| Server Snapshots: Stratus in the Real World
The term mission-critical is bandied about with wild abandon these days. Just about any application is "mission critical" and demands the "highest levels of availability." Yet, few applications really qualify for the label. That cannot be said, however, about the Philadelphia Stock Exchange. .
Education is a priority
Education is more than a catalyst to development, it is a pillar that determines countries' capability to build their own future. Therefore, providing quality education in the UAE has topped the priorities of the federal government and attracted contribution of the private sector. For that purpose, the National Bonds Corporation launched a private joint stock company, Madaares, with a start-up capital of Dh500 million to build private schools in the UAE. Madaares's roots go back to 2001 when Nasser Bin Hassan Al Shaikh, vice-chairman and chief executive, served in the Executive Offices, Government of Dubai, where attention was then focused on Dubai's educational needs. One much-discussed topic, says Al Shaikh, was how to attract knowledge workers to Dubai.
Brighter days ahead for SunCity
Most property companies with exposure to mid to high-end residential and good commercial projects can expect strong sales. Sunway City Bhd, with its strong brand and strategic land bank, can take advantage of the positive market THE vibrant property market following the waiver of real property gains tax (RPGT) and the relaxation of Foreign Investment Committee (FIC) guidelines is bringing cheer to property developers and buyers. After the abolishment of the need for foreigners to seek FIC approval to buy housing units priced from RM250,000 upwards on Dec 20, 2006, the scrapping of the RPGT from April 1 came as cream on the icing for the property industry. The initiatives have come at the most opportune time when Malaysia's real estate sector has many interesting products to offer local and foreign investors. Developers are overjoyed with the latest Government move to scrap the RPGT as this has the potential to boost real estate investments by both locals and foreigners in a big way. The tax on gains made from property transactions has long been a deterrent for potential investors to take advantage of the many opportunities available.
Tom Zosel Associates Helps Caribou Coffee Model Its Supply Chain ...
CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tom Zosel Associates, TZA, the leader in developing supply chain networks, will analyze Caribou Coffee's (NASDAQ: CBOU) existing supply chain network to identify the most efficient distribution network that will optimize the relationship of service levels and cost to support each of its business channels. "When business is growing at a very fast pace, the pressure to make the right strategic decision mounts. We hired TZA to help us develop the right vision, an effective operational plan that will enhance our competitive advantage and produce the most results out of our distribution investment dollars. We are very excited about this initiative, which will allows us to deliver outstanding service to our customers in the most cost effective manner," said Paul Turek, Vice President of Support Operations for Caribou Coffee.
Massachusetts Loses Ground as Finance Hub, Study Says (Update1)
March 28 (Bloomberg) -- Massachusetts is losing ground as a hub for banking, insurance and mutual funds as out-of-state corporations have acquired Boston-based companies and shifted jobs elsewhere, according to a McKinsey & Co. report. The state's financial services sector grew by less than 1 percent a year between 2004 and 2006, compared with 3.5 percent nationally, according to McKinsey. The New York-based management consulting firm conducted the study for the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce and Mass Insight Corp., a Boston-based business research company, who released it today. ``This is a critical time for a very important industry,'' said Paul Guzzi, president of the Chamber of Commerce and a former Massachusetts secretary of state, at a press briefing yesterday.
Real estate investor gets lots of calls
The fact that investors -- from out of town and local -- remain interested in area properties has not escaped the attention of Patrick DiCesare. DiCesare is a veteran real estate investor and property owner whose company, DiCesare Investment Group Inc. in Greensburg, has taken the opportunity to sell a portion of his commercial real estate portfolio over a period of several weeks for a total of nearly $5.1 million. About 60,000 square feet was involved in the transactions, which include properties in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties. "I receive many unsolicited calls from prospective buyers and real estate agents interested in my properties," said DiCesare. "Many of the calls I get are from out-of-town investors who are attracted to our favorable capitalization rates and the relative stability in our leasing market." .
Covington Square plan revised
The Cincinnati real estate investment firm that announced splashy plans for an $85-million-plus project in Covington last June is selling some of the property it acquired for the project and has canceled agreements to purchase at least four other buildings. Officials of Lantrust Real Estate Group say the scope of the project has changed, but also say the revised Covington Square project is moving ahead and that progress may be announced in the next few months. "I think we've decided to sell a couple of properties that we feel were not appropriate for our company and what we wanted to do with them or continue to maintain them" as owners, said David M. Leurck, managing partner of real estate operations for Lantrust. The properties "didn't fit our particular business model," Leurck said.
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