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Top car deals may not last much longer
- Production and inventory may affect top deals
- Vehicle production shuttered for more than six weeks
- If car buying ramps up soon, popular models could be in short supply
- Deals may dry up on trucks and SUVs
- Inventory and incentives may remain strong for small cars and SUVs
Even in mid-April, at the peak of stay-at-home orders, there were car buyers out there. Many were shopping and buying online, using new digital retailing tools like Kelley Blue Book’s Dealer Home Services. More than 635,000 new vehicles found new homes last month. And while that was a drop near 50-percent from normal, it was better than many analysts had expected.
That’s the good news.
The bad news? Automobile factories around the world have been mostly closed for more than six weeks and are only now beginning to restart production. And the factories will be running haltingly for the foreseeable future, as the companies learn how to build cars and keep workers safe. As sales increase and production lags, inventory – vehicles at dealerships and available for sale – will become a big factor in determining the price of your next purchase.
Why inventory matters
According to Charlie Chesbrough, senior economist at Cox Automotive, parent company of Kelley Blue Book, “How much inventory is too much or too little depends on the trajectory of vehicle sales. There may be sufficient inventory if sales stay weak through the summer. However, if buyers return more quickly in May and June, inventory levels will fall further.”
How quickly manufacturers ramp production back up and the types of vehicles they build will also have an impact. Chesbrough adds, “And that means buyers can’t be choosey. There may be plenty of vehicles on the lots, but maybe not the color or trim the buyer wants.”
According to the numbers analyzed by Cox Automotive, the total number of new vehicles in inventory at the beginning of May was around 3.3 million vehicles. That may sound like a lot, but it’s at its lowest point in more than a year. In early May 2019, these stocks were closer to 4 million. If shoppers return to dealerships more quickly than production can resume, dealers will be facing serious shortages.
What to expect from Memorial Day sales events
Traditionally, Memorial Day Weekend is an anchor for major sales events. Given the uncertainty in the market, this year may see a mixed bag of less top deals on vehicles that were slow-moving before the lockdown and few, if any, on the models that continue to sell well.
Most automakers have been very aggressive with incentives including 0-percent financing for up to 84 months across entire brands. In April, more than 20 percent of buyers took advantage of these deals. That’s much higher than the typical take rate of less than 5 percent. And there are plenty of other incentives in place to help make car buying easier in the time of social distancing.
As inventory shrinks though, vehicle shoppers can expect to see fewer incentives, especially those that cover all models in the range. We will see a return to more targeted deals that cover slower-selling models. Payment deferral programs and other buyer assurance programs will likely wind down as the economy ramps up, although some makes have extended their offers. VW announced it will continue its program through June 30.
What’s in short supply
Looking at individual brands and segments, inventory levels differ across the industry. Pickup trucks and SUVs remain the hot segments. In March and April, pickup trucks were the number one best-selling segment; in April, for the first time, pickup trucks outsold passenger cars. They continue to outpace all other segments for shopping on Kelley Blue Book.
The Detroit automakers are heavily focusing on restarting full-size pickup truck production, particularly Chevrolet and GMC. The new full-size from General Motors was rolling in January and February, and Chevy had recaptured the second best-selling spot from Ram. But now GM is facing short supply, particularly compared to Ford and Ram, and that will mean less choice for customers in the near term.
Kia and Subaru dealers may also be wrestling inventory issues right now. Both had some of the industry’s lowest inventory numbers in early May. Kia restarted one of its assembly plants on May 4, home to the popular new Telluride 3-row SUV. But the Georgia-based operation is running just one shift, and they’ve had to adjust to supply chain issues caused by COVID-19-related problems. Volkswagen, too, with plants closed across Europe, Mexico, and the U.S., is low on inventory, so vehicle selection might be tight.
What you’ll find on dealer lots
On the other end of the scale, some brands are bulging with inventory right now, including Fiat and Mini. Sales of small cars have been slow, so inventories there have not been impacted as severely during the production shutdown. They had plenty of inventory before COVID-19 and they have plenty now. Buick, which is stepping out of the passenger car business to focus on a trio of SUVs, is also sitting on a lot of unsold vehicles as sales have slowed. Also, on the luxury side, Acura, Cadillac, Jaguar, and Land Rover have more inventory than most right now.
The Kelley Blue Book team believes trucks, vans, and heart-of-the-market SUVs will do best as U.S. auto sales recover. Subcompact and compact car sales, along with subcompact SUVs activity, will be slower. Buyers in these segments tend to be first-time buyers and may have been hit harder by unemployment during the shutdown. In terms of inventory, choice, and incentives, these segments are a good place to start shopping.
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Chicken patties recalled due to possible ‘foreign matter contamination’
SALT LAKE CITY — Foster Farms issued a recall on approximately 148,000 pounds of fully cooked, frozen chicken patty products Saturday.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced that the patties may be contaminated with some extra materials, particularly hard pieces of clear plastic.
The announcement said the products were produced on Aug. 11, and those subject to recall may include the following label(s):
80-oz. plastic bag packages containing 20 pieces of “CHICKEN PATTIES BREADED CHICKEN BREAST PATTIES WITH RIB MEAT” with best by date “08/11/23,” establishment number “P-33901,” and lot code “3*2223**” in inkjet print on the back edge of the packaging as well as “7527899724” under the barcode.
Items were shipped to Costo distribution centers in Utah and the surrounding states of Arizona, California, Colorado, and Washington.
Consumer complaints reported the plastic pieces in products with a best-by date of Aug. 11, 2023.
Though no injuries have been reported, it is considered a high health risk, as the FSIS believes the pieces could be sharp and cause injury.
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Australia Post deadline for guaranteed Christmas delivery
Australia Post has warned shoppers to send their Christmas presents when online shopping before the cut-off date to ensure they arrive in time for Santa Claus’ big visit this festive season.
Top 4 online shopping hacks you need to know now00:25:15
Before you buy another thing check out these tips to save you thousands online.
The most wonderful time of the year is coming (thank goodness!) and with so many people unable to visit their families this Christmas, Australia Post is anticipating their busiest festive season ever.
COVID travel restrictions have made many Australians turn to online shopping since March and this Christmas will be no different, which is why we’ve been given a deadline to get all those items that need to be sent out ticked off our lists.
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Aussie shoppers have been given a deadline by Australia Post for guaranteed delivery before Christmas. Image: iStock
Australia Post’s deadline for Christmas packages
If they haven’t already begun, shoppers are being urged to get a move on with their Christmas shopping and send out any items before December 12th to ensure all packages have enough time to arrive on the doorsteps of loved ones in time for Christmas Day.
If you’re a last-minute panic buyer and will need to send an item via Express Post, you’ll have a little bit more time up your sleeve with the cut off being December 19th.
If you’ve got a little one who wants to post a letter to Santa, they’ve got an earlier deadline of November 26th to allow Santa plenty of time to write back.
Miss these dates and you might have some unhappy people in your camp this festive season – and who really wants that?
COVID has caused delivery delays all year
According to Australia Post’s Executive General Manager of Business, Gary Starr, the service has been under a lot of pressure trying to keep up with deliveries throughout the pandemic – and with an influx of items needing to be sent over the Christmas period, all staff will be busier than ever.
“We are encouraging people to plan their Christmas shopping early,” Gary said.
“There will be lots going on in November with sales like Black Friday, and people will want to take advantage of the sales.”
Australia Post is expecting their busiest Christmas ever so get ahead with online shopping. Image: iStock
To help get ahead, Gary revealed Australia Post will be doing their bit too, by hiring more staff.
“We are hiring 4000 more people to help us through what we know will be our busiest Christmas ever we’ve ever seen in terms of online shopping.”
Ordinarily, items sent via Australia Post take between two to three business days to deliver in metropolitan areas, but COVID has caused a lot of delays.
Items shipped from overseas have been taking around three months (at least) to make their way to our shores.
If you’re particularly concerned about timing, some online retailers are offering gift wrapping and direct shipping to people the item is intended for, so look out for those offers. And if you’re super concerned and can afford that little bit extra, opt for express shipping for peace of mind.
And try and buy locally if you can.


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High street sees slow recovery in July, data shows
UK retail continued its slow path to recovery in July, as footfall declined by 42.1% in July, a big improvement on the 63% slump in June, compared to 2019 footfall.
Data from the British Retail Consortium’s (BRC) shows shoppers are slowly making their way back to the high street as pubs, cafes and restaurants reopen.
The reopening of pubs and restaurants did not however have a significant impact on retail footfall over the course of the month.
Retail Parks saw footfall decrease by 22.4% year on year, which is an improvement on June’s -33.8%. Wider open spaces, a higher proportion of supermarkets and larger stores quicker to reopen helped to shelter Retail Parks from a steeper decline.
Shopping Centre footfall declined by 48.1% year on year in July, improving on June’s -68.3%. They were the most negatively affected location, partly due to enclosed spaces making social distancing more of a challenge.
Helen Dickinson OBE, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: “July was the first full month in which shops were allowed to open in all parts of the UK. While retailers will welcome the improvement in footfall across all shopping destinations, it remains well down on pre-coronavirus levels.
“With retail footfall recovering slower than in many other European countries, much will depend how fast consumer demand returns. Retailers have put in place a variety of measures to keep shoppers and staff safe, from regular cleaning and hand sanitiser, to one-way systems and perspex screens at tills.
"We now need Government to play their part by providing clear plans for schools, transport, and office working, all of which impact the way we shop. The safety of the public is a top priority and we believe clear communication will help build public confidence and help bolster local high streets and shopping centres during the summer months."
Andy Sumpter, Retail Consultant, EMEA of ShopperTrak, said: “July saw a number of lockdown measures rescinded, and retailers will now look and hope for a return to some form of normality. As well as more retailers re-opening in Scotland at the end of June, there was the introduction of mandated face coverings in stores, where adoption and compliance seem to have been good generally."


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Desire to Travel Drops Among Russian Nationals As EU Calls on Imposing Coordinated Sanctions
Russian nationals are planning fewer trips to Europe this autumn, with 59 per cent of respondents saying they don’t plan to travel at all, while less than one quarter (24 per cent) say they will visit the zone, down from 36 per cent in 2021.
According to the European Travel Commission (ETC), the decrease in desire to travel to Europe has been converted to a desire to travel outside the zone, as 17 per cent of 1,000 Russian respondents claimed, up from 11 per cent recorded in the Autumn of 2021, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
Furthermore, findings from the study show that the main reasons why Russians don’t intend to travel are that they don’t have travelling plans for this period (18 per cent), high costs to travel to Europe (ten per cent), government advice on travel (eight per cent), fear of hostility and anti-Russian sentiment (eight per cent).
Another four per cent cited they cannot visit Europe as their preferred destinations are currently closed for Russian travellers, while two per cent of respondents claimed that the absence of direct flights to Europe is discouraging them from travelling. Instead, Russians might travel to CIS countries, including Armenia, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikstan, Uzbekistan, and Moldova.
“Among the Russians not planning to travel outside the CIS or planning to travel but not to Europe, 46 per cent share that the current situation negatively impacted their interest in visiting the region in the next months; 40 per cent say that Europe remains an attractive destination and they would revisit it in the future; while 14 per cent state that they will replace Europe with other close-by destinations in the next months,” the study reads.
As per preferred destinations and transport alternatives, 45 per cent of Russian respondents said they want to visit more than one European country – two of those, on average. The main reasons for picking these destinations are the destinations’ safety to visit (43 per cent), high quality of tourism (34 per cent), direct transport (27 per cent), pleasant weather (24 per cent), and fully lifted travel restrictions (24 per cent).
The top ten countries that Russians would like to visit are Turkey (22 per cent), Germany (17 per cent), Italy (16 per cent), Greece (15 per cent), France (12 per cent), Cyprus, and Finland (11 per cent), Spain and the Czech Republic (nine per cent). The list is concluded with Serbia, Montenegro, and Austria, with eight per cent, seven per cent, and six per cent of respondents picking these destinations, respectively.
The majority of respondents say they will not travel alone due to the war in Ukraine, and they need to visit places with no civil unrest that can be easily accessed by direct transport route. Visiting multiple destinations isn’t very appealing to these nationals in the upcoming months.


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Nike scores pyrrhic victory as federal judge orders Brooklyn company to stop shipping ‘Satan Shoes’ after ALL BUT ONE pair sold
A federal judge has ordered a Brooklyn company to cease shipping its ‘Satan Shoes,’ pairs of modified sneakers containing human blood. Unfortunately for Nike, the beastly brogues have already been sold – and may have been shipped.
Nike sued the Williamsburg-based design company MSCHF (“mischief”) on Monday, arguing that the hipster firm’s limited-edition ‘Satan Shoes’ cast the sportswear giant in a negative light.
On Thursday, a judge in New York ordered MSCHF to stop shipping the shoes to customers until the case could be resolved.Also on rt.com Saving their soles: After suing over ‘Satan Shoes’, here are 5 other times Nike was forced to defend its reputation
Nike’s lawsuit also asks MSCHF to destroy any of the modified 1997 Air Max sneakers it may have, as well as any other items it has bearing the company’s logo.
The $1018-a-pair shoes were decorated with pentagrams, inscribed with a Bible verse, and filled with a mix of ink and human blood. According to the lawsuit, they retained Nike’s trademark ‘swoosh,’ which “caused immense confusion about the source of MSCHF’s infringing shoes and tarnished Nike’s brand with an unwarranted association with satanism.”Also on rt.com First came invoking Aztec war gods, now it’s ‘Satan’ sneakers with HUMAN BLOOD – is America OK?
However, only 666 pairs of the shoes were made (of course), and all but one have been sold already. The final pair was due to be given to a randomly-chosen customer on Thursday, until the court order came down. It is unclear how many of the other 665 pairs have already been shipped out.
Designed in collaboration with rapper Lil Nas X, the shoes’ release coincided with the release of X’s equally-controversial new video, in which the openly gay rapper “rides a stripper pole into hell and gives the Devil a lap dance.”
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The PGA Tour and Electronic Arts today announced an exclusive six-year extension of their longstanding licensing agreement that gave birth to the Tiger Woods PGA Tour videogame franchise.
The two companies, which met more than 15 years ago, will extend their partnership through 2012, coinciding with the typical six-year hardware platform cycle.
"The PGA Tour is excited to continue our relationship with EA," said Ed Moorhouse, PGA Tour Executive VP and Co-COO. "Our video game provides a great entry into golf for kids and allows our brand to reach multiple generations throughout the world. EA has been a fantastic partner and has built the best video game franchise in golf."


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What Happened in the Market Last Week?
Investors are starting to believe the Fed now. Markets are accepting the fact that the Fed is focusing on inflation first, and avoiding a recession second, despite the latter no doubt being painful.
Last week we let you know of important economic data being released. Here’s how the numbers turned out:
- US Housing Starts : ↘ - 0.8% - A slight decline in the new homes being built this month following a 7.3% spike in Feb.
- UK Unemployment : ↗ 0.1% to 3.8% - The highest level since Q2 2022 but still lower than most of the last 5 years.
- UK Inflation Rate : Year-on-Year inflation 10.1%, down from 10.4% in Feb but ahead of forecasts (9.8%) - Inflation is cooling slightly but still running hotter than market expectations.
- US Retail Sales : ↘ 1% from February - Consumers are spending less at the store despite inflation causing the cost of goods to rise.
This week’s Market Insights is a 5-minute read! Let’s go
Some of the developments we have been watching over the last week include:
- Slowdown Ahead: The IMF’s latest economic outlook po ints to a slowdown followed by an even slower recovery.
- Consumers spend less, but are also more confident? Retail sales are slowing around the world, but consumer confidence is improving.
IMF's "Rocky Road Recovery" Won't Taste Nice
Want an updated outlook for the global economy? Well, the IMF has got you covered.
It recently published its quarterly outlook for the global economy, and while we encourage you to not base an investment decision solely on this data, it’s worth having a look so that we can at least gauge what expectations are for different countries.
At the global level, the IMF has decreased its GDP growth forecast for 2023 by 17% to 2.8% (from 3.4%) and for 2024 to 3%. Interestingly , those figures rely heavily on good performance from China and India.
Advanced economies are only expected to grow by 1.3% and 1.4% in 2023 and 2024 respectively.
- Those expected to grow? ↗ Ireland and Taiwan have the most optimistic forecasts, followed by the US , Canada and Australia .
- Those expected to decline? ↘ The UK, Germany, and Sweden.
The biggest revision was for Japan, with the 2023 forecast falling from 1.8 to 1.3%. While that may not seem like much, that’s almost a 30% reduction in growth expectations .
The IMF expects emerging and developing economies to grow by 3.9% and 4.2% in 2023 and 2024, respectively. However, those averages include rates for India and China both above 5% - growth in the remaining developing economies is expected to be below those averages.
The chart below, from the report, shows how much these forecasts have fallen since January 2022. What does stand out is the difference in forecasts between advanced and emerging economies.
💡 The Insight: ‘Downside Risks Dominate’
By all accounts, economic activity seems to have picked up during the first quarter. China has already reported growth of 4.5% during the quarter , and the consensus estimate for US growth (due next week) is 2.3%. At the same time, many expect a recession later in the year - and of course, companies are already experiencing an earnings recession.
💡Cost increases (inflation) drove the “earnings recession”, and now demand decreases are expected to lower revenues.
The IMF’s baseline forecasts point to a drawn-out slowdown (ie. a ‘softish’ landing). These forecasts could still hold if there is a mild recession later in the year, with a strong first quarter offsetting a few quarters of negative growth. They also suggest a very slow recovery with growth only picking up in 2025.
However, the IMF also highlighted the growing number of risks which could lead to a hard landing. In particular:
- USD appreciation,
- Tightening credit conditions, and
- Falling equity prices are seen as potential risks to growth.
We would also say that the reliance on China and India to achieve the forecasted growth figures is also a risk - as well as the obvious geo-political risks.
As we know the world economy is in somewhat uncharted territory and no one really has a handle on where things are headed. In response to the IMF’s outlook, Janet Yellen said the outlook is reasonably bright. Meanwhile, the minutes from the last Fed meeting revealed that policymakers expect a recession later in the year. So there you have it……
What can we investors do? Focus on high-quality companies, not countries.
Consumers Showing Resilience
Data from the world of the consumer has been very mixed.
US retail sales fell 1% month-on-month in March, which was more than expected. Most of the decline can be attributed to auto and gasoline sales, but, as this chart indicates, there’s been a marked slowdown in retail activity since the middle of last year. In particular, consumers are cutting back on discretionary spending.
Elsewhere, China reported a big increase in retail activity (+3.5%) in March, though that’s coming off a low base. Other countries have reported slowing sales growth, although there have been a few positive surprises - notably in the UK, which surged 1.2% in March.
Retail Sales Down, Consumer Sentiment Up?
While retail sales are slowing, consumer sentiment is actually improving… go figure. The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index rose in March and the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment for April also rose unexpectedly, despite the banking crisis.
IPSOS (a market research company) has reported conflicting changes in sentiment around the world , over one month and one year. The one theme that’s emerged is that consumers in developing countries appear to be far more optimistic - possibly because energy prices and the USD have both weakened which translates to much lower energy costs.
💡 The Insight: Consumers Appear “OK”
As it stands, consumers in most countries don’t appear to be overextended. In the US, the savings rate has increased (4.6% now vs 3.6% a year ago), and while private sector credit has continued to rise, it’s rising at a slower pace than it was six months ago.
The improved sentiment probably reflects the fact that fuel prices are lower, inflation is cooling and it appears that interest rates are near a peak. But consumers are clearly being more careful and delaying discretionary purchases, as well as purchases that require credit.
The fact that consumers are in reasonably good shape could support the ‘softish landing’ scenario - but it might be a while before discretionary spending picks up again. This is something to consider if you are investing in industries like Retail, Consumer electronics, or Autos.
What Else is Happening?
Here’s some other important things that occurred this week that we felt it was important to touch on:
- Apple ( Nasdaq:AAPL ) is launching a new savings account for Apple Card users . The card pays 4.15% annual interest rate and allows cardholders to save their cash rewards. Considering that the interest rate is 10x higher than the US national average , some savers may consider the jump and therefore help Apple expand its financial services business.
- Fox News ( Nasdaq:FOXA ) agreed to pay Dominion Voting Systems $787.5 Million to settle the defamation suit Dominion brought against it. That’s a lot of money, but to put it in perspective it’s about half of Fox’s annual net income, and less than 25% of the company’s cash balance.
- Netflix ( Nasdaq:NFLX ) released a mixed set of results. What did stand out was a massive increase in free cash flow. The company says it is on track to generate $3.5 billion in free cash this year, nearly double what it did in 2022. The increase in free cash is due to lower content costs. Keeping content costs under control was one of the key bullish narratives we recently identified for Netflix.
Key Events During the Next Week
Given earnings season is ramping up, corporate results are likely to be the main focus this coming week. However, the first estimate of US 1st quarter GDP is due on Thursday and will be closely watched ahead of the Fed meeting next week.
On Friday, US personal income and spending data and the core PCE price index will be published.
Other data includes Australia's inflation rate on Wednesday and Japan’s interest rate announcement on Friday.
It’s the biggest week of earnings season with four of the big tech companies and several other index heavyweights reporting:
- Microsoft (Nasdaq:MSFT)
- Alphabet (Nasdaq:GOOGL)
- Meta Platforms (Nasdaq:META)
- Amazon (Nasdaq:AMZN)
- Visa (NYSE:V)
- Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO)
- UPS (NYSE:UPS)
- GM (NYSE:GM)
- McDonalds (NYSE:MCD)
- Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT)
- Boeing (NYSE:BA)
- Spotify (NYSE:SPOT)
- AbbVie (NYSE:ABBV)
- Mastercard (NYSE:MA)
- Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM)
- Chevron (NYSE:CVX)
Simply Wall St analyst Richard Bowman and Simply Wall St have no position in any of the companies mentioned. This article is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.
Richard is an analyst, writer and investor based in Cape Town, South Africa. He has written for several online investment publications and continues to do so. Richard is fascinated by economics, financial markets and behavioral finance. He is also passionate about tools and content that make investing accessible to everyone.


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• To date, Laura Phelan and her team have redesigned 15 e-commerce sites in 11 languages.
• ADI has also introduced new customer specific videos on its websites.
• Phelan led a redesign of the ADI mobile app, available in the Android and Apple stores.
The work of Laura Phelan of ADI Global Distribution is an excellent example of how a distributor can adopt digital tools and technologies to better serve their customers on multiple fronts.
Phelan, one of five winners of MDM’s 2021 Digital Innovator award, stands out in all things digital from her position as Global Vice President of Digital Experience (DX) for ADI Global Distribution. In 2018, ADI parted ways with Honeywell. Having joined ADI in early 2019, Phelan says Honeywell hadn’t really invested in digital tools, but ADI’s new owner, Resideo Technologies, was eager to drive ADI’s digital transformation.
“From a digital perspective, I took on the responsibility of adding new members to the team in August 2019,” says Phelan. “We really grew that team quickly through 2020 and built a development platform. We are using offshore and onshore resources to really catch up. “
Phelan is responsible for 18 e-commerce websites, found on various ERP systems, in 14 different languages. To date, Phelan and his team have implemented a redesign for 15 e-commerce sites in 11 languages, with the rest awaiting completion of an ERP systems project.
He is also in charge of ADI’s digital marketing and merchandising, demand generation, in-store digital experiences, and content marketing.
“Laura is a practical leader who constantly inspires her team and colleagues to reach their goals and seek results that benefit the business,” said Adrienne Zimoulis, a colleague at ADI, in her nomination of Phelan for the award. “He brings passion and positivity to his work, and no goal is too far out of reach. Her sense of urgency and her hands-on approach help her get things done and, as a true team player, she is always ready to help. “
Phelan has implemented a 24/7 development framework to drive ADI’s digital transformation and hired additional employees to help ADI achieve its digital goals. ADI’s e-commerce platform is generating a greater mix of online revenue, which was especially important during the onset of the pandemic in 2020.
In North America, Phelan adopted a mobile device design that allowed customers to order online from websites or from ADI’s new mobile app that was recently launched. Orders can be stored in lockers for pick-up after hours or on weekends. The “quote on demand” platform allows customers to request a quote at the end of the purchase with their online shopping carts.
“Submit the request to our CRM system,” explains Phelan. “Then he spits out a quote through our ERP and then the seller engages in reviewing it to see if there is any special pricing that may be involved. Then it is sent to the client. Our goal is to achieve this within a 24-hour response period. “
ADI also has automatic quotes for customers who qualify for special pricing, which provide quotes in 15 minutes. The on-demand quote system also allows customers to upload spreadsheets to ADI’s digital branch to obtain quotes for those items.
ADI joins Microsoft Azure
Phelan says ADI started a pilot last year with Microsoft Azure that includes an artificial intelligence-based “suggested sale.” With suggested selling, if a customer orders a flat screen TV, for example, the system would also recommend an ADI TV stand, as those two products are often sold together. ADI is using the same artificial intelligence capabilities Microsoft is using in its store, according to Phelan.
“We started with that pilot last year and now it’s all over our North American sites,” says Phelan. “We are updating our current platform in EMEA. And then once the update is complete, we’ll move it to EMEA as well. We have a typical life cycle where North America tends to be three to six months ahead of EMEA because EMEA is very fragmented with 18 different countries in 14 different languages. “
Phelan says that the entire ADI network is on the Microsoft Azure cloud-based platform, and that ADI has an Azure architect on staff. Working with Azure means ADI can put its applications and systems, such as its product information management system (PIM), in the cloud that can then be accessed globally, which was a nice feature when the pandemic forced many employees and customers to work. from home without access to office.
“We have found a lot of efficiencies within that platform,” she says. “We have many other tools that are within the Azure platform. We can have a faster site and then we also have failover and redundancies in the event of a total outage. We can be ready in a matter of hours. All of those are great assets to have.
“Because we partner with Microsoft, we can also put all of our images and documents on a CDN (content delivery network) on Azure.”
Near the end of last year, ADI launched a revamped webinar platform called “On24” that is connected to its CRM system and is an element of the company’s 360-degree marketing campaign.
“The sponsorships coming from our vendor partners have accelerated,” Phelan says of On24. “Before, maybe 50 or 60 people signed up for webinars. We now have over 600 people signing up for webinars and obviously that leads to [sales] opportunities “.
ADI can send bulk email messages and social media posts based on the specific topic of each webinar, as well as launch polls during webinars. Phelan says that On24 webinars allow the company to hold virtual exhibitions with its clients who cannot hold any of its 50 in-person exhibitions across the US.
“We believe this platform is a differentiator,” says Phelan. “The commitment and success of that so far is demonstrated. We will continue to handle that.
“The overarching theme is to make sure all these acceleration tools and initiatives come together. Then it’s about how we operate in the lifecycle of everything we do from a campaign perspective within the DX (digital transformation) organization. “
Along the same lines as retail customers, distributors are increasingly taking advantage of videos to showcase their products. Last year, ADI removed the wraps from its “vid yard” video center, which allows each customer to present videos of their products on the ADI website, as well as customer training.
“Google has a video page outside of our Google landing page that allows them to post videos about all the different products that we sell,” says Phelan. “We have 110 branches in North America. If we only had each branch make one video a year, it would be 110 videos a year.
“We really have the opportunity to increase the amount of content on the site, which allows us to provide our clients with information on all different types of topics. That is really something that we are improving. We started adding videos to all of our product detail pages in some of our top categories. “
While ADI previously sent a generic email newsletter in the past, it now generates newsletters that are specific to each of its reseller segments. This practice also serves as another part of your content marketing efforts.
“We have been able to segment our customers using our marketing automation to provide different types of products that would be in those emails to all the different segments that we have defined,” she says. “If you’re someone who only works in audio and video, you don’t want to see anything around HVAC. We make sure to segment that within our content marketing efforts. “
Moving on to mobile
ADI launched a new version of its mobile application in May. The application uses artificial intelligence and is available to ADI customers in the Google Play and Apple application stores. Includes voice search for products. You can also find a product based on the customer taking a picture of a part that needs to be replaced. The natively built app also allows customers to find specific prices for products by scanning QR codes in the aisles of the store.
“It shows them the inventory on hand and all the different aspects of the product,” says Phelan. “It connects to the PIM system, which allows them to see all the different attributes. The PIM is active, but it is not yet feeding the website. We have been able to duplicate many of the items that are in the PIM on the site until we get the correct connections.
“We are planning for that connection to go live this summer, and we will be powering all of our North American sites in late summer with our PIM and then early in the first quarter of 2022 for the rest of our media sites.”


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The Bovespa index fell for a second day as paper maker Klabin SA led a decline among raw-material producers, outweighing gains by consumer stocks spurred by stronger-than-forecast retail sales.
Fibria Celulose SA, the world’s biggest pulp producer, tumbled the most in a month. Hypermarcas SA, the Brazilian maker of the generic forms of Valium and Claritin, led gains among companies that sell domestically.
The Bovespa slid 0.3 percent to 59,316.75 at the close of trading in Sao Paulo. Forty stocks fell while 27 advanced. The real weakened 0.6 percent to 2.0856 per U.S. dollar. The Standard & Poor’s GSCI index of 24 raw materials declined 0.8 percent.
Commodities fell after U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke said yesterday that the central bank’s plan to buy $45 billion a month of Treasuries will fail to offset the economic impact of spending cuts and tax increases set to take effect next year.
“Investors get more worried about the outlook for the U.S. the closer we get to the budget deadline,” Alvaro Bandeira, a partner at Orama Asset Management, said by phone from Rio de Janeiro. “With the whole world, Brazil included, struggling to boost growth, this budget issue in the U.S. becomes more and more relevant everyday.”
The prospect of more than $600 billion in spending cuts and tax increases is “clearly” having an effect on the economy, Bernanke said yesterday. U.S. House Speaker John Boehner said today the White House isn’t serious about cutting spending.
Klabin sank 4.7 percent to 11.44 reais. Fibria dropped 3.6 percent to 22.17 reais.
Brazilian retail sales increased 0.8 percent in October from September, the national statistics agency said today in Rio de Janeiro. The median forecast of 33 economists surveyed by Bloomberg was for a 0.7 percent increase. Sales climbed 9.1 percent from a year earlier.
“What has been dragging Brazil’s recovery down is the manufacturing sector, but consumption seems to be holding on,” Joao Pedro Brugger, who helps oversee 220 million reais at Leme Investimentos in Florianopolis, Brazil, said by phone. “This means consumer stocks have room for further gains.”
Hypermarcas jumped 5.8 percent to 16.52 reais. The stock extended this year’s gain to 94 percent, the best performance on the Bovespa index after online retailer B2W Cia. Global do Varejo’s 104 percent rally.
The Bovespa index has climbed 13 percent from this year’s low in June as stimulus from central banks around the world eased concerns about an economic slowdown, while record-low benchmark lending rates has pushed some investors to move into stocks from fixed-income.
The index trades at 11 times analysts’ earnings estimates for the next four quarters, in line with the ratio for MSCI Inc.’s measure of 21 developing nations’ equities, data compiled by Bloomberg show.
Trading volume was 7.4 billion reais in stocks in Sao Paulo today. That compares with a daily average of 7.19 billion reais this year through Dec. 11, according to data compiled by the exchange.


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Last autumn’s Moto X Style (Moto X Pure Edition in the States) wasn’t quite the sensational smartphone that its predecessor was for its time, but Motorola’s flagship has some nice perks for the price – and a new one you won’t find anywhere else.
Motorola has announced a collaboration with American graffiti artist Futura (a.k.a. Futura 2000), whose work dates back about 40 years, and they’ve had him custom-paint several Moto X Style devices. Futura rose to prominence in the early ’80s doing work for The Clash, and has since collaborated with the likes of Nike, Supreme, and many other brands.
For this collaboration, he painted 30 of the handsets atop a single canvas, with each backing coming out differently than the rest. You can see the process in the video below: the metal and glass were covered up to ensure the phone remains functional once tagged, but otherwise, the white backing will be marked with a distinctive pattern of spray-painted lines and speckles.
How can you get your hands on one? That part remains a bit unclear. Motorola’s U.S. Twitter account says they’ve teamed up with Stefan’s Head, a New York City-based service that lets people get their hands on exclusive gear by sending an SMS to a certain phone number. It looks like they distributed the first wave of phones that way in recent days.
However, the account also said that people outside of New York should expect details to come this week, so hopefully we’ll hear something about shipping options – and the price point – in the next couple days. It could be slim pickings if they’ve already sold some in NYC, though!
Read More › Motorola Moto X Style review


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Job market scenario in India seems grim as slowing economic growth has led to many organisations handing over pink slips to their employees.
Recently, leading Indian biscuit maker, Parle Products Private Limited, hinted that it might have to lay off up to 10,000 workers owing to slowing economic growth and falling demand in the rural heartland.
Let's note that Parle-G, a household name in the 80s and 90s, was considered the world's largest selling biscuit brand in 2003.
India is Asia's third-largest economy and most things, from cars to clothing are witnessing a dent in their sales. This has forced companies to cut down on production and has urged the Indian government to intervene.
Mayank Shah, category head at Parle said that "The situation is so bad, that if the government doesn't intervene immediately ... we may be forced to eliminate these positions."
The biscuit head says that the brand's demand worsened following the rollout of GST in 2017, which levied the highest tax on biscuits which costs Rs 5 only. Another biscuit giant, Britannia, has voiced similar concerns saying consumers are thinking twice before buying even Rs 5 products.
Not just Parle Products Private Limited, FMCG sector, automobile sector and clothing sector, are also facing a slump in sales.
In the FMCG sector, which is Fast-moving consumer goods sector, market research by Nielsen revised its growth forecast for the FMCG sector to 9-10% in 2019, while in the previous year it was 11-12%. This indicates a sharp slowdown.
In the automobile sector, sales declined for the ninth straight month in July. This has triggered major job cuts in India's auto sector, with many companies forced to shut down factories for days and axe shifts.
In another report, an estimated 40,000 people employed by the diamond cutting and polishing units in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra have lost their jobs in the past few months.
Meanwhile, describing the current economic downturn as an "unprecedented situation", NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar said, "Over last 70 years (we) have not faced this sort of liquidity situation where the entire financial sector is in a churn," and said the government "must do whatever it can to take away some of the apprehensions of the private sector".
Former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan has called slowdown in the economy “very worrisome” and said that “a fresh set of reforms” are now needed to boost the economy and growth rate.


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The billboard reads, "Welcome to Colorado, where you can get a safe, legal abortion."
We are less than a week away from the JUCO World Series, and some businesses say they are ready.
Graduates from Central High School were up bright and early at Stocker Stadium.
More than 2,000 Western Slope elementary students learned the importance of water Monday at the annual Children's Water Festival.
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A local record store took advantage of the Downtown Music Festival this weekend.
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Wincanton has secured a multi-million pound extension on its contract with B&Q, taking on management of an additional warehouse. The firm will manage B&Q’s one million ft² showroom fulfilment centre in Burton-on-Trent, which provides warehousing for the retailer’s bathroom, bedroom and kitchen range. Under this new agreement, it is estimated that Wincanton will handle nine million cases of merchandise per year. “We are delighted to be extending our long term relationship with B&Q, which further demonstrates our ability to support […]
Halfords Group is renewing its entire long-haul fleet with 50 new Volvo FH tractor units.
Roadways Container Logistics has revealed the details of its new contract with Bosch and Siemens Home Appliance Group (BSH), which commenced at the beginning of the year.


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Sydney: Australian celebrity chef and conspiracy theorist Pete Evans was ditched by several companies and had his books pulled from shelves Tuesday after he posted a Nazi symbol to social media.
Major Australian retailers said they would remove Evans’ books and products from stores following a public backlash over his Instagram post that included a “Black Sun” symbol, an image associated with Nazi Germany and used by neo-Nazis.
Publisher Pan MacMillan was among those publicly distancing themselves from Evans, telling retailers they could return his books.
Kitchenware brand Baccarat said it would stop producing and selling a line of products carrying his name.
“In our view, the images and views expressed by Mr Evans are abhorrent, unacceptable and deeply offensive,” Baccarat Australia said in a statement.
His upcoming appearance on Australia’s “I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here” reality television show was also reportedly cancelled.
The since-deleted post features an image of a caterpillar wearing a “Make America Great Again” cap speaking with a butterfly that has the “Black Sun” symbol on its wing.
Evans later apologised and said he was unaware of the symbol’s meaning.
Since the coronavirus pandemic began, Evans has routinely used his platform to promote conspiracy theories about the outbreak.
He is also known for promoting pseudoscientific dieting ideas such as the palaeolithic diet, earning him the nickname “Paleo” Pete.


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Thousands of users have started reporting that CSGO servers are going offline. The issue started only a few minutes ago but hasn’t been fixed yet.
The Battle Pass for The International 2020 in Dota 2 which was released an hour ago caused an influx of players to load up into the steam servers, causing issues worldwide as a result of the overload on the server.
The overload was, however, expected. It was because the new Battle Pass had brought a plethora of new exclusive content to the game and brought back tons of stuff from last years’ Battle Passes.
Many Steam servers and game servers are down as a result, and CSGO servers are no exception to that. Reports show well over a thousand reports on CSGO servers being down across more than 60 different countries.
CSGO is currently the most played game on Steam in terms of concurrent player count, and an outage on a game of this calibre is sure to enrage the players of the game.
It’s still uncertain when the CSGO outage will be fixed, but chances are it won’t take long before Valve comes up with a solution.
Besides CSGO, users have also reported not being able to buy the Battle Pass itself, which is the root for all the trouble. It’s safe to assume that transactions across Steam are also experiencing an outage, which can’t be fixed till Valve intervenes or the load becomes lighter across the servers.
The Battle Pass 2020 update is not only huge in size but also the biggest Dota 2 update in history.
UPDATE: CSGO servers are down again today, July 15th. Several users reported having trouble loading inventory and game servers from trouble to servers.


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MIDTOWN — A mani-pedi bandit who stole more than $6,000 worth of Essie nail polish from a pair of Duane Reades during three separate heists has been identified by police.
Juan Baez, 48, was caught on surveillance camera taking 192 bottles of nail polish off the shelves of a Duane Reade at 22 W. 48th St, on Jan. 7, the NYPD said.
Baez put the bottles — valued at $1,632 in total — in his backpack around 4:48 p.m. and fled the store, according to police.
An employee working at the Duane Reade after that incident said Baez took “the whole Essie section.”
Baez struck a second time at the Duane Reade at 1370 Sixth Ave., around 4:56 p.m. on April 2, swiping 315 bottles of Essie polish off the shelves and again stashing them in his backpack, police said.
He got away with a total of $2,958 worth of nail polish that time — the “majority of [the Essie collection],” a manager at the store said.
Less than two weeks later, on April 11, Baez went back to the Duane Reade on West 48th Street around 7:21 p.m. and managed to grab 186 bottles of Essie polish valued at $1,581 before putting them in his backpack, police said.
An employee working at the store following that theft declined to comment on the incident.
Between the three incidents, Baez got away with $6,171 worth of Essie nail polish, police said.
He was still at large as of Wednesday morning.
Police have asked anyone with information about the incidents to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-88-57-PISTA (74782). Tips can also be submitted by logging onto www.nypdcrimestopppers.com or texting 274637 (CRIMES) and entering TIP577.


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PTC’15 has a prodigious reputation for bringing together the telecommunications industry’s best and brightest minds in Honolulu, Hawaii each year in order to forge new partnerships, rekindle existing business relationships, and gain new insights into our dynamic industry. This year’s event proved no different, converging thought-leaders to discuss a number of the industry’s latest trends […]
Trying to predict what data centers will be like in a year’s time is both an exciting and scary prospect. Whilst twelve months is not an especially long time frame – I design our data centers to operate for over twenty years – the current environment is very dynamic and major change is emerging. In […]
Welcome to Pacnet’s new customer-focused website. There’s a pretty good chance that you are reading this article, not on your personal computer, but rather on your tablet or smartphone. That is at least part of the reason behind the revamp of Pacnet’s online home. It really depends on who you referred to, but multiple studies […]
Increasingly, cash is no longer king because currencies are going virtual. Two recent announcements are poised to bring online payments to a new level by virtualizing the wallet, and even cash itself, via smartphones and computers. As Apple has launched its mobile payment platform Apple Pay, which turns future iPhones and the company’s wearable Watch […]
Over the past 10 years, cloud development and bandwidth-hungry applications such as cloud storage operations, videoconferencing and video streaming have continued their rapid proliferation in the market, consuming capacity and leaving traditional networks struggling to keep pace.


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When Asheville City Council members passed an ordinance outlawing electric scooters on city streets, they made it clear the move was temporary.
Simple Cafe and Juice Bar is coming to Haywood Road in West Asheville.
Summer Rayne Oakes will sign copies of her new cookbook, SugarDetoxMe, at 2 p.m. on Saturday at Malaprop's in downtown Asheville.
Also, artist Jonas Gerard is set to celebrate 10 years in Asheville, and more.
The program is looking for early-stage, high-growth start-ups.
AvL Technologies' new 60,000-square-foot building in Woodfin has room for other tech tenants.
Also, a new business called GEARU specializing in providing outdoor gear to locals through a membership program, and more.
Also, new stores have opened at Asheville Outlets, and more.
Connect businesses and learn about employment opps with companies like Plum Print and DoctorDirectory.
Asheville's high-profile entrepreneur developer says chamber officials have asked her to leave North Carolina so as not to compete with their efforts.
Pam Lewis is no longer working for the Venture Asheville effort, according to Kit Cramer, the Asheville Chamber of Commerce CEO.
Social entrepreneurship is the focus at the first in a new series of networking events with a guest speaker.


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The pandemic has wreaked havoc on the world economy but seen many tech companies boom.
South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics posted a 28-percent jump in operating profit on Thursday despite global supply chain challenges caused by the pandemic.
The world’s top chipmaker saw its operating profit reach 15.8 trillion won ($13.5 billion) for the July-September period, it said in a regulatory filing.
Its sales rose 10 percent on-year to a record 74 trillion won on the back of strong performance from its memory chip division thanks to sustained global demand.
“Favourable market conditions continued in the memory market” resulting in “robust sales”, the company said in a statement.
Operating profits generated…


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Solar PV panel manufacturing facility opens in Dubai's Jafza
DEWA-accredited Maysun Solar, which currently manufactures 5,000 solar panels per month, has established Jafza's first solar PV manufacturing facility
Jebel Ali Free Zone's (Jafza) first solar photovoltaic (PV) panel manufacturing facility has been unveiled.
Maysun Solar, which currently manufactures 5,000 solar panels per month, with the capacity to generate 40 megawatts (MW) of energy, has established the facility.
The launch follows the solar project being carried out at Jafza and Mina Rashid Port by operator DP World, which involves the installation of 88,000 rooftop solar panels to reduce carbon emissions.
Maysun Solar's plans include raising its production capacity to 200MW over the next three years.
The company manufactures and exports from the UAE, with 30% of its orders coming from European markets, and 10% from the Saudi Arabian market.
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has accredited Maysun Solar as a certified supplier of solar panels.
Commenting on Maysun Solar's manufacturing facility, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, group chairman and chief executive officer of DP World, said: "This project represents another step towards transforming this vision into reality and integrating with the DP World Solar Programme, the largest and most ambitious rooftop solar energy project in the Middle East."
Sai Xuezhao, general manager of Maysun Solar, added: "We intend to transfer all our operations and investments to Jafza over the coming years, raising [our] investment in Dubai from $5m (AED18.3m) to $10m (AED36.7m), as we are currently running at full capacity and have orders in hand for production up to November this year."
Xuezhao said that permissions granted to Dubai's individuals and companies to use solar panels for energy production and electricity-bill reduction has buoyed the emirate's solar panel sector.
"The move will stimulate cities and countries within the region to follow the example of Dubai in the exploitation of solar energy," he added, according to Dubai Media Office.


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It has been a bitter sweet story for the app who first brought live video streaming in the palm of our hands. Meerkat is gone, forever.
Meerkat was the first. And often that also means first to go. There was not enough space for it. Between the Twitter-powered Periscope, the unbeatable Facebook Live and the more recent YouTube live video, Meerkat just could not survive.
A few hours ago, Meerkat was pulled out of the iOS and Android app stores. Ben Rubin, CEO of Meerkat creator Life On Air, confirmed the news. Rubin also explained that he and his team will now be focusing on HouseParty, their new group video chat mobile app.
It is not a surprise. To be honest, most publications, including us, had announced Meerkat’s death a few months back. There was still hope then, that the app will find a second life with some new features. Group live video streaming was one that could have saved Meerkat. But it now seems that the company has decided it was a better idea to launch this as part of the new app and let go of the legacy.
As much as I am saddened to see Meerkat go, I think I agree with their strategy. Goodbye Meerkat, you shall be remembered.
You might also like
More from Other Platforms
Snapchat has announced a new curated entertainment platform that will surface the most entertaining Snaps all in one place.
YouTube has announced audio ads, its first ad format designed to connect brands with podcast or music listeners.
SoundCloud verified profiles will help users tell who is an authentic artist on the platform, the company announced today.
Snapchat is introducing new features to let you create an Astrological Profile and see shared Astrological Compatibility with your friends.
Instagram announced new show series with Post Malone - exclusively on Messenger and Instagram through Watch Together.


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February 23, 2012 |
GURGAON: Learning from mistakes made globally in digital marketing, food and beverage major PepsiCo is adopting innovative methods in India to tap the potential of social media for building brand equity and increase sales. "India is a unique place and market. There have been a lot of mistakes made around the world in terms of digital marketing. India does not have to make the same mistakes," PepsiCo Beverages (Global Head Digital) Shiv Singh told PTI at the Ad Tech summit on digital marketing here.
January 29, 2014 |
NEW DELHI: Times Internet, a Times of India group company , has licensed the digital distribution rights of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament to Star India, which will stream all content and video on-demand via starsports.com, mobile apps, and on mobile operator services, the two companies said Tuesday. Both companies will distribute IPL in 2014 on their digital destinations, and market the joint proposition, and Star India will be solely responsible for monetisation, including advertising sales . "With two big media companies having multiple marketing and distribution channels across TV, print, radio and digital, promoting IPL content together, we will make it a big proposition for consumers this year," said Satyan Gajwani, chief executive officer of Times Internet.
June 9, 2012 |
BANGALORE: Manish Vij , founder of digital media network Tyroo, is on the fund raising path and is looking to raise $10 million in venture and institutional funding for Tyroo and newly launched mobile media distribution and analytics platform, SeventyNine. "We are profitable but plan to raise funds to scale up faster," said Vij, who declined to reveal the names of investors he is in talks with for the funding. Earlier this year Vij's Vun Network and Harish Bahl's Smile Group formed a joint venture, Smile Vun Group (SVG)
February 28, 2014 |
NEW DELHI: New York-based IT firm Synechron plans to hire about 400 people this year at its development centre in Pune. Of Syncheron's global headcount of over 5,000 people, close to 4,000 work at its centre in Pune. "Over the last 12 years, we have emerged as a high-growth fast-paced company, working towards transforming the conventional outsourcing business model. This new facility will lend further cadence to our growth objectives," Synechron CEO Faisal Husain told PTI. The injection of local expertise and upgraded infrastructure will accelerate focus on delivering high-end domain intensive technology solutions to Synechron customers, he added.
December 18, 2007 |
NEW DELHI: US-based Velocity Interactive Group, which funds digital media and communication companies, has invested in NDTV Networks and IndiaTV, according to information available on the company's website. However, the company did not reveal the amount of investments in these two leading domestic media companies. "In India, the firm has invested in two of the most prolific media concerns-- NDTV Networks and IndiaTV," the company said. Velocity Interactive Group, which would provide financing for early stage and growth companies, was formed following the merger of digital media firm Velocity, venture capital firm ComVentures and its few venture investors.
December 22, 2010
Dramatic. Rapid. Unpredictable. These are some words that best describe the changes in the media landscape and the consumer response to some of these changes. There are three central issues that have emerged in the last five or six years. First, the impact of technology has been dramatic ? most pronounced in digital media. Second, there has been rapid fragmentation of media and thus, a multiplicity of choices. Third, the way consumers are reacting to the changes has been largely unpredictable.
July 2, 2015 |
NEW DELHI: Seeking their contribution in making 'Digital India' programme successful, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked activists of digital media to ignore negativity and instead harness positive and creative energy on social media for the country's growth. Interacting with a section of such activists after inaugurating the 'Digital India Week', the Prime Minister asked them not to respond to negative and harsh comments on social media with harsher responses. Modi was speaking to them at a review meeting of 'Digital India' programme and 'MyGov' platform at his residence last evening.
September 23, 2015 |
MUMBAI/DELHI: For the first time in its history Nestle has given its India head a 'no approvals needed' mandate to do what it takes and get the Swiss food major back on track in the country after its handling of the Maggi controversy turned into a fiasco. Suresh Narayanan, who took over as Nestle India managing director on August 1, is since then tackling several challenging tasks at once, from doing everything to bring the popular instant noodles brand back on retail shelves, to assuaging fears and concerns of regulators and consumers, to, most importantly, getting employees to stay motivated.
May 20, 2010 |
KOLKATA: When Microsoft India late last year began revisiting its marketing strategy for gaming console Xbox, it decided not to invest in any media. The reason: Microsoft had commissioned a study by AC Nielsen, which revealed that Indian consumers, who buy gaming consoles, are heavy users of Internet. Microsoft didn't take much time to decide that it will invest all its above-the-line (advertising budget) on Internet. And it's not just Microsoft. General Motors, gift retailer Happily Unmarried, fashion brand Ed Hardy and headphone brand Skullcandy are some of the brands spending most of their advertising budget on digital media.
March 25, 2015 |
MUMBAI: Driven by digital players, the media and entertainment industry is on course to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 13.9 per cent by FY19 to Rs 1,96,400 crore from Rs 1,02,600 crore this fiscal, according to a KPMG report. The growth of the digital media will be the fastest, while at the same the traditional media will be growing at a healthy pace. The television sector will continue to grow, thanks to digitisation. The advertising market will be driven by the emergence of e-commerce players as a significant new category, the report said.


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General Electric Will Buy 25,000 Electric Vehicles by 2015
FAIRFIELD, Connecticut, November 11, 2010 (ENS) – GE today announced the world’s largest-ever single electric vehicle commitment. The company will purchase 25,000 electric vehicles by 2015 for its own fleet and through its Capital Fleet Services business.
GE Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt said the company will convert at least half of its 30,000 global fleet to electrics and will partner with fleet customers to deploy a total of 25,000 electric vehicles by 2015.
“Electric vehicle technology is real and ready for deployment and we are embracing the transformation with partners like GM and our fleet customers,” said Immelt. “By electrifying our own fleet, we will accelerate the adoption curve, drive scale, and move electric vehicles from anticipation to action.”
GE and its partners will use a mix of electric vehicle technologies.
GE will initially purchase 12,000 General Motors vehicles, beginning with the Chevrolet Volt in 2011, and will add other vehicles as manufacturers expand their electric vehicle portfolios.
2011 Chevrolet Volt (Photo courtesy GM)
Chevrolet Volts will roll off production lines this month and other automakers are bringing electric vehicles to market. Immelt said this purchase will enable GE to lead wide-scale electric vehicle adoption and generate growth for its businesses.
“We make technology that touches every point of the electric vehicle infrastructure and are leading the transformation to a smarter electrical grid,” Immelt said.
GE manufactures an electric vehicle charger, the GE WattStation, which is designed to cut the time needed for vehicle charging from 12-18 hours to as little as 4-8 hours compared to standard charging, assuming a 24 kWh battery and a full-cycle charge. The WattStation uses smart grid technology to allow utility companies to manage the impact EVs have on the local and regional grids.
“This transformation will be good for our businesses and for our shareowners,” said Immelt. “Wide-scale adoption of electric vehicles will also drive clean energy innovation, strengthen energy security and deliver economic value.”
GE businesses including Capital Fleet Services, Energy and Licensing and Trading will benefit from an emerging electric vehicle market that could deliver up to $500 million in GE revenue over the next three years. This includes rapidly developing markets for the WattStation.
General Motors CEO Dan Akerson said, “GE’s commitment reflects confidence that electric vehicles are a real-world technology that can reduce both emissions and our dependence on oil. It is also a vote of confidence in the Chevrolet Volt, which we will begin delivering to retail customers by the end of this year.”
Fred Smith, FedEx chairman, president and CEO, and Electrification Coalition member, said, “With more than 16.3 million vehicles in operation in 2009, the nation’s fleet can drive initial ramp-up scale in the battery industry and OEM supply chains.”
“By buying these vehicles, GE is helping ramp up production which will help lower the price of vehicles and their components and make electric vehicles more visible and acceptable to the public at large,” said Smith. “This is good for GE, good for our economy, and good for our nation.”
GE also announced today two electric vehicle customer experience and learning centers to provide customers, employees and researchers first-hand access to electric vehicles and developing technologies.
One center will be located outside of Detroit, in Van Buren Township, Michigan, as part of GE’s Advanced Manufacturing and Software Technology Center.
The other center will be located at GE Capital’s Fleet Services business headquarters in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, with several other centers to be announced in 2011.
The centers will monitor and evaluate vehicle performance and charging behaviors, driver experiences, service requirements, and operational efficiencies, while also affording the opportunity to experience a variety of manufacturers and models, and gain insights on electric vehicle deployment.
In support of GE’s purchase, an electric vehicle readiness toolkit has been launched on www.ecomagination.com to help municipalities, customers, and individuals prepare for wide-scale electric vehicle deployment.
In April, GE and Nissan signed a three-year agreement to explore new technologies that are needed to build a reliable, dynamic smart-charging infrastructure.
The Japanese automaker will roll out its all-electric Leaf vehicle next month in Japan, the United States and Europe.
“Nissan’s vision is to realize zero-emission mobility through a holistic approach by collaborating with various partners in a broad range of industries,” said Shunichi Toyomasu, corporate vice president, Nissan Motor Co. “Working with GE, we expect this joint research project will provide insight for the home/building and electric grid connections which supports electric vehicles.”


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CTS Corporation Declares a Dividend
- Dow hits milestone, S&P breaks record high on tech rally
- Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO) to Acquire PPD, Inc. (PPD) for $47.50/sh, $17.4 Billion
- U.S. retail sales post largest gain in 10 months; weekly jobless claims fall
- Dell (DELL) Gains on Spin-Off of its 81% Stake in VMware (VMW), Analysts Bulled-Up as It Could Unlock $20 Per Share of Value for DELL
- The Stock Market is Almost 'Completely Broken' - Einhorn
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LISLE, Ill., Feb. 11, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Board of Directors of CTS Corporation (NYSE: CTS) declared a cash dividend of $0.04 per share, payable April 23, 2021, to shareholders of record at the close of business on March 19, 2021.
CTS (NYSE: CTS) is a leading designer and manufacturer of products that Sense, Connect, and Move. The company manufactures sensors, actuators, and electronic components in North America, Europe, and Asia, and provides engineered products to customers in the aerospace/defense, industrial, medical, telecommunications/IT, and transportation markets.
For more information, visit www.ctscorp.com.
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DANBURY, Conn. -- Danbury's Market Place Kitchen and Bar is receiving praise from The New York Times.
The restaurant at 33 Mill Plain Road in Danbury recently received a "Good" rating from The New York Times food critic Christopher Brooks. The restaurant uses fresh and local food.
"Market Place (a sister restaurant to Bambu, also in Danbury, and 189 Sports Café in Brookfield) offers several casual menu options, including a number that are intended to be shared," Brooks wrote in the review. "The crispy Point Judith calamari was a model of perfection, its legs, rings and slices of cherry peppers crusted in corn meal. I also enjoyed the Mediterranean sampler, featuring a garlicky hummus, a refreshing tomato-cucumber salad (actually more of a relish) and three crunchy, nutty falafels."
Brooks enjoyed the entrees, the wine selection, the staff and the menu, according to the review, while noting that the bill was "rather expensive."
Market Place Kitchen and Bar is open from 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. To learn more about the restaurant, residents can visit the Market Place Kitchen and Bar website.
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The avalanche (AVAX 27.26%) the cryptocurrency skyrocketed on Wednesday thanks to a freshly signed collaboration agreement with Amazon (AMZN 5.81%) and its Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud computing arm. As of 4:30 p.m. ET, the cryptocurrency had gained 13.3% in 24 hours.
AWS needed a default blockchain platform to manage and run smart contracts, which can perform financial transactions and property transfers based on real-time market data. The most obvious choice would have been the industry leader and smart contract innovator Ethereum (ETH 3.83%)but AWS kept it interesting by opting for a smaller, faster competitor instead.
On Wednesday, Amazon and Ava Labs, the company that developed Avalanche, published blog posts explaining how developers using Avalanche tokens would now have access to a wide range of AWS assets and features.
“AWS is so valuable because it allows developers to go from scratch to production with dedicated infrastructure,” said Ava Labs President John Wu. Web3 projects who really benefit from this blockchain-as-a-service model.”
This agreement made Ava Labs a member of the AWS Partner Network collection of technology providers, which puts the Avalanche name at the forefront when AWS-based developers seek technology solutions. Additionally, Avalanche nodes can be deployed in the separate GovCloud network to qualify for federal government projects with strict security requirements.
This is AWS’s first official blockchain partnership, but it likely won’t be the last. Other smart contract platforms will likely follow in the coming months and years, along with AWS support for stablecoins, cross-chain development networks, valuable storage rooms, and more. But Avalanche was the first, and it should deserve the high throughput smart contract platform many development projects that might not have been directed in his direction before.
Avalanche’s token price is still down 84% from last year, even after Wednesday’s positive action. This cryptocurrency (like almost all his peers) still has a long way to go before reaching a new all-time high. Still, this deal with a crucial internet platform is a fantastic step in the right direction.
John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a board member of The Motley Fool. Anders Bylund has positions in Amazon.com and Ethereum. The Motley Fool holds positions and recommends Amazon.com, Avalanche, and Ethereum. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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Shares in maverick UK Net giant Freeserve (quote: FRE) soared Wednesday as the pioneering ISP announced it is in talks that may lead to a takeover. Sources said the discussions could -- as with previous talks -- come to nothing.
A company spokesman confirmed early Wednesday that Freeserve is "in discussions which may or may not lead to an offer being made". The possible deal would be entirely in stock, leading to speculation the mystery buyer is France Telecom's Wanadoo. France Telecom has said in the past it will only do Internet deals in stock.
Freeserve said a buyout would be unlikely to carry a premium, on the basis of Tuesday's share price of around 145p. Nevertheless the company's share price soared Wednesday as high as 160p in morning trading before settling to around 147.5p, a 1.5p or 1.03 percent increase, by midday.
Wanadoo is also rumoured to have been in talks with LibertySurf and the Freeserve discussions are said to be at a very early stage. "Wanadoo is in talks, but they are at a very early stage and may not lead to anything," said one source close to the matter.
Critics have charged Freeserve with focusing too closely on the limited UK market, without expansion plans that would allow it to compete effectively with deep-pocketed rivals such as America Online.
Freeserve's parent, electrical retailer chain Dixons, has been looking for a buyer for Freeserve for several months, but has had no luck since talks with Germany's T-Online broke down in June. In the meantime Freeserve's share price -- along with those of other Internet-based businesses -- has plummeted from highs of 977p in March to all-time lows of 128.5p.
Freeserve was the first to popularise "free" Internet access, which collects fees from a cut of the dial-up phone call rather than a monthly subscription. More recently the company has moved towards a more sustainable business model based on advertising and e-commerce.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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A lot of new iPhone models have now been leaked from the official website of Apple. CNET has reported that, according to this new leak, all Apple fans can now look forward to ‘3’ all-new models -iPhone Xs, Xs Max, and alsoXr.
In addition to this leak, the model numbers have been referenced as well in OtterBox listings. The Xsand alsoXs Max models were spotted in these listings. Supposedly the two models, Xs and Xs Max are set to be the higher-end of the OLED display phones. The model, Xr is set to provide an affordable option with its LCD display.
Apple seems to be having something for all their potential customers. Assuming that one goes with the higher end Xs or the model, Xs Max, with most providers, customers should be paying around $35-$40 a month for a two-year lease. These prices will vary, but for $40 a month, one can have the most powerful mobile processors ever-this will power 6.5-inch OLED display.
Rishvan also seems to have shown the fans a whole new Apple Watch -Apple Watch Series 4.
We cannot go into a lot of details regarding the features as we have not heard about the watch from Apple as of now. But we do not have to really wait a whole lot longer.
According to a whole new NPD report, 70% of the Americans consider themselves as gamers and 90% of the gaming is done via mobile. Almost 10 years ago it would have been almost unimaginable, but now, we are carrying around devices that are powerful than the PS3 or Xbox 360.


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News and Information on Caterpillar
Popular Caterpillar content:
Cat shows its first truck
Photos: Cat CT660
Visit the official Caterpillar site
News and Information on Caterpillar...
Dec. 13, 2012 |
Caterpillar is anticipating big things for its company based on the success of the CT660 vocational truck...
Sep. 28, 2011 |
Equipment maker Caterpillar said it recently finalized the sale of a 65% stake in a division of its Caterpillar Logistics operation – called Caterpillar Logistics Services (CLS) – to private equity firm Platinum Equity for approximately $750 million. Caterpillar noted, however, it’s retaining a...
Aug. 1, 2012 |
Also impacted by Navistar International’s announcement Friday that the OEM will be adding selective catalytic reduction (SCR) emissions aftertreatment systems to its diesel truck engines is Caterpillar, whose CT line of heavy-duty vocational trucks are powered by CT Series engines—two of which are...
Jul. 9, 2012 |
The logistics subsidiary of Caterpillar Inc. , announced it has opened a parts distribution center in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. Caterpillar said the opening is the first of many investments planned to enhance its parts distribution operations in Central and South America...
Apr. 3, 2012 |
Caterpillar has signed a 20-year agreement with BAE Systems to use BAE’s HybriDrive parallel hybrid propulsion system. Under terms of the agreement, BAE will integrate its HybriDrive into the Cat CX family of transmissions as well as establish an aftermarket field services model using Caterpillar’s...
Jan. 27, 2012 |
From Manawatu Standard: Ubiquitous heavy machinery company Caterpillar is moving into the full truck market and the Christchurch-based Gough Group has picked up the exclusive dealership in New Zealand...
Apr. 4, 2012 |
From New Zealand Herald: A local company has secured the rights to market Caterpillar's new range of trucks in New Zealand...
Mar. 30, 2012 |
News and Information about AutoCar...
Dec. 13, 2012 |
NC2 Global, the joint truck venture between Caterpillar and Navistar, has started operations in both Brazil and South Africa. The venture was set up last September to produce trucks for global markets under the Cat and International nameplates...
Oct. 29, 2010 |


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The Nifty 50 index settled 0.04% larger at 19,680.60, whereas the S&P BSE Sensex misplaced 0.04% to 66,355.71.
Seven of the 13 main sectoral indexes logged positive aspects, with the metallic index rising 2.94% and the auto index including 0.95%.
The rise in metals comes after China, the world’s largest producer and shopper of metals, introduced plans to supply additional help to its post-Covid financial restoration. JSW Metal, Hindalco and Tata Metal have been the highest Nifty 50 gainers.
Asian markets additionally superior on hopes of additional stimulus measures from China, with the MSCI Asia ex-Japan index gaining 1.8%.
Auto shares rose, led by a 5.88% rise in TVS Motor on a higher-than-expected rise in quarterly revenue.
Index heavyweight ITC misplaced 1.92% and was among the many high Nifty 50 losers. The corporate’s board gave in-principle approval to demerge its resorts enterprise into a brand new entity on Monday. ITC will personal a 40% stake, whereas shareholders will maintain the remaining.
“We imagine some buyers might have most well-liked a vertical break up (100% direct),” Jefferies stated in a word.
The inventory has misplaced 5.74% thus far this week. The corporate will host an analyst/investor name on July 27 to debate additional particulars on the proposed demerger.
Asian Paints misplaced 4.04% and was the highest Nifty 50 loser after reporting a lower-than-expected rise in quarterly income.
“(We) imagine that the positive aspects out there will probably be capped within the near-term given elevated valuations and gentle begin to June-quarter earnings season,” stated Pankaj Chhaochharia and Abhimanyu Godara of Vintage Inventory Broking.
Analysts additionally anticipate warning to prevail in markets forward of the Federal Reserve’s coverage assembly on Wednesday.


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Apple's 2019 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is set to kick off in a few hours, but we wanted to break down some of the rumors and leaks ahead of the keynote. Tim Cook is set to take the stage at the 10:00 AM PT live stream start time, and while this event focuses mainly on software and services, some fans are hoping for one more thing in the form of a new Mac Pro. Please take a look at our expectations ahead of WWDC 19.
Apple tends to use WWDC as an opportunity to lay out the future of their operating systems. iOS powers iPhones and iPads, so we expect Apple CEO Tim Cook to spend a decent amount of time talking about some of the major updates coming to the smartphone and tablet operating system. Some rumors about iOS 13 include the addition of Dark Mode, a feature that Shacknews.com has had since August 2018. Apple is also expected to merge Find My Friends and Find My iPhone into one unified interface called "Find My." Some reporters are expecting Apple to announce improved health-related updates to apps including a "Sleep Mode." iPad is reported to get some loving at WWDC 2019, too with an update that will add support for multiple windows of apps. "Detachable panel" interface is rumored to allow users to detach and move portions of screens around.
watchOS 6, tvOS 13, and macOS 10.15 too
Apple makes other products too. Apple Watch owners are set to get some more information about the forthcoming watchOS 6. The operating system is rumored to be adding an on-device App Store. This is a break from the Watch App Store that lives inside the Watch app on iPhone. The watchOS 6 update is also rumored to be adding new faces and complications, as well as a new Books app for audiobooks. Apple Watch owners tend to love these devices and the Cupertino tech behemoth is set to keep motivating users to fill those circles with today's announcements.
Apple truly has quite a bit of work experience when it comes to television. For most of its life, Apple TV has been viewed as a hobby by the company, but they appear to be super serious now with the announcement of the Apple TV+ service. Even though we have no idea what the price of the service will be, Apple will clearly have to update their tvOS to accomplish all of Oprah's goals. You get a new OS, you get a new OS, everybody gets a new OS! While there won't be a hardware announcement at WWDC, we expect to hear more about how we will all consume all the fine Oprah content that Apple has secured with their massive content deals.
Oh yeah, Apple makes computers still. macOS is set to get an update to version 10.15 this year and WWDC is usually the place where the team drags out Hair Force One, Craig Federighi, to detail some of the broad strokes of the computer operating system update. 10.15 is likely to focus on the integration of iPad apps into macOS with the company's Marzipan porting tech. Apple is also reportedly working on a new kind of external display functionality that will allow Mac users to send specific applications to different displays. This would be a welcome change to how wonky macOS handles Apple TVs as a display right now. macOS 10.15 is also rumored to be bringing some apps over from iOS like Shortcuts, Screen Time, Apple Watch authentication, and the new unified "Find My" app.
Death of iTunes
As Shacker rudds posted last week on our Chatty forum, it appears that Apple will be moving away from their flagship iTunes application on PCs and Macs and towards a new Music app. Podcasts will likely be spun out of iTunes and ported over from the dedicated app found on iOS. This is a big deal for long-time Apple users, and the company has to do right by folks who have massive libraries. iTunes is also a storefront for video content, and the rumors have yet to confirm what Apple's plans will be for users' owned video content. As Apple has been pushing towards content as a service as opposed to owned videos and music, this move doesn't come as that surprising, but it will certainly be an end of an era when iTunes is officially sunset.
More Animoji, maybe some ARKit
You better believe Apple will showcase more of their AR face recognition emotes. Maybe a taco talks or something else that will be neat for a few minutes. Hopefully Apple will have some other ARKit stuff to show off that will enable to do some cooler things in augmented reality.
Mac Pro that isn't a trashcan
Apple has been rumored to be working on a Mac Pro refresh for many years, following the poor reception of the Mac Pro trashcan design. The company claims to be working with their power users to figure out a new, better design that they can price gauge customers into buying. WWDC 2019 would be a perfect event to announce a product built for developers and power users, so here's hoping the announcement actually happens.
Apple's WWDC 2019 live stream keynote kicks off at 10:00 AM PT / 1:00 PM ET. Keep it locked on Shacknews.com for all the news from the event as it breaks.
Asif Khan posted a new article, What to expect from the June 2019 Apple WWDC keynote
I’m pumped. My team always has a big get together to watch the keynotes.
Normally we order in food but this time we have a colleague who has been smoking brisket and ribs for the last couple days. Ommmgggg
Less than an hour until this starts. This should be good!
“Apple truly has quite a bit of work experience when it comes to television.” Haha!
This article made me realize that the next version of iOS is 13; I wonder if this will put a small dent in uptake due to superstition.


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AirAsia Indonesia and Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) have partnered to jointly promote Penang as Malaysia’s top healthcare tourism destination, with AirAsia as the preferred airline for direct connectivity.MHTC will offer services to arrange medical tourism trips including doctor and hospital appointments, as well as airport pick-up services, for those flying AirAsia from Indonesia to Penang for medical treatment. AirAsia will offer exclusive flight discounts to MHTC customers, and AirAsia guests with prearranged appointments made through MHTC will also enjoy additional benefits at participating hospitals. This includes up to 20% discount at selected F&B outlets and on medical check-up and non-medial bills by showing their boarding pass.In a statement to A+M, AirAsia's spokesperson said the partnership is not an exclusive one. The airline will promote the partnership via its "Hot Boarding Pass" microsite, which will feature a dedicated medical tab slated to go live this week, as well as its social media channels and the Indonesian version of its travel360 inflight magazine.Meanwhile, MHTC will also use social media to raise awareness about the partnership and launch promotions. AirAsia's spokesperson declined to reveal the monetary value of the partnership.AirAsia Indonesia CEO Dendy Kurniawan said Penang is the destination of choice for Indonesians seeking top quality medical care, and the airline hopes to see the market grow even more through this cooperation.MHTC CEO Sherene Azli added that Penang receives around 60% of Malaysia’s healthcare travellers and in 2017 alone, the state’s healthcare travel industry generated approximately half a billion ringgit in revenue."Such initiatives will only increase the potential of the state to cater to more healthcare travellers from Indonesia who have discovered Penang to be their preferred destination for healthcare," Sherene added.The Ministry of Finance recently said that it expects a notable increase in the number of healthcare travellers to Malaysia to two million by 2020, an increase from the current one million. This is after the tax exemption from medical bills, Bernama reported. According to Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Ir Amiruddin Hamzah, Malaysia garnered RM1.3 billion in medical traveller revenue in 2017 and the government hopes to increase the figure to RM2.8 bill by 2020.Read also:Malaysia’s medical tourism industry set to achieve RM1.15bn revenue by 2017AirAsia wants travellers to get some ‘VitaminSEA’ with new seriesAirAsia engages Palantir as its strategic data science partnerAirAsia X and Sony Malaysia hunt for new joint brand ambassadorAirAsia sells remaining 25% stake in AAE Travel to Expedia Group for US$60m
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Riot Gaming are now officially sponsored by Iiyama!
We're super excited to announce the latest addition to the Riot Gaming family, click here to find out more!
We’re all ready and waiting for the new Call of Duty to be released later this week, but are you as prepared as you can be?
We spoke with Sales Manager at @iiyamaco about his thoughts on their latest partnership with Riot Gaming. Click here to find out more!


text: You’re probably not familiar with Kaltura, but they’re one of those behind-the-scenes companies with a video distribution platform used by companies to more easily release video content. They’re customers range from media companies like HBO, NBCUniversal, and TMZ, to universities like Yale, USC, and Dartmouth. Well, they’ve developed and released an HTM5 based app for the Fire TV and Fire TV Stick for their customers to use. The app allows their corporate customers to easily release video apps with their content to Fire TV devices. The app is based on Amazon’s Web App Starter Kit for Fire TV released at the end of last year to help developers easily stream videos to Fire TV devices. With this new app from Kaltura, we should start to see their customers release video apps for the Fire TV and Fire TV Stick.


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Media Prima Berhad has surpassed Google and Facebook as the most popular choice for mobile content among Malaysians.
According to the latest data from US-based media measurement and analytics company Comscore Mobile Metrix Top 100 Properties, Total Audience, Dec 2018, Malaysia, Media Prima tops the list with 13.60 million total unique visitors, a 62% increase from December 2017, followed by Google Sites with 12.95 million, and Facebook with 12.92 million.
This underscores the success of the Group’s transformation efforts to become Malaysia’s leading digital-first content and commerce company.
The rapid increase in digital reach is attributed to the implementation of digital-first strategies across the Group, which benefited The New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Berhad, REV Asia Holdings, and Ripple as it aims to capitalise on the growing demand for digital news content.
NSTP has become the primary source for news among Malaysians for mobile web and app. According to Comscore, BH and Harian Metro ranked first and second respectively in terms of monthly unique visitors among Malaysian news portals. BH and Harian Metro recorded total unique visitors of 4.78 million and 4.39 million respectively.
REV Asia’s extensive portfolio of popular online brands — SAYS, OhBulan!, RojakLah, Viral Cham, 8coin, Sirap Limau, MyResipi, Kongsi Resepi, and JUICE — now includes The Vocket — a popular Malay-language social news portal, Mashable Southeast Asia — a highly renowned brand for the latest digital news, and TanTanNews — a prominent Chinese-language social news media and content portal.
The evolution of Media Prima Radio Networks into Ripple created more opportunities to connect with audiences with the launch of seven new digital assets — Dhia, Donna, Lunaria, TheLaki, Likely, Chapters and Wakeke. The aim is to connect with audiences through synergising digital media, radio broadcast, and commerce. To date, Ripple’s large digital community includes 10 million social media followers, 3.2 million average digital listenership, and 283 million total digital views.
Datuk Kamal Khalid, Group Managing Director of Media Prima, said, “This is a first for a local media company in Malaysia to outrank the global media giants, and evident that our digital strategies are paying off. This also represents the huge potential for advertisers to engage and reach out to the mass audience on mobile through Media Prima’s network. Moving forward, this data confirms how mobile phones are becoming increasingly integrated into our daily lives.”
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The Malaysian Marketing Conference & Festival 2024 at the Sime Darby Convention Centre is a TWO-day marketing event for all those in Marketing, Media, Advertising, PR, Digital, Data, and more….
The experience is on May 15 & 16, with Keynote Speakers, multiple tracks or Breakaway Sessions hosted by our booth partners who will show you the latest in the industry.


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Logistics annual review: Freight Transport Association 23 February 2016
FTA (the Freight Transport Association) is to launch its annual review at the CV Show (26—28 April 2016, NEC, Birmingham), covering industry issues over the last 12 months.
The Logistics Report 2016 outlines challenges faced by the logistics sector and how it has responded to them, using internal and independent research.
FTA argues that, thanks to the direct participation of its members, the 2016 report contains analysis that is well-grounded in the reality of day-to-day freight operations.
The association says it offers a “thought provoking and refreshing” assessment of UK logistics. Copies will be available on the FTA stand.
Freight Transport Association Ltd
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