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With each passing day, more companies realize that the benefits they could enjoy by applying the renowned blockchain technology far outweigh the potential risks. Most of the enterprises looking to optimize their processes with the approach are, to no one’s surprise, financial institutions and banks.
The latest case is the one of Bank of America. In fact, the bank has proven to be one of the most blockchain-involved companies in the planet, but in the last few days, the American institution filed a patent for blockchain-enabled cash handlers, according to a press release of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO.)
Blockchain is known as the distributed ledger technology, the one that powers not only the most cutting-edge systems in the planet, but also that of Bitcoin and some of the other top altcoins. BoA, as the bank is frequently abbreviated, stated that it would implement the approach with the intention of handling some cash handling devices.
Improving the Cash Deposit and Withdrawal Protocol
The patent’s title is “Banking Systems Controlled by Data Bearing Records,” and it makes use of the word “blockchain” 58 times whilst making it clear that the DLT (Digital Ledger Technology) can optimize and improve the usual cash deposit and withdrawal process.
Traditional cash handling devices are tools that help financial institutions to dispense, count, and track cash flow with the intention of preventing thefts and other things such as lower the management time for oversight of cash drawer. BoA’s patent has an objective: to use what they call a “blockchain distributed database” to maintain a record of transaction made in cash between two parties.
According to the USPTO’s document, the blockchain distributed database is defined as a go-to system to identify deposit items that were received from the previous cash handling machine.
The patent document thinks that blockchain integration is the primary factor behind the cash handling devices’ ability to approve withdrawals and determine cash transportation requirements of other machines in the distributed network.
The document reads that in some embodiments, sending the first transaction information encoded for the blockchain distributed database to the cash handling device support server, may result in the latter generating and sending one or more alerts based on identifying the one or more cash transportation needs of the cash handling machine.
Optimizing the Use of ATMs
Bank of America hopes that, thanks to blockchain technology, they could improve the way that ATMs work. According to the bank, via a statement, “an ATM operator may be responsible for restocking the automated teller machine rather than a particular financial institution. Blockchain technology may be used by automated teller machine to accelerate transaction speed and/or facilitate other types of transactions in addition to ATM transactions like cash withdrawals and deposits, such as gift registry transactions.”
Thanks to blockchain prowess, the bank is also hopeful that their patent can help ATMs to track transactions. Bank of America now has filed over 53 patents involving the use of the technology, but it still lags behind tech giants IBM and e-commerce monster Alibaba.
By Andres Chavez


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It has been nearly two years since Microsoft introduced a new Windows phone. Sure, HP is still making Windows phones and marketing them to businesses, but Microsoft has been basically silent on the subject of its flagging mobile platform since 2015. There have been zero flagship devices, despite the persistent rumours of a super Surface phone. Logic dictates that Microsoft needs to get in the game here.
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Thanks to Oppo, ZTE, HTC, Sony and Huawei, Android share in Australia increased from 54.5 per cent to 58.2 per cent in the last year - not a bad little bump. But with the launch of the iPhone 7, iOS managed to claw back market share - from 33 per cent to 37.1 per cent since August this year.
And in the Australian Apple Vs Android race, Windows phone is still the banana. Only 2.3 per cent of Aussies use a Windows phone.
Opinion: PayPal is the latest company to join a long list to ditch support for the “fringe” phone operating systems: Microsoft’s Windows Phone, BlackBerry and Amazon’s Fire OS. This decision comes on the heels of Microsoft’s announcement of getting rid of a further 1,850 jobs, most of them from what remains of the staff that came to Microsoft from its acquisition of Nokia.
A few years after taking a $US900 million slug on the bold failure that was the Surface RT tablet, Microsoft has suffered another painful hit in its devices portfolio. The company is cutting approximately 1850 jobs around the world and taking a $US950 million impairment charge on its smartphone hardware business, and this marks effectively the final nail in the coffin of the once powerful Nokia.
Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play Music, blah blah blah... change the record, can't you? Stand out from the crowd by using one of these lesser-known jukebox apps to listen to your tunes on your smartphone. In the end you might find you prefer using them to the more well-known alternatives.

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The motor innovation helping electric vehicles become cheaper and more mainstream
Given the direction the car industry is heading, there is a huge need for automotive electric motors that offer exceptional performance but are cost-effective too.
Electric cars set to rival fuel tank vehicles thanks to innovative battery technology
Governments, pressure groups even car manufacturers want us to change our fossil fuel burning vehicles, for cleaner, greener electric versions. But for that to happen the alternative needs to become as flexible as what we already have.


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An update on the Naked Takeaway project has been given to representatives of local authority Enterprise and Regeneration departments across North and Mid Wales.
Speaking at a Welsh Government Regional Town Centre Action Group event on the circular economy, Joanna Douglass, Business and Regeneration Officer at Mold Town Council, explained how the initiative is assisting the green recovery of the businesses involved.
“I was able to provide an update on the Naked Takeaway project which was funded through the Welsh Government Circular Economy grant,” Jo said. “The audience was very interested to learn of the positive feedback from the businesses already and the commitment to continue with the reusable takeaway containers after the pilot has ended.”
Businesses’ decision to continue with the scheme is a response to feedback from customers that the tins create less waste and keep food hotter for longer. For the businesses involved, this opens up the prospect of attracting new takeaway customers, including those living further afield.


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In an effort to boost Nigeria trade sector and enhance its global trade position, the Nigerian government recently introduced the Trade Policy of Nigeria (TPN) 2023-2027. This strategic plan was revealed on Thursday during a dialogue meeting themed “Trade as a catalyst for economic diversification” in Abuja, and it aims to foster the rapid growth and overall progress of the country’s economy. As numerous emerging economies have demonstrated, trade has proven to be a catalyst for considerable growth. Trade has a transformative effect by enhancing competitiveness, generating employment opportunities, and alleviating poverty, as outlined in the policy.
Also, the main aim of the policy is to make the most of these encounters and capitalise on the countless possibilities presented by an increasingly interconnected and open world, with the end goal of establishing a prospering trade industry. The TPNs main objective is to expedite growth that benefits the impoverished, using policies that are market-driven and align with Nigerian rights and obligations in the World Trade Organization. By doing so, the TPN aims to establish a just and balanced foundation for boosting Nigeria involvement in international trade.
Manufacturing will also contribute greatly to the economy.
The alignment between the Medium-Term National Development Plan 2021-2025 and Agenda 2050 is duly recognised by this statement. Emphasising the importance of harmonious operations, the policy details that TPN 2023-2027 have been strategically crafted to seamlessly integrate with the National Industrial Revolution Plan, investment initiatives, as well as other sectoral policies. It is aimed at fostering inclusiveness and maintaining coherence within the domestic policy environment. Also, during his speech at the event, Francis Meshioye, president of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), expressed his belief that exporting agricultural products should be reconsidered.
Speaking further, he emphasised that exporting these raw materials leads to the depletion of valuable resources, resulting in Nigeria having to import the finished processed forms of these agricultural products. Consequently, he advocated for a shift in this practice to ensure sustainable resource management and self-sufficiency. According to him, the economy’s welfare lies in granting priority to the manufacturing industry and enhancing it, which would enable the nation to obtain a characteristic contribution from its agricultural output.
More employment opportunities will be created for young individuals.
He expressed the notion that in due course, a multitude of employable young individuals found everywhere will begin to find occupation with them. As a result, numerous benefits will be reaped. This shall result in enhanced environmental stability since a significant number of young people will refrain from participating in acts of insecurity or criminal endeavours. Instead, they will become involved in entrepreneurial pursuits, particularly on a smaller scale, or secure jobs in the manufacturing industry where their productivity will flourish.
To boost economic growth, Doris Anite, the Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment, emphasised the need for manufacturers to transition from exploitative practices to focusing on exports. She further highlighted the importance of manufacturers clearly declaring their exported goods and reinvesting the resulting interest or profits back into the economy. Also, exporters are expressing their grievances, citing the deplorable condition of the road to the marketplace. They assert the government’s responsibility to intervene and rectify the situation. However, she queried these exporters that they repatriated the foreign currency back to the country upon exporting their goods.
There should be effective leadership and an unwavering focus on the people.
Lastly, Adetokunbo Adekayode, who was the former president of the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry, voiced his opinion during the event, emphasising the resilience and strength of the Nigerian population. He stressed the crucial requirement of effective leadership and unwavering focus on the people. Additionally, Adekayode strongly urged the government to take proactive measures, including the identification and development of export readiness, empowerment of pertinent organisations, and the implementation of a well-defined export policy.


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© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: The Stora Enso company logo is seen near a packaging mill in Riga, Latvia September 18, 2012. REUTERS/Ints Kalnins/File Photo
By Essi Lehto
HELSINKI (Reuters) – Finnish forestry firm Stora Enso (OTC:) on Wednesday reported stronger than expected second-quarter core earnings and revenue as higher prices helped to drive strong profit growth in pulp, packaging and wood products.
Chief Financial Officer Seppo Parvi told Reuters he sees the strong demand continuing beyond the coronavirus pandemic that boosted house renovations, takeaway eating and online shopping.
“We see the demand continuing strong in packaging, wood products and construction even after the pandemic and the European Union forest strategy and climate package only support that,” Parvi told Reuters, referring to the EU climate plan announced last week.
Stora’s shares rose nearly 3% early on Wednesday but later in the session they were down 0.30%.
“The Q2 numbers were clearly above estimates due to the very strong development in these cyclical segments. It is safe to say this will not go on forever,” analyst Antti Viljakainen from Inderes said, adding that pulp prices in China have already declined somewhat.
“The stock market is now weighing up how much the strong result will indicate what will happen in the coming quarters,” Viljakainen told Reuters.
Stora said its second-quarter operating profit rose to 364 million euros ($428.32 million) from 178 million a year ago, beating the 302.2-million-euro estimate of 9 analysts polled by Refinitiv.
Stora’s sales rose 22.6% to 2.59 billion euros, with its biomaterials (pulp) unit up 57%, wood products 37.7% and both packaging material units up more than 20%.
The analysts had estimated the revenue to be 2.35 billion euros.
Stora’s paper business sales remained stable year-on-year but it made a loss of 49 million euros.
Parvi told Reuters that Stora sees the situation improving after closing paper mills in Finland and Sweden and finalising the sale of a third mill in Germany by the end of the ongoing third quarter.
The company also said its Oulu mill in northern Finland, which was converted to make packaging cardboard instead of paper, had broken even in the third quarter, three quarters ahead of Stora’s initial expectation.
($1 = 0.8498 euros)
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There are still lots of bug reports plaguing work on Microsoft Corp.’s Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7, but some observers of the company say the Redmond, Wash-based software maker is poised to roll out its final release of the browser.
Microsoft has not commented on the report and IE 10 on Windows 7 is still officially in “release Review” status.
The public feedback Web site for IE 10 records a wide variety of bugs indicating that that there may still be a lot of work before a final release is shipped out, according to Computerworld.com.
IE 10, which being packaged for Windows 8 and Windows RT. Microsoft will not release an IE10 version for Windows Vista or Windows XP


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Written by Seamus Byrne, CNN
McDonald’s is reinventing itself as a brand for the age of consumerism.
“In the next 10 years, we want to be known for quality, convenience and value,” said Ian Friendly, who replaced Steve Easterbrook as CEO in March.
In an exclusive interview with CNN’s Laura Ingraham, Friendsy spoke about why he’s putting a premium on quality, why he feels the McDonald’s brand is necessary in our “postmodern economy,” and what it means to be “modern, progressive and inclusive” as the company is going forward.
Here are edited excerpts from the interview:
Does the customer have to be starved to the point of insanity to leave McDonald’s?
We want to make sure that our customers are happy and successful. Sometimes they go because they have a location that’s an awkward three minutes’ walk in, or they’ve been there before. But sometimes you go because you’ve got a child coming to a playdate, or you’ve got a meeting at the office. We know people to treat them well at McDonald’s. When they leave, they expect that they’ll come back and try something else, or they’ll make an exchange with someone else as well.
What you’re facing now is a migration to much more tech-based purchasing — companies like Amazon and Uber. Does that mean McDonald’s can’t compete?
I can’t say anything about the future but I can tell you we live in a world where the world is changing, fast. And people have these digital devices: smart phones, freezers, computers. People who get home from work, they want to be surrounded by things that make them happy. They want to be happy, so that’s the challenge. We want to be as important and as popular as our name is known for. We want to provide a place that our customers are always going to choose to visit.
Having a store that you can follow wherever you are, where your food always arrives the way you want it, and it’s delivered for free — people are going to be focusing on that.
Why does it have to be delivered?
I think that’s absolutely right. People are using their phones as their primary way of going out, and delivery is a good way of extending your brand reach, being able to deliver that. And we are no different — we’re an omnichannel business now, which means that we’re delivering — as part of our service — to mobile apps, online ordering on the homepage, which you can customize what you want, and that’s why I say our website is very Darwinian. There are all of these customization options there. Every site we launch now, we’re absolutely adding to.
What does it mean to be “modern, progressive and inclusive” as the company is going forward?
To me, the words fit. I was about to say “21st century,” and (Laura) interrupted me. I like modern, progressive and inclusive — that’s me. I’m more of a 20th century guy, I tell you.
People expect businesses to be inclusive and I think it’s absolutely appropriate as the business is going forward, I think it’s good for the brand to do that. You know, when we started this business in 1955, we didn’t have any outreach to the LGBT community, and we thought we were great for life, that’s a great slogan — “Be great for life.”
Over the years, it’s actually meant that we’re always thinking beyond that, thinking about people, people’s lives. In the future, whether we do something or not, we’re going to have to consider that. What are the options for people? They might like Lyft, Uber. This is something that could have more value, because it’s a connection. They’re having an experience with us at the end of the day, and that experience might be at the end of a ride.


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On Friday (Feb. 26), the Communist Party of China announced without warning that it was suspending imports of Taiwanese pineapples (pineapples), sparking international concern. A U.S. think tank scholar responded by saying that pineapple pastry and Australian wine pairings are a taste of freedom.
On Friday (Feb. 26), the Chinese Communist Party announced without warning that it was suspending imports of Taiwan pineapples (pineapples), sparking international concern. A U.S. think tank scholar responded by saying that pairing pineapple pastry with Australian wine is a taste of freedom.
Last year, as the Australian government confronted the Chinese Communist Party on Taiwan, Hong Kong, the ban on huawei‘s participation in the construction of 5G networks, and the outbreak of the New Coronavirus (a Chinese Communist virus), the Chinese Communist Party retaliated in a “wolf-like” manner by imposing a deposit (similar to a tariff) on Australian wine from November 28, 2020, at a rate of The rate fluctuates between 107.1% and 212.1%.
Following Friday’s announcement that the Communist Party would suspend imports of Taiwanese pineapples, Riley Walters, an economist at the Heritage Foundation’s Center for Asian Studies, tweeted that nothing goes better with Australian wine than Taiwanese pineapple crisp, which tastes “free”. The taste of “freedom”.
The tweet also prompted responses from netizens who said: Taiwanese pineapple crisp and Australian wine are on the same side! Oh, I love both (foods) and freedom; great advice, “the taste of freedom”, I love it; Walters, here’s to freedom.
In order to respond to the suspension of pineapple imports by the Chinese Communist Party, Taiwan Agricultural Committee quickly offered measures to respond to stabilize the price of pineapple origin, and called on the people and enterprises in Taiwan to support the domestic pineapple, the Agricultural Committee also opened a special line for enterprises to pre-purchase, less than a day, there are 10 enterprises enthusiastic response, pre-purchase more than 1600 metric tons of pineapple, including private enterprises, banks, processors, large e-commerce platforms, etc. have ordered.
Pineapple is an important source of income for farmers in the central and southern regions of Taiwan. About 11% of Taiwan’s pineapples are sold overseas, almost all of them to China. Agriculture accounts for less than 2% of Taiwan’s $710 billion technology-driven economy.
It is not uncommon for the Chinese Communist Party to kidnap trade to achieve its policy goals. Following the deterioration of relations between Canberra and Beijing, the CCP imposed high tariffs on Australian wine in addition to curbs on a range of other Australian imports, including coal, beef and lobster.
On December 1, 2020, the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), a group of over 200 parliamentarians from 19 countries, launched the The “Global Buy Australian Wine Campaign” is a united rejection of the Communist Party’s bullying behavior.
Shea, a former U.S. Deputy Trade Representative, has written that the CCP’s failure to comply with international norms is using its trade power as a bargaining chip.
Observers have also said that such bullying retaliation by the CCP has shown democracies around the world the nature of the CCP; if free societies continue to indulge it, once it replaces the United States and becomes the world’s top economy, it will be too late to contain it by then.
In 2010, the Chinese Communist Party, unhappy with the Norwegian commissioner’s choice of the Nobel Peace Prize winner, cut off Norwegian salmon imports for seven years. Matt Schrader, a researcher at Capitol Hill, wrote in Foreign Policy on June 5, 2020, that the Nobel Committee is not a government agency, yet the Norwegian government and businesses are being punished by the Chinese Communist Party for this. This form of collective punishment is a common feature of the CCP’s attacks on its so-called enemies, designed to encourage collective self-censorship.
Schrader said that money is the CCP’s most powerful tool for attracting and enticing submissives, and that any way the CCP could change the politics of other countries would be impossible without China’s central position in the global flow of goods and services.
Schrader said at the Time that the Chinese Communist Party’s use of globalization to interfere with Western democracies was the very reason why some in the U.S. government (Trump administration) were pushing hard for economic decoupling from China (CCP).


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The government has also not given any guarantee besides the payment of minimum guaranteed dividend as required under some provisions of the Act.
hen it comes to rewarding and structuring deals for its CEOs, Indian companies are considering it as a route to performance. So, who is rolling out these fact paychecks?
Paswan said the grain storage capacity in the country was adequate but farmers at many places suffered due to lack of centres where they can sell their produce.
Coface has been present in India since February 2001 through its subsidiary Coface India Credit Management Services.
While most respondents expect wages to rise above the inflation level in the next 5 years, many also believe that a major chunk of the hike would be cornered by senior employees.
Changes in the hierarchy of such agencies has been frequent.
The fashion business in India through e-commerce portals is expected to see a turnover of $ 35 billion by 2020 says experts.
Infosys cofounder Kris Gopalakrishnan has put one chunk of his net worth on research that aims to create the next computing revolution.


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Official Lumigon T1 photo surfaces
Lumigon has released an official photo of their T1 Android device that we told you about last month, which is launching on October 20th. It’s noticeably different than some of the rumored pics we’ve seen floating around, with the lack of a keypad. It’s definitely eye-catching. This bad boy runs Android 2.2, has a 5MP auto-focus camera with a flash, HDMI-out, rumored 720p video quality, and a front-facing camera, which is also only a rumor.
Other than the standard Android fare, like GPS, FM radio, and a very sleek-looking capacitive TFT LCD display (which we’re guessing is somewhere around 3.2 inches), there’s not much left to say. The T1 has a 1GHz Freescale i.MX51 processor under the hood, so we’re expecting some speediness.
Still no word on pricing, carrier availability, 3G bands, or anything of the sort, but we’ll keep you posted. You can pre-order your T1 starting on September 20th, an entire month before it’s released.
Anyone excited about this device?
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In Brief is a compilation of notifications, rumors, photos, videos, infographics, and Android-related news tidbits which, for whatever reason, did not end up with a post of its own on
Anyone who has gone out and purchased themselves a brand new Verizon Samsung Galaxy Nexus will undoubtedly be playing with it for hours on end. Since you will have a


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Wiltshire-based redheadPR, the dynamic independent public relations consultancy, has confirmed a long-term campaign with the Common Sense Garden initiative from the Garden Group of Crop Protection Association (CPA).
“This year, we will be continuously increasing their online presence through a multi-faceted online campaign which will be more focused on millennial gardeners” said Sara Tye, founder and managing director of redheadPR.
There are many myths and assumptions around the horticulture sector and the campaign aims to dispel these while providing gardeners with advice and hacks they can use in their own garden.
Sara Tye, founder and managing director redheadPR, said: “We love working with Common Sense Gardening, and will be using a diverse campaign to deliver its objectives, focusing on social media and digital methods.
“Off-page, high-ranking coverage from PR is crucial to clients like Common Sense Gardening when considering their online profile and SEO.
"We’ll continue to work across all social media platforms, growing them organically and through bespoke methods geared towards its specific audience.
“A continued PR campaign is integral to awareness building, and profile raising for organisations like Common Sense Gardening.”
Previously, the Common Sense Gardening Initiative and redheadPR conducted primary research which disproved many anecdotal myths. 40% of millennial gardeners stated that they had seen an increase in the number of weeds and invasive plants taking over their gardens.
“Our relationship with redheadPR enables us to look forward to taking full advantage of its experience in our sector. Together we will successfully run an exciting digital campaign throughout 2019,” said Gary Philpotts, chairman of the Common Sense Gardening Group.
redheadPR’s sector expertise includes having been an associate member of The Garden Industry Manufacturer's Association (GIMA) and successfully building connections with the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA), Garden Media Guild, RHS and many other allied organisations.
Having celebrated 15 years in business, redheadPR has also worked with many leading brands in the gardening sector including The Garden Media Guild, Anthony Tesselaar International, Briers, raingardenkits.co.uk, John Woods Nurseries, grow-your-own specialist and Stewart Garden.


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The divide across the Indian Ocean stands to be significantly narrowed if the mutually beneficial strategic partnership between India and Africa is developed to its full potential.
Since Indian Prime Minister Narendra’s Modi assumed power in May 2014, foreign policy has formed a key tenet of his plans for his country’s economic revival. Largely underpinned by the strategic competition between China and India for influence in South Asia and their rivalry to exert soft power within the sub-region, foreign policy is an area that has been keenly prioritised by the new administration.
However, this policy thrust is not limited to the Asian sub-continent. In line with the belief that an effective foreign policy underpinned by economic considerations is critical to cement India’s status as an emerging giant, Africa has become an increasingly important stage for the competition.
For India, the idea of a “rejuvenated India to complement a rising Africa” is increasingly entering the mainstream narrative while events such as the India-Africa Forum summit, to be held in Delhi in December, have created optimism around a fresh wave of investment between the Indian sub-continent and Africa.
This optimism is encouraged by Africa’s abundance of natural resources, a middle class larger than India’s, rising per capita incomes and major institutional and political improvements, all of which mean that Africa is set for an unprecedented decade of economic expansion. For Indian businesses, this potentially represents a massive untapped market to expand their footprint. Success in this regard could be instrumental in stimulating a new round of Indian growth with expansion being driven by exports rather than domestics markets.
Africa provides a massive market for Indian manufacturing goods like textiles, pharmaceuticals, automobiles and light machinery. For Africa, India offers huge expertise in sectors such as healthcare, education, IT and pharmaceuticals, which can offer expertise and customised solutions for African countries. Furthermore, Africa carries a number of opportunities in the resource and energy sectors, which has traditionally been an area of vulnerability for India.
India’s burgeoning economic expansion in Africa is demonstrated by the diverse portfolio of Indian investment activity on the continent: from numerous small family firms and small and medium enterprises; through to large-scale bids by Indian companies or groups such as Tata, Essar and Bharti Airtel. Through these investments, and through its diaspora, India and Africa are able to solidify economic ties across a wide range of sectors.
Unlike Chinese investment on the continent, which tends to be state-led, Indian investment is largely driven by the private sector. Despite a multi-fold increase in the past decade, India is still playing catch up to the US$200-billion China-Africa trade. However, there is a major structural difference in the type of investment between the two countries, with Indian investments deemed to be of a better quality, although significantly smaller in size than those of China.
The Indian model of investment creates value by prioritising local productivity and plays a crucial role in fostering skills and human resources that are critical for Africa to develop in a sustainable way, as opposed to the “resource for cash” approach that China is often criticised for. These Indian sponsored projects also require considerable investments in “soft infrastructure” so, in the long term, they will show up not only in the quantity, but also the quality of their economic growth.
Despite trailing in terms of the quantum of investments relative to China, India has a number of distinct comparative advantages which can be used to foster a mutually beneficial relationship with Africa. Amongst these are the strength and experience of its corporate sector, cultural and political linkages and engaged and active diaspora.
Many Indian business people believe Africa is now on the cusp of a boom and see similarities to India 30 years ago. Consumer spending in Africa is expected to double to as much as $1.8-trillion by 2020. Consequently, India views Africa as a place where it can reproduce the business models it has refined at home and replicate its success in building vibrant manufacturing and services sectors.
Many of the challenges Africa faces today were mirrored by Indian companies growing in their own internal markets. In India, private companies developed their own initiatives or public-private partnerships to overcome the lack of government services and structures – practices and lessons that have application in African markets. Furthermore, Indian businesses have significant experience in navigating complex ethnically, culturally and linguistically diverse landscapes and societies. The experience of these companies in tailoring their products and services to differing consumer tastes and preferences offers huge lessons for Africa which has a myriad of religious, tribal and ethnic divisions to contend with.
The Indian diaspora continues to play an influential role in business throughout Africa, where their roots are firmly planted. There are an estimated 2.3-million people of Indian origin living in Africa, according to India’s Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs. The vast majority are in South Africa and Mauritius, but many sizable Indian diaspora communities are thriving across southern, eastern and western regions of the continent. Kenya, for example, has one of the largest and longest established Indian populations in the world outside India with many families having lived there for five generations.
Today, Africans of Indian origin are (mostly) involved in trade and commerce and play an important role in business leadership in many countries across the continent. They are mostly merchants although a significant number have diversified into industry, banking, and transportation and service businesses. Three businessmen of Indian-origin were among the 50 richest people in Africa in 2013, according to a list released by Forbes magazine, namely Vimal Shah, Sudhir Ruparelia and Naushad Merali.
The diaspora network represents an important advantage which Indian public and private sectors can leverage off in stimulating trade and investment. These communities of Indian origin are fully integrated and often interested in offering their business expertise and local networks to Indian investment projects. The diaspora offers the Indian investment community local knowledge, contacts and access to personnel who are beneficial to Indian commercial interests and activity on the continent. Similarly, these relationships can also be used to expand the reach of African companies looking to establish themselves in India.
Finally, India’s close ties with Africa are further strengthened by the shared political and cultural history between the two. One of the greatest links between India and Africa can be found in India’s Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, who began his political career in South Africa, and became personally involved in the anti-colonial movement and the fight for civil rights.
In addition, Indian political figures (particularly Gandhi and India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharial Nehru) and the Indian independence struggle were an inspiration to Africa, which was still battling colonialism during that time. African independence leaders were motivated by Gandhi’s approach and philosophy and this inspired leaders such as Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, Julius Nyerere of Tanzania and Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia. Nehru cemented the Indo-African relationship and gave it a political structure in his quest for liberation of all nations from colonial rule. Under his premiership, India supported national liberation movements in Africa generously, both financially and politically. India’s pluralistic, democratic structure is also much more suited to an African context where democratic and institutional gains are being consolidated, than the communist Chinese political model.
For the African continent, Indian investment offers a compelling value proposition. The foreign direct investment flow from India has significant long-term benefits for the industrialisation of Africa, particularly in sectors such as education, infrastructure, tourism and health, where India can offer expertise and customised solutions for African countries.
For India, Africa is the world’s largest untapped market for trade and investment. The divide across the Indian Ocean stands to be significantly narrowed if this mutually beneficial strategic partnership is developed to its potential.


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Woodie’s grows to 14
When Woodie’s entered the carwash scene three-and-a-half years ago, the company set several goals, including becoming the go-to car wash in Tampa Bay and surroundings.
Their newest ‘Centerpoint’ location in Sarasota features the same surf-inspired theme as Woodie’s other spots. It also uses ‘the best technology in the industry’ and offers several membership programs.
It also boasts cutting-edge water recycling systems and eco-friendly cleaning products, which minimize the impact on the environment but also supports the local community’s desire for greener alternatives.
“At Woodie’s Wash Shack, we believe that innovation, sustainability and community engagement go hand in hand”, says Woodie’s Jake DeGeare, who is vice president of marketing and sales. “We are excited to expand our award-winning concept to the Lakewood Ranch area, where residents can experience a carwash that aligns with their values while enjoying a unique surfer- inspired atmosphere.”
You’ll find the latest Woodie’s Wash Shack at:
6612 University Parkway
Sarasota, FL 34202
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A £7m project giving key roads around Blackpool town centre a major facelift is underway. The next step is work on improving Deansgate.
The scheme is funded by a £6.6m grant from the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership Growth Deal and £740,000 from Blackpool Council. It continues to modernise the look of entrance roads to the town centre.
Work has already taken place to renew Church Street, Dickson Road (pictured above), Talbot Road, Caunce Street and Cookson Street. The plan is to revive town centre streets, with the next phase due to start on Deansgate.
The improvement works will create a better overall appearance as well as safer roads for all users. Works will take place between July 2019 and summer 2020.
Changes include resurfaced pavements and roads, new trees, benches and bins. Plus improved paving at crossings with sensors to help blind and partially sighted people.
Businesses in the town centre will be open as usual throughout the improvements works.
The makeover is part of a wider plan to create a modern Blackpool with more places to shop and eat, new housing, improved public transport including the tramway extension, a conference centre and cleaner, greener streets.
Improving Shop Fronts
Along with improvements to the roads and pavements, the project also involves working with local businesses to help them improve their shop fronts, making both their businesses and the town centre look more appealing.
One such business to have benefitted from the property improvement scheme is The Mortgage Shop.
The family firm based on Topping Street, has had new lighting installed, as well as a new eye-catching shop front featuring an updated logo.
Whilst the company did have plans to modernise the shop front, the business grant from Blackpool Council has freed up funds, enabling the firm to reinvest and enhance the service that is offered to their clients.
Approximate works timetable
July – September 2019 – Deansgate – closed between Topping Street and Abingdon Street
October – December 2019 – Edward Street – closed between Deansgate and Cedar Square Square/Wood Street
January – June 2020 – Topping Street – part closures throughout these months
While you’re here…
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The push for electrification in the German vehicle industry could cost tens of thousands of jobs, according to a study released Tuesday.
As many as 110,000 jobs in Germany could be obsolete by 2030 if 90 per cent of new cars manufactured with the same production processes had electric motors, the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research (ISI) found.
But Joerg Hofmann, the head of Germany's largest union IG Metall, which represents more than 2.2 million metalworkers and commissioned the study, said he expects disruption in the industry to be mitigated by the staggered pace of the switch-over to electric motors.
Yet the survey, which gathered information from Germany's top manufacturers and suppliers, concluded that even a share of 40 per cent of electric motors among new cars by 2030 could slash a third of posts, if general improvements to productivity were taken into account.
"Politicians need to guide the necessary structural changes through a targeted industrial and employment policy," Hofmann said. "Above all, companies must go on a massive training and qualifications drive to ensure workers don't get caught under the wheels of this change."
Today, these cars account for less than two percent of the market.
Hofmann also warned that not everyone would survive the electric revolution.
"There will be suppliers who won't be able to adapt their business model, especially among small- and medium-sized companies," Hofmann told reporters in Frankfurt.
Whereas it takes some 4,000 workers to assemble a million gasoline-powered engines per year, just 1,840 are needed to build the same number of electric motors, the study said.
Volkswagen's staff representative Bernd Osterloh told reporters that the car giant would respond to the changes by phasing out jobs through retirement schemes and "using the opportunities presented by the transformation".
Despite being home to some of the world's biggest and best known carmakers, Germany's auto industry was slow to focus its attention on the greener, smarter vehicles of the future -- allowing newcomers like Tesla to take the lead.
But German firms have stepped up their efforts in the wake of Volkswagen's 2015 "dieselgate" emissions cheating scandal, which badly damaged the reputation of diesel cars and spurred a push towards more environmentally friendly engines.


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CVC Asia Pacific, the regional arm of CVC Capital Partners, along with other investors, has sold a 6.5 percent stake in Indonesia's Matahari Department Stores, according to disclosure with the Indonesian stock exchange.
The block sale priced 190 million shares at IDR 13,100 ($1.13; €0.82), a discount of 6.4 percent to its closing price on Friday.
CVC declined to comment on the sale, but media reported the total deal was worth around $214 million.
The exit is the firm’s second from the Indonesian consumer business, which it owns in partnership with local family conglomerate the Lippo Group.
In March last year, CVC sold 40 percent of Matahari in a deal worth $1.3 billion, having priced the 1.17 billion shares divested at Indonesian Rp 10,850 (€0.86; $1.12) per share, a source close to the matter confirmed to Private Equity International earlier.
After the March 2013 sale, CVC held 58.15 percent of Matahari prior to the exercise of any over-allotment option. The share price translated into 27x its 2013 price-to-earnings ratio, towards the high-end of its narrowed range of between Rp 10,650 to Rp 10,950.
CVC expects to gain an approximate 7x-8x return on its total investment once exited, industry sources said. CVC would not comment on the exit multiple.
While the sale is smaller than its previous $1.3 billion partial exit from the company, it comes at a crucial time as the firm gears up to close its $3.5 billion Asia vehicle.
Last month, CVC had raised $3 billion toward its latest fund after just nine months in the market, PEI reported at the time.
“CVC is delighted with how quickly they've got to this stage of the fundraising,” PEI’s source said.


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The hoped-for “virtuous” reflationary cycle that is Abenomics’ crude Keynesianism puts higher incomes of households, in the form of wage increases paid by employers, on center stage.
Is this happening? The annual shunto industry-wide wage and bonus negotiations between companies and labor unions is in full swing and being closely watched. So far, most companies, especially in the crucial small- and medium-sized (SME) sector, are signaling that increases–especially base wages–will be modest.
Luckily for Abe, and possibly critical for the success of Abenomics, there is one place where wages and household are increasing strongly. It is China.
The biggest economic news in China now is how hard is has become for factories along China’s coast to find workers and how they are offering substantial wage rises to attract people.
I am in Shanghai this week. Wages in Shanghai have been rising too for all categories of workers. CPI inflation has settled down to around 3%. Wage increases will outpace this by a wide margin.
And two other factors are boosting household purchasing power. One is rise in the individual income tax exemption. In Shanghai the exemption is now up to RMB 3500 a month, a level that covers many categories of workers.
A second factor is the rise in returns available on savings placed in safe investments. Thanks to People’s Bank of China Bank of China tightening, banks are offering to small savers “principal protected” money market type “wealth management” products yielding 4-5%. Fixed term roughly 30, 60, and 90 day placement products are yielding 6-7%.
In short, savers in China, unlike in Japan, are enjoying real, income and wealth enhancing returns on savings. This is a “wealth effect” that translates easily into higher household spending.
Overall GDP growth in China this year is likely to be in the 7-8% range. Household consumption growth usually outpaces overall GDP growth, and this year should be no exception. For many Japanese companies, capturing a part of this growth will is a critical need in 2014.
(Note to readers who fear a China economic implosion as the “shadow banking” sector suffers massive defaults and inability to refinance: Don’t believe it. It is not going to happen.)
Abenomics needs a boost. Today Abe’s Cabinet Office released data showing that in the final 2013 quarter Japan’s GDP grew only 0.3% or an annualized rate of only 1% on a real (inflation adjusted) basis. This was well below the previously forecast 0.7% quarterly, 2.7% annualized rate.
So far, for Japan’s consumers Abenomics has delivered mostly higher living costs. As the yen has weakened, cost for imported fuel and food have risen. On a nominal (inflation unadjusted) basis, fourth quarter 2013 GDP increased 0.4% or an annualized 1.6%.
Clearly, Japan has emerged from (never very serious) deflation. Given the massive monetary stimulus being delivered by the Bank of Japan, this emergence was never in doubt. The doubt has been about sustainable growth, both on the supply and demand sides.
The last quarter GDP evidenced stronger domestic household consumption, up 0.5%, and strong housing investment, up 4.2%. A question is how much of this spending and investment was “front loaded” in advance of 3 percentage point rise to 8% from April in the consumption tax.
Business fixed asset investment increased a healthy 1.3%. Public works investment (Abenomics’ ‘second arrow’) increased 2.3%, down from the previous quarter’s 7.2%.
The main drag on GDP was the external sector which saw a net real 0.5% decline as imports increased by 3.5% while exports grew by only 0.4%. Energy (fuel for thermal power stations, now that almost all nuclear plants remain shutdown) was the main import item.
Where to look for external sales growth? Most obviously, it is China. And this notwithstanding the serious row (indeed, crisis) between the Abe government and China over the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands, and the general freeze in political relations between the two countries.
What seems clear, and reason for celebration, is that China has quietly de-linked political and economic/trade relations with Japan. While the former are unlikely to thaw while Abe remains in office (though a positive surprise is certainly possible), the latter are already essentially back to normal, which means China remains keenly desirous of more Japanese trade and, particularly, investment.
This promising situation was reported on February 4 by Sekiguchi Kiyoyuki, principal China economic analyst at the Canon Canon Institute for Global Studies. Sekiguchi traveled to Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou in January. He predicts a steady macro environment during 2014, with increasing activity and opportunities for Japanese firms.
Last year Japanese FDI in China declined by 4.3%, the first decline in three years. However, Japanese bankers advise that Japanese firms’ investment activities gained momentum in the second half. Japan’s auto makers and related parts suppliers, in particular, continue to add capacity as sales have fully recovered.
Last October the big three Japanese automakers in China, Toyota, Nissan, and Honda, registered single month and YTD aggregate sales records.
Persevering through the political storms created by the Senkaku/Diaoyu “nationalization” in September 2012 and PM Abe’s visit to Yasukuni Shrine last December, Japan’s leading automakers have remained committed to China’s strategic market, introducing new models and, increasingly, transferring technology.
In the subtle but unmistakeable these things get communicated in China, consumers–including government entities–now sense that there is no social or political price to pay for buying Japanese cars. The same goes for other Japanese products.
Indeed, it is undoubtedly true that not only Chinese households, but also the Chinese state, are increasingly appreciating the value of Japanese products and technology. This appreciation has much to do with China’s new economic “rebalancing” strategy within which “quality of life,” “sustainability,” energy-saving, and environmental protection are priorities.
Japan is a world leader in sustainable, energy-saving, environmentally friendly technologies and methodologies. It has very much (more, I would say, than any other country) to offer China.
Now that fractious politics and mutually-beneficial economics have been separated, this win-win exchange can proceed. And it could be the savior of Abenomics.


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Taking the Fizz Out of Coke's Image
Coca-Cola is the latest US corporate giant to face the wrath of environmentalists.
Now campaigners are organising a UK boycott of the fizzy drinks company,
claiming that Coke is leaving India thirsty. James Clasper reports
An anti-Coke protestor demonstrates in BangaloreIt made its name teaching
the world to sing in perfect harmony. But Coca-Cola is facing growing
criticism of its corporate policies. The company is soon to become
the target of a UK consumer boycott campaigning against its environmental
record in India, where the multinational is also the focus of angry
UK boycott organisers hope the campaign will be as effective as a
similar action against Nestle. The confectionery and drinks giant
has been blackballed by "ethical shoppers" who believe Nestle has
pressured new mothers in the developing world to forego breastfeeding
for its less nutritious powdered milk alternative. Nestle has always
denied the allegations. But no matter - the campaigners' message has
reached a wide audience.
In July, US-based independent corporate watchdog the India Resource
Center will open an office in London, from which it will organise
its anti-Coke protest. It hopes to capitalise on the ire of some big
campaigning names against Coke's policies in India. Body Shop founder
Anita Roddick has written on the subject several times and has publicised
the work of the India Resource Center, which also contributed a chapter
to her latest book on global water shortages. And comedian Mark Thomas
is backing the boycott.
"Coca-Cola has a huge amount of power, which it abuses in the destruction
of local indigenous groups to dominate the world market," Thomas says.
Campaign organiser Amit Srivastava is adamant that Coca-Cola is destroying
livelihoods in India. In particular, he says the company is reponsible
for using precious water resources in a drought-ridden area, and that
it has in the past distributed cadmium-laced soil-amendment substances
to local farmers.
"If we show people what Coke is responsible for, they'll never want
to drink it again," he insists. He will be in London next week to
scout for a base for the campaign. He plans to work with people who
have family links with South Asia, trade unions, and universities
to create "Coke-free zones".
"It's important that we affect not only Coke's market but also its
image," says Srivastava. "We want to get local businesses - 'mom and
pop stores' - to stop carrying Coke's products. We're going to focus
on areas with high concentrations of those shops."
The group has run a high-profile campaign in the US, which hit a high
point at last month's Coca-Cola's shareholder AGM. The board was forced
to deal with repeated questions on environmental concerns about its
India operations. And last week the 51,000-student Rutgers University
cancelled its US$17 million contract with Coca-Cola.
There have also been protests at several of Coca-Cola's 54 Indian
plants. This week saw a meeting in New Delhi, at which Gandhi's independence
call "Quit India" was echoed against the company.
The most contentious protests have centred on Coca-Cola's bottling
plant in the Kerala town of Plachimada, where a state-wide boycott
of products started last week. The firm shut the plant last year after
local claims that its use of 400,000 litres of water a day was exacerbating
the drought in the rain-starved region. However, Coke last week won
a Supreme Court ruling confirming a lower court's decision allowing
it to re-open the plant.
A year-long independent study had established that the plant could
use up to 500,000 litres a day without adversely affecting the water
table even in times of rainfall shortage.
The company does, however, accept some culpability in the distribution
of soil-amendment substances containing cadmium to local farmers,
a practice it has now stopped.
"We have found trace amounts of that [cadmium] in the materials from
time to time," confirms Harry Ott, director of Coca-Cola's Global
Water Resources Centre in Atlanta. "Where there was a problem, we
have gone and taken it back. All of our bio-soils we now take to a
hazardous waste site, even though they are not hazardous."
Coke says it has not yet decided whether to re-open the plant, although
it has kept its 270 permanent Kerala employees on its payroll. Any
decision will be taken by the Indian division of the company "in consultation
with the local community," Ott adds.
He says the company is proud of its record in India. It employs 10,000
people and has invested US$1billion in the country in the last decade,
including "a significant amount of money" in local communities.
"The money we invest in India stays in India," he insists. "Any time
that you operate in a country where there is drought, you have to
be sensitive to that country's needs. But we are a hydration company.
Why would we build a plant to draw all the water and drive ourselves
out of business? We have reduced water use in our plants by 27% since
"We are not going to draw all the water just because we have a legal
right to do it," he adds. "We have learned from all this that we need
to work with the community."
But that Kerala community remains angry. The state-wide boycott of
Coke products that began last week seems to be gathering pace. Vigils
are being held outside government offices and local MP Veerendra Kumar
insists: "Coca-Cola is taking water and selling it for a profit."
Arundhati Dhuru of the National Alliance of People's Movements, an
umbrella organisation for Indian tribal groups, adds that Kerala is
just one front in the fight against Coke. She is involved in a similar
campaign in Uttar Pradesh.
"The people of Kerala have a right to decide what's happening in their
area to their resources," she says. "The water table has been depleted.
People have to go 15, 20 miles to find water. Coca-Cola are absolutely
not required. There's no logic. They offer no benefit to the people."
The campaigners may have lost in the courts, but they think they can
win where it counts - in some of the multinational's most lucrative
"The court decision was a slight setback, but the campaign has matured
and is now escalating," says Srivastava. "Coke's response to all these
allegations has been to deny everything. At base, it characterises
the impunity with which large US multinationals operate in India."
FAIR USE NOTICE. This document contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. India Resource Center is making this article available in our efforts to advance the understanding of corporate accountability, human rights, labor rights, social and environmental justice issues. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.


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As food delivery services in the United States and abroad struggle to make the model work, Uber stands out as a rare success story, at least for now.
The Indian food delivery group Zomato announced Friday, February 11 third quarter losses lower than those of the previous quarter, but still significant at 36 million dollars. Similarly, another Indian food delivery giant, Swiggy, amid a major sales slump, has also seen its losses narrow significantly, according to multiple reports on the company’s recent regulatory filing, but those losses continue. are still high at around 215 million dollars.
Read more: Stocks fall as Zomato delivers lukewarm third-quarter results
Additionally, German food delivery giant Delivery Hero said Thursday (February 10) that it too is likely to post losses this year.
See more : Delivery Hero sees record drop amid bleak backdrop
These grim results and projections come less than two weeks after news broke in late January that super-fast grocery delivery services popping up in the US and other parts of the world can lose up to $20. per order on average, including advertising spend.
Read more: Ultra-fast grocer losses rise amid uncertain future
Taken together, these numbers suggest that the economy of on-demand food delivery just isn’t working. However, Uber Eats now provides a counterpoint. After years of losses, Uber’s delivery business finally achieved its first profitable quarter in the fourth quarter of 2021, the company announced on Wednesday (February 9).
“There is no doubt now that delivery is here, both in food and other verticals,” Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi told analysts on a call. “Delivery reached a major milestone in the fourth quarter, generating $25 million of Adjusted EBITDA by segment…We see the shift to EBITDA profitability as a big moment, but ultimately just a step on the road of creating a self-sustaining and incredibly valuable business. Once this is achieved, delivery is well positioned to self-fund the growth of grocery, retail and local commerce.”
The success of the company’s delivery business stems in large part from Uber’s diverse platform approach. Rather than building an entire logistics network just for food delivery, Uber can double down with its rides and delivery business, and the company is also leveraging its delivery business from groceries, vending to detail and more.
“We are now making a cross-distribution between the conduct of people and the conduct of things, [and] it creates higher utilization for wage earners and makes the market more efficient,” Khosrowshahi said.
He added that as more merchants enter the market, more consumers order from it, and with more businesses and more orders, the business can handle shorter delivery times, which improves efficiency.
Given the relative newness of these food delivery services compared to other business models, a lot is still evolving. The expectation of local regulations could significantly affect these companies in the future. For example, New York City has moved to impose new laws on third-party delivery marketplaces, most recently requiring them to be licensed by the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP).
See more : New York aggregators face new regulations and increased competition from direct channels
Such regulatory initiatives could significantly influence the price of these companies with very thin margins.


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“Tesco returned to growth for the first time since January 2014, increasing sales by 0.3% compared to this time last year,” said Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar Worldpanel, commenting on sales for the 12 weeks ending February 1 2015.
“Britain’s largest retailer is bouncing back from a tough year, with Dave Lewis’s efforts to overhaul the supermarket attracting an additional 236,000 shoppers into its stores in the last 12 weeks.”
However, he added: “Despite the increase in sales, Tesco’s overall market share fell to 29%, down by 0.2 percentage points compared to last year.”
McKevitt said the latest figures for the grocery market, published on February 10 showed the growth rates of discounters Aldi and Lidl were slowing. “Early results suggest that discounters Aldi and Lidl will find their accelerated growth levels hard to match in 2015.
‘Aldi’s growth still impressive’
“Aldi’s growth of 21.2% is still impressive but a relative slowing from its 36% peak in April 2014. Likewise, Lidl’s maximum growth of 24% in May last year is now down to 14.2%.”
Despite this, both chains continued to grab share from other retailers, with Aldi’s share rising by 0.8 percentage points and Lidl’s by 0.4 percentage points respectively to 4.9% and 3.5%.
Asda had reclaimed the title of second largest retailer during the period, with 16.9% of the market, overtaking Sainsbury, which traditionally performed more strongly at Christmas than the rest of the year, said McKevitt.
However, Asda’s sales still fell over the 12 weeks by 1.7%, while Sainsbury’s sales dropped by 1.0%. Morrisons’ sales fell by 0.4%, the best performance from the Bradford-based retailer since December 2013, according to the data. Sales for Waitrose rose by 7.2%, taking its overall share to 5.2%.
The overall grocery market had grown by 1.1%, the fastest rate since June 2014, McKevitt claimed. “Shoppers are taking advantage of both lower fuel prices and the continuing price war among the supermarkets to slightly increase their grocery spending.”
However, grocery inflation had seen its 17th successive fall and now stood at -1.2%*, saving shoppers £327M over the past 12 weeks.
As a result, consumers were now paying less for a representative basket of groceries than they did in 2014, according to the Kantar Worldpanel figures.
The latest BRC-KPMG retail sales monitor figures indicated like-for-like food sales had kept falling over three months, incorporating modest deflation of 1.8%, and non-food sales had out-performed food.
Commenting on that data, Clive Black, director and head of research at Shore Capital, said: “Against especially favourable comparatives we welcome the return to a stronger run-rate from the grocers …
“We will watch with interest to see where the consumer spends their new found ‘dosh’ … but we tend to believe that it will be broadly applied between affordable treats in the leisure and low ticket non-food segments (accessories and apparel), maybe some trading up in food and homewares albeit the housing market is plateauing a little.”


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According to Monica Zarafu, Founder and CEO of Hunter based automated bike hire operator Interbike Australia, electric bike-sharing is a sustainable transport solution for smart cities of the future.
The electric bike-share movement is a worldwide phenomenon that is just now starting to create waves in Australia. It offers an innovative and convenient approach to urban mobility with users able to take short trips, using a fleet of bicycles operating within a network of automated docking stations.
1000 cities globally have introduced bike sharing, not as a radical concept – but as an affordable and easy to implement transport system.
Interbike Australia, founded in 2014 by Monica and Marius Zarafu, is the first Australian enterprise specialising in shared mobility and bike sharing. It has facilities in Sydney, Newcastle and the Hunter and aims to put Australia on the bike share world map.
Starting out as a family owned business, Interbike Australia has grown to include a multi-disciplinary team of professionals with backgrounds in transport planning, architecture and design, IT, automatic systems, marketing and advertising, all based in the Newcastle-Hunter region.
David Siegel, Senior Strategy Executive at Step Change said that “Interbike Australia is the type of company that’s out to change the way the world works”
Interbike’s development team spent a year in R&D, studying electric bike share solutions and signing exclusive agreements for Australia and New Zealand with European leaders in electric bike share technology.
“We have a huge competitive advantage being the only Australian electric bike share provider with advanced technology designed specifically for the Australian market,” Monica said.
Interbike Australia has introduced the latest European technology into their bikes and docking stations giving the rider the best quality experience focused on safety, comfort and convenience. The systems incorporate a self-learning, predictive management platform for rebalancing, and smart docks with dual functionality for locking and e-bike charging.
“We have learned the hard way that there is no place for compromise in product quality, which is the reason why we partnered with the best manufacturers for every single component of the system”, says Marius.
The systems also include online reservations, user-friendly interfaces which allow a bike to be unlocked with a swipe of a smartphone as well as multiple features for prevention against theft and vandalism – which increases revenue while reducing operational costs.
When Monica and Marius expanded their business from bike hire to bike share, they became the first Australian provider of state-of-the-art technology in electric bike sharing. Their experience as operators of automated bike hire terminals helped them understand all aspects of operating a network – from bike service and maintenance, fleet management issues to high quality customer service, marketing, collecting and reporting data.
Traditionally perceived as a public scheme suitable for big cities only, Interbike promotes bike sharing as an innovative, affordable and flexible amenity for new and existing office, commercial and residential projects, universities, hospitals, business parks, hotels and resorts across Australia and New Zealand.
Interbike works with corporates who have identified the benefits of providing shared bike fleets for their employees. They work with leading property development agencies who see the benefits of integrating sustainable, advanced technology with green building initiatives.
Interbike also collaborates with universities investigating the benefits of bike sharing for their campuses.
“We have found it difficult to penetrate an uneducated market. We spend most of our time and resources educating our potential customers about the benefits of bike sharing and trying to bust the myth that bike sharing is doomed to fail, which is the general perception at the government level.”
“We should probably offer free trips to Europe, USA and Asia where every major city has a public bike share scheme, plus multiple private fleets for sharing!” she added. Ford, Uber, Zipcar have recently announced their plans to invest in bike sharing.
However, Monica and Marius report that their Newcastle hire locations are the best performers.
“The automated bike hire stations based in Newcastle have the best performance rate compared to any other locations in Australia.”
“In fact, they perform much better than the public bike share schemes in Melbourne and Brisbane and, although our European-trained brains refuse to accept it, the mandatory helmet laws apply in Newcastle too. But contrary to popular myth, this is not the main reason why bike sharing has been slow to take hold in Australia.” Monica said.
In a joint venture with another local enterprise, Cycle Space, Interbike has also created the Bike Share Studies venture, to work with local governments who have identified bike sharing as something that could benefit their city.
“We help them to compare their local government area —in terms of hills, traffic, size, density, demographics, etc.—to other world cities where Bike Share is working”, said Monica.
“We have also produced an eBook, How to Know if Your City Needs Bike Share discussing ten questions city administrators should ask when considering bike sharing for their cities” adds Monica.
Dr Steven Fleming, Director Cycle Space said “We have provided samples on the http://bikesharestudies.com.au/ website of the proprietary cartographic tool we have developed to analyse cities, and details of our unrivalled expertise in combining urban design, transport planning and bike share.”
So, what’s on the horizon for Interbike?
“We plan to open a manufacturing facility in the Hunter for some of the components, on top of the bike service and maintenance facility, which will create local jobs. We are very positive about our business future as well as the future of bike sharing and manufacturing in the region.”
“We aim to be the market leader in e-bike sharing and innovative personal transport solutions in Australia and New Zealand but more importantly, our goal is to have a positive impact on our cities.”
For more information on Interbike Australia visit www.interbike.com.au


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Iconic Heinz sign could paint Strip District neon-red
H.J. Heinz Co.’s iconic neon ketchup bottle could start pouring over Pittsburgh again with a new home in the Strip District.
The sign appears headed for the east side of the Senator John Heinz History Center, pending approval by the city Planning Commission. Members heard about the plan Tuesday and could vote on it in two weeks.
“We’re certainly very excited to have it continue as part of the Pittsburgh skyline,” said Michael Mullen, the ketchup-maker’s spokesman.
Heinz has its world headquarters in the U.S. Steel Tower, Downtown, and is paying an undisclosed amount to refurbish the sign and display it on the history museum.
Although it looks old, the sign went up on the North Side in 1995 to mark the company’s 125th anniversary. It came down in April.
Heinz spun off its North Side factory and several businesses to Del Monte Foods in 2002, with an agreement to keep the sign up four years. The company had been looking for a new place to hang the 42.5-foot-high sign since the lease expired.
The history center has established itself enough so most people should not get too mixed up over seeing the ketchup bottle on the museum, said Andy Masich, the history center’s CEO.
The center is named for the great-grandson of Henry J. Heinz, who founded the food company in 1869. Sen. H. John Heinz III died in a 1991 plane crash.
“There might be some confusion from people out of town thinking it’s the Heinz plant,” Masich said.
Heinz employs 1,200 people in Pittsburgh, but makes ketchup for North America in Fremont, Ohio. The ketchup sign appears to empty out and refill itself every 30 seconds — or 1,051,200 refills a year.
Andrew Conte can be reached at email@example.com or (412) 320-7835.


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After surveying exhibitors and attendees at last October's show, ISH North America partners voted in December to officially move the ISH NA trade show to a new every-other-year format.
The new ISH NA biennial schedule and combined industry conference are two key components of the new format, designed to make the event more convenient, cost-effective and productive for exhibitors and attendees.
At the second edition of ISH North America in Las Vegas last October, show organizers surveyed all 540 exhibiting companies and thousands of buyers. ISH NA partners then carefully analyzed the findings resulting from personal interviews as well as written submissions.
“It is our mission to listen to our customers and to make changes whenever such a need arises,” said Ike Casey, executive vice president of PHCC.
When questioned about ISH North America's importance to their respective industries, both exhibitors and attendees agreed: 33 percent of the exhibitors expressed that ISH NA has become their most important or one of their most important marketing platforms during its still-short history.
This significant group of exhibitors explained that they do not exhibit in any other, or only one other, national event in the United States.
Also, 66 percent of attendees declared that they attend no other or only one other competing national show.
One of the much debated, “hot-button” topics was the question of an annual vs. a biennial (every-other-year) show cycle. A clear majority of 63 percent of exhibitors indicated their preference for an every-other-year event.
Along product segment lines, the PVF sector was the strongest proponent of a biennial event with 79 percent. However, the majority of HVAC/ Hydronics and Kitchen & Bath/ Plumbing exhibitors also preferred every other year by 55 percent and 66 percent, respectively.
In response to this clear feedback, the ISH NA show partners announced that the show will be held on an every-other-year cycle starting with the upcoming 2004 show in Boston. The next show after Boston will be in Chicago in 2006.
During the odd years, ISH NA partners will host a Combined Industry Conference. This event will include the annual meetings and conventions of the participating partners and a comprehensive program of educational, business and social events.
Rather than regular, full-size product exhibits, exhibits will be limited to a table-top format, providing an organized format for vendors and service providers to “talk shop” with their customers.
“Moving to an every-other-year format provides exhibitors and attendees with an extremely focused event and dramatically reduces their cost to participate in ISH North America,” added CIPH President Ralph Suppa.
“The results of our survey efforts indicated that the show enjoys a strong industry base. However, when we see room for improvements, we will not hesitate to take the appropriate action,” commented Inge Calderon, executive vice president of ASA.
Also, Messe Frankfurt appointed Jennifer Jones as trade show manager of ISH North America. She has more than 18 years of trade show experience.
The next ISH North America will be held Oct. 14-16, 2004, at the new Boston Convention and Exhibition Center in Boston. For details, contact Jones at 770/984-8016 or e-mail firstname.lastname@example.org.


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ROSWELL, Ga. -- Janitors of America take note -- despite your best efforts, most people who use public bathrooms are performing their own personal maintenance before using the facilities.
In a survey of 1,015 adults conducted by Opinion Research Corporation for Kimberly-Clark Professional, nearly three-quarters of respondents said they conduct some kind of maintenance before using a public restroom, such as wiping off a seat cover or flushing the toilet. Nearly nine in 10 of those who do so said they use supplies that are already in the restroom - a seat cover, toilet paper or a paper towel.
About one third use their own "equipment," such as facial tissue or sanitizing wipes, while a surprising 34 percent reported using their hands and 23 percent their feet.
In addition, nearly everyone favored some kind of restroom prep by previous restroom occupants. Topping the list was hand washing, with 45 percent of respondents saying they would like it if people washed their hands after using the bathroom to keep germs from spreading. A courtesy seat wiping came in second.
Despite innumerable possibilities, it takes a lot to get people to relocate once they've selected a restroom stall. Half said they would move for a stuffed-up toilet. Most other conditions - no toilet paper, wet seat, wet floor - caused much smaller numbers of people to get up and go before going.
Embarrassing restroom moments. We've all had them -- caught without supplies or, perhaps worse, caught with vital supplies on one's shoe. Fortunately for the rest of us, the vast majority of respondents say they would warn people if they saw them walking out with toilet paper attached to their soles. Those who would remain mute or laugh were clearly in the minority.
While most people prepare the restroom for their own personal use, few are willing to clean up after others. When it comes to restroom refuse, the only thing people seemed likely to do was pick up a stray paper towel and throw it in the trash. Forty-three percent of respondents would do this, while 33 percent would ignore it. The numbers dropped dramatically when it came to fallen bathroom tissue. More than a third would ignore it while 26 percent said "it was gross, so why would they touch it?" Just under a quarter said they'd lift it up with something else and dispose of it.
When restroom supplies run out, the majority of survey respondents said they would tell management about it. And close to half had complained about restroom products in the past. Most complaints were over dirty restroom conditions.
Sympathy for cleaning personnel also came through, with respondents acknowledging that keeping toilets clean was the most difficult task maintenance workers faced. The chief words of advice for cleaning personnel? Clean it more often, preferably every hour, and treat the bathroom like it is your own. And, according to respondents, make sure the soap, toilet paper and towels don't run out!
Clearly, systems that reduce supply run-out, because they contain more product and last longer, and better-performing systems that result in less trash and waste would be a plus for people who visit away-from-home bathrooms.
The survey of 1,015 adults nationwide was conducted by telephone March 4-7, 2004 by Opinion Research Corporation. Of those surveyed, 738 said they performed some kind of personal restroom maintenance. The margin of error is plus or minus 3 percent for the entire sample and 4 percent for those who performed some kind of personal restroom maintenance.
Kimberly-Clark Professional provides tissue and towel products, skin care products and industrial wipers for workplace settings.
Source: Kimberly-Clark Professional


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Having opened a new brach office in Vienna, Hankook has said it is aiming for a “double-digit market share” in Austria and Switzerland, and to better establish the brand in both countries.
Sanghoon Lee, president of Hankook Tire Europe said: “For us, developing the Swiss and Austrian markets with a new branch office is essential for Hankook’s strategic expansion in Europe. Now we can offer an even better service to our customers there and locally support the demand for our premium tyres.”
Soowon Chang, MD of Hankook Austria and Switzerland added: “With the expansion of our sales team to Austria and Switzerland, we want to grow sustainably in both countries and significantly increase our market share.
“We will intensify the support of our Austrian and Swiss customers with the new Viennese branch office to fully leverage our brand potential in the future.”