Vitasoy Shows Solid Growth in Interim Results

Strong Foundation to Take Business Growth Forward

HONG KONG, Nov. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ —

Financial highlights

	Six months ended  30th September
	2013 HK$ Mn	2012 HK$ Mn (restated)	Change %
Turnover	2,135	1,946	10
Gross profit	1,010	913	11
EBITDA	343	295	16
Profit before taxation	245	231	6
Profit after taxation	190	178	7
Profit attributable to equity shareholders of the Company	173	149	16
Basic earnings per ordinary share (HK cents)	16.9	14.6	16
Dividend per share (HK cents)	3.2	3.2	0

Vitasoy International Holdings Limited (“VIHL” or “the Group”) (SEHK Code:0345), a Hong Kong-based manufacturer, marketer and distributor of non-carbonated beverages and food, today announced its interim results for the six months ended 30th September 2012.

In the first half of FY2012/2013, VIHL recorded a steady growth of 10% year-on-year in net sales to HK$2,135 million. Gross profit improved by 11% to HK$1,010 million, while profit attributable to equity shareholders increased by 16% to HK$173 million. Gross profit margin maintained at last year’s level at 47%.

“We had solid increases in both sales and profit and strengthened our market position despite headwinds including continuing cost inflation and highly competitive market landscape. Most of our operating entities delivered encouraging sales growth. Our investment plans for expanding and upgrading production capacity in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Australia have all been completed. These new infrastructures will provide the Group with a very strong foundation for future growth,” said Mr Winston Yau-lai Lo, Executive Chairman of VIHL.

Basic earnings per ordinary share were HK16.9 cents for the period. The Board of Directors of VIHL declared an interim dividend of HK3.2 cents per ordinary share (FY2011/12 interim: HK3.2 cents per ordinary share) for the six months ended 30th September 2012.

Hong Kong and Macau – Sales growth outperformed beverage industry average

The Hong Kong operation recorded a solid sales growth of 9%, comparing to the interim period last year, and outperformed the beverage industry average. Major brands including VITASOY, VITA Lemon tea, SANSUI and VITA Pure Distilled Water achieved strong year-on-year growth. Similar healthy growth trend was also recorded across all distribution channels. Aggressive marketing and promotion campaigns in the summer had effectively boosted sales while building brand equity.

New products such as VITASOY Low Sugar Melon Soymilk and VITASOY Orange Chocolate Soymilk in Tetra Brik carton, as well as VITA Honey range and VITA Smoothie in PET format were well received.

The export and Macau businesses also performed well, whereas Vitaland expanded with growing number of tuck shops and improved school contract renewals in Hong Kong.

“For the second half of the fiscal year, we will protect our leadership in the non-carbonated beverage segment while expanding our market presence in the PET plastic bottle arena. For school tuck shop business, we will stick to our strategy of profitable growth while offering the highest quality services in this sector,” said Mr Larry Eisentrager, Group Chief Executive Officer of VIHL.

Mainland China – Impressive business growth achievedwith greater distribution penetration and territorial expansion

Vitasoy China recorded a year-on-year growth of 17% in net sales to HK$700 million. The increase in sales volume allowed better production and cost efficiency at the plant level. The operation of the new Foshan plant also facilitated reduction in transportation cost. These all helped to offset the increase in agricultural material, labour and overhead costs of the operation in China, resulting in a robust improvement of 30% year-on-year in operating profit to HK$97 million.

The additional production capacity brought by the new Foshan plant has also enabled the operation to implement a “Go Deep and Go Wide” strategy to penetrate accounts and extend territorial reach to Fujian, Guangxi, Kunming and Wuhan in Southern China. In Eastern China, the operation focused on building brand awareness and enlarging market share.

“We expect the Mainland China market will remain competitive. Seasonality and higher embedded overhead costs will impact growth in the coming six months. We will focus on driving availability of our products in the South. Our plan to improve the profitability in Eastern China will be carried out by building critical mass in volume,” said Mr Eisentrager.

Australia and New Zealand – Production expansion program completed, however,sales growth limited by operational complexity

In the first six months, Vitasoy Australia focused on completing its expansion program, which would double the production capacity. However, the operational complexity during the plant expansion project has affected manufacturing efficiency and resulted in supply constraints and lowering profitability. The operation recorded a net sales increase of 4% in local currency term. In terms of Hong Kong dollar, the sales decreased by 0.3% to HK$259 million, while the operating profit dropped by HK$5 million to HK$40 million.

During the period, the operation continued to drive category growth through media and sampling campaigns. VTASOY has regained its leadership position in the alternate milk categories across Australian major distribution channels. The VITAGO brand has become the No. 2 brand in the liquid breakfast category and successfully tapped into the on-the-go market. VITASOY CAFE FOR BARISTA soymilk continued its growth in the coffee sector.

“With the completion of the Wodonga plant capacity expansion, the business has built a strong platform for future growth as we strive to rebuild lost distribution while driving category growth.  We will also drive VITAGO in the liquid breakfast market to bring further growth to our operation,” commented Mr Eisentrager.

North America – Steady sales growth and business break–even with manufacturing issues being resolved

The North America operation reported a 7% increase in net sales revenue to HK$231 million, in a climate of soft economic trends. Core products including tofu, pasta and Asian imported beverage all showed positive sales growth boosted by a mixed use of conventional and social media marketing programs. New products such as NASOYA Organic Black Soybean Tofu Plus and NASOYA Pasta Zero low calorie noodles series were well-received by consumers.

The operation’s efforts in resolving prior year’s manufacturing issues have brought better cost efficiency and improved margin. The enhanced production situation, together with higher sales volume and prudent cost control, have helped Vitasoy USA successfully returned to breakeven.

“We will continue to optimize manufacturing capabilities in order to meet the market demand for our products and maintain profitability. Innovative new product development will remain a key element of our business strategy. We will expand our SANSUI Tofu line into more Asian markets and explore more value-added premium products in our NASOYA tofu and pasta lines with a focus of convenience,” said Mr Eisentrager.

Singapore – Strong business supported by channel growth

Unicurd, the Group’s wholly-owned subsidiary in Singapore, reported a solid growth of 9% in net sales to HK$41 million and 16% in operating profit to HK$3.5 million. Business in most of the sales channels, especially restaurants and supermarkets, delivered good results. All main product categories also recorded positive growth. Cost was contained by improved efficiency and effective purchasing.  Its focus in the next six months will be on strengthening distribution and rationalizing product range to enhance overall plant and workforce efficiency.

Outlook

“Looking ahead, we expect the overall business environment will be shadowed by various macro-economic and cost factors. We are committed to maintain our growth momentum, building brand strength and enhancing operational efficiency to drive profitable growth for the balance of the year,” Mr Lo concluded.

About Vitasoy

Vitasoy International Holdings Limited is one of the leading manufacturers and distributors of non-carbonated drinks with a base in Hong Kong. Founded in 1940 and with production facilities in Hong Kong, Mainland China, Australia, the United States and Singapore, Vitasoy currently provides consumers in 40 markets worldwide with over 1,000 stock keeping units. Over the years, Vitasoy has successfully established a corporate image as “the Soy Expert”. Vitasoy is a constituent stock of the Morgan Stanley Capital International (“MSCI”) Hong Kong Small Cap Index.

Vitasoy website: www.vitasoy.com.

For more information, please contact:
Stella Lung	Angela Hui
Public Relations Manager	Vice President
Vitasoy International Holdings Limited	Ketchum Hong Kong
Tel: +852-2468-9644	Tel: +852-3141-8091
Fax: +852-2465-1008	Fax: +852-2510-8199
E-mail: publicrelations@vitasoy.com	E-mail: angela.hui@knprhk.com

Singapore Number 3 City in the World to Work In

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands /PRNewswire/ —
– Challenge for Singapore lies in the West
Coming from a 5th place in 2009, Singapore was ranked 3rd most popular city when working abroad in 2011 by the global workforce. Especially people with a Banking (10%) or ICT (11%) function are interested to work in Singapore. For the next years the challenge is to attract talent from the West, because Singapore is much more popular in Asia. These are some results from the recruitment intelligence research of Intelligence Group, based on the Global Talent Mobility Survey and published in the report ‘Singapore, star from the East’.
Singapore is preferred, but not by the West
Singapore is booming, ranked 3rd as city and 7th as country it is a popular destination for the global mobile workforce. The greater part of the potential workforce for Singapore lives in India (34%), followed by China (30%) and Indonesia (22%). Particularly, Indonesian people want to work in Singapore. They rated the country four times more popular than the global average. Results further indicated that the labor force from the West, especially from the USA and UK, are less than average interested to work and live in Singapore.
Attractive for Banking and ICT, less attractive for Pharmaceuticals
Singapore’s ambition is to become Southeast Asia’s financial and high-tech hub, which fits the profile of her global workforce potentials. When asked in which occupational area they are working, more than average answered Banking, Financial Services & Insurance and ICT. Furthermore, companies like Google, Microsoft, and HSBC are ranked as most preferred employer brands by talent that wants to come to Singapore. Besides the financial and high-tech aspirations Singapore is planning to grow in pharmaceutical and medical technology production. However, the number of people with a background in Healthcare or Pharmaceuticals among potentials is relatively small. Approaching specific target groups is recommended to attract the necessary people.
Study
Building on two previous waves of research conducted by The Network and Intelligence Group, 162,495 persons from 66 countries participated in the Global Talent Mobility Survey 2011. More information about the study can be found on the website of the Global Talent Barometer.
https://www.globaltalentbarometer.com
The research about Singapore can be found on the website of Intelligence Group.
https://www.intelligence-group.nl/en
For more information please contact:
Geert-Jan Waasdorp
Geert-Jan@intelligence-group.nl
+31-(0)10-280-90-10
Source: Intelligence Group

RS Components First to Launch Easy-to-use Low-cost Gadget Renesas Development Kit Across Asia Pacific

 

SINGAPORE, Nov. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — RS Components, the trading brand of Electrocomponents plc (LSE:ECM), the world’s leading high service distributor of electronics and maintenance products, today announces the sale of GR-SAKURA, an easy-to-use and low-cost development kit for Gadget Renesas. Gadget Renesas is a project of Renesas Electronics Corporation (hereinafter “Renesas”) to offer a series of boards with easy-to-usecloud-based software environment for people who have no embedded programming experience as well as experienced embedded professionals to do rapid prototyping. The new GR-SAKURA is available through all RS Components Asia Pacific websites and is stocked locally for next-day delivery to most major cities in the region.

GR-SAKURA is an Arduino-compatible board based on the Renesas’ high performance, 32-bit RX63N series of microcontroller (MCU).  The entire software environment is web-based and development can be done entirely through a web browser. Built to encourage design and innovation, the board is user-friendly enough even for non-professional engineers to embark on interesting electronics projects.

The GR-SAKURA board is designed for all interest levels, from hobbyists looking to start building electronics projects to professional electronics design engineers who develop sophisticated electronics systems, such as a home server.

The two models currently available are the GR-SAKURA and the GR-SAKURA-FULL. Both models utilise the USB connection with a PC, tablet or smart phone to connect to the internet and also support Ethernet connections.  Features and specifications include:

GR-SAKURA (approximately US$49):
RX63N MCU Evaluation Board:RX63N (R5F563NBDDFP) (Operating frequency: 96MHz, Flash Memory: 1 MB, RAM: 128KB, FPU internal (floating point)) Ethernet support, USB function/host support, Digital I/O pins: 55, Analog input pins: 16, XBee™ support, JTAG support

GR-SAKURA-FULL (approximately US$65):
All the specifications of the GR-SAKURA with the addition of a pin header, LAN connector (RJ-45), DC power jack and a microSD card socket

“We are very excited about GR-SAKURA because it puts the power of a sophisticated microcontroller into the hands of engineers at a very affordable price. To complete the eco-system, we have also made programming so easy that even young engineers with almost no programming knowledge can get started with it,” said Jeffrey Soh, Director of Renesas Electronics Singapore. “We hope this will encourage more people to take up electronic design.”

“Our ability to connect and support engineers across the whole of Asia Pacific is the key reason why RS Components was selected as the online distributor for GR-SAKURA,” said CM Lim, Head of Product Marketing, Asia Pacific, RS Components.  “The product fits our mission, which is to help make it easier for engineers to create great products and to help develop the engineers of the future.”

GR-SAKURA from the Gadget Renesas series is hardware compatible with most of today’s popular electronic development platforms for hobbyists and professional engineers.  For more information about Gadget Renesas, please visit www.rs-components.com

* All product names and service names in this release are trademarks or registered trademarks belonging to each of the owners.

About RS Components

RS Components and Allied Electronics are the trading brands of Electrocomponents plc, the world’s leading high service distributor of electronics and maintenance products. With operations in 32 countries, we offer more than 550,000 products through the internet, catalogues and at trade counters to over one million customers, shipping more than 46,000 parcels on the same day the orders are received. Our products, sourced from 2,500 leading suppliers, include electronics, automation and control, test and measurement, electrical and mechanical components.

Electrocomponents is listed on the London Stock Exchange and in the last financial year ended 31 March 2012 had revenues of GBP1.27bn.

For more information, please visit the website at www.rs-components.com.

About Renesas Electronics Singapore Pte Ltd

A wholly owned subsidiary of Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723), the world’s number one supplier of microcontrollers, Renesas Electronics Singapore Pte Ltd, is a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions including microcontrollers, SoC solutions and a broad range of analogue and power devices for the South, South-East Asia and Oceania markets.  In addition to device sales, the company also provides design services including reference solutions, embedded systems and tools development.

For more information about Renesas Electronics Singapore, please visit www.sg.renesas.com

Further information is available via these links:

Twitter: @RSElectronics; @alliedelec; @designsparkRS
Tweet: RS Components
Hashtags: #ecommerce #electronics

RS Components on Linkedin
http://www.linkedin.com/company/rs-components

Electrocomponents plc
www.electrocomponents.com

RS Components
www.rs-components.com

Editorial Contact:

RS Components
Tan Soo Chun
Public Relations Manager – Asia Pacific
Email: soochun.tan@rs-components.com
Tel: +65-6391-5745

The Hoffman Agency
Rasheed Abu Bakar
Senior Account Executive
Email: rscomponentsteam@hoffman.com
Tel: +65-6361-0250

ConvaTec Announces 2012 Third Quarter Earnings Call

Analyst and Investor Call to Be Held on November 29, 2012
LUXEMBOURG /PRNewswire/ — ConvaTec today announced that it will report its 2012 third quarter earnings on Thursday, November 29, 2012. Ken Berger, CEO, and Ed Borkowski, CFO, will host an analyst and investor call at 10:00 AM ET live via telephone.
To participate in the conference call within the U.S. and Canada, dial (877) 366-0267.
To participate in the conference internationally, dial (760) 666-3086.
The conference ID is 68295563.
Participants should dial in 10 minutes prior to the start of the call. The Company’s unaudited 2012 Third Quarter Report will be filed on the Company’s website prior to the call under the Investor Community tab at http://www.convateccorporate.com.
For more information, please contact investorrelations@convatec.com
About ConvaTec
ConvaTec is a leading developer and marketer of innovative medical technologies that have helped improve the lives of millions of people worldwide. With four key focus areas – Ostomy Care, Wound Therapeutics, Continence and Critical Care, and Infusion Devices – ConvaTec products support healthcare professionals from the hospital to the community health setting. For more information, please visit http://www.convatec.com.
Investor Relations:
Tim Winston
VP, Treasurer
ConvaTec
908-904-2988
investorrelations@convatec.com Media Relations:
Amy Firsching
Associate Director, Corporate Communications
ConvaTec
908-904-2088
mediarelations@convatec.com
Source: ConvaTec

Pharmaceutical Market Fails to Capture $188 Billion U.S. Revenue and $564 Billion Global Revenue Annually Due to Medication Non-Adherence

Capgemini Consulting and HealthPrize Report Reveals Key Revenue Loss Across 100 Therapeutic Areas Including Chronic Conditions such as – Diabetes, Hypertension and High Cholesterol – and Critical Conditions such as HIV, Cancer and Transplant
NORWALK, Conn. /PRNewswire/ — Capgemini Consulting, the global strategy and transformation consulting arm of the Capgemini Group, has announced the release of its study conducted with HealthPrize Technologies, “Estimated Annual Pharmaceutical Revenue Loss Due to Medication Non-Adherence.”The report provides key insights and analysis on the significant revenue loss to global pharmaceutical companies as a result of medication non-adherence.
Based on detailed review and analysis of modern claims-based adherence literature and data, the estimate of revenue lost by the U.S. pharmaceutical industry each year due to non-adherence to medications for chronic disease is $188 billion. Extrapolated to the global pharmaceutical industry, revenue losses are estimated to be $564 billion. This number is significantly higher than the $30 billion global revenue loss often quoted to date from a 2004 study1, and higher than many pharmaceutical executive estimates.
This revenue loss represents 59% of all pharmaceutical revenues, which were $320 billion in the U.S. and $956 billion globally in 2011 according to IMS, and 37% of potential total annual revenues, which would be $508 billion in the U.S. and $1,520 billion globally. While achieving 100% medication adherence is likely not possible, even a modest 10 percentage point increase in adherence could lead to a significant rise in pharmaceutical revenues, accompanied by improved health outcomes and decreased healthcare spending.
“The revenue that pharma leaves on the table due to lack of adherence to prescription medications is much higher than usually thought,” explained Thomas Forissier, Principal at Capgemini Consulting. “In addition, many people don’t realize that a 10% boost in adherence could increase revenue by much more than 10%. That 10% loss is based on the higher revenue amount that could have materialized, not on actual revenue earned.”
“Medication non-adherence is one of the most serious problems in healthcare, posing a heavy financial impact on all constituencies,” commented Katrina Firlik, MD, co-founder and chief medical officer of HealthPrize. “For insurers, employers, and patients, non-adherence significantly increases healthcare costs as a result of disease-related complications. For pharmaceutical companies, pharmacies, and pharmacy benefits managers, non-adherence significantly erodes profit due to prescriptions never filled and medications not taken often enough. Given the significant potential to enhance revenue and lower cost to the overall healthcare system, programs to address medication adherence should be a top priority to the pharmaceutical industry.”
Report Highlights:
The U.S. pharmaceutical industry loses an estimated $188 billion annually due to medication non-adherence. This represents 59% of the $320 billion in total U.S. pharmaceutical revenues in 2011.
Global pharmaceutical revenue loss is estimated to be $564 billion, or 59% of the $956 billion in total global pharmaceutical revenues in 2011.
Medication non-adherence is a problem across almost all chronic conditions, not only for primary care conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol, but also for such serious conditions as HIV, oncology, transplant, and glaucoma.
In the U.S. diabetes market alone, revenue loss is estimated to be $11.4 billion.
Report Access:
To download a full copy of “Annual Pharmaceutical Revenue Loss Due to Medication Non-Adherence,” please go to http://www.capgemini-consulting.com/think/publication_detail/?id=CA4F0A5C-FC61-D872-3853-C4C97324D41E&type=document. The report is also available on http://www.adherence564.com/ with key study findings and a central forum for discussion.
About Capgemini Consulting:
Capgemini Consulting is the global strategy and transformation consulting organization of the Capgemini Group, specializing in advising and supporting enterprises in significant transformation, from innovative strategy to execution and with an unstinting focus on results. With the new digital economy creating significant disruptions and opportunities, our global team of over 3,600 talented individuals work with leading companies and governments to master Digital Transformation, drawing on our understanding of the digital economy and our leadership in business transformation and organizational change.
Find out more at: http://www.capgemini-consulting.com/
About Capgemini:
With more than 120,000 people in 40 countries, Capgemini is one of the world’s foremost providers of consulting, technology and outsourcing services. The Group reported 2011 global revenues of EUR 9.7 billion. Together with its clients, Capgemini creates and delivers business and technology solutions that fit their needs and drive the results they want. A deeply multicultural organization, Capgemini has developed its own way of working, the Collaborative Business Experience™, and draws on Rightshore ®, its worldwide delivery model.
Learn more about us at http://www.capgemini.com/
Rightshore(R) is a trademark belonging to Capgemini.
About HealthPrize Technologies:
HealthPrize Technologies provides an innovative approach to addressing the problem of medication non-adherence with an online and mobile-based program that is fun, educational and rewarding. Patients are engaged and motivated by the HealthPrize system which utilizes gaming dynamics, behavioral economics and proven concepts from consumer marketing to engage and educate patients so they start and stay on prescribed medications.
For more information, please visit http://www.healthprize.com/
Sources:
1Datamonitor, Addressing Patient Compliance: Targeted Marketing Driving a Shift in Focus From Acquisition to Retention. August, 2004.
Media Contact:
Andrea Orzehoski
Chandler Chicco Companies
212-462-8706
aorzehoski@chandlerchiccocompanies.com

Source: HealthPrize Technologies

Johnnie Walker Launches The Spice Road, Inspired by Travel and Made Exclusively for Travellers

LONDON /PRNewswire/ —
Johnnie Walker today unveiled the first of a portfolio of whiskies that take their inspiration from the travelling heritage of John Walker & Sons. Available only in duty free stores, Johnnie Walker The Spice Road pays a unique homage to the global travellers of today.
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121127/579532-a )
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121127/579532-b )

The whisky of intriguing complexity, rich flavour and exceptional smoothness takes the John Walker & Sons tradition of blending for big, bold flavour inspired by influences from all over the world, into the 21st Century.
From the four corners of Scotland to the four corners of the world, Johnnie Walker has always pushed boundaries to discover new horizons.
From 1820, the Walker family and their agents travelled the world, navigating their way down the famous trade routes: the Spice Road of Europe and Asia; the Royal Route from Europe to Persia; and the Gold Route of the Americas and the Caribbean, in pursuit of adventures bringing both new business and rich experiences.
Their efforts ensured that, by the 1920s, Johnnie Walker had arrived in 120 countries and was being enjoyed on the great railways, luxury ocean liners and early transatlantic flights. Meanwhile, the striking image of the Johnnie Walker Striding Man was becoming an icon all over the world.
Back in London, close to the shipping houses and docks from which the Johnnie Walker agents travelled the world, Alexander Walker established the Travellers’ Room where his agents would convene to rest, talk strategy and exchange stories and samples from their travels. These colourful tales of exploration influenced the Johnnie Walker Master Blenders, who began to create different styles of whisky to reflect these exotic stories.
Today, this tradition continues as Johnnie Walker launches a range of whiskies made exclusively for travellers – the Johnnie Walker Explorers’ Club Collection.
The first three blends in the collection, collectively known as the Trade Routes Series, are inspired by the richness that could be found along the great trade routes.
The first release, Johnnie Walker The Spice Road is an evocative expression of the vibrancy, aromas and spices that the Johnnie Walker agents would have discovered in the thriving markets around Asia. It is a whisky of exceptional smoothness and rich flavour, matured in old oak casks for an intense finish inspired by spice markets, but still true to the Johnnie Walker signature style.
“We specially selected whiskies to create a bold blend of intriguing complexity inspired by the richness of this part of the world: there is a spicy zestiness on the nose, balanced by fresh citrus. The smooth, rich and honeyed flavours on the palate, warmed by cloves, ginger and vanilla sweetness, give way to a smouldering finish of the Johnnie Walker signature smoke,” commented Master Blender Jim Beveridge.
Steve White, Marketing Director of Diageo Global Travel and Middle East, said: “Travel is in the DNA of Johnnie Walker and it is these credentials that we feel will resonate with today’s travellers who are undertaking bold journeys of their own.
“This travel heritage and pioneering spirit of adventure makes Johnnie Walker the perfect companion for today’s travellers.”
With a recommended retail price of $43 / euro 36.90 / GBP 26, Johnnie Walker The Spice Road will be available in duty free stores in Europe, the Middle East and Australia in December. It will be available in duty free stores globally from January 2013.
The second and third releases in the Trade Routes Series – Johnnie Walker The Gold Route and Johnnie Walker The Royal Route will be available in duty free stores in 2013.
Enjoy Johnnie Walker Responsibly
http://www.DRINKiQ.com
The Johnnie Walker, Explorers’ Club Collection, The Spice Road, The Gold Route and The Royal Route words, the Striding Figure device and associated words and logos are trademarks © John Walker & Sons 2012.
Notes to Editors
Johnnie Walker Facebook: facebook.com/JohnnieWalker
Johnnie Walker Instagram: @johnniewalker
Twitter Hashtag: #JWSpiceRoad
Source: Johnnie Walker

Global Campus for Water & Development Receives Green Light

DELFT, The Netherlands /PRNewswire/ —
The UNESCO-IHE Governing Board approved the plans to start preparation activities for the UNESCO-IHE Global Campus for Water & Development. The decision was made unanimously at the Board’s annual meeting held on 22 November.
The UNESCO-IHE Global Campus for Water & Development is an international UNESCO-IHE networking organization with education and research sites as well as nodes of excellence. The Global Campus will close the gap in the broad field of specialist capacity needed in the field of water worldwide by providing more education at a regional level to young talented people via partners and in the future also in collaboration with regional UNESCO-IHE institutes.
Understand local needs
Water, or more importantly the lack thereof, is expected to grow in importance over the coming decades. Prof. Andras Szollosi-Nagy, Rector of UNESCO-IHE, explains: “The Global Campus enables UNESCO-IHE to better understand local needs and react more swiftly to requests coming from local partners and stakeholders. Water is closely linked to a number of key global challenges. It acknowledges the importance of integrating water in sustainable development and underlines the critical importance of safe drinking water, sanitation and sustainable water use. This is the future we want to contribute to.”
Global Research and Innovation
Business Director, Greet Vink elaborates: “UNESCO-IHE is taking the lead in setting the global research and innovation agendas on water and starting up a Global Graduate School on Water & Development. With high performance standards, excellent academic quality, high impact research and education, maximum international exposure and shared scientific interests, but also by sharing business opportunities in the global education, capacity development and research market for water and environment the Institute aims to extend its outreach and enhance its impact.”
Potential Global Campus members include regional UNESCO-IHE institutes, partner universities and research institutes, knowledge networks and public private partnerships, Category II centers and UNESCO chairs. The Executive Board of UNESCO commissioned a comprehensive study for the establishment of a UNESCO-IHE Global Campus in 2013. From 2014 onwards a phased implementation of related activities will be realized aiming at a fully operational UNESCO-IHE Global Graduate School on Water & Development in 2018.
About UNESCO-IHE
UNESCO-IHE is the largest international postgraduate water education facility in the world and is based in Delft, the Netherlands. The Institute confers fully accredited MSc degrees, and PhD degrees in collaboration with partners in the Netherlands. Since 1957 the Institute has provided postgraduate water education to more than 14,500 water professionals from over 160 countries.
UNESCO-IHE is part of the UN Water family and is owned by all UNESCO member states. The Institute is established as a UNESCO ‘Category I Institute’ jointly by UNESCO and the Government of the Netherlands.
http://www.unesco-ihe.org/
GLOBAL CAMPUS BOOKLET:

Click to access UNESCO-IHE_Global_Campus_e.pdf

Source: UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education

Official Launch of Online China News Cloud Site

CHINA NEWS CLOUD (chinanewscloud.com) – A Division of News Cloud Overseas Corp.
COMPREHENSIVE NEWS UNDER THE CLOUD
“A NEW KIND OF NEWS FROM CHINA AND BEYOND”
TORONTO/PRNewswire/ — The Hon. Jerry S. Grafstein, Q.C., Co-Founder and Chair, announced the launch of China News Cloud (http://www.chinanewscloud.com) – a premier provider of in-depth news from China and beyond.
“China News Cloud,”said Grafstein,”provides comprehensive coverage of China and surrounding regions. We curate Chinese microbloggers and mainstream media, breaking news as it happens.”
“This is instant news about China,” said Grafstein. “China News Cloud uses innovative technology to gather the diversity of the blogosphere, social networks, online radio and mainstream media, into coherent, timely news and information coverage about all aspects of life in mainland China and region.”
“Our goal is to keep our viewers informed on the evolving global scene about China, on a timely basis from the inside out,” said Adam Miron, President and Co-Founder. “The world is interested in mainland China. We have created a way to provide waves of news that is constantly updated. Chinanewscloud.comis a new resource to access all facets affecting China and those of Chinese origin globally.”
China News Cloud is a comprehensive blog news aggregator that curates the top China blogs on the web.
Special editions reflect all aspects of mainland Chinese life including economics, trade, politics, sports, culture (lifestyle, entertainment, fashion) the Army, Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia and other regions with Chinese populations. Future editions include news from the China provinces, and overseas Chinese.
Anyone interested in China, a world power, will be kept up to date on China news as it happens. Chinanewscloud.com is a new, timely, in-depth, news resource for China observers and the public.
Chinanewscloud.com, a division of News Cloud Overseas Corp.
China News Cloud (http://www.chinanewscloud.com) joins The Wellington Street Post(http://www.wellingtonstpost.com), Ottawa, Canada, The Penn Ave Post (http://www.pennavepost.com), Washington, D.C., and The Holly Post (http://www.hollypost.com), Hollywood, California,in an expanding network of online 24/7 global news sites.
For further information:
Website: http://www.chinanewscloud.com
Twitter: @chinanewscloud
Facebook.com/chinanewscloud
Co-Founder and Chair of the Board, News Cloud Overseas Corp.
The Hon. Jerry S. Grafstein, Q.C., 416-369-4108
jgrafstein@chinanewscloud.com
Co-Founder and President, News Cloud Overseas Corp
Adam Miron, 613-986-2422
adam@chinanewscloud.com
Source: News Cloud Overseas Corp.

Empire State Building Gives Gift To New York City — And The World — With Its First-Ever LED Tower Light Show Featuring Alicia Keys

World’s Most Famous Office Building Unveils Custom, Innovative LED Lighting System Created by Philips Color Kinetics Synchronized Live on Clear Channel New York Stations to Hits by Alicia Keys
NEW YORK/PRNewswire/ — Tonight, the world-famous Empire State Building (ESB), in collaboration with Clear Channel Media and Entertainment and 14 time Grammy® Award winner, Alicia Keys, will give a gift to New York City and the world by revealing ESB’s new, one-of-a-kind LED tower lights with a first-ever light show on the Landmark. This show marks the official unveiling of a groundbreaking new LED lighting system, developed by the world’s leader in LED lighting Philips Color Kinetics (PCK).
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At 9:00 p.m. ET, Alicia Keys will help kick off the light show by flipping the switch live in Clear Channel New York City studios with Elvis Duran, Z100; DJ Clue, Power105; Helen Little, 106.7 Lite fm; and Cubby, 103.5 KTU — a moment that will be synchronized on-air to two of Keys’ tracks — her single from her new album “Girl on Fire,” followed by her smash hit “Empire State of Mind.” New Yorkers and those in the surrounding area with a view of ESB can tune into one of four Clear Channel radio stations — Z100, 103.5 KTU, Power105, and 106.7 Lite fm — as the stations simultaneously play accompanying music to the light show. The light show will be hosted for on-demand viewing at iHeartRadio.com, home to Clear Channel’s digital radio service, by 10 a.m., on Tuesday, November 27.
The state-of-the-art dynamic lighting system from PCK is unique to ESB and allows customized light capabilities from a palette of over 16 million colors in limitless combinations along with effects previously not possible such as ripples, cross-fades, sparkles, chasers, sweeps, strobes and bursts. In addition to greater control and management of the lighting, the new computerized system will deliver superior light and vibrancy levels in real-time, unlike the previous floodlights.
“The Empire State Building’s lights are the international icon of the New York City skyline. We use our tower lights to partner with select charities, organizations, and events around the world,” said Anthony E. Malkin, President of Malkin Holdings which supervises the Empire State Building. “Philips Color Kinetics’ new LED lights were installed over the summer and have been set at the color and intensity of the incandescent lights they replaced. As of tonight, our lights’ full range and intensity will be brought to life, forever changing the New York skyline. We wanted to celebrate with and thank New York City and our global audience with a specially choreographed, custom light show. I am so happy that real New Yorkers, Alicia Keys, Z100, 103.5 KTU, Power105, and 106.7 Lite fm are sharing in our gift of the light show tonight.”
“The Empire State Building has always been a symbol of what’s possible in New York, and all the dreams that can come true in this city that never sleeps,” said Alicia Keys. “I’m so excited to unveil the new tower lights that are going to illuminate the city below like never before — shining bright with inspiration. As a proud New Yorker, I’m so honored and humbled to be a little part of its history.”
To extend the gift to New York City, and celebrate the release of her fifth studio album, GIRL ON FIRE, Alicia Keys will also perform on Tuesday, November 27. Her special performance will be heldat the iHeartRadio Theater presented by PC Richard and Son in Tribeca for the first responders and volunteers who have worked tirelessly to restore the affected area, as well as those individuals impacted by Hurricane Sandy. GIRL ON FIRE is available November 27, on RCA Records.
About the Empire State Building
Soaring 1,454 feet above Midtown Manhattan (from base to antenna), the Empire State Building is the “World’s Most Famous Office Building.” With new investments in infrastructure, public areas and amenities, the Empire State Building has attracted first-rate tenants in a diverse array of industries from around the world. The skyscraper’s robust broadcasting technology supports all major television and FM radio stations in the New York metropolitan market. The Empire State Building was named America’s favorite building in a poll conducted by the American Institute of Architects. The Empire State Building Observatory is one of the world’s most beloved attractions and is the region’s #1 tourist destination. For more information on the Empire State Building, please visit http://www.esbnyc.com, http://www.facebook.com/empirestatebuilding, or @EmpireStateBldg.
About Royal Philips Electronics
Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) is a diversified health and well-being company, focused on improving people’s lives through meaningful innovation. As a world leader in healthcare, lifestyle and lighting, Philips integrates technologies and design into people-centric solutions, based on fundamental customer insights and the brand promise of “sense and simplicity”. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips employs approximately 122,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries worldwide. With sales of EUR 22.6 billion in 2011, the company is a market leader in cardiac care, acute care and home healthcare, energy efficient lighting solutions and new lighting applications, as well as lifestyle products for personal well-being and pleasure with strong leadership positions in male shaving and grooming, portable entertainment and oral healthcare. News from Philips is located at http://www.philips.com/newscenter.
About Clear Channel Media and Entertainment
With 239 million monthly listeners in the U.S., Clear Channel Media and Entertainment has the largest reach of any radio or television outlet in America. Clear Channel Media and Entertainment serves 150 cities through 850 owned radio stations. The company’s radio stations and content can be heard on AM/FM stations, HD digital radio channels, Sirius/XM satellite, on the Internet at iHeartRadio.com and on the company’s radio station websites, on the iHeartRadio mobile application on iPads and smartphones, and used via navigation systems from TomTom, Garmin and others.
The company’s operations include radio broadcasting, online and mobile services and products, live concerts and events, syndication, music research services and independent media representation. Clear Channel Media and Entertainment is a division of CC Media Holdings, Inc. (OTCBB: CCMO), a leading global media and entertainment company. More information on the company can be found at clearchannel.com, clearchanneloutdoor.com and ccmediaholdings.com.
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Media Contact: Edelman Public Relations
Daniel Hernandez, 212-277-3738
daniel.hernandez@edelman.com
Source: Empire State Building Company

LAPD Deployed Milestone Video to Monitor Space Shuttle Endeavour’s Final Journey

COPENHAGEN/PRNewswire/ —
High-definition cameras managed by flexible open platform surveillance software
Milestone Systems, the open platform company in IP video management software (VMS), provided ‘the right stuff’ as the technology for live monitoring with archived recordings when the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) needed to supervise every moment during the space shuttle Endeavour’s recent weekend-long journey from the Los Angeles International Airport to its final home at the California Science Center.
Traveling to its final destination, the space shuttle Endeavour was slowly paraded through major streets and residential neighborhoods of Los Angeles and Inglewood, California, delivering its final payload to the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center. With hundreds of thousands of spectators lining the streets during the 12-mile passage, dubbed “Mission 26,” successful delivery of the shuttle and the safety of people and property along the streets were major goals. An effective and flexible monitoring solution was a key tool for completing the two-day trip.
As Los Angeles residents and outer space enthusiasts crowded the streets for space shuttle Endeavour’s impressive moving presence, the Los Angeles Police Department relied on strategically placed high-definition (HD) cameras from Axis Communications and Milestone XProtect® Professional VMS to ensure the safety of all concerned.
Along with the physical presence of security guards, first responders and engineers surrounding Endeavour, the HD network video cameras were temporarily deployed to monitor the event. The Los Angeles Police Department Major Crimes Technical Support Unit installed a series of Axis network cameras that were viewed and archived by the Milestone XProtect® software.
A critical infrastructure wireless mesh IP radio network was the backbone for uninterrupted communications between the cameras and radio nodes for the mobile command center and video display. A wired solution was deemed impractical due to the vast distance between cameras over the planned shuttle route.
“We had numerous cameras lining Endeavour’s path, with feeds from three to four devices on our screens at any moment. Milestone allowed us to split multiple views on our monitors, whereas other video products only allow a one-to-one monitor-to-camera solution. Milestone is intuitive and worked very well with our temporary camera setup. We were able to view and record in high definition with a flawless connection,” reported Rich Cowgill, Police Surveillance Specialist for the LAPD Major Crimes Technical Support Unit.
The video surveillance solution provided live monitoring with the ability to quickly check archived recordings, to supervise every minute during Endeavour’s transit from the L.A. International Airport to the California Science Center. Cowgill was in the command center, watching the crowds and traffic during Mission 26, constantly in radio contact with the officers guarding Endeavour, in helicopters and the surrounding areas. The entire setup provided the LAPD with optimal situational awareness and response capabilities.
Los Angeles regularly hosts events whose temporary nature requires on-the-fly surveillance to ensure the safety of participants and spectators. From championship parades and award shows to protests and political appearances, there are endless scenarios. The Milestone open platform is especially well-suited for this, supporting a wide mix of camera models and unlimited integrations with third-party security solutions – ideal for the LAPD’s changing needs to protect and serve the community in different situations.
“Our main objective was to ensure the safety of the residents and visitors lining the streets to watch this momentous event,” summarized Cowgill. “There were so many eyes on the shuttle itself – from officers to responders – who were concerned about the payload. With hundreds of people filling every block, our team was able to walk with the spacecraft’s security, while we had an overhead view of the huge crowd, keeping order.”
Download link for images: http://download.milestonesys.com/PR/installation/lapd-endeavour/
About Milestone Systems
Founded in 1998, Milestone Systems is the global industry leader in open platform IP video management software, according to IMS Research. The XProtect® platform delivers powerful surveillance that is easy to manage, reliable and proven in thousands of customer installations around the world. With support for the widest choice in network hardware and integration with other systems, XProtect provides best-in-class solutions to video enable organizations – managing risks, protecting people and assets, optimizing processes and reducing costs. Milestone software is sold through authorized and certified partners. For more information, visit: http://www.milestonesys.com
Source: Milestone Systems