This time, they think it's for good.
Once a freshman cheerleader at West Aurora High School, Rachel made headlines last June when she disappeared while visiting her aunt in Omaha, Neb.
The 15-year-old was missing for a week and eventually was found living with a group of homeless young adults who called themselves the National Association of White People's Party.
It was not the first time Rachel had run away from home.
According to Sherry Spinelli, Rachel started hanging around with a bad crowd, turning more rebellious and angry, after entering high school in the fall of 1996.
Even after they brought her home from Omaha, Spinelli says, Rachel continued to run away over and over again.
Local treatment centers did no good.
Spinelli says the first night Rachel was home after three weeks of in- and out-patient care, she tied her bedroom sheets together and climbed out the front window of the family's home.
Then she stole her parents' bank access card, cleaned out their account and headed west again.
Gone every other day
Rachel made it to within an hour of Omaha before the Amtrak police found her.
But the same day her parents brought her back to Aurora, she ran again.
Then, says Spinelli, her daughter "proceeded to run away every other day.
"When we would catch up with her, she would be drugged up.
And it got to the point where she was running with strangers now instead of old friends. It was taking us longer to find her each time, and she was more belligerent each time."
A psychiatrist recommended that Rachel be placed in a long-term locked facility.
But in the state of Illinois, a teen cannot be kept against his or her will.
And the cost of the programs they encountered, says Spinelli, ran from $4,000 to $6,000 a month.
In the meantime, the family was falling apart.
The younger siblings were greatly affected by the chaos their big sister created.
Sherry and Chris eventually filed bankruptcy because they missed so much work looking for Rachel, and because of the cost of their many attempts to treat her.
"We were at our wit's end," recalls Spinelli.
"We didn't know where else to turn."
Answer online
The family eventually found the answer on the Internet, where they learned about an organization called Teen Help, a referral center that works with four privately owned residential specialty schools dealing directly with teen-age behavior modification.
In addition to attending school six days a week, eight hours a day, the kids take part in a series of seminars designed to help them regain their self-esteem and develop values and tools they need to grow into adults.
The Spinellis chose to put Rachel in Jamaica because of the cultural shock often needed to straighten up kids who are so out of control.
Also, because the cost of living is lower in off-shore sites, the program was less expensive.
Still, in order to cover the $2,100-a-month tuition, Sherry Spinelli went back to work full time as a day-care provider, the family sold their two late-model cars and they moved into a more modest home.
But their decidedly more frugal lifestyle is all worth it when they see how far their daughter has come.
Although she's only halfway through a six-part program, Rachel corresponds with her parents regularly now, is repentant about her past and excited for her future.
"She's back," says Spinelli.
"And we couldn't be more thrilled."
This is a column about people, events and issues that touch the hearts and lives of those in the Fox Valley.
If you've got a suggestion, call Denise Crosby at The Beacon News, (630) 844-5870.
Business Editors/Hi-Tech Writers
WILLOW GROVE, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 30, 2001
Highlighting a remarkable period of growth by one of the Philadelphia region's premier Direct Marketing and E-mail Marketing agencies, Network Direct has been selected as one of the Fastest Growing Private Companies in the Philadelphia region by the Philadelphia Business Journal, the Entrepreneur's Forum of Greater Philadelphia, and the Wharton Small Business Development Center.
The 13th annual "Philadelphia 100" awards were conferred Thursday, October 25. The ranking, based upon percentage revenue growth in the period 1999 through 2001, is the first time NetworkDirect has cracked that elite group.
NetworkDirect, founded in 1997, experienced a 63 percent increase in their total agency billings, from $1,900,000 in 1999 to over $3,100,000 in 2000. The Direct Marketing Association also ranks the company among the Top 100 agencies in the United States.
"We are thrilled to be ranked among Philadelphia's fastest growing companies, and believe that the future of NetworkDirect will include many more positive milestones for our customers and our company," said Steve Emory, founder and Chief Executive Officer of NetworkDirect. "The increased use of e-mail marketing will greatly impact our Eagle Email division, as companies realize the value of Direct Marketing expertise coupled with leading-edge e-mail technologies."
NetworkDirect launched its e-mail marketing division, Eagle Email, in May 2000. The division integrates traditional direct mail expertise with a full ranged of e-mail marketing services, including Eagle Response.
An e-mail management software tool developed by Eagle Email, Eagle Response enables businesses to answer the many inquiries they receive over the Internet in a timely and cost-efficient manner using a form of artificial intelligence and a library of pre-developed messages.
The system is attractive to small and medium size businesses because it is delivered to customers as an ASP, resulting in a low cost user license and subscription service.
Among the clients that NetworkDirect has assisted with their Direct Marketing and E-mail Marketing initiatives are AIGdirect, People PC, Charming Shoppes, Carnegie Mellon University, and StarCite, Inc.
About NetworkDirect and Eagle Email:
NetworkDirect is expert in Direct Marketing, whether through traditional methods or the Internet. Founded in 1997 by Steve Emory, a direct marketer with over 30 years experience, NetworkDirect is ranked among the Top 100 agencies by the Direct Marketing Association, and in 2001 was recognized as one of Philadelphia's 100 Fastest Growing Small Businesses with the "Philadelphia 100" award.
Through their "best in class" national Strategic Alliance Program, as well as their Eagle Email division dedicated to the art and science of e-mail marketing, NetworkDirect provides the best in direct marketing communication, from strategic planning through implementation. Additional information about the company is available on their Web site at http://www.NetworkDirect.net.
Additional information about their e-mail marketing division is available on their Web site at http://www.EagleEmail.com.
Eagle Response is a service mark of NetworkDirect, Inc. The NetworkDirect and Eagle Email names, logos and web sites are trademarks of NetworkDirect, Inc. All other company names and products are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
M2 PRESSWIRE-2 November 2000-UNISYS: Unisys provides smooth sailing for color line customer service with natural language solutions; Norway's largest cruise and ferry operator will use Unisys natural language interface to shorten time callers spend on phone (C)1994-2000 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD
RDATE:02112000
BLUE BELL, PA -- Unisys Corporation will provide Color Line, Norway's largest cruise and ferry operator, with natural language understanding (NLU) technology, improving Color Line's automated customer service with a voice-activated scheduling application. Color Line customers can now retrieve schedules of the cruise line and ferry service in as little as 15 seconds, cutting their time on the phone by more than two minutes.
Unisys NLU provides a more user-friendly experience by giving the exact information in a short period of time, eliminating the need to work through the five levels of menus on the current system. For example, callers simply state where and when they would like to travel and they are directed to the name of the ship, time of departure and time of arrival in a fast, pleasant and efficient manner.
"It is important for Color Line to have an automated scheduling system available 24x7 that complements our call center and Internet booking capabilities," said Jan Kverneland, information technology director for Color Line. "Unisys voice-based automated system gives our customers the exact information in a short amount of time and allows our customers to easily and quickly communicate with us by simply using their voice."
Unisys expertise and technology have eliminated the knowledge and cost barriers to developing mass-market speech-based applications. Now, sophisticated speech-based applications can interact with a caller in a natural manner.
"Unisys NLU speech solutions provides the ability to efficiently improve Color Line's customer service platform without adding additional staff to their call center," said Joe Yaworski, vice-president and general manager, Unisys Natural Language. "Based on our NLU technology, which converts speech into content that computers can understand, Unisys makes interaction with complex computer applications much easier. The result is increased customer satisfaction through a more natural user interface, as well as shorter calls that deliver cost savings to clients implementing these systems."
About Color Line
Color Line is Norway's largest cruise and ferry operator with six routes between Norway and Sweden, Denmark and Germany. Established in 1990 and with a total of eight cruise ferries and one high-speed ship, Color Line has approximately 3,000 employees counting both on land and at sea. Each year more than 4.3 million guests, 700,000 passenger vehicles and 140,000 freight units travel on the ships between Norway and the other countries. Color Line is a significant service company within the leisure travel and transportation scene from a European perspective. Safety, service, quality and a positive experience for passengers are at the center of Color Line's daily operation. For additional information, please visit www.colorline.com.
About Unisys
Unisys is an e-business solutions company whose 36,000 employees help customers in 100 countries apply information technology to seize opportunities and overcome challenges of the Internet economy. Unisys people integrate and deliver the solutions, services, platforms and network infrastructure required by business and government to transform their organizations for success in this new era. The company offers a rich portfolio of Unisys e-@ction Solutions for e-business based on its expertise in vertical industry solutions, network services, outsourcing, systems integration and multivendor support, coupled with enterprise-class server and related technologies. The primary vertical markets Unisys serves worldwide include financial services, transportation, communications, publishing and commercial sectors, as well as the public sector, including federal government customers. Unisys is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, in the Greater Philadelphia area. For more information on the company, access the Unisys home page on the World Wide Web at www.unisys.com. Investor information can be found at www.unisys.com/investor.
CONTACT: Teisha Van de Kop, BSMG for Unisys Tel: +1 972 830 2232 e-mail: tvandekop@bsmg.com
((M2 Communications Ltd disclaims all liability for information provided within M2 PressWIRE. Data prepared 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)).
SINGAPORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--February 5, 1999--
Pacific Internet of Singapore makes its Nasdaq debut
today with an offer of 3 million shares at US$17 each
Lehman Brothers, a global investment bank, is the lead manager of the first initial public offering of shares in the United States by an Asian Internet company. Pacific Internet Limited, a leading provider of Internet access and Internet services in Asia, and its shareholders, SembCorp Industries and SIM Ventures, offered 3 million shares at an initial public offering price of US$17 per share to raise approximately US$51 million. Approximately 2.1 million of the shares are being offered directly by the Company. Estimated net proceeds of approximately US$32.5 million (net of expenses) will be used by Pacific Internet to finance potential acquisitions in the region and to fund capital expenditures. Trading of Pacific Internet's shares on Nasdaq Stock Market's National Market commences today.
Mr. C. Daniel Tyree, Chairman of Lehman Brothers, said: "We are proud to be the lead manager of this first Asian Internet offering in the US and are very encouraged by the overwhelming market responses from all around the globe. We have placed a lot of emphasis on the Internet/Emerging Telco sector here in Asia Pacific region. This deal truly opens the door for other potential Asian issuers in the Internet sector to seek overseas listings to raise capital for expansion and enhance their international profile."
Pacific Internet, which presently operates in Singapore, Hong Kong and the Philippines, is seeking to become the premier Internet service provider ("ISP") in the Asia-Pacific region. It plans to establish market leadership in the Internet access business for its targeted markets and to introduce other value-added Internet services, including e-commerce, real-time Internet fax and Internet telephony.
As of December 31, 1998, Pacific Internet had 203,490 dial-up subscribers and 593 leased line subscribers. For the six months ended June 30, 1998, Pacific Internet had consolidated revenues of S$33.1 million (US$19.7 million) and net income of S$5.8 million (US$3.5 million).
Pacific Internet is indirectly controlled by Temasek Holdings (Private) Limited, the principal holding company of the government of the Republic of Singapore. It maintains websites at http://www.pacific.net.sg, http://www.hk.super.net and http://www.pacific.net.ph.
Lehman Brothers is a global investment bank with leadership positions in corporate finance, advisory services, municipal finance and securities sales, trading and research. The Firm serves the financial needs of corporate, government and institutional clients and high net-worth individuals through offices in major financial centers worldwide.
The offering of shares is made by prospectus only, a copy of which may be obtained from Lehman Brothers Inc., Three World Financial Center, New York, NY 10885.
EXPERT ANALYSIS FROM THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION
HONOLULU--Internet-based cognitive-behavioral therapy could cure half of patients with internalizing mental disorders, including depression, social phobia, panic disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder, a review of data suggests.
Internalizing disorders account for half of mental disorders, Dr. Gavin P. Andrews said at the meeting.
"A quarter of the burden of mental disorders is potentially removable by Internet-based cognitive-behavioral therapy" (CBT), said Dr. Andrews, professor of psychiatry at the University of New South Wales, Sydney. "If our profession could get a handle on effective treatment for internalizing disorders, we'd make a fundamental move forward."
Internet-based CBT is a program whereby the patient is in e-mail contact with the person directing the therapy, which consists of psychoeducation and exercises completed online. Dr. Andrews and his associates conducted a review of the literature and meta-analysis of data from 22 studies of Internet-based CBT involving 1 (746 patients. The effect-size superiority over comparison groups was larger than the effect-size superiority traditionally seen for treatment of anxiety disorders with face-to-face CBT or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), compared with control groups, he said.
For each disorder (depression, social phobia, panic disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder), the number needed to treat with Internet-based CBT to show an effect was two (PLoS One 20l0;5:el3196).
"Treat two people and one gets better. This is powerful treatment in psychiatry. It's powerful treatment in medicine," said Dr. Andrews, a member of the Anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum, Posttraumatic and Dissociative Disorders Work Group for the DSM-5.
The effects of Internet-based CBT appear to last, he added. Although the median follow-up time in the studies was 6 months, some Swedish studies had 18-month follow-up data.
"There was no hint of relapse reported in any study, which is just foreign to my experience," he said. "Depression is supposed to be a relapsing and recurring disorder. What on earth is it doing just disappearing after someone does CBT over the Web? This is not what any of us were trained for."
Diagnosis or the type of Internet-based CBT did not predict results. "It's as though these four disorders have shared commonalities, because they're responding identically," he said.
Dr. Andrews said the study was commissioned by the Journal of the American Medical Association, which declined to publish the results. He and his associates have now published 15 randomized, controlled trials, including about 1,500 people showing the effectiveness of Internet-based CBT, he said.
In a recent randomized, controlled study, he and his associates tested the third iteration of transdiagnostic Internet-based CBT that they developed for patients with depression, social phobia, panic disorder, or generalized anxiety disorder. The study compared 75 patients who underwent the clinician-guided Internet-based CBT or were on a waiting list for treatment (Behav. Res. Therapy 2011 [doi: 10.1016/j.brat.2011.03.007]). The effect-size superiority of the Internet-based CBT was 0.6 as measured on the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales, he said, roughly equivalent to effect sizes seen previously with face-to-face CBT or SSRI treatment. Measures of adherence showed that 76% of patients finished all eight of the Internet-based CBT lessons. Therapist guidance averaged 70 minutes per patient by e-mail or phone over a 10-week period. About 90% of patients said they would recommend the treatment.
Adherence to Internet-based CBT in Dr. Andrews' studies averages 75% of patients--"definitely better than what we see in our face-to-face clinics," he said. Data from about 1,300 Australian primary care physicians using Internet-based CBT with their patients suggest that the adherence rate is 54%. "Even 54% is extraordinarily good," Dr. Andrews said.
A separate analysis by Dr. Andrews and his associates suggests that patients using Internet-based CBT are similar to those seen in face-to-face CBT clinics. Among patients with depression, most are treatment experienced, with a history of multiple episodes that began before age 20. "Those would not be easy cases," he said.
RELATED ARTICLES: VITALS
Major Finding: For each patient with depression, social phobia, panic disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder, the number needed to treat with Internet-based CBT to show an effect was two.
Data Source: Review of literature and meta-analysis of data from 22 studies involving 1,746 patients.
Disclosures: Dr. Andrews said he has no disclosures.
Byline: John Water
LAST week, I wrote that the best present I ever bought myself was my Internet radio, which picks up 25,000 stations worldwide, including dylanradio.com, the one I'd choose if someone sought to weld the dial in place. This week, I have to report a possible competitor. I've just bought myself a Kelly Kettle, which, if you haven't heard of it already, may well be the greatest invention you've never heard of.
It's a device for boiling water and cooking outdoors. It works on something like the opposite of the principle of a flask and has a similar shape, except bigger. there's a kind of a chimney up the middle, in which to light a small fire on a base-pan underneath, using sticks and newspaper. this boils the water, which makes the most exquisite tea. You can also cook sausages or whatnot, either on top of the kettle or on the cinders that collect in the basepan.
It's an Irish thing, being made here by the Kelly Kettle Company, Ballina (www.kellykettle.com). Apparently they've been producing them since the early 1900s, although they went out of fashion for a while, what with Primus stoves and all those modern gizmos.
I've got the full kit: pot, pan, and even a stand to put on top to make a small 'range' on which you can cook while the water's boiling.
So I'm off now to play the father in The Swiss Family Robinson. Over the weekend, I hope to head up the back of Ben Bulben, surviving on my wits and ingenuity, in an inhospitable wilderness stalked by predators and foes but determined to make it to the frontier. If it's too hot for tea, I plan to hunt down some wild rabbits and fry up some steaks on this here stove o' mine.
The German affiliate of Eutelsat Communications (Euronext
Paris: ETL) and Rovi Corporation (NASDAQ: ROVI) are combining their skills for the launch in third quarter 2011 of a Video On Demand service on KabelKiosk, the leading platform of TV channels and value added services provided by Eutelsat Germany for digital cable operators in continental Europe. An agreement between Rovi and Eutelsat Germany to integrate Rovi's Nowtilus entertainment delivery platform into KabelKiosk was announced during the ANGA Cable fair in Cologne.
The collaboration covers the deployment of Rovi's Nowtilus entertainment delivery platform to power a comprehensive Video on Demand offer via KabelKiosk interaktiv, the interactive option to be available in the KabelKiosk service. In addition, Rovi will supply technical and editorial services, digitisation of content and comprehensive support to operate the hybrid application. KabelKiosk interaktiv will be available on HbbTV receivers and TV screens. The commercial launch of the service is planned for third quarter 2011 for the networks of KabelKiosk partners.
KabelKiosk interaktiv has been developed by Eutelsat Germany to allow a smart connection of TV and Internet for a smooth transition from the linear KabelKiosk TV-offering to non-linear content. Red button applications support on-demand information and video clips to complement the linear TV channels. The distribution of individual content by network operators is an additional feature for recent news and network-specific offerings. Network operators will be able to deploy their own design and marketing to brand the hybrid service. The completely revised layout of KabelKiosk interaktiv offers a range of new features and optimised navigation. An intuitive user navigation facilitates quick selection of content with only a few keys of the remote control.
"Based on our comprehensive digital entertainment experience in retail, telco and publishing, we are working with Eutelsat to provide instant access to premium content to as many end users as possible", commented Leander Carell, Managing Director of Sales & Marketing Nowtilus at Rovi. "This will open up new and tangible business opportunities for all KabelKiosk clients," added Patrick Knippel, Managing Director of Business Development for Nowtilus at Rovi.
"As a first, KabelKiosk interaktiv will offer innovative hybrid TV services to digital cable networks in Europe. Working with Rovi and using their Nowtilus platform is a very important step to powering the Video on Demand component of KabelKiosk", Martina Rutenbeck, Managing Director of Eutelsat Germany, said in Cologne. "It strengthens our objective to build a hybrid portfolio, especially in terms of VoD, and to offer network operators a competitive portal that underscores the advantages of digital cable networks."
Nowtilus is a turnkey entertainment platform that offers content rights and licensing, as well as the technologies and infrastructure needed to launch user-friendly digital entertainment services. Nowtilus offers a full range of capabilities including platform development, administration and support, as well as billing and reporting.
Nowtilus-powered services enable consumers to securely access premium entertainment on Windows and Mac systems and consumer electronics devices including connected TVs, set-top boxes, game consoles, and mobile devices.
Nowtilus GmbH was acquired by Rovi Corporation earlier this year.
Keywords: Advertising, Electronics, Entertainment, Eutelsat Communications, Marketing.
This article was prepared by Marketing Weekly News editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2011, Marketing Weekly News via VerticalNews.com.
Fairview Heights, Ill. -- The following information was released by the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Illinois:
Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on April 29, 2011, Gary E. Shields, of Edwardsville, Ill.-, was sentenced in federal district court in East St. Louis to 120 months' imprisonment, a life term of supervised release, a $100 special assessment, and a fine of $500 following his plea of guilty to a one-count Indictment charging him with Possession of Child Pornography.
Shields had been convicted previously of possession of child pornography in Madison County Case No. 07-CF-2322 on October 29, 2007.
In a pleading filed with the Court on January 27, 2011, the United States provided the following facts concerning the case:
Defendant was convicted of possession of child pornography in violation of 720 ILCS, Section 11-20.1(a)(6), on or about October 29, 2007, in Madison County Case No. 07-CF-2322, for which he was sentenced to probation.
Defendant has no permanent address - instead, he owns a truck and a small trailer/mobile home, which he moves around from time to time.
In April, 2010, his truck was parked on an Auto Zone lot near a Blimpie's Restaurant in Madison county for several days. He was observed by a clerk at Blimpie's, who saw him disappear into the rest room with a magazine or book; he stayed there for 45 minutes. He later charged something to his credit card. He also explained to the clerk that he was convicted of something for which he could not move from state to state. The clerk searched the internet for his name and discovered he was on a sex registry list.
The clerk became aware that Defendant moved his truck onto the Lewis and Clark campus, so she reported him to the police. On April 9, 2010, Edwardsville Police approached Defendant because by virtue of his prior conviction and sex registration, he should not have been on the campus. Defendant admitted to police that he was in possession of child pornography. Defendant gave police consent to search his vehicle; police found a thumb drive in the vehicle. The thumb drive contained numerous images of child pornography depicting children under age 18 (including one video of a child under 12 years old) engaging in sexually explicit activity. The production of each such images of child pornography involved the use of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Each of such images of child pornography in fact depicted one or more children under age 18 engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
Defendant told police that he had downloaded the images from the internet onto his thumb drive via a netbook that he had purchased at the Jerseyville Walmart. He accessed the internet at the Edwardsville Library. He later returned the computer to the Walmart and got his money back. He retained the images on the thumb drive and he viewed the images from the thumb drive by placing the thumb drive on an electronic picture frame that accommodates thumb drives.
Also discovered in Defendant's possession were numerous writings, in which Defendant expresses his belief that child pornography should be acceptable in society and that sex between adults and children (including the adults' own children) should be acceptable and not illegal.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephen B. Clark and was investigated by the Edwardsville Police Department.
M2 PRESSWIRE-March 15, 2011-Comunicano: Browser Compatibility Eliminated as Obstacle to Enterprise Migration to Windows 7; UniBrowsa"[cent sign] from Browsium Inc. enables IE6 line of business applications to run natively on Windows 7 at a fraction of the cost and complexity of the alternatives(C)1994-2011 M2 COMMUNICATIONS
RDATE:15032011
REDMOND -- Browsium Inc. today announced the release of UniBrows(TM), an innovative new product that enables millions of valuable Internet Explorer 6-based line of business applications to run inside Microsoft's Internet Explorer 8, paving the way for large-scale enterprise migration to Windows 7. UniBrows is a lightweight browser add-on that is easy and inexpensive to deploy, requiring no new infrastructure and no servers.
With UniBrows there's no longer a need to rewrite Web applications or install expensive and complex virtualization solutions. By simply installing UniBrows on PCs running Windows 7 or Windows XP with IE8, enterprises can continue to use all of their already-deployed and paid-for IE6 applications inside IE8 without modifying a single line of code.
Browser compatibility issues have dogged the enterprise in recent years, resulting in 74 percent of the organizations continuing to run the aging Windows XP on their desktop and laptop PCs and delaying browser and operating system upgrades as long as possible. These compatibility issues, driven by line of business applications that run only in IE6, have the added problem of blocking deployment of Windows 7, forcing organizations to forego the business and technology benefits of Microsoft's latest operating system.
UniBrows solves both problems via an IE8 add-on that enables IE6 web applications to run in an IE8 tab, enabling enterprises to upgrade PCs to Windows 7 while keeping their legacy IE6 applications running unmodified.
Browsium's approach, called Web Application Continuity, extends the ROI of existing applications by freezing the platform for Web applications at a 'known good state,' and providing granular control for side-by-side compatibility regardless of the browser engine or configuration required by each application. No other solution provides this level of compatibility and control.
"UniBrows eliminates all of the pain points for companies who are stuck on IE6, and would love to move to IE8 and Windows 7," said Matt Heller, founder and CEO of Browsium. "UniBrows provides an immediate solution, allowing organizations to modernize their operating systems and browsers now, while they update legacy Web applications over time on their own schedules."
UniBrows has been in testing by a variety of enterprise customers around the world for the past six months and the results have been extremely positive. Installation on Windows XP and Windows 7 PCs was quick and easy, and centrally configuring the web applications that need to use the IE6 engine was seamless.
UniBrows Features
UniBrows is compatible with all IE6 web applications, easy to deploy and manage, simple and secure, and completely transparent to users. UniBrows delivers complete IE6 functionality and behaviors by using the original, native IE6 rendering, JavaScript, ActiveX and security design.
UniBrows gives IT administrators a convenient and simple management tool to create the rules and profiles for specifying which web applications are designated for use with the IE6 browser engine and legacy ActiveX components. All other intranet and Internet websites use the more secure and modern IE8 engine and current ActiveX controls by default.
UniBrows Availability
The commercial release of UniBrows is now available for enterprise deployment, supporting Windows 7 and IE8 on Windows XP. Pricing varies by size of organization. UniBrows is licensed to organizations with 5,000 to 50,000 PCs with a $5,000 base license fee plus $5 per seat. Licenses include all updates and upgrades at no additional cost and must be renewed yearly. Site licenses and volume discounts are available for larger organizations. IT pros who want to impress their management with a seamless rollout of Windows 7 are encouraged to visit www.browsium.com to download the free UniBrows 60-day Evaluation Kit.
About Browsium, Inc.
Founded in 2010, Browsium Inc. creates enterprise-ready software solutions, enabling organizations to extend the life and ROI of existing line of business Web applications as they roll out new operating systems and browser platforms to their client PCs. Browsium's first product, UniBrows, promises to revolutionize browser compatibility by allowing legacy IE6-based Web applications to run on Windows 7 and IE8 on Windows XP without modifying a single line of code.
For more information on Browsium:
http://www.browsium.com
Browsium on Twitter
Browsium on Facebook
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Global Banking News-17 November 2009-PENTAGON FEDERAL CREDIT UNION AND AMERICAN EXPRESS ANNOUNCE CARD-ISSUING PARTNERSHIP(C)2009 ENPublishing - http://www.enpublishing.co.uk
Release date- 16112009 - NEW YORK - Pentagon Federal Credit Union (PenFed) and American Express today announced a strategic new partnership under which PenFed will issue American Express-branded credit cards.
The PenFed Premium Travel Rewards American Express Card will carry the American Express logo and will be accepted on American Express' global merchant network.
The PenFed Premium Travel Rewards American Express Card earns rewards at the best rate within PenFed's card portfolio and is one of the most rewarding products in the marketplace today, offering a superior combination of earn rates across air, hotel and dining categories, with no caps or limits on the amount of rewards a Cardmember can earn. Cardmembers can earn 5 times the rewards points on airline spend and 1 reward point on all other spend. Plus, until December 31, 2010, Cardmembers also can earn 3 times rewards points on hotel and dining spend. In addition, Cardmembers who spend $650 within the first 90 days of Cardmembership will earn 20,000 bonus rewards points.
'At PenFed, we provide maximum financial returns to our Members; we are a consumer champion in that we continue to provide our Members with the most attractive products,' says Nicole Butler, Vice President of Card Services and Business Development, PenFed. 'We have a history of providing rich product offerings to our Members and the PenFed Premium Travel Rewards American Express Card is no exception. In fact, by partnering with American Express, we are able to strengthen our position in this space, and we are able to present our discerning Members with a superior travel rewards product-with no gimmicks, no black-out dates and no single airline limitations.'
'By combining the trust and integrity that Members expect from PenFed with the strength and global recognition of the American Express brand, we believe this product is one of the best Cards in the marketplace and will not only appeal to our existing Members, but to a new group of customers as well,' added Ms. Butler.
'We are delighted to partner with PenFed, one of the leading credit unions in the U.S.,' says Janey Whiteside, Vice President and Group General Manager, American Express Global Network Services. 'We think PenFed is an excellent addition to our exclusive network of American Express card-issuing partnerships, and we are confident that today is the start of a long-term, successful partnership. The new PenFed Premium Travel Rewards American Express Card is one of the strongest rewards products in the marketplace and is supported by a truly outstanding range of benefits and services, as well as the world-renowned American Express brand.'
Rewards can be redeemed for airline travel with no restrictions, hotel stays, car rental, travel adventures and experiences, designer merchandise and gift cards with major retailers. In addition, Cardmembers will have access to a personal shopper who will help locate hard-to-find items that can then be purchased with rewards points.
Cardmembers who spend $15,000 each year will receive a complimentary membership to Priority Pass, which gives Cardmembers VIP Airport Lounge Access to over 500 lounges worldwide. Cardmembers will also have access to a premium 24/7 concierge service and exceptional travel benefits, including upgrades and amenities at premium hotels worldwide, savings on air fare, car rental reservations, vacation packages and more.
The PenFed Premium Travel Rewards American Express Card also offers numerous insurance benefits, such as Travel Accident Insurance, Trip and Baggage Delay Insurance, Roadside Assistance and Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance.
The PenFed Premium Travel Rewards American Express Card annual fee of $50 is waived the first year of Cardmembership.
PenFed and American Express have an exclusive arrangement under which, for a limited time, PenFed will be the only credit union to issue an American Express-branded card in the United States. PenFed will be responsible for all elements involved in issuing the PenFed Premium Travel Rewards American Express Card, including customer service and marketing strategy.
For information on how to apply for the PenFed Premium Travel Rewards American Express Card, visit www.penfed.org/amexinvite or call 800-732-8268.
About Pentagon Federal Credit Union
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DOUG WHITE IS NO INVESTING NOVICE. An entrepreneur whose 17-year-old company sells and services Apple computers small and mid-sized businesses, White understands that markets don't always go up. But when they dive, it still hurts. "I've lost more money in my pension this year than I've put in to save on taxes," says the 53-year-old Pennsylvanian about his Simplified Employee Pension Individual Retirement Account. Even so, White resisted the urge to clump stocks. He and wife, Celeste, 52, believe the only way to a comfortable retirement is to cast their lot with the market. "We don't come from affluent families; we don't have anything to rely on other than our own planning," says White, calculating that he may need to postpone retirement by five years to make up lost ground. "We have no choice but to stay the course."
White is taking a page from history. His continued faith in stocks is supported by decades of market data. History shows that stocks generate better returns than all other investments. One dollar invested in stocks in 1926 would have been worth $3,246 by the end of 2007. By comparison, the same amount in treasury bills would add up to $20.19.
The only reason to sell now is if you believe the stock market will continue to decline--by a lot. But, consider this: since 1929, the average bear market decline in the S&P is 38%. This bear, however, has handed investors a 43% drop from Oct. 9, 2007 through the end of October 2008, according to Standard & Poor's Equity Research. Although further dips could occur, the probability of the market falling much more is growing unlikely. While it's true that the crash of 1929 ended with an 86% decline, there are a number of important factors at play now that weren't present prior to the Great Depression. "Back then you had a government trying to raise taxes, tighten credit, not bail out any companies, which is the opposite of what's happening now," says Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist with Standard & Poor's Equity Research. Still, the S&P'S drop in 2008 has evaporated roughly $2 trillion in retirement savings, and that's enough to make even the most rational investor frightened.
But giving into fear won't lead to long-term wealth. If anything, it's a detour to a financial dead end. Selling now only locks in losses and closes off any possibility of recouping. Besides, bear markets always give way to good times. In the 12 months following the last 10 market bottoms (1949 to 2002), stock returns have averaged 32%.
MISSING OUT
Investors might be inclined to pull out now and dive back into stocks once there are signs of recovery. If only it were that simple. The problem is rebounds are usually fast and unexpected, making it difficult for investors who've retreated to know when to get back in. That's because the stock market is a forward-looking mechanism, anticipating the business the business environment about six to nine months ahead. So, stocks historically start improving before the economy does. Markets usually bottom about halfway through a recession, says Stovall. And the upside is easy to miss. Nearly 75% of the gain following a market bottom occurs within the first six months, according to Ned Davis Research. Even then, investors still might not see signs of an improving economy.
It takes surprisingly little to miss out on the best stock returns. Just missing out on the market's 10 best days during a recovery can have a big impact on overall returns. For the 10-year period between 1998 and 2007, stocks gained a cumulative 77.6%. But if an investor missed the 10 best trading days during that time, the return was just 11.8%, according to Vanguard. "Just as there is risk being in the market, there is risk being out of the market," says Alfred Osbourne, a senior financial planner with Ameriprise Financial in East Meadow, New York.
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Sadly, investors don't always act rationally. Emotion--not reason--often dictates how we respond to market gyrations. Investors tend to overreact when stocks decline and become overly fearful when they fall. "In up markets there is a bias," explains Michael Pompian, a director of the private wealth practice with Hammond Associates in St. Louis and author of a book on behavioral finance. "People don't look at history. They only look at the most recent results, and all of a sudden they find they've bought at or near the peak." Indeed, skittish investors have demonstrated poor timing. In the early months of 2000, just as the Internet bubble was taking its last gasps, investors poured record amounts of new money into equity mutual funds, much of it going to technology offerings. By early 2002, after two years of declines, these investors had had enough and were withdrawing their funds in record numbers--just as stocks were beginning to recover. From its bottom in 2002, the S&P went on to return 22% in the following 12 months. In a well-known study, Dalbar, a financial research services firm, found that while U.S. equity funds had a long-term annualized return of 11.9% for the 20-year period ended Dec. 31, 2004, individual mutual fund shareholders squeezed out only a 3.7% gain, primarily the result of entering and exiting stock funds at the wrong time.
MOVING FORWARD
So if selling isn't the right thing to do, what is? How can investors make their portfolios smarter and better poised to withstand periodic shocks? The key is allocating assets in terms of risk tolerance and investment horizon. "This may be a wake-up call for people who realized they were too heavy in equities," says Christine Fahlund, senior financial planner at T. Rowe Price in Baltimore. An overwhelmingly stock-heavy portfolio is perfectly sensible for a young investor who's nowhere near retirement. Someone with a need for retirement income, say, in the next five years, should maintain a mixed portfolio of stocks, bonds, and cash to ride out declines.
T. Rowe Price found that a balanced portfolio of 60% stocks, 30% bonds, and 10% cash declined significantly less during the market correction of 2000 to 2002 and performed only a little worse during the ensuing rebound through 2007 than an all-stock portfolio. You don't give up much on the upside to protect yourself significantly on the downside. Over the full market cycle from 2000 to 2007, $10,000 invested in a stock, bond, and cash portfolio grew to $48,107, T. Rowe estimates. Over the same period, an all-stock portfolio grew to just $28,316.
Having a balanced portfolio is one part of managing your risk. Rebalancing at regular intervals will help keep a portfolio from getting too out of whack by selling winners and buying laggards. A good place to look would be NDR, whose historic data suggests healthcare and consumer staples--food, beverages, and household products--are likely to be the best performing sectors in the coming year. The firm found this to be true, on average six and twelve months after the start of the last five recessions dating back to 1973. Don't be afraid to rebalance. After all, it follows the market's most time-tested piece of advice: Buy low and sell high.
