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- Infowars - http://www.infowars.com -
‘NHS doesn’t care about cost of medicine’: Drugs firms accused of profiteering by raising prices by ONE THOUSAND per cent
Posted By aaron On July 19, 2010 @ 3:28 pm In Medical Tyranny,Old Infowars Posts Style | Comments Disabled
UK Daily Mail
July 19, 2010
Drugs companies making everyday medicines for the NHS are facing claims of profiteering after imposing huge price rises for commonly prescribed drugs.
The increases – some as high as 1,000 per cent in just two years – coincided with some of the firms involved earning massive profits.
One company boss said the NHS ‘doesn’t care what it costs’.
The medicines are not new innovative products developed by pharmaceutical companies after enormous investment in research and development.
Instead, they are unbranded so-called ‘generic’ drugs which have been available for many years and include commonly used antibiotics prescribed to millions of patients.
Last night, The Mail on Sunday investigation prompted the Department of Health to reveal it had launched a review of the price increases and to say that it was examining what action could be taken against manufacturers deemed to be making excess profits.
Article printed from Infowars: http://www.infowars.com
URL to article: http://www.infowars.com/nhs-doesn%e2%80%99t-care-about-cost-of-medicine%e2%80%99-drugs-firms-accused-of-profiteering-by-raising-prices-by-one-thousand-per-cent/
Copyright © 2015 Infowars. All rights reserved.


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This year is looking likely to become the best ever for Jaguar Land Rover with a new sales record all but confirmed.
While talking at the ongoing IAA Frankfurt Motor Show 2015, the company’s chief executive Ralf Speth said that this year, Jaguar Land Rover will exceed 500,000 sales. That will be a significant jump over the 232,839 models sold by both Jaguar and Land Rover in 2010, reiterating the company’s rising popularity since Tata purchased the brands in 2008.
This year already, Jaguar has revealed two brand new models which are set to become its two highest selling cars; the Jaguar XE and Jaguar F-Pace. Additionally, the latest-generation XF sedan was recently revealed while the F-Type sports car continues to sell well.

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So here it is… This is the hotly anticipated F-Type Coupe -- the true successor to the iconic E-Type. Following up on the shockingly successful convertible, this two-seater masterpiece delivers a tighter package still and tops out with a sonorous, 542hp 5.0-litre V8 ‘R’ model. We’d advise getting your order in now…
So the SLS is dead -- the Final Edition also being revealed here in LA -- but long live the AMG Vision Gran Turismo …well, maybe. This insanely sexy concept car could just hint at the German supercar’s successor. Designed in partnership with the Playstation racing game, Gran Turismo 6, it features an awesome animated grille and no less than eight exhausts. This is carporn in the purest sense…
The Golden State loves a Maser -- taking up the bulk of the sexy Italian brand’s US sales -- so Los Angeles was especially fitting for the North American reveal of the Quattroporte’s new baby sister -- the horribly titled Ghibli. Thankfully it is vastly more appealing than the moniker suggests.
The US couldn’t be more important for Land Rover. With sales soaring in North America, Range Rover has opted to hit new highs of luxuriousness with the stretched Autobiography Black edition. Suddenly the regular Rangie has been relegated.
First, the bad news -- just 10 of these limited edition Aston Martin’s will be made. Worse news is that they’re also all sold already. However, we do have some better news -- and that’s that they cost a potentially prohibitive £235,000 anyway.
Stealing the show in Los Angeles with a mix of grit and glamour was Jaguar. The British firm is on a crest of a wave with two knockout US reveals. Although still officially a concept, Jaguar simply can’t afford not to make this stunning crossover, making its US debut in a rather slick new ‘Liquid Aluminium’ finish.
As if a new lick of paint was needed to sex up the 2014 Viper? Well SRT did it anyway and flashed a perfectly pimped American slab of V10 carporn to the receptive LA crowd. Sadly only 50 of these beasts will ever take to the road.
Subaru are getting really good at concept cars -- it’s just a shame that the production rides that eventually follow through are invariably underwhelming. Case in point: the last Impreza Concept compared to the Impreza WRX also on show at LA. Please, Subaru, just make the Legacy as awesome as the concept revealed here and we’ll say no more about about it, OK?
Not even four years in and the mega Mercedes-Benz SLS is making its swansong with this ‘Final Edition’ debuted simultaneously in both LA and Tokyo. It’s no faster than the regular GT unfortunately -- so it’s just the usual 591hp, 198mph and 0-62mph in 3.7 seconds then -- but the matted masterpiece will be hot property nonetheless, capped at just 350 units worldwide.
Jaguar and Land Rover may have taken the spotlight in LA but there was another superstar Brit, albeit a mini one, also in attendance. The 3rd generation MINI turned on it’s rad new LED lamps for its California reveal. It’s no revolution for sure, but MINIs are selling big in the US right now and we fully expect another surge with this ever-so-slightly-bigger little ride.
Godzilla just got a little more angry… The latest strain of Nissan’s evil street racer, the GT-R, was unveiled in LA by none other than the fastest man on earth, Usain Bolt, in front of a heaving crowd jostling to grab a sight of the pair of them. Available from mid-2014, the GT-R Nismo is the fastest factory GT-R ever created.
Controversially, Chevy haven’t gone large in LA but gone, err, medium. Is America really ready for a mid-sized truck revolution so soon after Dodge and Ford left the party? Well, from the chiseled looks of the Colorado we think Chevrolet is certainly making a fine case for it -- the XL state of Texas, however, might not agree quite so strongly just yet.
t's time, once again, for California to play host to the hottest new models from around the globe.
This year’s LA Auto Show promised much, with world debuts from the premium stables of Jaguar, Porsche and Mercedes-Benz topping the bill, plus a ton of other fast, furious or downright crazy examples of the latest in carporn.
Here, we save you the legwork of trekking from hall to hall with our hand-picked stars of the show.
Putting the freak in the show -- this is the $1.1 million Youabian Puma. At 20 feet long, this monster convertible puts even the gargantuan Bentley Mulsanne in the shade. Borrowing bits from Volvo and Buick and a 7.0-litre V8 delivering over 500hp, it’s the bizarre brainchild of plastic surgeon Dr. K Youabian. Not sure this is likely to help boost his client list though…
Grabbing a big slice of attention with it’s own dedicated hall at the show, Porsche reveal their first small SUV and Range Rover Evoque rival -- the Macan. We’re not convinced on the predictable external styling, but inside the superbly sporty lushness is spot on.


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A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the special economic package of Rs 20 lakh crore, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday announced a slew of economic measures to support stressed Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). She announced Rs 3 lakh crores collateral-free automatic loans for businesses, including MSMEs, which will benefit 45 lakh units.
In a bid to provide stressed MSMEs with equity support, the government will facilitate provision of Rs 20,000 crore as subordinate debt, which will benefit 2 lakh MSMEs, she said, adding that functioning MSMEs, which are NPA or are stressed will be eligible for this scheme.
She also announced revision of the definition of MSMEs to help them grow in size and get benefits.
"The definition of MSMEs is being changed for their advantage so that they can grow in size and get benefits. Investment limit which defined MSMEs have been revised upwards. Additional criteria being brought in is turnover size - earlier differentiation between manufacturing and service MSMEs will be categorised similarly," said Sitharaman.
Speaking at a press conference, FM outlined 14 different measures. The first 6 were for MSMEs, two for EPFO, two for NBFCs and Mutual Funds and one each for discoms, contractors, real estate and tax measures.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced a massive stimulus package of Rs 20 lakh crore to mitigate the impact of coronavirus and weeks of lockdown on the Indian economy. The Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan economic package of Rs 20 lakh crore, equals to 10 per cent of the GDP and is aimed at solving the problems of several bleeding sectors as well as migrant labourers.
Copyright©2022 Living Media India Limited. For reprint rights: Syndications Today


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Rover’s German bosses look this week to have got what they wanted from the UK. By threatening to close Rover’s largest plant, BMW should now secure new working practices for Rover workers, get agreement for over 2,500 redundancies and receive a Government grant of at least £200m. In return, it will invest £1.6bn to overhaul Longbridge to build the new Mini and a replacement for the 200 and 400 models.
The threat first made in a carefully orchestrated speech by BMW chairman Bernd Pischetsrieder at the British Motor Show overshadowed the unveiling of the new Rover 75, built at a revitalised Cowley plant.
Pischetsrieder said Longbridge could close unless productivity is brought up to the level of BMW’s German plants. ‘The productivity gap, if you ignore wage costs, is 30% between Germany and Britain. That gap must go,’ he said.
Longbridge is Rover’s biggest plant, employing over 14,000 workers and manufacturing the 200, 400, Mini and MGF.
Rover chairman Dr Walter Hasselkus said: ‘The parameters under which we planned for Rover Group have changed. We are determined to take all necessary action to cut costs.’
For the past six weeks, union representatives for Rover workers and Rover and BMW management have been involved in talks.
Last week, union representatives even flew to Munich to broker a deal with BMW executives.
Finally, in a joint statement on Friday the two sides announced: ‘The Rover group and trade unions have reached an agreement in principal on key issues surrounding agreed cost savings and working time flexibility.’
This is subject to approval by all Rover staff, and to details being finalised and approved by the BMW board. The 39,000 Rover workers are this week being asked if they want to volunteer for redundancy or early retirement, which could lead to the required 2,500 job cuts by April.
Under the deal, the working week will be cut from 37 hours to 35, with a 2.7% pay rise from next November, but there will also be radical changes to working practices. This will mean workers ‘banking’ hours at busy times and taking time off during quieter periods, as in Germany.
The deal is aimed at saving £150m a year from the UK wage bill.
While BMW has resorted to strong-arm tactics, there is no denying that Rover has problems. Having paid £800m for the company five years ago, BMW has already invested £2.5bn for little return.
In October alone, Rover production fell by a third to 28,000 cars, from 42,000 cars a year ago. Sales also fell by 15%. One industry observer even suggests that Rover cranked up production in the first half so it could cut back at the time of the negotiations.
But for West Midlands-based suppliers and services companies, the conclusion of the talks the result of which was never seriously in question will be a relief.
The news is welcomed, for example, by Haden MacLellan Holdings, which supplies Rover with fasteners and other services and recently cited a drop in work from the car manufacturer as a contributing factor in its disappointing forecast for the second half. Chief executive Richard Taylor describes the deal as good news for the company and for UK manufacturing industry.
BMW’s promised £1.6bn investment includes £1bn for a new facility at Longbridge, which would produce up to 500,000 units a year. Another £800m will go into product development, including a new Mini and the R30 and R35, which will become the respective 200 and 400 replacements.
Trade unions are attempting to put an upbeat spin on the proposed deal. Roger Lyons, general secretary of the Manufacturing Science and Finance Union, says the deal is absolutely essential to save not just Longbridge but a large part of the West Midlands economy, which relies so much on the motor industry.
Ken Jackson, general secretary of the Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union, says: ‘The trade unions and Rover have secured a new future for the company. In today’s global economy it is essential that we help companies maintain and improve their competitive edge.’
As Rover workers prepare to vote on the proposed working practices, another of Britain’s traditional volume manufacturers, Ford, is also preparing for hard negotiations with British unions.
Ford, which said recently that its UK plants were 20% less productive than its other European sites, is determined to introduce more flexible working into the UK.
Rolf Zimmerman, Ford vice president of manufacturing, Europe, said recently he strongly believes that although the company’s European operations have made significant cost savings over the last year, ‘these are not going to save us’.
Zimmerman says Ford in Europe has to raise its return on sales to 5% from its present dismal 0.5%, but that it can not do it before 2000.
Central to turning around Ford’s operation is new product, inextricably linked with flexible working practices.
Hans Schardt, programme operations manager, vehicle operations, says that in other parts of Europe, Ford uses short-term contract labour for peak production. He is believed to want to introduce similar work practices in the UK. In Germany, Ford offers six-month contracts. In Spain, contracts last 18 months.
Such an arrangement would give Ford the flexibility Rover looks to have gained, via a different route.
Unfortunately, the British are quite resistant to this way of working, says one Ford insider.
Although Ford is clearly committed to producing cars in the UK a huge market for its products it needs to change working practices.
The company’s biggest challenge in the UK will be the transformation of the Halewood, Merseyside plant from volume production of Escorts, to luxury Jaguars.
Schardt, who has a reputation as a tough negotiator, describes the Halewood job as ‘very, very challenging’. But he adds: ‘Japanese plants in the UK are 15% better than our best European plants. So British workers can do it.’
Ford will look at how everything is done at Halewood. Staff will not have to reapply for their jobs under Jaguar. How management will deal with workers unwilling or unable to embrace the rigours of luxury car manufacture is as yet unknown.
Ford is already believed to be talking to union leaders about its plans. The recent turnaround at Rover can only have helped its cause.


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Every year Google puts out the Santa Tracker experiences on both Android and the web, and after the holidays Google ends up throwing those experiences into an open source version of the code. Today Google has announced that the 2015 Santa Tracker experiences have just been added to the open source version for anyone that has wanted to poke around the code and check it out. Naturally, since the code is now open source for all of last year’s Santa Tracker experiences, anyone with the know-how can take a peek at the source code over at the designated Github repositories for the web and Android versions of the tracker, and using the code as well as Google’s instructions, can also build their very own version of the Santa Tracker.
Google lays out all of the new open source material that’s been added and breaks it down by version, so developers will know what’s now open source from the Android or Web versions specifically. For the Android app, Google has open sourced the Santa Tracker APK itself, as well as various Firebase features like the Remote Config API, App Invites, and Firebase Analytics. Santa’s Village and the various games in the Santa Tracker app have also been made open source.
Google also released Santa Tracker watch faces for Android Wear devices for last Christmas. If you’ve been wanting to have a look around the source code for the watch faces, that’s also been made available and can be found along with the other components over at the Github repository. This includes source code for the Android Wear Santa Tracker notifications too. When it comes to the web version of Santa Tracker, there are a handful of components that are now open source which were added for last Christmas, like the Present Bounce game, the Chromecast supported screensaver that was designed to be a countdown to Christmas Eve, and other things like the Google Closure Compiler. With more than half the year already gone, Google is likely already hard at work preparing the new version of Santa Tracker for 2016, and the app is still available on the Play Store for anyone who never checked it out during its initial release last winter.


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State-by-state Hardware Store All-Stars: N.C., N.D., Ohio
The Home Channel News coast-to-coast countdown of high-quality retailers continues in North Carolina, North Dakota and Ohio:
• North Carolina
Lanier’s, which recently celebrated its 70th anniversary, features more than 100,000 hardware items. While lawn and garden equipment, such as Stihl trimmers, blowers and chain saws, are a big hit, the Lexington, N.C., store has an extensive collection of sporting items. Lanier’s sells team uniforms and does screen printing and embroidery for those who want logos on their favorite jerseys. Lanier’s motto is: “If we don’t have it, we’ll find it for you.”
• North Dakota
Edinburg General Store
How popular is Edinburg General Store? Tour buses come to this location — in a town of 252, no less. “We are a destination place,” said owner Bernice Flanagan, a Do it Best member. This quaint hardware store entertains guests with three G-scale trains that circle the perimeter of the balcony and pieces of antique furniture highlighting the merchandise on two levels of the store. Edinburg General Store sells unique hardware, housewares, Carhartt clothing, Wrangler jeans, gifts and personalized pottery for many surrounding towns. “We’re the biggest little general store in North Dakota,” Flanagan said.
All American Store
Opened in Brookville, Ohio, in January 2010 and expanded to a second location in Huber Heights, Ohio, in June 2010, the All American Store is an example of a business that puts its money where its mouth is. Everything in the store is made or assembled in America, co-owner Mike Petro said. “We’re supporting suppliers in the U.S. that are trying to stay in business,” he said. “We have to stop sending manufacturing jobs over to China.” How’s it working? A third store is in the pipeline, he said.
HCN Monday will profile all-star hardware stores in Oklahoma, Oregon and Pennsylvania. Or, for the full article from the May issue of Home Channel News, register or log in here.
April hardware store sales down from 2010
April sales estimates from the Monthly Retail Trade Report showed NAICS 44413 sales at $1.76 billion, compared with $1.79 billion last year.
The report from the U.S. Census Bureau showed April hardware store sales — the latest month of available statistics for the 44413 hardware store classification — were up 17.3% on an unadjusted basis over March 2011.
NAICS 44413 is a subset of the NAICS 444 classification — building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers. Yesterday, the Advance Monthly Sales Report showed gains for 444 retailers on an adjusted basis.
Hardware Store All-Stars: N.J., N.M. and N.Y.
The Home Channel News coast-to-coast and state-by-state hardware store all-star project visits New Jersey, New Mexico and New York.
• New Jersey
This converted lumberyard offers “21st-century products in a 19th-century environment.” The building that now houses Moorestown Hardware was a lumberyard in the 1890s that supplied materials for homes in Moorestown and surrounding communities. It closed in 1971, but was purchased and reopened as a hardware store in 1972. Owner Pete Bender has kept the quaintness about the store, piping in old tunes while customers shop. The sales staff is folksy, too, which is part of this store’s charm. “It was as though people had been waiting for us and wanted us to succeed,” Bender said.
• New Mexico
Big Jo True Value Hardware
Big Jo has won local, state, region and national awards. So something is working at this Santa Fe, N.M.-based hardware store. “When you walk in our doors, there is always someone waiting for you,” said co-owner Rick C de Baca. “We’re known for customer service and going above and beyond what most retailers would do. We give to the schools, the youth programs. We help the families who live here and then in turn shop here.” Big Jo is also known for carrying items — big and small — that customers won’t find anywhere else, C de Baca said.
• New York
Costello’s Ace Hardware
We can’t say this is where Donald Trump shops, but this is where he took his “The Apprentice” television show to give contestants some real-world retailing experience. The company, founded in 1973, has expanded steadily over the years, branching out across New York’s high-population-density communities of Long Island — its 16th and 17th stores opened this year in Smithtown and East Islip.
On Thursday, we’ll profile hardware store all-stars from North Carolina, North Dakota and Ohio. For the full article, as it appeared in the May issue of Home Channel News, register online to read here.


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Sony Ericsson feels margins pinch
Net profit slips
Sony Ericsson has started to feel the margins pinch from its shift to lower-priced handsets, although it is still managing to keep a more successful balance than most of its rivals. Strong demand for its phones were the highlight of mixed third quarter results at Samsung, which remains hobbled by weakness in the semiconductor division.
Samsung said it earned 2.19 trillion won, or $2.38bn, in the quarter, up from a revised net profit of 2.17 trillion won a year earlier. Revenue was 16.7 trillion won, up 10 per cent from a year earlier, but future results may be hit by continuing oversupply in its memory chip sector. The performance was better than analysts' expectations of a slight decline in net profit.
The operating margin in the cellphone division improved to 11.6 per cent from 11 per cent a year ago, a critical gain at a time when phonemakers are fighting for margins in an increasingly price competitive midrange and low end market.
Meanwhile, Sony Ericsson earned $380m in its third quarter, reflecting the first results of its recent push into low and mid-tier devices. The manufacturer shipped 25.9 million units, up by one million from the previous quarter and by six million on a year earlier, giving the joint venture nine per cent of the global cellphone market, a valuable boost of one per cent. However, the impact on margins was clear, and the company saw profits decline by 11 per cent year-on-year. Its average selling price per device has steadily fallen from $209 a year ago to $171 at the quarter's close, although this remains well above the industry average.
Analysts were disappointed with the revenue and profit figures, especially coming after a string of stellar quarters from the fourth largest handset maker. But Sony Ericsson remains a strong performer, provided its bid to usurp the positions of Motorola and Samsung in volume does not precipitate too sudden a change in its margins structure - a factor that has hit Moto badly.
Also in handsets, Sanyo is now in final negotiations to sell its mobile phone operations to Kyocera for an as-yet undisclosed sum, under pressure from Goldman Sachs, which last year led a $2.6bn rescue of Sanyo.
Copyright © 2007, Wireless Watch
Wireless Watch is published by Rethink Research, a London-based IT publishing and consulting firm. This weekly newsletter delivers in-depth analysis and market research of mobile and wireless for business. Subscription details are here.


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IPO Update: Officer Choice branded company Allied Blenders & Distillers is preparing to launch its IPO. It is believed that in the new year, the company can raise close to Rs 2300 crore from the market through IPO. With the coming of IPO of Allied Blenders & Distillers, the company can get a valuation of more than Rs 22,500 crore. Between January and March, the first quarter of the new year, the company can file DRHP with SEBI.
Allied Blenders & Distillers sells everything from whiskey to rum and vodka in 29 countries. In addition, the company has nine bottling plants, a distilling facility and more than 20 outsourced manufacturing sites.
In the new year, many big public sector to private companies are bringing their IPO, in which the IPO of the largest public sector insurance company LIC is coming. Which is going to prove to be the most mega IPO in the country’s IPO history. It is believed that the size of LIC’s IPO can be of one lakh crore rupees. So apart from this, apart from Adani Wilmar, SBI Mutual Fund, e-commerce companies like Flipkart, Snapdeal are also going to come up with IPO in 2022.
However, many IPOs will depend on the trend of the stock market. Due to the sell-off in the stock market, many shares listed in the stock market recently have been listed by falling below their issue price. In which Shriram Properties IPO. Rategain IPO and Star Health IPO which is trading in the market below its issue price.
(This is an auto-generated article from syndicated news feed. TEAM BEPINKU.COM may not have modified or edited the article).


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BOOKING a holiday to an amber list destination could leave you thousands of pounds out of pocket, it has been warned.
Despite the overseas travel ban being lifted on Monday, the government has caused confusion regarding holidays to amber list destinations.
Earlier this week, Matt Hancock said that people should only travel to amber countries if "absolutely necessary" while Prime Minister Boris Johnson added: "It is not somewhere you should be going on holiday, let me be very clear about that."
Education Minister Gillian Keegan echoed both Boris Johnson's and Matt Hancock's warning, telling Times Radio: "Amber list countries are there for a reason - they are there so that you can travel for business, you can travel for particular situations such as funerals or if there are some specific care issues in your family."
However, seven out of 10 of the UK's biggest tour operators are still selling holidays to amber list destinations, according to The Times.
TUI, easyJet and British Airways are selling holidays to Spain and Greece, while Ryanair has launched £5 flights to popular amber list hotspots.
When asked if easyJet customers were still flying to amber countries for leisure despite Government guidance not to do so, easyJet boss Johan Lundgren replied: "Yes, people are booking flights and they're going there on holidays."
Despite MPs saying holidays shouldn't go ahead to the destinations, there is not an explicit travel ban on them, unlike the red list.
This means Brits are unlikely to be able to get their money back from their holidays if they no longer want to go, due to them still operating.
Only Jet2 and On The Beach are yet to sell holidays to amber destinations, with Jet2 restarting next month and On The Beach not selling trips until August.
Which? has warned that travel insurance is also unlikely to cover Brits with hoilday bookings to amber destinations.
Their report analysed 73 travel insurance providers between October and November 2020, with protection for government advice changes rarely included in policies.
Since March 2020, most insurers have considered the pandemic a ‘known event’, and excluded FCDO cancellation cover from new policies and for newly booked trips.
Families who no longer want to travel or cannot afford to pay for the tests or quarantine at home, are unlikely to be covered.
Which? Editor Rory Boland said: "Those who feel they cannot go on holiday against government advice, including those with bookings from last year, are also likely to struggle to get their money back, with most travel companies refusing refunds unless the holiday is cancelled."
Airline and tour operator policy refunds
If your flight has been cancelled, you can choose to get either a cash or voucher refund, or Avios points.
British Airways has also waived its fee to change bookings.
If you want to cancel your flights, you can claim a voucher to the value of your booking, which will be valid until April 30, 2023.
If EasyJet cancels your holiday, you’ll receive a full refund back to your original method of payment.
But if you cancel your trip yourself, EasyJet's terms and conditions state you won't get the money back.
The only exception is if you cancel within 24 hours of booking, which means you'll get a full refund minus the cancellation fee.
If you want to change your booking, you can do so at no extra cost (apart from the fare difference) up to 14 days before departure.
Ryanair offers vouchers equal to the cost of the cancelled flights, and these are valid for 12 months.
If you'd prefer the money back, you don't have to accept a credit note and can request a cash refund instead on Ryanair's website.
Sadly, Ryanair says customers can't get a refund if the flight is operational and isn't delayed by more than two hours.
The flight change fee has been dropped for all new bookings made after June 10, 2020 but before March 31, 2021, for travel before October 31.
Just keep in mind you must change your flights at least seven days before the original scheduled departure date to avoid rebooking fees.
If you do, remember you must also pay the fare difference if your new ticket is more expensive.
You can alter a booking up to one day before for free if your destination moves from the green to amber list.
There is also no cost to change a booking if you are unable to travel such as if you catch coronavirus, have to self-isolate or your destination is added to the red list.
Most read in News Travel
Here are the refund policies of airlines and tour operators.
The next review of the green list will be on June 5, with hopes of more countries being added.
Spain, Greece and Italy could all be added if Covid cases continue to fall and the vaccination programme progresses.
Thousands of Brits have headed to the airport this week after the holiday ban was lifted.


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Mobile and sponsored stories push up Facebook ad rates
Mobile advertising on Facebook has significantly affected the cost per million impressions for ads on the network, according to a Q2 2012 Global Facebook Advertising Report released this week by TBG Digital.
In the year since Q2 2011, the cost per million (CPM) of Facebook ads increased 58%, says TBG Digital, which means demand remains healthy. Between Q1 and Q2 of this year CPM rose by 25%.
Mobile ads and sponsored stories have both seen an increase in use on the social network. In fact, according to the CEO of TBG Digital, Simon Mansell, sponsored stories are performing better now than when they were first launched. Furthermore, Facebook now receives $9.86 for every 1,000 mobile ad clicks, 13x more than is received for desktop ads.
According to TBG Digital's report, "CPM rates are a good indication of Facebook's earnings per marketplace ad served. The increases are definitely great news for Facebook, as they signify that its inventory continues to work better for it."
"All eyes are on Facebook at the moment and a key part of its progress is the performance of its sponsored stories and mobile ads, which in particular are showing great potential for all parties," said Mansell.
- FTC's new 'merchandise rule' to come into effect before Christmas
- Brands: Why content needs better optimization
- Ad Roundup: Partnerships and acquisitions to improve platforms
- Consumers prefer SMS to apps for brand communications
- Physical stores still popular with young fashion shoppers
- Britain has more female gamers than male
- Permission-based email marketers still finding inbox placement hard work
- Study: Mobile driving travel plans
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Just as the shopping seasons guide demand in many categories, they shape the conversation around these categories as well. How...
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In 2017, nationwide bakery chain Greggs caused a social media storm with an advent calendar featuring a sausage roll – instead of Jesus – in a manger. Not to everyone’s tastes, but everybody was talking about it.
A year later, the brand hit the headlines by reversing the logo on one of its high street fascias so it would reflect the right way round in the popular Christmas-themed window of the department store across the road. A cheeky marketing grab. And who can forget the launch of its vegan sausage roll, which caused such a furore that celebrities and even politicians were weighing in on its merits.
It’s no wonder PR experts have dubbed the chain “the king of the publicity stunt”. It has gained almost cult status through its nose for a good headline. So it therefore seems completely appropriate that its savoury snacks should be the first choice for an Azamara ship captain who this week brought 700 sausage rolls on board when a ‘culinary cruise’ of northern Europe called into the Port of Tyne in Newcastle.
Whether passengers were au fait with Greggs – and whether they thought the sausage rolls constituted a local culinary experience – is really immaterial. The buzz created by the line’s gesture was priceless: people were talking about it, sharing it and, like me, writing about it.
While it may not quite be on the same level as Greggs, Azamara has demonstrated how a sense of humour and a keen eye for a good story can boost brand awareness no end.
Comment from Travel Weekly August 22 edition
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The AUA summed up "Data Science Summer School", organized with the support of Beeline
Beeline launches new landline tariff plans for corporate clients
Beeline and Tumo’s initiative results presented at exhibition
Beeline to provide 4G Wi-Fi modems for tourists
Beeline subscribers will get even more internet each month.
Beeline CEO gave a lecture at the GITELIQ Creative forum
1st July, 2019, Yerevan: Beeline Armenia CEO Andrey Pyatakhin, took part in the third GITELIQ Creative forum. The executive of the company gave a lecture on "New technologies - new opportunities."
The third GITELIQ Creative forum was held at the head office of AGBU Armenia. The forum is a series of events in Armenia in a completely new format. It provides an opportunity to acquire knowledge about trending and topics of interest and get acquainted with leading experts in various fields, establis
Beeline and the American University of Armenia announce of cooperation
Another Customer Day at Beeline dedicated to the season of summer holidays
Beeline and Nikita Mobile launch Mobile ID service in Armenia for the first time
26th June, 2019, Yerevan: Beeline and Nikita Mobile LLC announce the launch of Mobile ID service, an effective tool for personal identification using a smartphone and verification of documents with an electronic signature. The service has become a reality thanks to the cooperation between Beeline Armenia, LLC “Nikita Mobile” and the only certification center in Armenia “EKENG” CJSC.
The service allows subscribers to perform identification on the Internet and electr
Changes in prepaid and postpaid “Internet packages"
Dear user, starting from July 1st, there will be a change in the “Internet packages” provision conditions:
1) The new activations for Internet Mini50MB, Midi250MB, Maxi1GB, Maxi3GB, Maxi10GB packages will be stopped,2) If you already have the “Internet package” activated, you will be able to use the service until the last day of the service term (last day included),3) The information about new package tariffs and inclusions will be posted on the website on July 1st 2019.


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Transport technology and services company Eroad has opened its first US office in Portland, Oregon, and appointed five Portland-based staff.
The company’s launch of its commercial service in Oregon follows a favourable audit of its solution by the Oregon State Government.
“From the beginning, we had an aim to become a global GNSS tolling provider and it’s very exciting to have reached that goal in North America,” Eroad CEO, Steven Newman, said. “Launching the Eroad solution in the US is a huge milestone for us, and we’re delighted to be doing it with such a great team.”
Eroad chose Oregon as its first US market because the state has a road charging system that is similar to New Zealand’s. The company undertook a commercial pilot in October 2012 and a regulatory pilot in 2013.
Following the regulatory pilot, an independent review and audit by the Oregon Secretary of State Audits Division concluded that the Eroad solution reduces the burden of record-keeping by helping motor carriers prepare and submit weight-mile tax reports.
According to the company, a number of the customers that took part in the pilots are now Eroad customers in Oregon.
The company has three sales staff and two administration and customer support staff based in its Portland office.


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Riot Games Accidentally Reveals Wild Rift Lunar New Year Gwen Skin
The champions who will receive the upcoming League of Legends: Wild Rift Lunar New Year Skins have been revealed by dataminers. The champions who will be receiving these skins are Gwen, Zoe, Caitlyn, Camille, and Seraphine, but the skin designs are yet to be revealed. However, the upcoming Lunar New Year skin for Gwen was accidentally revealed during the Wild Circuit Asia Open 2022. According to dataminers, the skins may be released during the Chinese new year in s. Riot Games is yet to confirm the release of the said skins.
Riot Games accidentally reveals Lunar New Year Gwen skin during Wild Circuit Asia 2022
Fans briefly get a glimpse of one of the upcoming Lunar New Year skins in Wild Rift. Through a now edited post from Wild Rift Champions Southeast Asia (WCS) Philippines, Gwen was seen with an unreleased skin.
The post showed the pro player Prasittichai "Valdus" Jiadchat’s post-match MVP title after the first game between Nigma Galaxy and EVOS Thailand and the Gwen skin was a part of the infographic design.
The official WCS Philippines page shortly changed the image of the post but fans were able to take a screenshot before it was edited.
Fans speculate that the leaked skin was for the upcoming Lunar New Year skin which is released every Chinese new year. According to the dataminer ChowZ, Gwen’s leaked skin along with the other champions, Zoe, Caitlyn, Camille, and Seraphine, are likely to be released in the Wild Rift Patch 4.0 update in the first month of 2023.
The upcoming skins may also be Wild Rift exclusive skins similar to the recently released Lunar Beasts skins featuring Miss Fortune.
Players should take note that Riot Games is yet to confirm the release of the upcoming Lunar Year skins in Wild Rift. Fans should keep their eyes peeled for more updates in the future.


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2023 Author: Gordon Kinson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-26 08:36
In September, the mobile market was simultaneously replenished with two flagship devices from Apple. The older model iPhone 5s and the more affordable iPhone 5c have become a kind of division of the smartphone lineup. According to analysts, the consequence of this decision will be an increase in the number of annual updates.
Morgan Stanley's Katie Huberty, in a policy brief to investors, called the iPhone dividing "thoughtful." Surprisingly, this happened immediately after her conversation with Tim Cook and Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer. Huberty believes the company is targeting multiple devices annually, such as the launch of the iPad 3 and 4 in 2012.
There is nothing strange in this, because recently Apple's strategy has changed markedly. Traditional Fall iPad and iPhone Eventscaused a significant stir, while Apple's music players received absolutely no noticeable updates this year. The analyst also noted the likely growth in production and profits in the service sector, citing the great potential for bringing together some 600 million “high-end” customers with credit card binding and the introduction of technologies such as Touch ID fingerprint sensor.
According to Huberty, the system could become an inexhaustible source of income. Moreover, most of the existing Apple servicesoffered free of charge or at relatively low cost. For example, iTunes Match, where a user stores his music collection, being able to download or stream it to any device, costs only $ 25 per year. Many experts believe that the company is in the early stages of developing a new mobile payment system related to Touch ID and Bluetooth, which, if successful, could become Apple's main source of income, thanks to the huge number of iOS devices.
- Apple in China: History of Market Conquest and Forecasts for the Future.
- Apple is increasing its research and development costs. iWatch and iTV next year.
- Apple's formula for success is update, debug, redo, then rethink.
- Apple's leadership in the business arena is confirmed by the numbers.
- Apple opens a sapphire crystal factory in the United States.
IPhone 5 sales start Friday in the US and eight other major markets in the world. Next week, the phone will be available in 22 more countries. The customer response stunned Apple as the phone became the fastest selling iPhone ever.\nFour days before the start of sales, Apple analyst Gene Munster released information that sales would hit a minimum of 6 million, or even all 10
Morgan Stanley Bank analysts note that demand for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus remains high. The Apple Watch is also doing well - user interest in Apple smartwatches has already surpassed that of the first iPhone.According to MS analyst Katy Huberty, by the end of June Apple will sell 53 million iPhone smartphones
New York-based brokerage Cantor Fitzgerald raised its target price for Apple shares from $ 160 to $ 180. Taking into account the current circulation of shares, this gives a capitalization of $ 1.05 trillion. The fact that Apple will become the first trillion-dollar company has been talked about since the beginning of the year, and only Cantor Fitzgerald gave a reasoned forecast
Fortune has published its traditional roundup of what Wall Street analysts expect to hear from Apple next week, and those predictions are rather disturbing. Average quarterly iPhone sales of 38.2 million devices represent only 2% year-on-year growth in sales
Piper Jaffray analyst - Gene Munster (Gene Munster) presented another forecast, according to which Apple should release a budget iPhone model in the next few years. Taking into account the fact that the share of Apple products in emerging markets such as Russia, India, Brazil and China is extremely small, the analyst predicts the appearance of a low-cost iPhone model around 2014


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Long-term Xerox partner and leading Mauritian print solutions provider Harel Mallac Bureautique was named Africa Operations Distributor of the Year at the Bytes Document Solutions Sales Honours and Achievers Awards evening held recently.
Harel Mallac Bureatique has been the sole representative of Xerox in Mauritius for more than 50 years. The company markets and services Xerox document equipment, software solutions and services. Its product range includes small desktop devices through to multifunctional office devices.
The award celebrates the company’s Xerox sales growth, services and innovation, which have been exceptional in particularly tough economic ties.
“We are proud and happy to have won the African Operations Distributor of the Year award,” says Alain Ah-Sue, MD of Harel Mallac Bureatique. “Our team’s hard work, dedication and commitment, and the trust that our customers have in us and the Xerox brand have definitely contributed to our excellent results in 2015.
“I would like to thank all our stakeholders, our colleagues at Harel Mallac Bureautique, our loyal customers and last but not least the staff and management of Bytes Document Solutions Africa Operations.”
The BDS Achievers Awards recognise top-performing business partners who exceed specified targets and goals. The prize for Africa Operations Distributor of the Year was an all-expenses paid trip for two to Zanzibar, and a cash bonus.
“Alain and his team have achieved exceptional performance,” says Johan Basson, CEO of Bytes Document Solutions. “Harel Mallac Bureautique are deserving winners and should be proud of what has been achieved over the past year.
“Xerox’s advanced digital printing technology and services have provided the right printing applications to enable Harel Mallac Bureatique’s clients to grow their business and boost profits. Combining the right printing equipment, workflow and software solutions, and finishing equipment results in digital printing applications that drive profits for its customers.”
Basson adds that as the top distributor in Africa of Xerox products and services, Harel Mallac Bureautique will continue to strengthen its position in the Mauritian market even further with Xerox document management solutions.


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SPENDING £50 million to develop new products and services will be high on the agenda at an innovation event for Notts businesses.
Organised by D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, the innovation summit is at the University of Derby's Enterprise Centre, in Bridge Street, Derby, on Thursday.
It will focus on how D2N2 can use its access to multi-million-pound funding streams to promote innovation in business in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. Ideas and advice from those attending will be used to help shape the support D2N2 businesses require in the future.
Between 2014 and 2020, D2N2 proposes to spend £50 million supporting business innovation and is developing a strategy how this can be deployed. At the summit, David Ralph, chief executive of D2N2, will ask businesses what additional help they require to grow and recruit.
He said: "When it comes to achieving our goal of helping create 55,000 new jobs in the area by 2023, innovation has to be at the heart of it. Innovation delivers growth. Finding new ways of doing things, new products and new ways of delivery increases competitiveness and markets.
"Innovation is not about technology. It is simply about doing things in a more efficient and effective way.
"D2N2 is at the forefront of innovation. This gives the area a competitive advantage and growth comes from exploiting that advantage.
"Innovation matters immensely because there has to be a willingness to be innovative and mould-breaking. This is a high moment of opportunity.
"We want to release finance to give people and business the confidence to make that next step, to be forward-thinking, to be innovating. As well as the programme identified within our strategic economic plan, we have our Unlocking Investment for Growth fund, which is part of the Government's Regional Growth Fund, which innovative firms can access.
"This is available and we have seen success stories of of firms being innovative in their vision to grow. This fund, which offers grants to stimulate and accelerate expansion plans and to support the purchase of fixed assets, has helped them create jobs and grow their business."
Will Rossiter, of the economic strategy research bureau at Nottingham Trent University, will speak about a research project being done with the University of Nottingham and the University of Derby looking at innovation in the area.
He said: "We are going to feed back a few findings from our review of the evidence, and promoting a local innovation survey that we are keen to encourage firms to respond to.''
Find out why innovation matters to Notts businesses in a 24-page D2N2 supplement in tomorrow's Post.


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[ANKARA] Turkey's central bank banned the use of cryptocurrencies and crypto assets to purchase goods and services, a week after Turkish authorities demanded user information from trading platforms.
In a legislation published in the Official Gazette overnight, the Central Bank of Turkey (CBRT) said cryptocurrencies and other such digital assets based on distributed ledger technology could not be used, directly or indirectly, as an instrument of payment.
"Payment service providers will not be able to develop business models in a way that crypto assets are used directly or indirectly in the provision of payment services and electronic money issuance, and will not be able to provide any services related to such business models," the bank said.
The growing boom in Turkey's crypto market has further gained pace recently, with investors hoping to both gain from bitcoin's rally and shelter against inflation.
Yet local investors said a weaker Turkish lira and inflation pressures, as well as hopes of quick gains, have driven up demand for the cryptocurrency.
Turkey's annual inflation climbed above 16 per cent in March.
The legislation goes into effect on April 30.


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Innovate Ltd are delighted to announce the expansion of our global cloud infrastructure network with the opening of two new Data Centres in Australia, located in Sydney and Melbourne.
David Pape, director at Innovate said: “We are really excited by this expansion in our global service provision. The opportunity to expand into the Asia Pacific market arose from a combination of growing demands from our expanding customer base for global service delivery, as well as our own desire to improve our end user experiences across APAC and to ensure that we have the infrastructure to deliver excellent cloud services across the globe, now and in the future.”
The new facilities have recently come into full service and join Innovate’s existing Data Centres in Manchester, Newbury and Slough in the UK and Frankfurt in Germany. There are also further expansion plans for future Data Centres in the USA.
David Continues: “We took a decision a few years back to move from traditional IT Services into the Cloud Services market and have not looked back since. This is most definitely an industry for the future and we are already seeing the benefits of our investment as our customer base grows strongly alongside our infrastructure and as we grow into new sectors and regions.”
“We will continue to invest in emerging technology and new markets, to offer our customers the benefit of one of the most stable, flexible and advanced Cloud Platforms in the industry. We feel we now have a great product range to offer and with these new Data Centres in place, we will also have a great opportunity to grow down-under”.


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Leap in failures of small firms
THE rate of failure among Britain’s small businesses has trebled in the past three years, according to new research by a leading business school.
The study, by the Centre for Business Research at Cambridge University, was cited by opposition politicians and business groups as evidence of the Government’s insensitivity to the needs of small companies.
It challenges government figures that indicate that the number of business failures has fallen in recent years.
Alan Hughes, director of the Centre for Business Research and a co-author of the study, said: “The increased rate of failures among small companies is a matter for serious concern.
“Despite substantial increases in government support for small companies over the past decade, it clearly has a long way to go in helping


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- Related Games:
- Slime Rancher
Slime Rancher is an indie darling that has captivated audiences with its adorable, slippery animals and the simple pleasures of being a rancher on a faraway planet. The game’s been accessible for quite some time now, and Monomi Park has always done well in the developer’s hot seat by giving players a variety of quality-of-life updates since the title’s infancy. Now, it’s going one step further with the free Slime Rancher VR update that will be coming soon to Steam.
It goes without saying that those who have been sucking up slimes happily on a variety of gaming platforms will have to own the title on Steam to really get the most out of this update. The page on the Steam store for this update lists it as DLC currently, and it looks like we’ll be getting closer to the slimy inhabitants of the main game than ever. VR opens up a lot of possibilities in the ranching sphere and affords current players the opportunity to really immerse themselves in the Far, Far Range.
The Steam store page also lists 3lb Games as one of the developers, who is perhaps better known for producing Space Dragon which, as the name suggests, was a visual romp about dragons in the galaxy. While ranching may seem like more dialed down fare, it’s good to see that Monomi Park has teamed up with an already-experienced VR dev to take this DLC to the next level.
It looks like the DLC will be dropping later on this year in Q3 2018, so we have some time left to get acquainted with the various climes of the Far, Far Range before putting our VR goggles on. The fact that it’s a free update may sweeten the deal on players who aren’t already sitting in the “VR is the future” camp, and it’s hard to think of a game that would be better suited to make the transition as easy (and as adorable) as Slime Rancher.


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October 16, 2018
SAN JOSE, CALIF, PRWEB | October 16, 2018
Original news item appeared in: www.prweb.com
Azuga, the leading provider of connected vehicle and fleet technologies, today announced key safety findings from its proprietary Accident Risk Model. The company created this model to assess levels of threats for drivers based on underlying behavior and external factors. This offering is the latest analysis-based consultative solution from the rapidly growing company that provides a suite of hardware and software solutions to help fleets monitor and improve driver behavior, reduce risk and ultimately lower costs related to driving incidents.
“Although each fleet-based business has its own unique safety challenges, we have determined that there are specific indicators that significantly increase the likelihood of potential accidents for all fleets,” said Ananth Rani, CEO and co-founder of Azuga. “By educating our customers with these trends and insights, we can help them improve the safety of their drivers and the communities in which they serve quicker and more seamlessly than ever before.”
Azuga’s Accident Risk Model leverages the combined analysis of real accident data from over 6,000 vehicles with individual Driver Scores, which are determined based on the frequency of risky driving behaviors, such as hard braking, acceleration, posted speed limit violations, distractions and fatigue. With the recent investment in innovation by Sumeru Equity Partners, this piece of the business is poised for rapid expansion via new technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and blockchain solutions.
In addition to its investment in innovation, Azuga also announced this week that it has bolstered its team with two executive hires – Subash Gopalkrishnan as chief financial officer and Garret Seevers as vice president of marketing. Both Gopalkrishnan and Seevers bring a wealth of experience to Azuga and are uniquely suited to support the company in its continued growth.
Gopalkrishnan is a technology industry veteran with experience leading corporate finance at marquee companies in the Bay area with global footprints. Recently he led ScaleArc (VC-funded by Accel, Benchmark, Nexus) to a successful exit. Prior to that he was integral in the Pivotal spin-off from VMWare and was an early member of the finance team that helped PayPal grow from $150M to $2.5B.
Seevers was most recently with Intuit for over 12 years, where he led marketing and product teams in developing disruptive new services, managing consumer and small business channel divisions, and launching new support segments and product platforms. In addition to his dynamic role with Intuit, Seevers’ prior experience with The Coca-Cola Company, Diageo and E&J Gallo have shown him how to operate and rapidly scale company marketing functions.
“The addition of Subash and Garret significantly enhances our ability to become the world’s leading connected fleet technology provider. Their decades of experience and many accolades within their respective industries have us poised for success, and I am very excited to welcome them both to the team,” said Rani.
For additional information about Azuga, its Accident Risk Model services and other safe driving solutions, visit https://www.azuga.com, or meet with team members on-site at GIE+EXPO (October 17-19, booth #28051), PestWorld (October 23-26, booth #2030), or Fleet Safety Conference (October 29-31, booth #1).
Azuga, backed by Sumeru Equity Partners, is a leading global connected vehicle platform, helping our customers turn data from vehicles and their use into intelligence that improves operations and safety while reducing cost and risk. Azuga provides reliable end-to-end solutions for commercial fleets, government agencies, insurance companies and automotive industry suppliers, through leading hardware technology, integrated driver rewards program, award-winning fleet applications and data analytics. Our award-winning Azuga Fleet solution is used by thousands of businesses—from the small fleet of a few vehicles up to several thousand—and is lauded by our customers for its ease-of-use, robust features, and affordable pricing. For more information, visit https://www.azuga.com and follow us on Twitter @Azuga_GPS.


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Industry: telecommunications, new media
2005 ranking: new entry
No one in the media industry in the past 12 months had more impact with a single gesture than Dunstone. The Carphone Warehouse boss had his rivals tearing up their business plans when he announced his "free" broadband offer in April. In a £110m landgrab for the broadband market, he stole a march on Sky.
Such was its success that 340,000 customers signed up in just eight weeks, leaving the company struggling to cope with demand. "Broadband should be a right, not a privilege," declared Dunstone.
Carphone Warehouse has 2.6 million customers signed up to its TalkTalk service and wants 3.5 million by 2009, half of them on broadband, giving it a 15% share of the broadband market. It became BT's largest national competitor at the end of last year when it bought Onetel from Centrica and the British and Irish operations of Swedish telco outfit Tele2.
The broadband war will intensify later this year with the launch of so-called "triple play" packages combining broadband, telephony and TV from the likes of BSkyB and BT. Virgin/NTL will go one further with the "quadruple play", including mobile phones as well.


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50 Tesla Vehicles Added To Dubai Taxi Fleet
October, 02nd 2017
With an objective to transform Dubai into the smartest city in the world, the country’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has launched a taxi fleet of 50 Teslas, featuring new Model S and Model X cars.
As directed by Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai the vehicles will be part of the Dubai Taxi Corporation (DTC). The adoption of Tesla vehicles is said to be in line with the Dubai Smart Autonomous Mobility Strategy.
To convert 25% of total journeys into driverless journeys by 2030 is the aim here, and this includes the plans of having flying taxis as well. This would also support the Green Economy for Sustainable Development Initiative of Shaikh Mohammad.
“50 Teslas have already been shipped to the RTA as part of a deal at the World Government Summit 2017. Mattar Al Tayer, The director general and chairman of the board of executive directors of the RTA said that 75 vehicles will be supplied in 2018 and 75 others to be delivered the next year,”
They have also made sure that the required infrastructure to ensure operations of the vehicles and the 13 electric charging stations are provided by the concerned parties


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If you are overwhelmed with 2000s nostalgia and can't wait for the re-release of the most indestructible phone ever, the Nokia 3310, we have good news for you — the phone will be here a lot sooner than you think.
Finnish startup HMD Global, which now develops the beloved (and reborn) phone, announced that the 3310 will be available in the UK starting on May 24 for £49.99, reports Tech Radar.
The new 3310 is a smaller, lighter, reimagined version of its legendary predecessor, with a 2.4-inch polarized color screen, a very basic 2-megapixel rear camera, 16 MB storage (plus a MicroSD card slot with support up to 32 GB), and LED flash around the back.
It will be available in four colors — Warm Red and Yellow, both with a gloss finish, and Dark Blue and Grey, both in a matte finish. The battery, which offers 22 hours of talk time off a single charge, will last up to 31 days in stand by.
And of course, it will feature classic Snake, because it wouldn't be a Nokia 3310 without it.
Those in the Netherlands and Belgium will get their hands on the phone on June 5 while Germans will be able to enjoy from May 26 at the price of €59.99.
As of right now, we don't know when the phone will get a wider release, but for the sake of our nostalgia, we hope it's soon.


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After five years as eBay Enterprise, the $1 billion-in-annual-sales, King of Prussia-based, 7,500-worker retail-logistics company founded as GSI Commerce is back as an independent firm with a new name, Radial.
"We were the smallest business unit in a big public company. Now, commerce technology and commerce operations is the only thing we do," Radial chief executive Tobias Hartmann said before Tuesday's planned unveiling of the new name at the company's headquarters.
Hartmann said that the firm has grown beyond taking clients' customer orders and shipping products from its warehouses in Southern states, Canada, and Europe. Now, he said, it sells everything from advice to factory-to-truck ordering, tracking, scheduling, payment, and protection service for hundreds of retailers, including DSW, GameStop, and DestinationXL.
"Consumers are dictating what they want to purchase and when," and that gets complicated, Hartmann said.
"That consumer may be closer to a store in King of Prussia than a warehouse in Kentucky. We have the distribution center; we have the technologies and apps for inventory and order routing; we have the payments and algorithms for tech systems, payment systems, customer care, and fraud prevention. We plan the routing for the truck companies. We are the partner behind the scene," he said.
Though sales and overall head count are up thanks to acquisitions, Radial employs 700 at its newly consolidated headquarters in King of Prussia, down from 1,000 when GSI was sold.
"We're going to need additional tech talent," Hartmann said.
A key hire is Stefan Weitz, chief product and strategy officer, who spent 18 years launching products for Microsoft.
Even well-known retailers such as Macy's and Nordstrom - a chain that rapidly invested in e-commerce - are facing credit-rating downgrades as costs rise and profits slip.
Weitz said retailers are trying to simplify ordering choices while also trimming delivery costs, which can eat up to a third of order values, and still meet on-time and low-fee standards set by online giant Amazon.
"Consumers don't just want a website. They want the whole experience, from shopping cart to customer care, to say when and where it arrives," he added.
"It's one of the most fascinating computer-science problems, moving objects through space hundreds of thousands of times a day. That is an amazing problem for any scientist or engineer," Weitz said.
Working sometimes with law enforcement, Radial's fraud unit pinpoints products that attract thieves (jewelry, electronics), high-fraud days during the Christmas sales season, and patterns pointing to phony purchasers in sales-tax havens such as Delaware and Oregon.
Weitz named Philadelphia-based Urban Outfitters as one of the few retailers successfully balancing online and store sales, and expressed the hope that Radial will, as it grows, open software-development offices in a city location as cool as Urban Outfitters' renovated Navy Yard complex.
Hartmann joined what is now Radial in 2011, the year founder Michael Rubin sold publicly traded GSI to online-auction giant eBay for $2.4 billion so Rubin could concentrate on his original business, Fanatics, the online sports-team clothing company.
Hartmann seeks to lead steady growth at a business that has seen quick turnover in the corner office. In the fall, he replaced Craig Hayman, who went on to run Boston-based Internet of Things software provider PTC Partners, which spent more than $100 million each acquiring ThingWorx of Exton and ColdLight Solutions of Wayne.
Hayman had replaced Chris Saridakis, sentenced to 15 months on a federal insider-trading conviction in 2014 for helping friends cash in on the GSI sale.
Offering clients such as Toys R Us and Dick's Sporting Goods competitive online services, eBay hoped to rival Amazon as an online retail provider. But some of its corporate clients replaced eBay Enterprise and developed their own online operations. Last year, under pressure from activist investor Carl Icahn, eBay sold the group to private investors for just $925 million.
Investors Sterling Partners and Longview Asset Management combined eBay Enterprise with Georgia-based rival Innotrac to form Radial.
Three specialized tech and marketing units were broken off from Radial by private investors and now operate as separate firms: Pepperjam, in Wilkes-Barre and King of Prussia; Magento Commerce Technologies, in Campbell, Calif., and a customer-relationship management group sold to New York-based Zeta Interactive.


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Skin Care Firm Turns Up the Juice NEW YORK — Three-year-old organic skin care marketer Juice Beauty will introduce its first antiaging treatment collection, called Green Apple Skincare, exclusively at Sephora USA next month. At the same time, the brand will launch a reformulated and repackaged version of its core line.
Christin Powell, founder and chief creative officer of the company, is projecting $6 million in combined wholesale revenues from both Juice Beauty collections by next year.
Green Apple, a six-item line ranging in price from $26 to $45, is designed to treat problem and aging skin. The collection features a cleansing gel, a peel, a mask, an antioxidant serum, an eye cream and an SPF 15 moisturizer.
Green Apple's key ingredients are organic juice solutions, which contain hydroxy acid complex, a brightening, antioxidant solution. Formulations also feature dimethylaminoethanol, or DMAE, which is said to firm skin while enhancing elasticity; alpha-lipoic acid, an enzyme used as an antiinflammatory, and co-enzyme Q10, which purportedly promotes cellular renewal.
Juice Beauty's repackaged and reformulated core line consists of 15 products, including a cleansing milk, a hydrating mist, a redness reducing serum and an SPF 30 moisturizer. Items in the collection, which ranges in price from $14 to $45, are grouped into a four-step regimen for all skin types.
Powell and her business partners — Karen Behnke, Juice Beauty's chief executive officer, and Melissa Jochim, director of product development — found that consumers don't have a clear idea what "organic" is, according to Powell. She said she hopes to establish in the marketplace what it means to be organic. "People want a product that is natural but also very effective," she said. "Our philosophy is such that 'organic' is a lifestyle, not a trend."
According to USDA organic standards, "raw ingredients [must] make up 70 percent or [more of the organic product]," Powell said, noting, "In our case it is often 90 percent."
Betsy Olum, senior vice president of marketing for Sephora, where Green Apple will be carried on an exclusive basis for the first six months, said 70 percent "begs the question: What [makes up] the other 30 percent?" Juice Beauty's products are "100 percent juice concentrate," she noted, adding Juice Beauty "is a lot about what's not in the product."Both Juice Beauty collections are free of artificial preservatives, said Jochim, who added that the packaging, which reflects the brand's organic positioning, is designed to have a "spa-like" feel. Sephora provided input when the packaging was being developed and Olum said Juice Beauty graphics make the brand "client-friendly," enabling customers "to get the point" about organics.
To promote the brand and consumer awareness about "organics," Juice Beauty has slated monthly and quarterly advertorials — which will focus on Green Apple — in major beauty magazines, according to Powell. Sephora will promote both collections in Sephora catalogues as well as online.
Besides Sephora, Juice Beauty's distribution network includes specialty and department store doors, independent boutiques and ShopNBC.com. The core collection is slated to be rolled out to Whole Foods. Internationally, Sears Canada will launch both collections, Behnke noted. Juice Beauty will also be launched in 22 House of Fraser stores in the U.K. this month, as well as four Harvey Nichols locations next month. There will also be distribution in Korea. — Ashley Moore
Markwins Files Lawsuit Against Mirage NEW YORK — Markwins Beauty Products, a subsidiary of Markwins International that markets color cosmetics brands such as Wet 'n' Wild and Black Radiance, has filed a lawsuit against Maryland-based Mirage Cosmetics in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
The suit alleges that Mirage's use of the trademark Wild and Crazy on a competing line of budget cosmetics sold in the same retail channels as Wild 'n' Wild cosmetics infringes on Markwins' trademark rights. Markwins has filed a motion for an immediate preliminary injunction, which, if granted, would prevent Mirage from using the Wild and Crazy trademark on cosmetics in food, drug and mass market retail stores that also sell Wet 'n' Wild cosmetics.
Mirage Cosmetics president Chris Chon said the firm registered the Wild and Crazy trademark in 1997, and has distributed the line to various retail channels over the last eight years. Mirage's national sales manager, Stan Goldberg, said, "It's a legal trademark, and we're going to use it." — Molly Prior
As one of the most recognizable models in the world, Christy Turlington Burns has an insider’s view of the fashion industry and the allegations of sexual harassment swirling around it. “I can say that harassment and mistreatment have always been widely known and tolerated in the industry. The industry is surrounded by predators who thrive on the constant rejection and loneliness so many of us have experiences at some point in our careers,” Turlington told WWD, along with her suggestions for how the modeling world should protect younger women and men. Read more on WWD.com. Link in bio. (📷: Tony Palmieri) #wwdnews
@asics America has tapped a new brand ambassador: famed DJ/record producer @steveaoki. This initiative is intended to set the tone for the new brand identity and philosophy and will include partnerships with influencers and in-store and off-line activations that will continue into next year. This is Asics’ most significant marketing effort in two decades, and is expected to attract younger consumers to the brand. #wwdfashion
24-year-old Jean Prounis is redefining the rules of jewelry. Formerly a studio assistant to Jemima Kirke and a design apprentice at Ghuran, she focuses on handcrafted subtleties and ancient goldsmithing techniques. “There was a really sterile feel in the environment and I wanted to have jewelry with character that shapes how you wear it everyday,” Prounis said. Each piece is hand made in New York, either by Prounis or three other jewelers in the district. #wwdfashion
“These collections continue to build on that vision, empowering differently abled adults to express themselves through fashion,” said @tommyhilfiger of his line of adaptive apparel, which launches today. The line consists of 37 men’s and 34 women’s styles based upon the pieces from the spring Tommy Hilfiger sportswear collection. #wwdnews
“Stranger Things” is getting a new cast member for season 2. Meet @sadiesink_, the 15-year-old who will be joining the Netflix series for its new season. You may recognize her from “The Glass Castle” with Brie Larson and Woody Harrelson, but the Texas native’s next role goes in an entirely different direction. She describes her character, Max, as “a rough and tumble skater girl [who] becomes friends with the boys at school.” The second season debuts on October 27. (📷: @jgreenery) #wwdeye
Amid the Harvey Weinstein controversy, there’s another sector that’s being put under the spotlight for sexual abuse: the modeling industry. While rumors about abuse and sexual harassment of female and male models — and the photographers, agents and others who perpetrated it — have circulated within the fashion world for years, model @cameronrussell started posting stories from models on Instagram last week about abusive situations they’ve encountered — from sexual harassment and molestation to attempted rape. Over 75 have weighed in so far. Read more on WWD.com. Link in bio. #wwdnews
To celebrate its 16th anniversary, @dylanscandybar tapped designers and celebrities to create mosaics out of candy. The mosaics will be auctioned off to support the philanthropic cause of each participant’s choice. Pictured here is the mural created by @aliceandolivia's Stacey Bendet. For a first look at some of the other artwork being unveiled tonight, go to WWD.com. #wwdeye
The annual Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic in Pacific Palisades this weekend drew Kate Hudson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Laura Dern and more. See pictures of the star-studded event on WWD.com. (📷: @chelsealaurenla) #wwdeye
In his new book “Hollywood Royale,” Andy Warhol’s Protégé Matthew Rolston celebrates the Eighties revival of Hollywood glamour. Featuring more than 100 portraits taken by Rolston from 1977 to 1993, the book contains photos of icons like Michael Jackson, Cyndi Lauper, and @drewbarrymore, pictured here in 1991. “Hollywood Royale,” out today, will be accompanied by an exhibition opening at Los Angeles’ Fahey/Klein Gallery on March 1. #wwdeye


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Business leaders' reading recommendations for 2012
By Kim Da-ye
Many leaders have identified reading as the key to their success. Business Focus asked Korea’s industry leaders which books they read last year, plan to read this year and recommend the readers.
POSCO Chairman & CEO
China’s mindset on Korea: Rational Friend, Emotional Other by Chung Duck-koo
Chung Joon-yang, chairman and CEO of global steelmaker POSCO, told employees on the first working day of 2012 of increasing uncertainties in Korea’s economy.
The world is anxiously watching China’s real estate market if bubbles would finally burst, putting the global economy in danger, while the sudden death of former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il could escalate political unrest in the Korean peninsula at any time.
Calling 2012 “an infection point,” Chung said China is at the center of change and recommended China’s Mindset on Korea as a must-read this year.
Written by Chung Duck-koo, chairman of the North East Asia Research (NEAR) Foundation and former minister of commerce, industry and energy, the book explores what the Chinese government and Chinese people really think of Korea and Koreans.
The book was also recommended by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Kim Sung-hwan who reportedly gave out this book to the staff as a present at the beginning of the year.
The Forgotton man: A New History of the Great Depression by Amity Shlaes
At a directors’ meeting at the end of last year, Chung mentioned The Forgotten Man by American veteran journalist Amity Shlaes while calling for the company to weather the global economic crisis wisely.
The Forgotten Man narrates the history of the Great Depression from a free-market perspective with stories from real people. In this book, Schales, a conservative voice, criticizes government interventions and even the New Deal, which is known to many Koreans as a successful measure against the depression.
Regardless of the accuracy of Schales’ argument, the book shows that various measures to fight an economic crisis were already tried and tested back then, and POSCO should learn from the book in preparing for difficult times ahead, Chung commented.
“In addition to the importance of telling the story of the Great Depression from a different perspective, The Forgotten Man is a good book for those studying the historical development model in this persisting global economic crisis,” Chung said in recommending the book.
KT Chairman & CEO
Collaboration: How Leaders Avoid the Traps, Create Unity, and Reap Big Results by Morten T. Hansen
Collaboration by Morten T. Hansen doesn’t call for readers to collaborate more but tells of how collaboration should be done because bad collaboration is worse than none.
The book is based on 15 years of research, in-depth case studies of major corporations including Apple and Hewlett-Packard and interviews.
Hansen, a former professor at Harvard Business School, currently teaches at the University of California, Berkeley, and INSEAD in France.
Start-up Nation: The Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle by Dan Senor and Saul Singer
Did you know Israel has placed more companies on the NASDAQ stock exchange than any other country outside the U.S.?
The book’s official description says that it addresses “the trillion dollar question” about how “Israel — a country of 7.1 million, only 60 years old, surrounded by enemies, in a constant state of war since its founding, with no natural resources — produce more start-up companies than large, peaceful and stable nations like Japan, China, India, Korea, Canada, and the U.K.”
The authors, experts in foreign policy, found the answers in the country’s “adversity-driven culture, flattened hierarchies, and government policies” that created an intensely innovative and entrepreneurial society.
AmorePacific President & CEO
Doing Both: Capturing Today’s Profit and Driving Tomorrow’s Growth by Inder Sidhu
If you are hesitating between innovating for the future and doing your best at the present, this book tells you should do both.
The book is a case study of how Cisco’s “Doing Both” strategy has helped double revenue, triple profits and quadruple earnings per share.
It is also a story from an insider — Author Inder Sidhu is the senior vice president of strategy and planning for worldwide operations at Cisco, a computer networking services provider.
Suh Kyung-bae, the CEO of AmorePacific, recommended this book as the leading cosmetics firm will focus on innovation this year.
The company established this year’s key strategies as “innovation of brands and products, innovation of purchase experiences, innovation of communications, exploration of new markets and innovation of the working environment.”
The Responsibility Revolution: How the Next Generation of Businesses Will Win by Jeffrey Hollender
The CEO clearly takes corporate social responsibility (CRS) seriously, judging by his recommendation of the book as well as AmorePacific’s CSR activities under the slogan of “Beautiful People, Better Tomorrow.”
The Responsibility Revolution is all about how to build a socially and environmentally responsible company, and Jeffrey Hollender may be one of the best people to write about it. Hollender is the co-founder and former CEO of Seventh Generation which makes eco-friendly household products including laundry detergents, diapers and trash bags.
Shinhan Bank President and CEO
Firms of Endearment: How World-Class Companies Profit from Passion and Purpose by Rajendra Sisodia, Jagdish Sheth and David Wolfe
The book establishes the stakeholder relationship management (SRM) business model that serves not only shareholders but also customers, employees, suppliers and communities.
Published by the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, a top U.S. business school, the book argues that companies adapting to the SRM business model would outperform non-SRM counterparts in building shareholders’ wealth.
“This book was published in early 2008, but as Capitalism 4.0 became an issue in 2011, it became increasingly relevant,” said
Suh Jin-won, the CEO of Shinhan Bank, linking the SRM business model to Shinhan’s “warm finance” principle that aims to benefit the world with financial tools.
Detail Management by Wang Zhong Qui
Suh expects that companies will face many challenges in 2012 amid heightening uncertainties in the global economy and sluggish growth, and finds the solution in “detail management.”
“Boosting efficiency in management will be achieved through bold investment in preparation for the future including exploring new markets and strengthening the capability of employees as well as decisive cutting out of parts that are being wasted,” Suh said, promising an efficient management in 2012.
Citibank Korea President and CEO
Civilization: The West and the Rest by Niall Ferguson
It wouldn’t be just Niall Ferguson, a Harvard University professor, who wondered why Western Europe overtook civilizations in the East that had been far more advanced for the most part of mankind’s history.
The author identifies six elements that allowed Western Europe’s fast advance: competition, science, democracy, medicine, consumerism and the work ethic.
“This book understands the elements that empowered the Western civilization, and warns that it can collapse at any time. Despite the limitation of the dichotomous view that divided the world into the west and the rest, the historical facts are fun to read
as well as instructive,” Ha commented.
Shock of Gray by Ted C. Fishman
The contents of Shock of Gray, written by a veteran journalist Ted C. Fishman, is best-summarized by its subtitle, “The Aging of the World’s Population and how it Pits Young Against Old, Child Against Parent, Worker Against Boss, Company Against Rival, and Nation Against Nation.”
Recommending the book, Ha said, “As the structure of the population becomes deformed, conflicts within companies are intensifying. We need to handle the aging of the population wisely.”
Kang Seung-woo, Yoon Ja-young and Kim Jae-kyoung contributed to this article.
국내 최고 CEO들이 올해 추천하는 책
2012년을 맞아 비즈니스포커스 팀은 국내 대기업 및 금융기관의 CEO 5인에게 새해에 꼭 읽고 싶은 책을 추천 받았다. 급속히 변하는 시대를 반영하듯 기업 리더들은 새로운 경영환경 및 조직 운영 등에 관현 경영서적을 주로 추천했다.
정준양 포스코 회장
잊혀진 사람, 애미티 슐래스 저
한국을 보는 중국의 본심, 정덕구 저
이석채 KT 회장
협업 Collaboration, 몰텐 T. 핸슨 저
창업국가, 댄 세노르, 사울싱어 공저
서경배 아모레퍼시픽 회장
투 래빗: 두마리 토끼를 잡아라! 인더 시두 저
책임혁명 제프리 홀렌더 저
위대한 기업을 넘어 사랑받는 기업으로, 라젠드라 시소디어 저
디테일 경영, 왕중추 저
시빌라이제이션, 니어 퍼거슨 저
회색쇼크, 테드 C. 피시먼 저


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According to Japan's Semiconductor Industry News, Samsung is manufacturing the 45 nanometer processor that will power the PS Vita's central processing unit.
Sony made the PlayStation Portable's CPU, so the move to Samsung is a remarkable change—remarkable because Samsung goods aren't traditionally widely sold in Japan for a myriad of reasons (this is changing!). Microsoft, who uses Samsung televisions for Xbox 360 demo stations, has in the past covered up the Samsung logo in hopes of not putting off Japanese gamers.
Japan and South Korea have a long history of tension.
Semiconductor Industry News provided no further details, and Kotaku is following up with Sony.
In related Sony-Samsung news, the two electronics giants recently denied that they are ending the joint liquid crystal display venture they established in 2004. The venture was created to manufacture slimmer TVs.
半導体産業新聞 [Semiconductor News]
(Top photo: David McNew | Getty)


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We didn’t see this coming, but maybe we should have. Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have already graced the cover of Vogue together, so it’s only natural for the dynamic duo to pose for a high-fashion advertising campaign. Good friend to the Kardashian-Jenner clan and Balmain designer, Olivier Rousteing, tapped Kimye for the edgy French fashion house’s new menswear Spring 2015 fashion spots, released earlier today. The designer’s Instagram page blew up and the image has already received 15,000 likes — and counting! Mario Sorrenti, who also shot the womenswear ads this season, captured the-world’s-most-talked-about-couple wearing black Balmain threads during an intimate moment. Like it or loathe it? Share your opinion with us inside the thread here.
If you’re a Sydneysider, chances are you’ve probably bumped into Tyson Beckford, or part of his down-under posse, during his 44th birthday celebrations over the last week. Even though he turned the big double-four back on December 19, the festivities and Sydney gallivanting still seem to be in full force. Thanks to social media, we feel like we were there for the whole thing.
Since Tyson flew into Sydney from New York’s JFK last Wednesday, December 17, he’s been living it up with his his 23-year-old bae, Victoria’s Secret supermodel Shanina Shaik, and fellow home-grown leggy babe Ajak Deng, hitting anywhere and everywhere Sydney has to offer in what seems to be a never-ending celebration.
The hot spots have so far included Bondi Beach with his “Babii,” Darling Harbour, Magic City, Westfield Sydney, The Ivy nightclub (on the exclusive Level 6, of course) and Wooloomooloo’s Otto restaurant. (more…)
Model Jesinta Campbell and Sydney Swans star Lance “Buddy” Franklin are putting a ring on it. The former Miss Universe contestant shared the news on her Instagram yesterday, writing, “I cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with you. There are no words to describe how happy we are #ENGAGED.”
It was only 14 months ago that Jesinta, 23, and Lance, 27, officially announced their relationship, again on Instagram, but it looks like a case of “when you know, you know,” with Jesinta already thinking about little ones. She recently told Women’s Health magazine, “In five years time, I want to build my business and also be in a position to start a family.”
Congratulations, you two. We’re sure Jesinta will be the best-dressed WAG for years to come, giving Terry Biviano and Rebecca Judd a run for their money.
The 2014 People Magazine Awards hit California’s Beverly Hilton Hotel on Thursday, December 18 and, thanks to Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting, an Australian designer was able to shine on the star-studded red carpet.
The Big Bang Theory actress wore a long-sleeve Camilla and Marc dress, which featured a high neck with chunky embellishments. It was all a bit rock-glam with Kaley’s coiffed blonde hair, smoky eyes and black accessories complementing the dark number, but the flippy flounce and white nail polish added some much-needed playful energy to the look.
The piece is from Camilla and Marc’s upcoming Autumn 2015 collection, so if you’re a fan, it’s set to hit stores this coming January.
Over the past few weeks, hundreds of protests have gone down across America against the rampant spread of police brutality and in opposition to grand jury decisions to not indict two police officers who killed two unarmed black men, Eric Garner and Michael Brown, in separate incidents. Several hashtags and slogans have arisen in the aftermath of the court decisions, including “I can’t breathe,” Garner’s last words and a rallying cry for a modern American movement. Of course, there will be people looking to capitalize on the popularity of a much-needed call for social change and an Illinois woman is looking to trademark “I can’t breathe” so that she can sell product.
Catherine Crump, a Waukegan, Illinois resident, wants the rights to the phrase so she can use it on hoodies and T-shirts. She has sent in a petition to the United States Patent and Trademark Office for rights to use the phrase. Crump says that she had filed for a trademark August 18, a month after Garner was killed in the street, and that her request has “nothing to do with the Garner family,” though she seems perfectly comfortable making a few dollars off the death of its patriarch. (more…)


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Pharmaceutical Technology’s Faiz Kermani looks at the long history of pharma mergers and finds no sign of the trend slowing down.
It was suggested that in one week of April the total value of various rumored deals was of the order of US$100 billion, illustrating how cash-rich major pharmaceutical companies are. Many of the larger companies looking for deals are themselves the product of a series of M&As that took place over the past two decades. Critics have long argued that previous mergers have not made these companies more efficient, and that their failure to achieve the growth targets promised to investors is why they continue to seek tie ups with other companies possessing lucrative blockbuster products and promising drug pipelines. Nevertheless, companies believe that such deals can add value in the long run for their shareholders. In fact, judging by stock market performance, it would appear that the major companies are performing well financially.
A long history of mergers
Historically, the pharmaceutical industry has seen sequential waves of M&As. In 1985, the 10 largest pharmaceutical companies accounted for approximately 20% of worldwide sales. As consolidation began to occur within the industry, the top 10 companies were able to significantly expand their share of global sales and thus dominate the international market. This trend has continued to the present day. In 2012, the global share of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies reached 42%.
In many cases, the main reason for pursuing a tie-up with another company has been to improve R&D productivity, although it does not always work. By combining R&D programmes, companies believe they will be in a better position to boost new drug output in diverse therapeutic areas. When GlaxoWellcome merged with SmithKline Beecham in 2000, one of the R&D advantages cited for the deal was SmithKline Beecham’s exciting genetics research programmes. For Swiss-based Roche, the 2009 merger with US Genentech enabled access to the Californian company’s strong biotech R&D programme. The post-merger company’s R&D programme was considered such a success, particularly in oncology, that it led to the closure of Roche’s former US research facilities in Nutley, New Jersey. More recently, the 2011 acquisition of Genzyme by Sanofi has enabled the company to benefit from the smaller firm’s rare diseases R&D pipeline.
For pharmaceutical companies evaluating M&As, the increasing costs to develop and launch new drugs is an ongoing concern. Between 1995 to 2000, the cost to successfully launch a new drug was estimated at US$1.1 billion, but by 2002, the associated costs rose to approximately US$1.7 billion. Increased spending on R&D, however, does not guarantee productivity given that attrition rates are considerable.
Worryingly, the failure rate for drugs in Phase III trials that have already shown promise in Phase II trials can be as high as 50%. Because high drug failure rates contribute substantially to R&D costs, only bigger companies can afford to invest in large portfolios, knowing that certain drugs will not make it through to approval.
Another reason to pursue M&As is to increase revenues to help fund larger R&D programmes as well as to compensate for lost sales from products going off patent. Merging with a company that has a different portfolio of products can strengthen one’s presence in a particular therapeutic area or even help gain quick entry into a new therapeutic area. Furthermore, because the other company is likely to be already operating in such areas, a “ready-made” sales force may be available. When Pfizer merged with Pharmacia in 2002, a major attraction was the blockbuster drug Celebrex, but it also enabled the two companies to combine their strong cardiovascular portfolios.
As the pharmaceutical market expands internationally, companies have realised that carefully thought-out M&As can open up new geographical advantages. Although the pharma markets of US, Europe and Japan still represent the majority of global sales, emerging markets are growing at a faster annual rate.
It has been predicted that these markets will account for nearly a third of the global pharma market by 2016; therefore, companies are looking to these markets to drive their long-term growth plans. Between 2008 and 2012, the proportion of major company deals in the emerging markets was approximately 20%, with a high number of targets being sought in Latin America, China and India. Acquiring a domestic company can give a larger company unique insight into the local market as well as specialised infrastructure.
One proposed merger that will shape the Indian market, for example, is that between Sun Pharmaceutical Industries and Ranbaxy, but the deal was initially halted by the High Court of the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. Interestingly, Japan’s Daiichi Sankyo had previously acquired a 64% share of Ranbaxy but the deal proved to be a disappointment and so the company is keen to sell its share. Ranbaxy has been struggling in the US market due to manufacturing-related problems, which have led to action being taken by the FDA. Daiichi Sankyo’s acquisition of a majority stake in Ranbaxy illustrates the importance of the due diligence that outside companies must perform before buying a local company. Despite the serious challenges facing Ranbaxy, Sun Pharmaceutical appears to see potential from a domestic merger. Certainly, if it goes ahead, the merged company will dominate the Indian market.
M&As are taking place all the time in the pharma sector. Over time, the industry has become increasingly consolidated but there is no sign that this trend will slow down. Such deals have been crucial to the success of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies as they continue to seek further targets to drive expansion. A particularly important factor for these M&A plans is expansion into emerging markets, which continue to represent highly promising areas for long-term growth.
For the full version of this article, click here.


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Foxtons’ results for 2017 are out and the company says its group turnover, profits and both sales and lettings revenues were down year-on-year but that it has some “strategic initiatives” up its sleeves due to be revealed next week.
The company’s profits took the hardest knock. They dropped from £24.6 million in 2016 to £15 million last year, or 43%, as sales within London’s multi-million pound streets remain quiet despite hopes that the exchange rate would persaude more foreigners to buy into the capital’s bricks and mortar.
Revenues from its sales operation dropped by nearly 24% year-on-year from £55 million to £42 million, although the crash in volumes within the capital appears to have eased during the final three months of year. But the company says it expects the pain in London to continue.
Unlike last week’s Countrywide results which saw disappointing figures for both sides of its core business, Foxtons’ lettings operation continues to deliver at least only moderate revenue reductions – down last year by just 3%.
But, despite the weak business performance, CEO Nic Budden appears to be dodging City, investor and board calls for fresh leadership. The company blames its struggling performance on the government’s recent Stamp Duty changes, which impact London’s market more than other areas of the UK.
It also says its sales figures would look better if the surge in landlord buying during 2016 prior to the Stamp Duty increase for second homes buyers hadn’t empty the market of demand.
“This was a solid performance in the context of ongoing challenging conditions in the London property market,” says Nic Budden (pictured, left)
“We remain focused on achieving the best results for our customers and are pleased with the reaction to the recent growth initiatives in our lettings business. Looking ahead, we expect trading conditions to remain challenging throughout 2018.
“We are well placed to withstand these conditions due to our strong balance sheet with no debt, and we will provide an update on a number of strategic initiatives which we have been working on at our preliminary results presentation on 28 February 2018.”
Foxtons also revealed that it spent £2 million to “manage the cost-base for the future benefits of the business”, which is often a veiled way directors like to suggest they have been cutting jobs within a business.
Read our report on Foxtons’ previous trading statement.