UK GOVERNMENT: Animal experiments watchdog puts forward agenda for new millennium.

3

M2 PRESSWIRE-10 December 1998-UK GOVERNMENT: Animal experiments watchdog puts forward agenda for new millennium (C)1994-98 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD3

RDATE:091298

The Animal Procedures Committee (APC) today put forward its agenda of future work at the newly expanded committee's first meeting with Home Office minister George Howarth.

The meeting follows the APC's recent review of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, and provided an opportunity for newly appointed Committee members to meet with Mr Howarth and discuss future plans.

Chairman of the APC, Professor Michael Banner said: "The meeting provided the Committee with a valuable opportunity both to present its plans for future work to the Government and reiterate the recommendations put forward following our review of the 1986 Act.

"In particular, the Committee will be taking a long, hard look at the issues of household product testing on animals, scientific testing on primates and the benefit of allowing animal tests for so-called 'me-too' drugs.

"In addition, the Animal Procedures Committee will continue to play a crucial role in ensuring that the use of animals in scientific procedures is strictly controlled."

Professor Banner also welcomed the invitation from the All Party Parliamentary Group on Animal Welfare for a meeting of the two bodies. He said:

"This is a very positive move by the Group - clearly it makes good sense to exchange information and for us to keep the Group up to date about our plans."

The APC's proposed agenda of work includes:

- developing a strategy for research on alternatives

- reviewing progress and developments in the area of regulatory safety testing

- investigating whether it is appropriate that the protections of the Act come into force at the 50% gestation or incubation period for all mammalian, avian and reptilian species

- investigating what can be done to ensure that, when animals are acquired from overseas, they are obtained from suitable sources and journey times are minimised

- examining the position regarding the re-use of animals and concerns that farm animals may be inadvertently re-used following discharge from the Act

In addition, the review of the 1986 Act contained the following proposals and recommendations:

- To establish a working group to examine the cost/benefit assessment

- To establish an internet site providing a wide range of information, including the Committee's responsibilities, work, membership, annual report and Code of Conduct

- To examine the possibility of making information on the use of animals more widely available, including benefits from research, animal usage and suffering, and information on the use of genetically-modified animals

- To invite the Home Office to incorporate guidance on minimising overbreeding in the Code of Practice following the Laboratory Animal Science Association's current considerations of this issue and to collate and publish data on overbreeding

- To establish a working party on genetic modification and the cloning of animals

NOTES FOR EDITORS:

1. The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 regulates any experimental or other scientific procedure applied to a protected animal which may have the effect of causing that animal pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm.

2. The APC is established and appointed under the terms of the 1986 Act. It has a duty to advise the Home Secretary on matters concerned with the Act and his functions under it.3

*M2 COMMUNICATIONS DISCLAIMS ALL LIABILITY FOR INFORMATION PROVIDED WITHIN M2 PRESSWIRE. DATA SUPPLIED BY NAMED PARTY/PARTIES.*

AT&T Earns Top Ranking for Wireless Customer Loyalty in Atlanta in Leading Marketing Research Study.

AT&T Ranked Number One in Atlanta in Brand Reputation and Product Design, and Connectivity and Performance

ATLANTA, June 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- AT&T* ranks first among four wireless service providers surveyed** in customer loyalty in Atlanta. According to a Brand Keys, Inc. ranking, AT&T customers in Atlanta will demonstrate the highest levels of brand loyalty and engagement over the next 12 to 18 months. This achievement builds on Brand Keys' findings earlier this year in its 2011 Customer Loyalty Index that AT&T ranked number one nationally in customer loyalty for wireless phone service.

In an effort to learn more about AT&T's position on a local level, AT&T commissioned Brand Keys, a marketing research company and recognized leader in measuring customer loyalty, to survey customers of four wireless service providers in Atlanta and rate them on four loyalty and engagement drivers: brand reputation and product design; competitive, easy-to-understand calling plans; connectivity and performance; and customer service. In Atlanta, AT&T ranked highest overall with a No. 1 ranking in brand reputation and product design, competitive, easy-to-understand calling plans and customer service and ranked in at a close second in connectivity and performance.

AT&T wireless customers in Atlanta have access to the nation's fastest mobile broadband network, the ability to talk and surf at the same time on its mobile broadband network, Rollover minutes and access to more than 24,000 Wi-Fi hot spots, including locations in all 50 states***. AT&T is a pioneer in emerging technologies, offering a wide array of popular smartphones, tablets and other devices. And, it offers a broad choice of voice, data and texting plans, including unlimited nationwide calling plans priced among the most competitive in the industry.

"In a category where differentiation has been difficult to come by, and the definition of 'technology' has been changing at the speed of the consumer, it's a real credit to AT&T that they've been able to meet customer expectations, and garner a number one loyalty ranking," noted Robert Passikoff, Founder and President of Brand Keys, Inc. "We congratulate AT&T on its first place ranking."

"Nothing means more to us than earning the loyalty of our customers," said Keith Holmes, vice president and general manager of Georgia. "Providing an extraordinary customer experience every time is a top priority of every employee at AT&T. We thrive on the loyalty of our customers."

Another way to gauge customer loyalty is through customer churn and, in 2010, AT&T had the industry's lowest total wireless churn in three of the four quarters. And, over the past year, AT&T's wireless unit has recorded the fewest number of Better Business Bureau (BBB) complaints and received the lowest BBB complaint rate among the four largest national wireless carriers, contributing to an average national rating of A+.****

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

**AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless.

***Access includes AT&T Wi-Fi Basic. A Wi-Fi enabled device required. Other restrictions apply. See www.attwifi.com for details and locations.

****As of March 1, 2011, AT&T was rated A+ by all 108 local BBBs in the U.S. Complaint rate as of Feb. 3, 2011.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates - AT&T operating companies - are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile broadband and emerging 4G capabilities, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse and AT&T |DIRECTV brands. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T Advertising Solutions and AT&T Interactive are known for their leadership in local search and advertising.

About Brand Keys

Brand Keys is the global leader in brand equity, loyalty and engagement research. It provides Global 500 clients with predictive category and brand metrics in both B2C and B2B environments in 35+ countries. Brand Keys methodology is based on clinical psychology providing in-depth insights into both the rational, and, more importantly, the emotional factors that strongly bond consumers to brands.

(c) 2011 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. Mobile broadband not available in all areas. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies.

SOURCE AT&T Inc.

Disposable Income and Gas Prices Are Influencing Vacation Plans This Year, According to Latest American Pulse[TM] Survey.

Worthington, OH (PRWEB) June 02, 2011

More than 3 in 10 (33.4%) Americans say they are not planning to take a vacation in 2011. According to these people, financial issues and high gas prices are the two biggest reasons why they are not vacationing, according to the latest American Pulse[TM] Survey of 5,331 respondents.

The majority (67.2%) of Americans staying at home this year say a lack of disposable income is a reason they are not taking a vacation. 44.5% say high gas prices influenced this decision. Even 11.8% of those who take one or more vacations a year are opting out of travel in 2011. More of these Regular Vacationers are feeling the pressure at the pumpa48.1% said high gas prices influenced their vacation plans. 1 in 10 (10.5%) Regular Vacationers are planning a "staycation" this year.

For a complimentary report: http://www.formsite.com/prosper/ampulse060211

The fear of terrorist acts may also be hindering vacation plans for some. Over half (54.0%) of Americans say they are somewhat/very concerned about such acts when they fly. 44.4% are concerned when they travel in general. Perhaps historical American cities such as D.C. will see less tourist traffic this year: 42.6% say they worry about terrorist acts when visiting government buildings.

Other Key Findings:

*     63.9% say they would have voted for a bill that would speed up oil drilling off the Gulf Coast that the Senate recently rejecteda[bar]13.9% would have voted against it and 22.2% aren't sure.

*     73.9% say now is the time to do something about dwindling funds for Medicare and Social Securitya[bar]5.7% say nothing needs to be doneathese programs will survive no matter what.

*     56.8% say the Obama Administration's strategy to change Palestinian borders back to the way they were in 1967 won't lead to peace in the Middle Easta[bar]11.7% say it will.

*     67.1% think the media is corrupta[bar]17.2% say it's not.

*     Fox News is the most trusted news source at 23%.

*     74.2% say they regularly/occasionally use Facebook. Of those, 35.3% say they "like" between 1 and 5 retailersa[bar]34.3% say they don't "like" any.

*     21.8% say they regularly/occasionally use Twitter. Of those, 29% say they "follow" between 1 and 5 retailersa[bar]47.4% say they don't "follow" any.

*     Email is the most preferred way for consumers to receive promotions from retailers at 39.3%, followed by direct mail (33.7%) and newspaper (18.6%).

American Pulse[TM]

The American Pulse[TM] Survey is collected online by BIGresearch(R) twice a month exclusively utilizing SSI's U.S. panel covering topics such as politics, pop culture and the economy. 5,331 respondents participated in the 2nd May American Pulse conducted 5/24-5/26/2011. Margin of error is +/- 1.4%. http://www.biginsight.com

Survey Sampling International (SSI)

Survey Sampling International (http://www.surveysampling.com) is the premier global provider of sampling solutions for survey research. SSI reaches respondents in 72 countries via Internet, telephone and mobile/wireless. Client services include questionnaire design consultation, programming and hosting, and data processing. SSI serves more than 2,000 clients, including 48 of the top 50 research organizations. Founded in 1977, SSI has 17 offices in 15 countries.

BIGresearch                         

Chrissy Wissinger                     

chrissy(at)bigresearch(dot)com    

Randi Honkonen                            

randi(at)bigresearch(dot)com

614.846.0146

SSI

Ilene Siegalovsky

Ilene_Siegalovsky(at)surveysampling(dot)com

203-567-7230

###

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/6/prweb8521285.htm

WSIS FORUM 2011 UNITES GOVERNMENTS WITH GRASSROOTS TO RE-ENERGIZE THE DEVELOPMENT AGENDA.

GENEVA -- The following information was released by the International Telecommunication Union:

World leaders are gathering in Geneva this week to work on strategies to more effectively harness the power and reach of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to accelerate progress towards the Millennium Development Goals in crucial areas like health and education.

Co-organized by ITU, UNESCO, UNCTAD and UNDP, the World Summit on the Information Society (16-20 May) is the world's largest annual gathering of the world's 'ICT for development' community, including UN agencies, governments, civil society and ICT industry representatives.

Guest speakers at this morning's opening ceremony included Ministers and deputies from 17 countries, including Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Burundi, El Salvador, Finland, Gambia, Ghana, India, Mexico, Montenegro, Oman, Philippines, Poland, the Russian Federation, Serbia, and the United Arab Emirates.

Delegates also heard interventions from ITU Secretary-General, Dr Hamadoun Toure; Supachai Panitchpakdi, Secretary-General of UNCTAD; Juan Somavia, Director-General of the ILO; Janis Karklins, Deputy-Director of UNESCO; Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim, Director-General, Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of the United Arab Emirates; John Davis, Vice-President, Intel Corporation and General Manager of Intel's World Ahead Program, and Cyril Ritchie, President of the Conference on NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the UN (CoNGO)

This year's WSIS Forum also welcomes more than 70 Members of Parliament and many other senior government figures. Over 1,000 representatives from around 140 countries are expected to attend the week-long event.

In his opening address, Dr Toure stressed the importance of broadband to national economic and social development. "I think we are all very much aware of how close we are to the 2015 deadline for meeting the WSIS targets and the Millennium Development Goals. We have made quite extraordinary progress in terms of connectivity, the creation of an enabling environment, and cybersecurity. The next major step must be to repeat the 'mobile miracle' for broadband Internet," he said.

The Forum will also serve as the venue for the UN Group on the Information Society's first meeting of the open consultation process on the overall review of the implementation of the WSIS outcomes. Stakeholders will jointly brainstorm on the action plan for the Review Process (WSIS+10), to be held 10 years after the conclusion of the Summit, as recommended in the Tunis Agenda.

In addition to reviewing progress towards the WSIS targets set for 2015, this year's WSIS Forum will foster interactive debate and information exchange on a wide range of key topics such as rural development, multilingualism, environmental sustainability, education, healthcare and innovation.

The opening ceremony was followed by a High Level session, Working Together Towards 2015. Ongoing High-level Dialogues throughout the course of the week include:

Right to Communication

Innovation for Digital Inclusion

ICTs to Enable Least Developed Countries

Building Confidence and Security in Cyberspace

Alongside an exhibition component, the Forum offers participants a diverse range of meetings and activities, including Interactive WSIS Action Line Facilitators Meetings, Interactive Sessions, Country and Thematic Workshops and Knowledge Exchanges. Afternoon sessions each day will also feature the release of a number of new publications and briefings from participating organizations. The Forum programme also includes the Parliamentary Forum as well as meetings of the Internet Governance Forum.

The WSIS agenda is the result of a comprehensive open consultation process involving all stakeholders. Spanning three phases, this year's process welcomed 150 contributions from 50 countries.

Remote participation is an integral component of the WSIS Forum 2011. Each session can be viewed remotely at: http://groups.itu.int/wsis-forum2011/Home.aspx.

This year's WSIS Forum 2011 programme has been greatly enhanced thanks to the strategic partnership and contribution of the United Arab Emirates. The Forum has also benefited from contributions of Oman for the series of workshops, and Mexico for Spanish interpretation.

Videos, photos, live and archived webcasts, and transcripts of speeches can be found at the event Newsroom at www.itu.int/net/pressoffice/wsis/index.aspx, or on the main event website at http://groups.itu.int/wsis-forum2011/Home.aspx. Follow the event on Twitter at #WSIS.

Internap Continues Expansion of Data Center Footprint With New High-Performance Facility in Los Angeles.

News Highlights

- New facility demonstrates Internap's continued execution of strategy to build a geographically diversified platform of company-controlled data centers that deliver intelligent IT Infrastructure solutions

- Site will meet growing demand for premium colocation and route-optimized connectivity services

- Internap's presence will address supply shortage for Los Angeles colocation space

ATLANTA, April 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Internap Network Services Corporation (NASDAQ: INAP), a provider of intelligent IT Infrastructure services, announced that it will open a new data center in Los Angeles to serve increased demand for premium colocation. This facility will be Internap's eleventh company-controlled facility in its eighth North American market and continues the company's strategy to build a geographically diversified platform of premium data centers serving customers' high-performance IT Infrastructure needs. The new Los Angeles facility will feature Internap's route-optimized Performance IP(TM) service and will deliver best-in-class performance and availability across a portfolio of enterprise IP, CDN, colocation, managed hosting and cloud services.

Located in the South Bay, just 6 miles from Los Angeles International Airport, Internap's new Los Angeles data center will include 55,000 square feet of premium net sellable data center footprint over time. The state-of-the-art facility will leverage modular designs and the latest power and cooling technologies to deliver power densities of up to 12 KW per cabinet to economically support long-term customer growth. The facility will minimize energy consumption and environmental impact through green data center practices such as a high-efficiency Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) system, a cooling system that maximizes outside air for free cooling, reclaimed building materials and sustainable operational best practices. It will also feature a full range of customer amenities, including fully equipped office areas, technical workspaces, dedicated customer work environments and a full-service customer lounge. The first phase of approximately 15,000 net sellable square feet is expected to open in 2Q 2012.

"According to Tier 1 Research, the utilization of colocation space available in the Los Angeles area exceeds 90%," said Mike Higgins, senior vice president of data center services at Internap. "Explosive growth in demand from the city's media and entertainment, aerospace, technology, petroleum and finance industries has outstripped limited data center supply. With the addition of Los Angeles to our portfolio, Internap is able to provide these growing enterprises with data center space that can be tailored to their specific IT Infrastructure needs - from colocation, managed hosting and cloud services to high-performance enterprise IP and Content Delivery Network services - and can quickly scale to support their business growth requirements."

Underscoring the company's commitment to green data center objectives for efficiency and sustainability, Internap plans to submit the data center for Green Globes certification, LA County Green Building Standards compliance, LEED certification and an Energy Star rating.

About Internap Data Center Facilities

* Internap's data centers offer a highly reliable and scalable IT Infrastructure to deliver and store content, data and applications. With more than 40% of Internap's company-controlled footprint deployed within the last three years, these facilities feature the latest innovations in data center design, including scalable power and cooling density and environmental efficiencies.

* Customers can access Internap's Performance IP service, which connects to all of the major Internet backbones globally and leverages patented technology that analyzes network performance characteristics - such as available bandwidth, delays and packet loss - to ensure that Internet traffic is routed over the best path 100% of the time.

* Along with SAS 70 Type II compliant practices, the facilities also offer multiple layers of security with 24/7 on-site technical support as well as proactive monitoring by engineers in Internap's redundant Network Operations Centers.

Tweet this: http://clicktotweet.com/QghlG

About Internap

Internap provides intelligent IT Infrastructure services that enable our customers to focus on their core business, improve service levels, and lower the cost of IT operations. Our enterprise IP, CDN, colocation, managed hosting and cloud solutions are differentiated by unparalleled levels of performance, availability and support. Since 1996, thousands of businesses have entrusted Internap with the delivery and protection of their online applications. Transform your IT infrastructure into a competitive advantage with IT IQ from Internap. For more information, visit http://www.internap.com/, our blog at http://www.internap.com/blog, or follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/internap.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include statements related to our expansion of company-controlled data center capacity, including expected features, benefits to our customers and timing as well as overall demand for data center space. Because such statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, there are important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These factors include our ability to complete expansion of company-controlled data centers within the expected timeframe; our ability to sell into new data center space; the actual performance of our IT infrastructure services; our ability to respond successfully to technological change; the availability of services from Internet network service providers or network service providers providing network access loops and local loops on favorable terms, or at all; failure of third party suppliers to deliver their products and services on favorable terms, or at all; failures in our network operations centers, data centers, network access points or computer systems; our ability to provide or improve Internet infrastructure services to our customers; and our ability to protect our intellectual property, as well as other factors discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Given these risks and uncertainties, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results. We undertake no obligation to update, amend or clarify any forward-looking statement for any reason.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110426/CL90009LOGO )

Media Contact:	Investor Contact:
Joanna Horn	Andrew McBath
Davies Murphy Group, Inc.	404-302-9700
678-242-8081	ir@internap.com
internap@daviesmurphy.com
www.daviesmurphy.com

SOURCE Internap Network Services Corporation

Small Domestic Electrical Appliances 2010 - Market Report.(Report)

M2 PRESSWIRE-December 7, 2010-Bharat Book Bureau: Small Domestic Electrical Appliances 2010 - Market Report(C)1994-2010 M2 COMMUNICATIONS

RDATE:07122010

The small domestic electrical appliances market, as covered by this Key Note Market Report, includes the market for small kitchen appliances, personal-care appliances and other non-kitchen appliances (irons and hand-held vacuum cleaners). In 2009, the total UK market was worth [pound sign]976.9m at retail selling prices (rsp), a rise of 1.5% on 2008.

The small kitchen appliances sector accounts for slightly more than half of the total market and includes both staple commodity items, such as kettles and toasters, as well as more aspirational, high-end appliances such as espresso coffee machines. Appliances targeted towards healthy eating continue to enjoy positive sales, along with those that promise a professional result. Sales of appliances such as slow cookers have also performed well, as consumers are increasingly opting to cook low-cost meals from scratch at home, a trend boosted by the recession.

Personal-care appliances represent a third of the total market by sales value, with hair-styling appliances holding the largest market share within the sector, followed by shaving appliances and toothbrushes. Within the non-kitchen appliance sector, irons generate the largest number of sales, with steam generator irons also increasing their contribution to the market.

A number of the appliances discussed in this report are already operating in a stage of maturity, with high penetration levels seen across the majority of UK households. These items are directly influenced by consumers' replacement purchasing cycle and have shown some resilience during the current economic downfall. With consumer confidence and spending reduced, they may have held onto their appliances for a little longer; therefore, the market is in a strong position for future growth, with manufacturers concentrating on new design features to entice consumer upgrade purchases.

Initiatives such as the recent cut in VAT were implemented throughout 2009 to boost sales, with many retailers within the market continuing to offer this saving throughout the start of 2010. High degrees of discounting have led to a continued erosion of price, strengthening the position of the large multinationals within the marketplace at the expense of the small independent retailer.

The Internet continues to grow its share of sales within the market, boosted by its ease of price comparison and continued investment from the major retail groups. Future predictions indicate that, by 2020, expenditure of electrical goods online will surpass in-store electrical purchases.

After a more difficult 2009, the small domestic electrical appliances market is forecast to show a steady and sustained growth between 2010 and 2014. Rising population and household numbers will continue to provide a positive backdrop to the industry, with product and technological advances also expected to be a key feature of the market's future success. Environmental concerns and legislation will further impact on both manufacturers' designs and consumers' purchasing decisions; new appliances incorporating and meeting the changing needs of the consumer are expected to succeed in this highly competitive environment.

To know more and to buy a copy of your report feel free to visit :

http://www.bharatbook.com/detail.asp?id=145724&rt=Small-Domestic-Electrical-Appliances-2010-Market-Report.html

((M2 Communications disclaims all liability for information provided within M2 PressWIRE. Data supplied by named party/parties. Further information on M2 PressWIRE can be obtained at http://www.presswire.net on the world wide web. Inquiries to info@m2.com)).

Research and Markets: 2008 Global Digital Economy: Examine the Trends and Developments in the E-Government, E-Health and Tele-Education Sectors.

DUBLIN, Ireland -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/1a7824/2008_global_digita) has announced the addition of the "2008 Global Digital Economy - E-Government, E-Health and Tele-education" report to their offering.

This annual report offers a wealth of information on the trends and developments taking place in the worldwide e-government, e-health and tele-education sectors. The report provides analyses of the issues surrounding the growth of such services and includes global and regional statistics. Comprehensive information on the exciting developments taking place on a regional level is also included.

Subjects covered include:

* The importance of broadband infrastructure;

* Key issues and strategies needed for countries to develop their digital economies;

* E-government market overview, analyses and statistics;

* E-health market overview, analyses and statistics;

* Tele-education market overview, analyses and statistics;

* Overview of e-government markets in North America, Latin America, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific;

* Overview of e-health markets in North America, Latin America, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific;

* Overview of tele-education markets in North America, Latin America, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific;

* Fibre-to-the-Home (FttH) market overview and statistics.

Key highlights:

* The 'business case' for FttH networks is also no longer based solely on the commercial returns from Internet access and other communication services. It also incorporates the social and economic benefits provided by such infrastructure.

* Millions of people worldwide can potentially benefit from e-health applications. There is currently an estimated shortage of over 4 million doctors, midwives, nurses and support workers worldwide.

* In North America, many e-health initiatives are still in early formative stages, although during 2008 a number of significant ventures started moving from the drawing board to implementation.

* E-health schemes are pivotal to the broadband strategies of Europe's Member States. Alleviating cost pressures on overburdened hospitals and health services is a key justification for governments to part-fund NGNs.

* While there are many successful examples of e-health development taking place in Asia, this is not widespread. Much more can be done in the health sector for providing basic health care and services, especially for the poor communities.

* Tele-education is being used around the world for training, vocational training and formal education.

* The E-education sector in North America has grown rapidly in the last 10 years, both at the secondary school and post-secondary level, and will continue its expanding role in the broader education sector.

* More and more countries are now investing in online government services and parts of Europe, Asia Pacific and North America are considered leaders in this area. Many have been implementing and developing their e-government strategies for a number of years and other governments around the world are now endeavouring to catch up.

* Brazil is also considered a world leader in terms of e-government, especially in the areas of e-participation, electronic voting, online tax filing, and e-procurement. Chile is at the forefront in terms of e-government, its tax system having attracted worldwide attention because of the high filing rates achieved.

* For several years the US and Canada have had well-established policies for developing e-government services, including the Canadian Government On-Line Initiative and the US's 24 E-Gov Initiatives.

* Ongoing improvements in broadband access and backbone infrastructure are set to bring further progress with e-services to Africa.

Executive Summary:

Many governments around the world now understand that broadband infrastructure can provide real benefits - not just in delivering high-speed Internet, but also in delivering services that are critical to the communities they serve. Important social services that depend on high quality broadband infrastructure include e-government, e-health and tele-education.

Around the western world we are facing a massive dilemma in relation to healthcare. New advances in medical technologies are increasing life expectations and improving quality of life. The cost of this however is enormous and we simply can no longer afford to finance these huge advances via the public health systems. In countries with proper broadband infrastructure, e-health is shaping up as a way that allows us to access these services at a more affordable cost. The alternative to not embracing e-health is to accept a significantly inferior healthcare service in the future. Countries that are lagging in these broadband infrastructure developments are going to face not just a telecoms dilemma, but, more importantly, they are going to face a health crisis.

There is no doubt that e-health is going to totally transform the national healthcare systems and that society will need time to make the adjustment. Training is vital, and not just of medical professionals. Equally important is the training of other careers, volunteers, and the patients themselves. This is where tele-education can play an important role. Tele-education is becoming more and more important, particularly in developing markets, as it offers the potential for millions of people to access education that they would not be able to otherwise. Telecommunication technologies, such as mobile devices, the Internet and associated Web 2.0 applications, have further broadened the quality and possibilities for remote education and the 'virtual classroom'.

Now that the broadband markets are moving in the right direction, we have shifted our focus from access to actual broadband services and applications - such as e-government. While one of the primary aims of e-government is to improve customer service for citizens; e-government applications can also assist in improving communication and information sharing between government departments. For citizens, one-stop services can reduce time and confusion when dealing with a number of departments. Interactions between government, business and industry can also be improved via e-government applications and the increased transparency of such services can lead to less corruption. In addition, streamlining services can lead to cost cutting and less waste of public resources.

This annual report explores and analyses the trends and developments taking place in the e-government, e-health and tele-education sectors. The report provides an outline of the benefits of such services and explores the issues surrounding their development. The report includes global and regional statistics and provides valuable insights into the developments taking place at a regional level for North America, Latin America, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific.

Key Topics Covered:

* THE IMPORTANCE OF BROADBAND

* E-GOVERNMENT MARKET

* E-HEALTH MARKET

* E-EDUCATION MARKET

* FTTH INFRASTRUCTURE

* REGIONAL OVERVIEWS

* GLOSSARY OF ABBREVIATIONS

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/1a7824/2008_global_digita.

Cameron: Ban hate clerics.

Byline: Benedict Brogan

MUSLIM clerics intent on turning young men into terrorists are stillbeing allowed into Britain, David Cameron warned last night.

The Tory leader accused Gordon Brown of failing to tackle the threat posed bythe preachers of hate. He called for an immediate ban on visas for Islamicreligious leaders who use their sermons and the internet to promote attacks onthe West.

The Tory leader used a speech at a London seminar with the German centre-rightCDU party to attack the Government's handling of radical clerics.

Mr Brown has been under pressure to act against extremist religious leaders whohave played a key role in radicalising young Muslims and persuading them tobecome terrorists.

Mr Cameron singled out the Prime Minister's 'dithering' over plans to allowpreacher Yusuf al- Qaradawi into the country for medical treatment.

He described al-Qaradawi, along with the head of Hezbollah's TV station IbrahimMoussawi as 'dangerous and divisive'.

He repeated his call for a complete ban onIslamist political movements Hizb-ut-Tahrir and Hezbollah. Mr Brown has said hewould only act against such organisations if evidence could be presented thatthey posed a threat to the UK.

Mr Cameron said: 'It's clear for reasons of our security that we must expel orrefuse entry to those who preach hate, pit one faith against another and divideour society.

'So I call on the Government to confirm that it will not be giving al-Qaradawipermission to enter this country and make clear that Moussawi is not welcome inthe UK.' The Tory leader argued that Britain's national security andinternational credibility were harmed by a failed multiculturalist policy whichallowed Muslim preachers to advocate values that run counter to the British wayof life. 'But we don't seem to have learned our lesson,' he said.

Moussawi was allowed to speak in Manchester in December. He has also beeninvited on a speaking tour of five cities from the end of next month..

SM&A Appoints Mark F. Werny as Vice President and Account Executive.

Executive Has More Than 18 Years of Complex Sales Experience

SM&A , the world's leading provider of competition management services, and a leading provider of performance assurance services, today announced that it has hired Mark F. Werny as a vice president and account executive. In this role, Mr. Werny will primarily be responsible for building new business in new markets and ensuring the quality of the high value services SM&A provides to its clients.

Prior to joining SM&A, Mr. Werny has more than 18 years of complex sales and sales leadership experience in the Fortune 500 marketplace. Before joining SM&A, Mr. Werny spent two years as a vice president of sales at Genuone, an industry leader in the newly emerging RFID enterprise middleware market and a provider of RFID professional services. While at Genuone, he was instrumental in driving the growth of the Company's newly established RFID division. In addition, he managed a global profit and loss infrastructure which included the entire solutions sales department encompassing market development, account management, product strategy and delivery.

Prior to this, Mr. Werny was a regional sales manager at IMI Americas, a Swedish supply chain software company. At IMI, he managed the supply chain software sales channel for the consumer packaged goods vertical and was responsible for the largest clients in this sector. Before this experience, he was a regional sales vice president at EssentialMarkets, Inc., an internet-based supply chain software and professional services company. At EssentialMarkets, Mr. Werny reported directly to the CEO and led the team responsible for sales and business development for the entire Eastern US territory, which was focused on large global organizations. Prior to EssentialMarkets, Mr. Werny was a senior regional director at Lattitude Communications, an enterprise collaboration software company. While at Lattitude, he was instrumental in helping grow his region's revenue by more than 700% in a three year period and ultimately part of the team that took the company public in 1999 (they have since been acquired by Cisco).

Mr. Werny also spent six years at PictureTel Corporation, a global manufacturer of videoconferencing software and hardware. During his tenure at PictureTel, Mr. Werny served in a variety of executive positions of escalating responsibility and was ultimately district sales manager responsible for national, territory and vertical sales executives. In the district sales manager role, Mr. Werny was accountable for a sales goal of more than $40 million annually and achieved this goal by managing and developing a direct sales team and distributor relationships with top telecommunications service and product providers.

Mr. Werny received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Delaware, College of Business and Economics.

About SM&A

SM&A is the world's leading provider of business strategy and proposal development services that enhance clients' ability to win competitive procurements, and a leading provider of program management services. Since 1982, SM&A has managed in excess of 900 proposals worth more than $300 billion for its clients, and has an 85% win rate on awarded contracts. In addition, SM&A's more than 300 employees and consultants provide program management, systems engineering, and expert support to major industrial customers in the defense, homeland security, aerospace, information technology, and architect and engineering sectors. SM&A also provides systems engineering, program planning and other high-value technical support services to such high priority national programs as the Joint Strike Fighter program, the U.S. Army's transformational systems, and America's missile defense efforts. Additional information about SM&A is available on the Internet at http://www.smawins.com/.

CONTACT: Steve Handy, Vice President Corporate Controller, SM&A, +1-949-975-1550, steve.handy@smawins.com; or Douglas Sherk or Jennifer Beugelmans, both of EVC Group, Inc., +1-415-896-6820, dsherk@evcgroup.com, for SM&A

Web site: http://www.smawins.com/

EDGAR Online to Present at Friedland Capital Event.

NORWALK, Conn. -- EDGAR(R) Online(R), Inc. (NASDAQ: EDGR), a financial information company specializing in making complex regulatory reporting by public companies actionable and easy-to-use, announced today that its president and CEO, Susan Strausberg and its COO and CFO, Greg Adams, will present at Friedland Capital's Internet Financial Services Luncheon July 15 in New York.

The luncheon will provide an opportunity for EDGAR Online to present its corporate message to key members of the investment community including portfolio managers, analysts, brokers and investment bankers.

Strausberg said, "We've repositioned EDGAR Online to focus on subscriptions, which are recurring and carry incremental margins of approximately 85 percent. In 2004 we continue to grow our subscription revenue to offset last year's decline in technical services revenue. We expect to show total revenue growth by the third quarter of 2004 compared to the same period of 2003. EDGAR Online has also taken significant steps to solidify its balance sheet by raising $5.5 million in a secondary offering. These developments, along with other initiatives, lead us to believe that we have a compelling story to tell and we are pleased to present at Friedland Capital's Internet Financial Services Luncheon."

Investors interested in attending the luncheon should contact Friedland Capital at (303) 355-6566 or through the company's Web site, (www.friedlandcapitalevents.com). Investors interested in meeting privately with EDGAR Online's management should contact Greg Adams at (203) 852-5666.

About EDGAR(R) Online(R), Inc.

EDGAR Online, Inc. (www.edgar-online.com) is a financial information company specializing in making complex regulatory reporting by public companies actionable and easy-to-use. The Company makes financial information and a variety of analysis tools available via online subscriptions and licensing agreements to professionals in financial institutions, corporations and law firms.

"Forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 may be included in this news release. These statements relate to future events or our future financial performance. These statements are only predictions and may differ materially from actual future events or results. EDGAR Online, Inc. disclaims any intention or obligation to revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. Please refer to the documents filed by EDGAR Online, Inc. with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which identify important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to risks associated with our ability to (i) increase revenues, (ii) obtain profitability, and (iii) obtain additional financing, changes in general economic and business conditions (including in the online business and financial information industry), actions of our competitors, the extent to which we are able to develop new services and markets for our services, risks in connection with acquisitions, the time and expense involved in such development activities, the level of demand and market acceptance of our services and changes in our business strategies.

EDGAR(R) is a federally registered trademark of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. EDGAR Online is not affiliated with or approved by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Three keys to maximizing enrollment in worksite disability plans.

In an age of economic uncertainty and rising health care costs, worksite marketed employee benefit programs rapidly have emerged as an effective way for employers to offer a comprehensive array, of benefits to employees while keeping their overall employee benefit costs in line.

In recent years, short-term and long-term disability coverages quickly have become two of the more popular offerings among employers.

The opportunity to purchase benefits at the worksite is appealing to employees as well. They can select the benefits and levels of protection that best suit their needs. Moreover, given that people today have greater access to tools, technologies and information to support them in their financial planning, employees are now better equipped than ever to make worksite product decisions.

For worksite disability insurers, maximizing enrollment and achieving high participation levels in worksite disability plans requires much more than offering an appealing contract to the group.

The insurer must also communicate effectively with employees about worker need for disability income protection and also about how this coverage works. When enrolling employees in worksite disability programs, they can benefit from applying the following three strategies. These will lead to increased participation as well as maximum employee and employer satisfaction.

1. Position the value of disability income protection within the context of life events.

It is difficult for anyone to contemplate the prospect of becoming disabled. Therefore, it can be challenging to get employees to consider planning for such an event.

Disability statistics can help by presenting a powerful story. Most employees understand the need for life insurance. However, few realize that nearly half of all mortgage foreclosures are due to a disability or that disabilities are 16 times more likely than death to cause foreclosure.

Given such facts, employees quickly grasp the need for disability income protection. This not only encourages new employees to sign up but it also reinforces current enrollees in their decision to participate. Increased persistency in plan participation is the result.

2. Understand the employee's current financial situation.

Many employees are grossly underprepared for a sudden loss of income. Therefore, take some time to understand the employee's current short- and long-term financial situation. How much does the employee have in savings? Is the family solely dependent on one income? How many children does the worker have? Is the person nearing retirement? What is the total household monthly budget? Answers will determine the extent to which the employee needs short-term disability protection and/or long-term disability protection.

Also take time to understand the nature of the employee's job. Those who must have specialized skills and abilities--like health professionals, mechanics and carpenters--particularly can be susceptible to the short-term and long-term financial impact of a permanent or severe disability.

3. "Right sell. Right fit."

After determining the level of need, it is then critical to sell the right level of protection. Don't get caught up selling the cost of the plan. Focus instead on the level of monthly benefit.

Sell a level that not only meets the worker's true need but that also fits the person's budget. Not only will this ensure that employees have the appropriate level of coverage, it will also increase the likelihood of employees staying in the plan year after year. It will open the door to future sales opportunities, too.

It goes without saying that making the enrollment process as pain-free as possible will make the sale easier. Know your audience and tailor the enrollment process to fit its needs. For example, the most effective enrollments blend technology and touch.

But some groups require a greater level of personal attention than others. And some employers allow employees greater access to the Internet than do other employers. You will therefore need to create a variety of easy-to-understand tools which will help employees in various group situations understand their need for income protection and how disability insurance works.

Since worksite insurers face high acquisition costs in the first year, it is critical not only to be effective in enrolling employees at point of sale, but also to maintain and grow participation each year. This will allow for greater stability of risk and greater persistency--which you and the insurer will certainly enjoy!

Gregory Dulac is vice president of underwriting and client development for Disability RMS, a subsidiary of CORE INC., Portland, Maine. His e-mail is gdulac@disabilityrms.com.

Farmers go online to sell animals; AGRICULTURE.(News)

COMPUTER-savvy farmers are moving online to shift livestock, it has been claimed. The number of their internet ads has jumped in recent years as farmers look beyond traditional marts to buy and sell animals.

Emmet Kelly of Pavilion Digital said: "I think it is fair to say farmers are adopting the internet as a trading platform in ever greater numbers.

"This shows a positive trend that has been led by the modernisation of communications across the country. "Our figures show livestock prices have risen but the average price of horses and donkeys has fallen over the past two years."

The average price of a donkey is just over EUR450 in contrast to the EUR806 the animal would have fetched just four years ago.

Nebraska Furniture Mart Boosts Email Results Nearly 10% with ExactTarget, Coremetrics.

Furniture Retailer Highlights Email Marketing Success at Coremetrics Marketing Showcase

AUSTIN, Texas -- Nebraska Furniture Mart announced today that it increased email effectiveness rates--the ratio of opens to unique clicks -- eight percent in one month after adopting the ExactTarget-Coremetrics integration.

The Omaha-based Top 500 furniture retailer, which has additional locations in Kansas City and Des Moines, sends an average of one million ExactTarget-powered emails per week through its revamped interactive marketing program developed ExactTarget partner Digital Evolution Group.

"Managing data correctly to send relevant messages to subscribers is the key to email and online success," said Jeff Douglas, internet marketing manager at Nebraska Furniture Mart. "ExactTarget and Coremetrics allow us to stay engaged with our customers, drive repeat purchases and offer the most relevant content possible."

Nebraska Furniture Mart will expand its ExactTarget-Coremetrics email program with the addition of "Intelligent Offers," a targeted email marketing campaign that leverages a combination of web analytics data and customer purchase history to build personalized emails featuring targeted product suggestions and recommendations.

"With ExactTarget and Coremetrics, Nebraska Furniture Mart is able to unlock the power of website data to create automated email and interactive marketing programs tailored specifically to the unique needs and preferences of their customers," said Scott Roth, senior director of partner marketing and field marketing at ExactTarget.

More than 40 companies, including global brands Benchmark Brands, Enzymatic Therapy and SkyMall, Inc., currently rely upon the ExactTarget and Coremetrics to power data-driven email marketing campaigns.

"ExactTarget is a leader when it comes to innovating and integrating its software with Coremetrics to help marketers do more with their website data," said John Squire, Chief Strategy Officer at Coremetrics. "Nebraska Furniture Mart is a good example of how this integration continues to drive improved results for clients."

Nebraska Furniture Mart's announcement comes during Marketing Showcase, Coremetrics' annual customer conference in Austin. Nebraska Furniture Mart will lead a breakout session today entitled, "Utilize the Full Capabilities of Coremetrics and Your ESP to Create Timely, Personalized Email Campaigns."

ExactTarget is a Silver Sponsor of the conference. Organizations can learn more about how marketers are using the ExactTarget-Coremetrics solution by clicking here.

About ExactTarget ExactTarget is a leading global provider of on-demand email marketing and interactive marketing solutions. The company's Interactive Marketing Hub(TM) technology provides organizations a single solution to connect with customers via email, integrated text messaging, landing pages and social media. Supported by collaborative global services teams, ExactTarget's technology integrates with more sales and marketing information systems than any other in the industry, including Salesforce.com, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Omniture and Webtrends among many others. ExactTarget powers permission-based multichannel communications for thousands of organizations around the world including Expedia.com, Best Buy, Aurora Fashions, Papa John's, CareerBuilder.com, Gannett Co., Inc., The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, The Home Depot and Wellpoint, Inc. For more information, visit www.exacttarget.com or call 1-866-EMAILET.

About Nebraska Furniture Mart Nebraska Furniture Mart was founded in 1937 in Omaha, Nebraska by Rose Blumkin in the basement of her husband's jewelry store with a $500 investment. In 1983, Warren Buffett purchased a majority interest in Nebraska Furniture Mart and made it part of the Berkshire Hathaway family of companies. In 2006 Nebraska Furniture Mart added the ability to buy online through its web site, nfm.com . Nebraska Furniture Mart continues to maintain its tradition of selling cheap, telling the truth, and providing the greatest selection and service.

NASA Announces STS-133 Prelaunch Events and Countdown Details.

News conferences, events and operating hours for the news center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., are set for the final scheduled launch of space shuttle Discovery. Lift off is targeted for 4:50 p.m. EST on Thursday, Feb. 24, to begin the STS-133 mission to the International Space Station.

A NASA blog will provide countdown updates beginning at 11:30 a.m. Feb. 24. Originating from Kennedy's Launch Control Center, the blog is the definitive Internet source for information leading up to lift off.

Keywords: Aerospace, NASA, Space Station.

This article was prepared by Defense & Aerospace Week editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2011, Defense & Aerospace Week via VerticalNews.com.

Prez says first Iranian satellite launch was failure: shows off new batch of satellites.

Last February, one year ago, the Islamic Republic put on display three satellites that it said it would launch this Persian year. None has yet been orbited. This week, the regime held another exhibit in the same hall to show off four satellites it said it would launch in the coming year. One was a repeat from last year; three were new. The other two put on display last year just disappeared.

The Iranian space program is a confusion of satellite names and claims. The real news this year was that President Ahmadi-nejad revealed in what must have been a slip of the tongue that Iran's first effort to launch a satellite had failed.

Ahmadi-nejad appeared Monday with four satellites he said were being readied for launch, just as he appeared 52 weeks ago with three satellites he said would be launched this year. Ahmadi-nejad said nothing about the missing satellites.

Last year, Iran showed off the Tolu (Sunrise), the Mesbah-2 (Lantern-2) and the Navid-e Elm o Sanat (Herald of Science and Industry). The last was back in this year's line up, but the other two went unmentioned

The new satellites unveiled this year are the Rasad (Observer), Fajr (Dawn) and Zafar (Victory). Ahmadi-nejad said they would be orbited by Now Ruz 2012.

Ahmadi-nejad lauded Iranian scientists for their work on satellites as he denigrated foreign satellite programs.

He said, "Those countries that have launched satellites had to make at least nine attempts before they were successful. How many times did it take for Iran to be successful? I guess it was on the second attempt. It took Iran two attempts to orbit it successfully. What is the distance between nine and two?"

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

But the Islamic Republic has never said it failed in a first attempt to launch a satellite. This appeared to be a slip of the tongue on Ahmadi-nejad's part. There have been suspicions and indications of a failed satellite launch, but the regime has not--until now--acknowledged a failure.

Ahmadi-nejad's history lesson was also pure mythology. It isn't known where he got the idea that all other countries that have launched satellites have had a minimum of eight failures before achieving success.

The Soviet Union claimed it put the world's first satellite into orbit October 4, 1957, on its first attempt. The United States had a very public failure trying to launch its first satellite, Vanguard, on December 6, 1957. The Vanguard rocket blew up spectacularly on the launch pad. The next launch effort was made with the Explorer 1 satellite January 31, 1958, and it succeeded.

But no one in the media corrected Ahmadi-nejad or pointed out that his history lesson was non-factual.

Six other countries have orbited satellites: China, Japan, France, Israel, India and Britain. It could not immediately be determined how many failures any of them had before successfully orbiting a satellite.

Iranian state television later broadcast a news report on the space program. It interviewed an official who said Iran would "soon" send a monkey up aboard a sounding rocket. The monkey will not go into orbit. A sounding rocket simply goes straight up and then drops back down to earth. The official said the monkey would be fired to an altitude of 120 kilometers (75 miles) and than fall gently back to earth under parachutes.

Iran has fired two previous sounding rockets. The first was empty; state television showed film of it intact after landing. The second carried some insects and small animals; state television showed photos of the animals before launch, but showed nothing of any landing, indicating that the rocket likely failed to land intact.

The television program Monday also showed the Tolu satellite that had been unveiled last year but disappeared from this year's public lineup. The official said the Tolu would be launched in the coming Persian year. But he declined to answer a question of the Tolu's mission.

The official, who was not named, said that whenever Iran puts a satellite into orbit, "it sends a message to them [apparently referring to Iran's enemies] and tells them that this is the space territory of the Islamic Republic--and this message breaks their back."

He appeared unaware that space has been declared international and that no country may claim any "space territory."

The Iranian media says Iran does not have any satellites in orbit now, given that the Omid fell to earth after just 80 days in orbit. But in October 2005, Russian lofted a Russian-made satellite bought by Iran and called Sina. According to n2yo, the satellite tracking service on the Internet, Sina is still orbiting the earth after more than four years. But Iran does not talk about it for some reason.

Last week, the government announced that it has opened three ground stations for receiving communications and photos from its soon-to-be-launched satellites. But Iran announced the set-up of such a ground station for Sina five years ago and released a few photos Sina had taken of the earth. No one said what has happened to that ground station.

OLD RULES OF MARKETING DON'T APPLY IN CHINA; 'Underhyped' country is the No. 1 priority for multinationals, and consumers' optimism changes the game, says PepsiCo's Richard Lee.(Interview)

Byline: NORMANDY MADDEN AND ABBEY KLAASSEN

Three years can seem like a professional lifetime in fast-moving China. Just ask Richard Lee, PepsiCo's international marketing director for sparkling beverages in New York from 2007 to early 2010, and before that, chief marketing officer of its beverages business unit in Greater China.

Mr. Lee returned to Shanghai last summer in a much more powerful role as CMO for Greater China, in charge of marketing and portfolio management of Pepsi's food and beverage brands.

Putting control of both its food and beverage brands into the hands of one person was a new approach for China, but success in the mainland requires taking risks, Mr. Lee said.

Mr. Lee's return was designed to rejuvenate PepsiCo's operation in China, where he is remembered as a marketing star. During the decade he helped run Pepsi's marketing in China, starting in 1997 as a brand manager, he transformed Pepsi from an underdog to one of China's hottest youth brands. He also doubled the bottler's market share to 22%. During his final year in China, he initiated a user-generated content program, the Pepsi Creative Challenge, which is still the centerpiece of Pepsi's marketing strategy in the mainland.

Mr. Lee has noticed two big changes about China during his time in the U.S. First, the pace of change had accelerated dramatically and it was happening across the country. Places he'd previously known as farmland were now dotted with stores and restaurants. And the digital footprint has spread into China and its third- and fourth-tier markets, sating a content-starved population and creating an emerging population that may not have access to indoor plumbing but knows Wayne Rooney.

China is a "convergence of great forces," Mr. Lee said. "You've got an enormous country with a 2,000-year history going through a period of great economic expansion--and at the same time undergoing the digital revolution. That mix has created a non-linear evolution. And the Chinese believe everything is possible."

Mr. Lee spoke with Ad Age Editor Abbey Klaassen and Asia Editor Normandy Madden in Shanghai about the changes he's witnessed in China, how Chinese consumers' optimism affects marketing and product-development efforts, and why local competitors are more of a threat than global companies.

Is China overhyped?

I think it's underhyped. The pace of development is not just happening in the top-tier cities, it's happening across all of China. Most visitors only go to tier-one cities, but when you go outside you see what's really happening.

Describe the changes you've seen in China since you left three years ago.

China is the No. 1 priority for all multinational companies. So you have Chinese competitors, Japanese and Korean companies, Americans, Europeans. ... Everyone is here. It's like the Big Bang, the market is developing so fast. What's happening is unprecedented, so old marketing models don't apply. Where else would you have this big country with 5,000 years of history going on, and this kind of rapid pace of economic development during the...digital age, and while the gap between tier-one and tier-three cities is closing? It's a convergence of great forces.

Recently I went on a home visit near Guangzhou to [visit with] a lower-to-middle-income family. There was a 14-year-old girl. She has only been to Guangzhou two times even though the trip is only a three-hour drive. But she knows everything about Korea's pop culture and the hottest things happening in the U.S. through the internet. That's amazing and wouldn't have happened three years ago.

How does China's internet market compare to the U.S.?

I think the China digital space is as developed as in the U.S.

Will it pass the U.S.?

Yes, I think so, because people here have a stronger demand for the internet. In the U.S., you have more media to get entertainment, movies, TV. In China, the internet is their portal, not only to China but to the outside world.

Has celebrity culture changed in China?

We don't have many big stars anymore. People are spending more time online so there is lower demand for concerts and watching stars, plus there is so much information online, there is no more mystique. With the rise of reality TV, anyone can be a star now.

How are Chinese consumers different from Americans?

Chinese people are extremely optimistic about the future. They all believe that anything is possible. That has huge implications in everything, including product development. They constantly want to try new things. There's not much skepticism; they're willing to accept new products. That's why new categories can be developed so easily. One example is the Quaker instant congee product made with oats, which we launched in 2010. It's also happening with juice drinks, water, tea, dairy products and snacks.

Do you worry more about local competitors or global companies?

Locals. Global competitors have a lot of baggage, they have developed a business model based on past learnings, whereas local competitors are starting new and fresh. They also have a higher tolerance for risk. Chinese in general like to take risks. They'll do crazy things, and they are faster to get new products on the market.

What's your biggest challenge?

Catching up to the fast pace of development. It changes too fast. I'll give you an example. Just three years ago, the biggest Chinese company on the Fortune 500 list was ranked 17th. This year, it's No. 1. China Petrol is the biggest company in the world, and there are three or four Chinese companies in the top 10. Three years ago, I had a marketing team of about 40 people in China. When I came back, the marketing team had 120 people just in Shanghai.

Is China becoming tougher for multinationals?

No, I don't think so, not in our industry. It's opening up even more. It's definitely opening up. Otherwise, it's impossible for us to expand so rapidly.

Which multinationals do you admire in China from a marketing perspective?

Apple is doing very well. You don't see a lot of advertising, but everyone is talking about them You can build a brand through technology, products and pricing too. I also admire Louis Vuitton. They are taking risks and expanding rapidly, opening three flagship stores just in Shanghai.

5 TIPS

1.Create and direct your "personal brand." Don't be afraid to be different.

2.Inspire with personal stories; that's most powerful.

3.Don't just focus on improving your weaknesses. But don't take your strengths for granted.

4.Know who you are and what you really want. Passion can't be fabricated and you can deliver your best only with real passion.

5. Work in China if you have an opportunity. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Copyright 2011 Crain Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved.

GlobalAir.com expands security to make sure customers get quality email leads.

M2 PRESSWIRE-February 4, 2011-: GlobalAir.com expands security to make sure customers get quality email leads(C)1994-2011 M2 COMMUNICATIONS

RDATE:03022011

A newly installed validation process, called EVS (Email Verification System), makes sure a submitted email address is correct before an inquiry is sent to a customer advertising an aircraft or sponsoring a fixed-based operator (FBO) on the web site.

GlobalAir.com announced today that advertisers who depend on sales leads generated from its web site can rest assured about the legitimacy of the email addresses sent to them.

A newly installed three-layered validation process, called EVS (Email Verification System), makes sure a submitted email address is correct before an inquiry is sent to a customer advertising an aircraft or sponsoring a fixed-based operator (FBO) on the web site. The validation system does this without additional delay for the site's users. Back-end algorithms confirm information from the person submitting a form, making the process as seamless and user-friendly as possible.

"We listened to our customers; they wanted better communication tools," said company owner Jeff Carrithers. "EVS is one more step to achieving that goal. By making sure an email address in a sales lead is legitimate, no longer does an aircraft salesperson or FBO have to deal with whether or not a web site has captured and sent them bogus information. Our advertisers are very conscious about their time. Now they can focus on what they do best, distributing information and working on legitimate customers."

Aircraft sales representatives told GlobalAir.com that prior experiences advertising online sometimes led to them getting a sales lead, and then taking time and effort trying to get in touch with a contact, only to find out the submission was not legitimate or entered incorrectly.

The improved security will remedy this while at the same time keeping control of the sales process in the hands of the buyer and seller. While similar classified providers insist that an advertiser log in to a site to capture sales leads, Carrithers said that GlobalAir.com understands that direct email still is the best communication tool for its customers in most cases.

"There are many times where our customers are not in a convenient position to log in to a web site and see their sales leads," Carrithers said. "Our email alerts allow them to get updates on the go. Despite what other companies say, we see no security risk being prevented by having you log into a web site management system. We don't want to control your sales leads."

The EVS security layer takes the added step of communicating with a mail server host to verify the address, rather than merely giving a green light to a domain name. This prevents typos and false information without placing additional burden on the person filling out the form.

In addition to adding the EVS feature to its Aircraft Exchange sale site, http://www.globalair.com/ aircraft_for_ sale/, GlobalAir.com also added it to its Airport Resource Center, http://www.globalair.com/ airport/. As a result, all individuals and businesses that showcase their aviation products on the site can rest assured that they will get quality sales leads.

"Once again, our technical staff has knocked it out of the park," Carrithers said. "We strive each day to make GlobalAir.com the best option out there for you to buy or sell an aircraft, while allowing you complete control of how to do it."

About GlobalAir.com

Launched in 1995, http://www.GlobalAir.com is one of the largest aviation Web sites on the Internet. It provides aircraft-for- sale listings, FBO fuel prices and flight data for regional airlines, business jets and general aviation operators. It keeps the aircraft community connected.

Based in Louisville, Ky., the site averages more than 2.3 million page views each month. Services include its Airport Resource Center, at http://www.globalair.com/ airport/, aircraft fuel-route mapping through its Max-Trax system, at http://www.airportfuelprices.com, and aircraft leasing and sales through its Aircraft Exchange, at http://www.globalair.com/ aircraft_for_ sale/.

To get more information on the new email system used by GlobalAir.com or to schedule an interview, please contact Josh Coffman by phone at (888) 236-4309 or by e-mail at press@globalair.com.

Find additional press releases at http://www.globalair.com/ press/. Get real-time updates by following us at http://blog.globalair.com, http://twitter.com/ globalair and http://facebook.com/ globalair.com

Launched in 1995, GlobalAir.com is one of the largest aviation Web sites on the Internet. It provides aircraft-for- sale listings, FBO fuel prices and flight data for regional airlines, business jets and general aviation operators.

((M2 Communications disclaims all liability for information provided within M2 PressWIRE. Data supplied by named party/parties. Further information on M2 PressWIRE can be obtained at http://www.presswire.net on the world wide web. Inquiries to info@m2.com)).

LiveMind.com Launches an Open Marketplace for Live Online Learning-- A Revolutionary New Way For People To Teach or Learn Virtually Anything.

Westport, CT (Vocus/PRWEB) January 31, 2011

LiveMind.com revolutionizes the adult continuing education and casual learning industry by putting teachers and students together in live, online interactive classrooms. Using the LiveMind platform and suite of services, anyone with expertise to share can create and teach a class on any subject, and offer it at any price. People interested in learning go to LiveMind.com to find and take classes on their topics of interest. They're able to select classes and instructors based on class descriptions, instructor ratings and price.

Unlike traditional online learning models where students download and interact independently with course material or videos, LiveMind provides an actual virtual classroom where teachers can share any document or application; students can see and speak with the teacher, talk to each other and ask questions just like in a physical classroom. "Just as eBay revolutionized garage sales, LiveMind will revolutionize live learning," says LiveMind founder and President, David Dean. "As a student you are no longer constrained to the continuing education classes offered in your local community college or community center. And for those that want to teach, now you can bring your expertise directly to an unlimited student population and keep the vast majority of the fees you generate."

For teachers, LiveMind provides an easy-to-use, live teaching environment with the convenience, money making potential, and access to students that they could never get in their local geography. It is an easy-to-use, turnkey environment with all the tools necessary to allow a teacher to build an online teaching business.

For students, LiveMind provides an easy-to-use, social learning experience with the convenience and breadth of topics they could never find in their local community. The online classroom experience has all the benefits of traditional teacher-led learning. It's simple and fun to use.

LiveMind.com, which launched in April 2010 under the name Yamisse.com, currently offers over 500 classes in wide-ranging topics such as personal finance, health and nutrition, software development, digital photography, languages, career planning and many other subjects. LiveMind is experiencing fast growth - new classes in new topic areas are being added every week and the community of students and teachers is expanding quickly. "Our mission at LiveMind is simple," explained David Lynch, CEO of LiveMind. "We intend to build the premier, live online learning marketplace that creates new social learning and teaching opportunities for the masses."

About LiveMind.com

Livemind.com is a Westport, CT-based internet company that launched in April 2010. LiveMind is an open marketplace for live online learning. Using the LiveMind platform and suite of services, anyone can create and teach a class on any subject, and offer it at any price, or for free. People interested in learning can use LiveMind to find and take classes on their specific topics of interest. Students select classes and instructors based on class descriptions, instructor ratings and price. All classes are offered in live, online interactive sessions using state of the art tools and technology including live video and audio interaction with the instructor and advanced presentation capabilities. http://www.livemind.com

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Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/online-learning/LiveMind/prweb8099602.htm

SEN. CARL LEVIN STATEMENT ON TAX CREDIT FOR PLUG-IN HYBRID VEHICLES.

WASHINGTON -- The following information was released by Michigan Senator Carl M. Levin:

I am delighted to join today with my brother, Congressman Sandy Levin, in an important step for the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing by nurturing the market for the next generation of electric vehicles.

The U.S. auto industry is poised for a technological explosion that promises to fundamentally change transportation here and around the world. Already, the success of GM's Volt has demonstrated that electric vehicles aren't just an engineer's dream or a science fiction story. They're real, and there's plenty more innovation ready to be unleashed.

But like almost every transformational technology, from the great railroads to the Internet, this technological revolution needs support if it's to spread. President Obama last night laid out a vision of how this kind of technology can help ensure our economic future. With the proper support, we can transform transportation and create new jobs for American workers. But if we fail to support this revolution, we risk missing an opportunity that we may never get back. We get one chance to get this right, and if we don't, there is no doubt that workers in China, India, South Korea and our other competitors will build these vehicles instead of American workers.

So I am pleased to be joining my brother Sandy today in introducing legislation to expand the availability of the $7,500 consumer tax credit for plug-in hybrid vehicles. Current law limits the availability of this plug-in hybrid tax credit to the first 200,000 vehicles per manufacturer, which is too small to support the revolutionary technological change that we are about to witness. Failure to provide this support risks falling short of the president's goal of putting 1 million electric vehicles on the road by 2015.

Lifting this cap will give much greater certainty to manufacturers that we will support technology of great potential and it will make these vehicles more available and affordable to more consumers. It will make a difference immediately, and it is an important signal of lasting support for the transformation of our transportation sector.

Neelie Kroes Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda eHealth: an answer to EU healthcare and demographic challenges ETNO Innovation Day 2011.

M2 PRESSWIRE-January 25, 2011-: Neelie Kroes Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda eHealth: an answer to EU healthcare and demographic challenges ETNO Innovation Day 2011(C)1994-2011 M2 COMMUNICATIONS

RDATE:25012011

Brussels -- Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am delighted to be here this afternoon. Telecoms operators have not had a long history in eHealth, but I want to do everything in my power to work with you to change that. You have a critical role in our society enabling so many different types of relationships and transactions. And you run the essential infrastructure -- broadband, other communications networks -- which can revolutionise how health is managed.

As you are well aware, demography is not on our side. More than 30% of Europeans will be 65 or over in 2025. Chronic conditions are going up just as a shortage of specialists and carers emerges. This will become a huge care gap unless technology fills it. It means our systems are guaranteed to collapse if we do not make radical changes. When I hear information like the Spanish Government's estimates that health professionals are spending between 30 and 50 per cent of their time on administrative tasks, it is even clearer that innovation cannot come soon enough!

That goes for both the policy and market sides of this equation. Sustainable eHealth investment clearly requires a lot more than finance alone. It requires more efficient patenting, the right data laws, smarter procurement, de-fragmenting markets, and quicker standard-setting. And that is before we even consider skills issues. Tackling those problems is my commitment to you. I hope your commitment to me, in return, is an increasing appetite to enter eHealth markets.

Why? Because there is going to be a huge demand from all levels of society for technology that makes healthy independent living easier. And policy will keep boosting that demand.

Such personal health solutions do more than improve lives - they both save and make money at the same time. They can save money for those managing health and care systems, ensuring we maintain high quality care for all. And they can make money for those able to seize the opportunities. By that, I mean all of you here today.

Where are you going to make money? Look for example at TV and Internet-based personal health monitoring services. Or wearable devices that monitor one's physical well- being. These trends reinforce already obvious trends like the growing demand for data, especially mobile data. And the huge growth in the market for apps. As I've said, whether it is through telemedicine targets, standards reform, or better spectrum management, -- we are committed to creating the right business conditions for you to scale up your investments.

Indeed, this entire context points in one direction. To the fact that we want to help you move into new, high value-add markets as traditional revenue streams become more commoditised. And as you assess the opportunities, I want to make sure that eHealth is firmly on your radar.

The US market alone for assisted daily living, ageing, chronic and acute disease management will grow to 30 billion dollars in the next 5 years. It is time we matched or beat that in Europe. It is what our people need and our European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing is a way to get us there. This is a new way of working for us. It will help to build bridges between the different stage of research and innovation and large scale deployments. I hope you are willing to be equally pragmatic.

Whether you are working with us or in joint ventures with another telecoms or health company, the precise business model does not matter. The key is to get on board this train soon, by assembling the expertise in the most pragmatic way. Then reinforce the investments that work. For our part we can see that the Ambient Assisted Living Joint Programme is working so far, so we will reinforce it in 2011.

Let me now take now the example of telemedicine services. These services have the potential to offer a freedom of movement that people living with chronic conditions rarely enjoy. But the solutions of tomorrow depend on you. They depend on new broadband business models that can generate win-win-win for healthcare providers, end-users and telcos. So I invite you to continue your discussions and to take part in our Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme. That is, if you are not already involved. Through this programme we can support you in efforts to pilot innovative, secure and user-friendly systems for patients to access to their health data and enable online health services

Likewise, mobile health should surely be at the heart of your discussions today. The majority of doctors already use smart phones: just think about the potential the medical applications market offers. This market will reach into the hundreds of millions of euros in coming years. Whether you make or host apps -- or both -- you stand to gain. The iStethoscope application is one new European success. Created by a British researcher, the iStethoscope creates a 24/7 stethoscope in your pocket. After just six months it is used by more than three million doctors. The business message is that phones aren't just toys any longer. They are serious tools for healthcare, and may even save lives.

If you want to take on a larger role in this incredible new market -- now is the time to take the decision. Like the Digital Agenda, its success depends on the engagement of all interested parties.

Of course, this is all much harder than it sounds. I am not naive about that. But what I want to match these ideals with concrete action -- that is much better than giving up on the ideals or leaving success to chance. So I see my job as enabling your success by getting rid of pointless obstacles. Please let me hear your ideas on that front.

The rest is your responsibility. And I am confident you can exercise it well. You are a diverse group of very talented people backed by some very talented leaders. So please keep investing in creative thinking.

The size and strength in today's increasingly ICT-driven economy places you in a powerful position to instigate positive change.

And don't forget -- we are all going to reap what we sow on this topic. If you and I want to experience the care we know is possible, we really have to get our act together.

That is both an exciting and serious prospect to reflect on today. I wish you a successful conference. And I look forward to hearing your suggestions.

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