SA:First report on ABC chopper crash emerges

AAP General News (Australia)
08-23-2011
SA:First report on ABC chopper crash emerges

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has released its initial report into the Lake
Eyre helicopter crash that killed three ABC newsmen last week.

Veteran journalist PAUL LOCKYER, cameraman JOHN BEAN and their pilot GARY TICEHURST
died when the chopper went down near Lake Eyre in the South Australian outback on Thursday
night.

The report says it was fine and clear at the time, and the helicopter was equipped
for night flying.

Investigators have recovered all the major parts from a 60-metre trail of wreckage,
and will examine the engines, flight control system and GPS to determine the cause of
the crash.

AAP RTV jcr/gfr/jmt

KEYWORD: HELICOPTER (ADELAIDE)

� 2011 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: Houston urges Reinado followers to surrender = 2

AAP General News (Australia)
02-20-2008
Fed: Houston urges Reinado followers to surrender = 2

Later, the air chief rejected Fairfax reports ISF soldiers had failed to respond promptly
to the attack once they were alerted.

"Essentially, the attack or the ambush occurred on the hillside a short distance from
the prime minister's house.

"We had nobody in situ and the first thing our people knew about it there was a call
from one of the prime minister's advisers ... on a mobile …

NSW:Machete-wielding robber smashes into pub

AAP General News (Australia)
04-26-2011
NSW:Machete-wielding robber smashes into pub

SYDNEY, April 26 AAP - A man wielding a machete has smashed his way into a pub on NSW's
far north coast, stealing cash and tying a couple to a railing.

The licensee and a woman were in the bar area of the closed Mooball Hotel on Tweed
Valley Way when a man in black clothing smashed the window to a side door at about 8.45pm
(AEST) on Monday.

He threatened the pair with a machete and stole cash from various registers before
ordering the couple upstairs to the main office.

The man then demanded money from the safe and the man's car keys.

The robber tied the man and woman to a railing and left the hotel in a gold Nissan
Maxima, which was discovered by a police a short time later being driven through Hastings
Point.

Police saw the vehicle stop before two men ran from it, but a search of the area has
failed to uncover them.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

AAP tr/mp

KEYWORD: HOTEL

� 2011 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

VIC:Man shot dead at farm in central Vic

AAP General News (Australia)
02-11-2011
VIC:Man shot dead at farm in central Vic

MELBOURNE, Feb 11 AAP - A man has been shot dead at a farm in northern Victoria.

Police say a man in his 40s walked into the Kerang police station on Friday morning
and told officers he had been involved in a fatal shooting.

Police attended a farm in Lower Loddon Rd, Kerang, where a man's body was found about
11am (AEDT).

Detectives from the Homicide Squad are on their way to the scene.

AAP ees/mn/dep

KEYWORD: SHOT

� 2011 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

VIC:Jail for violent vigilantes

AAP General News (Australia)
08-27-2010
VIC:Jail for violent vigilantes

A judge has described an attack on a Melbourne drug addict as callous and brutal.

The Victorian County Court has heard AMRULA DENIZ TASKIRAN and JOSEPH NABALARUA punched
.. kicked and stomped on HAROLD NOYAUX in September last year .. because they believed
he was trying to break into a relative's car.

The attack left Mr NOYAUX .. a drug addict .. with an acquired brain injury.

TASKIRAN has been jailed for eight years and six months with a non-parole period of
six-and-a-half years.

NABALARUA has been imprisoned for seven years with a minimum of five years.

AAP RTV df/pmu/dcc/wz

KEYWORD: NABALARUA WRAP

� 2010 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Qld: Third dengue case in Townsville

AAP General News (Australia)
04-20-2010
Qld: Third dengue case in Townsville

CAIRNS, April 20 AAP - A third Townsville resident is believed to have contracted dengue
fever after an outbreak was declared in the north Queensland city last week.

Queensland Health says it's awaiting test results on a third probable dengue fever
case in the city after two people tested positive for the virus last week.

The latest case is the second from the suburb of North Ward while the other recorded
case was at Deeragun.

Authorities say the cases do not appear to be connected and the origin of the outbreak
is still unknown.

The outbreak was declared last week, a month after the city was declared free of the
virus following a previous outbreak in December.

A spokesman said Dengue Action Response Teams are undertaking yard inspections and
set traps to kill dengue mosquitoes in Townsville.

AAP ews

KEYWORD: DENGUE

2010 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Qld: Elderly man fatally runs over 78-year-old woman on driveway

AAP General News (Australia)
12-07-2009
Qld: Elderly man fatally runs over 78-year-old woman on driveway

An elderly man has run over a 78-year-old woman while trying to park his car out the
front of a Gold Coast residence.

A police spokeswoman says the 80-year-old man accidentally collided with the woman
on the driveway of the Arundel residence at about 6.30 (AEDT) last night.

The woman was transported to Gold Coast Hospital but later died.

It's not known if the couple were husband and wife.

The accident caps off a horrific night in southeast Queensland .. which has also seen
a man in his early 20s die when he crashed his 4WD into a creek.

AAP RTV djb/sw/

KEYWORD: TOLL QLD (BRISBANE)

2009 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: Australian travel advice to Mexico upgraded

AAP General News (Australia)
04-29-2009
Fed: Australian travel advice to Mexico upgraded

CANBERRA, April 29 AAP - Advice urging Australians not to travel to Mexico reflects
the gravity of the World Health Organisation's (WHO) warning about the swine flu threat,
Foreign Minister Stephen Smith says.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on Tuesday upgraded its travel warning
to Australians planning to travel to Mexico, as the suspected death toll there from swine
flu rose to more than 150.

"We advise you to reconsider your need to travel to Mexico at this time because of
the outbreak of a severe strain of swine influenza in humans," the federal government's
smarttraveller.gov.au website said.

"If you are in Mexico and concerned for your health, you should consider leaving."

The Australian Embassy in Mexico City will also no longer provide over-the-counter
visa services, but consular and passport services are operating normally.

Mr Smith said the changes reflected those made by the WHO which has raised its six-phase
flu pandemic alert level from three to four, signalling a "significant increase in the
risk of a pandemic."

Australians who chose to remain in Mexico should take all the proper health precautions,
Mr Smith said.

"If you are in Mexico you should certainly follow the advice of the local authorities
and follow all the practical medical advice being given not just by Australian authorities
but by the World Health Organisation," he told Sky News on Wednesday.

Canada and Cuba have suspended flights to and from Mexico in response to the global
health crisis, while Mexico City officials have ordered all eateries, bars and other such
venues closed.

Mr Smith said as there were no confirmed cases of swine flu in Australia, the government
would refrain from implementing such drastic measures itself.

"I think we are a very long way from that," he said.

"Whilst we want to be safe rather than sorry, while we want to take every precautionary
measure, we do need to keep things in perspective."

Australia has already introduced new quarantine powers, including allowing authorities
to detain people suspected of having the potentially deadly virus.

"Those powers are there, we currently don't see the need to utilise them," Mr Smith said.

"We continue to monitor the situation ... and if we belive that additional measures
are required, they will be taken."

Mr Smith said the world had learnt from the outbreak of SARS in 2002-03, which infected
more than 8,000 and killed 774 people.

But he wouldn't speculate on whether swine flu would be similarly devastating.

"I think it is early days, I think we still need to get the scientific analysis as
to what has been the cause of the deaths in Mexico," Mr Smith said.

Earlier on Wednesday, a spokeswoman for Health Minister Nicola Roxon said 91 Australians
with flu symptoms were being checked for the potentially deadly virus.

"We've also got some Australians who we know were travelling with a party of 22 New
Zealanders, some of who have been confirmed to be suffering with swine flu and they are
being effectively tracked down and proposed to be tested as well," Mr Smith said.

He conceded the disease could also have an economic impact.

"It will depend on firstly how long it lasts, but anything which is destructive to
the international exchange of goods and services of course has adverse economic consequences,"

he said.

AAP bsb/it/bwl

KEYWORD: FLU AUST SMITH

2009 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

FED: Fans can party 'alongside' Paris Hilton on NYE

AAP General News (Australia)
12-24-2008
FED: Fans can party 'alongside' Paris Hilton on NYE

MELBOURNE, Dec 24 AAP - Fans of celebrities including Paris Hilton and Australian swimmer
Stephanie Rice will be able to mix it up with their idols at the world's first online
3D party on New Year's Eve.

Professional party girl Hilton is set to host the New Year's Eve event from Sydney
nightspot Trademark, which will be streamed live over social networking platform The Bongo
Virus.

For a fee, fans can log on to the site www.bongovirusnye3d.com and by using a free
internet plug-in can create their own avatars to virtually interact with other partygoers
in a 3D online environment.

"The 3D party palace will plunge users into another universe with its realistic replica
of the Sydney NYE party," Bongo Virus spokesman Richard Jabara said.

"From the paparazzi and photographers following Paris Hilton, to nightclub dancing
on the main dance floor, users will be able to experience the unimaginable."

Rice, herself a famous party girl after a busy year building a profile around the Beijing
Olympics, had also accepted an invitation to the celebrity party, according to News Limited
newspapers.

AAP sjm/jj

KEYWORD: EVE HILTON

2008 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Ath: US protest of women's 100 final rejected

AAP General News (Australia)
08-18-2008
Ath: US protest of women's 100 final rejected

A US track and field team's protest of the women's 100m final at the Beijing Olympics
has been rejected.

The Americans asked that the race be reviewed because of a possible false start by
TORRI EDWARDS, one of the country's sprinters.

EDWARDS finished last as SHELLY-ANN FRASER led a Jamaican sweep of medals.

AAP RTV vm

KEYWORD: OLY08 W100 PROTEST (BEIJING)

2008 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

AAP Backgrounders and Analyses for the weekend of April 12/13

AAP General News (Australia)
04-10-2008
AAP Backgrounders and Analyses for the weekend of April 12/13
AAP BACKGROUNDERS AND ANALYSES FOR THE WEEKEND OF APRIL 12/13

For further information please contact Newseds Joanne Williamson on (02) 93228611 or Nalita
Ferraz on (02) 93228610.

BEIJING - Analysis of Rudd's visit to China. (Rudd, AAP News Analysis, by Sandra O'Malley,
about 800 words, to come Friday)

CANBERRA - Wrap-up of week in federal politics. (Newscope Federal, AAP News Analysis,
by Maria Hawthorne, about 700 words, to come Friday)

CANBERRA - The long march of the Olympic torch has been anything but a journey of harmony,
but it's not the first time the games have transcended the divide between sports and politics,
including in Melbourne in 1956. (Oly08 Protests, AAP Backgrounder, by Karlis Salna, about
700 words, to come Friday)

CANBERRA - The chance of an interest rate cut is just a speck of light at the end of a
long gloomy tunnel at this stage. (Economy, AAP Backgrounder, by Colin Brinsden, about
700 words, to come Friday)

ADELAIDE - Weekend read on incest father and daughter. (Deaves, AAP Newsfeature, to come)

CANBERRA - Some of the nation's best and brightest young people will meet in Canberra
to take part in the prime minister's 2020 youth summit this weekend but will it be more
than just a talkfest? (Summit Youth, AAP Backgrounder, by Susanna Dunkerley, about 600
words, to come Friday)

SYDNEY - Sydney will soon host the world again, just as it did for the 2000 Olympics,
but instead of a torch relay there's a cross relay and in place of Juan Antonio Samaranch
comes the Pope. (Youth, AAP Newsfeature, By Doug Conway, 680 words, with factbox. On file)

SYDNEY - At the start of the week, John Della Bosca was denying he wanted to oust Premier
Morris Iemma. By the end of the week, he was denying any shady actions over grant allocations
and union donations. (Newscope NSW, By Nick Ralston, approx 800 words, to come Friday.)

SYDNEY - Whether a criminal teenager turns into a violent adult or grows out of crime,
may be related to how low his ears are set or the types of food he was given as a child.

(Teens, AAP Newsfeature, By Katelyn John, 680 words. On file)

BRISBANE - Could the cane toad's days be numbered? (Toads, AAP Newsfeature, By Roberta
Mancuso, approx 800 words, to come by Friday morning)

SYDNEY - Google's plans to organise the world's information and make online searching
easier, is proving to be a boom for advertisers. (Google, By Darren Osborne, 900 words,
to come today)

AUCKLAND - It was the deal that won high praise among New Zealand exporters, and barely
concealed envy from their Australian counterparts. (NZ China Trade, AAP Newsfeature, By
Xavier La Canna, New Zealand Correspondent, 740 words. On file)

ENTERTAINMENT:
SYDNEY - Take one look at this year's Logies nominations list, and it doesn't take a genius
to realise that viewer's preferences are changing (Viewer, AAP TV Feature, about 700 words,
to come Friday)

SYDNEY - Henry Rollins was once regarded a 'person of interest' in this country after
being dobbed in for reading a book on militant Islam. (Rollins Feature by Alyssa Braithwaite,
about 850 words, to come Friday)

SYDNEY - Global Haywire uses cartoons and satire to help explain why the world is in crisis,
but this film by Bruce Petty is no laughing matter. (Haywire Film Feature by Alyssa Braithwaite,
about 850 words, to come today)

SYDNEY - Australian virtuoso pianist Roger Woodward remembers the day his life was touched
by Arna the sad circus elephant. (MUSIC: Woodward, AAP Feature, By Judy Skatssoon, with
pix, 830 words. On file)

SPORT:
EDS NOTE - For further information on sport reads please contact Mike Osborne on (02) 93228750

AFL
ADELAIDE - As coaching apprenticeships go, Ben Hart's first three weeks minding the Adelaide
defence have been quite eventful. (AFL Crows Hart Sportsfeature by Daniel Brettig, about
800 words, to come Friday)

BRISBANE - The match video of Barry Hall's devastating last round display for Sydney has
been put on file by Brisbane fullback Daniel Merrett. (AFL Lions Sportsfeature by Laine
Clark, 720 words, on file)

CRICKET
MELBOURNE - The Indian Premier League, which has merged cricket and Bollywood glamour,
has been hailed as a landmark event for the sport akin to World Series Cricket a generation
on. (Cricket IPL Sportsfeature by Adam Cooper, about 800 words, to come Friday with factbox)

GOLF
Form guide to Australians at the Masters golf. (Golf Masters Aust Factbox by John Coomber,
892 words, on file)

SEE ALSO ROUTINERS TO COME:
* Quotes
* Milestones
* Oddities
* Checkup medical column

AAP jlw

KEYWORD: WEEKEND READS UPDATED

2008 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Qld: Daniel Morcombe would have turned 18 this month

AAP General News (Australia)
12-07-2007
Qld: Daniel Morcombe would have turned 18 this month

Missing Queensland teenager DANIEL MORCOMBE would have turned 18 later this month.

Instead .. police and his family are marking the fourth anniversary today of his disappearance
and likely death.

DANIEL MORCOMBE was 13 years old when he vanished from Palmwoods in the Sunshine Coast
hinterland on December 7 in 2003.

He wanted to catch a bus on Nambour Connection Road to Maroochydore and has not been seen since.

A 250-thousand dollar reward is still on offer for information leading to the apprehension
and conviction of those responsible for his suspected abduction and murder.

Senior Sergeant JULIE ELLIOTT from Brisbane police says DANIEL'S parents DENISE and
BRUCE are not planning any special events to commemorate the anniversary of his disappearance
today.

AAP RTV rad/wz/psm/

KEYWORD: MORCOMBE (BRISBANE)

2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: RBA inflation data points to steady interest rates

AAP General News (Australia)
04-24-2007
Fed: RBA inflation data points to steady interest rates

CANBERRA, April 24 AAP - Interest rates look set to remain on hold in the months ahead
after two key measures of inflation proved unexpectedly benign.

Both the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA)
found only slight rises in the consumer price index (CPI) in the first three months of
this year.

The RBA's weighted median CPI and trimmed mean CPI both rose 0.5 per cent in the first
quarter, for an annual rate of 2.7 per cent.

Market economists had expected the weighted median to rise by 0.7 per cent and the
trimmed mean to rise by 0.6 per cent.

The measures - calculated from the CPI released earlier by the ABS - smooth out volatile
price swings from items such as food and energy, and indicate whether price pressures
are becoming embedded in the broader economy.

The CPI rose just 0.1 per cent in the first quarter for an annual rate of 2.4 per cent,
the ABS said.

All measures of the annual rate of inflation are now back within the central bank's
2-3 per cent inflation target.

The CPI soared to 4.0 per cent in the middle of last year, which prompted the central
bank to raise interest rates three times in 2006 to a six-year high to curb inflation
pressures.

AAP cb/mfh/ks/bwl

KEYWORD: INFLATION RBA

2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Vic: Tasmanian fire crews home by Christmas

AAP General News (Australia)
12-22-2006
Vic: Tasmanian fire crews home by Christmas

Tasmanian fire crews should be home in time for Christmas after weather changes helped
quell the fires that have destroyed 17 dwellings.

JEFF KNIGHT .. a district officer with the Tasmanian Fire Service .. says up to 20
millimetres of rain fell on the fires overnight .. and humid conditions today have helped
firefighting efforts.

He says .. while the St Mary's-Scamander fires are still not under control .. properties
thought to be have been in danger are now considered safe.

He's told tourists who've planned holidays on Tasmania's east coast not to be deterred
by the fires.

AAP RTV xlc/mh/drp/ibw

KEYWORD: BUSHFIRES TAS (MELBOURNE)

2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Qld: Labor would extend water rebates, says Beattie

AAP General News (Australia)
08-16-2006
Qld: Labor would extend water rebates, says Beattie

HERVEY BAY, Qld, Aug 16 AAP - Queensland Premier Peter Beattie today announced a re-elected
Labor government would extend water rebates to the whole state.

Visiting Hervey Bay on the first full day of the state election campaign, Mr Beattie
said the government would spend $20 million over two years on extending the scheme.

Rebates will be available for water saving washing machines, shower heads, dual flush
toilets and pool covers.

The scheme is currently only available in south-east Queensland.

Mr Beattie today apologised to voters elsewhere after a letter promoting the new scheme
went out in the past week.

AAP pjo/rad/cjh/br

KEYWORD: POLL QLD WATER

) 2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: Australia did not tell Indonesia Papuans were coming

AAP General News (Australia)
04-10-2006
Fed: Australia did not tell Indonesia Papuans were coming

SYDNEY, April 10 AAP - Australian authorities knew 43 Papuan asylum-seekers were on
their way to Australia five days before they landed at Cape York but failed to fail their
Indonesian counterparts.

Immigration Department spokesman David Seale said the federal government first heard
the Papuans planned to come to Australia on January 13, the night they left Merauke in
Papua, Fairfax newspapers reported today.

Because they were still in Indonesian waters, Australia's obligations under the refugee
convention to protect them were not triggered.

It was January 18 when the 43 were found on Cape York but Indonesia said it only heard
of their impending arrival through the Australian media.

"We didn't get any information until then. That is when the ambassador was called in
for a briefing by (the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade)", said Dino Kusnadi, a
spokesman for the Indonesian embassy in Canberra.

Mr Seale also confirmed other "Commonwealth border agencies" believed to be customs
and the federal police, as well as the Maritime Safety Authority and Queensland police,
knew of the advance reports of the Papuans' trip.

"It's not our practice to canvass the source of such reports and other such operational
detail," he said.

The decision to grant 42 of the group temporary protection visas has caused a meltdown
in relations between Australia and Indonesia, and today's revelation is likely to inflame
the situation further, Fairfax newspapers said.

AAP lb

KEYWORD: PAPUA INDON

2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Main stories in today's 0745 ABC News

AAP General News (Australia)
12-12-2005
Main stories in today's 0745 ABC News

SYDNEY, Dec 12 AAP - Main stories in today's 0745 ABC News:

- Violent unrest spread across several Sydney suburbs last night after a string of
racist attacks at Cronulla Beach.

- Islamic Friendship Association of Australia says it is appalled at yesterday's violence
in Sydney.

- Federal Liberal MP Bruce Baird says a lack of police in the Cronulla area added to
the weekend's disturbances.

- Series of huge explosions has torn through a fuel depot north of London.

- Nigeria's president holds emergency meetings with aviation officials after the country's
second major air disaster in less than two months.

- Large under-sea earthquake strikes off Papua New Guinea.

- Family First Senator Steve Fielding defends his decision to vote in favour of voluntary
student unionism.

- Federal opposition describes as a cover-up an inquiry into how payments from AWB
ended up going to Saddam Hussein.

- State funeral will be held in Perth today for Labor senator and minister Peter Cook.

- Robert Allenby says he's ready to win one of the world's four major championships
after becoming the first player to win Australian golf's triple crown.

AAP kaf

KEYWORD: MONITOR ABC 0745 SYDNEY

2005 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: New Big Brother intruder enters house with big secret

AAP General News (Australia)
08-08-2005
Fed: New Big Brother intruder enters house with big secret

Big Brother's new intruder -- a transsexual who won the 2004 British version of the
reality show -- says she will not divulge her sexuality to the housemates unless it comes
up.

NADIA ALMADA, a 25-year-old Portuguese transsexual, will enter the Gold Coast compound tonight.

ALMADA lasted the entire time in the British house last year without revealing that
she was born a boy and had undergone a sex change to become female when she was just 12
years old.

And she says she plans to do the same this time, unless the issue comes up.

AAP RTV af/wjf/wf/rt

KEYWORD: BROTHER (SYDNEY)

2005 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

social marketing

social marketing See non-profit marketing.

eLOT Provides Update On Nasdaq Delisting Process.

Business Editors

NORWALK, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 1, 2001

eLOT, Inc. (NASDAQ:ELOT), a provider of web-based retailing and Internet marketing services to governmental lotteries, today announced that it received a Nasdaq staff determination on May 25, 2001, indicating that as of March 31, 2001, the Company failed to comply with the net tangible assets requirement for continued listing set forth in Marketplace Rule 4450(a)(3).

The Company has previously been notified that it is no longer in compliance with the $1.00 minimum bid price per share requirement of Marketplace Rule 4450(a)(5) and that its Common Stock is therefore subject to delisting from the Nasdaq National Market. At a hearing before a Nasdaq Listing Qualifications Panel held on May 17, 2001, the Company acknowledged the issue with the net tangible assets requirement, and presented its plans to return to compliance with both the minimum bid price and the net tangible assets requirements for continued listing on the Nasdaq National Market. The Listing Panel has not yet issued a decision on the Company's request for an exception from the listing requirements pending completion of the planned transactions. Pending a decision, eLOT will continue to be listed on the Nasdaq National Market.

Edwin McGuinn commented, "We are in the process of executing a comprehensive plan designed to bring the company into NASDAQ National Market compliance. Although these transactions are not yet sufficiently definitive to be publicly disclosed, the plan we presented to the Nasdaq Panel, when and if completed, should result in returning eLOT to full compliance with Nasdaq listing requirements."

About eLOT, Inc.

eLOT, Inc. is committed to leading the governmental lottery industry into the e-commerce market. The Company's subsidiary, eLottery, Inc., is a leading web-based retailer of governmental lottery tickets and has developed, installed and operated systems that have processed e-commerce lottery ticket sales and transactions. It has operated Internet, Intranet, telephone, communications, accounting, banking, database and other applications and services that can facilitate the electronic sale of new and existing lottery products worldwide. eLottery is also an application service provider of Internet marketing and advertising technology for lotteries. The Company's IMARCS (Internet Marketing Analysis Research and Communications System) database marketing solution enables government lotteries to attract, register and communicate with lottery players through advanced Internet technology.

eLOT also owns DM360 (formerly Network60), an Internet promotions and permission-based direct marketing company, which offers a flexible, cost effective direct marketing medium to traditional corporations, advertising agencies, and online companies. DM360's web sites www.EasyWinning.com, www.CoolWinning.com and www.RadioStakes.com are client-sponsored sweepstakes sites that function as lead generation vehicles. www.PrizeChest.com is a prize fulfillment site. The Company also maintains a reward-entertainment web site located at www.eLotteryFreeWay.com. In addition, eLottery offers a free daily lottery email notification service (LENS) of state lottery results and other information and services at www.eLottoNet.com. eLottery's corporate web site is located at www.eLottery.com.

This news release contains forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to certain factors, which may cause eLOT's plans to differ or results to vary from those expected including the risks associated with the development of new products and the uncertainty of product acceptance, the competitive nature of the Company's industry, rapid technological change, legal uncertainties, the Company's dependence on key personnel, and a variety of risks set forth from time to time in Company filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

First Union Corporation Acquires Pivot.com Firstunion.com Gains Strong Foothold in e-Insurance.

CHARLOTTE, N.C., July 25 /PRNewswire/ --

To meet the growing online demand for insurance products and services, First Union Corporation (NYSE: FTU), announced today the acquisition of Professional Direct Agency, Inc. (Pivot), which operates Pivot.com.

Pivot, purchased from ilife.com, is a leading insurance website providing private labeling, insurance fulfillment, and customer service to both businesses and consumers.

"By joining First Union, Pivot is poised to grow into the online insurance solution with cutting edge distribution and customer services," said David de Gorter, president of First Union Insurance Group, a unit of First Union's Capital Management Group. "It allows us to provide turnkey insurance solutions through the Internet to other financial services companies that are interested in private-label websites offering insurance products to their customers."

Pivot, a nationally licensed agency, was founded in 1998 by insurance executives David Florian and Lou Hensley with the goal of distributing insurance products and services more cost effectively online rather than through traditional channels. Pivot's e-commerce business model currently provides insurance carrier fulfillment services, conservation services and website private labeling to insurance companies, financial institutions, affinity groups, traditional agencies and other business partners.

"Pivot will now be able to enhance its service offerings to our current business clients as well as build on our capabilities to grow our B2B business," said the co-founders. "We are delighted that such a leading bank insurance organization as First Union recognizes the tremendous growth potential in the online insurance business."

The e-insurance business is estimated to grow from approximately $1.9 billion in 1999 to more than $11 billion in 2003, according to industry researchers, while industry surveys estimate 78 percent of all Internet users currently research their insurance needs online.

Florian and Hensley will remain co-presidents of the Columbus, Ohio-based company.

"David and Lou are seasoned insurance professionals who provide experience and leadership to grow First Union's e-insurance business in this booming online market," de Gorter said.

Pivot's business model provides partnering clients with three key insurance services -

Insurance carrier fulfillment services: Provides companies with the

necessary national coverage and licensed agents to complete the sales

process - online or offline -- at reduced cost with better close rates,

improved reporting and excellent customer service.

Website private labeling: Allows partnering businesses to quickly enter

the e-insurance marketplace with a Web-enabled insurance center. This

allows businesses to offer choice content, financial planning tools,

instant online comparison quotes and quality insurance products while

retaining their own brand identity.

Conservation services: A customer retention program that empowers

insurance companies to retain lapsing policyholders to leverage their

existing customer base while avoiding new acquisition costs.

"Our purchase of Pivot shows our commitment to First Union's recently announced strategic repositioning to focus on high-growth businesses and is a natural fit with our Internet strategy of investing in firms that match our core business," said de Gorter.

First Union Insurance Group (FUIG) is a unit of the Capital Management Group, First Union's asset and wealth management activities. FUIG operates one of the most comprehensive bank insurance operations in the country, serving more than 16 million customers through a sales force of 4,000 licensed agents. First Union Corporation (NYSE: FTU) is a leading provider of financial services to 15 million retail and corporate customers with $258 billion in assets and stockholders' equity of $14 billion at June 30, 2000.

(Ilife.com (Nasdaq: ILIF) operates a portfolio of personal finance e-channels, including banking, investing, taxes and small business financing. Its flagship site - bankrate.com - is a leading aggregator of more than 100 financial products, including mortgages, credit cards, automobile and home equity loans, money market accounts, CD's, checking and ATM fees, and online banking fees.)

Visit the Pivot(TM) website at www.pivot.com .

Air Canada Signs Letter Agreement With Sabre; Covers Assessment Services for Possible Outsourcing Relationship.

FORT WORTH, Texas, June 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Under an agreement announced today, Sabre (NYSE: TSG) will provide Air Canada with assessment services for a possible long-term technology outsourcing relationship. The assessment will cover critical applications and systems including all computer systems in all branches and systems governing the operational requirements for running the airline.

"We are interested in what Sabre can offer Air Canada in line with our profitability and cost reduction initiatives in the information technology area," said Lise Fournel, Senior Vice-President, Commercial for Air Canada. "The assessment agreement will enable us to evaluate in greater detail the information technology products and services available from Sabre."

"We look forward to working with Air Canada to assess their technology needs," said Eric Speck, Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing for Sabre. "We see this agreement as further evidence that major independent carriers are seriously interested in Sabre as a way of meeting their increasingly complex information technology requirements."

In its more than 30 years in the travel and transportation industry, Sabre has developed and now offers 200 software solutions specific to the industry. The assessment is part of Air Canada's recently announced profitability measures designed to improve revenue generation and productivity, while reducing expenses.

Sabre is a world leader in the electronic distribution of travel and is a leading provider of information technology solutions for the travel and transportation industries, including customized software development and software products, transaction processing, consulting and total information technology outsourcing.

Current Sabre news releases may be accessed via the Internet. Visit the company's Web site at http://www.sabre.com.

Sabre and the Sabre logo are registered trademarks of an affiliate of The SABRE Group, Inc., soon to be known as Sabre Inc.

Integra Telecom Names Trent Anderson Vice President of Enterprise Sales.

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Integra Telecom Inc., a provider of enterprise grade networking and communications solutions, has named Trent Anderson vice president of enterprise sales. In this new role, Anderson is responsible for doubling the company's sales force by the end of 2011 as Integra focuses on serving more businesses that demand sophisticated, high-capacity, fiber-based services. This is part of Integra's larger plan to leverage its expanding fiber network to deliver carrier-class Ethernet and VPN services to enable complex voice and cloud services to enterprise customers. Since May, Integra has hired over 60 employees across its 11-state service territory to support its focus on this segment of the market.

"I am committed to expanding Integra's presence in healthcare, government and education in addition to large, commercial enterprises throughout the West," said Anderson. "Integra has an extensive, world-class fiber network, along with superior customer service that provides an unparalleled value for our customers."

Anderson began his career at Integra Telecom in 1999 and has also served in various executive roles including regional operations, product development, and marketing.

Anderson graduated from Oregon State University's School of Business and has more than 20 years of industry experience in enterprise solutions, sales and business development.

About Integra Telecom

Integra Telecom Inc. provides voice, data and Internet communications to thousands of business and carrier customers in 11 Western states, including: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, Utah and Washington. The company owns and operates a best-in-class fiber-optic network comprising metropolitan access networks, a nationally acclaimed Internet and data network, and a 5,000-mile high-speed long haul network. The company has earned some of the highest customer loyalty and customer satisfaction ratings in the telecommunications industry. Integra Telecom is a registered trademark of Integra Telecom Inc. For more information, visit www.integratelecom.com.

OSHA launches interactive Web site to help employers better comply with its recordkeeping rule.

M2 PRESSWIRE-June 29, 2011-: OSHA launches interactive Web site to help employers better comply with its recordkeeping rule(C)1994-2011 M2 COMMUNICATIONS

RDATE:28062011

WASHINGTON -- The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently unveiled a new interactive web tool to help users determine whether injuries and illnesses are work-related and recordable under the OSHA Recordkeeping rules.

The OSHA Recordkeeping Advisor is an interactive tool that simulates an employer's interaction with a Recordkeeping rules expert. The Advisor relies on the users' responses to questions and automatically adapts to the situation presented. Responses put into the program are strictly confidential and the system does not record or store any of the information. The Advisor helps employers determine: Whether an injury or illness (or related event) is work-related Whether an event or exposure at home or on travel is work-related Whether an exception applies to the injury or illness Whether a work-related injury or illness needs to be recorded Which provisions of the regulations apply when recording a work-related injury or illness

"The Recordkeeping Advisor was developed to better help employers understand and comply with their responsibilities to report and record work-related injuries and illnesses," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels.

OSHA's Injury and Illness Recordkeeping page links to the Recordkeeping Advisor and other guidance materials to help employers understand and comply with Federal recordkeeping and reporting requirements.

The OSHA Recordkeeping Advisor is one of a series of elaws (Employment Laws Assistance for Workers and Small Businesses) Advisors developed to help employers and workers understand federal employment laws. A full list of Advisors can be found at the Web site.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to assure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov .

U.S. Labor Department news releases are accessible on the Internet at www.dol.gov . The information in this release will be made available in alternative format upon request (large print, Braille, audiotape or disc) from the Central Office for Assistive Services and Technology. Please specify which news release when placing your request. Call 202-693-7828 or TTY 202-693-7755.

Contact: Office of Communications

Phone: 202-693-1999

((M2 Communications disclaims all liability for information provided within M2 PressWIRE. Data supplied by named party/parties. Further information on M2 PressWIRE can be obtained at http://www.presswire.net on the world wide web. Inquiries to info@m2.com)).

iCrossing Launches iPhone App for Bermuda Department of Tourism.

New App Supports Larger Connected Content Strategy

NEW YORK, June 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- iCrossing, (http://news.icrossing.com)a global digital marketing agency, announced today that it launched a new iPhone application, the Bermuda Travel & Vacation Guide, for the Bermuda Department of Tourism (www.GoToBermuda.com). The free app, developed and built by iCrossing, is the latest initiative in a larger, multi-content strategy for Bermuda to drive awareness and engagement across bought, earned and owned media channels.

The Bermuda Travel & Vacation Guide iPhone app allows vacation planners to access Bermuda's most popular activities, sightseeing locations, golf courses, beaches, hotels, shops, restaurants and nightlife. It features an interactive map to enable users to easily search, browse and find Bermuda's top destinations. People can then share their favorite hot spots, and the app itself with others via Facebook, Twitter and email. This is the first in a series of mobile applications that iCrossing will develop and build for Bermuda.

"Travelers often rely on their mobile devices to quickly access information about the places they are visiting," said William Griffith, director of tourism, Bermuda Department of Tourism. "Our new Bermuda Travel & Vacation Guide app helps people discover what the island has to offer, and then share these experiences with others in their social networks."

As digital agency of record since 2008, iCrossing leads the Bermuda Department of Tourism digital marketing strategy through a full range of services including search engine optimization (SEO), paid search (SEM), display advertising, research, social media, mobile and creative. iCrossing recently redesigned and launched its new Web site, www.GoToBermuda.com, which is supported by a larger connected brand strategy.

"The new app supports Bermuda's larger strategy of using all digital touch points to connect people to the island of Bermuda," said Amy Simpson, vice president, managing director, iCrossing. "Vacationers can then use this information to plan an experience that is just right for them."

Download The Bermuda Travel & Vacation Guide from the iTunes App Store: [http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bermuda-travel-vacation-guide/id439690448?mt=8&ls=1]

(Due to the length of this URL, it may be necessary to copy and paste this hyperlink into your Internet browser's URL address field. Remove the space if one exists.)

About iCrossing

iCrossing is a global digital marketing agency that combines talent and technology to help world-class brands find and connect with their customers. The company blends best-in-class digital marketing services - including paid search, search engine optimization, Web development, social media, mobile, research and analytics - to create integrated digital marketing programs that engage consumers and drive ROI. iCrossing's client base includes such recognized brands as The LEGO Group, Epson America and Toyota, and 40 Fortune 500 companies, including The Coca-Cola Company, MasterCard and FedEx. Headquartered in New York, the company has 700 employees in 13 offices globally. iCrossing is a unit of Hearst Corporation, one of the nation's largest diversified media companies. For more information, please visit www.icrossing.com.

About Bermuda

Bermuda, just under two hours from East Coast gateway cities, stretches for 21 miles along turquoise waters and is surrounded by a 200-square-mile coral reef plateau. Bermuda's diverse activities offer an array of vacation options all year round, including world-class spas, more wreck dives than anywhere else in the world, world-renowned deep sea fishing and smooth pink beaches to rest on by day's end. Bermuda is home to the PGA Grand Slam of Golf, played in October. For more information or to make a reservation in Bermuda, please call 1 (800) BERMUDA or visit www.GoToBermuda.com.

Contact: Dana Mellecker 646-435-4456

SOURCE iCrossing

SEO Company Works to Lure Hip Tech Event to Utah.

Salt Lake City, UT (PRWEB) May 23, 2011

With cities competing to host the SEOmoz Family MozCation, a Utah-based firm hopes to lure the influential technology firm to Utah on June 29.

Internet geeks in Salt Lake City are vying against those in Houston in the race to host MozCation. SEOmoz is a leading provider of web-based search engine optimization tools. The hip, Seattle-based company announced recently that it would select a city for a special "meetup" in June. Fans were invited to tell SEOmoz why their town is the best place for the event.

"We have a high concentration of SEO companies in Utah, including some of the most recognizable brands in the industry. It really makes sense to bring the conference here," said Claye Stokes, a search engine optimization director at Utah-based SEO.com. "Aside from Seattle, I can't think of anywhere with such a high concentration of SEO talent and companies."

Bypassing the Beehive State just wouldn't make sense, Stokes said.

"Local SEO companies are being very vocal and creative, so the only way it's not coming to Salt Lake City is if they're not basing the decision on noise and demand," he added.

Cities need to be nominated by May 24 to be considered for the June event. Submissions could include blog posts, videos, songs, photos or drawings.

SEOmoz CEO Rand Fishkin said Salt Lake City is an attractive location.

His Seattle firm has "some good friends in Utah," Fishkin said in an e-mail to SEO.com.

"We're not ruling anywhere out," Fishkin said. "[Salt Lake City is] definitely an easier flight than some of the other spots we're looking at."

Cities with the best chances of hosting MozCation include Salt Lake City, Houston, Lima, Peru, and three different towns in Spain, said Jen Lopez, community manager at SEOmoz.

"The interest has been very high. It's been exciting," Lopez said. "Twitter has been a lot more difficult to manage."

A blog post at SEO.com encouraging SEOmoz to come to Utah ranked third when people searched for "MozCation" online.

"If you Google MozCation, we rank just behind SEOmoz," Stokes explained. "SEOmoz definitely sees us on the radar."

You can view another submission from Salt Lake City at MozCation.net.

"We really wanted to see how creative people could get," Lopez said.

SEOmoz travels the world participating in marketing conferences where the topic is usually search engine optimization -- the science of helping companies boost their website rankings in Google, Yahoo and Bing.

But MozCation is the first event of its kind.

And SEO.com isn't the only Utah firm working to convince SEOmoz to visit Utah.

"We've been in direct communication with dozens of local SEOs who have expressed interest in having SEOmoz come to Salt Lake City for MozCation," SEO.com President Ash Buckles said.

Utah has strong SEO and social media communities, he added.

"We've promoted events and attracted many great leaders including: Mark Zuckerberg, Matt Mullenweg, Seth Godin, Guy Kawasaki, Chris Brogan and many others," Buckles explained. "We would love to have the SEOmoz team join us here in Salt Lake City."

SEOmoz is scheduled to announce the location on May 31. Visit http://www.seomoz.org/mozcation for more information.

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Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/5/prweb8467485.htm

Intersect World LLC Partners with Skyhook to Deliver the First iPad App Integrated with Local Faves Social Location Framework.

New Free Update Enables Radio - iPad Edition Owners to Check-in, Discover What Stations their Friends are Playing and Find the Most Popular Around the World

MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif., April 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Intersect World LLC, a leading developer of apps for all the leading mobile platforms, today announced the integration and immediate availability of Radio - iPad Edition, the only iPad App to date to provide native support of Skyhook's Local Faves social location framework. The launch of Radio - iPad Edition with Skyhook's Local Faves embedded will be followed by the rest of the iPad Editions of Internet radio apps soon to be available on the iTunes App Store.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110415/LA82914LOGO)

Local Faves is a framework that brings the best engagement tactics from web and print, like location, stats and rankings, infographics, and social features to iPad apps like Radio. By optimizing for tablet devices and providing seamless integration into Intersect World's Radio - iPad Edition app, Local Faves adds engaging new features: users are able to "check-in" with friends when playing any radio station, find which stations are most popular near them, and discover what favorite stations friends are playing. Radio - iPad Edition is the first and only app to provide such support on any tablet platform, at this time.

"Since we shipped our Radio for iPhone product with Skyhook's Local Faves last year, over 370,000 Faves have been posted and shared online," said Marco Papa, principal of Intersect World LLC. "Our social framework partnership with Skyhook continues today with the shipment of Radio - iPad Edition, bringing the Local Faves functionality to the Apple iPad and iPad 2 tablet devices, a first in the industry. Together with the announcement of the 3 million downloads of our Radio apps, the renewed partnership with Skyhook will help us maintain a leading position in many of the iTunes App Store categories."

"We're thrilled to have Radio as the first iPad app integrated with Local Faves," said Ronda Billings Morra, director of marketing at Skyhook. "Radio - iPad Edition is a perfect example of how developers are utilizing geosocial features to make their apps more engaging for users. The recent surge in the number of apps taking advantage of location and social features is proof that users are looking for ways to connect more deeply with one another within an app itself. The Radio - iPad Edition app enables a more interactive experience through sharing current location and what users are listening to now via their favorite social networks, like Facebook and Twitter, leaderboards showing the most popular programs by timeframe and location and the ability to 'follow' and comment on their favorites."

About Intersect World LLC

Founded in February 2008, Intersect World LLC is a leading developer of mobile applications for the iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows Phone and Symbian^3 platforms. For more information visit radioforiphone.com.

About Skyhook

Skyhook is the worldwide leader in location positioning, context and intelligence. In 2003, Skyhook pioneered the development of the Wi-Fi Positioning System to provide precise and reliable location results in urban areas. Today, Skyhook's Core Engine provides positioning to tens of millions of consumer mobile devices and applications. For more information visit www.skyhookwireless.com.

SOURCE Intersect World LLC

Online Advertising Company, Gathi.com, Announces New Section Devoted To Entertainment Industry.

One of the leading online advertising agencies, Gathi, announces additional options for customers through entertainment-focused websites.

(PRWEB) August 15, 2009 -- Gathi, a leading provider of advanced online advertising solutions recently announced the launch of a new large section thoroughly devoted to the entertainment industry. Existing customers are also now able to allocate a portion of their advertising budget targeting the large gaming industry.

"Research has shown that more and more people are entering the entertainment industry. Cinematography has become an essential part of contemporary culture. Furthermore, going to the New York, NY (PRWEB) August 13, 2009 cinema on weekends is becomming a worldwide tradition. As a result, many blockbuster movies earn more than the annual budgets of some developing countries," said Richard Tove, the representative of Gathi.

To take advantage of this tendency, Gathi is extending their entertainment section to include a series of websites focused on the movie industry, Hollywood celebrities and Hollywood rumors. As one of the leading online advertising agencies, Gathi offers advertisers exposure to the millions of Internet users who are attracted to the recently added websites.

The new websites in the Gathi ads network were designed to help movie-goers with making the right choice on movie night by providing them with the latest film news, reviews and trailers for upcoming movies. Colorfully illustrated articles draw millions of movie fans to the latest events and occasions on the Dream Factory. Visitors are provided with easy access to a wide range of media entertainment -- including movie reviews and blogs with box office reports.

Movie sections contain the most detailed information of released and upcoming films including the cast, filming locations and links to fan sites. Moreover, some websites feature weekly competitions to entertain movie-goers and keep them involved in the latest events.

DVD sections are also presented at the majority of the movie-oriented websites working with Gathi. These are favored by in-home entertainment seekers who would prefer spending evenings watching movies from the comfort of their homes. The new sections feature large collections of older releases as well as the latest arrivals.

Gathi decided to include these movie websites into their repertoire because the entertainment industry typically attracts a younger to middle-aged demographic, who are very adept online and are used to receiving online advertisements. This makes advertising on movie-oriented websites a profitable option for their customers.

About Gathi: Gathi Advertising Network (http://gathi.com) is an online advertising agency that employs advanced traffic monetization software to successfully optimize traffic and bring targeted visitors to client's web pages. The company focuses on customer service -- offering 24/7 support. Gathi's technical services focus on problem prevention, not just problem resolution.

Media Contact: Richard Tove Title c/o CPH Lergravsvej 53, Copenhagen S 2300, Denmark +45 657 41 475

Keywords: advertising, online advertising, advertising agencies

# # #

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/08/prweb2748664.htm.

01 Communique Grants Sweden's Opus Prodox Rights to Resell COMMUNICATE!

Popular All-In-One Communication Software will be Localized for the Norden

Marketplace and Available in Four Official Scandinavian Languages

TORONTO, Sept. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- 01 Communique Laboratory, Inc. and Opus Prodox AB have formed a reseller agreement granting Opus Prodox exclusive rights to localize and distribute 01 Communique's COMMUNICATE! software within the Norden market. COMMUNICATE! is an all-in-one communication software package for Windows 95/NT/3.1 and is ideal for the SOHO and the consumer market. The product bundles five separate applications -- telephone answering and speaker phone, fax, Internet e-mail, contact management and data communications -- under one program icon for maximum ease-of-use.

Under the terms of the agreement, Opus Prodox will translate and re- package COMMUNICATE! under the Opus Prodox brand name for distribution in Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway and Iceland. Opus Prodox expects to have COMMUNICATE! translated, re-packaged and available for distribution in all five countries by mid-October.

"We're very pleased that Opus Prodox has chosen to add COMMUNICATE! to its product line," said Brian McElwain, V.P. of Sales and Marketing, 01 Communique. "COMMUNICATE!'s easy-to-use, 'telephone-like' interface has made it very popular with North American consumers. We're confident that it will have the same level of appeal in the Norden marketplace."

Opus Prodox is a Swedish-based developer of electronic products for the telecommunications and automotive industries. Opus Prodox's Telecomm division develops and markets Fax and Modem Switchers, Surge Protectors and ID Caller hardware and software. "COMMUNICATE! fits perfectly within our product mix," said Jan Nilsson, Manager of Telecomm Division, Opus Prodox AB. "Although our original intention was to combine COMMUNICATE! software with our hardware, the product is so complete that we decided to leave it as is, and re-sell it as part of our product offering."

According to Nilsson, Sweden's population of three million households currently own in excess of 800,000 PCs. COMMUNICATE!, ideal for the SOHO and consumer markets, will answer a much needed requirement by Scandinavian consumers for a comprehensive, all-in-one communication package. COMMUNICATE! will also be marketed to the Norden market's business community which is largely comprised of small companies with less than 10 employees each. "We've already shown COMMUNICATE! to a couple of our clients in Sweden and other countries, and they love it," said Nilsson. "None of them have seen anything as comprehensive or as easy to use as COMMUNICATE!."

The first process of translating COMMUNICATE!'s voice/wave files, user guide and on-line help into Swedish, Finnish, Danish and Norwegian -- the four official languages of the Norden market -- is now complete. Opus Prodox anticipates having the product re-packaged and ready for distribution in Sweden by mid-September, and in the remaining countries by mid-October. "In Sweden, we will distribute COMMUNICATE! ourselves directly to retail superstores and wholesalers," explained Nilsson. "We are looking for distributors to handle Finland, Denmark, Norway and Iceland. In the interim however, we will distribute to these countries as well." The Norden version of COMMUNICATE! will carry a suggested end-user price of $150 US.

About COMMUNICATE!

COMMUNICATE! features a highly intuitive user interface which resembles a telephone answering machine. The telephone answering and speaker phone, fax, Internet e-mail, contact management and data communication capabilities are fully integrated under one easy-to-use interface, making it much easier to learn than individually bundled applications. COMMUNICATE! enables users to transform their Windows NT, Windows 95 or Windows 3.1-based PC and voice modem into a sophisticated communications center for managing all communication needs. The product also seamlessly integrates pager notification, color graphics editing and Optical Character Recognition capabilities, while supporting such features as distinctive ring, caller ID, and remote message retrieval -- making it one of the most comprehensive communication software packages on the market today. COMMUNICATE! is ideal for small business, home office and mobile users.

About 01 Communique

Based in Toronto, Ontario, 01 Communique Laboratory, Inc. develops and markets communication software for single users and network environments. Recognizing the growing importance of communication in government, business and SOHO (Small Office, Home Office) markets worldwide, 01 Communique was formed in 1992 to develop and market a new line of communication products that provide superior fax, contact management, telephony and Internet capabilities. Each of 01 Communique's communication products -- 01/FAX for Windows, 0l/FAXCOM, 01/FAX for WorkGroups and COMMUNICATE! -- feature integrated fax functionality, contact management, OCR and graphics editing capabilities within a single program interface. For more information, contact the company at 905-795-2888, 800-668-2185 or visit the web site at http://www.01com.com.

NOTE: Copyright 1997 01 Communique Laboratory, Inc. All product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

SOURCE 01 Communique Laboratory, Inc.

     -0-                             09/09/97 

/CONTACT: Brian McElwain, V.P. Sales and Marketing, 01 Communique, 905-795-2888, or fax, 905-795-0101, or 01com@01com.com; or Jan Nilsson, Manager Telecomm Division, Opus Prodox, 0463-168-4590, or fax, 0463-128-8655, or telecom@opus.se; or Dan Coyle, Public Relations, Verrecchia Group, 416-784-9188, or fax, 416-784-9116, or dan@vergroup.com/

CO: 01 Communique Laboratory, Inc.; Opus Prodox AB ST: Ontario IN: CPR SU:

BG-LD -- FLTU001 -- 5220 09/09/97 08:05 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com

INTERNET NOT DESIGNED FOR SHOPPING

EVANSTON, Ill., Feb. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- In every report so far from consumer marketers using the Internet's World Wide Web it has been a failure as far as home shopping goes. The reason for this is very basic according to Maxwell Sroge, president of one of the leading catalog consulting firms in the country.

Sroge who founded the Evanston, Illinois-based catalog consultancy in 1966 has served such clients as Spiegel, Wards, Sears, Fingerhut, Macy's, May Company, Federated and Brookstone over the years.

"The problem," according to Sroge, "is that many of the Internet web sites are being designed by software engineers and not by retailers. Engineers," he says, "approach things logically on an orderly proscribed basis. That's fine for an engineering process," he adds, "but consumer shopping is a random and emotional experience. A woman, for example, has an idea she wants to buy shoes. She goes into a store like Nordstroms and encounters cosmetic displays. She stops, sniffs some fragrances and might buy some face cream. Then it's past costume jewelry, hand bags and casual apparel, with a stop here and there. Finally she scouts the shoe department, looks at various displays, picks up a shoe or two and then might approach a sales person. In the end she might leave the store with or without shoes, but most of the time with items she never planned to buy that day."

Maxwell Sroge says, "Internet web sites are designed as though they were blueprints to build the Empire State Building. First click on shoes, then click on type of shoe, then click on color, then click on price, then click to order. Etc. Etc. Etc. It's more like a Prussian army routine than it is merchandising," he adds.

What's the answer? Sroge maintains it is to change the whole approach to one that imitates what a customer does when they look through a catalog or enter a mall or store. "Let the customer browse through the site. Give her an overview of what you're featuring and add some showmanship, entertainment and personalities, then let the customer choose where she wants to stop ... visit and buy. Surprise her occasionally, and above all make it easy for her to change her mind."

Sroge added that all of his clients are talking about the Internet and that ultimately it will become an important force in home shopping, but that there's a long way to go to make it acceptable to today's consumer.

Maxwell Sroge Company, headquartered in Evanston, Illinois, has played a key role in developing catalog businesses for such companies as Starbucks, Zales, Armstrong World Industries, Sears, Home Shopping Network, Spiegels, General Foods, IBM, Mars, and Philips among others. The firm has won over fifteen international awards for its catalog work, including the most prestigious Gold Mail Box of the Direct Marketing Association.

     -0-                      2/21/96 

/CONTACT: Maxwell Sroge of Maxwell Sroge Company, 847-866-1890, or Fax, 847-866-1899/

CO: Maxwell Sroge Company ST: Illinois IN: REA CPR SU:

TC-CH -- CLW016 -- 8944 02/21/96 11:47 EST

Naspers schemes reveal the rise of black spending power.(Business Report)

BYLINE: Ann Crotty

Johannesburg - The overwhelming success of Naspers's recent empowerment schemes "underscores the extent to which the spending power of black individuals has increased over the past eight years", Steve Pacak, the finance director of the media firm, said yesterday.

When Naspers launched the Welkom empowerment scheme eight years ago, Pacak said, there was little evidence of the spending power manifested by the response to the recently launched Phuthuma Nathi and Welkom Yizani schemes.

Compared with the 17 000 people who invested R16 million in the Welkom scheme in 1998, Naspers had expected "a greater response" for the recent offers, "but certainly not as great as the response we've had".

Pacak said that Naspers had spent a lot of money on marketing the schemes and had undertaken about 60 road shows.

One empowerment analyst, who had earlier expressed reservations about any company's ability to raise funds from black individuals, described the response as "amazing".

The two schemes, which were aiming to raise a combined R600 million from black individuals and groups, were almost three times oversubscribed, attracting applications totalling R1.8 billion.

Under the Phuthuma Nathi scheme, 45 million shares, or a 15 percent stake, in pay television and internet group Multichoice South Africa (MCSA) were offered at R10 each. The shares were attributed a value of R50 apiece, but ownership can only be taken up in five years. The R40 a share discrepancy represents a funding loan to the participants, provided by Naspers through MIH Holdings, the holding company for MCSA.

The Welkom Yizani offer aimed to raise R146 million by giving investors access to a 15 percent stake in Naspers's print media subsidiary, Media 24, through a similarly structured scheme.

Naspers received 120 000 applications with a total value of R1.3 billion for the Phuthuma Nathi scheme and 108 000 applications worth R421 million for the Welkom Yizani offer. If black groups were excluded, Pacak said, the average individual applicant in Phuthuma Nathi applied for, and received, just over R4 500 worth of shares. The average individual in the Welkom Yizani scheme applied for shares worth about R3 000.

Pacak dismissed suggestions that the response had been boosted by applicants fronting for white individuals. "Given the average size of the application, it would not have made sense." He said the offer ensured that anyone found fronting would lose their application sums. It would be impossible to determine how many white employers had applied on behalf of black staff.

The formerly sceptical empowerment analyst noted: "However you look at this response, it suggests that South Africa and its economy are much stronger than was previously assumed."

The success of the schemes means Media24 and MCSA will have to deal with considerably more shareholders than any other firm on or off the JSE. In the shorter term, this challenge will be softened by the eight weeks of interest accruing to Naspers on the R1.8 billion that accompanied the applications.

Asia firms look to outsourcing as a way to better manage resources, costs.

Byline: Chiratas Nivatpumin

Sep. 9--Companies throughout the region have been mainly the beneficiaries of globalisation and the trend towards service outsourcing.

Whether handling service calls from Kuala Lumpur, processing cheques in Shanghai or diagnosing network traffic from Bangalore, the move by companies to outsource "non-core" activities has proven a boon for many firms throughout Asia.

Now many Asian companies themselves are looking at outsourcing as a means of better managing corporate resources and costs, according to global consultancy Accenture.

"Historically, outsourcing has evolved from IT infrastructure in the 1970s to application management and then to business processes," said Andrew Friars, an Accenture managing partner based at the firm's Melbourne office.

"But in the Asia-Pacific region, many are leapfrogging this pattern, and looking right to outsourcing everything."

Growth was being driven not just by multinationals expanding in the region, but by national companies looking to improve their competitiveness as they expand regionally and worldwide.

While companies typically looked at outsourcing as a means of cutting staff and costs, Mr Friars said the actual benefits in many cases were substantially greater.

Companies outsourcing non-core operations were able to not just reduce expenses, but also streamline their business processes as well as free up resources to pursue more critical strategic objectives.

"If you look at a company that is expanding, they want to focus on growth, not record keeping or back office operations," Mr Friars said.

"Actually, when you think about it, many companies already practice outsourcing in some form or another, whether it be a contract with an Internet service provider, bookkeeping, payroll or perhaps legal consulting."

But while many companies might turn to specialist firms to handle defined business tasks, consultancies such as Accenture say they offer broad "end-to-end" solutions rather than a "point-by-point" approach.

Leena Mayteedol, country managing director for Accenture, said one of the largest outsourcing cases in Thailand handled by the firm was for industrial giant Siam Cement, through a 50-50 joint venture called IT One.

The company now offers enterprise business application services, HR and payroll administration and call centre servicing, with staff drawn from both Accenture and Siam Cement.

IT One not only provides services for the Siam Cement group, but has since expanded to offer services to other clients, including The Aromatics Plc, the Crown Property Bureau and Thai Pineapple Canning Industry.

"Outsourcing generally starts as a question of cost-cutting. But it's actually more about managing spending and returns on investment," Mrs Leena said.

"Some companies might start with outsourcing IT functions for a single business unit. But once they realise the potential, then they look to expand the entire scope."

Mr Friars said cost-savings of 30 percent to 50 percent was typical for an outsourcing contract, although the actual benefits very much depended on the overall strategy and structure for the project.

"You need to know what you are trying to achieve," he said.

"It's a means to an end, not an end in itself. It's more like sharing a journey with someone else."

Any project needed to carefully define the services and expectations that would be required by the client from the outsourcer.

Mr Friars said concerns about "loss of control" could be managed by careful programme design that stipulated service levels and penalties for failing to meet standards.

But an even more successful approach was to adopt a broader control framework, one that tailors objectives to help align the outsourcer's objectives with those of the client.

"This could be through control mechanisms where the outsourcer has employees and management working directly at the company's site. You want to set up a shared vision and goal among the parties," he said.

Mr Friars said outsourcing was increasingly moving towards a "plug and play" approach, where standardised solutions were offered by a single outsourcer to multiple clients.

"It's really about solving a problem, about defining a strategic vision. People first thought of it as a way of moving away from non-core operations," he said.

"But now, the question is, am I the best person to do this job? Is there someone else in the marketplace who can do it better?"

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(c) 2004, Bangkok Post, Thailand. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News. For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.

TICKER SYMBOL(S): ACN, SCVPF

FORTUNE Magazine Names Plante & Moran 'One of the Nation's 100 Best Companies to Work For'; Firm ranked 18th on list; honored for sixth consecutive year.

SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Dec. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Plante & Moran, PLLC, the largest regional public accounting and consulting firm in the Midwest, has been named to FORTUNE Magazine's 2004 list of "The 100 Best Companies to Work For" for the sixth consecutive year. A profile of all companies recognized with the FORTUNE 100 award is featured in the magazine's January 12 issue and on its Website, http://www.fortune.com/ .

The award recognizes Plante & Moran for its innovative people practices, including non-traditional career opportunities, flex hours, free Saturday childcare during tax season, bonuses for tech-savvy administrative staff and a fun "family" culture where parties, promotion celebrations, "Yeah Team" signs, and firm-paid visits from the Good Humor truck are commonplace.

Bill Hermann, CPA, Plante & Moran's managing partner, says the FORTUNE award is a great way to kick off the firm's 80th anniversary in 2004. "Plante & Moran has a strong tradition of innovative HR policies, stemming from the personal convictions of our late founding partner and coach, Frank Moran," explains Hermann.

"An 80 year history in the client service industry is not a fluke; it requires dogged pursuit in hiring and retaining the best people who provide outstanding service to our clients. This year's FORTUNE award is acknowledgement that we have stayed true to our core purpose -- and that has always been a guiding force in moving the firm forward."

To be eligible for the FORTUNE recognition, applicant companies must have a minimum of 500 employees and be in business for at least 10 years. Two- thirds of the ranking is based on randomly selected employee responses to the Great Place to Work Trust Index, a survey instrument by the Great Places to Work Institute that measures the quality of workplace culture.

Plante & Moran is a professional services firm offering fully integrated business advisory services to help our clients succeed. With certified public accountants and consulting specialists focused in specific industries, Plante & Moran's services include technology and business consulting, assurance, tax, and family wealth management. Founded in 1924, Plante & Moran is the nation's 11th largest certified public accounting and management consulting firm according to Public Accounting Report. Plante & Moran has been recognized by a number of organizations, including FORTUNE magazine, as one of the country's best places to work. The firm has a staff of nearly 1,300 professionals in 15 offices throughout Michigan and Ohio. Plante & Moran's Internet address is http://www.plantemoran.com/ .

CONTACT: Jarrod Erpelding of Plante & Moran, PLLC, +1-248-330-9603, Jarrod.Erpelding@plantemoran.com

Web site: http://www.plantemoran.com/ http://www.fortune.com/

TYRANTS CAN USE FACEBOOK, TOO.

WASHINGTON -- The following information was released by Illinois Senator Richard J. Durbin:

There has been much talk lately about the "Facebook revolution" in the Middle East. But the rhetoric oversimplifies a more complicated reality.

The Internet has helped activists from Morocco to Iran organize demonstrations and publicize human rights abuses. The world had a front-row seat at the Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions thanks to Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. This publicity likely helped restrain government crackdowns on protesters.

While the mainstream media has limited access to Libya during the current unrest, social media have provided an invaluable lifeline of information. The revolution may not be televised -- but it is being tweeted.

It is important to remember that the Internet, like every sea change in communications technology does not inevitably lead to social progress. It is merely a tool for brave men and women willing to put their lives on the line to improve their lot.

TV broadcasts of Alabama state troopers beating protesters on the Edmund Pettus Bridge helped galvanize support for the civil rights movement in the 1960s. But it was John Lewis and his fellow marchers who had the courage to face the billy clubs, dogs and fire hoses -- and the foresight to understand the impact of these images on America.

Similarly, Egyptian activists had the strategic vision to use Facebook to spread the word about a demonstration in Tahrir Square on Jan. 25, and the fortitude to protest for the next 18 days. The Internet didn't bring down the Mubarak regime, the Egyptian people did.

Technological advancement also has a downside. The Internet makes it easier for repressive regimes to crack down on dissidents. The Belarusian and Iranian governments have used what Internet expert Evgeny Morozov calls the "digital panopticon" created by social-networking technology to track down and arrest activists.

In China, Internet police monitor the Web, and the "Great Firewall" censors content.

As the world's leading tech innovators, U.S. companies are at the vanguard of this brave new world. As chairman of the Senate human rights subcommittee, I've held hearings on the role of U.S. technology companies in protecting Internet freedom. I've written to dozens of companies about their human rights practices and heard testimony from Obama administration officials, technology companies and human rights activists from China and Iran.

With a few notable exceptions, the technology industry is failing to address serious human rights challenges. Filtering software produced by U.S. companies like McAfee -- recently acquired by Intel -- has been used by repressive governments to censor political content on the Internet. Cisco routers are part of the architecture of China's Great Firewall. Search engines such as Google and Yahoo censor political content.

The Egyptian and Tunisian governments have reportedly used Facebook to monitor activists, aided by Facebook's refusal to allow activists to use pseudonyms -- a violation of the website's terms of service. While Facebook's service is available in 70 languages, its terms are available in only seven.

Many Arabic and Farsi users unknowingly violate Facebook's terms of service because those terms are not in their languages. Repressive governments and their allies can shut down activists' accounts by submitting complaints about violations of the terms of service.

A few companies have taken bold steps to protect human rights. In 2008, Google, Microsoft and Yahoo joined human rights groups in launching the Global Network Initiative, a voluntary code of conduct that requires companies to take reasonable measures to protect human rights and submit to an independent assessment of their practices. The jury is still out on the initiative, but it has great potential to advance human rights if the principles are fully implemented and its membership is expanded.

U.S. technology companies allow millions around the world to express themselves more fully and freely. But the industry has a moral obligation to ensure that its products and services do not help repressive governments. If U.S. companies are unwilling to take reasonable steps to protect human rights, Congress must step in.