Red Hat Enterprise Linux Marks with IBM PowerLinux Server Family

Over the past several weeks, we have shared good news around both the availability of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.4 and publication of leading performance results jointly achieved by IBM and Red Hat’s performance teams. These achievements showcase building solutions on top of industry-standard x86 hardware using the Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM) hypervisor, which is utilized in both Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization.

Today, Red Hat has news of record-setting benchmark results achieved with its leading enterprise operating platform. In this blog, we’ll provide further detail on the application performance aspects of enterprise infrastructure and explain how Red Hat Enterprise Linux -- together with recently announced IBM PowerLinux systems that feature new POWER7+ processors with increased frequency and L3 cache -- enables IBM Power customers to run their data centers using the Red Hat open source operating system with optimized availability, reliability and performance.

When it comes to gauging the performance of multi-tier, Java platform-based application environments, a leading measure is the industry-standard SPECjEnterprise2010 benchmark. This benchmark exercises all of the components of a typical solution, including the server hardware, Java Virtual Machine (JVM), database, operating system as well as storage and network subsystems.

 

In recent tests conducted by IBM, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.4 powered a pair of IBM PowerLinux 7R2 servers, one running WebSphere Application Server V8.5 in the middle tier, and another running IBM DB2® 10.1 at the database tier. Together, this solution delivered a new record-breaking performance result of 12,062.46 SPECjEnterprise2010 EjOPS on SPECjEnterprise2010 benchmark(1).

Compared to the previously published results, Red Hat Enterprise Linux and IBM PowerLinux 7R2 server deliver the best single node performance for all dual-processor systems used at the application tier of the benchmark, demonstrate better performance than all other Linux operating systems(2) in the same category and post the fastest per-core result for this test.

On this multi-tier benchmark, IBM and Red Hat demonstrate the combined capabilities of software and hardware in a solution spanning across middle and database tiers. The combination of PowerLinux servers and Red Hat Enterprise Linux offers customers a solid platform for their Java-based applications, as well as databases.

Another good example of an end-to-end enterprise application solution is the SAP Sales and Distribution (SD) Standard Application benchmark. This test was developed by SAP to demonstrate the performance of various hardware systems with their application products in a real-world ERP business environment while stressing application and database software, as well as the operating system.

IBM PowerLinux 7R2 servers running IBM DB2 10.1 database on top of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.4 posted the new world-record result on the SAP Sales and Distribution (SD) Parallel Standard Application Benchmark with the SAP Enhancement Package 5 for SAP ERP 6.0 for all two-processor systems running Linux or Windows(3).

The benchmark result confirms enterprise-class performance and scalability of this solution, which exemplifies the ability to support 8,256 SAP SD-Parallel Standard Application Benchmark users. Additionally, this score demonstrates that the robustness of POWER7+-based systems combined with the economics of Red Hat Enterprise Linux provide enterprises with a solid foundation for both scale-out or scale-up deployment models, while simultaneously offering world-class reliability, security and end-to-end system optimization.

To summarize, as demonstrated by the collection of these outstanding performance results, running the latest version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux on top of IBM's System x or PowerLinux families of servers, offers advantages in terms of scalability and optimized performance, regardless of the underlying hardware architecture.

"Live Your Dream"

Audio specialist Sennheiser announced that it will be supporting EAA's Eagle Flights Program, a program designed to help adults overcome obstacles to pilot training. The new program, which builds on the success of EAA's Young Eagles program, presents a long-term opportunity for new pilots become part of the EAA aviation community. As a leading sponsor of EAA's program, Sennheiser will be providing financial resources as well as dedicated outreach assistance.

"EAA has a longstanding history of encouraging flight training, in addition to an extremely supportive network of accomplished pilots around the world," commented Christian Pulm, global marketing and strategy development, Sennheiser Aviation. "It is an honor for Sennheiser to be counted as the first sponsor of the Eagle Flights program, which will provide 'first flight' adults with the information and support they need to continue their journey of becoming a pilot."

Sennheiser's sponsorship of EAA Eagle Flights is another way the company is building on its "Live Your Dream" program, which was originally launched in 2011. "Live Your Dream" is designed to motivate and assist people with a passion for flying to remove obstacles and take the first step on their journey towards becoming a pilot.

"There are many synergies between Sennheiser's Live Your Dream and EAA Eagle Flights," Pulm continued. "Both programs provide a wealth of resources designed to educate and motivate, while bringing the possibility of attaining a pilot's license one step closer."

For its new Eagle Flights program, EAA hopes to build on the success of Young Eagles, which has flown more than 1.7 million young people since 1992 through the work of more than 43,000 EAA-member pilots and aviation industry supporters. Through Eagle Flights, EAA hopes to strengthen its community of aviators while creating new pathways for adults to participate in aviation.

“As with Young Eagles, EAA’s Eagle Flights seek to engage people in aviation with a special focus on mentoring adults in the world of flight,” said Jeff Skiles, EAA’s vice president of chapters and youth education. “Sennheiser’s commitment to Eagle Flights shows how deeply interested it is in attracting and supporting people interested in the joy and fulfilment of flying.”

Wall Street Veteran Barbara Ryan Joins FTI Consulting

FTI Consulting, Inc. (NYSE: FCN), the global business advisory firm dedicated to helping organizations protect and enhance their enterprise value, today announced that Barbara Ryan has been appointed Managing Director in the firm’s Strategic Communications practice.

The addition of Ms. Ryan, a recognized biopharmaceutical industry expert and veteran Wall Street professional, further strengthens the practice’s financial communications capabilities and deepens its expertise in the healthcare and life sciences sector. In her new role, Ms. Ryan will also support the firm’s healthcare and life sciences transactions communications and crisis communications offerings. She will be based in New York.

Ms. Ryan brings more than 30 years of Wall Street experience and financial expertise, with a focus in the biopharmaceutical sector, to FTI Consulting. She joins the firm from Deutsche Bank, where she held the position of Managing Director and Head of the Pharmaceutical Research Team for the past 20 years. In this role, Ms. Ryan published pharmaceutical research, led the firm’s annual healthcare conference and conducted extensive marketing activities with institutional clients. She also served as the lead analyst on several high-profile initial public offerings. Prior to joining Deutsche Bank, Ms. Ryan held pharmaceutical analyst positions at Prudential Securities and Bear Sterns. Ms. Ryan frequently is a guest contributor to CNBC.

“Barbara is an exciting addition to our thriving healthcare and life sciences sector,” said Edward Reilly, Global Chief Executive Officer of the FTI Consulting Strategic Communications practice. “Barbara is a well-known and well-respected voice in the healthcare industry with a deep understanding of how investors think about and value stocks. Our clients will undoubtedly benefit from her valuable perspective and insight as they face critical times of corporate growth and transformation.”

Ms. Ryan added, “FTI Consulting is a clear leader in healthcare strategic communications, and I am excited to join such a dynamic and growing practice. I look forward to utilizing my many years of experience on Wall Street covering the pharmaceutical industry to further advance the firm’s healthcare and life sciences capital markets offering.”

Ms. Ryan currently serves on the Pharmaceutical Executive Editorial Advisory Board, as well as on the Healthcare Advisory Board of the Executive Council of New York. She also is the Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Villa Maria Education Center in Stamford, Conn. Ms. Ryan frequently is quoted in the press as a recognized healthcare industry expert in addition to appearing as a guest lecturer at top university M.B.A. and Executive Education programs, including Columbia University and the University of California at Berkeley. She studied finance and economics at the University of Massachusetts.

Laboratoires Pierre Fabre Relies on Manhattan Associates to Increase Supply Chain Competitiveness

Global supply chain optimization provider, Manhattan Associates, Inc. (NASDAQ: MANH), today announced that global pharmaceutical company Laboratoires Pierre Fabre has selected multiple components from the Manhattan SCOPE® supply chain solutions portfolio to support its expected business growth. Laboratoires Pierre Fabre is deploying Manhattan’s Warehouse Management, Labor Management and Extended Enterprise Management (EEM) solutions to improve its supply chain efficiency and enhance its overall competitiveness in France and around the world.

Laboratoires Pierre Fabre, the second largest independent French pharmaceutical company, has 42 branches, markets its products in more than 130 countries and employs approximately 10,000 people worldwide. Pierre Fabre’s activities cover all aspects of healthcare - from prescription medicines and family health products to natural healthcare and dermo-cosmetics.

Christophe Ettviller, logistics director at Laboratoires Pierre Fabre SA, said, "With three separate and diverse operating divisions, multiple product brands and a global footprint, Laboratoires Pierre Fabre’s supply chain must manage a significant degree of complexity and continually adapt to an ever-changing market environment. Within that context, it was imperative for us to standardize our supply chain processes so we could in turn enhance the service experience for our customers and maximize operational efficiency."
The pharmaceutical industry is one of the most demanding in terms of logistics, with unique requirements such as expiry dates of products, batch management and the need for traceability in the form of an audit trail. The supply chain network needs to facilitate an improved logistics operation throughout Laboratoires Pierre Fabre’s global business, as well as ensure safety and product compliance.

The implementation project is already underway at Laboratoires Pierre Fabre’s 130,000 sq. ft. Ussel warehouse in Corrèze and will soon progress to a second, 860,000 sq. ft Pierre Fabre Dermo-Cosmétique warehouse based in Muret in Haute-Garonne.

Henri Seroux, managing director at Manhattan Associates France, commented, "This customer success reinforces our reputation as being able to offer the most comprehensive supply chain solutions available for addressing the complex issues associated with the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry."
The Manhattan SCOPE solution components that will be deployed as part of this project will leverage Manhattan’s Supply Chain Process Platform to deliver cross-application optimization and integration. This means Pierre Fabre group will be able to run its supply chain operations with less cost and effort while leveraging best-of-breed supply chain software to improve performance and efficiency.

Passengers make Take off Low Cost Airlines

Taking advance of the presentation of the annual results for the year 2012, the online travel agency Travelgenio also reflects on the current industry and on the airlines companies. The outlook for airlines has changed a lot since the crisis became a reality and also affected their results.

According to Mariano Pelizzari, CEO and co-founder of Travelgenio, “it is curious how the final positioning of low cost airlines in short and medium hault has consolidated or even strengthened against big companies. We see it clear if we look Travelgenio's reservations”.

With the fall of Spanair and Maley in 2012, Air France – KLM or Aerolíneas Argentinas with negative numbers or even Iberia with its ERE, it seems that big companies are not at their best.

It is true that during these years everything is guided to mergers and the creation of strong partnerships within the framework of the global ones like One World, Star Alliance or Skyteam (American Airlines with US Airways, Iberia with British Airways, Air France with KLM, Lufthansa with Austrian Airlines or LAN with TAM are clear examples). This way they can decrease their costs and increase the capability for offering more low cost destinations under the same brand.

However, against these traditional companies, the low cost airlines have settled their market. So much so that, during last year, instead of matching the big airlines in their losses, European low cost airlines have grown about a 7%.

Something similar is happening with online travel agencies. In the Travelgenio annual results it is clearly shown the tendency of consolidation and growth. Against gross sales made in 2012 of  90MM, this year the online travel agency expects to achieve gross billing results of 150MM.


Noteworthy was the number of reserves, that have doubled in only one year, as reflected by the company results published.

Finally, during 2012 Travelgenio have had presence in three countries (Spain, UK and France) but currently it has added two more to its portfolio: Germany and Portugal. Its expectation for 2013 is to arrive also to Italy and the Netherlands.

Cardless CAS in Cable Networks Grows 300 Per Cent from 5M Units in 2012 to 21.5 Million in 2017

Cardless Conditional Access Systems (CAS) leverage a combination of hardware security protections built into the System on Chip (SoC) video processor; software mechanisms that protect secrets and software / hardware that detects and responds to tampering attempts.

Many operators today see software security as catching up to hardware security in terms of ability to cost-effectively protect content, especially in emerging markets with low content value (measured by monthly average revenue per user, ARPU, for Pay TV services).

“Cisco (NDS) has shipped the most units of cardless security to Cablevision based on its K-LAD system,” according to Sam Rosen, practice director at ABI Research.

“However, Nagra and Irdeto are leading this wave of shipments in low ARPU regions, while Verimatrix’s cardless technology is robust and gaining market attention.”

Cardless CAS has been used for a number of years in two-way IPTV systems, where the set-top box can exchange information continuously with the CAS server.

However, these systems provide many opportunities to offer robust security that differ from traditional broadcast (one-way) networks.

We are entering a wave of cardless CAS delivered over one-way cable or satellite networks, which cannot rely on exchange of information from the set-top box to the CAS server, except perhaps during device installation.

AIR Worldwide Launches New Public Risk Services Group

Catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide (AIR) today announced the availability of Public Risk Services, a new consulting service to support the needs of public sector institutions and stakeholders charged with managing catastrophe risk. John W. Rollins, FCAS, MAAA, vice president at AIR Worldwide, will head the new service group.

“Many public groups, including insurance commissioners, wind and earthquake pools, model evaluation commissions, federal insurance programs, prudential and solvency regulators, and quasi-governmental organizations, are increasingly concerned with the micro and macro impact of disasters,” said Rollins. “Some are increasingly bearing the risk on behalf of taxpayers. By offering a dedicated service to these important organizations, we’re fully committed to better serving the public sector as it manages catastrophe risk.”

AIR is establishing Public Risk Services to serve three distinct roles:

• Ambassadorial — a dedicated liaison to stakeholders in the public sector, keeping them abreast of AIR’s research, software, and consulting activities
• Educational — focus on educating public institutions on the role and value of catastrophe models, including AIR products and services
• Center of Excellence — a knowledge nexus regarding the role, structure, and risk-sharing frameworks of public risk pools

A respected leader in the insurance industry, Rollins brings more than 20 years of experience as a property/casualty actuary in a variety of environments, including personal and commercial lines insurance companies and global and regional consulting firms. In a previous tenure, he developed and led significant wind loss analysis and mitigation projects for the Mississippi Insurance Commissioner and the Florida Division of Emergency Management. Rollins has also provided leadership during the process for the acceptance of AIR’s new models by the Florida Commission on Hurricane Loss Projection Methodology and testified before several state legislatures regarding catastrophe modeling issues of interest to the public. He also serves on the Board of Governors of the world’s largest public insurance pool, Florida’s Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, appointed by Florida Governor Rick Scott.

“I couldn’t be happier to lead a team of catastrophe risk professionals and to help the public sector get the full benefit of AIR’s scientific knowledge and unmatched perspective on disaster risk issues and public policy,” continued Rollins. “I believe the viewpoint I’ve gained over recent years in the Florida insurance market and regulatory environment will translate to exciting new opportunities for AIR to serve those charged with the public trust across the United States and worldwide.”

“We’re pleased to launch a new service dedicated to serving the diverse needs of the public sector because disasters touch all segments of the economy,” said Ming Lee, president and CEO at AIR Worldwide. “Our Public Risk Services group is an integral part of our overall mission to help society better understand and manage catastrophe risk.”  

The Boston Globe Launches Improved Customer Self-Service Solution

The Boston Globe today has launched their new customer self-service solution focused on driving enhanced customer experience and loyalty. The solution, which was designed and implemented by Contact Solutions, a leading provider of cloud-based customer self-service, will more efficiently meet the varying needs of the media outlet’s broad customer base, supporting the Globe and the Worcester Telegram & Gazette – with a combined estimate of 1.8 million weekly readers.

The nearly 150-year-old newspaper has always made a commitment to provide the best customer service, and the new customer self-service implementation will help to better meet the evolving needs of its readers. From new credit card processing, to expanded complaints handling, and even vacation start and stop notices, the new self-service solution aims to speed up call resolution, significantly decrease caller frustration and contribute to a positive customer experience.

“Customer loyalty and delivering a great customer experience are of critical importance to our institution,” said Robert Saurer, Director of Customer Experience and Innovation at the Boston Globe. “Contact Solutions accelerated the launch to support our 2013 goals, and we are very pleased with their commitment to our business and the self-service enhancements that Contact Solutions brings our customers.”

The new IVR solution will also support:

• Call authentication
• Hour operations
• Account balances
• Reporting an issue with newspaper
• Call back requests to combat long wait times in queue
• Auto subscription renewal

“News media is in a time of flux, with customer preferences for print versus digital changing every day. In this period of transition, The Boston Globe understands that maintaining stellar customer service will be critical to maintaining reader satisfaction and loyalty,” said Paul Logan, CEO of Contact Solutions. “Our best-in-class self-service allows Globe readers to interact more seamlessly and quickly with the newspaper, and will help support an increased preference for self-service to quickly resolve subscription service inquiries.”

Contact Solutions is the only self-service IVR provider that offers your customers a personalized experience dynamically adapted to their individual behavior with improvement to customer experience. For more information on Contact Solutions, visit us atwww.contactsolutions.com.

Riverbed Launches Unified Application Performance Management Suite

New Release of OPNET AppInternals Xpert Delivers Integrated End-User Experience Monitoring and Transaction Tracing to Speed Problem Identification and Resolution, this application performance company, today announced the availability of Riverbed® OPNET AppInternals Xpert® 8.5, a unified application performance management (APM) suite that provides deep visibility into the performance of complex, multi-tier applications. The new features in OPNET AppInternals Xpert 8.5 combine to give complete visibility into the performance of applications, from the browser to backend databases. By integrating end-user experience monitoring with code-level transaction tracing and monitoring of application and system performance metrics, application support teams and developers now have the information they need to more quickly and collaboratively identify, troubleshoot, and debug application performance issues.

Increasingly, business performance equals application performance, with users relying on applications to reach customers, build products, automate business processes, and perform business-critical tasks. As applications have become more critical, however, they have become more complex. Riverbed Performance Management solutions address this complexity by giving IT visibility and actionable insight to deliver application performance users and the business demand.

With the introduction of OPNET AppInternals Xpert 8.5, application support, development, and QA teams have complete and coordinated visibility into application performance and, therefore, can proactively detect issues before they impact the business as well as analyze applications prior to deployment to identify bottlenecks that can impact performance in production. In addition, organizations deploying OPNET AppInternals Xpert 8.5 can take advantage of other Riverbed technologies, including Riverbed Stingray® Traffic Manager, to gain added visibility into end user experiences.

What's New: Unique Features and Capabilities in OPNET AppInternals Xpert 8.5
Service-oriented architecture and agile development processes are not only increasing the rate at which new applications are rolled out, but also causing applications to sprawl and increase in complexity. New features in OPNET AppInternals Xpert 8.5 combine to provide application support teams and developers with the information they need to quickly identify and address complex, multi-tier application performance issues.

New Integrated Development Environment Support
OPNET AppInternals Xpert now integrates with popular integrated development environments (IDE), including Microsoft Visual Studio and Eclipse. This integration enables bi-directional drill down to streamline application debugging and troubleshooting, and opens up visibility and enhances collaboration across application operations and developer teams. For example, operations teams can drill down from the transaction trace to the affected code to highlight the affected calls or methods for developers. Developers and QA staff can also quickly debug new releases by understanding where code is being used and who is using it in the production environment.

Tight Integration of End-user Experience Monitoring
OPNET AppInternals Xpert 8.5 integrates real end-user experience (EUE) monitoring with transaction tracing, and application component data-adding visibility into the front-end user experience and tying it back to the exact transaction responsible for the poor experience. This integration enables application support teams to start troubleshooting with an accurate end-to-end view of application performance from the user's perspective. As a result, these teams are aware as soon as a problem occurs and can use this end-user experience and transaction information to guide a "deep dive" into the application transaction and specific code.

End-user experience monitoring of web-based applications, including cloud-based applications, is achieved by leveraging lightweight JavaScript which can now be automatically injected via AppInternals agents or Stingray Traffic Manager, an application delivery controller that allows organizations to build custom functionality or implement traffic management policies that are unique to an application.

Transaction Trace Warehouse Enhancements
This release also enhances OPNET AppInternals Xpert's big data approach to APM, which provides application support and developer teams with access to thousands of different types of raw data and performance metrics and the context for analyzing it quickly and efficiently. OPNET AppInternals Xpert records and indexes all transaction traces-not just samples-through its Transaction Trace Warehouse (TTW). With every transaction captured, application teams always have the critical data they need at hand. A simple, powerful open-ended search speeds troubleshooting by making it fast and easy to find a single transaction among billions. A correlation engine automates troubleshooting by identifying cause-and-effect relationships across hundreds of thousands of transactions and performance metrics from across multiple application tiers. Moreover, patented analytics capabilities automatically identify unusual patterns for thousands of performance indicators to provide early warning into potential future issues.

"Whether organizations are deploying new applications, consolidating or virtualizing data centers, or migrating to the cloud, managing application performance requires a holistic view that includes end-user experience monitoring, application transaction tracing and component monitoring, and underlying infrastructure and network performance management," said Paul Brady, senior vice president and general manager of the Riverbed Performance Management Business Unit. "OPNET AppInternals Xpert provides our customers with a fast path to application problem resolution by delivering the actionable insight and data that application support and developer teams need to deliver the application and business performance."

Availability
OPNET AppInternals Xpert 8.5 is available now.

SinglePlatform Adds Yelp as Publisher

SinglePlatform has announced that Yelp is a menu publisher in SinglePlatform’s publishing partner network. Further, in the coming months, menu updates will go live in 24 hours or less. This enhanced capability will provide restaurants and other small businesses with the ability to quickly have their menus and price lists found by consumers who visit Yelp, which saw 100 million unique visitors in the month of January 2013 (according to Google Analytics).

“Consumers use Yelp for its rich, local content that also needs to be current and complete,” said Mike Ghaffary, vice president of business development at Yelp. “This partnership will help ensure consumers get the latest and most accurate menu and pricing information direct from the local businesses themselves.”

A recent SinglePlatform survey found that 85% believe it is important to be seen on major search sites and apps, like Yelp. However, the study also found that 49% of small businesses have never even updated their online listings. This partnership will help small businesses address the need to get critical menu and price list information listed on Yelp quickly to influence purchasing decisions.

“As one of the most trusted search sites for consumers, Yelp offers local businesses a fantastic opportunity to reach new customers,” said Wiley Cerilli, vice president and general manager of SinglePlatform from Constant Contact. “And we know how critical speed is today. With this new relationship, a local business can be more agile and take advantage of changing dynamics. For instance, a restaurant might decide to offer an appetizer special if its local team makes it to the March Madness final four. It’s a huge win for our customers as they look to stand out from the competition.”

Thomson Reuters Launches Industry’s First Fully Integrated Solution for PR Professionals

Thomson Reuters, the world’s leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals, today announced the launch of the industry’s first fully integrated public relations (PR) solution suite. The new MyMediaInfo solution offers a fast and easy-to-use interface that clients can use to search, filter and create editorial calendars, media contact profiles, social media influencers, press release publishing, media monitoring and clipbooks. View this video for an overview of MyMediaInfo. All components of the new MyMediaInfo were developed by Thomson Reuters specifically for this PR solution.

“We are very excited about the launch of the new MyMediaInfo, the only solution that truly integrates PR data, tools and analytics within a single platform,” said Gaugarin Oliver, global head of PR Services at Thomson Reuters. “We didn’t want to provide clients with an inconsistent user experience as they navigate across the platform by merely providing a single login to disparate components. A key differentiator for us is that we built all of the MyMediaInfo components ourselves to ensure the information and tools our clients are using are consistent across the solution. The feedback from our early adopters has been extremely positive. Clients realize the benefits of using one complete solution to gain better insight through fast cross-referencing and analysis. They also recognize the opportunity to save money and eliminate the need for multiple service providers.”

The new integrated MyMediaInfo platform allows PR professionals to quickly and effortlessly:

• Identify traditional and social media contacts – all updates are date stamped and each profile includes all of the outlets to which a contact contributes so clients can easily gauge their sphere of influence. This includes Twitter, blogs and forums.
• Identify media opportunities with access to the largest database of editorial calendars.
• Distribute press releases to custom lists as well as to all major outlets, eliminating the need for third parties.
• Monitor coverage of campaigns, companies and industries across print, online, social media and broadcast outlets. Clients can filter the coverage by contacts already in their media lists, and they can seamlessly research and add new contacts to their lists.
• Create clipbooks with links to the selected articles and a graphical analysis of the impact of the coverage.

MyMediaInfo uses a subscription-based pricing model so there are no usage fees. Clients can issue unlimited press releases, conduct unlimited searches and create unlimited clipbooks. The PR Services business of Thomson Reuters employs the largest group of research professionals in the industry to verify the accuracy of the data within MyMediaInfo. In addition to the Web-based desktop solution, clients can also work with the PR Services research team to develop custom media measurement and sentiment analysis reports.

The Corporate Services business unit of Thomson Reuters provides insight, analytics and communications solutions to Investor Relations, Public Relations, Marketing and Internal Communications professionals at thousands of companies worldwide. Our clients rely on our desktop, mobile, advisory and multimedia solutions to: monitor markets and peers, prioritize their outreach, reach and engage target audiences and measure the impact of their programs.

Financial Institution to Carry Out Part of its Share Buyback Program

Capgemini has concluded today a forward share purchase agreement with a financial intermediary for a maximum amount of € 34 million.

In accordance with the decision of the Board of Directors of Cap Gemini SA held on July 25, 2012, taken by virtue of the authorization granted by the Combined Shareholders’ Meeting on May 24 2012, the company has concluded today a share purchase agreement with an authorized financial intermediary, whereby the financial intermediary undertakes to sell, and the company undertakes to acquire, a number of shares corresponding to a maximum amount of € 34 million over a period starting April 03, 2013 and ending no later than May 29, 2013.

The price of the shares purchased by the company will be calculated on the basis of the arithmetic average of the daily volume-weighted average price of Cap Gemini shares over the acquisition period[1], after applying a discount. The maximum purchase price agreed does not exceed the limit authorized by the Combined Shareholders’ Meeting on May 24, 2012.

Cars with Eyes: Automotive Applications Drive Growth of Embedded Vision Market This Year?

"But just how—and when—these technologies unfold into new applications requires a panoramic, comprehensive view. How else could one foretell that computer vision applications would combine with handset processors to enable automobiles to see?"

Automotive applications such as lane-departure warning and self-parking will be among the major growth drivers this year of the market for embedded vision, an area of technology concerned with enabling machines to “see” and interpret data from computer vision software.

Revenue in 2013 for special-purpose computer vision processors used in under-the-hood automotive applications is forecast to reach $151 million, up from $137 million last year and from $126 million in 2011, according to theWorldwide Comprehensive Processors 2012 Report from IMS Research, now part of information and analytics provider IHS (NYSE: IHS). Expansion will continue during the years ahead at rates ranging from 6 to 9 percent, confirming the solid prospects in store for embedded vision, one of the fastest-growing trends in technology. By 2016, revenue is expected to amount to $187 million, as shown in the attached figure, equivalent to a six-year compound annual growth rate of 8.2 percent.

“Embedded vision can improve automotive safety and convenience features in a number of ways, playing a key role in applications like lane departure warnings, collision mitigation, self-parking and blind-spot notifications,” said Tom Hackenberg, principal analyst for embedded processors at IHS. “The total available market for embedded vision in under-the-hood automotive applications is massive, with the potential for installation in 94.7 million light vehicles by 2016, up from 71.1 million in 2011.”

The vision thing

Embedded vision allows machines to understand their environment through visual means, combining high-performance graphics-enhanced applications processors, digital signal processors and even field programmable gate arrays with computer vision software. While image sensors have been around for a long time, such sensors are unable to “see” without the aid of advanced processors in order to interpret an image. It is the combination of sensing and interpreting images that makes for vision, and the availability of powerful, low-cost processors has made it possible to incorporate vision capabilities into a wide range of embedded systems.

Automotive and factory automation systems are key markets

In automotive vision systems, one of the established markets for embedded vision, the trend is shifting from multiple small markets for embedded solutions toward a growing market for integrated intelligence, and is also heading for new applications enabled with even greater intelligence. While an older applications model could be found to feature many processors and cameras possessing a variety of individual performance needs and solutions, an integrated vision system boasts of multi-core and high-performance processors, with fewer cameras but more complex and cohesive solutions.

Embedded vision is also used in a variety of industrial security applications, another powerful growth driver for the field.

In factory automation, for instance, applications for this established market can be found in smart vision sensors, machine vision cameras and compact vision systems. As many as 6.1 million units of machine vision hardware could be possible by 2016, up from 3.3 million units in 2011.

Two other established markets for embedded vision are in video content analysis systems, where network surveillance hardware could total 38.7 million units by 2016, up from 11.2 million in 2011; and in military aerospace, where processors in military-grade applications are forecast to reach 92 million units by 2016, up from 83.5 million in 2011.

Embedded vision also growing in fledgling fields

Besides the established markets, embedded vision is also growing in the developing areas of gesture recognition, augmented reality and digital signage. Here the markets are considered to be less than mature but possess significant possibilities that can be realized in the short to medium term of three to six years.

In gesture recognition and augmented reality applications, for instance, embedded vision could be deployed in game systems, smartphones, cameras and camcorders. In digital signage, embedded vision could be utilized in commercial signage capable of targeted marketing based on video content analysis.

A third market segment for embedded vision lies in the emerging markets, where opportunities are projected to unfold over the longer term, likely from seven to 10 years. The emerging markets include facial recognition, such as identification by automated teller machines for financial transactions; transportation, in the form of self-guided vehicles and intelligent infrastructure; and medical, covering patient monitoring and interaction based on vision.

As the technology for embedded vision continues to evolve, so will the market for new applications, IHS believes. The synergy between computer vision and embedded applications will keep advancing, in the process giving rise to new uses of embedded vision and entirely new vision applications.

The vision for embedded vision

“Disruptive technologies such as embedded vision commonly result from the convergence of advancing applications and evolving hardware issuing from different markets,” Hackenberg said. “But just how—and when—these technologies unfold into new applications requires a panoramic, comprehensive view. How else could one foretell that computer vision applications would combine with handset processors to enable automobiles to see?”

World Wide Technology Wins Americas and Global MVP Executive Awards

World Wide Technology, Inc. (WWT), a market-leading systems integrator that provides innovative technology and supply chain solutions, today announced that its president, Joe Koenig, has been named both the Americas and Global recipient of the VMware Partner Network Award in the MVP Executive category.  The two awards were presented at VMware Partner Exchange 2013, VMware’s annual partner event in Las Vegas.

“VMware has a longstanding partnership with World Wide Technology and I am pleased to recognize their leadership team by naming Joe Koenig, VMware Partner MVP Executive of the Year for 2012,” said Frank Rauch, vice president, Americas Partner Organization with VMware.  “This award recognizes Joe and World Wide Technology for the success and investments they’ve made with VMware. WWT has earned more than 200 VMware certifications, four competencies, and specializations in Academic, Federal and Healthcare.  These investments plus their ‘best in class’ Advanced Technology Center uniquely align their capabilities with VMware’s key initiatives of  the Software Defined Data Center, End-User Computing and Hybrid Cloud.”

WWT specializes in delivering and supporting advanced technology solutions in the areas of data center and virtualization; mobility and borderless networks; unified communications and collaboration; and security. The company brings a new way of thinking and a proven approach to how organizations evaluate, architect and implement technology.  Through its Advanced Technology Center, WWT provides its customers with technical and engineering expertise and hands on access to the latest technology products and solutions.   WWT also offers a complete array of configuration and integration services and a full suite of advanced logistics, inventory management and supply chain solutions. 

“WWT is honored to receive these awards from VMware and proud of our leadership team led by Joe for their commitment, hard work and expertise,” said Jim Kavanaugh, chief executive officer with WWT. “We value our longstanding strategic partnership with VMware and view their technology as an essential part of how we help our clients transform their data centers to meet mission goals and produce outstanding business outcomes.”

New RMS Power Detector Offers Unparalleled Frequency Performance And Flexibility (ADL5906)

Texas Instruments (TI) has introduced new lithium-ion battery charger integrated circuits (ICs) that reduce charge time by 50 percent in smartphones and tablets compared to other charger solutions. The bq2419x family of 4.5A output, 20V input-rated switch-mode chargers with I2C interface and USB on-the-go (OTG) support delivers faster and cooler charging to a wide array of applications ranging from power banks and packs to 4G LTE routers, Wi-Fi speakers, portable medical and industrial designs.

Consumers continue to seek faster battery charging in portable electronics. New designs require more accurate, highly-efficient charge circuitry that keeps the system cool and safe while charging at a faster rate. Available in a 24-pin, 4mm x 4mm QFN package, the bq24190, bq24192, bq24192i, bq24193, bq24195, bq24195L and bq24196 fast-charge circuits reduce charge time through battery path impedance compensation, and offer programmable thermal management capability to ensure the safest, most reliable system operation, says the company. 

Host Analytics To Invest $10 Million In India

Host Analytics to Invest $10 Million to Intensify R&D and Expand R&D Presence in India. Host Analytics has announced that it has expanded its Hyderabad R&D center and relocated to new 12,500 square foot facility in HITEC city. It also named Anurag Garg as its new General Manager of Indian Operations. Host Analytics projects India R&D investment of more than $10M over the next three years.

The R&D center in Hyderabad currently employs 80 engineers. The company looks ahead to incremental growth in the center as the company scales its R&D efforts and grows in the region. Host Analytics offers cloud-based financial applications for planning, consolidation, reporting and analytics.

Host Analytics recently completed a record 2012 fueled by revenue growth in excess of 100 percent. The company won transactions at key customers including Essar Oil, WD-40, Sprouts Farmers Market LLC, NEC, and Splunk. It also closed a $17 million series D venture capital funding this year from investors Advanced Technology Ventures, Trident Capital, StarVest Partners and Next World Capital.

“I am happy to announce the continued expansion of our India operations and thrilled to welcome Anurag Garg to Host Analytics,” said Dave Kellogg, CEO at Host Analytics, who joined the company in August, 2012 from Salesforce.com where he served as Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Service Cloud. ”Because Host Analytics was founded simultaneously in India and the USA, Hyderabad has always been a strategic location for us. With this announcement, we continue to step-up our commitment to India and to our highly successful distributed R&D strategy.”

“The cloud has revolutionized the way we deliver complex software applications, and it is rapidly becoming the preferred software delivery model for enterprises of all sizes,” said Aravind Balakrishnan, VP of Engineering at Host Analytics. “Hyderabad provides an outstanding talent pool for developing enterprise cloud applications, and I am happy that we are investing today so that we can continue offer the industry’s leading suite of cloud-based applications for enterprise performance management.”

According to Gartner, Inc. Global spending on software as a service (SaaS), or cloud-based applications,will grow 17.9% in 2012 to $14.5 billion. SaaS market growth will remain strong through 2015, when spending on the SaaS is expected to hit $22.1 billion

Newly appointed General Manager of Hyderabad R&D center Anurag Garg will be responsible for both R&D as well as oversight of India-based finance, support, and services. . Garg was previously director and head of Polycom R&D in India and brings on board strong international experience having lived and worked in India, the USA, and Germany. Garg began his career in engineering at Siemens and AT&T Bell Labs. He is also a serial entrepreneur who founded and sold three companies.

Host Analytics CEO Dave Kellogg, VP of Engineering Aravind Balakrishnan and other key executives are currently on a visit to India, to participate in the Company’s Annual Kickoff Event.

Strontium Launches Gold Plated USB Drives

Strontium has launched premium solid metal USB drives called Ammo. The new Ammo USB Flash Drive with a shiny metallic lustre is available in gold and silver colour finish. The gold finish drive is actually plated with real 24 carat gold giving it a rich appearance.

Ammo Flash drive comes in a sturdy brushed metal casing with a sleek look keeping in mind the demands and requirements of discerning users who want a high quality and high class product. The sleek and robust design works not only with Windows platform desktop PC, notebook PCs and Apple iMac and MacBook as well. The highest quality NAND flash memory component used in the Ammo USB drives offer maximum reliability and sustained fast data transfer rates.

Strontium’s new Ammo USB 2.0 Gold plated Flash drive is available from 16 GB to 64 GB capacity and the Silver finish is available with five different memory storage capacities ranging from 4GB to 64GB. Pricing and Availability: Available at capacities ranging from 4GB-64 GB, Strontium’s Ammo (silver) Flash drives will be available at a street price ranging from Rs. 385/- to Rs.1219/- while Ammo (Gold) Flash drives are available in the range of 16GB-64GB capacities is priced between Rs. 770 /- to Rs. 2919/- accompanied with a 5 year limited warranty. Besides being available with Strontium’s authorized distributors and e-retailers across the country, Ammo USB 2.0 Flash Drives are also available with their e-commerce partner www.homeshop18.com and Flipkart.

Online Shopping Grows in 2013, Says Google

Niche categories like baby products, home and furnishings and healthcare emerge as the fastest growing categories on Google search. With Indian internet users getting comfortable with the idea of buying products on Internet, online shopping in India has hit a tipping point and is expected to see exponential growth in 2013.This was revealed today by a report compiled by Google India by combining consumer interest observed on Google search and online research conducted by TNS.The report highlights exponential growth in interest in online shopping by Indians as per data recorded on Google Trends*. Online shopping in India, saw 128% growth in interest from the consumers in the year 2011 to 2012 in comparison to only 40% growth in 2010 to 2011, making 2012 the tipping point for online shopping in India.

In terms of product categories, consumer interest on Google search for apparels & accessories (30%) emerged as the second biggest product category after consumer electronics (34%) and is expected to become bigger than consumer electronics in 2013 in terms of absolute query volumes. Other categories that Indians searched for online were Books (15%), Beauty & Personal care (10%), Home & furnishing (6%), Baby products (2%) and Healthcare (3%).

The report also highlighted massive growth in niche product categories in 2011-2012 on Google search, in comparison to electronics, baby products, Home & furnishing, & healthcare saw over 2x growth and were also the fastest growing product category in terms of query volume on Google search.

Speaking about the insights and implications for the online shopping Industry players in India, Rajan Anandan, VP & Managing Director of Google India, said “With approximately 8 million Indians shopping online in 2012, online shopping industry in India is growing rapidly and will continue to see exponential growth. By looking at the trends in 2012, we expect 2013 to be a strong growth year for players who’re focussed on fast growing categories like apparels & accessories and niche product categories like baby products, home furnishings & health-nutrition. We expect the growth to come from outside of top 8 metros as was evident in our recently concluded “Great Online Shopping festival’ which saw over 51% of traffic from non-metros.”

As mobile internet user base grows in India, mobile phones are also becoming a contributor in the surge for online shopping with Google witnessing 2X growth in number of queries from mobile phones in the year 2011 to 2012. Currently, 30% of all shopping queries in India come from mobile phones. These trends were also validated with the help of an online research conducted by TNS Australia of the internet users in the age group 18 to 50 from Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad & Pune.

As per the research, 90% of online shoppers are planning to buy more products online which reflects on the positive experience of the users. In terms of top product categories ever purchased online, apparels & accessories was among the top category (84%), followed by electronics (71%), beauty & personal care (64%), books (62%) and household products (61%). The research also highlighted that baby products (39%), health & nutrition (43%) product category were also becoming popular with online buyers.

The frequency of purchase was also higher for categories like apparels & accessories (34%), beauty & personal care (33%) products in comparison to electronics (28%), which also makes these categories more profitable because of repeat purchase. In terms of converting more users to shop online, online ticketing emerged as the gateway, as it was easier to convert online ticket buyers to shop online. Online ticket consumers were also likely to spend higher average amount of INR. 2347 on their first product purchase in comparison to INR 1626 for internet users. Online ticket buyers were also seen to be more comfortable with the use of debit cards (24%), credit card (19%) and cash on delivery (55%). For regular internet users - cash on delivery was the most preferred mode of payment (74%), followed by debit card (18%) & credit card (5%).

In terms of motivators to shop online, the consumers highlighted cash back guarantee as the number one benefit, ability to give cash on delivery, fast delivery, great deals and access to branded products were highlighted amongst the other benefits of shopping online. The consumers also highlighted some barriers that deter them from shopping online - the number one factor was inability to touch and try the goods before purchase, fear of faulty products, fear of posting their personal and financial details online and the inability to bargain were cited among the other reasons.

Protect Your Social Media Accounts too!

ESET has released beta version of ESET Social Media Scanner that protects users in social media, even when they are not logged in. The app can check not only your profile but your friends ‘walls for potentially dangerous links. If an infection is found, you and your friends will be notified by email and can take immediate action.

ESET Social Media Scanner is an application independent from ESET antivirus products that is designed to protect users from malicious content distributed through social networks. The ESET Social Media Scanner monitors new social media content (for example, wall postings containing links or media on Facebook) and looks for malicious code.

ESET social media scanner works primarily by monitoring user’s personal social media accounts. However, it can also be used to test the safety of content posted to the friends’ accounts. When malicious code is discovered by the ESET social media scanner, user is alerted by a message from the scanner or by email. Additionally, the ESET Social Media Scanner can be configured to call out malicious content by automatically posting a comment that warns user and his friend list to avoid media that has been found to contain malicious code.

You do not need to own ESET Smart Security or ESET NOD32 Antivirus license to download and use the ESET Social Media Scanner. The ESET Social Media Scanner is also available on the Facebook App Center and the ESET Facebook Fan Page. In case if one has an ESET Smart Security or ESET NOD32 Antivirus installed, he can access the download page for this scanner by opening the main program window of your ESET product and clicking the ESET Social Media Scanner link.

For privacy concerned users, many social networks require you to authorize the use of any app with your profile. Facebook apps require you to renew this user rights confirmation 60 days after an app is installed. You must grant the ESET Social Media Scanner permission to Post on your behalf, Access messages in your inbox and Access posts from your News Feed for the application to function properly.

Minister Joins Cricket Hero To Launch India App

Trade Minister Craig Emerson joined cricketer Adam Gilchrist in New Delhi today to launch a magazine celebrating the trade and cultural connections between India and Australia.

The app-based magazine for iPhones and iPads was developed as part of the Australia Unlimited campaign showcasing the ideas and achievements of Australians at home and around the world.

“Commercial relationships, like cultural links, are as much about the people driving them than the flow of goods and services,” Dr Emerson said.

“This special edition of the magazine is dedicated to some of the people at the centre of Australia’s rich relationship with India.”

The magazine was launched at the Australian High Commission in India, where Mr Gilchrist, an ambassador for the University of Wollongong, addressed a group of influential Indian and Australian guests.

“Our two countries share a strong bond through our passion for cricket. The Australia Unlimited magazine reminds us that there is much more to this relationship than a ball and a bat,” Mr Gilchrist said.

“Through film, fashion, science, infrastructure, technology and cultural preservation the people of India and Australia are working together and continuing to strengthen our unique relationship,” he said.

Dr Emerson said greater cultural appreciation was an important part of the bilateral relationship, which had been strengthened by the Strategic Partnership agreed in November 2009. The app-based magazine was launched as part of Oz Fest, the biggest Australian cultural festival ever staged in India.

The Australian Government is committed to deepening the Australia-India relationship.

Its White Paper on Australia in the Asian Century had created a roadmap for greater engagement with Asia, including with India, Dr Emerson said.

Australia and India are also negotiating a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement.

India is Australia’s fourth largest export market. More than 450,000 of people of Indian descent live in Australia.

“A new era of Indo-Pacific cooperation is upon us,” Dr Emerson said.

“The more we learn about each other, and appreciate our complementary strengths, the deeper will be our engagement.”

Download Australia Unlimited from the App Store or visit www.australiaunlimited.com. An Android version of the app will be available this year.