Global report identifies squeeze on traditional value chain and increased competition online

London-Thursday, March 9th 2017 [ ME NewsWire ]
(BUSINESS WIRE)--Arthur D. Little (ADL) today announced the findings of its five-year forecast of the financial flows within the global media marketplace. It predicts that markets will continue to see a rush of consolidation and vertical integration among traditional media companies as offline advertising revenues and consumer spending stagnate while online advertising and consumer spend rises. The key to future profitability is to participate in this consolidation and aggressively diversify into near-core segments.
In “Consolidate, Diversify, or Perish,” ADL’s Technology, Information, Media, and Electronics (TIME) Practice examines how markets around the world have responded to the digital transformation of the media industry. US companies have historically enjoyed higher profitability and revenue g ... Read more »

 Mobile World Congress 2017 Sees 7 Per Cent Increase in Visitors

BARCELONA, Spain-Thursday, March 9th 2017 [ ME NewsWire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The 2017 edition of Mobile World Congress attracted a record 108,000 visitors*, an increase of 7 per cent over the previous year, the GSMA reported today as the show came to a close. Visitors from 208 countries and territories worldwide attended this year’s event, held at the Fira Gran Via and Fira Montjuïc venues in Barcelona.

The exhibition hosted more than 2,300 exhibiting companies from both the mobile ecosystem and adjacent industries such as automotive, finance and healthcare, while the four-day conference programme comprised 11 keynote sessions and many more track sessions dedicated to specific industry topics. There were also a record number of government delegations to the Ministerial Programme, plus several new events staged for the first time this year across the two venues.

& ... Read more »

DOHA, Qatar-Thursday, March 9th 2017 [ ME NewsWire ]

Qatar University is proud to announce that the school's accounting program has earned endorsement by IMA® (Institute of Management Accountants), one of the largest and most respected associations focused exclusively on advancing the management accounting profession.

IMA's Endorsement of Higher Education initiative recognizes programs that meet high educational standards, preparing students to enter into the profession of management accounting. Information about the program is available at http://www.imanet.org/educators.

“Endorsement by IMA is a symbol showing that our college equips Qatari and non-Qatari students with the necessary professional skills for the job market and career progression in business,” said Dr. Khalid Shams Al-Abdulqader, Dean of the College of Business & Economics, Qatar University. “Our programs provide high-quality academic and applied education tha ... Read more »

HOUSTON-Wednesday, March 8th 2017 [ ME NewsWire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Erin Energy Corporation (Erin Energy or the Company) (NYSE MKT:ERN) (JSE:ERN) announced today the execution of a drilling services contract with Pacific Drilling for use of the Pacific Bora drilling rig.

Erin Energy plans to use this rig to drill the Oyo-9 well (Oyo-9) on the Oyo field in the deepwater offshore Nigeria. Under the contract, the Company has the option to drill up to two additional wells. The option to extend the contract, if exercised, would be used to drill two of its offshore Nigeria exploration prospects in the prolific Miocene geological zone.

Jean-Michel Malek, Interim Chief Executive Officer commented: “The execution of this rig contract is an important step in advancing our 2017 work program and our development of the Oyo field in the deepwater offshore Nigeria. We look forward to working closely with Pacific Drilling on this drilling program.”

The Pa ... Read more »

 Year in Infrastructure 2017 Conference Being Held in Singapore, a City Recognized Globally for BIM Advancements

EXTON, Pa.-Wednesday, March 8th 2017 [ ME NewsWire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Bentley Systems, Incorporated, a leading global provider of comprehensive software solutions for advancing infrastructure, today announced its call for submissions to the 2017 Be Inspired Awards program. The awards, which are judged by independent juries of industry experts, recognize infrastructure projects for BIM advancements that improve project delivery and/or asset performance. The deadline for submission entries is May 1, 2017.

The Be Inspired Awards are an integral part of Bentley’s Year in Infrastructure 2017 Conference, which takes place Oct. 10-12 in Singapore at Sands Expo and Convention Centre at Marina Bay Sands, one of the most iconic buildings in Asia. The structural design of Marina Bay Sands was done by Arup and was the 2010 Be Inspire ... Read more »

 Unequal pay, lack of mentors and persistent gender bias remain obstacles 

ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill.-Wednesday, March 8th 2017 [ ME NewsWire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Wage inequality compared to male colleagues, workplace gender bias and a shortage of female role models are among the main barriers faced by women working in the technology field, according to a new survey by global technology association ISACA.

Detailed in today’s release of “The Future Tech Workforce: Breaking Gender Barriers” report, which coincides with International Women’s Day this week, survey respondents identified the top five barriers experienced by women in tech as:

1. Lack of mentors (48 percent)

2. Lack of female role models in the field (42 percent)

3. Gender bias in the workplace (39 percent)

4. Unequal growth opportunities compared to men (36 percent)

5. Unequal pay for the same skills (35 percent)

“Wom ... Read more »

Nearly 40,000 rooms under construction and expected to open in next three years

BERLIN & MCLEAN, Va.-Wednesday, March 8th 2017 [ ME NewsWire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Ahead of this year’s International Hotel Investment Forum in Berlin, Hilton (NYSE: HLT) has announced that it has passed the milestone of 100,000 rooms trading across its Europe, Middle East & Africa portfolio.

The news comes in a period of unprecedented global growth for the company. In EMEA specifically, this has seen net unit growth of more than 20,000 rooms in the past three years, a trend which is set to continue with close to 40,000 rooms currently under construction and expected to open by the end of 2020.

Patrick Fitzgibbon, senior vice president, development, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Hilton said: “Reaching 100,000 trading rooms is a significant milestone for us as a company, particularly given the quality and breadth of Hilton’s portfolio in the regi ... Read more »

● PMI is the only tobacco company among the European Patent Office’s top 100 patent filers.

● The Company has a portfolio of over 1,800 granted patents and almost 4,000 pending applications published for intellectual property generated during the development of its smoke-free products.

● PMI’s ambition is to develop, assess and commercialize products that have the potential to present less risk of harm compared with continued smoking and that ultimately benefit smokers, public health and society at large.

● Science and innovation are key to making a smoke-free future a reality.

LAUSANNE, Switzerland-Wednesday, March 8th 2017 [ ME NewsWire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The European Patent Office (EPO) published today its Annual Report including the list of top 100 patent applicants for 2016, with Philip Morris International Inc. (“PMI”) (NYSE / Euronext Paris: PM) ranked 63rd. PMI is the only tobacco company on the list.

P ... Read more »

 O3b’s FastConnect solution brings fiber-equivalent performance to stadium where fiber connection wasn’t possible

ST. HELIER, Jersey, Channel Islands-Wednesday, March 8th 2017 [ ME NewsWire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- O3b Networks, a wholly owned subsidiary of SES, today announced the company’s high performance satellite-enabled network transformed the match-day experience for tens of thousands of football fans during the just-concluded Africa Cup of Nations. The O3b service was deployed in the northernmost stadium hosting matches, the Stade d'Oyem facility in Oyem, Gabon.

The stadium was built to provide a venue for the regional population, but did not have access to a fiber connection, and was without broadband internet just before the first match. A high throughput broadband link was necessary for international transmission of the game, and was also required by journalists covering the match. Before the first kickoff, howe ... Read more »

 ● Research conducted with Georgetown University shows how confidence boosts the bottom line
● Increasing worker confidence boosts the bottom line, yielding 22% higher sales
● Confidence can be cultivated and its straightforward to do
● Support in the face of setbacks is key to rebooting lost employee confidence 

ORLANDO, Fla.-Wednesday, March 8th 2017 [ ME NewsWire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- “The confidence cycle is the three-part, cyclical relationship between confidence and success.”

The much sought-after road to success isn’t without its bumps, but those setbacks may be a company’s biggest opportunity to inspire confidence in its workforce, says a new study released today by Tupperware Brands Corporation (NYSE: TUP).

The Hard Value of Soft Skills report, conducted in partnership with Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, found that confidence drives business and professional succes ... Read more »

Mahesh Madhavan to Succeed Michael Dolan as CEO, Effective April 1, 2018

Dolan to Remain on Board of Directors

HAMILTON, Bermuda-Wednesday, March 8th 2017 [ ME NewsWire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Family-owned Bacardi Limited, the world’s largest privately held spirits company, today announced that Mahesh Madhavan, a 20-year Bacardi veteran who is currently a member of the Company’s Global Leadership Team and Regional President of Asia, Middle East & Africa, will succeed Michael J. Dolan, who will retire as Chief Executive Officer, effective April 1, 2018. In the interim, Dolan will continue as CEO, while Madhavan will transition to a new role as Regional President of Europe for much of 2017. Dolan will continue to serve on the Bacardi Limited Board of Directors until the 2019 Annual General Meeting, when he will retire from the company.

Facundo L. Bacardi, Chairman of the Board of Bacardi Limited, said, “On behalf of the Board, we are d ... Read more »