Tektronix Waveform Monitor Enhancements Keep Users Ahead of the DTV Transition Curve

Tektronix Inc., a leading worldwide provider of test, measurement and monitoring instrumentation, announced significant enhancements to its industry leading flagship waveform monitor and rasterizer product family including a number of industry first features, further strengthening Tektronix’ position as the worldwide leader in digital waveform monitors. Enhanced functionality allows broadcasters, network operators, and content providers to detect and diagnose problems in video and audio quality and detect ancillary data problems more efficiently and effectively – enabling an increased level of quality and strengthening their service differentiation in a highly competitive environment.

Faced with a challenging economic environment, network operators and content providers need to ensure that engineering, operations or production teams can quickly detect, isolate and diagnose signal and content (video, audio, ancillary data) quality problems before they reach their customers and potentially incurring penalties or other often avoidable expenses. The Tektronix family of multi-format, multi-standard waveform monitors, empowered by the patented See and Solve™ user interface, provide the most precise, highly reliable, and broadest range of easy-to-use tools for every critical monitoring point in the digital video ecosystem.

The new enhancements give Tektronix waveform monitors and rasterizers the industry’s most comprehensive ancillary data decoding and monitoring support. The instruments now offer – for the first time in the industry – simultaneous decoding and monitoring of CEA-708 and CEA-608 Closed Captioning data, meeting the latest FCC requirements. The units now also support Active Format Description (AFD) and CGMS-A / Broadcast Flag data decoding and monitoring. For multi-channel audio, new Dolby E Guard Band monitoring provides user selectable thresholds and an intuitive bar meter display – an industry first for usability – on the audio display to make it easy for operators to spot Dolby E audio problems. Additionally, new black picture and patented frozen picture detection alarms help broadcasters and network operators detect, identify, and diagnose picture quality problems more effectively.

“The pressure to deliver high quality video continues to mount for broadcasters and content producers alike, whether to meet consumer quality expectations or to minimize costly errors or service interruptions,” said Eben Jenkins, director, Video Test, Tektronix. “Aggressive, continuous enhancements ensure our waveform monitors provide the industry’s most robust video monitoring capabilities such as 3Gb/s SDI support introduced last year. Now, we are following up with additional enhancements to offer customers even more efficient quality monitoring and problem resolution.”

Pricing & Availability

To take advantage of the new features and enhancements, current customers can upgrade qualifying products with free firmware, downloadable from the Tektronix website (www.tektronix.com) beginning in June. Models that will support the new enhancements include WFM7120, WFM7020, WFM6120, WFM7100 with Option FP, WFM7000 with Option FP, and WFM6100 with Option FP waveform monitors and WVR7120, WVR7020, WVR6020, WVR7100, WVR7000, and WVR6100 rasterizers.

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About Tektronix

Tektronix is a leading supplier of test, measurement, and monitoring products, solutions and services for the communications, computer, and semiconductor industries - as well as military/aerospace, consumer electronics, education and a broad range of other industries worldwide. With 60 years of experience, Tektronix enables its customers to design, build, deploy, and manage next-generation global communications networks,computing and advanced technologies. Headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, Tektronix has operations in 19 countries worldwide. Tektronix' Web address is www.tektronix.com.

Tektronix is a registered trademark of Tektronix, Inc. All other trade names referenced are the service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

Economist Conferences brings to India its globally known CEO Agenda series

An exclusive gathering of CEOs in three cities (Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi) is being organised to discuss and debate issues that can help organisations sustain themselves in India in the face of the current global economic slowdown.

This inaugural CEO Agenda series led by Christopher C. Doyle, Country Manager, India; and experts Jan Frederich, Director Global Forecasting, Asia; and Anjalika Bardalai, Senior Economist, with the Economist Intelligence Unit will address the theme of “India – Navigating through the storm”. At the conference, discussions will be held on various challenges faced by CEOs and business leaders in the current business scenario and ways to overcome them. This forum will see corporate czars talking about issues such as global risks affecting business profitability in 2009, and the global economic slowdown and its impact on India.

Leading analysts from The Economist Group, along with other thought leaders, will conduct debates on business, economic and geopolitical factors affecting the corporate environment. The conferences are slated to draw over 30 CEOs and decision makers in each city from leading corporates across India. The CEO Agenda series beginning today in Mumbai is a series of conferences which will be held in Bangalore and Delhi tomorrow and day after, respectively.

The CEO Agenda series is sponsored by Herbert Smith, KPMG (Series sponsors) and Genpact (Delhi Sponsor). The conference is also supported by UTVi Business news and AUSIB.

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About Economist Conferences

Economist Conferences is a leading provider of highly interactive meetings—including industry conferences, management events and government roundtables—for senior executives seeking insights into important strategic issues. Participants exchange views and compare their experiences with other decision makers and with specialist speakers from relevant fields. As part of The Economist Group, the publisher of The Economist newspaper, we share its commitment to informed, impartial and authoritative debate. Our unrivalled reputation for excellence is reflected both in the quality of speakers at our events and that of the delegates.

ASUS Bags Prestigious 2009 Red Dot Design Awards

For distinctions in high quality design, ASUS has received the prestigious 2009 red dot design awards for the Eee PC™ S101, the EeeKeyboard PC, the ASUS S121 and P30 notebooks, and the ASUS Chocolate notebook keyboard. Furthermore, the ASUS RT-N17 wireless storage router and ASUS L-Series laptop bags also won red dot design Honourable Mention awards.

The international red dot design award ranks among the largest and most famous design competitions in the world. Each year an international jury reviews and evaluates the submitted products according to stringent criteria like degree of innovation, functionality and the formal quality of the product. This ensures that the seriousness of the competition and its international acceptance is upheld.

ASUS is proud to present the red dot award: product design 2009 winners:

red dot award: Product Design 2009 Winners

Description

Eee PC™ S101

The ASUS Eee PC™ S101 is exquisitely designed for fashion forward individuals who view style as much of a factor of success as substance. Boasting a wholly reforged exterior in four gorgeous colors—Brown, Champagne, Graphite or Pink—accentuated with delightful details such as premium Infusion finishes and crystal-adorned hinges, a successful melding of fashion and functionality easily situates it at the pinnacle of portable computing.

ASUS S121 notebook

The ASUS S121 notebook was born of a desire to fulfill the demanding needs of today’s busy executives, as well as keeping them looking stylish wherever their work takes them. Dressed to impress, the S121 sports a majestic glossy brown finish with shimmering fibers that graces the LCD lid, while CRYSTALLIZED™ - Swarovski Elements masterfully imbedded into intricately crafted metallic hinges add a touch of class, reminiscent of a pair of marquis-cut diamond cuff-links on a business suit. To further complete this fusion of high fashion and functionality, exquisite leather-wrapped palm rests are housed within a svelte 2.3cm profile and feather-light 1.45kg body. Coupled with a comfortable 12.1” screen, up to 250GB of hard disk space and 8 hours of battery life with the exclusive ASUS Super Hybrid Engine, the ASUS S121 has redefined the meaning of digital luxury.

EeeKeyboard PC

The most innovative and exciting computer available today, the space-saving and supremely portable EeeKeyboard PC offers the complete functionality of a desktop PC in a slim and stylish keyboard that weighs under 1kg. It easily turns any big-screen TV or LCD monitor into a fully functional PC and video/audio transmission device via its Ultra Wide Band Wireless connectivity—making it suitable for any modern home. A 5-inch touch panel provides users with an interactive and intuitive means of controlling the screen cursor.

ASUS P30 notebook

The ASUS P30 notebook helps deliver a total solution for secure and trusted mobile computing. It features outstanding power efficiency with the ASUS Super Hybrid Engine (SHE); while the ASUS Xpress Charge feature speedily recharges the notebooks. It also delivers outstanding portability, being less than 1 inch in thickness and only 3.3lbs in weight. The P30 also delivers secure data protection that encompasses: HDD ShockShield Protection to help prevent hard drive data loss by shock absorption; added security via the ASUS AI Pre-Boot Finger Logon; the AI Secure Delete function; as well as an Anti-theft technology that helps locate the notebook in case of theft. Furthermore, the P30 delivers outstanding reliability with a sturdy design based on a Magnesium Skeleton, allowing users to rest assured that these notebooks will withstand the rigors of mobile computing.

ASUS Chocolate notebook keyboard

The ASUS Chocolate notebook keyboard highlights not only better ergonomic comfort, but also a visually cleaner appearance and more distinctive typing area. With a larger touch area, finger contact is increased dramatically and tight key spacing reduces dust accumulation. With a larger differentiation between the alphabetical keys and functional keys, smoother typing is achieved, and chances of typos reduced. The ditch on top of each keycap also allows the user’s fingers to locate and rest naturally on the keyboard, while hotkeys provide one-touch convenience. With a new area distribution, the central division of alphabetical keys is shifted more towards the center of the entire body, allowing the user’s typing position to be more in-line with the display screen. Combined with an improved aesthetic and more ergonomic typing gesture, the new ASUS Chocolate notebook keyboard aims to bring to users the best typing experience ever.

ASUS is proud to present the red dot award: product design 2009 honourable mention products:

red dot award: Honourable Mention 2009

Description

ASUS RT-N17

The ASUS RT-N17 is a wireless storage router that presents simple, convenient setup and usage for secure wireless networking within minutes. It encompasses EZ Setup for auto detection of prevailing WAN types and a manual-free setup for easy configurations. It also utilizes a Download and Upload Master feature for easy data transference to and from the router—without requiring a PC to be switched on. Furthermore, the RT-N17 provides easy backup solutions with just a push of a button and allows users to easily configure and utilize FTP / SAMBA / Printer / MFP sharing.

ASUS L-Series laptop bags

The ASUS L-Series laptop bags are part of the luxurious asus • COLLECTION lineup first created in 2008. Utilizing fabrics made from hi-tech nylon, the L-Shaped bags are lightweight, yet rugged to withstand moisture and constant wear and tear. Furthermore, with a perfectly constructed cut complemented by deluxe leather-wrapped carry handles and adjustable web shoulder straps, the L-Series laptop bags are a masterful blend of both style and function, making them perfect companions for any occasion.

Please visit www.asuscollection.com for more details.

- Specifications are subject to change without prior notice. Please visit www.asus.com for more details.

- Please visit www.asus.com to find out more about these award winning products.

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ASUS is a leading company in the new digital era. With a global staff of more than ten thousand and a world-class R&D design team, the company’s revenue for 2008 was 8.1 billion U.S. dollars. ASUS ranks among the top 10 IT companies in BusinessWeek’s “InfoTech 100” andhas been on the listing for 11 consecutive years. ASUS was also selected by the Wall Street Journal Asia as No.1 in Quality and ServicesinTaiwan. Its product portfolio includes notebooks, motherboards, graphics cards, optical drives, LCD monitors, information appliances, desktop PCs & PC components, servers, wireless solutions, mobile phones, handhelds, digital home solutions, broadband communication products and networking devices.

American Tower Corporation agrees to acquire XCEL Telecom Private Limited

American Tower Corporation (“ATC”) announced that its Mauritius subsidiary, American Tower Mauritius, has entered into a definitive agreement with Horse-Shoe Capital, Mauritius (an affiliate of Q Investments, USA), under which it will acquire XCEL Telecom Private Limited (“XCEL”). XCEL owns and operates approximately 1,700 wireless communications tower sites, including a number of towers that are currently under construction. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter, subject to customary closing conditions and the completion of customary regulatory and other approvals.

When combined with ATC’s existing operations in India, the acquisition will create a leading independent tower company with a combined portfolio of approximately 2,000 tower sites in fifteen telecom circles, a team of approximately 240 employees, and relationships with all of the leading wireless operators in India through Master Service Agreements.

“We are very excited to be entering into this transaction with XCEL,” commented Mr. Amit Sharma, Executive Vice President and President, Asia for ATC. “India is one of the fastest growing telecom markets, with the tower market seeing record growth. We have always maintained that ATC would pursue acquisition opportunities if the right portfolio of towers was available upon fair and reasonable terms. This acquisition comes with a good team of people and is in line with our plans for the country. This deal will strengthen our base in India and give us access to a new set of clients and geographies where XCEL has established connections,” he added.

“This represents a significant milestone for XCEL and is beneficial to all its stakeholders. XCEL will benefit from ATC’s commitment and expertise in managing and growing such businesses globally.” said Mr. Pranav Parikh, Director, XCEL Telecom.

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About American Tower Corporation: American Tower is a leading independent owner, operator and developer of broadcast and wireless communications sites. American Tower owns and operates over 23,700 communications sites in the United States, Mexico, Brazil and India. For more information about American Tower, please visit www.americantower.com.

About XCEL Telecom Private Limited: XCEL Telecom is a leading independent provider of shared telecom infrastructure solutions and services to the telecom cellular operators with a presence spread across India. XCEL Telecom is owned by Horse-Shoe Capital, Mauritius (an affiliate of Q Investments, USA) and was incubated by it in 2006 to provide total infrastructure solutions to the growing telecom market in India. For more information about XCEL Telecom, please visit www.xceltele.com.

For further information regarding ATC contact: Sunaina Jairath, Senior Manager, Image Inc. at 011-46523456 / 9811645243, sunaina@image-publicrelations.com or email at – asia@americantower.com

For further information regarding Q Investments/XCEL contact: Girish Dikey, Associate Partner, Sampark Public Relations Pvt. Ltd. at 022-40425504 / +91 9892200260 or Girish.dikey@sampark.com

Maspar launches "Eternal Beauty"

Maspar home fashion, a contemporary home furnishings brand also known as designs for living is all set to give us a one-of-its-kind, unforgettable and everlasting summer experience bringing the mystic charm of the 'Natural Habitat' in its new collection “Eternal Beauty”.

Each strand of Eternal Beauty conveys out the magical allure of the 'Natural Habitat' and proves time and again, the flora of nature as amongst the most quintessential parts of God's celestial earth.

Eternal Beauty brings in the textures, colors and there fresh soothness of the earth for a perfect indoor retreat. Creating an awe-inspiring and heavenly ambience within the four walls.

Ethereal mix of colors, all blues bring alive the essence of eternity. Vanilla, Pool Blue, Aquish, Coastal Blue Tide, Regal Blue, Wedge Wood Blue and Green Haze.

The Collection encompasses a range of Bed Spreads, Shams Duvet Covers, Pillow Cases, Cushion Covers, Bolster, Curtain, Bed Sheets, Quilts, Blankets, Floor Cushions and Rugs. The collection is available in the price range starting from Rs. 225 and Rs. 5,495 at Maspar stores in Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Bangalore, Mumbai, Ludhiana and Pune.

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Maspar was set up in the year 2002, and has been supplying to prominent furnishing houses like Marks & Spencer, JC Penny, William Sonama Group, The Bay, Home outfitters & Loblaws, Galeries Lafayette and BHV, bringing international quality standards to the Indian market.

Each product goes through controlled dyeing for color fastness and is processed for quality. Manufacturing of chenille yarn, dyeing of yarn, fabric and made-ups, printing, quilting, cording, special purpose sewing machines - the latest technology that exists today, has been brought under one roof allowing it to offer a guarantee on its products.

Experiments in terms of design, color combinations, blending of fabrics and other materials make Maspar products unique in many aspects. One can find a harmonious co-existence of modern, contemporary and ethnic in its collection. Maspar has always been offering something that has to be seen in unbelievable range for bedroom, dining room, kitchen and bathroom to its valuable customers.

GSKCH Launches Horlicks Nutribar

Here comes one more healthy snacking option for professionals who are on the go. People with busy schedule can now opt for low fat, low sugar Horlicks NutriBar as filler in between the meals.

The cereal bar launched by GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare Limited (GSKCH), is an unique combination of whole-wheat and oats topped up with dry fruits and nuts. It is available pan India in three flavours - namely Choco Crispy, Cereal n Milk at the price of Rs 15 each. The third flavour 'Nuts n Raisins' can be bought for Rs 18.

This is the first time a significant brand has come into this nascent category of cereal bars in India and the category holds a lot of promise, specially with the growing awareness on the health needs when it comes to food.

So, the next time hunger strikes you between meals, choose Horlicks NutriBar. Believing in the mantra of Work smart, Party Smarter and Eat Smartest will take you a long way.

Allen Solly introduces SS09 Womenswear Collection

Allen Solly today announced the launch of its Spring Summer ‘09 collection for Women.

Allen Solly SS09 Womenswear Collection brings to you a contemporary look with elements of femininity and a fashion forward visage with a philosophy to excite and inspire.

The first collection’s theme "American Prep" is all about the 70's influence filtered through where a preppy sports style is also apparent. This collection brightens up the city scape with a color palette of red, white and yellow and also Allen Solly’s traditional tailored neutrals are energised with bold pop brights to create a fun, playful yet chic look.

The second collection’s theme "Safari" - As boundaries blur between the urban and rural environment, devolution emerges. Safari reclaims the city. Allen Solly re-evaluate what’s important and embrace the power of nature.

The collection’s Prints are inspired from modern tribal motifsand our colors are a palette of weather washed brights used with environmental bases of stone and sky and olive.

With these Allen Solly launches the Casual Collection for Women in addition to the classic formal range.

Price Range: Rs 599 – Rs 4499 /-

Available at: Bangalore - Church Street, 55, 55/1, Tel No: 080 41121830/1, Jayanagar - no 346/17, 10th 'A' Main, 27th Cross, 3rd block. Tel No: 080 41739920 / 41400150, Commercial Street - Old# 8, New # 166, 080 41238085, Garuda Mall - No-CTS, 15, 17, 18 & 27, (117) Tel No: 080 41531023.

Mumbai - Unit G-14, Ground floor, InOrbit Mall, Link Road, Malad. New Delhi - E-16 Connaught Place, Tel No – 011 23415682. Also at outlets in Lucknow, Chennai, Chandigarh, Noida, Kolkatta, Pune, Ahmedabad, Gurgaon and Hyderabad amongst others.

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About Allen Solly:

Allen Solly created ripples in the Indian market by releasing new rules in corporate dress code. It trashed whites and greys thereby making the corporate world a colourful and vibrant place. Originating from the large portfolio of international brands of Coats Viyella – UK, Allen Solly truly has been the brand that transformed the way people dressed by bringing in its concept of Relaxed Formal Wear to India – bold and bright colours, concepts and patterns.

IIM Lucknow confers diplomas on 270 students

The convocation of Indian Institute of Management Lucknow today saw 270 students being awarded their diplomas by Dr. Devi Singh, Director IIM Lucknow and Dr. JJ Irani, Chairman, Board of Governors, IIM Lucknow and Director, Tata Sons. Dr. K. Kasturirangan, Director of National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) and Ex-Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was the Chief Guest on the occasion and delivered theConvocation Address.

231 students in the 23rd batch of Post Graduate Programme in Management, 37 students in the 4th batch of Post Graduate Programme in Agri-business Management, and 2 students in the Fellow Programme were awarded their diplomas at the convocation. And as graduates, they are about to swell the ranks of about 3500 IIML alumni, whose continuing support helps build the Institute's ongoing reputation and community support.

“At IIM Lucknow it has been our endeavour to create young Leaders of tomorrow. Leaders who are real leaders, who lead by example, be it reaching the heights of the corporate world or philanthropic endeavours. Leaders who will live by what they preach, who will govern with justice and above all leaders who will be compassionate”, said Dr Devi Singh, Director, IIM Lucknow.

During the academic year 2007-08, the institute witnessed an all-round growth and in continuance with its march ahead, undertook some significant initiatives, which are listed below:

v The Noida campus of the institute launched its 4th Working Managers Program (WMP) and International Program in Management for Executives (IPMX). The first batch of 65 students in WMP program successfully completed the course during the year.

v 35 research contributions, in the form of books, book chapters, book reviews, published papers, conference/seminar papers, case studies, and working papers, have already been published during the year so far. Several research contributions of faculty members received national and international recognition and bagged prestigious awards.

v Work on a large number of research projects and consultancy assignments was taken up / completed during the year. 10 consultancy assignments have been completed so far and 16 are in progress. 21 research projects have been completed.

v Five new Faculty Members joined the Institute during the year.

v 75 Management Development Programmes, for 1600 top and senior level management executives, have already been conducted so far, generating a revenue of in excess of Rs. 10.00 crores. 3 Advanced Management Programmes (AMP) for ONGC of 5 weeks duration with Overseas learning component to Europe were held. The 3 AMP programs for RBI executives were held for 2 weeks; in India, Singapore and Malaysia. A 3 month management program has been finalized for next 5 years with Railway Board to train more than 100 executives every year.

v Our International Academic Collaborations with many partner institutions in Europe and North America gained further momentum during the year. We have international partnerships with 22 institutes.

v As part of Social Responsibility to the society, IIM Lucknow is contributing towards the training of trainers.In this direction, programmes have been conducted for Teachers of Management Institutes,Principals of various Schools and Colleges and also the Principals of District Institutes of Education and Training, and Officials of U.P. SCERT.

v In order to provide financial support to the needy and meritorious students, IIM Lucknow continues to offer large number of Scholarships. During the year 2007-08, 28.8 lakhs rupees worth of need based scholarships were disbursed among 46 students.

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King Midas World Initiates Panorama Division to Finance New Trend in Media

King Midas World Entertainment announced the creation of Panorama, a new independent division to finance brand specific motion pictures, television and video games.

This development follows the July 2008 licensed film rights announcement for "The Seven Sins: The Tyrant Ascending" novel with producer Moritz Borman, executive producer Peter Graves and producer Fabrizio Boccardi, CEO of King Midas World Entertainment.

"The Seven Sins: The Tyrant Ascending" by Jon Land was published in Summer 2008 by Forge Books and selected "Best Thriller of the Year" by Library Journal. The Paperback edition will be released in June 2009.

King Midas World Panorama's scope is to initially participate in the financing of the first film of The Tyrant franchise, subject to the arrangement with the selected studio as well as several factors in relation to the package of the picture, and subsequently all other films and video game content of The Tyrant franchise.

In addition, King Midas World Panorama will take part in financing new proprietary content as well as acquire new content and join in the financing of its development and production.

"King Midas World Panorama's objective will be to seal partnerships for the development, production and distribution of branded proprietary media content," said Randy Markin, President of King Midas World Entertainment.

The "Tyrant" production team led by preeminent producer Moritz Borman, widely recognized for his association with The Terminator franchise, is currently in the active stages of development for the upcoming film, which will be adapted from "The Seven Sins: The Tyrant Ascending" novel. Ideally, the theater release of the film would coincide with the July 4th weekend in 2011.

"The 4th of July holiday period is a perfect opportunity to emphasize The Tyrant's character portrayed as the rakish and Machiavellian embodiment of the American dream," said Lisa Mayo-DeRiso, Vice President of Marketing of King Midas World Entertainment. "We would like to explore this possibility with all parties involved in the production."

King Midas World Entertainment expects to engage an Investment Bank to advise Panorama in its capital structure.

King Midas World Panorama is projected to be operational in 2010. The Panorama strategy is intended to reinforce the belief that Tyrant is the beginning of a new series of branded concepts and products in media.

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Contact:
Cameron Andrews
Pier Communications
(562) 432-5300

MindTree a Stronger Midsize Alternative to the Largest Offshore Service Providers According to Leading Research Firm

MindTree Ltd., a global IT and R&D Services Company, today announced that a recent AMR Research report has declared the company a stronger midsize alternative to the largest offshore service providers following its acquisition of Aztecsoft Ltd.

According to the January 15, 2009 report, MindTree’s Aztecsoft Acquisition: A Closer Look at a Global Services Contender in the Making, author Dana Stiffler states, “The (Aztecsoft) acquisition diversifies MindTree’s existing service lines quite nicely. By adding substantial capabilities in outsourced product development and independent testing, MindTree has more potential upside in the future with IT and product engineering prospects.

“As a result, the company becomes an even stronger midsize alternative to the largest offshore service providers for manufacturers, retailers, and software companies. It is large enough… and diverse enough, with its expanded operations, to compete meaningfully against TCS, Infosys, Wipro, and the other big India, Inc. players, but also against larger Western incumbents,” Stiffler continues.

In May 2008, MindTree announced its intention to acquire an equity stake in Aztecsoft, a global leader in Outsourced Product Development and Independent Testing. Aztecsoft provides full-lifecycle product engineering, independent testing, sustenance engineering and professional services to application and infrastructure software vendors, as well as to New Media and Internet-based companies. The merger is expected to be complete by April 2009.

“MindTree decided to acquire Aztecsoft because it strongly complemented our existing expertise in both IT and R&D Services,” said MindTree CEO Krishnakumar Natarajan. “The recent AMR report validates our strategy as this leading research firm recognizes how synergies between the companies strengthen our position as a midsize alternative to the larger offshore service providers.”

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About MindTree Limited

MindTree Limited is a global IT and R&D Services Company co-headquartered in the U.S. and India. With a passion for customer satisfaction, MindTree partners with its clients to create a transparent, value-based relationship. Our domain experts deliver business-enabling solutions by leveraging a consulting led, framework-based and IP-driven approach. MindTree’s IT Services business provides a range of services to CIOs across a variety of industry segments. Our R&D Services business works with Technology companies to help build innovative products by providing Product Realization services. MindTree has acquired an 80% equity stake in Aztecsoft Ltd., a global leader in outsourced product development and independent testing. The Company intends to complete the merger by April 2009.

MindTree was named among the Top 30 offshore service providers by the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals and Fortune Magazine. Widely known for its focus on human capital development, MindTree has been consistently rated among the most admired employers by several industry surveys, including Hewitt Associates and Mercer/TNS, and is also the winner of the MAKE Award for knowledge management, and the National Award for Excellence in Corporate Governance. MindTree is publicly listed in India. Please visit us at www.mindtree.com.

Safe Harbor

Certain statements in this release concerning our future growth prospects are forward-looking statements, which involve a number of risks, and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. We do not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by us or on our behalf.

Conax Further Strengthens Market-leading Position in Indian Content Security Market

In the last 6 years, global provider of content security solutions, Conax, has been highly successful in establishing itself as market leader within content security solutions in India. Conax has further strengthened its position in the region, reporting strong 2008 results including 68% growth in just one year. Conax is now also third in the global content security market.

In India, Conax is trusted by major operators such as Dish TV, WWIL and Digicable, and is also successfully working with various other cable operators and content providers. Showing a remarkable growth of 68% last year, Conax continues to strengthen its market position and has a team of experienced operation and support specialists available to assist the customers in day-to-day operations.

Conax' core offering, Conax CAS7, provides operators with advanced, highly secure content protection technology built on Conax' 15 years of security experience and strong anti-piracy record. Conax security solutions are non-proprietary and based on an open licensing policy for set-top box (STB) manufacturers, guaranteeing operators the best content security, along with the flexibility and freedom to select the devices, services and business models that best fit their needs.

Key to Conax success

"Conax' pioneering strategy has been an important factor for our success and growth in the region. A key element is Conax' strategy and ongoing policy for development of non-discriminatory, non-royalty relationships with 100's of STB vendors. In fact, the Conax strategy has encouraged STB providers to offer operators a rich selection of quality consumer devices and competitive pricing alternatives for all market segments," says Geir Bjrndal, EVP Sales & Marketing, Conax.

"In today's competitive digital TV market, digital broadcasting operators and content providers are looking to specialist solutions, like Conax, to secure their platforms and premium content. What makes Conax unique is that Conax focuses on content protection only, providing all other services through a strategic network of best in class partners," confirms Bjrndal.

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About Conax

Since 1994, Conax has been a pioneer in its field and leading developer of security solutions for digital TV. Today, core product, Conax CAS7, provides content protection for premium pay-TV content via all types of networks - cable, satellite, IP, terrestrial, and MMDS. Through its global network of partners, Conax is able to offer state-of-the-art content security to more than 300 digital TV operators in 78 countries around the globe. Conax is ISO 9001 certified and ISO 27001 security certified. All Conax products are compliant with open standards.

Conax is fully owned by global player Telenor (www.telenor.com). Telenor has ownership interests in 12 mobile operators across Europe and Asia and more than164 million mobile phone subscribers worldwide.

Conax headquarters are located in Oslo, Norway, with subsidiaries in USA, India and Germany and sales & support offices in Russia, Singapore, China, South Korea, Brazil and Canada. www.conax.com

Visit Conax at Convergence India: Conax stand E-95, hall 9

For more information, please contact:

Tryggve Arveschoug: CEO, Conax India
Email: tryggve.arveschoug@conax.com
Shalender Sachdeva, Sales Director, Conax India
Email: shalender.shachdeva@conax.com

Southwest Jiaotong University Selects 3Com's H3C Wireless Solution To Build China's Largest Wireless Campus Network

3Com Corporation (Nasdaq: COMS) today announced that China’s Southwest Jiaotong University (SWJTU) will develop and deploy its wireless campus network using the company’s H3C enterprise wireless networking solution. Once complete, it is believed this will be the largest wireless campus network in the country.The H3C integrated wireless solution will connect the Xipu, Jiuli and Emei campuses of SWJTU, providing wireless access to 50,000 teachers and students in classrooms, lecture halls, dormitories and outdoor common areas. Teachers, students and visitors to SWJTU will enjoy fast, secure and reliable wireless network and inter-campus roaming services.“We offer one of the broadest and freshest portfolios of networking products and solutions in the industry, which is why organizations such as Southwest Jiaotong University are turning to us to build such significant wireless and wired networks,” said Bob Mao, 3Com CEO. “Our H3C secure, scalable and flexible integrated mobile network solution will result in a wired and wireless integrated digital campus platform that meets SWJTU’s current and future needs.”As one of the universities in China’s “211 Project”—which focuses on developing 100 key universities to lead the way in developing an educational system for the 21st century—SWJTU is a national trailblazer in terms of campus information networking. With recent advances in computer networking technologies and the efficiencies they bring to work and learning environments, wireless access has become an integral tool for university teaching, administration and research management.

As a learning center where talents of the future are cultivated, SWJTU required a wireless campus network that would meet strict security and performance parameters. To fulfill its obligations to students, teachers, administrators and visitors, SWJTU contacted a dozen domestic and international WLAN equipment vendors to design and present a solution. After more than six months of testing and verification, the university chose H3C’s integrated mobile solution, which includes nearly 700 H3C® WA2100 series and WA2200 series FIT access points, and three WX6103 access controllers.Designed to provide the largest capacity and the highest performance in the industry, each AC module can access 640 FIT APs and support 20,000 wireless client devices. In addition, its scalability safeguards the university’s investment and improves the overall processing capability of the system.The H3C solution efficiently and effectively integrates the university’s original wired network with its wireless network, and provides secure wireless access to users through a combination of unified hardware platforms, network management, user management and security modules. It enables a user roaming on both networks to choose differentiated accounting modes to meet the network’s operational and management requirements, and is integrated with the campus one-card system, which facilitates access for teachers and students. H3C also supplied the university with an intuitive, Web-based, integrated and intelligent management solution, IMC.In addition to the robust security and easy-to-use management tools, H3C’s integrated mobile network solution protects the university’s infrastructure investment by supporting future expansion as well as the next generation of technical protocols such as IPv6, 802.11n and WAPI. The wireless network also supports wireless surveillance, VoWIFI and other value-added wireless applications such as Page Push. Additionally, guaranteeing jitter-free, end-to-end quality of service (QoS) ensures prioritized output of video and voice on the network

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About 3Com Corporation
3Com Corporation is a $1.3B global converged network infrastructure supplier that helps customers achieve business success by delivering solutions that provide exceptional value. The company’s H3C enterprise networking portfolio provides best-in-class performance, efficiency and reliability and delivers unparalleled return on investment. With TippingPoint, 3Com is a leading provider of network-based intrusion prevention systems that deliver in-depth application protection, infrastructure protection, and performance protection. For further information, please visit www.3com.com, or the press site www.3com.com/pressbox.

Copyright © 2009 3Com Corporation. 3Com, the 3Com logo, TippingPoint and H3C are registered trademarks of 3Com Corporation or its wholly owned subsidiaries in various countries around the world. All other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective holders.

IDBI Fortis announces Rs 250cr capital infusion

Giving a boost to its business expansion plans, IDBI Fortis Life Insurance has announced a capital infusion of Rs 250 cr from its shareholders as per their share holding pattern.

IDBI Fortis launched its operations in March 2008 with an initial capital of Rs 200 cr leading with their innovative product, WealthsuranceTM, which has been its flagship product helping it race to over Rs. 2000 Cr of Sum Assured with over Rs 250 Cr of First Year Annual Premiums and over 62,000 policies issued in record time. The company is targeting a network expansion drive to set up 100 branches across the country. In addition, IDBI Fortis also sells its products through the more than 1100 branches of its shareholder banks, IDBI and Federal Bank.

IDBI Fortis Life Insurance Co Ltd is a joint-venture of IDBI Bank, India’s premier development and commercial bank, Federal Bank, one of India’s leading private sector banks and Fortis Insurance International, a multinational insurance giant based out of Europe. IDBI Bank owns 48% equity while Federal Bank and Fortis own 26% equity each. Visit www.idbifortis.com to know more.

IDBI Fortis has managed to launch an array of innovative products from its stable.

Its flagship product, WealthsuranceTM Foundation Plan is a unique combination that is termed as an Insured Wealth Plan that aims to provide people a growing wealth plan protected by the benefits of insurance. With comprehensive investment choices, protected by powerful insurance options, all presented with a reasonable charge structure, Wealthsurance is a one-stop solution to a customer’s wealth building plans. The product is designed to ensure that the hard-earned money that is invested is not susceptible to unforeseen circumstances. WealthsuranceTM offers investment choices such as Guaranteed Return Fund, Capital Guaranteed Fund, Monthly Interest Account, Equity Funds, Debt Funds, Asset Allocator Funds etc. ensuring that the customer would find all his investment requirements satisfied with this one powerful product. The powerful insurance benefits of WealthsuranceTM ensure that a customer’s wealth plan is not affected by unforeseen events that may strike them.

With the recent popularity for guaranteed return products, the company launched a unique product, BondsuranceTM that offers tax-free assured returns with life cover.

With the innovative HomesuranceTM Protection Plan, customers can now cover the changing liability that comes with a typical floating rate home loan, along with an optional cover where they can pay off the home loan even in the unfortunate event of any major disease or other unforeseen circumstances.

“The branch expansion drive is going on in full swing and we already have over 30 branches up and running in various states,” said Mr G.V. Nageswara Rao, MD and CEO, IDBI Fortis Life Insurance. “IDBI Fortis is committed to providing comprehensive investment and insurance solutions through innovative products, well-trained sales force and high standards of service.”

The fresh capital infusion will also help IDBI Fortis in meeting the solvency requirements and expanding operations due to increased sales besides launching new products and branches.

Airlines Tackle $1.4 Billion Online Fraud Challenge

New survey findings released today show airlines worldwide lost over $1.4 billion to online fraudsters in 2008, about 1.3% of worldwide airlines’ online revenue. The data comes from a new independent Airline Online Fraud Survey commissioned by CyberSource Corporation [NASDAQ: CYBS] in association with Airline Information LLC and completed January, 2009.

Airlines are on the front line of the battle against online fraud—33% of the industry’s revenues derive from eCommerce, three times the proportion of sales transacted online by non-travel companies—so efficient management of the problem is of critical concern to the airlines.

According to survey data, the ways airlines manage fraud vary significantly by airline category. In 2008, business-class airlines, with higher-priced tickets to protect, typically embraced profit protection measures, whereas low-cost carriers tended to focus on revenue capture. On average, business airlines used the most fraud detection tools (6.5 tools per business-class airline), had the highest rate of manual review (47%), and rejected more bookings due to suspicion of fraud (3.6%). Conversely, low-cost carriers used the least number of automated screening tools (4.9 tools per low-cost carrier), were less likely to manually review bookings (13%), and rejected fewer bookings due to suspicion of fraud (2%). The result of these differing strategies is that in 2008 business airlines lost 1.1% of their revenues to fraud and low-cost carriers, by contrast, lost 1.6%.

“The good news is that solutions exist,” said Christopher Staab, Managing Partner of Airline Information, an airline industry organisation. “Improving the efficiency of fraud management is one of the quickest cost-cutting moves airlines have at their disposal.”

Fraud management tactics vary widely by region. North American-based companies relied far more heavily on detection tools, employing an average of 7.5 tools vs. a European average of 5.4—the overall world average is 5.8. North American airlines manually reviewed only 3% of their bookings whereas Middle Eastern-based airlines manually reviewed 81%. European and Asia Pacific-based airlines manually reviewed 22% and 49% of their bookings respectively.

According to Dr. Akif Khan, CyberSource Head of Client and Technical Services in the UK, “These findings highlight the need for airlines to adopt a more automated, holistic approach to fraud management—from initial screening through booking review and disposition. Improving the accuracy of automated screening is key. In doing so, they can reduce overhead costs associated with manual review, as well as improve revenue capture and lower fraud loss. With the right tools, airlines can realise these benefits in a matter of weeks--not years.”

To see the full survey -- for journalists: please call or email any of the contacts listed below. For all others: please visit http://forms.cybersource.com/forms/airlinefraudpr

The Airline Online Fraud Survey was commissioned by CyberSource Corporation. The data was compiled in an online survey conducted by Mindwave Research in the U.S., and additional phone follow-ups were conducted by Vanson Bourne Ltd in the UK. The surveys were fielded December1, 2008 through January 16, 2009 and yielded 99 qualified and complete responses. Incentive to respondents included a summary of the research.

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About CyberSource

CyberSource Corporation is a leading provider of electronic payment and risk management solutions. CyberSource solutions enable electronic payment processing for Web, call centre, and POS environments. CyberSource also offers industry leading risk management solutions for merchants accepting card-not-present transactions. CyberSource Professional Services designs, integrates, and optimises commerce transaction processing systems. Approximately 253,000 businesses use CyberSource solutions, including half the companies comprising the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is headquartered in Mountain View, California, and has sales and service offices in Japan, the United Kingdom, and other locations in the United States including Bellevue, Washington and American Fork, Utah. For more information on CyberSource please visit www.cybersource.co.uk or email info@cybersource.com.

©2009 CyberSource Corporation. All rights reserved. CyberSource is a registered trademark in the U.S. and other countries. All other brands and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

Naukri.com launches Job Search on Chat

Naukri.com, India’s no.1 job site introducesNaukriOnChat that allows job search through chat messenger on Gmail/GTalk. It notonly enables search for jobs, but also allows viewing job details and applyingvia chat.

On the initiative, Vibhore Sharma, SeniorVice-President, Product & Technology, Info Edge said, “If you have ever wishedfor an easier way to find job opportunities,NaukriOnChat is the answer. Instant Messaging is popular and easy to use,and has over 70% of internet users hooked on to chatting. To bring the convenienceof chatting to searching, we launched NaukriOnChat. It is a time-efficient wayto search job opportunities without having to visit the site.”

Besides being time efficient, thisnew feature allows users to search for jobs within the privacy of their chatwindow. Consuming lower bandwidth, thechat feature even works well on non broad-band connections. The search is realtime, throwing up live job listings from Naukri.com.

To use NaukriOnChat, add jobs@chat.naukri.com as a friend to GTalk list and thentype ‘help’ to get instructions. Follow the instructions for searching for newjob opportunities. Users who are registered with Naukri.com with the same GmailID can apply to jobs via chat. Nonregistered users can search for jobs and view job descriptions. A user may notejob ids and log on to Naukri.com to apply to a job. The service is alsobeneficial to users who access Gtalk via mobile phone.

In the next phase, Naukri.com plansto extend the service to other chat clients including Yahoo and MSN.

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About Naukri.com

Naukri.com,India’s No. 1 job site and the flagship brand of Info Edge revolutionized the concept of recruitment inIndia. Since its inception in 1997, Naukri.com has seen exponential growth year after year. Info Edge completed a successful IPO in November 2006 and became the first internet company to be listed inIndia.

Naukri.com is a recruitment platform and provides services to the corporate world, placement agencies and job seekers inIndiaand overseas. It offers a bouquet of products like Resume Database Access and Response Management tools and its services include Job Postings, and branding solutions on the site. With 2,00,000 jobs live at any point, Naukri.com serviced over 32500 corporate clients in 2007-2008. The company has over 1700 people operating through 67 offices in 42 cities inIndiaand overseas offices inDubai,RiyadhandBahrain.

Wrigley signs up Deepika Padukone as brand ambassador for Orbit® Sugar-Free Chewing Gum

The world’s largest sugar-free chewing gum brand, Wrigley’s Orbit® today announced its association with youth icon and Bollywood’s biggest Gen-next star Deepika Padukone as its brand ambassador. For the first time in India, Wrigley’s Orbit® sugar-free chewing gum will partner with a film actor to promote oral health benefits.

It is clinically proven that Wrigley’s Orbit® sugar-free chewing gum helps fight tooth decay and reduces harmful plaque acids. It recently became the first and only gum brand to receive the trusted ‘Seal of Acceptance’ from the Indian Dental Association (IDA).

Announcing Deepika Padukone as Brand Ambassador for Orbit® sugar-free chewing gum, the company spokesperson said, “Deepika’s association with Orbit® sugar-free chewing gum will synchronise well with the brand and its objectives. We believe that this association would help us achieve widespread awareness about the importance of oral care and the benefits of chewing Orbit sugar-free chewing gum.”

Commenting on this association, Deepika Padukone said, “I am proud to be associated with Orbit® sugar-free chewing gum, which is a convenient and portable way to help maintain and improve oral health anytime, anywhere – at home, in the car and during shoots.”

Orbit® sugar-free chewing gum is available in 6 flavors: Spearmint, Winterfrost, Fruit, Peppermint, Clove and White. Orbit® Spearmint is available in a two-rupee sachet pack which contains 2 pellets. Orbit® sugar-free gum is also available in smart blister packs priced atRs 5/- and Rs 10/- and at Rs 30/- for a bottle pack.

The Company plans to leverage Deepika for its advertising campaign which will be launched in March. She will be featured in promotional materials and events and will also make appearances on behalf of Orbit sugar-free chewing gum.

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About Orbit®

Orbit® sugar-free chewing gum is available in 6 flavors: Spearmint, Winterfrost, Fruit, Peppermint, Clove and White. Wrigley has also launched a two-rupee sachet pack which contains 2 pellets available in Spearmint flavor and is also available @ Rs 5/- and Rs 10/- for a blister pack (6 and 9 pellets respectively) and @ Rs 30/- for a bottle pack (30 pellets). 18 dental associations worldwide and the prestigious FDI World Dental Federation have recognized the scientific evidence behind the benefit of chewing sugar-free gum for oral health and have endorsed Wrigley’s oral care brands.

About Wrigley

Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company is a recognized leader in confections with a wide range of product offerings including gum, mints, hard and chewy candies, lollipops, and chocolate. The Company has operations in more than 40 countries and distributes its world-famous brands in more than 180 countries. Three of these brands – Wrigley’s Spearmint®, Juicy Fruit®, and Altoids® – have heritages stretching back more than a century. Other well-loved brands include Doublemint®, Life Savers®, Skittles®, Big Red®, Boomer®, Pim Pom®, Winterfresh®, Extra®, Starburst®, Freedent®, Hubba Bubba®, Orbit®, Excel®, Creme Savers®, Lucas®, Eclipse®, Airwaves®, Solano®, Sugus®, Lockets®, P.K.®, Cool Air® and 5™. Wrigley is headquartered in Chicago, IL and operates as a subsidiary of Mars, Incorporated, based in McLean, VA. Mars is a $27-billion, family-owned company that produces some of the world’s leading confectionery, food and petcare products and has growing beverage and health & nutrition businesses. www.wrigley.com / www.gumisgood.com

IDA Ireland Opens Its First Office in India

Today Mr. Barry Andrews Minister of State for Health and Children in the Government of Ireland announced that IDA Ireland, the Investment and Development Agency of Ireland is opening its first office in India. Through this office, IDA Ireland will unlock a gateway for Indian companies to expand and develop their businesses in Europe. Ireland has consistently proven to be the preferred location in Europe for global companies successfully serving the lucrative European market.

The level of foreign direct investment in Ireland is proportionately one of the highest in the world. Today, over 1,000 overseas companies have substantial international operations in Ireland. These include many of the leading companies in information technology and communications, life sciences, international services, and financial services.

Founded in 1969, IDA Ireland is the agency of the Irish Government responsible for securing new investment from overseas in the manufacturing and internationally traded services sectors. It also encourages existing investors to expand and develop their businesses in Ireland. The agency has 13 offices around the world. In Asia, IDA Ireland operates in Taipei, Seoul, Tokyo, Shanghai and Sydney. IDA Ireland’s new Mumbai office will focus on helping Indian companies to realize their global aspirations by targeting the European market.

“We are extremely pleased to celebrate the establishment of our first office here in Mumbai. The resources of IDA Ireland are now available to assist Indian companies who want to move to Europe,” said Minister Andrews. “We are confident that this is the beginning of a win-win partnership with the Indian business community to match the best of Irish capabilities and talents to the needs of Indian investors.”

Ireland offers many benefits to overseas companies that choose to use the country as their European base of operations. It attracts companies with its combination of business and technology skills, a congenial and supportive business environment, a Government that is pro-business, an internationally experienced workforce and low corporate taxes. Companies locating in Ireland have established European headquarters, research and development facilities, customer support centres, production operations and a range of business administration functions. Today four Indian companies have established operations in Ireland, Ranbaxy, Wockhardt, and Reliance Life Sciences in Pharmaceuticals and Crompton Greaves in electrical components.

For more information, visit IDA’s Web site at www.idaireland.com

Watch SAB TV Online Only on myPOPKORN.com

SAB TV’s popular comedy shows Taarak Mehta ka Ooltah Chasmah, Bhootwala Serial, FIR and Jugni Chali Jalandar and Main Kab Saas Banoongi are now available online only on myPOPKORN.com.

If you miss your favorite show on television, just log into to myPOPKORN.com and catch up with all the laugh-riot webisodes within two-three hours of telecast. You can even read the complete episode synopsis, comment on the episodes as well as track your favorite shows for regular updates.

myPOPKORN boasts of daily updated episodes of top serials from Star Plus, Star One, Sony Zee TV, Zee Marathi, Zee Telugu and its entire bouquet. SAB TV episodes are the latest addition to myPOPKORN’s huge base of 16,000 plus videos.

myPOPKORN.com, India's top video entertainment portal, caters to about two million unique visitors monthly, who spend approximately 20-25 minutes viewing the vast selection of videos. You can watch India’s top TRP shows in the TV section and latest gossip and trailers from Bollywood in the Movies section. The News section is updated on a continuous basis as soon as breaking news is available.

myPOPKORN offers a never-before browsing experience with its progressive download technology enabling users to enjoy videos without interruption.

To watch all SAB TV shows - http://www.mypopkorn.com/tv/sab.html

For more log on to www.mypopkorn.com

The world's first global directory service goes 'live'

Telnic has announced that it had achieved a milestone in the delivery of a new internet service, with tens of thousands of .tel domains going ‘live’, creating the world’s first global directory.

The registry operator for the new .tel domains, which provide individuals and businesses with a unique way of sharing all types of contact information with any device connected to the internet, successfully launched its new service.

“This is a momentous day for the company as eight years of development has come to fruition,” said Henri Asseily, CTO and Chief Strategist at Telnic. “We’re delighted to be delivering something that will push the boundaries of communications and the internet to the next level, putting the power back into the hands of the individual when it comes to using and sharing contact information.”

Businesses and individuals are now logging into their own .tel domains, enabling them to store contact information, keywords and location information, which is then published to the internet quickly and securely without needing to build a website.

Asseily adds: “This fundamental change in the use of the internet will break open the ability for anyone to now own a domain and be found from any device. This is the biggest innovation to hit the internet and communications and it seems fitting that we have achieved this on the 133rd anniversary of the first use of the telephone. From today, people will be able to dial a .tel name to connect with people. The future of communications is now wide open to innovation.”

In India, domain name registrars Net4India and Directi who have already started inviting applications for registering the .tel domain are excited with the response and see great potential for the Indian market.

Mr. Desi Valli, Executive Director & COO, Net 4 India Limited commented, “.tel domain is a unique domain that will change the way we save our contacts on the internet. It offers a unique opportunity for both companies and individuals. The response from Indian companies has been overwhelming and with companies like Bharti Airtel & HCL INFOSYSTEMS having already applied for the domain, we see tremendous potential for growth.”

Directi, which has also seen increasing demand for the domain added, "The .tel extension is an interesting platform for individuals and companies to be able to share their contacts over the internet. The response so far has been nothing less than excellent, especially since this is not an alternative extension to any of the other ones out there, but in fact an independent option for everybody," says Bhavin Turakhia, Founder & CEO, Directi. "Names like security.tel, forest.tel and even southaustralia.tel have been registered with us, and demand only seems to be increasing" added Bhavin.

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About Telnic Limited

Founded in 2000, Telnic Limited is the UK-based Registry Operator and Sponsoring Organization for the new .tel sponsored top level domain (sTLD). For more information, please visit http://www.telnic.org/

Mumbai's longest standing mobile service brand, BPL Mobile, is now Loop Mobile

BPL Mobile, Mumbai’s oldest and longest standing mobile service brand is now Loop Mobile, the newest telecom brand in the city. The new brand identity for BPL Mobile, which has been serving Mumbai for over 13 years, was unveiled today. It already caters to over 2 million subscribers. The new logo – Loop Mobile has been designed keeping in mind growth and re-enforces BPL Mobile as a fresh new brand.

Loop Mobile comes with a brand new network too. The company announced the completion of its network expansion and has now doubled its capacity by deploying the latest NGIP (Next Generation Internet Protocol) and EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) technology. With this, they also pave the way for seamless execution of numerous innovative VAS as well as micro-segmented and value enhancing tariffs that Loop Mobile aims to roll out for their subscribers.

Elaborating on the rationale behind the rebranding, Sanjeev Chachondia, CEO, Loop Mobile (India) Limited (formerly BPL Mobile Communications Ltd.) said, “The change of the brand name to Loop Mobile is a well thought out conclusion of a journey that had begun some time back. For a telco brand that is Mumbai’s oldest, we understand the pulse & rhythm of the Mumbaikar. Our dedication towards our subscribers and our efforts in continuing to maintain the high performance standards and service delivery has always been acknowledged by various surveys including that done by the regulator. Mumbai’s oldest network is now also its newest one and already commands a healthy 2 million customers and rapidly growing”

Commenting further, Sanjeev said, “Results of all up-gradation work is already showing. Our network capacity has doubled and the minute of usage has gone up by 85%, which is exceptional. With this change, we are all set to add momentum towards rapid growth and expansion; and want to reiterate our commitment towards our customers and ensure they have an enriching experience.”

BPL Mobile has consistently met and exceeded the TRAI Quality of Services standards. BPL Mobile ranked No 1 in overall satisfaction amongst the GSM operators as per the new TRAI report on Quality of Service and Customer Satisfaction Survey of telecom services in Mumbai. BPL Mobile also topped in the Voice&Data - SAARC Mobile User satisfaction Survey (2008) in network services category with 98.2% users of BPL Mobile voting in its favor.

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About Loop Mobile (India) Limited (formerly BPL Mobile):

Having started its services in 1995,BPL Mobile distinguishes itself as the longest serving telecom brand in the country. It currently operates in Mumbai with over 2 million happy and satisfied subscribers. With customer focus at its core, BPL Mobile has consistently excelled and led the industry and continues to prove how well they understand customer service. BPL Mobile has consistently met and exceeded TRAI benchmarksaccording to Report on the Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicators, over the past several years. BPL Mobile also credits itself as the first operator in the countryto offerGPRS/MMS, Caller Ring Tunes and also launch IN (Intelligent Network).

For more information please visit www.loopmobile.in

Hindware presents Perfect Stylizing Accessories

Bath fittings have gone from being a boring necessity to a style statement. There was a time when a faucet was merely that object in the bathroom which dispensed water. It still does a good job at that, of course, but it's no longer just a utilitarian object. The faucet now acts as a unifying element that enhances the overall appearance of a bathroom. So make your bathroom look alluring with ‘Torrin’, ‘Rubbic’ & ‘Barrel’, the latest range of Bath fittings from Hindware, which blends together the best of engineering with style and excellence.

The range of bath fittings are designed to give you a sensuous feeling as the water pours with the all new 3C technology- Coating, Casting and Cartridge. Hindware’s Luxury Bath Fittings with its advance technology ensures complete perfection from inside and outside. No dripping, no leakage, only everlasting performance in form, feel and flow.

Torrin comes in a very elegant contour with an oval shaped knob apt for the contemporary look. Rubbic has a very effortless contour and comes in a square shape with mix of matte and steel look for conventional interiors. Barrel, as the name says, is inspired from a barrel which is a mix of both-contemporary and conventional. Barrel comes in both single and dual lever format. The Bath fittings come with 20mm cartridge to ensure a smooth Flow of water year after year. The available includes basin mixer, Wall Mixer, Sink Mixer, Bib cocks, Sink cocks, Stop cocks, and shower arms besides, concealed stop cocks also.

To give a long lasting finish, all the Bath fittings have been given a triple coat of copper, nickel and chrome. It also comes with a leak proof, 100% imported ceramic cartridge which allows a better flow of water. The Casting ensures that the Form of the beautifully designed Bath fittings remain in its shape for years to come. This special casing guarantees that the inner casing has no pores and therefore no leakage to damage your walls. The triple coating assures an everlasting shine which will remain forever with the form it has adopted from its technical coatings.

The vanities offered today can make a stunning statement in the decor of your bath but it also deserves just the right faucet to complement it. The bathroom faucet assembly you select for your bathroom, serves as a focal point in a bath that can be the 'crowning jewel' if you make the right choice.

Price: Rs. 3950 onwards for single lever basin mixers.

Availability: At all the leading Sanitary & Hardware Stores across the country through its wide retail network of over 10,000 outlets.

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Hindustan Sanitaryware & Industries Limited (HSIL) is the flagship Company of the Somany Group and was established in 1962 with a joint venture of the Group with Twyfords, UK. HSIL is the largest Indian manufacturer of Sanitaryware products with a dominant market share of 40% in the industry. HSIL products are available across the length and breadth of the country and are supported by over 1000 direct dealers and 12000 sub dealers HSIL was the first Company in India to manufacture Vitreous China Sanitaryware.

TATA Autocomp Systems Ltd. Expands its Deployment of Mentor Graphics Electrical Systems Design Tools

Mentor Graphics Corporation (NASDAQ: MENT), a world leader in electronic hardware and software design solutions, announced today that TATA Autocomp Systems Ltd (TACO) is expanding its deployment of CHS electrical/wire harness design tools. TACO, part of the India-based TATA Group, provides components and design services to the worldwide automotive industry. With several years experience using Mentor Graphics software already accumulated, TACO uses CHS to offer cost-competitive vehicle systems integration and wire harness design services internationally.

Within the CHS product suite, TACO primarily uses the Capital® Harness™ tool, a computer-aided design, engineering and costing application developed specifically for the wire harness industry. This product provides comprehensive harness design capture capabilities, supplemented by a rich array of functionality for automating engineering tasks by intelligently adding value to raw design data. Like all CHS products, the Capital Harness tool is supported by powerful data management, integration and reporting tools. All data is stored within an electrical database to promote maximum re-use, flexibility and consistency.

“CHS is the most powerful vehicle electrical design platform available,” said Sanjay Srivastava, GM, TATA Autocomp Systems Ltd. “Not only does TACO benefit internally from the comprehensive engineering functions, we also find that many of our customers already use CHS. Native design data compatibility, combined with CHS’s comprehensive data exchange and integrity checking capabilities, ensures a very robust environment for design service businesses such as ours.”

“TACO has developed significant expertise with CHS, not only in wire harness design but also by providing electrical design process advice,” said Nick Smith, Business Development Director of Mentor’s Integrated Electrical Systems Division. “Companies such as TACO enhance the value of the software to our customer base by offering expert, cost-competitive services on the international stage.”

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About Mentor Graphics

Mentor Graphics Corporation (NASDAQ: MENT) is a world leader in electronic hardware and software design solutions, providing products, consulting services and award-winning support for the world’s most successful electronics and semiconductor companies. Established in 1981, the company reported revenues over the last 12 months of about $800 million and employs approximately 4,500 people worldwide. Corporate headquarters are located at 8005 S.W. Boeckman Road, Wilsonville, Oregon 97070-7777. World Wide Web site: http://www.mentor.com/.

(Mentor Graphics and Capital are registered trademarks of Mentor Graphics Corporation. Harness is a trademark of Mentor Graphics Corporation. All other company or product names are the registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective owners.)

'LetsVote' Movement Goes Statewide

The ‘LetsVote’ movement initiated by TiE Hyderabad Chapter and the Citizens of Hyderabad has gained considerable momentum since its launch early December 2008. The movement organizers are all set to take this campaign statewide as elections are drawing closer, with campaigns built around social goodness messages which will engage thousands of people across the state of Andhra Pradesh.

To make the campaign attract wider audience the LetsVote campaigners have organised a ‘Pledge to Vote 5 K Walk’ on April 5, 6:30 AM.

Making the announcement, JA Chowdary, Convener, of LetsVote movement saidthat the forthcoming ‘General Elections’are very important not only for political leaders but also for every citizen of our country. It is an opportunityto each one of us to speak our mindand cast our votes in large numbers. Our objective is totakethis awarenessto every nook and cornerof India, to motivate people to cast their votes, and elect the right leaders. Let us all remember that ‘No Vote No Right’.

He also added “the mission of ‘LetsVote’ campaign is to engage and build the power of educated masses and the youthto actively participate in the democratic process. Election statistics showed declining youth and educated masses participation over many years. We hope to turn this figure around and target at least a 5% increase, beginning this General Elections”.

Since its launchLetsVotemovementhas caught the attention of individuals, various corporates, students, Election Commission and people from all walks of life. The LetsVote organisers, organised the message through walks, chats, crickettournaments, and are gearing up to go ona PLEDGE TO VOTE "5K Walk "on April 5th 2009.

‘LetsVote’ created and distributed over 1 lakh free copies of the pamphlet “How to Register for Vote’ in colleges and corporate offices. Hundreds of ‘LetsVote’ volunteers and local partners registered an additional 40, 000 voters in Hyderabad. ‘LetsVote’ sent outmore than a lakh of mobile text messages of ‘Register for Voter ID’ and many people respondedpositively with caller queries and sought information about theVoter registration process.

LetsVote campaignersare giving a clarion call to all the citizens of Hyderabad to come and participate in the Pledge to Vote 5K walk starting at 6:30 AM on April 5th 2009from Necklace Road. This will be followed by its campaign ‘Let’s Go Let’s Vote’ message prior to thepolling dates.

SYSTIME Announces Opening of New Office in France

SYSTIME, a CMS Group Company and the largest Oracle JD Edwards practice globally, has recently announced commencement of their France operations. This investment is aligned to their strategic decision to expand their European business operations in the ERP space.

SYSTIME’s advent in Paris, France along with its European headquarters in London, gives it an expanded network in Europe, allowing proximity to clients and faster response times. Delivering solutions from this near shore facility will also be more convenient and advantageous to clients and will provide customers with seamless service.

"We are excited to start our operations in France and look forward to building our capabilities and providing enhanced value to our clients. JD Edwards customers are looking for Europe based, best in class, off-shoring development and support value propositions and SYSTIME, being the strongest JD Edwards niche player operating globally, caters to this need. With a rapidly expanding customer base in Europe, it had become imperative for SYSTIME to expand its footprint and continue to provide customers with delivery excellence for which SYSTIME is known for", said Rahul Kabade, Head of European Operations.

SYSTIME provides end-to-end IT solutions ranging from JD Edwards to BI to Application Development, to its portfolio of clients and currently services clients primarily in the Manufacturing, Retail and CPG sectors.

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SYSTIME, a 100% subsidiary of the CMS group, is a global business solutions provider delivering high quality reliable services for the past 33 years. Additionally, SYSTIME is the Largest JD Edwards Practice Globally and is an 'Oracle® Certified Advantage Partner'. SYSTIME has been named the Oracle's Partner of the Year since 2006 for JD Edwards Excellence. SYSTIME has also been chosen 'Oracle JD Edwards Partner of the Year, 2007-08' and '2008-09' for India. Besides, SYSTIME is the first partner to have been chosen for Consulting Partner of the Year - BI award for South Asia from Cognos-IBM for FY08.

Comprehensive business and technology expertise and highly experienced personnel allow SYSTIME to deliver innovative business solutions in the areas of ERP, CRM, Business Intelligence, Business Integration, Infrastructure Management, Process and Quality, Testing and Validation, and Retail/Point of Sale.

For more information, please visit: www.SYSTIME.net or e-mail info@SYSTIME.net

SpikeSource to target ISVs in India, with its 'SpikeSource Solutions Factory' platform

SpikeSource, a provider of business-ready solutions, having it’s ‘Centre of Excellence’ at Bangalore, India, has announced its plans (along with its distribution partners) to target Independent Software Vendors( ISVs) in India with the “SpikeSource Solutions Factory” platform, the industry’s first end-to-end automated platform for testing, packaging, certifying and supporting software solutions of all kinds( including open source, proprietary and hybrid solutions) for global distribution.

The SpikeSource Solutions Factory platform is a ground-breaking technology that dramatically reduces the cost of developing, distributing, and supporting software solutions enabling independent software vendors to deliver the highest-quality solutions and reduce their development and support costs. Integrated with distribution networks of the world’s largest technology companies, the SpikeSource Solutions Factory enables ISVs of all sizes to globally market and sell high-quality, channel-ready products at a fraction of the typical cost.

The SpikeSource Solutions Factory enables ISVs to significantly increase its sales and profitability potential through global distribution access and enablement, enhanced product quality, security and interoperability, reduced support costs, reduced development costs and time to market and increased customer trust and confidence.

“In India, ISVs are developing innovative solutions that have significant market potential, yet most of them are achieving only a fraction of their total market potential. The key obstacles are lack of excess to global distributions, limited market awareness, customer reluctance to purchase solutions from unknown providers and customer uncertainty about the quality of the solutions. The SpikeSource Solutions Factory platform helps remove these obstacles”, said Ramesh Shastri, Managing Director India of SpikeSource.

“Along with our distribution partners, the SpikeSource Solutions Factory platform enables ISVs to deliver higher quality, more trust worthy solutions, reduce their development and support costs and increase their sales and profit potential through access to global distributions. It also lets the ISVs off load many resource- intensive development tasks such as monitoring, updating, testing and maintaining the underlying components that the solutions depends on. By leveraging the automated capabilities of the Solutions Factory platform, one can substantially lower the development costs while increasing the quality of the solutions, which also reduces the ongoing support costs”, added Ramesh Shastri.

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About SpikeSource:

For details visit www.spikesource.com

GlobalEnglish to Provide Online English Language Training to Saudi Aramco Employees

GlobalEnglish Corporation (www.GlobalEnglish.com), the leading provider of on-demand learning and support for business English communication, today announced that Saudi Aramco, the national oil company of Saudi Arabia and the leading oil exporter to the world, has signed a multiyear contract to implement the GlobalEnglish Corporate Learning Service™ with thousands of employees.

"We are a global energy company, and fluency in English, the language of the oil and gas industry, is essential for communication within the company and with our business partners around the world," said Nabeel Al-Jama', general manager of Saudi Aramco's Training and Career Development organization. The GlobalEnglish service will be deployed primarily to high school graduates who will be joining Saudi Aramco's apprenticeship and college preparatory programs. In addition, a targeted number of employees will use GlobalEnglish to prepare for their advanced studies at universities outside the Kingdom.

"We are delighted to be working with Saudi Aramco to support the development of the English communication skills of their workforce. Global companies must be able to function as an integrated organization, and the ability to communicate lies at the heart of that," says Deepak Desai, President and CEO of GlobalEnglish Corporation. Ninety-one percent of employees in global companies indicate English is required or important to do their job, yet only seven percent of them indicate their current level of English is sufficient. "With the GlobalEnglish online service, we help companies address this issue in a cost-effective and scalable way," continued Desai.

GlobalEnglish is working in partnership with Naizak Global Engineering Systems to introduce GlobalEnglish to multinational companies in Saudi Arabia and promote the benefits of the GlobalEnglish online solution for developing business English competence, increasing employee productivity, and reducing costs.

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About GlobalEnglish Corporation

GlobalEnglish is the leading provider of online assessment, learning, and support for business English communication for the world's top companies. We offer a scalable, on-demand solution that helps employees improve their ability to communicate effectively in English and enables companies to succeed in the global marketplace.

The GlobalEnglish Corporate Learning Service™ provides learners with a unique blend of rich course content, progress assessment, and performance support. The service also offers live, real-time access to qualified English teachers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via voice and text. And a complete suite of administration tools helps companies easily manage, measure, and track performance across the organization.

GlobalEnglish complements its world-class online Corporate Learning Service with a full range of implementation services, including a team of global consultants who partner with clients to ensure success. GlobalEnglish is the preferred choice of the world's largest companies, including BNP Paribas, Capgemini, Cisco, Deloitte, Deutsche Telekom, GSK, Hewlett-Packard, Hilton, John Deere, Procter & Gamble, Reuters, Unisys, and Wyeth.

For more information, please visit www.GlobalEnglish.com.

GlobalEnglish is a registered trademark, and the GlobalEnglish logo and Corporate Learning Service are trademarks of GlobalEnglish Corporation.

Contact:
Danielle Busack Miguez
Director of Marketing
+1.650.246.6114
danielle.miguez@globalenglish.com

"Made in India" set to align with Global Quality Standards

Envisioned to make quality a way of life, Intertek systems certification, a leading provider of quality and safety solutions to industries around the world has received the ISO/IEC 17021:2006 accreditation. The Dutch Accreditation Council RvA and National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies India has given this accreditation to Intertek for conducting the third party assessments. Intertek systems certification is one of the first to receive this accreditation in India, which has now been made a compulsory procedure for all certification bodies providing such services.

Certification of management systems is a third-party conformity assessment activity and is therefore performed by third-party conformity assessment bodies. The ISO/IEC 17021:2006 is used as a criterion document for accreditation. It contains principles and requirements for the competence, consistency and impartiality of the audit and certification of management systems of all types of quality management systems or environmental management systems and for bodies providing these activities.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Rajesh Saigal, Regional Director, Intertek, India said, “We're pleased to have successfully demonstrated Intertek’s commitment to the progression of management-system certification. The important steps taken to achieve these accreditations signify our continued dedication to our clients and the management-systems industry. We recognize that as we make strides towards continual improvement, we're better placed to enable our clients to do the same".

He further added, “Our team of dedicated professionals has been working very hard to be where we are today and this accreditation comes as great news for the company as it reiterates the confidence, the industry has invested in Intertek and its services. We look forward to combine our global expertise with our international reach to support customers here in India in their global trade”.

Over the years the role of quality and systems certifications has grown by leaps & bounds giving a huge boost to international trade. India's vast domestic market and availability of low-cost workers with advanced technical skills has been instrumental in developing India as the fourth largest manufacturing base among the emerging economies. This has opened doors for several multinational and Indian companies operating in skill-intensive industries to engage in international trade making it imperative to have quality & safety accreditations from credible bodies like Intertek to meet global standards.

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About Intertek

Intertek is a leading provider of quality and safety solutions serving a wide range of industries around the world. From auditing and inspection, to testing, quality assurance and certification, Intertek people are dedicated to adding value to customers' products and processes, supporting their success in the global marketplace.

Intertek has the expertise, resources and global reach to support its customers through its network of more than 1,000 laboratories and offices and over 23,000 people in 110 countries around the world.

For further information, visit www.intertek.com

BIG 92.7 FM, Delhi and Fashion Design Council of India sign three - year partnership deal

Delhi’s BIG 92.7 FM has entered into an agreement with Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) as the exclusive radio partner for the next three years. BIG FM will be partnering FDCI for the next six consecutive bi-annual ‘India Fashion Week’ to be hosted in the Capital. The deal has been closed for the period of three years from 2009 – 2011.

The partnership will see BIG 92.7 FM Delhi for the next six consecutive seasons partner India’s largest Businessof Fashion platform ‘India Fashion Week’, which hosts the ‘who’s who’ of the fashion and entertainment fraternity across the globe. BIG 92.7 FM as the official radio partner for the gala eventswill run on-air contests and also provide live & interesting trivia of the event to listeners live from the venue. Interesting updates like fashion designer and model interviews, party coverage and regular updates will be part of the programming mix along with tailor made contests for listeners.

Speaking on the occasion Mr. Ashwin Padmanabhan, Station Director, BIG 92.7 FM Delhi said, "We are extremelyhappy to partner with FDCI for the prestigious ‘India Fashion Week’. This partnership re-iterates our commitment to offer listeners relevant and highly engaging entertainment. Our effort at BIG 92.7 FM is to create exciting content around the fashion week which will be entertaining and exciting for our listeners. The innovative programming, interactivity and interesting contests centered around the India Fashion Week, are sure to ensure high listener involvement on the Station.”

Speaking on the occasion Mr Sunil Sethi, President, FDCI said, “We are happy to have Big 92.7 FM Delhi as radio partner of our flagship event Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week. Radio by far has been one of the earliest media vehicles with an excellent reach in this digital era and this channel happens to be a front runner. The channel is exciting and full of lively programmes round the clock and we are sure our Event is going to go places via Big 92.7 FM Delhi.”

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BIG 92.7 FM, India’s No. 1 FM Station and a Radio initiative from Adlabs Films Ltd., since its first station launch in September 2006, has expanded at a phenomenal pace creating history by launching its 45 station network in 18 months, including an FM station in Singapore. Having completed its goal of a pan India presence spanning across 45 cities, 1000 towns and 50,000 villages to reach 200 million Indians across India, the brand is now looking towards expanding to more cities within the country as well as overseas. The brand has taken FM as a medium of entertainment beyond the metros, to virgin markets, offering consumers and advertisers a new experience of this medium of entertainment. Within a short span of time with distinctive content and innovative promotion, BIG 92.7 FM has established leadership in the FM space and firmly laid the foundation for an exciting future ahead.

ETS Launches TOEFL® TV Channel on YouTube®

ETS officials announced the launch of TOEFL TV and indicated it was the official TOEFL channel on YouTube. The channel features user-generated videos created by the TOEFL TV team and other YouTube users. These include videos by teachers and students giving tips for improving English-language skills, videos by universities and other institutions that accept TOEFL scores about why they use the test, and videos by students about how they prepared for the test.

“Millions of people worldwide are learning English to achieve their academic and career goals,” says Philip Tabbiner, Senior Vice President, Global Division. “TOEFL TV is one way to help bring them together in an online community to help them achieve those goals.”

Registered YouTube users can add videos to the channel by adding them to a Group, where they will be reviewed and approved by ETS before posting. Teachers who are attending the Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) conference in Denver on March 26-28 can record their tip at the TOEFL TV studio in the conference exhibit hall.

“One of the best ways to learn English is to interact with other English speakers, and YouTube allows students to do that through video,” says Gena Netten, TOEFL Brand Manager and former ESL Teacher. “Not only will nonnative English speakers be getting tips about how to improve their English, they will also be able to make their own videos to practice.”

“Of course we want these videos to be fun and helpful for students to view,” Netten adds. “And we also believe that teachers can incorporate these videos into their lessons as teaching tools.”

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At nonprofit ETS, we advance quality and equity in education for people worldwide by creating assessments based on rigorous research. ETS serves individuals, educational institutions and government agencies by providing customized solutions for teacher certification, English-language learning, and elementary, secondary and post-secondary education, as well as conducting education research, analysis and policy studies. Founded in 1947, ETS develops, administers and scores more than 50 million tests annually — including the TOEFL® and TOEIC® tests, the GRE® test and The Praxis Series™ assessments — in more than 180 countries, at over 9,000 locations worldwide.

Toon Kidz!! Licensing agreements with world famous kidz characters

Toon Kidz is Children's brand which caters not only to apparels but also other products like toys, games, accessories, stationery, etc. Toon Kidz is planning to come with 100 stores by the end of this year. Toon Kidzisplanning to open 100 more outlets including Delhi allover India by the end of this year with their TOON KIDZ Retail Chain. It will be an exclusive retail chian solely for focussed on kids and their everyday requirements. And Toon Kidz will exclusively carry Licensing agreement with World Famous Cartoon Character toattract Kids.Toon Kidz offers a very strong franchise opportunity to the franchise partners and the investment required is only 16 lacs to 25 lacs. The franchise project comes with minimum guaranteed returns at 18% on the setup investments along with the complete monthly overheads. These beautiful stores comes in area of 1000 sq ft. Toon Kidz has opened 25 franchise outlets all over India and planning to have 100 more outlets till the end of this year. Company owns 4 of its outlets.

Now days Children's apparel market is growing rapidly. Trends in the market are fast changing. Children's apparel includes clothing for kids between 1 and 14 years of age. The market for kids' apparel in India exceeds Rs. 20,000 Crore, of which around Rs. 3000 Crore is constituted by branded kids' wear. The kids' wear market is growing at the rate of 10% per annum, which makes it one of the fastest growing markets.

Some major changes in trends are taking place in the market for kids' apparel. One of the important changes is the increasing preference for branded apparel. This shift is taking place on account of changes such as a rise in the disposable income of the people and the increasing influence of foreign culture. The other important change that is taking place in this area is the emergence of kids as an independent buyer group. Influenced by mass media and peer pressure, today's kids are more informed and self-conscious. Armed with this knowledge, popular apparel brand Toon Kidz is coming up with new collections that will appeal to kids. It has made an agreement with Cartoon Network, Pogo and Spacetoons, whereby they can make use of some of their famous cartoon characters in their apparel. The brand is planning to make use of characters like Popeye, Ben10, Bob the Builder, Powerpuff Girls, and Marvel heroes in the new line of children's clothing that they are planning to launch. This collection is to be named Toon Kidz'.

Mr Venkat R.V., MD Toon Kidz said, “This is the first of its kind of store as one stop shop for all kids fashion and fun needs in Asia with over 20 popular characters as a brand and with 14 categories. A novelty in the retail sector in Asia, It gives a wide choice for parents and children not only in apparels but also caters to every other need demanded by modern day lifestyles of kids The USP of the project is that the kids & the parents are both familiar with the labels and the only store which is supported by constant events and electronic media advertising.”

Finally it’s not just clothes or toys, kids have a say in everything the family buys – from toothpastes to SUVs. Most of the times, children know more about brands than their parents and actually drive the deal. From Colour to the companies to the features, they have a say in everything. And parents go by their advice.

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Toon Kidz is Children's brand which caters not only to apparels but also other products like toys, games, accessories, stationery, etc. And Toon Kidz will exclusively carry Licensing agreement with World Famous Cartoon Character toattract Kids.Toon Kidz offers a very strong franchise opportunity to the franchise partners and the investment required is only 16 lacs to 25 lacs. The franchise project comes with minimum guaranteed returns at 18% on the setup investments along with the complete monthly overheads. These beautiful stores comes in area of 1000 sq ft. Toon Kidz has opened 25 franchise outlets all over India and planning to have 100 more outlets till the end of this year. Company owns 4 of its outlets