2007'02.11.Sun
Art Project Conquers the World
November 17, 2006
BERLIN, Germany, Nov. 17 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --
-- Capital Cities are Competing for the Big Event
-- Picture is available via EPA (European Pressphoto
Agency) and can
be downloaded free of charge at:
http://www.presseportal.de/story.htx?firmaid=63031&keygroup=bild
The Berlin artist, Andre Hunger, announced today that
his project, with the temporary working title
"Heartbreaker," will start its world tour in May
2008. The art project will travel to 12 capital cities and
remain in each of them for 5 months. The capital cities
competing for the project include Barcelona, Sydney,
London, Tokyo and Oslo. The interest in the tour is such
that the participating cities will enter a contest. The
capital city with the highest starting capital will be the
winner. According to Andre Hunger, the final decision will
be made in February 2007.
The original plan was to start the tour in Berlin,
however, the bureaucratic barriers in the city proved to be
insurmountable.
The artist intends for "Heartbreaker" to
engage the viewer and make them feel their own positive
energy. Andre Hunger is convinced that his art will be
successful in releasing the energy of the observer. The
visitor will be able to actually access the sculpture, a
symbiosis of a Formula 1 race car and a super bike. The
inside of the sculpture will house a special exhibition
with a unique content never attempted before. In this
exhibition, the visitor will be able to interactively
experience the life of a race car driver through
audiovisual means and explore his/her own feelings about
the experience in a multisensory way. Well-known
protagonists will create this "alternative
reality" via photos and recordings at original sites.
Twelve internationally renowned photographers will
re-create the daily experience of a race car driver. The
sound for this event will be provided by twelve
international top musicians. The sculpture's dimensions are
another fascinating aspect of this unique art project:
approx. 40 m wide, 100 m long and 25 m high.
Completely new materials and construction procedures
were necessary to realize the project in its impressive
size. The experts confirm that the immediate realization of
this futuristic work is impending. To refine static
calculations for the sculpture, some additional tests in
the wind tunnel will still need to be completed. The
planning and preparation phase is over.
200 partners and sponsors are especially excited about
the impending start of the project, and they will all
compete to win the first matching offer for being the
initial city where this world tour will start. An exquisite
team of 50 experts composed of designers, process engineers,
logisticians, architects and general engineers vouch with
their names and reputation for its feasibility. Partners
and consultants of the former race car driver Hunger are
among others companies such as Nussli (soccer world
champion ship 2006 -- Adidas Stadium in front of the
Reichstag, Olympic Games 2006, World Culture Forum) and the
engineering office Happold (Pentagon Memorial USA, Japanese
Pavilion -- World Fair in Germany, British Museum UK, Al
Faisaliah Saudi Arabia). The partner network's synergy and
an intelligent concept are responsible for shortening the
development phase from the usual four years to just eight
months.
Andre Hunger himself is expanding his network by
additional international partners to have all the roles
within "Heartbreaker" distributed by spring 2007.
The artist was, in his own words, very happy about the
negotiations he had with representatives from Formula 1 and
Moto GP and was able to include them in the content
production for the exhibit. Andre Hunger is convinced that
visitors to "Heartbreaker" will be able to feel
the excitement of the racetrack themselves.
The cities hosting the project will enjoy an economic
payback through long-term gain and improved image due to
the increase in tourism. Hunger says that the projected
revenues for Berlin alone (currently excluded from the
competition) were estimated at around Euro 460 million. The
artist expects to see visitor numbers of more than a million
per capital city.
"Anyone who experiences Heartbreaker in its full
dimensions will feel a new kind of strength afterwards. No
visitor will be able to withdraw from the emotional impact
of this project. And when he/she walks out of there, the
visitor cannot help but feel the courage to start something
new. The beauty of it is that this is an art project that
anyone will understand and that does not just benefit a
chosen few. The cities will not have to pay for it, on the
contrary, they will make money from it."
Andre Hunger and "createur visionnaire"
Andre Hunger is the founder and the creative spirit
behind the agency createur visionnaire for design and
creativity. After long years of racing cars, Andre Hunger
managed several galleries and organized different mega
events. He then worked as a consultant for agencies and
companies to position exclusive brands and continued to
develop innovative projects in the area of branded
entertainment. For his sculptures and energetic
architectural projects, Hunger frequently uses programs for
designing jets. He thus creates unique, comprehensive
designs and projects such as the draft for a museum, a VIP
resort in Manama/ Bahrain for the opening of the Formula 1
racetrack, a limited series of prototypes of the sports
vehicle Supersonic and "green coast", an
exclusive sculpture made of organic materials looking like
a perfume flacon and stretching over 7 floors. Hunger's
focus in his projects is the merger between man and
machine. Simultaneously, he strives to put the individual's
needs in the foreground.
For further information see:
Artist: http://www.andre-hunger.de
Treatment: http://www.heartbreakerplanet.de
For more information, please contact:
createur visionnaire Mr. Teeg
Neue Schonhauser Strasse 20
10178 Berlin
Tel: +30-200-76-99-4
Fax: +30-200-76-99-5
Email: berlin@createur-visionnaire.de
Web: http://www.createur-visionnaire.de
SOURCE createur visionnaire
PR
2007'02.11.Sun
World Children's Day(TM) at McDonald's(R) to Benefit Children Around the World
November 17, 2006
McDonald's CEO Jim Skinner Joined by `Dancing with the Stars' Winner Emmitt Smith, Runner-up Mario Lopez, the Duchess of York and Other Stars at Anniversary Event Supporting Ronald McDonald House Charities(R)
OAK BROOK, Ill., Nov. 17 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- World
Children's Day at McDonald's, the company's largest annual
fundraiser for children, turned five years old today.
Entertainers, musicians, executives and children came
together in New York City for a worldwide celebration to
support fundraising efforts conducted in over 100 countries
for Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC(R)) and other
children's causes.
Just hours after judges announced the winning couple on
the hit television series "Dancing With The Stars"
season finale, winner Emmitt Smith and dance partner Cheryl
Burke, along with runner-up Mario Lopez and dance partner
Karina Smirnoff, joined McDonald's CEO Jim Skinner, World
Children's Day global ambassador Sarah Ferguson, the
Duchess of York, actress Sofia Vergara and other
entertainers at the 42nd Street McDonald's. After meeting
with children and families staying at the Ronald McDonald
House(R) of New York City, event participants stopped
behind the counter to help raise funds for World Children's
Day.
"McDonald's has a rich tradition of being a good
community partner and neighbor," said Skinner.
"As the needs of the world's children have increased
over time, so has the need for companies and citizens to
play a more active role in affecting positive change."
Kicking off the celebration was "America's
Tenor" and New York's own Daniel Rodriguez -- best
known for his heroic service as a New York City police
officer on 9/11 and his stirring rendition of "God
Bless America" at subsequent memorial services --
performing "Aren't They All Our Children." The
song was written by 14-time Grammy award winner David
Foster in honor of World Children's Day at McDonald's.
Broadway performer and R&B recording artist Nita
Whitaker closed the event with "Stand up for
Love," the World Children's Day anthem written by
Beyonce Knowles and David Foster, which was released last
year by Destiny's Child.
Five Years of Global Giving
For the fifth consecutive year, World Children's Day at
McDonald's will take place in almost 31,000 restaurants
around the world. McDonald's customers, franchisees and
suppliers have raised funds to help support more than 260
Ronald McDonald Houses, 105 Ronald McDonald Family Rooms,
31 Ronald McDonald Care Mobile programs and many other
children's causes around the world.
"McDonald's has made a tremendous effort to raise
awareness and funds for World Children's Day by opening the
doors to their thousands of restaurants around the
world," said Ken Barun, president and CEO of RMHC.
"We hope 2006 will be our most successful World
Children's Day yet, and through this fundraising effort,
RMHC will be able to improve the health and well-being of
even more children."
This year, participating McDonald's restaurants will
offer customers the opportunity to Give A Hand(TM) by
donating a small amount to personalize and post a paper
hand that symbolizes their support. Customers may also
purchase select products with a portion of sales being
designated as a World Children's Day donation. In the
U.S., customers can participate in the Give A Hand program
available for $1 each from November 10 through 19. In
addition, 15 cents from the purchase of every Happy
Meal(R), Mighty Kids Meal(R) and Extra Value Meal(R) at
participating restaurants will be donated to RMHC between
November 17 and 19.
World Children's Day TV Commercial and Public Service
Announcement
A new global World Children's Day TV campaign includes
the voiceover of philanthropist and actor Paul Newman and
features children and families staying at the Ronald
McDonald House of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The commercial
airs in the U.S. November 10 to 19 and in select countries
around the world throughout the month.
Additionally, the Duchess of York taped a Public
Service Announcement (PSA) about World Children's Day at
McDonald's. The PSA, which will air throughout November,
reminds viewers they can help improve the lives of children
around the world by participating in World Children's Day
and supporting Ronald McDonald House Charities.
Duchess of York: World Children's Day Global Tour
This month, the Duchess of York visited Tokyo, Seattle,
Dallas/Ft. Worth, Detroit and Boston to raise awareness for
World Children's Day. She will be in Beijing, China on
November 20 as the last stop on her international tour.
"As a mum, I know that nothing is more important
than helping children in need," said Sarah Ferguson.
"My hope is that World Children's Day will help
inspire people to become more involved in the well-being of
children around the world."
World Children's Day events and promotions are taking
place in countries around the world including:
-- Japan: Sponsoring a concert featuring pop stars
Tatsuya Ishii
and Maki Ohguro with all proceeds to RMHC.
-- Poland: Selling cellular phone straps in
McDonald's restaurants
to benefit RMHC; donating one Polish zloty for each
small fry
sold November 18 through 20.
-- Mexico: Selling World Children's Day
fifth-anniversary T-shirts
and donating a portion of sales on November 20 from
every Big
Mac(R) sandwich, Big Mac(R) Extra Value Meal, Happy
Meal and
Junior Pak(TM).
-- Switzerland: Offering stuffed toy elks through
in-restaurant
promotion and donating a portion of all Happy Meal
sales between
November 18 and 20 to benefit their three Ronald
McDonald Houses.
-- Puerto Rico: Ronald McDonald House Charities of
Puerto Rico was
joined by the United Nations in the celebration of
World Children
's Day. Additionally, the Puerto Rico Senate and
its Commission
of Health, Social, Well-Being and Women Affairs
honored McDonald'
s on the fifth anniversary of World Children's Day
for its
commitment to children's causes.
For more information on World Children's Day, including
photos from the global event and the Duchess of York's tour,
please visit: http://www.mcdepk.com/worldchildrensday2006 .
About RMHC
Ronald McDonald House Charities, a non-profit, 501
(c)(3) corporation, creates, finds and supports programs
that directly improve the health and well being of
children. Its programs are grassroots-driven to enable the
Charity to offer help where children need it most: right in
their own communities. RMHC makes an immediate, positive
impact on children's lives through its global network of
local Chapters in nearly 50 countries and its three core
programs: the Ronald McDonald House(R), Ronald McDonald
Family Room and Ronald McDonald Care Mobile. RMHC and its
global network of local Chapters have awarded more than
$440 million in grants and program services to children's
programs around the world.
About McDonald's
McDonald's (NYSE: MCD) is the leading foodservice
retailer with more than 30,000 local restaurants serving
quality food to nearly 50 million customers in more than
100 countries each day. Approximately 70 percent of
McDonald's restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by
independent, local men and women. For more information
about World Children's Day at McDonald's visit
http://www.mcdonalds.com . For more information about RMHC
visit http://www.rmhc.org .
For more information, please contact:
Michon Ellis
McDonald's
Tel: +1-312-330-3733
Molly McKenna
McDonald's
Tel: +1-708-278-2330
Ben Lincoln
GolinHarris
Tel: +1-773-577-3187
SOURCE Ronald McDonald House Charities
2007'02.11.Sun
Asian, U.S., European Biotech and Pharma Companies to Partner in Tokyo
November 17, 2006
WASHINGTON, Nov. 17 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- The
Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) will host its
fourth annual BIO-Asia Partnering Conference in Tokyo at
the Grand Hyatt Tokyo, Jan. 29-30, 2007.
Koichiro Aramaki, Ph.D., Chairman & Chief Executive
Officer, Kirin Brewery Co., Ltd., will deliver the luncheon
keynote address at noon Monday, Jan. 29, 2007. Tuesday's
luncheon keynote will be delivered by Anthony Rosenberg,
Head of Global Business Development & Licensing,
Novartis Pharma AG.
BIO-Asia 2007 is an exclusive partnering forum, which
brings together Asian, U.S., Australian and European
biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies interested in
research collaborations and licensing agreements.
"This conference is an unrivalled opportunity to meet
and network with the world's leading pharmaceutical and
biotech companies and the most promising emerging firms
developing novel therapeutics at one place and time,"
stated Alan Eisenberg, Executive Vice President, Emerging
Companies and Business Development.
The event features private, pre-arranged one-on-one
meetings between senior-level executives and provides a
number of ways to explore a range of exceptional
international partnering and licensing opportunities. Over
the course of two days, BIO-Asia will host over 1,500
private meetings and provide countless formal and informal
networking opportunities throughout the event.
BIO-Asia is a rapidly growing meeting, and in 2006
attracted 400 participants, representing a 33% increase
over 2005. These participants represent more than 200
companies and 22 countries around the world. Mitsubishi
UFJ Securities, Montgomery & Co., and BioCentury
Publications are sponsors and co-hosts of BIO-Asia with
support from the Japan Bioindustry Association (JBA) and
the Bioindustry Association of Korea (BAK).
Media registration is complimentary. For more
information visit directly http://www.bio.org/bioasia or
contact bioasia@bio.org for assistance.
BIO represents more than 1,100 biotechnology companies,
academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and
related organizations across the United States and 31 other
nations. BIO members are involved in the research and
development of healthcare, agricultural, industrial and
environmental biotechnology products.
For more information, please contact:
Jin Blades
Biotechnology Industry Organization
Tel: +1-212-332-4355
Erin Reese
Biotechnology Industry Organization
Tel: +1-202-962-9200
SOURCE Biotechnology Industry Organization
2007'02.11.Sun
Buongiorno Widens Its Ties With Leading Indian Digital Media Group, Times Internet to Further Deliver World Class Mobile Media Solutions in India
November 17, 2006
-- Industry leaders renew their agreement to provide innovative mobile media content, delivery and support services to the multi million and growing Indian mobile users
HONG KONG, Nov. 17 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Buongiorno
(MTAX STAR, Italian Stock Exchange: BNG), a leading
multinational operating in the digital entertainment
market, today announced that, its subsidiary Buongiorno
Hong Kong Ltd has signed a new, larger and more
comprehensive agreement with Times Internet Limited (TIL)
-- the Internet venture of India's largest media house, the
Times Group.
The new agreement supersedes the previous one signed in
September 2005, by means of which Buongiorno has been
providing the Indian Partner with its expertise in
conceiving and delivering interactive mobile services and
in CRM implementation and management, along with global
support for implementation of its proprietary platform B!3A
in TIL's headquarters in New Delhi.
Based on the new Buongiorno-TIL agreement, Buongiorno
will provide technological, operational, marketing and CRM
know-how and expertise, as well as products, applications
and contents aimed to reinforce TIL offering to consumers,
with the final aim to enhance and strengthen Indiatimes
8888, the first and largest value-added premium website
service in India.
The joint or combined action of the two market leaders
will also maximize the value and the revenue streams in the
B2B area by means of a strategy which is meant to provide
full support to mobile telecommunications operators in
different key areas -- both providing support in licensed
model and ASP managed services.
A senior team composed of Buongiorno-TIL local and
international professionals has already been designated and
deployed with the aim to bring the project to complete
successfulness and fulfilment.
Activities have recently started and a daily management
of about 30 million messages(1) is already taking place
through B!3A, the Buongiorno Group's proprietary technology
platform conceived to design, build, manage and provide high
quality services to leading businesses and mobile consumers
globally.
India is to become the world's 3rd largest mobile
population by 2007: According to Wireless World Forum's
"Indian Mobile Market 2006" statistical handbook,
mobile ownership will be well beyond the 100 million mark in
2007, this being a direct consequence of the `largest middle
class in the world' taking up mobile ownership.
"We have seen the powerful appetite consumers have
for mobile media in Europe and the US and we decided to
partner with a company which would bring along that kind of
market expertise. The alliance with Buongiorno will allow us
to further strengthen ourselves by leveraging Buongiorno's
B2B and B2C successful practices." said Mr Dinesh
Wadhawan, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of
TIL. "We believe that the leading digital
entertainment company, Buongiorno is the perfect partner to
give our customers a content-rich, carrier-grade
battle-tested solution."
TIL's Telecom Director Mr. Sanjive Sethi also welcomed
the attainment of the alliance by declaring:
"Buongiorno's international expertise, best practises
and market knowledge will furthermore increase TIL's
presence on the Indian telco B2B market."
Simone Ranucci, Chief Executive Officer of Buongiorno
Hong Kong declares: "We are delighted to announce our
broader scope of cooperation with TIL. TIL and its parent
group are the ideal partner for B! in addressing such an
important market as India which will be soon one of the
largest markets worldwide in our sector. Following the
global alliance on mobile data with Mitsui and the set up
of the joint venture in Hong Kong, we confirm our
commitment to develop globally, with a specific focus into
emerging and fast growing Asian market. The new Strategic
Alliance signed with TIL is a prosecution of a successful
roadmap defined by our Companies with the aim to reinforce
our common assets from products, to capability execution up
to the Value Proposition of mobile Operators, in the fast
growing and highly competitive Indian mobile content
market".
Services to TIL will be supplied through Buongiorno
Hong Kong Ltd. -- the joint venture between Buongiorno and
Mitsui & Co., Ltd., one of Japan's largest general
trading companies. The Shareholders resolved to invest in
the Joint Venture US$ 7.6 million pro-quota (Buongiorno
owns 49%, and Mitsui 51%), Inside the Hong Kong business
plan, which leverages on both Shareholders' expertise -- on
Mitsui's regional alliance network and on Buongiorno's
global mobile technical and operational skills --, the new
deal signed with TIL offers the Joint Venture the
opportunity to expand and strengthen its business
activities from Russia, Indonesia and Thailand to India.
For more information, please contact:
Mr Mohit Hira
Director -- Content & Marketing
Times Internet Limited
Tel: +91-124-518-7000
Email: Mohit.hira@indiatimes.co.in
Monica Montefusco
Global PR & Events Manager, Buongiorno
Tel: +39-02-582131
Email: media.relations@buongiorno.com
SOURCE Buongiorno SPA and Times Internet Ltd
2007'02.11.Sun
MEDIA ADVISORY: Foster Access to Green Technologies to Alleviate Poverty
November 17, 2006
An Inception Workshop between UNDP and the Government
An inception workshop will take place on Tuesday, 21
November 2006, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the Yuyang
Hotel. The workshop introduces a 4-year project, jointly
run by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in
China and the Chinese government, aiming to foster access
of poor communities to green technologies in China.
(Logo:
http://211.154.41.99:9080/xprn/sa/20061107113358-34.jpg )
Entitled "Green Poverty Reduction in Poor Areas of
China", the project is designed to support Chinese
government efforts to alleviate poverty through innovative
"green technologies" in five provinces: Guizhou,
Inner Mongolia, Sichuan, Xinjiang and Yunnan, jointly
established by UNDP, Ministry of Science and Technology
(MOST), and the China International Center For Economic and
Technical Exchanges (CICETE) under the Ministry of
Commerce.
With a total budget of US$ 8.585 million," the
4-year project is designed to combine poverty alleviation
with environmental improvement and rural energy development
in poor communities, through sustainable methods such as
planting trees in Guizhou, Sichuan and Yunnan to develop
bio-diesel production; growing Jarrah Dayun in arid areas
in Xinjiang as a raw material for traditional medicine; and
providing small-scale wind turbines to poor herdsmen in
Inner Mongolia.
Representatives from the UN and government ministries
involved in the project will speak at the workshop. Local
government officials and experts from pilot project sites
in Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia will introduce the project
design and implementation based on local conditions and
advantages.
WHAT: Inception Workshop on Green Poverty
Reduction Project
WHERE: 2nd Floor, Yuyang Hotel
WHEN: 9:00 - 11:00 AM, Tuesday, 21 November 2006
WHO:
Ms. Alessandra Tisot, UNDP Senior Deputy
Resident
Representative in China
Ms. Wang Weili, Deputy Director General,
CICETE, Ministry
of Commerce
Mr. Shi Dinghuan, State Councilor on behalf
of the MOST
Mr. Wu Zhong, Director General,
International Cooperation
Department, Poverty Reduction Office of the
State Council
To confirm your participation, kindly contact Ms. Wu
Tao, Programme Assistant of UNDP China, by Monday, 20
November, at 8532 0714, or tao.wu@undp.org
UNDP fosters human development to empower women and men
to build better lives in China. As the UN's development
network, UNDP draws on a world of experience to assist
China in developing its own solutions to the country's
development challenges. Through partnerships and
innovation, UNDP works to achieve the Millennium
Development Goals and an equitable Xiao Kang society by
reducing poverty, strengthening rule of the law, promoting
environmental sustainability, and fighting HIV/AIDS.
http://www.undp.org.cn
United Nations Development Programme
2 Liangmahe Nanlu, Beijing
SOURCE United Nations Development Programme
2007'02.11.Sun
East Meets West at 2006 US-China Executive Summit
November 17, 2006
Participants at China Institute Event November 14 and 15 Included Ambassador Zhou Wenzhong, and Husband-wife Team Behind China's Biggest Real Estate Company
NEW YORK, Nov. 17 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- China's
Ambassador to the United States, Zhou Wenzhong; Maurice R.
Greenberg, CEO of C.V. Starr & Co., Inc.; Jim Rogers,
the investor and author; and Pan Shiyi and Zhang Xin, the
husband and wife team behind China's leading real estate
company SOHO China, were among the more than 150 American
and Chinese business, government and academic leaders who
participated in China Institute's third annual US-China
Executive Summit, presented in conjunction with lead
sponsor Credit Suisse.
The two-day, invitation-only event -- also supported by
AIG, IBM, HSBC, Lehman Brothers, Skadden, Arps, Slate,
Meagher & Flom, LLP, Continental Airlines and Centenium
Capital Partners, and Shangri-La Hotels -- was a lively
forum for information exchange and open debate on the
trends and developments in Chinese and American business,
with a focus on energy, real estate and capital markets.
The theme of the 2006 Summit was The Future of US-China
Business Engagement.
"China is a major power in both the Asian and
world economies, so it is especially important that there
be dialogue and communication between our two nations'
business, governmental and academic leaders," observed
Sara Judge McCalpin, President of China Institute. "By
bringing together key players from both countries, the 2006
Summit offered the opportunity for these leaders to share
their visions and discuss the future of the US-China
relationship. We were delighted to offer them a forum for
fostering better communication and greater understanding
between our nations."
China Institute in America, based in New York City, is
a non-profit cultural and educational institution founded
in 1926 to promote understanding and appreciation for
Chinese civilization and contemporary China. In recent
years, China Institute has developed its corporate
offerings with programs addressing the needs of those
involved in US-China business.
Other participants at the 2006 Summit included David
Rubenstein, Co-Founder and Managing Director, The Carlyle
Group as the lunch keynote; Paul Calello, Chairman and CEO,
Asia Pacific Region, Credit Suisse; Brian Murray, Managing
Director, AIG; Al Lenzmeier, Vice Chairman, Best Buy
International; Tom Russo, Vice Chairman, Lehman Brothers;
and Virginia A. Kamsky, Chairman and CEO of Kamsky
Associates, Inc. and Chairman, China Institute. The launch
of three China economic indicators, produced by Xinhua
Finance and the Milken Institute, was announced at the
Summit.
For more information, please contact:
Nancy Moon
Moon & Company
Tel: +1-917-533-8933
Email: nancy@moonandcompany.com
SOURCE China Institute in America
2007'02.11.Sun
Venezuela Presidential Race Tightens
November 17, 2006
CARACAS, Venezuela, Nov. 17 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- A
nationwide tracking poll conducted among the most likely
Venezuela voters in advance of the December 3rd
Presidential Election shows the race tightening between
incumbent President Hugo Chavez and opposition candidate,
Governor Manuel Rosales, with Chavez losing support and
Rosales picking up considerable support in recent weeks.
The data collected shows that President Hugo Chavez
leads Manuel Rosales by just 6 points, compared with a lead
of 13 points in September.
The November poll found 48% voting for Chavez and 42%
voting for Rosales. Compared to Penn, Schoen &
Berland's poll in September, Hugo Chavez's level of support
has declined 2 points, from 50% to 48%, while Manuel Rosales
has increased his level of support 5 points from 37% to
42%.
Question Text: If the presidential elections were held
today for whom would you vote?
September
November
Hugo Chavez 50%
48%
Manual Rosales 37%
42%
Benjamin Rausseo 3%
1%
Undecided 9%
9%
"The momentum is clearly with Rosales," said
Dr. Douglas E. Schoen, Chairman of Penn, Schoen &
Berland Associates. "Rosales is making inroads and
the country is now evenly divided on the direction of the
country and Chavez's performance as president."
Penn, Schoen & Berland's data follows a similar
pattern of Alfredo Keller of ASKA Partners, whose recent
poll found that Chavez's lead has diminished significantly
from 50% for Chavez and 37% for Rosales in September, to
52% for Chavez and 48% for Rosales as of last week.
Penn, Schoen & Berland's survey also asked
Venezuelans to rate the job Hugo Chavez is doing as
president.
Chavez's rating declined slightly since September, and
the public is now evenly split. Today, 50% say Chavez is
doing an excellent or good job as president and 50% think
Chavez is doing just a fair or poor job as president.
Question Text: How would you rate the job Hugo Chavez
has done is doing as President? Excellent, Good, Fair or
Poor?
September
November
Excellent / Good 51%
50%
Fair / Poor 48%
50%
Don't Know 1%
0%
The poll also asked Venezuelan's whether they believe
the country is headed in right direction or is headed in
the wrong direction. Dr. Schoen found that sentiment
indicating that the country is headed in the wrong
direction has increased since the last poll, and public
opinion is now evenly split.
About this Dr. Schoen said, "When 50% of the
people think that you are doing a bad job and almost 50% of
the people say that the country is moving in the wrong
direction, that is a real cause for alarm for any
incumbent. Simply put, many Venezuelans are clearly
unhappy with how things are going under Hugo Chavez."
Question Text: In general, do you think that things in
Venezuela are going in the right direction or are they off
on the wrong track?
Sept
Nov
Venezuela is moving in the right direction 48%
47%
Venezuela is moving on the wrong direction 39%
46%
Undecided on this question 14%
6%
Background:
The Penn, Schoen & Berland poll was a nationwide
poll of 1,000 likely voters. The administration of the
survey was designed to ensure that survey respondents felt
anonymous.
This was an independent poll done for a consortium of
business leaders seeking an accurate read of the where the
race stands.
Interviews were conducted between Monday November 6 and
Friday November 10. The overall margin of sampling error is
+/ - 3.10%
Dr. Douglas E. Schoen is one of the world's leading
authorities on measuring public opinion. Over his 30 year
career that has included work on 6 continents, Dr. Schoen
has worked for Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Ehud Olmert,
Tony Blair, Silvio Berlusconi, Leonel Fernandez, New York
City Mayor Mike Bloomberg, and New Jersey Governor Jon
Corzine.
Dr. Schoen is one of the founding partners and current
Chairman of Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates, which is
based in New York City and Washington, DC.
NOTE TO EDITORS:
Dr. Schoen is available for both comment and media
appearances. He can be reached at 646-206-5955 or by email
at dschoen@ps-b.com. Spanish speaking media can contact
Marcela Berland at (917) 318-4365 or at marcela@ps-b.com.
For more information, please contact:
Dr. Schoen
Tel: +1-646-206-5955
Email: dschoen@ps-b.com
Spanish speaking media: Marcela Berland
Tel: +1-917-318-4365
Email: marcela@ps-b.com
SOURCE Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates
2007'02.11.Sun
Dalian High Tech Industrial Zone Admin Commission Signs 250 Million USD Real Estate Lease and Investment Agreement with Trussnet to Develop Service Residence, Office Building and Convention Center
November 16, 2006
IRVINE, Calif., Nov. 16 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Trussnet
USA Development Co. Inc. ("Trussnet"), a member of
the Trussnet family of companies, a global leader in
architectural and engineering services, telecommunication
networks, high-tech facilities, turn-key development
projects and business hotels announced today that it has
signed a 250 million USD strategic development agreement
with the Administration Commission of the Dalian High Tech
Industrial Zone ("Zone") Commission to develop a
service residence, office towers and convention center in
the Chinese city of Dalian.
"This agreement will result in the construction of
5-Star service residence in the heart of the Zone. These
facilities will be able to accommodate global business
travelers who attend what are expected to be over 50
domestic and international exhibitions each year in Dalian.
It will also result in the construction of an office
complex and convention center. We are grateful to the
Commission for its confidence in our ability to design,
build and manage this project," said Colin Tay,
Chairman of the Board of Trussnet.
About Dalian High Tech Industrial Zone
The Dalian High Tech Industrial Zone ("Zone")
is a national Industrial Park approved by the State Council
of Dalian Province of China in 1991. It is also a Chinese
first class software park, meeting international standards
and a software export base approved by the Ministry of
Science and Technology. The largest and best training
institute for software in the China -- NEUSOFT Institute of
Information Technology -- is located in the Zone. The DD
Port of the Zone has been recognized by the Chinese
Ministry of Science and Technology as the Dalian DD Port
Bio-Tech & Pharmaceutical Industrial Base of the China
Torch Program. The Chinese Academy of Sciences has set up
the Hi-Tech Industrial Incubation Fund within the DD Port
and encourages their affiliating institutions to localize
their achievements to the port. They have also established
a talents training base in the DD Port. For more
information, please visit their web site at
http://www.dlhitech.gov.cn:8090/english/en_zhaoshang/index.asp
.
About Trussnet USA Development Co. Inc.
Headquartered in Irvine, California, United States of
America, ( http://www.trussgroup.com ) Trussnet provides
professional services in planning, architecture &
engineering, turnkey development, finance, manufacturing,
construction, project management, telecommunication
networks, high-tech facilities and business hotels
throughout the United States, China and Southeast Asia.
Trussnet knows what Eastern and Western international
business requires. It also understands and appreciates the
importance of properly fusing the culture of the United
States with the cultures in China and Southeast Asia.
Trussnet has patiently developed long standing, personal
relationships in China and Southeast Asia that have enabled
it to successfully market its services throughout China and
Southeast Asia. Understanding and embracing the cultures
of the Eastern and Western part of the globe, together with
these personal relationships, are the key elements to the
international language of business. These elements are
understood and embraced by every member of the Trussnet
organization. While these elements are continually
evolving and maturing, they still represent the foundation
of Trussnet, as it further expands its worldwide
operations.
For more information, please contact:
Richard Thomas
Trussnet USA Development Co. Inc.
Tel: +1-949-585-0222
Email: rthomas@trussnet.net
SOURCE Trussnet USA Development Co. Inc.
2007'02.11.Sun
EurOrient Financial Group: The Private Sector Roads to Development: Promoting Durable Economic Growth
November 16, 2006
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 16 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- EurOrient
Financial Group ("EurOrient") notes that a
revolutionary change has swept the globe resulting in the
global economic integrations, private capital flows are at
least five times greater than official assistance, where
many different actors (from multilateral banks to
nongovernmental organizations) now play a much greater role
in development, and where technological change has
revolutionized the way business is done. Recognizing the
remarkable scale of these changes, EurOrient Financial
Group is convinced the world is at a pivotal juncture. The
EurOrient believes that these changes mandate a full review
of EurOrient's investment policy priorities and a
complementary retooling and restructuring of the principal
instruments of this policy. The EurOrient Financial Group
also notes that the necessity to enhance the effectiveness
investment operation by 2007 adds an additional imperative
-- the need to review the investment operations with a
careful eye to ensuring the most cost-effective use of
these increasingly scarce dollars. EurOrient Financial
Group further notes that while this year EurOrient has
accelerates this process, it by no means finishes it. The
road ahead will be an arduous one and the decisions facing
by the Treasury Board of EurOrient Financial Group will be
increasingly difficult. Finally, the EurOrient Financial
Group notes with special attention the seriousness with
which it accepts these responsibilities. Our actions in the
area of investment operations are perhaps unique in that
they directly affect the lives and security of billions of
less fortunate human beings around the world.
(Logo:
http://211.154.41.99:9080/xprn/sa/200611161840.jpg )
Fiscal 2006 marked an escalation of the process of
renewal at the EurOrient Financial Group, building on the
vision of an institution that delivers development results
and reflecting the EurOrient's guiding principles of
greater selectivity in activities, strengthened
partnerships, emphasis on client focus, increased results
orientation, strong commitment to financial integrity and
discipline to process control.
THE EURORIENT'S LEGACY PROGRAM
The objective of EurOrient Financial Group Legacy
Program is to focus all institutional resources on the
development of capacity building in service delivery. The
EurOrient Legacy Program aims to fulfil its mission of a
professionally excellent institution that responds quickly
to the evolving and varying needs of its clients and
provides a wide range of high-quality services; that
operates through partnerships and acts as a catalyst for
private-public collaboration; and that builds capacity and
knowledge based organization.
The EurOrient Financial Group Legacy Program is a plan
for fundamental reform to make the EurOrient more effective
in delivering its financial product and services and in
achieving its basic mission of mobilizing financial,
technical and human resources for the benefit of developing
nations seeking sustainable economic development and poverty
reduction. The Legacy Program is an expression of the
EurOrient's business strategy and focuses on the external
delivery of higher-quality products and services.
At the core of the EurOrient Financial Group Legacy
Program is the commitment to three broad-based development
goals: investments that: 1) is focused on the private
sector; 2) supports economic reform and the enhancement of
market-based economies; and, 3) Promoting pro-poor growth -
enabling a pace and pattern of growth that enhances the
ability of poor women and men to participate in, contribute
to and benefit from growth.
The Legacy Program is rooted in the recognition of the
need for change if EurOrient Financial Group is to play a
much greater role in development, and where technological
change has revolutionized the way business is done. The
central objective of the program is to make the EurOrient
Financial Group more efficient and to increase the
development impact and efficiency of everything it does.
Through the Legacy Program, the EurOrient's
shareholders and management are investing in and
implementing a series of changes over 48 months to
transform the way the institution does business: improving
its products, speeding up its processes, lowering its
costs, making it more demand driven, and increasing its
development impact. The Legacy Program has also established
clear performance criteria against which progress will be
measured and for which management will be held accountable.
The Legacy Program takes a comprehensive approach to
increasing the EurOrient's development effectiveness in
four priority and related areas: refuelling current
business activities; refocusing the development agenda;
retooling the EurOrient's knowledge base; and revamping
institutional priorities. It will:
-- Develop new financial products and advisory services
with the emphasis
on increasing flexibility and timeliness for
clients. EurOrient
Financial Group thematic product will include
investments in securities
based on national themes and is designed to identify
longer-term trends
in the marketplace and to mobilize capital, human
resources and
technology for the benefit the individual investment
selection.
-- Build technical expertise in key sectoral areas of
development and
expand the EurOrient's focus out of financing basic
infrastructure to
municipal finance.
-- Further focus in countries activities in order to
allow EurOrient staff
to work more closely with the host governments in
order to better
customize Country Investment Strategy and Programs
and build local
priorities of development programs.
-- Strengthen the EurOrient's information management
system to collect,
synthesize, and disseminate the best in development
thinking.
-- Reform the EurOrient's human resources system to
create a more flexible,
performance-driven, home grown human capital, and
diverse institution.
The fundamental retooling of the EurOrient's investment
operations will be judged by its impact on development
effectiveness. Therefore, a broad range of specific
measures for gauging effectiveness and accountability are
being deployed. These include:
-- Improve investment discussion making process based
on EurOrient
Investment Cycle Framework - Clearly defined
business standards is
been set for managing the portfolio and for lending
and
non-lending/investment services; and
-- Building organizational capacity to deliver against
current and growth
mandates - Planning, acquiring, organizing,
developing and retaining
the resources (e.g. human, financial,
technological), competencies (e.g.
subject matter and leadership skills including
transition capability),
processes and scalability to support current and
anticipated
responsibilities; and
-- Planning and corporate performance measurement - The
process for
defining strategic direction, aligning business
planning and the
development of ongoing measurement and reporting of
performance; and
-- Investment Risk Management - Policies, practices and
systems supporting
investment risk management, measurement and
oversight. Monitoring the
main determinants of what makes projects go well or
badly, such as
ensuring that projects are well prepared, well
supervised, and that
implementation problems are recognized and dealt
with quickly; and
-- Management Controls And Compliance With External And
Internal
Requirements - Identification, assessment,
monitoring and reporting on
management controls over key corporate processes and
key compliance
elements; and
-- Managing Third Party Relationships - The systems and
processes to
manage third party relationships including
selection, monitoring
performance and integration into EurOrient Financial
Group Investment
Board operations.
-- External Communications - Planning, execution and
evaluation of
external communications to support achievement of
the organization's
objectives.
In line with the EurOrient's aim for increasing
results, portfolio management programs to improve the
current portfolio accelerated during fiscal 2007 through
the quality-at-entry and portfolio improvement programs. A
key innovation was the concept adopted from the World Bank
which shows when a project is at risk, which is helping to
identify the potential as well as actual problem projects.
The concept continues to be refined but already is serving
as an additional tool for portfolio management as well as
enabling more accurate reporting on the status of the
portfolio.
Building a sound knowledge base to support investment
and lending activities is at the heart of the Legacy
Program. The EurOrient Financial Group Knowledgebase System
is made up of a repository of experiences and understanding
about development issues, which too often has been
underused. Too much knowledge has been locked up in reports
that do not provide real-time and relevant advice to
clients, colleagues, and partners. To meet client needs
more effectively and better equip EurOrient staff, work
began on developing a knowledge management system in fiscal
2006 to disseminate and apply lessons of experience among
staff and clients. The system is hosting information such
but not limited to Ex-post evaluations studies of the
various multilateral and bilateral development
institutions, project studies, lessons learn from previous
operation. Through this system, complex information is
distilled into usable formats for delivery to those who
need it.
EurOrient Financial Group is constantly pursuing the
best practices in the industry and benchmarking its
operations against such best practices. In this spirit, a
study of the operational policies and procedures of major
multilateral institutions were undertaken by EurOrient's
policy staff prior to the preparation and establishment of
Operations Manual. This was to find the best industry
practices for each policy area and adopt such best
practices into EurOrient's policies and procedures. It is
therefore, no coincidence that users may find several of
EurOrient Financial Group policies and procedures to be
similar to that of most multilateral institutions.
EurOrient would like to pay due credit to the Treasury
Board of Canada, World Bank Group, International Finance
Corporation (IFC), Asian Development Bank (ADB),
Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), European Bank for
Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), European Investment
Bank (EIB), California Public Employees' Retirement System
(CalPERS) and other institutions upon whose policies
EurOrient's Policies and Procedures are largely based.
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
The Treasury Board of EurOrient Financial Group linked
institutional objectives to resources, and resources to
policy. The Treasury Board remains convinced that the
EurOrient Financial Group can lead with fewer resources
than were needed a decade ago. The Treasury Board strongly
believes that no price tag need be placed on leadership.
Money matters in development banking, to be sure, but not
nearly as much as consistent policy and constantly engaged
leaders.
As noted earlier, the Treasury Board of EurOrient
Financial Group notes that the asset allocations for
emerging markets are already extremely limited and are
likely to be even more so in the future. From the Treasury
Board `s perspective, this simply means it is now more
imperative than ever that the Treasury Board forge a strong
consensus which will shape how scarce resources can be most
effectively used to help the world's less fortunate achieve
the same level of prosperity and opportunity presently
enjoyed by the citizens residing in developed countries.
EURORIENT AT GLANCE
EurOrient Financial Group, headquartered in Los
Angeles, CA, is a private sector global development finance
institution. Its mission is to mobilize financial, technical
and human resources for the benefit of developing economies
seeking sustainable economic development and poverty
reduction. EurOrient invests in projects and programs that
promote social development, build human capacities, and
address host government priorities for investments in
physical infrastructure that promotes and enhances social
development. These projects include roads, transportation
and communication systems, water, sanitation and other
types of investments with social development outcomes such
as improved quality of life and increased human knowledge
and skills.
Headquarters: Los Angeles, California
Website: http://www.eurorient.com
CEO: Mr. Ron Nechemia
EurOrient Financial Group
For more information, please contact:
Public Relationship Department
EurOrient Financial Group
Tel: +1-818-392-8144 / +1-818-800-0777
Email: mediacenter@eurorient.com
SOURCE EurOrient Financial Group
2007'02.11.Sun
Hutchison Whampoa Announces the Global Launch of the X-Series From 3
November 16, 2006
-- 3 Group, in Partnership With Skype, Sling Media, Yahoo!, Nokia, Google, eBay, Microsoft, Orb and Sony Ericsson, Unleashes the True Power of Broadband Internet Over the Mobile
LONDON, Nov. 16 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Hutchison
Whampoa Limited today announced the global launch of the
X-Series from 3. The X-Series from 3 marks the beginning of
the internet via mobile broadband, and heralds a new way of
doing business for mobile network operators. It will extend
several of the core applications and uses of the broadband
internet to the mobile handset, with a new pricing model.
The X-Series from 3 will be supported by the leading
internet companies, cutting-edge handsets from the world's
leading mobile manufacturers and premium customer service.
Customers will be able to make unlimited calls from
their mobile using Skype, watch their home television via
their mobile using Sling, access their home PC remotely
using Orb and have access to the best of internet and
messaging services from Yahoo!, Windows Live Messenger and
Google.
The X-Series from 3 will be priced like fixed line
broadband. It will offer use of mobile internet services
free at the time of use, for a flat fee. The X-Series from
3 will be available in the UK from the 1st December 2006
and in 3's other markets around the world in early 2007.
Each 3 company will provide further details as they launch
X-Series in their markets.
Canning Fok, Group Managing Director of Hutchison
Whampoa, said: "This is the internet as it was meant
to be and what people have been waiting for. Mobile
broadband is the natural next step for mobile services,
extending the full power of the internet to mobile
handsets. By partnering with the leaders of the internet
and the leading handset makers, the X-Series from 3 will
give everyone access to more of what they want, when they
want it, and however much of it they want, all free when
they use it."
Frank Sixt, Group Finance Director of Hutchison
Whampoa, said: "We believe that giving our customers
the benefit of the favourable economics of the broadband
world will lead more customers to join our network. That is
the proposition the 3 Group will be putting forward in all
of its markets under the X-Series. This is why we created
3, and what our network was designed to deliver. The
X-Series heralds important changes in the business model
for mobile media and internet. Moving away from unit
charges will set mobile users free to enjoy broadband
services without fear of `bill-shock'."
The X-Series from 3
The X-Series from 3 will allow people to communicate,
find information and be entertained in ways they have never
been able to do before using a mobile handset.
With X-Series, the 3 Group is sharing the power of
mobile broadband with its internet partners and above all,
with its customers who will get more of what they want,
when they want it, how they want it, and without fear of
hidden charges every step of the way at the point of use.
At today's launch presentation the 3 Group announced
global partnerships with major internet brands Sling Media,
Orb and Google. These partnerships build on global
agreements announced earlier this year with Skype,
Microsoft and Yahoo!
New Charging Structure
X-Series customers will be charged flat access fees for
X-Series mobile broadband services on top of their basic
subscription. The access fees will include all you can
Skype, all you can chat by instant text message and all you
can search and browse. There will initially be an additional
access fee for customers who also take higher-bandwidth
services like Sling and Orb. Just like the fixed line
internet, all X-Series services will be free at the point
of use, subject only to fair usage limits.
The X-Series will lay the foundations for the mobile
broadband charging models of the future. The broadband
internet is based on a completely different economic model
than that of most mobile operators today. As internet and
media technologies have evolved, customers are able to do
more at less cost. Customers in the future will be
attracted by greater and greater choice, and higher and
higher usage levels, for fair, attractive and transparent
access fees.
This charging structure overturns the traditional
telephony model of charging per minute, per message, per
click, per event and per megabyte. This is made possible by
the rapid development of all IP (internet protocol) mobile
networks, HSDPA and HSUPA network speed upgrades,
peer-to-peer technologies, and a number of efficiency
improvements in every aspect of a mobile operator's
business. As a result, the cost of providing broadband
internet and media applications in mobility may be expected
to continue to decline, as it has in the internet and
fixed-line broadband world.
Voice
An X-Series customer will be able to make and receive
unlimited Skype calls with Skype PC users anywhere in the
world, and to any other Skype 3 mobile customer. Skype to
Skype calls on a 3 mobile will be free.(1)
Niklas Zennstrom, CEO, Skype, said: "Over the last
three years, Skype has changed the way people communicate
with one another. There are 136 million Skype users today
who are making free calls to other Skype users across the
world. With 3, I am very proud to say that for the first
time, our users can now try out making Skype calls on the
move using a mobile phone. We always want to delight our
users by letting them try out new ways of keeping in touch.
This is a real milestone for Skype because now you can use
Skype beyond the PC, no matter where you happen to
be."
Your TV where you are
An X-Series customer who purchases a Slingbox will be
able to watch anything they are able to watch on their own
TV, including their terrestrial TV, Freeview, cable, and
satellite TV, at the same time, on their mobile. Slingbox
will also let X-Series customers control their home
personal video recorder (PVR) to watch shows they have
recorded, pause and rewind live TV, or even queue a
recording when away from home using their mobile.
Blake Krikorian, co-founder and CEO of Sling Media,
said: "Working together with 3 has enabled us to push
the boundaries of TV viewing further than ever before. 3
understands the power of mobile broadband to deliver
compelling, value-add applications and services like a
truly personalised mobile TV experience. We are thrilled to
be working with them. The availability of SlingPlayer Mobile
for 3 customers is a major breakthrough in mobile TV
viewing. Customers can now view all the programmes they
love to watch at home whilst on the move via their mobile
phone."
Your PC where you are
Using Orb means people can access the digital content
that they have stored on their PC at home, including music
files, playlists, digital photos and videos, on their
X-Series handset. Orb has specifically designed a user
interface for X-Series handsets, which will ensure the
X-Series customers taking Orb will receive the best user
experience.
Joe Costello, Chairman and co-founder of Orb Networks,
said: "3 Group just gets it. They are the first mobile
media company to give their customers the freedom and
choices to use the mobile Web the way it was intended to be
used. Who doesn't want the freedom to control what digital
media we enjoy, when we enjoy it and where? That's the type
of media freedom Orb provides. 3 is not running away from
the future, they are running towards it with open arms,
ripping down the wall around the garden and offering up the
best Web 2.0 services to their customers."
Messaging
X-Series from 3 will offer customers text instant
messages, to or from Windows Live Messenger or Yahoo!
Messenger, to another X-Series handset, or a PC. Sending
and receiving text instant messages with an X-Series mobile
will be free.(1)
Sharon Baylay, General Manager, Microsoft Online
Services Group UK, said: "We're excited to be bringing
one of Microsoft's best of breed communications services to
3's network. Already, in the UK alone, 3 users are having
one million Windows Live Messenger conversations every day.
These are exciting numbers and mobile broadband will bring a
rapid shift in the delivery of internet services, and
consumers' usage of them. This announcement shows Microsoft
at the forefront of the mobile broadband revolution and we
will continue to roll out `anywhere access' to our leading
web services."
Open Internet Access and Search
Customers will be able to search the internet without
limitation from their mobile using a Google(TM) or Yahoo
search engine, depending on their choice and the search
services available in their country. Searching and browsing
the internet on mobile will be free.(1)
Terry Semel CEO of Yahoo said: "Approximately
three billion people in the world today are using mobile
devices, and to have the ability to connect to those three
billion, with broadband capabilities, and allow them to
take advantage of Yahoo! Services on the go is a huge
opportunity for both our company and for 3."
Dominique Vidal, Regional Vice President & Managing
Director of Yahoo! Europe, said: "As the number of
consumers accessing the Internet on their Mobile devices
continues to grow, creating and partnering to deliver
Innovative mobile communications services, personalised
content and an intuitive search experience is a key
component to Yahoo!'s future success. With the launch of
broadband mobile Internet, 3 Group and Yahoo! can now
deliver the rich and personalised Internet experiences that
consumers want on the go."
Jim Holden, Director Wireless Strategic Partnerships,
Google, said: "We want people to be able to find
useful information on the internet wherever they are. 3
share this goal. Mobile search offers people the chance of
a rich internet experience on the go. Our agreement takes
us a step further to meeting this ambition."
The best Internet shopping with eBay
X-Series customers will be able to shop on eBay
real-time. Searching and browsing and bidding will be free.
This will give eBay users with access to 3 the ability to
enjoy enhanced opportunities to buy and sell on the go and
not just in front of their PCs. With 3 and X-Series, eBay
sellers and buyers will be able to stay connected to one
another when and where they want.
Cutting edge handsets
The global launch of the X-Series from 3 is being made
possible by the first two handsets that will support this
full range of services: the Nokia N73 and the Sony Ericsson
W950i.
Kai Oistamo, Executive Vice President and General
Manager, Mobile Phones, Nokia, said: "We are firm
believers that mobile convergence is the future of
mobility. With its wide array of features, the Nokia N73
multimedia computer is simply ideal for this kind of
innovative service. The X-Series from 3 will be a great way
for consumers to take full advantage of the devices' great
features. We are proud to take part in the X-Series and we
are most confident that our customers will greatly benefit
from this mobile broadband service."
Miles Flint, President, Sony Ericsson said:
"Today's sophisticated consumers want complex services
at their fingertips and our devices are the physical
touch-point between Internet services and the consumer. But
consumers don't just want a functional device, they want
something highly individual. That's what the W950i Walkman
phone brings to the X-Series."
(1) Subject to international roaming limitations and
fair use
restrictions.
Webcast of media event
A webcast of the media conference announcing the global
launch of the X-Series from 3 will be live from 10:30am GMT
on 16th November 2006 and can be viewed at:
http://xseries.three.com/webcast .
Cantos Interview
Interviews with Canning Fok, Group Managing Director of
Hutchison Whampoa Limited, Frank Sixt, Group Finance
Director of Hutchison Whampoa Limited, Niklas Zennstrom,
CEO, Skype and Kai Oistamo, Executive Vice President and
General Manager, Mobile Phones, Nokia, can be viewed at
http://www.cantos.com .
3 Group
A division of Hutchison Whampoa, the 3 Group together
with Hutchison Telecommunications International Limited, is
the leading global player in the 3G arena, holding licences
in 11 markets with total population coverage of
approximately 175 million.
In just three years, the 3 Group has built an entirely
new mobile broadband network, achieving probably the
fastest rollout of a radio network in the entire telecom
industry. Marketed globally under the 3 brand, the 3 Group
was the first operator in the world to provide dual-mode 3G
services.
To date, commercial 3G services have been launched in
Italy, the UK, Australia, Austria, Sweden, Denmark, Hong
Kong, Israel and Ireland. Hutchison announced more than
13.5 million customers in August 2006.
For more information about 3, please visit
http://www.three.com .
For more information on the X-Series from 3 please
visit http://xseries.three.com .
For more information, please contact:
3 media office
UK
Tel: +44-207-350-5696
Email: media@three.co.uk
Laura Cheung
Hutchison Whampoa
Tel: +852-2128-1289
Fax: +852-2128-1766
Email: laurac@hwl.com.hk
SOURCE Hutchison Whampoa Limited
2007'02.11.Sun
Corning COO to Address Investors at UBS Global Communications and Technology Conference
November 16, 2006
Company to Reiterate Fourth-quarter Guidance, Provide Perspective on LCD Industry Trends
CORNING, N.Y., Nov. 16, /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Corning
Incorporated (NYSE: GLW) Chief Operating Officer Peter F.
Volanakis will address investors at the UBS Global
Communications and Technology Conference in New York on
Nov. 14.
(Logo:
http://211.154.41.99:9080/xprn/back/upload/story_attchment/20061026172020-74.jpg
)
"We have no changes to the company's
fourth-quarter guidance as outlined in our third-quarter
earnings announcement on Oct. 24," Volanakis will tell
investors.
Volanakis will focus on key topics of interest to
investors as they evaluate current trends in the liquid
crystal display (LCD) industry and the potential impact of
these trends on Corning's Display Technologies business.
In addressing recent LCD glass price declines,
Volanakis will say, "Although LCD glass pricing is
expected to be down again in the fourth quarter, this
should have no bearing on what the 2007 pricing environment
will be." In providing further clarification on this
topic, he will add, "While glass pricing is expected
to decline each year, the extent of the decline will be
influenced by several factors including: supply and demand
of glass; supply chain stability; competition; and the
transition to higher-generation glass substrate
sizes."
Volanakis will remind investors of Corning's success in
remaining competitive in the fast-paced LCD industry through
its significant LCD glass manufacturing cost reduction
programs averaging 14 percent per year from 1997 through
2005. "Clearly, the strong gross margin we have
achieved this year, in light of the significant price
declines, is a good indication of how successful our
ongoing cost reduction programs have been. Looking forward,
the opportunities for further cost reductions remain
robust," Volanakis will say.
In reviewing the growth drivers of future LCD glass
demand, Volanakis will remind investors that the majority
of the glass shipped today still goes into information
technology products, such as monitors and laptops, which do
not have the same seasonal surges and declines as TV. He
will also point out that the biggest growth driver for
glass will be the increase in LCD TV penetration, which has
grown each quarter over the last several years.
Volanakis will also address the potential impact of
seasonality and other factors on capacity utilization.
"At Corning, we have some levers within our control to
help us adjust production to market dynamics, including the
modularity of our manufacturing facilities and the
flexibility of our tank repairs and product
conversion."
Volanakis will reaffirm Corning's expectation for the
LCD glass market to grow by approximately 50 percent, or by
nearly 400 million square feet this year, with the total LCD
glass market expected to reach approximately 1.2 billion
square feet. "Given LCD TV penetration and average
screen size growth rate expectations, we are anticipating
another strong year of LCD glass volume growth in
2007," he will conclude.
Corning's presentation to investors at the UBS Global
Communications and Technology Conference will be available
via webcast by accessing the IR events calendar on
Corning's Web site at
http://www.corning.com/investor_relations .
Corning Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer James
B. Flaws will also be meeting with investors at the Credit
Suisse Annual Technology Conference in Scottsdale, Ariz. on
Nov. 28.
Presentation of Information in this News Release
Non-GAAP financial measures are not in accordance with,
or an alternative to, GAAP. Corning's non-GAAP EPS measure
excludes restructuring, impairment and other charges and
adjustments to prior estimates for such charges.
Additionally, the company's non-GAAP measure excludes
adjustments to asbestos settlement reserves required by
movements in Corning's common stock price, gains and losses
arising from debt retirements, charges resulting from the
impairment of equity or cost method investments, or
adjustments to deferred tax assets, and gains or losses
recognized in equity earnings from restructuring,
impairment or other charges or credits taken by equity
method companies. The company believes presenting non-GAAP
EPS measures are helpful to analyze financial performance
without the impact of unusual items that may obscure trends
in the company's underlying performance. These non-GAAP
measures are reconciled on the company's Web site at
http://www.corning.com/investor_relations and accompany
this news release.
About Corning Incorporated
Corning Incorporated ( http://www.corning.com ) is a
diversified technology company that concentrates its
efforts on high-impact growth opportunities. Corning
combines its expertise in specialty glass, ceramic
materials, polymers and the manipulation of the properties
of light, with strong process and manufacturing
capabilities to develop, engineer and commercialize
significant innovative products for the telecommunications,
flat panel display, environmental, semiconductor, and life
sciences industries.
Forward Looking Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements
that involve a variety of business risks and other
uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ
materially. These risks and uncertainties include the
possibility of changes in global economic and political
conditions; tariffs, import duties and currency
fluctuations; product demand and industry capacity;
competition; manufacturing efficiencies; cost reductions;
availability and costs of critical components and
materials; new product development and commercialization;
order activity and demand from major customers; changes in
the mix of sales between premium and non-premium products;
facility expansions and new plant start-up costs; possible
disruption in commercial activities due to terrorist
activity, armed conflict, political instability or major
health concerns; adequacy and availability of insurance;
capital spending; equity company activities; acquisition
and divestiture activities; the level of excess or obsolete
inventory; the rate of technology change; the ability to
enforce patents; product and components performance issues;
stock price fluctuations; and adverse litigation or
regulatory developments. Additional risk factors are
identified in Corning's filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements speak only
as of the day that they are made, and Corning undertakes no
obligation to update them in light of new information or
future events.
For more information, please contact:
Media Relations Contact:
Corning China
Lydia Lu
Tel: +86-21-5467-4666 X1900
Email: lulr@corning.com
US Corning
M. Elizabeth Dann
Tel: +1-607-974-4989
Email: dannme@corning.com
Investor Relations Contact:
Kenneth C. Sofio
Tel: +1-607-974-7705
Email: sofiokc@corning.com
SOURCE Corning Incorporated
2007'02.11.Sun
Valeo Signs Contract With Nidec for the Sale of Its Electric Motors & Actuators Activity
November 16, 2006
PARIS, Nov. 16 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Valeo today
announced the signature of a contract for the sale of its
Electric Motors & Actuators activity to the Japanese
group Nidec for an enterprise value of 165 million euros.
In 2005 this activity generated total sales of 253 million
euros and an operating income of 9 million euros. The
transaction should be closed by December 31, 2006.
The sale of the Electric Motors & Actuators
activity is in line with Valeo's strategy to focus its
offer on solutions in the Domains of Driving Assistance,
Powertrain Efficiency and Comfort Enhancement.
This sale will allow the activity to develop as a key
part of the growth strategy of Nidec, a leading global
industrial company specialized in high range electric
motors. Nidec has sales of over 4 billion euros with 19
manufacturing sites primarily in Asia.
Valeo is an independent industrial Group fully focused
on the design, production and sale of components,
integrated systems and modules for cars and trucks. Valeo
ranks among the world's top automotive suppliers and
employs 73,800 people in 133 plants, 71 R&D centers and
9 distribution centers in 29 countries.
For more information, please contact:
Alexandre Telinge
Group Media Relations & PR Manager
Tel: +1-40-55-20-74
Matthieu de Crevoisier
Group Media Relations Coordinator
Tel: +1-40-55-37-68
SOURCE Valeo Management Services
2007'02.11.Sun
VeriSilicon and MoSys Announce Collaboration to Drive Adoption of 1T-SRAM(R) Embedded Memory Technology for Customer System-On-Chip Designs
November 16, 2006
SANTA CLARA, Calif. and SUNNYVALE, Calif., Nov. 16
/Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- VeriSilicon Holdings Co., Ltd.
(VeriSilicon), a leading world class ASIC design foundry
and semiconductor IP provider, and MoSys, Inc. (Nasdaq:
MOSY), the industry's leading provider of high density
system-on-chip (SoC) embedded memory solutions, today
announced the companies are partnering to further expand
the adoption of MoSys' popular 1T-SRAM technology by
providing VeriSilicon' customers seamless access to the
patented technology.
Under the terms of the partnership, VeriSilicon will
add the 1T-SRAM capability to its intellectual property
(IP) portfolio offering, for use into customer SoC designs,
on multiple foundries.
VeriSilicon is a fabless ASIC design foundry focusing
on providing best-in-class vertical platform solutions,
system knowledge and services to help SoC customers go from
chip specification to production. Under the partnership,
customers now have the option to work directly with
VeriSilicon to integrate MoSys' innovative memory
technology into their designs across a wide range of
foundry options and advanced process geometries, such as 90
nm. By leveraging MoSys' patented 1T-SRAM ultra high
density memory offering, customers are able to
significantly lower their silicon costs while maintaining
high performance and low power.
"We are very happy to work with VeriSilicon to
proliferate our technology to a wider range of customers.
Over the last few years, VeriSilicon has garnered numerous
industry awards by amassing a successful track record
across impressive world wide customer base. Our
expectation is that the combination of our pioneering
memory technology and VeriSilicon leading ASIC capabilities
will result in uniquely optimal silicon solutions for
numerous types of applications," said Chet Silvestri,
chief executive officer of MoSys.
"Our collaboration with MoSys represents
VerSilicon's commitment to provide customers a
one-stop-shop for their IP and turnkey needs. By working
with a technology leader like MoSys, our customers can also
leverage our other IP products and design services to
develop ultra-competitive solutions in terms of silicon
area and power to meet their most demanding product
requirements," said Federico Arcelli, Corporate
vice-president of WW sales & marketing at VeriSilicon.
About VeriSilicon
VeriSilicon Holdings Co., Ltd. is a leading world class
ASIC design foundry providing libraries, semiconductor IPs,
design and turnkey manufacturing services with multi-fab
capability supporting process technologies down to 90nm.
VeriSilicon has achieved first silicon success and entered
volume production of many complex, multi-million gates SoCs
using the leading wafer foundries in APAC and China.
VeriSilicon has operations in US, China, Taiwan, Japan,
France, and Korea. Over 500 customers worldwide have
licensed VeriSilicon IPs and Standard Design Platforms. In
2005, VeriSilicon was ranked number three in Deloitte
Technology Fast 50 China, the top 50 fastest-growing
technology companies in China and number six in Deloitte
Fast 500 Asia Pacific, the top 500 fastest-growing
technology companies in Asia Pacific. VeriSilicon was also
named one of the Red Herring 100 Private Companies of Asia,
and selected as one of the EE Times 60 Emerging Startups.
More information is available at http://www.verisilicon.com
.
About MoSys Inc
Founded in 1991, MoSys develops, licenses and markets
innovative memory technologies for semiconductors. MoSys'
patented 1T-SRAM technologies offer a combination of high
density, low power consumption, high speed and low cost
unmatched by other available memory technologies. The
single transistor bit cell used in 1T-SRAM memory results
in the technology achieving much higher density than
traditional four or six transistor SRAMs while using the
same standard logic manufacturing processes. 1T-SRAM
technologies also offer the familiar, refresh-free
interface and high performance for random address access
cycles associated with traditional SRAMs. In addition,
these technologies can reduce operating power consumption
by a factor of four compared with traditional SRAM
technology, contributing to making them ideal for embedding
large memories in System on Chip (SoC) designs. MoSys'
licensees have shipped more than 100 million chips
incorporating 1T-SRAM embedded memory technologies,
demonstrating excellent manufacturability in a wide range
of silicon processes and applications. MoSys is
headquartered at 755 N. Mathilda Avenue, Sunnyvale,
California 94085. More information is available on MoSys'
website at http://www.mosys.com .
For more information, please contact:
Walter Croce
Director,
Marketing, MoSys
Tel: +1-408-731-1820
Email: wcroce@mosys.com
Federico Arcelli
Corporate VP,
WW Sales & Marketing
Tel: +33-4-93-18-73-47
Email: federico.arcelli@verisilicon.com
SOURCE VeriSilicon Holdings Co., Ltd.
2007'02.11.Sun
WHO and Partners Accelerate Fight Against Counterfeit Medicines
November 16, 2006
Up to 50% of Medicines Sold Through Rogue Web Sites are Fake
GENEVA, Nov. 16 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- The World Health
Organization (WHO) and more than 20 international partners
are today launching a comprehensive package of measures to
help national authorities safeguard their populations from
the dangers of counterfeit medicines.
(Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040610/CNTH001LOGO )
At the opening of the first official meeting of IMPACT
(the International Medical Products Anti-Counterfeiting
Taskforce) in Bonn, WHO and its partners are unveiling a
programme covering legislation, law enforcement,
regulation, technology and communication. IMPACT is also
issuing a warning against buying medicines from rogue web
sites as well as cautioning governments that existing laws
against medical counterfeiters are inadequate and do not
act as deterrents.
Counterfeit medicines range from products containing no
active ingredients to those containing highly toxic
substances. They can harm patients by failing to treat
serious conditions, can provoke drug resistance and in some
cases kill.
The latest estimates jointly elaborated by WHO, the
OECD, and the Pharmaceutical Security Institute show that
more than 30% of medicines in some areas of Latin America,
South East Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa are counterfeit. In
emerging economies, the proportion is estimated at 10% but
in many of the former Soviet republics it can be as high as
20%. In wealthy countries, with strong regulatory
mechanisms, counterfeits account for less than 1% of the
market value, but 50% of illegal Internet sales are
counterfeit.
"The impact on people's lives behind these figures
is devastating," said Dr Howard Zucker, WHO Assistant
Director-General for Health Technology and Pharmaceuticals.
"Whether rich or poor, many patients trustingly taking
medicines may end up sicker or die. In addition, precious
resources spent on these medicines go to waste."
The legal systems of most countries do not consider the
counterfeiting of medicines a more serious crime than
counterfeiting luxury items such as handbags or watches.
Their laws are designed mainly to protect trademarks than
people's health. In some industrialized countries,
counterfeiting t-shirts receives a harsher punishment than
counterfeiting medicines.
WHO and its IMPACT partners will present guiding principles
for model legislation to help countries adapt their laws to
the gravity of the crime. "A major objective is for
countries to agree that counterfeiting is a crime against
human security and incorporate that principle into their
laws," added Dr Zucker.
Legislation, regulation and enforcement also provide
the basis for dealing with the sale of counterfeit
medicines on the Internet, which is already rife in
industrialized countries and is growing in a number of
emerging economies in Latin America and Asia.
Some Internet pharmacies are completely legal
operations, set up to offer clients convenience and
savings. They require patient prescriptions and deliver
medications from government licensed facilities. Other
Internet pharmacies operate illegally, selling medications
without prescriptions and using unapproved or counterfeit
products. These rogue Internet pharmacies are operated
internationally, they have no registered business address
and sell products that have an unknown or unclear origin.
"This area needs more work," said Dr Valerio
Reggi, WHO Coordinator of IMPACT. "But the message
for now is: do not take the risk of buying your medicines
from unknown sources, such as the Internet. If you must
buy from the Internet, ensure that the website is that of a
pharmacy you know and trust."
In the technology area, WHO has launched a challenge to
technology providers to come up with new technologies or
adapt existing ones to prevent counterfeiting and detect
and track counterfeits on markets and on web sites.
WHO is currently looking at proposals from three mobile
telephone companies to apply their technologies to check the
authenticity of medical products. DNA-based technologies,
nanotechnology and other approaches will be assessed by
IMPACT in the first quarter of 2007.
To improve communication, a small group has been
created to continuously update global data on medical
counterfeiting and share the information with IMPACT
partners. In addition, advocacy campaigns including public
service announcements, short descriptive films and other
awareness raising materials have begun targeting different
professional sectors likely to come across the problem of
counterfeits. Organizations representing health
professionals and consumers are supporting these
initiatives.
Three countries with a high proportion of counterfeits
have already started tackling the problem with IMPACT's
support. Indonesia and Mali have begun wide communication
campaigns to educate the general public on the dangers of
counterfeits and to dissuade people seeking treatment from
buying on the black market. Vietnam is establishing
mechanisms to coordinate more effectively between
regulatory, police, customs and provincial authorities in
order to improve detection of counterfeit medicines and
counterfeiters.
"It is clear that action in a single sphere, like
legislation or technology is not enough to deal effectively
with the problem," said Dr Reggi. "This is why we
need to act on five axes -¨C legal, enforcement, regulatory,
technology and communication. It's also why we need to
coordinate action at a global level. But the fact that
individual countries are already taking this on bodes well
for the future."
By the end of 2007 IMPACT aims to have all 193 WHO Member
States formally collaborating to stem global and national
counterfeiting of medical products.
For more facts and figures on medical counterfeiting,
see:
(login: impact1; password: impact2)
http://www.who.int/medicines/services/counterfeit/impact/ImpactF_S/en/index.html
For more details on IMPACT and a full list of partners
see:
http://www.who.int/medicines/services/counterfeit/faqs/count_q-a/en/index.html
http://www.who.int/medicines/services/counterfeit/en/index.html
For more information, please contact:
Daniela Bagozzi,
WHO Media Communications
Tel: +41-22-791-4544
Mobile: +41-79-475-5490
Email: bagozzid@who.int
All press releases, fact sheets and other WHO media
material may be found at http://www.who.int .
SOURCE World Health Organization
2007'02.11.Sun
Chinese Sensation Ziyi Zhang Joins Special Olympics as Newest Global Ambassador
November 16, 2006
International Actress Vows to Spread Special Olympics Message of Acceptance
WASHINGTON D.C., Nov. 16 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --
November 10, 2006, leading Chinese actress Ziyi Zhang,
known for her starring roles in Memoirs of a Geisha and
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, joins the Special Olympics
family as a Special Olympics Global Ambassador. In her new
role, Ms. Zhang pledges to spread the organization's message
of inclusion and acceptance of people with intellectual
disabilities to an international audience. Ms. Zhang's
announcement was made during a reception for the
"Special Olympics For Social Harmony" forum held
at United Nations headquarters in New York City.
(Logo:
http://211.154.41.99:9080/xprn/sa/200611161203.jpg )
"As a Global Ambassador, I am committed to helping
Special Olympics transform attitudes and dispel negative
stereotypes on a global level," said Ziyi Zhang.
"I hope to help people understand that we need to
celebrate and appreciate differences. We all have worth,
we all have value, and we're all better off when we help
each other out."
Ms. Zhang joins a select group of celebrities who are
dedicated to spreading the Special Olympics movement and
message. They include California Governor Arnold
Schwarzenegger; boxing legend Muhammad Ali; Olympian Nadia
Comaneci; and performer Vanessa Williams.
More than 190 million people worldwide have an
intellectual disability, making it the largest disability
group worldwide. Intellectual disability crosses racial,
ethnic, educational, social and economic lines, and can
occur in any family.
"Ziyi's commitment to the international Special
Olympics movement strengthens our message that Special
Olympics belongs not to any one country, but rather to the
world, creating harmonious societies on every
continent," said Bruce Pasternack, President and CEO,
Special Olympics. "We're confident her international
celebrity will help raise awareness of acceptance and
inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities all
over the world."
In 2005, Ms. Zhang was named one of "The Time
100", Time magazine's list of the world's most
influential people. In May 2005, she was featured as the
face of China in Newsweek's feature story "China's
Century." In May of 2006, she became the youngest
member to serve on the jury of the 59th Cannes Film
Festival. For the last three consecutive years, Ms. Zhang
has been named by Forbes as one of China's Most Influential
Person.
Ms. Zhang is most well known for her critically
acclaimed performance in director Ang Lee's stunning
"Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." Released in
2000, Ms. Zhang received 14 nominations, going on to win
the 2001 Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting
Actress and 2000 Toronto Film Critics Association Award for
Best Supporting Actress, among many others. In 2005, Ms.
Zhang debuted in her first English language film in the
lead role for "Memoirs of a Geisha," directed by
Rob Marshall. She received Best Actress nominations from
the 2006 Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild and British
Film Academy Awards.
About Special Olympics
Special Olympics is an international organization that
changes lives by promoting understanding, acceptance and
inclusion between people with and without intellectual
disabilities. Through year-round sports training and
athletic competition and other related programming for 2.25
million children and adults with intellectual disabilities
in more than 150 countries, Special Olympics has created a
model community that celebrates people's diverse gifts.
Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Special Olympics
provides people with intellectual disabilities continuing
opportunities to realize their potential, develop physical
fitness, demonstrate courage and experience joy and
friendship. Visit Special Olympics at
http://www.specialolympics.org .
For more information, please contact:
Kirsten Seckler
Tel: +1-202-715-1147
Email: kseckler@specialolympics.org
SOURCE Special Olympics East Asia
2007'02.11.Sun
WinZip(R) 11.0 Makes Using Zip Files Easier Than Ever
November 16, 2006
World's Most Popular Compression Utility Expands Data Backup Functionality, Adds Image Viewing and Automatic Compression Selection
MANSFIELD, Conn. and OTTAWA, Nov. 16
/Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- WinZip Computing, a Corel Company
(Nasdaq: CREL; TSX: CRE), announced today the official
release of WinZip(R) 11.0.
WinZip 11.0 reinforces the company's commitment to
helping its wide range of users work smarter, safer and
faster by introducing features that streamline work
processes that occur before and after the actual task of
zipping and unzipping files.
WinZip is a powerful and easy-to-use compression
utility that quickly zips and unzips files to conserve disk
space and greatly reduce email transmission time. It is the
data compression choice for thousands of organizations,
government agencies and Fortune 500 companies, as well as
millions of home users. More than 160 million users have
downloaded copies of WinZip from CNET's download.com
alone.
Highlights of WinZip 11.0, available in Standard or
Pro, include practical image handling through thumbnails
and a new internal image viewer, more efficient
compression, enhanced data backup functionality, and
support for RAR and BZ2 files.
Recognizing the increasing popularity of digital
photography, the company takes an important step in
supporting image management with WinZip 11.0. When using
WinZip's Explorer-style view, users can now view image
thumbnails without extracting the images from the Zip file.
This makes it quicker to work with images in Zip files. Pro
users can also view the full-size image in WinZip's new
internal image viewer. This allows users to browse through
multiple images within WinZip itself, rather than opening a
separate application for each individual image.
WinZip 11.0 Pro includes practical and powerful
enhancements to the WinZip Job Wizard. Now, users who
regularly depend on the Job Wizard for tasks including
backup of data sets, archiving important documents, or
distributing information can configure WinZip 11.0 Pro to
email a status confirmation and/or the resulting Zip file
automatically after completion. Job Wizard users can also
use a new "browse" feature to find a specific
folder on an FTP server, and select custom jobs directly
from the Job Wizard and Quick Pick menus.
Last year, WinZip introduced PPMd and bzip2 compression
methods-enhanced technology that allows users to create
smaller Zip files than ever before. This year, WinZip makes
this technology more accessible by introducing a new `best
compression' feature. This allows users to simply select
`best compression' and let WinZip decide what compression
method to use, depending on the individual file type.
Other enhancements include the ability to open BZ2 and
RAR files, and the addition of a special lossless
compression method that compresses WAV music files more
efficiently, and doesn't compromise sound quality.
"These powerful new features, as well as several
additional enhancements, make WinZip 11.0 our most complete
compression offering to date," said Edwin Siebesma,
president of WinZip Computing. "And while we have not
lost our focus on our core competency, WinZip 11.0
demonstrates that the usefulness of this trusted utility
extends well beyond basic zipping and unzipping."
WinZip 11.0 Standard is US$29.95, and WinZip 11.0 Pro
is US$49.95. Attractive volume licensing discounts are
available. Download links and ordering information can be
found on the WinZip web site at http://www.winzip.com .
About WinZip Computing
Founded in 1991, WinZip Computing is located in
Mansfield, Conn. and was recently acquired by Corel
Corporation. WinZip offers the world's most popular Zip
utility for Windows, WinZip(R), along with WinZip
Self-Extractor and WinZip Companion for Outlook.
About Corel Corporation
Corel is a leading global packaged software company
with over 40 million users. The Company provides
full-featured, easy-to-use productivity, graphics and
digital imaging software and enjoys a favorable market
position among consumers and small businesses. The
Company's award-winning product portfolio features popular,
globally recognized brands, including CorelDRAW(R) Graphics
Suite, Corel(R) Paint Shop(R) Pro, Corel(R) Snapfire(R),
Corel Painter(TM), Corel DESIGNER(R), Corel(R)
WordPerfect(R) Office, WinZip(R), and iGrafx(R). With
hundreds of industry awards for leadership in software
innovation, design and value, Corel's products have built a
loyal following of customers and partners around the globe.
Corel's products are sold in over 75 countries through an
international network of resellers and retailers, original
equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and Corel's global
websites.
Corel, CorelDRAW, Paint Shop, Snapfire, Painter,
Designer, WordPerfect, WinZip, iGrafx and the Corel logo
are trademarks or registered trademarks of Corel
Corporation and/or its subsidiaries.
For more information, please contact:
Edwin Siebesma
President of WinZip Computing
Tel: +1-860-429-3532
Email: press@winzip.com
Gail Scibelli
Corel Corporation
Tel: +1-617-539-9984
Email: gail.scibelli@corel.com
SOURCE Corel Corporation
2007'02.11.Sun
Xinhua Finance and Milken Institute Launch China Indicators
November 16, 2006
Initial Three Indicators Gauge Pressure on Renminbi, IPO Market Performance and Capital Structure of Chinese Companies
SHANGHAI, Nov. 16 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Xinhua Finance
Ltd. (TSE Mothers: 9399 and OTC: XHFNY) and the Milken
Institute has released the first three of eight new
economic indicators tracking China's financial markets.
The three indicators, whose launch was announced on
November 15 at the US-China Executive Summit held in New
York, are aimed at providing investors, analysts and
financial professionals with deeper insight into China's
money and capital markets. According to the CEO of Xinhua
Finance, Fredy Bush, they "greatly demystify the
Chinese macro economy by matching the rigor of the Milken
Institute's empirical methodologies with the rigor of
Xinhua Finance-compiled data."
The first three of the Xinhua Finance/Milken Institute
China Indicators series objectively evaluate three
important facets of China's economy: the currency market,
the equity capital market and the debt capital market. They
are:
Renminbi Pressure Indicator (RPI): The monthly RPI
measures the appreciation pressure on the renminbi, mainly
relative to the U.S. dollar, by combining data on exchange
rates, foreign exchange reserves and interest rates. This
indicator shows that upward pressure on China's currency
increased 14.6 percent from July 2004 to July 2005, when
the currency was revalued. In the 12 months since the
revaluation, the pressure has slowed to 9.4 percent.
Chinese Initial Public Offering Indicator (IPO
Indicator): The monthly IPO Indicator offers a summary of
composition and performance changes in the Chinese IPO
market, as measured by market capitalization. Its release
coincides with resurging interest in Chinese new issuances,
such as last month's record-breaking IPO of Industrial and
Commercial Bank of China in Hong Kong and Shanghai. The
indicator, composed of a monthly average of 102 companies,
shows an 80 percent price appreciation in new issues from
December 1997 to August 2006.
Market-Adjusted Debt Indicator (MAD Indicator): The
quarterly MAD indicator focuses on China's debt capital
market. It measures the capital structure of Chinese
companies, using a long-term debt-to-equity ratio based on
market value, instead of book value. It shows that, from
2001 to the first quarter of 2006, the amount of market
debt outstanding increased from 6.6 cents to 22.2 cents for
each dollar of equity capital, a 236 percent increase. This
indicator finds that Chinese firms are underleveraged when
compared with their counterparts in developed countries.
Ms. Bush said that she is proud of Xinhua Finance and
Milken Institute's unprecedented initiative toward
delivering greater transparency and efficiency to the
Chinese financial market.
"The indicators contribute more useful,
quantitative ways of looking at China's financial markets.
They advance our organizations' joint mission of
facilitating market growth by laying the groundwork for the
development of robust foreign exchange, corporate bond,
equity and derivatives markets."
Milken Institute President and CEO Michael L. Klowden
agreed that the indicators are an important new tool to
help understand China's markets.
"The three indicators will benefit a wide set of
market participants as they can be used as effective tools
to judge and assess market circumstances and movements in
support of investment decision-making," he said.
Xinhua Finance, China's leading financial information
and media organization, and the Milken Institute, one of
the world's leading economic and financial research think
tanks, agreed in April to create a set of eight new
economic indicators tracking China's markets. The
indicators use Xinhua Finance's extensive local
data-gathering capabilities in the production process and
the Milken Institute's expertise and established
methodologies for capital-market research.
The other five indicators to be launched in 2007 are
the Chinese Banking Sector Indicator, the Chinese Mergers
and Acquisitions Indicator, the Chinese Privatization and
Joint Venture Indicator, the Chinese Corporate Governance
Indicator and the Trade Openness Indicator.
For more information, go to
http://www.xinhuafinance.com/indicators or
http://www.milkeninstitute.org .
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. 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
Jennifer Manfre
Communications Manager
Tel: +1-310-570-4623
Email: jmanfre@milkeninstitute.org
Skip Rimer
Director of Communications
Tel: +1-310-570-4654
Email: srimer@milkeninstitute.org
SOURCE Xinhua finance; Milken Institute
2007'02.11.Sun
Data I/O(R) and ICOS Vision Systems Collaborate on Innovative Programming/Inspection Station for Programmable ICs
November 16, 2006
REDMOND, Wash., Nov. 16 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Data
I/O(R) Corporation (Nasdaq: DAIO), the leading provider of
device programming solutions for the automotive industry,
and ICOS Vision Systems Corporation NV (Euronext and
Nasdaq: IVIS), a leading supplier of inspection solutions
for the semiconductor industry, have collaborated on the
integration of ICOS 3D inspection for semiconductor devices
into Data I/O PS588 high-volume offline programming system.
The new system combines programming and 3D inspection into
one high-speed process, assuring that programmed devices
delivered to the production line are properly programmed
and free from defects.
The market for component inspection is expected to grow
rapidly over the next several years, driven by stringent
quality requirements and ever smaller, higher performance
Integrated Circuits. Routine handling of semiconductor
components can result in coplanarity problems, bent leads,
or lead burrs that can negatively impact quality in the
final product.
Coplanarity problems can cause solder joints to fail
during manufacture, or reduce system reliability in the
field. By introducing post-programming inspection, Data
I/O's PS588 system with inspection ensures that all passed
devices fall within the coplanarity tolerances before
output to media. The increased manufacturing yield and
reduction in subsequent failures offer substantial savings
for electronics manufacturers.
"A single solution that can now accomplish both
programming and inspection brings great value to Data I/O
customers" said Andre Dehuysser, Sales Manager Europe
of ICOS. "Conducting inspection on successfully
programmed devices is an efficient way to assure that only
good devices are presented to the production line. The
combination of the most advanced programming technology
with our Compact LIM inspection module is unique in the
industry."
Upon completion of a successful programming operation,
the PS588 robotic head picks up the device and presents it
to the ICOS inspection module, where the X, Y, and Z axes
are visually inspected for flaws or damage.
In addition to coplanarity measurement, the system also
offers inspection of lead pitch and slant. Upon successful
inspection, the device is then placed in an output media --
tray, tape, or tube.
"The ICOS inspection capability, combined with
high-speed device programming, is a powerful solution that
assures that only the highest quality devices move into the
PCB assembly process," said Harald Weigelt, VP of
Operations for Data I/O. "We anticipate that the
programming/inspection system will be a very effective
solution for our customers implementing fine pitch leaded
devices in automotive, industrial and consumer
products."
The PS588 is a high performance automated programming
system offered by Data I/O for volume programming of
microcontroller, Flash memory and NAND flash devices.
Designed for OEM/ODM or programming centers producing in
high volumes for small or large batches, the system
provides flexible control over data file management, job
creation and programming process control.
About ICOS
ICOS designs and manufactures inspection equipment for
the semiconductor packaging industry. It is a
world-leading supplier of equipment for the final visual
control of chips before they are used in various
applications, such as PC's, cars or portable phones. ICOS'
systems perform two- and three-dimensional (2D and 3D)
inspections as part of the final visual quality control
step in the manufacturing of chips, wafers, flexible tapes
for flat panel displays, sockets, substrates and solar
cells. Aside from its complete systems, ICOS also offers
inspection subsystems for integration in other equipment.
ICOS' headquarters are located in Leuven, Belgium and it
has R&D centers in Belgium, Germany and Hong Kong and
sales and support offices in Japan, the USA, Singapore,
Korea and Hong Kong and production facilities in Belgium,
Hong Kong and China.
About Data I/O
With more than 34 years of innovative leadership in the
device programming industry, Data I/O(R) Corporation
(Nasdaq: DAIO - News) provides semiconductor device
handling and programming systems, manufacturing and process
control applications to manufacturers of automotive
electronics, wireless and consumer products, and
semiconductors. Data I/O Corporation is headquartered in
Redmond, Washington, and has sales and service offices
worldwide. For more information, see http://www.dataio.com
or call 800-426-1045.
Forward-Looking Statements
All company and product names mentioned may be
trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective
holders and are used for identification purposes only. The
matters discussed in this news release include
forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and
uncertainties that may cause actual results to vary
significantly. These risks include market and competitive
factors, and other risks described in the Company's most
recent annual report and/or in any of its other filings
with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company
assumes no obligation to update the information in this
release. Reference to the Company's website above does not
constitute incorporation of any of the information thereon
into this press release.
For more information, please contact:
Megan Miller
Data I/O Corporation
Tel: +1-425-867-6927
Email: millerm@dataio.com
Dennis McFarland
Goldstein Group Communications
Tel: +1-216-573-2300
Email: dmcfarland@ggcomm.com
SOURCE Data I/O Corporation
2007'02.11.Sun
The9 Reports Third Quarter 2006 Unaudited Financial Results
November 16, 2006
SHANGHAI, China, Nov. 16 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- The9
Limited (Nasdaq: NCTY), a leading online game operator in
China, today announced its unaudited financial results for
the quarter ended September 30, 2006.
Third Quarter 2006 Financial Highlights:
-- Net revenues for the third quarter of 2006 decreased
by 9%
quarter-over-quarter and increased by 26%
year-over-year to
RMB233.4 million (US$29.5 million).
-- Net revenues attributable to the operations of
Blizzard
Entertainment(R)'s World of Warcraft(R)
("WoW")(1), which included
revenues from game playing time, merchandise and
installation package
sales, were RMB230.2 million (US$29.1 million) in
the third quarter
of 2006, a 10% decrease from the previous quarter.
-- Net income for the third quarter of 2006 was RMB64.3
million (US$8.1
million), a 24% decrease from RMB84.3 million
(US$10.7 million) in the
second quarter of 2006. Excluding financial subsidy
of RMB11.2 million
(US$1.4 million) received from the Chinese local
government in the
second quarter of 2006, net income for the third
quarter of 2006
decreased by 12% sequentially from the previous
quarter.
-- EBITDA (non-GAAP) was RMB105.4 million (US$13.3
million) in the third
quarter of 2006, compared with EBITDA (non-GAAP) of
RMB124.7 million
(US$15.8 million) in the second quarter of 2006, a
decrease of 16%.
-- Fully diluted earnings per share (one American
Depositary Share "ADS"
represents one ordinary share) were RMB2.61
(US$0.33) for the third
quarter of 2006 compared with RMB3.42 (US$0.43) for
the second quarter
of 2006. Fully diluted EBITDA (non-GAAP) per share
were RMB4.28
(US$0.54) for the third quarter of 2006 compared
with RMB5.06
(US$0.64) for the second quarter of 2006.
Management Comments:
Commenting on the third quarter 2006 results, Jun Zhu,
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The9 Limited, said,
"As communicated in August, the third quarter is a
transitional quarter. Several important milestones were
achieved in the third quarter for our operation of Blizzard
Entertainment(R)'s World of Warcraft(R) game in China,
including merging of servers, launching content upgrade
patch and adding new server site to pave the way for future
growth. In the third quarter, WoW game attained peak and
average concurrent users of approximately 595,000 and
280,000, respectively, in mainland China. Subsequent to the
quarter end with the launch of the seventh server site, we
have achieved peak concurrent users of over 660,000 for the
WoW game. As of September 30, 2006, over 5.9 million paid
accounts have been activated(2).
With respect to new games, we are on schedule to launch
open beta testing for the Guild Wars(R) game in China before
year-end. This is a milestone towards achieving our strategy
of operating various diversified and high- caliber games in
China through our strong operation platform. I am very
confident in The9's solid game pipeline and execution
capabilities which will lead to our future success."
Hannah Lee, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer,
commented, "We consider the third quarter of 2006 as
our preparation quarter for Blizzard Entertainment(R)'s
World of Warcraft(R) during which we have not only merged
servers to improve utilization but also upgraded server
hardware and built the seventh server site for the
anticipated demand from players. Our work in the third
quarter has proven to be fruitful, with strong response
from players to our new server site and the new content
introduced in early October 2006. As usual, we will
continue to demonstrate our strong operations ability in
the future with planned launches of several high-caliber
games in our portfolio."
Discussion of The9's Unaudited Third Quarter 2006
Results
Revenues
For the third quarter of 2006, The9 reported total
gross revenues of RMB245.8 million (US$31.1 million), a 9%
decrease from RMB271.3 million (US$34.3 million) in the
second quarter of 2006. Total net revenues were RMB233.4
million (US$29.5 million), a 9% decrease from RMB257.6
million (US$32.6 million) in the previous quarter.
Net revenues attributable to the operations of Blizzard
Entertainment(R)'s World of Warcraft(R), including game
playing time, merchandise and installation package sales,
were RMB230.2 million (US$29.1 million) in the third
quarter of 2006, a 10% decrease from the previous quarter.
For the third quarter of 2006, revenues from game playing
time accounted for 99.4% of total net revenues attributable
to the operation of WoW.
For the third quarter of 2006, online game services
gross revenues were RMB241.2 million (US$30.5 million),
decreased by 10% from RMB 269.3 (US$34.1 million) in the
second quarter of 2006. The decrease in game services
revenue was mainly due to server shut downs related to
certain server merges, and the postponement of new content
upgrade in China to ensure necessary infrastructure
upgrades were in place.
For the third quarter of 2006, gross revenues from game
operating support, website solutions and advertisement, were
RMB2.7 million (US$0.3 million), a 204% increase from RMB0.9
million (US$0.1 million) in the previous quarter. The
increase in such revenues was mainly due to certain
technical support services rendered in the quarter.
Other gross revenues mainly included sales of Blizzard
Entertainment(R)'s World of Warcraft(R) related merchandise
and installation packages. For the third quarter of 2006,
other gross revenues increased to RMB1.9 million (US$0.2
million) from RMB1.1 million (US$0.1 million) in the second
quarter of 2006.
Gross Profit
Gross profit for the third quarter of 2006 decreased by
13% to RMB107.9 million (US$13.6 million) from RMB124.1
million (US$15.7 million) in the second quarter of 2006.
Gross profit margin decreased to 46% for the third quarter
of 2006 from 48% in the previous quarter. This decrease in
gross profit margin was primarily because our net revenues
declined in the third quarter while certain fixed costs,
such as server depreciation, internet data center rentals
and intangible assets amortization, did not decrease
proportionally to the decrease in our net revenues.
Operating Expenses
For the third quarter of 2006, operating expenses
decreased by 18% to RMB44.6 million (US$5.6 million) from
RMB54.1 million (US$6.9 million) in the second quarter of
2006. The decrease was primarily because we adjusted our
sales and marketing plan according to the delayed launch in
China of new content for Blizzard Entertainment(R)'s World
of Warcraft(R), which was due to the need for
infrastructure upgrades to support said content, lower
professional fees due to the revised Sarbanes-Oxley
compliance requirements, and better control of general and
administrative expenditures.
Share-based compensation expenses, which were allocated
to related expense categories, amounted to RMB4.5 million
(US$0.6 million) in the third quarter of 2006 compared to
RMB4.8 million (US$0.6 million) in the prior quarter.
Profit from Operations
As a result of the aforementioned factors, for the
third quarter of 2006, profit from operations decreased by
10% to RMB63.3 million (US$8.0 million) from RMB70.0
million (US$8.9 million) in the second quarter of 2006.
Other Income (Expenses)
Other expenses for the third quarter of 2006 was RMB1.0
million (US$0.1 million) compared to other income of RMB10.8
million (US$1.4 million) in the second quarter of 2006. This
was primarily because in the second quarter of 2006, we
received financial subsidy from the Chinese local
government which amounted to RMB11.2 million (US$1.4
million), whereas no similar financial subsidy was received
in the third quarter of 2006.
Equity in Profit (Loss) of Affiliated Companies
For the third quarter of 2006, equity in loss from
affiliated companies, net of taxes, amounted to RMB1.2
million (US$0.2 million), compared to equity in profit from
affiliated companies of RMB0.4 million (US$0.05 million) for
the second quarter of 2006. This was mainly because the two
joint ventures to which we made investment in the third
quarter of 2006 are both in pre-operation phase and are
experiencing losses.
Net Income
For the third quarter of 2006, net income was RMB64.3
million (US$8.1 million), which included share-based
compensation expenses of RMB4.5 million (US$0.6 million),
decreasing 24% from RMB84.3 million (US$10.7 million),
which included share-based compensation expenses of RMB4.8
million (US$0.6 million), in the second quarter of 2006.
This was a result of the cumulative effect of the foregoing
factors. Fully diluted earnings per share and per ADS for
the third quarter of 2006 was RMB2.61 (US$0.33), compared
to RMB3.42 (US$0.43) in the second quarter of 2006.
EBITDA (non-GAAP) is defined as earnings or loss,
respectively, before depreciation of fixed assets,
amortization of intangibles and income tax
expenses/benefits, as applicable. For the third quarter of
2006, EBITDA (non- GAAP) was RMB105.4 million (US$13.3
million), compared to EBITDA (non-GAAP) of RMB124.7 million
(US$15.8 million) for the previous quarter. Fully diluted
EBITDA (non-GAAP) per share for the third quarter of 2006
was RMB4.28 (US$0.54) compared with RMB5.06 (US$0.64) for
the previous quarter.
As of September 30, 2006, the Company's total cash and
cash equivalents balance was RMB761.9 million (US$96.4
million), compared to the total cash and cash equivalents
of RMB657.8 million (US$83.2 million) as of June 30, 2006.
The increase was mainly due to the proceeds received from
the sales of prepaid cards, offset in part by prepaid
royalty payments to the licensor relating to Blizzard
Entertainment(R)'s World of Warcraft(R)'s China operations
and the capital expenditures relating to the seventh server
site for WoW game in the third quarter of 2006.
The conversion of Renminbi (RMB) into U.S. dollars
(US$) in this press release is based on the noon buying
rate in The City of New York for cable transfers in
Renminbi per U.S. dollar as certified for customs purposes
by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York as of September 29,
2006 (the last business day of third quarter 2006), which
was RMB7.9040 to US$1.00. The percentages stated in this
press release are calculated based on the RMB amounts.
Non-GAAP Measure
To supplement the consolidated financial statements
presented in accordance with accounting principles
generally accepted in the United States ("GAAP"),
The9 uses the non-GAAP measure of EBITDA, which is adjusted
from the most directly comparable financial measures
calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP to exclude
certain expenses. The non-GAAP financial measure is provided
to enhance investors' overall understanding of the Company's
operating performance.
EBITDA (non-GAAP) is defined as earnings and loss,
respectively, before depreciation of fixed assets,
amortization of intangibles and income tax
expenses/benefits, as applicable. The Company believes its
EBITDA provides useful information to both management and
investors as it excludes certain expenses that are not
expected to result in future cash payments. The use of
EBITDA has certain limitations. Depreciation and
amortization expense for various assets and income tax
expenses/benefits have been and will be incurred and are
not reflected in the presentation of EBITDA. Each of these
items should also be considered in the overall evaluation
of our results. EBITDA should not be considered as a
measure of our liquidity. We compensate for these
limitations by providing the relevant disclosure of our
depreciation and amortization, and income tax
expenses/benefits in our reconciliations to the GAAP
financial measure, which should be considered when
evaluating our performance. EBITDA is not defined under
GAAP,and our EBITDA is not a measure of net income,
operating income, operating performance or liquidity
presented in accordance with GAAP. When assessing our
operating performance, you should not consider this data in
isolation or as a substitute for our net income, operating
income or any other operating performance measure that is
calculated in accordance with GAAP. In addition, our EBITDA
may not be comparable to similarly titled measures utilized
by other companies since such other companies may not
calculate EBITDA in the same manner as we do. For more
information on this non-GAAP financial measure, please see
the tables captioned "Reconciliation of non-GAAP to
GAAP results" set forth at the end of this release.
Recent Development
The9 today also announced that Ms. Nancy Zhou will
resign as Vice President - Operations of the Company,
effective November 17, 2006, to pursue other personal
interests. Ms. Zhou joined The9 as Vice President -
Operations in September 2005, and has been overseeing
various aspects of The9's game operations. "Nancy
brought valuable experience in multi-product operations and
project management to The9. In the past year, we have
continued to attract outstanding personnel and to improve
our systems to facilitate our future game product launches.
I believe The9 will continue to break new grounds in the
Chinese online game industry and we wish Nancy all the best
in her future endeavors." said Jun Zhu, The9's Chairman
and CEO.
(1) World of Warcraft and Blizzard Entertainment are
trademarks or
registered trademarks of Blizzard Entertainment,
Inc. in the U.S.
and/or other countries.
(2) Activated paid accounts represent the number of CD
Keys that we sold
to customers and have been activated by customers
to log-on to
Blizzard Entertainment(R)'s World of Warcraft(R)
game in China.
Conference Call / Webcast Information
The9's management team will host a conference call on
Wednesday, November 15, 2006 at 8:00 PM, U.S. Eastern Time,
corresponding with Thursday, November 16, 2006 at 9:00 AM
Beijing Time, to present an overview of The9's financial
performance and business operations.
Investors, analysts and other interested parties will
be able to access the live conference by calling
+1-617-786-2903, password "77700488." In the
U.S., members of the financial community may also
participate in the call by dialing toll-free
+1-800-299-9086, password "77700488". A replay of
the call will be available through November 22, 2006. The
dial-in details for the replay: U.S. toll free number
+1-888-286-8010, International dial-in number
+1-617-801-6888; Password "78251888".
The9 Limited will also provide a live webcast of the
earnings call. Participants in the webcast should log onto
the Company's web site http://www.corp.the9.com 15 minutes
prior to the call, then click on the icon for "The9
Limited Q3 2006 Earnings Conference Call" and follow
the instructions.
About The9 Limited
The9 Limited is a leading online game operator in
China. The9's business is primarily focused on operating
and developing MMORPGs for the Chinese online game players
market. The9 directly or through affiliates operates
licensed MMORPGs, consisting of Blizzard Entertainment(R)'s
World of Warcraft(R), MU(R) and Mystina Online(R) and its
first proprietary MMORGP, "Joyful Journey West",
in China. It has also obtained exclusive licenses to
operate additional MMORPGs in China, including Granado
Espada(R), Soul of The Ultimate Nation(R), Guild Wars(R),
and Hellgate: London(R). In addition, The9 is also working
on the development of a 3D fantasy MMORPG game,
"Fantasy Melody Online".
Safe Harbor Statement
This announcement contains forward-looking statements.
These statements are made under the "safe harbor"
provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform
Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be
identified by terminology such as "will,"
"expects,"
"anticipates,""future,"
"intends," "plans,"
"believes," "estimates" and similar
statements. Among other things, the business outlook and
quotations from management in this press release contain
forward-looking statements. The9 may also make written or
oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to
the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Forms 20-F
and 6-K, etc., in its annual report to shareholders, in
press releases and other written materials and in oral
statements made by its officers, directors or employees to
third parties. Statements that are not historical facts,
including statements about The9's beliefs and expectations,
are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements
involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of
important factors could cause actual results to differ
materially from those contained in any forward-looking
statement. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but
are not limited to, The9's limited operating history as an
online game operator, political and economic policies of
the Chinese government, the laws and regulations governing
the online game industry, information disseminated over the
Internet and Internet content providers in China,
intensified government regulation of Internet cafes, The9's
ability to retain existing players and attract new players,
license, develop or acquire additional online games that
are appealing to users, anticipate and adapt to changing
consumer preferences and respond to competitive market
conditions, and other risks and uncertainties outlined in
The9's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission, including its annual reports on Form 20-F. The9
does not undertake any obligation to update any
forward-looking statement, except as required under
applicable law.
- Tables follow -
THE9 LIMITED
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
(Expressed in Renminbi - RMB and US Dollars - US$,
except share data)
Quarter Ended
September 30, June 30, September
30, September 30,
2005 2006
2006 2006
RMB RMB
RMB US$
(unaudited) (unaudited)
(unaudited) (unaudited)
Revenues:
Online game
services 190,369,969 269,297,417
241,164,777 30,511,738
Game operating
support,
website
solutions and
advertisement 886,274 877,805
2,671,945 338,050
Other revenues 3,251,232 1,118,881
1,917,314 242,575
194,507,475 271,294,103
245,754,036 31,092,363
Sales Taxes (9,668,918) (13,678,907)
(12,367,467) (1,564,710)
Net Revenues 184,838,557 257,615,196
233,386,569 29,527,653
Cost of Services
(92,269,316)(133,494,332)(125,522,051) (15,880,826)
Gross Profit 92,569,241 124,120,864
107,864,518 13,646,827
Operating Expenses:
Product
development (2,943,205) (8,949,190)
(7,749,225) (980,418)
Sales and
marketing (21,732,114) (18,866,530)
(11,699,467) (1,480,196)
General and
administrative (17,498,567) (26,331,381)
(25,112,296) (3,177,163)
Total operating
expenses: (42,173,886) (54,147,101)
(44,560,988) (5,637,777)
Profit from
operations 50,395,355 69,973,763
63,303,530 8,009,050
Interest income,
net 2,576,425 2,424,839
2,479,258 313,671
Other income
(expenses), net (2,791,569) 10,826,408
(1,034,921) (130,936)
Income before
income tax
benefit, minorty
interest and
equity in profit
(loss) of
affiliated
companies 50,180,211 83,225,010
64,747,867 8,191,785
Income tax benefit 1,421,498 670,935
794,368 100,502
Minority interests (9,309,731) --
-- --
Income before
equity in profit
(loss) of
affiliated
companies 42,291,978 83,895,945
65,542,235 8,292,287
Equity in profit
(loss) of
affiliated
companies, net of
taxes (4,628,782) 370,749
(1,208,010) (152,835)
Net Income 37,663,196 84,266,694
64,334,225 8,139,452
Other comprehensive
income (loss):
Translation
adjustments (1,049,913) (59,383)
-- --
Comprehensive
Income 36,613,283 84,207,311
64,334,225 8,139,452
Earnings per share
- Basic 1.56 3.44
2.62 0.33
- Diluted 1.54 3.42
2.61 0.33
Weighted average
shares outstanding
- Basic 24,189,655 24,495,701
24,508,974 24,508,974
- Diluted 24,404,593 24,640,329
24,615,761 24,615,761
THE9 LIMITED
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Expressed in Renminbi - RMB and US Dollars - US$)
As
at
December 31, September
30, September 30,
2005 2006
2006
RMB RMB
US$
(audited)
(unaudited) (unaudited)
Assets
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents 488,244,667
761,867,382 96,390,104
Accounts receivable 10,593,866
6,832,322 864,413
Due from related parties 12,395,125
13,222,944 1,672,943
Advances to suppliers 4,289,443
10,085,054 1,275,943
Deferred costs 24,075,214
31,541,728 3,990,603
Prepayments and other current
assets 28,395,864
15,176,558 1,920,111
Prepaid royalties 42,995,946
43,601,240 5,516,351
Total current assets 610,990,125
882,327,228 111,630,468
Investments in affiliated
companies 46,835,993
70,926,125 8,973,447
Property, equipment and
software 231,436,683
234,553,704 29,675,317
Goodwill 30,199,751
30,199,751 3,820,819
Intangible assets 289,035,226
265,656,844 33,610,431
Long-term deposits 3,132,338
3,132,338 396,298
Deferred tax assets, non-
current 2,104,464
4,375,554 553,587
Total Assets 1,213,734,580
1,491,171,544 188,660,367
Liabilities and Shareholders'
Equity
Current Liabilities
Accounts payable 15,948,674
9,319,020 1,179,026
Due to related parties 3,181,004
500,696 63,347
Other taxes payable 8,123,356
7,416,477 938,319
Advances from customers 61,651,267
128,743,462 16,288,393
Deferred revenue 76,514,940
103,213,218 13,058,352
Other payables and accruals 26,793,070
35,607,776 4,505,033
Acquisition related liability 79,537,653
-- --
Total current liabilities 271,749,964
284,800,649 36,032,470
Minority interests --
-- --
Commitments and contingencies --
-- --
Shareholders' Equity
Common shares (US$0.01 par
value; 24,214,130 shares
issued and outstanding as of
December 31 2005, 24,530,734
issued and outstanding as of
September 30 2006) 2,004,033
2,029,389 256,755
Additional paid-in capital 860,068,478
917,080,035 116,027,332
Statutory reserves 54,172
20,745,422 2,624,674
Accumulated other comprehensive
income 59,346
-- --
Retained earnings 79,798,587
266,516,049 33,719,136
Total shareholders' equity 941,984,616
1,206,370,895 152,627,897
Total liabilities and
shareholders' equity 1,213,734,580
1,491,171,544 188,660,367
THE9 LIMITED
RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP TO GAAP RESULTS
(Expressed in Renminbi - RMB and US Dollars - US$,
except share data)
Quarter Ended
September 30, June 30, September
30, September 30,
2005 2006
2006 2006
RMB RMB
RMB US$
(unaudited) (unaudited)
(unaudited) (unaudited)
GAAP net income 37,663,196 84,266,694
64,334,225 8,139,452
Depreciation of fixed
assets 12,653,810 17,947,284
18,513,748 2,342,326
Amortization of
intangibles 9,232,897 23,152,240
23,306,626 2,948,713
Income tax benefit (1,421,498) (670,935)
(794,368) (100,502)
EBITDA (Non-GAAP) 58,128,405 124,695,283
105,360,231 13,329,989
GAAP earnings per share
- Basic 1.56 3.44
2.62 0.33
- Diluted 1.54 3.42
2.61 0.33
Non-GAAP EBITDA per
share
- Basic 2.40 5.09
4.30 0.54
- Diluted 2.38 5.06
4.28 0.54
Weighted average shares
outstanding
- Basic 24,189,655 24,495,701
24,508,974 24,508,974
- Diluted 24,404,593 24,640,329
24,615,761 24,615,761
For more information, please contact:
Ms. Dahlia Wei
Senior Manager, Investor Relations
The9 Limited
Tel: +86-21-5172-9990
Email: IR@corp.the9.com
Web: http://www.corp.the9.com
SOURCE The9 Limited
2007'02.11.Sun
Nearly 80 Percent Believe Responsible Companies Recover Faster After Crisis According to New Global Executive Survey
November 16, 2006
Over One-Half Believe Corporate Responsibility is a Critical Driver of Overall Reputation
NEW YORK, Nov. 15 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- A substantial
majority of global business executives (79 percent)
surveyed believe that companies with strong corporate
responsibility track records recover their reputations
faster post-crisis than those with weaker records. This
finding did not differ by region. The survey, Safeguarding
Reputation(TM), was conducted in 11 markets by global
public relations firm Weber Shandwick with KRC Research.
Executives Who Believe Strong Corporate Responsibility
Record Aids Reputation Recovery
Total North America Europe Asia
Pacific
79% 79% 78% 79%
Source: Weber Shandwick Safeguarding Reputation(TM)
conducted with KRC Research, 2006
"Reputation recovery is increasingly driven by
more than financial metrics," said Weber Shandwick's
International Head of Corporate Responsibility &
Sustainability Brendan May. "As social, economic and
political agendas increasingly influence consumer and
market issues, companies now recognize that a record of
corporate responsibility can inoculate a company against
long-term reputation failure. Responsibility is no a longer
nice-to-have. It is now a must-have corporate
mandate."
Responsibility Is a Vital Building Block of Reputation
Global business executives were also asked to rate
factors that build company reputation today. Over one-half
(55%) surveyed report that being recognized as committed to
corporate responsibility contributes "a lot" to a
company's overall reputation. European and Asia Pacific
executives were more likely than their North American
counterparts to agree on the importance of corporate
responsibility in driving reputation.
Executives Who Believe Corporate Responsibility
Contributes "A Lot" to Company Reputation
Total North America Europe Asia
Pacific
55% 47% 56% 52%
Source: Weber Shandwick Safeguarding Reputation(TM)
conducted with KRC Research, 2006
"Companies have awakened to the fact that
corporate responsibility is a business imperative in
building a good reputation today. Leaders understand that
responsible companies attract the best talent, earn
valuable trust and generate more positive
word-of-mouth," added Weber Shandwick's U.S. Corporate
Practice Chairperson Micho Spring. "In fact, KPMG
International reports that 52 percent of the largest 250
firms of the Fortune 500 publish corporate social
responsibility reports, an increase of 45 percent from
three years ago."
Safeguarding Reputation(TM)
Safeguarding Reputation was conducted by Weber
Shandwick in partnership with KRC Research among 950 global
business executives in 11 countries spanning North America,
Europe and Asia Pacific. Brazil was the only Latin American
country participating in the survey. All interviews were
conducted by telephone between July 20 and August 8, 2006.
The sampling error for the total sample is +/- 3.2
percentage points.
About Weber Shandwick
Weber Shandwick is one of the world's leading global
public relations firms with offices in major media,
business and government capitals around the world. The firm
specializes in strategic marketing communications, media
relations programs, public affairs and issues management,
reputation management, and provides corporate
communications counseling. Weber Shandwick also provides
specialized integrated services including Web relations,
advocacy advertising, market research and visual
communications. Find out more at
http://www.webershandwick.com .
Weber Shandwick is a unit of The Interpublic Group of
Companies (NYSE: IPG), which is among the world's largest
advertising and marketing services organizations.
About KRC Research
KRC Research is a full service market and attitudinal
research firm. Research partner to Weber Shandwick and
other Interpublic Group agencies, KRC specializes in
strategic communications research, including research to
support product communications, corporate communications,
public affairs, and social marketing. KRC provides a full
range of primary research services, including surveys,
focus groups, and executive interviewing. Find out more at
http://www.krcresearch.com .
About reputationRx (
http://www.webershandwick.com/reputationrx )
Weber Shandwick's new reputationRx Web site provides
professionals interested in leadership issues with the
latest news, research findings, insights, best practices
and commentary on how to build and safeguard CEO and
corporate reputation. It covers a full range of topics such
as reputation care and recovery, CEO turnover, corporate
responsibility, and strategies for communicating CEO and
corporate reputation. The site is also continually updated
to include the most recent newsmakers and fast-breaking
trends that are transforming the business and reputation
landscapes.
For more information, please contact:
Laura Bachrach
Weber Shandwick
Tel: +1-212-445-8467
Email: lbachrach@webershandwick.com
SOURCE Weber Shandwick
2007'02.11.Sun
Concordia Awards Trussnet USA Development Co. Inc. USD 300 Million Beijing `Design and Build' Turnkey Development Contract
November 16, 2006
IRVINE, Calif., Nov. 15 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Trussnet
USA Development Co. Inc. ("Trussnet"), a member of
the Trussnet family of companies, a global leader in
architectural and engineering services, telecommunication
networks, high-tech facilities, turn-key development
projects and business hotels announced today announced
today that it has been awarded a "Design and
Build" Turnkey Development Contract with Concordia for
a 5th generation TFT-LCD Color Filter manufacturing facility
in Beijing, China, with a total contract value of over 300
million USD.
The facility is comprised of 8 reinforced concrete
buildings, with a total usable floor area of 59,500 m2, and
will be located in the Yi Zhuang Economic Development Zone
of Beijing City. Design and construction of this
manufacturing facility includes complete building
infrastructure, M.E.P, fire safety equipment, a water
treatment system, clean rooms and related production
facilities will complete the design/build contract.
Construction of the facility is scheduled to commence in
March of 2007 and be completed in March of 2008.
"Our longstanding working relationship with
Concordia and the success of this project underscores
Trussnet's continuing commitment to successful partnering
on global design -- build turnkey projects," says
Colin Tay, Chairman of the Board of Trussnet.
About Trussnet USA Development Co. Inc.
Headquartered in Irvine, California, United States of
America, Trussnet provides professional services in
planning, architecture & engineering, turnkey
development, finance, manufacturing, construction, project
management, telecommunication networks, high-tech
facilities and business hotels throughout the United
States, China and Southeast Asia. Trussnet knows what
Eastern and Western international business requires. It
also understands and appreciates the importance of properly
fusing the culture of the United States with the cultures in
China and Southeast Asia. Trussnet has patiently developed
long standing, personal relationships in China and
Southeast Asia that have enabled it to successfully market
its services throughout China and Southeast Asia.
Understanding and embracing the cultures of the Eastern and
Western part of the globe, together with these personal
relationships, are the key elements to the international
language of business. These elements are understood and
embraced by every member of the Trussnet organization.
While these elements are continually evolving and maturing,
they still represent the foundation of Trussnet, as it
further expands its worldwide operations.
For more information, please contact:
USA, Richard Thomas
Trussnet USA Development Co. Inc.
Tel: +1-949-400-6219
Email: rthomas@trussnet.net
SOURCE Trussnet USA Development Co. Inc.
2007'02.11.Sun
Awards Breathe Life Into Lung Cancer Reporting
November 16, 2006
Winners of First International Journalism Awards for Reporting on Lung Cancer Announced Today
LONDON, Nov. 15 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --- A selection of
journalists were officially recognised today, during Lung
Cancer Awareness Month, for their role in helping to
elevate the often neglected profile of lung cancer, the
leading cause of cancer related deaths worldwide, affecting
more than 1.2 million people annually[1].
The Awards, judged by a prestigious independent panel
of multidisciplinary key opinion leaders from fields of
advocacy, clinical and media, as well as a lung cancer
patient, are designed to encourage accurate, influential
reporting of lung cancer by rewarding journalism excellence
in three different categories: Best Consumer Award, Best
Medical Award and Best Broadcast Report.
The winners of the Lung Cancer Journalism Award are:
-- Best Consumer Award -- Julia Llewellyn Smith, United
Kingdom. Stella Magazine, The Sunday Telegraph. You Don't
Have to Smoke to Get Lung Cancer
-- Best Medical Award -- Helle Pappot, Charlotte
Elberling Almasi, Barbara Malene Fischer, Trine
Juhler-N0ttrup & Halla Skuladottir, Denmark.
Manedsskrift for Praktisk Laegegerning. A Better Life with
Lung Cancer
-- Best Broadcast Report -- Daniel Cassola, Argentina.
60 Minutos con Daniel Cassola. Cancer De Pulmon (Pulmonary
Cancer)
All three winners will receive a research grant in
recognition of their exceptional efforts and to further
their future contributions to lung cancer journalism. The
winning consumer article depicted a story of hope as told
through the patients' eyes, and also broadened the picture
of lung cancer sufferers beyond the typical male older
smoker. The superior medical article provided an unmatched
insight into the clinician's mindset when diagnosing
someone with lung cancer and in discussing both treatment
options and patient care. And the best broadcast report was
very factual and accurate in reporting on all aspects of
lung cancer with the use of specialists.
Commenting on the Awards, Chairperson of the GLCC, Dr
Jesme Fox said: "In some countries, lung cancer still
remains a taboo subject in the media. It was therefore
encouraging to see the high level of creativity and
research submitted by journalists all over the world in
this first year of the Lung Cancer Journalism Awards, in an
effort to report on lung cancer in a positive light and
include non-smokers as part of the bigger picture. We can't
wait to review next year's submissions!"
The winning articles were picked due to their accurate
and thought provoking reporting on Lung Cancer, and their
influence in generating a greater public awareness of Lung
Cancer and its prevalence in the modern world.
Said the winners on hearing their achievement:
"This is a very interesting initiative for us
journalists, especially in our country where there is a
lack of specialised press. Awards like this encourage us to
keep on doing our job and improving ourselves. I also feel
enormously proud of this international recognition to our
effort and hard work to offer our audience programs with
the highest quality and a scientific approach to the
news" (Daniel Cassola, Argentina. Winner of the Best
Broadcast Report).
"I am absolutely delighted to be one of the first
winners of the lung cancer journalism awards and that in
doing so I am able to raise awareness of lung cancer in
young women. On a personal level, many of my female friends
have been and continue to be 'social smokers', with the
attitude that the occasional few at a party 'can't hurt'.
Having researched this article, I have been busy warning
them that even the odd cigarette can cause irrevocable
damage especially to female lungs and persuading them to
quit entirely. If this message reaches an even wider
audience I will feel I have done good service as a
journalist." (Julia Llewellyn Smith, United Kingdom.
Winner of the Best Consumer Journalism Award).
The following journalists were recognised as 'Highly
Commended' and were awarded the runners up prizes; Petra
Thorbrietz, Germany in the Best Consumer Award category for
her article 'I will fight', and Marlene Farcas from Romania,
for her broadcast report 'Lung Cancer... is Prevention
possible?'
The winning articles can be viewed in full on
http://www.lungcancerjournalism.com .
References :
[1]. Stewart B.W. & Kleihues P. (eds) (2003) World
Cancer Report. IARC
Press, Lyon, pp.183-87
The judging panel for the 2006 Tempus Awards was made
up of the following experts in their field:
-- Dr Jesme Baird, Chairperson of the Global Lung
Cancer
Coalition (International)
-- Dr Anna Gregor, Board Member of the International
Association for
Study of Lung Cancer (International)
-- Dr Tudor Ciuleanu, Cancer specialist (Romania)
-- Pat Webb, Editor, European Journal of Cancer Care
(European)
-- Ernie Roberts, proactive lung cancer patient (UK)
Notes to Editors:
The 2007 Lung Cancer Journalism Awards will be launched
at the end of November and further information can be seen
on the website http://www.lungcancerjournalism.com .
The Lung Cancer Journalism Awards were sponsored by
Roche
All trademarks used or mentioned in this release are
legally protected.
For further information please contact:
Amelia Baio (Secretariat)
Resolute Communications
Tel: +44-207-397-7075
Fax: +44-207-357-9553
Email: Amelia.Baio@resolutecommunications.com
Web: http://www.lungcancerjournalism.com
SOURCE Global Lung Cancer Coalition
2007'02.11.Sun
WISeKey ELA Reaches Significant Milestones in its Cooperation with Microsoft Spain and IT Deusto to Accelerate the Mass Market Deployment of Digital Identities in Spanish Speaking Countries
November 16, 2006
MADRID, Nov. 15 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- WISeKey ELA, the
WISeKey Affiliate for Spain and Latin America announces
today in Madrid a Strategic Partnership with Microsoft and
IT Deusto for the deployment of the CertifyID BlackBox line
of security solutions. This announcement follows WISeKey's
recent nomination by Microsoft as a global Lead Partner for
eID Solutions. Microsoft Spain, WISeKey ELA and IT Deusto
will jointly develop plans to address specific vertical
market segments with attractive eID solutions.
Both the public sector and the private sector in Spain
and Latin America are looking to upgrade their Identity
Documents (from national ID cards to employee badges) so as
to address higher security requirements to protect and
prevent against identity theft, online counterfeiting and
criminal misuse of information. Microsoft, WISeKey ELA and
IT Deusto enable individuals, organizations and governments
to leverage their current server infrastructure investment
by adding functionalities of secure electronic identities
through the CertifyID infrastructure in a straightforward,
quick and cost effective way.
"Having partnered with Microsoft since 2004 and as
an active member of the Government Leaders Forum, we are
very pleased to extend our cooperation to IT Deusto in
Spain. Joining forces with other European ISV innovators
will allow WISeKey ELA to accelerate the rate of adoption
of these new eID solutions and contribute to make our
enterprises more competitive and our societies more
advanced," commented Carlos Moreira, Founder and
Chairman of WISeKey.
"This is the right time to address the Spanish
market given the launch of the National eID project.
Suppliers like WISeKey can complement this initiative and
build on the wide acceptance of eID solutions to address
the requirements of any kind of user communities, both in
the public sector and especially also in the enterprise
market," commented Victor Canivell, CEO, WISeKey ELA.
Abel Linares, CEO, IT Deusto, said: "The
cooperation with WISeKey reinforces IT Deusto's penetration
in the security space with possible extension to
international markets due the high visibility of the
WISeKey brand."
Hector Sanchez, Director Corporate Security, Microsoft
Spain, said: "We are fully committed to projects and
technologies aimed at strengthening identity and
authentication processes in corporate environments.
WISeKey's technologies enable and facilitate the use of
Microsoft technologies in these processes with the
necessary security and reliability levels."
Geoffrey Lipman, UNWTO Assistant Secretary-General,
said: "UNWTO (United Nations World Tourism
Organization) firmly believes in the need for increased
security and decreased hassle for travellers and have a
SAFE (Security And Facilitation Enhancement) strategy to
this end. A central component is the increased use of
secure internet and identity management capabilities valid
for tourists, tourism providers and tourism authorities
worldwide. This is especially important for developing
countries who need to also be provided with the financing
and technology capacity to join in the global network as
partners. UNWTO based in Madrid is working in the framework
of its PPP with Microsoft with WISeKey, to explore solutions
to this challenge." (More on the UNWTO PPP at
http://www.microsoft.com/emea/presscentre/pressreleases/GLFAfrica2006Day2PR_1
172006.mspx )
For more information, please contact:
Daniel Ybarra
VP Corporate Communications
WISeKey
Tel: +41-22-594-3000
Email: dybarra@wisekey.com
SOURCE WISeKey
2007'02.11.Sun
MEDIA ADVISORY: CHANGED MOBILE NUMBER FOR MEDIA CONTACT AT WHO IN CHINA
November 16, 2006
The mobile number for media queries at the World Health
Organization in China has changed to 1391 120 5167.
Please update your records. The old mobile number will
no longer be in use.
Full contact details for media queries:
Joanna Brent
Media, Advocacy & Communications
World Health Organization, China
Tel: +86-10-6532-3189 to 92 x646
Mobile: +86-1391-120-5167
Fax: +86-10-6532-2359
Email: brentj@chn.wpro.who.int
SOURCE World Health Organization
2007'02.11.Sun
Supermicro Enables Over 60 Models -- Quad-Core Intel(R) Xeon(R) 5300 Processor Solutions
November 15, 2006
Supermicro Quad-Core Dual Processor Platforms Deliver Increased Computing Power and Ultra-High-Efficiency to Reduce TCO
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 15 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Super
Micro Computer, Inc., a leader in application optimized,
high performance server solutions, today announced sweeping
availability for new quad-core Intel Xeon 5300 processors,
formerly codenamed "Clovertown," on its broad
range of high-efficiency dual-processor (DP) server
solutions. Supermicro supports new quad-core Xeon
processors on over 60 of its high-efficiency DP server
boards and systems. This extensive portfolio of quad-core
product offerings enables customers to achieve
differentiation by selecting the Server Building Block
Solutions(R) most tailored to their specific applications.
Accelerated quad-core performance enhances the many
feature advantages of Supermicro's high-performance
servers. Supermicro Server Building Block Solutions(R)
provide extreme flexibility and unique application
optimization. Examples include: Supermicro's innovative 2U
in 1U(TM) design that supports five add-on cards in a 1U
server; Universal I/O(TM) (UIO) servers that increase I/O
connectivity; 1U-Twin(TM) servers doubling compute density
in a 1U form factor; servers with 16-DIMMs for 64GB
support; and redundant power supplies for 1U servers.
Supermicro also offers an impressive selection of advanced
SAS-optimized storage solutions with RAID5 and SESII. All
new SuperServers feature earth-friendly, high-efficiency
(85% or better under typical loading) power supplies to
maximize performance-per-watt savings and reduce total cost
of ownership (TCO).
"Quad-core allows the unique advantages of
Supermicro's application optimized products to become even
more apparent. For example, Supermicro's ultra dense
2U-in-1U(TM) server with quad-cores, and multiple I/O
connectivity increases computational and I/O capacity which
allows users to run virtualization applications without
performance limitations," asserts Charles Liang,
President and CEO of Supermicro.
"The new Quad-Core Intel Xeon processor 5300
series is enabling Supermicro to provide its customers
unprecedented new levels of performance and flexibility
within DP server solutions," said Kirk Skaugen, vice
president, Digital Enterprise Group, Intel Corporation.
"The breakthrough performance per watt of the new
Quad-Core Intel processors is enabling new levels of
complementary Supermicro innovation around highly scalable
designs from 1U to 4U and tower servers."
Supermicro Server Building Block Solutions(R) offer
exceptional flexibility and outstanding feature advantages.
Supermicro systems that support the new Quad-Core Xeon 5300
processor Series include the following:
-- SuperServer 6015X-T/8: 2U-in-1U(TM) with five
(5) expansion
slots
-- SuperServer 6015B-T+/8+: 1U with 16 FBDIMM sockets
for 64GB
memory support
-- SuperServer 6015P-T/8(R): 1U w/4 hot-swap SATA/SCSI
& Redundant
Power option
-- SuperServer 6015B-3R: Redundant power 1U with 4
hot-swap SAS
drives
-- SuperServer 6015B-3/T/8: Standard 1U with 4
hot-swap
SAS/SATA/SCSI
-- SuperServer 6015V-M3/MT: Compact 1U (20-inch
depth) with 4
hot-swap SAS/SATA
-- SuperServer 6015V-T: Cost-effective 1U with 2
hot-swap SATA
-- SuperServer 6015V-MR: Mini-1U (14-inch depth)
with rear I/O
and one SATA/IDE
-- SuperServer 6015B-UR: 1U with Universal I/O
(UIO) card
support
-- SuperServer 6025B-TR+/8R+: 2U w/8 hot-swap
SATA/SCSI, 16 FBDIMM,
Red. Power
-- SuperServer 6025B-3/3R: 2U w/8 hot-swap SAS/SATA
and Red. Power
option
-- SuperServer 6025B-T/8: 2U with 6 hot-swap
SATA/SCSI
-- SuperServer 6035B-8R+: 3U w/16 hot-swap SCSI, 16
FBDIMM, 800W
Red. Power
-- SuperServer 6035B-8R: 3U w/8 hot-swap SCSI and
760W Redundant
Power
-- SuperServer 6035B-8: 3U with 8 hot-swap SCSI
-- SuperServer 7045B-8R+: 4U/Tower w/16 FBDIMM, 8
hot-swap SCSI,
Red. Power
-- SuperServer 7045B-TR+: 4U/Tower w/16 FBDIMM, 6
hot-swap SATA,
Red. Power
-- SuperServer 7045B-3: 4U/Tower with 8 hot-swap
SAS/SATA
-- SuperServer 7045B-T: 4U/Tower with 6 hot-swap
SATA
-- SuperWorkstation 7045A-3: 4U/Tower workstation with
8 hot-swap
SAS/SATA
-- SuperWorkstation 7045A-8: 4U/Tower workstation with
8 hot-swap
SCSI
-- SuperWorkstation 7045A-T: 4U/Tower workstation with
6 hot-swap
SATA
All of these systems leverage Intel(R) I/O Acceleration
Technology to move network data more efficiently for fast,
scalable, and reliable networking.
About Super Micro Computer, Inc.
Established in 1993, Supermicro emphasizes superior
product design and uncompromising quality control to
produce industry-leading serverboards, chassis and server
systems. These mission-critical Server Building Block
solutions provide benefits across many environments,
including data center deployment, high-performance
computing, high-end workstations, storage networks and
standalone server installations. For more information on
Supermicro's complete line of advanced motherboards,
SuperServers, and optimized chassis, visit
http://www.Supermicro.com , email Marketing@Supermicro.com
or call the San Jose, CA headquarters at +1 408-503-8000.
For more information, please contact:
Tony Keller
SS|PR
Tel: +1-719-634-8279
Email: tkeller@sspr.com
SOURCE Super Micro Computer, Inc.
広告
ブログ内検索
アーカイブ
カウンター