Archive for May 2012
Actuate BIRT Performance Analytics Customers Save Millions in Less Than a Year
Sacramento Municipal Utility District and St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital Each Experience Return on Investment of over $2 Million
SHANGHAI, May 30, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia/ — Actuate Corporation( http://www.twitter.com/Actuate ) (NASDAQ: BIRT), The people behind BIRT( http://www.birt-exchange.org )(R)and the leader( http://www.actuate.com/download/What-the-Analysts-Are-Saying.pdf#zoom=100 ) in open source Business Intelligence( http://www.actuate.com ) (BI), today announced that several of its customers( http://www.birtperformanceanalytics.com/se/community/customer-directory ) including Sacramento Municipal Utility District( http://www.actuate.com/download/casestudy/smudcasestudy.pdf ) and St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital( http://www.stegh.on.ca ) are experiencing millions in returns on their BIRT Performance Analytics( http://www.birtperformanceanalytics.com/se/home ) deployments.
Organizations are increasingly looking at ways to drive higher business performance — at the individual department level and across the organization. However, the inability to effectively monitor and measure operations, establish a line of sight between the overall company strategy and supporting operations, plus the lack of mechanisms that help drive improvements in underperforming areas are often cited as the biggest impediments to achieving better business performance.
BIRT Performance Analytics — part of the ActuateOne(R) suite of integrated BI products — represents the next stage in the evolution of Business Intelligence and Performance Measurement, delivering business user-driven discovery, analysis and performance improvement at all levels of an organization on a single platform. BIRT Performance Analytics helps to optimize current processes, while providing visibility into areas where new processes are required. This is achieved by vastly improving the quality and relevance of performance information delivered to all users, while enhancing accountability, transparency, reliability and timeliness. Once deployed, it becomes the catalyst to move from issue identification to informed decision making, organizational alignment and continued performance gains.
BIRT Performance Analytics enables organizations to:
— Effectively monitor operations using intuitive dashboards;
— Perform contextual analysis to identify root causes of issues;
— Launch initiatives to improve performance and track their progress;
— Capture and repeat best practices;
— Align the entire organization by providing a line of sight from
strategy to operations; and
— Experience tremendous gains in organizational performance.
Two recent customers, Sacramento Municipal Utility District( http://www.actuate.com/download/casestudy/smudcasestudy.pdf ) and St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital( http://www.stegh.on.ca ) have demonstrated tremendous ROI using BIRT Performance Analytics.
Sacramento Municipal Utility District Attains ROI of Over $2 Million across Locations
The Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) is a community-owned California electric utility serving 592,000 customers and a total population of approximately 1.4 million. It is the sixth-largest public utility in the country, with a 900-square-mile service territory that encompasses Sacramento County and small adjoining portions of Placer County and Yolo County. SMUD began implementing their current Performance Management initiative in 2008, and have since become a leader in the field.
Through its implementation of Actuate’s Performance Analytics suite, SMUD has experienced significant financial benefits and a high return on its Performance Measurement and improvement efforts, including its software investment. For example, the use of measurement in the distribution area of the company achieved cost savings though efficiency and optimization initiatives of $2.5 to $3 million in just one year, while increasing the value delivered per budget dollar consumed.
Efficiencies are achieved using Performance Scorecards and Performance Dashboards, allowing for the rapid development and calculation of metrics and operational data which help users to work smarter on an ongoing basis (e.g. helping supervisors and employees take a prioritized approach to work selection and better equipping crews in their work). This continuous improvement effort is translating into millions of dollars in real financial savings across the business units at SMUD – and a heightened business acumen linking financial performance with operational performance through use of BIRT Performance Scorecards and Analytics capabilities.
In the year following SMUD’s BIRT Performance Analytics implementation savings increased $1,890,000, or 2.6 percent, from the previous year. Additionally, due to effective management, operating costs decreased by four percent. As SMUD’s Performance Monitoring efforts continue to mature, it is anticipated that their efforts will continue to translate data into “metrics that matter” used by supervisors and managers at all levels to help drive the organization forward. Full details about the success at SMUD are available by downloading the SMUD case study at http://www.birtperformanceanalytics.com/se/info/prq311bpswpsmud.
St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital – Award Winning ROI
St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital (STEGH) is a 166-bed facility that services the town of St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada, and its surrounding regions. The fully accredited hospital provides comprehensive 24-hour coverage in medicine, surgery, OB, pediatrics, anesthesia, emergency and family medicine.
STEGH have been named winners of the prestigious BeyeNETWORK “Vision Award for Business Impact” in the Performance Management category. As a result of their award winning Actuate implementation( http://www.actuate.com/company/news/press-release/?articleid=18822 ), STEGH implemented more than 50 projects, totaling $2.5 million in savings. Additionally, a quality-control council was created to meet weekly and monitor progress, using BIRT Performance Analytics for major projects and Senior Management Team reporting.
By focusing on effective Performance monitoring and measurement using Actuate’s technology, STEGH achieved a $3.1 million in savings and additional revenue. Overall revenues for STEGH increased $1,890,000, or 2.6 percent, from the previous year. As a result, STEGH began its fiscal year with a balanced budget. By managing its operating costs effectively, the hospital will be able to meet the health needs of the community.
About Actuate BIRT Performance Analytics
BIRT Performance Analytics delivers business user driven discovery, analysis, and performance improvement at all levels in an organization on a single platform. Deployed on-premise and from private, hybrid and public clouds, Actuate BIRT Performance Analytics software provides interactive dashboards, in-memory analytics, and scorecards for measurement and management of all aspects of performance, delivering rapid time to value from business discovery to decision. BIRT Performance Analytics offers unprecedented flexibility, lower cost of ownership and faster time to value delivering actionable performance insight to everyone in the organization. For more information, visit http://www.birtperformanceanalytics.com( http://www.prnasia.com/angela.liu/Local%20Settings/lbengani.HQ/Documents/Releases/www.birtperformanceanalytics.com ).
Actuate — The people behind BIRT( http://www.actuate.com )
Actuate founded and co-leads the Eclipse BIRT open source project. ActuateOne(R) is a unified suite of products for rapidly developing and deploying BIRT-based Business Intelligence( http://www.actuate.com ) and Performance Analytics applications. Applications built with ActuateOne provide one user experience regardless of task or skill level; are supported by one server for any deployment including cloud and are built with one BIRT design that can access and integrate any data source – including high volume print streams.
ActuateOne adds rich data visualizations( http://www.actuate.com/products/data-visualization ), including interactivity, dashboards( http://www.actuate.com/products/birt-user-experience/dashboards ), analytics( http://www.actuate.com/products/birt-user-experience/analytics ), Performance Analytics capabilities and deployment options to web and mobile BIRT applications, helping organizations drive revenue through higher customer satisfaction and improved operational performance.
Actuate has over 5,000 customers globally in a diverse range of business areas including financial services and the public sector. Founded in 1993, Actuate is headquartered in San Mateo, California, with offices worldwide. Actuate is listed on NASDAQ under the symbol BIRT. For more information, visit the company’s web site at http://www.actuate.com or visit the BIRT community at http://www.birt-exchange.com.( http://www.birt-exchange.com )
SOURCE﹛Actuate Corporation
The World Bank Group, Earthstone Group Support Inaugural Investing in Asian Mining Indaba Conference
NEW YORK, May 30, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia/ — The organisers of the Investing in Asian Mining Indaba, to be held on 29 – 31 October 2012 in Singapore (www.AsianMiningIndaba.com), are proud to have secured the sponsorship of the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation. Further to the World Bank and IFC’s participation, the organisers have officially signed Asian mining powerhouse, Earthstone Group, as the Platinum Sponsor for its first annual conference.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120529/NE15116LOGO )
“Mining in Asia has tremendous potential to promote sustainable economic growth, if the revenues from those resources are invested in much needed infrastructure and human capital,” explains Paulo de Sa, manager of the World Bank’s Oil, Gas and Mining unit. “Asian Mining Indaba provides us with an excellent platform to reach out to multiple stakeholders from government, private sector, and civil society, and see how we all together can best address the opportunities and challenges ahead.”
Investing in Asian Mining Indaba is an annual professional conference dedicated to the capitalisation and development of mining interests in Asia. The event will attract the most influential stakeholders — financiers, investors, international mining houses, Asian government delegations, and other stakeholders — vested in the Asian mining value chain.
“In February 2012 we publicly announced the inaugural Asian Mining Indaba presenting global mining and investment professionals an early look at this powerful new opportunity awaiting in the Asian region,” said Jonathan Moore, Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Mining Indaba LLC. “Since the announcement we have received overwhelming support from the World Bank Group, Earthstone Group and many others from the Asian mining and investment community, government delegations and the press.”
“The exciting thing about this annual conference is bringing the successful networking platform of the African Mining Indaba to Asia. This platform will be critical to Asia as it seeks capitalisation throughout the entire mining value chain and will serve as a key strategic opportunity for Earthstone Group’s continued expansion in Asia providing us with access to serious investors and critical regional government delegations,” explains Ravi Puri, Executive Director, Earthstone Group.
The inaugural Investing in Asian Mining Indaba will feature an assembly of unparalleled keynote presenters renowned for their global macro-economic, international mining and regional commodity investment expertise.
— DAVID HALE, David Hale Global Economics
— FRANK HOLMES, U.S. Global Investors, Inc.
— JIM ROGERS, Author, Financial Commentator and Successful International Investor
— LILIANG TENG, China-Africa Development Fund
— ALLAN TRENCH, Ph.D, CRU
— KOBUS VAN DER WATH, The Beijing Axis
The Investing in Asian Mining Indaba is supported by multiple sponsors including its platinum sponsor, Earthstone Group, the IFC, World Bank, and many others, and has partnered with multiple trade and international media partners.
Visit http://www.AsianMiningIndaba.com for registration details and full conference agenda featuring the Asian mining ministerial forum, commodity review and outlook, and other expert sessions.
About Mining Indaba LLC
Investing in Asian Mining Indaba is presented by Mining Indaba, LLC, the organiser of the world’s largest investment mining event and Africa’s largest mining event — Investing in African Mining Indaba. Mining Indaba LLC has partnered with South Africa and other African nationals for more than 18 years to channel billions of dollars of foreign investment into African mining. For more information, visit http://www.miningindaba.com.
SOURCE﹛Mining Indaba LLC
The World Bank Group, Earthstone Group Support Inaugural Investing in Asian Mining Indaba Conference
NEW YORK, May 30, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia/ — The organisers of the Investing in Asian Mining Indaba, to be held on 29 – 31 October 2012 in Singapore (www.AsianMiningIndaba.com), are proud to have secured the sponsorship of the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation. Further to the World Bank and IFC’s participation, the organisers have officially signed Asian mining powerhouse, Earthstone Group, as the Platinum Sponsor for its first annual conference.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120529/NE15116LOGO )
“Mining in Asia has tremendous potential to promote sustainable economic growth, if the revenues from those resources are invested in much needed infrastructure and human capital,” explains Paulo de Sa, manager of the World Bank’s Oil, Gas and Mining unit. “Asian Mining Indaba provides us with an excellent platform to reach out to multiple stakeholders from government, private sector, and civil society, and see how we all together can best address the opportunities and challenges ahead.”
Investing in Asian Mining Indaba is an annual professional conference dedicated to the capitalisation and development of mining interests in Asia. The event will attract the most influential stakeholders — financiers, investors, international mining houses, Asian government delegations, and other stakeholders — vested in the Asian mining value chain.
“In February 2012 we publicly announced the inaugural Asian Mining Indaba presenting global mining and investment professionals an early look at this powerful new opportunity awaiting in the Asian region,” said Jonathan Moore, Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Mining Indaba LLC. “Since the announcement we have received overwhelming support from the World Bank Group, Earthstone Group and many others from the Asian mining and investment community, government delegations and the press.”
“The exciting thing about this annual conference is bringing the successful networking platform of the African Mining Indaba to Asia. This platform will be critical to Asia as it seeks capitalisation throughout the entire mining value chain and will serve as a key strategic opportunity for Earthstone Group’s continued expansion in Asia providing us with access to serious investors and critical regional government delegations,” explains Ravi Puri, Executive Director, Earthstone Group.
The inaugural Investing in Asian Mining Indaba will feature an assembly of unparalleled keynote presenters renowned for their global macro-economic, international mining and regional commodity investment expertise.
— DAVID HALE, David Hale Global Economics
— FRANK HOLMES, U.S. Global Investors, Inc.
— JIM ROGERS, Author, Financial Commentator and Successful International Investor
— LILIANG TENG, China-Africa Development Fund
— ALLAN TRENCH, Ph.D, CRU
— KOBUS VAN DER WATH, The Beijing Axis
The Investing in Asian Mining Indaba is supported by multiple sponsors including its platinum sponsor, Earthstone Group, the IFC, World Bank, and many others, and has partnered with multiple trade and international media partners.
Visit http://www.AsianMiningIndaba.com for registration details and full conference agenda featuring the Asian mining ministerial forum, commodity review and outlook, and other expert sessions.
About Mining Indaba LLC
Investing in Asian Mining Indaba is presented by Mining Indaba, LLC, the organiser of the world’s largest investment mining event and Africa’s largest mining event — Investing in African Mining Indaba. Mining Indaba LLC has partnered with South Africa and other African nationals for more than 18 years to channel billions of dollars of foreign investment into African mining. For more information, visit http://www.miningindaba.com.
SOURCE﹛Mining Indaba LLC
Ranking Shows Continued Global Reductions in Diesel Sulfur Limits
Sweden, Germany, Japan lead IFQC’s Top 100
HOUSTON, May 30, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia/ — The International Fuel Quality Center( http://www.hartenergy.com/Downstream/Research-And-Consulting/International-Fuel-Quality-Center ) (IFQC) has ranked the Top 100 countries based on sulfur limits in on-road diesel and found that 44 countries can now boast that their on-road diesel fuel is the cleanest in the world.
“Sulfur reduction remains essential and unique, as it is the only component of the refining process for petroleum fuels that lowers all airborne pollutants from the transport sector. This is why there is added pressure and a movement to reduce sulfur limits in other categories, like marine fuels,” according to Liisa Kiuru-Griffith, executive director, IFQC.
Armenia and New Caledonia joined the select group atop IFQC’s annual ranking by completing their nationwide transitions to diesel fuel with sulfur content of 10 ppm. The top 47 countries share a maximum sulfur limit of 15 ppm or less with varying implementation timelines.
Six countries advanced in the 2012 list, led by Ecuador, which joined the Top 100 by lowering its maximum sulfur limit from 7,000 ppm to 500 ppm and moving up 47 spots to No. 83. Saudi Arabia joined Ecuador at No. 83 by rising 23 spots. Its maximum diesel sulfur content was lowered from 800 ppm to 500 ppm.
“With distillates experiencing the largest growth among all petroleum products globally, it makes it even more challenging to achieve such strict quality requirements,” said Kristine Klavers, senior vice president, Hart Energy. “All of us at IFQC extend hearty congratulations to global governments, automakers, refiners, and technology suppliers 〞 all who contributed equally to one of the world’s great environmental success stories.”
IFQC’s analysts based the rankings on maximum allowable limits in national standards and year of implementation. The complete list can be found at http://www.ifqc.org.
Hart Energy( http://www.hartenergy.com ) provides specialized data/information products and member-only services to targeted audiences worldwide and ranks among the leading providers of news, data, and analysis for the global energy industry. Its core publishing and consulting expertise has been extended to online products (databases, maps) and services (policy and market information) as well as industry conferences and exhibitions (DUG). Hart Energy clients derive from the energy industry, the financial and investment community, engineering and automotive industries, utilities, leading NGOs, and the world’s major governments.
Contact: Susan D. Emfinger( mailto:semfinger@hartenergy.com )
tel +1 713 260 1069
SOURCE﹛International Fuel Quality Center (IFQC)
DSwiss Wins Zurcher Kantonalbank as a Customer
ZURICH, Switzerland, May 30, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia/ — Zurcher Kantonalbank becomes the first Swiss bank to offer its customers a SecureSafe digital safe deposit box from DSwiss as part of their e-banking services. SecureSafe is a high security Internet data safe based on SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) that offers users a central location for storing important documents. SecureSafe guarantees secure storage of digital data and passwords, which can be accessed at anytime and from anywhere. Banks can provide their customers with this solution, a personal digital locker, which can then be easily integrated into existing e-banking solutions. SecureSafe also allows for the long-term preservation and archiving of electronic financial documents.
Through the SecureSafe service, DSwiss offers a highly secure Internet-based data safe with built-in data inheritance features. SecureSafe meets the highest security requirements from user login, to the transporting of data as well as secure storage in banking compliant data centers. Customers can also access their stored documents via an Internet browser or the iPhone/iPad App (Android App to follow) and the proven encryption method makes it impossible for unauthorized access by third parties. SecureSafe provides simple and user-friendly management and safe long-term storage of all digital data such as business-critical documents and contracts, passwords and even banking and financial documents.
Christian Schwarzer, CEO, DSwiss said: “SecureSafe is the central, highly secure online storage service for personal documents that are worth protecting. The link to e-banking solutions enables the transfer of financial documents directly into the digital safe by the Bank.”
The high level of security and ease of use of the digital locker are just two of the reasons why the Zurcher Kantonalbank decided to choose SecureSafe. The service offers an innovative new feature that provides added value and differentiation to existing e-banking solutions.
What value does SecureSafe offer to customers? The digital locker is connected directly to the e-banking platform at Zurcher Kantonalbank. Therefore, the SecureSafe can be used as both a personal storage locker and a location for transferring and accessing electronic bank statements and documents. The advantages include clear and structured storage for financial documents, flexible management as well as the long-term preservation of data. In addition, customers can use the Internet safe as a personal safe deposit box for their private digital data (passwords, photos, contracts, etc). During the initial introductory period, customers also benefit from a special offer provided by the Bank.
Roger Huber, Director Change E-banking, Zurcher Kantonalbank and a Member of Management, commented: “The responsible use of digital storage in business and home environments is becoming increasingly important. We are promoting the awareness of the safe storage of digital data by the value-generating integration of SecureSafe into the ZKB Online Bank.”
More Information
— Web: http://www.securesafe.com/zkb
— Logos/Screenshots: http://www.securesafe.com/press-kit
— Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/securesafe
Media Contact
DSwiss AG
Christian Schwarzer, CEO
christian.schwarzer@dswiss.com
Tel. +41-44-515-11-11
Fax. +41-44-515-11-12
SOURCE﹛DSwiss AG
Supermicro(R) X9 5x GPU SuperWorkstation Delivers Maximum Performance with NVIDIA Maximus Certification
7047GR-TRF Integrates 1x NVIDIA Quadro and 4x NVIDIA Tesla GPUs in a Single Workstation, Providing Simultaneous Design and Simulation Workflows for Compute-Intensive CAD/CAM, CAE and Digital Content Creation Applications
SAN JOSE, Calif., May 30, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia/ — Super Micro Computer, Inc. (NASDAQ: SMCI), a global leader in high-performance, high-efficiency server technology and green computing, now offers NVIDIA(R) Maximus(TM)( http://www.nvidia.com/object/maximus.html ) technology in its latest high-end, enterprise-class X9 SuperWorkstation (7047GR-TRF( http://www.supermicro.com/products/system/4u/7047/sys-7047gr-trf.cfm?parts=show )), allowing users to simultaneously design, render and simulate on the same workstation, avoiding traditional, time-consuming and costly processing downtime. Supermicro’s NVIDIA Maximus certified solution integrates an NVIDIA(R) Quadro( http://www.nvidia.com/object/workstation-solutions.html )(R) series graphics processing unit (GPU) dedicated for design and visualization tasks with four NVIDIA Tesla(R) C2075( http://www.nvidia.com/object/workstation-solutions-tesla.html ) co-processors dedicated to handling compute-intensive tasks like simulation〞an industry-first configuration of NVIDIA Maximus technology. This powerful GPU duo delivers scientists, engineers and designers the specialized compute capacity to interact with 3D models in CAD/CAM applications, while simultaneously rendering or outputting complex CAE simulations. This ability to multitask with both compute and graphics-heavy applications together, in real time, on a single workstation dramatically accelerates productivity and allows more opportunities for creative exploration.
(PHOTO: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120530/AQ15509-INFO)
“Supermicro’s NVIDIA Maximus certified 7047GR-TRF SuperWorkstation opens the door to personal supercomputing for scientific, engineering and entertainment fields, and closes the gap between design and realization,” said Wally Liaw, Vice President of Sales, International at Supermicro. “Our solution allows users to free themselves from compute limitations and to challenge their creativity with an unprecedented four Tesla GPUs plus one Quadro GPU in a 4U Tower, more than any other system in this class on the market. With this incredible performance at the desktop, designers can spend more time interacting with complex models and sophisticated simulations and less time waiting, allowing them to deliver results faster to market.”
“Supermicro’s professional-level SuperWorkstations harness the power of NVIDIA Maximus technology to sharply improve productivity,” said Jeff Brown, general manager of the Professional Solutions Group at NVIDIA. “Supermicro is outstanding at integrating NVIDIA GPU technology into their workstations, and the 7047GR-TRF marks only the start of their efforts to incorporate NVIDIA Maximus’s power and flexibility.”
What sets the 7047GR-TRF apart as an outstanding enterprise-class system and earns it the SuperWorkstation brand is its multitude of high-value features. Fully configured with 4 double-width NVIDIA Tesla GPUs and a Quadro graphics card, the 7047GR-TRF still has single PCI-E 3.0 x8 and PCI-E 2.0 x4 (in x8) slots available for additional high-bandwidth network and high-performance storage expansions. The 7047GR-TRF is built on Supermicro’s high-end X9DRG-QF( http://www.supermicro.com/products/motherboard/Xeon/C600/X9DRG-QF.cfm ) serverboard supporting dual Intel(R) Xeon(R) E5-2600 family processors for ultimate CPU performance. PCI-E 3.0 support offers future-proof expansion and a cost-effective upgrade path to next generation NVIDIA GPUs. For memory intensive applications, this solution accommodates up to 512GB of DDR3 1600MHz Reg. ECC memory in 16x DIMM sockets and massive internal storage capacity that supports up to 8x hot-swap 3.5″ HDDs utilizing onboard 2x SATA3 and 8x SATA2 ports. Supporting this advanced technology and maintaining mission-critical uptime are redundant 1620W power supplies with the industry’s highest efficiency Platinum Level (94%+) rating, along with multi-zone thermal controlled fans for optimal cooling and additional energy efficiency.
Supermicro’s GPU SuperWorkstations and SuperServers are defining the future of supercomputing for intersecting fields of science, engineering and digital content creation. The 7047GR-TRF is the first of a line of SuperWorkstations to support NVIDIA Maximus technology. For a complete look at Supermicro’s total line of high performance, high-efficiency server and storage solutions, visit http://www.supermicro.com or go to http://www.supermicro.com/Maximus to select a Supermicro NVIDIA Maximus powered supercomputer.
About Super Micro Computer, Inc.
Supermicro(R) (NASDAQ: SMCI), the leading innovator in high-performance, high-efficiency server technology is a premier provider of advanced server Building Block Solutions(R) for Data Center, Cloud Computing, Enterprise IT, HPC and Embedded Systems worldwide. Supermicro is committed to protecting the environment through its “We Keep IT Green(R)” initiative and provides customers with the most energy-efficient, environmentally-friendly solutions available on the market.
Supermicro, SuperServer, Building Block Solutions and We Keep IT Green are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Super Micro Computer, Inc.
All other brands, names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
SMCI-F
SOURCE﹛Super Micro Computer, Inc.
New QS University Rankings Point to Rise of Asia’s Young Universities
LONDON, May 29, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia/ —
Results on http://www.topuniversities.com
The effects of Asia’s higher education revolution are showcased in a new ranking of the world’s leading universities under the age of 50. Asia claims a remarkable six of the top ten universities in the QS Top 50 Under 50 ranking, with The Chinese University of Hong Kong and The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) beating UK’s Warwick University to the top spots.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120528/533558 )
QS Top 50 Under 50
2011 World
University
Under 50 Rankings Establishment
Institution Country Year
The Chinese
University of
Hong Kong
1 37 (CUHK) HK 1963
The Hong Kong
University of
Science and
Technology
2 40 (HKUST) HK 1991
The University
3 50 of Warwick GB 1964
Nanyang
Technological
University
4 58 (NTU) SG 1991
KAIST – Korea
Advanced
Institute of
Science and
5 90 Technology KR 1971
University of
6 96 York GB 1963
Pohang
University of
Science and
Technology
7 98 (POSTECH) KR 1986
Maastricht
8 109 University NL 1976
City
University of
9 110 Hong Kong HK 1984
University of
California,
10 148 Irvine (UCI) US 1965
(c) QS Quacquarelli Symonds 2004-2012 http://www.topuniversities.com Four of the top seven are Asian scientific institutions, with Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University outranking Western universities such as University of York and University of California, Irvine despite having been in existence for just 21 years.
“New science-based institutions have been established to drive innovation and growth in booming economies such as Hong Kong, Korea and Singapore”, says Ben Sowter, QS head of research: “Their superior performance compared to Western universities established within the same time frame is testament to Asia’s dynamism”.
QS Top 50 Under 50 has been published alongside the annual QS University Rankings: Asia to demonstrate the dramatic effects of Asian expenditure on international higher education.
QS University Rankings: Asia
2012 2011 Institution Country
The Hong Kong University of Science and
1 1 Technology (HKUST) HK
2 3 National University of Singapore SG
3 2 University of Hong Kong HK
4 6 Seoul National University KR
5 5 The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) HK
6 13 Peking University CN
KAIST – Korea Advanced Institute of Science
7 11 and Technology KR
8 4 The University of Tokyo JP
Pohang University of Science and Technology
9 12 (POSTECH) KR
10 7 Kyoto University JP
(C)QS Quacquarelli Symonds 2009-2012 http://www.topuniversities.com
This year’s QS ranking for Asia features its youngest ever top ten, with an average age of just 77.5. Four of the top 10 universities are less than 50 years old, with number one institution HKUST founded just 21 years ago.
The prominence of younger Asian institutions has been put down to a boom in scientific research. China doubled its main scientific research budget between 2009 and 2011, while universities in Singapore and Korea have benefited from multi-billion dollar investment programs.
Nine of the top ten Chinese universities improved their performance in this year’s QS University Rankings: Asia, with Peking University rising to a record high of sixth. Young Korean institutions KAIST and POSTECH have now moved firmly into the ranking’s top tier, having produced more research papers per faculty member than any other university in the top ten.
“These young universities will continue to grow in prominence as Asian governments invest in the hope of driving technological innovation”, says Sowter. “These rankings suggest the West’s advantage over Asia may be shrinking more quickly than anticipated”.
The full 300 of the QS University Rankings: Asia and the QS Top 50 Under 50 is available on http://www.topuniversities.com
SOURCE﹛QS Quacquarelli Symonds
Vivante Leads Mobile GPGPU Revolution Becoming First GPU IP Supplier to Pass OpenCL(TM) 1.1 Conformance Test
Vivante’s multi-core GPU Compute products unleash new application areas combining GPGPU and graphics
SUNNYVALE, Calif., May 29, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia/ — Vivante Corporation, a world-wide leader in graphics and visualization technologies for handheld and consumer devices, today announced Vivante GC Cores passed the Khronos(TM) Group OpenCL 1.1 Embedded Profile (EP) conformance test suite on Freescale’s (NYSE: FSL) i.MX 6 platform. The GC Cores use the latest programmable ScalarMorphic(TM) architecture to accelerate parallel data workloads on thousands of concurrent threads to achieve Gigaflops (GFLOPS) of computational performance. Applications taking advantage of Vivante cores to significantly speed-up processing includes image processing, computer vision, analytics, augmented reality and gesture-motion tracking.
(LOGO: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20091008/VIVANTELOGO )
OpenCL (Open Computing Language) is an open industry standard API and framework used to program multiple devices including GPUs and CPUs, organized as part of a single computational platform. The API takes advantage of all resources to efficiently process the growing number of incoming data from multiple sources including cameras, sensors, IPUs and other complex data streams that require data or task parallelism. The standard targets a wide range of devices including smartphones, tablets, PCs and CE devices, to embedded applications like automotive ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System).
OpenCL uses the Vivante parallel execution SIMD engines to enhance computation density by performing massively parallel data processing on multiple data streams, across several compute engines. Each compute engine has its own ALU, including pipelined floating point (FP) and integer (INT) units for math operations, plus a special function unit (SFU) for transcendental operations. A parallel computation and associated series of operations is called a kernel, and the Vivante GC cores can execute thousands of parallel kernels in real-time.
“We are pleased that Vivante passed OpenCL 1.1 EP using GPU acceleration on Freescale’s i.MX 6 triple-play graphics platform,” said Rajeev Kumar, i.MX product line manager for Freescale Semiconductor. “OpenCL is a key industry resource for driving the next wave of mobile and embedded products. We are actively engaged in several OpenCL projects on i.MX 6, with leading customers and partners productizing this technology. Vivante’s milestone has the potential to spur mass market adoption of OpenCL across our line of i.MX 6 processors.”
“OpenCL is an area that has been tightly coupled with GPU development, so this evolution has been a natural extension of our core competence,” said Wei-Jin Dai, President and CEO of Vivante. “New innovations inside our GPUs that accelerate OpenCL include enhanced multi-level memory access support, synchronization, math functions, ULP precision and atomics. Our advantages in mobile GPU architectures give us the opportunity to bring high performance compute to low power form factors, without sacrificing computational performance or features.”
About Freescale i.MX 6 Processors
Integrating one, two or four ARM(R) Cortex(TM)-A9 cores running at up to 1.2 GHz each, the i.MX 6 series of processors delivers outstanding performance for unbounded user experiences in a range of end-devices. Scalability across single-, dual- and quad-core products is a hallmark of the i.MX 6 series. Common SoC IP building blocks enable series-wide software and development tool compatibility, while integrated power management capabilities, a broad range of integrated I/Os, and pin compatibility within package families reduce overall product complexity and development costs. Please visit http://www.freescale.comimx( http://www.freescale.com/imx ) for more information.
About Vivante Corporation
Vivante Corporation, a leader in multi-core GPU, OpenCL(TM), and 2D Composition IP solutions, provides the highest performance and lowest power characteristics across a range of Khronos(TM) Group( http://www.khronos.org ) API conformant standards based on the ScalarMorphic(TM) architecture. Vivante GPUs are integrated into customer silicon solutions in mass market products including smartphones, tablets, HDTVs, consumer electronics and embedded devices, running thousands of graphics applications across multiple operating systems and software platforms. Vivante is a privately held company incorporated and headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, with multiple R&D centers in China and Europe. For more information, visit http://www.vivantecorp.com.
Vivante and the Vivante logo are trademarks of Vivante. OpenCL is trademark of Apple Inc. used under license to the Khronos Group Inc. All other product or service names are the property of their respective owners.
SOURCE﹛Vivante Corporation
Bombay Sapphire Gin Reveals the World’s First Most Imaginative Bartender
David Wolowidnyk of Canada is crowned the World’s Most Imaginative Bartender with New BOMBAY SAPPHIRE cocktail named Beldi
LONDON, May 29, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia/ — The winner of the BOMBAY SAPPHIRE(R) World’s Most Imaginative Bartender competition was announced at an event held in Morocco for professional bartenders, hosted by Bombay Sapphire, the world’s number one premium gin by value for a third consecutive year(1).
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/2012/535491 )
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/2012/535491-b )
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/2012/535491-c )
The winner, David Wolowidnyk of Canada was selected from thousands of contestants overall and eight finalists from Canada, Global Travel Retail, Japan, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. The bartenders took part in a four-day experience, visiting the Moroccan home of one of the Bombay Sapphire botanicals – coriander – and exploring the world of the historic gin.
The competition itself took place on the last evening of the experience at one of the most beautiful villas in the world, Dar Sabra in Marrakech, Morocco. Each bartender was tasked with creating their most imaginative cocktail – combining their individual influences with the cultural experiences they had experienced throughout the trip.
Bombay Sapphire Global Brand Ambassador Raj Nagra hosted the competition and commented: “By hand-selecting the most creative talent from behind the bar, the Bombay Sapphire World’s Most Imaginative Bartender Competition not only challenges them, but also aims to support them on their journey to becoming the most imaginative bartenders in the world. Just as the unique taste of Bombay Sapphire is inspired by the infusion of its 10 exotic botanicals, we look to inspire bartenders all over the world.”
David was a worthy winner, adding his own unique flair and style to his cocktail, the Beldi. In addition to receiving the “Bombay Sapphire World’s Most Imaginative Bartender” title, David also earned a place in the Bombay Sapphire Cocktail Hall of Fame, partaking in various duties, including attending the 2013 opening of the new Bombay Sapphire distillery at Laverstoke Mill in England and becoming part of the Bombay Sapphire World’s Most Imaginative Bartender judging panel for next year’s competition.
Bombay Sapphire Global Category Director John Burke commented: “Bombay Sapphire is at the heart of imaginative cocktail-making and by launching the Bombay Sapphire World’s Most Imaginative Bartender competition we’re providing a platform to encourage and inspire bartenders from all over the world. Since its creation, Bombay Sapphire has taken an imaginative approach to gin making, driving the re-invigoration of the gin category and continuing to capture the consumer’s imagination through its distinctive and smooth taste resulting from the combination of 10 hand selected exotic botanicals and unique distillation process.”
(1) Data sourced from International Wine and Spirit Research (IWSR), for the 12 months to the end of December 2010
Beldi – David Wolowidnyk Winning Cocktail Recipe
Ingredients
— 45ml Bombay Sapphire infused with Moroccan Saffron and Ginseng
— 20ml Martini Bianco cold steeped with 1 tsp Moroccan Mint Tea and 6-8 fresh mint leaves
— 15ml Cinnamon/Cassia Syrup
— 2 dashes Lem-Marrakech Bitters – exclusively produced beforehand by “Kale & Nori”
Misting
— Toasted Moroccan coriander tincture
To garnish
— Lemon zest, with the star from Moroccan flag cut into it
Method
— Combine Bombay Sapphire, Martini Bianco, Cinnamon/Cassia Syrup and Bitters
— Stir with ice in a mixing glass
— Mist the Toasted coriander tincture into the chilled glass
— Strain into a chilled glass, garnish with a lemon zest and mist tincture again over the surface
About Bombay Sapphire
Bombay Sapphire is the world’s fastest growing premium gin and number one premium gin by value. Based on a secret 1761 recipe, Bombay Sapphire gin is created by perfectly balancing a unique combination of 10 hand-selected exotic botanicals from around the world. The natural flavours of the botanicals are captured through a delicate distillation process called Vapour Infusion which results in the tantalising, smooth and complex taste that is Bombay Sapphire.
Enjoy Bombay Sapphire responsibly. Bombay Sapphire, the Bombay Sapphire bottle design and device are trademarks and/or registered trademarks.
Bombay Sapphire – Infused with imagination(TM)
Bombay Sapphire aims to inspire people into expanding their minds, thinking differently to reveal more about themselves and their Imaginations. The team at Bombay Sapphire believes everyone has imagination and therefore aims to give everyone the opportunity to be inspired, and to infuse their imagination with Bombay Sapphire.
http://www.bombaysapphire.com
http://www.facebook.com/BombaySapphire
Media Contact
Tarita Mullings: +44-(0)207-413-3143 / tarita.mullings@hkstrategies.com
SOURCE﹛Bombay Sapphire
IOI Group Announces Senior Management Changes for IOI Loders Croklaan
AMSTERDAM, KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia and CHICAGO, May 29, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia/ — IOI Group, a global leader in the palm oil market, is pleased to announce the following changes within the IOI Loders Croklaan senior management team.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120529/AQ14120LOGO)
The Managing Board of IOI Loders Croklaan Group has recently appointed Julian Veitch as its Chief Executive Officer and Vincent Geerts as Group Chief Financial Officer. Also, effective July 1, 2012 Michael van Sallandt will assume the position of Chief Operating Officer (COO) for IOI Loders Croklaan Asia and the present COO for IOI Loders Croklaan Asia, U.R. Sahasranamam, will assume the position of Senior Group Director of Special Projects.
Mr. Veitch has been serving in the role of COO, Americas Region since January 2006 and will continue in that role until a successor is named. Mr. Geerts has functioned as the Financial Controller for IOI Loders Croklaan Europe from October 2009 to present. Prior to joining IOI Loders Croklaan Asia, Mr. Sallandt served as COO for IOI Loders Croklaan Europe from August 2006 until September 2009. Both Mr. Sallandt and Mr. Geerts will report directly to Mr. Veitch.
“The Managing Board is confident that these changes within our senior management structure will expand the successes across the entire IOI Loders Croklaan enterprise. With a focus on innovation, operational excellence, and world-class customer service, IOI Loders Croklaan is well positioned to manage the prevailing challenges of today’s market,” commented IOI Group Executive Director Dato’ Lee Yeow Chor.
About IOI Loders Croklaan
IOI Loders Croklaan is a leading global supplier of commodity and specialty oils and fats, offering the food industry an unprecedented combination of lipids knowledge and application expertise to respond to their specific needs through operational excellence, vertical integration and technical leadership. IOI Loders Croklaan has manufacturing facilities in the Netherlands, North America and in Malaysia with a combined production capacity of around 1,600,000MT per year serving customers in 65 countries worldwide.
SOURCE﹛IOI Group
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