Are all the modern devices and digital conveniences we have at our disposal — from the web and social media to smartphones and tablets — making us more distracted and less able to concentrate? And is this harming our ability to think and be creative, and therefore by extension harming society as a whole? It’s a question that rears its head from time to time. One of the latest expressions of this fear comes from Joe Kraus, a serial entrepreneur who is now a partner with Google Ventures and gave a presentation recently about his concerns, offering an alternative concept he calls “Slow Tech.” But is this really something that we need to be afraid of?
In his presentation, Kraus argues that the incessant demands of cellphones and social media, not to mention email and other forms of distraction, are making it difficult for us to connect with other people — including our families — and also endangering our ability to think about anything other than the next jolt of stimulation from the devices we have all around us, which he compares to the constant stimulus of a slot machine at a casino. As he describes it:
We are creating and encouraging a culture of distraction where we are increasingly disconnected from the people and events around us, and increasingly unable to engage in long-form thinking. People now feel anxious when their brains are unstimulated.
We are losing some very important things by doing this. We threaten the key ingredients behind creativity and insight by filling up all our ‘gap’ time with stimulation. And we inhibit real human connection when we prioritize our phones over the people right in front of us.
Is multi-tasking just a myth?
Kraus says he has an “unhealthy relationship” with his phone and is constantly pulling it out to check things, and that if he lets it, that behaviour “fills up those gaps in my day — some gaps of boredom, some of solitude.” The effect of all of this, he argues, is that we are increasingly distracted, and less able to pay attention to anything for a reasonable length of time, and this distraction is a “worsening condition.” We may think that we are getting things accomplished or multi-tasking, he says, but brain studies show that multi-tasking is a myth, and in reality we are just trying to do too many things at once and overloading our brain’s ability to concentrate.
The Google Ventures partner and former co-founder of Excite.com also quotes sociologist Dr. Sherry Turkle, to the effect that: “We are lonely but fearful of intimacy. Digital connections offer the illusion of companionship without the demands of friendship. We expect more from technology and less from each other.”
This explains the constant desire for virtual contact, Kraus says — and that contact gets in the way of real relationships.
Kraus is far from the only one to raise the warning flag about any of this: Turkle has written about how the internet doesn’t help form real relationships, but fosters a kind of fake intimacy. Nicholas Carr argues in his book The Shallows that the internet and social media are making us less intelligent — and less interesting — and are actually changing our brains in negative ways. Others have also written about how they are trying to minimize the distractions their phones provide in the way of notifications, and there are a host of apps to help you concentrate when you are using your computer.
I would be the first to agree that time without a phone or tablet is a valuable thing, and that it’s good to take long walks (or baths, the place where Archimedes famously discovered the law of hydrostatics) and think big thoughts. And I also wrestle — as Kraus does — with the desire to look at the phone during meals and other times when I am with my family. But is this really a social disaster waiting to happen? And is it changing us and our brains for the worse? I have my doubts about that, just as I have my doubts about Nick Carr’s argument that the internet is making us dumber and less interesting, or that Facebook or any other social network is making us lonely.
Distraction of all kinds can be good as well as bad
Is technology changing, and society along with it? Of course it is — but that doesn’t mean we are becoming worse in some way, or necessarily losing anything crucial. In fact, we are just as likely to be gaining as losing. When Carr made his argument about the distractions of the internet, I had just finished reading a piece that Paul Kedrosky wrote for The Edge collection, in which he argued that one of the things he liked best about the internet and social media was the way in which it bombarded him with random data and content — the way that molecules are bombarded with other particles during quantum research — and that this produced all sorts of wonderful combinations of ideas:
The democratization of connections, collisions and therefore thinking is historically unprecedented. We are the first generation to have the information equivalent of the Large Hadron Collider for ideas. And if that doesn’t change the way you think, nothing will.
Not everyone can consume (or make sense of) quite as many diverse information sources as Kedrosky can, but his point is a good one: the random information flow that we are bathed in when we are online or using social media and devices like smartphones can just as easily be a source of inspiration and creativity as a killer of those things. Why is looking out the window or going for a walk more conducive to reflection than browsing through a friend’s Tumblr stream? I am not against walks or daydreaming — but there are plenty of ways to daydream and think big thoughts, and the shower or the hiking trail is not the only place that happens.
Is there a need for moderation when it comes to phones or the internet or social media? Of course there is, and social norms are developing around those things, just as they developed around the horseless carriage and the telephone and plenty of other modern inventions. One of the devices that has historically drawn the most criticism from scholars and theologians for its corrupting effect on humanity seems to have worked out pretty well — it’s called the book. If we can figure that out, I’m sure we can figure out how to handle cellphones and status updates.
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Navistar Fined by EPA Over Technology the Agency Developed
June 21 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is fining diesel-engine maker Navistar International Corp. for shortcomings in pollution-control technology the agency helped it develop.
“EPA is entangled in a blatant conflict in regulating a business partner,” Jeff Ruch, executive director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, said in an e-mail. Ruch’s group, a Washington-based watchdog of state and federal environmental agencies, uncovered the Navistar-EPA business connections in documents it obtained through the Freedom of Information Act and shared with Bloomberg News.
Navistar, the third-biggest U.S. and Canadian maker of truck engines, signed a deal in 2004 to take technology EPA scientists invented and incorporate it into its engines to meet future pollution rules, according to documents published on the agency’s website. The EPA’s technologies, for which the company paid royalties, remain a part of the company’s engine designs, said Patrick Charbonneau, Navistar’s vice president for government relations.
EPA officials said after the deal was signed that the technology would help companies such as Navistar meet the agency’s rules without expensive catalytic-reduction devices. Navistar, unlike competitors such as Cummins Inc., took just that approach. It is now being fined by the EPA because its heavy-duty engines release too much smog-causing emissions.
Volvo, Cummins
Volvo Group North America LLC and Cummins, which met the rules using different technology, argued in regulatory filings that the agency was going too easy on Navistar by charging fines that aren’t high enough.
The Navistar-EPA connection stems from a rule enacted by the agency in 2001 that required a 95 percent reduction in emissions of nitrous oxide from heavy-duty diesel engines. It gave the industry until 2010 to comply.
EPA employees at the National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory in Ann Arbor, Michigan, were working at the time on something called Clean Diesel Combustion. The technology relies on high pressure and low engine temperature to reduce the amount of nitrous oxide created during engine combustion, Charbonneau said in an interview.
EPA inventors patented the technology and met with the largest engine makers about adopting it.
V6 Engines
Navistar announced on May 13, 2004, a partnership with the EPA to develop the technology for commercial purposes. The partnership, which ended in 2008, focused on helping the company with its V6 engine for light-duty vehicles, the EPA said in an e-mailed response to questions.
Navistar at the time said the partnership would also help it with the bigger engines that are at issue now.
“This new partnership with the EPA enhances our opportunity to deliver a low-cost diesel solution that will meet 2007 light-duty standards and 2010 heavy-duty standards,” Navistar Chief Executive Officer Daniel Ustian said in a statement then.
In fact, the basics of that technology are still used “across our engine family,” Charbonneau said. He called the partnership a success, because it helped the company develop a low-polluting engine.
“It did the types of things that one would have envisioned,” he said.
Royalties Paid
The EPA’s model contract for cooperative arrangements such as the one with Navistar includes a provision for a company to pay the agency royalties, without stating an amount. The agency declined Ruch’s request to disclose the amounts paid.
Any royalties Navistar paid are “confidential business information,” Cathy Milbourn, an agency spokeswoman, said in an e-mail yesterday.
Relations between the company and the EPA haven’t been smooth in recent years. The EPA ruled the company hadn’t met the 2010 standards. Last year Navistar sued the agency for approving its competitors’ engines, arguing in court that selective catalytic reduction failed in practical tests.
The EPA in January allowed Navistar to sell the non- compliant engines if it paid penalties of as much as $2,000 apiece. That brought protests from Navistar’s competitors that the fines were too low to compensate for their costs of controlling the pollution. The EPA is reviewing those penalty amounts.
The U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington on June 12 threw out an EPA interim rule that let Navistar pay those fines.
The arguments are far from over: Last month Navistar resubmitted an engine design to the EPA for approval.
The case is Mack Trucks Inc. v. Environmental Protection Agency, 12-1077, U.S. Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit (Washington).
--With assistance from Mark Clothier in Southfield, Michigan. Editors: Jon Morgan, Bernard Kohn
To contact the reporter on this story: Mark Drajem in Washington at mdrajem@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Jon Morgan at jmorgan97@bloomberg.net
“EPA is entangled in a blatant conflict in regulating a business partner,” Jeff Ruch, executive director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, said in an e-mail. Ruch’s group, a Washington-based watchdog of state and federal environmental agencies, uncovered the Navistar-EPA business connections in documents it obtained through the Freedom of Information Act and shared with Bloomberg News.
Navistar, the third-biggest U.S. and Canadian maker of truck engines, signed a deal in 2004 to take technology EPA scientists invented and incorporate it into its engines to meet future pollution rules, according to documents published on the agency’s website. The EPA’s technologies, for which the company paid royalties, remain a part of the company’s engine designs, said Patrick Charbonneau, Navistar’s vice president for government relations.
EPA officials said after the deal was signed that the technology would help companies such as Navistar meet the agency’s rules without expensive catalytic-reduction devices. Navistar, unlike competitors such as Cummins Inc., took just that approach. It is now being fined by the EPA because its heavy-duty engines release too much smog-causing emissions.
Volvo, Cummins
Volvo Group North America LLC and Cummins, which met the rules using different technology, argued in regulatory filings that the agency was going too easy on Navistar by charging fines that aren’t high enough.
The Navistar-EPA connection stems from a rule enacted by the agency in 2001 that required a 95 percent reduction in emissions of nitrous oxide from heavy-duty diesel engines. It gave the industry until 2010 to comply.
EPA employees at the National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory in Ann Arbor, Michigan, were working at the time on something called Clean Diesel Combustion. The technology relies on high pressure and low engine temperature to reduce the amount of nitrous oxide created during engine combustion, Charbonneau said in an interview.
EPA inventors patented the technology and met with the largest engine makers about adopting it.
V6 Engines
Navistar announced on May 13, 2004, a partnership with the EPA to develop the technology for commercial purposes. The partnership, which ended in 2008, focused on helping the company with its V6 engine for light-duty vehicles, the EPA said in an e-mailed response to questions.
Navistar at the time said the partnership would also help it with the bigger engines that are at issue now.
“This new partnership with the EPA enhances our opportunity to deliver a low-cost diesel solution that will meet 2007 light-duty standards and 2010 heavy-duty standards,” Navistar Chief Executive Officer Daniel Ustian said in a statement then.
In fact, the basics of that technology are still used “across our engine family,” Charbonneau said. He called the partnership a success, because it helped the company develop a low-polluting engine.
“It did the types of things that one would have envisioned,” he said.
Royalties Paid
The EPA’s model contract for cooperative arrangements such as the one with Navistar includes a provision for a company to pay the agency royalties, without stating an amount. The agency declined Ruch’s request to disclose the amounts paid.
Any royalties Navistar paid are “confidential business information,” Cathy Milbourn, an agency spokeswoman, said in an e-mail yesterday.
Relations between the company and the EPA haven’t been smooth in recent years. The EPA ruled the company hadn’t met the 2010 standards. Last year Navistar sued the agency for approving its competitors’ engines, arguing in court that selective catalytic reduction failed in practical tests.
The EPA in January allowed Navistar to sell the non- compliant engines if it paid penalties of as much as $2,000 apiece. That brought protests from Navistar’s competitors that the fines were too low to compensate for their costs of controlling the pollution. The EPA is reviewing those penalty amounts.
The U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington on June 12 threw out an EPA interim rule that let Navistar pay those fines.
The arguments are far from over: Last month Navistar resubmitted an engine design to the EPA for approval.
The case is Mack Trucks Inc. v. Environmental Protection Agency, 12-1077, U.S. Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit (Washington).
--With assistance from Mark Clothier in Southfield, Michigan. Editors: Jon Morgan, Bernard Kohn
To contact the reporter on this story: Mark Drajem in Washington at mdrajem@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Jon Morgan at jmorgan97@bloomberg.net
Technology meets the tee-box at Wichita Open
(WICHITA, Kan) —
It’s day three of the Wichita Open at Crestview Country Club. While the game of golf is rooted in tradition the sport is swinging with some new technology that brings fans and players closer together.
When you think of the game of golf you might think of an old-fashion pencil and scorecard type of game.
That may be true for local players, but when the pros come to town...well let's just say technology really starts to tee off.
Inside the giant Nationwide Tour semi-truck stocked with geek-friendly gadgets is something that makes scoring a round of 18 nothing more than a simple touch.
"Scoring-wise basically just click on the players’ name", says Nationwide Tour representative Adam Renfroe.
It’s a handy machine is known as a Trimble. Staffers carry it with them on the course as they follow each player.
"And there are some various statistics we track here, stance, lie, club selection", adds Renfroe.
Basically the staffers tap in exactly what they see take place.
"The scores go from the course to the golf truck, to headquarters and onto PGA.COM in about one minuet", says Renfroe.
The fast relay allows fans that can’t make it course an inside look on-line at their favorite player. Officials say tapping into the folks at home is just as important as the people in the gallery.
Friday, February 03, 2006
DSIR workshops on science and technology
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a bid to create awareness on scientific research and technology development, the Department of Science and Industrial Research (DSIR) will organise a series of workshops across the country.In the State, the event will be hosted by the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) in association with the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology & Environment (KSCSTE).
To open up new avenues to the prospective entrepreneurs, representatives from industry and trade, academicians, researchers, consultants, government and Public Sector Undertakings and the KSIDC will jointly organise a one-day workshop and exhibition on technology development, utilisation and transfer at the Avenue Centre, Panampilly Nagar, Kochi on February 13.No registration fee is required. Those interested can register their names with A.C.Rajan, Deputy General Manager, KSIDC, Thiruvananthapuram. Phone number 0471-2318922. E-mail:acrajan@ksidcmail.org.
www.newindpress.com
To open up new avenues to the prospective entrepreneurs, representatives from industry and trade, academicians, researchers, consultants, government and Public Sector Undertakings and the KSIDC will jointly organise a one-day workshop and exhibition on technology development, utilisation and transfer at the Avenue Centre, Panampilly Nagar, Kochi on February 13.No registration fee is required. Those interested can register their names with A.C.Rajan, Deputy General Manager, KSIDC, Thiruvananthapuram. Phone number 0471-2318922. E-mail:acrajan@ksidcmail.org.
www.newindpress.com
Revitalising agriculture technology system in Bangladesh
Email this article Printer friendly page Access News PhotosHigher agricultural productivity is an important component of the rural development strategy for raising farm income; reducing poverty and making Bangladeshi agriculture more competitive in the global market?, states the World Bank report titled ?Revitalizing Agricultural Technology System in Bangladesh?.
The study is based on detailed analysis and extensive consultations with various stakeholders, including researchers, scientists, extension specialists, NGOs, agro-processing enterprises, farmers and government officials. Agriculture is broadly defined to include crops, horticulture, livestock and fisheries.Aided by the research of several national and international agricultural research institutions, Bangladesh achieved self-sufficiency in food, particularly rice - a major milestone in reducing poverty in the country. This was made possible by the ?green revolution? technology. The current agricultural technology system of Bangladesh, however, is unable to effectively generate, transfer and promote the use of modern technology to increase agricultural productivity and meet the changing needs of farmers.A dynamic agricultural technology system is vital to ensure national food security and reduce poverty in the face of declining agricultural land base and increasing population. However, the continuing recent trend in agricultural research and extension will have a detrimental impact on the agricultural sector.
Among the barriers to an effective national agricultural technology system are: · Low levels of government spending on agricultural research;· Institutional constraints and the inability of agricultural research institutes to generate relevant modern technologies; and · The inability of agricultural extension system to transfer relevant technologies to farmers, particularly small and marginal farmers.Public expenditure on agricultural research is not only low by international standards but it has declined in the last several years. At present, government expenditure on agricultural research is only about 0.2% of Agricultural GDP, compared to 0.62% for other developing countries and 2.80% for developed countries as a group.
Although aggregate spending on agricultural research and extension has increased slightly in the last 3-4 years, it is mostly due to an increase in spending on agricultural extension (i.e., the transfer of technology to farmers).Public expenditure on agricultural extension is not only relatively high but has also been increasing over time. For example, the share of public expenditure on agricultural extension has increased from 74% in 1997/98 to almost 83% in 2004/05 in total public expenditure on agricultural research and extension.
Partly this is due to a large number of agricultural projects that are being implemented by the agricultural extension departments. In other words, substantial amount of resources are used to implement the projects rather than for providing agricultural extension to farmers. Public expenditure on real agricultural extension needs to be increased to promote productive and competitive agriculture in Bangladesh.The wide range of recommendations in the study include areas for institutional reforms of the national agricultural research and extension system, ways to increase funding and exploring opportunities for growth of commercial high value agricultural products (such as fruits, vegetables, fish and poultry). As far as the national agricultural research system (NARS) is concerned, the World Bank has proposed the following reforms that will strengthen the system to address the emerging challenges in the global context. These are: (i) Promoting institutional Reforms for Enhanced System Efficiency; (ii) Augmenting Research Funding; and (iii) Strengthening Research Management.
Promoting Institutional Reforms for Enhanced System Efficiency: Three options have been proposed in the report to enact institutional changes for greater autonomy of NARS, sustainability of funding and enhance relevance of research. Each option has its own pros and cons and should be weighed by the government before implementation. The report also recommends the need to rationalize research institutes, stations and sub-stations.Augmenting Research Funding: The report proposes increase of spending on agricultural research to 0.6% of Agricultural GDP. In addition, the report proposes the implementation of Competitive Grants Program (CGP) to finance short to medium term research as well as to diversify funding sources. Strengthening Research Management: The study stresses on the need to prioritize agriculture research and re-evaluate existing research plans by taking into account government policies, particularly the PRSP. The study proposes that ministries should examine ways of enhancing access to new sciences (including information technology and biotechnology) crucial for achieving competitiveness in the global market.As far as the national agricultural extension system is concerned, the World Bank has proposed the following reforms that will strengthen the system in Bangladesh. These are (i) augmenting funding of extension services; (ii) strengthening extension management; and (iii) promoting institutional reforms. Augmenting Funding of Extension Services: The report proposes the need to increase funding for real agricultural extension (particularly operational funds); to improve cost-effectiveness of the public expenditure; to diversify sources of funding; and to enhance financial sustainability. Strengthening Extension Management: The study underlines the need to mainstream innovation already pilot tasted; to improve relevance of extension interventions; and to improve research-extension-farmer linkages. Promoting Institutional Reforms: The report recommends the need to strengthen decentralized pluralistic institutional structure of extension receive providers; to enhance organizational efficiency; to expand the scope and coverage of the extension service; and to give high priority to human resource.
management.Finally, the analysis clearly demonstrates that the role of high value agriculture (fruits, vegetable, fisheries and livestock products) is expanding both as a share of the consumer income spent on these products as well as a share of agricultural GDP.However, growth in high value agriculture is being constrained by lack of locally adapted production technologies, poor post-harvest management practices, inadequate market access to farmers, poor infrastructure, limited private sector investment in agro-processing and low food quality and safety standards as compared to the international standards. These issues need to be addressed on an urgent basis to add value, increase farm income and reduce rural poverty in Bangladesh.
nation.ittefaq.com
The study is based on detailed analysis and extensive consultations with various stakeholders, including researchers, scientists, extension specialists, NGOs, agro-processing enterprises, farmers and government officials. Agriculture is broadly defined to include crops, horticulture, livestock and fisheries.Aided by the research of several national and international agricultural research institutions, Bangladesh achieved self-sufficiency in food, particularly rice - a major milestone in reducing poverty in the country. This was made possible by the ?green revolution? technology. The current agricultural technology system of Bangladesh, however, is unable to effectively generate, transfer and promote the use of modern technology to increase agricultural productivity and meet the changing needs of farmers.A dynamic agricultural technology system is vital to ensure national food security and reduce poverty in the face of declining agricultural land base and increasing population. However, the continuing recent trend in agricultural research and extension will have a detrimental impact on the agricultural sector.
Among the barriers to an effective national agricultural technology system are: · Low levels of government spending on agricultural research;· Institutional constraints and the inability of agricultural research institutes to generate relevant modern technologies; and · The inability of agricultural extension system to transfer relevant technologies to farmers, particularly small and marginal farmers.Public expenditure on agricultural research is not only low by international standards but it has declined in the last several years. At present, government expenditure on agricultural research is only about 0.2% of Agricultural GDP, compared to 0.62% for other developing countries and 2.80% for developed countries as a group.
Although aggregate spending on agricultural research and extension has increased slightly in the last 3-4 years, it is mostly due to an increase in spending on agricultural extension (i.e., the transfer of technology to farmers).Public expenditure on agricultural extension is not only relatively high but has also been increasing over time. For example, the share of public expenditure on agricultural extension has increased from 74% in 1997/98 to almost 83% in 2004/05 in total public expenditure on agricultural research and extension.
Partly this is due to a large number of agricultural projects that are being implemented by the agricultural extension departments. In other words, substantial amount of resources are used to implement the projects rather than for providing agricultural extension to farmers. Public expenditure on real agricultural extension needs to be increased to promote productive and competitive agriculture in Bangladesh.The wide range of recommendations in the study include areas for institutional reforms of the national agricultural research and extension system, ways to increase funding and exploring opportunities for growth of commercial high value agricultural products (such as fruits, vegetables, fish and poultry). As far as the national agricultural research system (NARS) is concerned, the World Bank has proposed the following reforms that will strengthen the system to address the emerging challenges in the global context. These are: (i) Promoting institutional Reforms for Enhanced System Efficiency; (ii) Augmenting Research Funding; and (iii) Strengthening Research Management.
Promoting Institutional Reforms for Enhanced System Efficiency: Three options have been proposed in the report to enact institutional changes for greater autonomy of NARS, sustainability of funding and enhance relevance of research. Each option has its own pros and cons and should be weighed by the government before implementation. The report also recommends the need to rationalize research institutes, stations and sub-stations.Augmenting Research Funding: The report proposes increase of spending on agricultural research to 0.6% of Agricultural GDP. In addition, the report proposes the implementation of Competitive Grants Program (CGP) to finance short to medium term research as well as to diversify funding sources. Strengthening Research Management: The study stresses on the need to prioritize agriculture research and re-evaluate existing research plans by taking into account government policies, particularly the PRSP. The study proposes that ministries should examine ways of enhancing access to new sciences (including information technology and biotechnology) crucial for achieving competitiveness in the global market.As far as the national agricultural extension system is concerned, the World Bank has proposed the following reforms that will strengthen the system in Bangladesh. These are (i) augmenting funding of extension services; (ii) strengthening extension management; and (iii) promoting institutional reforms. Augmenting Funding of Extension Services: The report proposes the need to increase funding for real agricultural extension (particularly operational funds); to improve cost-effectiveness of the public expenditure; to diversify sources of funding; and to enhance financial sustainability. Strengthening Extension Management: The study underlines the need to mainstream innovation already pilot tasted; to improve relevance of extension interventions; and to improve research-extension-farmer linkages. Promoting Institutional Reforms: The report recommends the need to strengthen decentralized pluralistic institutional structure of extension receive providers; to enhance organizational efficiency; to expand the scope and coverage of the extension service; and to give high priority to human resource.
management.Finally, the analysis clearly demonstrates that the role of high value agriculture (fruits, vegetable, fisheries and livestock products) is expanding both as a share of the consumer income spent on these products as well as a share of agricultural GDP.However, growth in high value agriculture is being constrained by lack of locally adapted production technologies, poor post-harvest management practices, inadequate market access to farmers, poor infrastructure, limited private sector investment in agro-processing and low food quality and safety standards as compared to the international standards. These issues need to be addressed on an urgent basis to add value, increase farm income and reduce rural poverty in Bangladesh.
nation.ittefaq.com
Thursday, February 02, 2006
Horizon seals EquIP Technology deal
Horizon Technology Group has completed the €15.5m acquisition of EquIP Technology and placed more than seven million new ordinary shares with institutional investors.UK-based EquIP specialises in the enterprise security and IP networking market.
In its last set of audited results for the eight months to October 31 last year, Equip had revenues of €24.8m and profit before tax of €1.2m. Some €11.8m of the €15.5m acquisition is payable when it is completed. The balance is to be paid during the following year. Horizon says that the acquisition will be funded through a combination of the placing and bank debt.
breakingnews.iol.ie
In its last set of audited results for the eight months to October 31 last year, Equip had revenues of €24.8m and profit before tax of €1.2m. Some €11.8m of the €15.5m acquisition is payable when it is completed. The balance is to be paid during the following year. Horizon says that the acquisition will be funded through a combination of the placing and bank debt.
breakingnews.iol.ie
Thomson adds chief technology and operations officer
STAMFORD, Conn. (CP) - The Thomson Corp. (TSX:TOC) is expanding its executive suite with two newly created titles.
The 40,000-employee provider of specialist information said Thursday that Michael Wilens has been named executive vice-president and corporate chief technology and operations officer.
Richard Benson-Armer becomes senior vice-president and chief strategy officer.
Both will be on the executive committee and will report to Thomson president and CEO Richard Harrington.
"The creation of these positions signifies an important step in the ongoing evolution of Thomson," Harrington stated.
"As we continue to leverage our resources across the corporation and explore new growth opportunities it is essential to have people of this calibre and background leading our efforts."
Wilens, 52, has been with Thomson for almost 11 years, most recently as president of Thomson Legal & Regulatory's North American legal organization.
Benson-Armer, 42, joined Thomson in 2004 from McKinsey & Co., and was senior vice-president of strategic planning and business development for Thomson Learning.
www.canada.com
The 40,000-employee provider of specialist information said Thursday that Michael Wilens has been named executive vice-president and corporate chief technology and operations officer.
Richard Benson-Armer becomes senior vice-president and chief strategy officer.
Both will be on the executive committee and will report to Thomson president and CEO Richard Harrington.
"The creation of these positions signifies an important step in the ongoing evolution of Thomson," Harrington stated.
"As we continue to leverage our resources across the corporation and explore new growth opportunities it is essential to have people of this calibre and background leading our efforts."
Wilens, 52, has been with Thomson for almost 11 years, most recently as president of Thomson Legal & Regulatory's North American legal organization.
Benson-Armer, 42, joined Thomson in 2004 from McKinsey & Co., and was senior vice-president of strategic planning and business development for Thomson Learning.
www.canada.com
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Good Technology Sued Over Wireless Patents
NEW YORK -- A software company allied with NTP Inc., the small firm suing the maker of the BlackBerry devices for patent infringement, has opened another front in the tangled battle over wireless e-mail patents. Visto Corp., which provides e-mail software to cell-phone companies, said Tuesday that it filed a patent infringement suit against Good Technology Inc., a provider of similar services for smartphones and other handheld devices.
Visto, which is based in Redwood Shores, Calif., claims Good Technology infringes on four patents granted between 1999 and 2004 that cover communication between a device and a larger network. The suit was filed in federal court for the Eastern District of Texas. Reena Mukamal, a spokeswoman for Good Technology, said the company had not had a chance to look at the complaint and could not comment yet.
The company is based in Santa Clara, Calif. Visto has licensed different patents from NTP Inc., whose suit against Research in Motion Ltd., the Canada-based maker of the BlackBerry, has prompted concerns that RIM's e-mail system could be shut down. NTP has also taken an equity stake in Visto. Good Technology is also a licensee of NTP patents. In December, Visto sued Microsoft Corp., saying its latest Windows software for handheld devices infringed on three Visto patents. Software from Visto and Good Technology is resold by Cingular Wireless LLC, Sprint Nextel Corp. and some foreign carriers. Both companies are privately held.
www.latimes.com
Visto, which is based in Redwood Shores, Calif., claims Good Technology infringes on four patents granted between 1999 and 2004 that cover communication between a device and a larger network. The suit was filed in federal court for the Eastern District of Texas. Reena Mukamal, a spokeswoman for Good Technology, said the company had not had a chance to look at the complaint and could not comment yet.
The company is based in Santa Clara, Calif. Visto has licensed different patents from NTP Inc., whose suit against Research in Motion Ltd., the Canada-based maker of the BlackBerry, has prompted concerns that RIM's e-mail system could be shut down. NTP has also taken an equity stake in Visto. Good Technology is also a licensee of NTP patents. In December, Visto sued Microsoft Corp., saying its latest Windows software for handheld devices infringed on three Visto patents. Software from Visto and Good Technology is resold by Cingular Wireless LLC, Sprint Nextel Corp. and some foreign carriers. Both companies are privately held.
www.latimes.com
'Point And Search' Technology For Cell Phones Hits Japan
Users can point their cell phones at 700,000 buildings, retailers, restaurants, banks, and historical sites throughout Japan to retrieve
information. By W. David Gardner TechWeb News
GeoVector Corp. said Monday that it has teamed up with Japan's Mapion to offer Mapion's cell phone searching technology for mobile phones in Japan. Mapion Local Search enables consumers to use their cell phones as point and search devices to call up information.
San Francisco-based GeoVector said users can simply point their cell phones at 700,000 buildings, retailers, restaurants, banks or historical sites throughout Japan to retrieve information.
"Soon, users will point their mobile phones at restaurants to get reviews, point at billboards to shop at the advertiser's website, point at a movie poster to buy tickets, or play a game by pointing at their friends," said GeoVector president John Ellenby, in a statement.
The service was initially developed for the KDDI network in Japan and is available for use with CDMA-equipped phones with GPS and integrated compass capability, according to GeoVector.
Owned by CyberMap Japan, Mapion developed mapping technology for several firms including Yahoo, AOL Japan, and Excite Japan, GeoVector said. GeoVector provides its pointing-based and spatial search engine technology for the application.
www.informationweek.com
information. By W. David Gardner TechWeb News
GeoVector Corp. said Monday that it has teamed up with Japan's Mapion to offer Mapion's cell phone searching technology for mobile phones in Japan. Mapion Local Search enables consumers to use their cell phones as point and search devices to call up information.
San Francisco-based GeoVector said users can simply point their cell phones at 700,000 buildings, retailers, restaurants, banks or historical sites throughout Japan to retrieve information.
"Soon, users will point their mobile phones at restaurants to get reviews, point at billboards to shop at the advertiser's website, point at a movie poster to buy tickets, or play a game by pointing at their friends," said GeoVector president John Ellenby, in a statement.
The service was initially developed for the KDDI network in Japan and is available for use with CDMA-equipped phones with GPS and integrated compass capability, according to GeoVector.
Owned by CyberMap Japan, Mapion developed mapping technology for several firms including Yahoo, AOL Japan, and Excite Japan, GeoVector said. GeoVector provides its pointing-based and spatial search engine technology for the application.
www.informationweek.com
MS sells technology to start-ups
AMSTERDAM: Microsoft Corp said on Tuesday it has joined research-intensive organisations to sell its non-core technology to start-up companies in an attempt to earn money from discoveries that would otherwise gather dust. The world's largest software maker said it was already working with government agencies in Ireland and Finland to reach young companies that may be interested in technology from Microsoft's multi-billion dollar research arm.
"We provided three Irish companies with source code to test and subsequently licensed it to one, Softedge Systems. Since then we've taken another three technologies to Entreprise Ireland and expect at least another two deals before July," said David Harnett, senior director at Microsoft IP Ventures. Enterprise Ireland is a government-backed incubator programme for start-up companies. Microsoft is also working with a similar organisation in Finland called Sitra. Microsoft said it was also in touch with government institutions in Malaysia, Hong Kong and Singapore and has listed available technologies at www.microsoftipventures.com . Dublin-based Softedge was provided with imaging technology that can identify objects in pictures and digitally remove them, a technology developed in Microsoft's Beijing lab.
Microsoft's research and development budget is around $1.5 billion per quarter but the software firm reckons that many of its inventions are more interesting for other companies than Microsoft itself.
economictimes.indiatimes.com
"We provided three Irish companies with source code to test and subsequently licensed it to one, Softedge Systems. Since then we've taken another three technologies to Entreprise Ireland and expect at least another two deals before July," said David Harnett, senior director at Microsoft IP Ventures. Enterprise Ireland is a government-backed incubator programme for start-up companies. Microsoft is also working with a similar organisation in Finland called Sitra. Microsoft said it was also in touch with government institutions in Malaysia, Hong Kong and Singapore and has listed available technologies at www.microsoftipventures.com . Dublin-based Softedge was provided with imaging technology that can identify objects in pictures and digitally remove them, a technology developed in Microsoft's Beijing lab.
Microsoft's research and development budget is around $1.5 billion per quarter but the software firm reckons that many of its inventions are more interesting for other companies than Microsoft itself.
economictimes.indiatimes.com
Monday, January 30, 2006
Microsoft starts selling technology to start-ups
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp. (MSFT.O: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Tuesday it has joined research-intensive organizations to sell its non-core technology to start-up companies in an attempt to earn money from discoveries that would otherwise gather dust.
The world's largest software maker said it was already working with government agencies in Ireland and Finland to reach young companies that may be interested in technology from Microsoft's multi-billion dollar research arm.
"We provided three Irish companies with source code to test and subsequently licensed it to one, Softedge Systems. Since then we've taken another three technologies to Entreprise Ireland and expect at least another two deals before July," said David Harnett, senior director at Microsoft IP Ventures.
Enterprise Ireland is a government-backed incubator program for start-up companies. Microsoft is also working with a similar organization in Finland called Sitra.
Microsoft said it was also in touch with government institutions in Malaysia, Hong Kong and Singapore and has listed available technologies at www.microsoftipventures.com.
Dublin-based Softedge was provided with imaging technology that can identify objects in pictures and digitally remove them, a technology developed in Microsoft's Beijing lab.
Microsoft's research and development budget is around $1.5 billion per quarter but the software firm reckons that many of its inventions are more interesting for other companies than Microsoft itself.
If Microsoft itself is not interested in a particular technology it may sell the invention to a start-up company in return for an equity stake in that firm. It recently signed such a deal with an unidentified start-up in the San Francisco area, and Microsoft said details would be published in March.
It is not unusual for big technology companies to invest in start-ups that may provide interesting innovations for their business, but it is less common for such companies to sell non-core technology to unrelated start-ups in order to maximize returns on research dollars.
"We believe we're the first software company to do this," said Harnett.
Dutch electronics group Philips (PHG.AS: Quote, Profile, Research) set up an incubator program for internally developed technology two years ago to save discoveries that would otherwise get lost.
"Non-core inventions may get lost. This is a way to generate value," said Philips spokesman Hans Driessen.Universities, including Stanford in Silicon Valley and Oxford in Britain, have had more experience in turning academic research into independent companies, because they have few other options to turn their discoveries into a profit.
Microsoft said not all technology will be sold exclusively to start-ups. In some cases it will just be licensed to companies. Licensing is a mainstream business activity for most technology companies that can yield hundreds of millions of euros every year. Examples include CD and DVD technology.
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Online Resources Wins Collection Technology Excellence Award
CHANTILLY, Va. --(Business Wire)-- Jan. 26, 2006 -- Online Resources Corp. (NASDAQ:ORCC), a leading provider of Internet financial services today announced that Collection Technology News has presented the Company's Card & Credit Services division with a Collection Technology Excellence Award. The award, which is based on peer nominations and is the only industry award of its kind, was granted to Online Resources for its pioneering self-resolution technology in its web-based collections service.
BORDER=0 WIDTH=336 HEIGHT=280 ALT="Click Here">
Available to credit card issuers, collection agencies, holders of consumer loan portfolios and debt buyers, Online Resources Collections provides a fully branded, 24x7 online environment where delinquent account holders can privately apply for and enroll in rules-based payment programs and conduct other activities to help them self-cure their delinquent status. Results of a pilot conducted in 2005 with a top three U.S. based credit card issuer showed that the collections service enabled an improvement of 310 basis points in reduction of losses, or an annualized savings of $3.1 million for an organization with $50 million in delinquent outstandings. "We are pleased to be recognized for our commitment to helping collectors improve customer service, significantly reduce operating costs, and to maximize the value of their online channels," said Bill Kinnelly, president of Online Resources' Card & Credit Services Division. "The panacea for collectors is web-based self-resolution, and Online Resources has done more than any other company to make that a reality," said JJ Hornblass, Collection Technology News executive editor and publisher, who presented the award today at the 2006 Collection Technology Summit. "We are pleased to single out Online Resources for their innovative collections technology solution." About Collections Technology News Collection Technology News, published monthly, is a leading resource on the implementation and implications of the fast-moving technologies that streamline the collection process, improve results and directly affect all aspects of the business. Collection Technology News also proudly presents the annual Collection Technology Excellence Awards, which recognizes industry achievement. The Collection Technology Summit, presented by Royal Media Group and sponsored by Collection Technology News, is the first and foremost industry event on the challenges and opportunities in collections technology. Online at www.royalmedia.com. About Online Resources Online Resources powers Internet financial services for over 800 firms nationwide. The Company's proprietary account presentation, payment, relationship management and professional services are branded to its client banks, credit unions, card issuers and payment acquirers.
The Company serves over three million consumer end-users and processes approximately $15 billion in payments annually. Founded in 1989, Online Resources (Nasdaq:ORCC, Website: www.orcc.com) has been widely recognized as one of the nation's fastest growing technology firms. This news release contains statements about future events and expectations, which are "forward-looking statements." Any statement in this release that is not a statement of historical fact may be deemed to be a forward-looking statement. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Specifically factors that might cause such a difference include, but are not limited to the Company's: history of losses; dependence on the marketing efforts of third parties; potential fluctuations in operating results; ability to make and successfully integrate acquisitions of new businesses; potential need for additional capital; potential inability to prevent systems failures and security breaches; potential inability to expand services and related products in the event of substantial increases in demand; competition; ability to attract and retain skilled personnel; reliance on patents and other intellectual property; exposure to the early stage of market adoption of the services it offers; exposure to the consolidation of the banking and financial services industry; and additional risks and uncertainties discussed in filings made by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including those risks and uncertainties contained under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's Form 10-K, latest 10-Q, and S-3 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These factors should be considered in evaluating the forward-looking statements, and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements.
BORDER=0 WIDTH=336 HEIGHT=280 ALT="Click Here">
Available to credit card issuers, collection agencies, holders of consumer loan portfolios and debt buyers, Online Resources Collections provides a fully branded, 24x7 online environment where delinquent account holders can privately apply for and enroll in rules-based payment programs and conduct other activities to help them self-cure their delinquent status. Results of a pilot conducted in 2005 with a top three U.S. based credit card issuer showed that the collections service enabled an improvement of 310 basis points in reduction of losses, or an annualized savings of $3.1 million for an organization with $50 million in delinquent outstandings. "We are pleased to be recognized for our commitment to helping collectors improve customer service, significantly reduce operating costs, and to maximize the value of their online channels," said Bill Kinnelly, president of Online Resources' Card & Credit Services Division. "The panacea for collectors is web-based self-resolution, and Online Resources has done more than any other company to make that a reality," said JJ Hornblass, Collection Technology News executive editor and publisher, who presented the award today at the 2006 Collection Technology Summit. "We are pleased to single out Online Resources for their innovative collections technology solution." About Collections Technology News Collection Technology News, published monthly, is a leading resource on the implementation and implications of the fast-moving technologies that streamline the collection process, improve results and directly affect all aspects of the business. Collection Technology News also proudly presents the annual Collection Technology Excellence Awards, which recognizes industry achievement. The Collection Technology Summit, presented by Royal Media Group and sponsored by Collection Technology News, is the first and foremost industry event on the challenges and opportunities in collections technology. Online at www.royalmedia.com. About Online Resources Online Resources powers Internet financial services for over 800 firms nationwide. The Company's proprietary account presentation, payment, relationship management and professional services are branded to its client banks, credit unions, card issuers and payment acquirers.
The Company serves over three million consumer end-users and processes approximately $15 billion in payments annually. Founded in 1989, Online Resources (Nasdaq:ORCC, Website: www.orcc.com) has been widely recognized as one of the nation's fastest growing technology firms. This news release contains statements about future events and expectations, which are "forward-looking statements." Any statement in this release that is not a statement of historical fact may be deemed to be a forward-looking statement. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Specifically factors that might cause such a difference include, but are not limited to the Company's: history of losses; dependence on the marketing efforts of third parties; potential fluctuations in operating results; ability to make and successfully integrate acquisitions of new businesses; potential need for additional capital; potential inability to prevent systems failures and security breaches; potential inability to expand services and related products in the event of substantial increases in demand; competition; ability to attract and retain skilled personnel; reliance on patents and other intellectual property; exposure to the early stage of market adoption of the services it offers; exposure to the consolidation of the banking and financial services industry; and additional risks and uncertainties discussed in filings made by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including those risks and uncertainties contained under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's Form 10-K, latest 10-Q, and S-3 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These factors should be considered in evaluating the forward-looking statements, and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements.
Lombardi Software CEO to Speak at LOMA Emerging Technology Conference
AUSTIN, Texas --(Business Wire)-- Jan. 26, 2006 -- Rod Favaron, president and CEO of Lombardi Software(R), will speak at the LOMA Emerging Technology Conference in Dallas, TX at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center on Friday, February 10th. The LOMA Emerging Technology Conference brings together companies in the insurance and financial services space and features case studies, speakers, and the latest innovations in security and infrastructure. Lombardi Software is the leader in Business Process Management (BPM) software and developer of TeamWorks(R), the industry award-winning BPM platform.
Mr. Favaron will address attendees on how BPM can help organizations orchestrate, monitor, measure and increase the flexibility of their business processes. In this session, Mr. Favaron will explore how insurers can undertake a BPM initiative and will illustrate how various insurers are successfully using BPM. Lombardi is enhancing the value of its BPM platform to the insurance industry through an alliance with Fiserv Insurance Solutions. By combining this award-winning technology with deep insurance knowledge, Lombardi and Fiserv are delivering solutions that specifically address the unique process needs of insurers. About Lombardi Lombardi Software is the leader in Business Process Management (BPM) software for Global 2000 companies. Lombardi has both the award-winning technology and implementation best practices to bring business process improvement and excellence to the enterprise.
Lombardi's TeamWorks(R) is a Business Process Management Suite (BPMS) built on open standards and provides ongoing visibility and control of business processes, increasing the speed and flexibility with which organizations can manage their process activity and decision-making. Lombardi customers include Aflac, Allianz Life, Applied Materials, Dell, Hasbro, Hoover's, Pfizer, Sprint, T-Mobile, Universal Music Group, U.S. Government and Wells Fargo. The company is noted as a Leader in the Forrester Wave for BPM and a Visionary in Gartner's BPM Magic Quadrant. For more information visit www.lombardisoftware.com. Lombardi Software and TeamWorks are registered trademarks of Lombardi Software, Inc.
Mr. Favaron will address attendees on how BPM can help organizations orchestrate, monitor, measure and increase the flexibility of their business processes. In this session, Mr. Favaron will explore how insurers can undertake a BPM initiative and will illustrate how various insurers are successfully using BPM. Lombardi is enhancing the value of its BPM platform to the insurance industry through an alliance with Fiserv Insurance Solutions. By combining this award-winning technology with deep insurance knowledge, Lombardi and Fiserv are delivering solutions that specifically address the unique process needs of insurers. About Lombardi Lombardi Software is the leader in Business Process Management (BPM) software for Global 2000 companies. Lombardi has both the award-winning technology and implementation best practices to bring business process improvement and excellence to the enterprise.
Lombardi's TeamWorks(R) is a Business Process Management Suite (BPMS) built on open standards and provides ongoing visibility and control of business processes, increasing the speed and flexibility with which organizations can manage their process activity and decision-making. Lombardi customers include Aflac, Allianz Life, Applied Materials, Dell, Hasbro, Hoover's, Pfizer, Sprint, T-Mobile, Universal Music Group, U.S. Government and Wells Fargo. The company is noted as a Leader in the Forrester Wave for BPM and a Visionary in Gartner's BPM Magic Quadrant. For more information visit www.lombardisoftware.com. Lombardi Software and TeamWorks are registered trademarks of Lombardi Software, Inc.
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Brewer's Bogotá kicker
Despite a trading update recording lower sales in South Africa and the US, SABMiller, one of the world’s biggest brewers, was given a kicker by its new $7,8 billion acquisition based in Bogotá, Colombia, feared by some investors for its cocaine-trading militias, FARC and AUC. In its trading update for the three months to 31 December 2005, SABMiller said its South America lager volumes were up 7% above the prior year, in line with expectations when the acquisition of Bavaria closed on 12 October 2005. Bavaria, or Grupo Empresarial Bavaria, was seen as an attractive acquisition target for any major brewer, given its solid home market in Colombia. Since 2001, Bavaria had taken expansionist steps, raising $1,5-bn in debt to finance forays into Peru, Ecuador and other countries on the continent. The group bought 92% of Cerveceria Nacional in Panama, and a big chunk of Backus in Peru.Excluding volumes for Bavaria, as too new an acquisition, SABMiller reported group organic lager volume growth for its third 2006 quarter at 1,8% up, and 4,5% up for the year-to-date. Volumes were constrained ed by cool and wet weather during December in South Africa, and in the US, Miller's third quarter domestic sales to retailers were 1% below prior year comparable figures. In London, where SABMiller holds its primary listing, investors largely shrugged off the apparently lackluster trading update, marking the stock down 20 pence to 1095 pence a share. The price was down by a similar proportion in Johannesburg. Earlier this year, the stock hit a lifetime record of 1 136 pence, not least on a research note from CSFB on global equity strategy advising high exposure to emerging market consumers. CSFB said emerging market discretionary consumption growth could be as high as 10% a year on a trend basis. SAB Miller, Diageo, Unilever, Nestle, InBev and Nokia were noted as enjoying more than 25% revenue from emerging market consumers.Wednesday’s reaction to SABMiller’s trading update was generally positive. One trader said the figures were as expected, adding that the US news was potentially negative, given the apparent loss of market share to Anheuser-Busch, proud parent of the almighty Budweiser brand.Investment analysts at WestLB maintained SABMiller at ‘neutral’ following analysis of the trading update. SABMiller’s organic lager volume growth declined sharply from 5,6% at the first-half stage, to 1,8% in its third quarter, producing a nine-month rate of 4,5%. This, said WestLB, was ‘still ahead of our full year volume growth forecast of 3,8%’. The analysts added that one quarter of weaker volumes due to poor weather in South Africa ‘is not a fundamental change in the business’s quality’.In its reaction, Goldman Sachs maintained its ‘outperform’ rating on the stock, commenting that Miller was in fact ‘slightly better than we had expected’. Goldman Sachs says that SABMiller remains one of its preferred stocks within the beverages sector. Ahead of the trading update, Deutsche Bank said that ‘in many respects’, 2005 in the global beverages sector was a mirror image of 2004. The sector modestly outperformed, driven by InBev, Pernod Ricard and SABMiller. Deutsche Bank says ‘consistent out performance’ of the three mentioned stocks ‘reflects their geographic balance and successful corporate activity’. The three remain the preferred stocks.A number of professional investment analysts have made the case that SABMiller is not only a premium business, but that it also deserves a premium rating. Calculations on the stocks’ forward earnings profile indicate a 2006 price-to-earnings ratio of about 14.5 times. This puts SABMiller at roughly a 10% discount to its global peer group, which, beyond Anheuser-Busch and InBev includes Diageo and Heineken. For South African investors, SABMiller offers an entry into a global business that’s well hedged against changes and variations in currency values, weather patterns, and many other risks. With brewing or distribution agreements in over 60 countries across five continents, SABMiller offers one of the widest geographic profiles, thus optimizing geo-political risk. In its latest reporting period, the six months to 30 September 2005, Europe was SABMiller’s single major contributor at the earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA). The segment contributed $379m of a total EBITDA of $1264m. This was followed by South Africa (beverages) at $375m, North America at $286-m, Africa and Asia at $209m, South Africa (hotels and gaming) at $38m, and Central America at $32m. Going forward, the group profits profile will change as the impact of the Bavaria acquisition takes effect.
http://www.moneyweb.co.za/education/investment_insights/821169.htm
http://www.moneyweb.co.za/education/investment_insights/821169.htm
Brazil's Bovespa Rises to Record Led by Petrobras: Latin Stocks
Jan. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Brazil's benchmark stock index rose to a record, its first gain in three days, after the central bank made the biggest cut in two years in the benchmark interest rate.
The Bovespa index of the 57 most traded shares of the Sao Paulo stock exchange rose 1,053, or 2.9 percent, to 36,858.19. Petroleo Brasileiro SA, the state-controlled oil company which is known as Petrobras, led the gain. Elsewhere in the region, the Mexican Bolsa rose 202.04, or 1.1 percent, to 18,468 as of 3:15 p.m. New York time.
Brazil's central bank decision yesterday to cut benchmark lending rate by 0.75 percentage point, to a 13-month low of 17.25 percent, spurred the Bovespa, said Alexandre Povoa, who helps manage 500 million reais of stocks and bonds for Modal Asset Management in Rio de Janeiro. The reduction, in line with the median forecast in a Bloomberg survey of 33 economists, was bigger than the half-point cuts at the past three policy meetings.
``What matters for the stock market is the continuing process of rate cuts,'' Povoa said in a phone interview.
Policy makers began reversing rate increases in September, bringing the benchmark rate down from a two-year high of 19.75 percent, as inflation eased. Even after five reductions, Brazil's 17.25 percent benchmark rate remains among the highest in the world.
Most Latin American markets rose today, following Japan's Topix index, which had the biggest rally in 20 months, rebounding from a three-day slide that cut almost $400 billion in value from the market.
The Morgan Stanley Capital International index of Latin American stocks rose 2.6 percent to 2350.84, the biggest increase since Jan. 3.
``It reflects confidence from abroad,'' Pedro Bastos, who helps manage about 33 billion reais ($14.2 billion) in assets at Unibanco Asset Management, said in a phone interview from his office in Sao Paulo. ``There was concern that it could be the start of a declining trend, but that wasn't the case.''
In Argentina, the Merval index rose for a third day led by Tenaris SA, the world's biggest maker of seamless steel pipes for the oil industry, after Morgan Stanley raised its recommendation on the stock. The index rose 55.66, or 3.4 percent, to 1701.18, the highest level since Oct. 3.
Christian Audi, an analyst at Morgan Stanley, raised Tenaris shares in the U.S. to ``overweight/attractive'' from ``equal- weight/in-line''
``Merval is very concentrated in a few companies, and the upgrade by Morgan Stanley led investors to buy Tenaris, dragging the entire index,'' said Hernan Fardi, an equity analyst at Maxinver, in Buenos Aires.
The main indexes in Chile, Venezuela and Peru also rose, while Colombia's IGBC index fell.
The following stocks made significant gains or losses in Latin American markets today. Symbols are in parentheses after the company name.
Brazil
Petrobras (PETR4 BS) rose 1.32 reais, or 3.1 percent, to 43.70 reais, after falling 2.5 percent in the past two sessions.
``Petrobras is an excellent investment,'' Povoa said. ``The oil and iron-ore businesses are still the best options in the Brazilian stock market.''
Cia. Vale do Rio Doce (VALE5 BS), the world's largest iron-ore producer, rose 2.73 reais, or 3 percent, to 94.93 reais. China's iron ore imports may rise 16 percent this year to 320 million metric tons as steelmakers boost production capacity, the China Metallurgical and Mining Association said. Soaring Chinese demand helped contract iron ore prices jump a record 71.5 percent last year, boosting profit at Vale and others iron-ore producers.
Caemi Mineracao e Metalurgia (CMET4 BS), a unit of Vale, rose 12 centavos, or 3.2 percent, to 3.93 reais.
Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica (EMBR4 BS), or Embraer, the world's fourth largest aircraft maker, rose 57 centavos, or 2.5 percent, to 23.82 reais. Harbin Embraer Aircraft Industry Co., a joint venture between Embraer and state-owned China Aviation Industry Corp. II, said it will sell five ERJ145 planes to China Eastern Airlines Corp.
The sale is ``positive'' for Embraer, after it reported lower-than-expected delivery figures in fourth quarter and 2005, and didn't change its forecast of 145 deliveries in 2006, Daniela Bretthauer, an analyst with Santander Investment Securities Inc., wrote in a report.
Gerdau SA (GGBR4 BS), Latin America's largest steelmaker, rose 1.70 reais, or 4.3 percent, to 41.50 reais. Local shipments of long rolled steel products rose 9.5 percent in December from a year earlier, the national steelmaker association said yesterday. Local demand will keep improving as interest rates fall, mortgage lending increases and the elections lead to government spending, Jander Medeiros, an analyst with Banco Pactual SA, wrote in a report.
Medeiros' only ``top pick'' in the sector is Gerdau.
Argentina
Tenaris SA (TS AR) rose 4.20 pesos, or 10 percent, to 45.20 pesos, a record high.
Mexico
America Movil (AMXL MM), Latin America's biggest mobile telephone company, rose 28 centavos, or 1.7 percent, to 17.17 pesos. America Movil, which has climbed almost 80 percent in the last 12 months, had fallen 4.9 percent on Jan. 17.
Carso Global Telecom SA de CV (TELECOA1 MM), the company that controls Telefonos de Mexico SA, rose 55 centavos, or 2.2 percent, to 24.95 pesos. The shares had fallen 8.4 percent in the previous two sessions. Telmex (TELMEXL MM), Latin America's largest fixed- line phone company, rose 8 centavos, or 0.6 percent, to 12.78 pesos.
Chile
Enersis SA (ENERSIS CC), South America's second-largest energy company, rose 1.93 pesos, or 1.6 percent, to 120. The company will release its fourth quarter earnings on Jan. 27.
To contact the reporter on this story:
Telma Marotto at at tmarotto1@bloomberg.net;
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000086&sid=azgjoxO32nHw&refer=latin_america
The Bovespa index of the 57 most traded shares of the Sao Paulo stock exchange rose 1,053, or 2.9 percent, to 36,858.19. Petroleo Brasileiro SA, the state-controlled oil company which is known as Petrobras, led the gain. Elsewhere in the region, the Mexican Bolsa rose 202.04, or 1.1 percent, to 18,468 as of 3:15 p.m. New York time.
Brazil's central bank decision yesterday to cut benchmark lending rate by 0.75 percentage point, to a 13-month low of 17.25 percent, spurred the Bovespa, said Alexandre Povoa, who helps manage 500 million reais of stocks and bonds for Modal Asset Management in Rio de Janeiro. The reduction, in line with the median forecast in a Bloomberg survey of 33 economists, was bigger than the half-point cuts at the past three policy meetings.
``What matters for the stock market is the continuing process of rate cuts,'' Povoa said in a phone interview.
Policy makers began reversing rate increases in September, bringing the benchmark rate down from a two-year high of 19.75 percent, as inflation eased. Even after five reductions, Brazil's 17.25 percent benchmark rate remains among the highest in the world.
Most Latin American markets rose today, following Japan's Topix index, which had the biggest rally in 20 months, rebounding from a three-day slide that cut almost $400 billion in value from the market.
The Morgan Stanley Capital International index of Latin American stocks rose 2.6 percent to 2350.84, the biggest increase since Jan. 3.
``It reflects confidence from abroad,'' Pedro Bastos, who helps manage about 33 billion reais ($14.2 billion) in assets at Unibanco Asset Management, said in a phone interview from his office in Sao Paulo. ``There was concern that it could be the start of a declining trend, but that wasn't the case.''
In Argentina, the Merval index rose for a third day led by Tenaris SA, the world's biggest maker of seamless steel pipes for the oil industry, after Morgan Stanley raised its recommendation on the stock. The index rose 55.66, or 3.4 percent, to 1701.18, the highest level since Oct. 3.
Christian Audi, an analyst at Morgan Stanley, raised Tenaris shares in the U.S. to ``overweight/attractive'' from ``equal- weight/in-line''
``Merval is very concentrated in a few companies, and the upgrade by Morgan Stanley led investors to buy Tenaris, dragging the entire index,'' said Hernan Fardi, an equity analyst at Maxinver, in Buenos Aires.
The main indexes in Chile, Venezuela and Peru also rose, while Colombia's IGBC index fell.
The following stocks made significant gains or losses in Latin American markets today. Symbols are in parentheses after the company name.
Brazil
Petrobras (PETR4 BS) rose 1.32 reais, or 3.1 percent, to 43.70 reais, after falling 2.5 percent in the past two sessions.
``Petrobras is an excellent investment,'' Povoa said. ``The oil and iron-ore businesses are still the best options in the Brazilian stock market.''
Cia. Vale do Rio Doce (VALE5 BS), the world's largest iron-ore producer, rose 2.73 reais, or 3 percent, to 94.93 reais. China's iron ore imports may rise 16 percent this year to 320 million metric tons as steelmakers boost production capacity, the China Metallurgical and Mining Association said. Soaring Chinese demand helped contract iron ore prices jump a record 71.5 percent last year, boosting profit at Vale and others iron-ore producers.
Caemi Mineracao e Metalurgia (CMET4 BS), a unit of Vale, rose 12 centavos, or 3.2 percent, to 3.93 reais.
Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica (EMBR4 BS), or Embraer, the world's fourth largest aircraft maker, rose 57 centavos, or 2.5 percent, to 23.82 reais. Harbin Embraer Aircraft Industry Co., a joint venture between Embraer and state-owned China Aviation Industry Corp. II, said it will sell five ERJ145 planes to China Eastern Airlines Corp.
The sale is ``positive'' for Embraer, after it reported lower-than-expected delivery figures in fourth quarter and 2005, and didn't change its forecast of 145 deliveries in 2006, Daniela Bretthauer, an analyst with Santander Investment Securities Inc., wrote in a report.
Gerdau SA (GGBR4 BS), Latin America's largest steelmaker, rose 1.70 reais, or 4.3 percent, to 41.50 reais. Local shipments of long rolled steel products rose 9.5 percent in December from a year earlier, the national steelmaker association said yesterday. Local demand will keep improving as interest rates fall, mortgage lending increases and the elections lead to government spending, Jander Medeiros, an analyst with Banco Pactual SA, wrote in a report.
Medeiros' only ``top pick'' in the sector is Gerdau.
Argentina
Tenaris SA (TS AR) rose 4.20 pesos, or 10 percent, to 45.20 pesos, a record high.
Mexico
America Movil (AMXL MM), Latin America's biggest mobile telephone company, rose 28 centavos, or 1.7 percent, to 17.17 pesos. America Movil, which has climbed almost 80 percent in the last 12 months, had fallen 4.9 percent on Jan. 17.
Carso Global Telecom SA de CV (TELECOA1 MM), the company that controls Telefonos de Mexico SA, rose 55 centavos, or 2.2 percent, to 24.95 pesos. The shares had fallen 8.4 percent in the previous two sessions. Telmex (TELMEXL MM), Latin America's largest fixed- line phone company, rose 8 centavos, or 0.6 percent, to 12.78 pesos.
Chile
Enersis SA (ENERSIS CC), South America's second-largest energy company, rose 1.93 pesos, or 1.6 percent, to 120. The company will release its fourth quarter earnings on Jan. 27.
To contact the reporter on this story:
Telma Marotto at at tmarotto1@bloomberg.net;
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000086&sid=azgjoxO32nHw&refer=latin_america
Appeal meets pastoral needs in Latin America
ROMEOVILLE—None of the streets are paved within the tiny town of Soritor in the midst of the expansive jungle region. For countless decades, the residents of the typical hamlet in northeastern Peru have endured violent bouts with armed terrorists as well as generations of poverty and hopelessness.
In the late 1990s, however, the members of the local Catholic faith community, San Felipe de Soritor, launched a special evangelization program aimed at revitalizing the moral and religious convictions of the people. A series of special retreats and formation programs were offered to young people and adults.
While many farmers are still harvesting coca, the raw material from which cocaine is produced, and local government officials are still turning a deaf ear to the desperate people, the efforts of those involved in the community’s evangelization program have worked to increase attendance at Sunday Masses by over 15 percent. In the bleak region, the resurgence of faith serves as a beacon of hope for the people.
The ongoing spiritual and evangelization effort in Soritor is made possible through a financial grant from an annual collection for the church in Latin America. The annual appeal is slated the weekend of Jan. 21-22 at Catholic parishes across the United States. The intent of the endeavor is to alleviate some of the burdens of poverty-stricken residents living in regions within Latin America, including countries in the Caribbean, Central America and South America.
Auxiliary Bishop John R. Manz of Chicago, the chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on the Church in Latin America, stated that the annual collection underscores the firm commitment of the United States bishops to the spiritual needs of the those living through desperate situations in poverty-ravaged and war-torn regions of Latin America “and the ever increasing solidarity the faithful in the United States have with the people of Latin America and the Caribbean.”
Members of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops initiated the annual Collection for the Church in Latin America in 1966. The appeal works as a fund-raising vehicle, enabling faithful citizens of the United States to easily share their resources with those in desperate need in economically unstable Latin American countries, including El Salvador and Nicaragua, said Kevin Day, a spokesperson for the Secretariat for the Church in Latin America of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
The theme of the 2006 collection is “One Church, One America.” According to Day, the theme is a direct response to Pope John Paul II’s 1999 apostolic exhortation, “The Church in America.” In that now historic plea, the celebrated pontiff urged all Catholics in North and South America “to take responsibility in compassion and solidarity for their brothers and sisters throughout the hemisphere.”
In 2004, the donations from Catholics from across the nation netted over $6 million, financially supporting nearly 500 projects in more than 200 dioceses throughout 21 Latin American countries, Day said. “These grants are pastoral in nature.” Under the supervision of local bishops, the proceeds from the appeal generally fund youth religious formation and evangelization initiatives as well as priestly, religious and lay formation programs in Latin American countries, including the Dominican Republic and Haiti in the Caribbean as well as Colombia and Paraguay in South America, he said.
The grants particularly sustain youth leadership and ministry programs as well as training for pastoral workers and catechists, said Day. Funds from the annual appeal are also allocated for sacramental preparation and missionary work in Latin American countries, he added.
“(The Joliet Diocese) has been very generous,” said Day during a telephone interview with the Catholic Explorer. For over five years, the people of the seven-county diocese have contributed over $150,000 per year to the appeal for religious programs and services for faithful people living in Latin America. “The goal is to help the Latin American church that is in poverty and respond to pastoral needs,” he said.
A total of $241,285 was donated from the people of the Diocese of Joliet last year, according to Bishop Joseph L. Imesch. In a letter distributed to the faithful of the sprawling diocese, the veteran diocesan leader lauded the various parishioners, religious and clergy for their commitment to the monetary appeal in recent years.
Bishop Imesch pointed out that that the majority of funds collected are earmarked for faith-based services for people in Latin America. Representatives of the Secretariat for the Church in Latin America allocate the grants across the various regions.
Meanwhile, a portion of the money donated by the faithful of the diocese support the missionary efforts of two priests originally from the Joliet Diocese currently serving in the impoverished region, Msgr. John Moriarty and Father Donald Kenny, according to Bishop Imesch. Msgr. Moriarty has dedicated nearly 40 years of his life to missionary service and currently helps meet the spiritual needs of the faithful in Guayaquil, Ecuador, while Father Kenny serves as pastor of Santa Cruz de Casitagua Parish northwest of Quito, Ecuador, within the Andes Mountains.
The remainder of the appeal contributions from people of the Joliet Diocese supplements the costs of biannual medical and construction mission experiences in Sucre, Bolivia, stated Bishop Imesch. These additional funds also offset expenses of the yearly university mission trip to Sucre for seminarians of the diocese as well as students of Lewis University in Romeoville, Benedictine University in Lisle and University of St. Francis in Joliet along with students involved in campus ministry from College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Elmhurst College, Joliet Junior College and North Central College in Naperville.
http://www.catholicexplorer.com/explore4325/atd/appeal-meets-pastoral-nee.shtml
In the late 1990s, however, the members of the local Catholic faith community, San Felipe de Soritor, launched a special evangelization program aimed at revitalizing the moral and religious convictions of the people. A series of special retreats and formation programs were offered to young people and adults.
While many farmers are still harvesting coca, the raw material from which cocaine is produced, and local government officials are still turning a deaf ear to the desperate people, the efforts of those involved in the community’s evangelization program have worked to increase attendance at Sunday Masses by over 15 percent. In the bleak region, the resurgence of faith serves as a beacon of hope for the people.
The ongoing spiritual and evangelization effort in Soritor is made possible through a financial grant from an annual collection for the church in Latin America. The annual appeal is slated the weekend of Jan. 21-22 at Catholic parishes across the United States. The intent of the endeavor is to alleviate some of the burdens of poverty-stricken residents living in regions within Latin America, including countries in the Caribbean, Central America and South America.
Auxiliary Bishop John R. Manz of Chicago, the chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on the Church in Latin America, stated that the annual collection underscores the firm commitment of the United States bishops to the spiritual needs of the those living through desperate situations in poverty-ravaged and war-torn regions of Latin America “and the ever increasing solidarity the faithful in the United States have with the people of Latin America and the Caribbean.”
Members of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops initiated the annual Collection for the Church in Latin America in 1966. The appeal works as a fund-raising vehicle, enabling faithful citizens of the United States to easily share their resources with those in desperate need in economically unstable Latin American countries, including El Salvador and Nicaragua, said Kevin Day, a spokesperson for the Secretariat for the Church in Latin America of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
The theme of the 2006 collection is “One Church, One America.” According to Day, the theme is a direct response to Pope John Paul II’s 1999 apostolic exhortation, “The Church in America.” In that now historic plea, the celebrated pontiff urged all Catholics in North and South America “to take responsibility in compassion and solidarity for their brothers and sisters throughout the hemisphere.”
In 2004, the donations from Catholics from across the nation netted over $6 million, financially supporting nearly 500 projects in more than 200 dioceses throughout 21 Latin American countries, Day said. “These grants are pastoral in nature.” Under the supervision of local bishops, the proceeds from the appeal generally fund youth religious formation and evangelization initiatives as well as priestly, religious and lay formation programs in Latin American countries, including the Dominican Republic and Haiti in the Caribbean as well as Colombia and Paraguay in South America, he said.
The grants particularly sustain youth leadership and ministry programs as well as training for pastoral workers and catechists, said Day. Funds from the annual appeal are also allocated for sacramental preparation and missionary work in Latin American countries, he added.
“(The Joliet Diocese) has been very generous,” said Day during a telephone interview with the Catholic Explorer. For over five years, the people of the seven-county diocese have contributed over $150,000 per year to the appeal for religious programs and services for faithful people living in Latin America. “The goal is to help the Latin American church that is in poverty and respond to pastoral needs,” he said.
A total of $241,285 was donated from the people of the Diocese of Joliet last year, according to Bishop Joseph L. Imesch. In a letter distributed to the faithful of the sprawling diocese, the veteran diocesan leader lauded the various parishioners, religious and clergy for their commitment to the monetary appeal in recent years.
Bishop Imesch pointed out that that the majority of funds collected are earmarked for faith-based services for people in Latin America. Representatives of the Secretariat for the Church in Latin America allocate the grants across the various regions.
Meanwhile, a portion of the money donated by the faithful of the diocese support the missionary efforts of two priests originally from the Joliet Diocese currently serving in the impoverished region, Msgr. John Moriarty and Father Donald Kenny, according to Bishop Imesch. Msgr. Moriarty has dedicated nearly 40 years of his life to missionary service and currently helps meet the spiritual needs of the faithful in Guayaquil, Ecuador, while Father Kenny serves as pastor of Santa Cruz de Casitagua Parish northwest of Quito, Ecuador, within the Andes Mountains.
The remainder of the appeal contributions from people of the Joliet Diocese supplements the costs of biannual medical and construction mission experiences in Sucre, Bolivia, stated Bishop Imesch. These additional funds also offset expenses of the yearly university mission trip to Sucre for seminarians of the diocese as well as students of Lewis University in Romeoville, Benedictine University in Lisle and University of St. Francis in Joliet along with students involved in campus ministry from College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Elmhurst College, Joliet Junior College and North Central College in Naperville.
http://www.catholicexplorer.com/explore4325/atd/appeal-meets-pastoral-nee.shtml
Microsoft Acquires UMT, Outlines Advances in Project 12, Visio 12
IT News Online Staff2006-01-19
Microsoft announced that it has completed the acquisition of software and intellectual property assets from UMT, a project and portfolio management and consulting firm. The acquisition will provide Microsoft with new technology and talent that will complement and expand upon the existing Microsoft Office Enterprise Project Management (EPM) Solution."We're excited because acquiring UMT will help us meet customers' needs for deep portfolio management capabilities," said Steve Ballmer, CEO, Microsoft Corp. "By combining our software and expertise, we'll also create a new range of solution development opportunities for customers and partners."
pay per click advertisingPortfolio management software helps organizations strategically create, manage and optimize project, application, product and process portfolios. The UMT acquisition will enable Microsoft to provide an end-to-end, integrated project and portfolio management solution that helps enable both excellence in project execution and better decision-making in prioritizing and funding those projects."We are very excited to join forces with Microsoft and to work together toward a shared vision that combines project and portfolio management capabilities," said Gil Makleff, CEO North America at UMT. "Customers will reap the benefits of being able to put tighter reins on their spending, make smarter and more consistent investments, and accurately and efficiently track how projects and initiatives are performing."Microsoft said that key members of the UMT executive team and a number of UMT product development employees would join the Microsoft Office Project team. The consulting arm of UMT will become the UMT Consulting Group to help provide successful implementations of the Microsoft portfolio management software platform.The company has also outlined the new innovations in the upcoming releases of Microsoft Office Project and Microsoft Office Visio.The next release of Microsoft's Enterprise Project Management Solution, code-named Microsoft Office Project "12", has been designed as a critical business application to help companies and business users deliver business results more quickly with an end-to-end, integrated enterprise project and portfolio management solution.Project "12" also delivers new innovations and greater benefits in the areas of visibility and insight, organizational adoption, enterprise readiness and extensibility.
Examples of these new advances include these:- Better visibility and insight. Server-side capabilities in Project "12" will draw on the newly acquired UMT technologies to enable organizations to gain greater business visibility and insight into all their work, helping them make key decisions about which projects and initiatives to fund. One example of this is UMT's ability to federate data across the enterprise to get a holistic, top-down view of work in an organization.- Easy adoption. Project "12" will help make it easy for business users to manage projects using Microsoft Project. With Project "12", project managers will be able to easily track project changes by having them visually displayed as projects are updated. In addition, the Project Server-based Web application, Project Web Access (PWA), will provide all Project team participants with a simple Web interface to perform critical business tasks such as project proposals, top-down budgeting, resource management, time-tracking and task status updating.- Enterprise readiness. Project "12", which benefits from an improved architecture, will deliver advancements in performance and scalability. Many new features will improve performance, such as local cache tools, which enable users to work offline and then resyncs automatically when they're back online. Project "12" will also incorporate new features such as those for deliverables, which makes it easy for managers to handle the complexity of master projects and dependencies across multiple projects.- Extensibility. Project Web Access "12" has been built completely on Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0, and many functions will use the .NET Platform 2.0. This platform helps enable companies to take advantage of their existing Microsoft investments. The new API facilitates integration with line-of-business applications and development of custom applications.
Business users can also easily build in business process workflows using Project's new Event Services with the Windows Workflow Foundation.Microsoft Office Visio "12", the code name for the next generation of the Microsoft Office Visio business and technical diagramming program, will help organizations make more effective business decisions by enabling people to capture, visualize, analyze and communicate complex information, processes and systems.
Complementary to Project "12" advancements, Visio "12" will help organizations take more effective action and make decisions more effectively by enabling people to capture and understand complex data.In Visio "12", new features and enhancements will make Visio diagrams easy and fast to create, as well as more professional-looking:- Design diagrams and graphics. Visio "12" delivers new diagramming and graphics capabilities that make it easy to document, design and redesign processes and systems. Using the new Themes feature, customers can choose a color or effect theme for a diagram with a single click. People can also apply conditional formatting to data using the new Data Graphics Gallery task pane. This type of visual representation allows organizations to quickly weed through complex information to identify key trends, exceptions and insights.- Connect to data sources.
With the new Data Selector wizard, it is simple to connect Visio diagrams to one or more data sources such as Microsoft Office Excel, Microsoft Office Access, Microsoft Office SharePoint Portal Server or Microsoft SQL Server. Customers can also associate shapes in a diagram with data using the new Automatic Link wizard.- Track trends and flag exceptions. The new PivotDiagram template in Visio "12" helps people visualize business data in a hierarchical form that shows data groups and totals, trends, issues and exceptions. PivotDiagrams can also be inserted into any Visio diagram to provide metrics and reports that help track the ongoing progress of a process or system.Project "12" and Visio "12" are expected to be available as part of the product releases for Microsoft Office "12", the code name for the next version of Office, in the second half of 2006.
www.itnewsonline.com
Microsoft announced that it has completed the acquisition of software and intellectual property assets from UMT, a project and portfolio management and consulting firm. The acquisition will provide Microsoft with new technology and talent that will complement and expand upon the existing Microsoft Office Enterprise Project Management (EPM) Solution."We're excited because acquiring UMT will help us meet customers' needs for deep portfolio management capabilities," said Steve Ballmer, CEO, Microsoft Corp. "By combining our software and expertise, we'll also create a new range of solution development opportunities for customers and partners."
pay per click advertisingPortfolio management software helps organizations strategically create, manage and optimize project, application, product and process portfolios. The UMT acquisition will enable Microsoft to provide an end-to-end, integrated project and portfolio management solution that helps enable both excellence in project execution and better decision-making in prioritizing and funding those projects."We are very excited to join forces with Microsoft and to work together toward a shared vision that combines project and portfolio management capabilities," said Gil Makleff, CEO North America at UMT. "Customers will reap the benefits of being able to put tighter reins on their spending, make smarter and more consistent investments, and accurately and efficiently track how projects and initiatives are performing."Microsoft said that key members of the UMT executive team and a number of UMT product development employees would join the Microsoft Office Project team. The consulting arm of UMT will become the UMT Consulting Group to help provide successful implementations of the Microsoft portfolio management software platform.The company has also outlined the new innovations in the upcoming releases of Microsoft Office Project and Microsoft Office Visio.The next release of Microsoft's Enterprise Project Management Solution, code-named Microsoft Office Project "12", has been designed as a critical business application to help companies and business users deliver business results more quickly with an end-to-end, integrated enterprise project and portfolio management solution.Project "12" also delivers new innovations and greater benefits in the areas of visibility and insight, organizational adoption, enterprise readiness and extensibility.
Examples of these new advances include these:- Better visibility and insight. Server-side capabilities in Project "12" will draw on the newly acquired UMT technologies to enable organizations to gain greater business visibility and insight into all their work, helping them make key decisions about which projects and initiatives to fund. One example of this is UMT's ability to federate data across the enterprise to get a holistic, top-down view of work in an organization.- Easy adoption. Project "12" will help make it easy for business users to manage projects using Microsoft Project. With Project "12", project managers will be able to easily track project changes by having them visually displayed as projects are updated. In addition, the Project Server-based Web application, Project Web Access (PWA), will provide all Project team participants with a simple Web interface to perform critical business tasks such as project proposals, top-down budgeting, resource management, time-tracking and task status updating.- Enterprise readiness. Project "12", which benefits from an improved architecture, will deliver advancements in performance and scalability. Many new features will improve performance, such as local cache tools, which enable users to work offline and then resyncs automatically when they're back online. Project "12" will also incorporate new features such as those for deliverables, which makes it easy for managers to handle the complexity of master projects and dependencies across multiple projects.- Extensibility. Project Web Access "12" has been built completely on Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0, and many functions will use the .NET Platform 2.0. This platform helps enable companies to take advantage of their existing Microsoft investments. The new API facilitates integration with line-of-business applications and development of custom applications.
Business users can also easily build in business process workflows using Project's new Event Services with the Windows Workflow Foundation.Microsoft Office Visio "12", the code name for the next generation of the Microsoft Office Visio business and technical diagramming program, will help organizations make more effective business decisions by enabling people to capture, visualize, analyze and communicate complex information, processes and systems.
Complementary to Project "12" advancements, Visio "12" will help organizations take more effective action and make decisions more effectively by enabling people to capture and understand complex data.In Visio "12", new features and enhancements will make Visio diagrams easy and fast to create, as well as more professional-looking:- Design diagrams and graphics. Visio "12" delivers new diagramming and graphics capabilities that make it easy to document, design and redesign processes and systems. Using the new Themes feature, customers can choose a color or effect theme for a diagram with a single click. People can also apply conditional formatting to data using the new Data Graphics Gallery task pane. This type of visual representation allows organizations to quickly weed through complex information to identify key trends, exceptions and insights.- Connect to data sources.
With the new Data Selector wizard, it is simple to connect Visio diagrams to one or more data sources such as Microsoft Office Excel, Microsoft Office Access, Microsoft Office SharePoint Portal Server or Microsoft SQL Server. Customers can also associate shapes in a diagram with data using the new Automatic Link wizard.- Track trends and flag exceptions. The new PivotDiagram template in Visio "12" helps people visualize business data in a hierarchical form that shows data groups and totals, trends, issues and exceptions. PivotDiagrams can also be inserted into any Visio diagram to provide metrics and reports that help track the ongoing progress of a process or system.Project "12" and Visio "12" are expected to be available as part of the product releases for Microsoft Office "12", the code name for the next version of Office, in the second half of 2006.
www.itnewsonline.com
BeefTalk: Power drives technology
By KRIS RINGWALL, NDSU Extension Beef SpecialistThursday, January 19, 2006 10:00 AM
An uncommon, but quite possible, event for anyone is a power outage. In days past, with all the power lines strung from pole to pole, the frequency of power outages was greater than today.Today, with well-placed lines, the frequency of power outages is less, but power outages do occur.
Years ago, a producer could work an entire day only to find the power was out. No one even noticed until sunset and even then a candle was quickly lit and life went on.That is not true anymore. If there is no power, the world comes to a halt. Backup systems are designed to assist in critical areas, but even with backup power, a drastic change in rationale emerged among the populous: no power, no work.The days of occasionally turning on a computer to check on a particular work function have long passed us by. Today, the mind seems to engage as the computer powers up and disengages as the computer shuts down. Therefore, if the computer is not running, despite well-lit rooms, there is no reason to engage.The constant incoming and outgoing e-mails, the nonaudible sounds of chat rooms and numerous embedded news, music or entertainment sites all cease to function. Even at home, the disconnect to the world brings upturned eyes and a new level of grunting.
The connectedness with technology is remarkable. At work and home, technology thoroughly is entwined in almost every branch of our lives. The obvious still may be brick and mortar, the feed bunks are still there and the cows are bedded down on the same hill, but access to the pen may be denied if the electric lock doesn't respond.The crew can't check in because the system requires power. The tractor is behind the garage door, which needs power to open. The phones lasted for a while on backup power; however, soon all the electric components went dead, so there is no access. Not knowing when the lines may be alive and well, we just don't know when to pick up the phone.Yes, the generators are keeping essential operations going, but the small details are still shutting things down. Eventually, all give in and the world quietly settles into a rest. A technology-driven world drives technology-driven people. It is all paced at the speed of technology, waiting for technology-driven cues to provide a technology-driven function. A function someone is willing to pay for, so people can go home and enjoy the comfort of their technology-controlled environment, none of which works in an energy-deficient mode.Technology, like it or not, is well on its way to becoming embedded in the cattle business. If one doesn't think so, just check for some little, inconspicuous devices in the hired hand's ear.Undoubtedly, the devices may lead to a couple of cords that hook up to an iPod, comfortably tucked away for easy access. Future efforts at wireless connections may not only pave the way for constant connection to all the electronically ear-tagged cattle, but may very well provide instant access to the iPod, allowing communication with the next generation of producers.This seems somewhat far-fetched, but technology just keeps shrinking, going from mega to micro to nano. Pica may be too large.The problem is still the same today. When the power is out, the help all leaves and the cows and calves still need to be fed. Perhaps there is still a good place for a team of draft horses, provided the driver can keep his iPod.May you find all your NAIS-approved ear tags.(Your comments are always welcome at http://www.BeefTalk.com. For more information, contact the NDBCIA Office, 1133 State Ave., Dickinson, ND 58601 or go to http://www.CHAPS2000.COM on the Internet.)
An uncommon, but quite possible, event for anyone is a power outage. In days past, with all the power lines strung from pole to pole, the frequency of power outages was greater than today.Today, with well-placed lines, the frequency of power outages is less, but power outages do occur.
Years ago, a producer could work an entire day only to find the power was out. No one even noticed until sunset and even then a candle was quickly lit and life went on.That is not true anymore. If there is no power, the world comes to a halt. Backup systems are designed to assist in critical areas, but even with backup power, a drastic change in rationale emerged among the populous: no power, no work.The days of occasionally turning on a computer to check on a particular work function have long passed us by. Today, the mind seems to engage as the computer powers up and disengages as the computer shuts down. Therefore, if the computer is not running, despite well-lit rooms, there is no reason to engage.The constant incoming and outgoing e-mails, the nonaudible sounds of chat rooms and numerous embedded news, music or entertainment sites all cease to function. Even at home, the disconnect to the world brings upturned eyes and a new level of grunting.
The connectedness with technology is remarkable. At work and home, technology thoroughly is entwined in almost every branch of our lives. The obvious still may be brick and mortar, the feed bunks are still there and the cows are bedded down on the same hill, but access to the pen may be denied if the electric lock doesn't respond.The crew can't check in because the system requires power. The tractor is behind the garage door, which needs power to open. The phones lasted for a while on backup power; however, soon all the electric components went dead, so there is no access. Not knowing when the lines may be alive and well, we just don't know when to pick up the phone.Yes, the generators are keeping essential operations going, but the small details are still shutting things down. Eventually, all give in and the world quietly settles into a rest. A technology-driven world drives technology-driven people. It is all paced at the speed of technology, waiting for technology-driven cues to provide a technology-driven function. A function someone is willing to pay for, so people can go home and enjoy the comfort of their technology-controlled environment, none of which works in an energy-deficient mode.Technology, like it or not, is well on its way to becoming embedded in the cattle business. If one doesn't think so, just check for some little, inconspicuous devices in the hired hand's ear.Undoubtedly, the devices may lead to a couple of cords that hook up to an iPod, comfortably tucked away for easy access. Future efforts at wireless connections may not only pave the way for constant connection to all the electronically ear-tagged cattle, but may very well provide instant access to the iPod, allowing communication with the next generation of producers.This seems somewhat far-fetched, but technology just keeps shrinking, going from mega to micro to nano. Pica may be too large.The problem is still the same today. When the power is out, the help all leaves and the cows and calves still need to be fed. Perhaps there is still a good place for a team of draft horses, provided the driver can keep his iPod.May you find all your NAIS-approved ear tags.(Your comments are always welcome at http://www.BeefTalk.com. For more information, contact the NDBCIA Office, 1133 State Ave., Dickinson, ND 58601 or go to http://www.CHAPS2000.COM on the Internet.)
China puts technology at policy forefromt
By Shihoko Goto Jan 19, 2006, 21:19 GMT
var PageContent= 'WASHINGTON, DC, United States (UPI) -- Semiconductors may be the best way for China to move beyond simply being regarded the factory to the world, albeit a huge one at that.\nGiven that chips are found in all technology-driven products from computers to consumer goods, becoming a world leader in producing them will lead to greater power for the country, according to William Archey, chief executive of the American Electronics Association and former U.S. Department of Commerce official. \n\'Semiconductors determine so many things ... so China must become a leader in chips\' if it is to remain a formidable economic force, Archey said at a briefing on high technology in China hosted by the Council on Foreign Affairs Wednesday. \nCertainly, the Chinese authorities appear to agree with that assessment as lawmakers make clear that investing in the technology sector is key for the country`s growth, a fact noted by Adam Segal, senior fellow of China studies at the council. \n\'Information technology, the environment, aerospace, energy, and biotech are where the (government) money is focused on,\' Segal said, adding that U.S. policymakers too could learn from the priorities outlined by their Chinese counterparts as many still appear oblivious to the fact that the United States might be losing ground when it comes to training technology specialists.\nAs a result, it would be good for lawmakers and the general public alike to be wary of the so-called China threat, given that it may well be a reality, Archey said. \nStill, there are perhaps more opportunities to be had as China becomes more of an equal to the United States when it comes to raking in profits. For instance, both Archey and Segal pointed out that the Chinese government was far more open than the Japanese, especially as the Japanese fought hard to protect their domestic companies by keeping foreign competition at bay. \n\'In Japan, it was always a question of market access\' when it came to negotiating with the Chinese authorities, Segal said. He pointed out that in the case of China as well as India, it has been clear that the governments wanted to emulate the U.S. business model, which has not been the case in Japan.\nOf course, one of the issues for technology companies doing business in China has been the protection of intellectual property, or lack thereof, which has not been the case when operating in Japan. But analysts have broadly agreed that once the Chinese start producing goods that require patent protection, it will quickly be in the government`s interest to start imposing the laws to assure Chinese corporate profits.\nMeanwhile, there is likely to be a shift within China on how business is conducted in coming years. \nMany of those who are currently driving business in China \'are scientists, who aren`t necessarily the best managers,\' Archey said, adding that a large number of those want to be their own boss, resulting in the establishment of numerous smaller enterprises rather than a handful of powerful industrial groups.\nCopyright 2006 by United Press International ';
PrintArticle();// -->
WASHINGTON, DC, United States (UPI) -- Semiconductors may be the best way for China to move beyond simply being regarded the factory to the world, albeit a huge one at that.
Given that chips are found in all technology-driven products from computers to consumer goods, becoming a world leader in producing them will lead to greater power for the country, according to William Archey, chief executive of the American Electronics Association and former U.S. Department of Commerce official.
'Semiconductors determine so many things ... so China must become a leader in chips' if it is to remain a formidable economic force, Archey said at a briefing on high technology in China hosted by the Council on Foreign Affairs Wednesday.
Certainly, the Chinese authorities appear to agree with that assessment as lawmakers make clear that investing in the technology sector is key for the country`s growth, a fact noted by Adam Segal, senior fellow of China studies at the council.
'Information technology, the environment, aerospace, energy, and biotech are where the (government) money is focused on,' Segal said, adding that U.S. policymakers too could learn from the priorities outlined by their Chinese counterparts as many still appear oblivious to the fact that the United States might be losing ground when it comes to training technology specialists.
As a result, it would be good for lawmakers and the general public alike to be wary of the so-called China threat, given that it may well be a reality, Archey said.
Still, there are perhaps more opportunities to be had as China becomes more of an equal to the United States when it comes to raking in profits. For instance, both Archey and Segal pointed out that the Chinese government was far more open than the Japanese, especially as the Japanese fought hard to protect their domestic companies by keeping foreign competition at bay.
'In Japan, it was always a question of market access' when it came to negotiating with the Chinese authorities, Segal said. He pointed out that in the case of China as well as India, it has been clear that the governments wanted to emulate the U.S. business model, which has not been the case in Japan.
Of course, one of the issues for technology companies doing business in China has been the protection of intellectual property, or lack thereof, which has not been the case when operating in Japan. But analysts have broadly agreed that once the Chinese start producing goods that require patent protection, it will quickly be in the government`s interest to start imposing the laws to assure Chinese corporate profits.
Meanwhile, there is likely to be a shift within China on how business is conducted in coming years.
Many of those who are currently driving business in China 'are scientists, who aren`t necessarily the best managers,' Archey said, adding that a large number of those want to be their own boss, resulting in the establishment of numerous smaller enterprises rather than a handful of powerful industrial groups.
tech.monstersandcritics.com
var PageContent= 'WASHINGTON, DC, United States (UPI) -- Semiconductors may be the best way for China to move beyond simply being regarded the factory to the world, albeit a huge one at that.\nGiven that chips are found in all technology-driven products from computers to consumer goods, becoming a world leader in producing them will lead to greater power for the country, according to William Archey, chief executive of the American Electronics Association and former U.S. Department of Commerce official. \n\'Semiconductors determine so many things ... so China must become a leader in chips\' if it is to remain a formidable economic force, Archey said at a briefing on high technology in China hosted by the Council on Foreign Affairs Wednesday. \nCertainly, the Chinese authorities appear to agree with that assessment as lawmakers make clear that investing in the technology sector is key for the country`s growth, a fact noted by Adam Segal, senior fellow of China studies at the council. \n\'Information technology, the environment, aerospace, energy, and biotech are where the (government) money is focused on,\' Segal said, adding that U.S. policymakers too could learn from the priorities outlined by their Chinese counterparts as many still appear oblivious to the fact that the United States might be losing ground when it comes to training technology specialists.\nAs a result, it would be good for lawmakers and the general public alike to be wary of the so-called China threat, given that it may well be a reality, Archey said. \nStill, there are perhaps more opportunities to be had as China becomes more of an equal to the United States when it comes to raking in profits. For instance, both Archey and Segal pointed out that the Chinese government was far more open than the Japanese, especially as the Japanese fought hard to protect their domestic companies by keeping foreign competition at bay. \n\'In Japan, it was always a question of market access\' when it came to negotiating with the Chinese authorities, Segal said. He pointed out that in the case of China as well as India, it has been clear that the governments wanted to emulate the U.S. business model, which has not been the case in Japan.\nOf course, one of the issues for technology companies doing business in China has been the protection of intellectual property, or lack thereof, which has not been the case when operating in Japan. But analysts have broadly agreed that once the Chinese start producing goods that require patent protection, it will quickly be in the government`s interest to start imposing the laws to assure Chinese corporate profits.\nMeanwhile, there is likely to be a shift within China on how business is conducted in coming years. \nMany of those who are currently driving business in China \'are scientists, who aren`t necessarily the best managers,\' Archey said, adding that a large number of those want to be their own boss, resulting in the establishment of numerous smaller enterprises rather than a handful of powerful industrial groups.\nCopyright 2006 by United Press International ';
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WASHINGTON, DC, United States (UPI) -- Semiconductors may be the best way for China to move beyond simply being regarded the factory to the world, albeit a huge one at that.
Given that chips are found in all technology-driven products from computers to consumer goods, becoming a world leader in producing them will lead to greater power for the country, according to William Archey, chief executive of the American Electronics Association and former U.S. Department of Commerce official.
'Semiconductors determine so many things ... so China must become a leader in chips' if it is to remain a formidable economic force, Archey said at a briefing on high technology in China hosted by the Council on Foreign Affairs Wednesday.
Certainly, the Chinese authorities appear to agree with that assessment as lawmakers make clear that investing in the technology sector is key for the country`s growth, a fact noted by Adam Segal, senior fellow of China studies at the council.
'Information technology, the environment, aerospace, energy, and biotech are where the (government) money is focused on,' Segal said, adding that U.S. policymakers too could learn from the priorities outlined by their Chinese counterparts as many still appear oblivious to the fact that the United States might be losing ground when it comes to training technology specialists.
As a result, it would be good for lawmakers and the general public alike to be wary of the so-called China threat, given that it may well be a reality, Archey said.
Still, there are perhaps more opportunities to be had as China becomes more of an equal to the United States when it comes to raking in profits. For instance, both Archey and Segal pointed out that the Chinese government was far more open than the Japanese, especially as the Japanese fought hard to protect their domestic companies by keeping foreign competition at bay.
'In Japan, it was always a question of market access' when it came to negotiating with the Chinese authorities, Segal said. He pointed out that in the case of China as well as India, it has been clear that the governments wanted to emulate the U.S. business model, which has not been the case in Japan.
Of course, one of the issues for technology companies doing business in China has been the protection of intellectual property, or lack thereof, which has not been the case when operating in Japan. But analysts have broadly agreed that once the Chinese start producing goods that require patent protection, it will quickly be in the government`s interest to start imposing the laws to assure Chinese corporate profits.
Meanwhile, there is likely to be a shift within China on how business is conducted in coming years.
Many of those who are currently driving business in China 'are scientists, who aren`t necessarily the best managers,' Archey said, adding that a large number of those want to be their own boss, resulting in the establishment of numerous smaller enterprises rather than a handful of powerful industrial groups.
tech.monstersandcritics.com
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