Business in Asia Today - June 12, 2008

LEIGHTON WINS CONTRACT TO BUILD TRUMP TOWER IN DUBAI
Melbourne (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - A joint venture involving construction firm Leighton Holdings Ltd (ASX:LEI) has been awarded a AED 2.9 billion (US$790.66 million) contract to build the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Dubai.
The Al Habtoor - Murray and Roberts joint venture will build the hotel and tower.
The Al Habtoor Leighton Group's share is AED 1.45 billion ($A418 million). The project at Palm Jumeirah is a high-end, mixed-use development containing hotel and residential facilities and involves the construction of a 62-storey structure. Constrution on the project is set to start in July 2008 and finish in May 2011.

CHINESE STEELMAKER, BELGIAN CO TO LAUNCH STEEL CORDS JV
Shenyang (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Chinese steel maker the Angang Group said it had signed with Bekaert of Belgium a letter of intent on launching a joint venture to produce steel cords for use in tyres.
Under the intention agreement, the joint venture will be based in Chongqing, southwest China, and established on a 50-50 basis.
It is projected to start production in 2009, with annual capacity of 100,000 tons of steel cords for automobile and motorcycle tyres.
Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed. Chongqing is China's third largest automobile and motorcycle manufacturing base.

CHINA TO ALLOW INSTITUTIONAL INVESTMENT IN AUSTRALIA
Beijing (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - China is expected to expand its investment destinations to Australia for Chinese bank products offered under the Qualified Domestic Institutional Investor (QDII) scheme.
Wayne Swan, Federal Treasurer of Australia, said that he had negotiated with Liu Mingkang, president of China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) on Australia's investment destination status.
The possible investment destination will allow China's commercial banks to invest in Australian-listed stocks and public offering funds.
China's QDII scheme now recognizes Hong Kong, Great Britain, Singapore, Japan and the United States as approved investment destinations.

TURKMENISTAN EASES INTERNET ACCESS FOR PRIVATE CITIZENS
Ashgabat (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Turkmenistan has begun allowing private citizens to connect to the internet, the latest sign that the reclusive Central Asian nation is opening up.
The country's only internet provider, Turkmentelekom, said last week that it has been connecting up to 20 homes daily since the start of the week, mainly in the capital Ashgabat.
It said it has a waiting list of 2,000 people. Last year, Turkmen president Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, who reversed some of the most draconian restrictions imposed by his eccentric predecessor, Saparmurat Niyazov, allowed the country's first internet cafe.
Until then, internet use had been restricted solely to government employees, diplomats and offices for major international companies.

MALAYSIA'S ZAID IBRAHIM & CO TO SET UP OFFICE IN DUBAI
Kuala Lumpur (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Malaysia's Zaid Ibrahim & Co has received approval from the Dubai Financial Services Authority to provide legal services to local, regional and international clients in and from the Dubai International Financial Centre, a global financial hub.
In a statement here Wednesday, the company said it was the first Asian legal firm to export the services to West Asia.
The office will commence operations by mid-July and will be headed by senior associate Farid Hussein, it added.
Company chairman, Dr Nik Norzrul Thani, said with the licence, the company was poised to position itself as the gateway for Malaysian and South-East Asian clients.

MOBILE PHONE SHIPMENTS IN JAPAN PLUNGE 21% IN APRIL
Tokyo (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Shipments of cellular phones and PHS (personal handyphone system) handsets within Japan sank 21.1 per cent to 3.29 million units in April, according to data released Wednesday by an industry association.
The decline is blamed on flagging subscriber growth and lackluster replacement demand due to the introduction of two-year contracts.
New plans introduced by various cell phone providers require customers to use the same handset for two years. Shipments have now fallen three months straight on a year-on-year basis.
The last time this occurred was in July-September 2006, prior to the introduction of number portability.

AUSTRALIA'S LINC ENERGY TO MERGE WITH OIL SEARCH CO SAPEX
Perth (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Coal-to-liquids company Linc Energy (ASX:LNC) plans to merge with oil and gas explorer SAPEX Ltd (ASX:SXP) in a deal that values the target at $A104 million ($US98.48 million).
Under a scheme of arrangement, Linc is offering 72 cents per SAPEX share and 50 cents per SAPEX option.
SAPEX shareholders may choose all cash, all Linc Energy scrip, or half cash plus half scrip. The offer has the unanimous support of the boards of both companies.
The merger will bring together Linc Energy's underground coal gassification and gas-to-liquids capabilities with SAPEX's coal resources.

WATCHDOG PROBES SOUTH KOREAN RETAILERS' UNFAIR PRACTICES
Seoul (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - South Korea's antitrust watchdog said today that it has launched a probe into department stores and other big-time retailers for their alleged involvement in unfair business practices.
"We have started an on-spot investigation into large-sized retailers on suspicions that they engage in unfair business practices in transactions with suppliers," Baek Yong-ho, the head of the Fair Trade Commission (FTC), told a press conference. He did not name the companies.
The move comes as the watchdog widens its investigation into local instant noodle manufacturers, refineries, gas stations and hospitals on price-fixing allegations.

MARRIOT INTERNATIONAL TO ADD 18 PROPERTIES IN CHINA
Beijing (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Marriott International said it will build 18 new hotels in China by 2012, taking its Chinese portfolio to 59 hotels with 22,489 rooms.
Nine new properties will open in Nanjing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Huizhou, Suzhou and Beijing.
Additional hotels are under construction in Shenzhen, Beijing, Hangzhou, Macao, Hong Kong and Guangzhou.
"In just 11 short years, we have been able to significantly grow our presence in mainland China in primary urban centers and now we are expanding our reach into secondary markets," said Ed Fuller, president and managing director of international lodging for Marriott International.

CHINA'S MAY TRADE SURPLUS DOWN 10% ON-YEAR TO US$20.2 BLN
Beijing (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - China's monthly trade surplus dropped to US$20.2 billion in May, down 10 per cent from the same month last year, the General Administration of Customs said on Wednesday.
Exports in May rose 28.1 per cent year on year to US$120.49 billion, while imports rose 40 per cent to US$100.29 billion.
The export growth rate was 0.6 percentage points lower than May last year, whereas the import growth rate was 20.9 percentage points higher.
The total trade volume in the first five months stood at US$1,012.08 billion, a year-on-year rise of 26.2 per cent.
A Customs analysis showed the acceleration of the yuan appreciation was one of the most significant factors in helping narrow the trade gap. China's imports expansion was mainly due to the soaring international prices of primary products and the increasing domestic demand for high-tech equipment and top-grade products from foreign countries, said the report.

Source:
Business in Asia Today - JUNE 12, 2008
published by Asia Pulse

COPYRIGHT © 2008

Technology: Xynergo - the company that will produce diesel from woody biomass- is established

Published: 08:00 12.06.2008 GMT+2 /HUGIN /Source: Norske Skog /OSE: NSG /ISIN: NO0004135633

Xynergo's first objective is to build a prototype plant for the production of synthetic diesel based on woody biomass at Norske Skog Follum in Norway. Such diesel will be virtually CO2 neutral. Moreover, fuel production based on woody biomass means that the raw materials will not compete or conflict with food production.

Xynergo is owned by Norske Skog, Viken Skog, Allskog, Mjøsen Skog and Statskog. The Company Board consists of Rune Gjessing (senior vice president for strategy in Norske Skog), Olav Sletbakk (head of sales and development in Viken Skog), Kjell Bjørndalen (former president of the Norwegian United Federation of Trade Unions), Wenche Ravlo (general manager of Norske Skog Follum) and Tom Bratlie (vice president corporate affairs in Norske Skog). In addition Stein Roar Eriksen as observer for the Norske Skog employees. Rune Gjessing is chairman of the board of Xynergo and Klaus Schöffel is managing director.

"We are now entering an exciting and demanding phase for production of second generation biofuels. Concept development and the interplay between industrial biofuel production and sustainable forestry is our main focus. We will also establish a close dialogue with the authorities to discuss necessary framework conditions for the development of technology and for the start of a new and sustainable industry," says Klaus Schöffel.

A prototype plant will be built close to Norske Skog Follum and aims to be operative at the end of 2010. The company is planning a full-scale facility which could be operative in 2015. Such facilities could be able to produce diesel quantities corresponding to approximately 15 per cent of the annual Norwegian diesel consumption for road transportation.

In 2006, road traffic was responsible for 9.9 million tonnes out of the total Norwegian CO2 emissions of 43.3 million tonnes (source: Statistics Norway, "Emissions to air by source - 2006").

"Using diesel from woody biomass will be an important contribution that Norway can reach its CO2 emission targets. If we can successfully replace 15 per cent of the current Norwegian diesel consumption by synthetic diesel based on woody biomass, Norwegian CO2 emissions could be reduced by 700,000 tonnes annually. This would mean a seven per cent reduction in road traffic emissions, "says Schöffel.

Xynergo is currently recruiting new employees who will be part of an exciting industrial development in close proximity of the industrial wood processing environment at Norske Skog Follum.

Oxenøen/Follum, 12 June 2008

Xynergo AS

For more information please contact:
Vice president corporate affairs Tom Bratlie in Norske Skog on telephone number + 47 905 21 904

This press release was brought to you by Hugin Online, distributor of electronic press releases for companies listed on selected European stock exchanges. Address:

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Travel: Thomas Cook India launches integrated travel portal

Thomas Cook India launches integrated travel portal on broadVision business agility Suite 8.1 Agile development environment allows three sites to develop and go live in parallel, lowers costs and shortens timeline

Redwood City, Calif. - BroadVision, Inc., (OTCBB:BVSN), a global provider of strategic e-business solutions, today announces that Thomas Cook (India) Ltd, India's largest integrated travel and travel related services company, has launched an integrated travel portal, www.thomascook.in, on the BroadVision Business Agility Suite 8.1 solution to offer end-to-end travel services to its customers.

The new travel portal will form an integral part of Thomas Cook (India) Ltd's integrated travel distribution network, spread across more than 160 outlets and over 200 partners.

"Today, 75% of e-commerce spending is attributed to online travel booking," says Mr Udayan Bose, Chairman of Thomas Cook (India) Limited.

"An average young entrepreneur traveling for work or holiday uses Internet for addressing most of his travel needs, and we want to tap into this large market and cater to their needs effectively."

"With BroadVision's agile development toolset, we were able to develop a complex full service travel portal addressing multiple user groups - B2B, B2C and B2E rapidly," commented Mr Amitabh Pandey, President and Head ? E-Business.

"Not only that, compared with conventional development environment where we might have incurred 2.5 times and 3 times more in both costs and timeline, we were able to launch the sites with much lower costs (1.5 times) and in a shorter timeline (1.2 times)."

"BroadVision solutions are designed with such agility and robustness so we can help customers build e-business websites not only to fit their needs, but also within their aggressive timelines," concluded Dr. Pehong Chen, President and CEO of BroadVision.

"The launch of the Thomas Cook India travel site provides another great proof point of the robustness of our solutions:
Flexible enough to adapt quickly to changing business conditions and scalable enough to facilitate different kinds of business requirements and deliver extraordinary results in a timely manner."

About Thomas Cook (India) Limited Thomas Cook (India) offers a broad spectrum of travel and related services such as package tours, currency exchange and travel insurance as well as hotel and flight reservations.

Thomas Cook has been present in India for over 126 years and operates over 160 offices at various locations in the country and has operations in Sri Lanka & Mauritius.

In its initiative to be a ?One Stop Shop', the company offers unique travel products to its customers.

It also came up with products designed specially for students traveling abroad for higher studies.

The company was acquired by Thomas Cook Group PLC from Dubai Financial Group in March 2008. Additional information on Thomas Cook (I) Limited is available on the company website: www.thomascook.in.

About BroadVision

Driving innovation since 1993, BroadVision is a global provider of strategic e-business solutions.

Our modular applications and agile toolsets, built on a robust framework for personalization and self-service, power mission-critical web initiatives that deliver unparalleled value to diverse customers worldwide.

Hundreds of organizations, serving over 50 million registered users including Baker Hughes, Bank of Argentina, BioRad Laboratories, Fiat, Hilti, Iberia, ING Bank, PETCO, Prime Polymer, Sony, Verifone and Xerox rely on BroadVision as their choice for e-business.

For more information about BroadVision, Inc., call 650-331-1000, email mediarelations@broadvision.com or visit www.broadvision.com.

BroadVision and Business Agility Suite are trademarks or registered trademarks of BroadVision, Inc. in the United States and other countries.

BroadVision, Inc.Tina Jade Wong, 650-331-3297 Director of Marketingmediarelations@broadvision.com

Business: Safety is Not by Accident - The SE Asian Safety Systems market

Singapore (BUSINESS WIRE) - Frost & Sullivan's Electronics & Security Practice in Asia Pacific (http://www.electronics.frost.com) will host an exclusive live briefing on the Safety Systems market in Southeast Asia on June 19th, 2008 at 11:00 hrs (GMT+ 08:00hrs) Singapore time.

Increasing foreign investments in SE Asia demand for certified safety systems in process industries. Stringent safety norms and regulations have driven the process industries in SE Asia to invest on safety system. Safety system in SE Asia is in its growing stage which is primarily driven by oil and gas, chemicals and other process industries.

The level of awareness varies from country to country in SE Asia, since the region is highly diversified. It is witnessed that during the forecast period, safety system market in SE Asia will have a significant growth rate. Industries install safety systems not only as a preventive measure to avert accidents but see that as an opportunity for increasing profitability and productivity.

Increasing awareness among the industries has accelerated the growth of the safety systems market in SE Asia. Fast growing industries like oil and gas, chemicals and petrochemicals in SE Asia are prone to cause accidents which greatly create an increased need for certified safety systems.
Due to this, intense competition among safety system providers in SE Asia is predicted. Integration of wireless technology with safety system will be the prime area of focus in coming years.

This analyst briefing will provide an overview of the Southeast Asian safety systems market and a breakdown of its key applications, benefits, drivers and restraints. Highlights of the briefing include an analysis of market trends, safety norms, SE Asian customer requirements from a safety system provider, market sizing in percentage based on applications and end users and recommendations to safety system suppliers. We will also provide an update of related and upcoming research and provide an opportunity for a question and answer session with the analyst.

This briefing will benefit safety system manufacturers, distributors, system integrators, safety engineers, process maintenance and service engineers, procurement executives and research analysts by covering the SE Asian safety system market and its trends.

P.R. Shyam Sunder, Senior Research Analyst for the Industrial Process Control Practice of Frost & Sullivan Asia Pacific says, "Safety systems enhance the protection of man, assets and surroundings. The maximum reliability and maximum availability of safety systems in a process industry directly impacts a plant's quality and productivity."

He adds," The integration of safety and control systems with increasing flexibility has attracted end users attention towards the implementation of safety system."

Join us as Shyam shares his insights enhancing safety systems, and how doing that enhances businesses and business environments. Those interested in registering for the interactive live briefing should send an email to Corporate Communications - Donna Jeremiah at djeremiah@frost.com with the following information: full name, company name, title, telephone number, e-mail address, city, state and country. The registration details will be emailed to you upon receipt of the above information.

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, partners with clients to accelerate their growth. The company's TEAM Research, Growth Consulting and Growth Team Membership empower clients to create a growth-focused culture that generates, evaluates and implements effective growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan employs over 45 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from more than 30 offices on six continents. For more information about Frost & Sullivan's Growth Partnerships, visit http://www.frost.com.

Frost & Sullivan

Corporate Communications - Asia Pacific:Donna Jeremiah, +603 6204 5832 djeremiah@frost.com or Hwa Mei Ho, +603 6204 5897
hwamei.ho@frost.com

Business: Arrow China named most preferred international distributor

Arrow China named most preferred international distributor by electronics supply & manufacturing, China, Magazine

Hong Kong, (ANTARA News/Xinhua-PRNewswire-FirstCall-AsiaNet) - Arrow Asia Pac Ltd., a business unit of Arrow Electronics, Inc. (NYSE: ARW), announced today that Arrow China ranked top again in the customer preference survey conducted by Electronics Supply & Manufacturing, China.

This represents the seventh consecutive year that Arrow has been named the most preferred international distributor by customers participating in the survey. Arrow received the top ranking in categories including Most Preferred International Distributor, Best Supply Capacity Distributor, and Best Technical Support Distributor.

"The honor of again being named top distributor in China validates our growth strategies in China," said Peter Kong, president of Arrow Asia Pac Ltd. "This recognition is a tribute to the dedication and achievements of our employees in China. As we continue to enter new geographies and markets, expand our product offerings and operate more efficiently, we focus on delivering greater value and bringing higher levels of service to all of our customers, suppliers and business partners in the region."

Conducted by Electronics Supply & Manufacturing, China, annually, the survey examines the current state of mainland China's electronic components distribution market and provides an overview of customer preferences in selecting a distributor.

This year, feedback was collected from 1,200 purchasing professionals with leading mainland electronics manufacturing companies in a range of industries, including consumer electronics, communications and various industrial segments.

About Arrow Asia Pac

A business unit of Arrow Electronics, Inc. (NYSE: ARW), Arrow Asia Pac is one of Asia-Pacific's leading electronic component distributors. In addition to its regional headquarters in Hong Kong, Arrow Asia Pac operates 52 sales offices, four primary distribution centers and 13 local warehousing facilities in 12 countries/territories across Asia.

Providing a full range of semiconductors, passive, electromechanical and connector products from over 200 leading international and local suppliers, Arrow Asia Pac serves more than 10,000 original equipment and contract manufacturers and commercial customers in the Asia-Pacific region. Visit http:/www.arrowasia.com.

Media Contact:
Ray Leung
Marketing Communications Director
Arrow Asia Pac Ltd.
Tel: +852-2484-2484
Email: marcom.asia@arrowasia.com

Grace Kung
Marketing Communications Manager
Tel: +852-2484-2682
Email: grace.kung@arrowasia.com
SOURCE Arrow Asia Pac Ltd.

Technology: Yamaha announces audio codec IC that offers high-quality audio

Tokyo - Kyodo JBN-AsiaNet/ - Yamaha Corporation(TSE 1st Section 7951, Headquarters: 10-1 Nakazawa-cho, Naka-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka; President: Mitsuru Umemura; hereinafter, Yamaha) has announced the development of its YMU809 audio codec IC that brings high-quality audio processing and hands-free functions to personal navigation devices (PNDs), mobile phones, and other devices. Yamaha plans to begin sample shipments of the YMU809 ICs on June 12, 2008.

In recent years, sales of PNDs featuring hands-free functions are expanding. And demand for improvement of voice sound quality in mobile phones is also rising.

The YMU809 improves voice sound quality of mobile devices. In addition to offering high-quality, high-performance audio processing, which is based on Yamaha proprietary AudioEngine(TM) technology, it incorporates echo-canceling and noise-suppression functions that minimize the sound-quality deterioration that occurs in hands-free telecommunication. By
integrating all the necessary functions for sound, which is audio and voice, the YMU809 can offer an easy-to-use system for PND, mobile phone and other devices.

Yutaro Nakano, Director of Sales of Yamaha's semiconductor business, commented, "The YMU809 is an input/output device for a broad range of audio and voice sources handled by mobile devices, including phone voice, navigation voice, music, video and broadcast. We believe there will be major demand for the YMU809 in the mobile device market."

Principal Features of the YMU809

1. Built-in, high-quality audio processing based on AudioEngine(TM) technology Incorporates a wealth of high-sound quality, high-performance functions that give high-quality sound output through small-diameter speakers and headphones, including surround acoustic field processing for multi-channel audio. Also, it incorporates compressed audio decoders for low power consuming devices.

2. Built-in, hands-free operation and other functions for improvement in quality of conversational voice processing Incorporates hands-free functions, such as echo canceling and noise suppression, are optimized for PNDs and mobile phones.
The noise suppression function operates for both transmitting and receiving, and, used in combination with the speech speed control function and voice quality improvement functions based on AudioEngine(TM) technology, the YMU809 can provide voice transmission and reception that is clear and easy to understand even in noisy environments.

3. Total management of sound output and input Incorporates audio quality ADC/DAC, a mixer and wider range of analog and digital inputs/outputs so that the YMU809 can manage all types of audio and voice sources handled by mobile devices.

SOURCE: Yamaha Corporation
CONTACT: Mr Misao Tanaka Public Relations Division Yamaha
Corporation Tel: +81-3-5488-6601 Fax: +81-3-5488-5060 E-mail
address: misao_tanaka@gmx.yamaha.com 17-11, Takanawa 2-chome,
Minato-ku Tokyo 108-8568
URL: www.global.yamaha.com

Technology: Neonode to include WinWAP browser in touch screen phone

Helsinki, (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Winwap Technologies Oy announced today that Neonode Inc, a world leading company specialized in optical finger based touch screen technology, will include Winwap Technologies Oy's WinWAP Browser in its uniquely designed touch screen mobile phone, Neonode N2.

Winwap's mobile Internet browser provides advanced browsing capabilities and the integrated browser adds full WAP capabilities as well as capabilities for browsing regular websites on the Internet.

"It is with great pleasure we are integrating our browser in the Neonode N2. It is our most exiting implementation made so far as it gives us a chance to show how well our browsing engine stretches to provide what is needed on a custom platform such as Neonode's where all content is accessed fast and easy," said Mikael Krogius, CEO of Winwap Technologies.

"Having our software on such a well designed and truly unique device helps us strengthen our position as a mobile application vendor for embedded platforms. The customized browser we created for Neonode is a great example of how our browser technology can be quickly adapted to provide a great user experience."

The Neonode N2 touch screen phone has no conventional hardware keys.

Browsing with WinWAP is easily done by lightly sweeping a finger on the screen in the direction the page should scroll. To select and follow a link, the screen is tapped once.

Johan Eriksson, Director of Research and Development at Neonode said: "The integration of WinWAP in the Neonode N2 was performed in a short time and with great professionalism. For us it is imperative that neno, our user interface, is always utilized to the greatest extent. The WinWAP Browser adds benefits to both users and carriers and we are very pleased to present yet another exiting upgrade of our software."

Neonode is expected to release its new software on the Company web site, www.neonode.com, in mid July 2008. The software will be free for download for all Neonode N2 users.

Winwap Technologies is specialized in software technologies for Mobile Internet browsing and Multimedia Messaging (MMS). The product portfolio includes the popular WinWAP browser, MMSClient, Software Development Kits and Toolkits for Browsing, WAP connectivity and Multimedia Messaging. The company is privately owned and was founded by the CEO, Mikael Krogius, in 1995. For more information about the WinWAP browser and Winwap Technologies visit http://www.winwap.com.

About Neonode Inc.

Neonode Inc is a world leading company specialized in optical finger based touch screen technology. The company designs and develops mobile phones under its own brand and licenses its patented touch screen technologies, zForce(TM) and neno(TM) to third parties. Neonode's mission is to enhance user experience related to any consumer or industrial device that can benefit from a finger based touch screen solution. Neonode Inc. is a publicly traded company (NASDAQ: NEON) with offices in Stockholm, Sweden and San Ramon, USA.

Neonode USA, markets Neonode's products within North America, Latin America and China and is the exclusive licensor of the Neonode Intellectual Property.

For more information, visit http://www.neonode.com.
Source: Winwap Technologies Oy

Technology: ComponentOne Studio for WinForms named `Best of Tech-Ed 2008`

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - ComponentOne today announced that its Studio for WinForms was named as a winner of the "Best of Tech-Ed 2008 Developer Awards" in the Database Development by Penton Media's Windows IT Pro(R) and SQL Server Magazine(R).

The judges reviewed over 65 products and services submitted for the contest and chose 13 finalists to be interviewed at Tech-Ed 2008 Developers Conference in Orlando, Fla. The interviews were conducted June 3-4, 2008. Winners were announced on June 5 at an evening reception held at Universal Studios, Florida.

"For our seventh annual Best of Tech-Ed awards competition, we've once again seen an impressive and expanding slate of entries," said Karen Foster, group editorial and strategy director for Windows IT Pro and SQL Server Magazine.

"We selected among the many admirable products, choosing winners that most clearly demonstrated strategic importance to the market, competitive advantages, and value to the customers."

ComponentOne Studio for WinForms is a collection of over fifty-five enterprise-ready .NET components, including charts, grids, scheduling, reporting, menus, toolbars, editors, navigation, data input, validation, and export/import.

With rich design-time support consisting of wizards, designers, and SmartTags, Studio for WinForms allows you to develop cutting-edge interfaces and highly sophisticated applications with less code and in less time than ever before.

"ComponentOne offers the widest range of data-aware components that make the development experience as smooth as possible. Being named Best of Tech-Ed 2008 clearly demonstrates that we at ComponentOne, continue to be the leaders in the component industry and have been providing award-winning products for more than 20 years," stated Chris Meredith, product manager at ComponentOne.

Key Features of Studio for WinForms
-- Over fifty-five data-aware and productivity components and controls
-- ComponentOne SmartDesigner technology for a code-free development experience
-- Windows Vista and Microsoft Office 2007 themes to professionally style your UI
-- Broadest range of components for enhanced database application development (Grid, Charting, Reporting, and Data conversion)

ComponentOne Studio for WinForms is available for download at http://www.componentone.com and is one of the five development suites included in ComponentOne Studio Enterprise.

ComponentOne Studio Enterprise is the largest and most complete set of development components for building all layers of Windows, Web, and Mobile applications. Studio Enterprise accelerates visual development with drag and drop components that simplify the design-time experience and extend the power of Visual Studio 2008 and Visual Studio 2005.

Now you can develop cutting-edge interfaces and add the most sophisticated feature sets to your applications.

Pricing and Availability ComponentOne offers the full version of Studio Enterprise for $1,100.00 per developer. This license includes all of the controls included in our WinForms, WebForms, WPF, Mobile, and ActiveX suites and comes with a one-year subscription service that entitles you to free updates, product enhancements, and new products for the life of the subscription.

Customers with an active subscription who have registered with ComponentOne will also receive an email with instructions to access and license our new ComponentOne Studio for Silverlight, upon its release.

About ComponentOne

ComponentOne has continued leadership in the Microsoft Visual Studio component industry, and has been a premiere partner of Microsoft for over 20 years. ComponentOne's flagship product, ComponentOne Studio Enterprise is the industry's broadest and most complete suite of development components for developing all layers of Windows, Web, WPF, and Mobile applications. With the most powerful components designed for the .NET framework, Studio Enterprise delivers the tools developers need to produce next-generation UIs for Windows and the Web.

Studio Enterprise allows developers to create rich user experiences with ASP.NET AJAX-enabled Web interfaces, enterprise-level .NET Windows Forms applications, as well as newly emerging WPF and Silverlight technologies with less code and in less time. ComponentOne is also the provider of Doc-To-Help, DemoWorks, and FrontLine.

ComponentOne is a privately held company headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA. For more information on ComponentOne or its products, visit http://www.componentone.com

All product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Penton Media's Windows IT Pro, the largest independent Windows IT community in the world, has Windows IT Pro as its flagship print publication. Windows IT Pro also includes SQL Server Magazine and Office SharePoint Pro. The Windows IT Pro network has 2.5 million unique visitors to its Web sites each month, and more than one million subscribers who opt-in to one or more email newsletters.

Windows IT Pro is the world's leading producer of custom road shows, paid conferences and paid workshops for Windows and SQL Server IT and developer professionals. For more information visit: http://www.windowsitpro.com Penton Media, Inc. is the largest independent business-to-business media company in the U.S., serving more than six million business professionals every month.

The company's market-leading brands are focused on 30 industries and include 113 trade magazines, 145 Web sites, 150 industry trade shows and conferences, and more than 500 information data products. Headquartered in New York City, the privately held company is owned by MidOcean Partners and U.S.

Equity Partners II, an investment fund sponsored by Wasserstein & Co., LP, and its co-investors. For additional information on the company and its businesses, visit http:/www.penton.com

SOURCE: ComponentOne
CONTACT: Eve Turzillo of ComponentOne, +1-412-681-4343, PRESS@COMPONENTONE.COM
Photo: Newscom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080410NEW078LOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org
PRN Photo Desk: photodesk@prnewswire.com
Web site: http://www.componentone.com
http://www.penton.com
http://www.windowsitpro.com

Technology: Portable gets flexible with Micrel`s ultra-compact chip solution

MIC2811 21 Combines One Highly Efficient DC-to-DC Converter With Three LDO Regulators For Multimedia Chipsets And Micro-Controller Or Low Power FPGA-Based Systems

San Jose, California, (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Micrel Inc., (Nasdaq: MCRL), an industry leader in analog, high bandwidth communications and Ethernet IC solutions, today launched the MIC2811/21, a highly efficient flexible power management IC (PMIC) that provides four output voltages in a tiny 3mm x 3mm MLF(R)-16 lead package.

This quad output device is ideal for providing voltages necessary for system core, I/O, auxiliary and external memory supplies such as SDRAM, NAND flash or Secure Digital (SDIO) found in today's portable devices. The MIC2811/21 are currently available in volume quantities with pricing starting at $1.46 for 1K quantities. Samples can now be ordered on line on Micrel's web site at: http://www.micrel.com/ProductList.do.

"The MIC2811 and MIC2821 offer the maximum flexibility needed to power portable devices using multimedia chips, DSPs or FPGAs, where battery life is of great importance," noted Andy Khayat, Micrel's director of marketing for portable products.

"By offering four output voltage rails in a single 3mm x 3mm MLF(R) package with three independent input supplies, the MIC2811 and MIC2821 allow designers to optimize for size, efficiency and configurability."

The operating efficiency of the MIC2811/21 can be dramatically improved by supplying two of the LDO regulators from low voltage sources such as the output of the DC-to-DC converter. LDOs 1 and 2 operate from independent input supply down to 1.65V.

This minimizes the voltage drop from input to popular output voltages such as 1.0V or 1.2V to increase efficiency. The DC-to-DC converter and the remaining LDO share the same input supply with an input range of 2.7 to 5.5V.

The fixed 2MHz switching frequency of the DC-to-DC converter allows simple noise filtering in sensitive RF applications. Output current rating for the DC-to-DC is 600mA while the three LDOs each support up to 300mA. All four regulators have an output accuracy of +/- 3 per cent over an operating junction temperature range of -40 to 125 deg. C.

The MIC2811 supports an optional bypass capacitor to optimize noise and PSRR performance of LDO1 and LDO2 for noise sensitive applications. The MIC2821 offers independent enables for all four outputs to support advanced sequencing and control for system power state optimization.

About Micrel, Inc.

Micrel Inc., is a leading global manufacturer of IC solutions for the worldwide analog, Ethernet and high bandwidth markets. The Company's products include advanced mixed-signal, analog and power semiconductors; high performance communication, clock management, Ethernet switch and physical layer transceiver ICs.

Company customers include leading manufacturers of enterprise, consumer, industrial, mobile, telecommunications, automotive, and computer products. Corporation headquarters and state-of-the-art wafer fabrication facilities located in San Jose, CA with regional sales and support offices and advanced technology design centers situated throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia.

In addition, the Company maintains an extensive network of distributors and reps worldwide. Web: http://www.micrel.com.

Note: MLF is a registered trademark of Amkor Technology.
SOURCE: Micrel, Inc.
CONTACT: Julieanne DiBene, Marketing Communications, Micrel, Inc.,
+1-408-474-1276, Julie.DiBene@Micrel.com
Web site: http://www.micrel.com

Business: LifeVibes MxMedia delivers video experience on Samsung phone

Eindhoven, The Netherlands, (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - LifeVibes(TM) MxMedia Solutions for TD-SCDMA Feature Phones, Providing State-of-the-art Multimedia Use-Cases to Enrich End-User Experiences.

NXP Software announces the integration of its LifeVibes MxMedia solution into Samsung's new L288 TD-SCDMA mobile phone.

LifeVibes MxMedia solution for TD-SCDMA feature phones offers a complete, pre-integrated multimedia middleware solution including video telephony and TV playing. LifeVibes VideoTelephony is a fully integrated and tested TD-SCDMA solution, delivering plug and play interoperability, robust performance for a hassle-free user experience. LifeVibes TvPlayer allows excellent video streaming via high bandwidth 3G networks.

TD-SCDMA (3G) mobile technology has certainly big potential in one of the largest mobile markets in the world. Therefore China has invested in its own standard TD-SCDMA, which enables the rapid spread of telecommunications with a high bandwidth providing fast access to Internet services.

With the biggest sports event in Beijing around the corner - the Samsung's L288 TD-SCDMA phone, including NXP Software's MxMedia multimedia solution - enables consumers to explore and experience how the latest innovative digital telecommunication devices enrich "sports experiences" and their lives.

"The combination of video and voice adds a new dimension to communication allowing users to share not only words, but also emotions, memorable sights and exciting (sports) moments," says Peter van de Berg, Marketing Director NXP Software. "MxMedia delivers a fantastic user experience for bringing these 'moments' to life through both video streaming and video telephony use cases."

LifeVibes MxMedia offers a complete, pre-integrated multimedia middleware solution delivering superior user experience with low processing load and memory consumption, in a modular architecture. It includes LifeVibes VideoTelephony, VideoPlayer, TvPlayer, CamCorder and HandsFree for both voice and videotelephony calls. LifeVibes MxMedia is a robust and market proven solution, based on NXP Software's vast experience and unique IP in digital multimedia, consumer electronics and mobile applications.

About NXP Software

NXP Software is an Independent Software Vendor (ISV) with worldwide local sales and support. It specializes in innovative multimedia solutions to help mobile device and consumer electronics manufacturers deliver vibrant, easy-to-enjoy multimedia experiences that truly stand out from the crowd. NXP Software has established strong partnerships with key vendors to ensure optimum flexibility, ease-of-integration and interoperability between hardware and software platforms. Its LifeVibes(TM) software is used in over 375 million mobile devices, making the company the market leader in software solutions for mobile multimedia.

NXP Forward-looking Statements
This release may contain certain forward-looking statements with respect to the financial condition, results of operations and business of NXP and certain plans and objectives of NXP with respect to these items. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future and there are many factors that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.

For further press information, please contact: NXP Software B.V.
Email : info.software@nxp.com
Website: http://www.software.nxp.com
SOURCE: NXP Software

Pharmaceutical: BioWa licenses POTELLIGENT tech to major pharmaceutical co

Princeton, New Jersey, (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - BioWa, Inc. announced today that it has licensed its POTELLIGENT(R) Technology to Novartis for the development of antibody therapeutics with enhanced antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC).

The license provides Novartis with access to BioWa's POTELLIGENT(R) Technology platform to research, develop, manufacture, and commercialize ADCC-enhanced antibodies for an undisclosed number of targets. In return, BioWa will receive license fees, development milestone payments and royalties on products developed by Novartis. Additional terms were not disclosed.

"POTELLIGENT(R) Technology has shown its clinical benefits in various clinical trials for oncology and inflammatory diseases," said Dr. Masamichi Koike, President and CEO of BioWa. "We are pleased to make this technology available to a world-wide, industry leader like Novartis. We believe that this agreement significantly helps us to maximize the value of POTELLIGENT(R) Technology and to fulfill our mission to bring the benefit of the technology to patients in need as quickly as possible."

About POTELLIGENT(R) Technology

POTELLIGENT(R) Technology improves potency and efficacy of antibody therapeutics by enhancing ADCC, one of the major mechanisms of action for antibody therapeutics.

POTELLIGENT(R) Technology involves the reduction of the amount of fucose in the carbohydrate structure of an antibody using a proprietary fucosyltransferase-knockout CHO cell line as a production cell.

Research shows that POTELLIGENT(R) Technology dramatically enhances ADCC activity of an antibody in vitro, and significantly increases potency and efficacy of the antibody in vivo. A number of POTELLIGENT(R) antibodies are being investigated in human clinical trials.

About BioWa, Inc.

BioWa is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kyowa Hakko Kogyo Co., Ltd. (TSE: 4151), Japan's leading pharmaceutical and largest biotech company, and is the exclusive worldwide licensor of AccretaMab(TM) platform.

AccretaMab(TM) platform consists of POTELLIGENT(R) and COMPLEGENT(TM) Technologies, creating a superior antibody molecule with enhanced ADCC and CDC activities.

BioWa is offering POTELLIGENT(R) and COMPLEGENT(TM) Technologies to partners under a license to maximize the value of these technologies. In addition, BioWa is focused on development of ADCC/CDC enhanced monoclonal antibody-based therapeutics to fight cancer and other life-threatening and debilitating diseases.

Both BioWa and Kyowa have POTELLIGENT(R) antibody products at various clinical stages. For more information about BioWa, visit its web site at http://www.biowa.com.

POTELLIGENT(R), COMPLEGENT(TM), and AccetaMab(TM) are the trademarks of Kyowa Hakko Kogyo Co., Ltd. All rights are reserved.

SOURCE: BioWa, Inc.
CONTACT: Masamichi Koike, Ph.D., President and CEO of BioWa, Inc., +1-609-734-3420
Web site: http://www.biowa.com

Business: Top Int`l names to speak at the CoreNet Global Sydney Summit

Headline Speakers Include Senior Executives from Hewlett-Packard, Fidelity Real Estate Company, Cordless Group and the United States General Services Administration

Sydney, (ANTARA News/Xinhua-PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - A highly impressive group of leading international speakers will provide valuable insight into the latest economic, technological, human resource and sustainability trends impacting the corporate real estate industry at the annual CoreNet Global Summit, to be held June 29 - July 1, 2008 at the Sheraton on the Park in Sydney.

Renowned international speakers confirmed to address the Summit include:
-- Mr. Chris Hood, Program Manager, the HP Workplace, Hewlett-Packard, San Francisco;
-- Ms. Sarah K. Abrams, President of the Fidelity Real Estate Company, Boston;
-- Mr. Philip Ross, CEO, Cordless Group, London;
-- and Mr. Kevin Kampschroer, Director of Expert Services, Office of Applied Science, United States General Services Administration, Washington.

All presentations will support the Summit theme "Generations@Work: How Corporate Real Estate Can Bridge the Talent Gap," - a timely topic given the skill shortage presently faced by Australia's real estate industry.

"The overseas speakers confirmed for our event bring a broad base of knowledge and expertise to the Summit stage, and through their presentations will share insight designed to help corporate real estate executives lead their organizations through times of transition and economic uncertainty," commented Mr. Peter Chenoweth, CoreNet Global's Region Director Australia/New Zealand.

"The CoreNet Global Sydney Summit therefore provides a perfect opportunity for corporate real estate professionals based in Australia to exchange information and points of view with global speakers who have significant influence within their respective fields," he continued.

According to Mr. Chenoweth, the conference's comprehensive agenda will, in particular, touch upon a wide range of inter-related corporate real estate and talent management issues with specific general session topics to be addressed including:
-- A Global, Regional and Local Business Outlook;
-- Understanding the Mindset of Generation Y;
-- The Changing Dynamics of Real Estate Talent: From Implementing Strategy to Influencing Decisions;
-- and Creating a Sustainable Workforce: Space, People and Technology.

A highlight of the event will be a special, inspirational presentation by Mr. Tashi Tenzing, who born in Darjeeling, India in 1965, is the grandson of Tenzing Norgay, who with Sir Edmund Hillary, made the first ascent of Mount Everest on May 28, 1965.

"Mr. Tenzing will vividly speak about the world of Himalayan mountaineering from fresh and unique viewpoints - the Tenzing lineage and his grandfather's achievements," stated Mr. Chenoweth.

As the final keynote presenter on the second day of the Summit, Mr. Chenoweth concluded that Mr. Tenzing's talk would provide the perfect close to the conference by delivering a message that promised to "uplift spirits and inspire us all to ascend to the peaks of our professional and personal lives."

Interested parties can register for the conference by contacting CoreNet Global on +61-3-9646-9703 or via email at pchenoweth@corenetglobal.org . Alternatively, please visit http://www.corenetglobalausnz.com for details.

About CoreNet Global

CoreNet members manage US $ 1.2 trillion in worldwide corporate assets consisting of owned and leased office, industrial and other space. With 7000 members representing large corporations around the world, CoreNet Global operates in five global regions: Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America, North America, including Canada.

CONTACT:
Peter Chenoweth
CoreNet Global
Tel: +61-3-9646-9703
Mobile: +61-414-932-830
Email: pchenoweth@corenetglobal.org
Janet Middlemiss
JEM Worldwide
Tel: +852-2857-3832
Mobile: +852-9195-7829
Email: janet@jemworldwide.com
SOURCE CoreNet Global

Business: Astrata announces record revenues and gross profit

Revenues up 280% and gross profit up 154% over the prior year
Backlog at approximately $110 million

Costa Mesa, Calif. (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Astrata Group (OTC Bulletin Board: ATTG) today announced record revenue of $13.4 million for the fiscal year ended February 29, 2008, up $9.9 million, or 280+% over the prior year period. Gross profit for the same period was $4.0 million, up 154% from $1.6 million in the prior year. The Company announced a reduction in net loss, recording $9.5 million for the year ended February 29, 2008, down $5.5 million or 35% from the prior year. The Company also reported a record backlog of approximately $110 million as of February 29, 2008.

Martin Euler Astrata's CEO said, "We believe that today's announcement of record revenues, substantial backlog, and greatly reduced losses indicates the strength and viability of our long term strategic growth plan. We are enjoying a high rate of new and repeat orders for our products, and an increasing need for our technology. We will continue our growth plan, both organically and through acquisitions."

Euler added: "We have recently brought to market our new GLP100 -- A compact, state of the art GPS tracking device specifically developed to meet the rigorous demands of homeland security applications. A primary feature of the GLP100 is its small and lightweight form, making it easy to conceal. It boasts real-time monitoring, secure communications and expandability to other sensors, effectors and data devices.

Euler concluded: "Our Telematics products continue to be in demand for fleet management and vehicle real-time tracking for private enterprises and homeland security applications. Our sophisticated security and communications systems give companies and governments an effective and proven means of protecting their resources. We, therefore, think that we are targeting the right markets, with the right technology, at the right time."

About Astrata Group, Inc.

Astrata Group, Inc., (OTC Bulletin Board: ATTG) is headquartered in Costa Mesa, California. The Company is focused on advanced location-based IT services and solutions (telematics) that combine GPS positioning, wireless communications (satellite or terrestrial) and geographical information technology, which together enable businesses and institutions to monitor, trace as well as control the movement and status of machinery, vehicles, personnel or other assets. Astrata has designed, developed, manufactured and currently supports ten generations of telematics systems with units deployed worldwide.

Astrata has offices throughout the world including the United States, Europe the Middle East and Asia. For further information please visit www.astratagroup.com

Certain statements in this press release that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements may be identified by the use of words such as "anticipate, "believe," "expect," "future," "may," "will," "would," "should," "plan," "projected," "intend," and similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Astrata Group Incorporated (the "Company") to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such
forward-looking statements. The Company's future operating results are dependent upon many factors, including but not limited to: (i) the Company's ability to obtain sufficient capital or a strategic business arrangement to fund its current operational or expansion plans; (ii) the Company's ability to build and maintain the management and human resources and infrastructure necessary to support the anticipated growth of its business; (iii) competitive factors and developments beyond the Company's control; and (iv) other risk factors discussed in the Company's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available for review at www.sec.gov under "Search for Company Filings."

IR/PR/Media Contacts:
Financial/Business Advisors:
Richard Nelson (in-house)
Todd M. DeMatteo
Astrata Group Inc.
DOMINICK AND DOMINICK LLC
rnelson@astratagroup.com
tdematteo@dominickanddominick.com
Tel: +44 (0)7795 422211
Tel: 212-558-8809
Gerald Amato (IR)
Booke & Co.
gamato@bookeandco.com
Tel: 212-490-9095
SOURCE: Astrata Group, Inc.
CONTACT: IR/PR/Media Contacts:
Richard Nelson (in-house) of Astrata Group Inc.,
+44(0)7795-422211,
rnelson@astratagroup.com; or
Gerald Amato (IR) of Booke & Co.,
+1-212-490-9095,
gamato@bookeandco.com; or
Financial/Business Advisors:
Todd M. DeMatteo of DOMINICK AND DOMINICK LLC,
+1-212-558-8809,
tdematteo@dominickanddominick.com
Web site: http://www.astratagroup.com

Environment: Congress members urge review of Asarco bidder Vedanta/Sterlite

Source: U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.); and U.S. Rep. Raul M. Grijalva (D-AZ)
Two Arizona members of congress urge department of justice to do environmental review of Asarco bidder Vedanta/Sterlite

Washington (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Two Arizona members of Congress yesterday sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey expressing concerns about the environmental track record of the India company Vedanta Sterlite.

U.S. Reps. Gabrielle Giffords and Raul Grijalva urged the U.S. Department of Justice "to launch an immediate investigation into the environmental record for bidders" before the Vedanta offer is accepted.

The full text of the letter reads as follows: "Dear Attorney General Mukasey: We are writing to you to express our concerns related to the impending settlement of bankruptcy proceeding for the mining company ASARCO.

Specifically, we are concerned about the potential acquisition of ASARCO operating assets by Sterlite Industries, Ltd. of India, a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources, PLC.

As members of Congress representing two districts from Southern Arizona, which include ASARCO headquarters in Tucson and two of its open-pit copper mines, it is very important to us and our constituents that the next owner of ASARCOs facilities have a well-documented record as a responsible employer and environmental steward. We have reason to believe that Vedanta does not meet that standard.

Vedanta has established an operating record in India and Africa that does not bode well for responsible stewardship of assets in the United States. In particular, we are troubled by reports that Vedanta may have engaged in a pattern of environmental labor abuses including:
- contaminating water supplies near mines in India and Zambia,
- improperly disposing of toxic waste and
- failing to provide protective gear to mine workers.

Despite these red flags in Vedantas background, the Department of Justice does not seem concerned. We were troubled to read that at a hearing last week, DOJ attorney Alan Tenenbaum stated that the Vedantas environmental record should not be a "dispositive disqualifying factor."

We could not disagree more. Given ASARCOs existing legacy of environmental degradation, it should be a priority to ensure that its assets pass into the hands of a responsible corporate citizen.

Before allowing this deal to proceed we urge the Department of Justice to launch an immediate investigation into the environmental record for bidders. If the Department of Justice approves the settlement -- as is required by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act -- before conducting such investigation, we will ask the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality to conduct an investigation before approving any transfer of offering permits to the new owner.

Sincerely, Gabriella Giffords, Member of Congress Raul M. Grijalva, Member of Congress"

A PDF file of the Giffords-Grijalva letter to Mukasey is available online at http://216.250.243.12/Gifffords-Grijalva.pdf

SOURCE: U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.); and U.S.
Rep. Raul M. Grijalva (D-AZ)
CONTACT: Ailis Aaron Wolf of Hastings Group, +1-703-276-3265
or aawolf@hastingsgroup.com
Web site: http://216.250.243.12/Gifffords-Grijalva.pdf

Technology: Enerpulse appoints Scandinavian distributor

Pulstar(TM) - a prescription for high fuel costs

Albuquerque, N.M. (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Enerpulse has signed an exclusive distribution agreement with AutoHitech to import and market Pulstar pulse plugs throughout Scandinavia where gasoline prices have soared past $9 per gallon. The Norwegian-based company AutoHitech will import and market Pulstar(TM) within Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland, a market estimated at $50 million. Tests conducted both at Enerpulse, Inc. and in Norway demonstrate that Pulstar(TM) could improve fuel economy by as much as 10% in many European vehicles.

"Scandinavia's high gas prices and genuine concern for the environment make it a great entry point to the European market," commented Daniel Parker, CEO of Enerpulse, Inc. "We have already begun identifying a suitable partner for the UK with growing interest from Italy, Germany, France and Spain. Even without the current oil crisis, Europeans will benefit greatly from Pulstar's drop-in fuel economy."

AutoHitech's Roar Roise also commented that, "We have worked with Enerpulse on earlier versions of Pulstar(TM) and have found that the technology really delivers on its fuel savings promise. We think that changing from spark plugs to Pulstar(TM) pulse plugs will be a simple and cost-effective alternative to high gas prices in our region."

PULSE PLUGS VS. SPARK PLUGS

Pulstar(TM) is a unique type of spark plug called a pulse plug. Unlike spark plugs, pulse plugs have an integrated electrical circuit called a capacitor that boosts energy to the spark much like a camera flash boosts light. The resulting more robust spark improves engine combustion yielding better fuel economy and engine performance. See http://www.pulstarplug.com/howtheywork.html.

Fuel economy testing compares Pulstar(TM) to factory recommended spark plugs utilizing the Environmental Protection Agency's US06 drive cycle in combination with a real time fuel flow monitoring system. On average Pulstar(TM) improves fuel economy by 6% across all vehicles tested. For complete test details see http://www.pulstarplug.com/testresults.html

Enerpulse, Inc., a privately held company headquartered in Albuquerque, N.M., was founded in 1996. The company develops environmentally friendly ignition products through the application of pulsed power technology. For more information, visit http://www.pulstar.com.

AutoHitech is a privately held company with headquarters in Oslo, Norway. AutoHitech bases its business on high tech, environmentally-friendly, aftermarket automotive products. Their slogan is Environmental Performance. For more information, visit http://www.autohitech.no.

SOURCE Enerpulse, Inc.
CONTACT: Natalie Carter of Enerpulse, Inc.,
+1-505-999-2005,
ncarter@enerpulse.com Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com
cgi-bin/prnh/20080611/LAW011
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com/
Web site: http://www.pulstar.com
http://www.autohitech.no

Mining/Minerals: New high-strength corrosion-resistant alloy now available

Alloy 945 uniquely suited to oil and gas applications

Houston (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - HOWCO Group, a global supplier of hi-tech materials to the oilfield services industry, has added a new corrosion-resistant alloy (CRA) to its family of CRAs.

INCOLOY(R) alloy 945 will be especially useful in sour well drilling and deep water drilling projects. The new alloy is suitable for applications requiring high strength (125 minimum yield) and corrosion resistance in extreme conditions.

INCOLOY(R) alloy 945 has superior corrosion resistance to alloy 718, and it was developed specifically for use in harsh environments with extreme heat and pressure. It is a specialized nickel hybrid of alloy 925 and alloy 718. It offers the best of both alloys -- higher strength capability and excellent corrosion-resistance.

INCOLOY(R) alloy 945 is NACE MR0175/ISO-15156-3 approved for use in oil and gas applications up to NACE level VI.

"The drilling and exploration industry will welcome this new alloy when they see its dramatic capabilities in the field," said Cliff Swift, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for North America, HOWCO Group. "Real world experience tells us this is an important step forward."

Special Metals Corporation, the developer of the new alloy, and HOWCO Group have a complete range of bar, ingot, billet and heavy wall mechanical tube products in supply, and are prepared to meet demand and support a fast entry into the oil and gas arena.

"We are fortunate to be aligned with Special Metals and we are ready to meet the needs of our oil and gas customers," said Swift. "There is a significant demand for stronger and more resistant materials for extreme environments, and we are prepared to meet that demand."

The timely introduction of this new alloy could not have been more appropriate given the current climate in the oil and gas sector. Increased demand for energy is projected to continue over the next decade. Strong oil and metals prices, increased exploration and production in the oil and gas industry are certain to follow.

Technological advancement in deepwater drilling and intelligent well systems that function in hostile environments, create more demand for high nickel products. HOWCO has traditionally specialized in advanced high-nickel materials.

The HOWCO Group

The HOWCO Group is a market leader in high performance metals. With 30 per cent market share, HOWCO is a leader in high nickel products for hostile oil-producing environments (such as deepwater drilling) and is a global supplier for oilfield service, focusing on supply chain management, added value processing and manufacturing.

With 14 locations, HOWCO operates globally through subsidiaries in the U.S., Canada, Singapore, Europe and the UK.
For more information visit www.howcogroup.com

Special Metals Corporation

Special Metals Corporation is a world leader in the invention, production and supply of high-nickel, high-performance alloys used for the world's most technically demanding industries and applications.

Special Metals offers the largest range of highly engineered nickel alloys in all standard mill forms providing optimum heat resistance, high-temperature corrosion resistance, toughness, and strength.

The company has manufacturing and research facilities in the USA and Europe, and a distribution network including most of the industrialized countries of the world. For more information visit www.specialmetals.com

SOURCE: HOWCO Group
CONTACT: Mr John Mullane of Calumet Communications,
+1-914-391-0943, for HOWCO Group
Web site: http://www.howcogroup.com
http://www.specialmetals.com

Chemicals: Huber raises price of industrial ground calcium carbonate grades

Huber Engineered Materials announces price increase for industrial ground calcium carbonate grades

Atlanta (BUSINESS WIRE) - Huber Engineered Materials, part of J.M. Huber Corporation, today announced a price increase for its industrial calcium carbonate grades.

The increase does not apply to Huber's food and USP calcium carbonate grades.

The increase is effective July 1, 2008, or as current contracts allow.

Prices will increase five to 10 percent, dependent upon the product grade, volume and form.

Increases in freight, energy, raw materials costs and rising investments in maintaining customer service levels cannot be offset by productivity improvements and processing efficiency, Huber officials said.

About Huber Engineered Materials

Huber Engineered Materials develops engineered specialty ingredients that enhance the performance, appeal and processing of a broad range of products used in industrial, paper and consumer-based applications. Its inorganic science and product modification techniques have resulted in advancing the art in specialty silica and silicates, alumina trihydrate, magnesium hydroxide, barium sulfate and natural calcium carbonate.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Huber Engineered Materials has offices in 15 countries. For more information, see www.hubermaterials.com.

About J.M. Huber Corporation

J.M. Huber Corporation, headquartered in Edison, NJ, is a diversified, multinational supplier of engineered materials, natural resources and technology-based services to customers spanning many industries from paper and energy to plastics and construction. With announced sales exceeding $2-billion, J.M.
Huber Corporation is one of the largest family-owned companies in the United States. The company offers total solutions in inorganic chemistry, engineered wood composites and other specialties. For more information, see www.huber.com.

Huber Engineered Materials
Keith Sorrell, 678-247-2730 keith.sorrell@huber.com

Automotive: TI Automotive Unit wins Toyota Safety Award

Tianjin, China (BUSINESS WIRE) - TI Automotive Fuel Systems' Tianjin (China) manufacturing plant has received Toyota's 2007 Safety Award for its outstanding safety-performance record during the past year.

In presenting the bi-annual award, Toyota noted that TI Automotive's Tianjin facility excelled in general safety performance, including its equipment and engineering operations. The plant has been in operation since 2004 and supplies tanks, pumps and modules for customers including Toyota, as well as Volkswagen and Peugeot vehicles.

"The Toyota Safety Award recognizes our Tianjin plant's dedication to employee safety," said David Murrell, president of TI Automotive's Asia Pacific Region?Fuel Systems. "Our team in Tianjin deserves the highest praise possible for its outstanding safety performance."

TI Automotive is the world's leading supplier of fluid storage, transfer and delivery systems, including brake, fuel and air conditioning applications. With headquarter locations in Warren, Mich., and Oxford, England, the company employs more than 17,500 people at more than 100 facilities in 27 countries on six continents. Annual sales in 2007 totaled approximately $2.8 billion.

Further information is available on the Internet at www.tiautomotive.com.

Company Contact TI Automotive Jim Newell, +1.586.755.8466
jnewell@uk.tiauto.com or Media ContactAutoCom AssociatesJan
Krol, +1.248.647.8621 jkrol@usautocom.com

Biotech: BIOTECH CHINA produces good results

BIOTECH CHINA produces good results high proportion of foreign exhibitors 5,179 trade visitors from 29 countries first German joint pavilion organizers and attendees very satisfied

Shanghai, China & Hannover, Germany (BUSINESS WIRE) - BIOTECH CHINA, which took place from 28 to 30 May 2008, closed on a positive note.
It was the second time that the Shanghai International Exhibition Center (INTEX) had hosted this central communication platform for the biotechnology industry in Asia. "With foreign exhibitors comprising 41% of the total and 5,179 professional visitors from 29 countries, the event more than fulfilled our expectations", said Andreas Gruchow, Board member of Deutsche Messe AG, Hannover, the organizers of BIOTECH CHINA. "In particular, we have seen a marked improvement in the calibre of the exhibitors and visitors from this future-oriented, specialized sector.

Our trade show has established a firm foothold in China's most important economic centre."

A total of 121 exhibitors from 15 countries showcased their products and innovations in a display covering 3,700 square metres. Exhibitors included leading companies such as Sarstedt, Millipore, Merck Chemicals, Roche Diagnostics and Sartorius.
Whereas most of the exhibitors who took part last year were from Asia, this year saw numerous companies from Germany, the USA and Canada join the ranks. BIOTECH CHINA also welcomed the first German joint display, as well as stands from biotech associations and business development agencies from Germany, Austria, Spain and the USA. Finally, the trade show was also attended by delegations from Spain, Canada, Australia and the USA.

In general, the exhibitors were extremely satisfied with the event, as typified by the comments of Dr. Viktoras Butkus, Chairman & CEO, Fermentas Life Sciences, Lithuania: "Fermentas has opened a new subsidiary in Shenzen. BIOTECH CHINA has proved to be the perfect platform for us to build stronger relationships to China's research community and potential partners and customers. We will be back in 2009!"

The German joint stand enjoyed similar success. Dr. Bernd Glauner, Head of CASY Technology, innovatis AG, reports: The excellent organization of the German Pavilion at BIOTECH CHINA has considerably contributed to not only strengthen the relationship with our partner ALIT, but especially to further establish and extend our network in China through numerous high-quality leads."

A side program created for the foreign exhibitors included an evening reception at the German embassy, as well as a visit to a modern biotech park in Shanghai, where various research institutes and many foreign biotech and pharmaceutical companies operate under optimal conditions.

The concept, combining the three-day exhibition and the Innovation Forum with the BIO-FORUM, a parallel two-day Congress, was well received by professional visitors from outside China. The USA, Canada, Germany and Scandinavia were among the top ten countries in terms of visitor numbers this year.

Exhibiting companies used the Innovation Forum for company and product presentations. This year's comprehensive program was characterized by a strong German presence with exhibitors from Germany's joint display and Merck Chemicals playing an active part.

The BIO-FORUM Congress had an impressive list of high-profile speakers, including Bristol Meyers Squipp, GE Healthcare, Genentech, Glaxo Smith Kline, Waters and many other global companies, who addressed such keynote topics as stem cell and RNAi technology, biomarkers and diagnostics, as well as work in drug discovery and generic drugs.

Recruiting skilled personnel was another keynote theme in Shanghai. On 30 May the trade show featured a Bio-Career Day, which afforded an ideal careers platform where international companies engaged in life sciences can show what they have to offer as employers and have an excellent opportunity to meet potential employees personally. The participating companies included Fosun, Abbott, Qiagen and Invitrogen.

BIOTECH CHINA is a member of the global BIOTECHNICA family.
The collaboration with the Chinese trade fairs BIOTECH & PHARM CHINA, ISCL (International Scientific Instruments, Chemical Reagent and Laboratory Equipment Expo), as well as the high-profile scientific congress BIO-FORUM provide access to all areas of the biotech and pharmaceutical industries in Asia.

The next BIOTECH CHINA will take place from 1 to 3 June 2009 at the same venue in Shanghai.

Additional press releases and photos may be downloaded from:
www.biotechnica.de/presseservice
Biotech ChinaKatharina
SiebertTel.: +49 511 89-31028 E-mail:
katharina.siebert@messe.de

Business: Vale: public offering of equity

Rio De Janeiro (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Companhia Vale do Rio Doce (Vale) hereby discloses that its senior management approved on May 26, 2008 and will submit to the Board of Directors a proposal of a public offering of common shares and preferred class A shares, with a maximum value of US$ 15 billion, including the offering and any exercise of the underwriters' over-allotment option.

The implementation of the offering is subject to the approval of Vale's Board of Directors and of the Brazilian regulator, Comissao de Valores Mobiliarios - CVM, and to conditions prevailing in global capital markets. If and when the offering is confirmed, Vale will disclose at the appropriate time information concerning its characteristics.

If the offering is completed, the net proceeds will be used for general corporate purposes, which include the financing of its organic growth program based on an investment plan of US$ 59 billion, strategic acquisitions and increased financial flexibility.

Furthermore, Vale reports that, currently, it is not negotiating any strategic acquisition.

This announcement does not constitute an offer of any securities for sale.

SOURCE: Companhia Vale do Rio Doce
CONTACT: Roberto Castello Branco,
roberto.castello.branco@vale.com, or
Alessandra Gadelha,
alessandra.gadelha@vale.com, or
Patricia Calazans,
patricia.calazans@vale.com, or
Theo Penedo,
theo.penedo@vale.com, or
Marcus Thieme,
marcus.thieme@vale.com, or
Tacio Neto,
tacio.neto@vale.com
all of Vale,
+55-21-3814-4540
Web site: http://www.cvrd.com.br
http://www.vale.com

Business: General Motors sets new standard for quality in automotive industry

Partners with Dyadem to deploy stature quality lifecycle management global platform

Toronto (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Dyadem today announced that General Motors has selected Dyadem's Stature platform to manage quality across its engineering and manufacturing divisions globally. Dyadem is a leader in Quality and Risk Lifecycle Management.

Stature will allow GM to leverage a common DFMEA and PFMEA framework. The Stature QLM solution helps companies dramatically improve quality by proactively improving designs based on lessons learned and reducing the communication gap between departments and organizations.

"We wanted to take our quality FMEAs to a new level and Dyadem's unique approach was exactly what we needed. Dyadem understands that quality needs to be managed at an enterprise level. Dyadem has an excellent intuitive Web-based platform that our entire company could standardize on," said Kirk Gutmann, Global Information Officer, GM Manufacturing & Quality Information Systems & Services.

Stature enables GM to conduct quality planning via a Web-based platform that uses a common library across all divisions and all regions, allowing better visibility into quality and the incorporation of updates made in manufacturing back into design. Global manufacturing models require a Quality solution that ensures communication and knowledge sharing across departments, divisions and geographies.

"GM understands the importance of addressing quality planning through a global approach. Many companies attempt to correct design issues at the manufacturing stage but fail to fully integrate quality throughout the product lifecycle. GM is leading the way by unifying its entire global engineering and manufacturing community on the Stature platform, giving them a shared quality specification that can be managed from product concept through product retirement," said Kevin North, President and CEO, Dyadem.

About GM

General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world's largest automaker, has been the annual global industry sales leader for 77 years. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 266,000 people around the world. With global headquarters in Detroit, GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 35 countries. In 2007, nearly 9.37 million GM cars and trucks were sold globally under the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, HUMMER, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn, Vauxhall and Wuling. GM's OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. More information on GM can be found at http://www.gm.com.

About Dyadem International

Founded in 1993, Dyadem is the market leader in Quality Lifecycle Management and Risk Lifecycle Management solutions. Dyadem provides software and services that empower companies to manage quality, mitigate risks, achieve regulatory compliance, plan for business continuity and improve profitability. Dyadem works with 85% of the Fortune 500 companies and serves the high tech & electronics, medical devices, oil and gas, chemical, automotive, pharmaceutical and aerospace and defense industries. For more information, visit http://www.dyadem.com

For further information, contact:
Dyadem International Ltd
Text 100 Public Relations
Angela Schwecke
Maureen Robusto
905.762.5243
617.399.4916
aschwecke@dyadem.com
dyadem@text100.com

SOURCE Dyadem International Ltd
CONTACT: Angela Schwecke of Dyadem International Ltd,
+1-905-762-5243,
aschwecke@dyadem.com;
or Maureen Robusto of Text 100 Public Relations,
+1-617-399-4916,
for Dyadem
Web site: http://www.dyadem.com
http://www.gm.com

Technology: Somatic Digital Gains Significant Purchase Order

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Goddard Space light Center expands technology relationship

Cincinnati, OH. (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Somatic Digital announced today that it gained a significant U.S. Government contract to provide NASA Goddard Flight Center with a Custom Solution Provider Partner Program and an unspecified number of eTouchBooks(TM) embedded with the Touch User Interface (TUI) technology. The TUI is to the printed page what the Graphic User Interface (GUI) is to the computer screen.

The eTouchBook enables readers of normally and Braille printed materials to touch the page and retrieve linked digital content or launch communication applications on a computer. By acting as a touch screen user interface, the printed page becomes a portal to the digital environment. This direct linking of print and digital assets creates a new ecosystem of contents and services for publishers, authors, and content creators.

"The eTouchBook created by Somatic Digital will allow NASA to provide a powerful multimedia tool that will make Earth science and any other science content come alive for students with different learning styles and abilities including those who are blind or deaf, or who require a combination of sensory inputs to grasp important concepts," said Dr. Elissa Levine, a scientist in the Biospheric Sciences Branch at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

According to Jason E. Barkeloo, Founder & President, Somatic Digital, "We are pleased to expand our technology relationship with NASA. Their vision and commitment to providing printed and digital science content to everyone in a universally designed way makes them an ideal partner to distribute the eTouchBook ecosystem."

About Somatic Digital

Somatic Digital, LLC is a developer of the Touch User Interface (TUI) technology and the tools for implementing the technology into publishing workflows. The TUI technology creates a "touch screen" experience with the regular printed page. By connecting paper directly to services and digital content that can reside on optical media, the Internet, or hard-drives, an entire ecosystem is created around the ordinary printed page. Through its unique licensing product (Partner Program), entrepreneurs, marketers, publishers, and anyone wishing to create products around linking print and digital assets are able to do so inexpensively. As a designer of
universally designed TUI technology, our technology can be used for inclusion and persons with disabilities, including interactive tactile images and Braille.
Web site is at http://SomaticDigital.com

SOURCE: Somatic Digital
CONTACT: Laura Fairbanks,
Operations Manager,
Somatic Digital,
+1-513-322-1638,
+1-888-322-5121,
http://SomaticDigital.com/about/contact
Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20051216CLF013LOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org
PRN Photo Desk:
photodesk@prnewswire.com
Web site: http://www.somaticdigital.com

Fund/Bank: Riis Cycling signs sponsorship agreement with Saxo Bank

Copenhagen (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Riis Cycling (RC) and Saxo Bank, the leading online investment bank, have signed an agreement that will let Saxo Bank become a co-sponsor of Team CSC together with CSC. The agreement becomes effective immediately, which means that Team CSC will appear as Team CSC/Saxo Bank at the upcoming Tour De France.

The agreement runs to the end of this year, and on January 1st 2009 Saxo Bank becomes the sole main sponsor of the team that, from then on, will be known as Team Saxo Bank. The duration term of the contract is three years.

"With Saxo Bank, we have found the perfect partner for the future. We are extremely proud to become associated with such a strong brand and a company that has a great passion for our team and our values. It has been a pleasure closing a deal with such dedicated and professional people as Kim Fournais and Lars Seier Christensen. From day one, we have found a great understanding and this promises to become a first class collaboration for the years to come", says Bjarne Riis.

Signing the agreement with RC, Saxo Bank's founders and joint CEOs, Kim Fournais and Lars Seier Christensen pointed out that this is an opportunity they have been waiting for for a long time. "For a global bank like ours, this is the perfect match and when it became possible, we just could not let this chance pass by" they said in a joint statement. "Team CSC/Saxo Bank has the international reach and name recognition that means that we will be able to get our message out to most of our clients group around the globe. We love the sport, we trust Bjarne Riis, and believe that together we will be winners."

"At the same time, I want to take this opportunity to express my appreciation to our main sponsor CSC for their passionate and consistent support," Riis said. "They have made it possible for us to become the best team in the world. We have achieved fantastic results thanks to their dedication. The level and the quality of this partnership is what we want to continue with Saxo Bank as our new sponsor."

Saxo Bank takes over the sponsorship from CSC whose contract with the team expires by the end of the year: CSC has been the team's main sponsor since 2001.

In explaining their decision to sponsor the team, Kim Fournais and Lars Seier Christensen in their statement said that, in addition to being one of the world's most popular and watched sports with an audience of billions of viewers, cycling on this level expresses the same kind of values and attitudes that Saxo Banks identifies with. "Winning and team work, is what Saxo Bank has been about from the outset," they said. "Endurance and passion are some of the other features that we have in common. We are proud that we now will have the opportunity to highlight these values and show what sports and business can do together,"

The two CEOs have worked closely with their counterparts at CSC during this transition, and they point out that the CSC executives generously have shared their sponsorship experience with them. "We are very pleased that CSC has included us a co-sponsors for the remainder of their contract with RC creating the best possible transition for the team and us as the new main sponsors," Fournais and Christensen said. "It goes without saying that this is the best possible scenario for all stakeholders."

At CSC, this is also significant and good news.
"We are pleased to welcome Saxo Bank onboard as a co-sponsor of Team CSC for the remainder of 2008 and thrilled that they will become the team's title sponsor in 2009," said David Booth, President of Global Sales and Marketing for CSC. "We have enjoyed an incredible partnership with the Team for these past eight years; helping them secure another strong partner like Saxo Bank is in keeping with that spirit of partnership".

For Bjarne Riis, the partnership with Saxo Bank will secure the kind of stability that is necessary for the team's future success. He too, sees the sponsorship agreement with Saxo Bank as a match between two partners that have much to offer each other.

"Now we can focus on the next big event - Tour de France knowing that we have the possibility to build a team for the future with Saxobank. We are very ambitious about being the best team in the world and with Saxobank on board we have found the best possible partner for this project", says Bjarne Riis.

The nine RC riders will get started as Team CSC-Saxo Bank in Brest when Tour de France takes off on July 5th.

Team-corporatecommunications@saxobank.com

About Saxo Bank

Saxo Bank is a global investment bank specialising in online trading in the international Capital Markets. Saxo Bank enables clients to trade Forex, CFDs, Stocks, Futures, Options and other derivatives, as well as providing portfolio management via the SaxoTrader, the leading online trading platform. The SaxoTrader has been developed by Saxo Bank and is available to today's investor directly through Saxo Bank or through one of our global collaborations, where it forms an integral part of their infrastructure. One of Saxo Bank's significant areas of business is White Labelling. This involves the Bank's online trading platform being customised and branded for other financial institutions and brokers. Saxo Bank has more than 120 White Label Partners and boasts thousands of clients in over 170 countries. Saxo Bank currently employs more than 1,300 employees from 72 different countries.

Saxo Bank is headquartered in Copenhagen with offices in London, Geneva, Zurich, Singapore, Tokyo and Marbella. It also runs a representative office in Beijing and an IT development centre in St. Petersburg.

http://www.saxobank.com
http://www.saxobank.ch
http://www.saxobank.dk
http://www.saxobank.co.uk
http://www.saxobank.de
http://www.saxomarkets.com.sg
http://www.saxotrader.es
http://www.saxosoft.com
http://www.saxobank.it
http://www.saxobank.gr
http://www.saxobank.us

SOURCE: Saxo Bank

Business: Aviation Industry Group (AIG) captures four Award nominations

Aviation Industry Group (AIG) captures four nominations in the 2008 Aerospace Journalist of the Year Awards

East Windsor, N.J. (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Aviation Industry Press, the multimedia publishing arm of Aviation Industry Group (AIG), has received nominations in four categories for this year's Aerospace Journalist of the Year Awards. The results will be announced at the Awards dinner on July 13 at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London.

Kaleyesus Bekele, Africa Correspondent for Airline Fleet & Network Management, is nominated for Best Safety Submission for his article "How safe are African airlines?"

Paul Copping, Managing Director, is nominated for Best Propulsion Submission for his feature in The Engine Yearbook entitled "The engines that are winding down."

Bernard Fitzsimons, Maintenance Correspondent, Airline Technology Engineering & Maintenance, is nominated for The Honeywell Award for Best Systems & Technology Submission for his article "This is your asset speaking."

Niall O'Keefe, former Group Editor, is nominated for The DVB Bank Award for Best Business or Financial Submission for his piece in Airline Fleet & Network Management entitled "Consolidation: for and against."

"We are delighted that four members of our editorial team have been recognized in this way," said Paul Copping, Managing Director, Aviation Industry Group. "These prestigious awards are renowned for acknowledging the very best in aerospace journalism. To be nominated in four separate categories is a real achievement and well deserved by the team."

About the Awards

The international Aerospace Journalist of the Year Awards are the world's most important awards for aviation writers and broadcasters. Established in 1996, they are supported by the world's leading aerospace organizations. Entries are received from nearly every significant aerospace and defense publication in the world, as well as many of the world's newspaper, television and radio companies. For more information visit http://www.ajoya.com

About Aviation Industry Group (AIG)

Aviation Industry Group (http://www.aviationindustrygroup.com), headquartered in London, is a leading multimedia company that offers print magazines, conferences and trade shows focusing on the airline maintenance, repair and overhaul market as well as airline financing, leasing and fleet management sector. The publications include Airline Fleet & Network Management, Aircraft Technology, Engineering & Maintenance, Aviation and The Environment, The Engine Yearbook, The Freighter Guide, The MRO Yearbook, A Guide to Investing in Aircraft & Engines and an on-line Aviation Industry News. The Group organizes 25 annual aviation industry exhibitions and conferences. The exhibitions are held in the UK and conferences take place in the U.S., South America, India, Middle East, Asia Pacific and Europe. AIG is part of Commonwealth Business Media.

About Commonwealth Business Media

Commonwealth Business Media Inc., a subsidiary of United Business Media plc, is the leading information provider to the global trade, transportation and travel market with comprehensive proprietary data, news and analytical content.
Its leading brands include The Journal of Commerce, PIERS Global Intelligence Solutions, Official Airline Guide, Air Cargo World, Traffic World, and Aviation Industry Group, plus a number of directory databases covering the international trade, railroad and trucking markets. The company also produces more than 30 conferences serving the international trade, aviation and maritime markets. For more information, visit http://www.cbizmedia.com

SOURCE: Aviation Industry Group (AIG)
CONTACT: Jill Rodby of Commonwealth Business Media,
Vice President, Communications,
+1-415-847-6768,
jrodby@cbizmedia.com
Web site: http://www.cbizmedia.com
http://www.aviationindustrygroup.com
http://www.ajoya.com

Pharmaceutical: Research shows disease burden is staggering in Asia Pacific

Dramatic research findings reveal the pneumococcal disease burden is staggering in Asia Pacific countries
-- Data highlights the potential of vaccine-preventable public health intervention to reduce childhood deaths --

Jakarta - Medianet International-AsiaNet/ - Pneumococcal disease (PD) is the leading cause of death among children five years and younger, particularly in the developing countries of the Asia-Pacific region and until now, data on pneumococcal disease from Asia Pacific countries have been limited.

A study presented overnight at the 6th International Symposium on Pneumococci & Pneumococcal Diseases (ISPPD) in Reykjavik, Iceland indicates that routine childhood vaccination wit the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) could prevent a considerable proportion of this disease in vaccinated children, as well as unvaccinated adults.[1]

Furthermore, presentations at the conference confirm that PCV7 is a highly costeffective public health intervention, based on World Health Organization (WHO) criteria.[2]

"While there is a compelling body of evidence demonstrating the public health and economic impact of routine childhood vaccination with PCV7 in a number of countries, we now have data from Asia that convincingly support these benefits regionally," says Kenneth K.C. Lee, Ph.D., professor and associate director of External Affairs, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, China.

Not only does immunisation provide protection to children and infants, it also can protect adults as well. Known as "herd protection"; it is an important indirect benefit extended to adults following the routine vaccination of children, and is an important consideration in economic evaluations.

"By routinely vaccinating our children against pneumococcal disease, we have the ability to help protect the broader community unvaccinated children, parents and grandparents and, with evidence that routine vaccination represents a sound economic investment, there is no reason to delay action to help save lives now," says Dr Lee.

One study of pneumococcal disease burden across Asian countries reported incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) among children younger than five years of age ranging from 30.9 cases per 100,000 in Japan to 276 cases per 100,000 in Bangladesh.[1]

Importantly, the data also highlight that PCV7 could help prevent between 57% and 91% of IPD cases in children younger than two years of age in Asia.[1] Importantly, the data highlights that in South East Asia, up to 28 million cases of clinical pneumonia may be prevented annually by widespread use of PCV7. In the Western Pacific Region, up to 15.8 million cases of clinical pneumonia may be prevented annually.[1]

Inclusion of PCV7 to a national immunisation program in Indonesia may play a vital role as the statistics from Indonesia show total number of pneumonia cases as high as 6 million and total number of under-five deaths due to pneumonia around 25,000 (2004 data). [3]

The health model for a universal vaccine intervention has proven to be successful in other societies. In the US, since the introduction of PCV7, pneumonia hospitalizations declined by 39%. [1]

PCV7, the only licensed pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, is part of the routine national childhood immunization schedule in only approximately 20 countries around the globe.[4]

The evidence presented overnight at ISSPD forms a compelling case to government for the inclusion of PCV7 in national immunisation programs across Asia Pacific.

References:
[1] Kim Soonae, Nyambat B, Kilgore P, et al.
Assessment of Vaccine-Preventable Invasive Pneumococcal Disease Burden Among Children aged <5 years in the Asia-Pacific Region.
Abstract presented at the 6th International Symposium on Pneumococci & Pneumococcal Diseases (ISPPD).
[2] World Health Organization. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine for childhood immunization, March 2007- WHO position paper. Wkly Epidemiol Record 2007;12: 93-104. [3] Pneumonia: The forgotten killer of children, The United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF)/World Health Organization (WHO), 2006. [4] Data on file, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Media Contact:
Wendy Qin
+61 2 8424 8539
+61 404 101 742
SOURCE:
Wyeth Asia Pacific