Monday, August 10, 2009
GM set to start car-selling through eBay
SAN FRANCISCO: General Motors and eBay Inc. are expected to announce Monday that hundreds of the auto maker's California dealers will let consumers haggle over the prices of new cars and trucks through the online marketplace, as part of a previously disclosed trial.
About 225 of California's 250 GM dealers are set to take part in the program, which will begin Tuesday.
They will be selling Buick, Chevrolet, GMC and Pontiac vehicles on cobranded Web sites through eBay's online auto marketplace, eBay Motors, until Sept. 8.
The cars will also be searchable through eBay Motors and eBay's main site.
The trial is part of Detroit-based GM's turnaround plan, making more official a practice some of its dealers had already participated in on their own.
It expands an existing partnership covering GM certified used vehicles sold through eBay.
It also marks a shift for San Jose, California-based eBay, since most of the vehicles sold on eBay Motors - a site that sells various types of vehicles and auto parts - have traditionally been used.
Starting Tuesday, eBay visitors will be able to visit Web pages like gm.ebay.com and chevy.ebay.com, where they can browse new 2008 and 2009 vehicles, ask dealers questions and figure out financing.
The cobranded sites will also include a Web tool currently on eBay Motors that helps shoppers determine if they're qualified to trade in their old car for money toward a new one under the government's just-refilled "cash-for-clunkers" stimulus program.
Car buyers will be able to choose between the two standard options currently offered on eBay Motors: Negotiating a price with a dealer through the site or purchasing right then at a fixed price.
Cars will be picked up at the dealerships. EBay Motors Vice President Rob Chesney said the companies decided to run the trial in California because there are many tech-savvy consumers there.
EBay users who live outside California can contact dealers to see if they're willing to sell and ship vehicles to them, he said.
The test comes a month after GM made an unusually quick exit from bankruptcy protection with ambitions of becoming profitable and building cars people are eager to buy.
Once the world's largest and most powerful automaker, new GM is now leaner, cleansed of massive debt and burdensome contracts that would have sunk it without additional federal loans.
GM CEO Fritz Henderson said in July that the company was working on an experiment that would let eBay users in California bid on vehicles or buy them at a fixed price.
Dealers were to distribute the cars.
At the time, no deal had been completed, though.
Mark LaNeve, GM's vice president of U.S. sales, believes that getting the auto maker directly involved in new online sales will give customers a larger sense of security about buying a car on the Web. Currently, many consumers research new cars online, but most still go down to a dealer to make the actual purchase.
He's hoping it generates more interest in GM vehicles in California - a market he said the company needs to improve in.
For eBay, the program fits in with its strategy of growing its market for goods that are still new but not necessarily the latest models.
It's also a chance to get more people interested in making new, large purchases on a site whose past is steeped in the sale of hard-to-find collectibles.
The sale of used cars on eBay is already proof that consumers are getting more and more comfortable buying higher-priced items online, Chesney said.
"New cars are like the next frontier of that," he said.
The companies would not give financial details of the deal, but GM spokesman John McDonald said it is an arrangement that they think will be profitable for both firms.
If the companies feel the trial is successful, they want to expand it across the country. Lorrie Norrington, president of eBay marketplaces, said eBay may eventually try doing the same thing with other auto makers, too.
Inder Dosanjh, a Dublin, California-based dealer who owns four GM dealerships and currently sells used cars on eBay, said the program shows GM is trying to step outside the box and find new ways to sell cars.
He plans to list all his new inventory on eBay this week.
"I think they should have done this a long time ago," he said. - AP
About 225 of California's 250 GM dealers are set to take part in the program, which will begin Tuesday.
They will be selling Buick, Chevrolet, GMC and Pontiac vehicles on cobranded Web sites through eBay's online auto marketplace, eBay Motors, until Sept. 8.
The cars will also be searchable through eBay Motors and eBay's main site.
The trial is part of Detroit-based GM's turnaround plan, making more official a practice some of its dealers had already participated in on their own.
It expands an existing partnership covering GM certified used vehicles sold through eBay.
It also marks a shift for San Jose, California-based eBay, since most of the vehicles sold on eBay Motors - a site that sells various types of vehicles and auto parts - have traditionally been used.
Starting Tuesday, eBay visitors will be able to visit Web pages like gm.ebay.com and chevy.ebay.com, where they can browse new 2008 and 2009 vehicles, ask dealers questions and figure out financing.
The cobranded sites will also include a Web tool currently on eBay Motors that helps shoppers determine if they're qualified to trade in their old car for money toward a new one under the government's just-refilled "cash-for-clunkers" stimulus program.
Car buyers will be able to choose between the two standard options currently offered on eBay Motors: Negotiating a price with a dealer through the site or purchasing right then at a fixed price.
Cars will be picked up at the dealerships. EBay Motors Vice President Rob Chesney said the companies decided to run the trial in California because there are many tech-savvy consumers there.
EBay users who live outside California can contact dealers to see if they're willing to sell and ship vehicles to them, he said.
The test comes a month after GM made an unusually quick exit from bankruptcy protection with ambitions of becoming profitable and building cars people are eager to buy.
Once the world's largest and most powerful automaker, new GM is now leaner, cleansed of massive debt and burdensome contracts that would have sunk it without additional federal loans.
GM CEO Fritz Henderson said in July that the company was working on an experiment that would let eBay users in California bid on vehicles or buy them at a fixed price.
Dealers were to distribute the cars.
At the time, no deal had been completed, though.
Mark LaNeve, GM's vice president of U.S. sales, believes that getting the auto maker directly involved in new online sales will give customers a larger sense of security about buying a car on the Web. Currently, many consumers research new cars online, but most still go down to a dealer to make the actual purchase.
He's hoping it generates more interest in GM vehicles in California - a market he said the company needs to improve in.
For eBay, the program fits in with its strategy of growing its market for goods that are still new but not necessarily the latest models.
It's also a chance to get more people interested in making new, large purchases on a site whose past is steeped in the sale of hard-to-find collectibles.
The sale of used cars on eBay is already proof that consumers are getting more and more comfortable buying higher-priced items online, Chesney said.
"New cars are like the next frontier of that," he said.
The companies would not give financial details of the deal, but GM spokesman John McDonald said it is an arrangement that they think will be profitable for both firms.
If the companies feel the trial is successful, they want to expand it across the country. Lorrie Norrington, president of eBay marketplaces, said eBay may eventually try doing the same thing with other auto makers, too.
Inder Dosanjh, a Dublin, California-based dealer who owns four GM dealerships and currently sells used cars on eBay, said the program shows GM is trying to step outside the box and find new ways to sell cars.
He plans to list all his new inventory on eBay this week.
"I think they should have done this a long time ago," he said. - AP
business news
June industrial production index fell 9.6%
Malaysian industrial production index (IPI) dropped 9.6% in June from a year earlier, led by continued declines in manufacturing and mining activities.
Power generation activities posted a slight increase.
According latest figures released by the Statistics Department on Monday, the IPI posted a marginal 0.2% increase compared to May. The cumulative index for the period of January-June 2009 declined 12.7% as against the same period in 2008.
The manufacturing output in June 2009 dropped 13.1% as against June 2008. Output for May 2009 went down by a revised 15.6% as compared with the same month of 2008.
As compared with the preceding month, the output for June 2009 increased 2.9%. The growth for the first six months of 2009 was lower by 16.9% as compared with the same period of last year.
The department said the contraction of the manufacturing output was due to decreases in electrical and electronics products (27.5%); non-metallic mineral products, basic metal and fabricated metal products (12.8%); and petroleum, chemical, rubber and plastic products (4.6%).
Malaysian industrial production index (IPI) dropped 9.6% in June from a year earlier, led by continued declines in manufacturing and mining activities.
Power generation activities posted a slight increase.
According latest figures released by the Statistics Department on Monday, the IPI posted a marginal 0.2% increase compared to May. The cumulative index for the period of January-June 2009 declined 12.7% as against the same period in 2008.
The manufacturing output in June 2009 dropped 13.1% as against June 2008. Output for May 2009 went down by a revised 15.6% as compared with the same month of 2008.
As compared with the preceding month, the output for June 2009 increased 2.9%. The growth for the first six months of 2009 was lower by 16.9% as compared with the same period of last year.
The department said the contraction of the manufacturing output was due to decreases in electrical and electronics products (27.5%); non-metallic mineral products, basic metal and fabricated metal products (12.8%); and petroleum, chemical, rubber and plastic products (4.6%).
business news
Hong Kong investors protest against Singapore bank
HONG KONG: About 100 Hong Kong investors burned by complex financial products linked to failed U.S. investment bank Lehman Brothers protested Sunday, demanding securities regulators help them negotiate a settlement.Tens of thousands of retail investors in this Chinese-ruled financial hub were hit by Lehman's collapse in September.Hong Kong securities regulators announced a settlement deal last month for one group of investors who purchased certain Lehman-linked products through local banks, but the agreement did not cover products sold by Singaporean bank DBS Group Holdings.Sunday's protesters were demanding securities regulators step in to strike a deal for DBS clients.The demonstrators bought so-called "Constellation" notes from DBS - financial products that are linked to the credit ratings of a group of financial institutions, including Lehman.About 6,900 Hong Kongers bought HK$2.3 billion ($297 million) worth of the failed investments, according to K.C. Lok, an organizer of the disgruntled investors.DBS lacks a conscience," "DBS is a swindler," the protesters chanted at a park in Hong Kong's downtown Central financial district.Lok, who bought just over HK$100,000 ($13,000) in the Constellation notes, accused DBS of misleading its customers into believing the financial products were conservative investments.Many of the investors shifted their money from timed deposits," Lok said.DBS Hong Kong spokeswoman Glendy Chu said Sunday that the bank had explained the risks of the products and offered compensation to investors in cases where there was evidence of questionable sales practices.Calls to the media office at Hong Kong's Securities and Futures Commission went unanswered Sunday.The deal announced last month would see 16 local banks returning 60 or 70 percent of the principal to thousands of investors in a payout that amounts to $6.3 billion Hong Kong dollars ($813 million). - APLatest business news from AP-Wire
HONG KONG: About 100 Hong Kong investors burned by complex financial products linked to failed U.S. investment bank Lehman Brothers protested Sunday, demanding securities regulators help them negotiate a settlement.Tens of thousands of retail investors in this Chinese-ruled financial hub were hit by Lehman's collapse in September.Hong Kong securities regulators announced a settlement deal last month for one group of investors who purchased certain Lehman-linked products through local banks, but the agreement did not cover products sold by Singaporean bank DBS Group Holdings.Sunday's protesters were demanding securities regulators step in to strike a deal for DBS clients.The demonstrators bought so-called "Constellation" notes from DBS - financial products that are linked to the credit ratings of a group of financial institutions, including Lehman.About 6,900 Hong Kongers bought HK$2.3 billion ($297 million) worth of the failed investments, according to K.C. Lok, an organizer of the disgruntled investors.DBS lacks a conscience," "DBS is a swindler," the protesters chanted at a park in Hong Kong's downtown Central financial district.Lok, who bought just over HK$100,000 ($13,000) in the Constellation notes, accused DBS of misleading its customers into believing the financial products were conservative investments.Many of the investors shifted their money from timed deposits," Lok said.DBS Hong Kong spokeswoman Glendy Chu said Sunday that the bank had explained the risks of the products and offered compensation to investors in cases where there was evidence of questionable sales practices.Calls to the media office at Hong Kong's Securities and Futures Commission went unanswered Sunday.The deal announced last month would see 16 local banks returning 60 or 70 percent of the principal to thousands of investors in a payout that amounts to $6.3 billion Hong Kong dollars ($813 million). - APLatest business news from AP-Wire
business communication
GM set to start car-selling through eBay
SAN FRANCISCO: General Motors and eBay Inc. are expected to announce Monday that hundreds of the auto maker's California dealers will let consumers haggle over the prices of new cars and trucks through the online marketplace, as part of a previously disclosed trial.About 225 of California's 250 GM dealers are set to take part in the program, which will begin Tuesday.They will be selling Buick, Chevrolet, GMC and Pontiac vehicles on cobranded Web sites through eBay's online auto marketplace, eBay Motors, until Sept. 8.The cars will also be searchable through eBay Motors and eBay's main site.The trial is part of Detroit-based GM's turnaround plan, making more official a practice some of its dealers had already participated in on their own.It expands an existing partnership covering GM certified used vehicles sold through eBay.It also marks a shift for San Jose, California-based eBay, since most of the vehicles sold on eBay Motors - a site that sells various types of vehicles and auto parts - have traditionally been used.Starting Tuesday, eBay visitors will be able to visit Web pages like gm.ebay.com and chevy.ebay.com, where they can browse new 2008 and 2009 vehicles, ask dealers questions and figure out financing.The cobranded sites will also include a Web tool currently on eBay Motors that helps shoppers determine if they're qualified to trade in their old car for money toward a new one under the government's just-refilled "cash-for-clunkers" stimulus program.Car buyers will be able to choose between the two standard options currently offered on eBay Motors: Negotiating a price with a dealer through the site or purchasing right then at a fixed price.Cars will be picked up at the dealerships. EBay Motors Vice President Rob Chesney said the companies decided to run the trial in California because there are many tech-savvy consumers there.EBay users who live outside California can contact dealers to see if they're willing to sell and ship vehicles to them, he said.The test comes a month after GM made an unusually quick exit from bankruptcy protection with ambitions of becoming profitable and building cars people are eager to buy.Once the world's largest and most powerful automaker, new GM is now leaner, cleansed of massive debt and burdensome contracts that would have sunk it without additional federal loans.GM CEO Fritz Henderson said in July that the company was working on an experiment that would let eBay users in California bid on vehicles or buy them at a fixed price.Dealers were to distribute the cars.At the time, no deal had been completed, though.Mark LaNeve, GM's vice president of U.S. sales, believes that getting the auto maker directly involved in new online sales will give customers a larger sense of security about buying a car on the Web. Currently, many consumers research new cars online, but most still go down to a dealer to make the actual purchase.He's hoping it generates more interest in GM vehicles in California - a market he said the company needs to improve in.For eBay, the program fits in with its strategy of growing its market for goods that are still new but not necessarily the latest models.It's also a chance to get more people interested in making new, large purchases on a site whose past is steeped in the sale of hard-to-find collectibles.The sale of used cars on eBay is already proof that consumers are getting more and more comfortable buying higher-priced items online, Chesney said.New cars are like the next frontier of that," he said.The companies would not give financial details of the deal, but GM spokesman John McDonald said it is an arrangement that they think will be profitable for both firms.If the companies feel the trial is successful, they want to expand it across the country. Lorrie Norrington, president of eBay marketplaces, said eBay may eventually try doing the same thing with other auto makers, too.Inder Dosanjh, a Dublin, California-based dealer who owns four GM dealerships and currently sells used cars on eBay, said the program shows GM is trying to step outside the box and find new ways to sell cars.He plans to list all his new inventory on eBay this week.I think they should have done this a long time ago," he said. - AP
SAN FRANCISCO: General Motors and eBay Inc. are expected to announce Monday that hundreds of the auto maker's California dealers will let consumers haggle over the prices of new cars and trucks through the online marketplace, as part of a previously disclosed trial.About 225 of California's 250 GM dealers are set to take part in the program, which will begin Tuesday.They will be selling Buick, Chevrolet, GMC and Pontiac vehicles on cobranded Web sites through eBay's online auto marketplace, eBay Motors, until Sept. 8.The cars will also be searchable through eBay Motors and eBay's main site.The trial is part of Detroit-based GM's turnaround plan, making more official a practice some of its dealers had already participated in on their own.It expands an existing partnership covering GM certified used vehicles sold through eBay.It also marks a shift for San Jose, California-based eBay, since most of the vehicles sold on eBay Motors - a site that sells various types of vehicles and auto parts - have traditionally been used.Starting Tuesday, eBay visitors will be able to visit Web pages like gm.ebay.com and chevy.ebay.com, where they can browse new 2008 and 2009 vehicles, ask dealers questions and figure out financing.The cobranded sites will also include a Web tool currently on eBay Motors that helps shoppers determine if they're qualified to trade in their old car for money toward a new one under the government's just-refilled "cash-for-clunkers" stimulus program.Car buyers will be able to choose between the two standard options currently offered on eBay Motors: Negotiating a price with a dealer through the site or purchasing right then at a fixed price.Cars will be picked up at the dealerships. EBay Motors Vice President Rob Chesney said the companies decided to run the trial in California because there are many tech-savvy consumers there.EBay users who live outside California can contact dealers to see if they're willing to sell and ship vehicles to them, he said.The test comes a month after GM made an unusually quick exit from bankruptcy protection with ambitions of becoming profitable and building cars people are eager to buy.Once the world's largest and most powerful automaker, new GM is now leaner, cleansed of massive debt and burdensome contracts that would have sunk it without additional federal loans.GM CEO Fritz Henderson said in July that the company was working on an experiment that would let eBay users in California bid on vehicles or buy them at a fixed price.Dealers were to distribute the cars.At the time, no deal had been completed, though.Mark LaNeve, GM's vice president of U.S. sales, believes that getting the auto maker directly involved in new online sales will give customers a larger sense of security about buying a car on the Web. Currently, many consumers research new cars online, but most still go down to a dealer to make the actual purchase.He's hoping it generates more interest in GM vehicles in California - a market he said the company needs to improve in.For eBay, the program fits in with its strategy of growing its market for goods that are still new but not necessarily the latest models.It's also a chance to get more people interested in making new, large purchases on a site whose past is steeped in the sale of hard-to-find collectibles.The sale of used cars on eBay is already proof that consumers are getting more and more comfortable buying higher-priced items online, Chesney said.New cars are like the next frontier of that," he said.The companies would not give financial details of the deal, but GM spokesman John McDonald said it is an arrangement that they think will be profitable for both firms.If the companies feel the trial is successful, they want to expand it across the country. Lorrie Norrington, president of eBay marketplaces, said eBay may eventually try doing the same thing with other auto makers, too.Inder Dosanjh, a Dublin, California-based dealer who owns four GM dealerships and currently sells used cars on eBay, said the program shows GM is trying to step outside the box and find new ways to sell cars.He plans to list all his new inventory on eBay this week.I think they should have done this a long time ago," he said. - AP
business communication
June industrial production index fell 9.6%
Malaysian industrial production index (IPI) dropped 9.6% in June from a year earlier, led by continued declines in manufacturing and mining activities.
Power generation activities posted a slight increase.
According latest figures released by the Statistics Department on Monday, the IPI posted a marginal 0.2% increase compared to May. The cumulative index for the period of January-June 2009 declined 12.7% as against the same period in 2008.
The manufacturing output in June 2009 dropped 13.1% as against June 2008. Output for May 2009 went down by a revised 15.6% as compared with the same month of 2008.
As compared with the preceding month, the output for June 2009 increased 2.9%. The growth for the first six months of 2009 was lower by 16.9% as compared with the same period of last year.
The department said the contraction of the manufacturing output was due to decreases in electrical and electronics products (27.5%); non-metallic mineral products, basic metal and fabricated metal products (12.8%); and petroleum, chemical, rubber and plastic products (4.6%).
Malaysian industrial production index (IPI) dropped 9.6% in June from a year earlier, led by continued declines in manufacturing and mining activities.
Power generation activities posted a slight increase.
According latest figures released by the Statistics Department on Monday, the IPI posted a marginal 0.2% increase compared to May. The cumulative index for the period of January-June 2009 declined 12.7% as against the same period in 2008.
The manufacturing output in June 2009 dropped 13.1% as against June 2008. Output for May 2009 went down by a revised 15.6% as compared with the same month of 2008.
As compared with the preceding month, the output for June 2009 increased 2.9%. The growth for the first six months of 2009 was lower by 16.9% as compared with the same period of last year.
The department said the contraction of the manufacturing output was due to decreases in electrical and electronics products (27.5%); non-metallic mineral products, basic metal and fabricated metal products (12.8%); and petroleum, chemical, rubber and plastic products (4.6%).
World avoided second Great Depression, Krugman says in KL(update)
Updates with Malaysian PM and Singapore Minister's commentsKUALA LUMPUR: Aggressive stimulus spending by governments helped the world avoid a second Great Depression but full economic recovery will take two years or more, Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman said Monday.Krugman said the worst of the global crisis was over with economic and exports growth showing signs of stabilization.Still, recovery was likely to be "disappointing" as government spending wasn't sustainable in the long-run and unemployment rate still lagging behind, he told a two-day world capital markets conference here.There isn't likely to be any "Phoenix-like" recovery such as in the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis, where the economies expanded dramatically, led by a sharp rebound in exports, he said.We have managed to avoid a second Great Depression ... but full recovery is at least two years and probably more," Krugman said.Asia is likely to see a faster rebound, than the U.S. and Europe, partly driven by the recovery in manufacturing exports, he said.In the clearest sign yet that the recession may be ending, the U.S. Labor Department last Friday showed the jobless rate in the world's largest economy dipped for the first time in 15 months while workers' hours and pay edged upward.It said a net total of 247,000 jobs were lost last month, the fewest in a year and a drastic improvement from the 443,000 that vanished in June.Still, the job market remains shaky.A quarter-million lost jobs are a far cry from the employment growth needed to put the national economy on solid footing. President Barack Obama has urged Americans to be patient and give time for his US$787 billion stimulus package of tax cuts and increased government spending to take hold.Most of the money will flow in 2010.Krugman said there was still room for the U.S. government to increase spending to boost growth, despite concerns over its swollen budget deficit.Krugman, who teaches at Princeton University, won the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences last year for his analysis of how economies of scale can affect international trade patterns.He also writes columns for The New York Times.He said there was a need to restructure the global financial system and impose tighter regulations to avoid a repeat of the economic crisis, but expressed concern that the momentum for reforms appeared to be easing.We do not have the political will to do that just yet ... I suspect clever people can still make a lot of money from the financial system in the next few years," he warned.Earlier, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak urged regulators worldwide to jointly create a compatible, sustainable and effective surveillance system to prevent future market crashes.These include keeping a close eye on risk-taking activities and having a common procedure for intervention if there are signs of irrational excess, he said.Over-reliance on self-regulation is a mistake," he said.Global regulators should err on the side of investor protection and financial stability rather than rely on a 'buyer beware' regulatory regime."Singapore's Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Hong Kong Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury K.C. Chan warned against being too hasty, saying greater regulation of financial institutions mustn't be at the expense of stifling innovation and growth. - APWorld avoided second Great Depression, Krugman says in KLKUALA LUMPUR: Aggressive stimulus spending by governments helped the world avoid a second Great Depression but full economic recovery will take two years or more, Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman said Monday.Krugman said the worst of the global crisis was over with economic and exports growth showing signs of stabilization. Still, recovery was likely to be "disappointing" as government spending wasn't sustainable in the long-run and unemployment rate still lagging behind, he told a two-day world capital markets conference here.There isn't likely to be any "Phoenix-like" recovery such as in the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis, where the economies expanded dramatically, led by a sharp rebound in exports, he said.We have managed to avoid a second Great Depression ... but full recovery is at least two years and probably more," Krugman said.Asia is likely to see a faster rebound, than the U.S. and Europe, partly driven by the recovery in manufacturing exports, he said.In the clearest sign yet that the recession may be ending, the U.S. Labor Department last Friday showed the jobless rate in the world's largest economy dipped for the first time in 15 months while workers' hours and pay edged upward.It said a net total of 247,000 jobs were lost last month, the fewest in a year and a drastic improvement from the 443,000 that vanished in June. Still, the job market remains shaky.A quarter-million lost jobs are a far cry from the employment growth needed to put the national economy on solid footing.President Barack Obama has urged Americans to be patient and give time for his $787 billion stimulus package of tax cuts and increased government spending to take hold.Most of the money will flow in 2010. Krugman said there was still room for the U.S. government to increase spending to boost growth, despite concerns over its swollen budget deficit.Krugman, who teaches at Princeton University, won the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences last year for his analysis of how economies of scale can affect international trade patterns.He also writes columns for The New York Times.He said there was a need to restructure the global financial system and impose tighter regulations to avoid a repeat of the economic crisis, but expressed concern that the momentum for reforms appeared to be easing.We do not have the political will to do that just yet ... I suspect clever people can still make a lot of money from the financial system in the next few years," he warned. - AP
Postal strikes spread across UK
Postal workers are continuing to stage a series of 24-hour strikes this week in an ongoing dispute over pay, jobs and services.As the walkouts spread to East Anglia, from several locations since the weekend, the Communication Workers Union (CWU) announced it was balloting members on a national strike, which would take place in September and cause widespread disruption to deliveries. Meanwhile, Royal Mail played down the effect of the current strikes and released figures showing that performance targets were met despite previous action in June and July. Paul Tolhurst, Royal Mail operations director, said robust performance in July showed that contingency plans to ease the impact of the strike had worked. He said that across the UK more than 90 per cent of staff were working as normal. We again urge the CWU to call off its plans for further strike action and to stop blocking change and modernisation. The union is not only failing to live up to what it says and what it signed up to under the 2007 pay and modernisation agreement but is actively opposing change on the ground.”Tolhurst added that Royal Mail was planning to invest £2 billion to create a modernised and market-leading business. "More CWU strike action will do nothing but damage Royal Mail’s ability to protect the universal service and preserve as many jobs as possible at a time when mail volumes are falling by almost 10 per cent year-on-year," he said.The CWU has reiterated its offer of a no-strike deal in return for negotiations to avert current and future action. Dave Ward, CWU deputy-general secretary, said: "Postal workers and customers are experiencing cuts to services, cuts to hours, cuts to jobs and threats over future jobs and services. This is just downsizing, there's nothing modern about it.We want to see a modern Royal Mail at the cutting edge of British deliveries. There are opportunities in internet delivery fulfillment, modern machinery and innovation in products and services. However, without engagement and negotiation over how this affects the workforce there is no light at the end of the tunnel for postal workers.”
Postal strikes spread across UK
Postal workers are continuing to stage a series of 24-hour strikes this week in an ongoing dispute over pay, jobs and services.As the walkouts spread to East Anglia, from several locations since the weekend, the Communication Workers Union (CWU) announced it was balloting members on a national strike, which would take place in September and cause widespread disruption to deliveries. Meanwhile, Royal Mail played down the effect of the current strikes and released figures showing that performance targets were met despite previous action in June and July. Paul Tolhurst, Royal Mail operations director, said robust performance in July showed that contingency plans to ease the impact of the strike had worked. He said that across the UK more than 90 per cent of staff were working as normal. We again urge the CWU to call off its plans for further strike action and to stop blocking change and modernisation. The union is not only failing to live up to what it says and what it signed up to under the 2007 pay and modernisation agreement but is actively opposing change on the ground.”Tolhurst added that Royal Mail was planning to invest £2 billion to create a modernised and market-leading business. "More CWU strike action will do nothing but damage Royal Mail’s ability to protect the universal service and preserve as many jobs as possible at a time when mail volumes are falling by almost 10 per cent year-on-year," he said.The CWU has reiterated its offer of a no-strike deal in return for negotiations to avert current and future action. Dave Ward, CWU deputy-general secretary, said: "Postal workers and customers are experiencing cuts to services, cuts to hours, cuts to jobs and threats over future jobs and services. This is just downsizing, there's nothing modern about it.We want to see a modern Royal Mail at the cutting edge of British deliveries. There are opportunities in internet delivery fulfillment, modern machinery and innovation in products and services. However, without engagement and negotiation over how this affects the workforce there is no light at the end of the tunnel for postal workers.”
Oil hovers near US$71 Monday as investors eye US consumers
SINGAPORE: Oil prices hovered near $71 a barrel Monday in Asia as investors looked to signs later this week of the U.S. consumers' health.Benchmark crude for September delivery was up 17 cents to US$71.10 a barrel by midday in Singapore in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.On Friday, the contract fell $1.01 to settle at $70.93.Crude prices have fluttered near $71 a barrel and $72 for about a week as investors try to gauge how strong a U.S. economic recovery will be this year.The government said Friday that the unemployment rate fell to 9.4 percent in June, but gasoline demand has been weak this summer.This week, the U.S. government will report July retail sales, and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Macy's Inc. will announce their second quarter results.In other Nymex trading, gasoline for September delivery fell 0.65 cent to $2.00 a gallon and heating oil rose 1.15 cents to $1.92.Natural gas for September delivery gained 4.7 cents to $3.72 per 1,000 cubic feet.In London, Brent prices rose 20 cents to $73.79 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange. - AP
What does "tribalisation" mean in business
A GOOGLE search to define “tribe” reveals “a social group of humans connected by a shared system of values and organised for mutual care, defense, and survival beyond that which could be attained by a lone individual or family.”
Extending this definition to the world of business, it is no surprise that “tribalisation of business” relates to “people helping people.” That is, those who share a similar passion turn to one another for information, recommendations and community feedback.
We are all familiar with this behaviour, especially so, with the onset of social media such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Such avenues are ubiquitous in so many of our lives, and companies are now beginning to understand their enterprise value.
The “Tribalisation of Business” survey conducted by Deloitte in collaboration with Beeline Labs and the Society for New Communications Research in 2008, revealed that companies are beginning to successfully use social media tools and online communities to engage with customers and employees for brand discussions, idea generation and product development. About 60% of the respondents opened their communities for public interaction and feedback; 53% said permitting users to connect with like-minded people was the top feature contributing to success; and 43% said allowing people to help one another was the second most important feature contributing to community success.
We must not forget that network communities are not just about the Gen Y socialising on the Internet, or Facebook and MySpace; it’s about game-changing organisational transformation. Online communities are not just a B2C phenomenon. More and more enterprises are using communities for B2B purposes.
New social media tools like blogs, wikis, bookmarking and profiles have changed customer behaviour and expectations regarding interaction with brands and companies. “People helping people” is changing the dynamics of the traditional way of doing business, paving the way to a new platform for brand/product discussions and discovery.
Communities help engage top prospects and influence purchase decisions and provide insight into new features and opportunities, identify customer needs and enable open innovation.
Social networks provide an avenue to tap into the “wisdom of crowds.” It opens the lines of communication beyond typical spokesmen such as marketing, sales and PR, and provides an avenue for other important stakeholders (e.g. engineers, scientists, product managers) to gather first-hand feedback from customers.
It also provides a forum for collaborative business development, education and communications with vendors, OEMs, and other partners, and allows consumers who know the products and services best, to become a part of the new offering development process.
This phenomenon has also revolutionised the role of the chief marketing officer (CMO). Companies need to think differently about content, content distribution, the way to get peoples attention and how to sell to them.
The CMO is recognised as the lead transformative agent, empowering the sales, customer service and product development functions with the community’s intelligence and participation. With communities becoming a central focus, marketing is now required to participate in non-traditional functions such as customer support, idea generation and employee communications.
In a world where most families meet once a year, and friends, and even neighbours, prefer to interact via Facebook and Twitter rather than over a cup of coffee, the use of social media and online communities is taking an important role in all our lives, and becoming safe havens for the like-minded. Companies are at risk of losing out in two key areas if they choose to ignore this social revolution.
The first area is branding. Companies are losing control of their brand reputation to an ever-increasing and changing network of influencers and peer networks. Social media has dramatically altered the way media and consumer behaviours affect a company’s reputation:
● Journalists and consumers are driving the dialogue about companies over the “blogosphere,” Twitter, YouTube and other social forums.
● Messages, both good and bad, about companies, brands, products, and/or services are echoed and amplified through various audiences and channels.
Without a platform for participation, companies will find it difficult to manage and react to these messages as they resonate through unstructured influencer networks.
The second key area is talent. Companies are at risk of losing the interest of the next generation workforce. As the new generation of employees assimilates into the workforce, they will bring their online social habits with them. One of the top reasons employees leave within their first three years of employment is a lack of connectedness and sense of belonging to the organisation.
Today’s workforce is required to digest vast amounts of information, collaborate across geographical and hierarchical boundaries, and continuously multi-task and make quick decisions, all amid a flurry of distractions.
Knowledge workers are strapped for productivity, with the average employee being interrupted every three minutes during their work day. Social media can allow companies to connect with the next generation of employees using a channel they grew up using.
Social networking is no longer a tool just for high school and college students. Globally, social networks have enjoyed a 25% growth in unique visitors in the last year, with some sites doubling their user base, and on some networks, around 40% of users are over 35. Virtual communities are becoming more sophisticated and companies are realising their true value. Like many of the tribes we learnt about from our history books, they will evolve ...
Extending this definition to the world of business, it is no surprise that “tribalisation of business” relates to “people helping people.” That is, those who share a similar passion turn to one another for information, recommendations and community feedback.
We are all familiar with this behaviour, especially so, with the onset of social media such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Such avenues are ubiquitous in so many of our lives, and companies are now beginning to understand their enterprise value.
The “Tribalisation of Business” survey conducted by Deloitte in collaboration with Beeline Labs and the Society for New Communications Research in 2008, revealed that companies are beginning to successfully use social media tools and online communities to engage with customers and employees for brand discussions, idea generation and product development. About 60% of the respondents opened their communities for public interaction and feedback; 53% said permitting users to connect with like-minded people was the top feature contributing to success; and 43% said allowing people to help one another was the second most important feature contributing to community success.
We must not forget that network communities are not just about the Gen Y socialising on the Internet, or Facebook and MySpace; it’s about game-changing organisational transformation. Online communities are not just a B2C phenomenon. More and more enterprises are using communities for B2B purposes.
New social media tools like blogs, wikis, bookmarking and profiles have changed customer behaviour and expectations regarding interaction with brands and companies. “People helping people” is changing the dynamics of the traditional way of doing business, paving the way to a new platform for brand/product discussions and discovery.
Communities help engage top prospects and influence purchase decisions and provide insight into new features and opportunities, identify customer needs and enable open innovation.
Social networks provide an avenue to tap into the “wisdom of crowds.” It opens the lines of communication beyond typical spokesmen such as marketing, sales and PR, and provides an avenue for other important stakeholders (e.g. engineers, scientists, product managers) to gather first-hand feedback from customers.
It also provides a forum for collaborative business development, education and communications with vendors, OEMs, and other partners, and allows consumers who know the products and services best, to become a part of the new offering development process.
This phenomenon has also revolutionised the role of the chief marketing officer (CMO). Companies need to think differently about content, content distribution, the way to get peoples attention and how to sell to them.
The CMO is recognised as the lead transformative agent, empowering the sales, customer service and product development functions with the community’s intelligence and participation. With communities becoming a central focus, marketing is now required to participate in non-traditional functions such as customer support, idea generation and employee communications.
In a world where most families meet once a year, and friends, and even neighbours, prefer to interact via Facebook and Twitter rather than over a cup of coffee, the use of social media and online communities is taking an important role in all our lives, and becoming safe havens for the like-minded. Companies are at risk of losing out in two key areas if they choose to ignore this social revolution.
The first area is branding. Companies are losing control of their brand reputation to an ever-increasing and changing network of influencers and peer networks. Social media has dramatically altered the way media and consumer behaviours affect a company’s reputation:
● Journalists and consumers are driving the dialogue about companies over the “blogosphere,” Twitter, YouTube and other social forums.
● Messages, both good and bad, about companies, brands, products, and/or services are echoed and amplified through various audiences and channels.
Without a platform for participation, companies will find it difficult to manage and react to these messages as they resonate through unstructured influencer networks.
The second key area is talent. Companies are at risk of losing the interest of the next generation workforce. As the new generation of employees assimilates into the workforce, they will bring their online social habits with them. One of the top reasons employees leave within their first three years of employment is a lack of connectedness and sense of belonging to the organisation.
Today’s workforce is required to digest vast amounts of information, collaborate across geographical and hierarchical boundaries, and continuously multi-task and make quick decisions, all amid a flurry of distractions.
Knowledge workers are strapped for productivity, with the average employee being interrupted every three minutes during their work day. Social media can allow companies to connect with the next generation of employees using a channel they grew up using.
Social networking is no longer a tool just for high school and college students. Globally, social networks have enjoyed a 25% growth in unique visitors in the last year, with some sites doubling their user base, and on some networks, around 40% of users are over 35. Virtual communities are becoming more sophisticated and companies are realising their true value. Like many of the tribes we learnt about from our history books, they will evolve ...
business communication
Golden Gate renames Infineon's wireline business LANTIQ
Golden Gate Capital, the new owners of Infineon Technologies' wireline division, are wasting no time in establishing a new company identity as the division will now become LANTIQ. Last month the German chip vendor reached a deal to sell its Wireline Communications Division (WLC) to equity investor Golden Gate Capital. Set to go live this fall as a standalone company, the newly created LANTIQ will take over the products, projects and locations of Infineon's WLC division. LANTIQ's staff will consist of 900 employees at 14 sites in Asia Pacific, North America and Europe. Christian Wolff, who will be running the new LANTIQ as company CEO, thinks the company can become a sizeable competitor in the next-gen last mile network market that's seeing large U.S. (AT&T, Qwest and Verizon) and international service providers (BT, DT and Belgacom) enhance their last mile networks to provide advanced television and high-bandwidth data services over a home network.During the last few years we have gained a very strong position and significant momentum in the wireline market, based on our broad and innovative product portfolio," said Wolf in a press release. "We are fully committed to the Wireline communications market and we see a tremendous opportunity in the market for IPTV, Home Networking and Next-Generation IP-based networksNEUBIBERG, GERMANY, Aug 10, 2009 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX News Network) -- Infineon Technologies AG (FRANKFURT: IFX) (OTCQX: IFNNY) and Golden Gate Capital announced today that Infineon's Wireline Communication Division will become LANTIQ after the closing of the recently announced transaction.
On July 7, 2009 Infineon Technologies announced that it had agreed to sell its Wireline Communications Division (WLC) to the private equity investor Golden Gate Capital. The deal is expected to close in fall 2009, at which time LANTIQ will assume all the products, projects and locations of the present WLC. The new standalone company will have unique capabilities to combine traditional Wireline technologies with leading-edge Access and Home Networking technologies.
"During the last few years we have gained a very strong position and significant momentum in the wireline market, based on our broad and innovative product portfolio," stated Christian Wolff, who is designated to be the CEO of LANTIQ. "We are fully committed to the Wireline communications market and we see a tremendous opportunity in the market for IPTV, Home Networking and Next-Generation IP-based networks."
"The junction where broadband access meets the digital home is a very hot area in the market today. Exciting new services like IPTV and VoIP depend on a seamless wideband connection from the central office to every point within the consumer's home," said Lee Ratliff, Senior Analyst, Broadband Digital Home and IPTV at iSuppli Corporation. "LANTIQ is positioned at the intersection of this activity with a portfolio that includes infrastructure and Home Networking products ranging from ADSL and VDSL to network processors, VoIP, and DECT."
"WLC, and in the future LANTIQ, is a very exciting company representing an attractive investment opportunity for GGC. We are especially impressed with the leadership and integrity of the senior management team as well as the capabilities of the entire employee base. The people, technologies, and customer relationships make LANTIQ an attractive platform for us," said John Knoll, Managing Director at Golden Gate Capital.
LANTIQ will be among the Top 15 fabless semiconductor companies worldwide and be a one-stop solution provider for the wireline communication and broadband access markets. It will be one of the very few vendors offering a complete DSL end-to-end portfolio and have a unique ability to integrate DSL, VoIP and home connectivity into complex SOCs. LANTIQ will build on a strong foundation of more than 20 years in the industry, and will continue to drive innovation and integration in the telecommunications network, working with the leading players around the world to develop next-generation networks.
LANTIQ will be at the Broadband World Forum in Paris CNIT, September 7-9, 2009. Visit us at our booth (#245).
About LANTIQ
After closing of the deal, LANTIQ will employ 900 people at 14 sites in the Asia Pacific region, North America and Europe. To be headquartered in Neubiberg, Germany, the company will offer a broadband communication portfolio encompassing analog, digital and mixed-signal ICs along with comprehensive software suites, enabling system manufacturers to design high-speed data and telecommunication systems solutions for broadband access and customer premises equipment. Funded by Golden Gate Capital, LANTIQ is a fabless company, offering semiconductor solutions deployed by major carriers and in home networks in every region of the world.
About Infineon
Infineon Technologies AG, Neubiberg, Germany, offers semiconductor and system solutions addressing three central challenges to modern society: energy efficiency, communications, and security. In the 2008 fiscal year (ending September), the company reported sales of Euro 4.3 billion with approximately 29,100 employees worldwide in continuing operations. With a global presence, Infineon operates through its subsidiaries in the U.S. from Milpitas, CA, in the Asia-Pacific region from Singapore, and in Japan from Tokyo. Infineon is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (ticker symbol: IFX) and in the USA on the over-the-counter market OTCQX International Premier (ticker symbol: IFNNY).
Further information is available at www.infineon.com.
This news release is available online at www.infineon.com/press/
Media Relations Technology: Worldwide Headquarters Monika Sonntag +49 89 234 24497 Monika.Sonntag@infineon.com U.S.A. Mitch Ahiers +1 408 503 2791 mitch.ahiers@infineon.com
SOURCE: Infineon Technologies
mailto:Monika.Sonntag@infineon.com mailto:mitch.ahiers@infineon.com
Copyright 2009 Marketwire, Inc., All rights reserved.
Golden Gate Capital, the new owners of Infineon Technologies' wireline division, are wasting no time in establishing a new company identity as the division will now become LANTIQ. Last month the German chip vendor reached a deal to sell its Wireline Communications Division (WLC) to equity investor Golden Gate Capital. Set to go live this fall as a standalone company, the newly created LANTIQ will take over the products, projects and locations of Infineon's WLC division. LANTIQ's staff will consist of 900 employees at 14 sites in Asia Pacific, North America and Europe. Christian Wolff, who will be running the new LANTIQ as company CEO, thinks the company can become a sizeable competitor in the next-gen last mile network market that's seeing large U.S. (AT&T, Qwest and Verizon) and international service providers (BT, DT and Belgacom) enhance their last mile networks to provide advanced television and high-bandwidth data services over a home network.During the last few years we have gained a very strong position and significant momentum in the wireline market, based on our broad and innovative product portfolio," said Wolf in a press release. "We are fully committed to the Wireline communications market and we see a tremendous opportunity in the market for IPTV, Home Networking and Next-Generation IP-based networksNEUBIBERG, GERMANY, Aug 10, 2009 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX News Network) -- Infineon Technologies AG (FRANKFURT: IFX) (OTCQX: IFNNY) and Golden Gate Capital announced today that Infineon's Wireline Communication Division will become LANTIQ after the closing of the recently announced transaction.
On July 7, 2009 Infineon Technologies announced that it had agreed to sell its Wireline Communications Division (WLC) to the private equity investor Golden Gate Capital. The deal is expected to close in fall 2009, at which time LANTIQ will assume all the products, projects and locations of the present WLC. The new standalone company will have unique capabilities to combine traditional Wireline technologies with leading-edge Access and Home Networking technologies.
"During the last few years we have gained a very strong position and significant momentum in the wireline market, based on our broad and innovative product portfolio," stated Christian Wolff, who is designated to be the CEO of LANTIQ. "We are fully committed to the Wireline communications market and we see a tremendous opportunity in the market for IPTV, Home Networking and Next-Generation IP-based networks."
"The junction where broadband access meets the digital home is a very hot area in the market today. Exciting new services like IPTV and VoIP depend on a seamless wideband connection from the central office to every point within the consumer's home," said Lee Ratliff, Senior Analyst, Broadband Digital Home and IPTV at iSuppli Corporation. "LANTIQ is positioned at the intersection of this activity with a portfolio that includes infrastructure and Home Networking products ranging from ADSL and VDSL to network processors, VoIP, and DECT."
"WLC, and in the future LANTIQ, is a very exciting company representing an attractive investment opportunity for GGC. We are especially impressed with the leadership and integrity of the senior management team as well as the capabilities of the entire employee base. The people, technologies, and customer relationships make LANTIQ an attractive platform for us," said John Knoll, Managing Director at Golden Gate Capital.
LANTIQ will be among the Top 15 fabless semiconductor companies worldwide and be a one-stop solution provider for the wireline communication and broadband access markets. It will be one of the very few vendors offering a complete DSL end-to-end portfolio and have a unique ability to integrate DSL, VoIP and home connectivity into complex SOCs. LANTIQ will build on a strong foundation of more than 20 years in the industry, and will continue to drive innovation and integration in the telecommunications network, working with the leading players around the world to develop next-generation networks.
LANTIQ will be at the Broadband World Forum in Paris CNIT, September 7-9, 2009. Visit us at our booth (#245).
About LANTIQ
After closing of the deal, LANTIQ will employ 900 people at 14 sites in the Asia Pacific region, North America and Europe. To be headquartered in Neubiberg, Germany, the company will offer a broadband communication portfolio encompassing analog, digital and mixed-signal ICs along with comprehensive software suites, enabling system manufacturers to design high-speed data and telecommunication systems solutions for broadband access and customer premises equipment. Funded by Golden Gate Capital, LANTIQ is a fabless company, offering semiconductor solutions deployed by major carriers and in home networks in every region of the world.
About Infineon
Infineon Technologies AG, Neubiberg, Germany, offers semiconductor and system solutions addressing three central challenges to modern society: energy efficiency, communications, and security. In the 2008 fiscal year (ending September), the company reported sales of Euro 4.3 billion with approximately 29,100 employees worldwide in continuing operations. With a global presence, Infineon operates through its subsidiaries in the U.S. from Milpitas, CA, in the Asia-Pacific region from Singapore, and in Japan from Tokyo. Infineon is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (ticker symbol: IFX) and in the USA on the over-the-counter market OTCQX International Premier (ticker symbol: IFNNY).
Further information is available at www.infineon.com.
This news release is available online at www.infineon.com/press/
Media Relations Technology: Worldwide Headquarters Monika Sonntag +49 89 234 24497 Monika.Sonntag@infineon.com U.S.A. Mitch Ahiers +1 408 503 2791 mitch.ahiers@infineon.com
SOURCE: Infineon Technologies
mailto:Monika.Sonntag@infineon.com mailto:mitch.ahiers@infineon.com
Copyright 2009 Marketwire, Inc., All rights reserved.
The Business Opportunity You've Been Waiting For
Visualise for a moment having within your hands the potential to save a company up to 40% of their energy costs, operating in a marketplace estimated to be worth over $1 trillion!
There are few occasions when a great opportunity crosses our path, and sadly it is rarely when the timing is just right. At Enigin a unique set of conditions have been merged to form an innovative new business opportunity with unlimited profit potential, in what is widely being recognised as one of the fastest growing industries in the world.
Enigin plc are looking for dynamic, committed and capable professionals who possess the all important entrepreneurial drive & determination to succeed. If you fit this description please read the information on this website then request your FREE Business Information Pack.
Maybe you have never run your own business before and are unsure of your suitability. Or perhaps you have never run a business in this sector before and would like to know if you could make a successful transition. If so, please click here to receive your FREE mini 'Be Your Own Boss' report. By answering a few simple questions you can find out if you have what it takes to be profiting from an Energy Saving Business.
There are few occasions when a great opportunity crosses our path, and sadly it is rarely when the timing is just right. At Enigin a unique set of conditions have been merged to form an innovative new business opportunity with unlimited profit potential, in what is widely being recognised as one of the fastest growing industries in the world.
Enigin plc are looking for dynamic, committed and capable professionals who possess the all important entrepreneurial drive & determination to succeed. If you fit this description please read the information on this website then request your FREE Business Information Pack.
Maybe you have never run your own business before and are unsure of your suitability. Or perhaps you have never run a business in this sector before and would like to know if you could make a successful transition. If so, please click here to receive your FREE mini 'Be Your Own Boss' report. By answering a few simple questions you can find out if you have what it takes to be profiting from an Energy Saving Business.
The Business Opportunity You've Been Waiting For
Visualise for a moment having within your hands the potential to save a company up to 40% of their energy costs, operating in a marketplace estimated to be worth over $1 trillion!
There are few occasions when a great opportunity crosses our path, and sadly it is rarely when the timing is just right. At Enigin a unique set of conditions have been merged to form an innovative new business opportunity with unlimited profit potential, in what is widely being recognised as one of the fastest growing industries in the world.
Enigin plc are looking for dynamic, committed and capable professionals who possess the all important entrepreneurial drive & determination to succeed. If you fit this description please read the information on this website then request your FREE Business Information Pack.
Maybe you have never run your own business before and are unsure of your suitability. Or perhaps you have never run a business in this sector before and would like to know if you could make a successful transition. If so, please click here to receive your FREE mini 'Be Your Own Boss' report. By answering a few simple questions you can find out if you have what it takes to be profiting from an Energy Saving Business.
There are few occasions when a great opportunity crosses our path, and sadly it is rarely when the timing is just right. At Enigin a unique set of conditions have been merged to form an innovative new business opportunity with unlimited profit potential, in what is widely being recognised as one of the fastest growing industries in the world.
Enigin plc are looking for dynamic, committed and capable professionals who possess the all important entrepreneurial drive & determination to succeed. If you fit this description please read the information on this website then request your FREE Business Information Pack.
Maybe you have never run your own business before and are unsure of your suitability. Or perhaps you have never run a business in this sector before and would like to know if you could make a successful transition. If so, please click here to receive your FREE mini 'Be Your Own Boss' report. By answering a few simple questions you can find out if you have what it takes to be profiting from an Energy Saving Business.
business news
KDG Joins Rovi's EPG Patent Licensing Program Under NDS Agreement
SANTA CLARA, Calif. and LONDON, Aug. 10, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rovi Corporation (Nasdaq:ROVI), formerly Macrovision Solutions Corporation, and NDS Group Ltd, the leading provider of technology solutions for digital pay-TV, today announced that Kabel Deutschland (KDG) has signed an agreement for licenses to Rovi's electronic program guide (EPG) patent portfolio.
KDG, Germany's largest cable network operator, is licensing Rovi's EPG patents under the agreement between Rovi and NDS that was announced in April 2009.
"We are pleased to announce KDG as another NDS customer to benefit from our new patent license agreement with Rovi," said Gorm Nielsen, senior vice president, business development, NDS. "We believe that operators will benefit from the option to license Rovi's EPG patents alongside NDS' own leading technology and service offerings, part of our ongoing effort to help operators and providers bring a richer viewing experience to their audiences."
"We continue to gain momentum in expanding our patent program worldwide with leading operators," said Samir Armaly, senior vice president of licensing, Rovi. "We are pleased to welcome KDG, the leading cable network operator in Germany, to our licensing program. KDG joins our European licensees that include CANAL+, BSkyB, Portugal Telecom, SKY Italia and UPC Broadband."
About KDG
Kabel Deutschland (KDG), Germany's largest cable operator, offers its customers analog and digital TV, broadband Internet and fixed line phone services via cable as well mobile services in cooperation with an industry partner. The company operates the cable networks in 13 German federal states and supplies its services to approximately 9.1 million connected households in Germany. KDG offers an open digital TV platform for all program providers. In fiscal year 2008/2009 (12 months ended March 31, 2009), Kabel Deutschland reported revenues of EUR 1,370 million and Adjusted EBITDA of EUR 571 million. As per fiscal year end 2008/2009, KDG had 2,800 employees in Germany.
About NDS
NDS Group Ltd. creates the technologies and applications that enable pay-TV operators to securely deliver digital content to TV STBs (set-top boxes), DVRs (digital video recorders), PCs, mobiles and other multimedia devices. Over 70 of the world's leading pay-TV platforms rely on NDS solutions to protect and enhance their businesses. VideoGuard(r) is the world's market-leading conditional access (CA) and digital rights management (DRM) technology, currently deployed on 107 million active devices, and safeguarding pay-TV service revenues exceeding $40 billion. NDS middleware, including MediaHighway(r) which enables a host of advanced services for subscribers, has been deployed on 123 million devices. NDS DVR technology, centred around XTV(tm), leads the global industry with 21 million units deployed. (Deployment figures as of 30th June 2009).
Headquartered in the UK, NDS remains committed to investing in R&D with over 75% of its employees dedicated to pioneering work at development centres in China, Denmark, France, India, Israel, Korea, UK and US. NDS has also implemented a host of initiatives aimed at reducing its carbon footprint and helping digital TV subscribers reduce energy consumption.
NDS Group Ltd. is a private company owned by the Permira Funds and News Corporation. See www.nds.com for more information.
The NDS Group Ltd. logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=6486
About Rovi Corporation
Rovi Corporation is focused on revolutionizing the digital entertainment landscape by delivering solutions that enable consumers to intuitively discover new entertainment from many sources and locations. The company also provides extensive entertainment discovery solutions for television, movies, music and photos to its customers in the consumer electronics, cable and satellite, entertainment and online distribution markets. These solutions, complemented by industry leading entertainment data, create the connections between people and technology, and enable them to discover and manage entertainment in an enjoyable form.
Rovi holds over 4,000 issued or pending patents and patent applications worldwide and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California, with numerous offices across the United States and around the world including Japan, Hong Kong, Luxembourg, and the United Kingdom. More information about Rovi can be found at www.rovicorp.com.
The Rovi Corporation logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=6482
Forward Looking Statements
All statements contained herein that are not statements of historical fact, including statements that use the words "will" or "is expected to," or similar words that describe the Company's or its management's future plans, objectives, or goals, are "forward-looking statements" and are made pursuant to the Safe-Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause the actual results of the Company to be materially different from the historical results and/or from any future results or outcomes expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors are further addressed in the Company's most recent report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2009 and such other documents as are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time (available at www.sec.gov). The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements in order to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this release, except as required by law. CONTACT: Rovi Corporation
Linda Quach
+1 (408) 562-8504
linda.quach@rovicorp.com
NDS
Cynthia Ritchie, Director, Corporate Communications
+44 (0)20 8476 8378
critchie@nds.com
Other Company Press Releases
Rovi Corporation Reports Second Quarter Financial Performance - Aug 6, 2009
Rovi Announces Data Licensing Agreement With TiVo - Aug 6, 2009
Stock Quote
Recent Quote for ROVI
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$ 28.34
Trade Time:
08/07/2009 ET
Change:
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Blogging/Bookmarking
SANTA CLARA, Calif. and LONDON, Aug. 10, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rovi Corporation (Nasdaq:ROVI), formerly Macrovision Solutions Corporation, and NDS Group Ltd, the leading provider of technology solutions for digital pay-TV, today announced that Kabel Deutschland (KDG) has signed an agreement for licenses to Rovi's electronic program guide (EPG) patent portfolio.
KDG, Germany's largest cable network operator, is licensing Rovi's EPG patents under the agreement between Rovi and NDS that was announced in April 2009.
"We are pleased to announce KDG as another NDS customer to benefit from our new patent license agreement with Rovi," said Gorm Nielsen, senior vice president, business development, NDS. "We believe that operators will benefit from the option to license Rovi's EPG patents alongside NDS' own leading technology and service offerings, part of our ongoing effort to help operators and providers bring a richer viewing experience to their audiences."
"We continue to gain momentum in expanding our patent program worldwide with leading operators," said Samir Armaly, senior vice president of licensing, Rovi. "We are pleased to welcome KDG, the leading cable network operator in Germany, to our licensing program. KDG joins our European licensees that include CANAL+, BSkyB, Portugal Telecom, SKY Italia and UPC Broadband."
About KDG
Kabel Deutschland (KDG), Germany's largest cable operator, offers its customers analog and digital TV, broadband Internet and fixed line phone services via cable as well mobile services in cooperation with an industry partner. The company operates the cable networks in 13 German federal states and supplies its services to approximately 9.1 million connected households in Germany. KDG offers an open digital TV platform for all program providers. In fiscal year 2008/2009 (12 months ended March 31, 2009), Kabel Deutschland reported revenues of EUR 1,370 million and Adjusted EBITDA of EUR 571 million. As per fiscal year end 2008/2009, KDG had 2,800 employees in Germany.
About NDS
NDS Group Ltd. creates the technologies and applications that enable pay-TV operators to securely deliver digital content to TV STBs (set-top boxes), DVRs (digital video recorders), PCs, mobiles and other multimedia devices. Over 70 of the world's leading pay-TV platforms rely on NDS solutions to protect and enhance their businesses. VideoGuard(r) is the world's market-leading conditional access (CA) and digital rights management (DRM) technology, currently deployed on 107 million active devices, and safeguarding pay-TV service revenues exceeding $40 billion. NDS middleware, including MediaHighway(r) which enables a host of advanced services for subscribers, has been deployed on 123 million devices. NDS DVR technology, centred around XTV(tm), leads the global industry with 21 million units deployed. (Deployment figures as of 30th June 2009).
Headquartered in the UK, NDS remains committed to investing in R&D with over 75% of its employees dedicated to pioneering work at development centres in China, Denmark, France, India, Israel, Korea, UK and US. NDS has also implemented a host of initiatives aimed at reducing its carbon footprint and helping digital TV subscribers reduce energy consumption.
NDS Group Ltd. is a private company owned by the Permira Funds and News Corporation. See www.nds.com for more information.
The NDS Group Ltd. logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=6486
About Rovi Corporation
Rovi Corporation is focused on revolutionizing the digital entertainment landscape by delivering solutions that enable consumers to intuitively discover new entertainment from many sources and locations. The company also provides extensive entertainment discovery solutions for television, movies, music and photos to its customers in the consumer electronics, cable and satellite, entertainment and online distribution markets. These solutions, complemented by industry leading entertainment data, create the connections between people and technology, and enable them to discover and manage entertainment in an enjoyable form.
Rovi holds over 4,000 issued or pending patents and patent applications worldwide and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California, with numerous offices across the United States and around the world including Japan, Hong Kong, Luxembourg, and the United Kingdom. More information about Rovi can be found at www.rovicorp.com.
The Rovi Corporation logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=6482
Forward Looking Statements
All statements contained herein that are not statements of historical fact, including statements that use the words "will" or "is expected to," or similar words that describe the Company's or its management's future plans, objectives, or goals, are "forward-looking statements" and are made pursuant to the Safe-Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause the actual results of the Company to be materially different from the historical results and/or from any future results or outcomes expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors are further addressed in the Company's most recent report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2009 and such other documents as are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time (available at www.sec.gov). The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements in order to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this release, except as required by law. CONTACT: Rovi Corporation
Linda Quach
+1 (408) 562-8504
linda.quach@rovicorp.com
NDS
Cynthia Ritchie, Director, Corporate Communications
+44 (0)20 8476 8378
critchie@nds.com
Other Company Press Releases
Rovi Corporation Reports Second Quarter Financial Performance - Aug 6, 2009
Rovi Announces Data Licensing Agreement With TiVo - Aug 6, 2009
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KDG Joins Rovi's EPG Patent Licensing Program Under NDS Agreement
SANTA CLARA, Calif. and LONDON, Aug. 10, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rovi Corporation (Nasdaq:ROVI), formerly Macrovision Solutions Corporation, and NDS Group Ltd, the leading provider of technology solutions for digital pay-TV, today announced that Kabel Deutschland (KDG) has signed an agreement for licenses to Rovi's electronic program guide (EPG) patent portfolio.
KDG, Germany's largest cable network operator, is licensing Rovi's EPG patents under the agreement between Rovi and NDS that was announced in April 2009.
"We are pleased to announce KDG as another NDS customer to benefit from our new patent license agreement with Rovi," said Gorm Nielsen, senior vice president, business development, NDS. "We believe that operators will benefit from the option to license Rovi's EPG patents alongside NDS' own leading technology and service offerings, part of our ongoing effort to help operators and providers bring a richer viewing experience to their audiences."
"We continue to gain momentum in expanding our patent program worldwide with leading operators," said Samir Armaly, senior vice president of licensing, Rovi. "We are pleased to welcome KDG, the leading cable network operator in Germany, to our licensing program. KDG joins our European licensees that include CANAL+, BSkyB, Portugal Telecom, SKY Italia and UPC Broadband."
About KDG
Kabel Deutschland (KDG), Germany's largest cable operator, offers its customers analog and digital TV, broadband Internet and fixed line phone services via cable as well mobile services in cooperation with an industry partner. The company operates the cable networks in 13 German federal states and supplies its services to approximately 9.1 million connected households in Germany. KDG offers an open digital TV platform for all program providers. In fiscal year 2008/2009 (12 months ended March 31, 2009), Kabel Deutschland reported revenues of EUR 1,370 million and Adjusted EBITDA of EUR 571 million. As per fiscal year end 2008/2009, KDG had 2,800 employees in Germany.
About NDS
NDS Group Ltd. creates the technologies and applications that enable pay-TV operators to securely deliver digital content to TV STBs (set-top boxes), DVRs (digital video recorders), PCs, mobiles and other multimedia devices. Over 70 of the world's leading pay-TV platforms rely on NDS solutions to protect and enhance their businesses. VideoGuard(r) is the world's market-leading conditional access (CA) and digital rights management (DRM) technology, currently deployed on 107 million active devices, and safeguarding pay-TV service revenues exceeding $40 billion. NDS middleware, including MediaHighway(r) which enables a host of advanced services for subscribers, has been deployed on 123 million devices. NDS DVR technology, centred around XTV(tm), leads the global industry with 21 million units deployed. (Deployment figures as of 30th June 2009).
Headquartered in the UK, NDS remains committed to investing in R&D with over 75% of its employees dedicated to pioneering work at development centres in China, Denmark, France, India, Israel, Korea, UK and US. NDS has also implemented a host of initiatives aimed at reducing its carbon footprint and helping digital TV subscribers reduce energy consumption.
NDS Group Ltd. is a private company owned by the Permira Funds and News Corporation. See
SANTA CLARA, Calif. and LONDON, Aug. 10, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rovi Corporation (Nasdaq:ROVI), formerly Macrovision Solutions Corporation, and NDS Group Ltd, the leading provider of technology solutions for digital pay-TV, today announced that Kabel Deutschland (KDG) has signed an agreement for licenses to Rovi's electronic program guide (EPG) patent portfolio.
KDG, Germany's largest cable network operator, is licensing Rovi's EPG patents under the agreement between Rovi and NDS that was announced in April 2009.
"We are pleased to announce KDG as another NDS customer to benefit from our new patent license agreement with Rovi," said Gorm Nielsen, senior vice president, business development, NDS. "We believe that operators will benefit from the option to license Rovi's EPG patents alongside NDS' own leading technology and service offerings, part of our ongoing effort to help operators and providers bring a richer viewing experience to their audiences."
"We continue to gain momentum in expanding our patent program worldwide with leading operators," said Samir Armaly, senior vice president of licensing, Rovi. "We are pleased to welcome KDG, the leading cable network operator in Germany, to our licensing program. KDG joins our European licensees that include CANAL+, BSkyB, Portugal Telecom, SKY Italia and UPC Broadband."
About KDG
Kabel Deutschland (KDG), Germany's largest cable operator, offers its customers analog and digital TV, broadband Internet and fixed line phone services via cable as well mobile services in cooperation with an industry partner. The company operates the cable networks in 13 German federal states and supplies its services to approximately 9.1 million connected households in Germany. KDG offers an open digital TV platform for all program providers. In fiscal year 2008/2009 (12 months ended March 31, 2009), Kabel Deutschland reported revenues of EUR 1,370 million and Adjusted EBITDA of EUR 571 million. As per fiscal year end 2008/2009, KDG had 2,800 employees in Germany.
About NDS
NDS Group Ltd. creates the technologies and applications that enable pay-TV operators to securely deliver digital content to TV STBs (set-top boxes), DVRs (digital video recorders), PCs, mobiles and other multimedia devices. Over 70 of the world's leading pay-TV platforms rely on NDS solutions to protect and enhance their businesses. VideoGuard(r) is the world's market-leading conditional access (CA) and digital rights management (DRM) technology, currently deployed on 107 million active devices, and safeguarding pay-TV service revenues exceeding $40 billion. NDS middleware, including MediaHighway(r) which enables a host of advanced services for subscribers, has been deployed on 123 million devices. NDS DVR technology, centred around XTV(tm), leads the global industry with 21 million units deployed. (Deployment figures as of 30th June 2009).
Headquartered in the UK, NDS remains committed to investing in R&D with over 75% of its employees dedicated to pioneering work at development centres in China, Denmark, France, India, Israel, Korea, UK and US. NDS has also implemented a host of initiatives aimed at reducing its carbon footprint and helping digital TV subscribers reduce energy consumption.
NDS Group Ltd. is a private company owned by the Permira Funds and News Corporation. See
KDG Joins Rovi's EPG Patent Licensing Program Under NDS Agreement
SANTA CLARA, Calif. and LONDON, Aug. 10, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rovi Corporation (Nasdaq:ROVI), formerly Macrovision Solutions Corporation, and NDS Group Ltd, the leading provider of technology solutions for digital pay-TV, today announced that Kabel Deutschland (KDG) has signed an agreement for licenses to Rovi's electronic program guide (EPG) patent portfolio.
KDG, Germany's largest cable network operator, is licensing Rovi's EPG patents under the agreement between Rovi and NDS that was announced in April 2009.
"We are pleased to announce KDG as another NDS customer to benefit from our new patent license agreement with Rovi," said Gorm Nielsen, senior vice president, business development, NDS. "We believe that operators will benefit from the option to license Rovi's EPG patents alongside NDS' own leading technology and service offerings, part of our ongoing effort to help operators and providers bring a richer viewing experience to their audiences."
"We continue to gain momentum in expanding our patent program worldwide with leading operators," said Samir Armaly, senior vice president of licensing, Rovi. "We are pleased to welcome KDG, the leading cable network operator in Germany, to our licensing program. KDG joins our European licensees that include CANAL+, BSkyB, Portugal Telecom, SKY Italia and UPC Broadband."
About KDG
Kabel Deutschland (KDG), Germany's largest cable operator, offers its customers analog and digital TV, broadband Internet and fixed line phone services via cable as well mobile services in cooperation with an industry partner. The company operates the cable networks in 13 German federal states and supplies its services to approximately 9.1 million connected households in Germany. KDG offers an open digital TV platform for all program providers. In fiscal year 2008/2009 (12 months ended March 31, 2009), Kabel Deutschland reported revenues of EUR 1,370 million and Adjusted EBITDA of EUR 571 million. As per fiscal year end 2008/2009, KDG had 2,800 employees in Germany.
About NDS
NDS Group Ltd. creates the technologies and applications that enable pay-TV operators to securely deliver digital content to TV STBs (set-top boxes), DVRs (digital video recorders), PCs, mobiles and other multimedia devices. Over 70 of the world's leading pay-TV platforms rely on NDS solutions to protect and enhance their businesses. VideoGuard(r) is the world's market-leading conditional access (CA) and digital rights management (DRM) technology, currently deployed on 107 million active devices, and safeguarding pay-TV service revenues exceeding $40 billion. NDS middleware, including MediaHighway(r) which enables a host of advanced services for subscribers, has been deployed on 123 million devices. NDS DVR technology, centred around XTV(tm), leads the global industry with 21 million units deployed. (Deployment figures as of 30th June 2009).
Headquartered in the UK, NDS remains committed to investing in R&D with over 75% of its employees dedicated to pioneering work at development centres in China, Denmark, France, India, Israel, Korea, UK and US. NDS has also implemented a host of initiatives aimed at reducing its carbon footprint and helping digital TV subscribers reduce energy consumption.
NDS Group Ltd. is a private company owned by the Permira Funds and News Corporation. See
SANTA CLARA, Calif. and LONDON, Aug. 10, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rovi Corporation (Nasdaq:ROVI), formerly Macrovision Solutions Corporation, and NDS Group Ltd, the leading provider of technology solutions for digital pay-TV, today announced that Kabel Deutschland (KDG) has signed an agreement for licenses to Rovi's electronic program guide (EPG) patent portfolio.
KDG, Germany's largest cable network operator, is licensing Rovi's EPG patents under the agreement between Rovi and NDS that was announced in April 2009.
"We are pleased to announce KDG as another NDS customer to benefit from our new patent license agreement with Rovi," said Gorm Nielsen, senior vice president, business development, NDS. "We believe that operators will benefit from the option to license Rovi's EPG patents alongside NDS' own leading technology and service offerings, part of our ongoing effort to help operators and providers bring a richer viewing experience to their audiences."
"We continue to gain momentum in expanding our patent program worldwide with leading operators," said Samir Armaly, senior vice president of licensing, Rovi. "We are pleased to welcome KDG, the leading cable network operator in Germany, to our licensing program. KDG joins our European licensees that include CANAL+, BSkyB, Portugal Telecom, SKY Italia and UPC Broadband."
About KDG
Kabel Deutschland (KDG), Germany's largest cable operator, offers its customers analog and digital TV, broadband Internet and fixed line phone services via cable as well mobile services in cooperation with an industry partner. The company operates the cable networks in 13 German federal states and supplies its services to approximately 9.1 million connected households in Germany. KDG offers an open digital TV platform for all program providers. In fiscal year 2008/2009 (12 months ended March 31, 2009), Kabel Deutschland reported revenues of EUR 1,370 million and Adjusted EBITDA of EUR 571 million. As per fiscal year end 2008/2009, KDG had 2,800 employees in Germany.
About NDS
NDS Group Ltd. creates the technologies and applications that enable pay-TV operators to securely deliver digital content to TV STBs (set-top boxes), DVRs (digital video recorders), PCs, mobiles and other multimedia devices. Over 70 of the world's leading pay-TV platforms rely on NDS solutions to protect and enhance their businesses. VideoGuard(r) is the world's market-leading conditional access (CA) and digital rights management (DRM) technology, currently deployed on 107 million active devices, and safeguarding pay-TV service revenues exceeding $40 billion. NDS middleware, including MediaHighway(r) which enables a host of advanced services for subscribers, has been deployed on 123 million devices. NDS DVR technology, centred around XTV(tm), leads the global industry with 21 million units deployed. (Deployment figures as of 30th June 2009).
Headquartered in the UK, NDS remains committed to investing in R&D with over 75% of its employees dedicated to pioneering work at development centres in China, Denmark, France, India, Israel, Korea, UK and US. NDS has also implemented a host of initiatives aimed at reducing its carbon footprint and helping digital TV subscribers reduce energy consumption.
NDS Group Ltd. is a private company owned by the Permira Funds and News Corporation. See
business news
Recovery Continues in New York City Crash
Divers returned to the Hudson River Monday to resume their search for bodies and wreckage, two days after a midair collision between a sightseeing helicopter and a small private plane killed nine people.National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Debbie Hersman declined to speculate about the cause of the crash, the worst air disaster in New York City since a commercial jet crash in Queens killed 265 people in November 2001. The investigation is expected to take months.Divers recovered seven bodies over the weekend, one passenger on the plane and all six people aboard the helicopter. On Sunday, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers crane lifted the twisted wreckage of the helicopter from 30 feet of water near the New Jersey shore. A sonar scanner found the Piper Lancer nearby and more plane parts were found farther away under about 50 feet of water.The prop plane carrying two brothers and a teenage boy crashed shortly before noon into the rear of a Eurocopter AS-350 that had set off on a 12-minute jaunt over Manhattan with five Italian tourists and Jeremy Clarke, a 32-year-old pilot.The impact ripped off one of the Piper's wings and sent both aircraft plunging into the Hudson River, not far from the spot where US Airways pilot Chesley Sullenberger executed his successful water landing of Flight 1549 in January.Neither craft in Saturday's crash was equipped with the data recorders installed on commercial planes. So investigators will closely examine eyewitness accounts and photographs of the crash to determine how it happened.Ms. Hersman said Sunday that evidence suggested that the helicopter, operated by New Jersey-based Liberty Helicopters, was gaining altitude when the collision occurred. That suggests the helicopter may have been flying in a blind spot for Steven Altman, the pilot of the Piper Lance and one of the brothers aboard.But it doesn't explain the central question of federal investigators: Why weren't the two pilots aware of each other?The pilots were operating under 1,100 feet in an area that typically isn't managed by air-traffic controllers. Pilots must rely on visual flight rules that are often referred to as "see and avoid."They share a common radio frequency and are supposed to announce their location and intended path. Use of the radio frequency is voluntary, however, and it was unclear whether the two pilots involved in the crash had followed the guidelines.A 2006 crash in Manhattan that killed New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle and his flight instructor led the Federal Aviation Administration to prohibit some private planes from flying along the East River. New York-area lawmakers said Sunday that tighter controls were also needed along the west side of the city.I have long believed that virtually unregulated general aviation flight traffic over the Hudson River poses a serious safety and security risk," Sen. Charles Schumer (D., N.Y.) said in a statement. "At the conclusion of this investigation, the FAA, along with the NTSB and other relevant agencies, must take a long look at toughening up flight restrictions and monitoring of the Hudson River airspace in order to avoid another tragedy."Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D., N.Y.) and other local lawmakers plan Monday to call for tougher oversight from the West 30th Street Heliport, from where the Liberty helicopter took off.Ms. Hersman of the NTSB said the board would examine the safety of operations in New York and issue recommendations to FAA regulators if necessary. The FAA has yet to implement more than a dozen NTSB recommendations that are intended to bolster safety in the "on-demand" segment of aviation that includes tourist helicopters and charter planes.FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown said the agency will "be looking at all the issues involved in this accident to see if there's anything we need to change."Among the victims onboard the Liberty helicopter, according to the Associated Press, were Michele Norelli, 51, and his son, Filippo Norelli, 16; Fabio Gallazzi, 49, his wife, Tiziana Pedroni, 44, and their son, Giacomo Gallazzi, 15. In the Piper were Mr. Altman, 60, of Pennsylvania, his brother Daniel Altman, and Daniel's son, Douglas Altman, 16.
Divers returned to the Hudson River Monday to resume their search for bodies and wreckage, two days after a midair collision between a sightseeing helicopter and a small private plane killed nine people.National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Debbie Hersman declined to speculate about the cause of the crash, the worst air disaster in New York City since a commercial jet crash in Queens killed 265 people in November 2001. The investigation is expected to take months.Divers recovered seven bodies over the weekend, one passenger on the plane and all six people aboard the helicopter. On Sunday, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers crane lifted the twisted wreckage of the helicopter from 30 feet of water near the New Jersey shore. A sonar scanner found the Piper Lancer nearby and more plane parts were found farther away under about 50 feet of water.The prop plane carrying two brothers and a teenage boy crashed shortly before noon into the rear of a Eurocopter AS-350 that had set off on a 12-minute jaunt over Manhattan with five Italian tourists and Jeremy Clarke, a 32-year-old pilot.The impact ripped off one of the Piper's wings and sent both aircraft plunging into the Hudson River, not far from the spot where US Airways pilot Chesley Sullenberger executed his successful water landing of Flight 1549 in January.Neither craft in Saturday's crash was equipped with the data recorders installed on commercial planes. So investigators will closely examine eyewitness accounts and photographs of the crash to determine how it happened.Ms. Hersman said Sunday that evidence suggested that the helicopter, operated by New Jersey-based Liberty Helicopters, was gaining altitude when the collision occurred. That suggests the helicopter may have been flying in a blind spot for Steven Altman, the pilot of the Piper Lance and one of the brothers aboard.But it doesn't explain the central question of federal investigators: Why weren't the two pilots aware of each other?The pilots were operating under 1,100 feet in an area that typically isn't managed by air-traffic controllers. Pilots must rely on visual flight rules that are often referred to as "see and avoid."They share a common radio frequency and are supposed to announce their location and intended path. Use of the radio frequency is voluntary, however, and it was unclear whether the two pilots involved in the crash had followed the guidelines.A 2006 crash in Manhattan that killed New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle and his flight instructor led the Federal Aviation Administration to prohibit some private planes from flying along the East River. New York-area lawmakers said Sunday that tighter controls were also needed along the west side of the city.I have long believed that virtually unregulated general aviation flight traffic over the Hudson River poses a serious safety and security risk," Sen. Charles Schumer (D., N.Y.) said in a statement. "At the conclusion of this investigation, the FAA, along with the NTSB and other relevant agencies, must take a long look at toughening up flight restrictions and monitoring of the Hudson River airspace in order to avoid another tragedy."Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D., N.Y.) and other local lawmakers plan Monday to call for tougher oversight from the West 30th Street Heliport, from where the Liberty helicopter took off.Ms. Hersman of the NTSB said the board would examine the safety of operations in New York and issue recommendations to FAA regulators if necessary. The FAA has yet to implement more than a dozen NTSB recommendations that are intended to bolster safety in the "on-demand" segment of aviation that includes tourist helicopters and charter planes.FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown said the agency will "be looking at all the issues involved in this accident to see if there's anything we need to change."Among the victims onboard the Liberty helicopter, according to the Associated Press, were Michele Norelli, 51, and his son, Filippo Norelli, 16; Fabio Gallazzi, 49, his wife, Tiziana Pedroni, 44, and their son, Giacomo Gallazzi, 15. In the Piper were Mr. Altman, 60, of Pennsylvania, his brother Daniel Altman, and Daniel's son, Douglas Altman, 16.
business news
Software automates computer tasks
August 10, 2009 - Using RoboTask v3.4, any combination of tasks can be automated, from simple and routine to highly complex involving conditional IF/ELSE statements, loops, and custom variables. Program performs numerous file management operations, starts and stops Windows NT services, shuts down system, and sends messages via e-mail and network. With list of triggering events, software can schedule tasks, assign keyboard hotkeys to each task, and start task when certain system event takes place
August 10, 2009 - Using RoboTask v3.4, any combination of tasks can be automated, from simple and routine to highly complex involving conditional IF/ELSE statements, loops, and custom variables. Program performs numerous file management operations, starts and stops Windows NT services, shuts down system, and sends messages via e-mail and network. With list of triggering events, software can schedule tasks, assign keyboard hotkeys to each task, and start task when certain system event takes place
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