Windows 7 free ride over on August 20

Silicon IndiaBangalore: August 20th is the last date to download the "release candidate" version of Windows 7, after which its free downloading will be discontinued. Microsoft, which has been providing free, unlimited downloads of the candidate version till now, plans to put Windows 7 on sale in about two months, reports CNET News.This is a last chance for users who have failed to upgrade from Beta Build 7000 to the RC Build 7100 bits. Microsoft's announcement to halt the download of Windows 7 RC came during the second half of June 2008.Windows...

Apple probes iPhone explosion reports, eu says

Brussels The Economic Times Apple Inc is investigating media reports that one or more of the company's iPhones have exploded in Europe, a European Commission spokeswoman said on Tuesday. The spokeswoman for the EU executive, which oversees the safety of consumer products sold in the 27-country bloc, said Apple had described the reported incidents as isolated. Apple said it was aware of the media reports, which include a case in which a teenager in France said he was slightly injured when his iPhone made a hissing noise and shattered, but did not...

Microsoft's bing wins share from Google, Yahoo

Seattle The Economic Times Microsoft Corp's Bing search engine continued to make small gains on rivals Google Inc and Yahoo Inc in the US Internet search market in July, according to the latest data from research firm ComScore. Microsoft, which launched Bing in early June, racked up 8.9 percent of U.S. Internet searches in July, up 0.5 percentage points from June. Google, the leader in the market, and Yahoo, the distant No. 2, both lost 0.3 percentage points of market share in July, to 64.7 percent and 19.3 percent, respectively. Late last month...

Blackberry is world's fastest growing company: fortune

Toronto The Economic Times BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion (RIM) tops Fortune magazine's list of the world's 100 fastest-growing companies. It is the first time that Fortune has opened its list of the top 100 fastest growing companies to businesses from around the world. Apple, which is BlackBerry makers' main rival in the global smart phone market, is way down the list at 39th spot. Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Inc, which is the world's biggest fertiliser company, is another Canadian firm among the top 10 in the Fortune list. Among...

Tech COS, VTU tie up to improve skills

Peerzada Abrar, Bangalore The Economic Times (Bangalore edition) While India produces a large number of engineering graduates every year, most transnationals find only 25% of them employable, says a Global Institute study. A recent study by PurpleLeap, an entry-level talent management firm paints an even grim picture — only 6% of the 10,000 students across 150 engineering colleges were found to be employable. To this end, firms like Intel, Bosch and Wipro are collaborating with technical universities like Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU)...

Association for Indian origin IT professionals launched in US

Silicon Valley The Economic Times With an objective to bring Indian origin IT professionals at one platform and give them a common voice, an association of IT professionals has been launched here. "ITPIO gives an opportunity to all IT professionals and other professionals as well to communicate with each other," Sri Chawla, CEO of US Microtech and a philanthropist in the Silicon Valley said in his inaugural address. The first chapter of the Association of IT Professionals of Indian Origin (ITPO) was launched in the Silicon Valley on August 15...

Indian companies aim for green offices

New Delhi The Economic Times With the environment and climate change becoming predominant concerns worldwide, Indian companies are contributing their mite by having building constructed on the principles of ecological balance and energy conservation. Well-known companies like Wipro, ITC, Patni Computers, Spectral Services and many others have received permission to work on "green buildings" in industrial zones of the National Capital Region (NCR) like Noida and Gurgaon. Green buildings consultancy company SGS Pvt India Ltd Senior Manager Avinash...

Govt clears 10 fdi proposals worth Rs 1,123 crore

New Delhi Business Standard The Asian Age Deccan Chronicle The Economic Times Deccan Herald The government today cleared 10 foreign direct investment (FDI) proposals worth over Rs 1,123 crore, a major share of which is expected to be brought in by the Essel Group promoted direct-to-home service provider, Dish TV India. On the recommendation of the Foreign Investment Promotion Board, the government, however, deferred nine proposals -- that of Taneja Aerospace, Eads Deutchland GmbH and Larsen & Toubro's, Tecnotree Convergence, Devas Multimedia,...

L&T plans to form finance vertical

Suprotip Ghosh, Mumbai Hindustan Times Larsen & Toubro (L&T), India's largest construction company, is considering consolidation of its finance subsidiaries to form a finance vertical. The company's new general insurance business is expected to be a key part of the new vertical. "A new finance vertical will emerge as one of the four verticals in the group, which will include most finance-related companies that are currently subsidiaries of Larsen & Toubro," said R Shankar Raman, executive vice president, finance, L&T. The company...

Cold response to 'FLOOD IT'

Jitendra Dave, Ahmedabad DNA Contrary to its hyper expectations, the Gujarat Urban Co-Operative Banks Federation’s (GUCBF) information technology initiative - 'Flood IT Knowledge Revolution from KG to PG' - could unfortunately elicit a very lukewarm response. Instead of the envisioned disbursement of loans for around one-lakh desktops and laptops, the GUCBF was able to disburse loans for only 25,000 desktops and laptops despite the extension in the period of the scheme. However, the federation has termed the initiative a success as it has served...

Travelocity global acquires travelguru

Mumbai Business Standard Mint Travelocity Global, one of the world’s largest online travel companies, today announced the acquisition of Travelguru, India’s largest hotel distribution network, for an undisclosed sum. The addition of Travelguru will build on Travelocity’s existing businesses, teams and relationships in India, which include Travelocity India, its online travel agency site, various supplier and redistribution relationships, as well as global support teams in the country. Travelguru distributes a portfolio of more than 4,000 hotels...

Microsoft India to launch new products in 12 months

Mumbai The Economic Times The Asian Age DNA Terming its competition with search giant Google as "healthy", Microsoft India on Tuesday said competition will help spur innovation and that it aims to introduce a range of new products in the next one year. "There are many competitors in the software business and it is good for healthy competition. Competition brings innovation. We will compete with them (Google) in search and other things," Microsoft India's Managing Director Rajan Anandan said. "We are coming up with a range of new products in...

Financial tech to help define industry standards

Mumbai Business Standard Financial Technologies India Ltd (FTIL) has joined the STAC Benchmark CouncilTM to help define industry standard performance metrics for trading technology solutions. FTIL is the pioneer in introducing end-to-end STP solutions that support high-density transactions for equity, forex, commodity and derivatives markets. FTIL covers all stages of a trade life cycle — pre-trade, trade and post-trade — to deliver single-point transaction fulfillment. The STAC Benchmark Council is a global industry body consisting of leading...

Progress Software to focus on Telecom, Airports

Chennai/Hyderabad Business Standard Financial Chronicle Progress Software India, the India arm of US-based Progress Software Corporation, is looking to tap data integration markets in India, particularly in aviation and telecom sectors. To this effect, the company is already in talks with at least two major telecom players apart from some airports that have announced to upgrade their information technology infrastructure, according to its vice-president (products) and centre head Ramesh Loganathan. Speaking to the media here, he said the company...

India prepares strictest rules on disposing of e-waste

New Delhi The Economic Times India is close to finalising the world's strictest set of rules on disposing of electronic waste. The rules, framed by electronics equipment manufacturers with the help of NGOs, are now being given the final touch by the ministry of environment and forests. Under the new 'E-waste (Management & Handling) Rules', each manufacturer of a computer, music system, mobile phone or any other electronic gadget will be "personally" responsible for the final safe disposal of the product when it becomes a piece of e-waste,...

Smart info signs up oscar winner

Chennai The Hindu Business Line Smart Infocomm, IT hardware and mobile accessories provider, has signed up the Oscar award winner, Resul Pookutty, as its brand ambassador. It will shortly roll out a media campaign even as it plans to make available its products through 25 exclusive experience zones across Ind...

Yahoo Mail still king, Gmail to catch up soon

Silicon IndiaBangalore: Yahoo mail continues to be the most popular web mail service, while Google's Gmail which is the fastest growing email service, has surpassed AOL to become the third most visited email service.As per comScore's latest figures in July, Yahoo added almost 20 million users last year, growing its share of the market by 22 percent from 87.2 million users to 106.2 million users in June. Gmail with its climbing growth rate is on track to pass Windows Live Hotmail, which is the second most widely used email with 47.1 million users,...

IBM to build next-generation chips with DNA

Silicon IndiaBangalore: Scientists from IBM and California Institute of Technology are trying to build the next generation chips- smaller and more powerful, with the combination of DNA and nanotechnology. The experimental breakthrough can be a step towards developing a new technique for making smaller microprocessors beyond the traditional manufacturing processesIn the past few years, chipmakers have been able to make tinier and powerful products, but this advancement has pushed the limits of manufacturing techniques. According to IBM, The revolutionary...

In a camera, two screens are better than one

Financial ChronicleAt last, a fresh and genuinely useful idea. Samsung has announced two cameras with an LCD screen on the front that helps snap-shooters put themselves in their photos. It also includes some nifty features for travellers and simpler ways to delete images inside the camera. The DualView TL225 and DualView TL220 feature a 1.5-inch LCD screen on the front (in addition to a larger LCD screen on the back) that enables photographers to better frame shots of themselves alone or in groups. Simply tap the front screen and the camera enters...

China mobile opens online store for wireless software

Hong Kong The Hindu Business LineChina Mobile Ltd., the world's biggest wireless carrier by users, opened an online software store for handset users to boost sales of non-voice services. The Mobile Market Web site will let users purchase and download software provided by external developers, according to a statement faxed by the Beijing-based company today. China Mobile, with more subscribers than the combined populations of the US and Japan, aims to promote demand for its third-generation service, which allows faster Web browsing and music downloads...

Exports set to rebound in december: FICCI

Ronojoy Banerjee Financial ChronicleDespite markets in the West looking far from promising, exporters in India are seeing some signs of a revival. In a survey conducted by Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Ficci), majority of respondents said exports were expected to be in positive terrain by December this year. Orders are finally tricking in, though not at the pace seen previously, said the survey released on Sunday. The survey, conducted among 316 companies across sectors such as fast moving consumer goods, textiles, handicrafts,...

Bharti looks to sell undersea bandwidth

New DelhiBharti Airtel on Monday announced that the company now has the capability and network reach to sell bandwidth or connectivity on its undersea cables to global operators enabling the latter to carry their voice and data traffic across the world, a leap from its earlier practice of offering connectivity largely to and from India. This means, a Deutsche Telekom or France Telecom in Europe can now buy bandwidth on Bharti’s undersea cables to carry its traffic to Australia or the US. Similarly, a Telstra in Australia can now use Bharti’s cables...

Insurance through ATMS

TE Narasimhan, Chennai Business StandardChennai-based financial services technology company, Polaris Software Lab, has come out with a new technology that would allow insurers to sell their products and collect renewal premium through ATMs. The company is in talks with two insurers for implementing its solution. SR Ramaswami, executive vice-president and head (insurance), Polaris Software Lab, said the idea was to provide customers the flexibility and convenience to take policies and pay premium in a cost-effective manner. For instance, if a...

Nucleus software enters into pact with SISTEMAS ESCO

Mumbai The Hindu Business LineIT services provider Nucleus Software Exports today said it has entered into a partnership with Sistemas Esco, which will be the channel partner for the company in Argentina. The company is looking to leverage Sistemas Esco's geographical reach and regional expertise to market and distribute its software product solutions across Argentina's Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) market, Nucleus Software said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange. “Being associated with channel partners like Sistemas...

Why Sony's like no other

Amit Ranjan Rai, New Delhi Business StandardIt's eyeing significant growth focusing on fewer product categories - without targeting the mass market. Enter the Sony Center, the company’s franchisee outlet, in Delhi’s prime shopping location Connaught Place. Straight on, a bright and huge 62-inch Bravia LCD television will hook your eyes. No, it won’t be playing the regular movie, sports or entertainment channel. Instead, most likely, it will have Street Fighters Dhalsim or Blanka showing off a killer move and calling you for a duel, “Wanna fight?”...

Revolutionising reading

Shubhodeep Chakravarty (Delhi edition)Pocket a book, and more With technological advances almost everything is available at the click of a button. Books, were one of the few things, that still needed the human touch. But with eBooks and e-Reader taking the world by storm, this human habit may soon change too. Their ever increasing numbers has opened up a new path for e-readers. Portable and high on storage space, these devices are fast becoming a pocket companion for millions. Text on the run E-books are based on two platforms -- e-ink and...

India ready with Chandrayaan-2 design

Silicon IndiaBangalore: National space agency, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has completed the design of Chandrayaan-2, with the collaboration of Russia's Federal Space Agency (Roskosmos). Chandrayaan-2 consists of the spacecraft and a landing platform with the moon rover, which can collect samples of the lunar soil and analyze them and send back the data. India will be building the orbital flight vehicle, while the 'Lunar Craft' will be supplied by RussiaOn completion of the design, G Madhavan Nair, Chairman, ISRO said, "Right now,...

4 Hyped technologies of 2009!

The Times of IndiaResearch firm Gartner Inc recently published its annual `Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies’ report. Like earlier years, the 2009 Hype Cycle Special Report aims to chart out what's hot or not at the cutting edge of hi-tech jargon. The report evaluates the maturity of 1,650 technologies and trends in 79 technology, topic and industry areas for how likely the terms are to make it into mainstream corporate parlance. Below are four technologies and trends that are either at the Peak of Inflated Expectations or have just tipped...

India inc resumes hiring drive amid recovery signals

New Delhi The Economic TimesThe Economic Times Financial Chronicle Mint The Statesman Business Standard The Financial Express The Times of India In a major relief for jobseekers, India Inc's hiring activities are picking up once again as economic conditions are looking up considerably, experts say. Most of the Indian companies, which had frozen hiring due to the downturn, have started to look at fresh recruitments now with indications of an economic recovery becoming visible across the world, according to HR experts. "Hiring trends are...

B-School grads choose to go solo as jobs go missing

Peerzada Abrar, Bangalore, August 17, 2009 The Economic TimesWith the wait for jobs getting longer, the number of B-school graduates turning to start-ups is also increasing. A first-year student at IIM Bangalore launched a start-up called NextGen this year, which deals in clean technology. NextGen recently bagged clean technology projects from the ministry of renewable energy and Yes Bank and companies like Intel, Infosys, MindTree, and now boasts of presence in Singapore and Portugal. “There is a lot of pressure on companies to go green and...

Chip off the new block

Sushila Ravindranath The Financial ExpressThere is a quiet revolution-taking place in many of India’s states. Computerisation is slowly creeping in. Its pace can be much faster, but it is happening nevertheless. Which is why it was quite incredible when the Samajwadi party announced its election manifesto in April this year: it spoke of reducing the use of computers to generate more jobs! Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav also vowed to abolish ‘expensive education in English’. Sure enough, he backtracked very soon and claimed that he was not against...

SEZ units want tax sops with retrospective effect

Nayanima Basu Financial ChronicleThe commerce and industry ministry has written a letter to the finance ministry urging that tax exemption provided under Section 10AA of the Income-tax Act be given retrospectively and not on a prospective basis to units located in special economic zones (SEZs). The issue has been hanging fire for over three years now and the move could trigger a fresh row between the two ministries. Recognising the anomaly, the finance minister had said in February that it would be corrected as it had resulted in “discriminatory...

Bengal SEZ builders seek more time

Sounak Mitra, Calcutta The TelegraphMany developers of SEZs in Bengal, which have received in-principle approval from the commerce ministry, have either shelved their plans or want more time to acquire land. Among them are Purnendu Chatterjee-led The Chatterjee Group, Venugopal Dhoot’s Videocon and a city-based Rahul Saraf-headed consortium. A proposed SEZ first gets in-principle approval, when the developer is yet to get land. After the developer acquires land, the SEZ gets formal approval. Following the formal approval, an SEZ is notified by...

Ust global's Kerala strategy clicks; continues to invest in clients

Niranjana Ramesh, Chennai The Economic Times"We are keen on exploring the European and Asian markets, and will be looking out for acquisitions in the knowledge management and business analytics space mainly besides in ERP and CRM." UST Global recently acquired a testing company in Canada and an e-commerce company in the US. It plans to leverage the Canadien technical expertise in its end-to-end IT solutions, and e-commerce capabilities in its retail vertical, the second largest for the company, contributing to 20% of its revenues. Its largest vertical...

MIcrosoft to take the channel route for Windows 7 marketing in India from oct

Ranjana Kaushal, New Delhi Mail TodayDespite the economic slowdown pinching the IT budgets of corporates, Microsoft India is hopeful that its latest product Windows 7, scheduled to be launched in October, will attract a huge number of small and medium businesses and retail customers. To make the product a success, the company is adopting a new marketing strategy, which entails promoting the product through channel partners. The idea is to create excitement among partners and showcasing the upgradation opportunities. To begin with, the company...

MoserBaer uses mobile vans to sell CDS, DVDS

Kirtika Suneja, New Delhi Business StandardMoser Baer Entertainment Ltd (MBEL), the wholly owned subsidiary of optical disc maker Moser Baer, has found an innovative way of distributing its film CDs and DVDs in small cities and rural areas. It has introduced mobile vans in six states to distribute these discs directly in such places. “Moser Baer does not have a big presence in small cities, so we need to play the price card and take it directly to villages. Film discs will be carried directly by these mobile vans. As of now, there are around six...

Japanese delegation explores opportunities in semiconductor sector

M. Soundariya Preetha, Coimbatore The HinduAn eight-member Japanese trade delegation was here on Thursday and Friday to explore investment and business opportunities in the semi-conductor sector. The delegation preferred a combination of investment and off-shore supply. Members of the delegation included representatives of the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO), the Kyushu Economic Research Centre, the Fukuoka City Government and the Asia Semiconductor Trading Support Association (ASTSA). The delegates told The Hindu on Friday that 30...

Microsoft, Nokia to take on RIM

Silicon IndiaBangalore: Microsoft and Nokia have formed an alliance to bring Microsoft (MS) software applications on the Nokia phones and to counter the dominance of the Research in Motion's (RIM)Blackberry. This is for the first time that Microsoft will make Office applications for non-Windows mobile phonesThe latest versions of the Microsoft's Office applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and messaging, will be available on the Nokia phones, which makes up 45 percent of the global smartphone market with 200 million users. The companies...

college e-textbooks go to class in iPhones

San Francisco The Economic Times US and Canadian college students can pack textbooks into their pockets instead of spine-bending backpacks courtesy of an iPhone application released by CourseSmart. The northern California supplier of electronic textbooks on Tuesday released free software that makes digitized forms of college textbooks available on Apple's ubiquitous iPhone or iPod Touch devices. "We've seen significant demand from student customers for the ability to get required textbook content in electronic form on an iPhone or iPod Touch,"...

DELL unveils nickelodeon PC for kids

San Francisco The Economic Times Dell Inc on Tuesday unveiled a line of Nickelodeon co-branded personal computer for children, the first in a series of branding deals intended to galvanize its consumer business. Dell's move is the latest example of PC makers using design and targeting particular demographies to stand apart from rivals such as Hewlett-Packard Co and Acer Inc in an increasingly commoditized industry. The Dell Inspiron Mini Nickelodeon Edition will come clad in the Viacom Inc channel's trademark "green slime" design, with additional...

Google working on new version

London The Hindu Business Line Google Inc is working on a new test version of its search engine, which the company claims will be faster and more relevant than before. The company has dubbed the new search engine Caffeine. The new search engine doesn't appear different, but its developers hope that the technology will noticeably index new content faster. Google engineers are said to have invited Web developers to test the new search engine and give feedback. Matt Cutts, a principal engineer at Google, and Sitaram Iyer, a staff software engineer,...

Nokia's kallasvuo heads panel for ET awards for corporate excellence 2009

Mumbai The Economic Times Nokia folklore has it that in the early 1990s, when the Finnish mobile phone giant’s board was deliberating whether to set up operations in India or China, the then CFO of Nokia Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo insisted that it was not an either-or decision—Nokia needed both markets. So the company set up operations in India in 1995. And the rest, as they say, is history. Today, Nokia boasts of a Rs 24,200-crore business in India with 70 percent-plus marketshare in mobile handsets. And on August 20, the 56-year-old Finn will have...

IT companies may take time for non-linear growth

Shivani Shinde, Mumbai Business Standard Indian information technology services providers may have seen a dip in net hiring this financial year. However, the drop is more due to the slowdown in the business environment rather than a shift towards non-linear growth. Experts believe it will take another three to five years for Indian IT firms to move to a non-linear business model. Non-linear growth does not measure improvement on the basis of headcount growth, which most stock market analysts do. Instead, organisations measure growth by the number...

Swine flu fear spreads across the Indian IT Industry

Pradeesh Chandran & N V Vijayakumar, Bangalore Deccan Herald If it be the global recession that impacted IT sector for the last two years, it is all going to be gripped by an impending outbreak of swine flu. While many IT companies in the country have imposed travel restriction on their employees, few others are circulating information on swine flu internally to sensitise employees. Few companies also embarked upon cooling off period for those who returned from overseas stint. According to TCS sources, the company started mailing employees...

IT Companies' answer to SWINE FLU

The Times of India The swine flu fear has reached India Inc too. The steady rise in the cases of flu has made Business India take preventive steps, though not many are talking about widespread shutdown in the face of a pandemic. There are doctors visiting offices, restrictions on travel, event cancellations, office advice of flu precautions and stay-home advisories to workers returning from flu-hit areas as companies look to keep the virus from impacting their businesses. Companies are also checking their disaster recovery and business continuity...

IT, BPO firms postpone events

Pune The Indian Express With the city witnessing five swine flu fatalities, the IT-BPO sectors too are taking no chances and cancelling their events. NASSCOM has postponed its two-day global engineering summit, which was to be held in the city on August 18 and 19. Around 300 people from across the country and abroad`d were expected to attend the summit. According to a press note from NASSCOM, the event is being rescheduled following the government decision to shut down schools, colleges, multiplexes and so on. It will now be held in November,...

Govt nod for three new SEZ plans

New Delhi Deccan Herald The Indian Express Business Standard The Centre, on Tuesday, approved three new proposals for setting up Special Economic Zones (SEZ) including two in Karnataka in the Information Technology (IT) sector. These were cleared by the Board of Approval (BOA) at it meeting chaired by Commerce Secretary Rahul Khullar. The BOA approved the proposal of Brooke Bond Real Estates Private Limited to set up a SEZ in the IT/ITES sector in Bangalore. It also cleared Karnataka State Electronics Development Corporation Limited proposal...

Four IT majors shortlisted for army logistics solutions

Surabhi Agarwal, New Delhi The Financial Express In a significant deal in the domestic IT space, which is currently abuzz with several big ticket IT projects from the public sector and government agencies, the country’s top software outsourcing firms — TCS, Wipro Technologies, L&T Infotech and Siemens Information Systems Ltd (SISL), have been shortlisted by the Indian Army for its Computerised Inventory Control Project (CICP) in the second round of bidding. According to sources close to the development, the Indian Army is now expected to come...

Computerisation of accounts office welcomed

Allahabad The Times of India North Central Railway general manager Sudesh Kumar inaugurated AFRES the software in Traffic Accounts Office on Tuesday. Kumar congratulated the officers and staff of Traffic Accounts Office and said that computerisation of the office will not only lead to prompt and accurate accounts preparation but also to uniformity in procedures and clean working environment. On the occasion, FA & CAO North Central Railway, Vandana Singhal, also lauded the efforts of the team of officers for successful implementation of the...

BRAND LAUNCHES

The Economic Times Style Book: ACER launched Aspire one 10.1” netbook in India. It features one mail software, Messenger, Skype and comes in red, black and blue colou...

AMD eyes bigger mkt pie in India

Rachana Khanzode, Mumbai The Financial Express Chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) is scouting for a bigger share in the Indian market. Facing challenges from the leader of global chipmaker, Intel, in the domestic market too. AMD is working on a renewed market strategy, focusing on ramping up its product R&D, working aggressively with major OEMs like HP and Acer, and targeting local government tenders. According to a global research firm, AMD has an overall market share of 14%. It enjoys a 19% market share in desktops and 4% in notebooks....

Google CEO quits Apple board

Cupertino (California) The Hindu Business Line The Google CEO, Eric Schmidt, has resigned from Apple's board of directors as the Internet search leader increasingly develops products that compete with Apple's core businesses, including the popular iPhone. The Apple Inc CEO, Steve Jobs, said Schmidt would have had to excuse himself from large portions of the company's board meetings to avoid potential conflicts of interest. ''Therefore, we have mutually decided that now is the right time for Eric to resign his position on Apple's Board,'' Jobs...

Yahoo to focus on display ad, content businesses: bartz

The Economic Times Yahoo Inc, which last week announced a Web search deal with Microsoft Corp, will invest money from reduced marketing and infrastructure costs into its display ad, content and mobile services technology, its chief executive Carol Bartz told the New York Times in an interview. Bartz told the paper she went ahead with the search deal as Yahoo found it difficult to match the level of investment that Google Inc and Microsoft were making in the search business. "My first reaction when I got here was that I wouldn't even do a search...

For some pc users, move to windows 7 will be tough

Mint On October 22, Microsoft will finally release a new version of Windows that will be as good as the deeply disappointing Windows Vista should have been when it came out in January 2007. The new edition, called Windows 7, is a big improvement over both Vista and the sturdy, 2001-vintage Windows XP still widely in use. It will give Apple's longsuperior Mac OS X operating system a run for its money (though Apple might maintain its edge with a new version, called Snow Leopard, due in September). But how will Windows users transition their current...

Storing success for SMES

Payal Agarwal The Economic Times In this age of industrialisation, manufacturing activities are constantly expanding, thanks to the ever-growing demand for products. In this scenario, warehousing has gained tremendous importance in the supply chain. The warehouse is a crucial link between a manufacturing facility and its suppliers, as it governs the flow of materials and ultimately affects productivity. As a result, the development of high-tech goods warehousing has emerged as the prime method for both large players as well as small and medium...

FM assures new direct tax code, 9 percent growth

Mahima Puri, New Delhi The Economic Times (Delhi edition) Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee on Monday assured industry leaders that the economy will return to a growth rate of over 9 percent in 2011-12 after expanding at 7 percent this fiscal, said an industrialist who attended the minister’s address to over 80 industry leaders here. Mukherjee also assured business leaders at the national council meeting of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) that the government will come out with a new direct tax code by August 20, said another industry...