Stage 2 Networks, the enterprise cloud communications service provider, launched its new brand, logo and website, showcasing the wide range of products and networking services dedicated to Stage 2′s customers and partners.

The new website is based on an elegant and highly functional design, displaying the company’s values and clear direction – superior customer centric hosted voice and connectivity services.

“We wanted our new logo and website to reflect who we are — a leading cloud communications provider committed to delivering excellence in all aspects of our business, and whose technology and operational requirements are always high with the quest for quality our number one goal. Each page of the website expresses our continuing journey in achieving excellence for our clients and giving them a voice in our company.”
- Joseph Gillette, Stage 2 Networks Chairman and CEO

The website is designed to inform and educate customers and partners. It provides product and service information as well as helpful diagrams and a library that includes reference materials such as white papers, case studies, technical specifications and guidelines. In addition, this customer-focused website allows easy access to quick reference guides for phones as well as on-line training videos. A unique element of the website is easy access to a complete list of buildings in the New York Tri-State area. This is designed to help clients, partners and realtors locate commercial real estate that is fully equipped with broadband access that supports everything from voice services to Unified Communications.

Stage 2 Networks is headquartered in New York, providing hosted PBX and business trunking, cloud-based unified communications, advanced voice applications, and network services to small to medium enterprises.

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic analyzed the additional costs of smoking and obesity among more than 30,000 Mayo Clinic employees and retirees. All had continuous health insurance coverage between 2001 and 2007.

The study, by James P. Moriarty  and his coauthors give new insight into the long-term costs of obesity and smoking, which both caused higher health costs in the seven-year follow-up period of the study.Their report shows obesity and smoking were both associated with excess costs for health care. In a comparison with nonsmokers, average health costs were $ 1,275 higher for smokers.

The incremental costs associated with obesity were even higher: $ 1,850 more than for normal-weight individuals. For those with morbid obesity, the excess costs were up to $ 5,500 per year.

The additional costs associated with obesity appeared lower after adjustment for other accompanying health problems (comorbidity). “This may lead to underestimation of the true incremental costs, since obesity is a risk factor for developing chronic conditions,” Moriarty and colleagues write.

Smoking and obesity place a growing strain on an already stretched healthcare system. Many employers are now evaluating wellness programs to lower their costs by reducing health risk factors.

The database “Adaptation Private Sector Initiative” can be accessed through the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) website.

The new online tool features more than 100 examples from companies such as Coca-Cola, Levi’s, Microsoft and Starbucks, which share the details of their business-friendly adaptation practices.

“By showcasing private sector adaptation success stories, we intend to help both communities and businesses become more climate-resilient and to put the benefits and business sense of adaptation firmly on the agenda of the private sector.” -UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres

The database contains details of activities both on how companies can make profits or savings, or prevent losses through adaptation-related activities.

There are currently around practical 100 examples of adaptation actions listed in the UNFCCC Private Sector Initiative database.

Examples of best practices include efforts to make drinking water clean and safe in developing countries and efforts to improve the yield of coffee beans in regions that are particularly vulnerable to climate change.

Figueres also underscored the importance of businesses and governments implementing measures to prepare for natural disasters such as massive floods, as these have a big impact on the operation of local and global businesses.

The database is part of a wider effort by UNFCCC following the UN Climate Change Conference in Durban, South Africa, to prioritize adaptation efforts as well as mitigation of natural disasters.

Most of the world’s poor live in rural areas of developing countries and depend on agriculture to survive. In addition, millions of small-scale farmers and members of the rural poor live in areas that face serious risk from degradation and desertification due to climate change.

The Business Ethics Alliance will launch its 2012 Ethics Programming through its Dialogue series – to spark a critical conversation on the ethics of hiring. Panelists include Tawanna Black, CEO, Innovations by Design, LLC; David Brown, president and CEO, Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce; and Dean Hodges, owner of a local Jimmy Johns restaurant.

The Dialogue will tackle crucial questions such as: How is the hiring process informed by our values? Do ethics come into play when small, medium and large firms make hiring decisions? Do they consider a person’s veteran status? Or sexual orientation? Is it ethical to avoid hiring people who lost their jobs or those out of work for a year or two?

This is the sixth year the Business Ethics Alliance has hosted the Dialogue. The Dialogue series was developed to bring the entire business community together to discuss issues in business ethics. The Dialogue is just one series of the many ethics programs offered by the Business Ethics Alliance.

“We are committed to delivering excellent programming and education that will ultimately build more profitable businesses and great cities through practical business ethics.” – Beverly Kracher Executive Director Business Ethics Alliance

The Business Ethics Alliance has partnerships with Creighton University College of Business, Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, Better Business Bureau and local business leaders. The synergy of these organizations enables the alliance to provide resources for local businesses in support of good business practices.

“Gallup sponsors the Dialogue because we know that when companies are led by and managed according to sound, practical business ethics – they grow faster, more sustainably and more profitably.” – Todd Johnson Practice Leader Job Creation Gallup

The Dialogue is open to the entire business community and is free of charge. It will be hosted by Gallup at 1001 Gallup Drive, on Jan. 26, 2012, from 7:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. To register, please contact Cari Cloyed at CariCloyed@creighton.edu or 402-280-2612.

The Business Ethics Alliance (http://www.businessethicsalliance.org/) mission is to lead in developing a climate of ethical excellence throughout the business community. The Business Ethics Alliance is a nonprofit comprised of small, medium and large organizations that are committed to creating an ethical business climate that benefits the overall community.

By utilizing lamp-free illumination, such as LEDs and lasers, versus traditional bulbs, the projectors can offer high quality imaging and enough brightness (approximately 2000 lumens each) to light up today’s classroom spaces, while increasing the lifespan of the projectors and reducing long-term maintenance costs.

These new models join exiting solid state illumination projector models from Casio to incorporate other in-demand features, such as 3D-Ready capabilities, connectivity and interactivity to best fit current as well as future teaching demands. These and other products will be available for demonstration at the TI stand, J30, at the Olympia in London throughout the week.

By dispensing with the most expensive part of projector ownership – lamp replacement – these latest models, like all lamp-free projectors with DLP technology, allow for a lengthy 10,000-plus hours of operation with practically no loss of light output, which enables teachers and their schools’ technology administrators to not worry about operational downtime.

“In the current economic climate, budget cutting remains a key priority for the public sector. Consequently, schools are finding themselves under increasing pressure to deliver stronger long-term results with fewer associated costs.”  - Roger Carver Manager Front Projection DLP Products

Beyond larger-scale models that are best suited for the full-sized classroom, the benefits of lamp-free projection can also be found in every DLP Pico(TM)-based projector currently available. Typically small enough to easily fit in a backpack or laptop bag, there are now more than 30 products with DLP Pico technology inside, ranging from iDevice, laptop and mobile phone/tablet accessories and docks, to Wi-Fi/Bluetooth-ready standalone units, multimedia players and even cameras, camcorders and mobile phones. With extreme portability, instant on capabilities and multimedia features, these products available from brands like Acer, Asus, Dell, LG, NEC, ViewSonic, Vivitek and others can take small group collaboration and learning to new levels.

In addition to being lamp-free, the new BenQ and Optoma are also part of the extensive group of DLP projectors that are 3D-Ready. Though widely known for its use in today’s movie theatres, video games and elsewhere, 3D can also have a notable positive impact on pupils’ potential at school. Recently, Professor Anne Bamford, Director of the International Research Agency, released findings from the LiFE research project, which aimed to measure the value and impact of 3D experiences on pupil learning and achievement, and determine the most effective types of 3D experiences.

Aside from product demonstrations of the latest lamp-free projection solutions during BETT, TI DLP will also be further showcasing the complete results from the LiFE study. Professor Anne Bamford, along with Kathryn Macaulay, whose school in Reading was among those that took part in the study, will be presenting their findings and insights during two separate seminars at BETT:

This newest release is even more powerful, giving managers and decision makers the functionality they need to improve forecasting and responsiveness.

The latest GSX Monitor & Analyzer release provides an exciting new set of features that meet the management challenges of enterprises using Notes, Sametime, Traveler or Quickr for critical business services.

Major features include:

• Plug and play ease of use, including a global server configuration wizard with multiple time zone support.
• New Change Monitoring Module that tracks every change in a distributed IT environment and assures audit-verifiable policy compliance.
• Automated GSX Analyzer IT forecasting that identifies emerging issues, helps you identify potential future issues and anticipate them before they happen, and gives you value added quantifiable metrics that are crucial for capacity planning.

“This new release reflects our philosophy to put the user experience at the center of development, and deliver services in an intuitive way.”  -  Antoine Leboyer CEO GSX

“We invest a huge effort to go beyond server tracking to proactively address potential issues for our thousands of loyal customers throughout the world,” he added.

In its analysis, Glass Lewis notes that shareholder return and operating performance have compared reasonably or favorably with that of its peers in recent years and that the board appears to us to be making an earnest attempt to maximize shareholder value and resolve the proxy fight.

Commenting on the business plan put forward by Ned Sherwood, Glass Lewis commented that the Dissidents’ plan if fully implemented, could potentially leave the Company with a dangerously weakened working capital position that the Dissidents have not been adequately addressed.

Glass Lewis additionally expressed their concerns in agreement with those raised by the incumbent Board regarding one of Mr. Sherwood’s nominees, Derek Feng, stating that “We are inclined to believe that a potential conflict of interest could exist should Mr. Feng be appointed to the Company’s board.”

The Company issued the following statement regarding the Glass Lewis recommendation:

“ChinaCast Education is pleased that this leading independent proxy advisory firm recognizes the value that has been created by the current Board and the potentially damaging impact of Ned Sherwood and Mr. Feng being elected to the board. The Company urges shareholders to vote the BLUE proxy card for all proposals, including the board’s nominees.”

Any shareholders with questions or that require assistance in voting their shares should contact the Company’s proxy solicitors, MacKenzie Partners, toll free at 1-800-322-2885, or Advantage Proxy, toll-free at 1-877-870-8565.

The study, which examines growth in the Thai economy between 1986 and 1996, shows that a high concentration of enterprise in an area predicts high subsequent growth in and around that area. Entrepreneurial activity decreases virtually by the mile the further away one gets from centers of economic concentration.

In addition, other geographic conditions, such as flat topography and proximity to transportation, also show a strong correlation to enterprise growth.

These are the findings presented by Robert M. Townsend and John S. Felkner in an article in the current issue of Quarterly Journal of Economics called the Geographic Concentration of Enterprise in Developing Countries.

Townsend, a professor of economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and principal investigator of CFSP, and Felkner, a research scientist at the University of Chicago’s National Opinion Research Center, used extensive economic and physiographic data down to the village level in Thailand. Their conclusions are drawn from an economic model that was tested against actual developments over time.

Thailand, the subject of intensive research by Townsend, is largely considered an Asian success story. It has shown consistently strong growth despite military coups, tsunamis, and the Asian financial crisis.

In the 10-year period studied, village wealth doubled, and by 1992 the ratio of money-like-assets to GDP, which indicates the level of financial intermediation, exceeded the level in the United States. At the same time, the country industrialized, with the fraction of GDP in manufacturing rising from 23 to 35% and the number of households in non-farm enterprises increasing by 27%.

However, this growth is not taking place uniformly throughout the country. Among the key findings of the study, which may suggest insights to other developing countries, are:

• There are high concentrations of enterprise around the capital of Bangkok and along main transportation arteries running north. At the rural village level, concentrations of enterprise within each province center surrounding large towns and intersections of major highways.

• Levels of enterprise drop as the distance to market and infrastructure grows.

• Over time, areas of high concentrations of enterprise (and those nearby) show increasing levels of enterprise. This suggests that enterprise fosters more enterprise.

• At the national level, there is some dissipation of large, central core concentrations of enterprise. In rural areas, the patterns are more mixed, but show little dissipation.

• Numerous regions remain stagnant. From the perspective of the national scale, some regions appear to be permanently lagging, such as the Northeast, and other areas appear to have both low levels of enterprise and low growth.

• In rural areas, growth in enterprise is related to favorable environmental conditions such as good soil, proximity to rivers, and flat topography.

“We think these findings are important because we establish that concentrations of enterprise across space in a developing country play a crucial role in the larger process of development,” notes Townsend.

Landon Evans, who owns one of the fastest growing full service marketing and public relations firms in the valley, is determined to build community partnerships and alliances that will increase revenue for Arizona-based companies.

At the age of 29, Landon is setting an example within his field and paving the way for a generation of young entrepreneurs and innovators with his forward thinking approach to marketing.

Relying primarily on word of mouth, Landon’s HDE Agency continues to see annual growth, with the addition of more than 60 new clients each year. During the second year of operation, HDE experienced a fiscal growth of 170%, which continues to increase by 35% each year.

His passion for community building drives him to succeed; building upon a strong foundation of grassroots campaigns while focusing on supporting local business, Landon has earned a reputation for success.

Landon’s business strategies in marketing, public relations and brand development have helped hundreds of clients in Arizona, Nevada and California grow their business and brand.

HDE Agency is one of the largest producers of special events in Arizona with and an impressive roster of more than a dozen annual signature events. Landon’s strong commitment to community is evident by his support of local charities.

A percentage of all HDE produced events benefit local charities and feature businesses, entertainment, sponsors and vendors mostly from local companies and organizations. In 2011, Landon raised nearly $50,000 in charitable donations benefiting local organizations including the Downtown Chandler Community Foundation, ICAN, Susan G. Komen 3-Day and Chandler Service Club.

HDE’s roster of special events includes the Downtown Chandler Oktoberfest, Taste. Chandler’s Culinary Festival, Summer Splash and Ameri”CAN” Canned Craft Beer Festival.

HDE’s most notable signature event, The Great American BBQ and Beer Festival, is now in its third year of production and promises to be even bigger and better with nearly 15,000 hungry patrons expected to attend. The 2012 Great American BBQ and Beer Festival has been selected as an official centennial event in the City of Chandler.

AcconSys will provide sales and support for Calypto’s products — Catapult®, SLEC® and PowerPro® — throughout China.

Calypto’s tools enable ESL design engineers to dramatically improve time to product and design quality while reducing the power consumption of their SoC devices.

Expanding Calypto’s distribution channel to include a top-tier distributor like AcconSys brings much needed support to China, which accounted for 70% of total semiconductor IPOs during 2010 and is now a significant source of new semiconductor companies and financial funding for start-ups. Calypto’s product portfolio of Catapult, SLEC and PowerPro and China’s semiconductor market growth delivers a perfect combination for rapid growth of ESL hardware tools from Calypto.

“There is tremendous potential for Calypto in China as more product developers adopt automated tools and methodologies for SoC design.” –  Greg Orzech Vice President Worldwide Sales Calypto

“We are very pleased to be working with AcconSys, which has a long history of technical expertise and local knowledge to make our partnership a great success,” he added.

As device complexity and size continue to escalate, system-level design and verification has emerged as the primary challenge in the development of System on Chip (SoC) designs. Catapult High Level Synthesis, SLEC C/SystemC to RTL formal equivalence and PowerPro automatic RTL power optimization platforms are used by seven out of the top ten semiconductor companies and over 100 leading consumer electronics companies worldwide.

“We are excited about partnering with Calypto to expand China’s market in ESL hardware design and RTL power optimization.” – Lily Wang Sales Director

“We believe the combination of AcconSys expertise in the China EDA market along with Calypto’s best-in-class solutions will produce great success in China,” she added.