Business: Brazilian miner MHAG hires Luis Carlos Nepomuceno as CEO

Hong Kong, (ANTARA News/Xinhua-PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - MHAG, a Brazilian iron ore mining company of which Noble Group (SGX:NOBL) owns 30 per cent, has appointed Luis Carlos Nepomuceno to head the executive board as CEO effective immediately.

With 26 years of mining experience, Mr Nepomuceno will lead the expansion and implementation of the company's key initiatives including the pellet feed and pellet plant project, port construction, slurry line and rail system.

Prior to joining MHAG, Mr Nepomuceno worked for 22 years for Vale in various positions including responsibility for business units in Brazil, Director General of the Department of Manganese and Alloys and as Director, President of Rio Doce Manganese Europe. An engineer and a post-graduate in Environmental Engineering in Belgium (Ghent), Mr Nepomuceno initially specialized in environmental control studies in Japan (JICA) and subsequently in Corporate Management in Europe and USA (IMD, MIT, INSEAD and KELLOGG).

Luis Carlos Nepomuceno replaces Pio Egidio Sacchi, a shareholder, who presided over the company during the last 3 years. Mr Sacchi will elevate to the Administrative Board where he will work on strategies, investments and acquisitions of the company.

"The hiring of Mr Nepomuceno as CEO reflects the determination of the shareholders to implement strong corporate governance to ensure the goals and projects of the company are successful," noted Edson Duda, President of the Administrative Council.

MHAG possesses inferred mineral resources of 3.8 billion tons of iron ore located in the states of Rio Grande do Norte and Paraiba. In 2006, MHAG started production and export through the port of Suape/PE to the Far East and Middle East.

"The quality of the ore, the location of the mines in proximity to the coast (125 km) and the potential of the resources, have driven the decision of the shareholders, Campina Participacoes S/A and Noble Group, to accelerate the investments with the intention of increasing the production and exports," added Mr Duda.

About Noble Group

Noble Group (SGX: NOBL) is a market leader in managing the global supply chain of agricultural, industrial and energy products. We operate from over 100 offices in more than 40 countries, serving 4000+ customers. Noble manages a diversified portfolio of essential raw materials, integrating the sourcing, marketing, processing, financing and transportation.

With annual revenues exceeding US$20 billion, Noble continues its transition to owning and managing more strategic assets, sourcing from low cost producers such as Brazil, Australia and Indonesia and supplying to high growth demand markets including China, India and the Middle East. Today Noble owns coal and iron ore mines, grain crushing facilities, sugar and ethanol plants, vessels, ports and other infrastructure to ensure high quality products are delivered in the most efficient and timely manner to its customers.

Noble recently appeared on the Forbes Global 2000 and Forbes Fab 50 while being named to the S&P Global Challengers and The Asset's Best 60 Corporate Governance Award. Noble also received the Corporate Governance Recognition Award: Classes Of 2006 and 2007 -- by Corporate Governance Asia and was chosen as one of Finance Asia's Best Companies.

In 2008, Noble earned a spot on the new benchmark Straits Times Index (STI) and received a BBB- rating (investment grade) from Fitch. In 2005, Noble joined the MSCI Singapore Index. During this period, the Group was recognized as one of Business Week's Stars of Asia and a Best Employer by Hewitt Associates. Noble ranked #1 on The Forbes Global 2000 -- Total Return during the five-year period 2001 - 2005.

For further details please contact: Mr Stephen Brown Noble Group Limited Tel: +852 2250 2060 Fax: +852 2861 0018 Email: stephenbrown@thisisnoble.com

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Mr Brad Smolar Smolar Limited
Tel: +852 2522 0268 Fax: +852 2573 2473
Email: reputation@smolar.com
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SOURCE: Noble Group

COPYRIGHT © 2008

Business: Charles Dumas says time of reckoning has come for China and U.S.

Hong Kong, (ANTARA News/Xinhua-PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Two years ago Charles Dumas foretold an economic crisis. He was right. Now, in the timely sequel to the prophetic Bill from the China Shop, he outlines alternative reckonings: devastating economic consequences or another path to greater global prosperity...

In his last book, The Bill from the China Shop, Charles Dumas predicted how the Asian savings glut would force-feed US mortgage borrowing to excess. In China and America points to the next risks, incisively analysing the current credit crunch and the possible devastating economic consequences, while also outlining an alternative path to greater global prosperity.

In America the credit crunch is likely to be followed by an economic downswing, led by housing, but with weakened household wealth and confidence prolonging the pain. US policy-makers seem impotent against the backwash from past debt excesses -- and much of what the Federal Reserve does simply worsens the problem.

Meanwhile China's explosive exports are feeding through to risk overheating the domestic economy. Inflation has accelerated. Beijing may fight it by letting China's yuan rise and/or its domestic savings flow overseas.

If the Chinese authorities allow major yuan appreciation and progressively freer overseas investment, both the Chinese and world economies could rebalance quite easily.

As the two most dominant nations in the global economy separately face the economic challenges imposed by their symbiotic relationship, this examination of the risks it poses -- and policy tensions arising from possible solutions -- makes China and America essential reading for anyone concerned about our future economic prosperity.

Information:

Launch:
China and America: A Time of Reckoning by Charles Dumas was published by Profile Books on 22 April 2008, price 12.99 pound sterling paperback.

The launch party is on the evening of the 19th May at the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club and Charles Dumas will be available for questions. If you would like to attend please email lsrasia@lombardstreetresearch.com .

About the author:

Charles Dumas has been Head of the World Service at Lombard Street Research since 1998 and is one of the world's leading macroeconomic forecasters.

For more information, or an interview with Charles Dumas, please call Pippa Courtney-Sutton, Lombard Street Research in London on +44 (0)207 382 5911 or contact Edward Stockreisser in Hong Kong on +852 3196 3731 or Stockreisser@lombardstreetresearch.com

About Lombard Street Research:

Lombard Street Research provides independent macroeconomic forecasting and analysis to asset managers, banks and global corporations all around the world.

For almost twenty years the company has helped institutions improve their investment thinking, their returns and their management of risk. The key foundation of the research is monetary economics. Fundamental analysis of trends in money and credit, banking systems and flows-of-funds provide unique insights into economic developments and into likely movements of financial asset prices. Proprietary leading indicators are also used to help generate forecasts for economic growth in the major global economies.

Praise for The Bill from the China Shop:

'In 2005 incoming Fed chairman Ben Bernanke argued that a global saving glut is causing the huge US current account deficits. Charles Dumas recognised this truth long before him. This splendid book explains how Asia's surpluses are driving US households ever deeper into debt and why this unsustainable process must end in tears.'

Martin Wolf, Financial Times
CONTACT:
Edward Stockreisser
Lombard Street Research
Tel: +852-3196-3731
Email: Stockreisser@lombardstreetresearch.com
SOURCE Lombard Street Research

COPYRIGHT © 2008

Health: Blood transfusion risky warns Australian surgeon in Hong Kong

Melbourne - Medianet International-AsiaNet/ - The notion of giving some patients blood to pep them up is dangerous and surgeons need to be more aware that blood transfusions are risky and should only be given as a last resort.

Australian surgeon Professor Cliff Hughes is warning surgeons in Hong Kong today at the co-joint Annual Scientific Congress of the College of Surgeons of Australasia and Hong Kong, that the majority of blood transfusions are unnecessary.

"We are talking about elective surgery patients that are basically healthy when they have the operations."

In the past transfusions were seen as a tonic for the patient but we now know that it causes complications including increasing the chance of infections and the time spent in hospital.

Also unnecessary blood transfusions can be deadly because of what can be transmitted through the blood like HIV or Hepatitis
C and B.

"We decided the way to tackle the problem was to try and change surgeons prescribing habits but the difficulty was that most surgeons were very confidant that they were already doing the right thing. However this assumption was often incorrect according to the data that we collected over a five year period and we also found that there was a wide variation in how blood transfusions were delivered in hospitals. In 73 per cent of cases there was no clinical need."

"We empowered surgeons to be the gatekeepers and we were able to reduce the blood use in hospitals by 10 per cent and that is a huge saving in the hospital system," Professor Hughes said.

The Congress will run from Tuesday 12 May until Friday 16 May, at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Journalists are welcome to attend for more information please call Fiona Gillies, RACS Media & PR Manager on +61 407 339 556
or +852 2132 4886 Ruth Charters, RACS Media & PR Officer on +852 9767 1350 OR +852 2132 4885

SOURCE: Royal Australasian College of Surgeons

Business in Asia Today - May 13, 2008

JGC PICKED TO BUILD MIDEAST'S BIGGEST OIL PLANT IN KUWAIT
Tokyo (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - JGC Corp. (TSE:1963) said Monday that its alliance has been awarded a project in Kuwait to construct the largest oil production plant in the Middle East. JGC and South Korean firm GS Engineering & Construction Corp. will jointly build crude oil distillation and desulfurization facilities for about 400 billion yen (US$3.9 billion) by 2012.
JGC's share of the contract is expected to top 200 billion yen.
The two partners will soon sign the contract with the Kuwait National Petroleum Co. Construction of the entire plant is estimated to exceed 1 trillion yen.

INDIA'S BAJAJ, RENAULT AND NISSAN JOIN HANDS TO MAKE US$2,500 CAR
New Delhi (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Bajaj Auto Ltd (BSE:500490), India's second largest two-wheeler maker, on Monday announced a joint venture with Renault and Nissan (TSE:7201) to produce a US$2,500 car by 2011 that will compete with the Nano, the world's cheapest car from Tata Motors (BSE:500570).
The JV for manufacturing the small car, code-named ULC, would be owned 50 per cent by Bajaj Auto Ltd (BAL) and 25 per cent each by French car maker Renault and Japan's Nissan, a BAL statement said here.
The car, which would be rolled out from a brand new plant in Maharashtra and available in the Indian market in 2011, would also be positioned for exports to other markets.

MALAYSIA'S MISC POSTS 11 PCT DROP IN YEAR PRE-TAX PROFIT
Kuala Lumpur (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Malaysia's largest shipping firm MISC Berhad (KLSE:3816) Monday reported a 11 per cent slide in annual pre-tax profit on softer freight rates, rising operating costs and stronger local currency.
The company booked a pre-tax profit of RM2.609 billion (US$815.3 million) for the twelve months ended 31 March compared with RM2.930 billion a year earlier.
The lower profit was struck on the back of revenue of RM12.957 billion, up 15.7 per cent from RM11.199 billion previously. MISC declared a final dividend of 20 sen per share, bringing its total payout to 35 sen per share.

AUSTRALIAN RETAILER HARVEY NORMAN BOOKS 6.4 PCT RISE IN Q3 SALES
Sydney (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Australia's biggest electronics retailer, Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd (ASX:HVN), has booked a lift in sales over the last four months, despite a softening retail market.
Sales for the four months from Harvey Norman's franchised stores, commercial divisions and other sales outlets in Australia, New Zealand, Slovenia and Ireland lifted 6.4 per cent to $A1.78 billion ($US1.68 billion).
Harvey Norman posted a 2.5 per cent lift in like-for-like sales for the period, to April 30, 2008, compared to the prior corresponding period.

NEW LOUIS VUITTON STORE TO DEBUT IN TOKYO'S GINZA AREA IN 2010
Tokyo (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - LVJ Group KK, which imports and sells products made by French luxury brand Louis Vuitton, unveiled plans Monday to open Asia's largest Louis Vuitton store in Tokyo's swanky Ginza shopping district in 2010.
The company intends to lease nearly one whole wing of a commercial building to be completed in fall 2010.
The building has four below-ground and 12 above-ground floors.
LVJ Group's flagship store is likely to occupy floors one through 10, with the higher levels to be used for luxury dining.

S. KOREA'S KUMHO TIRE BEGINS CONSTRUCTION OF PLANT IN U.S.
Seoul (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Kumho Tire Co. (KSE:072340), South Korea's second-largest tire maker, began building a US$165 million factory in the U.S. state of Georgia, the company said Tuesday.
The Georgia plant, which will be completed in the second-half of 2009 with an initial production capacity of 2.1 million tires a year, would be Kumho's fifth overseas factories.
The new factory is located about 270 kilometers away from Hyundai Motor Co.'s (KSE:005380) U.S. plant in Montgomery, Alabama, Kumho Tire said.

CHINESE QUAKE UNLIKELY TO AFFECT GLOBAL ZINC SUPPLY
Beijing (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Zinc supply is unlikely to be affected by the 7.8-magnitude earthquake in Southwest China's Sichuan Province Monday despite the zinc production halt initiated by producers there.
The province produced 205,000 tons of zinc last year, accounting for only 5.54 per cent of China's total 3.7 million tons and 1.7 per cent of the world's 12 million tons, AME Mineral Economics quoted Chinese research institution Antaike's figures as saying.
There is no doubt that the zinc supply may be affected as long as production in Sichuan-sited zinc companies is fully halted, but there remains a surplus of 200,000-400,000 tons of zinc on the global market, AME noted.

VIETNAM TEXTILE INDUSTRY HOPES TO LURE MORE TAIWAN INVESTORS
Hanoi (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Though Taiwan is already the largest foreign direct investment contributor to Vietnamese textiles, Vietnam's textile industry is attempting to lure still more investors.
Local firms have expressed hopes that Taiwan investors could enhance sectors like fashion design, trademark building and the world distribution system, said Le Tien Truong, deputy director of the Vietnam Garment and Textile Corporation (Vinatex).
According to statistics from the Vietnam Textile Association (Vitas), there are about 500 foreign textile and garment enterprises operating in Vietnam, of which 150 are Taiwanese.

TAIWAN'S BOWA BANK TO MERGE WITH DBS BANK: FSC
Taipei (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Taiwan's debt-ridden Bowa Bank will formally merge with a Taiwan branch of Singapore-based Development Bank of Singapore (DBS) Group Holdings Ltd. on May 24, according to the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC). The merger will help DBS Bank -- a local branch of Southeast Asia's biggest bank -- overtake ABN AMRO Bank to become the fourth-largest foreign bank in Taiwan in terms of number of branches.
DBS Bank beat other bidders to acquire Bowa Bank Jan. 31 after it asked for just NT$44.5 billion (US$1.44 billion) from the Cabinet's Resolution Trust Corp. to make the acquisition.
The buy-out will increase the number of DBS Bank branches in Taiwan from one to 40, the FSC said.

KOREAN AIR, UZBEKISTAN AIRWAYS TO COOPERATE IN AIR CARGO
Seoul (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Korean Air Lines Co. (KSE:003490) , South Korea's biggest carrier, said today it has clinched a preliminary deal with state-run Uzbekistan Airways to expand cooperation in international air cargo services. Korean Air on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding with the state airline of Uzbekistan to build an international logistics center at Navoi Airport in the Central Asian country, the South Korean carrier said in a statement.
The deal calls for Korean Air to provide the Uzbekistan Airways with consultation on the management and operation of the center and offer cargo flights on the Incheon- Navoi-Milano line three times a week, Korean Air said.

Source:
Business in Asia Today - MAY 13, 2008
published by Asia Pulse

COPYRIGHT © 2008

Business: Infosys integrates relativity technologies

Infosys integrates relativity technologies into its modernization methodology Integration of the modernization workbench platform and Infosys' InFlux accelerates the realignment of clients' business processes to support strategic needs

Raleigh, North Carolina (BUSINESS WIRE) - Today's `flat world' mandates that organizations can quickly reconfigure their operational processes to address emerging business needs. But when these processes are misaligned with the applications that automate them, efficiency and flexibility are compromised -- and market opportunities are lost.

Relativity Technologies, Inc., the global leader in Enterprise Application Modernization, is working with Infosys Technologies Limited to address this challenge. Through this collaboration, Relativity Technologies' Modernization Workbench platform integrates with the Infosys InFlux methodology. This ensures that clients' business processes can be efficiently realigned with strategic imperatives - delivering more agile applications with less cost and risk.

Highlights of the agreement include: Accelerated Business Process Discovery: Infosys will deploy the platform at its dedicated modernization centers to automate the discovery and disaggregation of clients' existing business processes. The resulting repository of process models ensures that clients' operations are thoroughly understood and leveraged in any modernization initiative.

Integration with InFlux: Infosys has relied on the InFlux framework to define and execute application modernization engagements.

Through the integration announced today, business processes in clients' applications will be uncovered and modeled by the Modernization Workbench, and then seamlessly passed to InFlux. These models can be efficiently refined and redeveloped within InFlux to yield applications that better support clients' operations.

"To realign operations to meet your strategic goals, you must first understand and model current business processes," said Subu Goparaju, VP and Head of SETLabswith Infosys.

"We selected the Modernization Workbench because of its ability to accelerate the understanding of clients' business processes encapsulated in legacy systems - a fact validated at our own concept centers. Our joint R&D and integration effort allows Infosys to offer high value solutions to our clients such as our legacy modernization solution, part of Catalytic IT solution suite."

"We are pleased to partner with Infosys, a recognized pioneer in the delivery of business-centric modernization initiatives," said Steve Maysonave, chairman, president, and CEO of Relativity Technologies.

"Our software platform's unique ability to discover business rules and processes within existing applications enables organizations to adapt to today's hyper-competitive world. The endorsement of the Modernization Workbench and integration with InFlux further demonstrates our technical leadership."

"CIOs must prioritize the modernization of their existing applications to minimize risk and ensure agility," said Dale Vecchio, research vice president at Gartner.

"As they do so, it is critical that they understand the business processes instantiated in these systems and the relationships that exist across applications. Modernizing an application portfolio is inherently related to the underlying infrastructure and this level of understanding is imperative for success."

About Relativity Technologies, Inc.

Relativity Technologies' software aligns business and IT though application modernization. Over 400 organizations?including seven of the ten largest financial services providers?have used the Modernization Workbench platform to govern and modernize their core applications to better address critical business priorities.

The platform delivers this value by enabling organizations to understand, manage, modernize, and maintain applications throughout the enterprise. For more information, please visit www.relativity.com

About Infosys Technologies Ltd.

Infosys (NASDAQ: INFY) defines, designs and delivers IT-enabled business solutions that help Global 2000 companies win in a Flat World. These solutions focus on providing strategic differentiation and operational superiority to clients. With Infosys, clients are assured of a transparent business partner, world-class processes, speed of execution and the power to stretch their IT budget by leveraging the Global Delivery Model that Infosys pioneered. Infosys has over 91,000 employees in over 40 offices worldwide. Infosys is part of the NASDAQ-100 Index.

For more information, visit www.infosys.com.

Infosys Safe Harbor Statements in connection with this release may include forward-looking statements within the meaning of US Securities laws intended to qualify for the "safe harbor" under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act.

These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties including those described in our SEC filings available at www.sec.gov including our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended March 31 2008, and actual results may differ materially from those projected by forward-looking statements. We may make additional written and oral forward-looking statements but do not undertake, and disclaim any obligation, to update them.

India Relativity Technologies Mansoor Ahmed, +91-44-4225-6032 mansoor.ahmed@relativity.com
or US and Europe Relativity Technologies Peter Mollins, +1-919-786-2866 peter.mollins@relativity.com

Technology: CDMA Devt Group-led open market handset trials concluden in India

Commercial deployment of open handsets On track for second half of 2008

Costa Mes, Calif. (PRIME NEWSWIRE) - The CDMA Development Group (CDG) today announced the successful conclusion of its Open Market Handset (OMH) proof of concept trials in cooperation with Reliance Communications and TATA Indicom in India. Open Market Handsets enable both operator-specific configuration information and subscriber-specific provisioning information to be moved from the handset's non-volatile (NV) memory into a Removable User Identity Module (R-UIM) or smartcard. By doing so, the handset becomes a generic device that can be sold anywhere on the "open market" and used in multiple operator networks. The OMH program is part of the CDG's overall Global Handset Requirements for CDMA (GHRC) initiative, which specifies the common set of requirements and standards for approving CDMA devices in an open-device and open-application environment.

"The more flexibility we can give CDMA operators and their subscribers, the higher the success rate the technology will have in its continued expansion around the world," said James Person, chief operating officer of the CDG. "The OMH initiative seeks to do that by opening up handsets to more application and service choices, which in the case of these trials means access to R-UIM data capabilities that are independent of the network and handset. As we look to commercialize these capabilities, the cost of handsets will fall due to volume aggregation efforts, access to new applications will improve the mobile experience for consumers, and inventory costs will drop."

The OMH trials conducted in India verified and validated the OMH implementation for CDMA2000(r) handsets and for multiple data-enabled R-UIMs across two separate carrier networks, each requiring a specific network implementation. The goal of the trials was to prove that all subscriber, service and network provisioning data can be independently stored on R-UIM smartcards rather than existing on both SIM cards and the handsets. The resulting solution allows OMH-enabled CDMA handsets to serve as open devices for any open packet data application provisioned on the R-UIM smartcard. The devices can be used across multiple operators since all user, network and service configuration data is stored on the removable smartcards.

These successful OMH trials are a milestone for CDMA operators looking to lower their distribution and inventory costs while increasing their selection of devices and services. By using an OMH-capable R-UIM to provision all data services, multiple operators can support the same generic hardware and software design across handsets. OEMs benefit from lower development costs, greater economies of scale, enriched brand development and the ability to sell devices across many markets and regions.

The proof of concept trials used OMH-enabled R-UIM smartcards provided by Oberthur Card Systems and Eastcompeace on prototype handsets developed by Huawei and ZTE. In addition, Open Market Handsets are provisioned for full-fledged 3G data capabilities across operators. Tested, proven features include SMS, MMS, BREW, WAP/browser, backward compatibility, voice (with authentication), CDMA2000 1X packet data (SIP with CHAP and PAP) and R-UIM-based carrier customization (SPN and application level).

The GHRC's OMH initiative already has received strong interest and commitment from TATA and Reliance in India, CityCell in Bangladesh, and Mobile-8, Bakrie, Flexi and IndoStat in Indonesia. Based on a strong momentum from these operators, the OMH market will expand to larger regional footprints in higher-growth CDMA markets. To support demand, many OEMs are planning to introduce CDMA OMH devices in the near future.

For more information please visit www.cdg.org.

About CDMA2000

CDMA2000 is the most widely deployed 3G technology, with 258 operators in 98 countries, including 91 CDMA2000 1xEV-DO systems, serving more than 418 million subscribers. Counting 2G cdmaOne(tm) subscribers, there are more than 431 million CDMA users worldwide. CDMA2000 has become the technology of choice for developed and emerging market operators, and is deployable in the 450, 700, 800, 1700, 1900, AWS and 2100 MHz bands. More than 1,970 CDMA2000 devices from over 110 suppliers have been introduced to the market, including more than 512 1xEV-DO Rel. 0 and 55 Rev. A devices. More information on CDMA2000 is available on the CDG Web site at www.cdg.org.

About CDG

The CDMA Development Group is a trade association formed to foster the worldwide development, implementation and use of CDMA2000 technologies. The more than 130 member companies of the CDG include many of the world's largest wireless carriers and equipment manufacturers. The primary activities of the CDG include development of CDMA2000 features and services, public relations, education and seminars, regulatory affairs and international support. Currently, there are more than 500 individuals working within various CDG subcommittees on CDMA2000-related matters. For more information about the CDG, contact the CDG News Bureau at +1-714-540-1030, or visit the CDG Web site at www.cdg.org.

The CDG logo is available at http://www.primenewswire.com newsroom/prs/?pkgid=2911

Note to editors
cdmaOne is a registered trademark of the CDMA Development Group. CDMA2000 is a registered trademark of the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA-USA). All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

-0-
CONTACT:
CDG News Bureau
Ricca Silverio
+1 714-540-1030
rsilverio@bockpr.com

Business: Large U.S. communications company extends contract with Convergys for relationship management solutions

(Cincinnati; May 12, 2008) - - Convergys Corporation (NYSE: CVG), a global leader in relationship management, announced today that a leading U.S. communications company with millions of subscribers has extended and expanded its agreement with Convergys for its state-of-the-art Relationship Management Solutions. The expanded contract includes a 12-month extension of Infinys [R] license support and maintenance and an agreement for consulting services.

Under the original agreement, the client contracted with Convergys’ to consolidate its seven different legacy billing systems with more than 30 million subscribers onto a single billing and order management solution - Convergys’ innovative and flexible Infinys business support system. The client also deployed Infinys as the backbone of its new open business infrastructure. After evaluating solutions from six different vendors, it was only Convergys’ Infinys solution that provided the client with the robust commerce capabilities it needed to launch popular revenue-generating applications on this new platform.

Like many technology companies, the client’s business is undergoing rapid and dramatic change. This expanded agreement with Convergys enables the client to benefit from this change by providing its subscribers with the latest, cutting-edge technology offerings while effectively aligning its IT expenses with shifts in business.

“Convergys listened closely to our client to thoroughly understand its changing business and subscriber demands. We worked creatively to meet the client’s evolving needs while still maintaining the high quality level of operations the client has come to expect of us,” said Jim Boyce, president of Convergys, North America. “This renewed and expanded agreement is a testament to the flexible, relationship management approach Convergys takes with all our clients, and we are pleased and excited to serve our client through this transition.”

In addition to the extension of Infinys license support and maintenance, the client has extended an agreement with Convergys for its Consulting and Services team to provide comprehensive operations support.

Convergys combines its innovative business support system (BSS) software and unique operational expertise in relationship management to provide solutions that enable its clients in the global communications industry to drive greater value from their customer relationships.

About Convergys

Convergys Corporation (NYSE: CVG) is a global leader in relationship management. We provide solutions that drive more value from the relationships our clients have with their customers and employees. Convergys turns these everyday interactions into a source of profit and strategic advantage for our clients.

For 25 years, our unique combination of domain expertise, operational excellence, and innovative technologies has delivered process improvement and actionable business insight to clients that now span more than 70 countries and 35 languages.

Convergys is a member of the S&P 500 and has been voted a Fortune Most Admired Company for eight consecutive years. We have approximately 75,000 employees in 85 customer contact centers and other facilities in the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, and our global headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio. For more information, visit www.convergys.com (Convergys, Infinys, and the Convergys logo are registered trademarks of Convergys Corporation.)

To receive Convergys news releases by email, click on http://www.convergys.com/news_email.html

Contacts
Business and Financial Media - John Pratt
+1 513 723 3333 or john.pratt@convergys.com

Trade Media - Jeff Hazel
+1 513 723 7153 or jeff.hazel@convergys.com

Energy: Singapore GIC makes equity investment in AEI

Houston (BUSINESS WIRE) - AEI announced today that GIC Special Investments Pte Ltd ("GICSI") has made an equity investment in AEI. GICSI is the private equity investment arm of the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation Pte Ltd, a global investment management company established in 1981 to manage Singapore's foreign reserves.

GICSI, through its nominated investment vehicle, purchased shares from AEI and from some of its shareholders, paying a total of US$400 million for an 11 per cent ownership interest in AEI. A nominee of GICSI has also been appointed to AEI's Board of Directors.

"This is in line with our strategy to expand and diversify our shareholder base. We believe GIC's track record of long-term results in their investments is very much aligned with our approach to continued growth and long-term commitment to our energy infrastructure business and the development of the markets we serve," said James Hughes, AEI's Chief Executive Officer.

GIC is among the world's largest fund management companies and manages more than US$100 billion in assets, in equities, fixed income, foreign exchange, commodities, money markets, alternative investments, real estate and private equity.

About AEI

AEI is a company that owns and operates essential energy infrastructure businesses in emerging markets worldwide, earning more than $3.2 billion in revenues during 2007. AEI manages interests in a group of 36 energy companies with operations in 19 countries and approximately 13,700 employees.

The Company serves more than 6.3 million customers worldwide by operating businesses in Power Distribution, Power Generation, Natural Gas Transportation and Services, Natural Gas Distribution, and Retail Fuel, with approximately 42,000 km of gas and liquids pipelines, 162,000 km of power distribution lines, over 1,750 gasoline stations and a gross installed capacity of 1,735 MW.

You can visit the AEI website at www.aeienergy.com.
AEI Investor ContactRodrigo Silva, +1-713-345-5018 or AEI Media ContactOscar Serrate, +1-713-345-5048

Telecommunications: AppTrigger poised to ignite next gen mobile services in Asia Pacific

Ignite application session controller extends reach of applications and provides seamless migration to next generation networks

Beijing (BUSINESS WIRE) - AppTrigger, Inc., the leading provider of telecom application connectivity solutions, today commenced its launching of the telecom industry's first purpose-built Application Session Controller (ASC) for the Asia-Pacific market and the introduction of its Greater China and Singapore operations.

The ASC provides service providers with a cost-effective means for deploying new mobile applications by bridging legacy networks and large-scale voice applications, and sets the path for network migration without disruptive "rip and replacement."

Commenting on the launch, Joseph Lo, AppTrigger's Vice President for North Asia and Japan, said, "China today is host to some of the world's most interesting developments in mobile services. As millions of new mobile subscribers being added each month, consumers are set to bring their tremendous appetite for online services to the mobile platform. China's operators are in a unique position to reap revenue rewards from both the growing breadth of subscribers, and the depth of value added mobile web services that are made increasingly possible by migration to IMS."

With its flagship Ignite ASC, AppTrigger continues to address the lack of interworking between legacy and next generation networks, and provides a compelling solution to competing architectural agendas between vendors. The current break in continuity creates a significant challenge for service providers throughout the application domain. Challenges such as handling mid-call triggers across networks, service brokering among multiple applications, media server load balancing and ensuring applications remain current with the evolving network are just some of the issues that are negatively impacting the service provider's ability to harvest revenue from legacy services while introducing new applications.

"New competitive pressure in the Chinese telecom marketplace reinforces the need for service providers to persevere in the philosophy of continuous innovation," said Chris Todd, President and CEO of AppTrigger.

"The Ignite ASC's flexibility, innovation and technology bring together a unique set of capabilities that allows complex call control and protocol interworking to take place in a dynamic, real time environment. This technology enables our service provider customers to realize tremendous savings and accelerates their next-gen transitions while maintaining a constant user experience as they deploy new applications and migrate their services to next-generation networks."

AppTrigger's Ignite Application Session Controller provides a cost-effective future-proof solution for large-scale, complex traditional application deployments thus eliminating the need to re-write and re-connect applications as networks converge and evolve.

The ASC decreases application deployment costs, increases ARPU and preserves application investment along the path to NGN IMS. ASC technology offers service providers a 40 per cent cost reduction over traditional application connectivity for their mixed networking environments. The solution enables service providers to unlock the revenue generating power by enabling new service combinations such as high-growth IP service apps such as location-based services (LBS) and Presence-based services. The INSIGHT Research Corporation recently published a report, projecting that the market for these high-growth applications will be worth $66 billion by 2010. The report notes that an ASC is a key element to this migration strategy for service providers.

"The Application Session Controller is a key component of next generation core network architecture," says XJ Wang of Yankee Group. "Lacking of new applications and requiring big investment have been holding back Carriers' NG core network evolution. App Trigger's Ignite platform will help carriers' smooth transition towards next generation architecture.
Focusing on the IP transition of traditional applications, Carriers can increase value-added-service revenue with minimum investment on its core networks."

As part of its launch activities, AppTrigger will be presenting a session titled "The Opportunity and the Reality: The Transformation of the Telecom Network Evolution" at this week's China-VOIP conference in Beijing and will be debuting its Ignite ASC.

About AppTrigger, Inc.

Headquartered in Richardson, Texas, AppTrigger has offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, London and Buenos Aires. With deployments worldwide, AppTrigger is dynamically changing the telecom application delivery marketplace by empowering its customers to insulate their revenue-producing applications from the challenges of the ever evolving fixed-line, mobile, and IP networks.

AppTrigger's Application Session Controller provides a purpose built unique combination of media, signaling, call control, and a family of APIs for multi-network, converged application deployments. In an environment of ongoing network evolution, AppTrigger delivers time to market advantages, reduces application deployment costs, and provides feature transparency across disparate networks. For more information, please visit www.apptrigger.com.

EASWEST Public Relations Mark Chen, +86 135 1107 7391 mark@eastwestpr.com
or AppTrigger, Inc. Tamye Oshman, +1 214 572-7810 toshman@apptrigger.com

Technology/Manufacturing: Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials wins SSMC's Best Supplier Award for 2007

Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials wins SSMC's Best Supplier Award for 2007 Second 2007 Supplier Award for CMP Technologies

Singapore (BUSINESS WIRE) - Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials (NYSE:ROH), CMP Technologies, a leader and innovator in chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) technology for the global semiconductor industry, today announced its receipt of Systems on Silicon Manufacturing Company's (SSMC's) Best Supplier Award 2007. The award was presented during SSMC's Supplier Night on April 16, 2008. This is the second time in four years that the CMP Technologies business has received the best supplier award from SSMC.

This latest award follows a similar recognition from Hitachi Semiconductor Singapore, received in March 2008.

"SSMC was founded on the philosophy of building lasting partnerships with suppliers, and Rohm and Haas has gone the distance in delivering the highest level of service to SSMC," said Lee On Nam, vice president of SSMC's Corporate Service Division. "We extend our congratulations to the CMP Technologies business, and our thanks for its efforts to support us. We look forward to continuing our partnership."

Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials received the award based on its performance in SSMC's supplier rating system, in which materials suppliers are assessed, based on performance, in the areas of technology support, quality, responsiveness, commitment, dependency, logistics and price.

"It is an honor to be recognized by SSMC for the quality of our products, service and support over the past year, and once again we commend S. H. Chuah and the entire South East Asia team for this accomplishment," said Mario Stanghellini, executive vice president of global sales and marketing for Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials, CMP Technologies. "As a company, we have made a tremendous effort to deliver quality and consistency in all our products as well as new technologies and support to semiconductor manufacturers worldwide. Winning multiple supplier awards is a clear demonstration that we are delivering on our promises to customers.""We appreciate the significance of our role as SSMC's collaborative partner, and truly value the good mutual relationship that has developed over many years of working closely together," said S. H. Chuah, managing director of South East Asia for Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials, CMP Technologies. "We are committed to supporting SSMC, and we look forward to journeying in tandem with the SSMC team towards cost excellence, robust quality, enabling technology and long-term success."About Systems on Silicon Manufacturing Company Pte. Ltd. (SSMC)SSMC is presently a joint venture of NXP B.V. (NXP) and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd (TSMC). It is recognized as a leading manufacturer of CMOS-based semiconductors using process technologies to make wafers with line widths down to 140 nanometers, in one of the largest eight-inch CMOS wafer facilities in the industry.About Rohm and Haas Electronic MaterialsRohm and Haas Electronic Materials develops and delivers innovative material solutions and processes to the electronic and optoelectronic industries. Focused on the circuit board, semiconductor manufacturing, advanced packaging, and display industries, its products and technologies are integral elements in electronic devices around the world.
Additional information can be found at www.rohmhaas.com.The CMP Technologies business has been a leader and innovator in polishing technology for the global semiconductor industry since 1969.

CMP Technologies products include polishing pads, conditioners and slurries. CMP Technologies maintains operations throughout the world, including manufacturing facilities in Newark, Delaware, Hsinchu, Taiwan and in the Mie and Kyoto prefectures in Japan.

About Rohm and Haas

Company Leading the way since 1909, Rohm and Haas (NYSE:ROH) is a global pioneer in the creation and development of innovative technologies and solutions for the specialty materials industry. The company's technologies are found in a wide range of industries including: Building and Construction, Electronics and Electronic Devices, Household Goods and Personal Care, Packaging and Paper, Transportation, Pharmaceutical and Medical, Water, Food and Food Related, and Industrial Process.

Innovative Rohm and Haas technologies and solutions help to improve life every day, around the world. Based in Philadelphia, PA, the company generated annual sales of approximately $8.9 billion in 2007. Visit www.rohmhaas.com for more information. Imagine the possibilities?.Forward Looking StatementThis release includes forward-looking statements.

Actual results could vary materially, due to changes in current expectations. The forward-looking statements contained in this announcement concerning new technologies, products, product performance, corporate plans and development involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change.

Further information about these risks and others can be found in the company's SEC 10-K filing of February 21, 2008.
Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials, CMP TechnologiesKaren M.
Winkelman, 602-470-4418 kmwinkelman@rohmhaas.com or Impress Public RelationsMartijn Pierik, 602-366-5599
(Media)martijn@impress-pr.com

Business: Lightspeed Venture Partners closes $800 million fund

Lightspeed Venture Partners closes $800 million fund VIII Lightspeed VIII to emphasize investments in early-stage technology in Israel and the U.S. and multi-stage companies in China and India

Herzliya, Israel (BUSINESS WIRE) - Lightspeed Venture Partners, a leading global venture capital firm, announced today the closing of Lightspeed Venture Partners VIII, L.P. capitalized with $800 million of limited partner commitments, above the firm's target of $675 million. This closing brings Lightspeed's base of committed capital to over $2 billion.

"We are pleased by the strong response from our limited partners," said Barry Eggers, managing director. "The new fund will leverage our investment platform to support the creation of industry-leading companies in the U.S. and in other regions where innovation and economic growth are creating compelling market opportunities."

Lightspeed has a global investment platform. In the U.S. and Israel, Lightspeed will continue to focus on seed and early-stage companies primarily in information technology and cleantech markets. Information technology areas of interest include Internet, software, enterprise infrastructure, communications, mobile technologies and semiconductors.

Cleantech areas of focus include energy generation, efficiency and storage. In China and India, Lightspeed is pursuing a balanced investment program encompassing early-stage technology companies as well as growth-stage companies in a range of product and service businesses.

"Lightspeed investment professionals have been investing internationally for over 10 years, and we expect to deploy significant capital in Israel given the large number of high quality start-ups here," observed Yoni Cheifetz, a managing director at Lightspeed.

The firm has an active seed program and a strong track record of working with both repeat entrepreneurs and first time CEOs to create successful companies in a variety of industry sectors.

About Lightspeed Venture Partners

Lightspeed Venture Partners is a leading global venture capital firm with over $2 billion of committed capital under management. Lightspeed's investment professionals and advisors are located in Silicon Valley, China, India and Israel. Over the past two decades, the Lightspeed team has backed more than 150 companies, many of which have become leaders in their respective markets, including Blue Nile, Brocade, Calista, Ciena, DoubleClick, eHealth Insurance, Galileo Technology, Growth Networks, Informatica, Kiva Software, LightLogic, Maker Communications, Metasolv, Phone.com, Quantum Effect Devices, Riverbed, Sirocco, Virsa Systems and Waveset. For more information, visit the Lightspeed website: www.lightspeedvp.com.

MindSet MediaElize Shazar, 02-561-7258 mindset-pr@fahnschoffman.com

Technology: AdventNet/Zoho CEO speaking at AusInnovate at CeBIT Australia

AdventNet/Zoho CEO Speaking at AusInnovate and Transaction 2.0 Programs at CeBIT Australia

Sydney, Australia & Pleasanton, California (BUSINESS WIRE) - Zoho: What: Sridhar Vembu, CEO of AdventNet/Zoho, will deliver a keynote at AusInnovate which focuses on the latest research, development and innovation as well as how to drive these new ideas toward commercial success. Additionally, he will present "Super Power Business Web 2.0" at the Transaction 2.0 program.

In this session, Sridhar will review the most comprehensive office suite solution and describe how businesses can gain a competitive advantage from such Web 2.0 and collaboration applications. Zoho will also be showcasing their Zoho CRM product at the CRM Exhibition in Stand S 34 at CeBIT.

When: AusInnovate
Tuesday, May 20th, 2008
10.00am - 5.30pm
Transaction 2.0 Conference
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Enterprise 2.0 Session III
Super Power Business Web 2.0
Where: Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre Hall 6 Darling Harbour Sydney, Australia
Website: www.scec.com.au

Details: Sridhar Vembu is the CEO of AdventNet, the company behind the Zoho suite of online applications. He co-founded AdventNet in 1996, and has been CEO since 2000. AdventNet has transformed itself from a modest beginning as a software company serving network equipment vendors to a be an innovative online applications provider. It has maintained growth and profitability, without needing outside capital.

If you would like to meet with Sridhar at the conference, please contact Marisa Lam, media relations, at +1 650-544-3350, or email at Marisa@techmarket.com.

About Zoho and AdventNet

Zoho is creating the most comprehensive suite of affordable, online collaborative productivity applications and business applications for today's knowledge workers. To date, Zoho has launched 16 different applications and more are in the works.
Zoho has received numerous awards including a 2008 PC WORLD 25 Most Innovative Products Award for Zoho Notebook and "Best Enterprise Start-up" at The 2007 Crunchies. Nearly 200 developers work on the Zoho suite. For more information on Zoho, please visit www.zoho.com and blogs.zoho.com.

Zoho is a division of AdventNet, in business since 1996 providing innovative software products and serving more than 25,000 customers worldwide. For more information on AdventNet, please visit www.adventnet.com.

TECHMarket Communications Marisa Lam, +1-650-544-3350 Marisa@TECHMarket.com

Technology: Hazelle Lam joins Fluidigm as Regional Sales Directors for Asia

South San Francisco, Calif. (BUSINESS WIRE) - Fluidigm Corporation today announced that Hazelle Lam has joined the company as one of its Regional Sales Directors for Asia. Ms. Lam will serve customers in Singapore, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, China and Australia. Fluidigm develops, manufactures and markets integrated fluidic circuits (IFCs) for the life sciences market.

"Fluidigm's integrated fluidic circuit technology significantly improves productivity in life science research.
Our IFC architectures are highly flexible, and can be designed to support a wide range of applications and assay types," explained Ms. Lam. "I look forward to serving our customers throughout Asia."

Ms. Lam, based in Singapore, has substantial experience in sales, marketing and management in the life sciences market place and across the Asia Pacific region. She holds diplomas in Biotechnology and International Business from Ngee Ann Polytechnic in Singapore.

About Fluidigm

Fluidigm develops, manufactures and markets proprietary Integrated Fluidic Circuit (IFC) systems that significantly improve productivity in life science research. Fluidigm's IFCs enable the simultaneous performance of thousands of sophisticated biochemical measurements in extremely minute volumes. These "integrated circuits for biology" are made possible by miniaturizing and integrating liquid handling components on a single microfabricated device. Fluidigm's IFC systems, consisting of instrumentation, software and single-use IFCs, increase throughput, decrease costs and enhance sensitivity compared to conventional laboratory systems. Fluidigm products have not been cleared or approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use as a diagnostic and are only available for research use.

For more information, please visit www.Fluidigm.com.
Fluidigm, the Fluidigm logo, Topaz, BioMark, and NanoFlex are trademarks of Fluidigm Corporation.
Fluidigm Corp.
Howard High, 650-266-6081 (office)mobile: 510-786-7378

Fund/Bank: Orion Capital joins the DIFC

Dubai - PR Newswire-AsiaNet - Orion Holding Overseas, a leading financial services firm in the MENA region, announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Orion Capital Limited, has received a license from the Dubai Financial Services Authority to operate as an authorised firm in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). The license enables Orion Capital to deal in investments as principal or agent, as well as arrange custody. The firm can now arrange credit or deals in investments and act as advisor on financial products or credit to regional and international financial institutions who seek to enter markets in the MENA region.

Nasser Al Shaali, CEO DIFC Authority, said: "Joining the DIFC gives Orion Capital a platform to further exploit the growth potential for financial products and services in the regional market. We look forward to providing them the support necessary for developing their new business."

Mr. Mohamed Hafez Khalil, CEO of Orion Holding Overseas, said: "Regional and international financial institutions have a need for financial services that allow them access to the growing markets of the Arab world. We plan to offer Direct Market Access to UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Egypt and Jordan equity markets. This is possible through our strategic and exclusive clearing relationships with our SHUAA Securities partners as well as seeking EUREX, DGCX and DME memberships for our derivatives offering."

Today's announcement follows Shuaa Capital's acquisition of a 20% stake in Orion Holding Overseas, in January this year.

Orion Holding Overseas offers financial solutions addressing the needs of large corporations, institutional investors and individual high-net-worth clients. Orion Brokers is regulated by the Emirates Securities and Commodities Authority and the Dubai Financial Services Authority.

The DIFC bridges the time gap between the financial centres of Hong Kong and London and services a region with the largest emerging market for financial services. In three years, over 600 firms have registered at the DIFC. They operate with world-class regulations and standards. The DIFC offers its member institutions incentives 100% foreign ownership.

For information, press only:
Rana Al Bechara, Media Relations Director
Buchanan Middle East, Dubai, UAE
+971-4-369-8568
rana.albechara@buchananme.com
Nibal Slim, Chief Marketing & Communication Officer
Orion Holding Overseas
P.O. Box 211786, Dubai, UAE
Tel (Direct):+971-4-3649160
Mobile +971-50-6519081
Email: nslim@orionholding.com
http://www.orionholding.com
For Information on the DIFC:
Amira Abdulla
Director- Regional PR
Tel: +971-4-362-2433
E-mail: amira.abdulla@difc.ae

Business: Imperial Jets seeks aircraft to extract people from the Chongqing, China

New York (BUSINESS WIRE) - Imperial Jets, a private jet charter firm, based out of New York City, is aggressively seeking available aircraft to extract people from the earthquake ridden areas of Chongqing, China, in the Sichuan Province.

Imperial Jets has received a large volume of calls through its African office by people seeking air travel out of Chongqing.

According to a Beijing operator, all Airports within a 200 mile radius of Chongqing are closed due to possible structural damage and unfavorable take off conditions. Imperial Jets is currently in talks to secure 12-passenger helicopters available to fly into the Sichuan Province, flying out of Hong Kong and surrounding areas.

Chengdu, the capital of the Sichuan province, is 55 miles northwest of the earthquake's center. All flights from Chengdu to Chongqing have been diverted to land at other airports.

If you need transportation out of our near the quake-stricken region, feel free to call us at 1 800 599 JETS or visit us at www.ImperialJets.com.

We will have aviation specialist on 24-hr call to assist you in sourcing aircraft suitable for your departure.

Imperial Jets
Neal Rodriguez or Jason Ongoco 212-710-2222

Automotive: Germany fertile ground for automotive battery manufacturers

Berlin (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Automotive batteries is one of the major topics in the global auto industry. This is because energy storage is crucial in developing low emission powertrains using hybrid or fully electric technologies.

According to the consultancy Advanced Auto Batteries, global growth in automotive batteries has increased more than ten-fold over the last six years and the global market will likely approach US$1.4 billion by 2010 and $2 billion by 2013. Growth in hybrids is especially strong in Germany, where registrations increased 44 per cent in 2007. Business opportunities in Germany will be presented at the Advanced Automotive Battery and Ultracapacitator Conference, AABC 2008, May 14-16th in Tampa, Florida, USA.

Major German automakers are working to develop new battery-powered drivetrains for which a reliable and long-lasting means of storing energy is essential. German OEMs are scheduled to release nine initial hybrid model series by 2010. These manufacturers encompass major players such as Daimler, BMW, Porsche, Audi, Volkswagen, and Opel.

Daimler holds 25 patents in lithium-ion battery technologies and is planning to integrate such batteries into its hybrid S-class Mercedes models by 2009. The supplier Continental is serving as Daimler's system integrator and battery supplier.

Other industry leaders such as BASF, Bosch, Evonik, and Volkswagen have joined forces under the "Lithium Ion Battery LIB 2015" innovation alliance.

They are investing EUR360 million in coming years in research and development of lithium-ion batteries. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is contributing EUR60 million toward this effort, as part of the federal government's "high-tech strategy." Over a ten-year period, the federal government will provide EUR1.1 billion to applied research on automotive electronics, lithium-ion batteries, lightweight construction, and other automotive applications.

The German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) has recently launched a joint initiative among all the participating branches of industry, research institutes, and the BMBF to develop industry standards and a common base for future research in alternative storage systems. Opportunities exist for foreign investors to establish their own facilities in Germany, partner with German OEMs or suppliers, and apply for research funding.

Invest in Germany is the inward investment promotion agency of the Federal Republic of Germany. It provides investors with comprehensive support from site selection to the implementation of investment decisions. Invest in Germany can be found at stand 44 during the AABC 2008.

Invest in Germany GmbH Headquarters: Friedrichstasse 60 10117 berlin Germany T: +49-30-200-099-0 F: +49-30-200-099-111 office@invest-in-germany.com
http://www.invest-in-germany.com
Media Contact Eva Henkel T: +49-30-200-099-123 F: +49-30-200-099-111 henkel@invest-in-germany.com
SOURCE: Invest in Germany
CONTACT: Invest in Germany Headquarters, +49-30-200-099-0,
Fax: +49-30-200-099-111, office@invest-in-germany.com,
or Media, Eva Henkel of Invest in Germany,
+49-30-200-099-123, +49-30-200-099-111,
henkel@invest-in-germany.com
Web Site: http://www.invest-in-germany.com

COPYRIGHT © 2008

Sports: Asian Formula competition ends Malaysian round of racing

Asian Formula International open competition for 2008's Malaysia leg rings down the curtain

Beijing (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - NARCAR International Racing Development Co., LTD ("NARCAR"), a sports event operator in China, announced that at 15:30, May 11, 2008, in Sepang Circuit, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Asian Formula International Open Competition ended its Malaysia round of racing, becoming the first domestic formula-racing event held abroad. The event was independently initiated and operated by China and all the formula racing cars have home-owned intellectual property rights, making the event the first formula sport born in China.

The first round of finals started at 11:15, May 11. Zhang Zhiqiang, from Hong Kong, led at the beginning, but Luo Zhaofeng, from Henan, China, exceeded him in the sixth circle to finish first. The second round of finals started at 14:15. Zhang Zhiqiang passed cars in the third, fourth and sixth circles and won the championship.

The Asian Formula International Open Competition is positioned to be a continental event upon approval of the General Administration of Sports of China and the Federation of Automobile Sports of China. Each year, the event will be staged in Asia with formula cars provided by Geely Holding Group of China. The racing cars' 1.8-liter engines JL4G18 are independently designed and manufactured by Geely. On the Beijing International Auto Show in April 2008, Geely showcased a higher-level formula-racing car equipped with its latest 3.5-liter V6 engines and 6-gear semi-automatic transmission.

Asian Formula International Open Competition was formally launched in Oct. 2006 and seven competitions were staged in Beijing, Shanghai and other cities in 2006 and 2007, respectively. On April 13, 2008, the Zhuhai race of 2008 successfully came to a close. Thus far, 10 teams have participated in the event with a total of 20 players and yearly applicants exceeding one hundred.

According to the Federation of Automobile Sports of China, the Asian Formula International Open Competition is the only high-level formula racing in China, making it a significant milestone in China's auto sports history. The improvement of auto manufacturing in China has also played a positive role in guaranteeing the normal operations of the event and serves as a solid foundation for the ventures into the international arena.

Zhang Chao
Organizing Committee
Asian Formula International Open Competition
Tel:
+86-10-8233-4882 x8822
Email: zcouto@vip.sohu.com
SOURCE NARCAR International Racing Development Co., LTD

COPYRIGHT © 2008

Business: Cityscape China 2008 featuring world renowned real estate projects

Middle East's Fortune Group, Meydan LLC, ETA Star Property and US-based MGM Mirage, amongst many others, will be showcasing their mega developments at the event

Shanghai and Singapore (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Aside from featuring world-wide real estate developers from more than 15 countries, Cityscape China 2008 -- the renowned international real estate investment and development event -- will showcase numerous high profile projects including those of US-based MGM Mirage (NYSE: MGM), UAE's ETA Star Property, Meydan LLC, and Dubai's Fortune Group. Organised by the Institute for International Research (IIR), Cityscape China 2008 will be held at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre in Pudong, China from 25 to 27 June 2008.

"According to an article published by gulfnews.com on May 4, 2008, investments are increasingly flowing from China into the Middle East market. Chinese investment in the UAE currently stands at AED 1.1 billion (US$300 million) to date. With this in mind, we know that Cityscape China 2008 is well-crafted to bring the enthusiastic Chinese investors to interact with global developers," said Mr Graham Wood, Exhibition Director and organiser of Cityscape China.

In lieu of the recent investment trend between Middle East and China, Cityscape China 2008 is poised to open up that investment avenue for those keen Chinese investors to interact with distinguished UAE/Dubai-based developers and search for high-yield investing opportunities.

"China is the most talked about economy in the world. As one of the fastest growing property developer in the Middle East and South Asia, it is only natural that we expand to new territories including China. Cityscape China 2008 provides us with a platform to showcase our projects and strengths, and also develop an association with the Chinese investors and industry peers," said Mr Abid Junaid, Executive Director, ETA Star Properties.

Cityscape China will feature the latest in real estate developments from the world's leading and most respected development companies. These projects include:

-- The Fortune Group will be showcasing Burj Al Alam, the company's most recent and significant project development coming up at Business Bay in Dubai. Hailed as the world's tallest commercial tower, the Burj Al Alam houses a shopping arcade, health and fitness centre, and a sensational spa on its rooftop. The group's other current projects are located at Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai Sports City and International Media Production Zone. The company's current investments in Dubai real estate is valued at close to AED 7 billion (US$1.9 billion) across seven exclusive commercial and residential freehold projects.
-- Meydan LLC, one of the event's platinum sponsors, will highlight UAE's incredible new iconic horseracing development. The landmark development, which opens in March 2010, will span 76 million square feet and feature a world-class grandstand. It
will also boast a 55,000 to 60,000 capacity, and state-of-the-art dirt and turf tracks. This project will also include five-star hotels (operated by Banyan Tree), a
world-class golf course, ten restaurants, covered car parking for 10,000, the Meydan Museum and gallery, and the Dubai Racing Club offices.
-- ETA Star Property will feature the company's latest AED 4 billion (US$1.08 billion) green' project titled VERDE Residences and Offices. The buildings are designed to maximize the use of wind, natural light, geothermal mass, recyclable construction material along with energy- efficient systems and technologies.
ETA Star Property has been developing over 30 million square feet of premium property in countries across the Middle East and South-East Asia (including UAE), India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Turkey.
-- MGM Mirage (NYSE: MGM): MGM Mirage, another platinum sponsor, will be highlighting CityCenter -- the 76-acre urban resort destination collaborated between eight world-renowned architects and located in Las Vegas. Besides being one of the world's leading gaming, hospitality and entertainment developer, MGM Mirage also owns and operates 17 properties located in Nevada, Mississippi, Michigan, New Jersey, Illinois
and Macau.

Cityscape China 2008, supported by China Commercial Real Estate Association (CCREA) and the Chinese Government via the Ministry of Architecture and Planning (CACC), is returning for the second year to Shanghai.

In addition, experts from the Ministry of Construction, Zhongguancun Real Estate Chamber of Commerce, Council of Asian Shopping Malls and Bureau of Shanghai World Expo will be at Cityscape China 2008 to provide their perspectives on China's real estate and investment industry.

Cityscape China is an extension of the phenomenally successful Cityscape Dubai, organised by IIR Middle East. This three-day event also includes two high-level conferences -- Cityscape China Property Investment and Development, and World
Architecture Congress China -- and an awards program, Cityscape China Real Estate Awards.

For more information about Cityscape China 2008 and all related events, please visit: http://www.cityscapechina.com .

Media contact: Caroline Yeung caroline@flamecomms.com Tel:
(65) 6259 3193
SOURCE: Cityscape

COPYRIGHT © 2008

Technology: Gionee taps Telegent Systems to power mobile TV handsets

Leading China domestic handset provider Gionee introduces free-to-air TV phones based on Telegent's TLG1100

Shanghai (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Telegent Systems, the company that makes television mobile with its high-performance single-chip mobile TV solutions, and Shenzhen Gionee Communication Equipment Co., Ltd., a leading provider of mobile phone solutions to China's domestic market, today announced availability of a free-to-air TV handset from Gionee that leverages Telegent's mobile TV technology. Gionee's TV phone allows consumers to receive the same live, familiar television programming that is broadcast over free-to-air channels while they are on the go.

"Mobile TV is a very attractive feature to consumers that is a key influencer in purchasing decisions," said Wang Lei, assistant general manager of Gionee. "We believe that the free-to-air mobile TV feature, enabled by Telegent's technology, will be a significant factor in driving handset sales in 2008."

Gionee's free-to-air mobile TV phone, the Gionee A10, features a 3.0 QVGA touchscreen and is immediately available through Acorn International's TV shopping network, also online at http://www.chinadrtv.com. Gionee also plans to launch several more models of free-to-air TV phones this year, including models with large screen sizes and a model targeting women users.

"The analog TV feature will be the major selling point for mobile phones in China this year," said Kirby Deng, deputy general manager of SINO Market Research. "We estimate that analog TV phones will account for around 15 per cent of handset sales in China in 2008."

The Gionee A10's mobile TV feature is powered by the TLG1100, a high-performance single-chip mobile TV receiver from Telegent Systems. The TLG1100 supports NTSC, PAL and worldwide FM broadcast standards and is designed specifically for mobile environments, delivering a high quality picture that remains stable at high speeds of up to 430 km/h. The chip also achieves ultra-low power consumption, enabling multiple hours of continuous viewing time.

"We are pleased to partner with a leading brand such as Gionee," said Weijie Yun, president and CEO of Telegent Systems. "There is significant demand for the free-to-air mobile TV feature in China. Gionee's brand recognition combined with its ongoing investment in mass advertising channels will help further accelerate market adoption."

About Shenzhen Gionee Communication Equipment Co., Ltd.

Shenzhen Gionee Communications Equipment Co., Ltd. is a privately-owned high-tech enterprise which engages in R&D, processing and manufacture of handsets, selling both within China and exporting to foreign markets.

Established in 2002 with a registered capital of RMB200 million, Gionee has a staff of 18,000 employees, including 1,000 individuals engaged in research and development. Gionee has rapidly attained a leadership position within China's communications industry and is currently one of China's most influential brands. For more information, visit http://www.gionee.com.

About Telegent Systems, Inc.

Telegent Systems is a leading fabless CMOS semiconductor company providing high performance, single-chip solutions enabling free-to-air and pay-per-view mobile TV in mobile handsets, portable devices and consumer electronics.

Telegent's solutions make television mobile, delivering both analog and digital broadcast reception with unparalleled sensitivity and picture quality in mobile environments, ultra-low power consumption and the highest integration simplifying mobile device design and manufacture. Telegent Systems has its US headquarters in Sunnyvale, California and a subsidiary in China. For more information, visit http://www.telegent.com.

SOURCE: Telegent Systems, Inc.
CONTACT: Diana Jovin of Telegent Systems, Inc.,
+1-408-990-7092, djovin@telegent.com;
or Daniel Ding, Export Manager of Shenzhen Gionee
Communication Equipment Co., Ltd., +86-755-83581607,
dzq@gionee.com
Web site: http://www.telegent.com
http://www.gionee.com

COPYRIGHT © 2008

Pharmaceutical: Eularis to address marketing return at Japanese pharma conference

Tokyo and London (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Dr. Andree Bates, president of the New York and London-based pharmaceutical analytics company Eularis, will be delivering a presentation on how to tell if you are making the wrong marketing decision. The Pharmaceutical Marketing Excellence conference takes place in Tokyo, Japan.

WHO: Eularis
WHAT: Presentation on How to Tell if You are Making the Wrong Marketing Decision Using Marketing ROI
WHEN: 19 May 2008 at 11:45 a.m. in Tokyo UTC (GMT + 9 hours)
WHERE: Pharmaceutical Marketing Excellence Conference: Conrad Hotel, Tokyo At 11:45 a.m. on Monday, 19 May 2008, Dr. Bates will deliver a presentation titled, "How to Tell if You are Making the Wrong Marketing Decision Using Marketing ROI."

Bates will expose the limitations of current measurement techniques used to guide current marketing decisions. She will also provide attendees with ideas on how to put return measurements to work in making marketing decisions for their own pharmaceutical organizations.

Bates has gained wide recognition within the international pharmaceutical industry for her expertise in marketing return analysis. Under Bates' leadership, Eularis issued three related research reports in the past year, including: "Ensuring Profitable Return-on-Investment (ROI) in Pharmaceutical Marketing: Using Analytics and Metrics to Improve the Bottom Line,"

"Pharmaceutical Sales Force Effectiveness Metrics: Are You Measuring the Wrong Things?," and "Ensuring Profitable Patient Adherence Programs by Effectively Using Analytics to Release the Hidden Value Available to the Bottom Line from Adherence."

About Eularis

Eularis provides sophisticated pharmaceutical analytics that provide data-driven insight into the financial impact of corporate and marketing decisions. Unlike traditional analytics approaches which are lengthy and whose reliance on historical or analogue data reduces their accuracy, Eularis' proprietary 94.8 Analytics Process is based on the current market situation.

This proven approach helps pharmaceutical marketing teams to quickly plan, measure, validate, and optimize their sales and marketing performance.

Eularis offers pre-launch analytics, marketing mix modeling (both professional and consumer), portfolio optimization, sales force effectiveness, managed care analytics, and patient compliance solutions. Co-headquartered in London and New York City, although working internationally, the company has developed significant experience in the global pharmaceutical market through client engagements with AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Pfizer and many others.

This release was issued on behalf of the above organization by Send2Press(R), a unit of Neotrope(R).

http://www.Send2Press.com
SOURCE: Eularis
CONTACT: Tracey Haefele, +1-646-673-8408,
THaefele@Eularis.com,
or Japanese Contact, Yuko Muta, +44 (0)20 7403 5378,
YMuta@Eularis.com,
both of Eularis
Web site: http://www.eularis.com

COPYRIGHT © 2008

Business: Despite Financial concerns, Corps continue to relocate employees

Annual global relocation trends survey finds majority of companies remain optimistic and plan to send more employees on assignments even while cutting back on expenses; family matters still top employees' concerns

Oak Brook, Ill. (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Despite a slowing economy, an overwhelming majority of multinational corporations remain highly optimistic about the global outlook for their businesses and say they plan to send more employees on overseas assignments in the months ahead, according to the new Global Relocation Trends Survey, published annually by GMAC Global Relocation Services.

The worldwide survey of 154 multinational firms found that 68 per cent of corporations are ramping up their employee assignment efforts. Of those, 95 per cent say they plan to either increase the number of employees being transferred or stay at the same level as last year. A mere 5 per cent expect to decrease the number of employees relocating in 2008. The firms that participated in the latest survey manage a total worldwide employee population of 4.3 million.

According to GMAC Global Relocation Services, the optimism is impressive in light of a looming recession in the United States. Helping offset this, are booming markets in China and steady expansion of the European Union, which has created a vast and relatively open marketplace for trade encompassing some 500 million people.

Still, corporations are not immune from global economic challenges.

Despite this projected growth, the majority of companies (58 per cent) indicated they are cutting back on expenses for international assignments in response to economic conditions. At companies that are reducing expenses, 29 per cent of respondents -- the highest since the survey began tracking this subject -- indicated they are reducing policy offerings and financial incentives for relocating employees.

"The Global Relocation Trends Survey continues to present the newest data and research while providing companies throughout the world with valuable insight into current and emerging global mobility trends," said Rick Schwartz, president and CEO of GMAC Global Relocation Services.

"The survey identified three significant challenges facing corporations: finding suitable candidates for assignments, helping employees -- and their families -- complete their assignments, and retaining these employees once their assignments end," Schwartz said.

Now in its 13th year, the annual Global Relocation Trends Survey has become the definitive study of companies' employee-relocation practices, policies and projections. As it does each year, the newly released survey paints a comprehensive picture of evolving trends and emerging issues facing companies of all sizes that rely on an international workforce.

For information on how to receive the full survey, go to http://www.gmacglobalrelocation.com/2008 grtshc.html

Family Concerns

Family concerns were cited as the most common reason for assignment refusal (89 per cent), followed by spouse career concerns (62 per cent).

Family-related issues play a key role throughout the duration of international assignments; 28 per cent of respondents cited family concerns as the top reason for early returns from assignments.

"Not surprisingly, children's education, family adjustment, partner resistance and difficult locations were identified as the top four critical family challenges in this year's survey," Schwartz said. "That's underscored by the fact that 61 per cent of respondents noted that the impact of family issues on early returns from assignment was very critical or of high importance."

He added that it is becoming increasingly clear to corporations that "when candidates are selected for expatriate assignments, spouses, partners and entire families also need to be 'selected.' Managers of international assignment programs can't approach an assignment as just another task.

Instead, they must appreciate that they're managing an expatriate's future career, and that they face the possibility of early return and a possible doubling of the chances for employee attrition."

Indeed, the annual turnover rate for all employees is 13 per cent, compared to 25 per cent for expatriate employees during assignments, and 27 per cent within one year of completing assignments. Two key factors appear to be at play in this higher turnover rate, Schwartz said: - A feeling among expatriates that the inconveniences caused by their assignments are not adequately appreciated by their companies - Lack of opportunities to parlay the experiences and skills they gain from the assignment into better positions within their companies.

This year's survey also found:
The Expatriate Population: Fewer men, Fewer children - 19 per cent of expatriates were women; the historical average was 15 per cent - 50 per cent of expatriates were 20 to 39 years old - 60 per cent of expatriates were married, less than the historical average of 66 per cent.

The percentage of married men (51 per cent) was the lowest in the report's history - 51 per cent of expatriates had children accompanying them (a match for the previous all-time low in the 2003/4 report); the historical average was 57 per cent - Spouses/partners accompanied 83 per cent of expatriates; the historical average was 85 per cent - 54 per cent of spouses were employed before an assignment (but not during), and 12 per cent were employed during an assignment (but not before).

Twenty per cent were employed both before and during the assignment Expatriate Sources and Destinations - 56 per cent of expatriates were relocated to or from the headquarters country, which was below the historical average of 65 per cent - The United States, China and United Kingdom were the most frequently cited locations for expatriate assignments - China, India and Russia were the primary emerging destinations -- and also cited by survey participants as the most challenging locations for expatriates - China, India and Russia also were cited as the most challenging locations for administrators overseeing employee relocations

The company will be presenting key findings of the 2008 Global Relocation Trends Survey on May 29 - 30 during a complimentary webinar designed to provide a comparative analysis of the key global mobility issues facing today's business world.

The interactive webinar presentation, open to the first 100 registrants, is available in the following regions:
- The Americas: Thursday, May 29th at 9 am (CDT) - Europe, Middle East & Africa: Thursday, May 29th at 3 pm (BST)
- Asia Pacific: Friday, May 30th at 10 am (SGT)

To register for the webinar, go to: http://www.GMACGlobalRelocation.com/2008grts.html

About the Survey

The 2008 Global Relocation Trends Survey Report is the 13th report issued by GMAC Global Relocation Services (GMAC GRS).

Issued annually since 1993, the reports are considered one of the most reliable and respected sources of global mobility data and trends. The longevity of this survey enables the company to compare each year's results with "historical averages," which help gauge the relative importance of annual variations. This year's survey contained 107 questions answered by 154 respondents representing small, medium, and large organizations with offices located throughout the world.

For additional information on how to receive the 2008 Global Relocation Trends Survey, go to http://www.gmacglobalrelocation.com/2008grtshc.html

About GMAC

Global Relocation Services GMAC Global Relocation Services, LLC (GMAC GRS) (http://www.gmacglobalrelocation.com) is a leading, full-service outsourcing partner of end-to-end employee relocation, assignment management and mobility consulting services for multinational organizations worldwide. The company serves corporations in 110 countries and manages more than $1 billion in relocation-related transactions. GMAC GRS is a business unit of GMAC ResCap (Residential Capital, LLC), a leading real estate finance company, focused primarily on the residential real estate market in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia and Latin America.

About GMAC ResCap

GMAC ResCap (http://www.gmacrescap.com) is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of GMAC Financial Services. GMAC Financial Services is a global, diversified financial services company that operates in approximately 40 countries in automotive finance, real estate finance, insurance and commercial finance businesses. GMAC was established in 1919 and employs approximately 26,700 people worldwide. For more
information, go to www.gmacfs.com.

SOURCE: GMAC Global Relocation Services
CONTACT: Hugh Siler, Siler & Company PR, +1-949-646-6966,
hugh@silerpr.com;
or Brett Weinberg, GMAC ResCap, +1-952-857-6859,
brett.weinberg@gmacrescap.com Photo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071024/CLW122LOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Web site:
http://www.gmacglobalrelocation.com/2008 grtshc.html
http://www.GMACGlobalRelocation.com/2008 grts.html
http://www.gmacglobalrelocation.com
http://www.gmacrescap.com
http://www.gmacfs.com

COPYRIGHT © 2008

Technology: Teliris redefines telepresence market with expanded affordability

Personal, express and custom telepresence solutions broaden telepresence accessibility

New York (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Teliris (http://www.teliris.com), the leading telepresence provider, announced today a new continuum of telepresence solutions that breaks previous pricing barriers to open telepresence accessibility to enterprises and smaller businesses.

The portfolio, encompassing three new solutions, includes Teliris Personal Telepresence, the first cost-effective solution for private offices and individual users, Teliris Express Telepresence, and Teliris Custom Telepresence.

All three are built on the core of Teliris' world-renowned VirtuaLive(TM) telepresence technology that provides the most natural, immersive, and intimate meeting environment available. The solutions are packaged with a fully managed service including a 99+ per cent reliability guarantee.

"It was a natural evolution for Teliris, as the only provider solely focused on telepresence for the last eight years, to enhance our portfolio with a price-leading suite of telepresence products that will extend accessibility to a far larger audience," said Marc Trachtenberg, Teliris CEO and co-founder. "These significant innovations redefine the market and is just one more example of Teliris' continuing lead ahead of Cisco, Polycom, Tandberg, and HP."

The Teliris Personal Telepresence solution, designed for single users and executives, is the most affordable single-screen true telepresence system available with a list price of $32,500. This solution offers broadcast quality, HD video at 30/60 frames per second, a 40-inch HD display, integrated microphone, advanced audio processing system, full collaboration through picture-in-picture (PIP), and features PAS, Teliris' unique positional awareness system for proper seating.

The Teliris Express Telepresence solution is a two or three screen system that fits into any existing conference room and accommodates four to six participants. The solution features broadcast quality, HD video at 30/60 frames per second, unique 46-inch HD telepresence displays, pod microphones, and advanced audio processing system. The Teliris Express Telepresence solution requires no room build-out and is compatible with Teliris' unique collaboration options for ultimate flexibility.
Price ranges are from $99,000 to $125,000.

Both Teliris Personal Telepresence and Teliris Express Telepresence solutions are fully compatible with all Teliris VirtuaLive(TM) environments and, through the Teliris Telepresence Gateway, interoperates with traditional videoconferencing as well as other standards-based telepresence systems.

Additionally, both solutions incorporate Teliris' patented Virtual Vectoring technology that ensures accurate eye-lines for single and multiple location meetings.

Teliris also announced today the launch of Teliris Custom Telepresence, the only solution available that allows telepresence features and capabilities to be integrated into new environments, such as R&D labs, conference halls and large meeting rooms, factory floors, oil exploration platforms, among other uses. Teliris Custom Telepresence is the formalization of Teliris history as the only vendor with the technological nimbleness to successfully wrap telepresence around specific business requirements.

"Teliris continues to demonstrate its innovation by extending telepresence to markets that have had to rely on traditional videoconferencing in the past," said Dr. S. Ann Earon, president of Telemanagement Resources International Inc., an independent research firm. "These new offerings allow more organizations to benefit from the many advantages of telepresence such as travel and carbon reduction, productivity gains, improved work/life balance and business continuity planning."

Teliris' Personal, Express and Custom Telepresence products are orderable immediately.

About Teliris:

Founded in 2001, Teliris implements the world's most widely deployed fully managed telepresence solutions, realistically replicating the human dynamics of an in-person meeting. Teliris has deployments in over 26 countries with the largest installed base of Global 1000 companies, including Lazard, Pearson plc, GlaxoSmithKline, QUALCOMM and Royal Bank of Scotland, XChanging and Merck among others.

Headquartered in New York and London, the company delivers the most immersive and natural virtual meeting experience with end-to-end integration and an unparalleled 99 per cent+ availability guarantee. In 2007, Teliris received a $40 million investment from co-leads Fidelity Ventures and Columbia Capital. For further information regarding Teliris, visit the company's web site at www.teliris.com or email Teliris at info@teliris.com.

CONTACT: Shanley Stern Gravel
Jasmine Lyons
+1-917-515-4548
+1-917-595-3046
shanley.gravel@teliris.com
jlyons@cooperkatz.com
SOURCE: Teliris
CONTACT: Shanley Stern Gravel of Teliris, +1-917-515-4548, shanley.gravel@teliris.com;
or Jasmine Lyons for Teliris, +1-917-595-3046, jlyons@cooperkatz.com
Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080512NYM039-a
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080512/NYM039-b
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080512/NYM039-c
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Web site: http://www.teliris.com

COPYRIGHT © 2008

Business: Exar Corp appoints new vice president and MD of Asia Pacific

Fremont, Calif. (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Exar Corporation (Nasdaq: EXAR) today announced that James Lougheed was appointed Exar's Vice President and Managing Director of Asia Pacific. This is a new position, and Mr. Lougheed will report to Bentley Long, vice president, Global Sales.

"James brings extensive high technology sales and marketing experience in Asia to his new position," said Bentley Long. "James has proven leadership skills and a track record of success in this multi-continent region where Exar expects to grow its market position. Exar has wide presence in Asia with offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, as well as in Taipei, Taiwan and Seoul, Korea, plus strong relationships with distributor and representative partners which gives Exar a distinct advantage over our competitors in this dynamic territory."

Mr. Lougheed brings over 14 years of semiconductor sales and marketing experience (ten years in Asia) to Exar where he was most recently the Director of Marketing and Business Development for Cirrus Logic in Shanghai. He had previously worked at Apexone Microelectronics as Director of Marketing, and at Future Electronics as a Senior Technical Sales Director.

Mr. Lougheed has a degree in Electronics Engineering and a post Graduate Diploma in Management from the University of Southern Queensland (USQ), Australia. In addition, Mr. Lougheed is working on a Masters Degree in Business Administration at USQ, Australian Graduate School of Business.

About Exar

Exar Corporation is Powering Connectivity by delivering highly differentiated silicon solutions empowering products to connect. With distinctive knowledge in analog and digital technologies, Exar enables a wide array of applications such as portable devices, home media gateways, communications systems, and industrial automation equipment. Exar has locations worldwide providing real-time system-level support to drive rapid product innovation. For more information about Exar visit: http://www.exar.com.

SOURCE Exar Corporation
CONTACT:
Thomas R. Melendrez, Executive Vice President of Exar Corporation,
+1-510-668-7000
Web site: http://www.exar.com

COPYRIGHT © 2008