All posts by staronepr

AAA claims PPF timberland panel shows alternatives are attractive

In a move that further underlines the attractiveness of forestry investments, according to AAA, the Pension Protection Fund is establishing a dedicated panel for forestry and agricultural investments.

Boston, MA, USA, February 13, 2012 — In a move that further underlines the attractiveness of forestry investments, according to Alternative Asset Analysis (AAA), the Pension Protection Fund is establishing a dedicated panel for forestry and agricultural investments.

The fund, which is worth well over $10 billion, has issued tenders for managers to sit on the panel, which will be dedicated to making decisions about growing and selling timber and investing in agricultural land.

This is just the latest in a line of panels that have been set up to concentrate on investing in alternative asset classes, which are becoming much more attractive as the stock market remains volatile.

AAA is a supporter of timber investment and particularly investment into sustainable plantation projects in developing countries. Its analysis partner, Anthony Johnson, explained, “As well as providing investors with the peace of mind that only comes with making ethical investment choices, investing in timberland can be extremely lucrative.”

Average returns from forestry investments have easily exceeded returns from equities in the past decade or so. In addition, anyone investing in timber has the added benefit of being able to sit on their investment and watch it grow if the market is not good when it’s time to sell.

“If timber prices are low when an investor’s timber stock reaches maturity, they can simply hold onto it for as long as they wish, in order to sell it when prices recover,” added Mr Johnson.

“In the meantime,” he continued, “their trees will grow by a further eight per cent per year, adding to the value of the timber.”

Most plantation schemes, like that run by Greenwood Management in Brazil, for example, grow non-native, fast-growing species such as acacia, eucalyptus and teak, that are popular for specific purposes such as the manufacture of charcoal or in the construction of homes or for furniture making.

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.

Media Contact:
Anthony Johnson
Alternative Asset Analysis
71 Commercial St
Boston, MA 02109-1320
617-939-9596
info@alternativeassetanalysis.com
http://www.alternativeassetanalysis.com

Zevrix Releases Output Factory for InDesign: Output Automation Solution

Zevrix Solutions announces Output Factory 1.0, its new solution to automate output from Adobe InDesign. Output Factory automates printing, exporting and post-processing from InDesign, and is the major upgrade of the company’s widely popular plug-in BatchOutput. In addition to output of multiple files, single page export and variable file names, Output Factory offers array of new powerful solutions, such as layer versioning, preflighting, workflow presets and processing history.

Toronto (ON), Canada – February 10, 2012 – Zevrix Solutions today announces the release of Output Factory 1.0, a new professional solution to automate printing, exporting and post-processing from Adobe InDesign. Output Factory is the major upgrade of the company’s widely popular plug-in BatchOutput which automates and simplifies workflows of printers, prepress bureaus, design agencies and publishing houses worldwide.

Whether users need to send hundreds of documents or just a single one, Output Factory is a powerful solution to automate InDesign’s output tasks. Users only need to select the files to output and adjust the settings, and Output Factory will do the rest automatically. For example, the software can be left exporting hundreds of InDesign files overnight, and the completed job can be picked up next morning.

Output Factory supports printing as well as exporting to PDF, PostScript, EPS, Flash, INX, IDML, EPUB and several image formats. In addition to output of multiple files, it offers the following key capabilities:

Output InDesign files as single pages.
-Save groups of output settings as workflows.
-Update modified links automatically.
-Assign complex variable output file names.
-Output sequence of document layers or their combinations.
-Preflight documents using InDesign’s preflight or built-in options.

In addition, Output Factory can skip files with specific errors, preflight final PDF automatically using Acrobat Pro’s droplets, and send output files over internet and locally through seamless integration with Zevrix file transfer solution Deliver. The powerful history feature lets users keeps track of all processed jobs, output files and preflight errors.

Output Factory also offers completely redesigned user interface with output settings grouped into several panels. The innovative Live Summary feature lets users quickly browse the settings list without the need to switch between the panels.

For more info, visit http://zevrix.com/OutputFactory.php

Pricing and Availability:
Output Factory can be purchased from Zevrix website for US$169.95, as well as from authorized resellers. Trial is also available for download. Licensed BatchOutput users can upgrade to Output Factory for $84.97 ($40 for users who purchased BatchOutput after October 1, 2011). Output Factory is available for Mac OS X 10.5-10.7 and works with Adobe InDesign CS3-CS5.5.

About Zevrix Solutions

Located in Toronto, Canada, Zevrix Solutions provides productivity solutions for Adobe Creative Suite software, PDF workflows, graphic file diagnostics, file delivery and Microsoft Office on Mac OS. Zevrix is dedicated to help professionals increase their profits through automating everyday tasks, producing error-free documents, saving disk space and cutting production costs. For more information, visit http://www.zevrix.com.

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Contact:
Leo Revzin
Owner
Zevrix Solutions
105 McCAUL St, Suite 301
Toronto Ontario M5T 2X4 Canada
Tel: 858-206-0607
E-Mail: media@zevrix.com
Web: http://www.zevrix.com

FRA supports Congo’s call for Indian forestry investment

The Republic of Congo’s decision to encourage Indian private companies to invest in its forestry industry has been welcomed by FRA.

Seattle, United States, February 07, 2012 — The Republic of Congo’s decision to encourage Indian private companies to invest in its forestry industry has been welcomed by Forestry Research Associates (FRA).

FRA welcomed the news that Henri Djombo, the Forestry and Environment Minister in the Congo, spoke out in favour of Congolese forestry investment at the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit.

Speaking to the Economic Times in India, Djombo said, “We have a big timber industry and would want Indian private companies to come and invest in the our timber companies.”

He also took the opportunity to call for more funding from developed nations to help the Congo and other developing nations to manage their forests sustainably. He explained, “There is a financial and climate injustice being done to us. We are making so much efforts for forest management compared to the Amazon forest in Brazil or rainforest in Indonesia but compensation is less.”

FRA, a research and analysis consultancy specialising in sustainable forestry and investment, said that Djombo’s views highlight how important funding in the form of forestry investment is. “Attracting foreign investment into the forestry industry in developing countries is vital to ensure that those working in the industry can benefit form their forests being managed sustainably,” claimed FRA’s analysis partner, Peter Collins.

FRA believes that developing countries need to be compensated for forestry management in order to highlight the fact that forests can be worth more standing than as timber. This is due to importance of living forests for the absorption of carbon dioxide.

In addition, FRA said that money can be made for investors, through schemes like those run by Greenwood Management in Brazil, where investors buy up sustainable plantation land and sell the timber when the trees have reached maturity. This schemes also offer an alternative to native timbers for the production of charcoal.

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
Tel: (206) 316 8394
E-Mail: info@forestry-research.com
Web: http://www.forestry-research.com

BusinessVibes hosts Webinar for IT Industry

Next online seminar organized by BusinessVibes will be held on 8th February 2012 at 11.00am GMT and will be dedicated to associations and companies acting in Information Technology Industry.

London, UK, February 06, 2012 — BusinessVibes, the new global B2B networking platform organizes next webinar for industry professionals. The previous one, held on 29th November 2011 was focused on Textile Industry; next online seminar organized by BusinessVibes will be held on 8th February 2012 at 11.00am GMT and will be dedicated to associations and companies acting in Information Technology Industry.

This conference will stay focused on Asian associations and companies acting in information technology industry. Speakers taking active part in webinar are all representatives of Asian Associations from IT industry. Each presenter will have around 10 minutes to talk about the subject connected with problems or issues of its industry.

The first speaker will be Dr. Srisakdi Charmonman, Founding President of Thailand Internet Association.

Second speaker will be Mr. Rudi Rusdiah, Chairman of Association of Community Internet Centre in Indonesia.

Attendees willing to listen to presenters will be able to join webinar after a quick registration. Registration form is available under link http://www.businessvibes.com/content/it-networking-webinar.

Webinars organised by BusinessVibes seem to be a great chance for participants to listen to the experts acting in the subject area of particular industries and learn more about industry they work in. Participants have a possibility to ask questions to the speakers and communicate with them over a live chat. Speakers can benefit from the access to a list of attendees with contact information, distributed usually after the webinar. The mission of BusinessVibes is to help companies and associations find international suppliers, buyers or joint venture partner, webinar is one of company’s tools to achieve its mission.

Media Contact:
Marta Munia
Marketing Executive – Europe
Businessvibes Network International Inc
8 Wimpole Street
London W1G 9SP
Tel: +44 20 7291 0883
E-Mail: marta@businessvibes.com
Web: http://www.businessvibes.com
Follow us on Twitter @businessvibes for daily updates

Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ:ILMN) Investor Lawsuit over alleged Failure to Maximize Shareholder Value filed

A lawsuit was filed by an investor in NASDAQ:ILMN shares in connection with the takeover offer for Illumina, Inc and NASDAQ:ILMN stockholders should contact the Shareholders Foundation.

San Diego, CA, USA (February 06, 2012) — The Shareholders Foundation announces that an investor in shares of Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ:ILMN) filed a lawsuit in State Court against the members of Illumina’s board of directors arising out of their alleged breaches of fiduciary duty related to their alleged self-interested and unreasonable responses to a premium, non-coercive buyout offer for Illumina made by Roche Holdings Ltd.

Investors who purchased Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ:ILMN) shares prior to January 24, 2012, have certain options and should contact the Shareholders Foundation at mail(at)shareholdersfoundation.com or call +1(858) 779 – 1554.

On January 3, 2012, Roche made a private, formal offer of $40.00 per share. Rather than considering Roche’s efforts and non-coercive offer in good faith, the defendants rejected it out of hand, so the plaintiff.

Then on January 25, 2012, Roche publicized that it is proposing to acquire all outstanding shares of Illumina, Inc. (ILMN) for $44.50 per share in cash, or an aggregate of approximately $5.7 billion on a fully diluted basis. But on January 26, 2012, Illumina, Inc. (ILMN) already announced that its Board of Directors adopted a Rights Agreement also known as a poison pill that allows to deflect offers for the company.

The plaintiff alleges that defendants refused to consider Roche’s premium, non-coercive offer in good faith and the board’s refusal to make any attempt to negotiate a higher price demonstrates the perpetual nature of the excuses being offered up by the defendants to cover up their true motive for rebuffing Roche.

Those who are current investors in Illumina, Inc. (Public, NASDAQ:ILMN) shares, have certain options and should contact the Shareholders Foundation.

Contact:
Jacob Rosenfeld
Shareholders Foundation, Inc.
3111 Camino Del Rio North
Suite 423
San Diego, CA 92108
Tel: +1-(858)-779-1554
Fax: +1-(858)-605-5739
mail(at)shareholdersfoundation.com
Web: http://www.shareholdersfoundation.com

BusinessVibes determines Key Stages in Managing a Project or Event

London, UK, February 05, 2012 — No matter what kind of event you organize, whether it is industry event or charity one, there are some usual things you need to remember to make it successful. Find below some useful guidelines you might follow.

First of all: identify your resources. You need to know how many people you will have to help you organize the whole event and how much many can you spend on it. Another important resource is time you have to deal with everything. Allocate the resources in the way to complete preparation on time and on budget. Check for any additional resources available for you, they may help you act faster and more efficient.

Define exactly what should be done in order to achieve your objective. It will help you organize your job and make sure you don’t leave anything and have enough time for all the things you need to do.

Take a look on the list and prioritize your tasks. Define the ones that are dependent on others. Find the most important one and start with them, clarify implications between tasks and put them in correct order.

While choosing location of your event make sure it is accessible to your target group. For international industry event, try to choose country well accessible for foreign visitors. For small events on your university, check availability of some lecture halls. Stay focused on your targeted audience while choosing the place.

Try to link your events to something that is happening around and anyway. If you want to create charity event, try to link it with Christmas to make “Christmas Charity” out of it. Agriculture fairs may be connected with harvest. Don’t limit yourself to official holidays. Use your imagination to attract attention. You can focus on some sport events, Pancake Day or whatever is applicable to your event.

Do not forget to advertise your event. Think about the kind of advertisement that will be the best for your targeted group. Consider leaflets, posters, ads in specialized magazines. Be aware of power of the Internet. Go public on social media platforms; try to find participants or sponsors on dedicated networking websites like BusinessVibes. Make sure you include in your adverts all relevant information about the event like title, location, time, organizer and contact. Be creative, catch attention.

When you are done with the planning and objectives refer to them when the project is in progress. Monitoring progress will help you to spot, identify and eliminate problems that surely will appear on your way to success.

Media Contact:
Marta Munia
Marketing Executive – Europe
Businessvibes Network International Inc
8 Wimpole Street
London W1G 9SP
Tel: +44 20 7291 0883
E-Mail: marta@businessvibes.com
Web: http://www.businessvibes.com
Follow us on Twitter @businessvibes for daily updates

All Women Juried Art Exhibition Now Online Ready to View

Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery is pleased to announce that its February 2012 art exhibition is now posted on their website and is ready to view online.

Jupiter, Florida – February 05, 2012 — Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery is pleased to announce that its February 2012 art exhibition is now posted on their website and is ready to view online. The basis for this month’s art exhibition was “All Women” (women only artists) and contained an open subject theme.

An art competition was held in January 2012 which determined and judged the art for this exhibition. The gallery received submissions from 21 different countries from around the world and they also received entries from 39 different states. Overall, there were 1,219 entries that were judged for this art competition. Due to the volume of entries, the gallery decided to create 4 media categories and make awards for each, along with an Overall Category which were selected from the 4 media categories.

Congratulations to the artists who have been designated as this month’s category winners, along with the winning Special Recognition artists. The gallery commends all of the winning artists for their artistic skill and their creativity, as this online art exhibition is indicative of their creativity.

To proceed to the gallery’s “All Women” online juried art exhibition, go here to this link: http://www.lightspacetime.com/all-women-art-exhibition-february-2012.

Each month Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery conducts themed online art competitions for 2D artists. All participating winners of each competition have their artwork exposed and promoted online through the online gallery to thousands of visitors each month. If you know of a talented 2D artist who may benefit from the exposure and the publicity that the gallery can provide to them, please forward this press release to them.

About Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery

Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery conducts monthly art competitions and monthly art exhibitions for new and emerging artists on a worldwide basis. It is Light Space & Time’s intention to showcase this incredible talent in a series of monthly themed art competitions and art exhibitions by marketing and displaying the exceptional abilities of these worldwide artists.

The art gallery website can be viewed here: http://www.lightspacetime.com

Contact:
John R. Math
Light Space & Time Online Gallery
118 Poinciana Drive
Jupiter, FL 33458
Tel: 888-490-3530
E-Mail: info@lightspacetime.com
Web: http://www.lightspacetime.com

Pacific Crest Group Recruiting Services Offer End-to-End Staffing Support for Bay Area SMBs

Placement Services Customized to Meet the Unique Needs and Budgets of Companies That Normally Do Their Own Hiring.

LARKSPUR, Calif. (February 5, 2012) — Pacific Crest Group (PCG, http://www.pcg-services.com), the Bay Area accounting and human resources service firm, has launched a new corporate placement service structured for Bay Area businesses. The new recruiting service offers end-to-end staff management support, helping businesses assess their personnel needs, identify traits that suit the company culture, develop accurate job descriptions and competitive compensation packages, and find the right employees.

The new recruiting offering is part of PCG’s outsourced services, designed to help clients focus on their core operations rather than back office distractions. To free business owners from having to deal with expensive staffing problems, Pacific Crest Group offers workforce planning help, organizational structure evaluation, job description development, and compensation analysis as part of its recruiting process. It also includes a cultural evaluation strategy that identifies the personality traits needed to succeed at the company, and what values and traits are required to be a top performer. And, of course, PCG will conduct methodical candidate searches and evaluations. The hourly billing structure makes PCG’s recruiting services ideal for smaller businesses, since the work can be scaled to clients’ specific needs for a fraction of what it would cost to retain a corporate recruiter.

“Our HR and accounting services put us in the unique position to get to intimately know our clients and their cultures, which makes our recruiting services better focused as well as more cost-effective,” said Gail Merz, Director of Business Consulting for Pacific Crest Group. “Staffing has to be considered in light of larger business objectives, and our recruiting service is designed to function as an extension of our client’s strategy. We can assist with staff pre-planning, assessing cultural fit, developing the right job description, and taking charge of as much or as little of the recruiting process as the client requires. We save companies a lot of money and free senior managers’ time for more important tasks.”

As part of its service, PCG employs the most advanced recruiting and evaluation techniques. PCG works with Accolo, a state-of-the-market, cloud-based recruiting and candidate management platform. PCG also uses tools such as DISC® personality assessments to assess an individual’s communication style, motivators and cultural fit.

“Accolo has built a highly predictive recruiting process that uses collective intelligence to assure successful hires, and we use crowd sourcing techniques to expand our market reach to attract more qualified job seekers. And our prescreening and scoring tools help narrow the field for a more perfect match,” said John Younger, CEO of Accolo. “As a result, we can support companies like Pacific Crest Group so they can deliver the most qualified candidates to their clients.”

“We consider PCG a key part in helping us build our staff,” said John Campbell, M.D., CEO of MarinEyes, a medical practice with offices in San Rafael and Novato, California. “Four of our key employees were hired with PCG’s assistance. Not only was PCG instrumental in finding the right candidates, but they helped us improve job delineation and create a culture of accountability. Every new hire adds to the quality of our staff, and we now have higher productivity and better employee retention than ever before.”

Companies can contact Pacific Crest Group for a free recruiting consultation. For more information, contact Pacific Crest Group or visit http://www.pcg-services.com.

About Pacific Crest Group
Pacific Crest Group works with entrepreneurial organizations to help them unleash their potential by eliminating the friction and chaos caused by business processes. Founded by a team of entrepreneurs with expertise in accounting and finance, Pacific Crest Group has built its reputation by identifying organizational needs and opportunities for improvement, and optimizing financial procedures, computer systems, and human resources so clients can focus on their core business. Pacific Crest Group approaches financial and business management like a consulting physician, with an understanding that some problems can be isolated and fixed while others need a more holistic approach.

The firm is based in Larkspur, California. For more information, visit Pacific Crest Group online at http://www.pcg-services.com.

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Contact:
Franka Winchester
Pacific Crest Group
(415) 461-2586
fwinchester@pcg-services.com

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

hSo Launches Partner Programme

hSo, the carrier-independent MPLS network provider, has launched a partner programme, providing ICT resellers access to its market leading network and cloud delivery services.

London, UK, February 03, 2012 — hSo, the carrier-independent MPLS network provider, has launched a partner programme, providing ICT resellers access to its market leading network and cloud delivery services.

A solid delivery infrastructure is critical to any cloud strategy but implementing these networks can prove complicated. hSo steps in to allow organisations, including IT consultants and Software as a Service providers, to ensure that their projects prove successful.

hSo works closely alongside IT consultants and service providers as a delivery partner allowing them to implement their preferred end-to-end solution. As Graham Walmsley of Inspired Networks puts it, “hSo were the only company to listen to our requirements and come back with a bespoke solution that exactly matched our needs… furthermore, they were cost effective”.

The hSo Business Partner certification allows companies to expand their portfolio without taking on significant credit risk with multi-year end user contracts. Selling with hSo provides partners with an additional revenue stream along with a trusted service for their clients.

The hSo Resale Partner certification, aimed at resellers with an established managed network offering, provides a competitive, whole-of-market platform for MPLS networks and Cloud services. Partners purchase services from hSo and embed them in their solutions to their clients.

Brian Hudson, Managing Director of Performance Telecom, explains the benefits of working in this situation: “hSo offers end-to-end solutions, which optimise both quality and cost. It’s been a pleasure to work with a company with such expansive knowledge of delivering IP network solutions across the UK.”

hSo’s partner services include a number of industry firsts:

– hSo:compare-an online instant pricing tool with UK-wide coverage and extensive circuit options (including Ethernet, EFM, broadband).
– Carrier independence-ensuring that hSo partners have access to the most competitive – pricing options, regardless of the location of their customers
– A wide range of Cloud services including SIP trunks, virtualisation, SSL VPN, online storage available for free proof-of-concept implementations.

The partners’ access to the hSo:compare pricing tool means that they can create solutions for their customers in real-time and manage their own opportunities. The wide range of cloud services means they can create a complete solution for their customers with end to end accountability – a very important aspect of network-based services.

About the company:
hSo is one of only a handful of providers to combine its own MPLS network with other Tier 1 carriers, providing an end-to-end next generation solution to its partners and customers. In addition, a substantial investment in data centre platforms allows hSo to provide managed solutions across the full spectrum of voice, data and security backed by a single technical support centre.

Media Contact:
Shirin MacDonald
hSo
Epworth House
25 City Road
London EC1Y 1AA
+44 (0) 20 7847 4500
shirin.macdonald@hso.co.uk
http://www.hso-compare.com

URALCHEM’s Production in 2011 exceeds 5 Million Tonnes

URALCHEM OJSC announces operating results for the year 2011. The production volume of URALCHEM holding enterprises during 2011 increased by 5% compared to 2010.

Moscow, Russia – February 03, 2012 — URALCHEM OJSC announces operating results for the year 2011. The production volume of URALCHEM holding enterprises during 2011 increased by 5% compared to 2010, amounting to a total of 5,093 million tonnes. The production of ammonium nitrate increased by 6%. Due to market conditions, the production of DAP was reduced in favour of increasing the production of more marketable MAP, the output of which increased by 31%. The production of other types of fertilisers grew by 82% due to the increase of sales of new fertiliser products and the start of their export sales. The production of other chemicals grew by 22% due to the increase in domestic sales of sulphuric and nitric acid, as well as the increase in sales of the products by the nitrite-nitrate salt division at the Azot Branch.

Dmitry Konyaev, CEO of URALCHEM, OJSC commented on the operating results for the year 2011: “In 2011, the production volume of URALCHEM enterprises exceeded 5 million tonnes for the first time. With the purchase of OJSC Minudobrenia in Perm the company will strengthen its position in the nitrogen market and will become the second largest producer of urea in Russia.”

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PR department
URALCHEM, OJSC
Telephone: +7 (495) 721 89 89
pr@uralchem.com

PR representative in the UK and Ireland
Eva Smit
Tel: +44 (0) 7538 978986
E-Mail: eva.smit@holdensmit.com

URALCHEM, OJSC is one of the largest producers of nitrogen and phosphate fertilisers in Russia and the CIS with production capacities of over 2.5 million tonnes of ammonium nitrate, 2.8 million tonnes of ammonia, 0.8 million tonnes of MAP and DAP, 0.8 million tonnes of complex fertilisers and 1.2 million tonnes of urea. URALCHEM, OJSC is the second largest ammonium nitrate producer in the world and number one in Russia, the second largest producer of nitrogen fertilisers in Russia. Key production assets of URALCHEM, OJSC include Azot Branch of URALCHEM, OJSC in Berezniki, Perm Region; OJSC Minudobrenia, Perm; MFP Kirovo-Chepetsk Chemical Works, OJSC Branch in Kirovo-Chepetsk, Kirov region; Voskresensk Mineral Fertilisers, OJSC in Voskresensk, Moscow region.

Some of the information in this press release may contain projections or other forward-looking statements regarding future events or the future financial performance of URALCHEM. We wish to caution you that these statements are only predictions. We do not intend to update these statements and our actual results may differ materially from those contained in our projections or forward-looking statements, including, among others, the achievement of anticipated levels of profitability, growth, cost and synergy of our recent acquisitions, the impact of competitive pricing, the ability to obtain necessary regulatory approvals and licenses, the impact of developments in the Russian economic, political and legal environment, financial risk management and the impact of general business and global economic conditions.