements or information set forth in
this press release.
For more information, please contact:
Ren Hu
China Kangtai Cactus Bio-tech, Inc.
Tel: +1-201-887-0415
Email: Arenhu@gmail.com
Adam Friedman
Adam Friedman Associates
Tel: +1-212-981-2529 ext. 18
Email: adam@adam-friedman.com
SOURCE China Kangtai Cactus Biotech, Inc.
2007'02.11.Sun
VeriSilicon and Chips&Media Announce a Strategic Partnership to Provide Advanced Multimedia Solutions for Consumer Devices
January 23, 2007
SANTA CLARA, Calif. and SEOUL, South Korea, Jan. 23
/Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- VeriSilicon Holdings Co., Ltd.
(VeriSilicon), a leading world class ASIC design foundry
and semiconductor IP provider, and Chips&Media, a
leading video IP and solution provider, today announced the
companies have entered into a strategic partnership to offer
combined Audio & Video solutions based on each other's
technology. The new products will incorporate
best-in-class DSP solutions from VeriSilicon, for advanced
audio processing and ultra-low power scalable video
solutions from Chips&Media, as well as a complete
system software framework.
Under the terms of the partnership, VeriSilicon will
add Chips&Media video offering to its IP and ASIC
platform portfolio, while Chips&Media will add ZSP(R)
to its silicon offerings.
Chips&Media provides a rich assortment of video
semiconductor IP targeted at a wide range of devices, from
cellular handsets to portable media players to next
generation DVD players. Chips&Media video bundles
support a number of different video formats such as MPEG-2,
MPEG-4, H.264, and VC-1 with resolutions up to HD.
VeriSilicon's ZSP technology is an optimum choice for a
wide range of applications requiring high performance
processing at minimum power consumption. The G1 and G2
processor families have been adopted by many market leaders
and have contributed to market success of end devices
spanning from cellular handsets to portable audio players,
from IP Phones to digital still cameras, from DVDs to next
generation HD Set-Top-Boxes.
"We are very happy to work with VeriSilicon to
proliferate our technology to a wider range of
customers," said Jesse Lim CEO of Chips&Media.
"By integrating our industry leading video IP and
VeriSilicon's popular ZSP architecture, we will be able to
offer best-in-class multimedia capabilities to a number of
new silicon products."
"Our partnership with Chips&Media reflects
VeriSilicon's continuing effort to offer SoC customers
targeted application platform solutions for a given market
segment. Both companies not only bring leading
technologies, in terms of performance and power, for
consumer electronics but strong product roadmaps and system
expertise to help IC manufactures get to market quickly with
the highest competitive products," said Dr. Wayne Dai,
chairman, president, and CEO of VeriSilicon
About ZSP(R)
ZSP is a family of licensable digital signal processing
(DSP) cores and solutions from VeriSilicon. With more than
50 customers worldwide, the ZSP processor architecture
enables customer innovation as the DSP of choice in many
key vertical markets including 3G wireless handsets,
multimedia and networked voice applications. The ZSP
portfolio offers two generations of architectures, G1 and
G2, with software compatible cores delivering performance
points that meet the cost, power and efficiency constraints
of today's SoC designs. A number of standard products are
also available for VoIP applications. ZSP Solution Partners
augment the technology with world-class software tools, EDA
modeling support and a large portfolio of application
software. ZSP customers include Broadcom, Marvell, IBM,
Renesas, Yamaha, Huawei, Datang, Murata, AVID and many
other world-class companies. More information is available
at http://www.verisilicon.com .
About VeriSilicon
Founded in 2001, VeriSilicon Holdings Co., Ltd.
("VeriSilicon") is a fast growing silicon
solutions company providing products and services that
enable customers to meet their chip design objectives,
accelerate development programs and deliver market proven
silicon products -- on time and at lower cost. VeriSilicon
specialises in providing expert design services, market
leading licensable cores and platforms, industry standard
semiconductor IP and scalable ASIC turnkey services across
a broad range of application markets, including multimedia,
voice and wireless communications. VeriSilicon has an
extensive track record of accelerating customer ASIC
designs from initial specification to silicon, achieving
first silicon success -- on time and on spec -- and taking
customer silicon through to volume production, utilizing
its partner network of leading wafer foundries and
packaging and test companies in Asia Pacific and China.
With more than 150 highly skilled engineers and design
centers worldwide, VeriSili on's customers are able to
leverage a truly global design services company to support
their silicon projects and meet design and cost objectives.
VeriSilicon has design, operation and sales and support
offices in Santa Clara, California, Dallas, Texas, Shanghai
and Beijing, China, Taipei, Taiwan, Tokyo, Japan, Nice,
France and Seoul, Korea. In 2005, VeriSilicon was ranked
No.3 in Deloitte Technology Fast 50 China and No.6 in
Deloitte Technology Fast 500 Asia Pacific. VeriSilicon was
named one of the Red Herring's 100 Private Companies of
Asia and was also selected as one of EE Times 60 Emerging
Startups. More information is available at
http://www.verisilicon.com .
About Chips&Media
Chips&Media, Inc. is a leading multi-standard video
codec solution provider, based in Seoul, Korea (Republic
of). Chips&Media's video codec technologies cover the
full line-up of video standards such as MPEG-2, MPEG-4,
DivX, Xvid, H.264, VC-1 from CIF to HD resolution. The
company has been providing its advanced ultra low power
multi-codec video IP's to top-tier semiconductor companies
based in U.S., Korea, Taiwan, China and Japan. More
information is available at http://www.chipsnmedia.com .
For more information, please contact:
VeriSilicon:
Federico Arcelli
Corporate VP, WW Sales & Marketing
TEL. +33-4-93-18-73-47
Email: federico.arcelli@verisilicon.com
Chips&Media:
Gus Ho Lee / Executive Director
Chips&Media, Inc.
TEL: +82-2-568-3767 (Ext.202)
Email: gus.lee@chipsnmedia.com
SOURCE VeriSilicon Holdings Co., Ltd.
2007'02.11.Sun
Navini Answers Connectivity Demand in Africa
January 22, 2007
Africa is a Rich Opportunity for WiMAX and Personal
Broadband
RICHARDSON, Texas, Jan. 22 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --
Navini Networks and its customers are addressing the need
for connectivity across Africa. Navini's equipment
delivers portable high-speed Internet access with
plug-and-play activation and retail friendly distribution
that brings personal broadband to consumers and small
businesses.
There is strong momentum in Africa. Ongoing
deployments include Tanzania, Ghana, Nigeria, Zambia, South
Africa and Mauritius.
"There is a very clear need for broadband Internet
connectivity (Personal Broadband) that can be delivered
quickly and easily via wireless. It's a natural fit, given
the lack of wired infrastructure," said Roger Dorf,
Navini's President and CEO. "We have 11 different
operators deploying today and expect to add more African
countries to the list in 2007."
Africa has the opportunity to `leapfrog' DSL / Cable /
GSM and go straight to mobile WiMAX /4G networks. Navini's
high-speed wireless broadband systems offer easy deployment
and activation, allowing Africa to stimulate Internet
growth quickly with inexpensive mass-market devices.
Some recent customer quotes...
"With high consumer demand, poor DSL access and
long customer
connection times, Ghana is absolutely ready for mass
market, rapid
install, broadband wireless services," said
Leslie Tamakloe, CEO,
Internet Ghana.
"Our goal is to provide broadband wireless
Internet and intranet
services to the principal cities of Nigeria -- Lagos,
Abuja and Port
Harcourt," said Munish Sharma, Managing Director
of DOPC.
"Nigeria is woefully behind many other countries
in terms of broadband
penetration," said Ibrahim-Ali Amin, Chairman of
the Board, Horizon
Wireless. "We will change that by `unwiring'
and bringing wireless
broadband to the population, with very attractive
rates."
"For operators around the world, there are three
key advantages to mobile WiMAX systems -- the open model,
ease of deployment and pricing," added Dorf.
Navini's leadership in Africa follows the leadership
already established in other countries and continents
around the world. Navini already has the largest personal
broadband deployments in the world.
About Navini Networks:
Navini Networks is the leader in providing portable,
plug-n-play broadband wireless access solutions, with the
largest commercial deployments in the world, over 70
commercial networks in 6 continents and strategic
partnerships with industry leaders. Navini is the only
company that has the patented Smart Beamforming technology,
enabling personal broadband for the mass market today, with
a seamless upgrade to the Mobile WiMAX standard to deliver
Smart WiMAX(TM). (Smart WiMAX(TM) is the combination of
mobile WiMAX with Smart Beamforming & MIMO). Navini's
Ripwave(R) MX portable, zero-install(TM), non-line-of-sight
(NLOS) solution consists of customer modems, base stations,
and element management systems (EMS) that run in the full
range of spectrums with software upgrades to the IEEE
802.16e standard.
Navini Networks is a principal member of the WiMAX
Forum and the IEEE 802.16e committee. Headquartered in
Richardson, Texas.
http://www.navini.com
For more information, please contact:
Maryvonne Tubb
Navini Networks, Inc.
Tel: +1-972-852-4247
Email: mtubb@navini.com
SOURCE Navini Networks, Inc.
2007'02.11.Sun
Top Companies For Leaders 2007 Study Officially Launches to Recognize Organizations with Innovative Leadership Programs
January 22, 2007
FORTUNE Magazine, the RBL Group and Hewitt Partner to
Create the Most Comprehensive Global Leadership Study
HONG KONG, Jan. 22 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Hewitt
Associates, a global human resources services company,
today launched the Top Companies for Leaders 2007 study,
conducted in partnership with The RBL Group, a firm
dedicated to helping clients deliver the strategic HR
agenda, and FORTUNE magazine. The study will represent the
most comprehensive research on leadership in the global
marketplace to date, and aims to:
-- Explore the organizational levers that contribute to
the development of
leadership capability;
-- Examine how organizations identify and develop
future leadership
potential; and
-- Analyze the links between leadership practices and
organizational
performance.
The study will also provide valuable insights into how
top organizations use leadership practices to drive
business success.
The Top Companies for Leaders 2007 study will rank top
companies from Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and
North America with innovative leadership programs. Hewitt
has conducted leadership studies in the United States,
Europe, and Asia Pacific since 2002.
"Effective leadership is one of the most
significant determinants of organizational success. The
manner in which companies assess, develop, manage and
retain their leadership and top talent plays a vital role
in creating competitive advantage. This study will provide
valuable insights into to how the world's greatest
organizations use their leadership practices to clearly
differentiate them in the battle for attraction,
development and retention of leadership talent," said
Stephen Barrow, head of Hewitt Leadership Consulting in
Asia. "We look forward to partnering with The RBL
Group and FORTUNE magazine in making this study a great
success and unlocking the secret to how leading companies
consistently produce great leaders."
"We are delighted to be working with Hewitt and
FORTUNE magazine on this important project. There are
exciting things happening around the world in leadership
development, and we look forward to recognizing the
companies who are setting the new standard for developing a
strong leadership brand that creates intangible value,"
said Dave Ulrich, a founding partner of The RBL Group.
Participation Requirements and Judging Process
In Asia, Hewitt's Top Companies for Leaders 2007 study
is open to all organizations in Australia, China, Hong
Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand,
Singapore, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates.
Participation in the study is free. All respondents will
receive a complimentary research brief, highlighting both
global and regional findings, and will have the opportunity
to benchmark against the Top Companies for Leaders both in
Asia and around the world.
The first part of the selection process is completing
the survey. Each submission will be screened and those
companies selected as finalists will conduct interviews
with senior executives and survey a random sample of
current leaders. An independent panel of judges, composed
of leading authors, academics and business journalists will
select the Top Companies for Leaders 2007 list. The judges'
panel will evaluate data from the company and leader
surveys, empirical interview data, financial measures of
performance and company reputation. For more information
on participating in the study, please email
topcompaniesforleaders@hewitt.com .
About Hewitt Associates
With more than 65 years of experience, Hewitt
Associates (NYSE: HEW) is the world's foremost provider of
human resources consulting and outsourcing services. The
company consults with more than 2,300 organizations and
administers human resources, health care, payroll and
retirement programs on behalf of more than 340 companies to
millions of employees and retirees worldwide. Hewitt
Leadership Consulting combines world-class consulting
capabilities with state-of-the-art assessment and
diagnostic tools and leading edge develop strategies to
help Asia's leading organizations build a robust leadership
proposition that will drive the future success of their
business. Located in 33 countries, Hewitt employs
approximately 24,000 associates. For more information,
please visit http://www.hewittasia.com .
About The RBL Group
The RBL Group specializes in helping clients deliver
the strategic HR agenda. The firm's founding
partnership-Dave Ulrich and Norm Smallwood-are particularly
well-respected thought leaders whose books and Harvard
Business Review articles on leadership have helped
companies drive more business results-focused leadership.
For more information, please visit http://www.rbl.net .
For more information, please contact:
Melinda Earsdon
Tel: +852-2877-8600
Email: melinda.earsdon@hewitt.com
Cynthia Lu
Tel: +86-21-2306-6688
Email: cynthia.lu@hewitt.com
Erin Burns (The RBL Group)
Tel: +1-801-373-4238
Email: eburns@rbl.net
SOURCE Hewitt Associates
2007'02.11.Sun
New Phase III Data Highlights Excellent Efficacy of Roche's Cancer Drugs Xeloda and Avastin for Treatment of Advanced Colorectal Cancer
January 22, 2007
BASEL, Switzerland, Jan. 22 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- New
Phase III data presented at the American Society of
Clinical Oncology Gastrointestinal Symposium (ASCO GI)
continue to demonstrate the excellent efficacy of two of
Roche's innovative cancer drugs Xeloda and Avastin, which
offer improved survival for patients with advanced
colorectal cancer. The NO16966 study showed that:
-- XELOX (oral Xeloda plus oxaliplatin) is at least as
effective as
FOLFOX-4 in terms of overall survival
-- The addition of Avastin to either XELOX or FOLFOX
leads to a
statistically significant improvement in
progression-free survival, as
determined by an independent review committee (IRC)
"Overall, these results confirm the role of XELOX
as the most convenient and patient-friendly treatment
option in this disease area, which is very encouraging for
colorectal cancer patients and healthcare providers,"
said Professor Jim Cassidy, co-lead investigator for study
NO16966 and Cancer Research UK Professor of Oncology and
Chair of Medical Oncology, Beatson Oncology Centre, at the
University of Glasgow, Scotland. "In addition, the
independent review confirms that by adding Avastin to any
oxaliplatin-based regimen we can improve progression-free
survival times even further, which we knew all along based
on the second-line data with FOLFOX plus Avastin."
In the treatment of advanced (metastatic) colorectal
cancer, these data showed that XELOX reached its primary
endpoint:
-- The chemotherapy combination XELOX is as effective
in terms of time
patients live without their disease progressing
(PFS) as FOLFOX-4.
-- Overall survival data of the first 634 patients
enrolled prior to the
introduction of Avastin indicate that XELOX is at
least comparable to
FOLFOX-4.
These data add to the results of previous studies,
further endorsing that Xeloda should replace infused
5-FU/leucovorin in colorectal cancer regimens.
The IRC which conducted a blinded analysis of the scans
confirmed that Avastin reached its primary endpoint:
-- The benefit provided by Avastin when added to
chemotherapy
(FOLFOX or XELOX) significantly improved
progression-free
survival by 43% compared to chemotherapy alone, as
assessed
by the IRC. A previous analysis presented in October
2006 showed
an advantage of 20%.
-- Specifically there was also a statistically
significant
improvement in PFS when assessing the addition of
Avastin to
either the XELOX or FOLFOX subgroup (p<0.007)
No new safety findings related to Avastin or Xeloda
were observed in the trial.
Further analyses are ongoing and updated results will
be presented at future scientific meetings. Based on
findings from this study and the NO16967 and E3200 studies,
Roche will be approaching worldwide regulatory authorities
for new file submissions with Xeloda and Avastin
respectively in advanced colorectal cancer.
In 2004, colorectal cancer was one of the leading
cancers and accounted for 13 percent of all cancers in
Europe.(1) A World Health Organization report suggested
that in 2005, 655,000 people worldwide died from colorectal
cancer.(2)
Notes to Editors:
About the Study
NO16966
NO16966 is a large, international Phase III trial which
finally recruited 2,034 patients. It was originally planned
to compare XELOX vs FOLFOX as first-line treatment in
metastatic colorectal cancer:
-- XELOX (Xeloda plus oxaliplatin) vs FOLFOX-4
(intravenous bolus and
infusional 5-fluorouracil plus oxaliplatin)
The two-arm study recruited 634 patients.
After release of the pivotal Avastin data in colorectal
cancer in 2003, the protocol was amended to investigate
using a 2 by 2 factorial design:
-- XELOX + placebo vs XELOX + Avastin (7.5 mg/kg q3w)
vs. FOLFOX
+ placebo vs FOLFOX + Avastin (5.0 mg/kg q2w).
The primary objective was to answer two questions: 1)
whether the XELOX regimen is non-inferior to FOLFOX; 2)
whether the addition of Avastin to chemotherapy improved
results compared to chemotherapy alone. The secondary
endpoints included overall survival, overall response
rates, time to, and duration of, response and safety
profile.
Results presented previously at the European Society of
Medical Oncology (ESMO) meeting in October 2006 of the
entire study population (N=2,034) show that:
-- XELOX is as effective as FOLFOX in terms of PFS
(hazard
ratio: 1.05; upper limit of the 97.5 percent
confidence interval
was below the non-inferiority margin of 1.23).
-- Adding Avastin to chemotherapy (FOLFOX and XELOX)
significantly
improved PFS compared to chemotherapy alone (hazard
ratio: 0.83).
This means that adding Avastin to either
chemotherapy combination
improves the chances of delaying progression of the
disease by 20
percent.
-- No unexpected safety findings were identified for
either XELOX or
Avastin:
-- Adverse events which occurred at a rate greater than
10 percent
in any of the treatment arms were: diarrhoea
(FOLFOX, 11.2 percent of
patients; XELOX, 20.2 percent of patients),
neutropenia (FOLFOX, 43.8
percent of patients, XELOX, 7.0 percent of patients)
and neurosensory
toxicity (FOLFOX, 16.5 percent of patients; XELOX,
17.4 percent of
patients).
-- The percentage of gastrointestinal perforations was
0.6 percent in the
Avastin arms compared to 0.3 percent in the placebo
group. Grade 3/4
arterial thromboembolic events occurred in 1.7
percent vs 1.0 percent
respectively. Grade 3/4 proteinuria was reported
for 0.6 percent of
all patients receiving Avastin. Wound healing
complications were not
observed in a higher frequency than in the placebo
group (0.1 vs 0.3
percent).
About Xeloda (capecitabine)
Xeloda is licensed in more than 90 countries worldwide
including the EU, USA, Japan, Australia and Canada and has
been shown to be an effective, safe, simple and convenient
oral chemotherapy in treating over 1 million patients to
date.
Roche received marketing authorisation for Xeloda as a
first-line monotherapy (by itself) in the treatment of
metastatic colorectal cancer (colorectal cancer that has
spread to other parts of the body) in most countries
(including the EU and USA) in 2001. Xeloda has also been
approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) and U.S.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for adjuvant
(post-surgery) treatment of colon cancer in March and June
2005, respectively.
Xeloda is licensed in combination with Taxotere
(docetaxel) in women with metastatic breast cancer (breast
cancer that has spread to other parts of the body) and
whose disease has progressed following intravenous (i.v.)
chemotherapy with anthracyclines. Xeloda monotherapy is
also indicated for treatment of patients with metastatic
breast cancer that is resistant to other chemotherapy drugs
such as paclitaxel and anthracyclines. Xeloda recently
received approval in South Korea for the first-line
treatment of patients with locally advanced (metastatic)
pancreatic cancer, in combination with gemcitabine. Xeloda
is licensed in South Korea for the first-line treatment of
stomach cancer.
The most commonly reported adverse events with Xeloda
include diarrhoea, abdominal pain, nausea, stomatitis and
hand-foot syndrome (palmar-plantar erythrodysesthaesia).
About Avastin (bevacizumab)
Avastin is the first treatment that inhibits
angiogenesis -- the growth of a network of blood vessels
that supply nutrients and oxygen to cancerous tissues.
Avastin targets a naturally occurring protein called
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF), a key mediator
of angiogenesis, thus choking off the blood supply that is
essential for the growth of the tumour and its spread
throughout the body (metastasis).
In Europe, Avastin was approved in early 2005 and in
the US in February 2004 for first-line treatment of
patients with advanced colorectal cancer. It received
another approval in the US in June 2006 as a second-line
treatment for patients with advanced colorectal cancer. The
first filing for Avastin in Japan occurred in April 2006 for
the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer. Most recently
following priority review, the world's first angiogenesis
inhibitor was approved by the FDA in October for the
treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); a filing
for the same indication was submitted to EU authorities in
August.
Roche and Genentech are pursuing a comprehensive
clinical programme investigating the use of Avastin in
various tumour types (including colorectal, breast, lung,
pancreatic cancer, ovarian cancer, renal cell carcinoma and
others) and different settings (advanced and adjuvant
iepost-operation). The total development programme is
expected to include over 40,000 patients worldwide.
For more information, please visit
http://www.avastin-info.com
About Roche
Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is one of
the world's leading research-focused healthcare groups in
the fields of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. As a
supplier of innovative products and services for the early
detection, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease,
the Group contributes on a broad range of fronts to
improving people's health and quality of life. Roche is a
world leader in diagnostics, the leading supplier of
medicines for cancer and transplantation and a market
leader in virology.
Roche employs roughly 70,000 people in 150 countries
and has R&D agreements and strategic alliances with
numerous partners, including majority ownership interests
in Genentech and Chugai. Additional information about the
Roche Group is available on the Internet (
http://www.roche.com ).
All trademarks used or mentioned in this release are
legally protected.
Further Information Available from Media Relations
Contacts:
-- Colorectal cancer fact sheet
-- Xeloda in colorectal cancer fact sheet
-- Avastin in colorectal cancer fact sheet
-- Xeloda fact sheet
-- Avastin fact sheet
-- Roche in oncology:
http://www.roche.com/pages/downloads/company/pdf/mboncology05e_a.pdf
-- Roche: http://www.roche.com
-- Broadcast quality B-roll including doctor, caregiver
and patient
interviews is available for download via
http://www.thenewsmarket.com
References:
1. Boyle P, Ferlay J. Cancer incidence and mortality in
Europe, 2004. Annals of Oncology 2005;16:481-488
2. World Health Organization,
http://www.who.int/healthinfo/statistics/bodprojections2030/en/index.html
For more information, please contact:
Julia Pipe
International Communications Manager, Xeloda
Tel: +41-61-687-4376
Email: julia.pipe@roche.com
Christine Mage-Hill
Senior International Communications Manager, Avastin
Tel: +41-79-788-8245
Email: christine.mage-hill@roche.com
SOURCE Roche
2007'02.11.Sun
PR Newswire Launches Pan-European Disclosure Network
January 22, 2007
New Service Will Enable European Companies to Comply With
the Transparency Obligations Directive
LONDON, Jan. 22 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- PR Newswire, the
world's leading disclosure and corporate news distribution
service, today announced it will provide listed companies
in Europe with a disclosure service that is compliant with
the Transparency Obligations Directive, due to be
implemented this month.
PR Newswire's TOD Wire, as the new service is called,
will facilitate listed companies' compliance with the new
regulations required by TOD, while also helping them
satisfy best practices in communicating with institutional
and retail investors across the EU, according to Lisa
Ashworth, CEO PR Newswire Europe.
Regulators across the European Union (EU) are beginning
a staggered implementation of the Transparency Obligations
Directive (TOD) beginning on January 20th. The first
countries to implement TOD will be the UK, Germany, France,
Finland, Ireland, Malta, Portugal and the Netherlands. TOD
is the latest component of the European Union's Financial
Services Action Plan, which to date has given rise to 39
new Directives.
TOD is part of a series of measures passed by the
European Commission designed to establish a level playing
field in the European financial services markets and brings
numerous changes for listed companies in areas such as the
timing and content of annual and interim reports and the
disclosure of major shareholdings by investors.
Specifically, TOD is focused on ensuring that issuers meet
certain minimum standards of disclosure when disseminating
price-sensitive news and information. Paramount to this
mandate is that information be disseminated throughout the
European Union in a manner that supports simultaneous
delivery, thereby providing institutional and retail
investors, the media and the general public equal access to
material news the moment it is announced.
As the only corporate news distributor on the Committee
of European Securities Regulators (CESR) Consultative
Working Group on the Transparency Obligations Directive
(TOD), PR Newswire has played a critical role in shaping
the EU's forthcoming directive. With limited guidance from
regulators as to the requirements of TOD in some member
states, listed companies may find it difficult to determine
what is needed to comply. To assist with this, PR Newswire
has taken the lead in developing its TOD Wire, which will
include dedicated links to the major equity terminals, key
European financial websites and newspapers in all 27 EU
member countries. This extensive network will help ensure
customer compliance and enhanced coverage of time sensitive
and business critical news, and further strengthens PR
Newswire's global position as the market leader in the
investor relations and media communications industries.
In December 2006 PR Newswire announced a partnership
with Les Echos, the leading French financial newspaper and
website ( http://www.Lesechos.fr ), to assist French
companies in their compliance with the new European
regulations. The Les Echos partnership is one of many PR
Newswire has developed. Other notable partners include;
OMX the Nordic and Baltic Stock Exchange, news aktuell the
German news agency DPA's commercial arm, ANP the Dutch News
Agency and Belga the Belgian news agency.
Mark Hynes, PR Newswire's managing director of Global
Investor Relations Services, said, "When the European
Union first proposed the Transparency Directive, PR
Newswire took the initiative to counsel those involved in
drafting the legislation on the importance of promoting
widespread disclosure. Today, as the European Union
prepares for the TOD, PR Newswire has again assumed a
leadership position by offering a means for companies
throughout the EU to disseminate information on both a
local and wide scale basis."
About PR Newswire
Now in its 53rd year, PR Newswire (
http://www.prnewswire.com and http://www.prnewswire.co.uk )
provides electronic distribution, targeting, measurement and
broadcast services on behalf of tens of thousands of
corporate, government, association, trade, non-profit, and
other customers worldwide. Using PR Newswire, these
organizations reach a variety of critical audiences
including the news media, the investment community,
government decision-makers, and the general public with
their up-to-the-minute, full-text news developments.
PR Newswire has offices in 11 countries and routinely
sends its customers' news to outlets in 135 countries and
in more than 40 languages. Utilizing the latest in
communications technology, PR Newswire content is
considered a mainstay among news reporters, investors and
individuals who seek breaking news from the source. PR
Newswire is a subsidiary of United Business Media plc of
London.
For full information on PR Newswire products and
services email marketing@prnewswire.co.uk or go to
http://www.prnewswire.co.uk .
For more information, please contact:
Rachel Meranus
Director Public Relations of PR Newswire
Tel: +1-212-282-1929
Email: rachel.meranus@prnewswire.com
Samantha Proctor
Head of European Marketing
PR Newswire Europe
Tel: +44-20-7454-5115
Email: samantha.proctor@prnewswire.co.uk
SOURCE PR Newswire
広告
ブログ内検索
アーカイブ
カウンター