Most people look for their long lost love on the internet, a new survey has found.
The study found that one out of four people are using social networking sites like Facebook to search a childhood sweetheart.
Search engine Ask Jeeves claims that 9% even confessed trying to know details of a one-night stand.
Nearly 37% said that they wanted to learn about their ex to just “see what they were doing these days”, reports the British tabloid the Sun.
Surprisingly, 4% even looked for former flames just to inform them how happy they were without them, while 3% searched to find out how miserable their ex were.
Apart from searching for previous lovers the poll also suggested that a trend of “vanity searching”, which means looking for yourself on the net, has become increasingly popular.
Agencies
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Henning Kagermann joins Wipro board of directors
Wipro has announced that the former CEO of SAP AG, Henning Kagermann, would be joining its board from October 27 this year. Kagermann, who retired as CEO of the global business software maker SAP in May 2009, is currently president of Acatech (German Academy of Science and Technology). He would be joining Wipro’s 10 other board of directors.
Commenting on his appointment, Mr Kagermann said, “I have for long admired Wipro as a company as much for its innovative approach to business as for its strong commitment to values. I am excited at the prospect of guiding the company as it prepares for its next phase of growth.”
With the addition of Mr Kagermann, seven of the 11 directors of Wipro will be independent directors that include Ashok Ganguly, BC Prabhakar, PM Sinha, Jagdish N Sheth, N Vaghul and William Arthur Owens.
Wipro chairman Azim Premji said: “We are delighted to welcome Mr Kagermann to our board. He brings in a unique combination of academic perspective, technical expertise and leadership experience. I am sure that Wipro will benefit from his rich knowledge, insights and wisdom.”
This is the second time that Wipro has inducted a former CEO of a global technology company onto its board. It earlier inducted William Arthur Owens, former CEO Nortel Networks in July, 2006. Besides Wipro, Mr Kagermann is currently a member of the supervisory boards of Deutsche Bank AG, Munich Re, Deutsche Post in Germany and in Nokia Corporation.
Prior to joining Acatech, Mr Kagermann was CEO of SAP AG, till 2009. Kagermann joined SAP in 1982 and was initially responsible for product development in the areas of cost accounting and controlling. Later, he oversaw the development of all administrative solutions, including human resources, as well as industry-specific development for banking, insurance, public sector, and healthcare.
His duties also included finance and administration as well as the management of all SAP regions. He has been a member of the SAP Executive Board since 1991.
Prior to joining SAP AG, Dr Henning Kagermann was Professor of Physics and Computer Science at the University of Tu Braunschwieg & University of Mannheim, Germany.
Agencies
Commenting on his appointment, Mr Kagermann said, “I have for long admired Wipro as a company as much for its innovative approach to business as for its strong commitment to values. I am excited at the prospect of guiding the company as it prepares for its next phase of growth.”
With the addition of Mr Kagermann, seven of the 11 directors of Wipro will be independent directors that include Ashok Ganguly, BC Prabhakar, PM Sinha, Jagdish N Sheth, N Vaghul and William Arthur Owens.
Wipro chairman Azim Premji said: “We are delighted to welcome Mr Kagermann to our board. He brings in a unique combination of academic perspective, technical expertise and leadership experience. I am sure that Wipro will benefit from his rich knowledge, insights and wisdom.”
This is the second time that Wipro has inducted a former CEO of a global technology company onto its board. It earlier inducted William Arthur Owens, former CEO Nortel Networks in July, 2006. Besides Wipro, Mr Kagermann is currently a member of the supervisory boards of Deutsche Bank AG, Munich Re, Deutsche Post in Germany and in Nokia Corporation.
Prior to joining Acatech, Mr Kagermann was CEO of SAP AG, till 2009. Kagermann joined SAP in 1982 and was initially responsible for product development in the areas of cost accounting and controlling. Later, he oversaw the development of all administrative solutions, including human resources, as well as industry-specific development for banking, insurance, public sector, and healthcare.
His duties also included finance and administration as well as the management of all SAP regions. He has been a member of the SAP Executive Board since 1991.
Prior to joining SAP AG, Dr Henning Kagermann was Professor of Physics and Computer Science at the University of Tu Braunschwieg & University of Mannheim, Germany.
Agencies
Why is Sun Micro losing $100 mn a month?
Oracle Corp Chief Executive Larry Ellison said Sun Microsystems Inc is losing about $100 million a month as European regulators delay approving his company's $7 billion purchase of the struggling hardware maker.
"The longer this takes, the more money Sun is going to lose," Ellison said on Monday evening during a dinner at one of Silicon Valley's most prominent speaker's forums, the Churchill Club.
Sun's revenue has tumbled since April when Oracle agreed to buy the world's No. 4 computer server maker in April as rivals IBM and Hewlett-Packard Co have poached customers amid uncertainty about its future.
Oracle has pledged to boost investment on development of Sun's products, but the hardware company has cut spending prior to the deal's closing as sales have plunged. Last month it reported a quarterly loss of $147 million.
Ellison, the world's fourth-richest man according to Forbes, said he expects the deal will eventually be cleared by European regulators as it was in the United States, without any conditions.
The European Commission is conducting an in-depth probe into whether the competition would be stifled by the combination of Oracle's database, the world's top seller, and Sun's MySQL database, which is widely used to run popular websites.
Legal experts have said Oracle may need to make concessions, including the divestiture of the MySQL software business, and that it is unclear how long European approval would take.
European regulators have until January 19, the deadline set by the Commission, the competition watchdog of the 27-country European Union. That would put Oracle months behind its original plan for closing the deal by the end of August.
Agencies
"The longer this takes, the more money Sun is going to lose," Ellison said on Monday evening during a dinner at one of Silicon Valley's most prominent speaker's forums, the Churchill Club.
Sun's revenue has tumbled since April when Oracle agreed to buy the world's No. 4 computer server maker in April as rivals IBM and Hewlett-Packard Co have poached customers amid uncertainty about its future.
Oracle has pledged to boost investment on development of Sun's products, but the hardware company has cut spending prior to the deal's closing as sales have plunged. Last month it reported a quarterly loss of $147 million.
Ellison, the world's fourth-richest man according to Forbes, said he expects the deal will eventually be cleared by European regulators as it was in the United States, without any conditions.
The European Commission is conducting an in-depth probe into whether the competition would be stifled by the combination of Oracle's database, the world's top seller, and Sun's MySQL database, which is widely used to run popular websites.
Legal experts have said Oracle may need to make concessions, including the divestiture of the MySQL software business, and that it is unclear how long European approval would take.
European regulators have until January 19, the deadline set by the Commission, the competition watchdog of the 27-country European Union. That would put Oracle months behind its original plan for closing the deal by the end of August.
Agencies
Will $3.9b Dell acquisition of Perot Systems payoff?
Dell agreed to buy Perot Systems for $3.9 billion, undertaking its biggest purchase ever to compete with International Business Machines and Hewlett-Packard in computer services. Dell, the second-biggest maker of personal computers, offered $30 a share in cash, about 68% more than Perot’s closing price September 18. The acquisition probably will boost profit in fiscal 2012, Round Rock, Texas-based Dell said in a statement on Monday.
Chief executive officer Michael Dell is pushing into computer services as consumers and companies curb PC purchases to cope with the economic slump. Larger services units helped IBM and Hewlett-Packard withstand the recession better than Dell, whose sales slumped 22% last quarter. The new services business would have annual sales of about $8 billion.
“This significantly expands Dell’s enterprise-solutions capabilities,’’ CEO Dell said in the statement. “The acquisition makes such great sense because of the obvious ways our businesses complement each other.’’
Once the transaction is complete, Perot Systems, based in Plano, Texas, will become Dell’s services unit. The purchase price is more than twice what Dell paid last year for EqualLogic, which was the computer maker’s biggest acquisition until now.
Perot Systems jumped as much as $11.89, or 66%, to $29.80 in trading before US exchanges opened. Dell, which ranks second to Hewlett-Packard in PC sales, fell as much as 5.6% to $15.75.
The acquisition of Perot, founded by former presidential candidate H Ross Perot, mirrors Hewlett-Packard’s purchase of Electronic Data Systems for $13.2 billion last year. EDS, the world’s secondlargest computer services provider after IBM, helped Hewlett-Packard increase services revenue 93% last quarter. Sales in the PC unit fell 18%.
Dell has relied on cost reductions to help prop up profit amid the recession. The company, aiming to save $4 billion a year, has farmed out 40% of manufacturing. Still, profit dropped 23% last quarter. Perot, which sells services to industries including health care, reported an 11% drop in sales and a 3% gain in net income last quarter. The company expects to benefit from the US government’s plans for electronic health records, Peter Altabef, CEO of Perot, said in an April interview. IBM’s sales fell 13% last quarter, while Hewlett-Packard’s total revenue dropped about 2%.
The companies have benefited from long-term services contracts to maintain corporations’ computers and networks. The Perot acquisition, while not subject to a financing condition, will need government approvals and the satisfaction of other conditions, Dell said. Dell to acquire x for $3.9bn.
Agencies
Chief executive officer Michael Dell is pushing into computer services as consumers and companies curb PC purchases to cope with the economic slump. Larger services units helped IBM and Hewlett-Packard withstand the recession better than Dell, whose sales slumped 22% last quarter. The new services business would have annual sales of about $8 billion.
“This significantly expands Dell’s enterprise-solutions capabilities,’’ CEO Dell said in the statement. “The acquisition makes such great sense because of the obvious ways our businesses complement each other.’’
Once the transaction is complete, Perot Systems, based in Plano, Texas, will become Dell’s services unit. The purchase price is more than twice what Dell paid last year for EqualLogic, which was the computer maker’s biggest acquisition until now.
Perot Systems jumped as much as $11.89, or 66%, to $29.80 in trading before US exchanges opened. Dell, which ranks second to Hewlett-Packard in PC sales, fell as much as 5.6% to $15.75.
The acquisition of Perot, founded by former presidential candidate H Ross Perot, mirrors Hewlett-Packard’s purchase of Electronic Data Systems for $13.2 billion last year. EDS, the world’s secondlargest computer services provider after IBM, helped Hewlett-Packard increase services revenue 93% last quarter. Sales in the PC unit fell 18%.
Dell has relied on cost reductions to help prop up profit amid the recession. The company, aiming to save $4 billion a year, has farmed out 40% of manufacturing. Still, profit dropped 23% last quarter. Perot, which sells services to industries including health care, reported an 11% drop in sales and a 3% gain in net income last quarter. The company expects to benefit from the US government’s plans for electronic health records, Peter Altabef, CEO of Perot, said in an April interview. IBM’s sales fell 13% last quarter, while Hewlett-Packard’s total revenue dropped about 2%.
The companies have benefited from long-term services contracts to maintain corporations’ computers and networks. The Perot acquisition, while not subject to a financing condition, will need government approvals and the satisfaction of other conditions, Dell said. Dell to acquire x for $3.9bn.
Agencies
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Twenty seven lose job every hour in America
Despite the US economy showing indications of recovery, the global job market remains gloomy, with companies laying off at least 27 employees every hour to cut costs.
With companies continuing to reduce their headcount in their efforts to tackle the downturn, around 13,000 jobs have been slashed so far in September by some of the leading global firms most of them headquartered in the US.
Job losses of about 12,900 have been witnessed in just 20 days of this month, translating into an average of 645 people being laid off per day. In turn, the toll comes to at least 27 people losing jobs per hour.
The lay-offs are happening across almost all the sectors from pharma to software to refinery, among others.
Most of the job cuts happened in the United States, which has already seen a staggering 5,50,000 Americans filing for unemployment benefits in the first week of September.
Last week, US Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke said the recession is “very likely over,” while America’s retail sales data strengthened on hopes that recovery from the economic downturn was progressing.
Bernanke, however, said that recovery would be slow and it would take time to create jobs.
September’s job cut wave was led by pharma major Eli Lilly & Company, which will slash around 5,500 jobs globally by 2011.
While in terms of numbers, diversified technology leader Danaher came next with 3,300job cuts followed by agricultural company Monsanto, which would reduce its headcount by 8% of its total workforce or about 1,800 people.
Defence major BAE Systems is also planning to cut 1,116 jobs across plants in the country and may shut down one of its facilities by the end of 2012.
Moreover, US-based computer maker Dell is eliminating 500 people while Deere & Company is reducing its workforce by 367 manufacturing employees.
Other companies which announced job cuts include — Valero Energy, which slashed the jobs of 150 employees and 100 contractors, HJ Heinz’s frozen food arm fires 65 workers in Idaho.
Agencies
With companies continuing to reduce their headcount in their efforts to tackle the downturn, around 13,000 jobs have been slashed so far in September by some of the leading global firms most of them headquartered in the US.
Job losses of about 12,900 have been witnessed in just 20 days of this month, translating into an average of 645 people being laid off per day. In turn, the toll comes to at least 27 people losing jobs per hour.
The lay-offs are happening across almost all the sectors from pharma to software to refinery, among others.
Most of the job cuts happened in the United States, which has already seen a staggering 5,50,000 Americans filing for unemployment benefits in the first week of September.
Last week, US Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke said the recession is “very likely over,” while America’s retail sales data strengthened on hopes that recovery from the economic downturn was progressing.
Bernanke, however, said that recovery would be slow and it would take time to create jobs.
September’s job cut wave was led by pharma major Eli Lilly & Company, which will slash around 5,500 jobs globally by 2011.
While in terms of numbers, diversified technology leader Danaher came next with 3,300job cuts followed by agricultural company Monsanto, which would reduce its headcount by 8% of its total workforce or about 1,800 people.
Defence major BAE Systems is also planning to cut 1,116 jobs across plants in the country and may shut down one of its facilities by the end of 2012.
Moreover, US-based computer maker Dell is eliminating 500 people while Deere & Company is reducing its workforce by 367 manufacturing employees.
Other companies which announced job cuts include — Valero Energy, which slashed the jobs of 150 employees and 100 contractors, HJ Heinz’s frozen food arm fires 65 workers in Idaho.
Agencies
Saturday, September 19, 2009
500+ BPO jobs to move from Australia to India: Vodafone
Vodafone Hutchison has announced that it will be offshoring 450 call center jobs from Australia to Tasmania and India. A spokesman for Vodafone Hutchison Australia said that company would transfer an unspecified number of positions to a call centre in Mumbai and about 100 jobs to Kingston, Tasmania.
Service Stream, the company that was running Vodafone contract confirmed the telecom operator's plans to end the contract employing 450 in customer service and support roles starting in October to February. Michael Doery, Managing Director of Service Stream says that the company would try to find new roles for the affected employees, but was unlikely to accommodate them. "We're trying to do the right thing for our staff but not give them false expectations. Call centre people are unlikely to suit the other sort of work we do, which is technically-based or based on outdoor civil activities. If a company we're providing services to makes a decision to in-source call centre jobs to Tasmania and India, that's not our decision," Doery said.
The decision to transfer call center jobs out of Australia comes three months after Vodafone Australia and Hutchison 3G Australia formed a 50:50 joint venture. Speaking on the current development Nigel Dews, Australia Chief of Vodafone Hutchison said, "The opportunity to use our combined scale to enhance our customer service capabilities is an important outcome for the Vodafone Hutchison Australia merger."
Agencies
Service Stream, the company that was running Vodafone contract confirmed the telecom operator's plans to end the contract employing 450 in customer service and support roles starting in October to February. Michael Doery, Managing Director of Service Stream says that the company would try to find new roles for the affected employees, but was unlikely to accommodate them. "We're trying to do the right thing for our staff but not give them false expectations. Call centre people are unlikely to suit the other sort of work we do, which is technically-based or based on outdoor civil activities. If a company we're providing services to makes a decision to in-source call centre jobs to Tasmania and India, that's not our decision," Doery said.
The decision to transfer call center jobs out of Australia comes three months after Vodafone Australia and Hutchison 3G Australia formed a 50:50 joint venture. Speaking on the current development Nigel Dews, Australia Chief of Vodafone Hutchison said, "The opportunity to use our combined scale to enhance our customer service capabilities is an important outcome for the Vodafone Hutchison Australia merger."
Agencies
$2 tn in revenues for green businesses by 2020
Global revenues from climate-related businesses such as energy efficiency rose by 75% in 2008 to $530 billion and could exceed $2 trillion by 2020, HSBC Global Research estimated.
In the 2006 Stern Review on the economics of climate change, climate-related revenues were forecast to climb to $500 billion by 2050. “We can see that this seemingly huge figure has already been surpassed well ahead of time as more and more businesses adapt their business model,” said Joaquim de Lima, global head of quant research for equities at HSBC.
The climate sector has surpassed the size of the global aerospace or defence industry, with the United States, Japan, France, Germany and Spain accounting for 76% of global climate revenues, the report found. For revenues to rise to $2 trillion, the way energy is generated and used needs to change and continued government support is needed.
The four core investment pillars will be low-carbon energy production, energy efficiency, control of water, waste and pollution and climate finance, the report said. Energy efficiency recorded the highest investment returns in the year to date at 30%.
“This is a very significant trend given the substantial share of climate stimulus funds that have been directed at energy efficiency and energy management by governments across the globe,” HSBC analysts said.
Agencies
In the 2006 Stern Review on the economics of climate change, climate-related revenues were forecast to climb to $500 billion by 2050. “We can see that this seemingly huge figure has already been surpassed well ahead of time as more and more businesses adapt their business model,” said Joaquim de Lima, global head of quant research for equities at HSBC.
The climate sector has surpassed the size of the global aerospace or defence industry, with the United States, Japan, France, Germany and Spain accounting for 76% of global climate revenues, the report found. For revenues to rise to $2 trillion, the way energy is generated and used needs to change and continued government support is needed.
The four core investment pillars will be low-carbon energy production, energy efficiency, control of water, waste and pollution and climate finance, the report said. Energy efficiency recorded the highest investment returns in the year to date at 30%.
“This is a very significant trend given the substantial share of climate stimulus funds that have been directed at energy efficiency and energy management by governments across the globe,” HSBC analysts said.
Agencies
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