Dec. 14--PRNewswire/AsiaNet
TECHNOLOGY LICENCES...
SILICON VALLEY: The Hewlett-Packard Company, IBM Corporation and Seagate Removable Storage Solutions today announced the availability of second-generation licences for their linear tape storage products. The new licences apply to Ultrium technology and “will become available in the first quarter of 2002 to storage and media manufacturers" according to a media release.
OPTICAL COLLABORATION...
HONG KONG: The Pisa Research Centre and Marconi have announced “an agreement to collaborate on the development of Automatic Switched Optical Network (ASON) technology based on GMPLS (Generalised Multi Protocol Label Switching)" according to a press statement issued today. The new software will “allow network operators to commission new switching services on-demand and reduce network maintenance costs".
JAPANESE INTERNET...
TOKYO: Internet Initiative Japan Inc today announced it will “link its backbone network to JPNAP Osaka, the latest Internet eXchange point in the western part of Japan "by the beginning of January 2002" a news release said. The Internet eXchange addresses Internet traffic concentration around Tokyo’s metropolitan area.
FUEL INNOVATION...
MILAN: Nuvera Fuel Cells today announced “it has developed a breakthrough technology concept that could rapidly advance the commercialization of fuel cell vehicles" in the electric transportation industry, the company said today. The breakthrough “involves a significant advancement to Nuvera's multi-fuel processor technology" which could result in significant increases in operating efficiency and start up times for fuel cell vehicles which “far exceed" industry standards.
AIDS FUNDRAISING...
NEW YORK: MAC cosmetics today named musician Elton John, Grammy Award winner Mary J. Blige and rock star Shirley Manson of the band Garbage as the spokespeople for VIVA GLAM IV lipstick, a fund-raising tool for The MAC AIDS Fund. The MAC AIDS Fund “has raised more than $23 million in order to provide daily services for men, women and children affected by HIV/AIDS around the world" according to a press statement.
WEBSITE RE-LAUNCH...
HONG KONG: Internet services provider Modem Media has re-designed Prudential Corporation Asia's (PCA) website (http://www.prudential-asia.com), it was announced today. The website has been developed as “a master navigation and regional portal for quickly and easily directing users to the relevant local website in any one of the 12 Asian countries in which Prudential operates, while enabling users to interact and understand Prudential in Asia" a news release said.
INSURANCE SALE...
PHILADELPHIA: Insurance firm CIGNA International today said “it has reached an agreement with the Taiwan Branch of the Manufactures Life Insurance Company of America ("Manulife Taiwan") to sell its life insurance agency business, which includes its agent sales force and the policies they service, to Manulife, pending regulatory approval" according to a company media release. Terry L. Kendall, president of CIGNA International, said: "This transaction will enable us to fully concentrate on our rapidly growing direct marketing and bancassurance operations in Taiwan".
DOMAIN REGISTRATIONS...
STERLING: NeuLevel Inc, business domain registry operator of .BIZ, said today “it has exceeded 500,000 registered domain names ... just over one month after going live with its service". Doug Armentrout, CEO of NeuLevel, Inc, said: “The need for a domain dedicated solely to business is strongly supported by the demand that we've seen ... companies of all sizes, all around the world have registered and are using their .BIZ web addresses".
EXECUTIVE APPOINTMENTS...
SINGAPORE: Internet company Seagate Technology has named Chang Faa Shoon as the new vice president of its Asia Materials division. Mr Shoon will “be responsible for the external and internal supply chain of materials required for Seagate's Asia Pacific manufacturing operations" a company press release said.
HONG KONG: Telecommunications company CommVerge Solutions Limited today announced the appointment of Mr. Dilip Chopra as the company's Chief Financial Officer, according to a press statement. Mr. Chopra “is responsible for all financial functions of CommVerge and its subsidiaries as well as strengthening CommVerge's investor relations" the company said.
FINANCIAL RESULTS...
WESTWOOD: Excalibur Asset Management today reported it has had returns of 9.53% (22.87% annualized) in the first six months of the operation of its Balanced Account model. Excalibur's Chief Currency Strategist and Managing Director Robert Timberg, said: “The Excalibur Managed Accounts was conceived as an alternative investment vehicle with a purpose of complementing traditional investments. Our model has an emphasis on currency trading to generate stable returns with low volatility for investors".
(AsiaNet is a consortium of leading news agencies distributing unedited, translated press releases for worldwide clients. Contact: www.asianet.com.au for full-text versions).