2007'02.11.Sun
/CORRECTION -- Ascott International, China/
December 21, 2006
In the news releases, "Ascott Opens Somerset
ZhongGuanCun in Beijing"
issued on Dec. 6 over Xinhua PR Newswire, we are advised by
the company that
the first paragraph should read "Ascott International
opened its latest
serviced residence in Beijing on December 8" rather
than "Ascott
International has opened its latest serviced residence in
Beijing." Readers
area also advised that all three references to "3,600
units" should
read "3,500 units". Fully correct release
follows:
Ascott Opens Somerset ZhongGuanCun in Beijing
- Ascott is Fast Expanding its Footprints in China to Over
3,500 units
BEIJING, Dec. 6 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Ascott
International has opened
its latest serviced residence in Beijing on December 8,
2006. Named Somerset
ZhongGuanCun, this 154-unit serviced residence was recently
acquired in
August this year, in line with the Group's target to triple
its portfolio in
China to 10,000 units by 2010.
(Photo:
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(Photo:
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This property is Ascott's fourth in Beijing and was
acquired from the
Beijing Yuanzhong Real Estate Development Co Ltd at a
purchase price of RMB
302 million. Ascott had made an additional investment of
RMB33.7 million
towards the refurbishments of the serviced residence.
To cater to the potential demand spurred on by the
upcoming Olympics
Games, there will be 172 units of ZhongGuanCun Residences
available for
corporate leasing starting from January 2007, on top of the
154 units of
serviced residences currently available in Somerset
ZhongGuanCun. All units
will be available to both short and long stay residents.
Mr. Lucas Loh, Managing Director of Ascott
International for China, and
Senior Vice-President of The Ascott Group said, "We
are strengthening our
positioning in the key Chinese cities of Shanghai, Beijing
and Guangzhou
while simultaneously expanding into potential secondary
cities like Suzhou
and Xi'an. 2006 has been a positive year for us. In
addition to opening
Somerset ZhongGuanCun in Beijing, we also soft opened the
first Citadines in
Shanghai this year, with plans for a grand opening soon.
We signed five
contracts this year and at least four more properties will
be opened very
soon."
"Going forward, our expansion strategy will be
carried out via the three
brands, Ascott, Somerset and Citadines throughout China.
Residents will get
to experience the unique Heartware culture of personalised
service from heart
that Ascott properties are well-known for," added Mr.
Loh.
Mr Johnson Chua, Area General Manager, North China for
Ascott
International said, "Somerset ZhongGuanCun is opening
at a timely period at
an excellent location and we are very confident it will do
well in Beijing.
We have already started to receive many enquiries for this
serviced residence
for both short and long stays, starting from now until the
lead-up to Beijing
Olympics 2008. Given the healthy economic indicators,
foreign investments
will continue to flow in beyond the Olympics period, demand
for serviced
residences will continue to grow."
The largest international serviced residence operator
in China, Ascott
International currently has over 3,500 units in 18
properties across China.
Somerset ZhongGuanCun, Beijing
Somerset ZhongGuanCun is located in the heart of
Zhongguancun, a high-
technology development zone, sometimes also known as the
Silicon Valley of
China. It combines all the requisites of contemporary
living with
conveniences that a discerning traveller needs.
Modern features with contemporary interiors
Designed to meet the needs of savvy business
travellers, this 17-storey
serviced residence offers residents one and two-bedroom
units with spacious
layouts, all tastefully designed and fully equipped for the
modern
traveller.
Each apartment is furnished with a home entertainment
system, fully-
equipped kitchen and has contemporary and stylish fittings
for its bedrooms,
living and dining areas. The serviced residence is also
fitted with a visual
intercom system for every individual apartment, providing a
secure living
environment.
Attractive location with convenient access
Located in the fast developing ZhongGuanCun area,
Somerset ZhongGuanCun
is only 15 minutes away from the Olympic Village, where the
2008 Beijing
Olympics will be held. The property is near the
ZhongGuanCun pedestrian
street and area, which have several malls retailing
computer products and
services. Somerset ZhongGuanCun is also near the Haidian
Theatre, Haidian
Medical Centre and the well-known universities of Tsinghua,
Peking and
Renmin. With two new metro lines in the pipeline, downtown
Beijing will soon
be easily accessible from Somerset ZhongGuanCun.
About Ascott International
Ascott International is a subsidiary of The Ascott
Group - the largest
international serviced residence owner-operator outside the
United States
with close to 17,000 serviced residence units in key cities
of Asia Pacific,
Europe and the Gulf Region.
Ascott International is the largest serviced residence
operator in China,
with over 3,500 serviced residence units in Shanghai,
Beijing, Guangzhou,
Dalian, Tianjin, Suzhou and Xi'an. Ascott International
targets to grow its
serviced residence portfolio in China to 10,000 units by
2010.
Ascott International manages three brands - Ascott,
Somerset and
Citadines -- in 43 cities in 18 countries. These include
London, Paris,
Brussels, Berlin and Barcelona in Europe; Singapore,
Bangkok, Pattaya, Hanoi,
Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, Seoul, Shanghai, Beijing, Xi'an, Hong
Kong and Chennai
in Asia; Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland in Australia / New
Zealand as well as
Dubai in the Gulf region.
Ascott International's achievements have been
recognised
internationally. In China, it has clinched numerous
prestigious awards
including `Best Serviced Residence Brand' for the Ascott
and Somerset brand
at the Business Traveller China Awards 2006, ranked first
position in China'
s Top 100 Serviced Apartments Ranking, organised by World
Executive Weekly
magazine, Wall Street Post, China Real Estate Federation,
World Real Estate
and were presented with the Innovative Capital Venture
Award in the China
Hotel investment Summit 2006. For a full list of awards,
please visit:
http://www.the-ascott.com/AboutUs/awards.asp
The Ascott Group is headquartered in Singapore. It
pioneered Asia
Pacific's first branded luxury serviced residence in 1984.
It also
established the world's first pan-Asian serviced residence
real estate
investment trust, Ascott Residence Trust in 2006. Today,
the Group boasts a
22-year industry track record and serviced residence brands
that enjoy
recognition worldwide.
Listed on the mainboard of the Singapore Exchange, The
Ascott Group is
the serviced residence arm of CapitaLand Limited, one of
Asia's largest
listed property companies. Headquartered in Singapore, the
multinational
company's core businesses in property, hospitality and real
estate financial
services are focused in gateway cities in Asia Pacific,
Europe and the Gulf
Region. Its property and hospitality portfolio spans more
than 80 cities in
nearly countries.
For more information on The Ascott Group's property
listings, visit
http://www.the-ascott.com/AboutUs/ResiPortfolio.asp .
Ascott International's properties in China
In Beijing Ascott Beijing -- 272 units, Chaoyang
district
The luxury-tier residence in the city's CBD is close to
the China World
Trade Centre. It boasts designer fittings and extensive
facilities including
an indoor glass-roofed pool, fully equipped fitness centre,
and business
centre. Units range from elegant one-bedroom suites to
four-bedroom
penthouses.
Somerset Grand Fortune Garden, Beijing -- 221 units,
Chaoyang district
Located in the business area of Chaoyang district,
Somerset Fortune
Garden is near international schools, embassies and
entertainment centres.
Facilities include a gymnasium, indoor heated pool and
residents' lounge.
Units range from one to four-bedroom suites, with private
balconies and
scenic city views.
Somerset ZhongGuanCun, Beijing --154 units, Haidian
district
Located in the heart of ZhongGuanCun, a high technology
development zone,
Somerset ZhongGuanCun will open with one, two and three
bedroom units. The
area is home to high-tech industries, several research and
development
centres and easily accessible to public transportation.
Luxury Serviced Residence -- 100 units, Chaoyang
district
Located in Beijing's prime Chaoyang residential
district, the Luxury
Serviced Residence is near Scitech Plaza and Friendship
Store shopping malls,
Silk Market, Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City and
Jianguomen subway station.
Facilities include a gymnasium, sauna, business centre, and
lounge. Units
range from one to four-bedroom apartments.
In ShanghaiAscott Shanghai Pudong -- 248 units, Pudong
district
Boasting spectacular views of the Huangpu River, the
luxury-tier The
Ascott Pudong offers facilities such as a business centre,
indoor heated
pool, gym, sauna, indoor tennis court and residents'
lounge. Units range
from one to four-bedroom designer suites and elegant
penthouses.
Somerset Grand Shanghai -- 334 units, Luwan district
Located along Huai Hai Zhong Road, Somerset Grand
Shanghai is in the
heart of Shanghai's main business, shopping and dining
belt. Facilities
include an indoor heated swimming pool and an international
kindergarten.
Units range from one to three-bedroom suites.
Somerset Xu Hui, Shanghai -- 167 units, Xuhui district
Situated in the Xuhui residential estate, Somerset Xu
Hui is close to
shopping and entertainment facilities in Huai Hai Zhong
Road and Xujiahui.
Facilities include a gym, indoor heated pool, lounge and
tennis court. It
offers spacious one to three-bedroom suites.
Citadines Shanghai Jinqiao -- 260 units, Huangpu
District
The first Citadines branded serviced residence which
was opened in China,
this Citadines apart'hotel offering chic studios, one
bedroom and two
bedroom apartments is located nearby Shanghai's famous
Nanjing Road shopping
belt, and is a 10-minutes' walk to two metro stations. It
is also close to
People's Square, the Shanghai Municipal Government Building
and Shanghai
Museum.
In Guangzhou
Ascott Guangzhou -- 192 units, Tianhe district, Opening
2H 2007
Nearby are the new Guangzhou East Train Station, a
transit point for
travellers to and from Hongkong, Tianhe Sports Centre and
office towers with
banks, financial institutions and multinational companies.
It is also close
to Metro stations and shopping centres.
Springdale Serviced Residence -- 175 units, Tianhe
district
Located in the new Tianhe commercial and business
district, the new
property is close to Tianhe Sports Centre, Guangzhou Book
Store and shopping
centers. It offers studio to three-bedroom suites.
In Dalian
Somerset Harbour Court, Dalian -- 106 units, Zhongshan
district
Part of the prime Dalian Asia Pacific Finance Centre in
the city's
Central Business District, the residence is a stroll from
Dalian harbour's
passenger station and a five-minute drive from the railway
station.
Facilities include a gym, business centre and lounge. Units
comprise one and
two-bedroom suites.
In TianjinSomerset Olympic Tower -- 172 units, Heping
district
In the heart of Tianjin's prime upmarket shopping area
and residential
district, Somerset Olympic Tower is close to international
schools and the
Tianjin railway station. Facilities include an indoor
heated pool, gymnasium,
rooftop garden and barbecue area.
Somerset Youyi, Tianjin -- 268 units, Hexi District,
Opening 1H 2008
Located at 33 Youyi Road, Somerset Youyi is close to
the Tianjin
International Exhibition Centre and will cater to
expatriates working in two
of Tianjin's key industrial development zones -- Tianjin
Economic
Technological Development zone and Xiqing Economic
Development zone. The
residence will offer studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom
units.
In Suzhou
Citadines Suzhou Xinghai -- 167 units, Opening 1H 2007
In the heart of Suzhou Industrial Park's Singapore
style residential
neighbourhood centre, it is conveniently close to shops and
restaurants, and
the Suzhou Singapore International School. The residence
will offer studio
and one-bedroom suites with recreational facilities.
Citadines Suzhou Emerald City -- 225 units, Opening 1H
2008
Citadines Suzhou Emerald City is located in the Suzhou
Emerald City
integrated development, which is slated to become the
entertainment and
business hub in Suzhou New District area, bringing together
the best in
retail, commercial, offices and residences in one
comprehensive development.
It will also be easily accessible via major highways and
connected to the
future Suzhou city mass transit system.
Citadines Suzhou Lejia -- 250 units, Opening 2H 2008
Citadines Suzhou Lejia is located between Xinhu Street
and Xiandai Dadao
within Suzhou Industrial Park, one of the world's fastest
growing and most
competitive development zones.
In Xi'an
Citadines Xi'an Central -- 133 units, Opening 1H 2007
Citadines Xi'an Central is situated in the Beilin
District of Xi'an and
is just a stone's throw away from the Bell Tower, the
historical city centre
landmark of Xi'an. Located in downtown Xi'an, it is within
1-minute
walking distance to Xidajie Street, a popular street with a
wide array of
shopping, dining, sports and entertainment facilities and
is also close to
office towers housing several multinational companies.
In Hong Kong
Citadines HongKong Ashley -- 36 units, Opening 2H 2006
Located in bustling Tsim Sha Tsui, Citadines HongKong
Ashley is minutes
away from the metro and close to office towers housing
multinational
companies, retail and food and beverage establishments.
Issued by: Ascott International, China
Level 5, 238 Zhaojiabang Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai
200031, China
For more information, please contact:
Ms. Jaime Kuek
Marketing Manager, China
Ascott International
Tel: +86-21-5175-8071
Cell: +86-13761556194
Email: jaime.kuek@the-ascott.com
Ms. Christine Wang
Marketing Communications Manager, Beijing
Ascott International
Tel: +86-10-6567-8100
Cell: +86-13381126997
Email: Christine.wang@the-ascott.com
SOURCE Ascott International, China
PR
2007'02.11.Sun
Aztech Systems Selects Texas Instruments for Next-Generation ADSL2+ Residential Gateways
December 21, 2006
New Product Line Features TI's Exceptional Voice
Capabilities and G++
Wireless LAN Technology to Enable Triple Play Services
SINGAPORE, Dec. 20 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Aztech
Systems Ltd. (Aztech), a
global voice and data communications design and
manufacturing corporation,
will build its next-generation of ADSL2+ gateways based on
residential
gateway (RG) solutions from Texas Instruments Incorporated
(NYSE:TXN) (TI).
With this new generation of products, Aztech is able to
cost-effectively
deliver managed broadband services over an ADSL2+ network
connection while
expanding its product portfolio to include Triple Play
services such as
Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) and Voice over Internet
Protocol (VoIP).
(Logo:
http://www.xprn.com.cn:9080/xprn/sa/20061107170439-20.jpg
)
The Aztech DSL605 series will offer consumers
differentiated features
such as high-speed ADSL2+ 26Mbps performance, hassle-free
installation and
superior 125Mbps wireless performance. In addition, these
new products will
offer ADSL2+ Annex M support for increased data upstream
performance as well
as support for (permanent virtual circuit) PVC to Virtual
LAN (VLAN) mapping
to enable consistent Quality of Service (QoS).
"With this new series of products, Aztech
reaffirms its continual drive
and strong commitment to maintaining leadership in the
broadband arena by
providing maximum value and performance to our
customers," said Michael Mun,
president and CEO of Aztech Systems Ltd. "TI's
flexible platform and
interoperability expertise enables Aztech to deliver this
family of high-
performance products quickly and cost-effectively."
The Aztech DSL605 family comprises five next-generation
products based on
ADSL2+ technology -- from Ethernet Routers with or without
USB connectivity
to a four-port Ethernet Router with both VoIP and WLAN
capabilities. Each of
these products leverage TI's market-leading DSL CPE
technology to enable high-
speed ADSL2+ 26Mbps performance. Aztech's voice products
feature TI's
extensive voice codec library and Telogy SoftwareTM for
VoIP. In addition,
the wireless routers include TI's G++ WLAN technology to
deliver highly
robust connectivity with extended reach and range.
"The Aztech and TI relationship is based on a
collaborative effort to
deliver new, high-quality solutions that enable service
providers to offer
consumers exciting new applications and services,"
said Mark Rice, director
of TI's Asia Marketing and Business Development, Broadband
Communications. "TI's RG solutions feature a flexible
architecture that
allows Aztech's creative design team to leverage common
tools, development
environments and software support packages to deliver
innovative,
differentiated products."
About Aztech Systems Ltd.
Incorporated in 1986, Aztech Systems Ltd specializes in
the design and
manufacturing of voice and data communications solutions.
Headquartered in
Singapore, Aztech today has over 2,200 employees worldwide
and strong R&D.
Supported by its six sales offices in Singapore, Hong Kong,
China, USA,
Germany and Malaysia, the company provides OEM/ODM,
contract manufacturing
and retail businesses. For more information on Aztech and
its products,
please visit its website at http://www.aztech.com .
About Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments Incorporated provides innovative DSP
and analog
technologies to meet our customers' real world signal
processing
requirements. In addition to Semiconductor, the company's
businesses include
Educational & Productivity Solutions. TI is
headquartered in Dallas, Texas,
and has manufacturing, design or sales operations in more
than 25 countries.
Texas Instruments is traded on the New York Stock Exchange
under the symbol
TXN. More information is located on the World Wide Web at
http://www.ti.com .
Trademarks
Telogy Software is a trademark of Texas Instruments.
All other
trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of
their respective
owners.
For more information, please contact:
Gary Tan
Aztech
Tel: +65-6843-1218
Email: gary.tan@aztech.com
Penni Chaloux
Texas Instruments
Tel: +1-214-657-6967
Email: pchaloux@ti.com
SOURCE Texas Instruments
2007'02.11.Sun
ING Real Estate's China Opportunity Fund Raises US$350 Million
December 21, 2006
HONG KONG and SHANGHAI, China, Dec. 20
/Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- ING Real
Estate today announced that the ING Real Estate China
Opportunity Fund L.P.
("Fund" or "COF") has raised a total of
US$350 million from leading
international institutional investors from Asia, Australia,
Europe, Middle
East and the US, as well as from high-net worth individuals
through ING
Private Banking.
The COF is a private, closed-end, total return fund.
Its investment
objective is to invest in opportunistic projects with a
focus on mid-range
local housing developments in first and second tier cities
in China. The
majority of the Fund's investment activities will be
executed through joint
ventures with high quality local Chinese developers with
established track
records in China.
To date, the portfolio of the COF comprises a
mixed-development joint
venture with Shanghai Forte Land in the Hong Kou district
of Shanghai, as
well as two local housing projects in joint venture with
Raycom International
in Changsha, the capital city of Hunan Province in the
south of central
China. In addition, a joint venture for a housing
development with Gemdale
Corporation in Tianjin is awaiting government approval.
Shanghai Forte is
the largest developer in Shanghai and Raycom is the real
estate arm of Legend
Holdings that owns the Lenovo/IBM brand of personal
computers.
Robert Lie, Chief Executive Officer of ING Real Estate
Investment
Management Asia said, "We are very pleased with the
response of international
investors to our new fund. It underscores our belief that,
despite the
austerity measures announced by the Chinese central
government in May and
August of this year, aimed at cooling the real estate
market in China, our
strategy of focusing on local housing in first and second
tier cities in
China in partnership with local developers is the correct
one."
Richard van den Berg, Portfolio Manager and Country
Manager China
said, "ING Real Estate has been operating in China for
over ten years,
developing a strong track record as well as building a
solid local network.
The successful closing of the fund demonstrates our
co-investors share ING
Real Estate's confidence and investment approach in the
Chinese real estate
market."
ING Real Estate is an international real estate company
active in real
estate investment management, development and finance.
With a total business
portfolio of US$103 billion as of 30 September, 2006 and
offices in 21
markets in Europe, the United States, Asia and Australia,
ING Real Estate
ranks among the world's strongest real estate companies.
ING Real Estate is part of ING Group, a global
financial institution of
Dutch origin offering banking, insurance and asset
management to over 60
million private, corporate and institutional clients in
more than 50
countries.
For more information, please contact:
Karen Williams
Tel: +852-2913-8536
Email: karen.williams@ap.ing.com
Wieger Sietsma
Tel: +31-70-3418474
Email: wieger.sietsma@ingrealestate.com
Suzanne Franks
Tel: +1-212-883-2535
Email: suzanne.franks@ingrealestate.com
SOURCE ING Real Estate
2007'02.11.Sun
BioVision 2007, the World Life Sciences Forum, Set to Tackle Some of Today's Most Critical Health, Nutrition and Environmental Issues
December 21, 2006
-- The 5th edition of BioVision (March 11 - 14, 2007 in
Lyon, France) will
gather leading international experts on health, nutrition
and environment
issues to discuss, debate and agree actions for change.
LYON, France, Dec. 20 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- BioVision
today confirmed
its broad ranging schedule for the fifth edition of
BioVision, the World Life
Sciences forum. The 2007 event will review a number of
critical and topical
issues: from the ethical and scientific conditions of
stem-cell research for
regenerative cell therapies to the application of
nanotechnologies to health
and environment fields, from the development of bio energy
solutions in
response to global warming and water rarefaction. These are
just some of the
key issues that representatives from science and business
have identified
over the past 12 months for debate and action at BioVision,
in Lyon, France
in March 2007.
BioVision differs from other scientific and business
forums because of
its unique approach to examining today's most important
scientific issues.
The Forum brings together representatives from science,
politics and industry
together with civil society representatives to debate key
issues our society
faces, as far as health, nutrition and the environment are
concerned.
The industrial application of scientific improvements
fosters great hope
in the struggle against rare pathologies, malnutrition and
pollution. But
theses advancements are increasingly raising more and more
questions, concern
and opposition, especially from societal groups. In order
to advance, these
complex and often sensitive issues require both
transparency and cooperation
between the main players: citizens, scientists,
industrialists and decision-
makers.
"There are important views and opinions held by
these different groups
and yet they frequently don't see eye to eye. BioVision
aims to break down
barriers, create dialogue and foster greater understanding
among these key
groups," said Philippe Desmarescaux, President,
BioVision.
BioVision is a leading Life Sciences forum now entering
its fifth
edition. In 2005, more than 4,100 participants from 70
countries attended,
representing a 28% increase from the previous event.
BioVision 2007 differs from previous editions in a
number of ways and
seeks to bring a new level of innovation to scientific and
business debate:
-- The event will focus solely on "The
Contribution of Life Sciences to
the Millennium Development Goals". Among the
objectives set out for
2015 are: reducing by 50% the proportion of the
world's starving
population, reducing by two-thirds the rate or
mortality for under-
fives, eliminating the spread of AIDS, overcoming
malaria and other
deadly diseases, making available and at affordable
prices all useful
medicines, ensuring a sustainable environment and
dividing in half the
proportion of the world's population that doesn't
have easy access to
drinking water. Unfortunately, it is clear that
intermediary goals set
for 2015 are unlikely to be met in the concerned
countries if no
further efforts are made.
-- Ten pre-conferences were held during 2006. These
sessions have set the
stage for the debate and prepared the framework for
BioVision 2007 to
ensure that the Forum goes beyond stimulating
dialogue to examine
concrete and necessary actions.
-- The primary goal of BioVision, the World Life
Sciences Forum, 2007, is
to develop concrete recommendations and proposals,
leading whenever
possible, to constructive action.
-- The "World Foundation for Life Sciences"
was founded to bring necessary
financial means to help fund or achieve a number of
specific projects
arising from the conclusions drawn at BioVision.
BioVision 2007: preliminary program highlights
-- March 11th - afternoon: BioVision Nobel Laureates
Session
-- March 12th - morning: round-tables
-- March 12th afternoon and March 13th: debates and
conferences:
- Health:
- Poverty diseases
- Immunization for all
- Cellular therapy
- Agriculture/Food:
- Integrated approaches to eradicate
hunger
- Food for the future: north and south
issues
- Development of agriculture in saline and
unexploited areas
- Environment/Energy:
- Water
- Bio energy after oil
- Nanotechnologies and life sciences
-- March 14th - morning: Conclusions and
recommendations
BioVisionaries Session
Program and registrations
The complete BioVision 2007, pre-conference reports and
further press
information is available online at http://www.biovision.org
. The system is
now open for media accreditation.
General information, official program, pre-conference
reports, agenda,
news
http://www.biovision.org
Debates and discussion on:
http://www.biovision-blog.org
Media accreditation and materials
http://www.biovision.org/press_room.htm
For more information, please contact:
France and overseas
Edelman
Anna Adlewska / Clina Viollet
Tel: +33-1-56-69-75-00
Email: anna.adlewska@edelman.com
clina.viollet@edelman.com
United States
Edelman
Jeff Picarello
Tel: +1-212-704-8244
Email: jeff.picarello@edelman.com
UK
Edelman
Claire Eldred
Tel: +44-207-344-1200
Email: claire.eldred@edelman.com
Lyon
Virginie Palpacuer / Anna Gabotto
Tel: +33-4-72-00-35-86
Email: virginie.palpacuer@kaelia.fr
anne.babotto@kaelia.fr
BioVision 2007 Team
Andre de Marco
Tel: +33-6-13-53-32-39
Email: andredemarco@yahoo.com
Sophie L'Arnaud
Tel: +33-4-78-92-70-11
Email: sophie.larnaud@biovision.org
SOURCE BioVision
2007'02.11.Sun
Middle Kingdom Alliance Corp. Announces IPO Closing
December 21, 2006
SHANGHAI, China and ATLANTA, Dec. 20
/Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Middle
Kingdom Alliance Corp. ("the Company") (OTC
Bulletin Board: MKGDU.OB;
MKGBU.OB) today announced the closing of the Company's
initial public
offering of 198,000 Series A units and 3,300,000 Series B
units.
Each Series A unit consists of one share of common
stock, par value
US$0.001 and five warrants each to purchase one share of
common stock and
each Series B unit consists of one share of common stock,
par value US$0.001
and one warrant to purchase one share of common stock.
Both the Series A and
Series B units were sold at an offering price of US$8.00.
I-Bankers
Securities Incorporated, Newbridge Securities Corporation
and Westminster
Securities Corporation acted as the managing underwriters
for the initial
public offering. The Company's units began trading on the
over the counter
bulletin board on Thursday, December 14, 2006.
Copies of the prospectus relating to this offering may
be obtained from I-
Bankers Securities Incorporated, 125 E. John Carpenter
Freeway, Suite 260,
Irving, TX 75062 or from Middle Kingdom Alliance Corp., 333
Sandy Springs
Circle, Suite 223, Atlanta, GA 30328 or on the internet at:
http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1360244/000119312506253530/0001193125-
06-253530-index.htm
This announcement is neither an offer to sell nor a
solicitation of an
offer to buy these securities. The offer is made only by
the prospectus.
About Middle Kingdom Alliance Corp.
Middle Kingdom Alliance Corp. is a company with offices
in Shanghai,
People's Republic of China and in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
The Company was
formed for the purpose of completing a merger, capital
stock exchange, asset
purchase or other similar business combination with a
company having its
primary or substantial operations in the People's Republic
of China.
For more information, please contact:
Jay Tanenbaum
Middle Kingdom Alliance Corp.
Tel: +1-404-843-8585
SOURCE Middle Kingdom Alliance Corp.
2007'02.11.Sun
Avnet Electronics Marketing's Singapore Programming Centre Certified for Automotive Industry's 'Quality Management Standard of the Future'
December 21, 2006
ISO/TS 16949 Compliance will Expand Opportunities for
Device Programming in
China's Rapidly Growing Automotive Sector
SINGAPORE, Dec. 20 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Avnet
Electronics Marketing's
Programming Centre in Singapore has been certified as fully
compliant with
the ISO/TS 16949 -- a quality management standard hailed by
many as 'the
future for the automotive sector.'
"The ISO/TS 16949 standard is a quality management
system specifically
for the automotive sector," said Louis Lam, vice
president of logistics,
operations and IT at Avnet Electronics Marketing Asia.
"Without possessing
this standard, companies cannot perform value-added
services like device
programming for automotive products."
Avnet Electronics Marketing's programming service turns
programmable
components into customised devices for specific
applications -- whether they
are for small prototype quantities or volume production
needs.
The compliance certification, which is valid for three
years, was awarded
by Lloyds Register of Quality Assurance (LRQA), one of the
world's most
experienced organisations in helping customers use
management systems to
improve their businesses.
While Avnet Electronics Marketing's Singapore
Programming Centre is the
first Avnet centre in Asia to receive the certificate,
others are expected to
mirror the practice, which will result in quicker
turnaround for automotive
business and increased customer satisfaction and confidence
levels.
"The international standard ISO/TS 16949 was
developed to harmonise and
integrate various quality management systems, providing a
universal standard
that encompasses all requirements relevant in the
automotive industry. It is
set to provide significant benefits to those companies
supplying them," said
Lam. "This is a major competitive advantage when you
consider that we are on
the doorstep of China and its booming auto industry."
According to research firm Strategy Analytics,
automotive semiconductor
revenues are expected to grow from US$13.7 billion in 2003
to US$23.2 billion
in 2008, at an average growth rate of 11.1 per cent per
year. The auto
market in Asia, especially in China, is expected to account
for a large part
of this growth.
Established in 1985 by the internationally renowned
Lloyd's Register and
being a leader in the automotive field, LRQA is one of a
select few
recognised by the IATF to provide this certification.
"We are extremely pleased to have received this
important accreditation,"
Lam added. "It means that our people are certified to
handle the rigorous
requirements and procedures of the automotive industry and,
with this sector
growing so rapidly in the region, we are very optimistic
that many more
embedded IC producers will want us to program their devices
too."
Avnet Electronic Marketing's global infrastructure
provides customers
with support from any part of the world. The company
opened its Singapore
Programming Centre (PC) in 2001 with a primary role to
program ICs in devices
for products in all industrial segments. The Singapore
programming centre
employs about 40 people. In addition, the company operates
PCs in Shanghai,
Hong Kong, North America, Mexico and Europe.
About Avnet Electronics Marketing
Avnet Electronics Marketing Asia is part of
Phoenix-based Avnet, Inc.
(NYSE: AVT), a Fortune 500 company with fiscal 2006 sales
exceeding USD$14.25
billion. Serving customers in approximately 70 countries,
Avnet is one of
the world's largest technology marketing, distribution and
services companies.
Avnet Electronics Marketing has a significant presence
in Asia-Pacific --
the fastest growing electronics market in the world. With
its regional
headquarters in Singapore, the company has 38 locations in
10 countries in
Asia. It distributes semiconductors, interconnect, passive
and
electromechanical components to serve a wide range of
customers including
original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), electronic
manufacturing services
(EMS) providers, and small- to medium-sized businesses, and
provides
associated design-chain and supply-chain services. The
company's web site is
located at http://www.em.avnet.com .
For enquiries on releases by email, please call Rosa
Lee at (852) 2537
8022 or send a message to rosa@eba.com.hk .
For more information, please contact:
Jaime Chan
Tel: +852-2410-2735
Email: jaime.chan@avnet.com
Brian Peterson (EBA):
Tel: +852-2537-8022
Email: brian@eba.com.hk
SOURCE Avnet Electronics Marketing
2007'02.11.Sun
DriveSol Worldwide, Inc., a Global Leader in Driver Control Systems, Purchases the Assets of Timken Company's Global Steering Business
December 21, 2006
-- Acquisition focuses driveSol on global electric power
assist steering
(EPAS) markets providing the electric steering technology
base for integrated
steering column/pedal product development
TROY, Mich., Dec. 20 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- DriveSol
Worldwide, Inc.
("DriveSol"), an affiliate of Sun Capital
Partners, Inc., announced today
that it has acquired the assets of Timken Company's Global
Steering
Business. Timken Company's Global Steering Business designs
and manufactures
intermediate shafts, column shafts, and components in North
America and
steering columns in South America for OEM manufacturers and
Tier I automotive
suppliers. The 2005 global sales for the Global Steering
Business were
approximately $110 million. DriveSol Worldwide, Inc. is a
leading
manufacturer of pedals, adjustable pedals, electronic
throttle control pedals
("ETC"), and other highly engineered driving
solutions for the global
automotive industry. DriveSol, with global sales of
approximately $170
million, is currently supplying products to most major
global automotive
OEMs. Terms of the sale were not disclosed.
Mark T. Simon, DriveSol Worldwide CEO, stated,
"The acquisition of this
steering column business is another step forward towards
implementing our
long-range strategy of becoming a global leader in driver
control systems and
puts us back into the steering column/pedal sub-system
market where we once
supplied Land Rover and other European OEMs. As the
automotive electronic
drive-by-wire concept evolves, we will now be in a position
to offer our
customers a full brake, accelerator, and steering-by-wire
plug in system.
With Timken's Brazil facility we have become a truly
globally integrated
steering/pedal product development company with combined
engineering and
research, development, and manufacturing resources
effectively in the North
and South America, East and West Europe, Japan, and China
markets."
The Timken Global Steering Business has manufacturing
facilities in
Watertown, Connecticut and in Nova Friburgo, Brazil. Each
of these locations
has design engineering, product development, process
engineering testing, and
sales and marketing capabilities. Worldwide, the Global
Steering Business has
an experienced workforce of approximately 900 employees.
DriveSol Worldwide,
Inc. employs over 850 people and currently has full service
engineering
technical centers located in Troy, Michigan; Gothenburg,
Sweden; and
Chongquing, China.
About The Timken Company
The Timken Company (NYSE: TKR) keeps the world turning,
with innovative
ways to make customers' products run smoother, faster and
more efficiently.
Timken's highly engineered bearings, alloy steels and
related products and
services turn up everywhere. With operations in 27
countries, sales of $5.2
billion in 2005 and 27,000 employees, Timken is Where You
Turn(TM) for better
performance. For more information, please see:
http://www.timken.com .
About DriveSol Worldwide, Inc.
DriveSol Worldwide Inc. is one of the leading
designers, developers, and
manufacturers of fixed and adjustable pedal systems,
electronic throttle
control pedals ("ETC"), and other
highly-engineered driving solutions to
global automotive OEMs in North America, Europe, Japan, and
China.
Headquartered in Troy, Michigan, DriveSol has manufacturing
facilities
located in Kendallville, IN; Lyons, OH; Dalstorp, Sweden;
Chongquing, China;
Changwon City, Korea; Van Buren Twp., Michigan; and
strategic alliances in
Mexico and Slovakia. For more information, please see:
http://www.drivesol.com .
About Sun Capital Partners, Inc.
Sun Capital Partners, Inc. is a leading private
investment firm focused
on leveraged buyouts, equity, debt, and other investments
in market-leading
companies that can benefit from its in-house operating
professionals and
experience. Sun Capital affiliates have invested in and
managed more than 135
companies worldwide with combined sales in excess of $30.0
billion since Sun
Capital's inception in 1995. Sun Capital has offices in
Boca Raton, Los
Angeles, New York, and Shenzhen, China as well as advisory
offices in London
and Tokyo.
For more information, please contact:
Allan G. Hall
Hall Industrial Publicity, Inc.
Tel: +1-248-705-8272
Fax: +1-248-645-0906
Email: alhall@industrialpublicity.com
Rex Smith, VP Sales & Marketing
DriveSol Worldwide, Inc.
Tel: +1-248-729-2244
Fax: +1-248-269-9934
Email: rsmith@drivesol.com
Gary M. Talarico, Managing Director
Sun Capital Partners, Inc.
Tel: +1-212-588-9156
SOURCE DriveSol Worldwide, Inc.
2007'02.11.Sun
eBay Inc. and TOM Online Announce Joint Venture Agreement to Enable Next Phase Of E-Commerce Growth in China
December 21, 2006
SAN JOSE, Calif., SHANGHAI and BEIJING, Dec. 20
/Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --
eBay Inc. (Nasdaq: EBAY) and online portal and wireless
Internet company TOM
Online (Nasdaq: TOMO; Hong Kong GEM: 8282) today announced
a joint venture
agreement that will set the foundation for the next phase
of growth of e-
commerce and m-commerce in the rapidly growing Chinese
market.
eBay EachNet, eBay Inc.'s China-based subsidiary, and
TOM Online will
combine expertise to build a new China marketplace in 2007.
The new
marketplace will bring together the strengths of both
companies -- eBay
EachNet's global e-commerce knowledge and large and active
trading community
in China, and TOM Online's local market knowledge and
active wireless user
base of more than 75 million.
The new marketplace will bring enhanced online and
mobile opportunities
to buyers and sellers in China, evolving eBay's
participation in China and
extending TOM Online's wireless service portfolio into
m-commerce. Upon the
launch of the new marketplace, eBay EachNet users will be
invited to
transition to the new site, and TOM Online will work to
deliver its user
traffic to the site as well.
"eBay has helped pioneer e-commerce in China, and
by combining our
expertise with that of a strong local partner like TOM
Online, we are even
better positioned to participate in this growing
market," said Meg Whitman,
President and CEO of eBay Inc. "This agreement is a
sign of our continued
commitment to delivering the best online buying and selling
experiences in
China."
"eBay is one of the world's most recognized
e-commerce brands and TOM
Online has a proven track record of delivering outstanding
services to
Chinese consumers," said Wang Lei Lei, CEO of TOM
Online. "The new online
marketplace to be built by the joint venture will provide
an enhanced user
experience, tailored for the China market, and will
capitalize on our
companies' strengths in the emerging m-commerce
sector."
eBay will have a 49% stake in the joint venture, and
TOM Online will have
a 51% stake. Both companies will make financial
contributions to the venture,
including a US$40 million cash contribution from eBay and
US$20 million in
financing from TOM Online. If mutually agreed, the two
companies can equally
share in an investment of up to an additional US$10
million. In addition,
eBay will also contribute its EachNet subsidiary, while TOM
Online will
contribute local management expertise, technology, and
brand. The formation
of a joint venture will foster synergy among user
communities and
distribution channels, enhance rapid product innovation
capabilities on a
local platform, and promote mobile integration.
China has an Internet population of 123 million Web
users as of June
2006, which grew by 19% over the last year, and the country
has more than 400
million mobile users. The China eCommerce market is
experiencing explosive
growth, and could rise to 46 billion yuan in value next
year, from 5.6
billion yuan last year, according to IResearch. By working
together, eBay
and TOM Online will improve their ability to tap into the
potential of new
online commerce trends in China. This new venture builds on
the existing
relationship between TOM Online and Skype, eBay Inc.'s
online communications
business.
Wang Lei Lei will be chief executive officer of the JV,
and drive the
vision for the new local, China marketplace. eBay EachNet
CEO Jeff Liao will
provide management support from eBay to the JV. Liao will
also continue to
lead eBay's separate operations in China, including the
expansion of eBay's
business efforts in China to promote global trade by
PRC-based sellers, as
they ramp up their trading practices with people around the
world.
eBay will also continue to grow the China Development
Center for
worldwide product development under the local leadership of
recently
appointed General Manager Daniel Lee, a former Yahoo! Asia
CTO. eBay Inc.
expects to continue to increase headcount in China into
2007 as it evolves
its presence in the market.
eBay does not expect this partnership to have a
material impact on eBay'
s financial guidance as issued in connection with its third
quarter earnings
release on October 18, 2006.
About eBay Inc.
Founded in 1995, eBay pioneers communities built on
commerce, sustained
by trust, and inspired by opportunity. eBay enables
ecommerce on a local,
national and international basis with an array of Websites
-- including the
eBay Marketplaces, PayPal, Skype, Kijiji, Rent.com and
Shopping.com -- that
bring together millions of buyers and sellers every day.
About eBay EachNet
eBay and EachNet, a leading e-commerce company in China
founded in 1999,
have been working together since March 2002, when the two
companies formed a
strategic relationship. In June 2003, eBay increased its
investment in China
by acquiring EachNet. With eBay's global resources and
continued best
practice sharing, eBay EachNet has become one of the major
online
marketplaces in China.
About TOM Online
TOM Online Inc. (Nasdaq: TOMO; HK GEM stock code: 8282)
is a leading
wireless Internet company in China providing value-added
multimedia products
and services. A premier online brand in China targeting the
young and trendy
demographic, the company's primary business activities
include wireless
internet services and online advertising. The company
offers an array of
products such as SMS, MMS, WAP, wireless interactive voice
response services,
content channels, search and classified information, free
and fee-based
advanced email and online games. As of September 30, 2006,
TOM Online is the
only portal in China that enjoyed a top three ranking in
every wireless
internet service segment.
TOM Online is a subsidiary of TOM Group Limited
("TOM Group"), one of
the leading Chinese language media groups in the Greater
China region. TOM
Group's diverse operations span five media sectors: the
Internet (through
TOM Online Inc.), outdoor (through TOM Outdoor Media
Group), publishing,
sports and TV & entertainment.
http://www.tom.com/
http://www.tomgroup.com/eng/index.asp
Forward-Looking Statements
eBay Inc.
This announcement contains forward-looking statements
regarding eBay
(including without limitation as described in the
quotations from management
in this announcement) and their strategic and operational
plans related to,
and the expected financial impact of, the announced
strategic agreement.
Those statements involve risks and uncertainties, and
actual results could
differ materially from those discussed. Factors that could
cause or
contribute to such differences include, but are not limited
to, regulatory
uncertainties relating to doing business in the People's
Republic of China,
the rate of development of the mobile and internet-based
marketplace business
sector in the People's Republic of China, the reaction of
users of each
company's services to the strategic agreement and
associated product changes,
the reaction of each company's competitors to the strategic
agreement,
potential product development issues, and the possibility
that the expected
benefits of the strategic agreement may not materialize to
the extent
expected or at all. All information set forth in this
release is as of
December 19, 2006, and neither company intends or
undertakes any duty to
update this information to reflect future events or
circumstances. More
information about potential factors that could impact each
company's business
and financial results is included under the captions,
"Risk Factors"
and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial
Condition and Results
of Operations," in the company's respective Annual
Report on Form 10-K for
the fiscal year ended December 31, 2005 and Quarterly
Report on Form 10-Q for
the quarter ended September 30, 2006, which are on file
with the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC")
and available at the SEC's
website at http://www.sec.gov .
TOM Online Inc.
This press release of TOM Online Inc. (the
"Company"), contains
statements that may be viewed as "forward-looking
statements" within the
meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, and Section
21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
Such forward-looking
statements are, by their nature, subject to significant
risks and
uncertainties that may cause the actual performance,
financial condition or
results of operations of the Company to be materially
different from any
future performance, financial condition or results of
operations implied by
such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking
statements include,
without limitation, statements that are not historical fact
relating to the
financial performance and business operations of the
Company, the continued
growth of the telecommunications industry in China, the
expected benefit of
any strategic alliances with other companies and our
ability to cooperate
with our alliance partners, the development of the
regulatory environment and
the Company's latest product offerings, and the Company's
ability to
successfully execute its business strategies and plans,
including its ability
to expand its market share and revenue through strategic
alliances.
Such forward-looking statements reflect the current
views of the Company
with respect to future events and are not a guarantee of
future performance.
Actual results may differ materially from information
contained in the
forward-looking statements as a result of a number of
factors, including,
without limitation, any changes in our relationships with
telecommunication
operators in China, the effect of competition on the demand
for the price of
our services, changes in customer demand and usage
preference for our
products and services, changes in the regulatory policies
of the Ministry of
Information Industry and other relevant government
authorities, any changes
in telecommunications and related technology and
applications based on such
technology, and changes in political, economic, legal and
social conditions
in China, India, and other countries where the Company
conducts business
operations, including, without limitation, the Chinese
government's policies
with respect to economic growth, foreign exchange, foreign
investment and
entry by foreign companies into China's telecommunications
market. Please
also see the "Risk Factors" section of the
Company's annual report for the
year ended December 31, 2005 on Form F-20 (File No.
000-50631), as filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission.
For more information, please contact:
eBay Inc.
U.S. Media Relations Contact:
Hani Durzy,
Tel: +1-408-376-7458
Email: hdurzy@ebay.com
China Media Relations Contact:
Linda Liu,
Tel: +86-21-6120-6700 x8910
Email: linliu@ebay.com
Investor Relations Contact:
Selim Freiha
Tel: +1-408-376-8108
Email: sfreiha@ebay.com
TOM Online:
Media Relations Contact:
Rico Ngai
Tel: +86-10-6528-3399 x6940
Mobile: +86-139-118-95354
Email: rngai@tomonline-inc.com
SOURCE TOM Online Inc.
2007'02.11.Sun
Aztech Systems Selects Texas Instruments for Next-Generation ADSL2+ Residential Gateways
December 20, 2006
New Product Line Features TI's Exceptional Voice
Capabilities and G++
Wireless LAN Technology to Enable Triple Play Services
SINGAPORE, Dec. 20 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Aztech
Systems Ltd. (Aztech), a
global voice and data communications design and
manufacturing corporation,
will build its next-generation of ADSL2+ gateways based on
residential
gateway (RG) solutions from Texas Instruments Incorporated
(NYSE:TXN) (TI).
With this new generation of products, Aztech is able to
cost-effectively
deliver managed broadband services over an ADSL2+ network
connection while
expanding its product portfolio to include Triple Play
services such as
Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) and Voice over Internet
Protocol (VoIP).
(Logo:
http://www.xprn.com.cn:9080/xprn/sa/20061107170439-20.jpg
)
The Aztech DSL605 series will offer consumers
differentiated features
such as high-speed ADSL2+ 26Mbps performance, hassle-free
installation and
superior 125Mbps wireless performance. In addition, these
new products will
offer ADSL2+ Annex M support for increased data upstream
performance as well
as support for (permanent virtual circuit) PVC to Virtual
LAN (VLAN) mapping
to enable consistent Quality of Service (QoS).
"With this new series of products, Aztech
reaffirms its continual drive
and strong commitment to maintaining leadership in the
broadband arena by
providing maximum value and performance to our
customers," said Michael Mun,
president and CEO of Aztech Systems Ltd. "TI's
flexible platform and
interoperability expertise enables Aztech to deliver this
family of high-
performance products quickly and cost-effectively."
The Aztech DSL605 family comprises five next-generation
products based on
ADSL2+ technology -- from Ethernet Routers with or without
USB connectivity
to a four-port Ethernet Router with both VoIP and WLAN
capabilities. Each of
these products leverage TI's market-leading DSL CPE
technology to enable high-
speed ADSL2+ 26Mbps performance. Aztech's voice products
feature TI's
extensive voice codec library and Telogy SoftwareTM for
VoIP. In addition,
the wireless routers include TI's G++ WLAN technology to
deliver highly
robust connectivity with extended reach and range.
"The Aztech and TI relationship is based on a
collaborative effort to
deliver new, high-quality solutions that enable service
providers to offer
consumers exciting new applications and services,"
said Mark Rice, director
of TI's Asia Marketing and Business Development, Broadband
Communications. "TI's RG solutions feature a flexible
architecture that
allows Aztech's creative design team to leverage common
tools, development
environments and software support packages to deliver
innovative,
differentiated products."
About Aztech Systems Ltd.
Incorporated in 1986, Aztech Systems Ltd specializes in
the design and
manufacturing of voice and data communications solutions.
Headquartered in
Singapore, Aztech today has over 2,200 employees worldwide
and strong R&D.
Supported by its six sales offices in Singapore, Hong Kong,
China, USA,
Germany and Malaysia, the company provides OEM/ODM,
contract manufacturing
and retail businesses. For more information on Aztech and
its products,
please visit its website at http://www.aztech.com .
About Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments Incorporated provides innovative DSP
and analog
technologies to meet our customers' real world signal
processing
requirements. In addition to Semiconductor, the company's
businesses include
Educational & Productivity Solutions. TI is
headquartered in Dallas, Texas,
and has manufacturing, design or sales operations in more
than 25 countries.
Texas Instruments is traded on the New York Stock Exchange
under the symbol
TXN. More information is located on the World Wide Web at
http://www.ti.com .
Trademarks
Telogy Software is a trademark of Texas Instruments.
All other
trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of
their respective
owners.
For more information, please contact:
Gary Tan
Aztech
Tel: +65-6843-1218
Email: gary.tan@aztech.com
Penni Chaloux
Texas Instruments
Tel: +1-214-657-6967
Email: pchaloux@ti.com
SOURCE Texas Instruments
2007'02.11.Sun
ING Real Estate's China Opportunity Fund Raises US$350 Million
December 20, 2006
HONG KONG and SHANGHAI, China, Dec. 20
/Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- ING Real
Estate today announced that the ING Real Estate China
Opportunity Fund L.P.
("Fund" or "COF") has raised a total of
US$350 million from leading
international institutional investors from Asia, Australia,
Europe, Middle
East and the US, as well as from high-net worth individuals
through ING
Private Banking.
The COF is a private, closed-end, total return fund.
Its investment
objective is to invest in opportunistic projects with a
focus on mid-range
local housing developments in first and second tier cities
in China. The
majority of the Fund's investment activities will be
executed through joint
ventures with high quality local Chinese developers with
established track
records in China.
To date, the portfolio of the COF comprises a
mixed-development joint
venture with Shanghai Forte Land in the Hong Kou district
of Shanghai, as
well as two local housing projects in joint venture with
Raycom International
in Changsha, the capital city of Hunan Province in the
south of central
China. In addition, a joint venture for a housing
development with Gemdale
Corporation in Tianjin is awaiting government approval.
Shanghai Forte is
the largest developer in Shanghai and Raycom is the real
estate arm of Legend
Holdings that owns the Lenovo/IBM brand of personal
computers.
Robert Lie, Chief Executive Officer of ING Real Estate
Investment
Management Asia said, "We are very pleased with the
response of international
investors to our new fund. It underscores our belief that,
despite the
austerity measures announced by the Chinese central
government in May and
August of this year, aimed at cooling the real estate
market in China, our
strategy of focusing on local housing in first and second
tier cities in
China in partnership with local developers is the correct
one."
Richard van den Berg, Portfolio Manager and Country
Manager China
said, "ING Real Estate has been operating in China for
over ten years,
developing a strong track record as well as building a
solid local network.
The successful closing of the fund demonstrates our
co-investors share ING
Real Estate's confidence and investment approach in the
Chinese real estate
market."
ING Real Estate is an international real estate company
active in real
estate investment management, development and finance.
With a total business
portfolio of US$103 billion as of 30 September, 2006 and
offices in 21
markets in Europe, the United States, Asia and Australia,
ING Real Estate
ranks among the world's strongest real estate companies.
ING Real Estate is part of ING Group, a global
financial institution of
Dutch origin offering banking, insurance and asset
management to over 60
million private, corporate and institutional clients in
more than 50
countries.
For more information, please contact:
Karen Williams
Tel: +852-2913-8536
Email: karen.williams@ap.ing.com
Wieger Sietsma
Tel: +31-70-3418474
Email: wieger.sietsma@ingrealestate.com
Suzanne Franks
Tel: +1-212-883-2535
Email: suzanne.franks@ingrealestate.com
SOURCE ING Real Estate
2007'02.11.Sun
BioVision 2007, the World Life Sciences Forum, Set to Tackle Some of Today's Most Critical Health, Nutrition and Environmental Issues
December 20, 2006
-- The 5th edition of BioVision (March 11 - 14, 2007 in
Lyon, France) will
gather leading international experts on health, nutrition
and environment
issues to discuss, debate and agree actions for change.
LYON, France, Dec. 20 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- BioVision
today confirmed
its broad ranging schedule for the fifth edition of
BioVision, the World Life
Sciences forum. The 2007 event will review a number of
critical and topical
issues: from the ethical and scientific conditions of
stem-cell research for
regenerative cell therapies to the application of
nanotechnologies to health
and environment fields, from the development of bio energy
solutions in
response to global warming and water rarefaction. These are
just some of the
key issues that representatives from science and business
have identified
over the past 12 months for debate and action at BioVision,
in Lyon, France
in March 2007.
BioVision differs from other scientific and business
forums because of
its unique approach to examining today's most important
scientific issues.
The Forum brings together representatives from science,
politics and industry
together with civil society representatives to debate key
issues our society
faces, as far as health, nutrition and the environment are
concerned.
The industrial application of scientific improvements
fosters great hope
in the struggle against rare pathologies, malnutrition and
pollution. But
theses advancements are increasingly raising more and more
questions, concern
and opposition, especially from societal groups. In order
to advance, these
complex and often sensitive issues require both
transparency and cooperation
between the main players: citizens, scientists,
industrialists and decision-
makers.
"There are important views and opinions held by
these different groups
and yet they frequently don't see eye to eye. BioVision
aims to break down
barriers, create dialogue and foster greater understanding
among these key
groups," said Philippe Desmarescaux, President,
BioVision.
BioVision is a leading Life Sciences forum now entering
its fifth
edition. In 2005, more than 4,100 participants from 70
countries attended,
representing a 28% increase from the previous event.
BioVision 2007 differs from previous editions in a
number of ways and
seeks to bring a new level of innovation to scientific and
business debate:
-- The event will focus solely on "The
Contribution of Life Sciences to
the Millennium Development Goals". Among the
objectives set out for
2015 are: reducing by 50% the proportion of the
world's starving
population, reducing by two-thirds the rate or
mortality for under-
fives, eliminating the spread of AIDS, overcoming
malaria and other
deadly diseases, making available and at affordable
prices all useful
medicines, ensuring a sustainable environment and
dividing in half the
proportion of the world's population that doesn't
have easy access to
drinking water. Unfortunately, it is clear that
intermediary goals set
for 2015 are unlikely to be met in the concerned
countries if no
further efforts are made.
-- Ten pre-conferences were held during 2006. These
sessions have set the
stage for the debate and prepared the framework for
BioVision 2007 to
ensure that the Forum goes beyond stimulating
dialogue to examine
concrete and necessary actions.
-- The primary goal of BioVision, the World Life
Sciences Forum, 2007, is
to develop concrete recommendations and proposals,
leading whenever
possible, to constructive action.
-- The "World Foundation for Life Sciences"
was founded to bring necessary
financial means to help fund or achieve a number of
specific projects
arising from the conclusions drawn at BioVision.
BioVision 2007: preliminary program highlights
-- March 11th - afternoon: BioVision Nobel Laureates
Session
-- March 12th - morning: round-tables
-- March 12th afternoon and March 13th: debates and
conferences:
- Health:
- Poverty diseases
- Immunization for all
- Cellular therapy
- Agriculture/Food:
- Integrated approaches to eradicate
hunger
- Food for the future: north and south
issues
- Development of agriculture in saline and
unexploited areas
- Environment/Energy:
- Water
- Bio energy after oil
- Nanotechnologies and life sciences
-- March 14th - morning: Conclusions and
recommendations
BioVisionaries Session
Program and registrations
The complete BioVision 2007, pre-conference reports and
further press
information is available online at http://www.biovision.org
. The system is
now open for media accreditation.
General information, official program, pre-conference
reports, agenda,
news
http://www.biovision.org
Debates and discussion on:
http://www.biovision-blog.org
Media accreditation and materials
http://www.biovision.org/press_room.htm
For more information, please contact:
France and overseas
Edelman
Anna Adlewska / Clina Viollet
Tel: +33-1-56-69-75-00
Email: anna.adlewska@edelman.com
clina.viollet@edelman.com
United States
Edelman
Jeff Picarello
Tel: +1-212-704-8244
Email: jeff.picarello@edelman.com
UK
Edelman
Claire Eldred
Tel: +44-207-344-1200
Email: claire.eldred@edelman.com
Lyon
Virginie Palpacuer / Anna Gabotto
Tel: +33-4-72-00-35-86
Email: virginie.palpacuer@kaelia.fr
anne.babotto@kaelia.fr
BioVision 2007 Team
Andre de Marco
Tel: +33-6-13-53-32-39
Email: andredemarco@yahoo.com
Sophie L'Arnaud
Tel: +33-4-78-92-70-11
Email: sophie.larnaud@biovision.org
SOURCE BioVision
2007'02.11.Sun
Middle Kingdom Alliance Corp. Announces IPO Closing
December 20, 2006
SHANGHAI, China and ATLANTA, Dec. 20
/Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Middle
Kingdom Alliance Corp. ("the Company") (OTC
Bulletin Board: MKGDU.OB;
MKGBU.OB) today announced the closing of the Company's
initial public
offering of 198,000 Series A units and 3,300,000 Series B
units.
Each Series A unit consists of one share of common
stock, par value
US$0.001 and five warrants each to purchase one share of
common stock and
each Series B unit consists of one share of common stock,
par value US$0.001
and one warrant to purchase one share of common stock.
Both the Series A and
Series B units were sold at an offering price of US$8.00.
I-Bankers
Securities Incorporated, Newbridge Securities Corporation
and Westminster
Securities Corporation acted as the managing underwriters
for the initial
public offering. The Company's units began trading on the
over the counter
bulletin board on Thursday, December 14, 2006.
Copies of the prospectus relating to this offering may
be obtained from I-
Bankers Securities Incorporated, 125 E. John Carpenter
Freeway, Suite 260,
Irving, TX 75062 or from Middle Kingdom Alliance Corp., 333
Sandy Springs
Circle, Suite 223, Atlanta, GA 30328 or on the internet at:
http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1360244/000119312506253530/0001193125-
06-253530-index.htm
This announcement is neither an offer to sell nor a
solicitation of an
offer to buy these securities. The offer is made only by
the prospectus.
About Middle Kingdom Alliance Corp.
Middle Kingdom Alliance Corp. is a company with offices
in Shanghai,
People's Republic of China and in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
The Company was
formed for the purpose of completing a merger, capital
stock exchange, asset
purchase or other similar business combination with a
company having its
primary or substantial operations in the People's Republic
of China.
For more information, please contact:
Jay Tanenbaum
Middle Kingdom Alliance Corp.
Tel: +1-404-843-8585
SOURCE Middle Kingdom Alliance Corp.
2007'02.11.Sun
Avnet Electronics Marketing's Singapore Programming Centre Certified for Automotive Industry's 'Quality Management Standard of the Future'
December 20, 2006
ISO/TS 16949 Compliance will Expand Opportunities for
Device Programming in
China's Rapidly Growing Automotive Sector
SINGAPORE, Dec. 20 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Avnet
Electronics Marketing's
Programming Centre in Singapore has been certified as fully
compliant with
the ISO/TS 16949 -- a quality management standard hailed by
many as 'the
future for the automotive sector.'
"The ISO/TS 16949 standard is a quality management
system specifically
for the automotive sector," said Louis Lam, vice
president of logistics,
operations and IT at Avnet Electronics Marketing Asia.
"Without possessing
this standard, companies cannot perform value-added
services like device
programming for automotive products."
Avnet Electronics Marketing's programming service turns
programmable
components into customised devices for specific
applications -- whether they
are for small prototype quantities or volume production
needs.
The compliance certification, which is valid for three
years, was awarded
by Lloyds Register of Quality Assurance (LRQA), one of the
world's most
experienced organisations in helping customers use
management systems to
improve their businesses.
While Avnet Electronics Marketing's Singapore
Programming Centre is the
first Avnet centre in Asia to receive the certificate,
others are expected to
mirror the practice, which will result in quicker
turnaround for automotive
business and increased customer satisfaction and confidence
levels.
"The international standard ISO/TS 16949 was
developed to harmonise and
integrate various quality management systems, providing a
universal standard
that encompasses all requirements relevant in the
automotive industry. It is
set to provide significant benefits to those companies
supplying them," said
Lam. "This is a major competitive advantage when you
consider that we are on
the doorstep of China and its booming auto industry."
According to research firm Strategy Analytics,
automotive semiconductor
revenues are expected to grow from US$13.7 billion in 2003
to US$23.2 billion
in 2008, at an average growth rate of 11.1 per cent per
year. The auto
market in Asia, especially in China, is expected to account
for a large part
of this growth.
Established in 1985 by the internationally renowned
Lloyd's Register and
being a leader in the automotive field, LRQA is one of a
select few
recognised by the IATF to provide this certification.
"We are extremely pleased to have received this
important accreditation,"
Lam added. "It means that our people are certified to
handle the rigorous
requirements and procedures of the automotive industry and,
with this sector
growing so rapidly in the region, we are very optimistic
that many more
embedded IC producers will want us to program their devices
too."
Avnet Electronic Marketing's global infrastructure
provides customers
with support from any part of the world. The company
opened its Singapore
Programming Centre (PC) in 2001 with a primary role to
program ICs in devices
for products in all industrial segments. The Singapore
programming centre
employs about 40 people. In addition, the company operates
PCs in Shanghai,
Hong Kong, North America, Mexico and Europe.
About Avnet Electronics Marketing
Avnet Electronics Marketing Asia is part of
Phoenix-based Avnet, Inc.
(NYSE: AVT), a Fortune 500 company with fiscal 2006 sales
exceeding USD$14.25
billion. Serving customers in approximately 70 countries,
Avnet is one of
the world's largest technology marketing, distribution and
services companies.
Avnet Electronics Marketing has a significant presence
in Asia-Pacific --
the fastest growing electronics market in the world. With
its regional
headquarters in Singapore, the company has 38 locations in
10 countries in
Asia. It distributes semiconductors, interconnect, passive
and
electromechanical components to serve a wide range of
customers including
original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), electronic
manufacturing services
(EMS) providers, and small- to medium-sized businesses, and
provides
associated design-chain and supply-chain services. The
company's web site is
located at http://www.em.avnet.com .
For enquiries on releases by email, please call Rosa
Lee at (852) 2537
8022 or send a message to rosa@eba.com.hk .
For more information, please contact:
Jaime Chan
Tel: +852-2410-2735
Email: jaime.chan@avnet.com
Brian Peterson (EBA):
Tel: +852-2537-8022
Email: brian@eba.com.hk
SOURCE Avnet Electronics Marketing
2007'02.11.Sun
DriveSol Worldwide, Inc., a Global Leader in Driver Control Systems, Purchases the Assets of Timken Company's Global Steering Business
December 20, 2006
-- Acquisition focuses driveSol on global electric power
assist steering
(EPAS) markets providing the electric steering technology
base for integrated
steering column/pedal product development
TROY, Mich., Dec. 20 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- DriveSol
Worldwide, Inc.
("DriveSol"), an affiliate of Sun Capital
Partners, Inc., announced today
that it has acquired the assets of Timken Company's Global
Steering
Business. Timken Company's Global Steering Business designs
and manufactures
intermediate shafts, column shafts, and components in North
America and
steering columns in South America for OEM manufacturers and
Tier I automotive
suppliers. The 2005 global sales for the Global Steering
Business were
approximately $110 million. DriveSol Worldwide, Inc. is a
leading
manufacturer of pedals, adjustable pedals, electronic
throttle control pedals
("ETC"), and other highly engineered driving
solutions for the global
automotive industry. DriveSol, with global sales of
approximately $170
million, is currently supplying products to most major
global automotive
OEMs. Terms of the sale were not disclosed.
Mark T. Simon, DriveSol Worldwide CEO, stated,
"The acquisition of this
steering column business is another step forward towards
implementing our
long-range strategy of becoming a global leader in driver
control systems and
puts us back into the steering column/pedal sub-system
market where we once
supplied Land Rover and other European OEMs. As the
automotive electronic
drive-by-wire concept evolves, we will now be in a position
to offer our
customers a full brake, accelerator, and steering-by-wire
plug in system.
With Timken's Brazil facility we have become a truly
globally integrated
steering/pedal product development company with combined
engineering and
research, development, and manufacturing resources
effectively in the North
and South America, East and West Europe, Japan, and China
markets."
The Timken Global Steering Business has manufacturing
facilities in
Watertown, Connecticut and in Nova Friburgo, Brazil. Each
of these locations
has design engineering, product development, process
engineering testing, and
sales and marketing capabilities. Worldwide, the Global
Steering Business has
an experienced workforce of approximately 900 employees.
DriveSol Worldwide,
Inc. employs over 850 people and currently has full service
engineering
technical centers located in Troy, Michigan; Gothenburg,
Sweden; and
Chongquing, China.
About The Timken Company
The Timken Company (NYSE: TKR) keeps the world turning,
with innovative
ways to make customers' products run smoother, faster and
more efficiently.
Timken's highly engineered bearings, alloy steels and
related products and
services turn up everywhere. With operations in 27
countries, sales of $5.2
billion in 2005 and 27,000 employees, Timken is Where You
Turn(TM) for better
performance. For more information, please see:
http://www.timken.com .
About DriveSol Worldwide, Inc.
DriveSol Worldwide Inc. is one of the leading
designers, developers, and
manufacturers of fixed and adjustable pedal systems,
electronic throttle
control pedals ("ETC"), and other
highly-engineered driving solutions to
global automotive OEMs in North America, Europe, Japan, and
China.
Headquartered in Troy, Michigan, DriveSol has manufacturing
facilities
located in Kendallville, IN; Lyons, OH; Dalstorp, Sweden;
Chongquing, China;
Changwon City, Korea; Van Buren Twp., Michigan; and
strategic alliances in
Mexico and Slovakia. For more information, please see:
http://www.drivesol.com .
About Sun Capital Partners, Inc.
Sun Capital Partners, Inc. is a leading private
investment firm focused
on leveraged buyouts, equity, debt, and other investments
in market-leading
companies that can benefit from its in-house operating
professionals and
experience. Sun Capital affiliates have invested in and
managed more than 135
companies worldwide with combined sales in excess of $30.0
billion since Sun
Capital's inception in 1995. Sun Capital has offices in
Boca Raton, Los
Angeles, New York, and Shenzhen, China as well as advisory
offices in London
and Tokyo.
For more information, please contact:
Allan G. Hall
Hall Industrial Publicity, Inc.
Tel: +1-248-705-8272
Fax: +1-248-645-0906
Email: alhall@industrialpublicity.com
Rex Smith, VP Sales & Marketing
DriveSol Worldwide, Inc.
Tel: +1-248-729-2244
Fax: +1-248-269-9934
Email: rsmith@drivesol.com
Gary M. Talarico, Managing Director
Sun Capital Partners, Inc.
Tel: +1-212-588-9156
SOURCE DriveSol Worldwide, Inc.
2007'02.11.Sun
eBay Inc. and TOM Online Announce Joint Venture Agreement to Enable Next Phase Of E-Commerce Growth in China
December 20, 2006
SAN JOSE, Calif., SHANGHAI and BEIJING, Dec. 20
/Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --
eBay Inc. (Nasdaq: EBAY) and online portal and wireless
Internet company TOM
Online (Nasdaq: TOMO; Hong Kong GEM: 8282) today announced
a joint venture
agreement that will set the foundation for the next phase
of growth of e-
commerce and m-commerce in the rapidly growing Chinese
market.
eBay EachNet, eBay Inc.'s China-based subsidiary, and
TOM Online will
combine expertise to build a new China marketplace in 2007.
The new
marketplace will bring together the strengths of both
companies -- eBay
EachNet's global e-commerce knowledge and large and active
trading community
in China, and TOM Online's local market knowledge and
active wireless user
base of more than 75 million.
The new marketplace will bring enhanced online and
mobile opportunities
to buyers and sellers in China, evolving eBay's
participation in China and
extending TOM Online's wireless service portfolio into
m-commerce. Upon the
launch of the new marketplace, eBay EachNet users will be
invited to
transition to the new site, and TOM Online will work to
deliver its user
traffic to the site as well.
"eBay has helped pioneer e-commerce in China, and
by combining our
expertise with that of a strong local partner like TOM
Online, we are even
better positioned to participate in this growing
market," said Meg Whitman,
President and CEO of eBay Inc. "This agreement is a
sign of our continued
commitment to delivering the best online buying and selling
experiences in
China."
"eBay is one of the world's most recognized
e-commerce brands and TOM
Online has a proven track record of delivering outstanding
services to
Chinese consumers," said Wang Lei Lei, CEO of TOM
Online. "The new online
marketplace to be built by the joint venture will provide
an enhanced user
experience, tailored for the China market, and will
capitalize on our
companies' strengths in the emerging m-commerce
sector."
eBay will have a 49% stake in the joint venture, and
TOM Online will have
a 51% stake. Both companies will make financial
contributions to the venture,
including a US$40 million cash contribution from eBay and
US$20 million in
financing from TOM Online. If mutually agreed, the two
companies can equally
share in an investment of up to an additional US$10
million. In addition,
eBay will also contribute its EachNet subsidiary, while TOM
Online will
contribute local management expertise, technology, and
brand. The formation
of a joint venture will foster synergy among user
communities and
distribution channels, enhance rapid product innovation
capabilities on a
local platform, and promote mobile integration.
China has an Internet population of 123 million Web
users as of June
2006, which grew by 19% over the last year, and the country
has more than 400
million mobile users. The China eCommerce market is
experiencing explosive
growth, and could rise to 46 billion yuan in value next
year, from 5.6
billion yuan last year, according to IResearch. By working
together, eBay
and TOM Online will improve their ability to tap into the
potential of new
online commerce trends in China. This new venture builds on
the existing
relationship between TOM Online and Skype, eBay Inc.'s
online communications
business.
Wang Lei Lei will be chief executive officer of the JV,
and drive the
vision for the new local, China marketplace. eBay EachNet
CEO Jeff Liao will
provide management support from eBay to the JV. Liao will
also continue to
lead eBay's separate operations in China, including the
expansion of eBay's
business efforts in China to promote global trade by
PRC-based sellers, as
they ramp up their trading practices with people around the
world.
eBay will also continue to grow the China Development
Center for
worldwide product development under the local leadership of
recently
appointed General Manager Daniel Lee, a former Yahoo! Asia
CTO. eBay Inc.
expects to continue to increase headcount in China into
2007 as it evolves
its presence in the market.
eBay does not expect this partnership to have a
material impact on eBay'
s financial guidance as issued in connection with its third
quarter earnings
release on October 18, 2006.
About eBay Inc.
Founded in 1995, eBay pioneers communities built on
commerce, sustained
by trust, and inspired by opportunity. eBay enables
ecommerce on a local,
national and international basis with an array of Websites
-- including the
eBay Marketplaces, PayPal, Skype, Kijiji, Rent.com and
Shopping.com -- that
bring together millions of buyers and sellers every day.
About eBay EachNet
eBay and EachNet, a leading e-commerce company in China
founded in 1999,
have been working together since March 2002, when the two
companies formed a
strategic relationship. In June 2003, eBay increased its
investment in China
by acquiring EachNet. With eBay's global resources and
continued best
practice sharing, eBay EachNet has become one of the major
online
marketplaces in China.
About TOM Online
TOM Online Inc. (Nasdaq: TOMO; HK GEM stock code: 8282)
is a leading
wireless Internet company in China providing value-added
multimedia products
and services. A premier online brand in China targeting the
young and trendy
demographic, the company's primary business activities
include wireless
internet services and online advertising. The company
offers an array of
products such as SMS, MMS, WAP, wireless interactive voice
response services,
content channels, search and classified information, free
and fee-based
advanced email and online games. As of September 30, 2006,
TOM Online is the
only portal in China that enjoyed a top three ranking in
every wireless
internet service segment.
TOM Online is a subsidiary of TOM Group Limited
("TOM Group"), one of
the leading Chinese language media groups in the Greater
China region. TOM
Group's diverse operations span five media sectors: the
Internet (through
TOM Online Inc.), outdoor (through TOM Outdoor Media
Group), publishing,
sports and TV & entertainment.
http://www.tom.com/
http://www.tomgroup.com/eng/index.asp
Forward-Looking Statements
eBay Inc.
This announcement contains forward-looking statements
regarding eBay
(including without limitation as described in the
quotations from management
in this announcement) and their strategic and operational
plans related to,
and the expected financial impact of, the announced
strategic agreement.
Those statements involve risks and uncertainties, and
actual results could
differ materially from those discussed. Factors that could
cause or
contribute to such differences include, but are not limited
to, regulatory
uncertainties relating to doing business in the People's
Republic of China,
the rate of development of the mobile and internet-based
marketplace business
sector in the People's Republic of China, the reaction of
users of each
company's services to the strategic agreement and
associated product changes,
the reaction of each company's competitors to the strategic
agreement,
potential product development issues, and the possibility
that the expected
benefits of the strategic agreement may not materialize to
the extent
expected or at all. All information set forth in this
release is as of
December 19, 2006, and neither company intends or
undertakes any duty to
update this information to reflect future events or
circumstances. More
information about potential factors that could impact each
company's business
and financial results is included under the captions,
"Risk Factors"
and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial
Condition and Results
of Operations," in the company's respective Annual
Report on Form 10-K for
the fiscal year ended December 31, 2005 and Quarterly
Report on Form 10-Q for
the quarter ended September 30, 2006, which are on file
with the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC")
and available at the SEC's
website at http://www.sec.gov .
TOM Online Inc.
This press release of TOM Online Inc. (the
"Company"), contains
statements that may be viewed as "forward-looking
statements" within the
meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, and Section
21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
Such forward-looking
statements are, by their nature, subject to significant
risks and
uncertainties that may cause the actual performance,
financial condition or
results of operations of the Company to be materially
different from any
future performance, financial condition or results of
operations implied by
such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking
statements include,
without limitation, statements that are not historical fact
relating to the
financial performance and business operations of the
Company, the continued
growth of the telecommunications industry in China, the
expected benefit of
any strategic alliances with other companies and our
ability to cooperate
with our alliance partners, the development of the
regulatory environment and
the Company's latest product offerings, and the Company's
ability to
successfully execute its business strategies and plans,
including its ability
to expand its market share and revenue through strategic
alliances.
Such forward-looking statements reflect the current
views of the Company
with respect to future events and are not a guarantee of
future performance.
Actual results may differ materially from information
contained in the
forward-looking statements as a result of a number of
factors, including,
without limitation, any changes in our relationships with
telecommunication
operators in China, the effect of competition on the demand
for the price of
our services, changes in customer demand and usage
preference for our
products and services, changes in the regulatory policies
of the Ministry of
Information Industry and other relevant government
authorities, any changes
in telecommunications and related technology and
applications based on such
technology, and changes in political, economic, legal and
social conditions
in China, India, and other countries where the Company
conducts business
operations, including, without limitation, the Chinese
government's policies
with respect to economic growth, foreign exchange, foreign
investment and
entry by foreign companies into China's telecommunications
market. Please
also see the "Risk Factors" section of the
Company's annual report for the
year ended December 31, 2005 on Form F-20 (File No.
000-50631), as filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission.
For more information, please contact:
eBay Inc.
U.S. Media Relations Contact:
Hani Durzy,
Tel: +1-408-376-7458
Email: hdurzy@ebay.com
China Media Relations Contact:
Linda Liu,
Tel: +86-21-6120-6700 x8910
Email: linliu@ebay.com
Investor Relations Contact:
Selim Freiha
Tel: +1-408-376-8108
Email: sfreiha@ebay.com
TOM Online:
Media Relations Contact:
Rico Ngai
Tel: +86-10-6528-3399 x6940
Mobile: +86-139-118-95354
Email: rngai@tomonline-inc.com
SOURCE TOM Online Inc.
2007'02.11.Sun
TOM Online Inc. Announcement
December 20, 2006
BEIJING, Dec. 19 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- TOM Online Inc.
(Nasdaq: TOMO;
Hong Kong GEM: 8282) ("the Company"), a leading
wireless Internet company
in China, announced today that trading in its shares on the
Growth Enterprise
Market of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong will be suspended
with effect from
2:30 p.m. today Hong Kong time (19/12/2006) pending the
release of an
announcement in respect of a notifiable transaction of the
Company.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This announcement contains statements that may be
viewed as "forward-
looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A
of the United States
Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the
United States
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such
forward-looking statements
are, by their nature, subject to significant risks and
uncertainties that may
cause the actual performance, financial condition or
results of operations of
the Company to be materially different from any future
performance, financial
condition or results of operations implied by such
forward-looking
statements. Such forward-looking statements include,
without limitation,
statements that are not historical fact relating to the
financial performance
and business operations of the Company in mainland China
and in other
markets, the continued growth of the telecommunications
industry in China and
in other markets, the development of the regulatory
environment and the
Company's latest product offerings, and the Company's
ability to
successfully execute its business strategies and plans.
Such forward-looking statements reflect the current
views of the Company
with respect to future events and are not a guarantee of
future performance.
Actual results may differ materially from information
contained in the
forward-looking statements as a result of a number of
factors, including,
without limitation, any changes in our relationships with
telecommunication
operators in China and elsewhere, the effect of competition
on the demand for
the price of our services, changes in customer demand and
usage preference
for our products and services, changes in the regulatory
policies by relevant
government authorities, any changes in telecommunications
and related
technology and applications based on such technology, and
changes in
political, economic, legal and social conditions in China,
India and other
countries where the Company conducts business operations,
including, without
limitation, the Chinese government's policies with respect
to economic
growth, foreign exchange, foreign investment and entry by
foreign companies
into China's telecommunications market. Please also see
"Item 3 -- Key
Information -- Risk Factors" section of the Company's
annual report on Form
20-F for the year ended December 31, 2005 as filed with the
United States
Securities and Exchange Commission.
About TOM Online
TOM Online Inc. (Nasdaq: TOMO, Hong Kong GEM: 8282) is
a leading wireless
Internet company in China providing value-added multimedia
products and
services. A premier online brand in China targeting the
young and trendy
demographics, the Company's primary business activities
include wireless
value-added services and online advertising. The company
offers an array of
services such as SMS, MMS, WAP, wireless IVR (interactive
voice response)
services, content channels, search and classified
information, and free and
fee-based advanced email. As at September 30, 2006, TOM
Online is the only
portal in China that enjoyed a top three ranking in every
wireless Internet
segment.
For more information, please contact:
Rico Ngai
TOM Online Inc.
Tel: +86-10-6528-3399 x6940
Mobile: +86-139-118-95354
Skype: ricoinrio
SOURCE TOM Online Inc.
2007'02.11.Sun
MedImmune Strengthens Inflammatory Disease Pipeline Through Collaboration With BioWa
December 20, 2006
- Initial Focus on Monoclonal Antibody Targeting IL-5
Receptor in Phase 1
Trials with Asthma Patients -
GAITHERSBURG, Md. and PRINCETON, N.J., Dec. 19
/Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --
MedImmune, Inc. (Nasdaq: MEDI) and BioWa, Inc. announced
today that they have
entered into a licensing and collaboration agreement to
develop and
commercialize new inflammatory disease therapies targeting
the interleukin-5
(IL-5) receptor. Initially, the companies will focus on
developing BIW-8405,
a monoclonal antibody (MAb) currently in Phase 1 clinical
studies in patients
with asthma.
BIW-8405 has been developed utilizing BioWa's
POTELLIGENT(TM) technology
platform for the development of antibody-dependent cellular
cytotoxicity
(ADCC) enhanced antibodies. The molecule aims to directly
deplete
eosinophils, a class of white blood cells implicated in the
pathology of
asthma and other inflammatory diseases. Additionally,
BIW-8405 has the
potential to neutralize the activity of IL-5, which is
believed to play a key
role in the growth and development of eosinophils.
"The IL-5 receptor program is an excellent
strategic fit for MedImmune as
we continue to expand our research and development pipeline
with promising
targets that are consistent with our areas of therapeutic
focus and
scientific expertise," said Barbara White, M.D.,
MedImmune's senior
director, clinical development, inflammatory disease.
"We are excited to have
three therapies targeting inflammatory diseases in clinical
trials, in
addition to our robust preclinical portfolio, and we will
continue to advance
or adopt programs and technologies that may address unmet
medical needs in
this area."
According to the terms of the agreement, BioWa will
receive an
undisclosed upfront payment, milestone payments and
royalties on any future
marketed products. BioWa will have exclusive marketing
rights in Japan and
certain countries in Asia for potential products developed
as a result of the
agreement. MedImmune will have exclusive marketing rights
to these products
for the United States, Europe and all other countries.
"Outlicensing the development and
commercialization rights to the anti IL-
5 receptor antibody is a hallmark for BioWa, reinforcing
our corporate
mission to discover and develop high value proprietary ADCC
enhanced
therapeutic products through the use of POTELLIGENT(TM),
our core
technology," said Dr. Nobuo Hanai, president and CEO
of BioWa. "We are
pleased to build upon our partnership with MedImmune, a
leader in antibody
development and optimization."
About the IL-5 Receptor and BIW-8405
IL-5 is a cytokine involved in the growth and
development of eosinophils.
Because IL-5 function and expression of its receptor are
largely limited to
eosinophils in humans, targeting IL-5 and its receptor may
provide a
selective approach to eosinophil depletion.
BIW-8405 is a humanized MAb targeting the IL-5
receptor. In preclinical
studies, BIW-8405 has been shown to neutralize IL-5
activity and to deplete
eosinophils. Preclinical research also suggests that
depletion of eosinophils
by inhibiting IL-5 may result in reduced airway
inflammation, airway hyper-
responsiveness (AHR) and mucous secretion.
About Asthma
Asthma is a chronic disease of the airways that may
cause wheezing,
breathlessness, chest tightness and coughing. According to
the U.S. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 20
million Americans
reported having asthma in 2001, including more than six
million children. In
2000, the CDC reported that there were more than 10 million
asthma-related
outpatient visits to private physician offices and hospital
clinics (nearly 5
million of these involved children under 18). The National
Institutes of
Health (NIH) have estimated asthma-related healthcare costs
in the U.S. at
$14 billion annually.
About POTELLIGENT(TM) Technology
ADCC activity is an important function of the human
immune system,
whereby immune cells can kill target cells, e.g. cancer
cells. Several anti-
cancer therapeutic antibodies that are on the market today
have ADCC activity
as one of their mechanisms for the killing of tumor cells.
Enhancement of
this activity is one promising approach in the next
generation of antibody
technologies.
POTELLIGENT(TM) technology involves the reduction of
the amount of fucose
in the carbohydrate structure of an antibody using a
proprietary
fucosyltransferase-knockout CHO cell line as a production
cell. Research
shows that POTELLIGENT(TM) technology significantly
enhances ADCC activity of
an antibody in vitro, thereby increasing the potential for
improved activity
in vivo.
About BioWa, Inc.
BioWa is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kyowa Hakko Kogyo
Co., Ltd., Japan'
s leading pharmaceutical and largest biotech company, and
is the exclusive
worldwide licensor of POTELLIGENT(TM) technology, which
creates high ADCC
monoclonal antibodies. Currently, BioWa is developing ADCC
enhanced
monoclonal antibody-based therapeutics to fight cancer and
other life-
threatening and debilitating diseases and both BioWa and
Kyowa have
POTELLIGENT(TM) antibody products in various clinical
stages. BioWa creates
and develops enhanced ADCC antibodies for itself and
others, offering a full
range of antibody discovery and development capabilities.
For more
information about BioWa, visit its web site at
http://www.biowa.com .
About MedImmune, Inc.
MedImmune strives to provide better medicines to
patients, new medical
options for physicians, rewarding careers to employees, and
increased value
to shareholders. Dedicated to advancing science and
medicine to help people
live better lives, the company is focused on the areas of
infectious
diseases, cancer and inflammatory diseases. With more than
2,500 employees
worldwide, MedImmune is headquartered in Maryland. For more
information,
visit the company's website at http://www.medimmune.com .
This announcement contains, in addition to historical
information,
certain "forward-looking statements" regarding
the development of product
candidates by MedImmune, Inc. and BioWa, Inc. Such
forward-looking statements
are based on current expectations and involve inherent
risks and
uncertainties, including factors that could delay, divert
or change current
expectations and could cause actual outcomes and results to
differ materially
from current expectations. In addition to risks and
uncertainties disclosed
in MedImmune's filings with the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission,
MedImmune can provide no assurance that these products will
be commercially
successful. In addition, no assurance exists that
development efforts for
these products will succeed, that these products will
receive required
regulatory approval or that, even if regulatory approval is
received, they
will be commercially successful. MedImmune undertakes no
obligation to update
any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new
information, future
events or otherwise except as may be required by applicable
law or
regulation.
POTELLIGENT(TM) is the trademark of Kyowa Hakko Kogyo
Co., Ltd. All
rights are reserved.
For more information, please contact:
MedImmune, Inc.:
Media:
Kate Barrett
Tel: +1-301-398-4320
Investors:
Beatrice Pierre
Tel: +1-301-398-4905
BioWa, Inc.:
Media:
Nobuo Hanai
Tel: +1-609-580-7500 x7501
Investors:
Martina Molsbergen
Tel: +1-609-580-7500 x7506
SOURCE BioWa, Inc.
2007'02.11.Sun
SGI-Management Announces Investment Performanceof its Smoothed Growth Range of Funds
December 19, 2006
-- Solid Track Record Continues
-- New MD Appointed
-- Unique Product in Asia and Europe
Investment Performance
SHANGHAI, Dec. 19 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- SGI-Management
reported last
week the investment performance results of its smoothed
growth range of funds
for the period to the end of October 2006. The Diversified
Smooth Growth
Fund, which was launched in October 2003 and now has a
three year track
record, has returned between 13.2% and 16.6% in different
currencies in the
period to date with no negative return months. The Smoothed
Growth Plus Fund,
the US dollar and Euro versions of which were launched in
January 2003, has
returned 15% and 25.1% in the respective currencies in the
period to date
with 97.83% of months reporting positive performance.
"This continues the solid track record of
consistent performance of our
funds," said Paul Thompson, Managing Director,
SGI-Management. "Smoothed
growth is an asset class in its own right that offers
diversification and
exposure to traditional asset classes but with a lower
level of volatility,
and while it has a long heritage in the UK, we expect to
see it gain
acceptance in other markets. We see appetite for smoothed
growth assets
increasing in Asia and continental Europe, driven by
demographic trends such
as ageing populations and private pension provision."
Appointment of New Managing Director
At the same time, SGI-Management also announced the
appointment of Paul
Thompson as Managing Director. Paul has more than 15 years
experience in
asset management and an in-depth knowledge of the global
investment funds
business, in particular mutual funds. He led the
development of the
international investment funds business at Goldman Sachs,
has served as a
director of numerous fund entities and has advised many
asset management
businesses and regulators across the world, including the
Institutional Money
Market Funds Association, Fidelity and Prudential
Financial's asset
management joint venture in China.
Further appointments are expected in due course as the
company expands
into Asian and European markets.
Commenting on this expansion, Paul Thompson said,
"SGI's Smoothed
Growth Funds are a unique product, using a managed approach
to selecting best
in class smoothed growth investments. At present, this
asset class is little
known in Asia and continental Europe, which are the main
regions for our
expansion. Assets managed in our smoothed growth funds
currently stand at
US$250 million and we have received strong signs of
interest from new
potential investors. We expect this asset class to become
increasingly
popular as its merits become better known and
understood."
About SGI-Management
SGI-Management is a fund management company with
unparalleled expertise
in the area of smoothed growth products. We serve
institutional clients in a
number of Asian and European markets, where we are unique
in providing
managed best in class smoothed growth investments.
About smoothed growth funds
Smoothed growth funds are an ideal solution for
investors seeking to
diversify their asset allocation and generate more
consistent returns, and
offer distributors of investments a class of product that
has the attraction
of meeting the market timing concerns of their customer
base. Investment
returns are "smoothed" through building reserves
and applying them over
time to smooth out the fluctuations in the markets.
New to Europe and Asia, it is a large and highly
regulated market that
has been operating in the UK for over 100 years and
involves assets of some
US$600 billion worldwide. The main sources of smoothed
growth assets are
major UK based life insurance companies. The assets held by
these investments
typically include equities, bonds, physical commercial real
estate and
alternative asset classes.
For more information, please contact:
Issued on behalf of SGI-Management by:
Asia -- Connatus Ltd
Nick Bradbury
Tel: +852-2858-7387
Email: nick.bradbury@conatus.com.hk
Europe -- Kinlan
David Hothersall
Tel: +44-20-7638-3435
Email: davidh@kinlan.net
SOURCE SGI-Management
2007'02.11.Sun
Branding High on the Agenda at the 4th Outsourcing Summit of the Zhongguancun Software Association, China
December 19, 2006
BEIJING, Nov. 23 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- The
Zhongguancun Software
Association (Zsoft), an independent body looking after the
interest of the
5,000 software SMEs in the `Silicon Valley of China', today
announced that
the 4th Outsourcing Summit of the Zhongguancun Software
Association, held on
November 23, echoed the growing importance of branding for
Zsoft and member
companies who are expanding software and service business
internationally,
with branding becoming a key development point as the
capital city looks
towards the 2008 Olympics.
(Logo:
http://211.154.41.99:9080/xprn/sa/200611231224.jpg )
Bin Yu, President of Zsoft, stated, "China is now
a bright spot in the
world arena, but there are few in the US IT offshore
sourcing business that
are aware that Beijing-based Zhongguancun is the brightest
spot. There is
now a compelling need for us to support the Chinese
government in a concerted
effort to brand China and indeed Zhongguancun.
Professional country branding
and place branding to increase brand awareness and
perceived value is the
name of the game to help our member companies compete on an
international
scale with US software and service outsourcing businesses
that are growing
amazingly fast."
In 2005, Beijing accounted for 39% of China's USD780
million worth of
software outsourcing business. According to McKinsey,
total IT service in
China will grow to USD6.8 billion in 2007.
Mr. Kenneth Tsang, Chairman of the newly created
Strategic Branding
committee of Zsoft, commented, "Country branding is
important as a proxy for
customers who do not have prior experience with the branded
product. To many
in the US, particularly in the second and third tier
cities, `Brand China'
is an unknown quantity. For the minority few, who think
they know China,
most have a preconceived notion of cheap prices, poor
quality and counterfeit
products.
"It is encouraging to see that the situation in
China is evolving.
Steady improvements are being made across the broad
spectrum throughout IT
and software businesses. Zsoft and its members are
advocates of
competitiveness, high quality, integrity and the
credibility of both software
and service. Messaging and delivery is of paramount
importance to increase
the awareness of the Zsoft brand and to change the negative
perception in
people's mind of China."
This view was endorsed by Mr. Bin Yu, who added,
"Branding of Zsoft and
member companies should well serve software outsourcing
businesses to support
building `Made in China' into a competitive, high quality
and trustworthy
name; one that the world buyers would be happy to associate
with.
"I am encouraged to see a silver lining behind the
dark clouds. There
is now a welcome awakening among many of the Chinese
boardrooms in that they
are no longer clouded by the misconception that branding is
simply
advertising and PR. With keen insight and studied
intellect, many CEOs and
entrepreneurs in Chinese software and service companies now
understand and
believe in the power of brands, and brand equity in
particular. The days
when they simply treat their brands as a trademark, one
that is cold and
lifeless is over. They now realize the importance of the
three major
components of Vision, Mission and Brand Promise that make
up the soul of an
organization, how it can guide and steer the corporation
now, in five years
time and into the future."
The famous handshake between Premier Zhou Enlai and
President Richard
Nixon in 1972 ended decades of estrangement between the US
and China, and
since then China-American trade has grown, surpassing
USD211.60 billion in
2005.
Mr. Yu continued to add, "There are many US
companies wanting to come to
China but they are deterred by a general lack of knowledge
of the China
market, its companies and people, and much more so by what
was presented to
them as mysteries behind the Chinese veil. Without
connections and a clear
guide, there is a general lack of adequate trust and
confidence. The SME US
companies are not motivated, certainly not sufficiently
enough to make a
decision to travel some ten thousand miles to have a feel
for the Chinese IT
and software market, and they still do not realize how much
they can save
through outsourcing in this part of the world. Zsoft is
the answer to this
identified problem for US companies, providing a fast track
for US companies
to enter China in confidence and with peace of mind. Our
association will
establish eight channels connecting the two markets in
areas of `Project',
`HR', `Communications', `Products', `Branding',
`Consulting',
`Market Intelligence', and `Venture Capital'. These
business channels
will serve an effective purpose for perfect matching and
forging of China-
American partnerships that are essential for
materialization of business
opportunities.
Success has been achieved for Japan and Singapore.
This business model
is now proven, and we intend to apply this whole-heartedly
from the Zsoft
platform to help our member companies to open-up the
American market, and
vice versa for American companies to break new grounds in
the China market,"
concluded Mr. Yu.
Mr. Tsang went on to finish by saying that, "We
will embark on a
strategic branding mission in 2007, one that will entail a
reversal of the
current situation. Instead of us going out to the US to
look for business
opportunities, IT outsourcing companies in the US,
particularly those in the
2nd and 3rd tier cities who do not have a physical presence
in China, will
take the initiation through our channels. They will be
strongly motivated to
come to China for reliable and quality service at a
competitive price."
About Zhongguancun Software Association
Zhongguancun Software Association (Zsoft) is a
Beijing-based non-profit
software association, representing about 5000 software
companies in
Zhongguancun Science Park (Zpark), the so-called Silicon
Valley in China.
Zsoft is under the auspices of Zhongguancun Science Park
(ZPARK)
Administrative Committee, and aims to facilitate the
development of software
companies in ZPARK.
About the Zsoft software outsourcing platform
On November 8, 2005, Zhongguancun Software Association
(Zsoft) launched
the Zsoft Software Outsourcing Platform. The platform
helps software
companies in Zhongguancun to explore markets and attain
outsourcing orders by
setting up outsourcing project networks, organizing
outsourcing summits and
by offering expert consulting service, etc.
The outsourcing platform functions as the gateway for
international
software outsourcing service buyers to enter China. It
creates win-win
models for both international and Chinese companies through
the information
platform http://www.zsoft.cn , the four times-a-year
Zhongguancun Software
Outsourcing Summit, seminars and the one-stop service for
international
companies to establish business cooperation with Chinese
software vendors.
For more information, please contact:
Kenneth Y.K. Tsang, Chairman,
Strategic Branding Committee, Zhongguancun
Tel: +86-10-8231-8300 x20 or +86-10-8232-8001
Fax: +86-10-8233-7088
Email: Kentsang@Zsoft.com
SOURCE Zhongguancun Software Association (Zsoft)
s revenues soared by a factor of over 40
2007'02.11.Sun
Novarra's Mobile Web Solution Launched by Leading Mobile Operator 3 Hong Kong
December 19, 2006
Leader in Wireless Web Gateways Enters Asia Pacific Market
HONG KONG, Dec. 19 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Novarra, the
expert in mobile
internet delivery and services today announced that its
nWeb(TM) platform
version 6.0 is selected by 3 Hong Kong, the mobile
telecommunications
operation of Hutchison Telecom International Limited (NYSE:
HTX; SEHK: 2332)
to power the company's new rich internet browsing service.
The launch also
heralds the debut of Novarra's mobile web solution in
Asia.
Branded as 3Xplorer, the new web-browsing service is
the first in Hong
Kong to enable mobile customers to interact with the full
internet world to
buy tickets, book flights, read and write email, wikis,
blog and share on
social networks, place online auction bids, search, etc.
The 3Xplorer
service is one of 3 Hong Kong's X-Series services and is
available on most of
the 3 Hong Kong's new and deployed phones.
Novarra's nWeb turnkey service for 3Xplorer includes
wireless web
gateways and high performance micro-browsers to provide a
fast and intuitive
mobile internet experience. With features for ease of
mobile use like zoom,
fast scroll and SmartNav(TM), 3 Hong Kong's 3Xplorer is
tailored for mobile
experience on mass-market handsets. Mobile users can also
perform PC-like
functions while browsing such as creating favourites,
tracking history and
accessing secure sites.
"3 Hong Kong is committed to bring the merits of
the internet world to
the mobile planet. Novarra's mobile web solution provides
the key to genuine
internet browsing experience on mobile," said Amy
Lung, Commercial Director
of 3 Hong Kong. "The solution was very easy to deploy
broadly across our
handsets. We are also pleased with Novarra's local support
and responsiveness
to our requirements."
"Asia is an important market for us," said
Bruce Simpson, chief operating
officer at Novarra. "Our extensive experience enables
us to provide a robust
solution with successful consumer uptake. For a popular
application like
this, scalability and cost are critical for partners like 3
Hong Kong.
Novarra's next-generation network optimization brings
significant bandwidth
and cost efficiency to operators compared to other
solutions."
With this launch, Novarra is the first to deploy a
secure, mass-market,
consumer internet solution in the top three mobile markets
- Asia, Europe and
North America. Novarra's proven nWeb platform has
generated significant data
revenue for operators across both voice-centric and
data-centric
demographics. Three years of deployment data has shown
satisfied consumers
regularly accessing the internet from many types of mobile
phones and
increasing their usage month over month. The high
performance nWeb
server/client platform is built on open standards and is
backward compatible
with deployed handsets and networks. With Novarra,
operators are able to
deploy a service in six to ten weeks across a large
portfolio of handsets.
About Novarra
Novarra is a provider of next-generation wireless
platforms delivering
personalization, rich web, mobile search, premium portals
and new revenue
generating applications and services across deployed and
new mobile phones on
2.5G and 3G networks. The scalable services platform
includes open standards-
based servers and clients supporting WAP 1.0, WAP 2.0,
i-Mode and HTML
browsers. Server platforms provide caching, content
adaptation and
optimization, network acceleration, access control, content
filtering and
seamless integration with operator and IT infrastructure
including billing,
routing, location and portals. Client platforms provide a
modular handset
framework for Java/J2ME, BREW and C++ applications
including a range of micro-
clients and browsers for Web and WAP 2.0, idle screens and
voice/messaging.
http://www.novarra.com
For more information, please contact:
Novarra Contacts:
Tina Bush
Novarra Inc.
Tel: +1-630-773-7295
Email: tbush@novarra.com
Carey Millar
Novarra Inc.
Tel: +668-1734-2647
Email: cmillar@novarra.com
Emily Wearmouth
Hotwire PR
Tel: +44-207-608-4634
Email: emily.wearmouth@hotwirepr.com
3 Hong Kong Contacts:
Mickey Shiu
Tel: +852-2128-3107
Email: mickeyshiu@htil.com.hk
SOURCE Novarra Inc.
2007'02.11.Sun
Chinese IPO Indicator, Renminbi Pressure Indicator both Advance
December 19, 2006
SHANGHAI, Dec. 19 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Xinhua Finance
and Milken
Institute released updated values for the Chinese Initial
Public Offering and
Renminbi Pressure indicators, both of which increased in
line with China's
robust economic growth.
(Logo:
http://www.xprn.com.cn:9080/xprn/sa/200611140926.gif )
The updated indicator charts can be found at
http://www.xinhuafinance.com/en/charts/ipo_rpi.html
The Chinese IPO Indicator for November was 198.8, an
11.2% increase from
October. The performance of new securities strengthened,
with the IPO market
continuing its brisk ascent since the Shanghai and Shenzhen
markets reopened
to new listings in May. November's indicator marked a
record high for the
IPO Indicator. Although it was first released publicly last
month, the IPO
Indicator calculates monthly values back to December 1997,
when the value was
set to 100.
The double-digit month-over-month increase is largely
due to the fast-
climbing stock of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of
China (ICBC), China'
s largest commercial lender. ICBC launched its IPO on
October 27 on the
Shanghai and Hong Kong stock exchanges, setting a world
record for raising
US$19 billion. During November, ICBC's A share price
increased by 15%, while
its H share price rose 13%.
The IPO Indicator tracks the share price performance of
new issues listed
on the Shanghai, Shenzhen and Hong Kong stock exchanges. In
November, it
comprised 64 securities, up from 50 in October. However,
James Barth, Senior
Fellow of the Milken Institute, remarked that the new ICBC
and Bank of China
issuances played a dominant role within the market
cap-weighted indicator.
ICBC and Bank of China will remain in the indicator for 12
months before they
are removed, as do all newly listed companies. The
performance of those
shares will heavily influence the IPO Indicator's future
path.
Reflecting trends in China's currency market, the
Renminbi Pressure
Indicator (RPI) continued to rise in September. It edged up
0.75%, to 188.3
from 186.9, maintaining an upward trend in spite of the
renminbi's
revaluation in 2005 and continued modest appreciation since
then.
Glenn Yago, Director of Capital Studies at the Milken
Institute,
stressed, "Pressure on the currency continues to mount
with the actual
exchange rate still trading in a fairly narrow band. The
intervention in
China's foreign exchange market has been sharply reflected
in the now-
massive foreign exchange reserve, which recently passed the
US$1 trillion
milestone. Among its many uses, the RPI gives a qualitative
assessment of the
role that China is playing in exporting capital to the rest
of the world, and
thus for mainly the United States."
The RPI indicates upward or downward pressure on the
RMB:USD exchange
rate, as determined by changes in three primary factors:
the differentials in
nominal exchange and interest rates between the U.S. and
China, as well as
China's foreign exchange reserves. During the month of
September, China's
yuan appreciated by 0.63% against the US dollar, while
China accumulated an
additional 1.63% in foreign exchange reserves. Interest
rates remained
steady.
Both the IPO Indicator and RPI are calculated monthly
and released mid-
month. The next releases of the IPO and Renminbi Pressure
indicators will be
in January, 2007.
The two indicators are part of a series of eight
economic indicators
designed to increase transparency and data quality in
China's burgeoning
financial markets. The series applies the world-class index
calculation
methodologies of Milken Institute, one of the world's
leading economic and
financial research think tanks, and the extensive data
resources of Xinhua
Finance, China's premier financial information and media
service provider.
The Xinhua Finance/ Milken Institute China Indicators are
used by asset
managers, underwriters, economists, and product developers
in assessing
China's market environment in support of investment
decision-making.
To view additional information, visit
http://www.xinhuafinance.com/indicators or
http://www.milkeninstitute.org/chinaindicators .
About Xinhua Finance Limited
Xinhua Finance Limited is China's unchallenged leader
in financial
information and media, and is listed on the Mothers board
of the Tokyo Stock
Exchange (symbol: 9399) (OTC ADRs: XHFNY). Bridging China's
financial
markets and the world, Xinhua Finance serves financial
institutions,
corporations and re-distributors through four focused and
complementary
service lines: Indices, Ratings, Financial News and
Investor Relations.
Founded in November 1999, the Company is headquartered in
Shanghai with 20
news bureaus and offices in 19 locations across Asia,
Australia, North
America and Europe. For more information, please visit
http://www.xinhuafinance.com .
About the Milken Institute
The Milken Institute is a nonprofit, independent
economic think tank
whose mission is to improve the lives and economic
conditions of diverse
populations around the world by helping business and public
policy leaders
identify and implement innovative ideas for creating
broad-based prosperity.
The Milken Institute has extensive expertise in China and
conducts ongoing
research on China's banking and capital markets. It is
based in Santa
Monica, CA. For more information, please visit
http://www.milkeninstitute.org .
For more information, please contact:
Xinhua Finance
China:
Ms. Joy Tsang
Tel: +86-21-6113-5999 / +852-948-64363
Email: joy.tsang@xinhuafinance.com
Japan:
Mr. Jiong Sun
Tel: +81-3-3221-9500
Email: jsun@xinhuafinance.com
Taylor Rafferty (Media contact for Xinhua Finance)
Japan:
Mr. James Hawrylak
Tel: +81-3-5733-2621
Email: James.hawrylak@taylor-rafferty.com
United States:
Ms. Ishviene Arora
Tel: +1-212-889-4350
Email: ishviene.arora@taylor-rafferty.com
Europe:
Mr. John Dudzinsky
Tel: +44-20-7614-2900
Email: John.Dudzinsky@taylor-rafferty.co.uk
Milken Institute
Ms. Jennifer Manfre
Communications Manager
Tel: +1-310-570-4623
Email: jmanfre@milkeninstitute.org
SOURCE Xinhua finance & Milken Institute
2007'02.11.Sun
Quellan Introduces Groundbreaking RF Noise Cancellation Technology
December 19, 2006
Company Adapts Innovative Noise Cancelling Technology to
Wireless Handheld
Devices
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Dec. 7 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --
Quellan today
announced the extension of its innovative Wideband noise
cancellation
technology to mobile handsets and consumer devices.
Successfully used in
data center applications to improve the crosstalk, speed
and reach of
interconnects, these smaller and lower power consumer
devices reduce noise in
wireless handsets, laptop computers and game consoles.
Unlike filters, these
devices cancel wideband noise in the receivers' input
spectrum. By dropping
the noise floor at the receivers input, a substantial
improvement in signal-
to-noise ratio is achieved, resulting in fewer dropped
calls, continuous
video capability and GPS location locks in high density
urban areas.
"It's very clear that Quellan's innovative noise
cancellation
techniques will have significant quality of service
benefits in numerous
wireless systems such as cellular, GPS, and digital
terrestrial television
systems," said Dermot Nolan, Director of
Telecommunications & Broadcast
Services in London, England. "For carriers and
operators, the improvement in
overall end-to-end link budgets if Quellan's techniques are
implemented in
receivers may lead to significant network cost savings and
a massively
enhanced customer experience."
While the technology operates in a similar fashion to
Noise Cancelling
Headphones, Quellan's noise cancellers operate at one
million times higher
frequency and are embodied in tiny, ultra-low power CMOS
silicon.
"Quellan's noise cancellation is an enabling
technology for adding
wireless capability to high density, small mobile
systems," said Robert
Dobkin, CTO of Linear Technology Corporation. "Today's
mobile systems have
fast digital processors that step on low level wireless
signals, diminishing
performance or even rendering mobile operation unusable.
Quellan's noise
cancellation technology can get the signal back."
Quellan's noise cancellers are just a few square
millimeters in size --
yielding tens of thousands of devices on a single silicon
wafer -- making
them very inexpensive and embeddable in any consumer
device.
"Noise is one of the main performance limiters for
leading consumer
electronic products, especially within digital wireless
devices," said Bill
Byun, Partner of Samsung Ventures America. "Quellan
has a unique solution to
this problem that triggered our investment."
About Quellan
Quellan specializes in analog components that improve
the performance and
functionality of electronic equipment by removing channel
impairments and
noise. Quellan serves the Enterprise, Telecom, Broadcast,
Automotive and
Consumer Electronics markets. For more information visit
http://www.quellan.com or 408-774-0084;
pressrelations@quellan.com
For more information, please contact:
Quellan
Tel: +1-408-774-0084
Email: pressrelations@quellan.com
SOURCE Quellan
tion related to Xinhua Finance's product & service
portfolio, as well
2007'02.11.Sun
Texas Instruments Newest Wireless Infrastructure Processor Propels Emerging Market Applications Within GSM, TD-SCDMA and WiMAX
December 19, 2006
3GHz Multi-Core Baseband Product Addresses Future Needs of
OFDMA/LTE Air
Interfaces
HONG KONG, Dec. 4 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Texas
Instruments Incorporated
(TI) (NYSE: TXN) today announced its newest 3GHz-performing
wireless
infrastructure baseband product that boosts applications
for GSM-based base
stations while addressing new markets and requirements for
WiMAX and TD-
SCDMA. With three cores running at 1GHz each, the
TMS320TCI6487 processor
enables base station manufacturers to extend their existing
designs while
entering into new markets, requiring small form factor
applications with an
exceptional scaleable, flexible solution. For more
information, please visit
http://www.ti.com/tci6487 .
(Logo:
http://www.xprn.com.cn:9080/xprn/sa/20061107170439-20.jpg )
"Wireless infrastructure requirements are
constantly changing and
evolving, with regional and form factor opportunities
growing quickly," said
Flint Pulskamp, wireless semiconductor analyst at IDC.
"Offering a single,
flexible solution to manufacturers and service providers to
solve their needs
for quick regional deployments for GSM, TD-SCDMA and WiMAX
further
strengthens TI's strong position in this market
space."
Single Solution for Multiple Standards
Currently, there are more than two billion GSM
subscribers in 210
countries around the world. With TI's TCI6487,
manufacturers will be able to
deliver a high-performance, low-cost infrastructure
solution for this market
that supports up to 10 EDGE-enabled carriers with a single
chip. In addition
to supporting more users, the multi-core DSP provides
enhanced capabilities
for GSM, including interference cancellation and better
reception for high
data-rate applications. This flexible, software upgradeable
solution reduces
overall infrastructure costs, enabling service providers to
deploy baseband
technology in new emerging markets such as those in India,
Russia, Africa and
South America.
Texas Instruments' TCI6487 is also optimized for
infrastructure designs
of TD-SCDMA, China's unique air interface. With
pre-commercial trials
currently underway for TD-SCDMA, it is anticipated that the
standard will be
widely deployed in advance of the 2008 Olympic Games in
Beijing, requiring a
solution that can immediately meet the needs of this huge
cellular market.
The 3GHz "baseband on a chip" can support three
carriers and 69 users per
device.
Building on TI's current WiMAX leadership, the TCI6487
is an excellent
solution that meets the unique needs of today's emerging
OFDMA requirements
and tomorrow's LTE demands. The single-chip DSP solution,
works in
conjunction with TI's optimized software library, complete
analog front end
and key products from third parties. Now, TI's WiMAX
customers can quickly
get to market with advanced products for current
requirements and the ability
to shrink as future smaller form factor requirements
demand. A complete 10-
MHz, 2-antenna, 3-sector solution can easily be
implemented, improving
overall cost and power per channel.
"Flexibility is key in infrastructure design, as
the market constantly
evolves and infrastructure requirements change to support
newer features and
services," said Jerold Givens, TI Communications
Infrastructure DSP
director. "While we have insight into what the next
paradigm shift is
likely to be in the wireless space in the coming years, it
is important for
us to offer our customers a solution that is flexible
enough to meet a
variety of today's industry requirements and powerful
enough to take them to
tomorrow's next phase in wireless infrastructure
design."
Higher-Performance DSP Baseband Solution
TI's TCI6487 offers three-times the performance of
previous
infrastructure solutions, providing greater channel
enhancement and more
flexibility while reducing design complexity for OEMs.
Manufactured in 65nm
process node, this new DSP is the highest performing
processor in TI's
TMS320C64x+ DSP family. As a result, carriers will be able
to deploy advanced
networks quickly while future proofing their investments.
The ability to
upgrade performance with software enhancements also enables
service providers
to support emerging standards such as LTE, 3GPP and 3GPP+,
while easily
adding new features and services to their networks. This,
in turn, will
provide subscribers access to the latest and greatest
services and
capabilities that the wireless world can deliver.
TI offers the industry's broadest wireless
infrastructure product
portfolio, spanning the complete signal chain. Supporting
analog products
include digital up/down converters, high speed data
converters, RF products,
timing, backplane interface and standard logic components.
Highlighting the
company's leadership in power management, TI has developed
a non-isolated
DC/DC power module with extremely fast response and high
performance. It is
the first power management device to meet core voltage
tolerance requirements
of the TCI6487.
Availability
The TCI6487 is currently sampling with targeted
customers. It will be on
display at the ITU Telecom show, Dec. 4-8 in Hong Kong in
Hall 2, Booth 2010.
For more information, please visit
http://www.ti.com/tci6487 .
About Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments Incorporated provides innovative DSP
and analog
technologies to meet our customers' real world signal
processing
requirements. In addition to Semiconductor, the company
includes the
Educational & Productivity Solutions business. TI is
headquartered in Dallas,
Texas, and has manufacturing, design or sales operations in
more than 25
countries.
Texas Instruments is traded on the New York Stock
Exchange under the
symbol TXN. More information is located on the World Wide
Web at
http://www.ti.com .
Safe Harbor Statement
Statements contained in this news release regarding TI
product
availability and other statements of management's beliefs,
goals and
expectations may be considered forward-looking statements
as that term is
defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995, and are
subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual
results to differ
materially from those expressed or implied by these
statements. The following
factors and the factors discussed in TI's most recent Form
10-K could cause
actual results to differ materially from the statements
contained in this
news release: actual market demand for amplifier products
and TI products
specifically, and actual test results relating to TI
products. TI disclaims
any intention or obligation to update any forward-looking
statements as a
result of developments occurring after the date of this
news release.
Trademarks
All trademarks and registered trademarks are property
of their respective
owners.
For more information, please contact:
Marcia Barnett
Texas Instruments
Tel: +1-214-480-2050
Email: mpickett@ti.com
Erin Arnold
GolinHarris
Tel: +1-972-341-2506
email: earnold@golinharris.com
SOURCE Texas Instruments Incorporated
com/london .
2007'02.11.Sun
Communications Platforms Trade Association Adds Three Members
December 19, 2006
Degree Controls, Interphase and ZNYX Networks Join CP-TA
ITU TELECOM WORLD, HONG KONG, Dec. 4
/Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- The
Communications Platforms Trade Association (CP-TA) today
announced that
Degree Controls, Inc has joined as a Sponsor Member and
Interphase
Corporation and ZNYX Networks have joined as Contributor
Members. These
companies intend to contribute technical and marketing
resources to CP-TA's
working groups in order to help drive a mainstream market
for open industry
specifications-based communications platforms through
interoperability
certification.
"We are pleased to welcome these respected
companies into CP-TA," said
Shlomo Pri-Tal, CP-TA Chairman. "They are bringing
valuable contributions to
solving interoperability issues for thermal, manageability
and data
transport, as well as looking ahead at the next generation
of
interoperability requirements for AdvancedMC and
MicroTCA."
CP-TA is currently defining interoperability test
requirements and
procedures for PICMG's AdvancedTCA specification aligned to
the SCOPE
AdvancedTCA profile. At ITU Telecom World, CP-TA is
demonstrating its test
tools, including thermal testing, for the first time.
"DegreeC is committed to providing thermal and
airflow solutions and we
are working closely with CP-TA members to develop
guidelines and tests for
thermal interoperability," said Rajesh Nair, Degree
Controls, Inc. Chairman
and CTO.
In the future, CP-TA will address PICMG's AdvancedMC
and MicroTCA as
well as specifications from OSDL and the SA Forum.
"Interphase has established a key leadership role
in delivering next
generation AdvancedTCA(R), MicroTCA(TM) and AdvancedMC(TM)
(AMC) solutions to
the marketplace," said Greg Kalush, CEO, Interphase
Corporation. "We are
excited to contribute our technology resources to address
the
interoperability requirements for Advanced Mezzanine Cards,
thereby ensuring
ease of adoption of AdvancedMC's by the industry to deliver
innovative and
cost effective solutions in the marketplace."
"We provide embedded networking solutions for
scalable, continuous-
service systems. These solutions are in strict compliance
with open, forward-
looking industry specifications such as AdvancedTCA (PICMG
3.x) and relevant
Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) standards,"
said Connie Austin,
President/CEO, ZNYX Networks. "We see CP-TA
certification as the logical next
step for moving the industry to the next level of
interoperability."
Member companies participate in the creation of
interoperability test
documents and will be able to promote their products
meeting the requirements
as CP-TA-certified. For information on joining CP-TA and
membership benefits,
visit http://www.cp-ta.org/join .
About the Communications Platforms Trade Association
The Communications Platforms Trade Association is a
global organization
of 25 communications platform and building block providers
whose mission is
to accelerate the adoption of SIG-governed,
open-specification-based
communication platforms by certifying interoperable
building blocks. For more
information about CP-TA, visit http://www.cp-ta.org .
For more information, please contact:
Kim Miller
VTM PR for CP-TA
Tel: +1-971-563-5677
Email: kmiller@vtm-inc.com
Lori Zielinski
VTM PR for CP-TA
Tel: +1-503-619-0852
Email: lzielinski@vtm-inc.com
SOURCE Communications Platforms Trade Association
es also are providing AIDS drugs at
2007'02.11.Sun
Suntech to Participate in Two Investment Conferences in December
December 19, 2006
WUXI, China, Dec. 1 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- 2006-Suntech
Power Holdings
Co., Ltd. (NYSE: STP) one of the world's leading
manufacturers of
photovoltaic (PV) cells and modules, today announced that
Vice President of
Business Development, Mr. Steven Chan, will present at two
U.S. investor
conferences in the first half of December.
On December 1, 2006, Mr. Chan will speak at the Credit
Suisse Technology
Conference at 9:30 a.m. Mountain Time. The event is being
held at The
Phoenician Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Mr. Chan will also deliver a presentation at the Lehman
Brothers 2006
Global Technology Conference on December 6, 2006 at 1:30
p.m. Pacific Time at
the San Francisco Fairmont Hotel.
In the presentations, Mr. Chan will discuss Suntech's
recent
developments and strategy for 2007 and beyond including to
diversify its
sales geographies, expand market share, secure silicon
supply at competitive
prices and technology enhancements in line with the
company's low cost
production and expansion platform. While at the
conferences, Mr. Chan will
meet one-on-one with investors.
About Suntech
Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. is a leading solar
energy company in the
world as measured by both production output and capacity of
solar cells and
modules. Suntech provides solar solutions for a green
future. Suntech
designs, develops, manufactures, and markets a variety of
high quality, cost
effective and environmentally friendly PV cells and modules
for electric
power applications in the residential, commercial,
industrial, and public
utility sectors. Suntech's majority-owned subsidiary, MSK
Corporation is one
of Japan's largest PV manufacturers and one of the
top-ranked companies in
the building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) space.
Suntech's customers are
located in various markets worldwide, including key markets
throughout
Europe, Japan, China and the United States. For more
information, please
visit http://www.suntech-power.com.
For more information, please contact:
Steven Chan
VP of Business Development
Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd.
Tel: +86-510-8531-8910
Email: ir@suntech-power.com
Rory Macpherson
Senior Associate
Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide
Tel: +86-10-8520-6553
Email: rory.macpherson@ogilvy.com
SOURCE Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd.
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