Sports: PM Rudd says `No Excuses` for lost foreigners in Beijing

PM Rudd Says 'No Excuses' For Lost Foreigners in Beijing at Launch of Olympic Technology Export

Beijing (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - On his first official visit to China as Prime Minister of Australia, the Hon. Kevin Rudd, MP, last night launched SmartTrans EventTrack(R), an advanced Australian technology export which will be used by major Olympic sponsors including Schenker Logistics and BHP Billiton to aid in the transport, management and safety of people and assets during the Beijing 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

In launching SmartTrans EventTrack, the Prime Minister proudly said, "This piece of technology is very, very innovative and will be very, very good for the many foreigners who will be visiting this great city for the Olympics.

"EventTrack is another very useful application that will assist many of Beijings Olympic visitors to maximise their enjoyment of the Olympic experience and all the wonderful sites and attractions Beijing has to offer.

"To have Australian technology in the hands of so many of the worlds company representatives as they move throughout Beijing is a unique and wonderful opportunity to showcase Australias practical solutions to unique problems in unique environments.

"I applaud SmartTrans and their partners for their efforts to date in bringing a new Australian product to China and wish them very well with their endeavors up to, during and beyond this great and important event.

"I believe that as the year unfolds there will be no excuse whatsoever for any foreigners to become lost in Beijing and if they do get lost in Beijing, the fault will be theirs for not having invested themselves personally in SmartTrans and
EventTrack."

SmartTrans (ASX: SMA) EventTrack is the worlds only system specifically designed to manage the unique and challenging requirements of VIP transport and human logistics at major events such as the Olympics. Building on the success of its use during the Sydney Olympics, EventTrack 2008 is being rolled out today to manage the complex scheduling and transport requirements of guests and personnel during Games time.

SmartTrans (ASX: SMA) is a world leader in the application of technology to assist with transport planning and the automated location of people and assets based on Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Global Positioning Systems (GPS), Mobile Data Communication and automated routing and scheduling.

For media enquiries, please contact:
CHINA
In English or Mandarin Chinese:
Ms. Chen Zhu, Media Director, Illuminant Partners
Tel:
+86-158-1091-5800
Email: chen.zhu@illuminantpartners.com
AUSTRALIA
In English:
Ms. Michelle Myers
Tel:
+61-415-652-913
Email: michellemyers@bigpond.com
For sales enquiries, please contact:
SmartTrans China
Suite 1706, Tower A
GT International Centre
No. 3 Yong An Dongli Jianwai Ave
Beijing CBD, 100022
Tel:
+86-10-5879-4050
CHINA
SmartTrans Australia
Level 7, 11 Queens Road
Melbourne VIC 3004
Tel:
+61-3-9866 7333
AUSTRALIA
SOURCE SmartTrans

COPYRIGHT © 2008

Sports: Australian Prime Minister launches Olympic transport technology

Beijing (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - On his first official visit to China as Prime Minister of Australia, the Hon. Kevin Rudd, MP, today launched SmartTrans' EventTrack(R), an advanced Australian technology export which will be used by major Olympic sponsors including Schenker Logistics and BHP Billiton to aid in the transport, management and safety of people and assets during the Beijing 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Without EventTrack, non-Chinese speaking guests and VIPsvisiting Beijing's Olympics will encounter unprecedented difficulties in navigating the host city. In a metropolis that will swell to 20 million people, and a paucity of English speakers and signage, getting from A to B and communicating transport requirements will be extremely challenging.

SmartTrans (ASX: SMA) EventTrack is the world's only system specifically designed to manage the unique and challenging requirements of VIP transport and human logistics at major events such as the Olympics. Building on the success of its use during the Sydney Olympics, EventTrack 2008 is being rolled out today to manage the complex scheduling and transport requirements of guests and personnel during Games-time.

After a March 2008 inspection of the system in Beijing, former NSW and Sydney Games-time Premier Bob Carr said that he was "pleased to see that EventTrack has added substantial new functionality which, to [his] mind, will provide the safest and most efficient guest transport system ever used at an Olympic Games."

In addition to Olympic sponsors, users include the Australian Trade Commission's Business Club Australia, Securicom, BlueScope Steel, ANZ Bank, McKinsey, Macquarie Bank, ADB, GNS and ABT Creative.

At the prime ministerial launch event, SmartTrans CEO Bryan Carr said, "The EventTrack system not only ensures the security and safety of Olympic sponsors and other guests in Beijing, but provides them with a multi-lingual communications platform incorporating location-based information and concierge services to ensure a great Olympic experience. We are proud to have the Prime Minister's support and recognition for this great Australian technology export."

In partnership with China Alarm - China's largest provider of security monitoring services - and with the support of Austrade, SmartTrans has established itself as the major player in Olympic transport technology and services. Alex Ing, Chairman and CEO of China Alarm said, "This is a great introduction of SmartTrans' technology in China, and only the first stage of our nationwide deployment plans. Our joint business plan extends substantially beyond the Olympics, and we look forward to establishing SmartTrans as the leading player in logistics services in China." In his customer testimonial speech, Matthew Clarke, Head of Beijing 2008 logistics partner Schenker Global Sports Events said "The EventTrack system will be a great addition to the guest experience during the games. I use it now when I visit Beijing, and it ensures that my fellow users and I can navigate around the city."

SmartTrans has a suite of transport and logistics technologies which have been localised into Chinese and will be introduced into China from August 2008 by its local partner China Alarm.

SMARTTRANS EVENTTRACK IS NOW READY AND AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE. For pricing enquiries or to test drive EventTrack, please contact David Garnier, SmartTrans' President of International Business, on + 86-159-1094-6563 or via email at dgarnier@smarttrans.cn

SmartTrans (ASX: SMA) is a world leader in the application of technology to assist with transport planning and the automated location of people and assets based on Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Global Positioning Systems (GPS), Mobile Data Communication and automated routing and scheduling.

For media enquiries, please contact:
China
In English or Mandarin Chinese:
Ms. Chen Zhu, Media Director,
Illuminant Partners
Tel:
+86-158-1091-5800
Email: chen.zhu@illuminantpartners.com
Australia
In English:
Ms. Michelle Myers
Tel:
+61(415)652-913
Email: michellemyers@bigpond.com
For sales enquiries, please contact:
SmartTrans China
Tel. +86(10)5879-4050
Suite 1706, Tower A
GT International Centre
No. 3 Yong An Dongli Jianwai Ave
Beijing CBD, 100022
China
SmartTrans Australia
Tel: +61(3)9866-7333
Level 7, 11 Queens Road
Melbourne VIC 3004
Australia
SOURCE: SmartTrans

COPYRIGHT © 2008

Global Payments announces agreement for HSBC merchants in China

Hong Kong, (ANTARA News/Xinhua-PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Global Payments (NYSE: GPN), a leading provider of electronic transaction processing services, has entered into an agreement with Planet Payment (LSE AIM: PPTR and PPT), a leading international, multi-currency payment and data processor, to offer Pay in Your Currency(TM) dynamic currency service to HongKong & Shanghai Banking Corporation's ("HSBC") merchants in the People's Republic of China, subject to regulatory clearance in China.

The service gives the consumer the opportunity to have the payment transaction converted to their selected currency, providing the benefit of immediately knowing the payment amount. Global Payments anticipates launching the service in China prior to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Through its joint venture with HSBC, Global Payments has established a leading position in the Asia-Pacific region, where it now operates in ten countries and territories. Global Payments, through its local affiliate, will provide consulting and technical services to HSBC as necessary to support the service in China. This agreement expands upon the existing relationship between Global Payments and Planet Payment for Global Payments' merchants in Malaysia and Taiwan.

Managing Director of Global Payments Asia-Pacific Limited, Ian Courtnage, said, "Global Payments is pleased to provide this multi-currency solution to HSBC merchants in the People's Republic of China. Global Payments is focused on providing cutting-edge processing solutions to our merchants to benefit their customer's payment experience. We view the addition of the "Pay in Your Currency" solution to our product set as another example of our commitment to product excellence. Our decision to utilize Planet Payment's service is based on the quality and depth of their product offering, and we look forward to working with their team in the Asia-Pacific region."

Commenting on the relationship with Global Payments, Chairman and Chief Executive of Planet Payment, Philip Beck, said, "We are pleased to be working with Global Payments to introduce our Pay in Your Currency service to Global Payments' merchants in China. The service allows merchants to market and sell more effectively, while providing their customers with the information to make better and more informed buying decisions. This agreement is another example of the growing market adoption for this service, as both merchants and cardholders alike gain awareness of its benefits."

Global Payments Inc. (NYSE: GPN) is a leading provider of electronic transaction processing services for consumers, merchants, Independent Sales Organizations (ISOs), financial institutions, government agencies, gaming establishments, and multi-national corporations located throughout the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.

Global Payments offers a comprehensive line of processing solutions for credit and debit cards, business-to-business purchasing cards, gift cards, electronic check conversion and check guarantee, verification and recovery including electronic check services, as well as terminal management. The company also provides consumer money transfer services from the U.S. and Europe to destinations in Latin America, Morocco, and the Philippines. For more information about the company and its services, visit http://www.globalpaymentsinc.com .

About Planet Payment

Planet Payment's Common shares trade on AIM under the symbols PPT for unrestricted Common shares and PPTR for Reg S Common shares. Planet Payment enables processors, acquiring banks and their merchants to accept process and reconcile credit card transactions in multiple currencies, allowing cardholders to view prices and settle transactions in their native currency. The "Pay in Your Currency" service is a component of Planet Payment's suite of multi-currency processing solutions, which include a multi-currency pricing e-commerce service and a Dynamic Currency Conversion service.

Further information on Planet Payment(R) can be found at: http:/www.planetpayment.com .

Planet Payment is headquartered in New York and has offices in Atlanta, Beijing, Bermuda, London, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Singapore.

This announcement may contain forward-looking statements pursuant to the "safe-harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward looking statements involve risks and uncertainties such as product demand, market and customer acceptance, the effect of economic conditions, competition, pricing, development difficulties, foreign currency risks, costs of capital, continued certification by credit card associations, the ability to consummate and integrate acquisitions, and other risks detailed in the Company's SEC filings, including the most recently filed Form 10-Q or Form 10K, as applicable.

The Company undertakes no obligation to revise any of these statements to reflect future circumstances or the occurrence of unanticipated events.

Contact: Christine Li Marketing Director Global Payments Asia-Pacific Limited
Tel: +852-3529-5853 Email: christine.li@globalpay.com
SOURCE: Global Payments Asia-Pacific Limited

COPYRIGHT © 2008

ViDeOnline and CCTV.com press conference on Olympic ad rights

ViDeOnline is Hosting a Joint Press Conference Reception With CCTV.com on the Exclusive Advertisement Rights Granted on 2008 Beijing Olympics

Beijing, (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - ViDeOnline Communications, Ltd. (http://www.videonline.com), a video networking company, today announced that a joint press conference will be held on March 28th at 2:00pm local time at the Beijing Grand Hyatt, hosted by ViDeOnline and CCTV.com to announce the exclusive advertisement rights granted by CCTV.com to ViDeOnline to sponsor the online video streaming of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games broadcasts via Live and VOD (Video On Demand) channels on http://www.cctv.com.

ViDeOnline and CCTV.com are inviting Chinese and International reporters and advertisement clients and agencies from conventional as well as new media to join us in our presentation of the significant opportunity for advertisement on CCTV.com's live coverage of the Beijing 2008 Olympic, the first ever to formally cover Olympics live and on demand for all of the events over the Internet and mobile.

Specific sponsorships that are available will be covered and advertisement companies are encouraged to attend and examine the opportunities to sign up for the sponsorships for both Internet and mobile.

SOURCE ViDeOnline Communications, Ltd.
CONTACT: Tian Ming of ViDeOnline Communications, Ltd.,
86-13661288800,
mtian@videonline.com; or
Bing Wei,
86 10 8518 1234, or
The Word International Inc,
03-5427-1541, (fax)
03-5441-7640,
bing@thewordinc.com, both for ViDeOnline Communications, Ltd.
Web site: http://www.videonline.com
http://www.cctv.com

COPYRIGHT © 2008

Dutch Crown Prince opens ws largest int`l flower exhibition

Lisse, (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Dutch Crown Prince Willem Alexander has officially opened the 59th edition of the world famous international flower exhibition of Keukenhof in Lisse, The Netherlands.

As a member of the International Olympic Committee His Royal Highness cut the ribbon, supported by the Honorable Ambassador of the Peoples Republic of China in the Netherlands, H.E. Mrs Xue Hanqin, the vice mayor of Beijing City, Mr Niu Youcheng, and the chairwoman of the Dutch Olympic Committee, Mrs Erica Terpstra. The latter, was an Olympic swimming champion in the Tokyo games in 1964, and is more or less an opening ceremony veteran as she performed in a similar ceremony in 1996.

There is a reason for the emphasis on sports. The Keukenhof exhibition selected 'China - The 2008 Olympics, Beijing', as this year's main theme. This influenced the opening programme. Amongst others, the Chinese MTV Award winners 2007 "China Girls" performed a very special concert. Bringing a mixture of both Chinese and western classic and pop music, played on an electrical violin, an electrical cello, a flute, as well as an erhu, the traditional Chinese knee violin.

According to Keukenhof general manager, Mr Piet de Vries, the flower exhibition has created a lot of interest in the cultural and historical influences of China. "Not only did we use events, the so called inspiration gardens and various flower shows, but we also created a huge Chinese dragon as well. By planting over 24,500 tulips and muscari flowers, we created a 15 by 10 metres mosaic of this traditional symbol for the new year," he says.

The Keukenhof programme consists of the well known successes like the Easter Hat Parade as well as specific thematic exhibitions. 'China - The 2008 Olympics, Beijing' will be recognizable in one of the gardens which was inspired by the Forbidden City, and includes an exhibition of pictures of common Chinese streets and an Olympic show.

Around 3.3 per cent of the 25.4 million foreign guests visiting The Netherlands pass through the Keukenhof ticket office, supporting the slogan 'You can't have seen Holland if you haven't visited Keukenhof'. Two-thirds of the approx. 840,000 annual visitors, go to see the result of 7 million flower bulbs in magnificent majesty, most originating from abroad.

SOURCE: Keukenhof
CONTACT: Annemarie Gerards of Keukenhof,
+31(0)252-465505,
a.gerards@keukenhof.nl
Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080321/298080
Video: http://pubstr.datiq.net/perssupport/keukenhofENG.wmv

COPYRIGHT © 2008

CCTV.com grants ViDeOnline rights for Beijing Olympics

Phones is a Historic First for the Games, Expanding Access to Millions of Viewers in China and Opening up Advertising Opportunities over the Internet to Brands Around the World

Beijing, (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - ViDeOnline Communications, Ltd. (http://www.videonline.com), a video networking company, today announced that CCTV.com has awarded them the exclusive rights to package and create video advertisement partnerships for online video streaming broadcasts of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games via Live and VOD (Video On Demand) channels on http://www.cctv.com.

CCTV is China's only main national television broadcast network with over 500 million viewers on their traditional broadcast channels.

Over Internet and mobile phone platforms, CCTV.com's live streaming of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in Mainland China and Macao SAR, is a milestone in the history of the Olympic Games broadcast in the new digital media age.

CCTV.com will use ViDeOnline's O8 intelligent ad insertion network to deliver targeted online advertisements for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games for Mainland China and Macao SAR coverage.

"CCTV.com now grants the exclusive rights to ViDeOnline to bring in video advertisement partnership for Beijing 2008 Olympic Games online video streaming broadcast via Live and VOD channels on http://www.cctv.com. We are looking forward to a great cooperation between the two parties," Mr. Wenbin Wang, General Manager of CCTV.com said.

"We are honored and privileged to be granted the exclusive rights by CCTV.com on the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games events. This represents a monumental milestone in digital media coverage, reaching an unprecedented level of over 200 million Internet users in China, thus setting a new benchmark in market penetration for the New Digital Media age," said Dr. Priscilla M. Lu, Chairman & CEO of ViDeOnline.

"This represents a tremendous opportunity for companies wanting advertisement coverage nationwide in China."

More than 75% of China's Internet users get their video entertainment, watching TV and movies on the Internet.

According to China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC), the administrative agency responsible for Internet affairs under the Ministry of Information Industry of the People's Republic of China, there are more than 200 million Internet users and more than 500 million mobile users in China.

This represents the largest online and mobile population in the world.

About ViDeOnline Communications, Ltd.

ViDeOnline Communications, Ltd. ("VDO") provides an end to end (e2e) video and addressable ad insertion network, O8 Media Network, for secured delivery of premium video content, music, music video, movies and television episodes to international carriers and service providers.

ViDeOnline's e2e network capabilities include peer to peer (P2P) video on-demand (VOD) streaming capabilities that can support multiple live feeds with a full suite of ingestion tools for a wide range of consumer viewing devices.

The O8 Media Network supports secured content management with industry approved DRM and watermarking, subscriber management, billing and real time transaction record reporting, as well as network management to monitor server and network congestion.

VDO offers turn key video network services to local Internet Service Providers and carriers, with the delivery of advertisement sponsorships and premium content aggregation.

SOURCE: ViDeOnline Communications, Ltd.
CONTACT: U.S., Eric Kmiec,
+1-916-337-4528,
ekmiec@videonline.com, or
Tian Ming,
+86 10 5820 6610, ext. 20, or
+86 136 6128 8800,
mtian@videonline.com, both of ViDeOnline Communications, Ltd.;
or Ms. Tianyi ZHAO of CCTV.com,
+86 10 8804 6578,
zhaotianyi@cctv.com
Web site: http://www.videonline.com
http://www.cctv.com

COPYRIGHT © 2008

Air China confirms Olympic torchbearers and relay route

Beijing, (ANTARA News/Xinhua-PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Air China announced today that in accordance with the principles of "Openness, Impartiality and Transparency," and in line with the Criteria for Selecting Olympic Torchbearers, a list of 20 Air China Olympic torchbearers has been finalized upon the approval of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad. The Company also announced that the relay route for the torchbearers has been confirmed.

Under the leadership of the vice president of Air China, Song Zhiyong, Air China has selected 20 candidates to represent the Company as Olympic torchbearers.

The relay route for the Air China torchbearers, within the territory of China, is as follows: Haikou (Hainan), Quanzhou-Xiamen (Fujian), Jingangshan (Jiangxi), Taizhou-Yangzhou (Jiangsu), Guilin (Guangxi), Guiyang (Guizhou), Chongqing, Zigong-Yibin (Sichuan), Lhasa (Tibet), Shihezi-Changji (Xinjiang), Dunhuang-Jiayuguan (Gansu), Zhongwei (Ningxia), Yangling-Xianyang (Shaanxi), Yuncheng-Pingyao (Shanxi), Huhhot (Inner Mongolia), Jilin (Jilin), Shenyang (Liaoning), Linyi-Qufu-Taian (Shandong), Shangqiu-Kaifeng (Henan) and Beijing.

The 20 honored torchbearers will help Air China "light the passion and share the dream," spreading the Olympic spirit throughout the country from May 6, 2008 to August 6, 2008. The relay route will also help spread the theme behind the Olympic torch, the "Peace Tour." Ever since the Berlin Olympic Games in 1936, the torch relay has become a key event in communicating the Olympic spirit. Air China is also a proud carrier of the Olympic torch, and as the sole Airline Partner of the 2008 Olympic Games, Air China is performing its commitment to actively ensure the successful staging of the 2008 Games.

About Air China

As China's sole designated flag carrier and the only Airline Partner of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, the Company serves 77 domestic and 40 international cities with an extensive network from its Beijing hub, conveniently linking passengers between China and destinations around the world. In North America, Air China serves New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Vancouver with daily non-stop services to Beijing.

In addition, Air China has established key alliances and relationships with 18 well-established global airline companies, further enhancing its network, providing more travel options for passengers.

For more details, please visit http://www.airchina.com.cn or call at 4008-100-999.

SOURCE Air China
/CONTACT: Han Xiao,
Marketing Brand Management of Air China,
+86-10-6464-5220, or +86-10-8449-3431, or
hanxiao@mail.airchina.com.cn /

COPYRIGHT © 2008 - ANTARANEWS