BTI Consultants releases the ‘Asian Outlook 2011’ survey

BTI Consultants, the executive search division of Kelly Services released the ‘Asian Outlook 2011’ – a comprehensive study on the CEO perspectives on Business & Talent in 2011 that highlights the economic outlook for 2011; the acquisition and management of talent; the main business priorities, and leading business concerns in Asia.


As a part of the ‘Asian Outlook 2011’, BTI Consultants released the views of business leaders and senior executives across Asian economies including China, India, Malaysia, Thailand, South Korea, Singapore and Indonesia. The survey has taken views from a wide range of industries including financial services, IT, construction, manufacturing, consumer electronics, retail, agribusiness, entertainment, and healthcare.

The European market remains burdened by independent debt issues and the United States is emerging at a radical pace from its economic woes. While there are sharp disparities between regional economies with unemployment levels being high in some centres, the Asian economy seems to be witnessing remarkably buoyant market conditions.



Mr. James Agrawal, Consulting Director & Head, BTI Consultants said, “China and India will continue to grow much faster than the rest of the Asian markets. With both the countries’ increasing flexibility towards foreign investments, the Asian economies’ growth will be further enhanced. The growing market also indicates that the economy is expected to see more intense competition in 2011 especially with the European economy”.

A prevailing sentiment from the business leaders surveyed suggests that hiring will be modest but selective, while substantial effort will go into extracting greater efficiency from the existing workforce. Many firms have withstood the impact of the economic downturn without having to shed large numbers of employees. These are mostly skilled workers who are highly valued to the enterprise.


Mr. Agrawal added, “Hiring will be selective in terms of skilled workforce in 2011 across verticals. India Inc. is expected to expand headcount to capitalise on growth opportunities. There will be increased focus on talent retention than talent acquisition”.


Other key findings of the survey include:

· Employee Engagement: Firms across all sectors are looking to carefully manage their labour programs through training and career development programmes


· China to drive regional economy: Most business leaders across the Asian economy are looking at China, since it has the potential to either steer the region’s economies, or leave them stagnant. They are looking at capitlaising the capabilities of their enterprises and people for better business prospects

· Business transformation: Most of the regions are re-arranging corporate priorities, including a shift from manufacturing to the fast-growing services sector. In 2011, the area of growth will be in services as we move from being product-driven to service-driven economy


· Economic & Political stability: There is a renewed focus on the role of government-linked corporations which have grown rapidly in Asia. The economy is expected to see more stability in terms of corporate governance and systematic regulation of existing business policies

Kenexa's Strategic Partnership with InspireOne to Increase Leadership Talent Pool in India

Kenexa (NASDAQ:KNXA), a global provider of business solutions for human resources, today announced its strategic partnership with InspireOne, a leading HR training and consulting organization in India. The partnership expands Kenexa’s leadership development capabilities in the region. InspireOne’s organizational training and HR consulting solutions range from leadership development to talent management, organizational change, Diversity and Inclusion, productivity enhancement and many others.



“Kenexa’s partnership with InspireOne further expands our expertise and leadership position in India,” stated Phil Braybrooke, international business development director for Kenexa. “We have joined forces with some of the most experienced consultants and researchers to create an even stronger leadership development, management training and executive coaching team. Our newly combined solutions enhance our ability to offer our global clients a significantly broader range of leadership services.”


Using a wide range of methods and tools, Kenexa assesses a company’s current leadership, benchmarks their leaders against a global database, and helps companies understand how to inspire and engage leaders to enhance overall business performance. Kenexa’s leadership model identifies the qualities leaders need to succeed in today’s economic climate.



Deepak Mohla, Managing Director of InspireOne, commented, “India faces a serious talent crunch in almost all sectors. Even the highly popular civil services examination for recruiting bright young bureaucrats is becoming a Herculean challenge. The entire process of talent management and organizational development is now a critical requirement for all companies to reach their business growth projections. We are pleased to partner with Kenexa, who we believe introduces world-class standards of best leadership practices and will be able to contribute significantly in creating a vibrant leadership community.”

Working across all levels–from first time managers to global chief executive officers–Kenexa tailors leadership solutions that drive individual and organizational success. With the addition of the InspireOne solution set, Kenexa is positioned well to support its global clients’ business strategies by increasing leadership quality.

About Kenexa

Kenexa® provides business solutions for human resources. We help global organizations multiply business success by identifying the best individuals for every job and fostering optimal work environments for every organization. For more than 20 years, Kenexa has studied human behavior and team dynamics in the workplace, and has developed the software solutions, business processes and expert consulting that help organizations impact positive business outcomes through HR. Kenexa is the only company that offers a comprehensive suite of unified products and services that support the entire employee lifecycle from pre-hire to exit. Additional information about Kenexa and its global products and services can be accessed at www.kenexa.com. Follow Kenexa on Twitter: @kenexa.

Microchip introduces low-cost 8-bit PIC® microcontrollers with eXtreme low power technology and integrated LCD control

Microchip Technology Inc., a leading provider of microcontroller, analog and Flash-IP solutions, has announced an expansion of its 8-bit segmented LCD microcontroller (MCU) family with five new devices—the PIC16LF1902/3/4/6/7 (PIC16LF190X) MCUs. The PIC16LF190X family supports many general-purpose applications and enables the implementation of LCD into low-power and cost-sensitive designs, such as security tokens, smart cards, medical devices, home appliances, key fobs or any application involving a segmented LCD. Featuring eXtreme Low Power (XLP) technology for sleep currents down to 20 nA, and a typical active current of 35 microamperes per MHz, the MCUs extend battery life, while maintaining accurate timing with a RTC and driving a segmented LCD.


Utilising Microchip's Enhanced Mid-range architecture, the PIC16LF190X family provides fundamental features and performance without burdening customers with the cost of unused peripherals. These MCUs provide an optimised feature set, including up to 14 KB of Flash program memory, up to 512 Bytes of RAM, up to 14 10-bit Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) channels, serial communication, temperature indicator and the capability to drive up to 116 LCD segments. With the addition of XLP technology for extended battery life, and capabilities such as utilising the integrated temperature indicator to provide crystal-accuracy compensation, low-power RTC support and low voltage-detect support utilising the internal ADC and voltage reference, the MCUs enable low-cost LCD solutions for a multitude of portable devices.


"With industry-leading low power and an optimised feature set, the PIC16LF190X family is designed for any low-power segmented LCD or general-purpose application," said Steve Drehobl, vice president of Microchip's Security, Microcontroller & Technology Development Division.


Development Support



The PIC16LF190X MCUs are supported by the F1 Evaluation Kit (part # DM164132) and Platform (part # DM164130-1), as well as the PICkit™ 3 In-Circuit Debugger (part # PG164130). Designers can also utilise the full suite of MPLAB® development tools, including the MPLAB IDE, MPLAB ICD3, REAL ICE™ In-Circuit Emulator, and HI-TECH C® compiler for PIC10/12/16 MCUs. All of these tools can be purchased at http://www.microchipdirect.com.


MCU Packaging & Availability



The PIC16LF1902, PIC16LF1903 and PIC16LF1906 MCUs are all available in 28-pin SPDIP, SOIC, SSOP and 4 mm x 4 mm UQFN and die packages. The PIC16LF1904 and PIC16LF1907 MCUs are available in 40-pin PDIP, 5 mm x 5 mm UQFN and die packages, as well as a 44-pin TQFP. Samples are available at http://www.microchip.com/sample. Volume-production quantities can be ordered at microchipDIRECT (http://www.microchipdirect.com). For further information, contact any Microchip sales representative or authorised worldwide distributor, or visit Microchip's Web site at http://www.microchip.com/lcd. To purchase products mentioned in this press release, go to microchipDIRECT or contact one of Microchip's authorised distribution partners.


About Microchip Technology



Microchip Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MCHP) is a leading provider of microcontroller, analog and Flash-IP solutions, providing low-risk product development, lower total system cost and faster time to market for thousands of diverse customer applications worldwide. Headquartered in Chandler, Ariz., Microchip offers outstanding technical support along with dependable delivery and quality. For more information, visit the Microchip Web site (http://www.microchip.com/)

HP Sets Strategy to Lead in Connected World with Services, Solutions and Technologies

HP today shared its vision to provide seamless, secure, context-aware experiences for the connected world. HP Chief Executive Officer Léo Apotheker outlined a strategy for the company to continue delivering unparalleled value for customers and stockholders, while defining the future of information technology. HP is well positioned to win through a compelling combination of financial strength, unmatched scale and global reach, and market-leading positions that span from the consumer to the enterprise.


The convergence of cloud computing and connectivity is fundamentally changing how IT is delivered and how information is consumed. Powerful trends like consumerization, cloud computing and connectivity are redefining the way people live, businesses operate and the world works. Traditional on-premise, proprietary computing resources are gradually being complemented and even replaced by the massive, agile and open computing resources of the cloud. Meanwhile, the cloud is combining with mobility to create ubiquitous connectivity.

In HP’s view, a hybrid environment that combines the best of traditional environments with private and public clouds will be the prevailing model for many large enterprises for a long time. With its leading services portfolio, HP is well positioned to be the trusted partner of customers as they move from the traditional to the hybrid world. Apotheker committed to continue enhancing HP’s offerings across its broad hardware, software and services portfolio to meet evolving customer demands while also leveraging its core strengths to develop the cloud- and connectivity-based solutions of the future to meet the needs of consumers, small and midsize companies and large enterprises. This includes becoming a leading provider of cloud-based platform services.

“We see clearly a world in which the impact of cloud and connectivity is changing not only the user experience, but how individuals, small businesses and enterprises will consume, deploy and leverage information technology. HP is well positioned to be the trusted leader in addressing this opportunity,” said Apotheker. “HP’s scalable, converged infrastructure forms the backbone of today’s cloud computing, and we expect our leadership in software, services, PCs and web-connected printers, as well as the strengths we’ve built and the investments we’ve made, to give us a huge advantage as we help define, deliver and run the truly connected world that spans cloud and connectivity, from the consumer through the enterprise.”

Apotheker outlined a four-point strategy for HP’s expanded market leadership by extending its leadership in managing and optimizing today’s traditional environments; leveraging HP’s core strength in cloud to build and manage next-generation cloud-based architectures; being the trusted partner to customers by enabling the seamless transition to hybrid computing models; and by defining and delivering the connected world from the consumer to the enterprise.

In his presentation, Apotheker examined the impact of industry trends on users and businesses, and how those trends can best be met through HP’s portfolio, core businesses and scale. Of note in the speech:

— HP announced it intends to leverage its position as a leading provider of cloud technology to develop a portfolio of cloud services from infrastructure to platform services. HP also signaled it plans to develop and run the industry’s first open cloud marketplace that will combine a secure, scalable and trusted consumer app store and an enterprise application and services catalog.

— HP intends to build webOS into a leading connectivity platform. As the world’s No. 1 maker of PCs and printers, HP has the potential to deliver 100 million webOS-enabled devices a year into the marketplace and HP plans to use that scale along with leading development tools to build a robust developer community that is eager to access every segment of the market and every corner of the globe.

— At the event, highlighting an increasing focus to bring innovation to market faster, HP demonstrated a new “big data” appliance, leveraging the unmatched performance of HP computing power mated with real-time, high-speed analytics from Vertica Systems, which HP recently announced its agreement to acquire. HP expects to close the acquisition in its second fiscal quarter and have the HP-branded appliance ready for market immediately thereafter. The proposed HP Vertica solution will offer a choice of delivery options – from appliance, to software, and in the cloud.

“The world has changed dramatically, and we increasingly live in a world where enterprise and personal IT experiences are blurring,” said Crawford Del Prete, chief research officer, IDC. “More and more, it’s about enabling customers to seamlessly and securely interact with the ‘right’ information for a multitude of contexts. The technology and delivery models required to enable this change are significant. HP’s strategy lays a foundation for the company to move from delivering world-class information technology, to world-class information experiences.”

Strategic priorities

HP’s strategy will be driven across a multitude of initiatives, focused on three strategic areas:

Cloud: HP plans to build a full cloud stack and help transition customers to hybrid cloud environments. HP intends to leverage its scale, reliability and security in its current hardware, software and services offerings. HP also plans to grow its higher-value services that offer greater strategic value.

Apotheker unveiled the company’s plans to build an open applications marketplace that integrates consumer enterprise and developer services. The platform will support multiple languages and will be open to third-parties. HP will vet applications for security and interoperability to facilitate an environment that is both trusted and open. A device-aware HP cloud will configure and send the appropriate services to the device that the customer is using, and connected devices will intuitively access services the customer needs.

Connectivity: HP also intends to be a leader in the area of connectivity. HP already has a globally distributed installed base in both the consumer and enterprise, and ships two printers and PCs a second, which will be webOS enabled – this huge, growing installed base of devices provides enormous opportunity upon which to build HP-, customer- and ecosystem-driven innovation. HP and its ecosystem of partners will continue to provide context-aware experiences for consumers, SMBs and large enterprises with secure information creation, digitization, transformation and consumption — anytime, anywhere.

Software: Through a build, buy and partner approach, HP intends to continue to enhance its leading management and security portfolio. Using that as a foundation, the company plans to address real-time analytics for “Big Data,” which is the combination of structured and the much faster growing unstructured data set. Upon completion, HP’s acquisition of Vertica will provide an important asset in this area. HP’s digitization offering also provides important information management capabilities that can be verticalized for specific industries. HP will continue to invest in leading-edge technologies and services that go beyond today’s limited point solutions to protect the modern enterprise and provide the security and information backbone that enterprises rely on for visibility and insight across distributed infrastructures and new hybrid environments.

In addition, Apotheker said HP will continue to build upon its financial strength, with a focus on performance that is expected to allow the company to expand into higher-value offerings, grow share of wallet by creating greater strategic value for customers, deliver on the power of the full HP portfolio and, therefore, feed the company’s core businesses. The focus on performance will come through a program focusing on growth, operational excellence and quality.

Concluding, Apotheker said, “Information technology is the fabric of the global community. Data is the world’s most valuable raw material and information is the most valuable commodity – created, consumed and delivered in always-on connectivity. At HP, our mission is to deliver seamless, secure, context-aware experiences for a connected world.”

About HP

HP creates new possibilities for technology to have a meaningful impact on people, businesses, governments and society. The world’s largest technology company, HP brings together a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure at the convergence of the cloud and connectivity, creating seamless, secure, context-aware experiences for a connected world. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com

Dolby Showcases the New Sound of Entertainment at FICCI Frames 2011

Dolby Laboratories (NYSE: DLB) will present its vision for the new sound of entertainment and showcase audio technologies designed to transform the way people can enjoy their favorite music, movies, and television programs.


During his keynote address at FICCI Frames, Ramzi Haidamus, Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Dolby Laboratories, will highlight the importance of sound as a fundamental part of life and key to bringing realism, excitement, and emotion to entertainment—and demonstrate how people are now choosing to enjoy entertainment across four key scenarios: in the cinema, at home, on the PC, and on mobile phones. He will also underscore Dolby’s commitment to India and affirm the company’s desire to work closely with Indian companies in India to deliver products that raise the bar for quality, performance, and features.

At FICCI Frames 2011, Dolby will also highlight momentum for Dolby® Digital Plus, its next-generation surround sound technology for the broadcast market. The company recently announced collaboration with Tata Sky, which has implemented Dolby Digital Plus as the audio codec for Tata Sky+ HD, the new-generation personal video recorder (PVR). Tata Sky joins Airtel in bringing high-definition surround sound delivered by Dolby Digital Plus to subscribers in India.



Speaking on the importance of the Indian market, Pankaj Kedia, Head of Sales and Business Development, India, Dolby said, “India is experiencing rapid development in digital and mobile technologies and Dolby is expanding its efforts to meet the opportunity and deliver outstanding experiences to consumers. We know consumers are passionate about entertainment and Dolby shares that passion. Our approach is built on delivering world-class audio technology and support to Indian companies so they can bring innovative, best selling content and devices to the market.”



The Dolby Definition Lounge at FICCI Frames 2011 returns to demonstrate the essence of great entertainment for consumers. It will provide amazing audio experiences for attendees and showcase the following audio technologies.



Dolby Digital Plus



Dolby Digital Plus extends the high audio quality that today’s viewers expect by providing up to 7.1 channels of captivating surround sound. It is also compatible with millions of existing home theater systems and is the new dimension in TV entertainment.



Dolby Mobile



Dolby Mobile provides theater-quality sound in portable, personal media devices. Any set of headphones or speakers connected to a mobile phone with Dolby Mobile provides full, rich audio in surround sound. Whether it is movies, video downloads, or music, Dolby Mobile improves audio to a quality never heard before on a mobile device.



Dolby Home Theater for PCs



Dolby Home Theater® enhances PCs with a powerful and advanced set of audio tools to deliver a true cinema-style experience in vibrant surround. Using two or more speakers, or any set of headphones, listeners can enjoy music, movies, and games that sound more like they are supposed to sound.



Dolby TrueHD



Dolby TrueHD is Dolby’s new-generation, 100 percent lossless technology. It brings stunning high-definition sound to the home theater experience, unlocking the full potential of Blu-ray Disc™ and future HD (streamed) media. Dolby TrueHD delivers powerful sound that is bit-for-bit identical to that created in the recording studio or mixing stage, and to that captured at a live concert.



About Dolby Laboratories



Dolby Laboratories (NYSE: DLB) is the global leader in technologies that are essential elements in the best entertainment experiences. Founded in 1965 and best known for high-quality audio and surround sound, Dolby creates innovations that enrich entertainment at the movies, at home, or on the go. For more information about Dolby Laboratories or Dolby technologies, visit www.dolby.com .



Dolby, Dolby Home Theater, and the double-D symbol are registered trademarks of Dolby Laboratories, Inc. S11/24102 DLB-G

HP brings to Bangalore Digital Printing Solutions to enable Progressive Profitable Packaging

Hewlett-Packard, the leader in digital printing technology space shared its new age offerings for the labels & packaging market in an event PACKedge – conducted in Bangalore in association with SGRE Labels & Cognizance Packaging Solutions. The event also addressed the concerns & challenges faced by different industry verticals such as Food & Beverages, wines, travel & hospitality, retail, cosmetics and pharma as far as packaging and marketing is concerned. HP provided its digital printing solutions to these market sectors thus enabling them reach out to a wider range of target customers effectively through eye-catching package for their products. Be it a food item or a drink, a wine bottle or a canned beverage, cosmetics or travelogues, labels on them and the packaging is the most fundamental yet critical aspect of the product which pleases the eyes of the customer and hence converts him/her into a buyer.


THE IMPORTANCE OF PRODUCT PACKAGING

It has been proved that a product is more likely to be picked up from the shelf if it stands out with its outer packaging, than what is inside. Consumer studies state that it takes about 2.6 seconds for a customer to make a purchase decision and this decision is heavily influenced by visual appeal given out by that product with the help of attractively packaged products. We often remember a brand with the labels. For e.g. a customer would recollect a Barbie doll with its pink box, or a health drink such as Bournvita or snack food like Lays chips variant with its label & package design. Keeping this consumer psychology in mind, companies today are shifting focus to invest and put a lot of thought on the designing of labels and printing them. The Indian label industry is complex, dynamic and fast growing and has the highest growth rate in the world of 19% (source:plastemart.com) and companies today are seeking digital technology for labelling and package printing owing to its cost effective, eco friendly & convenient nature.



PACKedge

The recent event PACKedge – power to your brand was attended by industry leaders and brand owners to share views on different market segments and the significance of labels and packaging in respect to each segment. The event also included discussion on Modern Day challenges for Packaging Development Professionals with Head-Packaging, Hindustan UniLever. Followed by a panel discussion with experts from labels & packaging, brand owners, technology & substrate providers along with Cognizance Packaging Solutions & SGRE Labels.

Commenting on the same, Mr. Appadurai, Country Head – Indigo & Inkjet presses solution, Graphic Solutions Business, HP IPG India stated, “The Indian packaging market has constantly grown by approximately 15% year on year and is estimated growth acceleration between 20-25 percent over the next five years. Today everything around us comes packaged & keeping that in mind we at HP provide complete end-to-end solution with proven print technology of HP Indigo ws4500. We are proud of our association with industry leaders like SGRE Labels & together we look forward at extending the breakthrough digital printing portfolio in various market segments.”

Mr. D.S. Subba Reddy, Managing Director, SGRE Labels said, “We have always demonstrated competence in latest & evolving technologies by providing custom designed labelling solutions to our customers. With the consumer goods manufacturers under pressure to lower costs and digital equipment manufacturers beginning to address the special needs of packaging, digital printing will play a larger role in the future. Keeping with the industry demands, we swear by HP for its unique and effective one stop printing technology and portfolio. HP Indigo digital presses produce print with the look and feel of offset in the widest range of colours and on greatest variety of substrates.”

About SGRE Labels

Bangalore based SGRE Labels has over a decade of experience in offering complete labelling solution to FMCG, Pharma, Apparels, Retail, Electronic & Telecom sectors. The facility in Bangalore is well equipped with the best of machines to reach up to international standards of label printing. The company’s commitment to exceed its customer expectations through innovative products and solutions, continuous improvement of processes and on-time delivery makes them the preferred choice in the market.



About HP Indigo press ws4500

A third-generation mature press Indigo WS 4500 is a high-productivity, cost-effective, environment friendly digital solution which has many advantages over conventional printing. The manufacture of gravure cylinders is costly and uses more energy and solvents than digital printing. By its nature, conventional (gravure, flexo and litho) printing has a start-up period during which ink application and register are achieved. This process generates material waste – waste of expensive substrates – and lengthens the overall press time.



With HP Indigo technology, start-up waste is eliminated as print quality and ink register are immediately achieved. Job changeovers, using the same substrate, can be done on-the-fly, and HP ElectroInk is dry when it leaves the press and can be finished immediately making the entire production process more efficient.

About HP

HP creates new possibilities for technology to have a meaningful impact on people, businesses, governments and society. As the world’s largest technology company, HP brings together a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure to solve customer problems. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com/

Symphony Services Wins Technology Innovation and Delivery Excellence Awards

Symphony Services today announced it has won two top awards from leading private equity firm, Symphony Technology Group (STG). The President’s Award and the Platinum Award honor the Symphony Services team for its unparalleled success in driving revolutionary product outcomes for clients, while advancing the company’s reputation for innovation with breakthrough technologies that bolster clients’ competitive position in their respective markets.


Bestowed by STG and a network of ten worldwide software and services companies who together form the STG Innovation Council, the Innovation Awards recognize leadership across major areas of the outsourced software development process, including technology, process and business model innovation, as well as partner-enabled innovation.

Symphony Services’ SUMMIT Takes President’s Award for Managing Enterprise IT

Symphony Services’ breakthrough work in development of the SUMMIT (Symphony Unified Monitoring and Management of IT) solution secured the President’s Award honors. SUMMIT enables software companies and enterprises to effectively manage their enterprise IT environments. The solution drives significant organizational efficiencies and best practices in the areas of IT governance, optimizing service levels, increasing productivity and supporting automation. The STG Innovation Council recognized SUMMIT as the one-stop approach to enterprise IT management that is crucial for today’s organizations as they expand in size and needs. With SUMMIT’s impressive market debut and proven model, Symphony Services predicts the solution will drive significant revenue in the coming years.

Symphony Services’ Advanced Healthcare Solution Receives Platinum Award


By developing an advanced algorithm able to detect “human fall” for leading products in the Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS) market, the Symphony Services team secured the Platinum Award honors. The algorithm is able to differentiate between the many injuries that may occur as a result of falls and other accidents, and prepare emergency first responders. This highly advanced solution advances Symphony Services’ standing in the ultra competitive and fast growing healthcare IT solutions market and ultimately won over the STG Innovation Council judges.


“Winning these awards sends the strongest signal to the market that at Symphony Services we are constantly pushing the boundaries of innovation on behalf of our global clients,” said Sanjay Dhawan, Chief Executive Officer, Symphony Services. “We are extremely proud of this latest recognition of our cutting edge work and believe these types of solutions are a key element of clients’ buying criteria today. We congratulate our dedicated employee base worldwide for their outstanding work.”


About Symphony Services

Symphony Services is a leader in software product engineering services. The company’s innovative Engineering Outcome Certainty™ engagement model offers a strict metrics-driven approach, ensuring complete alignment with clients’ business objectives. This methodology is proven to help clients achieve a range of goals, from improving product line revenue to raising client satisfaction, increasing product innovations and reducing time-to-market.


The company’s 3,500 employees globally support over 1,200 product releases annually, helping clients drive unparalleled innovation while bringing predictability to costs, schedules and quality of the outsourced engineering process. Symphony Services’ capabilities across the full Product Development Lifecycle maximize the ROI for client engineering organizations while delivering market-leading products in Telecom, Healthcare, Energy, Automotive, Consumer Electronics, Financial Services and Internet Commerce.


Symphony Services is headquartered in Palo Alto, Calif., with facilities in North America, India, Europe and China. For more information, please visit http://www.symphonysv.com/


About Symphony Technology Group


Symphony Technology Group (STG) is a strategic private equity firm with the mission of investing in and building great software and services companies. In addition to capital, STG provides transformation expertise to enable its companies to deliver maximum value to their clients, to drive growth through innovation, to retain and attract the best talent and to achieve best in class business performance. STG's current portfolio consists of eight global companies. For more information, visit: www.symphonytg.com.

iWatt Selects Magma’s Titan to Automate Analog Design of Power Supply Control ICs

Magma® Design Automation Inc. (Nasdaq: LAVA), a provider of chip design software, today announced iWatt has adopted the Titan™ platform to improve analog design and layout productivity, and to automate difficult routing tasks including analog cell layouts and chip-level assembly. iWatt, a developer of energy-efficient digital power supply control integrated circuits (ICs) used in leading-edge power supplies, adopted Titan based on results of an extensive evaluation in which Titan enabled iWatt’s designers to set up and route a design in just 2 days – an effort that would have taken more than 2 weeks to do manually.


“iWatt’s mission is to exceed our customers’ expectations with best-in-class products and services throughout the solutions life cycle,” said. X. Jin, Ph.D., vice president of Engineering at iWatt. “One of the ways we do that is to utilize innovative technology – such as Magma’s Titan – that shorten the analog design process and reduce power and area requirements.”


“To enable analog designers to deliver the required combination of efficiency, productivity and innovation needed for today’s ICs, the analog design process must be accelerated and automated,” said Anirudh Devgan, general manager of Magma’s Custom Design Business Unit. “By making analog routing fast, predictable and repeatable, Titan improves routing productivity by a factor of 10, allowing designers to achieve their time-to-market and performance goals. Titan should help iWatt solidify its position as one of the most innovative power IC companies in the world.”

Titan: Accelerating Analog Design

Magma’s mixed-signal SoC design environment includes the comprehensive Titan Mixed-Signal Design Platform and the Titan Accelerators. The Titan Mixed-Signal Platform is the industry's first true mixed-signal design platform. It integrates implementation and verification while delivering first-time-correct, predictable mixed-signal designs. The Titan mixed-signal platform includes user-friendly full-custom schematic and layout editors, an analog simulation environment and correct-by-design schematic-driven layout.

Titan Accelerators are advanced technology solutions that dramatically improve analog/mixed-signal design productivity and reuse. Titan Analog Design Accelerator (Titan ADX) is a model-based analog design and optimization tool that enables analog design reuse. ADX creates new designs from Magma’s library of FlexCell building blocks, and makes existing designs reusable as FlexCell models. Titan Analog Virtual Prototyper (Titan AVP) is a layout-aware schematic design tool that performs simultaneous electrical and physical co-design for rapid schematic-to-layout convergence. Titan Analog Layout Accelerator (Titan ALX) automates migration of analog cell layouts to new process technologies while preserving design intent. Titan Shape-Based Router (Titan SBR) automates difficult routing tasks improving routing productivity by a factor of 10.


About iWatt, Inc. 


iWatt, Inc. is a power control IC company that designs, develops and markets semiconductor products for the communication and consumer market segments. The company's patented digital control expertise raises the bar in power supply price/performance metrics. iWatt is currently working with market leaders in the communications, flat panel display, and consumer electronics markets to develop high-density, high-value AC-DC and DC-DC power supplies. iWatt is backed by VantagePoint Venture Partners and Sigma Partners, two leading CleanTech investors, and Horizon Ventures. The Company’s Silicon Valley headquarters is located in Los Gatos, CA with additional offices in Taipei, Taiwan; Seoul, Korea; Tokyo, Japan; Shenzhen, China; and Hong Kong. For more information, visit www.iwatt.com or call (408) 374-4200.

About Magma

Top semiconductor makers worldwide use Magma’s electronic design automation (EDA) software to produce chips for electronic applications including tablet computing devices, mobile devices such as smartphones, electronic games, digital video, networking, military/aerospace and memory. Magma products provide the "Fastest Path to Silicon”™ and include software for digital design, analog implementation, mixed-signal design, physical verification, circuit simulation, characterization and yield management. The company maintains headquarters in San Jose, Calif., and offices throughout North America, Europe, Japan, Asia and India. Magma's stock trades on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol LAVA. Follow Magma on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/MagmaEDA and on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/Magma. Visit Magma Design Automation on the Web at www.magma-da.com

Mont Castle unveils its new Lounge at the Domlur Club

Mont Castle Lounge, by John Distilleries, the perfect destination for relaxation, has now been launched at the Domlur Club. An ideal escape for brandy lovers, Mont Castle Lounge will offer the club members drinks of their choice. Mr. Devraj, the renowned actor, graced the evening by his presence and inaugurated the lounge, opening it to the public on Friday.



Mont Castle Brandy is crafted to perfection using specially chosen grapes in the time-honored pot-still production method. It delivers real flavor enhanced with ageing in imported oak casks. At Mont Castle Lounge, the hub for brandy lovers, one can indulge in the richness and full-bodied smoothness of Mont Castle . Mont Castle is a brand that signifies the fine art of relaxation. Of magnificent character, Mont is the perfect accompaniment for the Gentlemen who relax in style.

According to Mr. Paul.P. John, Chairman, John Distilleries, “At John Distilleries, we believe in generating variety for our patrons. The Mont Castle Lounge is a new venue we provide to our wonderful members of the Domlur club, to relax and treat themselves to a glass of their favourite drink.”


Being located at the Domlur Club, the Mont Castle Lounge becomes the central hub for people to unwind after a hard day at work. Conveniently located, it is easily accessible and club members will not have much of a problem beating the traffic to reach the Domlur Club.

About John Distilleries Limited

John Distilleries Limited was established in 1992 by Paul P. John as a company manufacturing Indian Made Foreign Liquor, is now the 14th largest liquor brand in the world. John Distilleries Limited has since grown to be the 5th largest liquor company in India in terms of volume. Within a decade the company has rapidly grown and spread across the South, West and North of India and is today one of India ’s strongest and focused leaders in the IMFL industry. Today JDL has over 2000 people joining hands under its banner to make it one of the fastest growing Alcoholic Beverages Company in India . The company’s flagship brand, Original Choice, is amongst the leading brands in Southern India , rapidly gaining market share in other states. It is the third largest brand of Indian Whisky with 10 million cases annually. Having an already established distribution and sales network, backed by considerable expertise in the IMFL ecosystem, John Distilleries Limited in now on an aggressive growth path and is poised to make an entry into several new liquor categories catering to a more discerning consumer base.

NDS TO SHOWCASE MARKET-LEADING DIGITAL PAY TV TECHNOLOGIES AT CONVERGENCE INDIA 2011

At this year’s Convergence India, NDS, the leading provider of technology solutions for digital pay-TV, will showcase a range of customised solutions for pay-TV operators in India, designed to help them digitise their services. With the recent announcement from The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting to digitalise the Indian Cable TV market by March 2015, NDS will use the event to demonstrate that it has the experience and expertise to meet the anticipated demand from operators for market leading, cost effective, end-to-end digital cable TV solutions. The company will also showcase its latest revenue generating solutions and advanced user interfaces to help operators generate incremental revenue and retain subscribers in an increasingly competitive environment.



Commenting on NDS’ focus at Convergence India 2011, Sue Taylor, Senior VP, GM and MD Asia Pacific, said: “As we rapidly move towards the digitisation of India’s pay-TV industry, we believe that there is great opportunity for the introduction of innovative technologies that will unlock the huge potential of the Indian Cable TV market. We have made significant investment in our R&D centre in Bangalore which has enabled us to focus on the market on a local level and tailor applications for its unique demands; we are already working closely with customers in the region to introduce some of the latest solutions and welcome the government’s decision to set a forthright switch-off date for analogue TV in India.

“At Convergence India we will demonstrate how digital platforms can derive value from the converging TV landscape, showcasing our leadership in delivering a next-generation converged TV viewing experience for subscribers, and our position as a pioneer of new digital-TV opportunity.”

NDS will showcase its technical expertise in enabling next-generation convergence solutions including:




¨ NDS XTV™



NDS will showcase its market-leading digital video recorder (DVR) technology, NDS XTV™, which is deployed in over 35 million units worldwide, alongside DVR Lite, a technology that converts an ordinary set-top box (STB) into a Digital Video Recorder (DVR), with the use of an approved external hard drive. This technology dramatically reduces the cost for subscribers as they are able to record, play-back, fast-forward, and rewind programmes without purchasing a new DVR. Also, on display will be the Progressive Download (PDL) solution which enables live content download using a USB flash key or external hard drive on a hybrid set-top box for two- way networks.


¨ NDS EPG Framework™



NDS will demonstrate advanced user interfaces and EPG solutions including NDS EPG Framework™, a solution that allows operators to update and customise their EPGs without having to download software to the STB. With NDS EPG Framework™ customers can create new revenue streams by incorporating seasonal promotions, advertisements, and sponsorships in the EPG, as well as by targeting audiences with personalised messages and content


¨ Publishing on Companion Devices



NDS’ Publishing project explores the role of new companion devices such as the iPad and their interaction with the TV viewing experience. The publishing demonstration shows a digital version of an operator’s Subscriber Magazine on a companion device, the user can browse through the TV Magazine content just as they would with the print version but can also interact with the content and tune to the relevant channel via the set-top box, flick video and /or images from the device to the TV and perform remote DVR recordings. This demonstration optimises the “companion screen” and uses it to the operator’s advantage.

¨ iPad DVR



This application enables viewers to use the iPad to view their EPG and remotely record programming to their DVR, with the ability to watch content on the device and make recommendations to friends.


This demonstration showcases the type of flexibility possible on a pay-TV platform using the newly launched NDS Service Delivery Platform which enables the development of third party companion device applications for pay-TV platforms using open application programming interfaces (APIs), maintaining the integrity of the content security and enabling consumers to achieve the epitome of convergence – watching content anywhere, at any time and on any device.

SAP Launches Next-Generation GRC, Enabling Unified View and Greater Control Over Risk

SAP AG (NYSE: SAP) today announced the availability of its newest release of governance, risk and compliance (GRC) software, providing a single, unified environment for the most comprehensive support for management, monitoring and analysis of enterprise risk and compliance activities. Nearly three years in the making, the new release integrates GRC capabilities into everyday business processes, helping make risk management, regulatory compliance and safe, productive operations a standard and a consistent practice.


The new release introduces a common look and feel across all applications in the GRC suite; embedded business intelligence (BI) reports and dashboards; and a graphical tool to define and depict risks. The new features make the products easier to use and enable people to garner attention to risks from business managers who have limited GRC expertise. By integrating GRC activities into core business processes and applications, executives can manage their businesses proactively and strategically rather than reactively.

The new release of GRC solutions from the SAP® BusinessObjects™ portfolio is the next step in SAP’s business analytics road map to deliver customer-friendly business software that combines best-in-class analytics with proven SAP business applications. The new release unifies all GRC activities on a standard platform and connects easily to other pieces of the business analytics portfolio for far greater transparency, control and support for corporate strategy.

The software offers policy management and audit capabilities, granular security controls, enterprise support and the ability to transport and archive data. It thus helps executives overcome the common challenges that result from fragmented and disconnected GRC solutions: poor visibility into risk exposure; processes that are reactive, inefficient, costly or manual; large time and personnel requirements to effectively manage risk and compliance; and lack of alignment from not having risk and compliance processes embedded within the business.

“As organizations grow, they must manage different types of risks and controls to be successful,” said Paul Proctor, vice president and distinguished analyst, Gartner. “They also have to overcome the challenges of increasing audit and regulatory requirements in distributed environments. GRC management software can help companies succeed by automating traditionally manual processes to identify and manage risk so the organization can pursue new opportunities.”

The SAP® BusinessObjects™ Access Control, SAP® BusinessObjects™ Risk Management and SAP® BusinessObjects™ Process Control applications share processes and data, as well as a common, easy-to-use interface, and specifications for different industries and lines of business. This unified approach helps companies gain complete management of all risks and controls from a single environment. Customers also gain the following benefits:

· Optimized strategic performance through real-time analysis of risk across all lines of corporate strategy. With tools to manage risk and compliance effectively, businesses can operate with far greater risk awareness in order to help improve performance.

· Maximized visibility across all risk, compliance, policy and audit initiatives. By automatically monitoring risk and compliance effectiveness, business managers can identify, respond to and proactively prevent potential risks and compliance violations before they occur. Automatic identification and prioritization of risks combined with proactive alerting and escalations allow managers to take immediate action on the most critical risks and compliance violations.

· Increased operational efficiencies to raise the value and help lower the cost of GRC programs. By automating critical risk management, compliance and monitoring activities, organizations can minimize the associated cost and effort required. Additionally, a standardized technology platform drives lower configuration and management costs and allows companies to take advantage of their employees’ existing SAP skills.

· “Bow-tie” builder for defining and configuring risk and risk metrics. Through an easy-to-use interface, people can work collaboratively with a common language to create methodologies for managing and remediating risks. This helps promote a better understanding of the contexts in which risks are to be assessed, and can help make compliance and risk management more strategic initiatives for the overall organization.

· Policy life-cycle management capabilities automate and simplify policy definition and scoping, review and approval, and overall management processes. This enables companies to implement and support collaborative, transparent policy life-cycle management activities.

· Openness for partner-built content, enabling tailored risk and compliance solutions that meet the specific needs of high-risk and highly regulated industries such as financial services, oil and gas, utilities, aerospace and defense, and life sciences. While advancing each core GRC area, SAP has also worked in parallel to create a platform that allows customers to benefit from the domain and content expertise of the vibrant SAP partner ecosystem.


SAP’s GRC Strategy, Solutions Well Received by Customers and Partners Worldwide


“With users located across the globe and multiple SAP systems, managing user access risk effectively is an audit concern for most companies, and Levi Strauss & Co. is no exception,” said Tammy Amirault, vice president, Information Technology, Levi Strauss & Co. “In our effort to improve Levi’s overall compliance strategy and user provisioning model, the centralized capabilities that the new release of SAP BusinessObjects Access Control delivers are very timely and fit extremely well with the SAP global approach at Levi.”

Tapping into the substantial catalog of complementary solutions from the SAP partner ecosystem, the SAP BusinessObjects GRC technology foundation incorporates best-practice processes and content for industry- and line of business-specific risk and compliance management. This enables customers to quickly get up to speed with managing the particular risk and regulatory requirements for their businesses and industries. They also can efficiently support new industry requirements as they arise, identifying and aligning specific risks with the necessary supporting policies and procedures.

“Whenever a new risk or compliance issue hits the news, the question on the mind of every executive is, ‘Can this happen to us?’ and SAP BusinessObjects GRC solutions provide the most comprehensive platform for compliance and risk professionals to answer these types of tough questions,” said Jim Dunham, group vice president, GRC Solutions, SAP. “The best-run companies focus on GRC as an enabler of better business performance that can help them protect value and optimize organizational performance.”

For more information, visit the Business Analytics newsroom. Follow SAP BusinessObjects on Twitter at @businessobjects.

About SAP

As market leader in enterprise application software, SAP (NYSE: SAP) helps companies of all sizes and industries run better. From back office to boardroom, warehouse to storefront, desktop to mobile device – SAP empowers people and organizations to work together more efficiently and use business insight more effectively to stay ahead of the competition. SAP applications and services enable more than 109,000 customers to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and grow sustainably. For more information, visit http://www.sap.com/

Get a cooler, faster, safer web experience: Download Internet Explorer 9 today!

Microsoft Corporation India Pvt. Ltd. today announced its latest browser Internet Explorer 9 for consumers in India. Unveiled at TechEd India 2011, Internet Explorer 9 enables a richer, more immersive web experience by enriching consumers’ of the websites that they love to visit. Using full capabilities of Windows and hardware, Internet Explorer 9 enables a Web that is faster, cleaner and more trusted by default. To download Internet Explorer 9 today, consumers can log on to www.beautyoftheweb.in .


Indian websites offer a ‘never before’ beautiful web experience with Internet Explorer 9:

· SnapDeal will update its users about the latest deals as they happen with the Dynamic Jumplists feature in Internet Explorer 9

· Flipkart will provide ‘Next Generation Shopping Experience’ to users with HTML5 feature of Internet Explorer 9

· BookMyShow is making the entire booking experience easier for users by integrating Pinning and Jumplist features of Internet Explorer 9

· PhotoVault is offering an immersive & differentiated photo search & viewing experience on Internet Explorer 9 by leveraging the power of HTML5 (CSS 3 & SVG) feature in Internet Explorer 9


In India, Microsoft has partnered with 29 of the most popular websites, including BookMyShow, ESPNCricinfo, Flipkart, Kotak Bank, PhotoVault, Naukri, Rediff SongBuzz, Reliance Global Call, Sameer Belvalkar’s FrozenFrames.com, Sify, SnapDeal, and Zapak Games, to leverage the power of the whole PC and light up the online experience. Globally, Microsoft has partnered with over 250 top websites and global brands that have created new experiences to show off the capabilities of Internet Explorer 9. These partners include top social networks worldwide like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, top commerce sites like Amazon & eBbay and top news sites like CNN, Wall Street Journal and USAToday, to name a few. The collective reach is over one billion visitors or about two thirds of the active people on the Web!
Announcing the availability, Hemant Sachdev, Joint Managing Director, Microsoft India said, “Our approach with Internet Explorer 9 was not only to create a ‘speed and feed machine’ but to also create a browser that would bring back the focus to the sites our consumers love to visit. With its clean and minimalist look, Internet Explorer 9 is site-centric rather than browser centric. Consumers too are appreciating our approach to this browser – Internet Explorer 9 has been downloaded 2.3 million times in just 24 hours of its global launch, and has already gained more than 2 percent usage on Windows 7.”

Internet Explorer 9 enables consumers to get to their online destination faster and with a richer, safer and a highly enjoyable experience. Microsoft has re-engineered Internet Explorer 9 to fully harness computing power in a way that has never been done before. Internet Explorer 9 makes the web feel fast and clean makes websites feel more like native applications on Windows with features including:

· One-Box: Incorporates search capabilities into the address bar directly. Internet Explorer 9 maintains the privacy of the keystrokes entered into One Box

· Tear-off tabs: When users need to use more than one website to accomplish a task, this feature helps with the side-by side comparison (using Aero Snap feature in Windows 7)

· Integrated Windows 7 navigation: Web navigation is easier in Internet Explorer 9 with features that are integrated with Windows 7 navigation, such as Pinned sites, Jump Lists, Aero® Snap, tear-off tabs, and thumbnail controls. This allows users to get to their favorite sites and content quickly and carry out common tasks for each site right from the Windows 7 jump list

· Full Hardware Acceleration: Leverages the PCs Graphical Processor Unit (GPU) to enable full hardware acceleration for a richer, immersive web experience

· Add-on performance advisor: Notifies users when add-ons are slowing down their browsing session

· Download Manager: Allows hassle-free downloads by allowing users to view and track the progress of all downloads from one central location

· Tracking Protection: Provides users with an added level of control and choice about the information that the users want to reveal about their online activities

· SmartScreen Application Reputation: An intelligence system, can distinguish between reputable downloads (specific files or digital signature) and those that were more likely to be malicious. As a result, 95% of previously undetected malware is deleted by users when presented with the App Rep warning.

For more information on Microsoft Internet Explorer 9, visit www.microsoft.com/ie or http://www.beautyoftheweb.in/


About Microsoft India

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software - any time, any place and on any device. Microsoft Corporation (India) Private Ltd is a subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation, USA. It has had a presence in India since 1990 and currently has offices in 13 cities - Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Chennai, Coimbatore, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi and Pune.

CommScope Introduces Integrated Indoor Location Solution To Aid in Emergency Call Response

A new solution from CommScope can make it easier for emergency services personnel to locate mobile phone users inside large buildings, potentially saving lives and reducing risk of harm to rescuers.


Unlike landline phones that are pinpointed to specific places within large structures such as office buildings and hotels, the specific location of a wireless device often cannot be determined more precisely than the building in which it is in use. In skyscrapers or similar buildings, this can cause great difficulty for rescuers trying to respond to a distress call made via a mobile device when the caller is unable to accurately provide a specific location, such as floor number, room location or other information necessary for emergency personnel.

That is why CommScope, a global leader in infrastructure solutions for communication networks, is introducing the GeoLENs® Indoor location solution. This easy-to-deploy location system, part of the Andrew Solutions Network Applications portfolio, integrates with wireless indoor coverage systems including distributed antenna systems (DAS), repeaters, and other RF equipment.

“Just as wireless coverage and capacity inside large public venues has attracted significant attention and resources so, too, are indoor location solutions,” said Navin Vohra, vice president, Wireless Sales, Asia Pacific, CommScope. “It’s an interest due to both a public safety concern and a commercial opportunity.”

GeoLENs Indoor can be deployed with existing DAS infrastructure or as a stand alone indoor location solution and offers the advantage of working with existing handsets. The streamlined architecture is highly reliable and easy to install. Not only will wireless operators be able to offer improved accuracy for callers in-building, they can also utilize the capability for commercial applications including mobile advertising and social networking applications, among others.


The GeoLENs Indoor solution operates by determining a caller’s proximity to signal detection devices and other network components that are part or independent of the in-building coverage system. The company expects deployments to occur first in large public venues such as stadiums, office buildings, malls, airports, and hospitals. CommScope has already deployed GeoLENs Indoor in a U.S. Tier I network to provide locations in an airport, high rise office building, and urban canyon environment.


“We have combined a decade of experience in location solutions with our versatile wireless indoor coverage systems to offer operators an integrated, reliable indoor location solution,” said Vohra.

The GeoLENs location portfolio includes all the components needed to locate almost any user across a wireless network and then relay that information between location-based service providers and the user's mobile device. GeoLENs offers operators cost efficiencies, capacity and algorithm enhancements, and greater technology integration in addressing commercial and regulatory applications in an era of rapidly evolving networks, devices and customer usage requirements.

HP Supports Customers Despite Oracle's Anti-customer Actions

HP today reiterated that it will continue the development and innovation of Itanium®-based Integrity server platforms with its HP-UX operating system using a roadmap that extends more than 10 years.


In addition, HP will continue to support customers running existing versions of Oracle software on Itanium-based Integrity servers, both existing and future platforms, during the same timeframe. Last year, HP launched the industry’s most modern mission-critical architecture in more than a decade. This constitutes the longest published roadmap of any UNIX vendor in the industry.

“Oracle continues to show a pattern of anti-customer behavior as they move to shore up their failing Sun server business,” said Dave Donatelli, executive vice president and general manager, Enterprise Servers, Storage and Networking, HP. “HP believes in fair and honest competition. Competition is good for customers, innovation and the marketplace. We are shocked that Oracle would put enterprises and governments at risk while costing them hundreds of millions of dollars in lost productivity in a shameless gambit to limit fair competition.”

In a direct contradiction to a statement made yesterday by Oracle, Paul Otellini, president and chief executive officer, Intel Corporation said, “Intel’s work on Intel Itanium processors and platforms continues unabated with multiple generations of chips currently in development and on schedule. We remain firmly committed to delivering a competitive, multi-generational roadmap for HP-UX and other operating system customers that run the Itanium architecture.”

Poulson is Intel’s next-generation 32-nm, 8-core-based Itanium chip, and is on track to more than double the performance of the existing Tukwila architecture. Kittson is an officially committed roadmap product for Itanium beyond Poulson and also is in active development. Intel® Itanium processor industry momentum will be highlighted in a keynote at the upcoming Beijing Intel Developer’s Forum.

HP moved ahead into second position in the Unix market while Sun lost share and fell back into third since Oracle announced it would acquire Sun in April of 2009.(1) It is clear that Oracle customers are voting with their purchasing decisions against the Sun platform. This latest Oracle action of disinformation is clearly an attempt to force customers into purchasing Sun servers in a desperate move to slow their declining market share.

HP remains committed to supporting its customers and their applications through the next decade and beyond. Customers who wish to preserve a fair and competitive marketplace can email Oracle at gcp-customerfeedback_us@oracle.com.

About HP

HP creates new possibilities for technology to have a meaningful impact on people, businesses, governments and society. The world’s largest technology company, HP brings together a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure to solve customer problems. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com/

Polycom Unveils New Solutions Briefing Centre in India to Support Local UC Market Growth and Drive Innovation in Government, Education and Healthcare

Polycom Inc. (NASDAQ: PLCM), a global leader in unified communications solutions, today announced the opening of the new state-of-the-art Solutions Briefing Centre (SBC) in Gurgaon, India, furthering its commitment to strengthen innovation in the Asia Pacific region, and target new vertical sectors in the fast-growing India market. The SBC was inaugurated by Mr. Andy Miller, President and CEO of Polycom and Mr. Rakesh Bharti Mittal, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, Bharti Enterprises and Chairman, Beetel Teletech Limited, and officiated by Mr. Neeraj Gill, Polycom Managing Director for India and SAARC.


The centre is the newest addition of its kind for Polycom in the Asia Pacific region and features the latest in immersive telepresence technology with the Polycom® Open Telepresence Experience™ High Definition 300 (OTX™ 300), providing the most stunning high-definition quality for up to 50 percent less bandwidth with industry-leading H.264 High Profile support for the most true-to-life immersive meeting room experience. The centre is designed to showcase Polycom’s industry-leading voice, video and telepresence solutions and the power of collaboration through the Polycom® UC Intelligent Core™, the industry's most comprehensive standards-based UC platform, providing customers access to productivity-enhancing UC tools so they can more effectively communicate, solve and create.

“The opening of the Solutions Briefing Centre in Gurgaon India, signifies Polycom’s ongoing commitment to deliver best-of-breed UC solutions to enhance customers’ productivity, and reflects the continued trend towards innovation in the Asia Pacific region,” said Mr. Andy Miller, President and CEO of Polycom. “Polycom is transforming the way organisations collaborate today by driving innovation in mobility, cloud-based video services, B2B interoperability, next-generation executive desktop products and bundled, affordable SMB solutions, and delivering the most open and flexible solutions that work with the complex technology realities of today's business.”

Mr. Rakesh Bharti Mittal, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, Bharti Enterprises and Chairman, Beetel Teletech Limited, said, “Beetel Teletech has successfully partnered with Polycom to advance the adoption of unified communications in organisations across India. The opening of the SBC is a true testament to Polycom's market leadership position and ongoing commitment to the Indian market.”

During the launch, visitors were treated to real-life UC application demonstrations across various vertical industries such as government and healthcare, showcasing the power of the Polycom UC Intelligent Core in enabling dispersed teams to collaborate more effectively over voice and video anywhere, anytime, by connecting the most people across the organisation, over the highest quality for the lowest total cost. Guests were also provided a unique insight into future innovation and Polycom’s strategic technology roadmap and taken on a guided tour through the centre, for a real-life look at the power of video solutions from the desktop, right through to high-end room and immersive telepresence solutions, integrated with UC solutions from Polycom® Open Collaboration Network™ partners, including Microsoft, HP, IBM, Juniper, Broadsoft, Siemens, Avaya and McAfee.


“Opening this Solutions Briefing Centre in India is a very important step for Polycom. India is an important centre of innovation within Asia Pacific and uniquely positioned to accelerate the penetration of telepresence within organisations, both in the government and enterprise sectors. Polycom solutions are being increasingly adopted to drive efficiency and productivity across the enterprise sector and also by the government to improve the reach and efficiency of public services,” said Mr. Neeraj Gill, Polycom Managing Director for India and SAARC.

India is also home to one of Polycom’s three extensive R&D centres in the Asia Pacific region. The Innovation Development Centre (IDC) in Hyderabad is dedicated to the development of innovative UC products and solutions for Polycom’s extensive portfolio of voice and video communication solutions for mobile, desktop and conferencing applications, and contributes significantly to Polycom’s global R&D efforts, in addition to local product development. Polycom’s Hyderabad facility was recently awarded as the ‘Best Startup Offshore Development Centre’ for the year 2009-10 at the 19th annual IT & ITES Industry Association of AP (ITsAP), held on Wednesday 2 March at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre, reflecting Polycom’s continued excellence in developing innovative, best-of-breed UC solutions that give customers greater choice, flexibility and the investment protection they need in order to truly transform how they collaborate.


About Polycom

Polycom, Inc. is a global leader in unified communications solutions with industry-leading telepresence, video, voice and infrastructure solutions built on open standards. Polycom powers smarter conversations, transforming lives and businesses worldwide.

Lenovo launches the All New 2011 edition of high performance PCs in India

Lenovo India, in tune with its commitment to innovation and technology leadership, has introduced a range of high performance PCs for 2011, based on 2nd generation Intel Core Processors. The new range offers superior performance, mobility and cutting edge features. Lenovo’s ability to offer the latest in technology has helped it become the fastest growing PC maker among the top five globally.


This launch makes Lenovo one of the first PC manufacturers in India to introduce PCs powered by Intel’s powerful ‘Huron River’ platform. The new PCs offer higher performance, smoother functioning, a superior visual experience and enhanced responsiveness to users’ dynamic computing demands.

The 2nd Generation Intel Core Processors deliver greater efficiency and power management, allowing the design and development of thinner, lighter and more innovative PCs. These processors, combined with the new graphics technology, which makes a PC display look visibly smart (enhanced display), improve multi-tasking and enable faster multimedia processing, thereby boosting overall productivity.

The award winning Z series Notebooks have been further enhanced with features such as a stylish full metal brush finish, sharper images with HD Backlit LED, Lenovo Enhanced Experience 2.0 for Windows 7 to deliver faster boot-up and shutdown times, faster application performance, smarter power and performance management, all-day battery life, enterprise management and robust security features, as well as a superior web conferencing experience.

Unveiling the company’s new consumer Notebooks, Rajesh Thadani, Director-Consumer Business Unit, HSB, Lenovo India, said, “Our new Notebooks offer superior features such as the Accu type keyboard, Brush finish metallic looks, HD LED Backlit screen, higher capacity HDD (640 GB capacity) HD to our customers in India.”

The Lenovo IdeaPad Z570, a mainstream, multimedia, graphics rich Notebook, offers an unparalleled visual experience and the Lenovo G570, an entry level, feature packed Notebook offers ease of computing – both alluring choices, coming at attractive price points for end consumers.

Introducing the company’s new All-In-One range, Rajesh Thadani said, “Lenovo has been leading in the All-In-one Category in India with almost 50% market share and to continue the leadership trend, the new A320, B320 and 520 All-In-One range will not only offer superior computing with 2nd generation core processors, but will also offer exciting features like One Key TV, Multi-touch, 3D experience, LED

Screen with 1GB Graphics and 1TB HDD. These features are further complimented with 3-3-3 warranty to offer peace of mind to consumers.”

Announcing the launch of new Enterprise Notebooks, Rajesh Dixit, Director-Relational Business,
ThinkClassic Product Group and Channel, Lenovo India, said, “In today’s volatile business environment, enterprises continue to grapple with varied market dynamics and evolving IT needs amidst stiff competition. Our new ThinkPad range will help businesses operate and perform more robustly.”

The ThinkPad L420 and ThinkPad T420 deliver superior performance and promise increased business productivity. The ThinkPad L420 passes all Mil specs and torture tests and is the Greenest ThinkPad, with low halogen parts, and more power efficiency to keep operating costs low and is 100% recyclable. With the Enhanced Experience 2.0, it has a faster boot up, higher productivity and high performance Intel Integrated HD Graphics. At an exceptional price, the ThinkPad T420 is durable, has an all day, all night battery life, with NVIDIA Optimus Technology which delivers a superior battery life over previous discrete models.

Lenovo’s M91 ThinkCentre range of Desktops with Optional Software - Hardware Password Manager - enables complete remote and central management of keys and passwords for self-encrypting hard disk drives. This will help the IT Team to access Data even if the employees leave the organization or misplace the password.

The all-new range provide users with more performance automatically and includes everything one needs to enjoy popular games, built in to provide an experience that's up to 1.8x better. They also support faster video editing & sharing, good quality DVD and multimedia capabilities along with fun and gaming features. The consumer Notebooks will be available at all Lenovo Exclusive Stores (LES), LES Lites (a smaller version of LES), Lenovo Multi Brand stores (LMB) and Large Format Retailers (LFR) like Croma and Reliance.

About Lenovo

Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) is dedicated to building exceptionally engineered personal computers. Lenovo’s business model is built on innovation, operational efficiency and customer satisfaction as well as a focus on investment in emerging markets. Formed by Lenovo Group’s acquisition of the former IBM Personal Computing Division, the company develops, manufactures and markets reliable, high-quality, secure and easy-to-use technology products and services worldwide. Lenovo has major research centers in Yamato, Japan; Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, China; and Raleigh, North Carolina

Indian workers stretch their horizons as the search for jobs goes global, according to Kelly Global Workforce Index(tm)

Almost nine-in-ten Indian employees are willing to move for the right job, with many even prepared to relocate to another country or continent in order to secure a preferred position, according to the latest survey from workforce solutions leader, Kelly Services®.


The findings are part of the Kelly Global Workforce Index, which obtained the views of approximately 97,000 people in 30 countries, including almost 2,000 in India.

“In an environment where the market for talent is becoming global, there is a growing realization that many individuals may have to relocate for work”, said Mr. Kamal Karanth, Managing Director Kelly Services.

In the current market scenario, employers face skill shortages in many areas and are thus turning to global markets to attract the best candidates. There are many skills that are in high demand globally and easily transferable across borders. These include skills in finance and banking, science, IT, and engineering.

“Many skills that were once specific to a region or country have now become global in its scope, meaning that job mobility becomes important for career advancement. In fast-growing sectors such as engineering, science, finance and healthcare, there is a diverse global demand that can present personal rewards and career opportunities for those willing to travel,” Mr. Karanth further added.

Key findings …


• 63% of baby boomers prepared to travel abroad for the right job, compared with 50% of Gen X and 49% of Gen Y

• Men are more willing to move than women

• Oil & gas and hospitality sector witness maximum global relocation (81% and 73% respectively)

• Top factors preventing people from moving abroad for job:

o Family and friends (49%)

o Cost of moving (28%)

o Language barriers (8%)

o Cultural differences (6%)

• More than one-third (43%) are working in the most ‘unconditional arrangement’

• Most common grievances reported by employees:

o Long hours (34%)

o Unusual hours (18%)

o Living away from home (18%)

o Multiple jobs (14%)

o Excessive travel (13%)

• Most desirable destinations for

globetrotting Indians job-seekers are:

o Europe (36%)

o Asia Pacific (20%)

o North America (19%)

o Middle East (7%)

o South America (5%)

o Africa (1%)


A total of 89% of the respondents said that they were willing to move for the right job. Out of these, 39% of the respondents said that they were prepared to move within the country while 49% were willing to relocate to another country or continent to secure a job of their choice.

About the Kelly Global Workforce Index™


The Kelly Global Workforce Index is an annual survey revealing opinions about work and the workplace from a generational viewpoint. Approximately 97,000 people from the Americas, APAC and EMEA responded to the 2011 survey. Analysis of the 2011 data was conducted by Echo Research. Kelly Services was the recipient of a MarCom Platinum Award in 2010 and a Gold Award in 2009 for the Kelly Global Workforce Index in the Research/Study category

HP brings to Bangalore Digital Printing Solutions to enable Progressive Profitable Packaging

Hewlett-Packard, the leader in digital printing technology space shared its new age offerings for the labels & packaging market in an event PACKedge – conducted in Bangalore in association with SGRE Labels & Cognizance Packaging Solutions. The event also addressed the concerns & challenges faced by different industry verticals such as Food & Beverages, wines, travel & hospitality, retail, cosmetics and pharma as far as packaging and marketing is concerned. HP provided its digital printing solutions to these market sectors thus enabling them reach out to a wider range of target customers effectively through eye-catching package for their products. Be it a food item or a drink, a wine bottle or a canned beverage, cosmetics or travelogues, labels on them and the packaging is the most fundamental yet critical aspect of the product which pleases the eyes of the customer and hence converts him/her into a buyer.


THE IMPORTANCE OF PRODUCT PACKAGING

It has been proved that a product is more likely to be picked up from the shelf if it stands out with its outer packaging, than what is inside. Consumer studies state that it takes about 2.6 seconds for a customer to make a purchase decision and this decision is heavily influenced by visual appeal given out by that product with the help of attractively packaged products. We often remember a brand with the labels. For e.g. a customer would recollect a Barbie doll with its pink box, or a health drink such as Bournvita or snack food like Lays chips variant with its label & package design. Keeping this consumer psychology in mind, companies today are shifting focus to invest and put a lot of thought on the designing of labels and printing them. The Indian label industry is complex, dynamic and fast growing and has the highest growth rate in the world of 19% (source:plastemart.com) and companies today are seeking digital technology for labelling and package printing owing to its cost effective, eco friendly & convenient nature.

PACKedge

The recent event PACKedge – power to your brand was attended by industry leaders and brand owners to share views on different market segments and the significance of labels and packaging in respect to each segment. The event also included discussion on Modern Day challenges for Packaging Development Professionals with Head-Packaging, Hindustan UniLever. Followed by a panel discussion with experts from labels & packaging, brand owners, technology & substrate providers along with Cognizance Packaging Solutions & SGRE Labels.


Commenting on the same, Mr. Appadurai, Country Head – Indigo & Inkjet presses solution, Graphic Solutions Business, HP IPG India stated, “The Indian packaging market has constantly grown by approximately 15% year on year and is estimated growth acceleration between 20-25 percent over the next five years. Today everything around us comes packaged & keeping that in mind we at HP provide complete end-to-end solution with proven print technology of HP Indigo ws4500. We are proud of our association with industry leaders like SGRE Labels & together we look forward at extending the breakthrough digital printing portfolio in various market segments.”


Mr. D.S. Subba Reddy, Managing Director, SGRE Labels said, “We have always demonstrated competence in latest & evolving technologies by providing custom designed labelling solutions to our customers. With the consumer goods manufacturers under pressure to lower costs and digital equipment manufacturers beginning to address the special needs of packaging, digital printing will play a larger role in the future. Keeping with the industry demands, we swear by HP for its unique and effective one stop printing technology and portfolio. HP Indigo digital presses produce print with the look and feel of offset in the widest range of colours and on greatest variety of substrates.”

About SGRE Labels

Bangalore based SGRE Labels has over a decade of experience in offering complete labelling solution to FMCG, Pharma, Apparels, Retail, Electronic & Telecom sectors. The facility in Bangalore is well equipped with the best of machines to reach up to international standards of label printing. The company’s commitment to exceed its customer expectations through innovative products and solutions, continuous improvement of processes and on-time delivery makes them the preferred choice in the market.


About HP Indigo press ws4500

A third-generation mature press Indigo WS 4500 is a high-productivity, cost-effective, environment friendly digital solution which has many advantages over conventional printing. The manufacture of gravure cylinders is costly and uses more energy and solvents than digital printing. By its nature, conventional (gravure, flexo and litho) printing has a start-up period during which ink application and register are achieved. This process generates material waste – waste of expensive substrates – and lengthens the overall press time.



With HP Indigo technology, start-up waste is eliminated as print quality and ink register are immediately achieved. Job changeovers, using the same substrate, can be done on-the-fly, and HP ElectroInk is dry when it leaves the press and can be finished immediately making the entire production process more efficient.

About HP

HP creates new possibilities for technology to have a meaningful impact on people, businesses, governments and society. As the world’s largest technology company, HP brings together a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure to solve customer problems. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com/

Sonus Networks Continues Growth by Expanding Its Presence in Bangalore, India

Sonus Networks, Inc. (Nasdaq: SONS), a market leader in next-generation IP-based network solutions , today announced the inauguration of its new, state-of-the-art facility in Bangalore, India, which consolidates two smaller facilities into one larger location. Sonus is making this facility move in Bangalore to accommodate growth in the region. The Sonus Bangalore team is giving a traditional welcome with a ribbon cutting and lighting of the lamp.


Sonus's continued success in the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Indian telecommunications markets is the impetus behind the upgrade. Located in a brand new, state-of-the art technology building, Sonus's more than 77,000 square-foot Bangalore facility is located in the heart of the city's IT hub. With 7000 square feet of sophisticated lab space, it will house the company's growing employee base in India, which currently stands at nearly 490 employees. The Bangalore team will continue to focus primarily on software development and testing as well as systems engineering and customer support.

"We are leveraging our operations in India to support growth in three of the world's most rapidly growing areas," said Ray Dolan, president and CEO of Sonus Networks. "Telecommunications and the IT sector are major drivers of the Indian economy and the country's highly educated talent pool allows us to grow as needed to meet those market demands. As service providers across the region build out their networks to support increasing demands from new subscribers, Sonus is well equipped and positioned to help them."

According to industry research, India is among the fastest-growing markets in the telecom sector, adding 16 to 18 million subscribers every month. It currently has a subscriber base of over 800 million people and has the world's second-largest mobile network with over 670 million wireless subscribers. Sonus counts two of the country's top carriers among its customer base, and has recently ramped up sales and sales engineering presence in the country.

The company's Bangalore facility will showcase Sonus's leading voice and data infrastructure solutions, including session border controllers , media gateways , softswitches , and voice security products for service providers and large enterprises. Sonus's infrastructure solutions allow efficient and reliable delivery of voice and multimedia sessions over IP networks while enabling customers to manage the flows of sessions in their networks using business policies.

"This is a significant milestone for our Bangalore operations," said Vijaykumar Bhat, facility manager at Sonus Networks Bangalore. "The new facility will unite our current staff and ensure that Sonus is well-positioned for ongoing growth and success in the region."



The building is located in the heart of Banglaore's IT hub at:



Prestige Shantiniketan

Crescent 4, Whitefield

ITPL Road

Bangalore, India



About Sonus Networks

Sonus Networks, Inc. is a leader in IP networking with proven expertise in delivering secure, reliable and scalable next-generation infrastructure and subscriber solutions. With customers in over 50 countries across the globe and over a decade of experience in transforming networks to IP, Sonus has enabled service providers and enterprises to capture and retain users and generate significant ROI. Sonus products include media and signaling gateways, policy/routing servers, session border controllers and subscriber feature servers. Sonus products are supported by a global services team with experience in design, deployment and maintenance of some of the world's largest and most complex IP networks.