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Issue no 522 17th September 2010
top story
Global Voice Group - An ApologyIn an article entitled; "Life in Africa's Slow Lane- Congo Telecom and Socatel Defend Their International Voice Monopolies, Disapora Callers Ask Why?" published in 491, readers of Balancing Act's News Update might have believed we were alleging Global Voice Group assisted in the commission of fraud by a group we described as "a mafia," adopts anti-competitive practices by taking over all the international phone traffic in Congo and encourages African Governments to impose taxes on incoming calls. We would like to make it clear that it was not our intention to suggest this. We accept that these allegations are false and apologize to Global Voice Data Group for any misunderstandings which may have arisen and any damage our publication may have caused.
SMS message ban in Mozambique raises difficulties operators and Government will have to deal with
The banning of SMS messaging in Mozambique is but one of several signs that both SMS and the Internet are changing the way media creates a national conversation in African countries. Governments can police SMS and the Internet by closing it down but this is a "nuclear" option that cannot be kept in place (except in Ethiopia) for any length of time. Mobile companies are not used to thinking of themselves as media operators and are vulnerable to having their businesses squeezed by Government if they prove unco-operative. Russell Southwood looks at this emerging brave new world.
During the food price riots in Mozambique, both mobile phone operators in Mozambique, M-Cel and Vodacom, bowed to pressure and suspended their text messaging services but then said that they had not done so, according to Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique (AIM).
As from 6 September people who used pre-paid M-Cel and Vodacom cards found it was impossible to send text messages. Since the Maputo riots of 1-2 September had been mobilized via text messages, it was immediately suspected that the government had ordered the companies to halt the text message service.
But when Transport and Communications Minister Paulo Zucula was asked about the matter, he denied giving any such order. "I'm the minister in charge of communications, and I have no knowledge of any instruction to suspend the messaging services", he told reporters. Both M-Cel and Vodacom assured AIM that the interruption to the messaging service was entirely due to technical problems.
On Friday night, interviewed by the independent television station TIM, Fernando Lima, chairperson of the media company Mediacoop, which publishes the weekly paper "Savana" and the daily newsheet "Mediafax", displayed a copy of the letter which the regulatory body, the INCM had sent to the two operators. Text messaging now seems to have returned to normal.
In the post-election violence in Kenya in 2008, the Government considered closing down the SMS messaging system that was being used to send hate messages. Safaricom CEO Michael Joseph has said in a subsequent interview mobile phone providers convinced The Government to pass up this idea, and instead allow the providers to send out messages of peace and calm, which Safaricom did to all nine million of its customers. It was also reported that a list of more than 1,700 contacts of individuals who created or forwarded SMS messages to incite ethnic violence had been compiled and was awaiting action by Government.
However, the Government did ban broadcasting and this gave coverage by Kenya's bloggers a new prominence as one of the few ways left open to discover what happening. It also gave birth to Ushahidi which helped track and map violent incidents in the country.
The worst occasion of this kind of banning SMS was the Ethiopian Government after the contested elections in 2005. The ban remained in force for two years. In Ethiopia, the opposition party Kinijit was particularly effective at using text messaging to mobilise its supporters and get them to the polling booths. Then, when the election result was announced the government took fright, contested what had happened and then moved quickly to shut down the SMS service to ensure the opposition party couldn't use it again. With no acknowledgement of why it had been banned, subscribers simply received the following message announcing its re-opening: "[Wishing] you [a] happy Ethiopian Millennium. And now the SMS service is launched."
SMS is a media channel but there are almost no ground rules governing either access to it by content providers or under what circumstances it can be closed down. Mobile operators can be pressured by Government to shut the service and have to take the income hit from that decision: their rights are not protected in any way. You can hardly sue the Government or the regulator for loss of trade if they are the hand that gives you your licence to do business.
According to a national survey carried out in Ghana for Audiencescapes, 16% of the sample had got news and information in the last week using SMS compared to 18% from newspapers. In other words, the mobile is becoming almost as important as newspapers as a channel through which citizens get certain types of information. But there are no ground rules governing who can use it and why or the rules that exist don't make sense. So for example Econet had to withdraw a service it was proving to Zimbabwe's MDC as it was claimed that it was broadcasting when it was not licensed to do so. It was operating an information service for its activists using a service provided by Kubutana.com
In an interview in June when the banning took place, Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe Chief Executive Obert Muganyura said MDC-T's toll-free audio service was illegal under the Broadcasting Services Act. "According to the law, broadcasts that are provided through cellular systems require a licence from BAZ. There are services that have been offered by some institutions, including MDC-T, where the public can dial and receive audio programmes. "These services are classified under the Broadcasting Services Act and once anyone decides to provide such services, the network providers must follow procedures of licensing for consideration," he said. So how is the Internet different from SMS except Government fears the larger user base of the latter more?
Finally, as the world turns, there was a report this week in the DRC newspaper Le Potentiel saying that sales of newspapers were being undercut by piracy (photocopying of issues) and by people using the Internet to access daily news. Shabani Keni, a vendor of the newspaper told its reporter: "Le Potentiel has serious difficulties in selling their wares. This is because it is on the web. It's not bad to put a newspaper on the Internet. Globalization means it has to happen. But the output of the newspaper Le Potentiel (on the Internet) should be limited in order not to blunt the desire of readers (to buy it)." Online business model, anyone?
South Africa: Telkom Mobile argues for asymmetrical interconnect rate as it takes on all three existing operators
Incoming Telkom Mobile is entering the mobile market swinging, not only taking on MTN, but now also Vodacom and Cell C in its fight for an asymmetrical interconnect rate of 93c per minute.
Last week, it was revealed that Telkom and MTN were at loggerheads over Telkom's proposed rate of 93c per minute, with MTN insisting on maintaining its standard rate of 89c. The Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA) has intervened in the matter, which will be heard at the end of this month.
But the fight doesn't stop there, as Telkom prepares to take on the rest of the mobile industry as well. Telkom this morning confirmed it is in similar disputes with mobile operators Vodacom and Cell C, and would likely follow a similar course of action as that undertaken with MTN.
The fixed-line operator maintains its actions are justified if it is to ensure a competitive offering in the market. "The terms proposed by Telkom include a reasonable mobile termination rate (MTR) that reflects Telkom's mobile network cost as a new entrant to the mobile market. Telkom needs a reasonable MTR in order to be able to compete in the South African mobile space and offer subscribers attractive retail rates," says the company.
Telkom has committed to having its mobile offering fully operational before the end of the year. However, the time required to resolve Telkom's dispute with the mobile operators will likely extend into next year, as the authority need only submit its ruling 90 days after the hearings.
So far, only MTN's case has been scheduled for 30 September. Telkom's dispute with Cell C and Vodacom has not yet been heard by ICASA, and a date not yet been set. Nonetheless, the Telkom is still confident it will be in a position to unveil its mobile service this year as it has in the interim entered into interconnect agreements with the mobile operators.
If ICASA has not yet ruled by the time Telkom Mobile starts operating, the interim agreement of a symmetrical 89c per minute will come it to play. However, Telkom is clear this is subject to ICASA's ruling and may change if the ruling is favourable to Telkom.
Liberia's Tax Court has ruled that raffle draws constitute gambling in a case filed against the GSM company Cellcom for allegedly failing to remit 30% of the total amount in its 2009 raffle draws that totaled US299, 850.09. Cellcom, court documents reveal that it contends that its raffle draws were mere sales promotions and not gambling as the Government claimed.
Court documents further reveal that the Ministry of Justice and the mobile company have been locked in legal wrangles over the issue, with the mobile company insisting that riffle draws do not constitute gambling from which proceeds must be taxed.
Cellcom defined gambling, court documents say, as 'swaggering of money or something of material value on an event with uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money or material goods." The court disagreed, and the two parties were expected to hold a pre-trial conference Monday.
Sources say the outcome of the case will set a precedent in the government's tax collection crusade in which many big names are said to be on the list.
Private equity investor Musa Capital is investing about $30m in Malawi's third cellphone operator, G-Mobile, and is eyeing similar investments in other African countries, including South Africa. Fifteen-year-old Musa Capital has been snapping up cellphone network licences and opportunities for the distribution of airtime in Africa.
Musa Capital owns 50% of Johannesburg's Beryl Telecoms, which owns the majority stake in G-Mobile, the new Malawian operator that plans to launch before the end of the year. The company will compete with Zain, which was bought by India's Bharti Airtel earlier this year.
The founder and executive director of Musa Capital, William Jimerson, said last week that Malawi's cellphone penetration is about 45% and there is an opportunity for G-Mobile to gain a 10%-12% market share.
"We believe there are areas where our competitors are not strong and that will be an opportunity for G-Mobile. In Malawi, there exists a very real need for a cellular network operator that provides excellent service," Jimerson said.
G-Mobile has also roped in a subsidiary of Telkom , known as Telkom Managed Services, to manage the business. "The company's goal is to establish a high-quality service to distinguish it from competitors," said G-Mobile CEO Peter Davies.
The G-Mobile funding comes from Musa Capital's second fund, which has R575m for investment in sectors like telecommunications, property, finance and retail. Its first fund contained $40m, all of which was invested in the same sectors. Over the past 18 months, Musa Capital has closed 11 investments in five sectors covering nine countries.
In the telecommunications industry, Jimerson said Musa Capital has a presence in Zimbabwe and Burundi, where it distributes airtime. It has shares in Sonatel, Senegal's fixed-line operator, and in Uganda it has partnered with local companies to invest in MTN Uganda. The company is eyeing similar opportunities in other countries, including Mozambique.
"The telecommunications sector is a natural fit for us as the background of the three founding members of Musa Capital is in that area," he said.
In South Africa, Jimerson said the opportunity will be in telecommunications infrastructure sharing and also in value-added services. "We will probably look at SA when we open our third fund," he said.
The Republic of Congo now has a fourth mobile network operator following reports that Equateur Telecom Congo, a subsidiary of Bahrain-based Bintel, has commenced commercial services. According to Cellular News, the cellco will offer services under the 'Azur Congo' banner, with coverage initially limited to Brazzaville and Pointe Noire, although it expects to expand to other cities shortly following launch.
Commenting on the launch, Stephane Beuvelet, general manager of Azur Congo, said: 'We have received overwhelming customer response for Azur during the soft launch and trial phase of service, and are pleased to open up full commercial services to all customers in Brazzaville and Point Noire ... In less than nine months since being awarded [its] licence, Azur will be providing full commercial service to customers in record time, through rapid network deployment and including a full commercial infrastructure.' Azur Congo is also the first of Congo's cellcos to adopt and implement the new national nine digit numbering scheme, which allows customers to retain their existing numbers with the 01 prefix on the Azur network. Equateur Telecom Congo was awarded Congo's fourth mobile concession in December 2009, announcing in March 2010 that it would open pre-registration for its services in July 2010. Those that registered during the promotional period were given the option of choosing their own number, while their accounts were also credited with XAF1,000 (USD1.93) and ten SMS messages. Minister of Telecommunications, Thierry Moungalla, subsequently made the first successful call on the Azur network in July 2010.
* MTN Swaziland is reported to be in a testing phase of developing a commercial 3G mobile network following a month-long pilot of four UMTS base stations. The South African-owned cellco was granted a temporary 3G licence to cover several events including the Common Market for Eastern & Southern Africa (COMESA) summit in the country in late August. The permit was valid from 16 August to 15 September, with 3G services offered to post-paid MTN customers only. MTN Swaziland's existing commercial network is equipped with 2.5G EDGE technology, which it has deployed in the Mbabane Manzini corridor and other selected areas around the country.
* Standard & Poor's Ratings Services said last week that it has placed its 'B-' long-term corporate credit rating on South Africa-based mobile telecommunications operator Cell C on CreditWatch with positive implications."At the same time, we placed the 'B' rating on the €400 million fixed-rate senior secured notes on CreditWatch with developing implications. The recovery rating on this debt is unchanged at '2', indicating our expectation of substantial (70%-90%) recovery in the event of a payment default," said Standard & Poor's in a press statement."We are also placing the 'CCC' rating on the $270 million senior subordinated notes on CreditWatch with positive implications. The recovery rating on these notes is unchanged at '6', indicating our expectation of negligible (0%-10%) recovery in the event of a payment default."The CreditWatch placement reflects the potential positive effect that the partial refinancing of the €400 million senior secured bonds maturing in 2012, through a long-dated new credit facility, would have on the rating of Cell C."We understand that a maximum of €240 million could be tendered only, as Cell C's main creditor, Saudi Oger Ltd., the owner of Oger Telecom Ltd., Cell C's main shareholder, is required to retain at least €160 million of the notes. We also understand that Cell C will continue to pay coupons for the bonds held by Saudi Oger."
* MTN Group Ltd said data revenue from its South African network jumped 60 percent in the first six months of this year as faster third-generation technology let users consume more online content. "It's an insatiable beast," Karel Pienaar, MTN South Africa's managing director, said in an interview with Bloomberg News last week.
In an article entitled; "Life in Africa's Slow Lane- Congo Telecom and Socatel Defend Their International Voice Monopolies, Disapora Callers Ask Why?" published in 491, readers of Balancing Act's News Update might have believed we were alleging Global Voice Group assisted in the commission of fraud by a group we described as "a mafia," adopts anti-competitive practices by taking over all the international phone traffic in Congo and encourages African Governments to impose taxes on incoming calls. We would like to make it clear that it was not our intention to suggest this. We accept that these allegations are false and apologize to Global Voice Data Group for any misunderstandings which may have arisen and any damage our publication may have caused.
The Nigerian Communications Commission said it will up its investment levels in the Internet Exchange of Nigeria in order to help the organisation keep local internet traffic within the country, the Punch reported.
NCC Executive Chairman Eugene Juwah said the key roles being played by IXPN were critical to Nigeria's emancipation in the global internet arena. IXPN, which commenced operations with initial funding from the commission, was formed to interconnect all internet service providers, private telecoms operators, and higher institutions in Nigeria.
The NCC boss also advised the board and management of the company to ensure it entrenched an attractive business proposition and good corporate governance that would attract the participation of all the key operators in the industry, and ensure delivery on its mandate.
Newtec has announced that Ghana-based triple-play solutions provider K-Net is using Newtec's Sat3Play to extend the reach of broadband services throughout West Africa. K-NET's Sat3Play infrastructure provides the platform for service providers to offer a full range of broadband applications via satellite, including Internet access, security, VOIP, IP VPN and VSAT.
With a Sat3Play hub in Accra and terminals located throughout the region, K-Net's service provider clients can deliver services to business and consumer customers. Applications include enterprise connectivity, GSM backhauling, digital signage, consumer broadband access with triple-play, and on-the-move access for mobile customers.
Sat3Play's low-cost and easy-to-install terminal enables the end-users throughout West Africa to access broadband regardless of their location, whether for individual home and office applications, SME networks, or larger-scale vertical applications, such as SCADA, POS and ATM. Sat3Play thus provides K-Net's clients and their customers with the basis for a truly viable business model anywhere in the region, complementing the terrestrial infrastructure.
"A key benefit of the technology is that it makes broadband service provision possible at a realistic investment level, and with low operational costs," says Richard Hlomador, founder and CEO of K-Net. "User terminals are easy to set up, and the Ka-band migration capability makes the platform future-proof and very versatile in terms of satellite use."
The new low-cost, Ka-band-ready Sat3Play terminal includes Newtec's 4CPM modulation and coding scheme, which substantially increases the speed and bandwidth efficiency of the return link. This makes Sat3Play a good fit for both the consumer and enterprise market. Sat3Play can be combined with VoIP and Direct-to-Home television services, and supports a large variety of professional applications such as for the maritime, energy, transport and security markets. The terminals can be set up quickly and easily using Newtec's Point & Play self-installation capability.
Sat3play is operated by K-Net under the brand name fast2net. The major countries of coverage are Senegal, Gambia, Mali, Niger, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Cameroun and Central African Republic.
Zimbabwean ISP, Africom on Friday unveiled its mobile broadband platform after investing US$30 million into the project in a development that would improve the country's mobile penetration.
The development follows the deregulation of the telecommunications sector last year after the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) said licenced operators with the infrastructure can do both data and voice in a bid to improve the country's teledensity
It will compete with mobile players, Econet, Net One and Telecel who have of late been struggling to offer quality service to subscribers. Kwanayi Kashangura, Africom Founder and Chief Executive Officer told Standardbusiness the company is not competing directly with mobile operators but "we are enhancing the service".
Kashangura said mobile operators were offering other services which Africom had and the converged licence meant that it could now participate in voice, data, internet and other services. "Mobile operators are now offering internet services on their platforms and we said we need to offer a full bouquet of communication services," the Africom founder said.
With its existing infrastructure, there is a capacity of three million subscribers. He said the services had been tested for over two months, he said. Nelson Chamisa, Information and Communication Technology Minister said government stands for competition of various service providers "and our duty is to provide an enabling environment so that there is improvement in the quality of service.
"In government we say seek ye first the kingdom of connectivity and the rest will follow in communication," he said. He said government's vision was that before the end of the year people "must be connected". Government has identified ICTs as the fuel for economic growth. In the 2010 national budget Finance Minister Tendai Biti allocated US$5 million through the Vote of Credit aimed at establishing a fibre optic link between Harare and Mutare and Harare to Beitbridge.
* MTN has followed in the footsteps of Cell C to boost the coverage of their mobile broadband offerings Bloomberg last week announced that MTN will use some of its 900 megahertz spectrum for 3G services. The lower frequency, MTN typically uses 2100 MHz for its 3G network in South Africa, makes wider coverage possible using less sites.The use of 900 MHz for 3G is however nothing new for MTN. Earlier this year MTN Ghana announced that it had concluded successful trials of the first 900 MHz UMTS network in Africa.MTN worked with Ericsson on their 900 MHz 3G network in Ghana, and found that the lower frequency means that they can create country-wide mobile broadband coverage far more cost effectively.
* Cell C today unveiled its 4Gs network in Bloemfontein, the second of 10 South African cities expected to get connected to the high-speed HSPA+ network.
* Zimbabwe ISP ZOL launched a new magazine last week on the sidelines of the ICT Africa 2010. The magazine is run online as a blog at www.zolife.co.zw and also has a free offline paper magazine to be issued six times a year.
Fresh facts have emerged on how China-based computer manufacturer, Haier, US-based Avant Technology and Nigerian-owned Zinox Computers were shortlisted for the supply of 132,000 units of Direct Digital Data Capture (DDC) machines for the voter registration.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has sent requests for quotations (RFQs) to the three shortlisted firms, and THISDAY can confirm that the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), otherwise known as the Due Process Office, will take a final decision on the award of the contracts today.
The decision will be communicated to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) for onward transmission to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for approval at next week's council meeting.
INEC, which had earlier sent an RFQ to Lenovo, a Beijing, China-based original equipment manufacturer, recommended Haier for the supply of the bulk of the equipment based on the company's track record with the United Nations.
THISDAY learnt that INEC had made contact with foreign embassies in Nigeria seeking advice on how to procure the equipment in record time because of the urgency associated with the preparations for the 2011 general election.
INEC got in touch with the UN procurement system because of the organisation's global experience in conducting elections, especially in difficult circumstances.
Haier, one of China's Top 100 IT companies, specialises in technology research, manufacture industry, trading and financial services. Its Thermocool refrigerators and freezers are produced under licence in Nigeria by PZ.
The track record of Haier is said to have impressed INEC, which also discovered that the Chinese company has the capacity to produce all the DDC machines it requires for voter registration.
INEC is said to have been swayed by the ability of the company to meet the deadline because it could be too risky to entrust the project to a contractor who may not be able to deliver in record time.
However, in asking Haier to quote for 90,000 units and Avant 20,000 units, INEC also asked Zinox to quote for 22,000 units because of the agitation for local content in the contracts.
Although only 120,000 units would be needed for the registration, INEC has made plans for 132,000 in the event of breakdowns and redundancy.
In another development, INEC Chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega yesterday raised hopes that the commission could use the Modified Open Ballot System in the conduct of the 2011 general election.
However, he said that the extant law in the statute book is the Open Secret Ballot System.
Jega, who spoke when a delegation of the Save Nigeria Group (SNG) led by Pastor Tunde Bakare visited him, said: "The legal framework on the mode of election currently provided for is what is called the open secret ballot system. You are calling for a Modified Open Ballot System; we go and look at it.
"If there is call for it within the legal framework, and we do the cost benefit analysis and we weigh all the pros and cons and it turns out to be the best, certainly, we will give it the consideration it deserves."
MOBS allows accreditation of voters and voting to take place at the same time nationwide, with the votes counted and scores announced on the spot.
But the current system allows voters to vote at various times before 1pm and they are to disperse immediately after voting without waiting for the announcement of the results.
On the funding of election monitors, Jega said that the commission would no longer fund the activities of the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that monitor the elections.
He promised to help the election monitors in areas of logistics, but categorically said: "Don't expect INEC to pay your bills, we cannot foot their bills."
Jega said a mechanism had been put in place to check the activities of the staff of the commission that are corrupt.
According to him, there are in-built checks and balances, and any member of staff caught in the act would "face the music".
He said that the era of the Resident Electoral Commissioners and Electoral Officers of the commission conniving is a thing of the past. Earlier, Bakare had brought to the attention of the commission a six-point case to be addressed to checkmate rigging.
The six issues are: the Modified Open Ballot System, connivance of election monitors and observers with the state governments to rig the election, management of security personnel during election, connivance of resident electoral commissioners and electoral officers to rig election.
Nigeria-based ICT firm Voix Networks Limited has partnered with First Bank to introduce reliable Point of Sale (POS) terminals in Nigeria.
The partnership will enable First Bank to deploy its POS terminal over Voix Networks' extensive fixed-line infrastructure in commercial premises such as markets, shopping malls and hotels.
The deal marks Nigeria's move to offer a reliable infrastructure to facilitate e-commerce in an environment where millions of dollars circulate in the economy on a daily basis.
Nigeria's robust mobile telecommunications market has put the development of a reliable fixed-line broadband network in the back burner. The lack of such a network means services such as POS terminals for credit card transaction are inadequate and outdated.
POS have revolutionized payment collection for merchants and purchasing for customers in many parts of the world. However, to operate effectively they require a stable fixed-line network.
Voix Networks took advantage of the existing gap to deploy a much needed fixed-line broadband infrastructure that can provide stable, high speed, high quality and low cost connectivity.
'The world economy, given technological advancements, is fast becoming one global market. Nigeria, the economic nerve centre of the Africa continent, cannot afford to lag behind,' says Emeka Onyeama, managing director of Voix Networks.
Voix Networks has also successfully launched high speed internet to homes and offices via ADSL modems that deliver voice and data on a single transmission cable. 'We are the first company in Nigeria to deploy an extensive broadband via DSLAMS/ADSL and are seriously marketing the services,' says Onyeama.
The company is currently looking for financial partners and investors to maximize its strategic advantage and aims to raise up to $50-million to support client take-up on its current network and to begin the 2nd and 3rd stages of network deployment to extend its coverage nationwide.
'This expansion will require substantial investment in fibre optic and copper cable in addition to more multiplexers to convert to last mile copper. There will also be substantial investment in more dslAM/Adsl modem units that drive internet connectivity over the fibre and copper. Furthermore, procurement of additional bandwidth to cover for the growing subscriber base is essential,' says Onyeama.
The Interactive Intelligence contact centre solution, implemented by ATIO, is providing effective support to East Africa's largest bank as it shifts its customer contact centre in-house.
At the end of 2009, Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) implemented its first in-house contact centre. The decision has allowed the bank to take control of in-bound and out-bound customer interactions with surprising ease.
KCB is the largest commercial banking group in East Africa, with an asset base of over $2.5 billion and over 200 branches. As a large-scale, widespread organisation, the bank required a highly scalable solution and an implementation process that wouldn't impact negatively on existing operations.
"The big challenge for us was to get a solution in place that was fully integrated and that met our need for work flow optimisation. We particularly wanted to avoid managing and attempting to integrate disparate hardware elements, and multiple servers," says Jimmy Masinde, Head of Contact Centre at KCB.
KCB went through an extensive vendor selection process to establish the right technology for its 66 seat contact centre. Nineteen initial vendor proposals were received, which were then cut down to a short-list of five. From this list the bank decided to implement the world leading Interactive Intelligence solution, provided by specialist South African ICT company, ATIO.
The Interactive Intelligence CIC contact centre solution with its full multi-media capability was deployed with modules such as Unified Messaging, Interaction Recorder, Interaction Dialler for outbound campaigns and Interaction Optimiser (with workforce optimiser and scheduler) included.
"The key elements in the decision were integration and ease of use," says Masinde. "The Interactive Intelligence system won in both these areas. It is also very scalable and can therefore cater for growth. We can add seats to the contact centre in a very simple and quick process, which is important."
The KCB contact centre now services in-bound and out-bound calls for all the bank's customers – including those living in Sudan, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.
"We've got over 200 branches, so when it comes to in-bound calls, customer service and education is obviously very important," says Masinde. "Equally, out-bound marketing, sales and debt management calls are a big part of the centre as well."
After nearly a year of operation, the Interactive Intelligence solution has proved to be exactly the right fit for KCB. "We're very happy. The stability of the system combined with its scalability was exactly what we were looking for - it caters to our immediate and future needs," adds Masinde. "The support offered by both Interactive Intelligence and ATIO has been fantastic as well, so we've enjoyed a lot of value from our investment."
* BizDataSoft Solutions, LLC, a USA-based business technology and software consulting company that started operations in The Gambia in 2010, on Monday, 30th August 2010 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, signed a 5-year-partnership and exclusive representation agreement with three companies; namely Bajrai International Trade, Saleh Bashraheel Establishment for Trading, all in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; and Huda International & Hudatech Computer Solutions in India.
* The Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) is to organize a workshop titled 'e-government applications and solutions' for principal officers in all the local governments areas in the northern part of Nigeria.The three-day workshop, scheduled for September 27, 28 and 29, at 9am daily, is to take place at Merit House, Maitama Abuja.
* A computer expert, Chief Leo Stan Ekeh, has urged the Federal Government to give one laptop to every serving National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member and repentant militant on October 1, 2010.
* The Niger State government said yesterday that it would spend N71.9 million to train civil servants in computer education.
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
MTN South Africa last week showed off a 'green' base station near Upington, which is based on environmentally-friendly technology that will make it easier for the network to reach rural areas with wireless broadband services.
The green base stations form part of a massive investment that MTN SA is making in network infrastructure.
The operator has pumped R18bn into its South African network over the past two years, with an increasing focus on rolling out infrastructure in rural areas. The operator has earmarked another R4bn – R5bn for infrastructure investment in the next year.
The capital investment the operator has made over the past two years covers both rural network rollouts and the addition of transmission capacity to its network, says MTN SA MD Karel Pienaar. TechCentral last month broke the news that MTN SA plans to build a third-generation (3G) mobile network to offer wireless broadband services to consumers in outlying areas.
The company's chief technology officer Sameer Dave said at the time that the company is planning to "refarm" a portion of its 900MHz spectrum for the network for wireless broadband. This spectrum is traditionally used by local mobile operators for second-generation (2G) services — mainly voice — while operators usually use 2.1GHz spectrum for 3G.
Pienaar showcased the first phase of the rollout of the new rural network last week with the unveiling of one of the company's 21 green base-stations in Riemvasmaak, 120km from Upington. The base station runs on solar and wind power because Eskom could not provide electricity in the area.
Up until now, the lack of electrical power in remote areas made it costly and difficult for operators to roll out network infrastructure, says Pienaar. But solar and wind power has matured to a stage that it is now a viable alternative to diesel-powered generators. While the capital costs for these green base stations are higher, they deliver far lower operational costs.
The pan-African operator spends more than $100m/year on diesel for its operations across the continent. Diesel accounts for 6% of MTN Nigeria's operational expenditure. Pienaar says the new rural base stations are already using the refarmed 900MHz spectrum for wireless broadband access. However, he says the base stations also provide voice and other services on the traditional 3G 2.1HGz spectrum.
MTN hopes in the near future to roll out similar infrastructure in other targeted areas that currently have no 3G data connectivity, Pienaar adds.
MTN's data services currently cover close to 50% of South Africa's geographical area. "Wireless broadband is the most effective mechanism to bring data services to rural South Africa. It makes both economic and business sense," says Pienaar.
"We believe much of our future data market will come from these previously under-serviced areas that are desperate for the full end-to-end connectivity services that MTN can provide."
Internet Solutions (IS) and Symantec have partnered to build a multimillion rand data centre in Johannesburg that will provide hosted data security services across Africa. The companies have declined to disclose the value of the investment. But the new data centre is essentially a replica of Symantec's own data centres in other parts of the world, says Symantec's VP for hosted services in the EMEA region, Jesper Frederiksen.
The market for security as a service is opening up in South Africa and Africa, he adds. There is a high rate of adoption of software as a service among SA companies and integrating security into those solutions is becoming imperative, says Frederiksen.
Symantec hosted security solutions that will be made available to IS clients through the data centre include Symantec's MessageLabs Hosted Email AntiSpam and AntiVirus, MessageLabs Hosted Email Encryption, and MessageLabs Hosted Email Archiving. The portfolio of products will be available in early 2011.
Symantec will be recruiting channel partners, including Symantec resellers, to resell the hosted products to clients across Africa, says Symantec's regional director for Africa, Gordon Love.
IS innovation and technology manager, Hayden Lamberti, says the partnership will strengthen IS's existing hosted services business. The service provider will be able to provide Symantec with access to IS customers in SA and other African countries where the software vendor already operates, as well as extend its reach into territories where it is not yet active.
Diversified information, communication and technology product and service provider Pinnacle Technology last week reported improvements in its revenue and headline earnings per share for the year to June, citing organic growth as a reason. Revenue rose 11.8% from R2.83bn to R3.17bn, primarily due to organic growth at two of its subsidiaries, WorkGroup and Pinnacle Africa.
Fully diluted headline earnings per share were up 37.6% from 59.1c to 81.3c . This was despite the group's gross profit percentage having been reduced from 15.5% to 15.1% through WorkGroup's better than average growth and the loss of RentNet's high-margin business having diluted the increased gross profit contribution made by Pinnacle Africa.
Regarding prospects for the next financial year, the company said market sentiment is largely positive, with market indicators having reported improved earnings and jobs data. Regarding its own strategies, improved risk management and reporting strategies should contribute to a global platform for sustained, stable growth, the company said.
"The group will, however, continue to focus on cost containment to reduce pressure on revenue generation. Working capital management and cash generation will continue to enjoy attention as the group aims to further improve its balance sheet and corresponding ratings," it said.
Operating expenses as a percentage of revenue fell from 9.6% in the previous financial year to 8.6%. Included in operating expenses was a R13m charge for bad debts. This came after a record number of business failures during the year.
Cash and cash equivalents increased by 14% from R163,65m to R187m. A dividend of 16c per share for the year under review has been proposed, an increase of 33.3% from the previous year's 12c a share. Corporate activity during the year saw Pinnacle establish Moyahabo Digital Solutions, in which it has a 51% interest. It also increased its equity holding in DataNet by 9.9%.
CEO Arnold Fourie said he hopes to have Competition Commission approval to buy out infrastructure distributor Axiz by month-end. The group announced in July that it was buying Axiz for R170.9m. Fourie said once the deal gets the go-ahead, the group plans to start work on another value-adding deal.
JSE-listed technology services business, EOH, has grown its market capitalisation to R1bn off the back of a strong set of financial results. The company's share price today climbed 2.4% to R12.80 at the time of writing, nudging its market cap just past the R1bn mark.
In its latest numbers, EOH reported a 38% increase in revenue to almost R1.7bn and boosted profit before tax by 36.6% to R159.2m. Headline earnings per share and earnings per share grew by almost 30% each.
Kaplan Equity Analysts MD Irnest Kaplan attributes the business's success to a competent management team. He says that as a smaller company than competitors such as Business Connexion, EOH also has more scope to grow.
Asher Bohbot, CEO of EOH, says the company has grown in a recessionary market by remaining agile. Kaplan says many listed IT companies see R1bn as the magic number since many fund managers don't consider investing in businesses with market capitalisations below that level.
EOH should be able to attract more interest from institutional investors now that it has passed this milestone. The company also increased its dividend by 20% from 30c to 36c for the year.
* Cell C announced last week that it is offering to purchase for cash its outstanding €400,000,000 (85.8%) First Priority Senior Secured Notes due 2012.Cell C is also soliciting consents from the holders of Notes to amend the indenture governing the Notes. Cell C's tender offer and consent solicitation will expire on October 8, 2010.Cell C says it intends to fund an amount equal to the face amount of Notes tendered in the tender offer from the proceeds of a credit facility entered into with China Development Bank.The remaining amounts payable in connection with the tender offer and consent solicitation, including accrued interest on the Notes and related fees and expenses, will be funded from cash on hand.Cell C will consider the possibility of redeeming the 11% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2015 following the consummation of the tender offer and consent solicitation. The timing of any such redemption has yet to be determined.This announcement is not an offer to purchase any Notes or a solicitation of an offer to sell any Notes," Cell said in its press statement.
Digital Content
Prospective travellers with RwandAir in Rwanda and Burundi can now access the airline's flight schedule via short text messages sent directly to their mobile handsets.
The service has been available since Wednesday last week with all telecom operators in Rwanda and Burundi, according to RwandAir's Corporate and Communications Manager Michael Otieno. "The service is for the convenience of a traveller. You just do it for checking the flight schedule," Mr. Otieno said Thursday in a telephone interview.
To access the flight schedule on your mobile, a customer types the word RwandAir [space] destination and sends to either 123 on MTN Rwanda or 7333 on Tigo Rwanda when in Rwanda. Otieno said RwandAir wants to make the service available to other destinations where it flies.
The service will be available in Uganda in two weeks time with all the telecom operators, he said. South Africa, Tanzania and Kenya will also follow in a month's time. Currently, when one buys a RwandAir ticket is also asked to provide a telephone number and email for future use.
The airline plans to have a database of contacts of its customers and will be sending them text messages and emails about the flight schedules. RwandAir will also finalise its internet based booking engine by end of November to facilitate online booking.
The airline is in talks with the operator of the online booking engine to create a possibility where customers could use their mobile phones to book flights, Otieno said. RwandAir serves all East African community capital cities with daily flights and it flies to Johannesburg, South Africa five times a week.
The airline currently has a fleet of two Boeing 737-500, two Bombardier CRJ and a Dash 8 with two Boeing 737-800 joining the fleet in 2011.
Customers will soon be able to clear their goods at the port of Mombasa without using a single piece of paper. In an apparent move to put a stranglehold on middlemen and fight corruption at the port, the Cabinet Wednesday approved the total automation of the port.
The National Single Window System at the Kenya Ports Authority, the computerised system that will transform the port into a paperless operation, is the latest in a series of moves to reduce corruption at the KPA and improve efficiency.
Other measures that have been undertaken by the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) include computerising the movement of cargo around the port and requiring clearing and forwarding agencies to get passwords to log into the KRA system to import and clear goods.
Past reforms have tended to attract resistance from some groups. KRA said the system was aimed at stopping groups that have previously benefitted from a chaotic system at the port by evading tax.
The new computer system will be owned by the government and will allow the submission and receipting of all trade and related documents. Automation of the port is among the decisions taken by the Cabinet, chaired by President Kibaki at State House Nairobi on Wednesday.
Telecoms, Rates, Offers and Coverage
* Lagos — In the spirit of the celebration of Nigeria's 50th independent anniversary, Etisalat Nigeria, one of the four GSM telecommunications companies in Nigeria, said it has slashed its call rates by half, to enable Nigerians have more opportunities to talk. Offering the new tariff proposition called easylife, Etisalat said subscribers on its Easy Starter and Easy Cliq, now have the opportunity of enjoying lower rates of 25 kobo per second to all networks in Nigeria, anytime of the day, effective from September 1, 2010.
*Harare — Econet Wireless, Zimbabwe's largest mobile telecommunications firm, will from October 2 change its prefix number from 091 to 077, an official said on Tuesday.Corporate communications manager Rangarirai Mberi said the move was in compliance with standards set by global regulator, the International Telecommunications Union.The change affects only the first three numbers with the rest of the numbers remaining unchanged.
* Nairobi — Safaricom has reduced charges for SMS. Under the new tariff plan dubbed Masaa ya SMS, the listed operator's 16 million-plus subscribers will be able to send text messages for as low as 20 cents each. This service will be enjoyed by the firm's PrePay and PostPay customers alike. The plan allows subscribers to send text messages within the Safaricom network at rates depending on what SMS bundle one selects. A bundle of 100 SMS will be available at Sh20, which denotes a unit price of 20 cents per message sent.Subscribers will be able to buy some 20 text messages for Sh10, translating into 50 cents per text message, while the last bundle, for Sh5, will afford one five SMS, meaning a unit price of Sh1 each.
* MTN has launched its MTN Mobile Money service in Benin in association with Ecobank Benin.
* Richard Snow has resigned from the Vodacom board and will be replaced by regional Vodafone CEO Nick Read.
*Nokia is replacing its CEO, Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, with a top Microsoft executive, Stephen Elop, as the Finnish handset manufacturer seeks to make up for ground it has lost in recent years to rivals such as iPhone-maker Apple and BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion.
* The head of Nokia Corp.'s mobile phones business, Anssi Vanjoki, has announced he is resigning from the company, just three days
* MTN Ghana's Chief Marketing Officer George Andah is going to work for Bharti Airtel, the new owners of Zain. Clement Ofori Asante will replace him.
21-22 September 2010, Nairobi, Kenya
The most comprehensive African wholesale telecoms conference bringing together local and regional fixed-line and mobile operators from across the continent
For further information visit Capacity Media's website (http://www.capacitymedia.com/conferences-events.asp?id=66&cat=&subcat=&s...)
*Unix System Administration Workshop For Eastern and Central Africa Women Engineers,
11th - 15th October, 2010 Nairobi, Kenya Background The African Network Operators Group (AfNOG ' http://www.afnog.org ) invites women engineers from Eastern and Central Africa to participate in an intensive Unix System Administration workshop. Workshop goals and outline Overall objective: After attending this track, students will be able to install, upgrade, secure and competently manage the Unix operating system on standard PC hardware, and use it to provide essential Internet services on a network. It is aimed at students who are technically competent but may have had little or no prior exposure to the Unix environment. In addition they will be taught concepts such as: # Basic Internet Protocols and how they work # Some basic Internet services and how they function, including DNS, Web, SSH and E-mail # Designing installations for long-term scalability of services Who should apply: All Eastern and Central African women engineers, software developers and systems administrators with a desire to get Unix Administration skills. Due to funding availability, priority will be given to applicants from the following countries: Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Sudan, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Central African Republic, Gabon, Chad, Republic of the Congo, DR Congo and São Tomé and Príncipe Prerequisites: Experience in managing PCs and installing software (such as installing the 'Windows' operating system), but not necessarily Unix. Some prior Unix/Linux experience would be of great benefit. Language Language of instruction will be English. Application procedure Complete the application form attached and return it to: email@example.com Please ensure that you submit your application in time and fully completed. Selections will be on a competitive basis. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted. Application deadline The applications close on 30th August 2010. Applications received after this date will not be considered. For more information: Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
8-9 November 2010, Cape Town, South Africa
Google is inviting Computer Science students, developers and entrepreneurs to G-South Africa, which will take place on November 8th and 9th in Cape Town. Some of Google's best engineers, product managers, business managers and leadership will be speaking about Google's open web and mobile technologies. Day 1
Focus on using Google developer tools to push the boundaries of web applications. Google engineers and web development leaders will guide you through a full day of in-depth sessions, including hands-on code labs dedicated to cutting edge web and mobile technologies. Day 2
Chock-full of Google product demonstrations aimed at tech entrepreneurs and marketers. Our goal is to help spur innovation and business growth in South Africa and across the region. We want to inspire business to make the most of the web and mobile space! "South Africa has an array of promising start-up as well as front-running developers who are organizing Android hackathons, leading search engine marketing companies, creating asset-tracking systems with maps, and taking advantage of open source web tools," said Bridgette Sexton, Program Manager, Tech Outreach, Google Africa. Want to address the challenges and opportunities facing Africa: the exponential rise of mobile, the demand for local content, the lack of a ubiquitous form of payment, the constraints of bandwidth, the desire to export technology, and the will to innovate locally. Our Google Africa team strongly believes that the solutions to these issues will be solved by the tech communities in Africa. Google's G-Africa initiative is aimed at putting the tools to solve local and global needs into the right hands," added Sexton. For more information and to register, check out the G-South Africa website. Google Africa blog post at http://google-africa.blogspot.com/2010/09/growing-local-going-global-wit...
* C/C++ Developer
Verna in Gauteng
C/C++ Developer Salary R 700 000.00 – R 400 000.00 Johannesburg and Pretoria Area
A company based in Morning side Johannesburg is looking for specialising in the telecommunication sector is looking for a senior C/C++ developer. In addition the ideal candidate for the position will independently be able to interpret detailed functional specifications and develop software that functions exactly as specified on site.
To qualify for this position you need to have a minimum of 5 years programming experience in C/C++ and a Bachelors degree in engineering, computer science. Knowledge of programming languages such as Perl, Java and SQL. Development is done in an Object Orientated environment and you need to have solid experience in this type of environment, having experience. You need to have experience in UNIX and LINUS and TCP/IP networking and GSM systems is a plus. Working knowledge of software version control systems such as subversion is required. To apply for this position please send your full CV to Verna Baloyi at email@example.com
Please e-mail CV's to email@example.com
*Thermocool, Zinox and INEC - Nigeria
Lagos — Refrigerator and home appliances manufacturer, Haier Thermocool Nigeria Limited, Zinox Computers, and a US-based ICT firm, Avant Technology, may have landed the contract to deliver 132,000 units of Direct Data Capture equipment that will be used by the Independent National Electoral Commission for the voter registration exercise scheduled to take place between November 1 and 14.


text:
Check and see which eye is dominate. Your comment suggests that although you are right handed, you are left eye dominate.
I'd thought about that, and to an extent it's true (and one reason). However it's not just that - even the first time I picked up a gun it felt 'cack-handed' to fire right handed.
I can fire a pistol 'normally' however :)

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Penguins Report: Malkin Out 2-3 Weeks
Thursday, 10.29.2009 / 11:16 AM ET / Penguins Report
By Jason Seidling
Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin will miss 2-3 weeks with a strained shoulder. See 12:35 PM entry for details.
Tom Mast went around the locker room after today's practice. Here is a sampling of some of the things he heard:
Sidney Crosby
On continuing to rack up the wins:
We've played some good hockey, had a few hiccups, but responded well after losses. That's a big key. You've got to bounce back. You want to string wins together as much as you can. They all add up. It's been a good start so far.
On if he senses something special at the start of the season:
I think it's a little early for that. I think last year's always a great thing to look back on, as far as lessons learned. You can look at it the other way. We had a really tough few months, especially the first half of the season. We managed to turn things around. Things can change in a hurry both ways. I think it's important to realize that. But we're certainly happy with the way we are playing. The main thing is that we focus on making sure we improve. As the season goes on we need to improve. Other teams will improve. That's got to be our mindset.
On big game against Montreal:
It was fun. It's great when you can put the puck in the net and get some chances and generate a lot of offense. Our line did a really good job of that. I think, as far as our team's concerned, we played the way we wanted to. We made it tough on them. When you make it tough on other teams, usually it's a lot more fun to play that way. It was a big win and we'll look to build off of it here.
Brooks Orpik
On team playing well:
We've definitely had a good start here. It's something that we're just trying to get better every game. Wednesday was a pretty complete game from everybody for all 60 minutes, even with a couple guys out of the lineup. It's a tough stretch of games here, three in four nights, but our focus will be there Friday and Saturday.
On playing with confidence:
It's always a little more fun when you're winning. So naturally you have a little bit of a swagger, a little extra confidence going into games. For the most part, we have a good record, but I think it's far from our best hockey. We've been really good at times, but consistency hasn't always been there for 60 minutes. Last night was probably as close as we've been to a complete game. There's lots of room for improvement, no matter what our record is.
On Columbus game:
They've got a young team like we have the past couple years, a lot of good young guys there. And obviously (Steve) Mason's a good goalie, and (Mathieu) Garon, who we all know from last year, a good backup goalie there. It's a tough building to play in. We had a pretty competitive one there last year. It's a team that plays pretty similar to us so it should be a pretty good game.
Ruslan Fedotenko
On team winning:
It's a great start. I can't complain. But I feel like it doesn't matter how you start it's how you finish. I think we need to bring consistency to our game and make sure we play our game every game and elevate our game. So by the end of the season we'll be playing our best.
On system:
We have a good system. Everybody believes in it. We just stick to it and good things happen.
Marc-Andre Fleury
On goalies being 'fair game' behind the net:
When the goalie goes back there he's going for the puck, so he can't really fight back.
On fast start for the team:
Our goal is to win. Our goal is to get a good place in the standings. It's been going well.
Hopefully we can keep it the same and try to be constant.
On playing three games in four nights:
I think you get a little more tired, just with the traveling. We're just going to try to keep it simple and play our game.
On defense this year:
It's been pretty awesome. They've been playing so well. I know they've been working hard in practices and games, to dive in front of shots, to block some shots for me. I think we're able to move the puck out of the zone pretty quickly. They're able to find each other, and not get trapped in our zone.
Chris Bourque
On playing with Fedotenko, Malkin:
Playing with guys like Fedotenko and Malkin, it always makes things a lot easier. I thought we played pretty good as a line and the team had a great game for us.
On team system:
We don't really want to be in our own zone defensively. It's always trying to get it out and get it back in the offensive zone and get some chances. There's a lot of speed on this team and a lot of skill. That really works in our favor. It's definitely a fun system to play.
On his confidence level:
It's unbelievable. The caliber of players we have here is unbelievable. We've got a pretty good record so far. We've definitely got to keep it going.
On Kunitz:
It's awesome. He's a great player. It was nice to see him get one. He does so many other things that help his team out. He's definitely going to get his goals.
Mike Rupp
On goal scoring this year:
I've been given confidence to play and I'm allowed to try to make plays. I'm playing with a great group of guys. Our system is to go north-south and create offense, so I was able to benefit from it.
On moving to center in the Montreal game:
I've actually played more center over my career than wing. I'm going to do want they want me to do. It's really no adjustment.
On playing 'complete game' against Montreal:
I think so. We came out and established ourselves early and we stuck with our game through 60 minutes. We've been winning a lot of hockey games this year. I feel like we played the full 60 Wednesday night.
On Columbus game:
That's a team that's winning hockey games too. It's a good club. It'll be a nice little test for us on the road after being home for a while. We're looking forward to getting out there and trying to get two points.
On Steve Mason:
He's a guy that competes. He moves real well in his crease. It's someone that you want to get to early. I think that if we can have one of our games where we can get 35-plus shots our chances are pretty good.
On fast start:
It's definitely a promising start, but the hockey season's a long year. Every year you see some teams come out of the gates with a little bit of vengeance, and then they tail off. That's something we're not interested in doing. We're going to do everything we can to maintain what we've got going. I think right now we've got a good mindset. It's a little cliché saying one game at a time, but I really feel that's how we're looking at it. We've got one game tomorrow night, Columbus, and then we'll go from there.
Chris Kunitz mentioned after the game against the Canadiens that his line with Sidney Crosby and Bill Guerin was trying to focus on keeping the third-man high lower in the attacking zone to better jump on loose pucks and sustain a longer forecheck.
"We think we created more turnovers tonight because we weren't keeping that third man so high," Kunitz said on Wednesday night. "We were kind of bouncing and jumping forward on opportunities – getting pucks to guys that were open and capitalizing when we had a chance to put the puck in the net."
Crosby agreed with his left winger's assessment when broached about the subject after practice on Thursday.
"It's just something over a period of the start of the season that there were certain points where we watched video and it seemed like there were times we could have kept plays alive and kept teams trapped a little more," Crosby said. "Even on two of the goals (Wednesday) night we got the time in zone. That's all the reads from the forwards keeping plays alive."
Crosby said that such a strategy was not something they talked about specifically against the Canadiens, nor were there any weaknesses in Montreal's zone coverage that were exposed on tape. Instead the line was more focused on getting back to the way they want to play in the offensive end against any opponent after maybe getting away from it a bit the couple games prior to facing Montreal.
"I think that's something that was kind of a reoccurring thing," Crosby said. "There were times when we could have kept pucks alive or kept teams in, but we kind of backed off a little bit and played it safe."
As a line they generated plenty of attack time on Wednesday, enough to be able to combine for four goals, six assists and 13 shots on goal. After their '09-10 breakout performance, much will be asked of the unit the next couple weeks as the Penguins experience life without Evgeni Malkin. If Wednesday was any indication, they will be up to the task.
Here is the longer version of head coach Dan Bylsma's comments to reporters on Malkin's injury, Kennedy's status and Brent Johnson making the start against the Blue Jackets:
On Malkin:
You don't have to worry about his courage on the ice and how he is going to play. Knowing he has been dealing with this shoulder and he is still going out there throwing body checks and still going in there, that's the kind of players we have and that he is. This is trying to make the best decision on the health of the player. It is not an easy one.
On juggling the lines:
It will be interesting. We talk about the strength of our centermen. People talk about Jordan Staal being a second centermen on another team. We realize (center) is the strength of our team and we are fortunate to have depth at that position. Jordan will certainly see more ice time and probably a little more power-play time as well. I think we have enough quality forwards that we should be able to play a little bit differently, but we should be alright.
On Chris Kunitz:
I'll take four-point games from him the next couple weeks that would be great. Chris' game has been good – he has been effective, physical and there has been a little bite the past three or four games. He gets results so we get to talk about him a little bit. He is a guy who prides himself on doing the little things. He has been doing them and he got rewarded last night.
On his absence from practice Thursday:
It was just a maintenance day for Chris.
On not having Malkin and Gonchar on the power play the next couple weeks:
We don't have time for me to go over the concerns I think about daily. So is it a concern? Certainly we have thought about it and are going to talk about different options. When you lose two good players I think it goes without saying that you have some things to fill in and some concerns about who is going to go in there, how it's going to look and what the results are going to be. At the same time, two of our last three goals have been by our second power play. We have guys who can put the puck in the net.
On the goaltending rotation:
Brent Johnson is going to go the game in Columbus and then we will move forward from there.
On being without top players:
I think this team has been without Malkin, (Sidney) Crosby, (Sergei) Gonchar and (Marc-Andre) Fleury at different times. It is another challenge and another opportunity. You don't expect your 82 games to be perfect and you don't expect to go without an injury. Adversity at different times of the year helps your team and your players grow. Players grow into new ice-time assignments and different situations. It is another chance for our team to be tested, have some adversity and have guys go get opportunities here. You get to see guys step into those roles. I think it will be good.
On Tyler Kennedy:
He is still day-to-day right now.
Bylsma announced after practice that goaltender Brent Johnson will make his first road start of the season Friday night in Columbus. In his career Johnson has posted strong numbers against the Blue Jackets, registering a 9-2-2 record to go with a 2.07 goals-against average. The nine wins are most for Johnson against any one team.
Lost amid the bombshell that Evgeni Malkin will be out a couple weeks was the update Bylsma provided on a couple other Penguins to miss practice Thursday. Forward Tyler Kennedy remains day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. He is not expected to play Friday night in Columbus. Chris Kunitz, coming off a four-point night against Montreal on Wednesday, was given a maintenance day by Bylsma.
Head coach Dan Bylsma announced that forward Evgeni Malkin will miss 2-3 weeks with a shoulder strain. It is not the same injury that kept Malkin out of the lineup during the beginning of the 2006-07 season and the team is being cautious.
"Geno is going to be out of the lineup for a couple of weeks," Bylsma said. "He strained his shoulder about 10 days or so ago. I don't know the exact day. It is precautionary for the player. We are worried about the safety of the shoulder. A couple weeks of rest and rehab will get that thing healthy so he can get back onto the ice.
Befitting a player who had played 254 consecutive regular-season games through Wednesday's action, Malkin was naturally disappointed by the news.
"Obviously he has played with it and could gut it out, which is what Geno would be apt to do," Bylsma said. "At this time of the year the concern is the player and this is a precautionary measure."
Although disappointed, Malkin will accompany the Penguins on their trip to Columbus later today.
"I can play good, but it's the early season," Malkin said about the injury. "I feel good. It's not a big problem, and I'm fine. I'll be watching and supporting the team on the trip. It'll be fine."
"It's okay. It's not the pain. It feels good. It's because it doesn't feel comfortable now."
Here are some of the sights from Thursday's practice at Mellon Arena:
Against the Blue Jackets the Penguins will be wearing their blue 'third jersey' for the second time in '09-10. Pittsburgh defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning, 4-1, the first time they wore the jerseys back on Oct. 17.
The Penguins are wearing their blue gear in practice today to get a better feel for it in advance of tomorrow's contest. Friday will be the first time the Penguins have worn the blue jerseys on the road since a 2-1 shootout victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Jan, 1, 2008, which was the first time they had worn blue since defeating the Boston Bruins, 5-3, on Jan. 27, 1980 at the old Boston Garden. Pittsburgh debuted their black-and-gold uniforms for the first time on Jan. 30, 1980 in a 4-3 loss to the St. Louis Blues.
The Penguins have hit the ice this morning for practice before flying later to Columbus to take on the Blue Jackets Friday night at 7:00 p.m. All were accounted for on the ice except Evgeni Malkin, Tyler Kennedy and Chris Kunitz. Check back later today for an update on their status.


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Take a sneak peek at the new NIST.gov and let us know what you think!
(Please note: some content may not be complete on the beta site.).
Smart Grid National Coordinator General Information:
301-975-2232 Telephone
301-975-4091 Facsimile
100 Bureau Drive, M/S 8100
Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8100
April 2014
Draft NIST Framework 3.0 Now Available for Public Comment
An updated roadmap for the smart grid, NIST Framework and Roadmap for Smart Grid Interoperability Standards, Release 3.0, is now available for a 45-day public comment period. The draft Framework 3.0 document—published in April 15's Federal Register—updates and expands earlier Releases 1.0 and 2.0 (January 2010 and February 2012),outlining plans for transforming the nation's aging electric power system into an interoperable smart grid.
"There have been many remarkable advances in smart grid infrastructure since the release of the last edition," says Chris Greer, Director of NIST's Smart Grid Program Office. "By 2015, nearly a third of the 144 million meters in the U.S. will be smart meters. Through the Green Button effort, more than 45 electricity suppliers nationwide have committed to providing 59 million homes and businesses with access to their energy usage data.This new edition embraces this remarkable progress and provides a foundation for working together for the smart grid of the future."
Important new elements in this revision are an updated reference model of the smart grid,revised guidelines for cybersecurity, advances in testing and certification frameworks, international smart grid activities, and discussion of smart grid research and development needs.
A PDF version of the 255-page document (8 MB) is available online at http://www.nist.gov/smartgrid/framework3.cfm. The link also provides instructions for any individual or organization wishing to comment. Comments are due Friday, May 30.
On May 2,1-2 p.m. EDT, NIST's Smart Grid and Cyber-Physical Systems Program Office will be hosting a free, public webinar providing an overview of Framework 3.0.Registration information is available at https://cc.readytalk.com/cc/s/registrations/new?cid=vbz1164cprha.
Cybersecurity threats exploit the increased complexity and connectivity of critical infrastructure systems—such as the smart grid—placing our national security, economy, and public safety and health at risk. Over the past several years, NIST experts have played leading roles in addressing these issues, working with stakeholders from industry, government,and academia to develop key documents such as:
To update the smart grid community on recent developments in the cybersecurity arena, the Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP) is hosting a webinar, "Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity," on Thursday, April 24, from1-2 p.m. EDT.The webinar is free and open to the public.
This interactive live session will be moderated by Victoria Pillitteri, Advisor for Information System Security at NIST and Chair of SGIP's Smart Grid Cybersecurity Committee. An open question and answer period will follow panel presentations. Expert panelists will include:
Webinar attendees will learn about topics such as:
To reserve your webinar seat, please visit the webinar registration page on the SGIP website.
"MeasurementChallenges and Opportunities in Developing Smart Grid Testbeds," a workshop held last month at NIST-Gaithersburg, attracted over 60 attendees from industry, government, and academia. These diverse stakeholders listened to keynote speakers and then divided into three workgroups to identify major technological and measurement science challenges that impede smart grid testbed development, and discuss the best approaches for their design and operation.
David Wollman, Deputy Director of NIST's Smart Grid and Cyber-Physical Systems Program Office, described the workshop as being very interactive, and said, "The workshop explicitly addressed the needs and drivers for composable, modular, and interconnected testbeds. These testbed advances are important and will enable greater interactions between smart grid testbeds and also support the development of new multi-domain cyber-physical systems testbeds."
Plenary and keynote speakers included:
The workgroups proposed a number of ideas which will be useful to the broad smartgrid community and which will also guide NIST's actions and partnerships in the coming months. A full report of the workshop proceedings is being developed and will be available later this year on the NIST Smart Grid website.
In a March 18 Federal RegisterNotice, "National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE)and Electric Power Sector Identity and Access Management Use Case," NIST invites organizations to provide products and technical expertise to support and demonstrate security platforms for identity and access management for the electric power sector. This notice is the initial step for the NCCoE in collaborating with technology companies to address cybersecurity challenges identified under the Energy Sector program. Participation in the use case is open to all interested organizations.
The NCCoE, part of NIST, is a public-private collaboration for accelerating the widespread adoption of integrated cybersecurity tools and technologies. The NCCoE brings together experts from industry, government, and academia under one roof to develop practical, interoperable cybersecurity approaches that address the real-world needs of complex Information Technology systems.
As described in our February 2014 newsletter, the Innovative Smart Grid Technologies (ISGT) Conference, sponsored by the IEEE Power and Energy Society (PES), is a forum for participants to discuss state-of-the-art innovations in smart grid technologies. This year's conference, held February in Washington, D.C., was attended by more than 500 participants from 41 countries. It featured plenary sessions, multi-track panel discussions, technical paper and poster presentations, as well as tutorials by international experts on smart grid applications. NIST's George Arnold was the Technical Program Chair, and a number of NIST staff made presentations at the conference. In addition, NIST's Gerald FitzPatrick and Cuong Nguyen served on the Technical Program Committee and helped organize panel sessions, review technical papers,and chair a paper session.
Presentation slides from the keynote addresses and plenary and panel session are now available online, including these two NIST-related presentations:
A nine-page report from the Department of Energy (DOE), "Summary of DOE Sessions on the Recovery Act Smart Grid Projects," summarizes a series of six ISGT panel sessions featuring presentations on the results of smart grid projects under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (RecoveryAct). One of the key points highlighted (see p. 4 of report) was the following: "There is an ongoing need for industry standards for interoperability and for wide dissemination of best practices based on project experiences so lessons learned can be replicated and common pitfalls can be avoided."


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Black is the New Black
Wednesday, December 04th 2013
Black is the New Black. WSJ Magazine story styled by Alastair McKimm featuring resort 14 top. Photo by Daniel Jackson.
Michelle Obama in custom Narciso Rodriguez on Sesame Street
Thursday, November 21st 2013
Michelle Obama wearing custom Narciso Rodriguez with Elmo and Rosita on Sesame Street.
Resort 2014 in Grazia
Tuesday, November 19th 2013
Resort 2014 in Grazia.it. Styled by Alex Sweterlitsch, photographed by Bridget Fleming.
Claire Danes for Interview Magazine
Wednesday, November 06th 2013
Claire Danes wearing Fall 2013 Look 24 for Interview Magazine. Shot by Fabien Baron. Styled by Karl Templer.
Fall 2013 Embroidered Coat
Friday, October 04th 2013
Fall 2013 look 4 embroidered coat in fall/winter issue of Bon Magazine.
Jessica Alba wearing Spring 2014
Friday, September 27th 2013
Jessica Alba wearing Spring 2014 Look 6 at the A.CO.D premiere in Los Angeles.
Tina Fey at the Emmy Awards
Tuesday, September 24th 2013
Tina Fey wearing custom Narciso Rodriguez at the 2013 Primetime Emmy Awards.
The Structured satchel on Vogue
Thursday, September 12th 2013
The Fall 2013 structured satchel featured on Vogue magazine.
Spring 2014 finale
Wednesday, September 11th 2013
Final walk at the Spring 2014 show.
Spring 2014 Black and White
Wednesday, September 11th 2013
Black and white for Narciso Rodriguez Spring 2014.
Spring 2014
Wednesday, September 11th 2013
Spring 2014.
Fall 2013 Shoes
Wednesday, September 04th 2013
Fall 2013 shoes available at Barneys New York.
17 women Narciso loves
Wednesday, September 04th 2013
17 women Narciso loves, in W Magazine.
Fall 2013 in The Wild Magazine
Monday, September 02nd 2013
Fall 2013 look 8 in the September issue of The Wild Magazine.
Spring 2014 castings
Monday, September 02nd 2013
Day 1 of model castings for the Spring 2014 collection.
Fall 2013 Boomerang Clutch in ELLE USA
Thursday, August 29th 2013
Fall 2013 black and white Boomerang clutch in the September issue of ELLE USA.
Fall 2013 Geometric Mosaic Clutch
Wednesday, August 28th 2013
The Fall 2013 Mosaic Geometric Clutch in the September issue of Departures magazine.
Narciso with the Vogue September Issue
Friday, August 23rd 2013
Narciso reading the Vogue 2013 September issue at the studio.
Fall 2013 in the September Issue of Vogue
Wednesday, August 21st 2013
Fall 2013 look 9 in the September issue of Vogue magazine, shot by Steven Klein.
Maria Sharapova Wearing Pre-Fall 2013
Thursday, August 15th 2013
Maria Sharapova wearing Narciso Rodriguez Pre-Fall 2013 Look 1 jacket and skirt in the September issue of Shape Magazine.
Fall 2013 Pump in Harpers Bazaar
Tuesday, August 13th 2013
The Fall 2013 teal and pearl ankle strap pump in the September issue of Harpers Bazaar.
Nicole Kidman Wearing Resort 2014
Tuesday, August 13th 2013
Nicole Kidman wearing Resort 2014 teal crepe dress at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's 2013 Installation Luncheon.
Greta Gerwig and Narciso
Monday, August 12th 2013
Greta Gerwig and Narciso in Amy Larocca's article, "The Quiet(er) Success of Narciso Rodriguez" in The New York Magazine.
Fall 2013 Campaign in Collaboration With The Woolmark Company
Thursday, August 08th 2013
The Narciso Rodriguez Fall 2013 campaign in collaboration with The Woolmark company. Styled by Ludivine Poiblanc and shot by Josh Olins. Featuring Charon Coojimans from DNA Models.
New Black and White Folio Clutch
Thursday, August 01st 2013
The new black and white folio clutch coming soon to narcisorodriguez.com
Narciso Backstage 2003 Show
Thursday, August 01st 2013
Narciso backstage at the Fall 2003 Show.
Jennifer Aniston on the Cover of Glamour Magazine
Tuesday, July 30th 2013
Jennifer Aniston wearing Fall 2013 look 25 on the September cover of Glamour Magazine.
Narciso's "12 Things He Cannot Live Without"
Thursday, July 25th 2013
"Narciso Rodriguez shares 12 things he cannot live without" online Interview Magazine.
Pre-Fall Bag Available on narcisorodriguez.com
Wednesday, July 24th 2013
The pre-fall grey, teal + olive top handle bag now available on narcisorodriguez.com
Michelle Obama Wearing Narciso in Vogue 2009
Thursday, July 18th 2013
Michelle Obama wearing Narciso in the March 2009 issue of Vogue Magazine shot by Annie Leibovitz.
Olympic Skier Lindsey Vonn Wearing Fall 2013
Wednesday, July 17th 2013
Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn wearing Fall 2013 look 26 in the August issue of Vogue Magazine shot by Annie Leibovitz.
Narciso Fall 2013 on Interview Magazine
Monday, July 15th 2013
Narciso Fall 2013 feature in August issue of Interview Magazine styled by Ludivine Poiblanc
Narciso in August Issue of Interview Magazine
Monday, July 15th 2013
Narciso featured in the August issue of Interview Magazine styled by Ludivine Poiblanc.
August Issue Interview Magazine
Monday, July 15th 2013
Narciso feature in August issue of Interview Magazine.
Fall 2013 Pumps in Harpers Bazaar US
Wednesday, July 10th 2013
Fall 2013 pumps featured in August issue of Harpers Bazar US.
Amy Adams Wearing Fall 2013
Monday, July 08th 2013
Amy Adams wearing Fall 2013 look 25 in June/July issue of Interview Magazine.
Jennifer Aniston Wearing Narciso Rodriguez in Vogue
Thursday, June 27th 2013
Jennifer Aniston wearing Narciso on the December 2008 cover of Vogue Magazine.
Jennifer Lopez Wearing Spring 2005 in Vogue
Thursday, June 27th 2013
Jennifer Lopez wearing Spring 2005 shot by Mario Testino for Vogue.
Fall 2012 Dress in Vogue
Thursday, June 20th 2013
Narciso Rodriguez Fall 2012 dress featured in September issue of Vogue Magazine.
Michelle Obama Wearing Narciso Rodriguez Fall 2013
Wednesday, June 19th 2013
Michelle Obama wearing Narciso Rodriguez Fall 2013 before speaking at Riverdance performance at the historic Gaiety Theater in Dublin.
Fall 2013 in Elle Magazine
Monday, June 17th 2013
Fall 2013 Look 34 featured in the July issue of Elle US.
Spring 2013 in Vogue Netherlands
Friday, June 14th 2013
Spring 2013 Look 9 in June issue of Vogue Netherlands.
Resort 2014 Look 11
Thursday, June 13th 2013
Resort 2014 Look 11
Resort 2014 Look 6
Wednesday, June 12th 2013
Resort 2014 Look 6.
Resort on Style.com
Wednesday, June 12th 2013
Resort 2014 on the homepage of Style.com
Resort 2014 in WWD
Wednesday, June 12th 2013
Resort 2014 Look 6 on the cover of WWD.
Bee Shaffer at the CFDA Awards
Tuesday, June 04th 2013
Bee Shaffer wearing look 24 from Fall 2013 at the CFDA Awards.
Shooting Resort 2014
Saturday, June 01st 2013
Shooting Resort 2014 lookbook today.
Resort 2014 shoes
Saturday, June 01st 2013
Resort 2014 shoes
On set Resort 2014
Saturday, June 01st 2013
On set at Narciso Rodriguez Resort 2014.
Narciso Studio
Wednesday, May 29th 2013
Narciso Studio
Narciso, Paris 1997
Thursday, May 23rd 2013
Narciso, Paris 1997
June 2013 WSJ Magazine
Wednesday, May 22nd 2013
Fall 2013 Look 25 in June issue of WSJ Magazine. Photographed by Zoe Ghertner.
June 2013 GQ Magazine
Tuesday, May 21st 2013
Narciso Rodriguez Spring 2013 Magenta Dress featured in the June issue of GQ Magazine.
Spring 2013 Multi Strap Wedge
Monday, May 20th 2013
Spring 2013 Multi Strap Wedge available now on narcisorodriguez.com
Narciso and Kate
Friday, May 17th 2013
Narciso and Kate, 1994
November 2003 Vogue
Thursday, May 16th 2013
Uma Thurman on the cover of Vogue Magazine November 2003. Shot by Annie Leibovitz.
Look of the Day
Thursday, May 16th 2013
Fall 2013 Look 24 is Style.com's look of the day.
Kate Moss in Narciso Rodriguez 1997
Friday, May 10th 2013
Kate Moss in Narciso Rodriguez at the Cannes Film Festival 1997.
Julianne Moore in Spring 2013
Wednesday, May 08th 2013
Julianne Moore in Narciso Rodriguez Spring 2013 Multi Strap Wedge. Shop it now @narcisorodriguez.com
Kerry Washington in Fall 2013
Tuesday, May 07th 2013
Kerry Washington wearing Fall 2013 look 26 at the Peeples premiere. Photo by Global Grind.
Introducing the New Narcisorodriguez.com
Friday, May 03rd 2013
We're on! Introducing the new narcisorodriguez.com!
First Narciso Rodriguez Collection: Spring 1998
Thursday, May 02nd 2013
Backstage at the first Narciso Rodriguez collection: Spring 1998.
Spring 2013 in Flaunt Magazine
Wednesday, May 01st 2013
Spring 2013 look 9 featured in Flaunt magazine, shot by Nicolas Padron.
Liya Kebede in Spring 2013
Sunday, April 28th 2013
Liya Kebede wearing Spring 2013 look 33 in the May issue of WSJ Magazine, styled by Alastair Mckimm.
Narciso in September 2005 Vogue
Saturday, April 27th 2013
Narciso in the September 2005 issue of Vogue magazine shot by Steven Meisel.
Gwyneth Paltrow in Pre-Fall 2013
Friday, April 26th 2013
Gwyneth Paltrow wearing Pre-Fall 2013 dress on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Photo by Just Jared.
Fall 2001 Sketches
Thursday, April 25th 2013
Narciso sketches from Fall 2001.
Rebecca Hall wearing Narciso Rodriguez
Wednesday, April 24th 2013
Rebecca Hall wearing look 7 jacket from Spring 2013 in May issue of InStyle Magazine.
Narciso Heart
Tuesday, April 23rd 2013
Narciso heart for "Where is the Love: Donna Karan's One Million Hearts for Haiti."
New Narciso Rodriguez Website
Tuesday, April 23rd 2013
Introducing the new Narciso Rodriguez website.
Elle, June 2010
Friday, April 19th 2013
Fall 2010 feature in Elle's June 2010 issue.
Opening Look of Fall 2013
Wednesday, April 17th 2013
Look 1 of Fall 2013 on Caroline Brasch Nielsen.
Stevie Dance and Narciso Bag
Monday, April 15th 2013
Stevie Dance and her Narciso bag!
Spring 2013 Geometric Clutch
Saturday, April 13th 2013
Spring 2013 geometric clutch currently featured in Barney's "The Window."
Fall 2013 Finale
Friday, April 12th 2013
Monika Sawicka in the Fall 2013 finale.
Visit from Bag Snob
Wednesday, April 10th 2013
We loved having Bag Snob at Narciso studio this week.
Geometric Conversion
Monday, April 08th 2013
Fall 2013 ankle strap heels on style.com's "Guide to Fall Accessories."
Purple Reign: Style.com's Look of the Day
Saturday, April 06th 2013
Fall 2013 look 16 featured on style.com's look of the day.
Fall 2013 Bi-Color Pumps
Wednesday, April 03rd 2013
Ludivine Poiblanc wearing the Fall 2013 bi-color pumps during Paris fashion week. Photograph by Tommy Ton.
April 2013 Vogue
Wednesday, March 20th 2013
Joan Smalls wearing look 31 from the spring 2013 in the April issue of Vogue. Styled by Tonne Goodman and shot by Patrick Demarchelier.
Fall 2013 Look 26
Monday, March 18th 2013
Look 26 from the fall 2013 collection shot by Alessando Garofalo on Style.com.
Nicole Phelps on Fall 2013
Friday, March 15th 2013
Total Recall: Style.com's Nicole Phelps on the fall 2013 collection.
Vogue: Michelle Obama's Best Looks
Thursday, March 14th 2013
Michelle Obama wearing Narciso in Vogue's video.
Fall 2013 Behind the Scenes
Saturday, March 09th 2013
Fall 2013 behind the scenes.
Fall 2013 Shoes Behind the Scenes
Thursday, March 07th 2013
Fall 2013 shoes behind the scenes.


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A convicted sex offender involved in a fatal crash is expected to appear in court next week.
Edward Sullivan is charged in connection with the September wreck on Highway 49 in Star that killed a 12-year-old and injured four other children.
Sullivan faces numerous charges, including five counts of felony DUI and child endangerment.


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Tom Hanks Cloud Atlas box office: One of Hanks' weakest (wide-release) debuts ever
Featuring Academy Award winners Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Susan Sarandon, and Jim Broadbent (plus Hugh Grant), and directed by The Matrix's Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski, and Perfume: The Story of a Murderer's Tom Tykwer, Cloud Atlas opened below expectations in North America this pre-Halloween weekend, Oct. 26-28. (Image: Tom Hanks Cloud Atlas.)
Looking at Friday grosses, Cloud Atlas seemed poised to take in somewhere between $11-12 million. However, according to Warner Bros. estimates reported at Box Office Mojo, by Sunday night the time-bending, mind-bending drama will have collected a meager $9.4 million at 2,008 locations (including 105 IMAX screens), averaging only $4,681 per theater. If studio estimates are accurate, Cloud Atlas will be trailing not only Ben Affleck's political thriller Argo (with a less-than-expected $12.35 million, down 25 percent from last weekend), but also Sony Pictures' Hotel Transylvania ($9.5m).
Why did Cloud Atlas underperform?
Why did Cloud Atlas underperform? Well, one could blame everything from Hurricane Sandy and Frankenstorm to Halloween costume parties and the just-as-circus-like U.S. presidential election. But chances are that the real culprit was not bad weather or Mitt Romney, but weak word of mouth for a movie with a disjointed plotline – if it can be called that.
For instance, Cloud Atlas, which has a mediocre C+ CinemaScore, was up only (an estimated) 9 percent on Saturday. For comparison's sake: Argo was up 35 percent while Liam Neeson's critically lambasted thriller Taken 2 was up 33 percent. Even Tyler Perry's box office bomb Alex Cross was up 37 percent on Saturday. In fact, only two movies had worse Friday-to-Saturday percentage increases (or decrease) than Cloud Atlas: new entries Silent Hill: Revelation 3D (down 23 percent) and Chasing Mavericks (the Gerard Butler bomb was up a minuscule 4 percent).
Cloud Atlas' originally estimated $12 million first-weekend take wouldn't have been bad at all for something as unusual as the Tykwer / Wachowski Starship effort. But once again, if studio estimates are correct, $9.4 million is an undeniably poor North American start for a movie that cost a reported $102 million (not including marketing / distribution expenses).
On the positive side, on its first weekend out Cloud Atlas grossed nearly as much as Darren Aronofsky / Hugh Jackman / Rachel Weisz's similarly framed The Fountain, which brought in $10.14 million ($12.4 million adjusted for inflation) during its entire run in 2006. Having said that, since Cloud Atlas could theoretically end its domestic run with less than $20m, its only chance of at least matching its production budget at the box office is the international market. In the coming months, the Tykwer / Wachowski Starship movie is going to be slowly rolled out around the world.
Playing it safe, Warner Bros. acquired the domestic rights to the independently financed Cloud Atlas for a reported $15 million. Focus Features International will handle (at least some) foreign territories.
Cloud Atlas: One of Tom Hanks' worst opening-weekend box office performers
Cloud Atlas has scored one of Tom Hanks' weakest (wide-release) first-weekend grosses (adjusted for inflation) since the beginning of his movie career in the early '80s. If studio estimates are accurate, Cloud Atlas trailed not only the Hanks / Julia Roberts summer 2011 flop Larry Crowne's $13.09 million, but also the modest performer Charlie Wilson's War ($9.65m). In fact, one has to go back all the way to 1990's The Bonfire of the Vanities' ($4.21 million, or approx. $8 million adjusted) to find a weaker Tom Hanks wide-release debut.
The only two other Tom Hanks movies to suffer lower opening-weekend grosses than Cloud Atlas in the last (almost) three decades are the family drama Nothing in Common (1986, approx. $7 million adjusted) and the poorly received comedy remake The Man with One Red Shoe (1985, approx. $7 million adjusted). True, both had shorter running times (and more daily showings) than Cloud Atlas; however, both were screened at about 1,000 fewer locations as well. (The number of available seats – movie-theater sizes have changed dramatically in the last thirty years – is, of course, unknown.)
Cloud Atlas currently has a mediocre 40 percent approval rating and 6/10 average among Rotten Tomatoes' top critics.
Note: Considering that Cloud Atlas was only $100,000 behind Hotel Transylvania, it's possible that the two movies may have their placements on the domestic box office chart switched around when weekend actuals are released on Monday.
Tom Hanks Cloud Atlas image: Warner Bros.


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WESTPORT — Though the Westport Adult Summer League began on June 9, there is still time to sign up for a variety of summer programs at the Dianne B. Snyder Tennis Complex.
Upcoming classes include the Kids "Learn to Play" Tennis Clinics starting the week of July 8, on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 9 a.m. The clinics are designed in a progressive format to introduce the game of tennis and get your kids playing. The 6-week program, based on USTA's "Quick Start" instruction format incorporates footwork and ball movement drills, while learning ground strokes.
Each lesson is different and fun, by the end of the program your child will be rallying away! Whether your child has never picked up a racquet or is coming back for a refresher, they'll enjoy this program. A three-week program is also available. Age groups are 10 and under, and 11-14 years. Contact Chris at (508) 317-5443 or firstname.lastname@example.com for more information.
The JR. Tennis League is for kids who have been playing or had previous instruction and are looking to move up to match play. The junior league will meet Wednesday mornings starting July 9, and play both singles and doubles matches. Geared for middle school aged kids.
All fees for programs and donations received go toward funding the lights as well as maintaining the courts and surrounding grounds. Anyone interested in donating to or helping in DBSTC activities, please contact email@example.com.
Location, ST | website.com


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"It is wonderful to see the beautiful objects and new developments in foldforming that are occurring. The pieces here represent the best of what is being created today using foldforming." - Charles Lewton-Brain
Jurors: Charles Lewton-Brain, Tim McCreight, Ed Mack.
First place: "Undersea Candelabra" by Rauni Higson; Second place: "Spiritus" by Theresa Nguyen; Third place: "Quadrant" by Kaiya Rainbolt; Honorable Mention: "Pleated Silver Drinking Set" by Grant McCaig.
Jurors' Choice featured artists
Alison Antelman, Melody Armstrong, Peter Danilo, Christine Finch, Deborah Jemmott, Sue Lacy, Evelyn Markasky, Theresa Nguyen, Aimee Petkus, Judith Renstrom, Anna Robinson, George Sawyer, Brad Severtson, Lyn Stoll, Patricia Tschetter, Paul Wells, Anne Wolf.
The annual competition is open to artists everywhere and coincides with the Charles Lewton-Brain Conference on Foldforming. Both are hosted by Center for Metal Arts in downstate, New York. Visit www.centerformetalarts.com for more information and visit this SueLacy Wired post for an extensive live blog documenting the 2012 conference in text, photos, and video.
If you work with metal and would like to join the official Foldforming group on Facebook, visit here: http://www.facebook.com/groups/foldforming . (If your public Facebook profile does not reflect your involvement with metal, please message me with details.)


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Price: $12.99Personalize Item
Hear the sounds of six favorite vehicles when the two wooden cubes are properly placed in the wooden tray! Fire engine and steam train are among the featured vehicles in this match and listen activity. The realistic sounds act as lively encouragement when children put together the halves that match.
Dimensions: 3.8" x 4.3" x 7"
|AAA batteries not included.


text: The wiki last edited by Cloudguy on 06/16/14 01:30AM View full history A Secret Invasion chapter! An army of Skrulls are invading New York, but why is Spider-Man attacking Jackpot??By Brian Reed and Marcos Santucci.Also: Can Spider-Man save Vin Gonzales from the mystery woman!?By Marc Guggenheim and Phil JImemez.Classic Action: Peter Parker proposes to Mary Jane!By David Michelinie and Paul Ryan.CollectsSecret Invasion: Amazing Spider-Man #1.Amazing Spider-Man #566.Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21.


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The amazing creative force behind What Next has just released this funtastic Playground Roundabout. I spent a great deal of time on a roundabout as a kid, and later even into high school on cool Summer nights after ice blocking. Oddly enough it always resulted in the same outcome, I spun myself until I nearly puked and then stumbled around as I laughed at my equilibriums inability to keep up with me spinning my body into chaos.
This great playground roundabout goes great with the What Next Adventure Playground Swingset. I personally am very excited to have another item to join this great swingset for mon ciel Gabriella and I are planning to have a little one and I'm quite enjoying the preparations!
Check out this great video created by designer Winter Thorn showing the Playground Roundabout in action!
The 411:
Skin–Belleza- Jacob Tan
*Eyes- Vision by A:S:S – Adref eyes – forever yours
Shirt – REDGRAVE Summer Shirt Adam – Chequered
Pants-[monso] My Studded Shorts – Dark Blue
Shoes-2Real DECAZ
Plushie-+>A&A<+ Leo Lionies – Rainbow RARE (Available @ Zodiac)
{what next} Adventure Playground Swingset – Pine Red


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One Night for One Drop, imagined by Cirque du Soleil in support of One Drop, will be back on March 18 for a fourth edition. Featuring 100 Cirque du Soleil artists and guest performers, this one night only performance will take place in Las Vegas at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts. The online auction will close on Thursday, March 17 and will be included in the One Night for One Drop live auction on Friday, March 18. To learn more, visit https://onenight.onedrop.org/en/
One Drop is an international non-profit organization using water as a transformative force to improve living conditions, as well as give communities the ability to care for themselves and their family. Its intervention approach combines the power of safe water for consumption and production while inspiring behavioral change towards water and proper hygiene practices by creating a lasting understanding through social arts. To learn more, visit www.OneDrop.org. Be a part of the conversation on Twitter by following @onedrop.


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Definition of indefinite integral in English:
indefinite integral
An integral expressed without limits, and so containing an arbitrary constant.
Example sentences
- You can add an arbitrary constant to the indefinite integral, and still get the same derivative.
- Evaluate the indefinite integral with the independent variable set to each of the limits.
- The indefinite integral is defined as the set of all the antiderivatives of the function f.
For editors and proofreaders
Line breaks: in|def¦in|ite in¦te|gral
Definition of indefinite integral in:
What do you find interesting about this word or phrase?
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