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Lebara Mobile Recruits 200 Extra Staff
Published on: 12th May 2009
Note -- this news article is more than a year old.
Low cost MVNO, Lebara Mobile has announced the creation of 200 new jobs, including 55 at a new multi lingual customer services centre sited near its London base in Tower Hill. To meet the needs of its diverse customer base, customers' calls can be answered in one of 12 languages by Lebara's customer services team, which has grown substantially over the last year.
Lebara Mobile has also recruited a number of senior staff to its UK organisation, including Russell Atkinson who joined the company in April as the new Managing Director for Lebara Mobile UK, having most recently served as Chief Executive Officer for credEcard. Previously, Russell was Managing Director of Blackhawk Network and Director of EPayments at Travelex.
James Condon, who was recently recruited into the newly-created role of Chief Marketing Officer, has joined from Tesco where he was Brand Communication and Trade Planning Director.
Yoganathan Ratheesan, CEO of Lebara, said: "We're extremely pleased to be in the position where we are growing and recruiting staff during such a difficult economic time. This is due to the outstanding success of our award-winning Pay-As-You-Go SIM product. The launch of our new London-based customer services centre highlights the value we place on our customers and the investment we make in ensuring that the experience they have is exceptional. We warmly welcome all of our new recruits and look forward to the continued growth and success of Lebara."


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Port of Felixstowe plays host to Exporting is GREAT campaign’s Export Hub
- Credit: Archant
The Department for International Trade’s touring “Export Hub” has paid a visit to the Port of Felixstowe as part of a Government drive to boost the UK’s overseas sales.
The Export Hub, part of the Government-based Exporting is GREAT campaign, brings together advice and practical guidance for businesses on how they can find customers overseas for their products and services.
A range of local businesses were invited to the hub during its time in Felixstowe where they received presentations on practical assistance for exporters from the Department for International Trade, Barclays Bank, Prettys Solicitors and the ETK Group which specialises in business support for Africa.
Clemence Cheng, chief executive of the Port of Felixstowe and managing director of Hutchison Ports Europe, said: “The Port of Felixstowe has more connections to more overseas destinations than any other UK port.
“As the country’s largest container port it is a key gateway allowing UK exporters to get their goods to a large number of overseas markets.
“The port has already featured as part of the Government’s GREAT campaign and we are delighted to extend the association through this latest initiative.”
Alan Pain, Department for International Trade regional director for the East of England, added: “We were delighted to bring the Export Hub to the Port of Felixstowe, the gateway to UK exporting.
- 1 Historic former pub with permission to convert into homes set for auction
- 2 Ipswich Town installed as early League One title favourites
- 3 GALLERY: 'Stunning' turnout as Hadleigh Show returns after enforced break
- 4 5 new places to eat and drink in Woodbridge this year
- 5 Man dies after being found unresponsive in Sudbury river
- 6 Excitement builds as Suffolk Show venue wakes up
- 7 'We're blown away' - Classic car show visits care home after roadworks setback
- 8 Homes destroyed after blaze breaks out in terraced housing
- 9 Mike Bacon: Luke Woolfenden.... going nowhere, going everywhere
- 10 'I keep selling out' - Mum-of-two dreams of fudge shop as business thrives
“This is an excellent way to show businesses just how much demand there is out there for goods and services from this region, something from which many companies are already benefitting.
“With hundreds of live opportunities available via great.gov.uk and the launch of a find-a-buyer service to match companies with worldwide demand, doing business overseas has also never been more straightforward.”

domain: news


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Wall Street Is Begging Hawaiian Airlines for Basic Economy
The past few years have seen many airlines introduce a basic economy product. So, it wasn't a big surprise when Hawaiian followed suit last year, announcing the bare bones fare class would be instated in 2019.
Now, in a new report, one well-respected Wall Street analyst wants the airline to launch the product as soon as possible, rather than sticking with the current timeline to launch later this year.
Analyst Helane Becker from Cowen Equity Research said in a Wednesday report that for Hawaiian, "basic economy can't come soon enough."
Why the sudden push for no-frills fares from Wall Street?
Hawaii as a destination currently has plenty of capacity, which is keeping fare prices depressed. Capacity is going to grow even more once Southwest gets airborne and island bound. This is great news for thrifty air passengers who want to head to the islands. Round-trip flights from Los Angeles(LAX) to Honolulu(HNL) can currently be booked for an average of less than $500 with Hawaiian. For investors, however, this over capacity poses a risk to profits.
Wall Street wants the airline to launch its basic economy product ahead of schedule to better compete once Southwest launches its much-anticipated service to Hawaii. The new fare class would allow Hawaiian to shore up revenue as passengers opt to pay for higher classes of service to avoid the restrictive product, or pay additional fees for conveniences like choosing their seats ahead of time.
With the government shutdown delaying Southwest's entrance into the market, Hawaiian has some time get out ahead, although the window to do so is shrinking. It remains to be seen if the airline will heed the pleas from Wall Street and makes changes to the launch timetable for its basic economy product.


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Like almost everything else – from driving a car, to speaking on the phone, to watching television – the manner in which people listen to music has undergone dramatic shifts over the last 25 years. It started with the evolution from vinyl to CDs, then from CDs to digital downloads and, most recently, downloads to streaming services.
Not only have such advances made the listening experience easier, cheaper and more enjoyable, they have also slowly revolutionized consumer behavior, with tastes having become more wide-ranging and variable. It’s not unusual today for the average consumer of music to have formed very eclectic tastes that jump across multiple musical genres, and we have the access and affordability of streaming music to thank in large part for this.
The economics of these shifts have been a boon for consumers, but mostly disastrous for artists who have seen the value of their musical content decline with each technological evolution. The harsh reality for musical artists is that albums no longer matter, individual songs do.
In 2004, ten albums sold 2.7 million copies or more, including the no. 1 album of the year, Usher’s ‘Confession,’ which sold nearly eight million, according to Nielsen. This year, no album will sell close to that.
As consumers show an increasing preference for individual songs over albums, download activity, another important driver of revenue for artists, has slowed considerably. Apple recently reported that sales on its iTunes platform are down more than 13% this year. This decline, of course, can be traced the rise of streaming services like Pandora and Spotify, which can be accessed for free and pay next to nothing for content. According to one estimate, record labels and publishers receive between $0.006 and $0.0084 per stream, a small slice of which goes to artists.
The upshot of all this is pretty clear: With few exceptions, it has become next to impossible for artists to profit solely off making albums and producing content. This has led many to focus instead on touring and building their brand, which can then be leveraged into selling a wide variety of consumer products, including clothing, alcohol or electronics. Look no further than P Diddy and Ciroc vodka or Dr. Dre and Beats headphones.
Another shift could be on the horizon but this time it could favor artists. In a move that could shake up the industry, Taylor Swift’s entire music catalog was recently pulled from Spotify’s platform after Swift’s label requested that songs from her new 1989 album be made available only to the service’s paying customers, which make up a mere fraction of its user base. Swift’s decision could have a cascading effect, leading to more spats down the line with other prominent artists and record labels, who increasingly believe streaming companies are not paying enough for content and are cannibalizing music sales.
The notion of Taylor Swift leading a movement that makes it easier for small-to-mid size acts to make more money from streaming is ironic given that she is one the few artists today capable of generating out sized revenues producing albums. Make no mistake, however, pressure on streaming services is about to become more intense, as the cost of doing business could increase significantly in coming years and more competition from Apple, the leader in download sales, gets bigger in the streaming business with Beats Music.
And if royalties go up, it’s only a matter of time before the ad-supported model goes away entirely. That means that Pandora and Spotify, having already fallen out of favor with many investors, could have bleak futures as stand-alone companies as costs and competition rise.
But as acquisition targets, that might be a different story. At the right valuation, Google would likely find either service attractive. While Android is the most widely used operating system in the world, in terms of having an ecosystem of products and services that can compete with Apple and drive additional revenue, Google still has a long way to go.
Yahoo would be another likely suitor. The company has a pile of cash after the Alibaba IPO but has barely grown in recent years, lagging far behind rivals Google and Facebook for online ad share. CEO Melissa Mayer is coming under intense pressure from investors, and will be looking to show she can find innovative ways to lift flat-lining growth.
Even Amazon might consider making a play. While the company seems focused on other areas, like content production, smart phones and even drone technology, it is constantly making large investments to drive future growth. At the right price, reinforcing its current online streaming capabilities could make sense.
Echoing the Rolling Stones, artists and record labels are essentially telling free, ad-supported streaming services, ‘You can’t always get what you want’ – Meaning, in this case, the days of cheap access to content could be coming to an end. By ponying up, such companies ‘might find out, you get what you need.’
Ultimately, the real trick will be changing consumer behavior. It’s going to be very difficult to convince consumers to pay more – or, in most cases, anything – for streaming services.
Changing that dynamic will drive valuations of companies like Spotify and Pandora, and likely the future of the industry. Investors should listen closely to these changing tunes.
By Ross Gerber
Ross Gerber is CEO and president of Santa Monica, Calif-based Gerber Kawasaki, an investment advisory and wealth management firm with $310 million in assets under advisement. Gerber Kawasaki clients and employees may own positions in various companies mentioned here. Please consult your advisor before making any investments.


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After a series of high profile data breaches affecting millions of consumers, executives and lawmakers are paying greater attention to data breach prevention and response standards. Criticisms of the affected companies range from insufficient security precautions, to poor disclosure and remediation.
Federal regulators and banks have argued that retailers and payments systems processors should be held to the same strict data protection and notice standards as financial institutions. Other industry observers have pointed to poor customer service by affected companies following breaches. Has your company revisited its information security programs following recent data breaches? Do you have a formal plan for responding to potential breaches, including notice and remediation?


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BRUSSELS, Feb 21 (Reuters) – Microsoft ( MSFT.O ) President Brad Smith will try to convince European Union antitrust regulators on Tuesday at a closed hearing that the U.S. software giant’s $69 billion bid for “Call of Duty” maker Activision Blizzard (ATVI). O) will increase competition.
Smith will lead a delegation of 18 senior executives, including Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer, while Activision will be represented by CEO Robert Kotick, a European Commission document seen by Reuters showed.
The hearing will allow Xbox maker Microsoft to gauge the mood among senior EU and national competition officials and European Commission lawyers before submitting legal remedies to address antitrust concerns.
“I think we want to make it clear that our acquisition of Activision Blizzard will bring more games to more people on more devices and platforms than ever before,” Smith told reporters on the way to the hearing.
See 2 more stories
Microsoft was willing to address concerns with “Call of Duty” licensing deals similar to the 10-year deal with Nintendo ( 7974.T ) and regulatory bodies, Smith added, without providing any further details.
Microsoft announced the Activision acquisition last January to take on leaders Tencent ( 0700.HK ) and Sony ( 6758.T ), but has faced regulatory headwinds in Europe, Britain and the United States.
Sony, which wants the deal blocked, sent games chief Jim Ryan.
Alphabet’s ( GOOGL.O ) Google and chip designer and computer company Nvidia Corp ( NVDA.O ), which has a gaming business, also took part in the hearing.
“The European Commission asked for our views during their investigations into this issue. We will continue to cooperate in all processes, when requested, to ensure that all views are considered,” a Google spokesperson said.
Nvidia declined to comment. The European Games Developer Federation, which has said the deal will allow Microsoft to challenge Apple ( AAPL.O ), Google and Tencent, is one of the participants.
Video game distributor Valve, video game publisher Electronic Arts ( EA.O ) and the German competition watchdog and its peers in Belgium, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Sweden will also take part in the event.
Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Chris Reese and Shounak Dasgupta
Our standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.


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Description: Japan has long accepted COVID's airborne spread, and ...Jul 13, 2020Mask-wearing and ventilation directives are helping the Japanese reopen concert halls, baseball stadiums and other venues. As of last Friday, such venues are permitted to …Uniqlo Launches Airism Face Mask in Japan Tokyo WeekenderSep 20, 2020June 17, 2020 Japan’s m ...
May 25, 2020One of Japans major airlines plans to make the wearing of face masks compulsory as the industry shifts toward operating in a new coronavirus pandemic normal. From June, All Nippon Airways Co. will japan air mask results for this questionWhat is Japanese mask culture?What is Japanese mask culture?As Nippon explains, Japans mask culture started in 1918 during a Spanish flu pandemic, which killed between 257,000 and 481,000 people in Japan. Since then, sales have increased year by year. Now, the country mask companies churn out billions and billions of masks annually. But Japans sickness mask culture goes beyond that.Let's Talk About Japan And Sickness Masks results for this questionWhat is a sickness mask in Japan?What is a sickness mask in Japan?Masks continue to evolve and be perfected in Japan. Thats why in 2015, Nikkei reported that there was a new sickness mask called the Be-Fit Mask. This is a pun, because here, be refers to the kanji character (bi), which means beauty. In Japanese, the product name is or Bi Fitto Masuku.Let's Talk About Japan And Sickness Masks
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Being Sick. This is probably the most self-explanatory reason most people can up with on their Not Wanting to Get Sick. While it is courtesy to wear a mask when youre sick, a lot of people Too Lazy for Make-up. In Japan, its pretty much common sense that youre always dressed up Fashion Item. Of course, it wouldnt be Japan if there were only plain, boring white surgical masks. Uniqlo Launches Airism Face Mask in Japan Tokyo Sep 20, 2020Japans most-anticipated face mask will hit shelves from June 19, 2020, as global apparel retailer Uniqlo announced the launch of the Airism mask at all Japan stores. The mask is designed dry quickly and stay cool just in time to help residents bear the heat of Tokyo summer.Airlines in Japan are implementing new safety rules for japan air maskMay 26, 2020The Japan Times reports that the International Air Transport Association prefers the mandatory mask policy to the empty seat approach, saying, Mask-wearing by Best Respirator Masks for Smoke and Dust for 2020 japan air maskAug 19, 2020For people looking for a comfortable, easy-to-use, disposable mask to cope with wildfire smoke or everyday air-quality concerns, we recommend
Jul 07, 2020C-mask by japanese startup donut robotics can record conversations, transcribe them into text messages via bluetooth, and translate japanese into eight languages. C-mask, a smart face mask Images of Japan Air Mask imagesPassenger refusing to wear mask kicked japan air mask - The Japan TimesSep 09, 2020Before the planes takeoff from Kushiro Airport in Hokkaido, northern Japan, at 12:30 p.m. Monday, staff members of the Japanese budget airline affiliated with Japan Airlines Collectibles for sale JAPAN AIRLINES BOEING 747-400 SKYCRUISER FLIGHT DECK AIRLINE ISSUE POSTCARD. $4.99. Almost gone. Japan AIR DO Airlines 2017 July Timetable Flight Schedule 7/1/17 NEW. $2.99. Almost gone. FDA Fuji Dream Airlines 2018 March Timetable
Jul 13, 2020Mask-wearing and ventilation directives are helping the Japanese reopen concert halls, baseball stadiums and other venues. As of last Friday, such venues are permitted to Japan's ANA leads way as masks become new normal in May 25, 2020Business Japan's ANA leads way as masks become new normal in virus-era air travel All Nippon Airways to require passengers to wear face masks inside airports and aboard aircraftMask Culture in Japan NipponFeb 11, 2016A Kobayashi Pharmaceutical survey discovered that the proportion of Japanese people who wore masks every day due to having the flu or being concerned about it
But be careful, the typical surgical masks that are commonly worn in Asia wont work as the particles are too fine. Youll have to buy special N95 masks to protect yourself. The air quality in Japan (and East Asia in general) has become quite bad compared to the rest of the world which the following map shows well (*click to enlarge image)Not Just Coronavirus Asians Have Worn Face Masks for japan air maskBut be careful, the typical surgical masks that are commonly worn in Asia wont work as the particles are too fine. Youll have to buy special N95 masks to protect yourself. The air quality in Japan (and East Asia in general) has become quite bad compared to the rest of the world which the following map shows well (*click to enlarge image)Some results are removed in response to a notice of local law requirement. For more information, please see here.
An airline in Japan on Saturday removed a male passenger who refused to wear a face mask from a domestic flight, airline officials said Monday, in the latest case in which a flight operator refused service to a passenger due to fears over the novel coronavirus.. A subsidiary of Japan Airlines Co. said it forced the passenger to disembark from the flight before it took off on Saturday afternoon japan air maskUniqlo AIRism Face Mask Review Lightweight, breathable japan air mask1 day agoThe Japan-based clothing brand launched the AIRism Face Mask in its home country earlier this year, and now it's finally available in the United States. Despite not being offered in a bunch of colors and patterns to appeal to people's fashion senses, the masks were a major hit in Japan because of their affordability and comfort.Uniqlo AIRism Face Masks Release Dates & How to BuyUniqlo's much-desired AIRism face masks released in Japan today, June 19, resulting in ticketed queues outside stores that one might usually associate with a hype sneaker release. # japan air mask
Sep 20, 2020June 17, 2020 Japans most-anticipated face mask will hit shelves from June 19, 2020, as global apparel retailer Uniqlo announced the launch of the Airism mask at all Japan stores. The mask is designed dry quickly and stay cool just in time to Unruly anti-mask passengers disrupt Japanese airlines japan air maskUnruly anti-mask passengers disrupt Japanese airlines. Voluntary measures leave carriers in bind, leading to calls to make them mandatory. As Japan started a four-day holiday weekend on Saturday japan air maskUrban Air Mask 2.0 AirinumThe Urban Air Mask 2.0 introduces a whole new level of protection, breathability, and design. By combining cutting-edge filter technology with timeless Scandinavian design, the Urban Air Mask 2.0 offers an outstanding performance and comfort to combat harmful particles in the air. Reusable, washable and available in 4
Feb 23, 2014The number of people youll see in Japan wearing surgical masks is pretty surprising. Sure, Japan is a hard working society, and the spread of productivity-sapping sickness is always a concern at schools and workplaces, but that doesnt seem like reason enough for the proliferation of facial coverings that sometimes has Tokyo offices looking more like an operating room.


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Hideo Kojima, the director and producer of Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeros, has tweeted to tell fans that he wants them to play the game on PS4.
"At the end of next month PS4, the long awaited next generation console will be released in Japan. Ground Zeroes will also be released at the end of the month after that", he said on Twitter.
"Ground Zeroes will also be launch on current generation consoles, but I want you to play on PS4 if possible."
"I was talking in an interview overseas and they told me: 'Next generation console? Here PS4 and ONE are already current generation.'"
While the game will be available on the Xbox and PlayStation, both versions will feature unique console-specific content. There is speculation that Kojima might be hinting that the PlayStation version of the title might have better exclusive content compared with the Xbox version.
Apart from this, Kojima posted a few more pictures to tease Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes on twitter. He teased Ground Zeroes Toys, Vita Remote Play and Promo Box in the tweets.
He confirmed that a port of the game will not be made for the PS Vita. However, the game will be playable on it via Remote Play.
"Quiet" by PalyArts KAI. Still in progress. pic.twitter.com/8F1wFFXsjs
— HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) January 20, 2014
The toys will come from SquareEnix's PlayArts Kai and they include Skull Head's face and hat, apart from what appears to be a wholesome figure. He even went on to share the posters and boxes that will be used to advertise Ground Zeroes.
Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeros Release Dates
The title will release on 18 March in North America, while Japan and Europe will receive it on 20 March 2014. It will be available on the PS4, PS3, Xbox One and Xbox 360.


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The Consumer Electronics Association has partnered wireless storage card maker Eye-Fi for its fourth annual digital photo contest — and will award the grand prize winner a Canon EOS Rebel T3i and an Eye-Fi wireless SD memory card.
All photo entries will be displayed at the LVH in the PMA@CES exhibits.
Entrants can submit one photo in each of four categories: people, travel, pets and cell phone shots. Contestants can enter photos here, at CE.org/BestShots.
The winner will be announced January 11, 2013, at CES.
Four top prices, one per category, include compact cameras from Nikon, Sony, Panasonic, and Fujifilm.


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A retro games console crowdfunding campaign is to lose the right to feature the brands of the original computers it is based on.
The revelation coincides with the delivery of some units of the Sinclair ZX Spectrum Vega+ to backers, albeit without most of the games originally promised to be pre-installed.
Rights-owner Sky told the BBC there had been repeated missed deadlines.
It is pulling use of the “ZX Spectrum” and “Sinclair” trademarks as a result.
The decision was taken in May.
Sky has told campaign manager Retro Computers Ltd (RCL) that a licence to use the names will therefore expire on 7 August.
“We would love to see the Vega+ consoles in the hands of fans.
“However, as RCL have repeatedly failed to deliver and breached the terms of their licence, we have made the decision to end our working relationship,” a spokesman for the broadcaster explained.
“To give as many gaming fans as possible the chance to get their Vega+ console, RCL [had] three additional months from termination to deliver the products.”
RCL declined to comment on the allegations but said deliveries had begun last week.
“We have managed to start shipping at last,” RCL’s chairman David Levy told the BBC.
“But this time we did not say exactly when this would happen, so those who have thrown various spanners in the works in the past, in order to hamper our efforts, were not able this time to prevent us from shipping.”
Software and name
Sky owns the intellectual property involved as a consequence of its purchase of Amstrad, which had earlier acquired Sinclair’s marketing and merchandising rights.
In addition to the brand names, it also owns the rights to a number of Spectrum games that it now intends to withhold.
Sky does not, however, have a connection to the emulation software, so RCL could theoretically continue to produce the handheld console under a different name.
The disclosure comes ahead of a crunch shareholders meeting scheduled for Thursday.
Two former directors of RCL – with a combined 50% stake – are seeking to displace the current management.
But to succeed they would need the support of Sinclair Research – the original ZX Spectrum inventor Sir Clive Sinclair’s company – which owns 25% of RCL.
The campaign to make the handheld console was launched in February 2016 and went on to raise more than £512,000.
Backers were originally told deliveries would be made in September of the same year and 1,000 licensed games would be included.
After several missed delivery targets, the company sent out the first units at the end of last week.
It has said it is in the process of shipping consoles to 400 of the more than 4,000 backers, who had agreed to receive units with only a small number of games. Nineteen titles appear to have been included.
To date, a handful of people have confirmed receipt of the devices, via social media posts, several of whom have complained about the quality of the console.
“The buttons are absolutely awful,” wrote David Whitchurch-Bennett.
“You have to press so hard and they intermittently stop working unless you apply so much pressure.”
Craig Wootton complained his console had arrived with “no protection, no bubble wrap, polystyrene et cetera”.
“The screen cover itself is scratched,” he added in a video posted to YouTube. “That’s pretty poor, if I’m honest.”
He also said that a lack of instructions had left him at a loss as to how to add other games.
RCL director Suzanne Martin has posted on Facebook that the machines had been deliberately “shipped in ethical packaging without any additional plastic” and that information about how to use the consoles would be made available online.
One recipient has been more positive.
Jan Saggiori has posted several messages on social media saying how much he has enjoyed playing the console.
He had earlier been blocked from making edits to a Wikipedia page dedicated to the Vega+ over claims he was affiliated with the project and therefore biased.
But he told the BBC that this was a false allegation and his involvement was limited to running an independent Facebook group dedicated to supporting the project.
“I am a backer who upset the trolls [and] have no affiliation to RCL,” he said.
“I have been personally targeted… and attacked, threatened, blackmailed for supporting the campaign.”
Indiegogo – the crowdfunding site that hosts the project – announced in June that it had appointed a debt collection agency in an attempt to recoup backers’ funds.
The BBC understands the US company is still pursuing collections despite the fact some deliveries have been made.


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Thaut Images - stock.adobe.com
The print channel has made it clear that it needs vendors to offer more financial support as the coronavirus lockdown drags on.
Quocirca has been analysing the state of the print channel and found that in the last two weeks, the number of channel businesses that would like financial support from vendors has jumped from 39% to 61%.
There is also an increasing desire for personalised guidance from vendors as resellers deal with an evolving situation where one size has no chance of fitting all.
“It is clear that, as time is passing, the scale of the pandemic’s effect on business is intensifying,” said Louella Fernandes, director at Quocirca. “We are seeing positive signs that channel partners are prepared to adapt their strategies and innovate to try to mitigate the effects of the situation, but also that they need help from vendors to do this.”
The coronavirus is forcing more of the channel to look at changing their operating models going forward, with some of the lockdown responses set to become permanent, increasing the need for more digital workflow solutions.
One respondent told Quocirca that the traditional sales approaches had come under severe pressure: “Print is no longer relevant to businesses. The crisis has accelerated the exit from hybrid document process to digital workflows.”
With Barclays CEO Jes Staley making the headlines by suggesting that the days when thousands of staff sat in offices in places like Canary Wharf might be over permanently, there is clearly a need to shift the traditional print fleet sales approach to encompass such significant changes.
“There will be a long-term adjustment in how we think about our location strategy ... the notion of putting 7,000 people in a building may be a thing of the past,” said Staley.
His comments, made during the bank’s first-quarter numbers announcement, will cause many other CEOs to pause and think about their future strategies.
The channel has evolved before and many have signalled that they are already introducing fresh products and services to meet changing customer demands. The current crisis has also thrown up the chance for many (77%) to drive innovation in their business, according to the research.
The number one service being rolled out and developed is support for remote/homeworking printing, followed by cloud printing services.
When Quocirca asked respondents how they felt about the future outlook, OEMs were the most positive, with half expecting to be back to normal in six months. ISVs and resellers were less upbeat, with 37% of the former expecting it to take more than a year to return to pre-pandemic levels.
“OEMs have known for a long time that change is coming, even if the catalyst has been unexpected,” said Fernandes. “They are perhaps therefore better positioned to transition to a new normal and certainly most have the immediate financial resources to be insulated to some degree.
“Channel partners and ISVs are more exposed, and this is why they are looking to suppliers for assistance. We have seen some vendors detailing support plans, but channel partners will be looking for more to lend their support before the worst is past.”
Most of the large hardware vendors have indicated that they will be increasingly flexible with partners and offer extended payment terms, easier access to MDF, and those with finance operations have pointed resellers and customers in the direction of the 0% finance offers and other programmes being run by those arms of the business.


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WATERTOWN, N.Y. (WWTI) — Several Price Chopper/Market 32 locations have been temporarily closed, according to a press release.
Price Chopper/Market 32 representatives confirmed that seven North Country stores closed at 10 a.m. on Saturday, December 24 due to local weather and travel conditions.
This affects stores in the following locations:
- Alexandria Bay
- West Carthage
These stores are set to reopen at 6 a.m. on Monday, December 26, which is their normal opening times.


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Raymond Boyd | Getty Images
2017 Chrysler Pacifica BraunAbility is on display at the 109th Annual Chicago Auto Show at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois on February 9, 2017.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles said on Friday it was recalling more than 162,000 2017 Chrysler Pacifica minivans because a software glitch may cause the vehicles to stall.
The Italian-American automaker said one accident had potentially been linked to the defect. Under a rare set of conditions, a vehicle’s engine control module may incorrectly assess the engine’s operating status and cause it to stall, Fiat Chrysler said.
Source : CNBC


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Neverending Nightmares is a horror game dealing with mental health issues that’s out this week for PlayStation platforms.
Apotheon is a side-scrolling platformer set in ancient Greek mythology for the PlayStation 4 and PC.
PlayStation Plus subscribers get a new catalog of free games on Feb. 3.
The Sony streaming service of PlayStation 3 games will launch a subscription-based pricing model this month.
First revealed back on Feb. 20, Sony’s fourth home console released last week for $399.99, $100 less than Microsoft’s Xbox One. After months of anticipation, next-gen…
One of the toughest Sega Genesis games is on sale this week for PlayStation Plus subscribers.
The Simpsons Arcade Game Coming to Consoles, Free in February for PlayStation Plus Subscribers [Updated]
No longer will you have to spend an endless amount of quarters to finish a classic beat-’em-up from the ’90s.
An upgrade heads to Playstation 3’s online service.


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Avon will pay $135 million to settle charges after its China unit pleaded guilty to violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act with bribes.» Read More
As promised, here's the transcript of my interview with Chris Holling of Global Insight. He's the Economist who authored the Wal-Mart savings study that I blogged about yesterday. Here's the explanation of how he came up with the math behind the "Wal-Mart Effect."
Halloween holiday consumers plan on spending more this year than last for getting their trick or treat on.
U.S. sales of video game hardware and software jumped 75 percent in September, driven by Microsoft's "Halo 3" and Nintendo's Wii console.
Wal-Mart announced today that it is rolling out a second round of pre-holiday price cuts this time on an additional 15,000 items. The cuts are 20% more than last year, according to Wal-Mart public relations.
This Saturday, Notre Dame plays USC. It's not the ideal matchup it has been in the past. But that doesn't mean it isn't a hot ticket. Consider some of these numbers: StubHub is telling me that the average price of a ticket sold on their Web site for this weekend's game is $438.
Nike, the world's largest athletic shoe and clothes maker, would see revenue growth in China increase at 50 percent per year and sales reach $1 billion within a year, CEO Mark Parker said on Thursday.
British retail sales rose much more than expected in September at their sharpest annual rate in three years, official figures showed on Thursday.
With the Cleveland Cavaliers playing the Orlando Magic in China, I decided it would be good to run our story on the marketing of LeBron James on CNBC today. I sat down with him last week to discuss his endorsement roster and other things, including his relationship with Warren Buffett.
Europe's major stock indexes closed higher Wednesday, following a mixed morning, as a strong set of earnings from the likes of Coca-Cola and JPMorgan boosted investor confidence.
Gatorade, which is owned by Pepsi, confirmed today that it signed a licensing deal with Tiger Woods. Last month, Golfweek Magazine reported that it was a five-year deal and that it could be worth up to $100 mill
Can something overpriced, lowfat and "healthy" sell as well as something overpriced, addictive and caffeinated? Probably not. Replicating the success of Starbucks seems next to impossible. But Howard Schultz the chairman of Starbucks and partner Dan Levitan are betting $27.5 million that they can use their knowledge...
Well, it's about time. That might be the familiar refrain coming from Apple investors as well as the Mac faithful who had to give up Leopard's place in the development line in favor of the company's new favorite flavor, the iPhone.
Carrefour, the world's second largest retailer, reported a slightly below-forecast 5.8 percent rise in third-quarter sales on Tuesday, with revenue growth in the international business offsetting lower revenue in its French home market.
The National Retail Federation says its survey has found that 40 percent of shoppers will begin their holiday shopping before Halloween. That's despite the fact that the day after Thanksgiving is typically seen as the official beginning of the holiday shopping season.
Standing here at the Port of Wilmington in Delaware, I was surprised to see the number of Dole and Chiquita logo'd trucks driving cargo to the port. Who knew that P of W is the #1 banana port and Chilean grape import/export port in the U.S.?!
Diageo, the world's biggest alcoholic drinks group, said on Tuesday sales growth slowed in its first quarter, but it maintained its full-year target for underlying operating profit to rise by 9 percent.
Stocks are sending a mixed message this morning as oil cranks to a new high and earnings season gets underway. European stocks are mixed to firmer, and Asian markets were higher though Tokyo had a flat session.
It’s going to be a joyful—and profitable—holiday season for retailers, according to the latest CNBC Wealth in America survey. Americans plan to spend an average $839 during the holiday season, up 17.6% from last year.
Hennes & Mauritz beat expectations with a 25% year-on-year rise in September sales, its second-strongest figure in five years, signaling a buoyant reception for its winter fashions and online shops.
Forget the credit crunch, housing recession and fears of slower economic growth. Americans plan to open their wallets during the holidays this year, though maybe not on those cheap Chinese toys. Spending is expected to jump 17% from last year, to an average of $839.


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Washington, D.C. – Smart has delivered its first Smart Fortwo Electric Drive to a retail customer in the United States. The first owner is Mindy Kimball of Silver Spring, Maryland.
“This is a groundbreaking day for Smart in the United States,” said Jill Lajdziak, president of Smart USA. “We are extremely excited to add the Smart Fortwo Electric Drive to the Smart product lineup, solidifying our position as a key player in transportation electrification.”
Kimball, a major in the U.S. Army, has been a volunteer presenter with the Climate Project since 2007, educating the public about the science of climate change. She is also an active member of the Electric Vehicle Association of Washington, D.C. and will display the car in the association’s booth at the 2011 Washington Auto Show.
The Smart Fortwo Electric Drive is powered by a 30 kW magneto-electric motor and 16.5 kW lithium ion battery, and can travel up to 98 miles (157 km) on a single charge according to the U.S. EPA LA4 test cycle.
This year, Smart will place 250 cars across the United States with companies, municipalities, organizations and individuals interested in conservation and environmental awareness. Series production on next-generation vehicles for retail sale through the U.S. network is expected in 2012; those with the 250 cars will have the first opportunity to move into these vehicles.


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A recall notice has been issued by a grower in Iowa for tomatoes distributed in stores in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. The grower says the one pint containers of Menno Beachy Certified Organic Grape Tomatoes, dated between July 26 and Aug. 6, should be discarded or returned to stores. No sicknesses have been reported.
Election candidate allegedly punched during bar chat about politics
The Republican is running for the Minnesota House.


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The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has expressed its commitment to enhancing the livelihoods of cocoa producers by ensuring an improvement in the producer price.
This statement was made by the Chief Executive Officer of COCOBOD, Joseph Aidoo, during a stakeholder workshop focused on the feasibility study of an African Cocoa Exchange.
COCOBOD has identified the lack of price determination in cocoa production as the root cause of low price adjustments in the sector.
According to him, the establishment of an international cocoa market in Africa through the African Cocoa Exchange will help give producing countries the leverage to determine the prices of cocoa and improve various value chains in the cocoa sector.
He added that it will give African countries confidence in international markets.
“Even though Africa produces around 75% of global cocoa crops, we do not have a say when it comes to price determinations. Rather, the consumers or the importers are the ones who decide what price to give. This is because the market is not here in the producing environment, but rather in the consuming environment. So we brought this to the attention of the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO).
“We started together and indicated that the narrative had to change to ensure that we had an international market based in Africa. They bought into this idea, which led to the commissioning of a study into it. So we are here today and tomorrow to interrogate the findings to see the feasibility of establishing an African Cocoa Exchange based in Africa. This will help boost confidence in the international markets and can also improve the cocoa price regime and improve the cocoa value chain.” Mr. Aidoo said.
The establishment of the African Cocoa Exchange will be hosted by Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, or Cameroon.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong, has pledged the government’s unwavering support to ensure the success of the establishment of the African Cocoa Exchange.
“We are on a trajectory of a modern, prosperous, and private sector-driven economy. We believe that poor farmers cannot continue to feed the rich, and therefore we have to change the trajectory of agriculture. We want to build a cocoa industry and a productive cocoa value chain that would deliver prosperity to producers, communities, aggregators, processors, and all in the value chain.
“On behalf of the Government of Ghana, I wish to pledge the full support of Ghana to this process. I can assure all stakeholders of the Government’s readiness to commit the Ghana Cocoa Board and the Ghana Commodity Exchange to this process, and we will continue to support the ICCO on all matters of mutual interest.”


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The massive data breach at Target over the holiday season is potentially much worse than the retailer first reported — as many as 110 million people may have had their identity and financial information compromised, the retailer says.
It remains unclear just how many individuals are affected and how. The company's ongoing investigation found that up to 70 million people had personal information stolen in the breach; in December, Target disclosed that 40 million accounts had been hacked.
The amount of overlap between the two figures — 70 million and 40 million — is uncertain. Target averages 30 million customers a week.
The retailer said Friday that "the stolen information includes names, mailing addresses, phone numbers or e-mail addresses for up to 70 million individuals."
"I know that it is frustrating for our guests to learn that this information was taken, and we are truly sorry they are having to endure this," Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel said in a press release.
Target previously said that data thieves stole encrypted PIN data, customer names, credit and debit card numbers, card expiration dates and the embedded code on the magnetic strip on the back of cards used at Target between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15. The breach occurred after cybercriminals forced their way into Target's data system.
There may be overlap in customers who had both personal identification information stolen as well as credit and debit card data, but Target doesn't know to what extent, says spokeswoman Molly Snyder.
News of the additional stolen data brings the total number of potential customers affected up to 110 million. It also may increase the threat of identity theft, says Greg McBride, senior financial analyst at Bankrate.com.
"For somebody to actually go out and open credit in your name, it's pretty tough to do if they don't have your Social (Security number)," he says. "But if they have your Social and have all this other stuff too, it compounds the problem."
Customers involved are also at greater risk of being targeted by e-mail scams, he says.
To give "peace of mind," the Minneapolis-based retailer will offer free credit monitoring and identity theft protection to all its customers, with an opportunity to enroll over the next three months.
Target shares ended Friday down 1.14% to $62.62.
For Target customers who had their information stolen, the incident has meant hours spent speaking with banking customer service representatives, having to close accounts, be issued new credit and debit cards — and updating online accounts with the new information — and file identity theft reports.
Karen Raper, 46, from Lula, Ga., spent two hours talking to her bank on Christmas Eve after it notified her of suspicious activity showing up on her account from Ohio. Raper had shopped at Target on Black Friday, buying a camera for her daughter. Fifth Third Bank closed her account, will refund her the $300 that was charged and issue her a new card. But Raper says she's reluctant to head back to Target.
Kim Thompson, 39, says the situation makes her "angry, frustrated and concerned." Thompson, from Memphis, used her debit card to purchase groceries at Target at the beginning of December. She says she'll continue to shop there because it's convenient, but that she'll only use cash.
"This is a lesson to just sort of all of us to be constantly monitoring your accounts for unauthorized transactions," McBride says. "Because you have no liability as long as you report that to your financial institution."
Others are put off by a seeming lack of communication from Target. Those interviewed by USA TODAY say the first time they heard their information was compromised was, in most cases, from their bank, not the retailer.
"If Target does anything, it just seems like I have to either look it up or hear about it secondhand," says Jackie Chavez, 40.
Chavez, from El Paso, shopped at Target on Black Friday and found out after Christmas from her bank that there was suspicious activity on her account.
Target e-mailed customers it thought were affected, and for whom it had e-mail addresses, in the days after the breach was first announced Dec. 19. Snyder says that amounted to "millions of e-mails." It will do the same for the additional customers it's now found to be involved. The company also created a dedicated page on its website for the data breach, including resources about identity theft and credit reports.
The most recent announcement about the breach comes amid news of an unsuccessful holiday season for retailers and follows other disappointments at Target. Target lowered its fourth-quarter guidance Friday, expecting a comparable store sales decline of 2.5%. It previously said sales would be flat.
Target also revealed at the end of December that some gift cards sold during the holidays weren't fully activated, but that it would still honor the faulty cards.
The retailer will close eight stores in May. The stores are in West Dundee, Ill.; Las Vegas; North Las Vegas; Duluth, Ga.; Memphis; Orange Park, Fla.; Middletown, Ohio; and Trotwood, Ohio.
Contributing: Kevin McCoy
Target's new information:
As part of Target's ongoing forensic investigation, it has been determined that certain guest information -- separate from the payment card data previously disclosed -- was taken from Target. This theft is not a new breach, but was uncovered as part of the ongoing investigation. At this time, the investigation has determined that the stolen information includes names, mailing addresses, phone numbers or email addresses for up to 70 million individuals.
Much of this data is partial in nature, but in cases where Target has an email address, we will attempt to contact affected guests. This communication will be informational, including tips to guard against consumer scams. Target will not ask those guests to provide any personal information as part of that communication. In addition, guests can find the tips at Target.com/databreach, along with updated information in the Data Breach FAQs to help answer questions and provide additional resources.
Guests will have zero liability for the cost of any fraudulent charges arising from the breach. To provide further peace of mind, Target is offering one year of free credit monitoring and identity theft protection to all Target guests who shopped our U.S stores. Guests will have three months to enroll in the program. Additional details will be shared next week.
We remain focused on addressing our guests' and team members' questions and concerns about the data breach. Please continue to check the Data Breach Issues Hub for updates as additional information becomes available.


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The Golden Arches are going for the gold with McDonald's new fruit smoothies, which the company will serve in its Olympic restaurants in Canada at the Winter Games.
The fast-food giant unveiled its Strawberry Banana and Wild Berry Real Fruit Smoothies on Thursday at the Olympic media center in Vancouver, Nations Restaurant News reported.
McDonald's executives showed off the new line of beverages with gold medalists Cassie Campbell, a Canadian hockey player; Shawn Johnson, an American gymnast; Picabo Street, a skier for the U.S.; and German ice skater Katarina Witt.
The two flavors of smoothies will be offered in McDonald's three Olympic restaurants in Vancouver and Whistler, British Columbia, during the Winter Games' run for the next two weeks.
The company plans to have the icy beverages on the menu in McDonald's locations in the U.S. by summertime as part of its McCafe menu -- which includes a variety of coffee drinks.
The smoothies' debut came as part of the company's launch of activities around the world for the 2010 Olympics. McDonald's has been an official sponsor of the Games since 1976.
The three McDonald's Olympic locations – at the Main Media Center in Vancouver and the Olympic Villages in Vancouver and Whistler -- will be open 24 hours a day and feed an estimated 3,000 members of the press and 10,000 athletes, coaches and officials, according to NRN.
Opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics will be held Friday night in Vancouver and air on NBC.


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Apple’s chief executive, Tim Cook, collected a large share bonus that was related to the iPhone maker’s stock market performance and later he was paid $102m (£76m) this year.
The total payment for 2017 for Cook was $102 million which comprised of collection of share awards that was worth a total of $89 million and a cash bonus of $9.3 million aside a basic salary of $3.06 million. Last year, he was paid a cash bonus of $5.4 million. These figures were disclosed by Apple in a regulatory filing.
Cook was paid a bonus of 560,000 shares by the company in September. During the last three years, the shareholder returns generated by the company was ranked in the top third of the Standard & Poor’s 500 index and this is the reason, officially, that half of the rewards were given to Cook. The other 280,000 shares were given to him because he simply chose to remain with the company and his current job.
Since 2011, when Cook was first made the chief executive of Apple, there has been a six folds increase in the value of the stocks of the company and therefore the package of stocks given to Cook is valued much more than the original $376 million – which was the value in 2011.
Until the year of 2020, 560,000 shares of stock would be awarded to Cook annually if he simply chooses to remain as the boss at Apple. According to the terms of his contract, under the final payment clause, a total of 1.26 million shares of the company would be given to him in August of 2021.
It is required that Cook always travels by private aircraft “for all business and personal travel” for security reasons, according to the filing by Apple. $93,000 was the cost to the company for the use of a private jet by Cook for his holidays, the filings revealed. And $224,000 was the total cost for the personal security detail of the Apple CEO.
Cook’s basic $3m salary was increased to $3,057,692 “because 2017 was a 53-week fiscal year, the 2017 salary amounts reflect an extra week of pay” and he was awarded an additional $104,000 in lieu of “vacation cash out”. According to the US Census, the median US annual household income at $56,516 was slightly lower than that extra week’s pay for Cook.
About $24.2 million each was paid to the top five assistants of Cook. The break up included a basic pay of just over $1million, cash bonuses of $3.1 million and $20 million in share awards. The receivers of this amount were Luca Maestri, chief financial officer; Angela Ahrendts, head of retail; Johny Srouji, head of hardware technology; Dan Riccio, head of hardware engineering; and Bruce Sewell, the outgoing general counsel.
The filing did not include the remuneration awarded to Jony Ive, the company’s British chief design officer.
(Adapted from Theguardian.com)


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Operatives of the Lagos Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested 60 suspected internet fraudsters during an awards ceremony at the Conference Hotel in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
According to the EFCC, the event tagged “Peer Youths Awards”, investigation revealed, was organised to reward high-level internet fraudsters.
Items recovered from the suspects at the point of arrest include exotic cars, electronic devices, laptop computers and mobile phones.
A terse statement posted on the anti-graft agency’s verified Facebook page on Monday evening added that “the suspects will soon be charged to court.”
via: Information Nigeria


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Supermarket giant says it will start work on eliminating hazardous chemicals from the supply chain of its clothing line F&F
Tesco has promised to eliminate hazardous chemicals from its clothing supply chain, in a major coup for environmental campaigners Greenpeace. The supermarket giant has today formally joined Greenpeace's...
Tech giant quadruples number of locations for US customers to hand in old iPhones as part of recycling and reuse drive
GreenBiz releases its latest update on soaring renewables demand from US corporates
Record amount of future new wind capacity will be financed from last year's investment, according to WindEurope
Nation known for its natural beauty is under pressure with extinctions, polluted rivers and blighted lakes


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Chinese ridesharing giant Didi targets over $ 60 billion valuation for NYSE debut
June 24 (Reuters) – China’s largest rideshare company Didi Global Inc is targeting a valuation of more than $ 60 billion when it debuts on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), preparing it for what will likely be the biggest US initial public offering (IPO) this year.
But the terms of the deal suggest a conservative approach for Didi who, according to sources, previously envisioned a valuation of at least $ 100 billion. Its valuation has exceeded $ 60 billion per year after it was raised in 2017, sources said. Read more
Didi has set a price range of between $ 13 and $ 14 per American Depositary Share (ADS) and said it will offer 288 million of those shares in its NYSE IPO. At the high end, Didi hopes to raise just over $ 4 billion.
Four ADS represent one Class A common stock, Didi said Thursday in a regulatory filing filed under its official name Xiaoju Kuaizhi Inc.
The IPO will be one of the biggest sales of U.S. stocks by a Chinese company since Alibaba raised $ 25 billion in 2014.
The New York listing plan comes amid a sweeping regulatory crackdown on China’s largest technology “platform” companies, including Alibaba and Tencent.
Earlier this month, Reuters reported that China’s market regulator launched an antitrust investigation into Didi. Read more
The company is backed by the largest technology investment firms in Asia, including SoftBank Group Corp (9984.T), Alibaba Group Holdings (9988.HK) and Tencent Holdings (0700.HK).
Prior to moving to New York, Didi saw Hong Kong as a potential location for a multibillion-dollar IPO in 2021.
Outside of China, Didi, the world’s largest mobility technology platform, operates in 15 countries and has more than 493 million annual active users worldwide.
Didi CEO Cheng Wei said last year that the company aims to have 800 million monthly active users globally and complete 100 million orders per day by 2022, including orders from carpooling, bicycles and food delivery.
Its core business is a mobile app used to hail taxis, private cars, ridesharing options, and even buses in some cities.
It became the first online ridesharing company in China after market share battles with Alibaba-backed Kuaidi and the Chinese unit of Silicon Valley-based Uber, both of which merged with Didi when the investors sought to take advantage of losing companies.
In 2016, Uber sold its business to Didi for a 17.5% stake in the Chinese company, which also invested $ 1 billion in Uber. The US company now owns 12.8% of Didi, according to documents filed during the IPO.
In addition to carpooling, Didi carries out various activities around mobility, in particular electric vehicle charging networks, fleet management, car manufacturing and autonomous driving.
Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and JP Morgan are the main underwriters of Didi’s NYSE float. He added more than a dozen new ones on Thursday, including BofA Securities, Barclays, China Renaissance, Citigroup, HSBC and UBS Investment Bank.
Report by Niket Nishant in Bangalore; Editing by Vinay Dwivedi
Our Standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.


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I love the craft beer community – especially here in the Northwest. It goes well beyond just beer. Sure, different breweries are in competition with each other to make the best beers and to sell the most beers, but I’ve always felt that, for the most part, there’s a real feeling of kinship between many local brewers and breweries. They don’t just provide a faceless product. They become part of the greater community and, as such, care about that community.
That’s why you’re constantly seeing local craft breweries hosting events that are geared towards helping out local charities and non profits. They want to give something back to the community that’s given to them. Also, let’s face it, as a craft beer consumer it feels good to know you’re helping out by really doing nothing more than enjoying the craft beers you love. What could be better?
In today’s America, it seems virtually impossible to escape the topic of politics. Everything seems so politically charged these days, especially with the circus going on in Washington D.C. So why fight it? Instead how about naming a beer after it?
This past Friday, Counterbalance Brewing Company (CBM Sponsor) released Executive (Dis)order Belgian Golden Strong Ale. This beer does a lot more than just poke fun at politics though, a portion of the proceeds from all taproom sales of Executive (Dis)order will be donated to Legal Voice and their Beer Trumps Hate campaign. They’ve even setup a few events where you can buy a pint to help out – details below.
What could be better than enjoying some delicious craft beers and tasty food from some of Seattle’s favorite breweries, food trucks and restaurants on a crisp, Fall evening in October? I know, enjoying those tasty beers and delicious food all while helping raise money to help sick children’s dreams come true.
Make-A-Wish Alaska and Washington is in the business of making children smile. They do whatever they can to grant as many wishes as possible to local children with life-threatening medical conditions and now, they’ve teamed up with several local businesses to bring you an event filled with beer, cider and food samplings from some of Seattle’s favorite breweries, food trucks and restaurants.
One of the things that many people enjoy about the local craft beer scene is that the majority of craft breweries and craft beer bars (at least those that don’t serve their own food) are dog-friendly. That means we’re free to bring our well-behaved, furry, four-legged family members along with us when we visit many of our favorite craft beer spots.
Sadly, there are still too many dogs out there who are in desperate need of help, and that’s where rescue organizations like Rez Dog Rescue come in. With a focus on the Yakama Nation Indian Reservation and Yakima County in-general, Rez Dog Rescue does all they can to help abused, injured and unwanted dogs and cats and help them find their furever homes. To help them in their mission, The Brewmaster’s Taproom in Renton is hosting a BBQ fundraiser during Seattle Beer Week, with 100% of the proceeds going to benefit Rez Dog Rescue.


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The 2008 New Mexico Official First Day Coin Cover will go on sale at the US Mint tomorrow May 8, 2008 at 12:00 Noon ET. The product page is already available here.
The cover will include two 2008 New Mexico State Quarters, one each from the Philadelphia and Denver Mints, along with a 41 cent American Flag postage stamp. The cover will have a postmark of April 8, 2008 from Zia Pueblo, NM.
The covers are priced at $14.95 and production is limited to 35,000.
This marks the 47th State in the State Quarter First Day Coin Cover Series.


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Walmart-owned Jet is offering 5% JetCash back on orders placed between Sept. 18 and Oct. 29, adding up to no more than $50, the e-commerce retailer told Retail Dive in an email.
The JetCash earned from those purchases can be redeemed on Nov. 13 at midnight, according to a company press release. Each JetCash dollar accrues a dollar off a Jet purchase on that day, the company said.
Meanwhile, J.C. Penney announced on Monday that it will hire some 40,000 seasonal workers this year, about the same as last year, when the department store was among retailers hiring the most temporary workers at the holidays, the company said in a blog post.
With retailers announcing their holiday hiring schemes left and right, and holiday hiring expected to increase this year, J.C. Penney falls somewhere in the middle of the moves made by other major retailers. Target, for one, plans to increase seasonal hiring by 40% and Toys R Us has plans to hire despite its bankruptcy filing. Meanwhile, Macy's seasonal hiring will decline 4% and Walmart isn't planning on hiring at all. But it seems like Walmart has more up its sleeve with the revitalization of JetCash.
In Jet's short life as a standalone startup, Jet aimed to disrupt modern retail’s great disruptor, Amazon, by offering lower prices that took into account factors like basket size, shipping options and merchandise proximity to buyers. Now, as a unit of Walmart, along with a series of e-commerce brands acquired since then, the company is helping to accelerate the retail giant’s e-commerce numbers.
That being said, JetCash appeared to be shuttered in May, when Walmart pulled the plug on the Jet Anywhere customer rewards program, but the big box retailer now seems to be reviving it, at least for the holidays. The 600-plus participating Jet Anywhere affiliates included Lands’ End, Bloomingdale’s, Wine.com and Saks Fifth Avenue.
JetCash before Walmart was unwieldy and far from ideal for any e-commerce site, because it entailed leaving Jet's platform to shop elsewhere, a Jet spokesperson told Retail Dive earlier this year. Or it simply may have been too unprofitable for Jet to continue. Profitability wasn’t even on the horizon for Jet when it was scooped up by Walmart last year. Certainly Jet Anywhere’s stated mission — bolstering Jet’s assortment — has no longer been needed now that it's a Walmart joint.
Generally speaking, Jet maintains Walmart’s commitment to low prices while also attempting to appeal to a different customer — more urban, wealthier, younger — than Walmart itself does. Under Jet Anywhere, shoppers were able to leave Jet's site to shop on Jet Anywhere-affiliated sites, then email receipts of their purchases to Jet to collect a percentage of what they spent as JetCash earmarked toward future Jet orders.
The holiday JetCash offer is more straight-forward, aimed at simply driving holiday shoppers to the site. "Beyond offering consumers access to a great assortment of brands and products this holiday season, we also wanted to add value to their various ‘Holiday Moments’ throughout the Fall by giving them (Jet) cash towards essential items and gifts," Jet president Liza Landsman said in a statement. "This effort rewards our loyal customers with some cash towards their holiday shopping and also attracts new shoppers to check out Jet.com, letting them decide how and what to use their credit towards."


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Sign up to receive casino news, our latest exclusive bonuses and info about new casinos and slots.
Cracking into the European online gaming market is quite a daunting challenge for any online casino software developer. It is just as well then that Topgame has chosen to focus on the North American gaming market, by accepting US-based players to their casinos.
Topgame was founded in 2007, and they began by launching branded casinos flying their flag and using their software. That gave them a great start in the industry. Many of their slot machines games contain quality 3D graphics, as well as audio and music. By and large, Topgame has mostly produced slots, although one or two blackjack, roulette, video poker and keno games have also been added to their ranks.
One black mark on their record is that their casinos tend to treat withdrawal requests rather slowly. This has been noted in several of their casinos. If this issue is cleared up in the future, then Topgame could very well become a top casino games developer.


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KSA’s Foodics Raises $170 Million to Expand F&B POS Internationally
The second-largest ever investment in a MENA startup puts Foodics on the cusp of global expansion, and it will also now look at developing fintech solutions.
Having entered 2022 as one of the most funded startups in the MENAP region, KSA-born Foodics has announced the raise of a remarkable Series C round worth $170 million. Led by the Netherlands' Prosus Ventures and Saudi-based Sanabel Ventures, the round also included participation from Sequoia Capital India, as well as existing investors including another Saudi-based VC, STV, and the US-based Endeavour Catalyst.
Almost nine years after it was founded by Ahmad Alzaini and Mosab Al-Othmani, Foodics sits on the cusp of global expansion plans that has thus far seen the startup set-up shop in UAE, Jordan and, most recently, Egypt. Its mission? To become a one-stop-shop for the F&B industry’s management and operations through a cloud-based POS software that offers restaurants a host of end-to-end solutions, ranging from POS and inventory management, to table management and digital menus, as it looks to leverage tech for a regional food market expected to surpass $1 trillion by 2030.
The fact that this mega-round represents the second-highest investment in the region also speaks of the increasing demand in the MENA food market, as does the region’s highest funding round: 2020’s Series C by Kitopi, the UAE-based cloud kitchen pioneer, Kitopi. For funding in KSA startups, it’s been a fruitful start to the year, with investments witnessing a QoQ growth of 212%. $256 million has been invested in Q1’22, marking the highest total sum of investments ever raised by KSA startups in one quarter.
As it stands, Foodics has been embraced by over 12,000 restaurants across 24 cities, and has processed more than $2 billion worth of in-store transactions, numbers that are just as indicative of Foodics remarkable success as the investments it has raised.
“Foodics has come a long way since our early days and we are proud to have been able to secure capital from premium international tech investors to further power our journey,” said Ahmad Al-Zaini, who also serves as CEO. “This latest investment will enable us to accelerate the development of our end-to-end tech stack ecosystem to better support the F&B entrepreneurs and owners who make up the majority of our client community.”
This enthusiasm is shared by its investors, with a statement by Sanabil Investments affirming Foodics’ potential to be an international player, hailing it for its “unparalleled brand recognition in the regional F&B market.” Meanwhile, Fahd Beg, COO at Prosus Ventures, echoed these thoughts, stating that Foodics growth potential sits on the foundation of strong product vision, technical excellence and brand recognition.
For Foodics, expansion plans go further than simply setting up shop in new territories. According to Al-Zaini and co., part of this round will support its marketing and acquisition strategy as it looks to increase market penetration as it did in Joran with the acquisition of POSRocket. Interestingly, the investment will also be channelled into launching and scaling several fintech products that would cover micro-lending and supply chain management, as it looks to expand into non-food micro-retail outlets as a new sector.


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Fuel expenses account for a significant share of fleet costs, but trucking lines
don’t always know where to look for cost-saving opportunities.
Edmond, Okla.-based GPS tracking system maker US Fleet Tracking has
some ideas on that. It contends that lax driver practices are a prime cause
of wasted fuel and that companies can identify and address the troublespots
through the use of GPS tracking devices.
To illustrate how GPS monitoring can help, US Fleet Tracking offers the
following tips for cutting fuel consumption through the use of GPS tracking:
First, take advantage of the GPS device’s route planning feature. Though it
may be unintentional, drivers often fail to take the shortest route. Maybe the
long way around is the only route they know, or perhaps they’re relying on
outdated phone apps or navigation devices and end up getting lost and wasting
mileage in the process. The fix? By tapping into the route planning feature of
a GPS device, a dispatcher can determine the shortest and quickest routes and
give drivers turn-by-turn directions to pickup and delivery sites.
Second, keep an eye on idling times. When temperatures drop, drivers may
keep the engine running longer than necessary in an attempt to warm up the
cab. But every second of idling adds up, wasting fuel and degrading the engine,
the company says. GPS tracking reports and alerts can help managers curb this
Third, watch that speedometer. While it may be common practice to cruise
at five to 10 mph over the speed limit, speeding burns extra fuel and stresses
the engine. With GPS tracking, dispatchers can record data, generate reports,
and even send drivers “slow down” alerts via e-mail or text message.
Three ways to cut fuel use
Just in time for the holiday season,
an industry veteran has introduced
two must-have items for material
handling aficionados everywhere:
a 26-page “Frankie Forklift and
Friends” coloring book and a soft
Frankie Forklift plush toy.
The new items are tied to the
“Frankie Forklift and Friends” children’s book series, which features a
group of characters named Frankie
Forklift, Tony Towmotor, Petee
Pallet, and Sally Shrinkwrapper.
The series is the brainchild of longtime logistics pro Frank Clark, vice
president of forklift dealer The Lilly
Co., who created the books as a way
to teach lessons like “learn from
your mistakes” and “slow down
and do things right the first time.”
The coloring book introduces 18
new characters inspired by material
handling equipment, like Dudley
Dump Hopper and Clarence
Clamp Truck. And the founder
says there’s more to come: “We
will continue to bring you books
in the series as well as other platforms (coloring books, plush toys,
sticker books, and so much more)
to inspire kids to learn about the
world around them while making
it fun to be part of the huge warehouse we all live in,” Clark said in
a release. “For those of you in the
industry, Frankie Forklift says ‘See
you in the warehouse.’”
Frankie Forklift returns
As a way to trim fuel costs, trucking companies routinely
invest in specialized fairings, skirts, and gap reducers to
improve aerodynamics. These items can boost fuel efficiency
by 5 to 9 percent, saving thousands of dollars per year.
What they might not realize is that even the smallest
details—like the trailer’s mudflaps—can make a difference
as well. One example is the “Eco Flaps” splashguard, a new
type of aerodynamic mudflap that’s included in the latest
version of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s
(EPA) “Smart Way Verified List of Aerodynamic Devices.”
The new flaps look nothing like the thick rubber mats that
have hung off the back wheels of 18-wheelers for decades,
bearing the image of a pistol-brandishing Yosemite Sam or
a cartoonish female silhouette.
Rather, the new generation of splashguards, which were
designed by Brentwood, Tenn.-based Eco Flaps, are sleek slitted screens made
of injection-molded nylon. The gaps allow wind and water to pass through the
mudguard before being diverted to the pavement on the other side.
Their aerodynamic design qualifies the flaps for the EPA’s 1-percent fuel savings category, although the manufacturer says the splashguards can improve
miles per gallon by 3.5 percent, saving approximately 700 gallons of the 20,000
gallons a truck will use annually.
So long, Yosemite Sam


text:
Hundreds of dairy heifers are being imported from Europe by milk producers hunting for affordable replacements. But the flood of cattle shows no sign of undermining consistently strong cattle values, say traders.
The combination of expanding herds seeking extra cows, the constant stream of animals needed to replace TB losses, and the legacy of beef bulls in dairy herds mean farmers are seeking European dairy heifers, often significantly cheaper than at UK sales.
In some cases, heifers shipped from France, Germany and Holland might cost producers €1300 a head, compared with £1500-£1800 needed to secure a first rate, commercial freshly calved heifer at the ringside.
A pound Sterling is worth $1.65. Those are pretty pricey dairy animals.
While there is talk of the dairy demand falling globally, the U.S. is much worse off than the rest of the world.


text:
AMHERST, N.Y. (WIVB) – Home décor shoppers have a new option in Amherst: At Home, which brands itself as The Home Décor Superstore, is opening at 3151 Sheridan Drive next to Whole Foods.
The store’s grand opening is scheduled for Saturday, July 2. It had a soft open last week.
“At Home is a unique home décor concept that offers the biggest in-store selection of home décor styles at an incredible value,” the company said in a press release. “At Home sells up to 45,000 home décor items for every room, every style and every budget — from furniture, rugs, wall art and housewares to tabletop, patio and holiday décor — in stores averaging just over 100,000 square feet.”
The opening of the store adds competition and variety for home shoppers in Amherst. At Home is approximately half a mile from HomeGoods on Sheridan and Niagara Falls Boulevard. Homesense is expected to open by the end of the year about a mile down Niagara Falls Boulevard.
The Amherst store is At Home’s 250th location and its first in Buffalo. The closest At Home stores were in Erie, Pa. and Syracuse.
You can watch a timelapse of the store’s completion in the video player above.
* * *
Nick Veronica is a Buffalo native who joined the News 4 team as the Digital Executive Producer in 2021. He previously worked at NBC Sports and The Buffalo News. You can follow Nick on Facebook and Twitter and find more of his work here.


text:
Net investment firm CMGI today said it is teaming with two firms to start
a $1.5 billion venture capital partnership to tap the growing global
CMGI plans to join with Hicks Muse Tate & Furst and Pacific Century
CyberWorks to form @Ventures Global Partners. The new firm will work to develop Internet companies in Asia, Europe and the Americas.
With the growth of the Internet already maturing and slowing in the United
States, American companies are beginning to look overseas, where new
technology, telecommunications deregulation and increased investing have
helped spur Web use in Asia, Europe and Latin America.
Internet usage is still limited in Asia, stymied by high costs and
infrastructure problems. Yet research company Yankee Group says the number of people using
the Internet is expected to grow to more than 12 percent of the
population--nearly 374 million--by the end of 2005.
Market research firm International Data Corp. forecasts that countries in
the Asia-Pacific region, excluding Japan, will have about 21.8 million
people connected to the Net by the end of 2000. Those people are expected to
spend $2.2 billion in e-commerce transactions, the group said.
In January, CMGI and Hong Kong-based Pacific Century formed a joint venture to create online
businesses focused on the growing Asian market.
In Europe, the number of homes connected to the Net nearly doubled
in 1998 to 15 million from 8.2 million in 1997, according to Dataquest. In
1998, the number of European homes reached levels seen only a year earlier
in the United States, higher than initial forecasts, the group found.
E-commerce players such as Priceline.com, eBay, eToys and Amazon.com have
already made the leap to foreign shores, while content companies such as America
Online, Yahoo and Lycos have started regional portals overseas.
Online brokerages such as E*Trade and Ameritrade have also cut deals to
establish themselves in several European and Asian countries.
Under the terms of today's partnership, CMGI, Hicks and Pacific Century
will each commit up to $500 million to help develop companies involved in
content, community, e-commerce and infrastructure technologies.
The three companies will initially open offices in London and Hong Kong.
They plan to appoint managing partners in each location to actively support
the investment activities and organizational development of these ventures.
Pacific Century is owned by Richard Li, who just yesterday acquired Cable &
Wireless Hong Kong. At the time, CMGI announced an agreement with Cable &
Wireless to issue $500 million in shares of CMGI to Cable & Wireless in
exchange for $500 million in shares of Pacific Century.


text:
'Tiger Tokens' and 'Cats Coins': Is blockchain the future of AFL merch?
Govt suggests NBN Co may need competitors
Sydney-based Infinity Telecom nabbed over NBN information rules
Australia Post's Digital iD taps into NFC on iPhones
Amazon vows to be carbon neutral by 2040
Don't have an account? Register now!
BMW says rivals interested in joining forces on self-driving cars
As auto industry profits come under pressure.
Oct 3 2018 6:49AM
Toyota to invest $500m in Uber for self-driving cars
In bid to catch up to rivals.
Aug 28 2018 6:55AM
Toll deploys driverless forklifts to shift pallets
At new e-commerce fulfilment centre.
Mar 14 2018 12:55PM
Toyota venture to spend $3.6bn on self-driving technology
Wants 'world-class' software engineers.
Mar 5 2018 6:17AM
NSW looks to driverless vehicles for regional public transport
Industry-led trials planned for mid-2018.
Dec 5 2017 9:45AM
WA to trial autonomous taxis
From April 2018.
Nov 29 2017 6:05PM
Victoria to trial driverless bus service
Human operator on board for safety.
Nov 13 2017 10:45AM
Waymo makes history with driverless taxis
Takes human out of vehicle for the first time.
Nov 8 2017 7:13AM
Rio Tinto runs first train in full robot mode
No human driver for almost 100km.
Oct 2 2017 1:24PM
Samsung enters autonomous driving race
With new funding, business.
Sep 14 2017 5:03PM
Aussie truckies want ATSB to investigate driverless car crashes
Police not expert enough.
May 10 2017 11:39AM
Intel spends $20 billion on driverless tech firm Mobileye
Autonomous vehicle arms race heats up.
Mar 14 2017 6:35AM
Intel builds automated driving presence
Takes stake in digital mapping firm.
Jan 4 2017 9:10AM
Rio Tinto reignites driverless trains
AutoHaul to return in 2017.
Nov 24 2016 12:07PM
Australia 'not ready' for driverless cars
Laws need to be reworked, according to National Transport Commission.
May 11 2016 9:58AM
US says Google computers qualify as drivers
Boost to self-driving cars.
Feb 11 2016 11:31AM
WA to trial driverless bus
Australia's states rush towards autonomous vehicles.
Feb 9 2016 3:58PM
Car makers in high-tech automotive arms race
Battle for dominance on the road to self-driving cars.
Nov 16 2015 11:15AM
Driverless buses to hit Switzerland's roads
Start-up founded by uni grads gets big win.
Nov 13 2015 9:30AM
Roy Hill receives first trains destined for automated haulage
Systems will eventually enable driverless capability.
Mar 27 2015 6:28AM
Most popular tech stories
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Getting bricked ... an unauthorised Lego retrospective of cyber games in Canberra
NBN Co floats "up to" gigabit speeds for $80 a month
CBA primes app for $10bn welfare payments clawback
Cyber fraud hits superannuation, share accounts
Microsoft makes major Azure price policy change
Hey Google, why are you in bed with Telstra?
Azure AU wobbled for an hour and nobody noticed
Google Cloud steps up attack on Microsoft, AWS with major sales restructure
Partners join HPE and Nutanix to talk hybrid cloud
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text:
Initiative warns about deceptive travel promoters
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Tennessee is participating in a national law enforcement initiative to warn consumers about deceptive travel promoters and timeshare resellers.
The initiative is coordinated by the Federal Trade Commission and state Attorney General Bob Cooper announced Tennessee's participation this week.
Among the allegations are that some timeshare and vacation club companies are using misleading sales tactics to induce consumers into purchasing programs that have high maintenance fees, poor travel date and destination selection, and hidden costs.
Other abuses include cancellation issues, difficulty contacting customer service, and misleading or deceptive high pressure sales presentations.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
As Vietnam's GDP rises year after year, the demographic dividend is at the economic take-off stage, and it also drives the Vietnamese LED lighting market. According to data from the Vietnam Lighting Association (Vietnam Lighting Association), the output value of the LED lighting market in Vietnam will reach 854 million US dollars (equivalent to about 5.565 billion yuan) in the next three years, with an annual growth rate of 25%.
The LED lighting market is becoming increasingly saturated in Europe and the United States, and there are many suppliers in the Chinese market. The price competition is fierce. The LED lighting market in emerging markets such as India, Southeast Asia, South America and the Middle East is just around the corner.
In Southeast Asia, Vietnam's performance is bright. LEDinside's Southeast Asian lighting market model shows that in 2016 Vietnam's lighting market reached 348 million US dollars, with a penetration rate of over 40%. It is estimated that the penetration rate will reach 51% by 2018.
Tran Dinh Bac, vice chairman and secretary general of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, pointed out that currently electricity consumption accounts for about 35% of Vietnam's electricity consumption. If LED bulbs can replace 50% of lighting fixtures, 20.8 billion will be saved by 2020. kWh (kWh / hour), about 9 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
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text:
By stripping away nature and wildlife assets, the destination will be left with only its beaches and reputation for cheap sea-sun-sand tourism in the future. Jen Ruiz on February 5, 2018 at 5:29 PM . Tourism Industry In SriLanka. Sri Lanka had no tourists in October of 2020, the same as in the previous six months, due to the termination of all passenger flight & ship arrivals into Sri Lanka from 18th March 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic. Guests of the show have included world leaders such as David Cameron and Petr Necas of the Czech Republic; the biggest names in banking such as Jamie Dimon of JP Morgan Chase and Robert Zoellick, the former President of the World Bank; European policy makers including IMF boss Christine Lagarde, EC President Jose Manuel Barroso, and former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn; and some of the most influential names in corporate America including DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg and former Ford CEO Alan Mulally. Tourism Revenues in Sri Lanka averaged 194.78 USD Million from 2009 until 2020, reaching an all time high of 475.20 USD Million in December of 2018 and a record low of 19.30 USD Million in May of 2009. Tourism is a fast growing industry in the world, due to its importance and economic significance. 2012). THE PROBLEMS OCCURED IN SRI LANKAN TOURISM INDUSTRY DUE TO WAR. Tourism Revenues in Sri Lanka decreased to 135 USD Million in March from 391 USD Million in February of 2020. The island produces more beautiful and valuable rubies than found in any other place in the world. May 06, Colombo: The Cinnamon Future of Tourism Virtual Conference will be held on virtual platforms from 3.30 to 4.30 p.m. on 11th May 2020 on the theme “Charting a Course for Sri Lanka’s Tourism Future”. Only that, the industry will prosper. Reply. There is no ferry service to India – services were reintroduced in 2011 but suspended months later. Tourism Research and Statistics. CNN Travel Correspondent Richard Quest in Sri Lanka at Cinnamon Hotels Future of Tourism Summit September 25, 2019 (LBO) – Delivering a keynote address to tourism industry leaders in Sri Lanka, CNN Travel Correspondent Richard Quest addressed the audience on the major trends and issues in the global tourist industry. The future projections of the country are geared to a five year plan from 2011, to showcase Sri Lanka… Sri Lanka's tourism sector is seeing "quite a good recovery" after the Easter Sunday bombings, said Cooray. Sri Lanka experienced a vastly fluctuating tourism during the past decades. Beyond the immediate loss of life and emotional distress, Sri Lanka is facing a devastating shock and the community that had become reliant on tourism will experience significant socio-economic effects such as unemployment, business closures and depression. Relief Measures for Tourist Guides during the COVID -19 outbreak. Looking forward to dive at this site very soon. Heavy discounting will hurt profitability in the tourist industry, but government fiscal policy offers a way of alleviating the pain. Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority considers sustainability as a key driver to preserve and conserve the island’s outstanding natural and cultural heritage to safeguard the destination for our people and our visitors for now and for the future. Once Marco Polo has told in 1293 A.D., ‘this for its actual size, is better circumstanced than any other island in the world. Being involved in this business and having a background in the field of tourism in the Netherlands I would like to give you my impression on the future of tourism in Sri Lanka. In the case of hotels, profit margins are already wafer thin, so cutting taxes and VAT would enable hotels to maintain staff levels whilst at the same time reducing room rates to attract tourists. The Sri Lanka tourism industry is the third biggest Foreign Exchange (FE) earner with a total earning of $ 4.4 billion in 2018 and $ 3.7 billion in 2019 (SLTDA, 2020) that has got the worst hit among other top FE earners: foreign remittances, textile and apparel, and tea. Despite these and other issues, the tourism industry’s recent performance, plus the substantial amount of investment that is currently being spent in Sri Lanka, bode well for the future. The event brought together top global destination experts, including special advisor to the UNWTO Anita Mendiratta who shared their specialist knowledge and insights on how tourism industries can implement sustainable strategies in the long-run and recover and rebuild following a variety of incidents ranging from terror attacks to natural disasters. Sri Lanka has exclusive fishing and economic rights for an ocean area of 500,000 square kilometres and a coastal line of 1700 km in addition to inland water bodies, which makes fishery to be one of the promising industries in the country. Once the security situation has settled down and the terrorist cells have been eliminated, international marketing and public relations firms should be employed by the government and the Tourist Board to assist in promoting and restoring a positive image in the country. All rights reserved. under the theme ‘Challenges and Growth in the Face of a Crisis.’ It’s highlights included an interview by Richard Quest – CNN’s Editor-at-Large and host of Quest Means Business with the Honourable Prime Minister of Sri Lanka – Ranil Wickremesinghe among other highlights. Sri Lanka saw a massive slump in tourists in the wake of the terrorist bombings. After the successful completion of the 2011-16 National Tourism Development Strategy, Sri Lanka is looking to the future, drawing up a bold plan for the next decade. Last 3 Months (1) Last 6 Months (3) Last Year (13) Last 2 Years (18) Last 3 Years (35) All regions. We piled up the most significant upcomimng tourism trends for 2021. So, start impressing your guest and outpace your competitors. Earnings from tourism in 2017 accounted for 5.3% of GDP, and the industry has emerged as one of Sri Lanka's key external sectors over the last decade. Customer Support. However, the high rate of deforestation dismantles the only competitive advantage Sri Lanka has to compete internationally and increase its exports of services. The MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) tourism industry has prospective for growth and Sri Lanka needs to be able to cater to this sector The tea industry in Sri Lanka has played an important role in terms of its contribution to the national output, employment and net foreign exchange earnings from its inception in 1867. Authorities say there was a 70% drop in tourists after the 2019 Sri Lanka Easter bombings, but the tourism industry witnessed a modest revival afterwards. He founded and managed the DATA project with TripAdvisor which creates regional forums for DMOs to share analytical data and discuss digital best practice. • the quick arrest of suspects and the deployment of the Army, • the strengthening of international intelligence sharing arrangements (Sri Lanka intelligence is now actively working with agencies such as the FBI, Scotland Yard and Interpol), • increasing police and security presence across tourist areas, particularly in hotels and the airport. Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka - Industry: Sri Lanka’s mineral-extraction industries include mining of gemstones and graphite; excavation of beach sands containing ilmenite and monazite; and quarrying kaolin, apatite, quartz sand, clay, and salt. Periodically, the SLTDA publishes a monthly statistical bulletin and an Annual Statistical Report, which indicates the performance of Sri Lanka Tourism in terms of tourist arrivals, foreign exchange earnings, creation of employment opportunities and hotel occupancy rates. All. The navy commander should be... Congratulations and hats off to Navy Divers. Tourism is a fast growing industry in the world, due to its importance and economic significance. Tourism Industry 2020 - Sri Lanka Market Research & Statistics. Are you have any experience about traveling I can post it for in my gallery So, start impressing your guest and outpace your competitors. Beyond the immediate loss of life and emotional distress, Sri Lanka is facing a devastating shock and the community that had become reliant on tourism will experience significant socio-economic effects such as unemployment, business closures and depression. The industry has undergone a number of changes over the last 150 years. Digital transformation in the tourism and travel sector: the challenge of mobile devices For a while we have been hearing about the digital transformation in companies and industries, especially in the tourism and travel sector, where digital adaptation is not optional but rather an indispensable condition to continue being competitive and responding to new consumer demands. I have used mainly the latest report (National Strategy for Sri Lanka Tourism) published by Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority and broachers, magazines news paper articles, websites as the secondary data. According to the country's Tourism Ministry, a total of 115,701 international tourists arrived in Sri Lanka during July, which marked a decline of over 40% from that same period last year. In particular, we focus on three issues: Automation and Job Displacement; Employment Conditions; and Inequities in the Labour Market. ‘Future of Tourism Summit’ (FOT 2019), was held on 23rd September. The industry represents Sri Lanka’s third largest foreign exchange earner, accumulating $2.8 bn in earnings last year. Colombo 02, Sri Lanka. Tourism Revenues in Sri Lanka averaged 194.78 USD Million from 2009 until 2020, reaching an all time high of 475.20 USD Million in December of 2018 and a record low of 19.30 USD Million in May of 2009. According to the country's Tourism Ministry, a total of 115,701 international tourists arrived in Sri Lanka during July, which marked a decline of over 40% from that same period last year. "The Sri Lanka tourism industry stands united with the rest of the world against terrorism; as we mourn this horrific tragedy, we must move forward with our enduring Sri Lankan resilience to restore the world's faith in our beautiful island home and our hospitality which is the heart of the Sri Lankan way of life," Sri Lanka Tourism said. ADDRESSCinnamon Hotels & Resorts The country's tourism industry was poised for a strong 2019 before the attacks. Implication for Sri Lanka: The future viability of Sri Lanka’s tourism industry will rely on the ongoing consent of its residents and the social contract between residents, the tourism industry, and government. Egypt – where tourism is a significant contributor to GDP – is a representative example.
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text:
BoomTown is set to receive special training and support from Google that it says will help it improve the marketing services that it offers agents.
The customer relationship management (CRM) system and marketing services provider has achieved certified Google Partner status in search advertising, giving it exclusive access to private Google events, Google beta programs, marketing support and a Google Partner profile page, the company said.
“BoomTown is proud to be part of the Google Partner program, and thrilled to offer this heightened level of service to our clients,” said Rivers Pearce, director of inbound marketing at BoomTown, in a statement. “We work diligently to exceed client expectations, and demonstrate their PPC dollars are expertly managed.
This partnership enables us to continue maintaining Google’s high standards while enjoying the benefits and continued learning provided in the partner program.”
– See more at: http://www.inman.com/2013/12/02/boomtown-earns-google-partner-status/#sthash.mHtJldSo.dpuf