Milestone Systems is Global Number One for 7th Year in a Row

September 17th, 2011

COPENHAGEN – September 16th, 2011. Independent market research firm IMS Research has reported for the seventh year in a row that Milestone Systems is the global leader for open platform IP video management software. Milestone has expanded their global presence this year by opening offices in Brazil, Bulgaria and India, as part of the company’s strategic plans for continued success in the high-growth market for IP video surveillance.

IMS Research has revealed in its latest report: The World Market for CCTV and Video Surveillance Equipment – 2011 Edition, that Milestone Systems maintained its top position of the last seven years. The software development company holds the leadership standing for the world market category of ‘Open Platform Network Video Management Software’.

Lars Thinggaard, President & CEO at Milestone Systems, says: “Through ambitious management strategy and focused organizational operations, we are performing with profitability and a strong cash position. We consistently evolve our tiered and reliable solutions, while we scale geographically with our business model that builds channel expertise and differentiation through training certifications. We are therefore well positioned for continued growth, and have expanded again in 2011 by opening offices in three new world regions in support of our international scope and response to market demands.”

Full portfolio of products to address market needs

IMS reports that the video surveillance industry is marked by continuing competition in offerings targeted to the low to mid-range market. Milestone is addressing this with newly released versions of XProtect® Professional and XProtect Essential, and a brand new product called XProtect Express. For each market segment, high value advanced surveillance capabilities are offered for efficient operations and long term return on investment. Milestone’s open platform design offers upgrades to a full range of solutions and integrations with other security or business systems, where XProtect Corporate is the company’s highest-end software for large, multi-site installations and unlimited users, with features for making complex sites easier to manage.

“The network video surveillance market grew almost three times as fast as the total market in 2010 – over 30%. Milestone grew 56% in revenue and maintained its market standing. Two key factors impacting the decline of the analog video surveillance market are the large/enterprise tier of the market transitioning to network video solutions and increasing price competition/commoditization in the mid to low end,” concludes Gary Wong, Senior Analyst at IMS Research.

Milestone Systems software provides an open platform with a well-documented Milestone Integration Platform Software Development Kit. This continues to attract new Milestone Solution Partners from all over the world: about 300 companies have integrated the Milestone XProtect IP video platform with such systems as access control, Point-of-Sales, analytics, biometrics, HVAC, building automation, ERP, RFID, production, logistics, and more.

Investing in new regions for continued growth

In 2011 Milestone Systems established a company in Bulgaria that is developing new functionality for the open platform IP video management software. Milestone has also set up offices in Brazil and India to support long-term goals for organizational expansion. Over recent years, the company has seen positive growth in these areas. The Brazilian office has Account Manager Jose Marcos Medieros Junior in place, while Sandesh Kaup is the Regional Sales Manager in India. Milestone Systems now has offices in 15 countries.

Milestone Systems fosters an international growth culture

In the first six months of 2011, Milestone Systems hired more than 65 new employees, a 20 percent increase in the total staff. To ensure that the new personnel quickly adopt the Milestone entrepreneurial culture based on a clear mission and vision, Milestone has undertaken a valuable investment in internal education of all its managers around the world. The Milestone Leadership Academy has brought together colleagues in a series of teams to be trained in the latest leadership practices, to understand company goals and the way to achieve them, based on the foundation of Milestone company values.

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Fujitsu Introduces Assessment Service to Assist Auto Industry with ISO 26262 Compliance

June 21st, 2011

Tokyo, June 21, 2011 — Fujitsu Limited, Fujitsu Chubu Systems Limited and Digital Process Ltd. today announced the immediate availability of their ISO 26262 Assessment Service, a service that offers training, consulting and assessments to assist the auto industry with ISO 26262 certification, an international standard for embedded electronics and software in automobiles.

This service provides automakers and parts suppliers training from Fujitsu Group personnel who are certified in functional safety assessment and who are experts on ISO 26262, including its strict functional-safety criteria. Customers can also receive proposals to best meet the standard, and to improve every part of their processes, from defining product requirements to design, manufacturing, and testing.

Fujitsu will also make ISO 26262 compliant its PLEMIA M3 series, the company’s integrated product-data management software that covers every aspect of manufacturing, which will also assist the auto industry in its efforts to comply with this standard.

Embedded electronics and software have become indispensable to the manufacture of automobiles, but as design and development projects grow larger in scale, the needs to keep defects in check and to ensure safety have grown more acute. This summer ISO 26262 is expected to be promulgated as an international standard to establish rules for every phase in the product-development lifecycle for carmakers and parts suppliers in an all-out pursuit of functional product safety. Preparations to implement the standard are already underway in Japan.

With this in mind, the Fujitsu Group has launched its new ISO 26262 Assessment Service to provide the auto industry with training, consulting, and assessment services to comply with the new standard.

Service Overview

Preparatory phase

Fujitsu Group personnel who are certified in functional safety assessment will hold group sessions to promote an overall understanding ISO 26262 and its requirements.

Planning phase

Fujitsu Group staff will conduct interviews with regard to customers’ development and production processes and for the deliverables (design documentation, test specifications, test result reports, and manufactured goods) that result from each process. It will also analyze any gaps between them and what ISO 26262 requires. Based on the results of this analysis, they will prepare a Functional Safety Management Plan to propose ways to bridge such gaps.

Fujitsu will also assist in deploying ISO 26262-compliant ICT tools, such as its own PLEMIA M3 series of product-data management software.

Implementation phase

In addition to supporting implementation of the Functional Safety Management Plan prepared as a part of the service, the Fujitsu Group will also provide ongoing analysis of compliance and propose solutions.

Service Features

1. Service can be used as a set or a la carte for every phase, from preparation to implementation

The Fujitsu Group divides the preparation, planning, and implementation cycle into five steps (Assessments 1–5), and offers these as a set or individually.

2. Service provided by Fujitsu Group personnel who are certified in functional safety assessment

All the Fujitsu Group personnel providing this service have been certified in functional safety assessment by a certifying authority, have deep specialist knowledge of ISO 26262, including its very strict standards, and can propose ongoing improvements to the customer through every phase of the process.

3. Deploy the PLEMIA M3 series for smooth operating support of the standard

By deploying the PLEMIA M3 series, Fujitsu’s product-data management software with support for ISO 26262, customers can easily maintain support for the standard in their operations.

Pricing

By individual quotation

Sales Targets

80 assessments over next three years

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GE Global Research Acquires a Cray Supercomputer

June 21st, 2011

Global supercomputer leader Cray Inc. (NASDAQ: CRAY) today announced the company has sold a Cray XE6m supercomputer to GE Global Research, the technology development arm for the General Electric Company (NYSE: GE). The new Cray XE6m supercomputer will be used to support simulation-based engineering and science across the various disciplines at GE Global Research. The Cray system will give GE Global Research the ability to run more complex simulations in order to explore multi-physics challenges, gain higher fidelity insights and pursue areas of science and product development that could not be simulated using standard commodity clusters.

The Cray XE6m system, the midrange version of the Cray XE6 supercomputer, is optimized to support scalable application workloads in a cost-effective system. With a flexible, scalable and performance-optimized Cray Linux Environment, Cray XE6m users can leverage an operating system that makes it easier for a wide variety of applications to benefit from superior scalability. With Cray’s Cluster Compatibility Mode (CCM), Cray XE6m customers also benefit from the streamlined installation of a broad set of independent software vendor (ISV) applications.

High performance computing resources are being used to support more highly sophisticated computational simulation and modeling experiments that will enable industrial companies like GE to take product development to the next level. The sale of a Cray XE6m system to GE Global Research marks another significant step in a return to the manufacturing segment for Cray.

“It is clear that scalable supercomputing is extremely important to GE Global Research, and we are very pleased that this highly-respected organization has added a Cray XE6m system to its portfolio of HPC services,” said Barry Bolding, vice president of Cray’s product division. “The addition of GE Global Research to our HPC customer base is reflective of Cray’s early history, dating back to Cray Research, when our company had a strong commercial and manufacturing market presence. We have worked hard over the last few years to design, develop and introduce new lines of supercomputing systems, such as the Cray XE6m, that have the features, functions and reliability that is demanded by customers in the manufacturing space. We are excited that GE Global Research has turned to Cray and we are honored to have them as a flagship customer.”

The Cray XE6m builds on the reliability and scalability of the high-end Cray XE6 supercomputer and uses the same proven petascale technologies. The Cray XE6m system includes features found in the high-end Cray supercomputers, such as Cray’s Gemini interconnect, the latest version of the Cray Linux Environment and powerful AMD Opteron processors. The Cray XE6m system is designed to maintain an attractive cost of ownership and extend Cray’s presence in market segments that have needs for midrange supercomputing systems, such as the university, manufacturing, weather and life sciences communities. Fully upgradeable from previous generation Cray XT5m and Cray XT6m systems, the Cray XE6m supercomputer is also designed to give customers the ability to upgrade to future Cray systems and technologies.

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Supercomputer “K computer” Takes First Place in World

June 20th, 2011

Tokyo, June 20, 2011 – (JCN Newswire) – RIKEN and Fujitsu have taken first place on the 37th TOP500 list announced today at the 26th International Supercomputing Conference (ISC’11) held in Hamburg, Germany. This ranking is based on a performance measurement of the “K computer(1),” currently under their joint development.

The TOP500-ranked K computer system, currently in the configuration stage, has 672 computer racks equipped with a current total of 68,544 CPUs. This half-build system achieved the world’s best LINPACK(2) benchmark performance of 8.162 petaflops (quadrillion floating-point operations per second), to place it at the head of the TOP500 list. In addition, the system has recorded high standards with a computing efficiency ratio of 93.0%. This is the first time since June 2004 that the Japanese supercomputer “Earth Simulator” has been ranked first on the TOP500 list.

RIKEN and Fujitsu have been working together to develop the K computer, with the aim of beginning shared use by November 2012, as a part of the High-Performance Computing Infrastructure (HPCI) initiative led by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). The K computer will be comprised of over 800 computer racks – each equipped with ultrafast and energy-efficient CPUs – that access into a network capable of an immense amount of interconnectivity. The supercomputer system brings together leading-edge technologies for high performance and high reliability.

To test the system’s performance at the configuration stage, the K computer’s processing speed was measured by the LINPACK benchmark program, placing it on the 37th TOP500 ranking of the world’s fastest supercomputers. The TOP500 ranking list began in 1993 and is updated twice a year in June and November.

Performance and Future Status of the K computer

The LINPACK benchmark program, running on the part of the system that employs 68,544 CPUs installed on the K computer being configured, recorded the world’s top performance of 8.162 petaflops. This gave it the number-one position on the TOP500 list. Moreover, for one of the world’s largest supercomputers, it achieved an extraordinarily high computing efficiency ratio of 93.0%. This achievement is made possible by the K computer’s integration of technologies, including its massive number of CPUs, the interconnectivity that links them together, and the software that is able to bring out the highest performance from the hardware.

When configuration of the K computer is complete in 2012, it is designed to achieve LINPACK performance of 10 petaflops. It will be widely used in a variety of computational science fields where it is expected to contribute to the generation of world-class research results. The K computer is a wholly made-in-Japan supercomputer, from the research and development of the processors, to system design and manufacturing. Use of the K computer is expected to have a groundbreaking impact in fields ranging from global climate research, meteorology, disaster prevention, and medicine, thereby contributing to the creation of a prosperous and secure society. RIKEN and Fujitsu will continue to work tirelessly toward completing the system’s deployment in 2012.

Ryoji Noyori, President, RIKEN:
“I would like to express my deep gratitude to everyone, beginning with our colleagues at our development partner Fujitsu Limited, who worked so valiantly on the construction of the K computer even under the severe conditions following the Great East Japan Earthquake. It is wonderful to be able to share the joy of this moment with them. I very much believe that the strength and perseverance that was demonstrated during this project will also make possible the recovery of the devastated Tohoku region. As we move forward to complete this project by next June, we will maintain our firm commitment to the maintenance and operation of the system, and I hope to see wonderful results when we begin to make the world’s top performing supercomputer available to users around the world.”

Michiyoshi Mazuka, Chairman and Representative Director, Fujitsu Limited:
“I am delighted that we were able to achieve this result, made possible through the tremendous efforts of all involved, despite the impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake. In particular, I am sincerely grateful to our partners in the Tohoku region for their commitment to delivering a steady supply of components, even though they themselves were affected by the disaster. Bringing together hundreds of thousands of components to quickly launch such a massive-scale computing system – which would have been nearly impossible using conventional technologies – requires an incredible level of reliability. I believe that this reliability is truly the pinnacle of Japanese manufacturing. Without being too pleased with ourselves and losing sight of our goal, going forward we will proceed with the system’s deployment and, once complete, we look forward to contributing to the achievements that the K computer will make possible.”

(1) K computer: The K computer, which is being jointly developed by RIKEN and Fujitsu, is part of the High-Performance Computing Infrastructure (HPCI) initiative led by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). Configuration of the K computer began in the end of September 2010, with availability for shared use scheduled for 2012. The “K computer” is the nickname RIKEN has been using for the supercomputer of this project since July 2010. “K” comes from the Japanese Kanji letter “Kei” which means ten peta or 10 to the 16th power. The logo for the K computer based on the Japanese letter for Kei, was selected in October 2010. In its original sense, “Kei” expresses a large gateway, and it is hoped that the system will be a new gateway to computational science.

(2) LINPACK: A program developed by J. Dongarra, Ph.D., of the University of Tennessee, for solving a system of linear equations using matrix computation. It is the benchmark program used to create the TOP500 list, which ranks the performance of the world’s supercomputers (announced in June and November of every year).

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Sony Ericsson announces resolution of trademark litigation initiated against Clearwire Corporation.

May 18th, 2011

May 13, 2011, London – Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB and its U.S. subsidiary Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications (USA) Inc. are pleased to announce the resolution by agreement of trademark litigation initiated against Clearwire Corporation and its primary operating subsidiary Clearwire Communications LLC.

The litigation concerned Sony Ericsson’s contention that Clearwire was using logos which infringed upon and were confusingly similar to Sony Ericsson’s registered trademark – the logo used on every Sony Ericsson mobile phone.

Over the past year, Sony Ericsson grew concerned that Clearwire’s logos were moving progressively closer to Sony Ericsson’s registered logo. Since Clearwire also previously announced it would enter the field of mobile devices by launching a smartphone, Sony Ericsson brought the litigation in January 2011 and sought a preliminary injunction against Clearwire to prohibit its further use of the logos. In response, Clearwire represented to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia that it had no present intention to launch a smartphone. This representation effectively provided Sony Ericsson with much of the emergency relief it sought.

Sony Ericsson remains focused on preventing consumer confusion and protecting its trademarks, especially in the field of mobile devices.

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Fujitsu Announces Summer 2011 Line of FMV Series of Personal Computers

May 18th, 2011

Tokyo, May 13, 2011 — Fujitsu today announced that it has updated its FMV Series of consumer-oriented personal computers, with a total of 16 models in 7 product families. The new models will be available only in Japan beginning May 19, 2011.

The LIFEBOOK family of notebooks includes the new TH family of models featuring a “hybrid motion” design that can swap between touch operations and keyboard input depending on the scenario in which it is used. The ESPRIMO family of desktops includes the FH family of all-in-one models with built-in 20″ liquid crystal displays. Equipped with an updated slim, simple, and stylish design, these models allow users to fully enjoy watching TV broadcasts in stunning image and clear audio quality.

The FMV Series includes a variety of innovative capabilities that enable the computers to be used in new ways. New features include F-LINK, which provides users with the ability to wirelessly transmit photos and videos captured on their smartphones to a PC for convenient storage, a Smart Pose feature employing the computer’s enhanced motion sensor-enabled webcam, and wireless TV functionality that allows users to enjoy TV broadcasts wherever they wish—without being limited by the positioning of an antenna. In addition, Fujitsu has enhanced the series’ gesture control features.

Moreover, the series has been designed to support the pressing social demand of energy conservation. Beginning with a peak-shift control feature, a number of capabilities are available for controlling the power supply depending on the environment in which the computer is being employed, how it is being used, and its operating status. As a result, the computers help to reduce customers’ power consumption.

Key Features of the Summer 2011 Models

1. New product families boast innovative designs

The new lineup includes the addition of the TH family, which features a “hybrid motion” design that can swap between touch operation and keyboard input depending on the usage scenario, in addition to upgraded CPUs, memory, and hard disk capacity, as well as BDXL™-compatible Blue-ray Disc drives(1). Additionally, the FH family also boasts new designs.

(1) LIFEBOOK TH Family: enables both touch operations and keyboard input
With a “hybrid motion” design, these models can be operated in two different ways, depending on the scenario in which they are being employed. When browsing the Internet or viewing photographs, users can operate these notebooks as slate PCs via touch operations. When performing text input-intensive tasks such as composing e-mail, the configuration can be converted for keyboard input. The models come with an easy-to-read 10.1″ wide-format liquid crystal display, are approximately 17.4mm thick, and weigh only 1.1kg, making them easy to carry around.

(2) ESPRIMO FH Family: new design for enjoying TV broadcasts in stunning image and clear audio quality (20″ wide-format LCD model)
This family of entertainment-oriented, all-in-one 20″ wide-format liquid crystal display computers boasts an updated design. A slim and simple enclosure, combined with a masterfully-engineered surface texture on the pedestal and speakers, makes for a stylish design that fits perfectly into any interior decoration. Moreover as the space-saving enclosure measures only 17cm deep (when standing vertically), the keyboard can be stored below it while the LCD screen can be freely adjusted between 10-30°. The built-in speakers, manufactured by Onkyo, are the perfect compliment to DTS surround sound and allow users to experience realistic audio quality, making TV viewing enjoyable.

2. Enhanced features open the door to new applications – making TV and photographs more enjoyable

The FMV Series comes equipped with advanced capabilities for a more enjoyable, more convenient user experience, thereby resolving a variety of familiar inconveniences.

(1) Smart Pose: never miss out on your favorite TV scene
The FMV Series is equipped with an enhanced motion sensor-enabled webcam which automatically detects the user’s face, as well as a new Smart Pose(2) feature that leverages the proprietary “Sense YOU Technology” developed by Fujitsu Laboratories Limited. With Smart Pose, when users step away from in front of the PC when watching TV, the image will automatically pause until they return to their seat, in which case the video will continue from where it left off. As a result, users will never miss out on their favorite scene, even during a TV broadcast. This feature is also compatible with recorded TV programming, Blu-ray Discs, DVDs, etc.

(2) F-LINK(3) wireless transfer of data from a smartphone
Smartphones can wirelessly connect to the PC, and photographs and videos can be easily transferred from a smartphone to the PC. This convenient feature makes it possible to load data without the burdensome process of connecting a cable to the mobile phone, or removing and inserting a memory card. After the transfer is complete, the images are automatically organized by the My Photo Viewer application and can be effortlessly looked at and enjoyed.

(3) Wireless TV: enjoy TV from your favorite place
With the LIFEBOOK AH52/DA which features a 15.6″ wide-format liquid crystal display, users can wirelessly view and record digital broadcasts on their computer by simply connecting the TV antenna cable to the accompanying wireless TV unit. This allows users to watch TV anywhere in the house(4), including rooms where there is no antenna outlet, and to take recorded TV programming to enjoy while on the go(5).

(4) Enhanced gesture control features(6): control videos and music by gesturing toward the webcam
Using the enhanced gesture control features, users can perform operations—such as speeding up music and videos, pausing them, or adjusting the volume—by waving a hand at the computer’s webcam. Users can expand or shrink an image by a variety of hand gestures such as pinching their fingers together on both hands, moving their hands together, or separating them along a diagonal line. By moving their hands in separate directions in an upward or downward motion, users can also rotate the image. As a result, this makes using the computer even more convenient.

3. A wide range of power-saving features

In designing the FMV Series, Fujitsu has undertaken a variety of provisions aimed at conserving energy and contributing to the environment from the basic product design stage. This includes the use of LED backlights(7) that consume very little power, efforts to achieve the energy consumption targets as defined in Japan’s energy conservation laws(8), and support for international Energy Star program standards(9). The FMV Series helps to reduce energy consumption, both when the products are being used and not in use.

(1) The LIFEBOOK family of notebooks offers peak-shift control functionality
With the peak-shift control feature, models in the LIFEBOOK notebook family can automatically switch to battery operations and prevent the battery from charging during predefined periods of time(10). For instance, during the period of peak energy demand, such as in the afternoon, the computer will switch its power source to the battery which can then be recharged during the night when demand for energy is low. As a result, the computer is able to contribute to the even distribution of power consumption, even when the AC adapter is left plugged in.

For the summer 2011 line and existing models released after Fall/Winter 2007(11), customers will be able to employ a special software package (free-of-charge), scheduled for release in late May, that will enable them to utilize this peak-shift control functionality.

(2) “Zero Watt AC Adapter” virtually eliminates standby power consumption from the AC power supply when off or in sleep mode
When off or during sleep mode, by utilizing the ECO Sleep(12) feature, which limits the supply of power from the AC adapter after the battery has fully charged, the FMV Series is able to reduce power consumption by roughly 59%(13). Furthermore, the LIFEBOOK SH76/D personal computer comes standard with a new “Zero Watt AC Adapter” (ECO Sleep-compatible AC adapter), thereby nearly eliminating power from the AC power supply when the computer is turned off or in sleep mode. This, in turn, reduces power consumption by roughly 75%(14).

By utilizing the ECO Sleep feature or Zero Watt AC Adapter, users can conserve electricity even when the power cord is left plugged into an outlet.

(3) “Power Saving Utility”(15) limits electricity consumed by unused features
By simply pressing the ECO button(16), the computer can be switched into power saving mode. During power saving mode, electricity supplied to unused features can be controlled and reduced, such as the reduction of excess screen brightness, muting sound, and stopping the supply of power to optical disk drives.

(4) “Interconnected Power Source Service Outlet” and “Main Switch”
With the ESPRIMO DH54/D, by attaching a power supply outlet, the PC tower can provide electricity to the display. This “Interconnected Power Source Service Outlet” will cut off power to the display when the computer itself is powered off, preventing users from forgetting to turn off the display. In addition, the model comes standard with a “Main Switch” that is separate from the power button and eliminates standby power consumption.

4. Packed with software and new features

(1) Further enhanced features from the DigitalTVbox(17) television viewing/recording software for enjoying TV

  • “Alternate Programming View” feature that lists other on-the-air programming while users are watching a TV show or recorded program.
  • “Auto Chapter” feature for quickly searching through recorded programs for a particular scene. This feature automatically detects scene changes and organizes them into chapters, making it possible to conduct a quick search for the part viewers want to see.
  • “Digest Replay” feature that allows users to quickly view only the most exciting parts of a sports program.

(2) “One-Push Photocopy”(18) feature for easily downloading photos when the computer is turned off. Photos can be transferred by simply inserting an SD card into the PC and pushing the power button.

(3) New “Mobile Project Unit” (sold separately) for projecting a large-screen image onto a wall or screen. Can be used after plugging it into the Mobile Multi-bay. As the projection angle can be adjusted between 0-90°, the user can project a bright image of up to 40 lumen onto the ceiling, allowing them to enjoy a movie while lying down (only supported by the 13.3″ wide-format LCD LIFEBOOK SH family of notebooks).

Pricing and Availability

Family Product Availability Pricing
LIFEBOOK NH77/DD May 19 Subject to order
AH77/D May 19
AH56/D May 19
AH54/D May 19
AH52/DA June 9
AH42/D June 9
SH76/D May 19
SH54/D May 19
TH40/D Late June
ESPRIMO FH98/DM May 26
FH77/DD May 26
FH58/DM May 26
FH56/DD May 19
FH54/DT May 26
EH30/DT May 19
DH54/D May 19

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TE Connectivity Names Joe Donahue Chief Operating Officer

May 18th, 2011

SCHAFFHAUSEN, Switzerland, May 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — TE Connectivity (NYSE: TEL), formerly Tyco Electronics, today announced the promotion of Joe Donahue to the newly created role of Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (COO).

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110310/PH62357LOGO )

As COO, Donahue now will be responsible for the company’s global operations, which span more than 50 countries, and have oversight for the company’s businesses in emerging markets, specifically China, India and South America, which account for nearly a quarter of the company’s revenues. He also will continue to have responsibility for TE’s Transportation Solutions segment.

“Joe has done an exceptional job leading our Transportation Solutions segment and our Automotive business, and will now bring his outstanding leadership to bear across the entire company in operations and emerging markets,” said TE CEO Tom Lynch.

Donahue joined the company in 1982 and has served in a variety of engineering, operations and leadership assignments across various TE businesses.

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Retaining, Recruiting Top Talent Key Priorities for Employers in 2011

May 18th, 2011

NEW YORK — With the employment outlook improving, employers are focusing their compensation programs on hiring and retaining top talent, according to a survey released today by Buck Consultants, A Xerox Company (NYSE: XRX).

Employers are using hiring bonuses to attract talent and retention bonuses to keep them.  Buck’s study, “Reviving and Inspiring the Workforce: 2011 Compensation Trends Survey,” found that nearly two-thirds (63%) of organizations report using hiring bonuses and 41 percent use or expect to implement retention bonuses.

The survey included a range of employee levels including; executives, directors, managers, other exempt employees, and nonexempt employees.   For those employees participating in a bonus program, the study found that eight out of every 10 employees can expect to receive a payout in 2011.  Forty-four percent of employers who responded to the survey expect to pay bonuses that are at least five percent larger than last year.

Survey respondents also reported using the following strategies to engage their workforces:

  • New career development opportunities (41%)
  • Market pay adjustments (30%)
  • Larger base pay increases (24%)
  • More non-cash recognition (18%

The survey also found an increase in the use of employee referral bonuses in the past six months, to 66 percent, up from 59 percent in mid-2010.

“During the economic downturn, many employers reduced staff and asked remaining employees to do more with less. As the job market improves, these organizations are using tactics such as employee referral bonus programs to not only attract proven performers, but also help retain the employees who make referrals,” said Kathi Myers, director at Buck Consultants. “Involvement in the hiring process engages employees and strengthens their ties to the organization.”

As employers become more confident in the improving economic environment, pay freezes are thawing and median pay increases are expected to rise to three percent this year – similar to levels seen immediately prior to the recession, and up from 2.7 percent in mid-2010 and 2.2 percent at the beginning of 2010.

Only nine percent of employers still have pay freezes in place, down from 48 percent in mid-2010 and 64 percent at the start of 2010. In fact, 75 percent of respondents report taking no special actions such as furloughs, layoffs, hiring freezes or bonus suspensions in the last 18 months to control or reduce labor costs. Instead, dollars are now being approved and invested in programs that will produce the best return – the attraction and retention of key talent.

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Autodesk Introduces New Academic Certification

May 18th, 2011

SAN RAFAEL, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADSK), a leader in 3D design, engineering and entertainment software announced a new level of certification for students pursuing careers in design. The Autodesk Certified User program provides students the opportunity to validate their design skills for entry-level jobs and complements Autodesk’s existing certification program for industry professionals.

The Autodesk Certified User program includes AutoCAD Certified User and Autodesk Inventor Certified User certifications and tests students to ensure they understand and can effectively use Autodesk software. Obtaining certification helps students enhance their college applications and resumes, and enables schools and employers to verify that candidates have the necessary skills to continue their design careers.

“Whether during the college application process or a job search, students are often looking for ways to set themselves apart from their peers and gain a leg up on the competition,” said Joe Astroth Ph.D., chief education officer at Autodesk. “Our Certified User program provides validation of their skills and helps them continue their pursuit of careers in design.”

In addition to benefiting students, the Certified User program also serves educational institutions. By offering Autodesk Certification, schools are eligible to receive federal funding through Perkins Fund grants. This funding helps schools to continue to offer innovative programs designed to bring science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education to students in their classrooms.

Availability

The Autodesk Certified User program is administered to students through Certiport, a test delivery solution provider for academic institutions. Certiport is the exclusive administrator of the Autodesk Certified User program. Through Certiport, schools can become authorized testing centers and deliver Autodesk Certified User exams directly in their classrooms. Schools interested in becoming Certiport Testing Centers can find more information at www.certiport.com/autodesk.

“Autodesk has become prevalent in schools for design, architecture and engineering students in recent years, and we recognized the need for a certificate to validate the skills these students have worked hard to master,” said Ray Kelly, Certiport CEO. “Our exams ensure students can effectively use these tools beyond memorization, and earning these user-level certifications while still in school provides evidence of competency and proficiency as students complete college applications and resumes.”

Students preparing for the exams can access Autodesk’s Digital Study Packet, available for free on the Autodesk Education Community. In addition, Certiport Authorized Testing Centers will provide practice exams to help students prepare for certification.

For more information on Autodesk Certification, please visit: www.autodesk.com/certification.

Autodesk Education Community

With the latest release of Autodesk 2012 products, there are now more than 30 new software titles available for personal use to students and educators for free* on the Autodesk Education Community. Students can also download many learning resources, search for internships and jobs, showcase their designs and discuss design topics with their peers. In addition, educators can download curricula and exchange best practices within the secured site. Since its launch in 2006, the community has expanded to more than two million members representing more than 21,000 schools in 155 countries.

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Swiss National Supercomputing Centre to Upgrade Its Cray Supercomputer

May 18th, 2011

SEATTLE, WA and MANNO, SWITZERLAND, May 17, 2011 – Global supercomputer leader Cray Inc. (NASDAQ: CRAY) today announced that it has signed a contract with the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS) to upgrade its current Cray XT5 system, nicknamed “Monte Rosa” to a Cray XE6 supercomputer. The Monte Rosa system at CSCS will be upgraded with Cray’s Gemini system interconnect and the new AMD Opteron™ 6200 Series processors (code-named “Interlagos”).

The upgrade is expected to be completed later this year, and will provide researchers and scientists with a Cray XE6 supercomputer with more than 400 teraflops of computing power. The upgraded system will equip the Swiss scientific and industrial community with the computing resources necessary to stay competitive on an international level as CSCS supports scientists working in diverse fields such as chemistry, physics, material sciences, climatology, geology, biology, genetics, experimental medicine, astronomy, mathematics and computer sciences.

Professor Dr. Thomas Schulthess, Director of CSCS said, “Monte Rosa, our Cray XT5 supercomputer at CSCS, is oversubscribed and we are very much looking forward to meeting this high user demand with the upgraded system this fall. Our experience with an early Cray XE6 test system is so exciting that I am certain we will be able to deliver an even better service to our users with the upgraded Monte Rosa machine, making them even more competitive at an international level.”

Cray has a history of supplying the Centre with cutting-edge high performance computing technologies. CSCS is home to two Cray XT4 systems running operational numerical weather forecasts. CSCS was the first Cray customer in Europe to install a Cray XT3 supercomputer in 2005, the first Cray customer worldwide to install a Cray XE6 supercomputer in June 2010, and the Centre will be the first customer worldwide for Cray’s next-generation Cray XMT system, which is expected to be delivered later this year.

“CSCS is one of the world’s premier high performance computing facilities, and we are proud of the successful relationship we have developed with CSCS by providing Swiss scientists with Cray’s most advanced supercomputing technologies,” said Dr. Ulla Thiel, Cray vice president, Europe. “The Monte Rosa upgrade and the science program HP2C underline the leadership role of CSCS, and we are honored that Cray continues to play a crucial role for CSCS and its HPC user community.”

The current upgrade is part of a series of initiatives in Switzerland to foster high performance computing in science and engineering. Significant investments have been made and are planned by the Federal Council of Switzerland for the development of applications that run at scale and make efficient use of the next generation of supercomputers. This is the goal of the Swiss Platform for High-Performance and High-Productivity Computing (HP2C), which is jointly operated by CSCS and the Institute for Computational Sciences at the University of Lugano.

The Cray XE6 supercomputer combines Cray’s Gemini system interconnect with powerful AMD Opteron(TM) processors and is designed to bring production petascale computing to a new and expanded base of HPC users. Fully upgradeable from the Cray XT5 and Cray XT6 line of supercomputers, the Cray XE6 system delivers improved interconnect performance and features additional enhancements such as improved network resiliency, a mature and scalable software environment and the ability to run a broad array of ISV applications with the latest version of the Cray Linux Environment. This collection of industry-leading features provides Cray XE6 users with a supercomputing system that combines true scalable performance with production reliability.

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