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In Collaboration with Worldwide Government and Industry Organizations, The Green Grid Advances Global Harmonization of Data Center Energy Efficiency Metrics

April 6, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Consortium Creates EPA ENERGY STAR Program Management Office; Demonstrates
Ongoing Momentum as Recipient of Brandon Hall Excellence in Learning Award
PORTLAND, Ore.–(Business Wire)–
The Green Grid, the IT industry`s leading voice for advancing energy efficiency
in data centers, today announced that in an unprecedented global effort, the
consortium along with the U.S. Department of Energy`s Save Now and Federal
Energy Management Programs, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency`s (EPA) ENERGY
STAR Program, European Union Code of Conduct, Japan Ministry of Economy, Trade
and Industry`s (METI) Green IT Initiative, and Japan`s Green IT Promotion
Council (GIPC) have collectively reached an agreement on the guiding principles
of data center energy efficiency metrics. This agreement represents a
significant achievement, as these organizations continue working to ensure data
center efficiency metrics, measurements and reporting conventions can be applied
with clarity and consistency at the global level.

“The ultimate goal is to create a set of globally accepted metrics for data
center energy efficiency. One of the first, and perhaps most important factors
to successfully achieving this aim is establishing a unity of communication,”
said Tom Brey, IBM representative and Secretary of The Green Grid. “The Green
Grid is working with organizations around the world to develop a clear and
well-defined language for the way we communicate about energy efficiency
metrics, which will give us a common measuring stick for all data centers
regardless of their location. With that type of consistency, we can start
driving behavioral changes in the industry.”

As the basis for these guiding principles, The Green Grid and the aforementioned
organizations have designated Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) as the industry`s
preferred energy efficiency metric. The group will leverage the guiding
principles to help drive a universal understanding of energy efficiency metrics
and generate dialogue to improve data center efficiencies. A global task force
with representatives from each of the above mentioned organizations will
continue to move this initiative forward and reconvene later this year to
evaluate progress.

The Green Grid Establishes EPA ENERGY STAR Program Management Office

In support of the U.S. EPA`s ongoing efforts to reduce energy consumption in
servers, storage devices and data centers as a whole, The Green Grid today
announced that it has established an EPA ENERGY STAR Program Management Office.
This office, headed by members of The Green Grid`s Board of Directors, aims to
position the consortium as a trusted technical advisor to the U.S. EPA`s ENERGY
STAR program. The Green Grid supports the EPA in its efforts to lead IT industry
collaboration in the development of ENERGY STAR efforts, including standards for
servers, storage, UPS and data center systems and related component level
equipment.

The Green Grid Receives Brandon Hall Excellence in Learning Award

In recognition of its successful endeavor to educate the industry on data center
efficiency, The Green Grid`s “Measures and Metrics” online course has received
the Brandon Hall Excellence in Learning Awards` Silver Medal. This prestigious
award, recognizing exceptional work in the use of learning technology, is
presented annually by Brandon Hall Research, a leading training and development
firm.

The “Measures and Metrics” custom course, offered through The Green Grid
Academy, is designed for data center managers and features 3D avatars that guide
viewers through a virtual data center environment, while presenting ways to
effectively measure energy consumption and improve energy efficiency. The course
was selected as the silver medal winner based on the strength of its content,
effective navigation and engaging interactive elements.

About The Green Grid

The Green Grid is a global consortium of companies, government agencies and
educational institutions dedicated to advancing energy efficiency in data
centers. The Green Grid does not endorse vendor-specific products or solutions,
and instead seeks to provide industry-wide recommendations on best practices,
metrics and technologies that will improve overall data center energy
efficiencies. Membership is open to organizations interested in data center
operational efficiency at the Contributor, General or Associate member level.
Additional information is available at www.thegreengrid.org.

Porter Novelli for The Green Grid
Brandon Brunson, 512-241-2234
Brandon.Brunson@porternovelli.com

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: consumption, initiative, organizations, silver medal, Unprecedented

LexisNexis Risk Solutions Helps Debt Collectors Save 50 Percent or More in Bankruptcy Searches

April 6, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

BankoEvents Monitoring automates bankruptcy filing research and helps debt
collectors improve efficiencies, reduce costs and generate revenue

NEW YORK–(Business Wire)–
LexisNexis® Risk Solutions today announced the availability of LexisNexis®
Banko® Events Monitoring, a new feature available with the LexisNexis®
Receivables Management Solutions suite that automates the process of monitoring
bankruptcy events and helps collections organizations improve efficiency, reduce
cost and identify new sources of revenue. In preliminary customer trials, the
solution is proven to save collections agencies and first-party debt collectors
50 percent or more on costs associated with manually monitoring bankruptcy
events.

“In our current economic environment, bankruptcies are increasing like never
before, and collections professionals need access to the most current,
comprehensive data possible in order to collect on accounts and reduce loss
exposure,” said Robert Fite, vice president, LexisNexis Receivables Management
Solutions. “LexisNexis Banko Events Monitoring allows collections professionals
to focus on the business of making decisions, increasing efficiency and
profitability.”

The number of people and businesses filing for bankruptcy is increasing at a
staggering pace – 1.4 million petitions were submitted in 2009, a 32 percent
increase from 2008. With the number of bankruptcy cases increasing dramatically,
it is vital for collections professionals to monitor bankruptcy events such as
attempts to have a court forgive certain debts, to have an accurate picture of
their debt portfolio. Every time they want to check status on a debtor,
collections professionals must conduct manual, labor-intensive searches using
PACER, the federal court case electronic access system.

Banko Events Monitoring helps debt collectors overcome this problem by
automating the monitoring process of bankruptcy events. The solution works by
automatically monitoring every daily court docket entry for every bankruptcy
case, and then provides collections organizations with relevant information on
the debtors and events they need to track. As a result, collections
organizations are empowered with information they need to make better and faster
decisions about debt recovery. In addition, users save costs associated with
purchasing individual PACER reports, improve employee productivity, minimize the
need for manual investigations, and reduce their loss exposure.

In a beta trial of Banko Events Monitoring conducted with nine clients across
several industries, including a collections agency, mortgage lender and
automotive lender, the solution delivered average savings of 50 percent when
compared to the cost of manually searching for bankruptcy events. To cite one
example, an auto loan company had historically only been able to monitor
approximately 7,500 of their 43,500 active bankrupt accounts. Banko Events
Monitoring enabled the company to monitor all 43,500 of their active accounts -
and for less than half the cost of manually searching 17 percent of the prior
caseload.

LexisNexis Banko Events Monitoring is a key component of the LexisNexis
Receivables Management solutions suite that helps collections businesses
minimize unnecessary operational expenses and focus their efforts on the most
collectible accounts. Banko Events Monitoring is an added functionality to
Banko®, a fully customizable solution that allows businesses to search
comprehensive nationwide bankruptcy databases to quickly identify new filings
and recently deceased individuals.

About LexisNexis

LexisNexis® (www.lexisnexis.com) is a leading global provider of information and
services solutions, including its flagship Web-based Lexis® and Nexis® research
services, to a wide range of professionals in the legal, risk management,
corporate, government, law enforcement, accounting and academic markets. A
member of Reed Elsevier [NYSE:ENL; NYSE:RUK] (www.reedelsevier.com), LexisNexis
serves customers in 100 countries with 15,000 employees worldwide.

About LexisNexis Risk Solutions

LexisNexis® Risk Solutions is the leader in providing essential information that
helps advance industry and society. Building on the legacy of proven LexisNexis®
services from the past 30 years, our cutting-edge technology, unique data and
advanced scoring analytics provide total solutions that address evolving client
needs in the risk sector while upholding high standards of security and privacy.
LexisNexis Risk Solutions serves commercial organizations and government
agencies and is comprised of several affiliated corporations, each offering
premier customer-focused solutions. For more information, visit
risk.lexisnexis.com.

LexisNexis Risk Solutions
Fiona McCaul, 678-694-3651
fiona.mccaul@lexisnexis.com

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: bankruptcy, collectors, legal, monitoring, organizations

Cisco Powers New NASDAQ Marquee in Times Square

April 3, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

SAN JOSE, CA, Apr 02 (MARKET WIRE) —
Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) today announced that its digital signage technology,
part of the Cisco(R) Digital Media Suite, is helping to power the new
marquee at the NASDAQ MarketSite in the heart of New York’s Times Square.
Harnessing the network as a delivery platform, Nasdaq is using Cisco’s
Digital Media Players, the Cisco Digital Signs hardware platform, to
simplify the management and distribution of high-definition and on-demand
video, motion graphics and other dynamic digital content to this highly
visible digital sign located above the entrance to NASDAQ’s MarketSite.

To celebrate the unveiling of the new NASDAQ marquee, members of Cisco’s
Digital Media Systems business unit participated in the NASDAQ Closing
Bell ceremonies on Thursday, April 1, in New York.

Highlights:

– NASDAQ is now using the Cisco Digital Signs solution as the engine for
the display and playback of compelling, rich digital media, including
high-definition live broadcasts and on-demand video, graphics, text
tickers and other Web content across NASDAQ’s network of digital
signs, which include the NASDAQ marquee.
– In the coming months, NASDAQ plans a phased expansion of Cisco Digital
Signs technology across various NASDAQ sites, including 1 Liberty
Plaza in downtown New York; this will include the deployment of
additional digital media players and video encoders.
– Using Cisco Digital Signs, NASDAQ can captivate passersby with
visually stunning content while improving efficiency and operational
costs. The digital media players can be attached to virtually any
on-premises digital signage display at any location. They can also
remotely publish centralized content over the Web to NASDAQ’s
extensive network of digital signs.
– The Cisco Digital Media Suite is a comprehensive offering of social
video, digital signage and business Internet Protocol TV systems that
can help transform how organizations communicate and collaborate.

Supporting Quotes:

– David Wicks, vice president, NASDAQ OMX
“NASDAQ is delighted to
partner with Cisco on the newly unveiled NASDAQ Marquee in the heart
of Times Square. Cisco’s digital media solutions technology will
enable NASDAQ to enhance the overall customer experience for our
listed companies and guests by showcasing captivating content for
digital video and live broadcast feeds.”

– Thomas Wyatt, vice president and general manager, Cisco Digital Media
Systems
“Cisco is excited to provide enabling technology to one of
the most recognizable digital signs in the world, the NASDAQ marquee
in Times Square. Given its impressive position as the epicenter for
all NASDAQ news and events, this iconic sign must be matched with
equally impressive visual content. With Cisco’s digital media
solutions, NASDAQ is able to embrace the power of the IP network to
push rich and dynamic video, as well as still images, to its dazzling
marquee with the simple push of a button.”

Related Hyperlinks:

– Cisco Digital Media Suite
– Cisco Digital Media Players

Photos:

– http://www.nasdaq.com/reference/marketsite_events.stm

Video:

– Caption: Cisco unveils the new digital marquee at the NASDAQ
MarketSite in the heart of New York’s Time Square and rang the closing
bell in
celebration

http://www.youtube.com/v/YwRqQxmqPIc&hl=en_US&fs=1&

Technorati Tags: Cisco, digital media, video, digital sign, NASDAQ

About Cisco Systems
Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO), the worldwide leader in
networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and
collaborate, this year celebrates 25 years of technology innovation,
operational excellence and corporate social responsibility. Information
about Cisco can be found at http://www.cisco.com. For ongoing news,
please go to http://newsroom.cisco.com.

Cisco, the Cisco logo and Cisco Systems are registered trademarks or
trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United
States and certain other countries. All other trademarks mentioned in
this document are the property of their respective owners. The use of the
word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and
any other company. This document is Cisco Public Information.

For direct RSS Feeds of all Cisco news, please visit “News@Cisco” at the
following link:

http://newsroom.cisco.com/dlls/rss.html

Youtube Video Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=1214139

Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=1214118

Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=1214121

Cisco Press Contact:
Jacqueline Roy
Cisco
(408) 853-6389
jpigliuc@cisco.com

Industry Analyst Contact:
Ben Culp
Cisco
(949) 823-3787
beculp@cisco.com

Investor Relations Contact:
Sandra O’Halloran
Cisco
(408) 424-2140
sohallor@cisco.com

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Veraval riots: Nanavati Commission not to issue notice against Modi

September 19, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Ahmedabad, Sep.19 (ANI): In a major reprieve for Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, the Justice Girish Thakorlal Nanavati Commission on Saturday confirmed that it would not be issuing any notice to him in connection with the communal riots in Veraval.

However, the commission has asked the State Government to give it transcripts of the conversations that took place prior to the riots, during the riots and in its aftermath.

The commission has so far given a clean chit to Modi in the post-Godhra events. The Nanavati Commission said there was no evidence to show there was lapse in Modi’s or his ministers’ role in providing protection, relief and rehabilitation to the victims of communal riots or in the matter of not complying with the recommendations and direction given by the National Human Rights Commission.

Communal attacks on Muslims took place in Gujarat between February and May 2002.

The riots occurred after the burning of the Sabarmati Express. According to official figures tabled in the parliament, more than a thousand people were killed (790 Muslims and 254 Hindus) in the violence after the train incident. More than two hundred and fifty thousand people were displaced (about 200,000 Muslims and 40,000 Hindus).

Organizations such as Human Rights Watch criticized the Indian government for failure to address the resulting humanitarian condition of people, “overwhelming majority of them Muslim,” who fled their homes for relief camps in the aftermath of the events.

Many of the investigations and prosecution of those accused of violence during the riots have been opened for reinvestigation and prosecution. According to an official estimate, 1044 people were killed in the violence, including those killed in the Godhra train fire. Another 223 people were reported missing, 2,548 injured, 919 women widowed and 606 children orphaned. About 100,000 Muslims and 40,000 Hindus were in relief camps. (ANI)

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Global Standard for testing capabilities gains momentum

August 26, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, Aug 26 (ANI/Business Wire India): Experimentus (www.experimentus.com), the software quality management consulting firm, announced that they have partnered with Edista Testing Institute (www.edistatesting.com), a 100 per cent subsidiary of QAI Global (www.qaiglobal.com) to implement TMMi (Test Maturity Model integrated) all across the Asia Pacific region.

TMMi is the de facto standard that organisations can use to measure and enable them to improve Testing and Quality related activities.

The partnership between ETI and Experimentus, offers access to accredited TMMi training and Assessments to QAI and ETI clients.

As a part of the alliance, Experimentus, using their team of accredited TMMi Foundation appraisers will offer a 1 day Overview Program on TMMi, a 3 day Program on TMMi, Assessment Services for TMMi. ETI will provide follow on consulting activities.

Experimentus, with it’s accredited in house assessment method and consultants, has obtained global recognition for the work it has been doing with the Test Maturity Model integrated and has helped many organisations clearly understand their level of risk across the development lifecycle, reducing cost and improving software quality.

ETI is fully focused on Operational Excellence and Workforce Development with specific focus on Testing Organizations.

ETI Currently works with over 54+ and has trained over 3000+ professionals across India, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, UAE, UK and USA.

Julian Clarke, Director of Sales and Marketing at Experimentus, said, “We are delighted to be working with ETI and QAI to promote TMMi across the Asia-Pacific region.

Delivering IT projects to market on time and of an acceptable level of quality is even more paramount to the business in the current climate. Testing is all about Risk Mitigation, validating the level of quality achieved in development before a software application goes live.

The cost of rework, loss of benefit to a business as well as the potential damage to an organisation’s brand can have significant commercial ramifications. This is even more so in today’s “dog eat dog” environment. Therefore, ensuring that Testing is effective and efficient is a must for corporate survival.”

Commenting on the partnership, Pradeep Chennavajhula, CEO of ETI said, “Testing is a critical function, and a growing business area for many IT service providesr in India.

Many of the Asian IT service providers, and Independent Testing service providers are in need of a structured framework for improving efficiency, and continuously improve their testing process. TMMi will play a crucial role in filling this gap. Just like CMMI for Software Engineering, TMMi will act as a key differentiator for winning large scale contracts with customers from UK and USA.” (ANI)

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Craigslist | Ebay | Craigslist Vancouver | Craigslist Chicago | Craigs List Details | Craiglist | Craigslist Centralized Network

August 18, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Craigslist is a centralized network of online communities for free classified advertisements of jobs, internships, housing, personal advertisements, erotic services, for sale/barter/wanted, services, community, pets categories and forums on various topics.

The service was founded in 1995 by Craig Newmark for the San Francisco Bay Area. After incorporation as a private for-profit company in 1999, Craigslist expanded into nine more U.S. cities in 2000, four each in 2001 and 2002, and 14 in 2003. September 2007, Craigslist had established itself in approximately 450 cities in 50 countries.

2007 Craigslist operated with a staff of 24 people. Its sole source of revenue is paid job ads in select cities ($75 per ad for the San Francisco Bay Area; $25 per ad for New York, Los Angeles, San Diego, Boston, Seattle, Washington D.C., Chicago and recently Portland, Oregon) and paid broker apartment listings in New York City ($10 per ad).

The site serves over nine billion page views per month, putting it in 56th place overall among web sites world wide, ninth place overall among web sites in the United States (per Alexa.com on January 10, 2008), to over thirty million unique visitors. With over thirty million new classified advertisements each month, Craigslist is the leading classifieds service in any medium. The site receives over two million new job listings each month. So it is one of the top job boards in the world.

In 2001, the company started the Craigslist Foundation, a § 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that helps emerging nonprofit organizations get established, gain visibility, attract the attention of potential donors, and develop the skills and knowledge required for long-term success.

It accepts charitable donations, and rather than directly funding organizations, it produces face-to-face events and offers online resources to help grassroots organizations get off the ground and contribute real value to the community.

For More Information visit: http://www.craigslist.org/about/sites

http://www.craigslistfoundation.org/

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Sustainable development needs to be inclusive: Selja

July 8, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New Delhi, July 7 (ANI): Union Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Minister Kumari Selja said on Tuesday that sustainable development needs to be inclusive and different from mere economic development of the past, and its benefits must last well into the next generation, and beyond.

Delivering the inaugural address at the launch of Habitat Business Forum in New Delhi, the minister emphasised the role of private sector in contributing towards this cause has to be recognized and promoted on a large scale.

She also discussed the importance of Non-Government Organizations, saying that they can be very effective agent for building public awareness at the local level, for mobilizing community action, and for voicing local concerns.

Selja also highlighted that capital intensity of urban growth creates divide between the rich and the poor raising prices of basic amenities and making these inaccessible to poor.

The minister said it was critical that cities devise institutional framework for themselves that satisfy the requirements of good urban governance.

She said it is essential that urban local government translate national policies and programmes into local action.

Referring to the Rajiv Awas Yojana, Selja said the scheme is an effort to promote a slum free India in five years, adding that the government would extend support to states that are willing to assign property rights to people living in slum areas.

Rajiv Awas Yojna will offer a ray of hope to slum dwellers and other urban poor to access a decent and dignified living environment and an affordable home. (ANI)

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Girl scout meetings boost physical activity, promote healthy lifestyle

June 27, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, June 25 (ANI): Organizations like Girl Scouts provide an ideal setting for girls to boost their physical activity and to promote a healthy lifestyle, according to a Kansas State University researcher.

Richard Rosenkranz, assistant professor in human nutrition at K-State, did a study using interventions with Girl Scout troops.

He trained group leaders to instruct exercise sessions and promote healthful eating, which led the girls to learn about a healthy lifestyle and increased their participation in exercise activities.

“We were striving to get the girls and parents to spend some of their leisure time together being active and taking steps together for fun and health,” he said.

For the two-year study, Rosenkranz worked with 10- and 11-year-old girls who were members of Girl Scout troops in Manhattan and the surrounding area.

The study involved nine troops, with five of the troops receiving an intervention.

“What we saw in the control troops was an environment where girls were sedentary for the vast majority of time at the meeting, combined with snacks that were less than health-promoting. This is just one part of a girl’s weekly or bi-weekly experience, but it offers the chance to provide an opportunity and a message for health promotion,” he said.

Rosenkranz trained the group leaders as part of the intervention.

They learned about the background of intervention activities, which included nutrition, family meals, physical activity and family connection.

They were also taught the expectations of being role models and providing a healthful environment at Girl Scout meetings, as well as new physically active games for the girls.

The intervention focused on having the girls participate in walking, dancing, active games and yoga.

“The intervention was focused on physical activities that could be done in or around the home, without special equipment, ideally involving the parents,” said Rosenkranz.

He said the girls in the intervention troops were less sedentary than those not in the interventions.

In addition, the girls involved in the intervention performed higher levels of both moderate-intensity and moderate-to-vigorous intensity exercise during troop meetings.

The study was presented at the American College of Sports Medicine’s Annual Meeting in Seattle. (ANI)

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Cordys enables business process automation for Google Apps

May 8, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Putten, May 8 (ANI/Business Wire India): Cordys, a leading provider of software for business process innovation, has joined the Google Enterprise PartnerT program and is delivering structured workflow capabilities to the Google AppsT suite of communication and collaboration tools.

Cordys Process Factory for Google Apps supports organizations of any size using Google Apps as part of their core business processes and projects.

The combination of the Cordys Process Factory with Google Apps Premier Edition, delivered in the cloud, provides a messaging and collaboration solution for less money and with no software installation. The combination of the two increases the speed of deployment of workflow and situational applications for less than the price of a mobile phone.

Google Apps brings simple, powerful communication and collaboration tools to organizations. With Google Apps, users can use applications such as GmailT webmail service, Google TalkT instant messaging service, Google CalendarT calendaring service, Google DocsT program, Google SitesT web application, and Google VideoT for business on their own domain to work together more effectively.

Best of all, it’s all hosted by Google, so there’s no hardware or software to download, install or maintain.

The Cordys solution launched today allows Google Apps users to add structured workflow to existing unstructured collaborations and to convert unstructured data from Google Docs spreadsheets to structured datasets and applications. It also provides the possibility of building and using situational applications in the cloud and integrating those with enterprise and legacy software.

Examples of situational applications include Budget Approval, Project Management, Talent Management and Change Control.

Speaking from their corporate headquarters in Putten, the Netherlands, Jan Baan, founder and CEO of Cordys, said: “This solution fundamentally changes the way software will be developed and deployed. For too long now, the power user has been excluded from the development of Web applications which has served to slow down the uptake of the technology at the corporate level. This new service brings together the innovative power of our vision and technology, and combines it with innovative services in Google Apps.”

“Organizations of any type or size can now mix and match existing on-premise processes run on “enterprise” applications with processes and applications made available on the Web. The current market climate is certainly one which requires a new way to address business challenges and we are now excited to offer this new way to our customers,” Baan added.

Scott McMullan, Google Apps Partner Lead for Google Enterprise, said: “The integration of Cordys Process Factory with Google Apps will enable our customers to create new workflows and business processes, extending the value of our applications. We’re very excited to see our customers automate more of their business processes with the simplicity of browser-based cloud orchestration services.”

Cordys Process Factory for Google Apps is a hosted development environment for building business process management applications in the cloud. Based on a Platform-as-a-Service, this process orchestration solution helps companies to rapidly build situational applications (MashApps(r)) to instantly meet specific business needs.

Organizations moving to these cloud based applications within a pay-as-you-go model will be able to drive down the overall IT spending, improve the IT effectiveness and increase the speed of innovation. (ANI)

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Myntra launches personalized IPL jerseys from Reebok

April 21, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Bangalore, Apr 21 (ANI/Business Wire India): Myntra in collaboration with Reebok today launched a range of personalized IPL jerseys for the second season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Consumers can log on to Reebok store on the Myntra website – www.myntra.com/reebok-store – and choose jerseys of four IPL teams – Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, Kings XI Punjab and Bangalore Royal Challengers.

After selecting the jersey they can submit the name and number that they would like to personalize their jerseys with.

Myntra would then process the orders and have the personalized jerseys shipped to the consumer at the address provided by the consumer.

Commenting on the launch of the personalized jerseys from Reebok Mukesh Bansal, CEO – Myntra Designs Pvt. Ltd. said, “Being the leader in the on-demand personalization space in India, it is only fitting that Myntra introduce the concept of personalization to the IPL which is the biggest cricketing event of the year. Cricket fans and enthusiasts now have the opportunity to see themselves in the jerseys of their favourite IPL teams by just adding their names and jersey numbers to the jerseys of their team.”

Added Sajid Shamim – Executive Director, Reebok India Company, “Reebok’s brand positioning is celebrating individuality in sport and life. Reebok celebrates the distinct qualities that make people who they are – their unique points of view, their individual style and their remarkable talents and accomplishments. This association with Myntra enables consumers to personalize jerseys of their favourite IPL teams and is another step towards allowing our consumers to express themselves and celebrate their individuality.”

Myntra.com offers an easy to use and user friendly ordering platform for ordering personalized IPL jerseys. One needs to just select a jersey of one of the 4 IPL teams and enter his / her name and the jersey number that he / she would like to see on the jersey. On doing so a preview of how the jersey would look after personalization is also available.

The personalized IPL jerseys are available in two options – men’s and boys. Payments can be made on the Myntra website through convenient payment options like credit card, debit card, Net Banking and Itz Cash. Mobile payment through the PayMate platform is also accepted. There is also an option of making payments through cheques.

Myntra is also accepting bulk orders from corporates and institutions who would like to gift their priority or loyal clients with personalized jerseys of their favourite IPL teams. This would be a unique gift where the product personalization by the recipient of the jersey is backed by the product quality assurance of Reebok.

The jersey would conjure fond memories in the minds of the recipients long after the IPL is over. Organizations can also order these jerseys to reward their achievers and high performers or for a team building activity or event.

This is also a good opportunity for Non Resident Indians (NRIs) to participate in the IPL by sporting personalized jerseys of their favourite IPL teams.

NRIs can place their orders for personalized jerseys on the Myntra website and the jerseys would be shipped to them at their doorstep. (ANI)

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Forests could become source of warming: report

April 18, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

NEW YORK (Reuters) – The world’s forests are at risk of becoming a source of planet-warming emissions instead of soaking them up like a sponge unless greenhouse gases are controlled, scientists said.

Deforestation emits 20 percent of the world’s carbon dioxide when people cut and burn trees, but standing forests soak up 25 percent of the emissions.

If the Earth heats up 2.5 degrees Celsius (4.5 degrees F) or more, evaporation from the additional heat would lead to severe droughts and heat waves that could kill wide swaths of trees in the tropics of Africa, southern Asia and South America. And emissions from the rotting trees would make forests a source of global warming.

“If temperatures are growing at the current pace definitely this would happen at the end of this century or before,” said Risto Seppala, chair of a report by the International Union of Forest Research Organizations, a nonprofit network of scientists.

The IUFRO will present the report to the U.N.’s Forum on Forests in New York next week.

Not all areas of the world would suffer immediately and pine forests in northern parts of the world could benefit at first.

“In the beginning it would mean some very positive consequences,” for boreal forests such as those found in Northern Europe and Canada, said Seppala by telephone from his home in Finland north of the Arctic Circle. He said timber and paper industries in the North could prosper as warmer weather pushes growth of spruce and other trees.

Even forests found in more temperate parts of the world, such as the United States and Western Europe, could grow faster at first.

“Those who live in industrialized countries in the Northern Hemisphere won’t suffer too much at first,” he said.

People in many developing countries with forests tend to rely more on forests for food, clean water and other basic needs.

But eventually tree pests and parasites that until now have not appeared much in forests in colder parts of the world are likely to spread north as temperatures warm, the report said.

An example of pests already moving to the North is the pine beetle, which has devastated large parts of forests in British Columbia over the past decade and has moved into the province of Alberta. The pest can be killed by periods of extreme cold, but the 2007-2008 winter did not kill off the insects in Alberta.

Much depends on exactly how much temperatures will warm. A Reuters poll earlier this month of scientists showed that global warming is like to overshoot a 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 F) rise above pre-industrial levels seen by many countries as the maximum to avoid the worst of rising sea levels, floods, droughts and heat waves. Temperatures have already risen 0.7 Celsius.

Steps can be taken to protect forests and help them adapt to warmer temperatures, such as sustainable harvesting, the IUFRO report said. Perhaps even more important is cutting global emissions of greenhouse gases, said Seppala.

(Editing by Christian Wiessner)

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Saudi court refuses to block marriage of eight-year-old girl to an older man

April 15, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), Apr.15 (ANI): A court in the Saudi Arabian town of Unaiza has upheld the marriage of an eight-year-old girl to the much older man, on the condition that he does not have sex with her until she reaches puberty.

Outraged human rights groups have termed the decision by the court a clear case of human trafficking.

Organizations like the UNICEF have expressed concern over the ruling, calling it an abuse of the child’s rights.

“UNICEF is deeply concerned by reports that Saudi Arabian tribunals have decided not to annul the marriage of an 8-year-old girl,” Fox News quoted the agency as saying in a statement on its web site.

“Irrespective of circumstances or the legal framework, the marriage of a child is a violation of that child’s rights,” the statement added. (ANI)

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Previous work experience not always good for new job

February 24, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, Feb 24 (ANI): Previous work experience not always good for new job

Employees with previous work experience bring valuable knowledge and skills to their new jobs – but some of what they learned may actually hurt their work performance, that’s the conclusion of a new study.

The study suggests that previous work experience isn’t always goofor new employees. Workers may keep some old habits and ways of doing things that hurt performance in their new roles.

“Organizations pay a premium for workers with job experience that will allow them to just step in and start contributing immediately. But what employers don’t realize is that some of what their employees learned in previous jobs will end up being a negative,” said Steffanie Wilk, co-author of the study and associate professor of management and human resources at Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business.

Wilk said that while employers have always assumed that it is good for new employees to have prior experience, previous research has not always found such a clear advantage.

And the new study is one of the first that has been able to explain why, by separating the positive and negative effects of prior employment experience on a current job.

Wilk and colleagues conducted the study with data from 771 employees and job applicants of two call centers for a major U.S. insurance firm.

They examined the employees’ job performance evaluations and separate ratings of the employees’ work-related skills and knowledge.

The researchers compared these performance and skills evaluations with the employees’ prior work histories and experience at the current firm, to find any relationships.

The results showed that prior work experience at other firms did lead to higher levels of skill and knowledge, which led to better performance reviews at the insurance company.

However, the researchers also found that the longer employees were with the insurance company, the less that experience from previous jobs helped with their performance.

According to the findings, the negative effects from previous experience lingered much longer.

And once the researchers took into account the higher levels of skill and knowledge brought from former jobs, previous experience actually led to lower performance at the insurance company.

In other words, the positive effects of knowledge and skill brought by experienced employees were being at least somewhat balanced by negative factors, the authors concluded.

The study appears in the current issue of the journal Organization Science. (ANI)

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