Business News

BEIJING: RIM  plans to cut about 2,000 employees, accounting for 11% of the total number of employees. This is the first time RIM disclosed the details of layoffs since it announced layoffs last month. Analysts of Isp.org.cn said the number of layoffs is a little more than the original forecast. However, this layoff is critical for RIM to reverse the declined market share caused by Apple and Google’s competition. Isp.org.cn also points out that the one-time cost of laying off employees is not included in the earnings forecasts of the second fiscal quarter and the whole fiscal year. RIM will explain the financial impact of the cuts in the second-quarter financial report on September. The experts of Isp.org.cn analyzes that RIM said the job cut is a prudent and necessary step for its long-term success. RIM also announced a series of changes of the executive responsibilities and the executives will leave recently. RIM said the chief operating officer Don Morrison will retire. Morrison is currently on the temporary sick leave. He has spent 10 years working in RIM.

Trevor Glen, incriptus CEO   Australia-based incriptus has announced the completion of its round 2 funding and will soon be offering its round 3 prospectus. The company also recently announced the addition of two key individuals in the U.S. to its management team as it prepares to expand beyond Australia. incriptus has introduced a new data backup technology that offers superior data security compared to traditional data centres, is uniquely eco-friendly, and offers nearly unlimited scalability. Until now backing up data into the cloud has meant sending encrypted files to large, remotely located data centers. incriptus has changed that paradigm through its process of first encrypting files, fragmenting them, then encrypting them again as it distributes the fragments across computers throughout the incriptus user network. As a result, no file can be reconstructed from any individual fragment and no complete document resides on any single computer in any s ingle location. According to Trevor Glen, incriptus CEO, “Everybody has unused space on their hard drive. We distribute fragments of data across the hard drives of everyone using incriptus-powered backup. It happens in the background and the only place those pieces can all come back together again is on the originating computer. No data center operator ever has access to a complete file and no natural disaster can wipe out a single location of backed up data.” As it prepares to address the data backup needs of the world, the company announced the addition of two individuals with international expertise to its team. Dr Jana B. Matthews is responsible for organizational development at incriptus and is also serving as a Board Advisor. Matthews has worked with high-growth CEOs, executives and top teams around the world. She has authored seven books on how to grow companies and was named one of 18 […]

The growth of manufacturing across Asia was widely read about – and responded to – in the last issue of Asia Manufacturing News with interest in manufacturing developments in India, using products from Delcam. In this issue the ‘push’ continues with readers having access to some outstanding new products from Fero and SolidWorks. Keeping up with the technology is the name of the game and any equipment -machine tools or software – that can keep your company highly productive and successful is to be encouraged. Take for example our story on Page 4 which explains how costs can be reduced and profitability enhanced by use of design automation. All across Asia, companies evaluate and re-value their levels of efficiency and success. The costs of being in business, the advantages of being efficient. From small contract manufacturers I have visited in Kuala Lumpur and on the outskirts of Bangkok and Nagoya every one is aiming for the best. So be mindful of the true cost of making ‘a product’ do not neglect your research and development needs and if you have specialists in your company especially assigned to give you the advice for a better way of doing business then listen to them. Our manufacturing world is highly competitive, everyone is looking for the advantage. If you specialise, use the right equipment and do not accede your cost structure, keep things tight and do not be too flamboyant with spending then life will be good. You will be a happy business owner, enjoying business life in a satisfying way.  

The issues surrounding phone hacking and the Murdoch Empire won’t be cleared up overnight and will undoubtedly feed the appetites of world media organisations for years to come. I wonder though if hacking in media hasn’t happened before? Can you believe that the Murdoch clan is the only organisation to have done this? And it’s more intricate than that – politicians are involved, the police are involved and the establishment is right in the limelight as the power and control of a massive media empire is now being realised; the impact of its control is frightening the living daylights out of many citizens around the world. The big question may well be “Just who is squeaky clean?”  

JAKARTA Brenntag, global leader in full-line chemical distribution, has unveiled a new distribution facility in Jakarta built to meet growing market demand. The facility will provide a bigger storage capacity than the current warehouse in Jakarta, and allow Brenntag to improve and expand value-added customer support throughout the supply chain, from purchase and formulation through to packaging and logistics. In Indonesia, Brenntag markets a diversified line of specialty and industrial chemicals for a variety of applications, including personal care, coatings, food & beverage, pharmaceuticals, textile, rubber, plastics & polymers, agro, feed, refrigeration, polyurethanes and minerals.  The new facility adds to the company’s 7 existing warehouses in Indonesia and Brenntag’s growing distribution network in the Asia Pacific region which also includes more than 40 distribution centers.

Photo: Steven Holland hitting the gong (in lieu of ribbon cutting) with the Brenntag Asia Pacific Management Board and Tony Susanto looking on JAKARTA Brenntag, global leader in full-line chemical distribution, has unveiled a new distribution facility in Jakarta built to meet growing market demand. The facility will provide a bigger storage capacity than the current warehouse in Jakarta, and allow Brenntag to improve and expand value-added customer support throughout the supply chain, from purchase and formulation through to packaging and logistics. In Indonesia, Brenntag markets a diversified line of specialty and industrial chemicals for a variety of applications, including personal care, coatings, food & beverage, pharmaceuticals, textile, rubber, plastics & polymers, agro, feed, refrigeration, polyurethanes and minerals. The new facility adds to the company’s 7 existing warehouses in Indonesia and Brenntag’s growing distribution network in the Asia Pacific region which also includes more than 40 distribution centers. At the inauguration of the new site, Steven Holland, COO of Brenntag, said, “We’ve seen a growth in the demand for chemical distribution in the Asia Pacific region, especially in Indonesia. By expanding our local presence, we are making an investment to better serve our customers with advanced support and meet growing market demand; it will also strengthen our presence in the region.” “The new facility will further bolster Brenntag’s ability to provide a number of services including storage, re-packing large-scale quantities into smaller quantities, delivery and other supply chain solutions,” said Henri Nejade, President and CEO, Brenntag Asia Pacific. With an in-house Coatings application laboratory, the facility offers value-added services to its customers by meeting specific requirements for the formulation and customization of various blends of industrial chemicals. It provides further technical application support with a sample room, designated cool rooms for textile, food and beverage products, and two rooms to […]

By Professor Tan Sri Dato’ Dzulkifli Abd Razak, Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Sains Malaysia. Originally published in ‘The Edge Malaysia’ on the 10th January 2011.   In November last year, the UN reported that there are many more people with cellphones in the Indian population than those with access to a toilet.  It was estimated that there were more than 670 million cellphone connections in India by August last year, with the number said to be growing by close to 20 million a month, based on official government data. The cellphones are mostly sold in the malls and neighbourhood outlets patronised by the working class. It is a frenzy involving more that half of the present Indian population of about 1.2 billion. By comparison, the UN data showed, only 366 million Indians had access to a private toilet or latrine in 2008, “leaving 665 million to defecate in the open”. About 18% of India’s urban population and 69% of its rural dwellers defecated daily in the bushes, the beaches and open fields, according to a World Health Organisation and UN Children’s Fund report. It underlines the perplexing disparities and priorities of the country which experiences vibrant economic growth of about 8% a year. While it is true that tens of millions have benefited from India’s emergence as an economic power, the basics are clearly in need of more attention. Just last month, a study by the World Bank’s Water and Sanitation Programme found that the lack of toilets costs India more than US$50 billion a year — mostly through premature deaths and hygiene-related diseases. It suggests that India bear a higher economic cost than other Asian countries — Vietnam, Cambodia, the Philippines and Indonesia — from inadequate collection of human excreta. Consequently, the study noted more than three-quarters of the premature […]

CNPV Solar Power SA, a leading integrated manufacturer of solar photovoltaic products, has passed the OHSAS 18001 international standards for occupational health and safety after auditing by TUV Rheinland. CNPV continues to charge through the certifications accreditations as part of its commitment to business excellence. Barely pausing to breathe, determined to succeed, the Company continues to invest in its systems and people. Recognising that the rigours of external assessment bring much higher benefit that the approval itself, the Company continues to stretch its targets and “punch above its weight”. Never a Company to take the easy option, it instructed TUV Rheinland to audit against OHSAS 180001 after making internal preparation over a period of six months. The announcement is not only the achievement of OHSAS 18001, but the first Chinese PV Company to achieve accreditation for ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 from TUV Rheinland, one of the most respected certification bodies in the world. The lead auditor for TUV Rheinland confirmed, “As a result of CNPV’s accreditation for this Health and Safety standard, and a collective review of our database, we can confirm that this is the First Chinese PV Company to have achieved accreditation for Quality, Environmental and EHS systems from our organisation. We are delighted to work with them as they proceed onto their next qualification, which judging by the speed of their recent commitment, will be in the near future.” “Fantastic,” confirmed Mr. Zhang Shunfu, CNPV’s CEO and Mr B. Veerraju Chaudary, CNPV’s COO & CTO. “To be able to confirm from TUV Rheinland that our commitment to the health and safety standards of our employees is on the right track is very fulfilling. Our choice of TUV Rheinland, one of the most reputedand challenging certification bodies, was driven by our wish to test our […]

J-REP, a specialist provider of Japanese logistics solutions, majority owned by Macquarie Goodman Japan Pte Ltd, has commenced the refurbishment of an existing 15,586 sqm warehouse and construction of a new 17,523 sqm logistics facility for Nippon Express in Moriya City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan (“J-REP Logistation Moriya”). J-REP is refurbishing an existing warehouse and developing a new purpose-built warehouse for Nippon Express, a leading Japanese logistics service provider, in response to their specific business and logistics requirements. The facility will be used by Nippon Express as their integrated document storage centre servicing the greater Tokyo region. To celebrate the commencement of construction a ground-breaking ceremony was held on site. J-REP Logistation Moriya is situated in Moriya City, enabling Nippon Express to provide same day and next day services to its clients across Greater Tokyo.  It is ideally suited for use as a document logistics hub, with its location approximately 50 kilometers north-east of Tokyo on the Joban Expressway, and providing easy access to the Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba and Ibaraki Prefectures. J-REP Logistation Moriya provides 33,000 sqm of high specification warehouse space. The property will consist of two four storey reinforced concrete buildings and its purpose-built design includes high ceilings and increased floor loading to facilitate the efficient storage of paper documents. The facility will also be equipped with a nitrogen fire extinguisher system having regard to the specialised cargo inside the warehouse, and perimeter fencing to ensure the high-level security of the site.