Published by: ITESOFT
Date: 12th May, 2008

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Boosting efficiency and cutting processing costs are the key drivers for businesses wanting to improve their accounts payable (AP) processes, according to a new survey from ITESOFT, the leading developer of electronic document capture and automated invoice processing solutions.

ITESOFT's email survey of finance managers and senior AP staff in UK public and private sector companies, showed that automation benefits such as reducing purchase-to-pay times and ensuring regulatory compliance were secondary compared with efficiency gains and cost reductions.

When asked to name the top three pressures impacting their need to improve AP processes, 85% of respondents cited improving efficiency, with 73% stating reductions in invoice processing costs.

44% wanted to reduce the purchase-to-pay times thereby capturing early payment rebates and avoiding late-payment penalties, while just 22% named regulatory compliance as a driver.

The survey also revealed the three biggest causes of invoice queries in business, which clearly show the link between efficiency gains and reducing reliance on paper-based AP processing. Although quantity or price discrepancies was named as the biggest cause of queries by 65% of respondents, incomplete documentation (57%) and lack of purchase order (56%) scored highly, with no Goods Receipt Notes scoring 32%.

Although around half of the organisations surveyed (53%) did not yet have in place an accounts payable or supplier invoice automation solution, just under two thirds of them were actively looking to automate their accounts payable activity in the near future, or had already taken steps to implement a solution.

Bill Webb, UK Managing Director at ITESOFT said: "The survey findings make a compelling case for deploying automation, with the majority of UK businesses looking to this technology to improve their accounts payable and invoicing processing performance.

"By automating core business processes such as accounts payable, which are traditionally extremely paper- and labour-intensive, organisations can significantly streamline the handling and processing of supplier invoices. As well as achieving efficiency gains and cost savings, companies can get additional benefits such as early payment discounts and avoiding late-payment penalties."

Published by: SAS Institute
Date: 12th May, 2008

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12 May 2008 - SAS, the leader in business intelligence, today unveiled a new solution based on VMware virtualisation to monitor, manage and optimize IT operations across all physical and virtual environments. SAS IT Intelligence for VMware Infrastructure will enable customers to better align IT resources with strategic business goals.

"SAS IT Intelligence for VMware Infrastructure will help us better manage IT costs by more efficiently tracking and optimizing physical and virtual resource utilisation," said Kevin McDearis, Senior Vice President of Engineering for CheckFree, now part of Fiserv. "We can also measure usage, availability and performance of IT virtual infrastructure more quickly across our electronic payment applications. This virtual overview of resource availability enhances our capacity planning and performance management, so we can process payments quickly and securely."

Integrating the best technologies from SAS and VMware streamlines and simplifies physical and virtual resource utilisation, providing a universal view for IT resource forecasting and foresight into planning scenarios. "This partnership with VMware extends SAS' expertise in managing open systems and mainframes to virtual environments," explains Keith Collins, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for SAS. "With a more comprehensive view of their IT resources, businesses can more accurately forecast resource requirements; improve the delivery of IT services; account for IT resources down to the minute; and feed results to internal or external billing or revenue systems based on planned business needs. The result is increased ROI driven by better decisions."

With VMware VirtualCenter, SAS IT Intelligence now enables a datacenter to automatically run, manage, account for and predict IT needs. VMware VirtualCenter is the management component of VMware Infrastructure, a market-leading datacentre virtualisation and management platform.

"Combining SAS business intelligence and analytics software with VMware virtualization gives customers greater transparency into the utilisation and performance of their IT resources across both physical and virtual environments," said Parag Patel, Vice President of Alliances at

VMware. "This combined solution offers new functionality that customers are increasingly demanding. Especially during the current economic conditions, they need to better understand who is using certain resources and charging back accordingly."

The benefits of VMware virtualisation reach far beyond server consolidation. Customers can benefit from reduced capital and operating expenses, assured business continuity, strengthened security and lower carbon emissions. In addition, there can be significant energy savings and lower capital expenses due to more efficient use of hardware resources - a benefit that can also affect a company's long-term environmental impact.

VMware is a SAS Platinum partner and SAS is a member of the VMware Technology Alliance Partner (TAP) Program.

About SAS
SAS is the leader in business intelligence software and services. Customers at 40,000 sites use SAS software to improve performance through insight into vast amounts of data, resulting in faster, more accurate business decisions; more profitable relationships with customers and suppliers; compliance with governmental regulations; research breakthroughs; and better products. Only SAS offers leading data integration, intelligence storage, advanced analytics and business intelligence applications within a comprehensive enterprise intelligence platform. Since 1976, SAS has been giving customers around the world The Power to Know®. http://www.sas.com/

For further information, please contact the team at the SAS press office on:

Tel: +44 (0) 1628 490490

Email: saspressoffice@suk.sas.com

For more information on SAS, please visit http://www.sas.com/uk

SAS and all other SAS Institute Inc. product or service names are registered trademarks or trademarks of SAS Institute Inc. in the USA and other countries. ® indicates USA registration. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective companies. Copyright © 2006 SAS Institute Inc. Cary, NC, USA. All rights reserved.

Published by: Communicasia
Date: 12th May, 2008

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Industry Giants Shed Light on How We Will Interact Tomorrow

Singapore, London 12 May 2008 - Come this 17 to 20 June 2008, CommunicAsia2008, Asia's premier trade event for the infocomm and media industries will play host to some of the world's leading companies in its four-day CommunicAsia2008 Summit to speak about the issues that matter to the infocomm community.

Learn from the industry leaders in the two-day CEO Perspectives covering a wide range of topics such as ‘Digital Content and Services' which touches on how handset makers are extending their products to offer platforms and communities for music, games and digital content downloads. Day Two of CEO Perspectives will cover ‘The New Telecoms Customer' - industry leaders will offer insights on how the new mobile market presents new challenges in managing customers' needs in both developed and developing markets.

Following the CEO Perspectives, the CommunicAsia2008 Summit will feature industry forums on the hottest opportunities in the mobile and telecoms markets today. Speakers will elaborate on opportunities in Mobile TV, WiMAX and IPTV that will shape tomorrow's communications.

In a world where convergence is no longer a pipe dream, but a tangible next step in how consumers will communicate, interact and enjoy digital content, market leaders are able to illustrate a robust vision of what to expect as new standards and platforms are being defined for mass adoption in the near future. Hear from experts such as Mr David Kennedy, Research Director from Ovum, Mr Titus Yong, Vice President, Satellite Business, Singtel and Dr Nongluck Phinainitisart, President of Thaicom Public Company Limited as they discuss and share their views on current trends that impact businesses and relevant industries.

Experience the latest offerings from Ericsson, PCCW Global, Samsung, Singtel, Tandberg TV, Thaicom Public Company Limited and Yahoo as they share their contributions which will affect the next wave of change in infocomms. Engage these industry giants firsthand and discover what is in store for communications technology.

At this year's CommunicAsia, several companies will be participating for the first time to showcase their latest offerings as well as upcoming products and services for the region and around the world. Visitors can look forward to the CommunicAsia debuts from Navteq, Sandisk, SK Telesys, local player Sirius Mulitmedia (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Jurong Technologies), TeleAtlas and Yahoo.

Held concurrently at BroadcastAsia2008, The BroadcastAsia2008 International Conference will focus on the evolution and future of broadcasting. In addition to addressing the challenges and solutions to transition to high definition (HD), the conference will also present HD showcases that shows workflow and production examples including virtual studio in HD, as well as pan and scan technology for mobile devices. As with a myriad of other applications, Internet Protocol (IP) will play a large part of driving the digitization of media in the future. IP will provide more flexibility in terms of monitoring and control for operators looking to manage the quality and efficacy of their broadcasts.

"CommunicAsia and BroadcastAsia is the choice platform for the leading companies to address the upcoming agenda for the information communications and media industries in the next year," said Rupert Owen, UK Based Director at Overseas Exhibition Services (OES). "Besides being an ideal business and networking forum, the typical exhibitor and visitor to the shows are looking out for industry insights and feedback on where technology will be headed in the next 12 to 18 months. This is an integral part of the sustaining appeal and value that the shows have consistently offered each year."

In addition to CommunicAsia and BroadcastAsia - learn from some of the world's best CG artists during CGOverdrive (CGO) where speakers from studios such as Blender Foundation, Digital Domain, Framestore CFC, Rainmaker, Squeeze Studio and Ubisoft talk about art skills, production techniques, tips and their experience working on Hollywood's top movies or games.

CommunicAsia, BroadcastAsia, InteractiveDME, EnterpriseIT, CG Overdrive, as well as various inter-government meetings, are part of the Infocomm Media Business Exchange (imbX). imbX is Asia's largest infocomm and media event that fortifies Singapore's position as a leading infocomm and media hub. It brings together business leaders, companies and industry professionals to showcase their latest innovations, network, exchange ideas and tap new markets.

For more information and to register for the CommuicAsia2008 Summit, please visit www.communicasia.com.

CommunicAsia and BroadcastAsia At A Glance

Date: 17–20 June 2008
Venue: Singapore Expo

Opening Hours: 17–19 June, 10.30am to 6pm
20 June, 10.30am to 4pm
Admission: Business and trade professionals only

Published by: Intamac
Date: 12th May, 2008

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Northampton, UK 12 May 2008 - Intamac Systems the Northampton based web home monitoring company has announced the showcasing of its new range of wireless broadband products during IFSEC 2008.

Following the development of a number of solutions for a number of telecoms and security partners the new generation of products shows a glimpse of the future in home security and monitoring. The new wireless products will compliment Intamac's existing web based product offering and will provide customers with timely information of any unexpected entry or event, consumers can remotely manage and monitor routine events in real-time that occur within the home every day.

Homeowners can customise their home monitoring service to be alerted via phone, e-mail or text message to monitor events such as: children coming home safely for school; the activities of trades people, cleaners, nannies, au pairs or elderly relatives; alerts from water and smoke detectors. The platform also provides for the future growth with remote management and control of domestic heating, electrical systems and video monitoring.

Kevin Meagher Intamac's CEO says "the show gives us the perfect platform to show our latest web based home security solutions". "This is a very exciting time for Intamac as the continued development of broadband has allowed us to develop a range of solutions that can be easily installed and connected to our web services by the traditional alarm installers without the need for high levels of I.T skills".

Published by: The TM Forum
Date: 12th May, 2008

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Operators and vendors to test and demonstrate best practices in monetisation, content delivery, advertising and innovative services. New participating commercial partners are Amdocs, BT, Call Genie, China Unicom, Chunghwa Telecom, EBIZmobility, Subex and Telcordia

Morristown, NJ - May 12th, 2008 - The TM Forum announced today the second phase of its highly acclaimed Content Encounter initiative which will be demonstrated at Management World, Nice, 18 - 22 May 2008. Content Encounter shows how different organisations involved in providing digital commercial products and services can deliver and charge for those products and services successfully. Relevant to service providers, content providers, advertisers, telecom software and hardware vendors, and system integrators, the TM Forum has created a fully functioning eco-system enabling the development of best practices and standards for all companies involved.

Amdocs, BT, Call Genie, China Unicom, Chunghwa Telecom, EBIZmobility, Subex and Telcordia are the new participating commercial partners joining the original sponsorship team of AT&T, Alcatel-Lucent, BEA, Cognizant, IBM, Microsoft, Motorola and Westwood One. Content Encounter showcases digital media solutions for both immediate operational management challenges and opportunities for innovation.

"Innovations like ShapeShifting media will create new revenues and drive long-term management needs across our converging industries," Says Dan Marks CEO BT Vision, "BT is pleased to support Content Encounter by introducing the ShapeShifting media innovation as an example of the way we can use a 21st century network to deliver not only existing media but also enable new forms of personalised entertainment experiences that will differentiate broadband media services from those delivered via broadcast."

Phase I of Content Encounter identified interfaces and data models that needed to be standardised for the plethora of parties involved in the overall delivery of service to communicate effectively. Phase II adds enrichment to this work and includes a revenue management and billing framework. Alongside this, the TM Forum and participating organisations continue to investigate and develop new methodologies for assuring the end-to-end quality of experience in this complex environment.

Visitors to Content Encounter II will see several key aspects of the commercialisation of services for the digital media market in action. These will include:

• Serving targeted, highly relevant advertising based on end-user preferences
• Delivering content anywhere, anytime and on any device, with high-value adaptation
• Targeting content based on user preferences, consumption, location, presence to deliver the most personalised content experience
• Creating a consistent experience across all devices and channels
• Managing content as a resource for new, sticky service bundles that boost subscriber loyalty
• Monetising user-generated content, mash-ups, social networking, the Web 2.0 experience with a converged and automated infrastructure
• Promoting superior quality of experience using key quality indicators

Jim Warner, head of Content Encounter, TM Forum, said: ‘In Phase II, we see the realisation of commercializing content of all kinds. Our new sponsoring partners have brought critical products to the mix to enable this development. In Phase III, we will make some of this work publicly available while still pushing ahead to develop standards for this ever-changing landscape.

Published by: Wapple
Date: 12th May, 2008

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- Wapple Canvas Zest™ automatically generates data matrix and QR codes to link print media to the mobile web -

12 May 2008: With Wapple Canvas Zest, the latest mobile internet site builder and publishing tool from Wapple (http://wapple.net), it is now possible to make traditional print media interactive by linking it directly to the mobile web. Wapple Canvas Zest automatically generates a unique data matrix code and QR code for each mobile web page created, which can be printed on advertisements, magazine articles, or even posters to provide an immediate call to action. When the code is scanned by a mobile camera phone it links straight through to the promoted page - anything from further information and registering interest, to a competition entry, buying concert tickets or other product purchases.

Datamatrix and QR codes are barcodes consisting of a totally unique pattern of black and white squares that act as a quick link through to a specific mobile web page. When using Wapple Canvas Zest to design and publish a mobile website, these codes are automatically generated and can then be printed wherever required. Once the codes are scanned into the mobile device, consumers can quickly and easily access promoted content any time and any where they are. And unlike SMS triggers it is a free service.

"The addition of data matrix or QR codes to print media meets a market demand for offering an easy, cost effective way to facilitate instant brand interaction with consumers on the move for a truly interactive marketing campaign," explains Anne Thomas COO and co-founder of Wapple. "For the consumer, waiting for the bus, a train journey or simply reading a paper or magazine becomes more interesting with the ability to purchase products, respond to articles or enter competitions without having to be back in front of a PC. And for the brand it not only provides an immediate call to action but a new and effective way to measure the success of print campaigns. Of course it doesn't stop at print media, these codes can be promoted just about anywhere for a vast number of purposes."

Most emerging mobile devices already have scanners built in, and for those who don't, they are easily downloaded onto a mobile phone at http://m.augme.com.

"Consumers will love the opportunity for instant response and discovery of what this new technology can provide. This adds a completely new dimension to print media, which can only be good news for marketing campaigns," adds Anne Thomas.

Published by: Pitney Bowes
Date: 12th May, 2008

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Senior ex Microsoft retail director brings valuable customer insight to key role with location intelligence leaders

Windsor - 12 May 2008: Pitney Bowes MapInfo, part of Pitney Bowes Inc., (NYSE: PBI) today announces the appointment of Gary Roberts to UK General Manager, based at Pitney Bowes MapInfo headquarters in Windsor.

A seasoned retail IT executive, having grown his remit in the Microsoft retail team from account manager in 2000 to director, retail, manufacturing & services (RMS) when he left to join Pitney Bowes MapInfo this year, Roberts brings invaluable experience in IT strategy for customer growth and development to his new role.

Reporting to John O'Hara, Executive VP, International, Pitney Bowes MapInfo, Roberts will play a pivotal role in harnessing the integration of the highly complementary location intelligence and customer communications management product portfolio of the organisation across the key vertical sectors.

"Gary has an unnerving sense of what customers need," said John O'Hara. "He brings a truly impressive track record in effectively articulating customer issues into clear technology solutions within both the private and public sectors - an asset of great value to our organisation at its fledgling stage of integration. We're delighted to have him on board."

Roberts started his career in 1983 on the BhS graduate training scheme and rapidly rose up the ranks to make his mark as the youngest high street store manager in company's history in 1987. He moved to develop his interest in IT by joining ICL Retail Systems (Fujitsu) in 1998, where he led the organisation's UK Store Systems Sales Team before joining Microsoft in 2000.

"I have always held that location is paramount to the sustainability and growth of every commercial and public sector organisation," said Roberts. "I'm truly thrilled to be joining this visionary organisation at a critical time in its development. The role allows me to apply my established knowledge base in retail whilst fuelling my desire to meet new IT and customer management challenges."

Published by: Blackboard
Date: 12th May, 2008

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Manchester England - May 12, 2008 - Blackboard Inc. (NASDAQ: BBBB), a leading provider of educational enterprise technology, today announced the programme for BbWorld Europe® '08, which will focus on best practices and innovative breakthroughs in education technology and will take place May 12-14 in Manchester, U.K.

BbWorld Europe is an opportunity for over 350 senior education leaders, academics and managers from across Europe, the Middle East and Africa to come together to share their knowledge and expertise in the field of online teaching and learning, and discuss innovations that are being used to promote student engagement and achievement.

The event also represents an important opportunity to gain insight on next generation learning technologies, including Release 8.0 of the Blackboard Academic Suite™, and Project NG, Blackboard's ongoing effort to deliver a next generation teaching and learning solution.

Keynote addresses will be delivered by the following:

• Michael L. Chasen, President and CEO at Blackboard, on the challenges higher education institutions are facing in a rapidly changing world;
• Professor Colin J. Stirling, Vice President of Teaching and Learning at the University of Manchester, on the role that the U.K. Higher Education sector plays in raising the level of skills amongst its population in order to remain competitive;
• Gordon Freedman, Vice President of Education Strategy at Blackboard, on ‘Unlocking the Global Education Imperative' and the launch of Blackboard's Global White Paper; and
• Andreas Schleicher, Directorate for Education at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, on the recent changes in the global talent pool and the key policy levers associated with high performance in education.

"Educators are rapidly and profoundly changing their communities through the adoption of new and evolving technology," said Chasen. "We look forward to sharing our vision for the future at BbWorld Europe, including Project NG, Blackboard's multi-year, multi-release project to deliver a next generation teaching and learning solution that introduces new capabilities to engage students, leverages the power of social learning communities, and drives success in institutional assessment."

At BbWorld Europe, participants will take part in more than 30 sessions highlighting innovative and entrepreneurial approaches that leverage technology to address some of the most important challenges in education, including:

• Measuring student learning and learning outcomes
• Engaging students with Web 2.0 technologies, (blogs, wikis, podcasts, gaming & simulations)
• Improving engagement and retention for at-risk students
• Assessing the effect of academic programs and initiatives
• Improving faculty training and professional development
• Meeting rising student expectations in the classroom and on campus
• Using data to address accreditation and other institutional advancement agendas

For more information on BbWorld Europe, including the registration and the event's programme guide, please visit http://www.bbworld08.com/europe.

Published by: Portfolio Communications
Date: 12th May, 2008

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Nottingham, 12th May 2008. To help retailers manage the impact of crime and protect profit, specialist crime reduction solution provider ABM has launched Intellicase. The solution will enable retailers to easily identify and target areas experiencing high losses from criminal activity and internal theft and implement the appropriate processes for prevention.

As the credit crunch bites and profit forecasts are slashed, UK retailers are looking to other parts of the business to cut costs or increase profit margins. With retail crime costs in Europe rising to a staggering 32,417 million euros in the 12 months to 2007, and crime related shrinkage costing UK retailers alone 4,565 million euros[i], loss prevention is an increasing issue that needs to be tackled.

Intuitive and flexible, Intellicase is a secure web-based solution that provides real time reporting to allow retailers immediate access to critical information in order to identify where loss is occurring in the business and eliminate it. Using Intellicase, retailers can not only record incidents but also analyse and share information enterprise-wide in order to depict patterns and connections between other events and individuals. Having this intelligence means that retailers are more able to predict where and when future incidents, from fraud to shoplifting, are likely to occur and make better informed decisions on what controls must be put in place to prevent criminal activity.

ABM has a strong track record in developing and implementing policing security and intelligence software. Alastair Luff, ABM's managing director, comments: "Intellicase is functionality-rich yet easy-to-use. It does not just collect and record information but it also enables analysis and sharing of information which is critical in identifying potential suspects. Our track record of delivering software to tackle criminal activity has spanned some 20 years within the policing market, criminal justice and commercial arena."

ABM brings the same ethos to retailers in enabling information to be easily and securely shared across an organisation. By integrating with other systems such as Point of Sale and CCTV, retailers reduce bureaucracy and administration in order to easily capture powerful intelligence in the fight against crime. With emerging issues such as Organised Retail Crime, Intellicase's capability to share information securely with third party agencies will be vital in identifying trends not only within stores but also in towns, cities and even across the whole of the UK.

Alastair Luff continues: "Many ABM customers have experienced culture change as a result of implementing intelligence software. We see the factor of culture change as another key benefit for retailers using Intellicase. Increased awareness and understanding amongst staff of the issue of loss prevention will feed a culture of best practice reporting procedures. Following certain administrative procedures within Intellicase will also ensure that the reporting of incidents such as damaged products is less likely to be neglected. This culture change will assist in helping retailers to control costs."

Collecting and managing information across an organisation provides a greater understanding of how crime is impacting the business and what action is needed to deal with it. Intellicase removes barriers to internal information sharing in order to protect retailers' profits and deliver a truly effective approach to retail crime prevention.

For more information on Intellicase, please contact Donna Wood at ABM on 0115 977 6999 or visit http://www.abm-uk.com/.

- ends -

Notes to Editors

About ABM
ABM is a leading supplier of criminal intelligence IT, developing best of breed solutions in partnership with customers to meet the unique requirements of the law enforcement market. ABM's intelligence-led applications are national standard compliant and work from a single data source enabling customers to gain substantial time saving and financial benefits. Its 180 law enforcement customers worldwide include internationally renowned organisations such as the Metropolitan Police Service, New York Police Department (NYPD) and Western Australia Police. For more information, visit ABM at http://www.abm-uk.com/

For more information:

Louisa Constable/Claudia Kellermann

Portfolio Communications

Tel: +44 (0)20 7240 6959

Email: abm@portfoliocomms.com

REF: 08-052 Date:12.05.08

[i] Figures from The Global Retail Theft Barometer 2007

Further Information

account executive
Tel: 020 7240
Email: claudia.kellermann@portfoliocomms.com

Published by: Intamac
Date: 12th May, 2008

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Toronto, Canada and Northampton, UK 12 May 2008 - Intamac Systems has announced a distribution agreement with DSC that will see the launch of their new web based interactive services into the North American market. The new services will be launched on the DSC stand at the International Fire and Security Exhibition in Birmingham today.

As part of the agreement, Northampton-based Intamac has built a new support platform in Toronto. This will now be used to provide monitoring and messaging services to DSC's customers and to support the launch of a range of innovative new security products and video solutions to their dealer and central station network. This move will position the DSC and Intamac as the leaders in the interactive service market and broadband enabled products.

The Intamac platform will allow DSC to offer new IP video and security solutions to their dealer network. In addition, the platform will provide customers with web interfaces through which they can manage their clients and offer them a range of new interactive services. In addition to the benefits of a home monitoring service designed to provide timely information with video of any unexpected entry or event, consumers can remotely manage and monitor routine events in real-time that occur within the home every day.

Consumers can customise their home monitoring service to be alerted via phone, e-mail or text message to monitor events such as: children coming home safely for school; the activities of tradespeople, cleaners, nannies, au pairs or elderly relatives; alerts from water and smoke detectors. The platform also provides for the future growth with remote management and control of domestic heating and electrical systems and the devices attached to them.

"The Intamac platform allows us to offer our partners innovative new services that will help grow their business and excite the consumer" comments David Grinstead, VP Sales. "We are working to leverage the benefits of broadband and working to make it simple for our dealer network to adapt and exploit IP video and monitoring solutions."

Kevin Meagher, CEO of Intamac adds "Our platform will allow DSC to deploy exciting new value added services at attractive price points as well as simplifying the task of installation and support. We are binging new levels of intelligence to the home and making home monitoring a must-have service. We are delighted to be working with DSC, a global leader in security products to realise the potential of this growing market."

For further information regarding the Intamac and DSC web based service please visit us at IFSEC in hall 19 on Stand number 16120.

Published by: Clickatell
Date: 12th May, 2008

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Customers Receive SMS Alerts and Track Real Time Results in Virtual Auctions Via Mobile Phones - Anytime, Anywhere

Redwood City, CA: May 12, 2008 - Clickatell, leading provider of global mobile messaging solutions, today announced it has been chosen by Christie's, the world's leading art business, to provide text-message based alerts to customers across the globe. Clickatel's managed service enables Christie's to inform customers via SMS about soon to be released auction items of interest-such as masterpieces by Picasso and Van Gogh-and pricing updates prior to and during auctions.

Founded by James Christie in 1766, Christie's is the world's first fine art auctioneer with global auction sales in 2007 that totaled $6.3 billion. Christie's is a name and place that speaks of extraordinary art, unparalleled service and expertise, as well as international glamour and sophistication.

"By providing text alerts, we are giving our customers instant access to auction and price updates anywhere, anytime - allowing them to be the first to know of unique or rare listings," said Andrew Seltzer, Assistant Vice President, Global Operations Project Manager for Christie's. "As people around the world continue to become more and more mobile, they don't want to be tied to their PCs to get the latest information - using their cell phone, they can go about their daily lives and stay informed. With this step towards meeting our client's lifestyle needs, Christie's continues to make strides towards introducing technology enhancements that will introduce even greater levels of mobility and customer service."

Available today, Christie's SMS alert service is free to all customers. To subscribe, customers simply log on to Christie's registration page and complete a simple enrollment process. Customers will begin receiving email and SMS messages pertaining to auction items, announcements and other pertinent information no matter where they are in the world.

"We are seeing more and more top performing businesses in their field taking the lead in embracing SMS and mobile messaging as a key component of their customer relations, acquisition and retention strategies," commented Pieter de Villiers, CEO of Clickatell. "We are delighted that we can now add an icon such as Christie's to our customer list. We see mobile phones fast becoming the primary point of communication for businesses and communities to reach their audience with permission-based, value-added messaging."

Christie's has 85 offices in 43 countries and 14 salerooms around the world including London, New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Geneva, Milan, Amsterdam, Tel Aviv, Dubai and Hong Kong. Most recently, Christie's has led the market with expanded initiatives in emerging markets such as China, India and the United Arab Emirates, with successful sales and exhibitions in Beijing, Dubai, Mumbai and Russia. Christie's offers over 600 sales annually in over 80 categories, including all areas of fine and decorative arts, jewelry, photographs, collectibles, wine, cars and more. Prices range from $200 to over $80 million.

Published by: Bango
Date: 12th May, 2008

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May 12 2008 - Mobile marketers can now turn to the Bango mobile analytics tool and use the new goal comparison feature in its mobile analytics tool to see which mobile advertising campaigns and traffic sources deliver the best conversion rates. Advertisers can also compare the value of the traffic from third-party ad services using independent data provided by Bango Analytics. Some companies have already reported discrepancies approaching 20% between the traffic they are getting and what they have paid for, says Bango.

With the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) reporting the need for "independent testing and scrutiny to build trust and confidence in the mobile advertising", Bango aims to fill this gap with a service that provides hard data, free from any vendor bias. The new goal comparison feature helps marketers measure the return on investment for campaigns across different ad networks to make smarter buying decisions.

View the video on Bango Analytics at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eR9nZ3fsEiw

The Bango User ID technology offers a level of precision not found with other mobile analytics products by providing a reliable and persistent identity for every mobile user. It tracks real people as they enter a mobile website from different sources and reach a defined goal - such as click to call, buying content or downloading an application.

"It's not the number of hits on your site that ultimately matters but whether they convert into value for the business," said Ray Anderson, CEO of Bango. "Being able to measure ROI through accurate tracking can make the difference between success and failure."

"Businesses that aggregate traffic from a wide variety of sources and want an independent way of ensuring the traffic they receive is what they paid for, can use Bango Analytics as their trusted auditing tool," adds Anderson.

Bango Analytics operates as a hosted service, allowing mobile website owners anywhere in the world to connect their sites to the Analytics service in minutes and use it free of charge. Try it at http://www.bango.com/analytics.

Published by: Ikivo
Date: 12th May, 2008

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Stockholm, Sweden - May, 2008 - IKIVO, the leading supplier of rich media application enabling solutions has appointed Huw Hampson-Jones as CEO of the company. With a distinguished 20+ year career within the IT and Telecoms software sectors, his primary role at IKIVO will be to take their already successful business to an even higher level.

Hampson-Jones brings with him a wealth of experience, which enables him to build on the company's market leading position within the mobile software sector, as well as grow and develop the company's product areas. His role will involve overseeing the development and implementation of the business strategy to ensure that they continue to substantially increase sales and aggressively drive new global business, particularly in Europe, Asia and North America.

Talking about his new appointment Hampson-Jones said, "I am delighted to assume leadership of the company at such a key point in its development and my mission is to build on the long-standing relationships established within the Mobile Network Operators, the Mobile Handset Manufacturers and the emerging Consumer Electronics Manufacturers. I believe with the knowledge and expertise we have throughout the company, we have a very exciting and strong future ahead."

Bo Dimert, Chairman of the IKIVO board said, "I am pleased to welcome Huw Hampson-Jones to the position of CEO at Ikivo. His experience within our industry is considerable and I have complete confidence that his ideas, innovation and sector knowledge will have a major impact on growing IKIVO's business."

Published by: The PR Network
Date: 12th May, 2008

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A new survey of IT professionals has today revealed that new regulatory compliance requirements - for implementing satisfactory technology solutions to address security vulnerabilities, data leakage and compliance - remain difficult for enterprise organisations to effectively achieve.

Shavlik Technologies, the market leader in delivering software solutions that rapidly accelerate and continuously improve security and compliance readiness, today announced results of its comprehensive survey of IT and security specialists conducted at both the RSA Conference 2008 and Infosecurity Europe 2008 events last month. The survey of 491 combined conference delegates from Europe and the U.S. identified their top security priorities and what solutions they may have implemented to manage the vulnerabilities that threaten their organisations.

According to the survey results, the top three priorities were: Data Protection / Leakage Prevention - 53.2 per cent; Internal Network Security - 51.8 per cent; and Policy and Regulatory Concerns - 43.8 per cent. Other significant priorities were patch management - 38.6 per cent and the security of virtualised machines - 32.6 per cent.

Delegates were also asked about the solutions implemented for audit preparation and patch management and whether they were satisfied with them. For audit preparation, only 60.8 per cent indicated that they were satisfied or highly satisfied which suggests that there are a significant proportion of organisations unhappy with their current solutions. Respondents were equally unhappy with patch management solutions with 40 per cent reporting they were unsatisfied with their current technology solution.

"Despite efforts to apply various technologies companies continue to struggle with efforts to manage and close vulnerability gaps, while concerns over regulatory compliance are driving them to look for more ways to simplify through automation," said Mark Shavlik, CEO, Shavlik Technologies. "Generally, organisations struggle to manage their security and compliance needs which leaves them open to attack or the discovery of a weak link by an auditor. We're working with customers to resolve these issues to their satisfaction."

Three quarters of respondents, 75.7 per cent, confirmed they were either concerned or highly concerned over compliance with specific mandates such as PCI DSS, ISO 27002, or Sarbanes Oxley. They identified a broad range of solutions to manage the audit process-a total of 123, ranging from "home grown" to "a lot of systems" from various vendors. Many respondents indicated they continued with manual processes for elements of their patch management process, even though more than 115 different solutions for patch management were identified in the surveys.

"Companies are increasingly recognising the need to automate operations in order to streamline compliance as an ongoing business process. But too many organisations still don't have a standard approach, which leaves gaps in their security infrastructure," added Shavlik. "At Shavlik we feel it's critical to educate customers on the importance of mature, best-of-breed solutions that simplify, automate, and provide better control over security and compliance management."

Published by: Six Degrees
Date: 12th May, 2008

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Steljes has attained a 34.6% share of the interactive response market in Quarter One of 2008 due to its exclusive distribution of SMART Technologies' Senteo™ and Turning Technologies' TurningPoint®.

Both brands are continuing to build their market - TurningPoint's share has increased to 26.6%. Senteo has almost doubled its penetration in the past three months to 8.0%, up from 4.8% in Q4 2007.

The combined share gives Steljes a clear leadership over Promethean with its 31.5% share. The report, written by Decision Tree Consulting, also predicts further growth in 2008 with 230,000 handsets expected to be sold, a rise of 23% on 2007.

"We are delighted to have two such strong brands on board," says Steljes Marketing Director Graham Wylie. "TurningPoint offers a strong, scalable interactive response solution across a number of sectors and Senteo, a relative newcomer to the market, is already proving a popular choice in schools due to its complete integration with SMART Notebook software."

ENDS

About Steljes
Steljes Limited is a technology pioneering organisation that sources products from around the world, working with manufacturers to customise and bring their solutions to the UK market through its specialised channel network. The company's innovative solutions enable people to interact and communicate more effectively while working and learning.

The company has been sourcing products from around the world for over 20 years, introducing LCD panels, projectors, plasma displays and interactive whiteboards to the UK market. The company has consistently been the UK's number one supplier of interactive whiteboards and recently increased its UK market segment share from 54.7% in 2006 to 59.4% in Q1 2008 (source: DTC).

Steljes Limited is a privately owned company and the exclusive representation of SMART Technologies LLC and Turning Technologies in the UK and Ireland.

Published by: Palisade
Date: 12th May, 2008

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Thales UK has adopted @RISK software from Palisade Corporation (www.palisade.com), to enable it to assess commercial feasibility of potential new business wins. @RISK's in-depth risk analysis ensures the leading provider of mission-critical electronic information systems for aerospace, defence and security markets around the world, is fully informed when making business-critical decisions.

Thales operates in a highly competitive environment, with technologically advanced countries presenting tough opposition when it tenders for contracts. It must continually develop highly sophisticated equipment that is robust and failsafe to meet the stringent demands of its customers. Bringing products of this calibre to market is costly in terms of time and resource, so for every competitive new business opportunity, Thales must be confident that it has a reasonable chance of success.

Thales uses @RISK software from Palisade to assist it in making strategic decisions of whether or not to tender for new business. Using Monte Carlo analysis to show all potential scenarios and the likelihood that each will occur, @RISK enables Thales to calculate the competitiveness of complex markets, measure probabilities for project costs, quantify rate of return, and even account for the effects of cumulative business, thereby providing decision-makers with the most complete picture possible. From this risk analysis, Thales can make an informed decision on the commercial viability of the potential new business offered.

Adam Ogilvie-Smith, Senior Consultant with Thales UK's management consultancy business, comments: "Our commercial success is determined by our ability to quantify both our internal operations, as well our position in the wider environment in which we operate - which is both dynamic and sensitive. It is essential therefore that we use a versatile and robust modelling tool that can handle the complexity of our queries. @RISK combines its powerful risk analysis capability with the added benefit of being easy and intuitive to use, and applicable for almost any task. As a result it is a key strategic tool for Thales UK, assisting us in our process of reaching informed business-critical decisions."

Additionally, Thales' complex calculations must consider that, while winning a contract is favourable, the long-term commercial cost of that business can be prohibitive, thereby negating the rationale for pitching for the contract in the first place. For instance, once developed, sophisticated electronic systems for aircraft require continual upgrading - the cost of which may outweigh the profit projections of the initial deal. @RISK also assists Thales to weigh up the overall cost of bringing the completed project to market against the probability of winning the business so that it can be sure it will break even.

Published by: GB Group plc
Date: 12th May, 2008

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Young people are using the internet to buy inappropriate material, such as explicit video games, adult DVDs, alcohol and even weapons, because it's easier than buying it on the high street, according to new research issued today (Mon).

A nationwide survey among 1,000 male and female teenagers aged 13-17 found that young people are consistently trying to buy inappropriate material online thanks to poor levels of age verification - and in thousands of cases across the country are successful in their attempts.

The research - by GB Group, the UK's leading identity management company - reveals:

• Nearly half (48%) of teenage boys under 18 have tried to buy adult DVDs or violent video games online in the past year...and over three quarters of these were successful
• One in 20 (5%) 14 year olds have successfully purchased alcohol online
• A similar number of 15 year olds have been able to buy dangerous objects online such as knives
• A quarter (25%) of teenage boys and over a third (38%) of teenage girls under 18 have managed to buy items online using someone else's credit card

Recent advances in online technology mean websites can now immediately verify anyone who tries to buy or access material which could be deemed inappropriate, by cross-referencing existing ID and age data - allowing online firms to keep sites user-friendly while putting security measures in place to protect young people.

Yet while the UK online gambling industry has embraced latest age and ID verification processes, to protect young and vulnerable consumers, the survey shows that online retailers are still failing to verify customer ages: two thirds (66%) of 13-17 year olds have been asked for ID in shops when trying to buy inappropriate material over the past year, yet just 18% of young people have been asked to prove their ID when trying to buy similar items online over the same period.

Even popular social network sites such as YouTube and Facebook currently offer ‘adult' content without any stringent age verification.

The findings come in the week the Online Purchasing of Goods and Services (Age Verification) Bill receives a further reading in Parliament; introduced by Margaret Moran, Labour MP for Luton South, it is due to receive its second reading on Friday (May 16).

Moran's proposals aim to ensure that anyone selling age-restricted goods and services over the internet has to take steps to verify if customers are old enough. It is the first time a politician in Europe has called for online age and identity verification to be put on the statute books.

GB Group, who conducted the research, is the UK's leading age and ID verification company, and has helped the UK online gaming industry clean up its act in recent years thanks to is ability to verify age and identity online.

Richard Law, GB Group's CEO, said: "The research shows there is an urgent need for online retailers to take a more responsible approach to protecting youngsters from buying inappropriate goods online.

"Under-age binge drinking is a huge problem, for example, yet many online retailers still don't have any form of robust age verification system in place. And it's even possible for young people to successfully buy knives online without having to undergo any age or ID check.

"Online businesses need to recognise the recent developments that have been made in verifying age and identity - it is now possible to take a risk-based approach to verifying customer identity, starting with those customer groups and products that may pose the highest risks."

This survey shows just how easy it is for under-18s to purchase unsuitable items online: nearly one in five (17%) got round any age restrictions by using a pre-paid credit card, while 84% only had to tick a box to say they were 18.

Richard Law, of GB Group, added: "The UK online gaming industry has demonstrated how it can protect vulnerable and young people from accessing inappropriate online material - online gaming firms are obliged under official rules to undertake age checks.

"The absence of similar obligatory rules in relation top the sale of alcohol, DVDs and knives online means on the face of it that a value judgement is being made that underage gambling is worse for youngsters than underage drinking, watching adult DVDs or possessing knives, and I believe this point is well made in Margaret Moran's Bill."

For more information, visit www.gb.co.uk.

Published by: New Bamboo
Date: 12th May, 2008

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Monday 12th May 2008, The Reading Agency, an independent charity which inspires young people to read more has appointed New Bamboo, the specialist in bespoke software development using Ruby on Rails, to create an online young people's website to encourage reading and creativity. The contract value was not disclosed.

The new site, yet to be named, will invite young people aged 13–18 years old to showcase their own creativity, create their own groups, display what's on their virtual shelves and rate titles; and also gain access to valuable resources such as advice from expert writers, artists and lyricists. It is scheduled to officially launch in late September 2008.

Ruth Harrison, Senior Project Manager, at the Reading Agency says, "We selected New Bamboo as they had a track record of creating innovative sites. The company also uses Agile methodology which is particularly suited for our complex project and is based around setting objective metrics, stake holder involvement, feedback and managed processes. We have ambitious plans with a fairly tight budget and timeframe - so getting things right first time is crucial".

The site will offer a mix of information and live interaction and a range of exciting opportunities to engage with young people who share their passion for reading and creativity:

• Young people can start up their own groups for reviewing, rating, chatting and debating
• Showcase their own creativity such as Manga art, short stories, scripts and poems
• Upload images, pod casts or video casts
• Take part in competitions and polls
• Receive advice from expert writers, lyricists, poets, artists, script writers
• Find out about jobs in the creative industries
• Discover what's going on - such as up-coming titles, events and festivals

Max Williams, Co-Founder of New Bamboo says, "We were attracted to the project as the requirements suited our expertise. The Reading Agency has a number of complex requirements in allowing end users and social groups to easily interact. There was a strong focus on social networking and rich media which are areas where we have successfully delivered solutions in the past. Additionally, we will be developing the site iteratively to get valuable feedback and make sure it lives up to expectations. "

Williams concludes, "Ruby on Rails makes a particularly compelling proposition for organisations when combined with Agile processes: where Ruby on Rails makes development very fast, Agile makes it very flexible."

Published by: TTI Telecom
Date: 12th May, 2008

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OSS implementation environment to simplify network management and accelerates time to support new services and network technologies

Rosh Ha'ayin, Israel, May 12, 2008 - TTI Team Telecom International Ltd. (NASDAQ: TTIL) ("TTI Telecom"), a global supplier of Operations Support Systems (OSS) to communications service providers, announced today the launch of their Netrac Studio 3, giving network operators a single platform providing centralized control over the entire process and life cycle of data collection and processing for service assurance. The Studio merges the functionality of Mediation, Fault, Performance, and Service management under a single interface

The Studio enables operators to leverage the robust capabilities from across TTI Telecom's Mediation, Fault, Performance and Service management tools, all from within a centralized platform, improving efficiency and flexibility in network operations supporting Fixed and Mobile networks combining legacy and NGN technologies.

TTI Telecom's Netrac Studio improves OSS usability, giving operators a quick and easy method of adjusting systems and data libraries according to the particular needs of each operator and network landscape. This level of flexibility allows operators to more rapidly deploy new services and network technologies and easily update and upgrade their management system according to network changes with a vendor-neutral and protocol-neutral platform. Netrac Studio is an evolution of the mediation studio announced by TTI in 2005 and brings operators a higher level of efficiency, automation and life cycle management for fault, performance and service management libraries and implementations. The studio includes specialized service assurance libraries development environment, dedicated integrated project layer for additional customizations, cross application SNMP wizards for rapid implementations and more.

"Our Netrac Studio is going to make network management a lot easier, especially among NGN operators who need high flexibility and ability to react quickly and introduce new services and technologies faster than ever," commented Shachar Ebel, CTO at TTI Telecom. "Our customers have the challenging task of managing converging networks, and are looking for tools to shorten the cycle of introducing new services while management systems are becoming a key factor in their successful launch. Netrac Studio addresses these challenges, while helping to consolidate the numerous management applications in converged NOCs, lowering the life cycle cost for a direct impact on the organization's bottom line."

TTI Telecom will be showcasing Netrac Studio along with its full line of service management OSS at the TMF Management World exhibition in Nice, May 19-22 2008. To schedule an executive briefing or product demonstration, please contact Dvora Madmon at dvoram@tti-telecom.com.

Anchored by market-leading service assurance solutions - Fault Management (FaM) and Performance Management (PMM) - that give customers an end-to-end view of their network, TTI Telecom's Netrac enables service providers to reduce operating costs, enhance profitability and launch new, revenue-generating services more rapidly. Netrac is compatible with multiple technologies and industry standards, and is uniquely positioned to bridge legacy, Next Generation, convergent, and IMS Networks. TTI Telecom's customer base consists of tier-one and tier-two service providers globally, including large incumbents in the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific.

For more information, please visit http://www.tti-telecom.com/

Published by: Rainier PR
Date: 12th May, 2008

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TV Licensing, the organisation responsible for collecting UK TV licence revenues, has launched Ask TV Licensing, a new website service that aims to improve the online customer experience and deliver greater value for the UK's 25 million licence payers. Ask TV Licensing, powered by Transversal (transversal.com), allows visitors to www.tvlicensing.co.uk to get immediate answers to questions which can be phrased in everyday English, as if directly asking a person.

The service allows customers who prefer to interact online to find the information they need easily without having to phone or send their questions by email. More than a quarter of a million customers have already used Ask TV Licensing since its launch in January 2008, of whom only 9 per cent have subsequently needed to email TV Licensing for further information.

Ask TV Licensing is part of a wider initiative by TV Licensing and Capita Business Services Ltd, the company responsible for administering customer service for TV Licensing, to create technology led efficiencies which deliver better value for licence payers and ultimately lead to savings which make more money available for programming.

"More and more licence payers want to interact with us online due to speed, accessibility and convenience," commented James Milner, Head of Operations, TV Licensing. "Introducing Ask TV Licensing is a key part of our online strategy and will support our drive to deliver best value to all through services such as online payment and fast access to information. Transversal's technology enables us to provide answers to the wide range of questions the 25 million licence payers ask, instantly and accurately."

Ask TV Licensing is designed to provide answers to the many different types of licence holders and TV suppliers. These include householders, hotels, B&Bs, students, landlords, those with second homes and TV dealers. Typical questions being asked online include "What if I only use my TV for watching DVDs?" to "I'm a TV dealer, do I need to keep a record of TV transactions?"

Traffic to the TV Licensing website is growing rapidly, with 5 million visitors in 2007 expected to grow by 18 per cent in 2008 to 6 million. The Capita-run site aims to provide a one stop shop for queries from the UK's 25 million licence payers as well as enabling licences to be bought online and delivered via email. Transversal's advanced technology supports TV Licensing's continued drive to administer the collection of the TV Licence fee for the BBC in the most cost effective way. In the first three months since deployment in January 2008, Transversal Web self-service has helped nearly 250,000 people to quickly find accurate information to their queries online.

"The success of Ask TV Licensing demonstrates the importance of empowering online customers with instant, accurate information that answers their questions," said Davin Yap, CEO, Transversal. "This not only delivers improved customer service but helps TV Licensing deliver technology-led efficiencies that ultimately lead to more money for programming."

- ends -

Enquiries:

Transversal
Dee Roche, Head of Marketing
+44 (0)1223 723 388 dee.roche@transversal.com

Rainier PR
Chris Measures/Sam Grace
+44 (0)20 7494 6570
www.rainierpr.co.uk
transversal@rainierpr.co.uk

About Transversal
Transversal is a Cambridge-based developer of multi-channel eService solutions for customer-facing websites and contact centres that achieve high-impact wins on improved service, reduced costs and increased sales. Transversal's flagship Web Self-service Sales EngineTM solution uses the online customer service interaction to deliver targeted offers and advertising based on what customers ask about - a customer service strategy proven to produce high response rates and sales, while simultaneously improving customer service quality and efficiency. MetafaqTM reduces the volume of call and email queries to contact centres by automatically answering customers' questions online. Transversal customers will typically see immediate and dramatic email reductions, by around 60%, and improvements in email response times, from days to minutes. Intrafaq, Transversal's knowledge management solution for contact centres, delivers information to agents in a unique way from a dynamic natural language knowledgebase. Simply by typing a question, in their own words, agents can access answers to customer questions; providing fast, accurate and consistent responses. Organisations benefit from increased first call resolution and efficiency by improving the knowledge and quality of service provided by customer service and help-desk agents. Transversal's Memory Engine^TM is the result of research and development by top researchers in Information Theory and Machine Learning from Caltech and Cambridge universities. Transversal co-founder, Prof. David MacKay, is a world renowned expert in Artificial Intelligence. He pioneered Bayesian Neural Networks in the late 1980s and remains at the forefront of the field.

About TV Licensing
TV Licensing informs people of the need to buy a TV Licence. It sends licence renewal notices and processes queries, applications and payments. It also maintains a database of licensed and unlicensed addresses in the UK and uses this technology to identify and visit people who may be using a TV receiver without a valid licence. There are around 25 million TV Licences in force, which include 3.9 million free over 75 TV Licences and around 40,000 licences for customers receiving a 50% blind concession.

TV Licensing is a trading name used by companies contracted by the BBC to administer the collection of television licence fees and enforcement of the television licensing system. The majority of administration is contracted to Capita Business Services Ltd, with cash related payment schemes contracted to Revenues Management Services Ltd. The BBC is a public authority in respect of its television licensing functions and retains overall responsibility.

Published by: Six Degrees
Date: 12th May, 2008

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Oxford, 12 May, 2008; Proofpoint, the leading provider of unified email security and data loss prevention solutions, today announced it has signed Gradian Systems Ltd—a specialist in the messaging market—to distribute its complete line of security products.

Gradian Systems Ltd. combines 'best of breed' technology, advisory knowledge and engineering services to deliver end-to-end messaging, encryption and governance solutions. This in turn enables FTSE 250 companies to secure critical IT application infrastructure and networks.

"Proofpoint has—without a doubt—one of the most flexible delivery methods of any email hygiene and security portfolio on the market," commented Damian Acklam, Managing Director at Gradian Systems Ltd. "We fully recognise the technology value and overall strengths of the offering, which results in a very competitive technology."

"Gradian's experience and knowledge of the messaging market is unrivalled," said Oliver Carter, Channel Director of Proofpoint EMEA. "We have a strong relationship with the team and are looking forward to vastly increasing our market share with them."

Proofpoint delivers the industry's only solution for defending against inbound spam and viruses, preventing leaks of confidential and private data, encrypting sensitive information and analysing messaging infrastructures-all on a single, unified platform. Its unique architecture allows customers to radically reduce costs and complexity while improving the overall effectiveness of messaging security infrastructures. Proofpoint offers customers the widest array of deployment options and is the only email security vendor to deliver its solutions in hardware appliance, virtual appliance, software and hosted service formats.

Proofpoint delivers 99% or higher effectiveness against all types of spam email using the latest advances in reputation and content-based anti-spam technology. Powered by patent-pending Proofpoint MLX™ machine learning technology, the Proofpoint Spam Detection™ module examines hundreds of thousands of attributes in every email, including; message envelope headers and structure, image properties, sender reputation data as well as unstructured content in the body of messages. This blocks the most spam, attachment-based spam (including image-based, PDF-based and Excel-based spam) and phishing attacks, while automatically adapting to new attacks as they appear.

-END-

About Proofpoint, Inc.
Proofpoint provides unified email security and data loss prevention solutions for enterprises, universities, government organisations and ISPs to defend against inbound threats such as spam and viruses, prevent leaks of confidential and private information across all protocols, and encrypt sensitive emails. Proofpoint's products are controlled by a single management and policy console and are powered by Proofpoint MLX^TM technology, an advanced machine learning system developed by Proofpoint scientists and engineers. Proofpoint provides the most scalable and flexible deployment model including: hardware appliance, virtual appliance, hosted services and software. For more information, please visit http://www.proofpoint.com/.

# # #

Proofpoint, Proofpoint MLX, Proofpoint Messaging Security Gateway and Proofpoint on Demand are trademarks, registered trademarks of Proofpoint, Inc. All other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

About Gradian Systems Ltd
Gradian is one of the United Kingdom's premier enterprise security solutions companies specialising in the messaging market that provide real results. It has over 150 customers through the UK and into Europe with a great Customer loyalty and retention rate due to its unrivalled support and service offerings.

Gradian sells knowledge, technology and services to solve problems and reduce risks associated with email security, instant messaging, encryption, and Governance. It works with global firms focused on mitigating IP, governance, compliance, and data security risks associated with the proliferation of mobile devices, users and applications.

More information via http://www.gradian.co.uk/

Published by: Pattison Mitchell & Associates
Date: 12th May, 2008

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- Michael Page International's plans include implementing a comprehensive enterprise architecture (EA), a service oriented architecture (SOA) spanning the entire organisation, and a new customer relationship management (CRM) system

London - May 12, 2008 - MEGA International, a global leader in providing enterprise architecture, business process analysis, and governance, risk, and compliance solutions, announced today that one of the world's foremost professional recruitment consultancies, Michael Page International, has implemented MEGA Modeling Suite software.

The MEGA software will play a central role in helping to streamline processes throughout the organisation, including the better alignment of IT with business demands, and the introduction of new initiatives to increase productivity and maintain competitive edge. Michael Page International believes that using such methods is unusual within the recruitment sector and views this process as another step towards its global technical expansion.

Rapid expansion of its global business drove the recruitment company to find new ways to increase agility and respond quickly to change. A review of IT resources acted as a catalyst for a broader analysis and changes within the whole enterprise. Allowing for regional variances in working practices, methodologies and supporting software from MEGA will be used to review and standardise the company's business processes in 149 offices throughout twenty five different countries, helping to improve working methods for over 5,000 staff.

In particular, enterprise architecture (EA) techniques from MEGA will accelerate further development of an EA programme that was introduced by Michael Page International in March 2007. The solution will be used to ease the auditing or mapping of existing IT resources in relation to the business, then analyse, design and implement new processes and IT frameworks to make the right changes to meet business objectives.

This work will pave the way for the introduction of a service oriented architecture (SOA) initiative, and the implementation of a global customer relationship management (CRM) system. The EA resources will also be used to help rationalise three separately located IT hubs that have been working in different ways.

Michael Page International selected MEGA because it most closely met the customer's functional requirements. The customer wanted a solution that was highly graphical, easy to use and provided an off-the-shelf set of robust tools that would allow complete traceability between business processes, services, information systems, data and infrastructure.

Using the ratings produced by an independent market research company three leading suppliers, including MEGA, were shortlisted by the recruitment company. Two suppliers' products were stronger in some categories, but weaker in others. MEGA was the only supplier to provide a consistent and comprehensive set of products, together with full customer support services.

Andrew Wayland, Chief Information Officer, Michael Page International comments:
"We were satisfied with the level of expertise the consultants we engaged with demonstrated. We were impressed by their level of commitment, their patience and the effort and support that was given to us."

Regarding compliance to industry standards such as BPMN, Wayland continues: "Mega seems to be a tool that evolves very quickly to meet new standards in the industry, and that was a definite advantage to us."

Michael Page International bought MEGA's entire range of EA and business process analysis (BPA) products. Implementation of the MEGA system began in April 2008. In due course, the customer anticipates ongoing measuring and adjusting of processes. The consolidation of the three data centres will be accomplished over the next five years.

A brief background on MEGA International
MEGA International (www.mega.com) is a privately-held company providing enterprise architecture, business process analysis, and governance, risk, and compliance solutions, with 45,000 software licenses worldwide. European customers include Allianz, AXA, British American Tobacco, Direct TV, LCL Le Crédit Lyonnais, Renault Nissan, Société Générale and Unicredit.

ENDS

More information from:

Julie Boulanger
MEGA International Ltd
Telephone: +44 (0)20 8323 8033
E-mail: jboulanger@mega.com
Web: www.mega.com

Shruti Dhungana
Michael Page International
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7214 4454
E-mail: shrutidhungana@michaelpage.com
Web: www.michaelpage.co.uk

Mark Mitchell
Pattison Mitchell & Associates
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7924 7700
E-mail: ptml@btinternet.com

Further Information

Partner
Tel: 020 7924 7700
Email: ptml@btinternet.com

Published by: Analysys Mason
Date: 9th May, 2008

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LONDON, UK, 09 MAY 2008 - The second European 2.6GHz spectrum auction concluded this week in Sweden. With auctions coming up in other European countries, including the UK, Austria and the Netherlands, the outcome of the Swedish auction provides much needed information on the price that operators will pay for 2.6GHz spectrum throughout Europe, says Analysys Mason, the premier advisers on telecoms, IT and media (www.analysysmason.com).

The Swedish auction concluded at a price of EUR0.13/MHz/pop, with unpaired spectrum going for just below EUR0.04/MHz/pop and paired spectrum for EUR0.16/MHz/pop.

"Clearly prices fetched at the 2000/2001 European UMTS auctions, especially in the UK and Germany, are unlikely to be repeated. On the other hand, operators are reporting a rapid uptake of mobile broadband dongles, and new WiMAX players may be eager to enter the arena, suggesting that prices may still be substantial," says Bart-Jan Sweers, Strategy Consultant at Analysys Mason.

Despite being significantly below the UK and German UMTS auctions in 2000, the prices achived in the Swedish auction were considerably higher than the recent Norwegian 2.6GHz auction (EUR0.03/MHz/pop).

"Interestingly, the Swedish auction may be a more reliable indicator of prices in other upcoming European auctions than the Norwegian auction. The reason for this is that the competitive situation in Sweden, with four mobile players, is more representative of the situation in most European countries than the Norwegian two-player market," says Sweers. "Still, there are plenty of specifics in the Swedish situation that should lead to caution when using this auction result as a benchmark."

For example, taking the viewpoint of a bidder for paired spectrum in a country that adopts the CEPT band plan (2 x 70MHz of paired spectrum plus 50MHz of unpaired spectrum), two factors need to be taken into account when considering the Swedish outcome.

Firstly, just as in the Norwegian case, Sweden has a very low population density compared to most European countries. Consequently, it has a relatively low traffic density, leading to lower spectrum demand and hence lower prices. Secondly, later auctions may be affected by rising expectations in the industry regarding the uptake of mobile data and the anticipation of LTE approaching commercial availability.

Bidders for unpaired spectrum also need to factor out the effect of the PTS's decision to auction the unpaired spectrum in one block. This decreased the liquidity of the spectrum, and potentially decreased its value.

"Some European countries (e.g. the UK and the Netherlands) plan to deviate from the CEPT band plan by using a flexible band plan, in which the split between paired and unpaired spectrum is not fixed but varies according to demand at auction. In theory, this will enable a more efficient allocation of spectrum among FDD and TDD operators, and therefore could lower prices overall but at the same time could lead to higher prices for paired spectrum. The Swedish result suggests that competition between bidders for paired and unpaired spectrum will be minimal, given that the price fetched for unpaired spectrum was four times lower than for paired spectrum," says Sweers.

Having suggested that the Swedish auction may ultimately prove to be at the lower end of 2.6GHz auction prices, it is important to stress that operators should remain conservative in their assessments of spectrum value.

The upcoming 2.6GHz auctions are not the only way for operators to prepare for future demand. Refarming of 2G spectrum, the digital dividend and general easing of spectrum restrictions improve the supply side of spectrum, while femtocells may well relieve any capacity issues. Operators should therefore carefully consider such alternative options when valuing 2.6GHz spectrum.

For further information or to speak to one of our experts at Analysys Mason please contact the press office press@analysysmason.com or telephone +44(0)1223 460600.

Published by: Powell Communications
Date: 9th May, 2008

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Leading provider of integrated asset management services to the public and private sector , Connaught plc, has appointed CSA Waverley to move and deliver a complete IT infrastructure across two new sites as part of a broader £5M five year project to help the group stay ahead of increasing data demands.

The new environment will enable replication to increase efficiency between Connaught's 68 offices across England, Scotland and Wales.

Like many pro-active organisations, Connaught plc faced the challenge of increasing its data storage, back-up and infrastructure but lacked physical space and power to meet the required demands.

With data playing a central role in driving Connaught's business, the ICT that supports it is at the heart of customer satisfaction. With greater capacity the company's network of 2500 PC users could operate with enhanced efficiency for more equitable business.

Infrastructure and storage solutions specialist, CSA Waverley put forward an innovative end-to-end proposal that included design, procurement, implementation and support for moving core server infrastructure from the company's HQ in Exeter to two new centers in London.

As part of a major project, CSA Waverley is set to consolidate servers and virtualise storage using VM Ware to reduce the physical server estate from over 150 to just 40, using HP blade server technology. The solution uses HP EVA SAN technology, Cisco switching and network infrastructure plus HP MSL tape libraries for back-up.

Connaught Plc Operations Manager, Peter Housley, said: "Our data centre is pivotal to the operations of our business, it is our life blood. So, as the business grows so the system and its infrastructure has to evolve with it, both driving the business forward and supporting existing operations.

"As part of a landmark move we have rationalised our entire network and the next stage is the consolidation and migration to two new core data centre sites.

"Our operations dictate we need agile 24x7 fail-safe systems, ongoing increased efficiency and functionality. CSA Waverley's approach and technical prowess has been innovative and creative. We look forward to seeing our needs met and their dynamic end-to-end solution fundamentally decreasing our management overhead as a result."

This current roll-out sees CSA Waverley chalk up another major private sector account, applying its wealth of knowledge having dealt with extensive NHS and public sector programmes.

Notes to editors:

About CSA Waverley
CSA Waverley was established in 1983 and is a leading provider of end-to-end IT infrastructure solutions majoring in healthcare and manufacturing markets with products from leading manufacturers such as Hewlett-Packard (Unix and Windows servers), Microsoft, Intersystems, Cisco, Citrix, Veritas and VMWare. The company prides itself on customer service excellence and technical consultancy. </