Wednesday, February 13, 2008

ArcelorMittal announces second season of its Web TV

Luxembourg, (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - ArcelorMittal today announces the launch of "Inside Transforming Tomorrow," the second season of its successful Web TV at http://www.arcelormittal.tv

The new season will monitor the performance and progress of the company post merger, as it seeks to deliver on its brand promise of 'transforming tomorrow'. It will also focus on the challenges it faces as not only the biggest steel company in the world, but one of the 50 biggest companies globally, doing business in over 60 countries.

In-line with the approach of the Web TV's first season, the new season has been constructed around the same transparency that characterized the first season, giving stakeholders an opportunity to speak frankly and honestly about their experiences working for or doing business with the company.

Web TV season I's main objective was to provide an effective communications channel to the 320,000 ArcelorMittal employees around the world during the delicate integration phase following the 2006 merger of Arcelor and Mittal Steel. It proved one of the most successful communications exercise undertaken by the company, both internally and externally spanning 15 episodes, 544,431 unique visitors, 882,054 pages views and near 250,000 views of the video episodes.

"The Web TV was envisaged as a one off tool for the integration process," said Nicola Davidson, VP of Corporate Communications. "However we had such good feedback -- particularly internally -- that we recognised its value as an open and transparent way to enable employees to share their views about the company and share in the global challenges and success of the business they work for. We have effected a successful merger but that doesn't mean there are not new challenges ahead. Last year we launched our new brand 'transforming tomorrow' with the values of 'Sustainability, Quality and Leadership'. We regard these values as core to our continued success as a business news release and the Web TV is an important tool in enabling us to track how we are performing against this promise."

Aditya Mittal, CFO and Member of the Group Management Board and also Responsible for Communication, said: "Season II takes a personal, more human approach where the viewer is invited to share moments of the lives of the men and women that are the very essence of ArcelorMittal. Around the globe the viewer will experience the challenges and aspirations that form our daily life, and be a part of the communities that build this thriving company. I hope that the result helps our stakeholders better appreciate the enormous scale and scope this company has and the numerous ways we are working towards having a positive impact in the world around us that helps transform tomorrow."

The first episode features the company's Liberia project. Having acquired the mining rights to a major iron-ore deposit in 2006, the Liberia project is an important part of the Group's stated ambition to increase its iron-ore self-sufficiency to 75%. The episode tracks the challenges the company faces in a country which has been subject to many years of civil unrest and the progress it is making. It must not only focus on developing the mines but also on developing the appropriate infrastructure that will enable the sustainable development of the project and community. This includes investment in areas such as education and healthcare.

"We are delighted that the Liberian iron ore project was chosen to launch the new season of the Web TV," said Joe Mathews, CEO of ArcelorMittal's Mining Project in Liberia. "Liberia offers an excellent opportunity for ArcelorMittal to transform tomorrow -- for the country as well as the operation here. We hope this exposure will further enable the transfer of skills, training and ideas from our sister facilities to build this venture from the ground up."

"I have been coming to Liberia for some years now and I can see the positive changes that are beginning to take place. Nevertheless the country faces huge challenges. Unemployment for example stands at 80%. The country definitely needs investors such as ArcelorMittal to help kick-start its economy and provide jobs."

ArcelorMittal has worked with Communication agency Vanksen | Culture-Buzz and the Production House Connected Pictures in producing this season. In parallel to the episodes, the site has been developed as a rich community-oriented space where, like in season I, visitors are encouraged to get involved with the content, react to the stories, and actively be a part of the endeavour.

About ArcelorMittal

ArcelorMittal is the world's number one steel company, with 320,000 employees in more than 60 countries. The company brings together the world's number one and number two steel companies, Arcelor and Mittal Steel.

ArcelorMittal is the leader in all major global markets, including automotive, construction, household appliances and packaging, with leading R&D and technology, as well as sizeable captive supplies of raw materials and outstanding distribution networks. An industrial presence in 27 European, Asian, African and American countries exposes the company to all the key steel markets, from emerging to mature, positions it will be looking to develop in the high-growth Chinese and Indian markets.

ArcelorMittal key pro forma financials for 2006 show combined revenues of USD 88.6 billion, with a crude steel production of 118 million tonnes, representing around 10 per cent of world steel output.

ArcelorMittal is listed on the stock exchanges of New York (MT), Amsterdam (MT), Paris (MTP), Brussels (MTBL), Luxembourg (MT) and on the Spanish stock exchanges of Barcelona, Bilbao, Madrid and Valencia (MTS).

CONTACT: ArcelorMittal Investor Relations:
Europe,
+352-4792-2414,
Americas,
+1-312-899-3569,
Retail,
+352-4792-2434,
SRI,
+44-203-214-2854,
Bonds-Credit,
+33-1-71-92-10-26; or
ArcelorMittal Communications:
+352-4792-5000,
press@arcelormittal.com; or
ArcelorMittal Corporate Communications:
Nicola Davidson,
+44-207-543-1162-1172,
Jean Lasar,
+352-4792-2359; or
Maitland Consultancy:
Lydia Pretzlik or Martin Leeburn,
+44-207-379-5151;
Belgium,
Charles-Hubert Gernaert,
Comfi,
+32-2-290-90-90,
North America,
Bill Steers,
+1-312-899-3817,
Netherlands,
Leon Melens,
Smink,
Van der Ploeg & Jongsma,
+31-20-647-81-81,
Germany,
Phoebe Kebbel,
Herring Schuppener,
+49-69-92-18-74-77,
France,
Sandra Luneau,
+33-1-71-92-00-58,
Image 7,
Anne France Malrieu or
Tiphaine Hecketsweiler,
+33-1-5370-7470,
Spain,
Ignacio Agreda,
+34-94-489-4162,
Oscar Fleites,
+34-98-512-60-29,
Keith Grant,
+34-639-760-397
Web site: http://www.arcelormittal.tv
SOURCE: ArcelorMittal

COPYRIGHT © 2008 - ANTARANEWS

Global FICO Score sets new credit risk scoring standard in India

Alliance of High Mark Credit Information Services and Fair Isaac will Tap Flexibility of World-Class Scoring Analytics to Benefit Indian Lenders Nationwide

Singapore, (ANTARA News/Xinhua-PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Fair Isaac Corporation (NYSE: FIC), the leading provider of analytics and decision management technology, today announced a ground-breaking alliance with High Mark Credit Information Services of India to introduce Fair Isaac's global-standard FICO(R) credit risk scoring technology to Indian lenders.

The flexible design of Global FICO(R) Score will enable High Mark to mitigate challenges in the rapidly evolving Indian marketplace that today hamper empirical developments of credit bureau scores. Global FICO Score is a scalable solution for both mature and emerging credit markets where the volume and depth of credit bureau data are evolving at an accelerated rate. As India's credit reporting system expands, Fair Isaac will leverage that growth in future versions of Global FICO Score to continue offering maximum risk assessment power to High Mark's members.

"By bringing together the cutting-edge technology of High Mark, India's newest credit bureau, with our own deep analytic experience and innovation, this alliance will create the breakthrough risk management solutions that Indian lenders need for rapid growth," said Lisa Nelson, vice president of Global Scoring for Fair Isaac. "Fair Isaac scientists designed Global FICO Score for quick implementation in new markets. That makes it an ideal solution for Indian lenders at this stage in their market's rapid evolution. Working with High Mark, we expect to set the standard for credit risk assessment in India for many years to come."

Lenders will be able to use Global FICO(R) Score at all stages in the consumer credit lifecycle to improve decisions throughout the lending process, from account acquisition and account origination to full portfolio management.

"High Mark's new Global FICO Score will make optimal use of Indian consumer credit data using Fair Isaac technology tailored for our nation's credit industry," said Dr. Anil M. Pandya, Executive Chairman of High Mark Credit Information Services, which is awaiting its certificate of operation from the Reserve Bank of India. "Such a powerful tool, along with training and consulting support from Fair Isaac's experts, will help our members to significantly sharpen their evaluation of consumer risk, streamline their decision processes, and increase their profitability. We have seen rapid development by many Indian lenders who now have sophisticated analytical and decision-making capabilities. Global FICO Score will enhance their existing toolsets with unique technology, allowing them to take their risk management capabilities to an even higher level."

Global FICO(R) Score also may assist Indian lenders to meet their Basel II and other regulatory compliance requirements. The scores are complementary to custom application and behavior models and can be used alongside internal scores at all stages in the credit lifecycle.

This is Fair Isaac's third alliance with a credit bureau partner in Asia. The company previously announced agreements with DP Information Group based in Singapore and with Korea Credit Bureau based in the Republic of Korea. In addition, Asian lenders are using Global FICO(R) score in Taiwan and Thailand. In Europe and the Middle East, Fair Isaac's score has been implemented in Poland, Saudi Arabia, Sweden and Turkey. In Latin America, lenders in Brazil, Mexico, Peru and Panama are adding Global FICO(R) score to their risk management operations. The score also is currently being evaluated by other institutions across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America.

Fair Isaac's Global FICO(R) Score applies the company's industry-standard FICO(R) credit risk scoring technology to rank-order consumers according to their credit risk. Designed to be consistently scaled across credit bureaus and across national borders, the score has established a global standard for consumer credit risk assessment. The Fair Isaac technology underlying the scoring model enables rapid deployment in any country with credit bureau data.

About High Mark Credit Information Services

High Mark brings a new-generation technology platform to the Indian market to help financial institutions make better credit decisions. It is a young, entrepreneurial, dynamic, customer-focused, professionally managed company, set up to provide the best-in-class advanced risk-management solutions. Using superior data management and data mining architecture and technology, High Mark will help its membership increase their asset productivity and improve regulatory compliance. Its customers will make fast and effective credit decisions, deter concurrent borrowers, spot defaulters early, and detect fraud. Borrowers will better manage their credit and negotiate lower interest rates. High Mark has assembled a world-class team of exceptionally qualified, highly experienced professionals who are busy with project launch activities from their corporate office in Mumbai, while awaiting its Reserve Bank of India license.

About Fair Isaac

Fair Isaac Corporation (NYSE: FIC) combines trusted advice, world-class analytics and innovative applications to help businesses make smarter decisions. Fair Isaac's solutions and technologies for Enterprise Decision Management turn strategy into action and elevate business performance by giving organizations the power to automate more decisions, improve the quality of their decisions, and connect decisions across their business. Clients in 80 countries work with Fair Isaac to increase customer loyalty and profitability, cut fraud losses, manage credit risk, meet regulatory and competitive demands, and rapidly build market share.

Learn more about Fair Isaac at http://www.fairisaac.com .

Fair Isaac Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Information

Except for historical information contained herein, the statements contained in this press release that relate to Fair Isaac, including statements regarding its Global FICO(R) score, and the relationship described herein, and the benefits to be derived from the offering, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially, including any unforseen technical difficulties related to the implementation, use and functionality of the offering, the risks that customers will not perceive material benefits from the offering, failure of the product to deliver the expected results, the possibility of errors or defects in the offering, regulatory changes applicable to the use of consumer credit and other data, and other risks described from time to time in Fair Isaac's SEC reports, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2007.

Forward-looking statements should be considered with caution.
If any of these risks or uncertainties materializes or any of these assumptions proves incorrect, Fair Isaac's results could differ materially from Fair Isaac's expectations in these statements. Fair Isaac disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Fair Isaac, Global FICO and FICO are trademarks or registered trademarks of Fair Isaac Corporation, in the United States and/or in other countries. Other product and company names herein may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

Contact:
Investors/Analysts:
John D. Emerick, Jr.
Fair Isaac Corporation
Tel: +1-800-213-5542
Email: investor@fairisaac.com
Media: Gavin Foo
Fleishman Hillard
Tel: +65-6424-6375
Email: Gavin.foo@fleishman.com
SOURCE: Fair Isaac Corporation

COPYRIGHT © 2008 - ANTARANEWS

Hitachi, Phoenix deliver remote data protection on laptops

San Jose, California and Milpitas, California, (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Hitachi Global Storage Technologies (Hitachi GST) and Phoenix Technologies Ltd. (Nasdaq: PTEC), today announced a collaboration to provide next-generation mobile PC security on notebooks equipped with Hitachi hard drives.


New laptops with Hitachi hard drives and Phoenix FailSafe theft-deterrence service, will allow the PC owner to track, remotely disable and securely erase the disk drive. As a result, vital data stored on the laptop remains safe and protected. With this partnership, the FailSafe agent can be installed on an encrypted Hitachi hard drive. In the event of laptop theft, if the FailSafe agent is removed by the perpetrator, the authorized owner will be able to remotely re-install the FailSafe agent in the compromised system and take further steps to ensure integrity of the data on the laptop.

"Increasingly, leading notebook PC manufacturers depend on Hitachi to gain a competitive advantage through our hard drives, which include 128-bit AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) technology to protect consumers' valuable and sensitive information," said Masaru Masuda, Director of Product Planning, Hitachi Global Storage Technologies. "All of our 2007 and 2008 models of 2.5-inch mobile hard drives can be enabled at the factory to utilize powerful AES-128 encryption engine, which is part of the drive electronics SOC (System-on-Chip). In addition to providing data at rest protection by on the fly data encryption, simple deletion of the 128-bit encryption key enables cryptographically secure erase of the drive. By incorporating Phoenix FailSafe technology with our mobile hard drives, OEMs can deliver advanced security to prevent data loss and theft. The ability to remotely and securely erase or disable disk drives on mobile PCs offers the next-generation protection our customers need to stand apart from competitors."

According to the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, more than 200 million records containing sensitive personal information -- such as credit cards and social security numbers -- have been exposed through security breaches in the U.S. over the past three years.(1) Research from the Ponemon Institute has found that laptop theft and loss accounts for 45 per cent of data breaches.(2)

"While laptops and notebooks continue to grow in popularity, there is a clear need to provide advanced protection to secure the sensitive files and data stored on them," said Surendra Arora, Vice President of Business Development at Phoenix Technologies. "By partnering with laptop drive manufacturers such as Hitachi, we can help prevent data theft and associated crimes like identity theft by extending FailSafe protection to laptops which contain sensitive personal and professional information. With Phoenix FailSafe protection, PC owners can remotely protect, encrypt and securely erase the vital content stored on their hard drives. FailSafe location-based technology also allows the owner to locate and recover lost or stolen laptops, or even remotely disable the unit if necessary to prevent potential misuse."

About Hitachi Global Storage Technologies

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies develops advanced hard disk drives to store and preserve the worlds valued data. Founded by the pioneers of hard drives, Hitachi GST enables users to fully engage in the digital lifestyle by providing high-value, high-capacity storage in formats suitable for the office, in the home or on the road. With vertically integrated research, design and manufacturing capabilities, Hitachi GST delivers leadership technology and quality to its global customer base.

With approximately 33,000 employees worldwide, Hitachi GST offers a comprehensive range of hard drive products for desktop computers, high-performance storage systems and servers, notebooks and consumer devices. For more information, please visit the companys website at www.hitachigst.com.

About Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi, Ltd., (NYSE: HIT / TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a leading global electronics company with approximately 384,000 employees worldwide. Fiscal 2006 (ended March 31, 2007) consolidated revenues totaled 10,247 billion yen ($86.8 billion). The company offers a wide range of systems, products and services in market sectors including information systems, electronic devices, power and industrial systems, consumer products, materials and financial services.

For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi.com.

About Phoenix Technologies

Phoenix Technologies Ltd. (Nasdaq: PTEC) is the global market leader in system firmware that provides the most secure foundation for today's computing environments. The PC industry's top builders and specifiers trust Phoenix to pioneer open standards and deliver innovative solutions that will help them differentiate their systems, reduce time-to-market and increase their revenues. The Company's flagship products, AwardCore, SecureCore, FailSafe and HyperSpace, are revolutionizing the PC user experience by delivering unprecedented security, reliability and ease-of-use. The Company established industry leadership with its original BIOS product in 1983, has 155 technology patents and 139 pending applications, and has shipped in over one billion systems. Phoenix is headquartered in Milpitas, California with offices worldwide.

For more information, visit http://www.phoenix.com

Phoenix, Phoenix Technologies, Phoenix FailSafe, HyperSpace, HyperCore, PC 3.0 and the Phoenix Technologies logo are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Phoenix Technologies Ltd. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies' trademarks are authorized for use in countries and jurisdictions in which Hitachi Global Storage Technologies has the right to use, market and advertise the brands. The Travelstar trademark is authorized for use in the Americas, EMEA, and the following Asia-Pacific countries and jurisdictions: Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and Taiwan. Hitachi Global Storage Technologies shall not be liable to third parties for unauthorized use of its trademarks.

Safe Harbor

The statements in this release include forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, regarding, but not limited to, the expected benefits from Phoenix's partnership with Hitachi and the functionality and features of the Phoenix FailSafe solution. These statements involve risks and uncertainties, including: technical challenges and delays, including code bugs and glitches; unexpected challenges relating to the relationship between Phoenix and Hitachi; the product offerings of competitors, especially with respect to functionality and time-to-market; price competition; our ability to attract and retain key employees; our ability to successfully market and sell the Phoenix FailSafe solution to our customers; the ability of our customers to introduce and market products that incorporate and leverage the Phoenix FailSafe solution; end-market demand for Phoenix FailSafe; and our ability to adequately protect our intellectual property rights. For a further list and description of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward looking statements in this release, we refer you to Phoenix's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, its annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. All forward-looking statements included in this release are based upon assumptions, forecasts and information available to Phoenix as of the date hereof, and Phoenix assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements.

(1) A Chronology of Data Breaches, Privacy Rights Clearinghouse/UCAN, www.privacyrights.org/ar/ChronDataBreaches.htm#2

(2) Larry Ponemon, Ponemon Data Breach Study, Oct. 2006, www.idtheftcenter.org/artman2/publish/m_facts Facts_and_Statistics.shtml

Contacts
Shauli Chaudhuri
Jim Pascoe
Phoenix Technologies
Hitachi Global Storage Technologies
+1-408-570-1060
+1-408-717-7924
Public_relations@phoenix.com
james.pascoe@hitachigst.com
GlobalFluency/Neale-May for Phoenix Technologies
Cedric Vanhaver
+1-650-433-4154
phoenix@globalfluency.com

CONTACT:
Shauli Chaudhuri
of Phoenix Technologies Ltd.
+1-408-570-1060
Public_relations@phoenix.com
or Jim Pascoe
of Hitachi Global Storage Technologies
+1-408-717-7924
james.pascoe@hitachigst.com
or Cedric Vanhaver
of GlobalFluency|Neale-May
+1-650-433-4154
phoenix@globalfluency.com
for Phoenix Technologies Ltd.
Photo:
NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070410 SFTU048LOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org
PRN Photo Desk: photodesk@prnewswire.com
Web site:
http://www.hitachi.com
http://www.hitachigst.com
(PTEC HIT)
SOURCE: Phoenix Technologies Ltd.

COPYRIGHT © 2008 - ANTARANEWS

PT Inco Tbk Announces Annual Production and Talks With Indonesian Govt. on Future Development

JAKARTA, February 4, 2008 (ANTARA) -- PT International Nickel Indonesia Tbk ("PT Inco" or the "Company") reported that its annual production of nickel in matte in 2007 was approximately 169 million pounds (76,657 tonnes), which exceeded the original target of 165 million pounds (74,843 tonnes) established for that year. Commenting on the production results, President Director Arif Siregar was delighted to have achieved this milestone particularly in light of last year's strike at the Company's operation in South Sulawesi. "We delivered what we promised while our environment record has continued to improve" he said.

The Company also reported that senior management had met with officials from the Department of Energy and Mineral Resources ("DEMR") to discuss the Company's obligations under its Contract of Work. At that meeting, the Company presented plans to allow it to commence mining operations at Bahodopi and to construct a high pressure acid leach processing facility at Sorowako in substitution for the Company's undertaking in the Contract of Work to construct a processing facility at Bahodopi. Under this plan, the ore from Bahodopi would be combined with ore from the Sorowako area to feed the existing pyrometallurgical processing facility in Sorowako. PT Inco would continue its exploration program at Bahodopi and continue to study options for developing a processing facility in the future. Final determination from the above plans will be published following an evaluation of the financial, technical, environmental and community effects of such plans have been carried out.

To carry out the plan, the Company will need to proceed with feasibility studied on the proposed high pressure acid leach processing facility to be located in Sorowako. It is essential that the Company conclude arrangements with the Government of the Republic of Indonesia and secure necessary permits to support such a significant capital investment. Any decision to proceed with that investment will require the approval of the Board of Directors and Board of Commissioners of the Company.

If all plans are approved by the DEMR and the Company, it is expected that the proposed processing facility in Sorowako will produce approximately 22,000 tonnes of nickel (48.5 million pounds).

For further information, please contact:
Investor Relations : Indra Ginting (6221) 524 9002 or gintiin@inco.com
Media Relations : Jannus Siahaan (6221) 524 9000 or siahajt@inco.com
or: www.pt-inco.co.id

COPYRIGHT © 2008 - ANTARANEWS

Banco Bradesco - 2007 earnings release

Sao Paulo, (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - We present below the main figures obtained by Bradesco in 2007. Our Report on Economic and Financial Analysis with the complete Financial Statements is available on Bradesco's website (http:/www.bradesco.com.br/ir).

1. The Net Income of 2007 stood at R$8.010 billion (a 58.5 per cent growth compared to the income of R$5.054 billion of the same period of 2006), corresponding to R$3.97 EPS and profitability of 31.4 per cent on the Average Stockholders' Equity*. The Net Income of 4Q07 stood at R$2.193 billion (a 21.2 per cent growth compared to the income of R$1.810 billion in 3Q07).

2. The origin of the income is comprised of R$5.655 billion stemming from financial activities, which correspond to 71 per cent of the Net Income and R$2.355 billion generated by Insurance, Private Pension Plans and Certificated Savings Plans activities, which represented 29 per cent of the Net Income.

3. Bradesco's Market Capitalization grew by 29.1 per cent compared to the same period of the previous year, reaching R$109.463 billion in December 2007.

4. Our Total Assets, at the end of the period, recorded a balance of R$341.184 billion, a 28.5 per cent growth compared to December 2006. The annualized return on average Total Assets stood at 2.7 per cent, higher than the 2.2 per cent recorded in the same period of the previous year.

5. The total loan portfolio (considering sureties, guarantees and credit cards receivables) reached R$161.407 billion, a 38.9 per cent growth compared to the same period of the previous year. Loans to individuals totaled R$59.277 billion (a 34.2 per cent growth), while operations to corporate clients reached R$102.130 billion (a 41.7 per cent growth).

6. Funds raised and managed added up to R$484.265 billion, a 25.3 per cent growth over the R$386.586 billion of December 2006.

7. The Stockholders' Equity added up to R$30.357 billion, a 23.2 per cent growth on the same period of the previous year. The Capital Adequacy Ratio in December 2007 stood at 14.0 per cent.

8. Remuneration to Stockholders, in the period, as Interest on Own Capital/Dividends paid and provisioned, added up to R$2.823 billion, equivalent to 35.2 per cent of the Net Income of 2007.

9. The Efficiency Ratio in Dec/07 stood at 41.8 per cent, an improvement of 0.3 p.p. compared to the 42.1 per cent obtained in Dec/06.

10. In 2007, investments in Infrastructure, Information Technology and Telecommunications amounted to R$2.099 billion, a growth of R$273 million compared to the previous year.

11. Taxes and contributions, including social security, paid or provisioned in the period, stemming from the main activities developed by Bradesco Organization, totaled R$6.795 billion, equivalent to 84.8 per cent of the Net Income.

12. Bradesco is Brazil's largest private customer service network, with 3,160 Branches, 25,974 ATMs of the Bradesco Dia&Noite (Day&Night) Network, 3,939 ATMs of the Banco24Horas (24HourBank) Network, 11,539 Bradesco Expresso Outlets, 5,821 Banco Postal Branches, 2,776 Mini Branches and 375 Branches of Finasa Promotora de Vendas.

13. On November 14, started-up the activities of Bradesco's Brokerage Firm in London, England, called Bradesco Securities UK Limited, which operates as a Broker Dealer, focusing on the intermediation of fixed income and equity products of Brazilian companies to European/Global institutional investors.

14. On 01.04.08, all matters discussed at the Special Stockholders' Meeting held on this date were approved, such as the increase of the Capital Stock in the amount of R$1,200,000,000.00, upon the issuance of 27,906,977 new non-par registered book-entry stocks, with 13,953,489 common stocks and 13,953,488 preferred stocks, to be subscribed by stockholders in the period of 01.22 to 02.22.08 at the price of R$43.00 per stock. Such increase will be followed by the payment of Supplementary Interest on Own Capital and Dividends in the amount of R$1,988,150,000.00, declared on 12.28.07, which will be paid on the same date (03.17.08) of the payment of stocks.

15. Fundacao Bradesco is dedicated, for more than 50 years, to the education of low-income children, adolescents and adults. Since its creation, it has provided free and quality education to around 2 million students which, added to distance courses, exceeded 2.5 million assistances. This year, it invested more than R$200.9 million, providing free education to more than 109 thousand students.

(*) It does not consider the mark-to-market effect of Securities Available for Sale recorded in the Stockholders' Equity

SOURCE: Banco Bradesco S.A.
CONTACT: Mr Jean Philippe Leroy, +55-11-2178-6201,
4823.jean@bradesco.com.br, Mrs Ivani Benazzi de Andrade,
+55-11-2178-6218, 4823.ivani@bradesco.com.br, both for Banco Bradesco S.A.
Web site: http://www.bradesco.com.br http://www.bradesco.com.br/ir

COPYRIGHT © 2008 - ANTARANEWS

Space Adventures announces identity of back-up crew member

Vienna, Virginia, (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Space Adventures, Ltd., the world's leading space experiences company, announced that Nik Halik of Australia has been chosen to train as the back-up crew member alongside our orbital spaceflight candidate, famed game developer and son of former NASA astronaut, Richard Garriott, who is currently planning a mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in October.

"Through his participation as a back-up crew member, Nik will experience first-hand how our clients train for spaceflight and he, himself, will be certified as a 'fully-trained cosmonaut' and will be named to an official space mission crew, a distinction that less than 1,000 people have ever had," said Eric Anderson, president and CEO of Space Adventures.

"I am thrilled to be chosen as Richard's back-up. I have dreamed of flying to space ever since I was a young boy. I watched recordings of Neil Armstrong's first steps on the moon's surface and I vowed to follow," said Nik Halik. "The space station will be my first stop, with my eyes focused on the moon."

"Not only is Nik a successful entrepreneur, but he is also an avid adventurer. Among his various expeditions, he was the first Australian to dive down five miles and land on the bow of the Titanic and he will be the first civilian from Australia to travel to space," added Mr Anderson.

"Nik and I have similar exploratory backgrounds and we'll have many stories to share during our time together in StarCity. I look forward to train with him because not only is it meant to prepare myself for flight, but also to prepare Nik for his future flight. I definitely will be on-hand for his eventual launch to space," said Mr Garriott.

The price of the program is $3,000,000 (USD) which includes the required spaceflight training costs, along with accommodations in StarCity and other training locations.

About Nik Halik:

Nik Halik, born in Australia to Greek immigrant parents, is the CEO and founder of several companies including Financial Freedom Institute and Money Masters. As an international wealth strategist, he has conducted over 100 'Mind and Wealth Prosperity' conferences globally and mentored investors in maximizing their wealth accumulation.

His latest book that will be published and globally released in March 2008, "The Thrillionaire", is an autobiography that also provides astute investment strategies. Mr Halik is also an adventurer. He has lead expeditions to Antarctica, Africa and the Amazon with his adventure company, ADVENTURE ODYSSEY.

Mr Halik is a mountaineer, having summited several of the highest peaks in the world with an Everest climb planned for 2009. Nik is also an avid stormchaser in the U.S. Midwest's Tornado Alley. He is 38 years-old and resides amongst his homes in the Greek Islands, Morocco and Australia.

About Space Adventures

Space Adventures, the company that organized the flights for the world's first private space explorers: Dennis Tito, Mark Shuttleworth, Greg Olsen, Anousheh Ansari and Charles Simonyi, is headquartered in Vienna, Va. with an office in Moscow. It offers a variety of programs such as the availability today for spaceflight missions to the International Space Station and around the moon, Zero-Gravity flights, cosmonaut training, spaceflight qualification programs and reservations on future suborbital spacecrafts.

For more information, please visit http://www.spaceadventures.com.

SOURCE Space Adventures, Ltd.
CONTACT: Stacey Tearne of Space Adventures, Ltd.,
+1-703-894-2192, stearne@spaceadventures.com
Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080128NEM096
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com/
Web site: http://www.spaceadventures.com

COPYRIGHT © 2008 - ANTARANEWS

Circos launches `Me-Centric` search at DEMO

Palm Desert, California and San Mateo, (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - This Wednesday at the DEMO 08 conference in Palm Desert, CA, Circos will officially launch semantic search designed to change the way we share and discover knowledge on the Web.

Circos will take the stage at 3:46 PST and will be on hand at the DEMO Pavilion, #6. To learn more, visit http://www.circos.com.

The Internet is fast approaching trillions of Web pages filled with high-quality content, and even more noise. With the advent of user-generated content, much of this information is highly distributed across individual communities, blogs, and forums. Conventional Internet search relies on site statistics and popularity, leaving many answers buried under layers of irrelevant Web pages or worse, overlooked altogether.

"Circos is in a sweet spot between the man versus machine camps of Internet search," said Chris Shipley, product analyst and executive producer of the DEMO conferences. "Rather than rely on humans to edit results, Circos extracts opinions from authoritative user-generated content to create a powerful and intelligent semantic search." MORE

California Micro Devices introduces new PicoGuard for interfaces

Milpitas, California, (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - California Micro Devices (Nasdaq: CAMD) today introduced PicoGuard XS, an innovative new ESD (electrostatic discharge) protection architecture in the XtremeESD(TM) family, the industry's first product to provide both outstanding signal integrity and robust ESD protection for high speed differential signals such as DisplayPort and HDMI.


By integrating inductors with the ESD protection diodes, the PicoGuard XS architecture eliminates the need for external compensation to match line impedance, reducing design complexity and cost.

Latest Trends in ESD Protection Two important trends are leading to fundamental changes in system level ESD protection requirements: increased susceptibility of system ICs to ESD strikes as they migrate to more advanced process technologies, and increasingly demanding signal integrity requirements as data rates continue to climb.

Traditional ESD protection devices are optimized for either ESD protection or signal integrity but not both. In fact, the traditional approach to improving signal integrity, reducing the capacitance of the ESD protection structures, also tends to reduce ESD performance.

The PicoGuard XS architecture eliminates this tradeoff by improving ESD protection while simultaneously providing excellent signal integrity and minimizing design complexity.

PicoGuard XS Impedance Matching

Traditionally, system designers must compensate for the capacitance of the ESD protection device by adding external inductance, eliminating capacitance under the signal traces near the ESD device, or both. These approaches add complexity and cost, and are PCB board dependent, limiting the ability to use multiple board vendors. By integrating the inductance into the ESD device, PicoGuard XS eliminates the need for these measures providing matched impedance with no external compensation or components required.

"System developers no longer need to make a tradeoff between signal integrity and ESD protection," stated Joe Salvador, director of marketing for digital consumer and computing products at California Micro Devices.

"This is particularly important for high speed interfaces such as HDMI 1.3 and the new DisplayPort interface which requires a minimum of 8kV contact protection on all lines."

CM1233 -- First PicoGuard XS Product

The first PicoGuard XS product is the CM1233-08DE, offering 8 channels of robust ESD protection. It provides protection for four pairs of differential channels, offering ESD protection to IEC61000-4-2 Level 4 + -8kV contact discharge. System designers can easily meet the 100 Ohm differential impedance requirements of HDMI and DisplayPort using these devices, with no external compensation required. The integration of inductors with the ESD diodes provides for improved ESD protection as well as outstanding signal integrity.

Compared with best in class ESD diode arrays, the CM1233-08DE offers:
-- 40 per cent reduction in peak clamping voltage
-- 15-40 per cent reduction in peak residual current
-- 100 Ohm differential impedance matching with no external compensation required
-- Straight through routing for improved layout
-- Compact 16 pin TDFN package for reduced board space

Updated www.XtremeESD.com Website

This new ESD Resource Center provides relevant information about ESD protection to designers of personal computer and digital consumer electronics applications. The site contains technical white papers, product specifications, articles, presentations and an open forum on various ESD protection topics. Go to: http://www.XtremeESD.com.

Pricing and Availability The CM1233-08DE is available in a 16 lead TDFN package. It is currently sampling and will be in full production this quarter. It is priced at $0.57 each at 1,000 units.

About California Micro Devices Corporation

California Micro Devices Corporation is a leading supplier of application specific analog and mixed signal semiconductor products for the mobile handset, digital consumer electronics and personal computer markets. Key products include protection devices for mobile handsets, digital consumer electronics products such as digital TVs, and personal computers as well as analog and mixed signal ICs for mobile handset displays. Detailed corporate and product information may be accessed at http://www.cmd.com.

XtremeESD, PicoGuard XP and PicoGuard XS are trademarks of California Micro Devices Corporation. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

SOURCE California Micro Devices
CONTACT: Richard Haas of California Micro Devices, +1-408-934-3108, richardh@cmd.com/ /
Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080128/AQM088
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Web site: http://www.cmd.com http://www.XtremeESD.com

COPYRIGHT © 2008 - ANTARANEWS

QTRAX V.2 Beta launches - sees 61,000 unique users per hour

New York, (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - MIDEM CONFERENCE - QTRAX (www.QTRAX.com) - the world's first free and legal peer-to-peer music service announced that at today's V.2 Beta launch, its ground-breaking service had approximately 61,000 unique users per hour (between 7am and 1pm EST). This translates to approximately 1,464,000 unique users per day.


QTRAX believes that a significant percentage of users were unable to access the site due to this massive demand and has now dramatically increased its download capacity.

"The response to the service is clearly unprecedented. We launched at MIDEM, the leading music industry conference, precisely because of the degree of support we have had and continue to enjoy from rights holders," said QTRAX President and CEO Allan Klepfisz.

"We believe the exact nature of that support will be publicly clarified within a very short time. As the world's first free and legal P2P service that has chosen to spend 4.5 years on licensing and not to violate IP rights, we have decided that we will provide activation keys shortly upon final execution of all pertinent contracts."

In the meantime, users will be able to enjoy all other functionalities of the QTRAX browser including importing and playing their existing music, browsing the vast and rich content, purchasing artist merchandise and tickets, and, for the first time, enjoying a fully integrated browsing and music experience.

The activation keys will enable users to experience full QTRAX V.2 Beta functionality, including search, download, access content, and play.

QTRAX has created a dynamic new music distribution model that represents a paradigm shift in the way people consume music, how the industry can monetize their catalogs and how artists get paid.

The application download is available immediately at www.QTRAX.com About QTRAX QTRAX (www.QTRAX.com) is the world's first legal and free peer-to-peer music service. Showcasing an innovative ad-supported downloading model that easily directs revenue back to artists and rights holders, QTRAX is the first P2P to be embraced widely by the music industry. QTRAX is a subsidiary of Brilliant Technologies Corporation (OTC: BLLN.PK), a publicly traded technology holding company.

SOURCE QTRAX
CONTACT: Justin Kazmark, +1-212-561-7466, justin.kazmark@morris-king.com, or
Jennifer Moses, +1-315-212-4408, jennifer.moses@morris-king.com,
both of The Morris + King Company; or
Rich Schineller of Perception Management, +1-941-726-9090, rich@prmgt.com; or
Shamin Abas of Shamin Abas PR, +1-561-366-1226, Shamin@shaminabaspr.com; or
Deborah Gray of Big DGPR, +1-646-247-3094, +61(0)414-911-111, debjgray@hotmail.com/
Web site: http://www.QTRAX.com

COPYRIGHT © 2008 - ANTARANEWS

New CEO named at Welcome Real-time

Aix-En-Province, (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Payment software provider Welcome Real-time today announced the appointment of Francois Dutray as CEO.


The Supervisory Board chose Francois Dutray for his in-depth knowledge of the bank industry and his leadership experience which will be key assets to continue the growth of the company.

Francois Dutray has an extensive track record in the payment industry, serving at top level executive positions with major international organizations including First Data Corporation, as managing director, strategy and business development, Visa International, as group executive vice president of product development and strategic initiatives, Motorola, as vice president and general manager of worldwide smart card solutions, and Sligos, one of the largest IT companies serving the banking industry in France, where he served as Executive Vice President.

"We are all very enthusiastic about working with Francois," said Aneace Haddad, Welcome's founder and Chairman of the Supervisory Board. "Francois' rich payment background and strong management experience will help shape Welcome as we continue our growth and global expansion."

About Welcome Real-time

Welcome Real-time ( http://www.welcome-rt.com ) is a leading provider of business solutions which make credit and debit card acceptance more attractive to merchants, so that merchants see new value in payment cards, encourage card usage, and reduce pressure on pricing. Welcome's technology drives credit and debit card programs in 21 countries across the globe and has received industry awards such as the "ROI of the Year Award" by The Banker magazine (2004) and the "Frost & Sullivan Industry Innovation & Advancement Leadership Award" (2006).

Welcome is headquartered in Aix-en-Provence, France, with offices and R&D facilities in Singapore, Madrid, Miami, Shanghai and Sao Paulo.

SOURCE: Welcome Real-time
CONTACT: Press, Marjorie Banes of Welcome Real-time, +33-4 42-97-58-62, m.banes@welcome-rt.com
Web site: http://www.welcome-rt.com

COPYRIGHT © 2008 - ANTARANEWS

Shutterstock`s image collection surpasses three million images

Stock Image Agency Hits Milestone Just as its Video Site, Shutterstock Footage(TM), Builds Momentum through New Cost Structure


New York, (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Shutterstock (www.shutterstock.com) announced today that its image library-comprised of premium photographs, vectors, and illustrations- has passed the three million (3,000,000) images mark.

This is a landmark accomplishment in the microstock category, and signifies remarkable growth for the company: one million images were added to the collection in the last seven months alone. Shutterstock approves about 30,000 images every week, just a percentage of those submitted, and posts them to the site immediately.

This steady growth ensures that subscriber searches constantly turn up fresh content. In a market that relies so heavily on new and striking imagery to communicate, this has been a major selling point for Shutterstock within the creative community.

"We are very proud of our growth," said Jon Oringer, Shutterstock Founder and CEO. "Our team is incredibly hard-working and dedicated to the integrity of the collection even as it expands beyond our expectations."

Changes at Shutterstock Footage(TM)

As the still image library continued to explode over the past months, major changes were afoot at Shutterstock Footage, Shutterstock's stock video capability (footage.shutterstock.com). Shutterstock was the first of its competitors to branch into video, in the spring of 2006, and many of its subscribers immediately became customers at the footage site.

With Shutterstock Footage, the company set itself the goal to do for moving images what it had done for still: build a high-quality collection, make it available through an accessible interface, and become an indispensable resource to the industry. Shutterstock Footage has performed well since its launch, consistently adding new clips and enhancing functionality. This month, the site made its biggest announcement to date: it lowered its prices across the board.

"The change to the pricing structure at Shutterstock Footage is extremely advantageous for our video customers," said Oringer. "Our analysis of the video market shows that this is the best strategy to grow Shutterstock Footage, offering the finest service to our customers and meeting our own goals as a company."

The new Shutterstock Footage prices are as follows:
$50 High Definition (1080px) $50
$40 High Definition (720px) $40
$30 Standard Definition/PAL/NTSC (480px) $30
$10 Low Resolution (240px): $10

CONTACT: Jessica Olshen for Shutterstock,
+1-212-477-4600,
jessica@jbocommunications.com
Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070605/NYTU037LOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org
PRN Photo Desk:
photodesk@prnewswire.com
Web site: http:/www.shutterstock.com
http://www.footage.shutterstock.com
SOURCE: Shutterstock(R)

COPYRIGHT © 2008 - ANTARANEWS

EquiLend adds new trading service to platform - Trade2O

New York, (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - EquiLend announced today that a new trading service, Trade2O, has been added to the firm's already robust trading platform. Trade2O automates the negotiation and agreement of trade terms for global Equities and Fixed Income securities, giving traders a rapid and simple way to process trades straight through to their proprietary systems.

Currently, EquiLend's AutoBorrow trading service is a hub for processing over 18,000 trades daily valuing more than $20 billion USD. Trade2O is gaining momentum internationally, reaching the Japanese market, the United States and major European markets.

About EquiLend

EquiLend is the leading provider of brokerage solutions for the securities finance industry. Owned by eleven preeminent financial firms, EquiLend revolutionizes straight-through processing by using a common standards-based protocol and infrastructure, which automates formerly manual business processes. Used by borrowers and lenders throughout the world, the EquiLend platform creates efficiency and provides access to additional liquidity. EquiLend's end-to-end solutions, which reduce the risk of potential errors and eliminate the need to maintain costly point-to-point connections, include Availability, AutoBorrow, Trade2O, EquiLend AuctionPort(SM), Contract Comparison, Mark-to-Market Comparison, Returns, Recalls, Billing Comparison and Delivery, Dividend Claims Comparison, and Agent Lender Disclosure (ALD). The EquiLend platform also supports the execution of payment and delivery instructions through the DTCC.

www.equilend.com

EquiLend LLC and EquiLend Europe Limited are subsidiaries of EquiLend Holdings LLC (collectively, "EquiLend"). EquiLend LLC is a member of the NASD and SIPC. EquiLend Europe Limited is authorized and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

All services offered by EquiLend are offered through EquiLend LLC and EquiLend Europe Limited. EquiLend and the EquiLend mark are protected in the United States and in countries throughout the world.

CONTACT: Michelle Lindenberger of EquiLend,
+1-212-901-2224,
michelle.lindenberger@equilend.com
Web site: http://www.equilend.com
SOURCE: EquiLend

COPYRIGHT © 2008 - ANTARANEWS

LiMo rolls out Linux-based software platform for mobile devices

London and Tokyo, (ANTARA News/PRNewswire--AsiaNet) - LiMo Foundation(TM), a global consortium of mobile leaders delivering an open handset platform for the whole industry, today announced the on-schedule availability in March 2008 of the first release of the LiMo Platform-the first globally competitive, Linux-based software platform for mobile handsets-together with the immediate public availability of the application programming interface (API) specifications.

LiMo's technology will be showcased in Booth 8b135, Hall 8 at Mobile World Congress (www.mobileworldcongress.com), February 11-14 in Barcelona.

"The LiMo Platform is being readied by mobile leaders working in unison to deliver an open handset platform for use by the whole industry," said Morgan Gillis, executive director of the LiMo Foundation. "The first release of the LiMo Platform combines technologies already extensively market proven within an array of leading handsets. This will enable initial LiMo handsets to register in the marketplace far more rapidly than handsets based on unproven technology. In addition, we are now making the platform APIs freely available to the public in order to begin the widespread engagement of developer talent and innovation that will shape the new mobile consumer experiences of tomorrow." LiMo's initial Founder members -- Motorola, NEC, NTT DoCoMo, Panasonic Mobile Communications, Samsung Electronics and Vodafone -- collaborated on Release 1 (R1), and nearly all of the enabling technology within R1 has been commercially deployed and proven within handsets enjoyed by consumers today.

"We are very proud of the transparent, balanced and harmonious contribution process that led to the on-schedule rollout of R1 of the LiMo platform and our API specifications. This unique process -- with its shared leadership and decision-making -- has delivered the benefits of both community-based and proprietary development," said Kiyohito Nagata of NTT DoCoMo, chairperson of LiMo Foundation. "The evolution of the platform is an ongoing process. We are delighted with the wide range companies contributing to that process as we now work on Release 2."

The LiMo Platform-leveraging standards and open-source projects -- is a modular, plug-in-based, hardware-independent architecture built around an open operating system, with a secure run-time environment for support of downloaded applications. Linux was selected as the core technology for the LiMo Platform for its acceptability by the whole mobile industry, its rich functionality and scalability, its record of success in embedded systems and mobile phones and its potential to easily "cross-platformize" with other product categories.

"With LiMo announcing the first release of the platform that is common across many handset vendors and models, the stage is set for mobile innovation on Linux," said Guido Arnone, Director of Terminals Technology, Vodafone, and vice chairperson of LiMo Foundation. "The LiMo Platform enables operators and handset makers to assign greater investment to technologies that improve the consumer experience and technology vendors and ISVs to target their products for a software platform that is being broadly adopted by the whole industry."

Third-party developers will use LiMo's API specifications -- available in beta form immediately at www.limofoundation.org -- to build new applications that deliver next-generation consumer experiences across a tremendous, stable base of globally deployed mobile devices. Middleware components for the LiMo Platform can be implemented in either C or C++ programming languages.

Launched in January 2007, the LiMo Foundation is open to all vendors and service providers in the mobile communications marketplace, including device manufacturers, operators, chipset manufacturers, independent software vendors, integrators and third-party developers.

About LiMo Foundation(TM)

LiMo Foundation is a dedicated consortium of mobile industry leaders working together within an open and transparent governance model -- with shared leadership and shared decision making -- to deliver an open and globally consistent handset software platform based upon Mobile Linux for use by the whole mobile industry. A full description of the foundation, including the vision, goals, charter and membership information, can be found at www.limofoundation.org.

CONTACT: Vivian Kelly,
C: +1-703-860-0577,
P: +1-703-509-5412,
vivian_kelly @ interprosepr.com,
or
Melissa Drozdowski,
P: +1-336-376-5318,
C: +1-336-266-2549,
mdrozdowski @ interprosepr.com,
both of Interprose PR for LiMo Foundation
Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080204CLM031LOGO
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Web site: http:/www.limofoundation.org
http://www.mobileworldcongress.com
SOURCE: LiMo Foundation

COPYRIGHT © 2008 - ANTARANEWS

Premier Farnell announces Live EDGE Challenge global winner

- Panel of judges select the winning entry based on the most creative electronic design that will have a positive impact on the environment.
- Since its launch in May 2007, over 3,500 design engineers, students and academics from 102 countries have registered for the competition

London, (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Premier Farnell plc (LSE: pfl), the leading multi-channel, high service distributor supporting millions of engineers and purchasing professionals globally, has announced the winner of the 2007 Live EDGE Electronic Design for the Global Environment challenge as John Noble from Malaysia.

John has designed a product called MyFan, a ceiling fan that combines an electronically commutated motor and controller, and aerodynamically efficient blade design that reduces fan input power by up to 66 per cent of that of a traditional ceiling fan. It boasts auxiliary output channels that drive up to 20 watts of integrated LED lighting with up/down lighting modules. The Motor construction is totally enclosed and is available with an IP5x environmental rating.

The judges noted that John's design demonstrated the best originality and innovation of the entered designs, the highest technical merit, a reduced effect on the global environment, provided the best feasibility of design, clearly showed efficient use of energy, provided innovative use of components, good cost optimisation, completeness of design dossier and excellent supporting documentation.

"It is a great honour to have my design recognised by such an esteemed panel of judges," said John Noble, winner of Live EDGE 2007 challenge. "Live EDGE has provided design engineers a forum to focus more on the issue of sustainability and not just growth."

Also providing excellent designs are the five runners up; Thomas Reiter a student from Austria designing a unique miniature battery saving switch-mode power supply, Minesh Bhakta from the U.K. designing an energy gauge that helps manage the use of electrical sockets, Carlos Marques from Portugal on behalf of his company ID-Mind, whose design is for a 3D SunTracker optimising the effectiveness of solar panels, Dale Stepps from Florida in the U.S. on behalf of his company Inteltech Corporation for a solid state luminare and Alaistair Macfarlane from Scotland designing a LED intelligent light, all receiving US$5,000 USD.

"Our congratulations go out to John, we look forward to working with him to register his design and support him through production into the market," said Harriet Green, CEO of Premier Farnell. "With over 3,500 engineers from over 102 countries involved in this year's Live EDGE challenge, we feel we have really provided an opportunity for environmentally friendly design and look forward to continuing this challenge in the future. We are proud to encourage the design of products that change the lives of at least 3 billion people. We will constantly work towards providing the best service, technology and support to our critically important design engineering customers."

About Live EDGE:

The winning entrant receives a cash prize of US $50,000 as well as the support to move the design towards production. The support package, estimated to be worth an additional US $50,000, will include the services of an electronic design consultancy that will develop the design to prototype stage, assistance with legal matters and IP registration, marketing and publicity, as well as Premier Farnell's help in securing investment funding. The group hopes to actively market the end product to millions of customers globally through their leading edge Web page, catalogue and direct marketing.

More information about the Live EDGE Challenge is available at http://www.live-edge.com.

About Premier Farnell

Premier Farnell plc (LSE: pfl) is a leading high service, multi-channel distributor of electronic, maintenance, repair and operation products and specialist services throughout Europe, the Americas and Asia Pacific. It goes to market with a differentiated value proposition, world-class marketing, a stocked range of 400,000+ products, and access to 4,000,000 more items from 3,000 top manufacturers. The company has group sales of GBP823.1m and 4,100 employees globally.

While global in scope, Premier Farnell recognizes the individual needs of each market and has continued to internationalize its model accordingly, trading locally under different brand names. Its primary electronics businesses trade as Farnell in the UK, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, Newark in the US, Canada and Mexico, and Premier Electronics in China. In Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Brazil the operation is known as Farnell Newark.

For more information visit the website at http://www.premierfarnell.com

Issued by: Jonathan Roberts, Account Director, Pinnacle Marketing Communications Ltd, Prosperity House, Dawlish Drive, Pinner, Middlesex, HA5 5LN, UK Email: jonathan@pinnaclemarcom.com, Tel: +44(0)20-8869-9339, Web: http://www.pinnacle-marketing.com

Contact details for publication and editorial enquiries:
Jenny Peters
Head of Corporate Communications
Premier Farnell plc
Tel: +44(0)207-851-4102
Mobile: +44(0)7921740548
Email: JPeters@Premierfarnell.com
CONTACT: Jenny Peters,
Head of Corporate Communications for Premier Farnell plc,
+44-0-207-851-4102,
Mobile +44-0-7921740548,
JPeters@Premierfarnell.com
Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080201291801
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Web site:http:/www.live-edge.com
http://www.pinnacle-marketing.com
http://www.premierfarnell.com
SOURCE: Premier Farnell

COPYRIGHT © 2008 - ANTARANEWS

La Perla`s Caribbean retreat Marina Residences now for sale

Amsterdam, (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - La Perla International Living is creating the Marina Residences on a prime, waterfront area on one side of the full serviced marina within the Jolly Harbour Resort.


The complex consists of three buildings in Colonial Caribbean style, with crisp white paint, shingled roofs and open verandas. Two buildings are connected by a tower that resembles a nautical lighthouse, accentuating the seaside atmosphere. Landscaped gardens with a swimming pool and other water features link and surround the buildings, and convenient parking garages will be on the ground level.

While the exterior of the Marina Residences has a solidly traditional Colonial air, the interiors are light, stylish and modern. High-quality materials, such as marble, natural stone, and beautiful hardwood are used throughout, and bathrooms and kitchens feature top-of-the-line design elements. The outdoor terraces surrounding the buildings on all sides offer fantastic views over the marina, swimming pool and gardens of the complex.

The Marina Residences offer a variety of one-to-three bedroom apartments ranging in size from 74m2 with 20m2 of outdoor terraces to 162m2 with 35m2 of terrace space. Those who buy a three-bedroom apartment have an additional, interesting option. These homes can be constructed in such a way that makes it possible, when desired, to split them into two completely self-contained units, each with its own entrance. Prices of Marina Residences start at 450.000 US Dollars.

La Perla International Living homeowners have access to convenient, on-site Hospitality Services, including housekeeping, property maintenance, pool upkeep, shopping and much more. La Perla Client Executives are also always available to help coordinate anything else you need, such as travel arrangements, administrative assistance or even a private chef for a special dinner party.

Our unique locations, exceptional homes and outstanding services create an international living experience that opens doors to new cultures and enriches your life by giving you more freedom, comfort and peace of mind.

CONTACT: Rowena Ladeur,
Marketing Manager of La Perla International Living,
+31(0)20-589-40-70,
(fax) +31(0)20-589-40-75,
info@lpil.com
Web site: http://www.laperlainternationalliving.com
SOURCE: La Perla International Living

COPYRIGHT © 2008 - ANTARANEWS

Pyro Networks named as finalist in 2008 Global Mobile Awards

Nominated in the 'best roaming product or service' category, Pyro Network's InRoam technology helps 400 million subscribers across Africa stay connected while roaming


Andhra Pradesh, (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Pyro Networks, a mobile solutions provider, is proud to announce that its InRoam solution has been selected as a finalist in the 2008 Global Mobile Awards. Pyro Networks has been nominated in the "best roaming product or service" category -- proving that they have the innovative ideas and technical expertise to provide a successful answer to the issues associated with billing and charging for roaming with a pre-paid wireless plan.

Currently being utilized by Zain's subsidiary Celtel in their "One Network", Pyro Network's InRoam technology is enabling 400 million people in 12 countries to stay connected while roaming across Africa in one borderless mobile network that covers an area more than twice the size of Europe.

"The 2008 Global Mobile Awards have once again attracted a widely diverse range of entries from all corners of the world, demonstrating the social, business and economic impact that mobile communications is having on society," said Rob Conway, CEO of GSMA. "I congratulate the nominees on their achievement thus far. Being short-listed by our independent judging panel is no mean feat given the caliber of subject matter experts it comprises, and the quality and quantity of submissions received. We await the winners at the Mobile World Congress with keen interest."

The InRoam solution addresses the key issues associated with roaming when using a pre-paid calling plan. When faced with the challenge of roaming on pre-paid plans, operators need a way for subscribers to carry their "Home- Experience" and recharge their pre-paid accounts as simply as if they were in the home network.

"We are delighted to be a finalist in consideration for this prestigious award," said SM Reddy, Managing Director of Pyro Networks. "Our InRoam platform enables carriers to offer their pre-paid subscribers the same communication experience as in their home country and with the option for subscribers to refill/top-up a pre-paid phone card in a different network effortless and hassle-free The implementation with Celtel's "One Network" truly illustrates how our InRoam solution is transforming the industry and providing the carriers with increased customer acquisition, MoU, roaming revenues and customer loyalty, while also providing immense value to their subscribers," Mr. Reddy continued.

About Pyro Networks

Pyro Networks, a mobile technology solutions provider, is an agile, thinking company whose track record is known to some of the best carriers and vendors across the world such as: Airtel, BSNL, Celtel -- a subsidiary under the Zain Group, Hutch (now Vodafone), Idea Cellular, Nokia, Reliance, Tata Teleservices, Vodacom and Zantel. Pyro Network's premier technology platform, InRoam, is a unique solution that helps to create a seamless roaming environment for pre and post paid subscribers through innovative features such as local recharge which facilitates the recharge of an IN network prepaid account in the home network of the mobile user when roaming. The mobile user can use the local recharge vouchers of the visited roaming partner network without a need for a centralized voucher management system. In Africa, Pyro Network's InRoam platform is seen as the industry frontrunner. By virtue of its abilities to customize and integrate, Pyro Network's has helped service providers deliver better value and enhanced customer loyalty and revenues.

http://www.pyrogroup.com.

CONTACT: Charlotte
Rubin of Crux Communications, Inc.,
+1-858-775-7621,
charlotte.rubin@cruxcomms.com, for Pyro Networks
Web site: http://www.pyrogroup.com
SOURCE: Pyro Networks

COPYRIGHT © 2008 - ANTARANEWS

SOLON AG adds Chief Human Resources Officer to Management Board

Berlin, (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Berlin-based SOLON AG, one of Europe's biggest manufacturers of solar modules and photovoltaic systems, has strengthened its Group Management Board with effect from February 1, 2008 with the appointment of Anke Hunziger, 43, as CHRO. She joins the existing team of CEO Thomas Krupke, CTO Dr. Lars Podlowski and COO Dr. Gero Wiese.


This makes SOLON AG the first TecDAX company to create a position at Management Board level for the Human Resources function, emphasizing the importance of HR management to modern companies.

"In taking this step we are demonstrating the importance we attach to the targeted selection, training and motivation of our workforce," stressed the chairman of the Supervisory Board Tobias Wahl. "This is part of a strategy that will enable us to continue realizing our ambitious growth plans."

SOLON has made a clear commitment to Berlin as a business location. From its headquarters in Berlin, the company offers a variety of career opportunities, in particular for scientists and engineers, but also for highly-skilled staff in non-technical areas. As a fast-growing, international company, SOLON is able to offer particularly attractive personal and career development opportunities. "We are currently advertising more than 50 vacancies on our website and we will be recruiting continuously over the course of 2008. SOLON is growing at an even faster pace than the already fast-growing photovoltaics market," notes Anke Hunziger. "But our recruitment process places great emphasis on ensuring that we take on people who are the right "fit" and on integrating them into the company. We offer comprehensive personal development programs for staff in all areas of the company. The fact that we have virtually no staff turnover -- despite the company's rapid growth and the challenges that such growth brings -- speaks volumes."

Anke Hunziger studied European Business Studies in Germany and the UK and is a certified business coach. As a wife and mother of two children, she believes that companies have a responsibility to ensure the compatibility of work and family life. "All members of SOLON's Management Board have children and attach great importance to their role as parents. And we take the same position with regard to our workforce, offering flexible working-time models and an emphasis on results rather than working hours, in order to help our employees achieve a healthy work-life balance. We see ourselves as pioneers in this area, also with regard to the appointment of women to senior management positions. This means that women are given exactly the same opportunities within the company. Consequently, around 40 percent of management positions at SOLON are held by women."

Anke Hunziger is one of only four women amongst more than 300 management board members at German DAX and TecDAX companies.

Photos and CV are available at: www.solonag.com/presse
Press contact:
SOLON AG fur Solartechnik
Therese Raatz
Tel.: +49 (0)30 8187 98034
Fax: +49 (0)30 8187 9110
Email: therese.raatz@solonag.com

About SOLON AG:

SOLON AG fur Solartechnik is one of the largest solar module manufacturers in Europe and a leading supplier of photovoltaic systems for large-scale solar power plants. The SOLON Group has subsidiaries in Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, and the U.S. and employs more than 700 people worldwide. The SOLON Group's core business is the manufacture of solar modules in various performance categories and of complete photovoltaic systems for the construction of solar power plants.

Additional information is available at www.solonag.com
CONTACT: Therese Raatz of SOLON AG fur Solartechnik,
+49 (0)30 8187 98034,
+49 (0)30 8187 9110 (fax),
therese.raatz@solonag.com
Web site: http://www.solonag.com
http://www.solonag.com/presse
SOURCE: Solon AG fur Solartechnik

COPYRIGHT © 2008 - ANTARANEWS

PepsiCo declares dividend

Purchase, N.Y., (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - The Board of Directors of PepsiCo today declared a quarterly dividend of $0.375 per share on PepsiCo common stock.


The dividend is payable March 31, 2008, to shareholders of record on March 7, 2008.

PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP) is one of the world's largest food and beverage companies, with 2006 annual revenues of more than $35 billion. The company employs approximately 168,000 people worldwide, and its products are sold in approximately 200 countries. Its principal businesses include: Frito-Lay snacks, Pepsi-Cola beverages, Gatorade sports drinks, Tropicana juices and Quaker foods. The PepsiCo portfolio includes 17 brands that generate $1 billion or more each in annual retail sales.

PepsiCo's commitment to sustainable growth, defined as Performance with Purpose, is focused on generating healthy financial returns while giving back to communities the company serves. This includes meeting consumer needs for a spectrum of convenient foods and beverages, reducing the company's impact on the environment through water, energy and packaging initiatives, and supporting its employees through a diverse and inclusive culture that recruits and retains world-class talent.

PepsiCo is listed on the Dow Jones North America Sustainability Index and Dow Jones World Sustainability Index.

For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com

SOURCE: PepsiCo
CONTACT: Jenny Schiavone,
Director of Public Information,
+1-914-253-3941, or
Jane Nielsen,
Vice President,
Investor Relations,
+1-914-253-3035,
both of PepsiCo
Web site: http://www.pepsico.com
(PEP)

COPYRIGHT © 2008 - ANTARANEWS

Microsoft proposes acquisition of Yahoo! for $31 per share

Redmond, Wash., (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) today announced that it has made a proposal to the Yahoo! Inc. (Nasdaq: YHOO) Board of Directors to acquire all the outstanding shares of Yahoo! common stock for per share consideration of $31 representing a total equity value of approximately $44.6 billion.

Microsoft's proposal would allow the Yahoo! shareholders to elect to receive cash or a fixed number of shares of Microsoft common stock, with the total consideration payable to Yahoo! shareholders consisting of one-half cash and one-half Microsoft common stock. The offer represents a 62 percent premium above the closing price of Yahoo! common stock on Jan. 31, 2008.

"We have great respect for Yahoo!, and together we can offer an increasingly exciting set of solutions for consumers, publishers and advertisers while becoming better positioned to compete in the online services market," said Steve Ballmer, chief executive officer of Microsoft. "We believe our combination will deliver superior value to our respective shareholders and better choice and innovation to our customers and industry partners."

"Our lives, our businesses, and even our society have been progressively transformed by the Web, and Yahoo! has played a pioneering role by building compelling, high-scale services and infrastructure," said Ray Ozzie, chief software architect at Microsoft. "The combination of these two great teams would enable us to jointly deliver a broad range of new experiences to our customers that neither of us would have achieved on our own."

The online advertising market is growing at a very fast pace, from over $40 billion in 2007 to nearly $80 billion by 2010. The resulting benefits of scale along with the associated capital costs for advertising platform providers make this a time of industry consolidation and convergence. Today this market is increasingly dominated by one player. Together, Microsoft and Yahoo! can offer a competitive choice while better fulfilling the needs of customers and partners.

"The combined assets and strong services focus of these two companies will enable us to achieve scale economics while reaching R&D critical mass to deliver innovation breakthroughs," said Kevin Johnson, president of the Platforms & Services Division of Microsoft. "The industry will be well served by having more than one strong player, offering more value and real choice to advertisers, publishers and consumers."

The combination will create a more efficient company with synergies in four areas: scale economics driven by audience critical mass and increased value for advertisers; combined engineering talent to accelerate innovation; operational efficiencies through elimination of redundant cost; and the ability to innovate in emerging user experiences such as video and mobile. Microsoft believes these four areas will generate at least $1 billion in annual synergy for the combined entity.

Microsoft has developed a plan and process that will include the employees of both companies to focus on the integration of the combined business. Microsoft intends to offer significant retention packages to Yahoo! engineers, key leaders and employees across all disciplines.

Microsoft believes this proposed combination would receive all necessary regulatory approvals and expects that the proposed transaction would be completed in the second half of calendar year 2008.

Microsoft is also committed to working closely with Yahoo! management and its Board of Directors as they, along with Yahoo! shareholders, evaluate this compelling proposal.

Below is the text of the letter that Microsoft sent to Yahoo!'s Board of Directors:

January 31, 2008

Board of Directors
Yahoo! Inc.
701 First Avenue
Sunnyvale, CA 94089
Attention: Roy Bostock, Chairman
Attention: Jerry Yang, Chief Executive Officer
Dear Members of the Board:

I am writing on behalf of the Board of Directors of Microsoft to make a proposal for a business combination of Microsoft and Yahoo!. Under our proposal, Microsoft would acquire all of the outstanding shares of Yahoo! common stock for per share consideration of $31 based on Microsoft's closing share price on January 31, 2008, payable in the form of $31 in cash or 0.9509 of a share of Microsoft common stock. Microsoft would provide each Yahoo! shareholder with the ability to choose whether to receive the consideration in cash or Microsoft common stock, subject to pro-ration so that in the aggregate one-half of the Yahoo! common shares will be exchanged for shares of Microsoft common stock and one-half of the Yahoo! common shares will be converted into the right to receive cash. Our proposal is not subject to any financing condition.

Our proposal represents a 62% premium above the closing price of Yahoo! common stock of $19.18 on January 31, 2008. The implied premium for the operating assets of the company clearly is considerably greater when adjusted for the minority, non-controlled assets and cash. By whatever financial measure you use - EBITDA, free cash flow, operating cash flow, net income, or analyst target prices - this proposal represents a compelling value realization event for your shareholders.

We believe that Microsoft common stock represents a very attractive investment opportunity for Yahoo!'s shareholders. Microsoft has generated revenue growth of 15%, earnings growth of 26%, and a return on equity of 35% on average for the last three years. Microsoft's share price has generated shareholder returns of 8% during the last one year period and 28% during the last three year period, significantly outperforming the S&P 500. It is our view that Microsoft has significant potential upside given the continued solid growth in our core businesses, the recent launch of Windows Vista, and other strategic initiatives.

Microsoft's consistent belief has been that the combination of Microsoft and Yahoo! clearly represents the best way to deliver maximum value to our respective shareholders, as well as create a more efficient and competitive company that would provide greater value and service to our customers. In late 2006 and early 2007, we jointly explored a broad range of ways in which our two companies might work together. These discussions were based on a vision that the online businesses of Microsoft and Yahoo! should be aligned in some way to create a more effective competitor in the online marketplace. We discussed a number of alternatives ranging from commercial partnerships to a merger proposal, which you rejected. While a commercial partnership may have made sense at one time, Microsoft believes that the only alternative now is the combination of Microsoft and Yahoo! that we are proposing.

In February 2007, I received a letter from your Chairman indicating the view of the Yahoo! Board that "now is not the right time from the perspective of our shareholders to enter into discussions regarding an acquisition transaction." According to that letter, the principal reason for this view was the Yahoo! Board's confidence in the "potential upside" if management successfully executed on a reformulated strategy based on certain operational initiatives, such as Project Panama, and a significant organizational realignment. A year has gone by, and the competitive situation has not improved.

While online advertising growth continues, there are significant benefits of scale in advertising platform economics, in capital costs for search index build-out, and in research and development, making this a time of industry consolidation and convergence. Today, the market is increasingly dominated by one player who is consolidating its dominance through acquisition. Together, Microsoft and Yahoo! can offer a credible alternative for consumers, advertisers, and publishers. Synergies of this combination fall into four areas:

-- Scale economics: This combination enables synergies related to scale economics of the advertising platform where today there is only one competitor at scale. This includes synergies across both search and non-search related advertising that will strengthen the value proposition to both advertisers and publishers. Additionally, the combination allows us to consolidate capital spending.

-- Expanded R&D capacity: The combined talent of our engineering resources can be focused on R&D priorities such as a single search index and single advertising platform. Together we can unleash new levels of innovation, delivering enhanced user experiences, breakthroughs in search, and new advertising platform capabilities. Many of these breakthroughs are a function of an engineering scale that today neither of our companies has on its own.

-- Operational efficiencies: Eliminating redundant infrastructure and duplicative operating costs will improve the financial performance of the combined entity.

-- Emerging user experiences: Our combined ability to focus engineering resources that drive innovation in emerging scenarios such as video, mobile services, online commerce, social media, and social platforms is greatly enhanced.

We would value the opportunity to further discuss with you how to optimize the integration of our respective businesses to create a leading global technology company with exceptional display and search advertising capabilities. You should also be aware that we intend to offer significant retention packages to your engineers, key leaders and employees across all disciplines.

We have dedicated considerable time and resources to an analysis of a potential transaction and are confident that the combination will receive all necessary regulatory approvals. We look forward to discussing this with you, and both our internal legal team and outside counsel are available to meet with your counsel at their earliest convenience.

Our proposal is subject to the negotiation of a definitive merger agreement and our having the opportunity to conduct certain limited and confirmatory due diligence. In addition, because a portion of the aggregate merger consideration would consist of Microsoft common stock, we would provide Yahoo! the opportunity to conduct appropriate limited due diligence with respect to Microsoft. We are prepared to deliver a draft merger agreement to you and begin discussions immediately.

In light of the significance of this proposal to your shareholders and ours, as well as the potential for selective disclosures, our intention is to publicly release the text of this letter tomorrow morning.

Due to the importance of these discussions and the value represented by our proposal, we expect the Yahoo! Board to engage in a full review of our proposal. My leadership team and I would be happy to make ourselves available to meet with you and your Board at your earliest convenience. Depending on the nature of your response, Microsoft reserves the right to pursue all necessary steps to ensure that Yahoo!'s shareholders are provided with the opportunity to realize the value inherent in our proposal.

We believe this proposal represents a unique opportunity to create significant value for Yahoo!'s shareholders and employees, and the combined company will be better positioned to provide an enhanced value proposition to users and advertisers. We hope that you and your Board share our enthusiasm, and we look forward to a prompt and favorable reply.

Sincerely yours,
/s/ Steven A. Ballmer
Steven A. Ballmer
Chief Executive Officer
Microsoft Corporation

Microsoft will host an analyst/investor conference call at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time/5:30 a.m. Pacific Time to discuss today's announcement. If you want to participate, you may do so by dialing (866) 610-1072 or (706) 634-9230 (toll international); the conference ID number is 33470390. Please
dial in at least 20 minutes in advance of the call. Accompanying slides and the conference call Webcast will be available at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass. Playback of the conference call and the webcast will be available for replay through the close of business on Feb. 5, 2008. The replay can be accessed by dialing (800) 642-1687 or (706) 645-9291 (toll/international); the conference ID number is
33470390.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a solicitation of any vote or approval. In connection with the proposed transaction, Microsoft Corp. plans to file with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-4 containing a proxy statement/prospectus and other documents regarding the proposed transaction. The definitive proxy statement/prospectus will be mailed to shareholders of Yahoo! Inc. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF YAHOO! INC. ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT PROSPECTUS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION.

Investors and security holders will be able to obtain free copies of the registration statement and the proxy statement prospectus (when available) and other documents filed with the SEC by Microsoft Corp. through the Web site maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov. Free copies of the registration statement and the proxy statement/prospectus (when available) and other documents filed with the SEC can also be obtained by directing a request to Investor Relations Department, Microsoft Corp., One Microsoft Way, Redmond, Wash. 98052-6399.

Microsoft Corp. and its directors and executive officers and other persons may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of the proposed transaction. Information regarding Microsoft Corp.'s directors and executive officers is available in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2007, which was filed with the SEC on Aug. 8, 2007, and its proxy statement for its 2007 annual meeting of shareholders, which was filed with the SEC on Sept. 29, 2007.

Other information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be contained in the proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant materials to be filed with the SEC when they become available.

Statements in this release that are "forward-looking statements" are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially because of factors such as Microsoft Corp.'s ability to achieve the synergies and value creation contemplated by the proposed transaction, Microsoft Corp.'s ability to promptly and effectively integrate the businesses of Yahoo! Inc. and Microsoft Corp., the timing to consummate the proposed transaction and any necessary actions to obtain required regulatory approvals, and the diversion of management time on transaction-related issues. For further information regarding risks and uncertainties associated with Microsoft Corp.'s business, please refer to the "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and "Risk Factors" sections of Microsoft Corp.'s SEC filings, including, but not limited to, its annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, copies of which may be obtained by contacting Microsoft Corp.'s Investor Relations department at (800) 285-7772 or at Microsoft Corp.'s Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/msft.

All information in this communication is as of Feb. 1, 2008. Microsoft Corp. undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statement to conform the statement to actual results or changes in the company's expectations.

For more information, press only:
Rapid Response Team, Waggener Edstrom Worldwide, (503) 443-7070, rrt@waggeneredstrom.com
Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher: Joele Frank/Eric Brielmann/Jamie Moser, (212) 355-4449

Financial analysts and investors only:
Colleen Healy, General Manager, Investor Relations, (425) 706-3703

Note to editors: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass on Microsoft's corporate information pages. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may since have changed.

For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft's Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/contactpr.mspx.

SOURCE Microsoft Corp.
CONTACT: Rapid Response Team, Waggener Edstrom Worldwide, +1-503-443-7070, rrt@waggeneredstrom.com; Joele Frank, or Eric Brielmann, or Jamie Moser, Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher, +1-212-355-4449; Financial analysts and investors only: Colleen Healy, General Manager, Investor Relations, +1-425-706-3703, all for Microsoft Corp

Web site: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass
(MSFT YHOO)

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