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A.Kobyakov, Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus, Visited Amkodor-Logoysk
On 25 January, during the business trip to the Logoysk district, A.Kobyakov, Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus, visited the holding enterprise Amkodor-Logoysk manufacturing special-purpose machines for forestry.
During the visit, the AMKODOR forestry machinery in operation was demonstrated to the Head of the Government.
Then, with the participation of V.Vovk, Minister of Industry of the Republic of Belarus, there was discussed the plan for modernization of the enterprise and increasing the production of forestry machinery, expanding its model range, increasing the competitiveness of products.
Mr.Kobyakov noted that Belarus was the only country among CIS countries manufacturing forestry machines which were in high demand first of all in the domestic market. The main aim for the holding was to develop the industry.
The AMKODOR holding has been developing the production of forestry machines more than 11 years. At present, a range of forestry machinery has 17 models and modifications. More than 900 machines have been produced and supplied to the customers, about 500 of them function in the Belarusian enterprises. In 2018 the supplies to the European market have begun. In 2018 the first SKD for assembly production has been shipped to the AMKODOR BALTIK in Lithuania.
Prospective markets of the Latin America, Africa and Asia are being studied.
The production program of the Unitary Enterprise Amkodor Logoysk for 2018 stipulates the production of 140 machines, and after the production modernization the scope of production in the medium term is planned to increase to 300 machines at significant updating and expansion of the model range.
Forestry machines manufactured at the enterprise – forwarder AMKODOR 2662-01, harvesters AMKODOR 2551, AMKODOR 2541 – in 2014 – 2017 were included in a List of innovative products of the Republic of Belarus.
In 2017 six employees of the JSC AMKODOR, holding managing company, received state awards for the development and introduction into production forestry machinery.
The visit of the governmental Executive to the Production Unitary Enterprise Amkodor-Logoysk and development prospects of the enterprise were widely covered by the Republican media.


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real-time news and commentary for investors
Monday, Apr 22
Marvell (MRVL +3.6%) rallies after announcing a solution for remotely controllable LED bulbs...
Marvell (MRVL +3.6%) rallies after announcing a solution for remotely controllable LED bulbs that includes a new AC/DC controller/wireless microcontroller SoC (it can work with either the ZigBee protocol, or a combo of ZigBee and Wi-Fi). Marvell, which has been aggressively pushing into the LED controller/driver chip space, claims its solution uses half as many chips as alternatives. The announcement comes a week after Marvell announced Samsung will use one of its LED driver ICs in a new line of bulbs. Cirrus Logic (CRUS) also has lofty ambitions in this space. (Marvell/Sharp demo)

domain: news


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Have you ever thought of your digital SLR acting as a spy on you? Well, this wasn’t true before until two German found a weakness in a wifi-enabled Canon EOS-1D X. According to them, through this vulnerability the SLR can be used as a form of drone. The researchers Daniel Mende and Pascal Turbing showed this aspect of SLR in ShmcooCon hacker’s convention.
Help Net Security, first among the breaking of this presentation by Mende and Turbing, said the researchers were able to exploit 1D X thought four different ways. The common aspect of all these ways was the 1D X communication with a wireless network. (While the 1D X has no built-in WiFi, it’s compatible with Canon’s Wireless Transmitter WFT-E6A dongle, which attaches to a side port on the DSLR.)
Through this vulnerability, a hacker could wirelessly steal photos; the WiFi infiltration in the SLR can also allow hackers to upload their own images into the camera or, at the most provide control to anyone over the SLR wirelessly.
This type of WiFi hacking isn’t limited to a SLR such 1D X. But, it could be applied over any WiFi-enabled digital camera or smart phone.
Mende and Turbing also presented ways to help prevent such attacks occurring in the future to any smartphone or digital camera user. To sum up the researchers tricks: be sure your WiFi camera is always supported to some form of network security encryption, such as the common WEP protocol.


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Finally after the lot of speculation, we got a chance to get closer with the launch of Ford EcoSport. This time grass is looking greener than before, and we had all the reasons to prove it right in terms of speculations.
We recently learnt that Alan Mulally, Ford President and Chief Executive Officer who recently flew down to India will be there for the rollout, which is expected to happen on 26th June 2013. Smelled, Ford to carry out this launch in Delhi, and rumor follows other metro cities may get the same dose on further dates. Well, we too hope that Ford now will reveal the complete product in the market, not leaving price to be there under cover for more of the time yet.
“The EcoSport looks fantastic. The Chennai team, together with our supplier partners, have done an outstanding job in delivering our customers a great looking, fuel efficient, safe, compact utility vehicle with impressive functionality and connectivity, at a very affordable price,” said Mulally, who was recently in Chennai to congratulate Ford employees on the first EcoSport shipments.
Already known much about it, but still confirming once again, 1.0L turbocharged EcoBoost engine is also going to debut in India with EcoSport that had already claimed a lot of accolades on its name throughout the world. It will be interesting to see how we locals will perceive it performing on the crumbling yet almost broken Indian roads. Escorting the EcoBoost will be the normally tuned 1.5L petrol and diesel engines to compete various segments more aggressively here.
This and again, we say it may be the last speculation for EcoSport, and the next time we emerged to you with this topic will be given down with the launch invitation in our hands.


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Singapore beverage firm Fraser & Neave (F&N) is investing more than $70 million in Malaysia to expand capacity for business growth, the company said yesterday .
It will do so through F&N Holdings (F&NHB), its 55.5 per cent held Malaysia-based subsidiary.
The projects are part of F&NHB's $102 million capital spending committed over two years in Malaysia to extend product offerings and packaging formats, and to stay competitive in one of its core markets.
The moves include a state-of-the-art aseptic cold-filling polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle line, a four-storey integrated warehouse and an ultra-high temperature processing (UHT) line.
Some $61 million will go towards the PET bottle line and a new four-storey facility to house it.
The other $10 million will go to development of the UHT line which will be at F&N's existing soft drinks plant in Kuching, Sarawak.
The PET bottle line will "reduce PET resin packaging material by 40 per cent" according to the firm, thereby reducing its carbon footprint and packaging costs.
The facility will be built on a 0.9 ha site within F&N's existing soft drinks plant in Shah Alam, Selangor.
The company operates five plants in Malaysia and the two new lines will "power F&N's expansion into new offerings and packaging formats to fulfil market demand".
"This capacity expansion will allow the group to fulfil anticipated growth and demand for healthier drinks in the medium to long term," said Mr Lee Meng Tat, F&N chief executive for non-alcoholic beverages. F&N's healthier range includes its ready-to-drink tea and soya products.
The projects will boost F&NHB's total asset value in Malaysia to RM 1.9 billion (S$640 million).
Mr Lee said that the investments emphasise the importance of Malaysia as one of F&N's core markets and reflect the firm's confidence in its brands' growth potential, as well as the long-term economic growth of the country.
Once complete, the PET bottle and UHT lines will boost production capacity by 6.5 million and 3.4 million cases per year respectively.


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The next-gen Nissan LEAF will not be made in the US. Nissan will build the new model in the UK, but the affordable EV risks losing IRA tax credit eligibility.
Nissan confirmed it will build the next-gen LEAF at its Sunderland, UK plant, alongside two new electric SUVs last week.
The Juke and Qashqai, two of Nissan’s top-selling SUVs in Europe, are also going electric. Nissan announced an up to £3bn ($3.8B) investment to build the three new EVs at the plant.
As one of the first mass-market EVs, Nissan’s LEAF was a pioneer. However, with battery and other tech developments, more advanced EVs have stolen the compact electric cars shine.
The LEAF was the best-selling EV (cumulatively) until Tesla’s Model 3 overtook it in early 2020. Model 3 deliveries began in 2017, and it became the top-selling model in 2018 and 2019.
LEAF sales continue to slide amid new competition. Sales are down significantly this year in every major market through September, including the US (-37%), Europe (28%), and Japan (-15%).
The next-gen LEAF will be the first of the three new EVs built at its Sunderland factory. According to Automotive News Europe, it will launch at the end of next year.
Nissan pulls next-gen LEAF production from the US
With plans to build the new LEAF in the UK, where does that leave North America? Sources told Automotive News that Nissan does not plan to build the new LEAF in the US.
The LEAF kicked off a new era as the first mass-market EV in the US, but production of the current model is expected to end in 2025.
The decision could set the LEAF further back than it already is. Nissan’s LEAF is known as an affordable EV, yet the company plans a drastic makeover.
Nissan will release the next-gen LEAF as a crossover coupe SUV to make it more competitive. It will include a sleeker, lower design to avoid competing with its other electric crossovers.
A source from Nissan said the design is closer to the Ariya, the company’s first electric SUV. Another said it was a “mini Ariya.” Nissan said it has already been previewed in its Chill-Out concept.
The Chill-Out concept is a “mobile haven,” according to Nissan. It features advanced safety tech and a comfortable interior. The concept is based on the CMF-EV platform, which powers the Ariya. It also includes Nissan’s e-4ORCE electric 4WD control system.
Nissan’s new LEAF will look nothing like the current generation with a complete design change. It will also feature 25% more range, Nissan told retailers.
However, how popular will the new Nissan LEAF be in the US without the tax credit? Importing the model from the UK would lose its eligibility for an up to $7,500 credit.
One dealer said the subsidy is critical for a brand like Nissan with a “price-sensitive” customer base. “Without that tax incentive, it will be extremely difficult to compete in the United States,” the dealer said.
They added, “We have one hand tied behind our back when selling these EVs.” The dealer went as far as to say, “Why would we even bring this car to the United States?” without tax credit eligibility.
Nissan, which was once viewed as a leader in the EV industry with the launch of the LEAF in 2010, has fallen behind.
The automaker is vowing to make a comeback with a nearly $18 billion investment to launch 15 new EVs globally by 2030. Nissan is also investing $500 million in its Canton, Miss plant to prepare for EV production.
As per Nissan’s production schedule, the first EVs will be a pair of sedans in 2026. The LEAF replacement is expected to launch in the US in 2025.
Without the tax credit, however, Nissan will face stiff competition. Nissan has sold just over 10,000 LEAF models in the US through September.


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Planet, people, and community—those are the three sustainable impact pillars upon which HP aims to drive meaningful change in the IT industry with its new HP Amplify Impact program announced in February. All partners who are part of HP Amplify, the retooled partner program the global vendor launched in November, are eligible to join the voluntary program.
Ellen Jackowski (pictured), HP’s chief sustainability and social impact officer, says the new program is an extension of HP’s core sustainable impact strategy. “It’s not just about the impact that we're making in our own operations, in our own company, but given our legacy in this space, our history, and the leadership that we've been able to have, it just feels like it's our responsibility and our opportunity to then take all of those learnings, share those across our value chain, and scale that impact.”
Jackowski says the program creates an opportunity for partners of all sizes to have an impact, no matter where they are on their sustainability journey. “Given the problems that we are facing as a society, this isn't just something a certain portion of our society should be taking on. Everyone has a role to play … no matter how big or how small you are, [or] where you sit in that [partner] ecosystem.”
Partners that join HP Amplify Impact will work with HP to assess their own practices while tapping into the company’s sustainability resources, such as the HP Planet Partners recycling program.
There are two tracks to Amplify Impact at present. Catalyst track members will take the HP Amplify Impact Pledge, participate in a sustainability assessment, and report sales opportunities. HP is initially rolling this out in the U.S. and 18 other countries. “The pledge covers all three aspects—planet, people, and community,” Jackowski explains. “So a partner can choose where within those realms they want to focus. They can focus on all three, or they can start with one and expand over time.”
The Changemaker track is optimized to assist partners that do not yet have a sustainability plan in place and commit to investing in the sustainability journey. HP will closely collaborate with and support Changemaker members in the development of a long-term sustainability plan. The initial rollout includes France, Italy, Spain, Canada, South Africa, Australia and select partners in the U.S. Partners have “various levels of maturity in terms of their own sustainability programs. Some of them are very sophisticated and others are just starting out. So that was important for us to think about how we present options and [have] some flexibility, so that there's something for everybody,” Jackowski says.
HP is several decades into its own commitment to sustainabiity. “We've got a lineup of some of the most sustainable products in the industry,” says Jackowski, who notes that sustainability is not only good for the planet, but it’s good for business too. In 2020, HP had more than $1 billion in new sales, due in part to sustainability, she says, and HP wants partners to be able to benefit from this as well.


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A new survey by Sybase says that 2,443 of adults with a mobile phone, when polled, claim that their number one use case for an iPad would be working while out and about. 52.3% of those polled say they would work from a device like the iPad, 48.2% said they would use it to watch movies and television, and 35.4% said that they would use it to play games. Those are some interesting numbers -- we've already heard that a full third of potential iPad users would use it to read books (though of course for some people, reading books would be considered work), and we've even heard that 44% of the iPhone apps being tested so far are actually games.
So basically, no one has any idea what we'll be doing with our iPads when we actually get them. No, my guess is that people suspect that they will use an iPad for working, but in practice, they'll use it more for what Apple expects them to use it for: games and consuming media. It could also be that "work" apps take longer to develop on the iPad, which would explain why we're seeing games made when most users believe they'll be working. But of course, we'll have to see -- it's possible that we may not know the main use for the iPad yet, as even Apple seems to be torn on what the real focus of the computer will be.


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NEW YORK — Procter & Gamble is making the first moves today in its long quest to achieve dominance of the global fragrance business.
As long anticipated, P&G Prestige Beauty and Cosmopolitan Cosmetics, which was part of the Wella acquisition, are officially being fused into a new operating unit, P&G Prestige Products, with the Geneva-based executive Hartwig Langer remaining at the helm as global president. Meanwhile, P&G also has dropped four businesses that don't fit the master plan: Toni & Tina, Trussardi, Charles Jourdan and Yohji Yamamoto, whose Tokyo-based company said it had ended the license. The design firm said it "has decided to explore strategic alternatives with respect to the distribution and sale of its fragrance brands." That could mean either licensing out Yohji's beauty brand manufacturing and distribution again or taking its production in-house.
Today's moves by P&G were foreshadowed during a recent interview with Langer at the Cosmopolitan offices in Manhattan. Clearly, the editing of the four brands was part of the P&G mantra to look for "brands with big global potential, regional star brands or potential growth engines," as a spokeswoman said.
P&G identifies its global fine fragrance — purely juice — as approaching $2 billion in worldwide sales, putting it behind market leader L'Oréal. "Our aim and vision and objective is to become the best fine fragrance company in the world," Langer stated.
P&G executives declined to stipulate how distant the goal is or how long it will take to reach. Considering the hypercompetitive environment of today's fragrance market, it certainly will be challenging. L'Oreal is not resting on its oars. In the U.S. alone, L'Oreal had a 19 percent share of department store sales in 2004, according to NPD Beauty, compared with 8 percent for P&G. According to sources, L'Oreal aims to cross the 20 percent mark within the next year, pushing sales from $540 million to over $600 million.
Langer's first boss at P&G was Bernd Beetz, who is now a prime competitor as the head of Coty Inc., another contender for the top spot. When asked recently why he bought Calvin Klein and the rest of the Unilever fragrance business, Beetz retorted, to become "the world fragrance leader."
A Stella McCartney sketch of a custom dress made from protein-based silk in partnership with biotech lab Bolt Threads. The dress will be displayed at The Museum of Modern Art's upcoming design exhibition, "Items: Is Fashion Modern?"


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NatPro Centre unlocks the power of natural products to benefit human health and society
Posted on: 26 May 2021
NatPro, the new Trinity Centre for Natural Products Research, based at the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, officially launches today with a mission to advance research and innovation of naturally derived products to deliver human health benefits and innovative life science solutions across sectors.
The global natural product market continues to grow and is becoming pivotal to social, economic and environmental strategies. Driven by health, economic and climate concerns, consumers increasingly demand sustainable and natural plant-based products. Innovation is the key to addressing this urgency.
The multi and interdisciplinary academic, regulations and commercial expertise of NatPro’s staff and Principal Investigator network, applies a transformative, science-led lens to unlock the power of natural products from existing, and potentially new, terrestrial and marine biodiversity sources.
Professor Helen Sheridan, NatPro Founder and Academic Director and Assoc. Professor of Natural Product Chemistry at Trinity College said:
“The tide is rising in the Natural Product sectors globally and in Ireland. We at NatPro are excited to use a creative scientific lens to lead the pursuit of innovation in this sector. Interdisciplinarity is the key to our strategy and success. NatPro harnesses the power of academic rigor to drive natural product-based science from discovery through to a breath of applications.” To quote Shakespeare ‘On such a full sea are we now afloat. And we must take the current when it serves or lose our ventures’.
Nevertheless, there are challenges to the exploitation of natural products. These range from sustainable production, consistent quality, large scale biomass drying to standardising bioactivity, formulation for targeted delivery and regulatory challenges to entry different markets.
NatPro partners with industries and other stakeholders in this arena to deliver break-through solutions. The centre identifies key bioactives from natural sources (macro and microalgae, cereals, bioactive herbs and plants and residual commercial biomass, such as brewer’s spent grain) and transforms them towards new therapeutics, functional foods, supplements and cosmetic applications.
Dr Gaia Scalabrino, NatPro Executive Director said:
We strive for Ireland to lead at the forefront of innovation in the global natural products ecosystem, advancing its natural resources, key expertise and commercial opportunities. NatPro’s edge is its interdisciplinary technology platforms, which promote a gateway for synergistic partnerships across industry and academia.
We operate an integrated approach at the interface between discovery science, product development and regulations.Our drive is to create innovative products and provide strategic, scientific advice to our partners. Our team discovers value-added use of natural resources to deliver evidence-based solutions, which are derived from nature and translated into disruptive and sustainable practices.
Professor Anne Marie Healy, Professor of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology at Trinity College and NatPro Co-Director said:
The opportunities provided by the NatPro Centre to progress natural product research from discovery and analysis of new chemical entities through to formulation, processing and manufacture is very exciting, and really unique in the Irish research landscape.


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Pharma industry profit margins according to yahoo finance’s industry summary, the average profit margin for generic drug companies as of april 2013 is 54 percent. Here we look at who the top ten pharmaceutical companies for 2016, and some of their leading products and therapies. Pharmaceutical companies’ traditional focus on discovering the next us$1 billion “blockbuster” drug has shifted in recent years, from products for common. In second ipo of 2018, pharmaceutical company agp set to get listed on psx agp' ltd's book building process is set to kick-off on feb 7-8. Profits in the 2015 fortune 500: manufacturers vs wholesalers, pbms, and pharmacies and pharmaceutical drug channels companies’ profitability looks much. 10 most profitable companies in healthcare company: profit margin: amag pharmaceuticals pozen and taro -- are pharmaceutical companies that don't fit under. The following is a list of the top 100 pharma companies in turkey sorted by total value of sales in usd for 2014 global giant novartis is number one in a market.
A study on financial performance of pharmaceutical performance of pharmaceutical table 2 shows the net profit ratios of pharmaceutical companies in. Assessing the impact of liquidity and profitability ratios on to profit growth of pharmaceutical companies in nigeria implying that continued improvement. The 11 largest global drug companies made an astonishing $711 billion in including allowing big pharma to purpose + profit the power. Factors determining profitability: a study of selected management practiced in pharmaceutical companies listed on share stock exchange a positive correlation had. Profitability of listed pharmaceutical companies in bangladesh: an inter & intra comparison ambee & ibn sina companies ltd.
A showcase of top pharma companies in india, incl the list of top 10 healthcare and pharma companies top pharmaceutical companies in india. See who’s on the 2015 list of top pharmaceuticals distributors company profiles include 2014 revenue, change in sales from 2013, recent acquisitions & more. Full-text (pdf) | the pharmaceutical market of bangladesh very much dynamic and competitive and is comparable to those of developed countries it is a matter of great. Pharmaceutical industry gets high on fat profits last year, five pharmaceutical companies made a profit margin of 20% or more - pfizer, hoffmann-la roche.
Top pharmaceuticals stocks in india by net profit: get the list of top pharmaceuticals companies in india (bse) based on net profit. Impact of capital structure on profitability in pharmaceutical the capital structure of seven companies listed in the pharmaceutical and biotech sector. Read more about best unlisted companies on business standard in fy14, unlisted firms reported higher return on equity than listed ones, but earned lower. Pharmaceutical industry in india companies are lured by the promise of hefty profit margins and thus top 9 publicly listed pharmaceutical companies in india.
Top pharmaceuticals stocks in india by net sales: get the list of top pharmaceuticals companies in india (bse) based on net sales. 10 best pharmaceutical companies in 2017 the top-10 pharmaceutical companies in this market had share of around 40% in 2016 and profitability or.
Search information on ireland's top pharma companies search by turnover, employees or profit. The list of pharmaceutical companies by revenue shows exactly how much money these huge firms generate making $20 billion won't even crack the list. Major players of pharmaceutical industry us pharmaceutical companies the pharmaceutical industry is companies we calculated profitability and.
What is the profit margin on drugs sold by pharmaceutical companies update cancel answer wiki 3 answers what is a reasonable profit for pharmaceutical companies. 2 issue 2 » comparison of profitability of listed pharmaceutical companies of bangladesh comparison of profitability of listed pharmaceutical profit.


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Business Roundtable is an association of chief executive officers of leading U.S. companies working to promote a thriving economy and expanded opportunity for all Americans through sound public policy.
Open markets for international trade and investment are essential for supporting U.S. economic growth and jobs. Business Roundtable supports policies that promote U.S. trade and investment, and create a level playing field for U.S. companies competing in global markets.
Recent Activities in International Engagement
Joshua Bolten, President & CEO of Business Roundtable, today issued the following statement regarding investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) provisions and other North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) priorities
Washington – Business Roundtable today released the following statement in response to the Commerce Department’s recommendations to use Section 232 national security provisions to restrict steel and aluminum imports:
Tom Linebarger, Chairman and CEO of Cummins Inc. and Chair of the Business Roundtable International Engagement Committee, today issued the following statement on negotiations taking place in Seoul on the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS):
New economic analysis prepared for Business Roundtable concludes that termination of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) would result in the net loss of 1.8 million U.S. jobs within the first year.
Below are six insights we've gathered about the benefits of trade with South Korea, America's seventh largest export market, including those enjoyed under the United States-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS). To expand on those benefits, we continue to urge the U.S. and Korean governments to address implementation issues under KORUS and market access issues that U.S. companies face.


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July 6th, morning (Germany time), the groundbreaking ceremony for XCMG Group Europe Co., Ltd. was grandly held in Krefeld, Germany. Mayor of Xuzhou Zhu Min, Mayor of Krefeld Gregor Kathsteds, Minister of Ministry of Economy and Trade & Handicraft Industry of Nordrhein-Westfalen Garrelt Duin, Deputy Consul General of Chinese Consulate General in Frankfurt Wang Xiting, Chairman of XCMG Group Wang Min, members of XCMG Group Europe Co., Ltd. project group, part of supporting companies and media at home and abroad jointly witnessed the milestone moment.
The company with the investment of more than 36 million Euros is based in Krefeld, Germany, covering 16400 square meters. The company focuses on overcoming the key techniques on the development of core components like hydraulic valves, pumps, motors and intelligent controls.
The company is forecast to complete and go into operation in July 2013. After completed, it will become XCMG’s hydraulics and transmission high-end technical center, machine technical cooperation and promotion platform and top-level talent cultivation center, and as well as its technical headquarter in Europe.


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The North American based Chevrolet carmaker has recently released the price for the Hybrid LT version, the model being available from $28,645, once it will hit dealerships next spring.
The 2016 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid LT comes with a lot of features inside the cabin, like high-end materials, cruise control, push ignition start, passive entry system, or the updated Chevrolet MyLink infotainment system.
The most important changes are under the hood, where the Hybrid LT packs a conventional 1.8-liter EcoTec four-cylinder petrol engine, hooked to two electric motors.
The EcoTec engine churns out 122 horsepower alone, while the two electric motors add-up 174 horsepower. The engine and the electric motors are linked to a 1.5 kWh lithium-ion battery pack, which ensures the car an 88 km mile range, with zero CO2 emissions.
In terms of fuel efficiency, the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid LT burns out just 48 mpg in the city, 45 mpg on the highway, while the combined mileage stands at 47 mpg.
Additional exterior and inside features will be revealed next year, along with the entire Malibu lineup!


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Famed Sydney chef Matt Moran has launched the T-Qual Tick Tour, which will see him travel around Australia to visit some of the country’s leading tourism experiences that are endorsed by the Australian Government’s new national symbol of tourism quality, the T-Qual Tick.
Tourism Australia is responsible for promoting the T-Qual Tick on behalf of the Tourism Quality Council of Australia, and has designed the T-Qual Tick Tour to showcase some of the quality tourism businesses that have met the criteria to display the T-Qual Tick.
A seasoned domestic traveller for business and pleasure, Moran said he is looking forward to experiencing more of Australia’s quality offerings.
“I’m so excited to get started on the T-Qual Tick Tour. As co-owner of Aria, I understand the importance of promoting quality in the industry. I can’t wait to discover the best that Australia has to offer and to experience the high-quality products that are available right on our doorstep,” he said.
Moran will kick off his T-Qual Tick Tour tonight with an overnight adventure to Taronga Zoo’s Roar and Snore, where he will experience rare insights into the zoo’s nocturnal inhabitants and spend a night sleeping in an architecturally designed tent overlooking Sydney’s iconic harbour. He will then embark upon his journey around the country, visiting some quality tourism experiences in destinations such as Hobart, Darwin, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Broome.
“The T-Qual Tick is working to promote quality tourism in Australia and raising industry standards and is backed by the Australian Government,” said Tourism Australia Managing Director, Andrew McEvoy.
“Matt’s tour will give people all over the country an insight into exactly why they can trust the T-Qual Tick when booking their next holiday, allowing them to relax safe in the knowledge that they will enjoy value for money and a quality experience,” he said.


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by Andrew J
Yet another example of online databases being hacked. Steam, an extremely large gaming platform on millions of computers, was hacked on Sunday November 6, 2011. Initially, steam believed that only the online forum database was hacked. It was later found that the attack was much deeper than expected. The hackers gained control over user names, hashed and salted passwords, game purchases, email addresses, billing addresses,and encrypted credit card information. It is not clear if the the credit card information had been decrypted or not. However, there has been no evidence of credit card misuse at this time.
Steam has billions of users internationally. Many play the still popular counter-strike through steam. Also the highly anticipated game, Skyrim: The Elder Scrolls V, was also about be released at the time. This security breach effects many of us, even in this class. It effects me for sure. Regardless of how much time you spend on gaming, user data is still stored in steam databases. For those who do not often go onto steam to play games, they might not have even heard about this security breach. Those who rarely play games, but still have accounts may not have changed their passwords yet. Like myself, I did not hear about steam database being attacked until reading this article. For those who have not changed their passwords, do so now! Change all of your passwords and keep a close watch on all of your credit card transactions.
Fish, Elizabeth. 10 November, 2011. PCWorld, Steam Gets Hacked: Here’s How to Keep Safe.


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ATLANTA MARKET PEOPLE PIX --PAGE 1
Hellenic unveils Bob Mackie collection with the maestro himself participating in market events. Famed costume designer Bob Mackie, right, joined Steve Mazarakis, president of Hellenic Rug Imports for a pre-market look at the dramatic new line. (Look for a www.rugnews.com Sound & Motion feature on tomorrow's Hellenic/Bob Mackie party).
Look Who's New at Couristan! Len Andolino steps into a new job as regional manager for Couristan. Maria King, formerly with Momeni, has become Couristan's Atlanta showroom manager.
Linda Harlow, newly named vice president of merchandising for Trans Ocean with lifestyle designer Liora Manne, head designer of Trans Ocean and president of Lamontage.
Doug Bockwrath, Bockrath Carpet and Oriental Rugs, Dayton, OH; Kim Craig, Rugs Direct, Winchester, VA; David Craig, Rugs Direct Winchester, VA; Don Scarlata, president of Colonial Mills; Mary Jane Connell, cmi vice president of sales.
Chuck Cashin, who recently joined Jeff DeSantis of Amici Imports in a new partnership called CJ Imports, with Eva DiAdamo, head of Amici's Amica Home Furnishings division.
Wim De Pape, chief operating officer of Orian Rugs, Inc.; Jim Howell, newly named regional sales manager; Jennifer Denton, director of design for Orian, and Dennis Kreson, national sales manager for Orian Studio division.
Keith Arlinghaus, left, now the senior rug buyer of Macy's Home Store and Leon Capel, president of Capel, Inc.In his new post, Arlinghaus said he'll be building a staff of 10 to 12 people who will focus on merchandise coordination and sales training throughout the country.
more pix: click on the links below:


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November 30, 2012 BY John Kim
For 2012, Converse selected the Pro Leather as the footwear darling of its heritage line-up, releasing in several Retro-styled colorways and collaborative projects over the course of the year. While the one-of-23 Pro Leathers autographed by Jordan is likely the rarest and most sought-after of the bunch, Stussy NYC’s patchwork joints were definitely the highlight among the attainable pairs. This latest teaser video gives us insight on a third ‘patchwork’ release, setting aside the plaids and corduroys used in the first batch and opting for various elements of camouflage prints. Peep the full video after thejump and stay tuned for a release that’s set to go down before year’s end.


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Ford Can Quit India, Sell Off Assets To Ola Or Any Company That Wants To Manufacture Cars
Ford was said to be looking into contract manufacturing prospects in India earlier this week. However, according to a new report, the automaker may be planning to shut down its operations in India entirely.
Ford Looks To Wrap Up India Factory Operation!
It is said that Ford could shut down manufacturing operations at its factories in Chennai and Sanand, Gujarat. Besides contract manufacturing, Ford is also said to be keen on selling off its Indian factories.
According to rumours, Ford has been in talks with Ola, which could use Ford’s factory to manufacture electric vehicles.
An Ola spokesperson refused to comment, while Ford India’s spokesman termed it speculative: “We would not like to comment on speculations. We continue to assess our capital allocations in India and expect to have an answer in the second half of this year,” Ford India’s spokesperson said.
Ford And Mahindra’s Joint Venture
Ford’s Chennai plant has an installed annual capacity of 2 lakh cars and 3.50 lakh engines, while the Sanand facility can produce 2.4 lakh cars and 2.7 lakh engines.
Last year, talks between Ford and Mahindra over a possible joint venture broke down. It is said that Ford had initiated talks with other manufacturers like MG, Changan and Great Wall following this.
Initially, Ford and Mahindra had plans to share platforms and technologies and would’ve utilized the production capacity at Ford’s factories in India.
Ford went slow with their contract manufacturing discussions for two years because “talks were at an advanced level with Mahindra & Mahindra” and were looking at “cross badging and new product alliance plans with the Indian partner would take care of Ford India’s 400000 units per annum capacity at Maraimalainagar and Sanand,” said a source.


text:
Wednesday April 10th 2013
PERNOD RICARD : USA To Appoint Major Brands as its Exclusive Distributor in Missouri
Pernod Ricard USA® today announced plans to appoint Major Brands, Inc. as the exclusive distributor of its full line of spirits and wine brands in Missouri, effective May 1, 2013.
Bryan Fry, President and Chief Executive Officer, Pernod Ricard USA, said Major Brands was chosen based on its local market expertise, as well as its planning and execution skills. “We are very pleased to be able to achieve our goal to consolidate the distribution of our premium portfolio into one wholesaler in Missouri, as this move will further strengthen our powerful Route to Market in that state,” Fry said.
Martin Crane, Senior Vice President, Spirits Sales, Pernod Ricard USA, said the company “very much looks forward to this collaboration since we know that the Major Brands team – led by Barry O’Neil – will build upon their impressive track record of outstanding service and brand stewardship. We expect great things and are confident that, together, we can achieve strong growth for our leading brands.”
“Today’s announcement reaffirms the strength of the longstanding partnership between Pernod and Major Brands,” said Major Brands Chairman and CEO, Susan McCollum. “It reflects Pernod’s continued confidence in our company’s unique ability to deliver outstanding results in the Missouri marketplace.”
Previously, Pernod Ricard USA’s brands were distributed in Missouri by Glazer’s and Major Brands. Glazer’s will continue to distribute Pernod Ricard’s products in Arkansas and Kansas.
Earlier this year, Pernod Ricard USA asked a Federal Court in Missouri to declare that its terminations of Major Brands and Glazer’s as distributors of portions of Pernod Ricard’s portfolio in Missouri did not violate state law. That litigation is still pending.
Flavored Vodka Companies Continue To Debut New Flavors, But Why?
Source: The Huffington Post
By Carey Polis
Dear Any Liquor Company That Has Produced A Flavored Vodka In The Past Several Years,
It seems as if you are on to something. Last year, we learned that flavored-vodka sales are on the rise, and that in 2011, nearly a quarter of all sales were from flavored vodka.
This surprised us, to say the least. A year ago, we rounded up some of the worst-flavored vodkas of all time, that included non-appetizing flavors like smoked salmon and fluffed marshmallow.
In an effort to understand this craze, we’ve tasted various flavors, including peanut butter and jelly vodka and salted caramel vodka (the official flavor is spelled “Karamel,” for no apparent reason). The caramel was awful. The peanut butter and jelly was barely passable.
Within the past several weeks, even more flavored vodkas have come on the market. Smirnoff introduced a “Sorbet Light” line with three flavors: raspberry pomegranate, mango passionfruit and lemon. The aim of the line is to offer a reduced-calorie version when compared to other dessert-flavored vodkas. We tasted these vodkas on their own and as part of a cocktail, with recipes courtesy of Smirnoff. None of them were good. On their own, the flavors were medicinal, Ring Pop-like and reminiscent of bathroom cleaner. When mixed into cocktails, one of them was almost palatable; it reminded us of jungle juice at a frat party.
We’re not sure who had the idea of creating rainbow sherbet vodka but yes, it is now available and is as unpalatable as it sounds. And does anyone even want a rainbow sherbet cocktail? We’re having trouble understanding where the market for this flavor is. Adults that are nostalgic for childhood but would rather drink vodka than eat ice cream?
After sampling these various flavors over the course of several months, we feel fairly well versed in the flavored vodka arena. And you know what? We just don’t get it. How is this category selling well? There is no need for a flavor like lemon vodka when you can use plain vodka and add fresh lemon. And there is definitely no need for a vodka to taste like caramel (or rather, attempt to taste like caramel). Vodka is not a liquor category that needs to have dozens of iterations. Keep it simple and let the other cocktail ingredients elevate its taste.
Novelty vodka flavors do not make cocktails taste better. In fact, in most cases, they make them taste worse. If you want an interesting cocktail, don’t rely on artificial flavors to get you there.
HuffPost Taste & HuffPost Food
Big brand brandies top the spirits growth charts
Source: Drinks International
By Hamish Smith
09 April, 2013
The three fastest growing million-case spirit brands of 2012 all emanated from the brandy category, according to the Millionaires’ Club 2013.
United Spirits’ Golden Grape topped the charts with year-on-year growth of 71% to achieve volume sales of 1.4m 9-litre cases.
In second place in the fastest growing rankings was the Philippines’ Emperador brandy which, despite its colossal 20m case volumes in 2011, soared 54% to achieve 31m cases last year..
The Indian group’s McDowell’s VSOP grew 41% to 1.9m cases, while the sixth fastest growing spirit was also a brandy, Silver Cup, which saw 30% growth to achieve 1.4m cases.
A spokesperson from Intellima, the research company for the Millionaires Club 2013, said: “It’s no surprise that the fastest-growing Millionaires’ Club product is from India, nor that it’s one produced by United Spirits. Perhaps more surprising is that it’s a brandy, not a whisky, and one that was launched five decades ago.
“Golden Grape was first made at the Cherthala distillery in 1962 and was so popular in southern India that stocks had to be rationed. Such supply problems are a thing of the past, but the brand’s 50th anniversary saw renewed fervour for the product.
About Emperador, Intellima said: “When Andrew Tan launched the brand in the 1980s, the Philippines spirits market was dominated by rum and gin. The company built sales gradually through the 1990s and 2000s. A strong economy, new product lines and exports into Thailand and China have all helped accelerate growth in recent years.”
Sandwiched between the two Indian brandies in 3rd and 6th places is Diageo and Sean Combs’ Cîroc vodka, which grew 40% to 2.1m cases, and Bombay Sapphire, which saw a hike of 31% during the period to 2.6m cases.
Other notable movers in 2012 included Southern Comfort, which jumped 26% to 2.5m cases and Diageo’s Cacique rum which climbed 24% to 2.1m cases.
Despite already sizable volumes, bartenders’ favourite Fernet Branca piled on 17% in sales volumes to register 5.4m case sales.
GS Research – Beverages: 1Q13 preview: Blame the weather; earnings could be bumpy for beverages in 1Q (Excerpt)
Source: Goldman Sachs
Beverage 1Q earnings likely to be tepid
We see potential for the beverage group to give back some of its YTD outperformance (XLP +11.6% YTD versus S&P 500 +8.9%) around 1Q earnings season, as fundamental are likely to remain lackluster. Our EPS estimates are broadly in line with consensus but we expect soft volume as the US faces a tough weather comparison, Europe remains challenging, and other key EMs (China and Brazil) also experienced poor weather recently. That said, downside is likely to be limited, as 1Q is seasonally a small quarter, weather-related issues are likely to be transitory, and fundamentals could accelerate in 2H13 as macro conditions improve.
Domestic NARTD lagging alcohol growth
Non-alcoholic beverage volume continues to slide (ex. bottled water) even as pricing has moderated. However, alcohol is seeing increasing price/mix in wine/spirits and volume demand for overall alcohol has been healthier, primarily as beer emerges from the cyclical doldrums. Among the alcohol names, we favor TAP given its valuation.
Above consensus for TAP/PEP; below consensus for BEAM
On TAP (Buy), fundamentals will still look soft and we have volumes down for both Canada and the US, but expectations are low and we believe commentary will be more constructive around the new product launches. On PEP (Neutral), Frito trends have been better recently and benign inflation and 2012 re-base should provide some cushion. We are below consensus for BEAM (Neutral) as the firm faces a tough volume comparison and India remains a drag
Off-trade beer volumes slip, but Heineken makes ground (Excerpt)
By James Wilmore
9 April 2013
Off-trade beer volumes in the US fell by 3.4% in the latest quarter, but Heineken is continuing to gain market share, according to recently-released figures.
Domestic shipments for brewers in the three months to the end of February were down by 2.3%, while imports decreased by 2.9%, Nielsen figures, reported by analysts Bernstein Research today (9 April), revealed. The drop-off was attributed to a tough weather comparison.
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI EASTERN DIVISION (Excerpt)
GARCO WINE COMPANY, INC., Plaintiff, vs. CONSTELLATION BRANDS, INC., Defendant
Source: Law 360
Constellation Brands’ Defective Notice of Termination Without Good Cause
On or about March 25, 2013, Garco received a letter from Constellation Brands notifying Garco that it would no longer accept Garco’s orders effective April 30, 2013.
A letter dated April 1, 2013 from Constellation Brands to Garco indicated that Constellation Brands would allow Garco to continue selling Constellation Brands’ products in Missouri after April 30, 2013, pursuant to the same terms and conditions under which the parties have been operating, but only if Garco would agree to relinquish and release all rights and protections afforded Garco under Missouri law, R.S.Mo. §407.400, §407.405, and §407.413.
The letter dated April 1, 2013 from Constellation Brands notified Garco that it was changing its business model in Missouri and that, as part of this process, it desired its wholesale distributors to respond to a Request for Commitment (“RFC”), which would serve as Garco’s application to become the sole wholesale distributor for Constellation Brands in Missouri.
Pursuant to the correspondence dated April 1, 2013, if Garco agreed to submit a response to the RFC, and agreed to relinquish and release all protections afforded Garco by Missouri law and release all claims it possessed against Constellation Brands, Garco could continue to sell temporarily Constellation Brands’ products after April 30, 2013, until such time as a permanent sole distributor can be chosen by Constellation Brands for the State of Missouri.
Garco responded to the RFC with a letter dated April 8, 2013, which refused to release Constellation Brands from any and all liability, and Garco refused to release its franchise protections under Missouri law.
Count I – Wrongful Termination Under Missouri Statute
A “community of interest” exists between Garco and Constellation Brands.
Approximately 37% of Garco’s total sales revenues are comprised of Constellation Brands’ products, and Garco sells those products pursuant to a marketing plan and sales goals promulgated by Constellation Brands.
Garco’s total sales of Constellation Brands’ products in 2012 were over $5.6 million.
The parties mutually benefit economically from their relationship in promoting and selling Constellation Brands’ products.
Garco and Constellation Brands, therefore, have a franchise relationship under R.S.Mo., §407.400.
Pursuant to R.S.Mo., §407.410, Garco is entitled to compensatory damages, including loss of goodwill, cost of this suit, and any and all equitable relief the Court deems proper.
Pursuant to R.S.Mo., §407.413, Constellation Brands unilaterally terminated the franchise relationship with Garco without requisite “good cause” as defined by statute.
Pursuant to R.S.Mo., §407.413.3, Garco is entitled to recover all damages it sustains, together with the costs of this suit and reasonable attorneys’ fees incurred by Garco.
Americans Hold Dangerous Misperceptions About Risks of Heavy Drinking
SOURCE: PR Newswire
Screening for Mental Health
Public Opinion Survey Reveals At-Risk Drinking Not Considered a Problem by Many
At-risk drinking (four or more drinks per day for men; three or more for women) is common in the U.S. but many people don’t consider it a problem. According to a recent national survey of American adults released this month by Screening for Mental Health, Inc., a nonprofit provider of mental health screening programs, half of all men and one-third of women had at least one at-risk drinking episode in the last year. Furthermore, one-fifth of Americans believe that regardless of how much a person drinks, it isn’t a problem unless there are negative impacts on their personal relationships or work performance.
The public opinion poll findings come as thousands of community-based organizations, military installations, and colleges prepare to host National Alcohol Screening Day events on Thursday, April 11. Anonymous online screenings are available atwww.HowDoYouScore.org.
“These findings reinforce just how important National Alcohol Screening Day is,” said Douglas G. Jacobs , M.D., associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and medical director of Screening for Mental Health, Inc. “Despite public opinion, at-risk drinking increases your chances of developing alcohol use disorders-such as alcoholism-as well as other physical and mental health problems. In the U.S., about 18 million people have an alcohol use disorder. The screenings allow individuals to assess their drinking habits and have an opportunity to connect with local support resources.”
The telephone poll, conducted by Anderson Robbins Research, surveyed 1,000 American adults between March 22 and 28 and gathered information on drinking habits, opinions, and perceptions. Interviews were conducted by professional interviewers. Respondents were randomly selected for inclusion in the survey and were interviewed on cell phones and landlines.
Other key findings include:
Seven in 10 respondents (68%) said they’d be likely to speak with a health care provider if they thought they might have a problem with alcohol, but this drops to just half (51%) among those who had the most at-risk drinking episodes (20+ times) in the past year.
One-fifth (20%) feel that drinking heavily is a phase that many kids go through, but that it will not hurt them in the long run. However, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), people who started drinking before age 15 were 50% more likely to become alcohol dependent as adults. The same was true to a lesser extent for those who started drinking between ages 15 and 17.
At-risk drinking is highly correlated with age and gender. Men under age 35 are the most likely (71%) to report at-risk drinking and women over age 55 are the least likely (21%).
Over three-quarters (77%) of Americans think pregnant women should avoid alcohol altogether, while one-fifth (20%) think an occasional glass of wine is fine. According to NIAAA, no amount of alcohol is safe during pregnancy. Consuming any kind of alcohol can potentially harm an unborn child.
Held annually in April as part of Alcohol Awareness Month, National Alcohol Screening Day raises awareness about alcohol misuse and provides referral options for individuals with alcohol problems for further treatment. More than 40,000 screenings were taken online and at in-person events last National Alcohol Screening Day. To take an anonymous and free screening online, visitwww.HowDoYouScore.org.
Screening for Mental Health Inc. (SMH) is the non-profit organization that first introduced the concept of large-scale mental health screenings with its flagship program, National Depression Screening Day®, in 1991. SMH programs include both in-person and online programs for depression, bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, alcohol problems, and suicide prevention. SMH programs have been used by hospitals, mental health centers, social service agencies, government agencies, older adult facilities, primary care clinicians, colleges, secondary schools, corporations, and military installations reaching individuals ranging from adolescents to older adults.
Bordeaux 2012: attendance good, but doubts about quality persist
by Jane Anson and Adam Lechmere in Bordeaux
Tuesday 9 April 2013
As the en primeur tasting week gets underway in Bordeaux, there are differing reports as to the quality of the vintage.
Decanter’s consultant editor Steven Spurrier is largely positive at this stage, having begun tasting both the Left and Right banks, ‘People have made a huge effort to combat the challenges of the vintage, and I find it much better than the 2011.
‘It’s so unfair that the top 60 chateaux get all the numbers because so many the others make terribly good wine. I didn’t find a bad bottle on the table at Cercle Rive Droite, and there are very few regions you can say that about.’
Decanter’s Right Bank correspondent James Lawther MW commented, ‘It’s an uneven vintage, which is logical given the difficulties of the year. On the Right Bank the successful appellation seems to be Pomerol, an earlier ripening zone. Elsewhere in St Emilion and the other satellite appellations it very much depends on the terroir and the human input.’
American-based Jeff Leve of the Wine Cellar Insider told Decanter.com, ‘the further north you go in the Médoc, the greener the tannins become. The best wines I’ve tried so far have been in Pessac Léognan and Pomerol. Producers that used a light hand did best. Those who overdid things just got tough tannins.’
Overall, numbers seem quite buoyant. Chateau Mouton Rothschild is reporting 1500 tasters, a rise on last year, as is Chateau Margaux. Lafite expects 1,350, the same as last year.
Initial numbers show 76% French attendance, with 53 countries overall. The UGC has issued 5,903 badges, up from 5,267 last year.
Nicolas Mestre at the UGC said, ‘there has not been the dip in numbers that we often see in Vinexpo years [referring to the bi-annual Bordeaux wine fair, which takes place in June this year]. Of course we won’t know final numbers until next week, but these are highly encouraging first indications.’
On the buying side, merchants are ambivalent. ‘The main concern,’ said Bud Cuchet, buying director at London merchant Fine+Rare, ‘is that if the Bordelais don’t get the price right now, it will have an effect on the whole year’s Bordeaux sales. If the momentum doesn’t build up with en primeur, it can be tough to generate interest later on’.
Lay & Wheeler sales manager Nick Connell, speaking at Domaine de Chevalier this afternoon, said while the wines did not have the concentration of the past few vintages, he was confident there would be a market for them. But, he added, ‘it all depends on price.’
As for the French press, Bordeaux’s paper of record, Sudouest, today suggests that critics and merchants, ‘glass in hand’ are finding a huge variation in quality: ‘the good, the less good, and the failures’.
It goes on to quote what it calls ‘a chorus of negotiants and courtiers’ saying there is ‘little enthusiasm’ amongst the hordes of wine professionals who have come to taste ‘a baby 2012 born in grief’.
‘At this moment, no one is here to taste this vintage with the genuine intention of buying en primeur – it’s the opposite of 2009 and 2010.’
Bordeaux 2012: Dry whites to offer Sauternes producers cash flow
by Jane Anson
Wednesday 10 April 2013
In a year where even the successful Sauternes and Barsac producers made incredibly low yields (the average in Sauternes was just 2.5hl/h), the trend for dry white wines from the region is proving an important source of cash flow.
Increasing numbers of Sauternes producers have said they are making no 2012 wine at all – Yquem, Suduiraut, Rieussec and Raymond Lafon have all said they did not produce enough quality grapes to justify making a wine under their first label. Raymond Lafon, Rieussec and Suduiraut are still to make a second wine.
Even those who have produced are reporting tiny quantities in the search for good quality grapes, with Chateau Guiraud’s yields 90% down on 2011, and many others reporting similarly drastic reductions.
Sauternes producers have been able to draw some consolation from the year’s high quality production of dry whites, which were picked in excellent sunny conditions in mid-September.
The trend to make dry whites has been growing for a number of years, and today almost every major estate produces one – from Y d’Yquem to S de Suduiraut, R de Rieussec and G de Guiraud.
At Domaine de Chevalier, Olivier Bernard recently unveiled a new range of wines from a Sauternes estate they bought in 2011 and renamed Clos des Lunes, choosing to turn almost the entire production towards dry white. Another recent dry white launch has been Opalie from Chateau Coutet.
‘We lost three quarters of our harvest,’ Yquem winemaker Sandrine Garbay told Decanter.com, ‘but the dry white is of exceptional quality, and we are happy to have some wine to offer our clients. We like the first stages of noble rot to form on the grapes, to lower the bitter polyphenols that are fairly typical of Semillon on clay, and this was highly successful this year, before the rains arrived in October.’
English sparkling wine could be biggest threat to Champagne sales
by Katherine Canfield
09 April 2013
English sparkling wine could become the biggest threat to future Champagne sales if the quality and diversity of offer continues to improve.
That was the prediction of Jean Smullen, wine educator and journalist (pictured), at a special seminar focused on global sparkling wine at Vinitaly in Verona this week.
“England is the biggest competitor for Champagne,” warned Smullen, “and the Champenois need to become more aware of that.”
Smullen said in the past the most prestigious sparkling wines have come from France, but now they have serious challengers amongst English winemakers.
Speaking at a special tasting seminar, ‘Bubbles across the Waves’, Smullen claimed England had the potential to dominate the sparkling wine category in terms of quality and prestige and that English sparkling wine was one of the strongest categories emerging on the international wine scene. “It is a force to be reckoned with,” she added.
England has also, she stressed, played a significant role in the history of sparkling wine production, dating back to its beginnings by supplying glass strong enough to hold a carbonated beverage. “The sparkling wine industry owns its origins to the English and their glass making abilities rather than the French,” she added.
But despite its historical connection, England has not gone on to become a major player in the sparkling wine category, until potentially now. “If I got this in a blind tasting, I never would have said ‘England’,” said Smullen, after tasting the Bolney Estate Blanc de Blancs Brut 2007.
It has been a strong couple of weeks for English sparkling wine producers in the international market following the success of their first stand at Prowein last month
“Watch this space,” said Smullen, “particularly for sparkling wines.”
The Bubbles Across the Waves seminar looked at award-winning sparkling wines from nine countries ranging from Russia to Brazil.
Vinitaly continues in Verona until April 10.
Figeac “won’t change” under Rolland
Source: the drinks business
by Lucy Shaw
9th April, 2013
The style of Château Figeac will not change now that Michel Rolland has been taken on as a consultant, the château’s director Frédéric Faye has insisted.
Speaking at an en primeur tasting at the château in St Emilion last week, Faye told the drinks business: “We want Figeac to be the star, not Michel Rolland.
“We will be keeping the traditional style of Figeac the same, and don’t want to tamper with its signature elegance and freshness.
“It’s very important that we keep our personality rather than going with what the fashion of the time is, so it’s Rolland who has the challenge, not us.
“Michel Rolland has a huge amount of experience and we want to work with him to tweak some finer details, increase the precision, finesse and concentration and modernise the wine, but we haven’t taken him on to change the wine’s style.”
Rolland did the 2012 blend for Figeac and work with the château on the 2013 vintage this year, though Faye insisted that he was in the driving seat.
Michel Rolland now consults for Figeac
Michel Rolland hopes to elevate Figeac to premier grand cru classé “A” status
“I’m very much in control of things here and have the power to tell Michel to stop if I disagree with what he’s doing. We go back a long way,” he said.
Faye admitted that Rolland had been brought in to try to elevate the château to premier grand cru classé “A” status, having missed out on the accolade last year while Angélus and Pavie, both of which Rolland consults for, were promoted.
“Rolland is a challenger and is passionate about brining us up to premier grand cru classé “A” status. Personally, I want to see Figeac on sale around the world.
Meanwhile, Hortense Manoncourt Idoine, Figeac’s president and co-general manager told the drinks business that the estate was not up for sale.
“There’s a lot of interest in Figeac and I get offers to buy the château every day but it’s out of the question, we want to keep the estate in the family and pass it on to the next generation,” she said.
Like Faye, Manoncourt Idoine also wants Figeac to be better known around the world: “I want to shout louder about us and get our name out there. I think we have enormous potential,” she told db.
As for the 2012 vintage, Faye said it would be far closer in price to 2011 than 2010: “The market conditions are not great right now and we have to listen to what the market wants and price our wine accordingly, but Figeac is expensive to produce so we have a minimum level we are willing to go down to,” he said.
Catherine Pere Verge dies
by Jane Anson in Bordeaux
Tuesday 9 April 2013
Catherine Péré Vergé, one of Bordeaux’s most respected proprietors, has died aged 74.
Péré Vergé – who died in Bordeaux on Friday afternoon, April 5 – owned Chateau La Violette, Chateau Le Gay and Chateau Montviel in Pomerol, La Graviere in Lalande-de-Pomerol, and Bodega Monteviejo in Argentina.
Before buying her first wine estate in 1985, Péré Vergé worked for over 40 years in the family lead crystal glassware business, Cristal d’Arques.
She purchased Chateau Montviel in 1985, a 5ha estate in Pomerol, and hired Michel Rolland as her consultant in 1988 (she was one of the founding members of his Clos de Los Siete project in Argentina).
She was perhaps best known for the 3.25ha Chateau La Violette, which she bought in 2006, and whose wines garnered effusive praise from critics.
Known for her passionate attention to detail, she oversaw everything in her vineyards herself, from pruning and harvesting to blending and selling the wines. ‘I’m the carbon copy of my father,’ she liked to say.
In 2010, at a dinner to mark her 25 years in Pomerol, she said, ‘Today, six of my nine grandchildren help with harvesting at the weekends, and at 10 years old (the youngest of them) Henri is already asking for magnums of Le Gay. so I know the future is assured.’
‘One word to sum up Catherine: energy,’ Alain Moueix, president of the Grand Cru Classés de Saint Emilion and owner of Chateau Mazeyres in Pomerol told Decanter.com, ‘She worked tirelessly for her estates.’
Péré Vergé is survived by four children and nine grandchildren. Her son Henri Parent is expected to take over the Vignbobles Péré Vergé estates.
Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits buys Eppa SuperFruit Sangria
10 April 2013
Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits, a New York-based family-run privately owned firm, has purchased Eppa SuperFruit Sangria from Miami-based Eppa Wine Company (EWC) for an undisclosed amount.
Made in Mendocino, California, the Eppa Superfruit Sangria is crafted from certified organically-grown grapes and organic superfruit juices, including pomegranate, blueberry, blood orange and acai.
Eppa is rich with antioxidants and is said to be ideal for health-conscious consumers.
In 2012, Eppa accounted for 26% of the category growth, which grew by 19.4% in dollar volume, as against the 2011 figures.
Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits chairman and founder Bill Deutsch said, “While it’s always been popular in the on-premise market, there’s a big opportunity to make a stronger impact off-premise with premium quality ready-to-serve sangrias.”
Commenting on the acquisition, EWC co-founder John Gomez said, “Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits is the perfect organization to take Eppa to new consumers and new heights.”
Eppa SuperFruit Sangria is available at a suggested retail price of $11.99 per 750ml bottle.
General Manager of Jack Daniel’s Production to Retire; Veteran Brown-Forman Executive Named as Successor
Source: Business Wire
Brown-Forman Corporation (BF-A) (BF-B) announced today that Tommy Beam, senior vice president and general manager of Jack Daniel’s Production Operations in Lynchburg, Tennessee, is retiring from the company after 48 years of service. His official retirement date is July 31, 2013.
“Tommy Beam has had a truly remarkable career in one of the top jobs not only within Brown-Forman but in our entire industry,” said Jane Morreau, senior vice president and chief production officer. “For the last eleven years he has led our entire Jack Daniel’s production operations while overseeing several expansion projects during a time of significant growth for the brand. Tommy has been a great leader and we wish him nothing but the best during his retirement.”
Beam joined the Jack Daniel Distillery in 1965 as an accountant and served in a succession of roles with increasing responsibility until being named general manager of all Jack Daniel’s production operations in 2002. During this time, Beam led a team of 435 employees to record levels of production, reaching shipments of about 11 million nine liter cases of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey worldwide during fiscal 2012.
Brown-Forman also announced that Larry Combs has been named to succeed Beam as senior vice president and general manager of Jack Daniel’s operations. Combs joined Brown-Forman in 1992 and has been involved in nearly every aspect of the company’s production operations over the last two decades. For the last three years, he led Brown-Forman’s Technical Services group, including Quality Assurance, R&D, Engineering, Packaging and Environmental, with outstanding results. In addition, he has guided our European Operations and External Manufacturing Operations globally. Combs will continue to oversee external manufacturing operations in addition to his new role as general manager of all Jack Daniel’s production operations.
“Larry has demonstrated excellent leadership ability and we believe is the ideal person to take on the responsibility of managing the productions operations of our largest and most important brand,” stated Morreau.
Engel Leaves Mionetto for Riondo USA
April 2, 2013
Riondo USA has brought on board James Engel as vice president of sales. Most recently, Engels was VP of sales for Mionetto USA.
Engels will head the distributor network management and a fifteen member executive sales team around the country.
John Blesse, now VP of operations for New Jersey-based Riondo USA, will lead the company’s internal operation and oversee existing and developing relationships with suppliers and on- and off- premise chains.
New York: MEMBERS OF THE NEW YORK STATE LIQUOR AUTHORITY ADDRESS INTERNET SALES OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AND BRAND LABELING
2013-01006A Internet Advertising Platform
At the April 9, 2013 Full Board meeting, the Members of the Authority issued a declaratory ruling regarding the involvement of licensees, internet technology companies and third party advertisers in online sales of alcoholic beverages. This declaratory ruling provides guidance to licensees with respect to whether such relationships violate the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law. Chairman Rosen also announced that the Authority will be hosting meetings with industry members to further examine the issues involved with internet sales of alcoholic beverages.
Advisory 2013-3 – Brand Labeling
In addition, based on information obtained while this matter was being considered, the Members of the Authority also issued an advisory providing guidance to manufacturers, wholesalers and importers with respect to their ability to sell wines featuring the same brand, trade name and vintage with or without the addition of a sticker featuring the wording “Direct,” “Reserve,” or any similar wording.
California: Calif’s 4 a.m. last call bill already fuels debate
By TERRY COLLINS
The last call for drinks is 2 a.m. in California, but one lawmaker believes that’s just too early to set down the shot glasses and beer steins.
State Sen. Mark Leno’s proposal to let the liquor flow until 4 a.m. as a way to draw more tourists – and with them more revenue and jobs – is already spawning a sharp debate from Sacramento to watering holes in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Leno said the measure would make the state more competitive with other hotspots like New York, Las Vegas and Miami that serve alcohol later into the wee hours of the morning or 24 hours a day.
Night-spot owners say a later last call will be good for business, but law enforcement officials argue that it increases the chances that cities will see more public drunkenness, violence, drunken driving and possibly fatalities.
Leno’s proposal, however, wouldn’t set a uniform standard across the state. Instead, it would give each municipality the option to push their last call back to 4 a.m.
“It will be up to the cities whether they want to participate or not,” said the San Francisco Democrat, whose district encompasses clubs in the trendy South of Market district. His bill is expected to get its first public committee hearing on April 23.
At Steff’s, a sports bar near the San Francisco Giants’ AT&T Park, patron Armand Gaerlan liked the idea of a 4 a.m. last call. “I’ve lived in New York City. If it’s working there, it can definitely happen here,” said Gaerlan, who thinks the move would allow for making later dinner reservations.
At nearby Nova Bar and Restaurant, customer Kendra Chrysler said it was a bad idea. “I’ll pass. I feel like nothing good happens after 2 a.m.,” she said.
In Los Angeles, there is a buzz about a later last call, said Barbara Jacobs, chief operating officer at a 1920’s-themed downtown nightspot, The Edison. She said the bar is making plans for a midnight breakfast and cocktail menu in case the proposal passes.
“We’re creatively driven and so we’re going to take advantage of it,” she said.
Industry groups such as the California Restaurant Association and the Hollywood Hospitality Coalition are endorsing the 4 a.m. last call.
Los Angeles hosted a record 41.4 million visitors last year, one million more than in 2011. And, the city said, guests spent more than $16 billion in 2012. The San Francisco Travel Association said the city drew 16.5 million tourists who spent nearly $9 billion in 2012, up from the previous year.
Jim Lazarus, a senior vice president for the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, said he believes it will be especially appealing to businesses already with after-hours permits to stay open past 2 a.m. – without serving alcohol.
“There’s clearly a demand,” he said. “I think the younger population, especially the young tech workers – they’re working hours that are different from the traditional 9 to 5. They work later, so they party later.”
However, law enforcement officials argue that establishments serving alcohol past 2 a.m. will produce significant problems.
John Lovell, a lobbyist for the Sacramento-based California Police Chiefs Association, said an extended last call will further stretch many depleted law enforcement agencies that will be forced to monitor inebriated patrons when the bars close.
“That will be a whole new dynamic with those leaving a bar at 4 a.m. hitting the road when the early commute is in progress,” Lovell said. “That brings a whole new danger.”
Although San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr said he thinks the extended hours are a bad idea, Leno’s bill has the support of Mayor Ed Lee, who said that if the bill becomes law he would seek input from police, local bar owners and neighborhood leaders before the city opts for a late last call.
Leno said he authored a last call bill geared for San Francisco in 2004, which was rejected by the state Assembly. But he expects this one to fare better because it leaves the ultimate decisions with the cities.
Ludwig Chincarini, an associate economics professor at the University of San Francisco, said recent studies in the U.S. and abroad do not provide very clear links between longer last calls and impacts on crime and local economies.
Extended drinking hours may add more tax revenue, particularly from tourists, Chincarini said, but they are unlikely to bring a windfall to major California cities.
“The tourists who already come here could take advantage of possibly drinking for an extra couple of hours, that’s all,” he said. “I don’t think people are going to be traveling to San Francisco and Los Angeles to get the … Las Vegas experience in terms of extensive drinking and partying.”
Minnesota: SUNDAY LIQUOR SALE – Lawmaker proposes Super Bowl trial run
by Maury Glover
Apr 09, 2013
The Super Bowl is one of the most-watched televised events of the year, but Minnesotans must plan ahead if they want to enjoy a cold one on the couch on game day. Now, a lawmaker wants to change that.
Each year, there is an attempt to repeal the state’s ban on selling alcohol on Sundays. In fact, one such effort already expired in committee this session, but one lawmaker believes he’s come up with a plan that could make Super Bowl Sunday a day of super sales next year.
“Wintertime is slow. The Super Bowl is a big boost in business, no matter who’s playing,” said Ian Finch, who works at Four Firkins in St. Louis Park.
According to Finch, the days leading up to the Super Bowl are some of the busiest in the entire year, so they don’t understand why they can’t sell their specialty suds and craft beers on game day.
“Regardless of if Super Bowl Sunday is a big boon or not, we’d like to have the option of being open,” he said.
Yet, Minnesota law doesn’t allow liquor stores to be open on Sundays — even if the NFL’s championship face-off is one of the biggest beer-drinking days on the calendar. That’s why Rep. Pat Garofalo wants to make an exception for next year to offer a trial run of Sunday sales and see how it goes.
“For the average consumer, this bill is a reasonable way to try it out,” Garofalo said. “If it’s bad, we won’t do it again. If it’s good, maybe look at something for the future.”
Historically, the liquor store industry has opposed opening on Sundays because they want the day off and say it would cost them more on labor without providing a bump in business, but customers who spoke with FOX 9 News are welcoming the experiment.
Polls show a majority of Minnesotans favor selling alcohol on Sundays, and Garofalo’s bill will get its first hearing in a House committee on Wednesday afternoon — along with yet another attempt to repeal the ban on Sunday sales.
Washington: Debate over state’s beer tax hike coming to a head?
Breweries and distributors are lobbying lawmakers to let the state’s temporary beer tax increase expire on July 1, as scheduled, and not adopt a proposal to extend the tax and expand it to even the smallest brewers.
Three years ago, the Legislature raised Washington’s beer tax from $8.08 per 31-gallon barrel to $23.58, which amounts to about 50 cents a six-pack. It limited the tax hike to brewers that sold more than 60,000 barrels in the state of Washington, however, thereby exempting microbreweries. The temporary tax increase was set to expire July 1, 2013.
But Gov. Jay Inslee proposed in his 2013 state budget plan that the tax continue beyond its expiration date – and that the tax be expanded to all breweries, even the micros.
Small brewers turned out at the state Capitol on Monday to lobby lawmakers against the Inslee proposal. The Senate budget proposal lets the beer tax increase expire on June 30, but the House budget proposal comes out Wednesday. The beer tax is likely to be debated until a final state budget is adopted; the legislative session is set to end April 28.
Florida: Distillery bill, once on life support, moving forward
Source: St. Augustine Record
By Matt Dixon
April 10, 2013
After limping out of the gate, a bill that’s a priority for the St. Augustine Distillery is flying through the committee process.
The bill would allow Florida distilleries to sell their products – things like vodka and rum – to customers, who would have to leave the premises to imbibe.
The burgeoning industry is trying to cast itself as a tourist attraction that uses Florida products like citrus.
“Your support will support Florida manufacturing, Florida tourism, Florida small businesses, Florida agriculture, free enterprise and Florida jobs,” said House sponsor, Rep. Ronald “Doc” Renuart, R-Ponte Vedra Beach.
His bill (HB 347) Tuesday passed the House Regulated Affairs Committee on a unanimous vote.
It’s the legislation’s third unanimous vote since the bill was rewritten to help strike a deal with beer and wine distributors.
They were concerned large companies like Bacardi could use loopholes to set up shop in Florida.
The biggest change was limiting a “craft distillery,” which is defined as producing less than 75,000 gallons annually, to selling two bottles per customer each year.
Another tweak specifies that a craft distillery can’t be owned by another distillery that produces more than 75,000 gallons annually.
After the compromise legislation was filed, distributors lined up in support of the bill, which is now headed for a vote on the Florida House.
The original legislation received enough push-back that it was withdrawn from its first committee stop. Renuart did not want the bill to go to a final vote because it would have been killed and not had the opportunity to advance.
During past committee stops, Phil McDaniel, owner of the St. Augustine Distillery, said it will be a local economic development engine.
“In our city in St. Augustine, the trains and trolleys are so excited about the new distillery,” he told members of the Government Operations Appropriations Subcommittee during a April 2 hearing “They have asked if they could bring their customers to us.”
The legislation’s Senate companion has one remaining committee stop.


text: Kingman Fire Department is having it’s annual Christmas auction Saturday, December 8th, starting at 5:00pm at the firehouse. Doors will open early to come look and find a seat. There will be a variety of items all less than retail prices. All new merchandise by R&R Discount. Come get your shopping done and have a lot of fun doing it, while supporting the fire department. Firefighters will be serving food and the auctioneers are Jerry Pud Patton and Mel Cruse. For more information, please contact Chief Allen Brown at 765-498-3850.


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Policy reforms must focus on providing accelerated and inclusive internet connectivity across the country for economic and social benefit.
This was according to a recent study published by state think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS). Authored by PIDS Research Fellow Ramonette Serafica and Research Specialist Queen Cel Oren, the study titled “The Philippine Digital Sector and Internet Connectivity: An Overview of the Value Chain and Barriers to Competition” explored the current digital value chain and identified possible solutions to promote firm entry and expansion as the country pursues digital inclusion.
Serafica and Oren observed that the Philippines’ digital sector has grown significantly. Philippine Statistics Authority data show the digital sector’s economic contribution grew by 7.8 percent (PHP 1.87 trillion) in 2021. This amounted to 9.6 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.
However, they noted that the sector’s total median investment and the number of digital businesses in the Philippines are lower than in its peer countries like Cambodia, Vietnam, and Indonesia.
Globally, the internet value chain has had an annual growth of 15 to 16 percent from 2008 and an estimated total revenue of USD 6.7 trillion in 2020.
According to the study, the digital sector’s complex and interconnected value chains—or the “value web”—suggest that barriers in one market create a rippling effect on the other markets within the growing sector.
“The interdependence of different markets within and across segments of the digital value chain implies that barriers to entry and expansion in one industry can have far-reaching effects on the growth of the rest of the digital sector and the economy more widely. Ensuring robust competition across the digital value chain is therefore of paramount importance,” the authors said.
The study highlighted internet connectivity as the “most critical element” in the digital value chain. “Digital value chain participants ultimately depend on the broadband access network to reach the final users or consumers. Although natural barriers to entry exist, regulatory and strategic barriers further constrain competition,” Serafica and Oren said.
Barriers to entry and expansion in the internet access connectivity segment include high bandwidth cost, the required congressional franchise, expensive pole rental and bureaucratic requirements, and lack of technical competence among internet service providers (ISPs) to make operations more efficient.
The authors recommended specific measures to address the barriers to entry and expansion. “Key to developing viable and sustainable solutions is knowing where the gaps exist. For instance, the National Telecommunications Commission could develop a uniform reporting system for ISPs, while the Department of Information and Communications Technology could compile and publish a broadband map that identifies internet service availability down to the barangay level where competition in the last mile occurs,” they explained.
“Last mile” refers to the “last segment of data transmission from the network to the end-users”, letting users connect to the internet.
Other proposed measures include building effective cross-sectoral regulatory cooperation, strengthening and enforcing access regulations, adapting merger and acquisition guidelines, promoting increased transparency and use of open access framework, and investing in training.
This press release is based on the PIDS discussion paper titled “The Philippine Digital Sector and Internet Connectivity: An Overview of the Value Chain and Barriers to Competition”.


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Organizers want the 51-year-old, by-invitation event, now renamed the Global Leadership Conference, to become more diverse, serious and accessible, and less of a financial burden on the auto companies that pay for it.
"It's like a symbol of the changes taking place in the industry in general," said Harold Krivan, senior partner at J.D. Power and Associates and program chairman for the gathering. "Nothing stands still."
The biggest changes:
n Japanese and European automakers will be invited.
n The $500,000 cost of underwriting the event will be split among 20 or more sponsoring companies, rather than a single Big 3 automaker.
n In the future the event probably will move to a less expensive venue.
In addition, attendees are being asked privately to spend a little less time on the golf course and more time listening to speakers.
The long weekend at the Greenbrier Hotel has been a who's-who gathering. Auto supplier and Big 3 executives and their spouses mingle over golf, black-tie receptions and courtesy calls to suppliers' suites. There is a program of speakers.
Tradition endangeredBut after last year's event, some thought the tradition might not see its 52nd year. Budget and price cuts, stock market declines and the change of U.S. management at the Chrysler group caused many to rethink the rendezvous.
"People were asking people to lower their cost of doing business," Krivan said. "And then they looked at the cost of going to the Greenbrier. They asked, 'Is this really consistent?' "
According to several of last year's attendees, the number of auto executives on hand was lower than expected. Attendance at the formal presentations was weaker than usual. At one point, speaker Richard Parry-Jones, group vice president for product development and quality at Ford Motor Co., which funded last year's event, chided the audience for its lackluster attitude.
Although the event is arranged annually by SAE International's Detroit Section, the Big 3 traditionally have taken turns paying for it. In addition, the automaker would solicit suppliers to help pay for a reception or golfing expenses, something that made some suppliers uncomfortable.
Skepticism at DCXThis year was to have been the Chrysler group's turn. But organizers say the automaker's new German management cast a cold eye on the tradition. Complicating matters: The Chrysler group hit its suppliers for an immediate 5 percent reduction in parts prices late last year and another 10 percent cut by next year.
However, Chrysler group CEO Dieter Zetsche is a featured speaker this year, and the automaker will still shoulder some of the cost, as will Ford and General Motors. But in a symbol of the diversifying U.S. auto industry, also helping to pay for the gathering are at least four German-owned companies: Porsche AG, Continental AG, Robert Bosch Corp. and Siemens Automotive.


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World News: 18:03 GMT Thursday 20th December 2018. [Western Dental via Businesswire via SPi World News]
That semi-annual check-up is on the minds of many parents And one of the best times to do it is now over theholidays Because many are focused on the holiday and then shifting back in to norm...
Business Wire: 18:03 GMT Thursday 20th December 2018
SPi News is published by Sector Publishing Intelligence Ltd.
© Sector Publishing Intelligence Ltd 2019. [Admin Only]
Sector Publishing Intelligence Ltd.
Agriculture House, Acland Road, DORCHESTER, Dorset DT1 1EF United Kingdom
Registered in England and Wales number 07519380.


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By Laurie Head
AIS Network Vice President
Big data, big data, big data. It may sound like an overused buzzword of the day, but it’s an incredibly important phenomenon that will have a lasting impact well into the future as large enterprises – particularly health care, banking, retail and educational organizations – focus their operations on developing more sophisticated big data tools and technologies to collect, manage and analyze large information sets.
Big data is a fast-growing market, and it has enormous potential to transform your organization (as it simultaneously transforms your customers, partners and competitors). Just how big is the big data market? Well, according to a recent report by Transparency Market Research, the global big data market was worth around $6.3 billion last year. The projections are staggering, however. Projected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of about 41 percent, the big data market will be worth $48.3 billion by 2018. The research firm said that North America will be responsible for roughly 55 percent of the market through 2018, followed by Europe.
What is driving this market growth? Well, mostly, unstructured data. Conventional database management tools just don’t cut it when it comes to unstructured data, so better tools are required. “The exponential growth in the quantum of big data is leading to the development of advanced technology and tools that can manage and analyze this data,” confirms Transparency Market Research.
IDC industry research also supports the healthy growth of big data. IDC projects that the global market for big data technology and services will expand at a compound annual growth rate of nearly 32 percent between 2012 and 2016. Roughly speaking, that’s seven times faster than the information and communication technology market. IDC indicates that by 2016, we can expect to see revenue from the big data sector near $24 billion.
Unquestionably, big data is not just the trend of the moment. It’s here to stay. Companies will continue to capture, analyze and store enormous volumes of data. According to The McKinsey Quarterly, “In 15 of the U.S. economy’s 17 sectors, companies with more than 1,000 employees store, on average, over 235 terabytes of data—more data than is contained in the U.S. Library of Congress.”
It’s becoming increasingly clear that businesses that succeed in managing these enormous information sets, while grasping fully how to find value in them, will improve their ability to make strategic decisions and enhance their customer service. That’s a likely recipe for more business expansion and revenue growth.
So, what does this mean for the hosting industry and AIS Network?
The big data technology and services industry represents a global opportunity for companies like ours, not to mention job seekers with the right industry domain expertise. Increasingly, the spotlight will be on the hosting industry’s ability to host these new database technologies successfully and provide secure, reliable, easy-to-use online storage for massive amounts of data – much of it quite sensitive.
Because most of our clients have stringent security and compliance requirements tied to SOX, PCI, HIPAA and FISMA, they use our online storage for their big data needs. Rather than choosing to store their data on physical, local storage devices, most have opted to store it to a secure, remote database in the cloud that may be accessed via the Internet.
Cloud storage is rapidly becoming the go-to solution for managing and analyzing big data. It eliminates the need for unsecure physical storage devices and allows authorized employees, partners and vendors ready access to the data. It’s a convenient, collaborative and flexible solution to creating and managing a centralized, secure data store. Let us know if you’d like to learn more about online storage.
Are you interested in learning more about big data technologies and tools? Check out this conference, Big Data DevCon, which is scheduled to take place in Boston this spring.
Happy data crunching!


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Porsche 356a Cabriolet Door Glass-r Or L-new German Made!!!! on 2040-parts.com
Schnecksville, Pennsylvania, United States
Manufacturer Part Number:644.542.101.00
Country/Region of Manufacture:Germany
Placement on Vehicle:Left, Right, Front
Here is a NEW, Made in Germany, door glasses for a Porsche 356A Cabriolet. It can be used on the left or right side Clean, undamaged glass with polished edges. There are no logos (better than a wrong logo).
You are bidding on ONE glass.
Thank you for looking.
Glass for Sale
Mon, 26 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0700
New Ford Fiesta ECOnetic
The latest versions of the Ford Fiesta ECOnetic have gone in to production, offering 86mpg and 87g/km CO2. When we reviewed Ford’s first Fiesta ECOnetic we were impressed that, at least if you were prepared to drive wi8th a very light foot, you could get 70mpg out of a comfortable and fun Fiesta. But we did say that ECOnetic should be an engine choice and not a model choice.
Thu, 14 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0700
General Motors issued a terse response this week to published comments by Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn, who suggested to the German press that Opel could be sold to a Chinese competitor. Detroit-based GM called Winterkorn's comments “regrettable” and accused him of “fanning speculation.”
Opel was nearly sold to Magna and Russian investors in the wake of GM's 2009 bankruptcy. But then-CEO Ed Whitacre and the corporate board reversed that decision, igniting controversy from German political and labor leaders who have long chafed under American oversight.
Wed, 30 Apr 2014 00:00:00 -0700
The Mercedes Concept Coupe SUV (pictured) looks to be just the first in a range of Coupe SUVs
No one can be in any doubt that the Mercedes Concept Coupe SUV we saw revealed at the Beijing Motor Show earlier this month will turn in to a ‘coupe’ version of the ML, probably as the Mercedes MLC. What’s also clear is that the MLC is designed to steal a chunk of the market BMW has created for big, lifestyle, coupe SUVs with the X6; take away the Mercedes badge and the Concept Coupe SUV could preview the next generation X6. But with BMW taking their X6 formula and applying it to the X3 – creating the X6 on a boil-wash X4 – Mercedes aren’t going to sit back and let BMW create another lifestyle coupe SUV without responding.


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Amazon has shelved plans to become a wholesale distributor of prescription drugs due to the cost and complexity, CNBC reported.
The news lit a fire under shares of beaten-down drug retailers and distributors. CVS Health (CVS) shot up 4.2% and Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) jumped 3.8% on the stock market today. Both were off session highs.
Among drug distributors, McKesson (MCK) rose 3.5%, AmerisourceBergen (ABC) 2.25% and Cardinal Health (CAH) 3.1%.
Amazon shares didn’t react negatively to the news, rising 0.75% on Monday.
The report seemed to have the most direct connection to the trio of major drug distributors that handle logistics for major drug manufacturers, a big revenue but low-margin business. Complexity, such as handling temperature-sensitive products, and the lack of interest among hospitals in switching purchasing relationships, will keep Amazon out of the business.
Investors seemed to interpret the move as decreasing the likelihood that Amazon will enter the retail prescription business, giving a boost to CVS and Walgreens. If so, then Amazon investors apparently don’t think the internet retail giant needs prescription drugs to win over and keep customer loyalty.
Amazon could still enter the prescription business, such as via an acquisition of Walgreens. Or it could start small with just online pharmacy.
Walmart Mulls Health Care Moves
Meanwhile, Walmart appears to be increasingly focused on health care and pharmacy as a key to boost sales and loyalty. Walmart is reportedly in talks to merge or deepen its partnership with Humana (HUM), whose managed care businesses is focused on the Medicare population.
Shares of Walmart climbed about 1%, but didn’t see much of an uptick after the Amazon news broke.
Cigna (CI), the managed care provider that is buying pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts (ESRX), rose 2%.
Shares of UnitedHealth (UNH), the largest managed care provider, rose 2.7%. UnitedHealth reports before the open on Tuesday.


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The TechCrunch office pool predicted Vostu would respond to the Zynga lawsuit alleging that Vostu’s entire business is basically to copy every single thing Zynga does in one of two ways. They’d either use the “I know you are but what am I defense,” or just a more straightforward “It wasn’t me” approach.
It turns out they just did both.
Zynga has been accused of copying so many games [Editor note: the “I know you are but what am I” defense”] that they’ve sadly lost the ability to recognize games like ours that are chock full of original content and have been independently created [Editor Note: the “It Wasn’t Me” defense]. Vostu has 500 brilliant employees working night and day making hand drawings and writing proprietary code for online games that our 35 million users worldwide enjoy. Zynga’s anti-competitive effort to bully us with a frivolous lawsuit — especially when we have some of the same key investors — is pathetic. While Zynga plays games with the legal process we will continue focusing on using our substantial resources to create games that entertain our customers.”
Attribution to company spokesman Davidson Goldin
As i mentioned in our previous post, Zynga’s biggest weakness here is that they’ve “borrowed” game ideas from others, and have had to settle lawsuits because of it.
But Zynga, which has done some audacious things in the past, has never had the chutzpah to not only copy a game idea, but copy every aspect of the game design and mechanics as well. Take a gander at the side by side screenshots in the lawsuit complaint attached to our original post. There just isn’t a whole lot left to say.
My take: Vostu can’t win this lawsuit. I mean, they even copied the bugs in Zynga’s games.