Business Editors/High-Tech Writers
FREMONT, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 3, 2002
Insignia Provides High Performance Java(TM) 2, Micro Edition
(J2ME(TM)) Software for HNS-designed Thuraya
Mobile Satellite Phones
Insignia Solutions(R) (Nasdaq:INSG) announced today that Hughes Network Systems, Inc. (HNS) has signed a license agreement to incorporate Insignia's Mobile Foundation(TM) Java-enabling software platform into HNS-designed Thuraya mobile satellite/GSM handheld phones.
The phone's dual capabilities enable customers to access GSM services wherever available, and automatically switch to satellite mode whenever outside of local terrestrial reach. This is the first HNS phone to deploy Java technology.
Insignia's handset provisioning software will enable HNS mobile phones to download and run Java(TM) 2, Micro Edition (J2ME(TM))-based mobile services, including personal information management software (PIMS), address books, games, business-to-business applications, and messaging.
"Hughes Network Systems is the global market leader in broadband satellite networks, and is the supplier of gateways and handsets to the Thuraya mobile satellite service, whose coverage reaches more than a third of the world's population," commented Mark McMillan, president of Insignia. "This relationship reinforces the importance of Insignia's Java-enabling software as fundamental to the successful adoption of next generation mobile devices and widespread deployment of new revenue-generating mobile services."
The current version of the handset, the HNS-7100, is now available and is being exclusively deployed by mobile satellite operator Thuraya, with coverage in about 100 countries throughout Europe, the Middle East, north and central Africa, the CIS countries and south Asia -- a landmass inhabited by an estimated 2.3 billion people.
"Providing operators with the ability to successfully deploy value-added services is key to our growth in the broadband marketplace," commented Graham Avis, vice president of the HNS Mobile Satellite Terminal Products Group. "Java is central to this and Insignia provides the high performance and complete solution to meet our needs."
Last year, in Japan alone, over 10 million customers switched to Java-enabled phones to access a variety of premium services, from location-based travel assistance to interactive entertainment. The latest ARC Group market research study highlights that almost all mobile handsets will be Java-enabled within five years and estimates that nearly 1 billion handsets will be capable of running Java applications by 2006.
About Hughes Network Systems
Hughes Network Systems, Inc. (HNS), a wholly owned subsidiary of Hughes Electronics Corporation (HUGHES), is the world's leading provider of broadband satellite network solutions for businesses and consumers, with more than 500,000 systems ordered or shipped to customers in 85 countries. HNS pioneered the development of high-speed satellite Internet access services, which it markets globally under the DIRECWAY(R) brand and is a major supplier of mobile satellite networks, including GSM-enabled portable handsets and Internet devices. In addition, HNS is a leading manufacturer of DIRECTV(R) satellite television receivers, having shipped over 10 million systems to date. Headquartered outside Washington, D.C. in Germantown, Maryland, USA, HNS maintains sales and support offices worldwide. The earnings of HUGHES, a unit of General Motors Corporation, are used to calculate the earnings attributable to the General Motors Class H common stock (NYSE:GMH). To learn more about HNS, please visit http://www.hns.com.
About Insignia
Insignia Solutions' provisioning infrastructure software enables wireless carriers and mobile device manufacturers to fully capitalize on the mobile service opportunity. Founded in 1986, Insignia is a market-share leading supplier of Java virtual machine software solutions for high-growth markets including mobile, digital TV, telematics, and embedded systems. More than 40 million units of Insignia's JVM(TM) technology are licensed by major partners including Samsung, HP/Compaq, BSQUARE, Wind River, Fujitsu, NEC, Toshiba, Motorola and Siemens AG. Insignia Solutions is traded on NASDAQ under the symbol INSG. The company is headquartered in Fremont, California, with R&D and European operations based in the United Kingdom, and Asian headquarters in Japan. For additional information about Insignia or its products please visit http://www.insignia.com.
About Thuraya Satellite Telecommunications Company: Thuraya was founded in the UAE in 1997 by a consortium of telecommunications and satellite companies, as well as international investment houses. The turnkey project, built by Boeing Satellite Systems, is designed for a lifespan of 12 to 15 years. The satellite is in geo-synchronous orbit positioned 36,000 kms above the earth, at 44 degrees East above the equator. At a later date, a spare ground satellite will be launched to expand system capacity. Thuraya provides mobile satellite telephony to a large coverage area spanning Europe, North and Central Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and the Indian Sub-continent.
Thuraya's handset, equipped with satellite, cellular (GSM) service and GPS, offers voice, data and fax at 9.6 Kbps and short messaging services. Other products include payphone, marine and indoor docking units, as well as fleet management systems.
Note to Editors: Insignia, Insignia Solutions, the Insignia Solutions logo and the Jeode logo are registered trademarks, and Jeode and DAC are trademarks of Insignia Solutions, Inc. Sun, Java, JVM, J2ME, and PersonalJava are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries. HUGHES, Hughes Network Systems, DIRECWAY and DIRECTV are trademarks or registered trademarks of Hughes Electronics Corporation.
Forward Looking Statements
The statements in this press release relating to matters that are not historical are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. This news release includes forward-looking statements that are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those referred to in the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the impact of conclusion or postponement of prospective licensing transactions; the impact of weakening economic conditions or perceived conditions on the level of spending by customers and prospective customers on Insignia Solutions' software and services; financial and other impacts of cost control measures; quarterly fluctuations in Insignia Solutions' revenues or other operating results; failure by Insignia Solutions to meet financial expectations of analysts and investors, including failure resulting from significant reductions in demand from earlier anticipated levels; risks that cash generated from operations and financing activities will be insufficient to satisfy Insignia Solutions' liquidity requirements; risk as related to market acceptance of Insignia Solutions' products; impact of long and lengthening sales and implementation cycles for Insignia Solutions' products; satisfaction levels of customers regarding the implementation and performance of Insignia Solutions' products; reliance by Insignia Solutions on a limited number of customers for a majority of revenue; Insignia Solutions' need to maintain and enhance business relationships with systems integrators, licensors and other parties; Insignia Solutions ability to attract and maintain qualified executives and other personnel and motivate employees; Insignia Solutions' use in its products of third-party software; activities by Insignia Solutions and others regarding protection of intellectual property; and release of competitive products and other actions by competitors. Further details on these risks are set forth in Insignia Solutions' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent filings on Forms 10-K and 10-Q. These filings are available on a website maintained by the Securities and Exchange Commission at http://www.sec.gov. Forward-looking statements in this release are generally identified by words such as "expect," "anticipate," "will," "intend," "believe," "hope," "assume," "estimate," "plan," and other similar words and expressions. Insignia Solutions does not undertake an obligation to update forward-looking or other statements in this release.
M2 PRESSWIRE-7 December 1999-IBM: IBM introduces ready-to-go optical networking solution for S/390 data centers (C)1994-2000 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD
RDATE:061299
SOMERS, NY -- IBM today announced the IBM Fiber Saver, the first and only ready-to-go optical connectivity "solution in a box" designed to provide S/390 customers with fast and more reliable data transfer at a lower price. Fiber Saver is the first offering resulting from an agreement between IBM and Nortel Networks to provide server connectivity solutions based on Nortel's optical networking technology.
IBM Fiber Saver is designed to meet the demands for high-speed network connections and data transfer for customers with multiple IBM servers in different locations. It also is ideal for enterprise customers who need continuous access to data and applications including e-business, business intelligence and disaster recovery solutions. The IBM Fiber Saver package includes configuration planning, an assembled ready-to-go unit and service installation, making it the industry's only prepackaged total solution for high-speed server connectivity. IBM's new package allows customers to drastically reduce installation time from days to as little as four hours, depending on configuration.
"Web-enabled enterprise applications have significantly increased the need for cost-effective high-speed data transfer and backup," said George Walsh, director, Hardware Product Line, IBM S/390 Division. "IBM Fiber Saver provides a cost-effective "plug and play" solution for S/390 customers with improved data transfer capability to meet the increased demands of e-business applications."
"IBM and Nortel Networks share the same vision regarding the growth, reliability and scalability of the Internet and e-commerce applications," said Don Smith, general manager and vice president, OPTera Solutions, Nortel Networks. "The IBM Fiber Saver is a result of our close relationship, and leverages the strengths of Nortel Networks Dense-Wavelength Division Multiplexing (optical) technology into the enterprise space."
Dramatic Cost Savings
Internet traffic has created a need for increased bandwith at the same time data center customers are facing the challenges of expanding their networks. Laying new fiber can be costly and the limited availability of fiber is a growing problem in metropolitan areas.
The IBM Fiber Saver addresses these problems by simultaneously carrying multiple channels, including ESCON, FICON, ISC, ETR, FDDI, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, OC-3 and OC-12 channels, to interconnect IBM S/390 Enterprise Servers. In addition, cost savings with the IBM Fiber Saver may be significant. Businesses typically spend as much as $150 to $300 per month, per mile, per strand of fiber, with each channel requiring two strands of fiber. The IBM Fiber Saver can decrease this cost by "multiplexing" up to 64 channels of information over only two fiber pairs, offering potential savings of tens of thousands of dollars per month, depending on the number of channels used to connect servers. IBM Fiber Saver also delivers benefits that other inter-site connection services don't, by providing point-to-point communication as well as the flexibility to connect up to nine locations in a ring.
Businesses with IBM S/390 Enterprise Servers can link multiple sites at distances up to 40 kilometers (about 25 miles) by using the IBM Fiber Saver in a Geographically Dispersed Parallel Sysplex (GDPS) environment. GDPS is a multisite management facility that combines system code and automation with the capabilities of IBM S/390 Parallel Sysplex clustering technology, storage subsystem mirroring and data bases to manage storage, processors and network resources. It is designed to minimize and potentially eliminate the impact of any planned or unplanned system outage. For example, in a recent simulated site disaster at a GDPS customer location, no data loss occurred and the recovery window was reduced from 12 hours to 22 minutes.
In the event of a cut fiber or hardware failure between data centers, the IBM Fiber Saver can switch data traffic to designated "backup" paths almost instantly, thereby maintaining connectivity between server locations. Shipments of the IBM Fiber Saver will begin December 20, 1999.
IBM, S/390, IBM Fiber Saver, ESCON, FICON, Parallel Sysplex, GDPS and Geographically Dispersed Parallel Sysplex are trademarks or registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation in the United States and other countries. Nortel Networks is a trademark of Nortel Networks.
IBM news releases and fact sheets are available on the World Wide Web at http://www.ibm.com. S/390 news releases and fact sheets also are available on http://www.ibm.com/servers and http://www.s390.ibm.com.
((M2 Communications Ltd disclaims all liability for information provided within M2 PressWIRE. Data prepared by named party/parties. Further information on M2 PressWIRE can be obtained at http://www.presswire.net on the world wide web. Inquiries to info@m2.com)).
Many of the houses on the East Finchley street where Amelia Sach ran a baby farm have their names proudly displayed. But after identifying Claymore House, where Sach lived, Penninah Asher discovered its name has been erased from the plaque
Digging into your family past has never been as easy or so popular. Thousands spend weekends trawling the internet and poring over ancestry sites and magazines. We are glued to TV programmes such as the RTE series, Who Do You Think You Are?
We all want to know where we come from. Could we, like Ryan Tubridy discovered on that series, be related to English royalty?
My interest in genealogy started 10 years ago, when I was inspired by my mother Judith's attempts to complete her family tree. She told me stories of a grandfather who fought in Sudan and an ancestor who ran away to sea, aged 14. I was intrigued.
So, pregnant with the first of my two children and home all day with very little to do, I did some research, starting with friends' families. Then I turned to my own father and his roots. I come from a fractured family on his side. In fact, I'm estranged from my dad, I haven't seen him since I was 16 and I didn't even know the names of his parents.
I've always enjoyed piecing a story together, so day after day I sat at my kitchen table in front of the computer, next to a growing box of certificates and other documents.
I found the website, freebmd.org.uk, my first and most valuable source. It gives free access to the index of births, marriages and deaths in England and Wales, and I managed to trace my grandparents through it. Then I joined rootschat.com, a free messaging forum where members give advice, and I started building a family tree.
But, while I suspected some members of my father's side of the family were pretty colourful, nothing prepared me for what I discovered when, out of the blue, I received an email from a man through ancestry.co.uk, who asked if I was aware that I was related to 'a notorious lady' called Amelia Sach.
Sach, explained my correspondent, was a murderess better known as the Finchley 'baby farmer'. In 1903, she was executed along with colleague Annie Walters.
This convicted baby killer was the sister of my great-grandmother, so she was my greatgreat-aunt. My first reaction was confusion, then shock and then disbelief. Did I really have a murderess in the family? And if I did, then why did I know nothing about it? I went back to my family tree and found Amelia Sach had been baptised Frances Amelia Thorne in Hampreston, Dorset, on May 5, 1867, the fourth child of 10. She had three sisters, the youngest being Eunice Thorne, my great-grandmother.
I tracked Amelia through the censuses, and discovered her marriage to Jeffrey Sach in 1896.
I'd heard the term 'baby farming' before but now I needed to find out more. I began reading everything I could, including a transcript of Amelia's trial and, as I did so, I started to uncover a story so astonishing and sad it is now the basis of a new novel, The Ghost Of Lily Painter, by Caitlin Davies.
Legitimate baby farmers provided a much-needed service for pregnant unmarried women in Victorian and Edwardian times. These women were often servant girls who were forced to 'farm' out their illegitimate child to avoid scandal or to keep their jobs.
Advertising their services in local newspapers, baby farmers charged a weekly sum - five shillings a week in 1890s London - or a one-off 'premium' ranging from [pounds sterling]5 to [pounds sterling]50 to have the baby adopted or foserly tered.
Most were caring. Some, though, starved, abandoned or even murdered the babies. Sach and Walters were two of seven baby farmers executed between 1871 and 1908.
Two weeks after Sach and Walters were arrested, nine starving children were found in a house not far away in Wood Green, including two babies lying in the lid of an old rush basket. The eldshocking woman in charge had received [pounds sterling]30 to care for each child.
Amelia Sach was a midwife who arrived in London where her father, an odd-job man, had found work. Shortly after her father died, she married Jeffrey, a builder, and they had a daughter, Lillian. In her early 30s, Amelia opened a 'lying-in' home, where unmarried pregnant women could stay before giving birth.
By 1902, she was working from Claymore House, a semi in East Finchley, north London. She put an advert in the local papers under the name Nurse Thorne: 'Accouchement, before and during.
Skilled nursing. Baby can remain.' The phrase 'baby can remain' meant that an unmarried pregnant woman could go to the lying in home, give birth, and leave without the child. Once the baby was born, Amelia would offer to arrange an adoption; assuring her clients that for [pounds sterling]25, their offspring would start a new life with a 'wellto-do lady'.
But according to newspaper reports and evidence at their subsequent trial, her colleague Annie Walters - a highly disturbed 54-year-old midwife - removed the babies from the home, drugged them with a lethal narcotic and then wandered the streets looking for somewhere to dump them.
In November 1902, Walters took lodgings in Islington, where she asked the landlady if she could bring a baby for one night before it was adopted.
On November 12, she received a telegram from Claymore House - 'To-night, at five o'clock' - and Walters brought a baby back to the lodgings. Two days later, the boy had gone. Walters told her landlady that the adoptive parent, a widowed lady in Piccadilly, was delighted and the baby was now finely dressed in 'muslin and lace'.
A few days later, she brought another baby, telling a fellow lodger: 'This one is going to a coastguard's wife at South Kensington.' er actions had already Haroused suspicion and this time the police placed a watch on the lodgings. On November 18, Walters was followed to Kensington Station, where she was discovered in the ladies' with a dead infant in her arms, his hands clenched, his tongue swollen and lips purple and black.
The victim was the four-day-old son of Ada Charlotte Galley, a servant who had recently given birth at Claymore House. The cause of death was said to be asphyxia and Sach and Walters were arrested for murder.
Walters admitted giving the child chlorodyne, a lethal but widely available mixture of chloroform, cannabis and opium, originally used as a treatment for cholera.
She was probably addicted to it herself, telling the arresting officer: 'I never killed the baby, I only gave it two little drops in its She gave the child a mixture of opium, cannabis and chloroform bottle, the same as I take myself.' Sach was charged as an accessory and, in the eyes of the police, the existence of the telegrams was enough to prove her role.
In January 1903, the women stood trial. Both pleaded innocent, although neither took the stand. An all-male jury convicted them.
When police searched Claymore House, they found 300 items of baby clothing in Amelia's bedroom.
She denied knowing Annie Walters, although there's no doubt she had sent the telegrams.
There was no absolute proof that she was a willing accomplice, although I suspect she was not entirely innocent.
For me, the story won't be over until I find out more about my great-grandmother, Eunice. It seems she never told a soul about her sister. When she married three years after the execution, she changed her first name to Mabel and changed her father's name on the marriage certificate, as well as his occupation.
When I told my family what I'd found, one relative, worried what people would think, advised me to keep things to myself. It is no wonder the story was so well hidden. How do I feel about having a murderess in the family? We might not like the truth when we find it but we can't ignore it.
In this story at least, there has been no happy ending, only a terrible family secret and more than a century of denial. But even that is better than nothing at all.
The Ghost Of Lily Painter by Caitlin Davies is published by Hutchinson, priced [euro]15.
CAPTION(S):
SHOCKING DISCOVERY: Amelia Sach's great-great-niece Penninah Asher D SHOCKING DISCOVERY: Amelia Sach's great-great-niece Penninah Asher D
NEW YORK, June 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue:
Frost & Sullivan Speaks Candidly with U.S. Pharmacists
http://www.reportlinker.com/p0490686/Frost--Sullivan-Speaks-Candidly-with-US-Pharmacists.html?utm_source=prnewswire&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=Pharmacies_and_Drug_Stores
This study encompasses feedback provided by a healthcare pharmacist research panel consisting of 10-15 pre-selected participants and were conducted via online moderated discussion boards over a three-day period. Series of questions were asked around current topics of interest to pharmacists. Questions and discussions were designed to gage both short-term and long-term trends and impacts. Questions posed to the pharmacist panel covered the following main topics: the role of the pharmacist, patient management services, pharmacy trends, information technology and applications, and future trends.
Table of Contents
* Introduction 10
* Topics and Themes 11
* Changing Dynamics 13
* Questions Posed to the Panel 14
* Primary Responsibility 15
* Additional Responsibilities 16
* Patient Disease Management 17
* Patient Purchasing Behavior with Rx and OTC 18
* Pharmacists' Impact on Consumers Use of Alternative Medicines 19
* Key Messages 20
* Changing Dynamics 22
* Questions Posed to the Panel 23
* Experiences with MTMs (Benefits) 24
* Experiences with MTMs (Barriers) 25
* Experiences with MTMs (Ways Payers Could Overcome Barriers) 26
* Experiences with MTMs (Ways Providers Could Overcome Barriers) 27
* Patient Purchasing Behaviors in Relation to Conditions/Diseases 28
* Counseling Services 29
* Reimbursable Pharmacy-based Adherence Programs 30
* Key Messages 31
* Changing Dynamics 33
* Questions Posed to the Panel 34
* Issues/Trends in Retail Pharmacy 35
* Impact of Internet Pharmacies on Business 36
* Methods of Driving Patients to the Retail Store 37
* Trends in Compounding 38
* Leading M&A Trends in the Pharmacy Industry 39
* Trends in Retail Pharmacy Primary Care Clinics 40
* Key Messages 41
* Changing Dynamics 43
* Questions Posed to the Panel 44
* Types of Information Technology and Applications 45
* How Prescription Errors are Avoided 48
* Thoughts and Integration of PHRs and EMRs 49
* Benefits of Automated Workflow Solutions and Technology Platforms 50
* How Automation is Foreseen in next 5-10 Years 51
* Key Messages 52
* Changing Dynamics 54
* Questions Posed to the Panel 55
* Impact of Healthcare Reform 56
* Key Drivers in Healthcare for Creation of Prescribing Pharmacist 57
* Thoughts on Big Pharmaor Managed Care Organizations Acquiring Retail Pharmacies 58
* How the Industry is Foreseen to Change in the Next 5-10 Years 59
* Key Messages 60
* Conclusions 62
* About Frost & Sullivan 63
List of Charts
* RoleofthePharmacist:ChangingDynamics(U.S.),2010 13
* PatientManagementServices:ChangingDynamics(U.S.),2010 22
* PharmacyTrends:ChangingDynamics(U.S.),2010 31
* InformationTechnologyandApplications:ChangingDynamics(U.S.),2010 43
* FutureTrends:ChangingDynamics(U.S.),2010 54
* Pharmacists'Panel:Conclusions(U.S.),2010 62
To order this report:
Pharmacies and Drug Stores Industry: Frost & Sullivan Speaks Candidly with U.S. Pharmacists
Pharmacies and Drug Stores Business News
More Market Research Report
Check our Company Profile, SWOT and Revenue Analysis!
Contact: Nicolas Bombourg Reportlinker Email: nbo@reportlinker.com US: (805)652-2626 Intl: +1 805-652-2626
SOURCE Reportlinker
Batelco declared that it has introduced a three-month combination offer to all its current and fresh broadband customers.
The company stated that the customers can purchase internet TV Sony Bravia along with exclusive bundles and combo offers as well as Internet TV with Play Station3 with a flexible broadband interest-free installment scheme.
Batelco provides broadband customers a huge range of laptops, tablets, game consoles and more with interest free installments and payment periods ranging from 12 to 18 months.
2011 Al Bawaba (Albawaba.com)
Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company
Abraxas Petroleum Corporation will announce their first quarter 2011 financial and operating results on Monday, May 9, before the U.S. financial markets open.
According to a release, the corresponding conference call is scheduled for Monday, May 9, at 2 p.m. CT (3 p.m. ET). Robert Watson, President and CEO of Abraxas, will lead the call with a question and answer session to follow.
Please dial 1.888.679.8018 ten minutes before the scheduled start time to participate in the call with Passcode: 32974153.
The conference call will also be webcast live on the Internet and can be accessed directly on the Company's website at abraxaspetroleum.com under Investor Relations. In addition to the audio webcast replay, a transcript of the conference call will be posted on the Investor Relations section of the Company's website approximately 24 hours after the conclusion of the call, and will be accessible for at least 60 days.
Abraxas Petroleum Corporation is a crude oil and natural gas exploration and production company.
((Comments on this story may be sent to newsdesk@closeupmedia.com))
WHEN KEVIN BARBIEUX became homeless in 1982, he was new to Nashville. At first, he relates on his blog, The Homeless Guy, he spent his days hovering around a rescue mission. Then, as he met other homeless people who introduced him to the city's attractions, he began to explore. He took long walks by the Cumberland River, visited the Tennessee State Museum--and found himself browsing the stacks of the downtown library.
"I wasn't much of a reader, so I didn't spent much time [there] initially," Barbieux writes. "But I did have an interest in photography and art, so once I discovered those books I was at the library for hours at a time. ... The 750s and 770s [were] where I spent my time."
For Barbieux, these Dewey Decimal numbers were not the vestiges of a dusty, archaic organizational system that few people today use, let alone commit to memory. Beginning with coffee-table art books, the library became a setting of vital importance and a main stop on the road to changing his life.
When public computers came on the scene, Barbieux used them, along with print resources, to research and produce an educational newsletter about homelessness. The library's fledgling Internet service connected him with others doing the same, such as the publishers of Seattle's Real Change newspaper. He began to do photography, eventually showing some of his work--which featured what he calls "an eye for inspiration in the mundane"--in galleries. And in August 2002, Barbieux tried his hand at blogging, then a relatively new phenomenon. His blog, which he updated at the library, became an Internet sensation, and donations through the site gave him the funds he needed to get off the street for a time. Thanks to his newfound notoriety, he was also asked to join the mayor's task force on ending homelessness in Nashville.
Most recently, Barbieux used the library to research anti-anxiety medications. He saw a commercial for one, recognized his own symptoms, and devoured all the books and online resources he could to learn more about social anxiety. As a result, Barbieux says, he was armed with the information he needed to conquer the main cause of his homelessness. Today, he lives in his own private, permanent residence, furnished by the city's Housing First program, for the first time in 27 years.
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Barbieux's story may seem like an exceptional one of serendipity, a single person stumbling into the right place at the right time. But public libraries have always been, by design, community gathering places, settings intentionally equipped for personal and societal transformation. They are especially essential in the lives of the socially excluded--those who are isolated due to poverty, mental or physical illness, limited education, or immigrant or refugee status--because they are charged with the mission of providing free access to information and connections to resources and to other people.
John Vincent, a librarian from the United Kingdom whose advocacy group The Network attempts to level the playing field in public agencies, says: "Libraries have an immensely strong role to play in providing information to support people's struggles, supporting people in gaining literacy, numeracy, and IT skills, as well as in digital inclusion, equality of opportunity, and personal well-being."
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It's a lofty vision, but one rooted in a historic mandate for public service. The grandfather of modern-day libraries, steel magnate and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, donated much of his fortune to building and staffing neighborhood branches that would act as community centers. Carnegie understood from his own experience that centrally located, freely available resources have an equalizing effect on people's ability to educate themselves and improve their lives.
Since Carnegie's time--when branches were just as likely to contain a boxing ring or a lecture hall as book stacks--the public library has been called a neighborhood living room, an information commons, and even "the people's temple." Far from the hushed sanctuaries most people envision, today's libraries are bustling community centers and integral players in revitalizing depressed areas, especially in urban settings. A recent report from the Urban Libraries Council began with a tone-setting proclamation from Bowling Alone and Better Together author Robert Putnam: "No longer a passive repository of books and information or an outpost of culture, quiet, and decorum in a noisy world, the new library is an active and responsive part of the community and an agent for change."
Library advocates argue that there is no other institution in a democratic society that serves this function. In most cities, corporations have gobbled up formerly public space, stratifying the population according to income, race, age, and other rigid expectations about who belongs where. "You have to ask yourself," says Lisa Gieskes, a school librarian and coordinator of the American Library Association's Hunger, Homelessness, and Poverty Task Force, "where would you go in your community that you could sit and learn and enjoy for hours and hours without any pressure to buy anything? There's nowhere else. You go to the library."
BUT ARE LIBRARIES still necessary in our hyper-connected digital age? In a time where you can punch up anything you need on an iPhone, the continued relevance of public buildings filled with books and professionally trained staff is questionable--when it is even considered at all.
But this leaves out those who, like Barbieux, are unable to pursue their interests or goals in any other venue but a free and public one. The so-called "digital divide" is drawn starkly between those who have the financial means to equip their homes with materials and technology--and develop the skills to use them--and those who do not. Unsurprisingly, the divide also falls along racial and ethnic lines. According to the American Library Association (ALA), black, Latino, and Native American families are less likely to have home computers than their white and Asian counterparts.
Books, computers, and a public gathering place may seem like a luxury when compared to more obvious and pressing needs. How much can information matter when people are hungry, homeless, out of work, and struggling for day-to-day survival? A lot, it turns out--Vincent points to research showing that various elements of literal poverty and information poverty are "linked and mutually reinforcing." Gieskes agrees, stating that the right information can be the gateway to changing difficult realities in an individual's life, and subsequently in society at large.
"Poverty is not just about economics, it's about access," she says. "Our job as librarians is important because we provide access, whether educational in nature or recreational. We provide community links, referral services, job search and career change information, literacy opportunities, and a place for quiet reflection, to name a few. These are all things that anyone coming to the library wants, but your biggest advocates are going to be the people most in need. In order to be a full member of society, you have to have equal access to educational opportunities, and that's what libraries provide."
The worldwide recession is leaving more people information-poor--and therefore in need of public library services, Gieskes points out. "Whole demographics are changing, so you have newly, invisibly poor people using the library," she says. "You can see the obvious homeless, because there are markers for who that is, but we are now seeing so many former middle-class families becoming the working poor and suffering unstable, itinerant lifestyles because of the housing crisis."
Libraries tend to shed light on such societal shifts, precisely because they are a place where all types of people come together to lay bare their information needs. In a 2007 article for TomDispatch.com that catalyzed the library community, former Salt Lake City Public Library System assistant director Chip Ward wrote: "When [those] we have thrown in the streets haunt our public places, their presence tells us something important about the state of our union, our national character, our priorities, and our capacity to care for one another. That information is no less important than the information we provide through databases and books."
Rather than simply observing a magnified version of society's problems, librarians have a professional responsibility--bolstered by ALA's Policy 61, which formalized services to poor people in 1990--to use this information to develop solutions. Librarians sometimes insist that they are not social workers, an objection stemming from frustration with a traditional lack of training in dealing with the baggage, such as mental illness, that accompanies patrons through the front door. But more and more, they are equipped to serve the public in innovative ways that meet more than straightforward information needs, proving themselves as effective community organizers.
Vincent's U.K.-based organization, The Network, provides training and other resources to libraries and museums that want to address the ways in which, he says, "people may be prevented from taking up--or even knowing about--our services, and working to remove these barriers." While it is true that libraries are high-minded, democratic institutions, they are still institutions, ones that rely on the same authoritarian structures and rules as other government entities. There are just as many people who find libraries restrictive and intimidating as those who find them calm and welcoming--usually those who have faced barriers in other settings.
The inability to pay fines--and the public humiliation that sometimes accompanies such transactions--is one of many factors that prevent people who need library services most from using them. Others include difficulty getting a card without a permanent address, language barriers, and bureaucratic staff attitudes that resemble more-punitive government agencies.
Through partnerships with existing community agencies, libraries are able to mitigate these obstacles and provide valuable, targeted services to those who might otherwise fall through the cracks. Umbrella organizations such as ALA's Hunger, Homelessness, and Poverty Task Force provide research and practical support for libraries that want to offer "everything from hosting pro-bono legal services within a branch to sponsoring GED, ESL, or job training, to working with unemployment agencies, to offering shelter clinics for people seeking emergency services," according to Gieskes, its current coordinator.
On the front lines, meanwhile, large systems have developed programs that respond directly to community needs. For example, Queens Borough Public Library in New York is renowned for its New Americans Program, established more than three decades ago, which acclimates immigrants to the city while helping them maintain connections to their homelands. In a place where more than 100 languages are spoken and one out of every two people hails from another country, it is easy to see how native-tongue collections and story times, cultural celebrations, citizenship programs, and adult and family literacy classes put the library at the heart of community development.
Even if they do not have high-flying programs, public libraries still play an essential role in many peoples experience of democracy and education. Take Kevin Barbieux. "The library has been a focal point of my homelessness," he writes. "Days began and ended at the library. I have known several librarians by name and consider them to be friends, and the library is where I met up with what few friends I had from the streets. It was a central location that most everyone was familiar with." No special provisions existed for the homeless in his Nashville library, and he says he occasionally experienced prejudicial attitudes. Nevertheless, the books were there, the computers were there, the community was there, and Barbieux changed his life in part thanks to their availability--free of charge.
Kate Bowman-Johnston, a former Sojourners intern, is a children's librarian at a neighborhood branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia.
* Photo by Terry Vine
More platforms plus more choice equals more media consumption, according to the fourth annual Young Asians study, conducted by Synovate, supported by Microsoft Advertising, MTV and Yahoo! And while Internet is becoming an increasingly important part of the lives of Asia's youth, they are still making appointments to watch their favourite TV shows and catch every episode
The good news for media owners
Asia's youth spend nine and a half hours each day consuming some form of media. Listening to music is very important to the lives of two-third of young Asians and 34 percent said that they had spent more time listening to music in the last year.
The fourth annual Synovate Young Asians study covered 12 markets across Asia, including, for the first time, Japan and Vietnam.
"Media across different platforms have certainly taken hold of youth across Asia in a significant way and this influence continues to grow. In fact, twenty-five percent admitted that they just couldn't live without the Internet while 23 percent said that they plan to watch more TV," says managing director, Synovate Singapore, Miranda Cheung.
More or less
The survey also explored the engagement levels of eight to 24 year olds on the different types of activities and time spent on media. Synovate found that 35 percent had used the Internet more than a year ago, while close to a quarter had spent more time watching TV. Newspaper and magazine reading remained unchanged with 64 percent of respondents spending roughly the same amount of time on both media. More than a quarter of young Asians set aside time and plan their schedules around their favourite TV programmes, hoping to catch every episode.
The biggest media junkies can be found in Korea (13.7 hours a day), Hong Kong (12.7 hours a day) and Singapore (12.6 hours a day). This covers time spent on the Internet, watching TV or DVD/VCD/videos, reading newspapers or magazines and listening to the radio.
"Asia's young people have certainly embraced multi-tasking. Kids are watching the TV, but also talking on the phone. They are on the Internet with the radio on in the background. Or they may be sending email, texting on their mobile phone and playing an online game all at the same time," explains Cheung.
Voice, influence and choice
Respondents were asked if they had a say and influence when it came to the purchase decisions on a variety of household goods and services. Eighty-four percent of Asia's youth believe that they have the biggest say and are able to influence the purchase decisions as well as buy their own snack food, candy, chocolates and soft drinks.
Over two thirds of young Asians were able to influence the purchasing of toys and games. Seventy-two percent of young Asians were able to influence the purchasing of clothing and apparel while two thirds of Asia's youth dictate the choice of venue when it comes to fast-food outlets and quick service restaurants.
Topping the list of purchasing influence and decision making among individual markets were young Thais (94 percent) when it comes to buying snack food followed by Indonesians (92 percent) and Indians (89 percent) while Hong Kong youngsters (64 percent) were able to influence the purchasing of video games.
Young Thais (62 percent) again together with Koreans (51 percent) top the influence scale when it comes to buying skincare and grooming products while Indonesian youngsters have the biggest say on mobile phones.
"Apart from voicing an opinion and having influence, we also discovered a sense of proactiveness among Asian youth, particularly young Indians (59 percent), Taiwanese (47 percent) and Vietnamese (43 percent) who indicated that they would not only influence purchases but get their own snack food, candy, chocolates and soft drinks," adds Cheung.
Moving beyond consumer goods and services, around a quarter of Asia's youth had a say on purchase decisions of big ticket items such as the family holiday trip abroad and the family car.
Climate conscious--but not always
Synovate asked young people how they felt about one of the world's biggest issues--how do you feel regarding the effects of climate change? An encouraging 67 percent of Asia's 8-24 year olds said that they were concerned about the effects of climate change. Most concerned are the Filipinos (87 percent), Thais, Hong Kongers, and Koreans (75 percent).
"Far less conscious were youth from india (38 percent), Indonesia (14 perecnt) and Malaysia (13 percent) who said that they do not believe that the climate is changing. "This is somewhat alarming and there's certainly a clear need for more education on this global issue," comments Cheung.
On a more positive note, the survey did reveal that many had personally taken steps to reduce the effects of climate change. They had recycled waste (38 percent) and reduced the consumption of plastic bags, electricity, water and gas while over a quarter purchased green products.
Favourite cartoons and animated characters across AsiaMarket Favourite Second favouriteChina Doraemon (12%) Detective Conan (10%)Hong Kong Doraemon (10%) Naruto (9%)India Tom and Jerry (28%} Mickey Mouse(15%)Indonesia Naruto (14%) Doraemon (14%)Japan One piece (9%) Detective Conan (6%)Korea Crayon Shin-Chan (17%) Detective Conan (10%)Malaysia Tom and Jerry (13%) Doraemon (11%)Philippines Sponge Bob (14%) Tom and Jerry (12%)Singapore Sponge Bob (11%) Mr Bean (9%)Taiwan Doraemon (14%) One piece (12%)Thailand Doraemon {28%) Detective Conan (13%)Vietnam Tom and Jerry (37%) Doraemon (15%}Market Third favouriteChina Crayon Shin-Chan (7%)Hong Kong Crayon Shin-Chan (9%)India Mr. Bean (13%)Indonesia Tom and Jerry (11%)Japan Pokemon (6%)Korea Doraemon (9%)Malaysia Mr. Bean (10%)Philippines Naruto (12%)Singapore Tom and Jerry (6%)Taiwan Sponge Bob (9%)Thailand Naruto (8%)Vietnam Detective Conan (10%)"Favourite cartoons / animated character among youngAsians--Source: Synovate Young Asians Survey 2008
BLUE BELL, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 20, 1996--Unisys Corp., headquartered here, and Charlotte, N.C.-based information technology firm Broadway & Seymour Inc., Monday jointly announced an agreement to supply payment processing software, hardware, and related services to Vermont Federal Bank, Williston, Vt.
According to the contract, Unisys will provide the bank with the VisualImpact suite of advanced-function financial software for item and image processing, developed to Unisys specifications by Broadway & Seymour. Unisys will also provide a series of document processors, personal computers, and related peripherals in support of the bank's check imaging function.
Vermont Federal, an $800 million dollar institution, provides banking services at 25 branches in Vermont and New Hampshire (where it operates as First Savings of New Hampshire).
Vermont Federal chose Unisys/Broadway & Seymour from a field of several vendors, according to James St. Peter, the bank's vice president for information systems. "We based our decision on the fact that this is a complete Windows NT solution," said St. Peter, "one which will let the bank grow and expand capabilities as needed."
"We outgrew our existing systems and found that check imaging was less expensive and more efficient than traditional solutions, particularly when you consider the postage costs involved in mailing back checks," he noted. "We believe that the bank's customers will perceive this service as an added value as well."
"Unisys has an excellent reputation in the check processing arena and provides solid local engineering support," he continued. "Likewise, Broadway & Seymour is highly regarded within the financial community for its ability to deliver state-of-the-art technology in a complete and proven solution."
The Unisys solutions package includes the VisualImpact payment software, as well as two Unisys DP500 document processors, 10 image workstations, a dual-Pentium processor application server, and three 40-page-per-minute laser printers. The new package, focused on a Microsoft Windows NT environment, replaces an NCR Tower check system in use at the bank.
The Unisys solution will be run parallel with the bank's current check systems until early June, 1996. Inclearings are currently in live processing; power encode and Courtesy Amount Read (CAR) functions for proof-of-deposit (POD) processing, as well as image statements, are expected to begin processing during the month of July.
Leadership in image processing
In October 1989, Unisys introduced the high-volume image capture technology of its InfoImage Item Processing System and changed the way payments were processed in many leading financial institutions, such as Barnett, Comerica, Huntington Bancshares, and Signet Bank. Unisys solutions can capture and archive images of all items at their first point of entry into financial institutions of any size.
Unisys payment systems solutions constitute the industry's most comprehensive and flexible suite of products to meet financial institutions' ever-increasing demand for accurate and easily accessible payment information systems.
Broadway & Seymour
Broadway & Seymour is an information technology software and services company providing integrated business solutions for customer service, the financial and professional services industries, and other selected markets worldwide.
Unisys -- The Information Management Company
Unisys is one of a select group of companies with the portfolio of services, technologies and third party alliances needed to deliver the benefits of information management -- helping clients use their information asset to enhance their competitiveness and responsiveness to customers.
Our expertise in information management is founded on the strengths of our three global businesses: consulting, solutions and systems integration; industry-leading technologies; and comprehensive services and products supporting distributed computing environments. Access the Unisys home page on the World Wide Web -- http://www.unisys.com -- for further information about Unisys Corp. -0- Unisys is a registered trademark of Unisys Corp. All other brands and products reference herein are acknowledged to be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
CONTACT: Unisys Corp., Blue Bell
Jan Haig, 215/986-2014
or
Broadway & Seymour, Charlotte, N.C.
Janet Jones, 704/344-3118;
Internet: janet.jones@bsis.com
or
Vermont Federal, Williston, Vt.
James St. Peter, 802/879-9001
Classic Franchises, Amazing Games and Cool Accessories Keep Wii on Top
SANTA MONICA, Calif., July 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumers take note: Cancel your vacations, postpone your weddings and skip your class reunions. New games for the record-selling Wii(TM) video game system continue to set new industry standards for fun and adventure, even as they draw new players into the ever-expanding world of Wii. Nintendo announced these new offerings for Wii today during its media briefing at the E3 Media & Business Summit in Santa Monica, Calif.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070711/LAW024-a) (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070711/LAW024-b) (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050516/NINTENDOLOGO)
"In less than eight months Wii has proved itself the video game system for everyone, and we're not letting up," says Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. "We're producing hit after hit after hit, supported by a long line of third-party publishers who have shifted their resources to help make Wii the most distinctive video game system in history."
Counting downloadable Virtual Console(TM) titles, Wii already boasts more than 150 games. By the end of the year, that number will climb to about 350 in the United States alone. Just check out what Wii has to offer:
Wii Fit(TM): The active-play phenomenon started by Wii Sports(TM) now spreads to your whole body thanks to the pressure-sensitive Wii Balance Board (name not final), which comes packed with Wii Fit. The board is used for an extensive array of fun and dynamic activities, including aerobics, yoga, muscle stretches and games. Many of these activities provide a "core" workout, a popular exercise method that emphasizes slower, controlled motions. Family members will have fun staying active and talking about and comparing their results and progress on a new channel on the Wii Menu.
Mario Kart(R) Wii (name not final): The new version of Mario Kart, due in early 2008, features new vehicles and lets players near and far compete using Nintendo(R) Wi-Fi Connection, Nintendo's wireless gaming service. Mario Kart launches with the Wii Wheel(TM) (name not final), a steering wheel housing for the Wii Remote(TM) that brings new controls and challenges for veteran gamers, while making getting into a race easy and intuitive for newcomers.
Super Mario Galaxy(TM): The latest masterpiece by legendary video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto puts a smile on the face of everyone who plays it. Until now, no game has matched the sheer fun and sense of delightful awe produced by the groundbreaking Super Mario(R) 64. Using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk(TM), players navigate iconic hero Mario(TM) through a series of planets, each with its own gravity, chaotic challenges and power-ups. The game bursts through the screen in vivid artistic detail, and a second player can even provide some assistance along the way. It blasts off Nov. 12.
Super Smash Bros.(R) Brawl: Nintendo's all-out smash-or-be-smashed franchise remains one of the most highly anticipated games of the year. Its predecessor became the No. 1 selling game of all time on Nintendo's previous console. Super Smash Bros. Brawl ups the ante with new characters, new moves and new arenas. The game smashes into North American stores Dec. 3.
Wii Zapper(TM) (name not final): This new accessory combines the accuracy of the Wii Remote and Nunchuk in a single housing for a new experience for first-person shooters and targeting games. Players can hear the sounds of battle through the Wii Remote speaker when it is incorporated into the Wii Zapper. It arrives on store shelves later this year, packaged with Nintendo-developed software that shows off its versatility. The Wii Zapper also will be used with a host of third-party games, including Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles from Capcom, Ghost Squad from Sega and Medal of Honor from Electronic Arts.
Check Mii Out Channel (name not final): Launching in 2007, this free new channel builds on the huge phenomenon of Wii owners creating fun caricatures of themselves, their friends and celebrities. The two main components of the free channel include an area where users can post Miis they have created to let others vote on their artistic abilities, and a competition element that lets users test their skills to create the most accurate likeness of individuals or other themes suggested by Nintendo. The Check Mii Out Channel joins the lineup of cool channels on the Wii Menu, which includes the Internet Channel, the Everybody Votes Channel and the Forecast Channel, among others.
Metroid(R) Prime 3: Corruption: This final chapter of the Metroid Prime trilogy introduces unmatched first-person controls by letting players use the Wii Remote as an arm cannon for a feeling of complete immersion. Heroine Samus travels between planets to stop her nemesis, Dark Samus, from corrupting them. All the while Samus fights the spreading Phazon that is taking over her body while giving her incredible powers. It launches Aug. 27.
More to Come: Other Nintendo titles launching this year for Wii include Mario Strikers(TM) Charged (July 30), Donkey Kong(R) Barrel Blast (Oct. 8), Battalion Wars(TM) 2 (Oct. 29), Endless Ocean(TM) (Oct. 29) and Fire Emblem(TM) (Nov. 5).
Third-Party Support: Third-party publishers are racing to see who can put the most resources behind Wii. By the end of the year, about 100 new Wii games will hit stores. EA brings Boogie and EA Playground, as well as online action for its Madden NFL and FIFA Soccer franchises; Mario and Sonic team up for the first time ever in Sega's Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games; Sega shows off dreamy aerial acrobatics with NiGHTS Journey of Dreams; Activision jams with Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock; Namco Bandai puts the battle blade into players' hands with SoulCalibur Legends; Disney Interactive belts out High School Musical: Sing It!; Square Enix brings Dragon Quest Swords in early 2008 -- and that's just a taste of what's to come.
Remember that Wii features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other Wii features, visit Wii.com.
The worldwide innovator in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii(TM), Nintendo DS(TM), Game Boy(R) Advance and Nintendo GameCube(TM) systems. Since 1983, Nintendo has sold nearly 2.4 billion video games and more than 409 million hardware units globally, and has created industry icons like Mario(TM), Donkey Kong(R), Metroid(R), Zelda(TM) and Pokemon(R). A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo's operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, visit the company's Web site at http://www.nintendo.com/.
CONTACT: Eileen Tanner, +1-509-628-1993, etanner@golinharris.com, or Julia Roether, +1-213-623-4200, ext. 783, jroether@golinharris.com, both for Nintendo
Web site: http://www.nintendo.com/