Category Archives: Business

Business

NextPlane Reports Record Adoption of the NextPlane Federation Cloud Service as More Businesses Shift to External Collaboration

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NextPlane Federation Cloud Accommodates More than 127, 000 Users and 280 million Messages across Multiple UC Platforms over 30-day Period.

SUNNYVALE, Calif. (June 27, 2012) — In May, NextPlane, Inc., the market leader in cloud-based federation services for unified communications (UC), posted a record month connecting more businesses than ever into federated business communities through the NextPlane Federation Cloud service. NextPlane federated UC traffic exceeded a quarter of a billion messages during the month, illustrating the growing demand for federation between disparate UC platforms to enable real-time, collaborative business communities using cloud computing.

Forward-looking global organizations in a number of industries, including manufacturing, automotive, oil and gas, media, pharmaceuticals and financial services, are integrating the NextPlane Federation Cloud into their enterprise business strategy. During the month, the NextPlane Federation Cloud service federated a total of:

– 1,090 unique domains, connecting more than
– 127,925 unique users, and more than
– 280 million IM, multi-user chat and presence messages transited the NextPlane service.

This highlights the increase in demand for a solution that brings users locked in siloed unified communications platforms together in a collaborative business community. NextPlane offers the only cloud-based presence, IM, multi-user chat, voice and video federation service. The NextPlane Federation Cloud service provides the ability to federate with the widest reach of business partners – supporting all major UC platforms including Microsoft LCS, OCS, OCS R2 and Lync, Cisco Jabber XCP, CUPS and Webex Connect, IBM Sametime, Google Apps, Jive OpenFire, ISODE M-Link and eJabberd. In addition, NextPlane Federation Cloud members benefit from enhanced services such as guaranteed service levels, policies, and a wide variety of reporting and analytics tools.

“Unified communications speeds time-to-market with real-time collaboration, and our cloud-based solution breaks down the interoperability barriers between UC platforms,” said Farzin Shahidi, Founder and CEO of NextPlane. “More businesses are realizing that building federated partner communities using presence, chat, voice, and video has a competitive advantage and saves them time and money.”

According to a study by Fonality, using unified communications saves workers 75 percent of the time they normally waste trying to track down associates and information, and 50 percent of the time wasted trying to contact customers. The same study indicates that if you calculate the value of unified communications for 50 workers, each earning an average salary of $40,000 per year, the savings in productivity would be $942,000 annually. When you calculate the value of those UC efficiencies by expanding collaboration with federation to business partners, the savings in time and money multiply exponentially.

The NextPlane Federation Cloud service accelerates building federated business communities by eliminating the need to set up and maintain separate federation to multiple partners. In addition, NextPlane Federation Cloud subscribers enjoy unprecedented control over which types of traffic (IM, presence, voice, video, and file transfer) are allowed or denied across any of their federated partners. Finally, using NextPlane’s unique analytics and reporting tools, companies are gaining valuable insight into how collaboration with their federated partner community is driving their business.

To demonstrate the value of the NextPlane Federation Cloud to build collaborative business communities, NextPlane is offering a 30-day trial to qualifying organizations. For more information, visit http://www.nextplane.net.

About NextPlane, Inc.
NextPlane offers the NextPlane Federation Could service for unified communications (UC) platforms, seamlessly federating Microsoft LCS, OCS, OCS R2 and Lync, Cisco Jabber XCP, CUPS and Webex Connect, IBM Sametime, Google Apps, Jive OpenFire, ISODE M-Link and eJabberd. Using the NextPlane Federation Cloud service, organizations can connect users from different companies regardless of underlying UC platforms – with shared presence, instant messaging, multi-user chat, voice and video – as if they are on the same UC platform.

NextPlane offers an ideal solution for companies migrating from one UC platform to another, or to integrate different legacy platforms following a company merger or a new contract or partnership. NextPlane even supports domain sharing, allowing two or more UC platforms to federate internally and externally using the same domain name.

For more information please visit http://www.nextplane.net, or contact sales at sales@nextplane.net.

Contact:
Farzin Shahidi
NextPlane, Inc.
(650) 305-7404
farzin@nextplane.net

Tom Woolf
Woolf Media & Marketing
(415) 259-5638
tomw@woolfmedia.com

Business

Creative Gazebos Selected as Gazebo of Choice for US Government Contract for Third Year in a Row

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Creative Gazebos by Limerock Gazebos has been selected on the basis of price, quality and selection to provide Gazebos to US military and base locations for a third consecutive year. Gazebos are effective and attractive structures which serve well as event and waiting areas, employee break structures, and for adding a bit of charm and scenic relief.

Lancaster County, PA, June 21, 2012 (Straight Line PR) — Limerock Gazebos, an Amish gazebo manufacturer in the heart of Amish country, Lancaster County Pennsylvania, was awarded a renewed contract for supplying and making gazebos available to US military bases for another year, and was awarded this contract through their dealer network and association with Specialty Prefab.

“We chose Creative Gazebos (Limerock Gazebos line) for their quality,” says Eric Kinney of Specialty Prefab. “Their kits have always been easy to set up, and the 2012 kits and product are the best we’ve found. They are perfect for our government customers, because they’re built to last.”

Gazebo owners can select between wood or vinyl, and can cover the sides with screens or windows. Just covering three sides facing the most common wind direction is usually sufficient. Because side covers are held in place by two vertical slats it’s a simple task to set them up as needed. Vinyl gazebos ( http://creativegazebos.com/vinylgazeboshome.html ) are similarly equipped.

There is a long history of using gazebos as a quick-to-set-up structure on military bases. Over the years, a few stories have developed surrounding them. Kinney recounts one story regarding gazebos and the “that’s how it’s always been done” mentality… such as the regular posting of a guard at the Fort Monroe Army Base’s gazebo. When the question came up asking what the purpose for the guard was, the answer was “that’s the way it’s always been.”

It turns out that, after investigating the matter further, the original posting of the guard was because the gazebo had been freshly painted and they didn’t want anyone accidentally messing up the wet paint.

Limerock says of the Creative Gazebos ( http://www.creativegazebos.com/ ) product line: “They’re versatile, attractive, strong and easy to set up. The kits ship to our dealers and can be quickly set up with with easy to follow plans, and come expertly packaged and protected for shipping, usually on a single pallet.”

Limerock has been manufacturing and distributing their Gazebo designs nationally through their dealer network for over 20 years. “It’s a family business,” says Ben Stoltzfus of Limerock, who started the business himself. Over the years Limerock gazebos has added to their original gazebo kits ( http://www.creativegazebos.com/gazebo-kits.html ) product line and offers pergolas, pergola kits ( http://www.creativegazebos.com/pergola-kit.html ), and other outdoor wood structures for almost any need.

About Limerock Gazebos:
Limerock Gazebos is located in the heart of Lancaster County, PA. This family owned business has been constructing quality gazebos since 1996.

The company employs an excellent team of skilled Amish craftsmen (most have grown up on family farms). Their shop is equipped with modern woodworking machinery, ready to handle any custom project. The Limerock Gazebos team is dedicated to the highest standards of quality, in each and every gazebo and pergola, using checklists throughout the process, to ensure customer satisfaction.

Limerock Gazebos can be contacted through their website at http://www.CreativeGazebos.com

About Specialty Prefab
Specialty Prefab is an authorized dealer for Creative Gazebos™ by Limerock Gazebos, with a network of installers covering all the western states. The company also provides lumber, fencing, steel products, fasteners & other building materials to larger dealers and government contracts.

The company has done a great deal of work in Alaska and Hawaii, but has also installed gazebos as far away as West Virginia and South Carolina.

Specialty Prefab cab be contacted for bids on custom wood products for larger projects as well as pricing for the Creative Gazebos line of pergolas, outdoor pavilions and wood or vinyl gazebos. Contact Specialty Prefab through their website at http://www.SpecialtyPrefab.com

Please contact http://www.PressReleaseNation.com for corrections or updates.

Contact:
David Lockman
RichContent
9734 Lincoln Lane
Blaine, WA 98230
360.312.4312
dlock@richcontent.tv
http://www.RichContent.com

Business

New Flag Display cases for 4th of July by Flag connections

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FlagsConnections specializes in flag cases and military gifts, for both those serving in the armed forces and their families at home.

Deer Park, NY, June 27, 2012 – FlagsConnections is a patriotic company dedicated to honoring those who have faithfully served their country in the armed forces, be it Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, heroes of both retired military and the fallen, with a prominent line of handsome, custom made U.S. flags, memorial flag cases, shadow boxes and flag boxes. FlagsConnections specializes in flag cases and military gifts, for both those serving in the armed forces and their families at home.

So elegant is their design, so trustworthy is their service that the United States has chosen FlagsConnections to supply flag cases for the families of our fallen heroes serving in the armed forces. In 2004, FlagsConnections had the honor of being selected to provide the flag case for President Reagan’s burial flag.

FlagsConnections offers this same flag case design in solid walnut, hand crafted. Engraved with the name and rank of your veteran loved one, it is sure to become a treasured keepsake for generations of your family to come.

The hand rubbed walnut finish, beveled glass front with the Great Seal of the United States completes the look of this case which can be proudly displayed in any home and comes complete with wall mountable hardware.

Also built by FlagsConnections’ skilled craftsmen is the 3 Bay Military Box, allowing for the display of 1-3 flags – providing a display space for the American flag, Military Officers’ flag and medal display space to hold military insignia worn by your loved one and other memorabilia, making an excellent retirement gift as well as a conversational piece for any living room.

FlagsConnections also offers the American Flag Case Pedestal which features solid American walnut with its heirloom walnut finish for an American flag frame, beveled glass with a golden Great Seal of the United States, complete with a personalized engraving of the name and rank of your loved one – a beautiful way to pay tribute to a brave fallen hero in your family that you can be proud of.

FlagsConnections is committed to providing the most excellent of customer service, particularly to those who have served us bravely, offering 24-hour shipping on most of their items. For this reason, FlagsConnections honors military accounts. Feel free to inquire about their CCR and DnB numbers.

Contact:
David Elgavisch
Net Connections
1940 Deer Park Ave Suite 372
Deer Park, NY 11729
631-254-8393
david@netconnections.org
http://www.flagsconnections.com

Business

TripInsurance.com Expands Offering with Improved, Direct-to-Consumer Travel Insurance Policies from Old Republic

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New “Better” and “Good” Travel Insurance Packages Offer Consumers Better Coverage at Reduced Cost Since They Buy Direct from the Underwriter.

LOS GATOS, Calif. (June 26, 2012) — TripInsurance.com, the most trusted online resource to help travelers find the trip coverage they need, today announced that insurance partner Old Republic Insurance Company has upgraded the travel insurance policies it offers through TripInsurance.com. The new “good” and “better” insurance packages offered by Old Republic now offer improved coverage for travel delays, emergency medical expenses, and personal belongings, at even greater savings.

“Old Republic is one of our most valued partners, and upgrading these policies clearly demonstrates how much additional value customers can get by buying direct using our online service,” said Dan Skilken, founder and CEO of TripInsurance.com. “We deliberately tier our coverage as Good, Better, and Best to make it easier for travelers to find the level of coverage that best meets their travel needs. And because we work so closely with underwriters like Old Republic, we are able to negotiate exclusive travel policies at exclusive rates and pass those deals along to our customers.”

For consumers looking for a great deal in travel insurance, the Old Republic Insurance “good” policy offered through TripInsurance.com now offers trip cancellation and trip interruption coverage for the full cost of the trip, as well as $500 trip delay coverage. It also includes $10,000 for medical expenses and $20,000 for emergency evacuation with 24/7 travel assistance included. There also is $500 in coverage for loss of baggage and personal effects.

For those seeking “better” coverage, at the next level Old Republic includes complete trip cancellation coverage with coverage of 150% of the cost for trip interruption. It also includes $50,000 for medical expenses and $100,000 coverage for emergency medical evacuation, and $1,000 coverage for personal effects and baggage. The “better” package also includes $25,000 for accidental death and dismemberment.

About TripInsurance.com
TripInsurance.com is the online resource for comprehensive and affordable travel insurance. Most travelers really don’t understand the details and benefits of travel insurance, and buy based on recommendations from a travel agent or a third party. TripInsurance.com simplifies buying travel insurance by providing comparison-shopping online for the best coverage at the lowest prices. TripInsurance.com is committed to making insurance terms easy to understand, providing the best available coverage categorized by customers’ specific needs, and allowing travelers to buy direct from leading underwriters to achieve savings of 40% or more. The company is fully licensed for Property and Casualty, Life, and Accident and Health insurance in all 50 states, and the staff are fully trained and licensed insurance professionals.

For more information, visit http://www.tripinsurance.com.

Contact:
Dan Skilken
TripInsurance.com
(408) 337-2345
info@tripinsurance.com

Tom Woolf
Gumas Advertising
(415) 621-7575
twoolf@gumas.com

Business

Team Sisel Knights is one of the Fastest Growing Teams in Sisel International

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Dan Block has found a lot of success in the MLM industry and he credits this success to hard work, innovation, and finding the strengths in his team mates and utilizing them to build strong teams.

Springville, Utah June 24, 2012 – Team Sisel Knights is one of the fastest growing teams in sisel International. Dan Block founder of http://www.nonrecruitable.com has branded his team the Sisel Knights. The Sisel Knights is an acronym standing for K.N.I.G.H.T.S. Knowing Now I’ve Got the Hottest Thing with Sisel. Dan Block has found a lot of success in the MLM industry and he credits this success to hard work, innovation, and finding the strengths in his team mates and utilizing them to build strong teams. Manuel Leon AKA Manny Leon has spent the past 13 months designing specific material for building Sisel for the Sisel Knights team over 100 websites built for lead generation and funneling to the Sisel Knights Team. Jeff Fluck has lost over 100 pounds with Sisel products and has personally enrolled over 100 people in 3 months.

Mr. Universe Jeff Primm will soon be heading up Weight Loss Wednesdays with Dan Block on a national scale. J.R. Hill one of the newest Sisel Knights has built teams into the tens of thousands and has near million dollar years within the industry. J.R. Hill chose to work with the Knights because of their marketing strategies for Sisel. Donnie Renton is another veteran to the MLM industry having his best success in YTB earning a 6 figure income there is also very excited to be working with the Sisel Knights. Maurice Talton is another Sisel Knight whom is a personal trainer and has seen so many people having high results on Sisel Products. Maurice Talton has been working within the industry for 10 years and has only built with Dan Block for the past 2 years where he has seen actual pay checks. Dan Block is excited to be working with Maurice Talton due to his connections to so many professional athletes and celebrities. Gerry Schroeder and Clayton Wilson have both recently chosen to team up with the Sisel Knights in their effort to take Sisel to the next Level. Dan Block is heading up Money Monday’s, Toxin Free Tuesdays, Weight loss Wednesdays, and Take back your life Thursday trainings on local level and soon to be broadcast live via streaming.

Dan Block
Rockford, IL
Danblock317@gmail.com
815-980-0664
Skype block6525

Dan Block says his philosophy on Sisel Knights is to allow branding to everyone within the organization. Once a Team Mate hits the rank of 1 star master Dan Block will do a write up on the team mate and have a knighting ceremony, this will give the Sisel distributor extra personalized training to go to the next level plus exposure on the web. As Dan Block drives traffic back to the site people will gather all the info they can on Sisel whether it is product info, comp plan, or connect with someone they may be interested in building a business with. If you are looking for a team to join Sisel Knights have the right people lined up to help you move forward. In Fact Dan Block has interested people interview with at least 3 different Knights to see which Knight they would like to work with and that Knight is expected to give you a new recruit within 7 days of joining the business.

Contact:
Dan Block
Sisel Knights
Rockton IL 61072
815-980-0664
Danblock317@gmail.com
http://www.nonrecruitable.com

Business

Tom Mower Sr. Prison Camp Training coming soon

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Dan Block and Tom Mower Sr. present Tom Mower prison camp training in Utah.

Springville, Utah, June 24, 2012 – Tom Mower Sr. Prison Camp coming soon. Dan Block and Tom Mower Sr. present Tom Mower prison camp training in Utah. Tom Mower Sr. home is safer than a Federal Prison! Located on 1,000s of acres in the mountains it is 62,000 sq ft and it is the safest place in the world. Dan Block and is dynamic training team Sisel Knights have decided to do a break free from your prison training in Tom Mower Sr. prison complex.

This will be your chance to train with one of the top trainers in Sisel and Tom Mower Sr himself. You will be locked in a room with other people wanting to free themselves from their prison. Either you are in a 6ft by 6ft cubicle prison cell or maybe you are not able to do the things you want because you are limited by the cash flow prison. So many people live their lives pay check to pay check and over 80% of divorces are due to finances. Sisel is one of the most powerful opportunities in the world to break free of your personal prison if you know how to build Sisel the right way. This training will be all about Gorilla Marketing and using Facebook and belly to belly techniques plus in depth product training. Tom Mower Sr will lock you in his prison and give you so much knowledge on Sisel international’s products that when you are set free you will want to tell everyone and reconnect into the real world with such excitement that you will be on your way to huge success in Sisel.

Tom Mower Sr. prison Camp will be a life changing event you won’t want to miss. To learn of the next Tom Mower sr Prison camp training in Tom Mower Sr. home visit http://www.tommowerprison.com . Tom Mower prison camp is already changing people’s lives. Remember if you are chosen to go to the Tom Mower prison camp you will not have any contact with the outside world at all. Your cellphones will not work up in the mountains there will be no TV or Radio’s to listen too. You will be dropped in the middle of nowhere hundreds of miles from civilization in a mountain called Mower Mountain and have the chance to learn all about Sisel from the top trainers and Tom Mower Sr himself.

Tom Mower prison camp trainings are some of the very best trainings in the industry no video or any other recording devices allowed at the event. However you can take as many notes as possible. All Tom Mower Sr prison camp trainings are limited to 200 cellmates. If you want to break free of your personal prison Tom Mower Prison camp training is the best training for you to have success.

Contact:
Dan Block
Rockton IL 61072
815-980-0664
Danblock317@gmail.com

If you are interested in the going to the next Tom Mower Sr prison camp visit http://www.tommowerprison.com for more info.

Contact:
Dan Block
Tom Mower Prison Camp
Rockton, IL 61072
815-980-0664
Danblock317@gmail.com
http://www.tommowerprison.com

Business

Meet The Speed Traders’ Edgar Perez, the World’s Most Sought-After High-Frequency Trading Expert

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Edgar Perez, Author, The Speed Traders: An Insider’s Look at the New High-Frequency Trading Phenomenon That is Transforming the Investing World, Published by in English by McGraw-Hill Inc. (2011, and Mandarin by China Financial Publishing House (2012).

New York City, NY, USA (June 25, 2012) — There are a number of people who have expertise in the field of high-frequency trading, the execution of a significant number of financial transactions in short time frames to capture small price discrepancies. But while there are many experts, not all of them are great presenters; even more so, not all of them have the international stature that Edgar Perez, author of The Speed Traders, has quickly acquired after extensively traveling the world and presenting to audiences of practitioners and academics in America, Europe and Asia, in addition to being featured in the most influential international business publications.

Perez is widely regarded as the preeminent global expert in the specialized area of high-frequency trading. He wrote The Speed Traders, An Insider’s Look at the New High-Frequency Trading Phenomenon That is Transforming the Investing World, published in English by McGraw-Hill Inc. (2011), in Mandarin by China Financial Publishing House (2012) and currently being translated into Bahasa Indonesia and Portuguese. The Speed Traders (http://www.TheSpeedTraders.com) quickly became the most comprehensive, revealing work available on the most important development in trading in generations; The Speed Traders explains everything there is to know about how today’s high-frequency traders make millions, one cent at a time.

Perez is also course director of The Speed Traders Workshop 2012, How High Frequency Traders Leverage Profitable Strategies to Find Alpha in Equities, Options, Futures and FX (http://www.TheSpeedTradersWorkshop.com), seminars scheduled in Hong Kong, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, Warsaw, Kiev, New York, Singapore, Beijing, Shanghai, Jakarta, London, Mexico City, Moscow, Ho Chi Minh, New York, Dubai and Chicago. He was Adjunct Professor at the Polytechnic Institute of New York University, where he taught Algorithmic Trading and High-Frequency Finance. Perez contributes regularly to China’s International Finance News.

Perez has been interviewed on CNBC Cash Flow, CNBC Squawk Box, BNN Business Day, CCTV China, Bankier.pl, TheStreet.com, Leaderonomics, GPW Media, Channel NewsAsia Business Tonight and Cents & Sensibilities. In addition, Perez has been featured on Caixin, Futures Daily, Xinhua, CBN Newswire, Chinese Financial News, ifeng.com, International Finance News, hexun.com, Finance.QQ.com, Finance.Sina.com, The Korea Times, The Korea Herald, The Star, BMF 89.9, iMoney Hong Kong, CNBC, Bloomberg Hedge Fund Brief, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Dallas Morning News, Valor Econômico, FIXGlobal Trading, TODAY Online, Oriental Daily News and Business Times.

Perez has been engaged to present to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (Washington DC), CFA Singapore, Hong Kong Securities Institute, Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences at New York University, University of International Business and Economics (Beijing), Hult International Business School (Shanghai) and Pace University (New York), among other public and private institutions. In addition, Perez has spoken at a number of global conferences, including Harvard Business School’s Venture Capital & Private Equity Conference (Boston), High-Frequency Trading Leaders Forum (New York, Chicago), MIT Sloan Investment Management Conference (Cambridge), Institutional Investor’s Global Growth Markets Forum (London), Technical Analysis Society (Singapore), TradeTech Asia (Singapore), FIXGlobal Face2Face (Seoul) and Private Equity Convention Russia, CIS & Eurasia (London).

Perez was a vice president at Citigroup, a senior consultant at IBM, and a strategy consultant at McKinsey & Co. in New York City. Perez has an undergraduate degree from Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería, Lima, Peru (1994), a Master of Administration from Universidad ESAN, Lima, Peru (1997) and a Master of Business Administration from Columbia Business School, New York, with a dual major in Finance and Management (2002). He belongs to the Beta Gamma Sigma honor society. Perez resides in the New York City area and is an accomplished salsa and hustle dancer.

For more information about Perez and The Speed Traders, readers are invited to visit his website http://www.TheSpeedTraders.com or follow him on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/TheSpeedTraders), Linkedin (http://www.linkedin.com/in/EdgarPerez), Twitter (http://twitter.com/MrEdgarPerez), Weibo (http://www.weibo.com/EdgarPerez), Sohu (http://EdgarPerez.t.sohu.com) and Tencent (http://t.qq.com/EdgarPerez). For speaking engagements, requests can be submitted to jpetrova@thespeedtraders.com.

Media Contact:
Julia Ye
Media Relations Coordinator
The Speed Traders
516-761-4712
jye@thespeedtraders.com
http://www.thespeedtraders.com

Business, Energy

FPL Uses Infrared Technology to keep Service Reliability in the Top 25 Percent of Utilities Nationwide

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“What I like best about my job is knowing that I’m making a difference for FPL customers every day and helping to deliver affordable and reliable power,” said Florida Power & Light’s Delivery Assurance Lead, Eli Cueto.

Juno Beach, FL (June 23, 2012) — Florida Power & Light‘s Delivery Assurance Lead, Eli Cueto, can see things most of us would never even notice. He sees problems before they develop. Think of him as a detective who patrols the electric grid.

“Doing this, I get to fulfill a lot of things that I like, which is field work, and investigating and uncovering potential problems,” he says.

This detective’s tool of choice? An advanced infrared camera, which he carries in a black suitcase as he patrols the power lines across Florida in his FPL van.

“If you’re looking at a section of an overhead line, everything could appear fine,” he says. “You could look at it with binoculars and still everything looks good.”

Cueto says if he stopped there, and relied only on his eyesight, he would miss the most important evidence of all – the clue that’s the key to delivering reliable service. Opening his suitcase and flipping on his infrared camera, Cueto reveals what’s really going on inside the fuse switch, fixed 60 feet high atop an FPL pole.

“The way it works is that the camera picks up the infrared energy being displayed, so the brighter the color, the hotter the temperature,” Cueto says, pointing to a purplish image on the camera screen.

In the center of the image, he points to a bright white circle. “What we are seeing right here is a hot fuse switch. We can see it right here on the camera that it is overheating. The temperature, it’s over 150 degrees, so we know that it’s a candidate for replacement.”

Cueto returns to his office and uploads the infrared image to his computer. He calls up a database that provides more information about the specific pole and switch. The information he discovers helps him create a work order for his team, which can then perform preventive maintenance on the equipment and avoid a potential outage for customers. Like a good detective, Cueto followed the clues, determined the cause and cracked the case.

“I think FPL sets a standard, because we actually take the initiative to go out there and evaluate all the facilities that we have,” says Cueto. He is part of a team of 26 FPL employees and contractors who use infrared technology to help provide reliable service.

“What I like best about my job is knowing that I’m making a difference for FPL customers every day and helping to deliver affordable and reliable power.”

To view photos and video of FPL’s infrared technology, visit http://www.fpl.com/newsroom.

Eli Cueto joined FPL in 2005 and began his career as a meter reader. He later worked in the Distribution service planning area first, as an associate project designer, assisting with trouble tickets and working on projects to help improve service reliability, and later, as a customer project manager, helping plan for power delivery to new and existing construction. In December 2010, Cueto transitioned into his current delivery assurance lead position, where his focus day in and day out is preventing problems to help ensure service reliability.

Media Contact:
FPL Media Line
Florida Power & Light Company
700 Universe Blvd.
Juno Beach, FL 33408
305-552-3888
kristy.kennedy@rbbpr.com
http://www.fpl.com

Business

Wood Resources Quarterly Figures show strong Timber Demand, claims FRA

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New figures from Wood Resources Quarterly show that China’s wood imports have increased hugely over the past ten years – which is great news for those investing in sustainable forestry, claims FRA.

Seattle, United States, June 23, 2012 — New figures from Wood Resources Quarterly show that China’s wood imports have increased hugely over the past ten years – which is great news for those investing in sustainable forestry, claims Forestry Research Associates (FRA).

Although Chinese timber imports for the first quarter of 2012 were down slightly, imports of logs have increased almost every year for ten years. The reason behind the growing demand has been the country’s expanding economy and house building. As a result China has become the world’s largest importer of sawlogs, according to the report.

In addition, the report showed that the US is now providing more of China’s timber imports, while Russia and New Zealand are exporting less to China. The reduction in the import of Russian timber could be partly down to the fact that Russia has increased taxed on exported lumber.

China’s lumber imports were 15 times higher in 2011 than they were in 2001 – demonstrating the major growth in demand from the emerging economy. The value of the timber imported to China is now around $8 billion, up from just $630 million in 2001.

“This increase in demand from China has led to an increase in the return that timber investors see after buying up sections of plantations – through firms like Greenwood Management – or through investing in forestry fund,” explained FRA’s analysis partner, Peter Collins.

FRA, a research and analysis consultancy specializing in sustainable forestry investment analysis, claims that investing in timberland is still a good bet for those who would like to diversify their portfolio. “Forestry and wood prices tend not to follow general economic trends – so if the stock markets are losing value, chances are, your timber investments will be holding up well,” explained Mr Collins.

FRA claims that Greenwood Management, along with several other timberland investment companies, offer an ethical investment choice for those who want a tangible asset in return for their investment.

About Forestry Research Associates

Forestry Research Associates is a research and advisory consultancy that focuses on forestry management, sustainability issues and forestry investment around the globe.

Media Contact:
Peter Collins
Forestry Research Associates
620 Vineyard Lane
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
(206) 316 8394
info@forestry-research.com
http://www.forestry-research.com

Business

Morgan Stanley Impact Investment Platform attracts support from AAA

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AAA is speaking out in support of the launch of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney’s Investing and Impact Platform, which is intended to make it easier for investors to put their money into socially responsible projects.

Boston, MA, USA, June 23, 2012 — Alternative Asset Analysis (AAA) is speaking out in support of the launch of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney’s Investing and Impact Platform, which is intended to make it easier for investors to put their money into socially responsible projects.

The investments offered through the platform are intended to be socially and environmentally responsible while offering risk-adjusted financial returns. “The project should enable more financial advisers offer a wide range of impact investing products to the masses and not just the wealthy”, explained AAA’s analysis partner, Anthony Johnson.

AAA claims that the market for impact investing is growing, with one in every eight dollars in the US invested in projects that are considered to have corporate and societal responsibility at their center. This totals a huge $3.07 trillion in value terms and shows that people do want to make responsible decisions that align their financial goals with their personal ethics.

Mr Johnson added, “The more products available, for those interested in impact investing, the better.

“We are seeing more and more individuals and even institutional investors looking for ways to make a difference while they make money and these kinds of platforms make it easier to do so.”

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney’s Paul Hatch, added, “With over 4 million clients who have more than $1.7 trillion of investable assets, we are in a unique position to extend the reach of an ‘investing with impact’ program to one of the largest sets of investors in the world.

“Even a fraction of this total represents a substantial amount that could be invested in support of the common good.”

AAA supports a range of ethical investment funds and projects and is especially keen to promote forestry investment as a profitable and ethical options. Mr Johnson explained, “investing in plantations, like the ones run by Greenwood Management and other firms in Brazil, offers a great diversifier for any portfolio and can also help to safeguard the future of sustainable forestry for generations to come.”

About Alternative Asset Analysis:
The remit of Alternative Asset Analysis is to analyse and provide news on the global performance of a wide range of alternative asset classes including, but not restricted to, commodities, real estate, forestry, foreign exchange, hedge funds, private equity and venture capital.

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