Report Highlights Progress on Comprehensive 2020 Sustainability Goals with a Focus on Women, Water and Well-being
ATLANTA - Tuesday, September 30th 2014 [ME NewsWire]
(BUSINESS WIRE) -- The Coca-Cola Company today released its 11th annual Sustainability Report highlighting the progress the Coca-Cola system made in 2013 against the 2020 sustainability goals announced last year.
“Coca-Cola can only be as healthy, vibrant and resilient as the communities we proudly serve around the globe. That’s why we’re working together with our bottling partners across our system to build stronger, more active communities and advance environmental conservation,” said Muhtar Kent, Chairman and CEO, The Coca-Cola Company. “Unlocking the collaborative power of the Golden Triangle of business, government and civil society organizations allows for a much greater collective impact than any one organization or even sector could hope to achieve alone.”
This is the first report to include both an update on existing sustainability goals and the Company’s new global 2020 goals. The report follows the Company’s sustainability framework — “Me, We, World” — and is rooted in three leadership priorities:
Women: In our fourth year, we continue our journey to economically empower 5 million women entrepreneurs across our value chain by 2020 through our 5by20™ program. This initiative aims to help women entrepreneurs, from fruit farmers to artisans, overcome the barriers they face to succeed in business. As of December 31, 2013, our 5by20 programs had enabled more than 550,000 women in 44 countries since 2010. More than 255,000 women were impacted in 2013, an increase of more than 50% over the previous year.
Water: We are working to balance the water we use by 2020, returning to our communities and nature an amount of water equivalent to that used in our beverages and their production. We are currently on track to achieve this water goal. In 2013, we replenished an estimated 68% (a calculated estimate of 108.5 billion liters) of the water used in our finished beverages through 509 community water partnership projects in more than 100 countries, and we improved our water use efficiency for the 11th consecutive year with an 8% improvement over 2010.
Well-being: We continue our work to meet our 2013 global business commitments to promote well-being and to help address the public health challenge of obesity. In 2013, we offered more than 800 reduced-, low- and no-calorie products worldwide — nearly 25% of our global portfolio. We also supported more than 290 physical activity programs in nearly 125 countries.
The report also updates other areas of progress. Through The Coca-Cola Foundation, the Company’s global philanthropic arm, we invested $143 million (1% of our operating income) to support sustainable community initiatives in 2013. We also continue applying our supply chain and logistics expertise to help deliver essential medicines to communities that need them through Project Last Mile.
We continue to work against ambitious new goals to reduce the carbon footprint of “the drink in your hand” by 25% and to sustainably source key agricultural ingredients by 2020. In addition, through June 2014, we had then distributed more than 25 billion fully recyclable PlantBottle™ packages across nearly 40 countries since the program launched in 2009.
“We’re investing in sustainability because it helps us grow our business, make a positive difference for the people and communities we serve, and protect the environment we all share,” said Bea Perez, Chief Sustainability Officer at The Coca-Cola Company. “The results in our report reflect Coca-Cola’s commitment, our employees’ passion, and the power of our many partnerships.”
The 2013/2014 Sustainability Report demonstrates The Coca-Cola Company’s commitment to continuous improvement, increased disclosure, risk assessment and expanded stakeholder engagement. The report is available on the Company’s website, Coca-Cola Journey, and features social and multimedia capabilities. This year, the Company developed the report at the Core In Accordance level of the GRI G4 guidelines. Ernst & Young LLP, a registered public accounting firm, provided external assurance on sustainability indicators related to water use ratio, PlantBottle™ packaging, lost-time incident rate, front-of-pack labeling and manufacturing greenhouse gas emissions.
To view The Coca-Cola Company’s 2013/2014 Sustainability Report, please visit www.coca-colacompany.com/sustainability.
About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world's largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Led by Coca-Cola, one of the world's most valuable and recognizable brands, our Company's portfolio features 17 billion-dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Georgia and Del Valle. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks. Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy our beverages at a rate of 1.9 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint, support active, healthy living, create a safe, inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. Together with our bottling partners, we rank among the world's top 10 private employers with more than 700,000 system associates. For more information, visit Coca-Cola Journey at www.coca-colacompany.com, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CocaColaCo, visit our blog, Coca-Cola Unbottled, at www.coca-colablog.com or find us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/the-coca-cola-company.
Contacts
The Coca-Cola Company
Erin Caffrey, +01 404-676-2683
Permalink: http://www.me-newswire.net/news/12273/en
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Global Survey Results Reveal Customer Concerns with Oracle's Applications Strategy and Support Services Model
Few Respondents Plan to Migrate to Fusion Applications or Upgrade Current Releases; Majority of Respondents are Dissatisfied with the Cost of Oracle Annual Support
SAN FRANCISCO - Tuesday, September 30th 2014 [ME NewsWire]
Oracle OpenWorld 2014
(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Rimini Street, Inc., the leading independent provider of enterprise software support for SAP AG’s (NYSE:SAP) Business Suite and BusinessObjects software and Oracle Corporation’s (NYSE:ORCL) Siebel, PeopleSoft, JD Edwards, E-Business Suite, Oracle Database, Oracle Middleware, Hyperion and Oracle Retail software, today revealed the top priorities and concerns of current Oracle application customers who took part in a global survey conducted by Rimini Street.
Rimini Street surveyed 139 IT and IT procurement professionals and executives representing diverse industries, roles and company sizes. Survey respondents spanned three global regions, including North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, as well as most major industries.
Key Survey Findings
According to the survey results, the leading concern with Oracle’s application strategy, selected by 58% of respondents, is cost prohibitive upgrades. The survey also revealed that just 5% of respondents currently plan to license and migrate to Oracle’s new cloud Fusion Applications. Furthermore, more than 70% of respondents reported that they are dissatisfied with the cost of Oracle’s annual support.
“In the survey, Oracle application customer respondents overwhelmingly expressed a desire to continue running their current, robust application releases and also identified several primary Oracle applications strategy concerns, including what they believe is an unclear future Oracle product roadmap, lack of a business case for a migration to Fusion Applications and cost prohibitive upgrades,” said David Rowe, Senior VP and Chief Marketing Officer, Rimini Street. “Rimini Street conducted the survey to better understand the priorities, needs and concerns of Oracle application customers – and how to address them, such as Hybrid IT deployments and the need for a more relevant, cost-effective support service model that does not require upgrades for at least fifteen years.”
Few respondents currently plan to migrate to Fusion Applications
Survey respondents cited the following drivers for leaving Oracle Fusion Applications out of future IT strategies and roadmaps: no strong business case for a migration to Oracle Fusion (54%); unclear Fusion roadmap (35%); lack of resources to execute a migration to Oracle Fusion products (33%); high license costs (33%); and no recognized incremental value over current application releases (30%).
Most respondents see low value of Oracle application upgrades
More than 50% of respondents do not plan to upgrade, and cited as their top reasons “current application meets business needs” (54%); “cost prohibitive to upgrade” (41%); “move to a new application later” (32%); and “lack of new and valuable functionality” (28%). Only 35% of respondents said they plan to upgrade their current Oracle application release, with just 21% of respondents citing their primary reason to upgrade being access to “better new functionality.”
Majority of respondents dissatisfied with the cost of Oracle Annual Support
More than 70% of respondents said they are dissatisfied with the cost of Oracle support and maintenance, citing as the top three reasons “escalating to a senior engineer” (35%); “no support for customizations” (32%); and “explaining the issue multiple times” (31%).
“In our position as a trusted advisor and support provider to hundreds of Oracle and SAP software licensees around the world, Rimini Street provides guidance and counsel to clients as they plan their enterprise software application strategies and roadmap,” Rowe summarized. “In this survey, Oracle customers are clearly communicating their priorities and concerns. On top of that list - maximizing the value of their current application releases and looking beyond Fusion Applications or application upgrades for access to innovation. Through our award-winning independent support program, Rimini Street helps clients achieve their objectives by enabling Oracle licensees to leverage current investments, facilitate adoption of innovation and achieve huge cost savings.”
To download a copy of the survey executive summary, please visit: http://info.riministreet.com/Survey-Report-2014.html.
About Rimini Street, Inc.
Rimini Street is the leading independent provider of enterprise software support services. The company is redefining enterprise support services with an innovative, award-winning program that enables Oracle and SAP licensees to save up to 90 percent on total support costs over a decade, including saving 50 percent on their annual support fees. Clients can remain on their current software release without any required upgrades or migrations for at least 15 years after switching to Rimini Street. Hundreds of clients, including global, Fortune 500, midmarket, and public sector organizations from across a broad range of industries have selected Rimini Street as their trusted, independent support provider. To learn more, please visit www.riministreet.com or call within the USA 888-870-9692 or internationally +1 702-839-9671.
Rimini Street and the Rimini Street logo are trademarks of Rimini Street, Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners. Copyright © 2014. All rights reserved.
Contacts
Rimini Street, Inc.
Alma Park, +1 323-229-7282
apark@riministreet.com
Permalink: http://www.me-newswire.net/news/12268/en
SAN FRANCISCO - Tuesday, September 30th 2014 [ME NewsWire]
Oracle OpenWorld 2014
(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Rimini Street, Inc., the leading independent provider of enterprise software support for SAP AG’s (NYSE:SAP) Business Suite and BusinessObjects software and Oracle Corporation’s (NYSE:ORCL) Siebel, PeopleSoft, JD Edwards, E-Business Suite, Oracle Database, Oracle Middleware, Hyperion and Oracle Retail software, today revealed the top priorities and concerns of current Oracle application customers who took part in a global survey conducted by Rimini Street.
Rimini Street surveyed 139 IT and IT procurement professionals and executives representing diverse industries, roles and company sizes. Survey respondents spanned three global regions, including North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, as well as most major industries.
Key Survey Findings
According to the survey results, the leading concern with Oracle’s application strategy, selected by 58% of respondents, is cost prohibitive upgrades. The survey also revealed that just 5% of respondents currently plan to license and migrate to Oracle’s new cloud Fusion Applications. Furthermore, more than 70% of respondents reported that they are dissatisfied with the cost of Oracle’s annual support.
“In the survey, Oracle application customer respondents overwhelmingly expressed a desire to continue running their current, robust application releases and also identified several primary Oracle applications strategy concerns, including what they believe is an unclear future Oracle product roadmap, lack of a business case for a migration to Fusion Applications and cost prohibitive upgrades,” said David Rowe, Senior VP and Chief Marketing Officer, Rimini Street. “Rimini Street conducted the survey to better understand the priorities, needs and concerns of Oracle application customers – and how to address them, such as Hybrid IT deployments and the need for a more relevant, cost-effective support service model that does not require upgrades for at least fifteen years.”
Few respondents currently plan to migrate to Fusion Applications
Survey respondents cited the following drivers for leaving Oracle Fusion Applications out of future IT strategies and roadmaps: no strong business case for a migration to Oracle Fusion (54%); unclear Fusion roadmap (35%); lack of resources to execute a migration to Oracle Fusion products (33%); high license costs (33%); and no recognized incremental value over current application releases (30%).
Most respondents see low value of Oracle application upgrades
More than 50% of respondents do not plan to upgrade, and cited as their top reasons “current application meets business needs” (54%); “cost prohibitive to upgrade” (41%); “move to a new application later” (32%); and “lack of new and valuable functionality” (28%). Only 35% of respondents said they plan to upgrade their current Oracle application release, with just 21% of respondents citing their primary reason to upgrade being access to “better new functionality.”
Majority of respondents dissatisfied with the cost of Oracle Annual Support
More than 70% of respondents said they are dissatisfied with the cost of Oracle support and maintenance, citing as the top three reasons “escalating to a senior engineer” (35%); “no support for customizations” (32%); and “explaining the issue multiple times” (31%).
“In our position as a trusted advisor and support provider to hundreds of Oracle and SAP software licensees around the world, Rimini Street provides guidance and counsel to clients as they plan their enterprise software application strategies and roadmap,” Rowe summarized. “In this survey, Oracle customers are clearly communicating their priorities and concerns. On top of that list - maximizing the value of their current application releases and looking beyond Fusion Applications or application upgrades for access to innovation. Through our award-winning independent support program, Rimini Street helps clients achieve their objectives by enabling Oracle licensees to leverage current investments, facilitate adoption of innovation and achieve huge cost savings.”
To download a copy of the survey executive summary, please visit: http://info.riministreet.com/Survey-Report-2014.html.
About Rimini Street, Inc.
Rimini Street is the leading independent provider of enterprise software support services. The company is redefining enterprise support services with an innovative, award-winning program that enables Oracle and SAP licensees to save up to 90 percent on total support costs over a decade, including saving 50 percent on their annual support fees. Clients can remain on their current software release without any required upgrades or migrations for at least 15 years after switching to Rimini Street. Hundreds of clients, including global, Fortune 500, midmarket, and public sector organizations from across a broad range of industries have selected Rimini Street as their trusted, independent support provider. To learn more, please visit www.riministreet.com or call within the USA 888-870-9692 or internationally +1 702-839-9671.
Rimini Street and the Rimini Street logo are trademarks of Rimini Street, Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners. Copyright © 2014. All rights reserved.
Contacts
Rimini Street, Inc.
Alma Park, +1 323-229-7282
apark@riministreet.com
Permalink: http://www.me-newswire.net/news/12268/en
MPEG LA Offers HEVC Patent Portfolio License
License for High Efficiency Video Coding Standard with Patents from 23 Enterprises is MPEG LA’s Latest
DENVER - Tuesday, September 30th 2014 [ME NewsWire]
(BUSINESS WIRE) -- MPEG LA, LLC today announced the availability of the HEVC Patent Portfolio License (“HEVC License”). The joint license includes patents that are essential to the High Efficiency Video Coding standard (HEVC, also known as H.265 and MPEG-H Part 2) designed to improve video coding and transmission efficiency for the benefit of Internet, television, and mobile service providers and consumers with increased speed and capacity. HEVC is also expected to deliver next generation higher resolution HDTV video by broadcast, streaming, download, and 4K Blu-ray™ for 4K and 8K Ultra High Definition TV.
“The market is ready for an HEVC License,” said MPEG LA President and CEO Larry Horn, “and MPEG LA is proud to offer one. We applaud the cooperation and hard work of HEVC patent owners to make this important technology available through an efficient licensing alternative.”
“The HEVC License is yet another example of the role the MPEG LA® Licensing Model plays in making licenses available on reasonable terms under standard-essential patents (SEPs) for emerging technologies,” added Bill Geary, Vice President of Business Development at MPEG LA.
Copies of the HEVC license agreement may be obtained at http://www.mpegla.com/main/programs/HEVC/Pages/AgreementExpress.aspx.
A summary of the license agreement may be found at http://www.mpegla.com/main/programs/HEVC/Pages/Agreement.aspx.
The License currently includes essential HEVC patents owned by the following 23 enterprises:
Apple Inc.
Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI)
Fujitsu Limited
Hitachi Maxell, Ltd.
HUMAX Holdings Co., Ltd.
Intellectual Discovery Co., LTD.
JVC KENWOOD Corporation
Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
Korean Broadcasting System (KBS)
KT Corp.
M&K Holdings Inc.
NEC Corporation
Newratek, Inc.
Nippon Hoso Kyokai (NHK)
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT)
NTT DOCOMO, INC.
Orange SA
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Siemens Corp.
SK Telecom
Tagivan II, LLC
The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York
Vidyo, Inc.
MPEG LA’s objective is to provide worldwide access to as much HEVC essential intellectual property as possible. Therefore, MPEG LA welcomes any party that believes it has patents that are essential to the HEVC standard to submit them for an evaluation of their essentiality by MPEG LA’s patent experts and inclusion in the License if determined to be essential. Interested parties may request a copy of the terms and procedures governing patent submissions at http://www.mpegla.com/main/programs/HEVC/Pages/Licensors.aspx.
MPEG LA, LLC
MPEG LA is the world leader in alternative technology licenses. By assisting users with convenient access to patent rights for their technology choices, MPEG LA offers licensing solutions that create opportunities for wide adoption and fuel innovation. MPEG LA’s pioneering MPEG-2 licensing program helped produce the most widely employed standard in consumer electronics history and has become the template for addressing numerous other technologies. Today MPEG LA manages licensing programs consisting of more than 9200 patents in 75 countries with 189 licensors and some 5800 licensees. For more information, please refer to http://www.mpegla.com.
Contacts
MPEG LA, LLC
Tom O’Reilly, 303-200-1710
Fax: 301-986-8575
toreilly@mpegla.com
DENVER - Tuesday, September 30th 2014 [ME NewsWire]
(BUSINESS WIRE) -- MPEG LA, LLC today announced the availability of the HEVC Patent Portfolio License (“HEVC License”). The joint license includes patents that are essential to the High Efficiency Video Coding standard (HEVC, also known as H.265 and MPEG-H Part 2) designed to improve video coding and transmission efficiency for the benefit of Internet, television, and mobile service providers and consumers with increased speed and capacity. HEVC is also expected to deliver next generation higher resolution HDTV video by broadcast, streaming, download, and 4K Blu-ray™ for 4K and 8K Ultra High Definition TV.
“The market is ready for an HEVC License,” said MPEG LA President and CEO Larry Horn, “and MPEG LA is proud to offer one. We applaud the cooperation and hard work of HEVC patent owners to make this important technology available through an efficient licensing alternative.”
“The HEVC License is yet another example of the role the MPEG LA® Licensing Model plays in making licenses available on reasonable terms under standard-essential patents (SEPs) for emerging technologies,” added Bill Geary, Vice President of Business Development at MPEG LA.
Copies of the HEVC license agreement may be obtained at http://www.mpegla.com/main/programs/HEVC/Pages/AgreementExpress.aspx.
A summary of the license agreement may be found at http://www.mpegla.com/main/programs/HEVC/Pages/Agreement.aspx.
The License currently includes essential HEVC patents owned by the following 23 enterprises:
Apple Inc.
Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI)
Fujitsu Limited
Hitachi Maxell, Ltd.
HUMAX Holdings Co., Ltd.
Intellectual Discovery Co., LTD.
JVC KENWOOD Corporation
Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
Korean Broadcasting System (KBS)
KT Corp.
M&K Holdings Inc.
NEC Corporation
Newratek, Inc.
Nippon Hoso Kyokai (NHK)
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT)
NTT DOCOMO, INC.
Orange SA
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Siemens Corp.
SK Telecom
Tagivan II, LLC
The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York
Vidyo, Inc.
MPEG LA’s objective is to provide worldwide access to as much HEVC essential intellectual property as possible. Therefore, MPEG LA welcomes any party that believes it has patents that are essential to the HEVC standard to submit them for an evaluation of their essentiality by MPEG LA’s patent experts and inclusion in the License if determined to be essential. Interested parties may request a copy of the terms and procedures governing patent submissions at http://www.mpegla.com/main/programs/HEVC/Pages/Licensors.aspx.
MPEG LA, LLC
MPEG LA is the world leader in alternative technology licenses. By assisting users with convenient access to patent rights for their technology choices, MPEG LA offers licensing solutions that create opportunities for wide adoption and fuel innovation. MPEG LA’s pioneering MPEG-2 licensing program helped produce the most widely employed standard in consumer electronics history and has become the template for addressing numerous other technologies. Today MPEG LA manages licensing programs consisting of more than 9200 patents in 75 countries with 189 licensors and some 5800 licensees. For more information, please refer to http://www.mpegla.com.
Contacts
MPEG LA, LLC
Tom O’Reilly, 303-200-1710
Fax: 301-986-8575
toreilly@mpegla.com
China Patent Agency Grants ZTE’s Application to Invalidate Vringo Patent
SHENZHEN, China - Tuesday, September 30th 2014 [ME NewsWire]
(BUSINESS WIRE) -- ZTE Corporation noted the Patent Re-examination Board of the State Intellectual Property Office of the People’s Republic of China has granted the company’s application to invalidate the CN00812876.6 patent owned by Vringo Inc. and its subsidiaries.
The Patent Re-examination Board ruled that the patent asserted by Vringo lacked an inventive element, according to a notice of the decision received by ZTE today. The EP1212919 European patent and other patents equivalent to CN00812876.6, which relates to relocation in a communication system, have been asserted by Vringo in litigations against ZTE in the U.K., Germany and Brazil. ZTE is also challenging the equivalent patents in those countries.
“The decision by the Patent Re-examination Board in China is expected to serve as an important reference in other litigations that are based on equivalent patents in other markets,” said Shen Jianfeng, Chief IPR Officer of ZTE.
ZTE reserves the right to continue existing action and pursue further legal steps to invalidate other equivalent patents to CN00812876.6 asserted by Vringo in other jurisdictions.
As one of the world’s leading technology innovators, ZTE respects the intellectual property of other companies. Despite ongoing efforts by ZTE to negotiate since 2012, the company has been unable to reach an agreement with Vringo to license Vringo’s telecommunications patents on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms.
In the past five years, ZTE has invested more than RMB 40 billion in research and development. According to the World Intellectual Property Organization, ZTE submitted 2,309 filings under the Patent Cooperation Treaty in 2013, the second-highest total globally. ZTE is both a licensor and licensee of IPR and ranked top in the WIPO’s PCT application tables in 2011 and 2012, reflecting the company’s world-leading efforts in technology innovation.
About ZTE
ZTE is a publicly-listed global provider of telecommunications equipment and network solutions with the most comprehensive product range covering virtually every telecommunications sector, including wireless, access & bearer, VAS, terminals and professional services. The company delivers innovative, custom-made products and services to over 500 operators in more than 160 countries, helping them to meet the changing needs of their customers while growing revenue. ZTE commits 10 per cent of its annual revenue to research and development and has leadership roles in several international bodies devoted to developing telecommunications industry standards. ZTE is committed to corporate social responsibility and is a member of the UN Global Compact. The company is China’s only listed telecom manufacturer that is publicly traded on both the Hong Kong and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges (H share stock code: 0763.HK / A share stock code: 000063.SZ). For more information, please visit www.zte.com.cn
Contacts
ZTE Corporation
Margrete Ma, +86 755 26775207
ma.gaili@zte.com.cn
or
Edelman Brussels
Simon Wilson, +32 (0)2 548 02 75
simon.wilson@edelman.com
Permalink: http://me-newswire.net/news/12285/en
(BUSINESS WIRE) -- ZTE Corporation noted the Patent Re-examination Board of the State Intellectual Property Office of the People’s Republic of China has granted the company’s application to invalidate the CN00812876.6 patent owned by Vringo Inc. and its subsidiaries.
The Patent Re-examination Board ruled that the patent asserted by Vringo lacked an inventive element, according to a notice of the decision received by ZTE today. The EP1212919 European patent and other patents equivalent to CN00812876.6, which relates to relocation in a communication system, have been asserted by Vringo in litigations against ZTE in the U.K., Germany and Brazil. ZTE is also challenging the equivalent patents in those countries.
“The decision by the Patent Re-examination Board in China is expected to serve as an important reference in other litigations that are based on equivalent patents in other markets,” said Shen Jianfeng, Chief IPR Officer of ZTE.
ZTE reserves the right to continue existing action and pursue further legal steps to invalidate other equivalent patents to CN00812876.6 asserted by Vringo in other jurisdictions.
As one of the world’s leading technology innovators, ZTE respects the intellectual property of other companies. Despite ongoing efforts by ZTE to negotiate since 2012, the company has been unable to reach an agreement with Vringo to license Vringo’s telecommunications patents on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms.
In the past five years, ZTE has invested more than RMB 40 billion in research and development. According to the World Intellectual Property Organization, ZTE submitted 2,309 filings under the Patent Cooperation Treaty in 2013, the second-highest total globally. ZTE is both a licensor and licensee of IPR and ranked top in the WIPO’s PCT application tables in 2011 and 2012, reflecting the company’s world-leading efforts in technology innovation.
About ZTE
ZTE is a publicly-listed global provider of telecommunications equipment and network solutions with the most comprehensive product range covering virtually every telecommunications sector, including wireless, access & bearer, VAS, terminals and professional services. The company delivers innovative, custom-made products and services to over 500 operators in more than 160 countries, helping them to meet the changing needs of their customers while growing revenue. ZTE commits 10 per cent of its annual revenue to research and development and has leadership roles in several international bodies devoted to developing telecommunications industry standards. ZTE is committed to corporate social responsibility and is a member of the UN Global Compact. The company is China’s only listed telecom manufacturer that is publicly traded on both the Hong Kong and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges (H share stock code: 0763.HK / A share stock code: 000063.SZ). For more information, please visit www.zte.com.cn
Contacts
ZTE Corporation
Margrete Ma, +86 755 26775207
ma.gaili@zte.com.cn
or
Edelman Brussels
Simon Wilson, +32 (0)2 548 02 75
simon.wilson@edelman.com
Permalink: http://me-newswire.net/news/12285/en
Big Data Demand Drives BRS Labs to Double Sales and Marketing Teams
Artificial intelligence-based software company increases personnel to capitalize on the exponential capacity for growth within big data markets
HOUSTON - Tuesday, September 30th 2014 [ME NewsWire]
(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Behavioral Recognition Systems, Inc. (BRS Labs), creator of AISight®, the artificial intelligence-based solution that teaches itself to recognize and alert on abnormal patterns within massive volumes of data, announced today that they have more than doubled their sales and marketing teams this year.
Recently, BRS Labs disclosed the company’s intent to go public in order to capitalize on their AISight platform’s big data potential. With the announcement today that the company has doubled their sales and marketing teams, BRS Labs has taken another step in that direction. Additions to the sales and marketing teams are a key part of the company’s strategy to explore groundbreaking new big data applications and to aggressively develop AISight’s presence within new and existing vertical markets.
“BRS Labs is a major player in the big data game,” said Keith Drummond, Executive Vice President of Sales for BRS Labs. “With the industry’s extraordinary expectations for growth, it is imperative that we continue to grow our internal teams so we can stay ahead of the curve and continue to bring to market new ways with which our artificial intelligence technology can be applied.”
It is estimated that by the end of 2014, the market for big data will reach $16.1 billion, growing six times faster than the overall information technologies market (The International Institute of Analytics). Recognizing both the growth potential and the applicability of AISight’s artificial intelligence technology to many big data markets, BRS Labs continues to invest in both its technology and internal teams.
“In the sales organization, we have added to both our intelligent video analytics and Supervisory Control and DATA Acquisition (SCADA) teams,” continued Drummond. “Those additions have been geographically spread across the country, thereby increasing our sales footprint. In the marketing organization the additions to our team have been in our Houston headquarters, with an emphasis on the much broader big data arena, specifically in support of our growing worldwide channel partner program.”
BRS Labs’ technology has already proven to be quite successful in the area of intelligent video analytics where they currently own a 60% share of the market. Recently, the company released a solution for the SCADA industry for oil and gas as well as other Smart Utility Grids where the technology is already breaking technology barriers. Future plans include applications for Information Security (InfoSec), Building Management Systems (BMS), and other big data applications for AISight.
For more information about BRS Labs and the AISight Everywhere platform go to www.brslabs.com.
About BRS Labs
BRS Labs builds behavioral recognition software, using artificial intelligence-based technology, that teaches itself to recognize and alert on abnormal patterns within massive volumes of data. AISight is part of BRS Labs’ AISight Everywhere™ platform, a centralized system with modules for intelligent video analytics, intelligent alerting and operations assistance for SCADA, network security, big data, building services and other core business functions. BRS Labs is headquartered in Houston, with offices in Washington DC, London, Sao Paulo, and Barcelona.
Visit us on:
● Twitter
● LinkedIn
● Facebook
● YouTube
AISight® is a registered trademark, and Behavioral Recognitionis a trademark of Behavioral Recognition Systems, Inc. Any other trademarks mentioned are the property of their owners.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50952096&lang=en
Contacts
BRS Labs
Jennifer Harrington, 713-590-5194
Sr. Director of Marketing
jharrington@brslabs.com
Permalink: http://me-newswire.net/news/12271/en
HOUSTON - Tuesday, September 30th 2014 [ME NewsWire]
(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Behavioral Recognition Systems, Inc. (BRS Labs), creator of AISight®, the artificial intelligence-based solution that teaches itself to recognize and alert on abnormal patterns within massive volumes of data, announced today that they have more than doubled their sales and marketing teams this year.
Recently, BRS Labs disclosed the company’s intent to go public in order to capitalize on their AISight platform’s big data potential. With the announcement today that the company has doubled their sales and marketing teams, BRS Labs has taken another step in that direction. Additions to the sales and marketing teams are a key part of the company’s strategy to explore groundbreaking new big data applications and to aggressively develop AISight’s presence within new and existing vertical markets.
“BRS Labs is a major player in the big data game,” said Keith Drummond, Executive Vice President of Sales for BRS Labs. “With the industry’s extraordinary expectations for growth, it is imperative that we continue to grow our internal teams so we can stay ahead of the curve and continue to bring to market new ways with which our artificial intelligence technology can be applied.”
It is estimated that by the end of 2014, the market for big data will reach $16.1 billion, growing six times faster than the overall information technologies market (The International Institute of Analytics). Recognizing both the growth potential and the applicability of AISight’s artificial intelligence technology to many big data markets, BRS Labs continues to invest in both its technology and internal teams.
“In the sales organization, we have added to both our intelligent video analytics and Supervisory Control and DATA Acquisition (SCADA) teams,” continued Drummond. “Those additions have been geographically spread across the country, thereby increasing our sales footprint. In the marketing organization the additions to our team have been in our Houston headquarters, with an emphasis on the much broader big data arena, specifically in support of our growing worldwide channel partner program.”
BRS Labs’ technology has already proven to be quite successful in the area of intelligent video analytics where they currently own a 60% share of the market. Recently, the company released a solution for the SCADA industry for oil and gas as well as other Smart Utility Grids where the technology is already breaking technology barriers. Future plans include applications for Information Security (InfoSec), Building Management Systems (BMS), and other big data applications for AISight.
For more information about BRS Labs and the AISight Everywhere platform go to www.brslabs.com.
About BRS Labs
BRS Labs builds behavioral recognition software, using artificial intelligence-based technology, that teaches itself to recognize and alert on abnormal patterns within massive volumes of data. AISight is part of BRS Labs’ AISight Everywhere™ platform, a centralized system with modules for intelligent video analytics, intelligent alerting and operations assistance for SCADA, network security, big data, building services and other core business functions. BRS Labs is headquartered in Houston, with offices in Washington DC, London, Sao Paulo, and Barcelona.
Visit us on:
● YouTube
AISight® is a registered trademark, and Behavioral Recognitionis a trademark of Behavioral Recognition Systems, Inc. Any other trademarks mentioned are the property of their owners.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50952096&lang=en
Contacts
BRS Labs
Jennifer Harrington, 713-590-5194
Sr. Director of Marketing
jharrington@brslabs.com
Permalink: http://me-newswire.net/news/12271/en
Hilton HHonors Encourages Members to Vote for Year-End Promotion
Members vote to earn either Double Points, beginning on second stay, or 1,000 Bonus Points for every Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday night stay
MCLEAN, Va. - Monday, September 29th 2014 [ME NewsWire]
(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Hilton HHonors, the loyalty program for Hilton Worldwide’s 11 distinct hotel brands, today announced its latest global promotion. For the first time in the program’s history, Hilton HHonors members are being asked to help design the promotion. HHonors Members are being asked to vote to earn either Double HHonors Points, beginning on their second stay, or 1,000 Bonus Points for every Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday night stay. The bonus offer that receives the most votes from now through October 4, 2014 will serve as the official promotion starting November 1, 2014 going through January 31, 2015 for registered Hilton HHonors members who stay at participating Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Curio – A Collection by Hilton, DoubleTree by Hilton, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Hotels, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations properties.
In addition to allowing Hilton HHonors members to vote for their favorite bonus offer, Hilton is asking HHonors members to help decide where HHonors should donate during the holiday season / New Year. The charity with the most votes will receive a $200,000 donation, while the other two will be awarded $50,000. The three charities members can choose from are:
Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps is a leading global humanitarian agency saving and improving lives in the world’s toughest places.
Oxfam
Oxfam is a world-wide development organization that mobilizes the power of people against poverty.
Save the Children
Save the Children invests in childhood – every day, in times of crisis and for our future. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm.
We’re putting our HHonors members in the driver’s seat – asking them to partner with us to design the promotion and the bonus they will earn for participating," said Mark Weinstein, global head loyalty and partnerships. “This year-end promotion not only allows members to have an active voice on how they can best create more rewarding travel experiences but gives members the opportunity to support a charity they feel passionate about.”
To participate in this promotion, members can vote at HHonors.com/Vote from now through October 4, 2014. The official promotion will be announced in late October. For more information or to become a Hilton HHonors member, visit HHonors.com.
About Hilton HHonors
Hilton HHonors, the award-winning guest-loyalty program for Hilton Worldwide’s eleven distinct hotel brands, offers more than 40 million members more ways to earn and redeem points than any other guest-loyalty program, enabling them to create experiences worth sharing at more than 4,200 hotels in 93 countries and territories. HHonors members can now redeem points for any room, anywhere, anytime, including the most luxurious suites, using any of four room rewards: Premium Room Rewards, Room Upgrade Rewards, Points & Money Rewards and Standard Room Rewards. In addition, HHonors members can use points to purchase unique experience rewards, merchandise and vacation packages, make charitable contributions and more. HHonors is also the only guest-loyalty program to offer ‘No Blackout Dates’ and ‘Points & Miles’ for the same stay at its properties worldwide, including participating Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Curio - A Collection by Hilton, DoubleTree by Hilton, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Hotels, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations. Membership in HHonors is free, and travelers may enroll online by visiting www.HiltonHHonors.com or connect with Hilton HHonors at news.hiltonhhonors.com. Members can now also book reservations, manage their accounts and redeem special offers with the new Hilton HHonors mobile app for iPhone.
About Hilton Worldwide
Hilton Worldwide (NYSE: HLT) is a leading global hospitality company, spanning the lodging sector from luxury and full-service hotels and resorts to extended-stay suites and focused-service hotels. For 95 years, Hilton Worldwide has been dedicated to continuing its tradition of providing exceptional guest experiences. The company's portfolio of eleven world-class global brands is comprised of more than 4,200 managed, franchised, owned and leased hotels and timeshare properties, with more than 690,000 rooms in 93 countries and territories, including Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Curio - A Collection by Hilton, DoubleTree by Hilton, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Hotels, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations. The company also manages an award-winning customer loyalty program, Hilton HHonors®. Visit news.hiltonworldwide.com more information and connect with Hilton Worldwide at www.facebook.com/hiltonworldwide, www.twitter.com/hiltonworldwide, www.youtube.com/hiltonworldwide, www.flickr.com/hiltonworldwide and www.linkedin.com/company/hilton-worldwide.
Contacts
Blake Rouhani
Hilton Worldwide
(703) 883 6615
blake.rouhani@hilton.com
news.hiltonhhonors.com
Permalink: http://me-newswire.net/news/12240/en
MCLEAN, Va. - Monday, September 29th 2014 [ME NewsWire]
(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Hilton HHonors, the loyalty program for Hilton Worldwide’s 11 distinct hotel brands, today announced its latest global promotion. For the first time in the program’s history, Hilton HHonors members are being asked to help design the promotion. HHonors Members are being asked to vote to earn either Double HHonors Points, beginning on their second stay, or 1,000 Bonus Points for every Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday night stay. The bonus offer that receives the most votes from now through October 4, 2014 will serve as the official promotion starting November 1, 2014 going through January 31, 2015 for registered Hilton HHonors members who stay at participating Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Curio – A Collection by Hilton, DoubleTree by Hilton, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Hotels, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations properties.
In addition to allowing Hilton HHonors members to vote for their favorite bonus offer, Hilton is asking HHonors members to help decide where HHonors should donate during the holiday season / New Year. The charity with the most votes will receive a $200,000 donation, while the other two will be awarded $50,000. The three charities members can choose from are:
Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps is a leading global humanitarian agency saving and improving lives in the world’s toughest places.
Oxfam
Oxfam is a world-wide development organization that mobilizes the power of people against poverty.
Save the Children
Save the Children invests in childhood – every day, in times of crisis and for our future. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm.
We’re putting our HHonors members in the driver’s seat – asking them to partner with us to design the promotion and the bonus they will earn for participating," said Mark Weinstein, global head loyalty and partnerships. “This year-end promotion not only allows members to have an active voice on how they can best create more rewarding travel experiences but gives members the opportunity to support a charity they feel passionate about.”
To participate in this promotion, members can vote at HHonors.com/Vote from now through October 4, 2014. The official promotion will be announced in late October. For more information or to become a Hilton HHonors member, visit HHonors.com.
About Hilton HHonors
Hilton HHonors, the award-winning guest-loyalty program for Hilton Worldwide’s eleven distinct hotel brands, offers more than 40 million members more ways to earn and redeem points than any other guest-loyalty program, enabling them to create experiences worth sharing at more than 4,200 hotels in 93 countries and territories. HHonors members can now redeem points for any room, anywhere, anytime, including the most luxurious suites, using any of four room rewards: Premium Room Rewards, Room Upgrade Rewards, Points & Money Rewards and Standard Room Rewards. In addition, HHonors members can use points to purchase unique experience rewards, merchandise and vacation packages, make charitable contributions and more. HHonors is also the only guest-loyalty program to offer ‘No Blackout Dates’ and ‘Points & Miles’ for the same stay at its properties worldwide, including participating Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Curio - A Collection by Hilton, DoubleTree by Hilton, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Hotels, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations. Membership in HHonors is free, and travelers may enroll online by visiting www.HiltonHHonors.com or connect with Hilton HHonors at news.hiltonhhonors.com. Members can now also book reservations, manage their accounts and redeem special offers with the new Hilton HHonors mobile app for iPhone.
About Hilton Worldwide
Hilton Worldwide (NYSE: HLT) is a leading global hospitality company, spanning the lodging sector from luxury and full-service hotels and resorts to extended-stay suites and focused-service hotels. For 95 years, Hilton Worldwide has been dedicated to continuing its tradition of providing exceptional guest experiences. The company's portfolio of eleven world-class global brands is comprised of more than 4,200 managed, franchised, owned and leased hotels and timeshare properties, with more than 690,000 rooms in 93 countries and territories, including Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Curio - A Collection by Hilton, DoubleTree by Hilton, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Hotels, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations. The company also manages an award-winning customer loyalty program, Hilton HHonors®. Visit news.hiltonworldwide.com more information and connect with Hilton Worldwide at www.facebook.com/hiltonworldwide, www.twitter.com/hiltonworldwide, www.youtube.com/hiltonworldwide, www.flickr.com/hiltonworldwide and www.linkedin.com/company/hilton-worldwide.
Contacts
Blake Rouhani
Hilton Worldwide
(703) 883 6615
blake.rouhani@hilton.com
news.hiltonhhonors.com
Permalink: http://me-newswire.net/news/12240/en
Moody's to Acquire Full Ownership of Copal Amba
NEW YORK - Tuesday, September 30th 2014 [ME NewsWire]
(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Moody’s Corporation (NYSE:MCO) announced today that it has agreed to acquire the remaining outstanding shares of Copal Amba. Moody’s is currently a majority owner of Copal Amba, which was formed through the acquisitions of Copal Partners in 2011 and Amba Investment Services in 2013.
Copal Amba, a leader in the market for Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO), provides offshore research, analytics and business intelligence services to the financial and corporate sectors. Its clients range from global financial institutions and Fortune 100 corporations to boutique investment banks and asset managers.
“Copal Amba has had strong momentum since its formation and has expanded its penetration into the growing market for outsourced financial research, analytics and business intelligence services,” said Linda S. Huber, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Moody's.
The acquisition of the remaining shares is not expected to have an impact on Moody’s earnings per share in 2014 and will be funded from international cash on hand. The terms of the transaction, which is expected to be finalized in Q4 2014, were not disclosed.
ABOUT MOODY’S CORPORATION
Moody's is an essential component of the global capital markets, providing credit ratings, research, tools and analysis that contribute to transparent and integrated financial markets. Moody's Corporation (NYSE: MCO) is the parent company of Moody's Investors Service, which provides credit ratings and research covering debt instruments and securities, and Moody's Analytics, which offers leading-edge software, advisory services and research for credit and economic analysis and financial risk management. The Corporation, which reported revenue of $3.0 billion in 2013, employs approximately 9,500 people worldwide and maintains a presence in 33 countries. Further information is available at www.moodys.com.
“Safe Harbor” Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995
Certain statements contained in this release are forward-looking statements and are based on future expectations, plans and prospects for Moody’s business and operations that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Moody’s outlook for 2014 and other forward-looking statements in this release are made as of September 30, 2014, and the Company disclaims any duty to supplement, update or revise such statements on a going-forward basis, whether as a result of subsequent developments, changed expectations or otherwise. In connection with the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, the Company is identifying certain factors that could cause actual results to differ, perhaps materially, from those indicated by these forward-looking statements. Those factors, risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the current world-wide credit market disruptions and economic slowdown, which is affecting and could continue to affect the volume of debt and other securities issued in domestic and/or global capital markets; other matters that could affect the volume of debt and other securities issued in domestic and/or global capital markets, including credit quality concerns, changes in interest rates and other volatility in the financial markets; the level of merger and acquisition activity in the US and abroad; the uncertain effectiveness and possible collateral consequences of U.S. and foreign government initiatives to respond to the current world-wide credit disruptions and economic slowdown; concerns in the marketplace affecting our credibility or otherwise affecting market perceptions of the integrity or utility of independent agency ratings; the introduction of competing products or technologies by other companies; pricing pressure from competitors and/or customers; the level of success of new product development and global expansion; the impact of regulation as an NRSRO, the potential for new U.S., state and local legislation and regulations, including provisions in the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and anticipated regulations resulting from that Act; the potential for increased competition and regulation in the EU and other foreign jurisdictions; exposure to litigation related to our rating opinions, as well as any other litigation to which the Company may be subject from time to time; provisions in the Dodd-Frank Act legislation modifying the pleading standards, and EU regulations modifying the liability standards, applicable to credit rating agencies in a manner adverse to credit rating agencies; provisions of EU regulations imposing additional procedural and substantive requirements on the pricing of services; the possible loss of key employees; failures or malfunctions of our operations and infrastructure; any vulnerabilities to cyber threats or other cybersecurity concerns; the outcome of any review by controlling tax authorities of the Company’s global tax planning initiatives; the outcome of those legacy tax matters and legal contingencies that relate to the Company, its predecessors and their affiliated companies for which Moody’s has assumed portions of the financial responsibility; the impact of mergers, acquisitions or other business combinations and the ability of the Company to successfully integrate acquired businesses; currency and foreign exchange volatility; the levels of capital investments; a decline in the demand for credit risk management tools by financial institutions; and other risk factors as discussed in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013 and in other filings made by the Company from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Contacts
Michael Adler, 212-553-4667
Senior Vice President
Corporate Communications
michael.adler@moodys.com
or
Salli Schwartz, 212-553-4862
Global Head of Investor Relations
sallilyn.schwartz@moodys.com
Permalink: http://www.me-newswire.net/news/12272/en
(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Moody’s Corporation (NYSE:MCO) announced today that it has agreed to acquire the remaining outstanding shares of Copal Amba. Moody’s is currently a majority owner of Copal Amba, which was formed through the acquisitions of Copal Partners in 2011 and Amba Investment Services in 2013.
Copal Amba, a leader in the market for Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO), provides offshore research, analytics and business intelligence services to the financial and corporate sectors. Its clients range from global financial institutions and Fortune 100 corporations to boutique investment banks and asset managers.
“Copal Amba has had strong momentum since its formation and has expanded its penetration into the growing market for outsourced financial research, analytics and business intelligence services,” said Linda S. Huber, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Moody's.
The acquisition of the remaining shares is not expected to have an impact on Moody’s earnings per share in 2014 and will be funded from international cash on hand. The terms of the transaction, which is expected to be finalized in Q4 2014, were not disclosed.
ABOUT MOODY’S CORPORATION
Moody's is an essential component of the global capital markets, providing credit ratings, research, tools and analysis that contribute to transparent and integrated financial markets. Moody's Corporation (NYSE: MCO) is the parent company of Moody's Investors Service, which provides credit ratings and research covering debt instruments and securities, and Moody's Analytics, which offers leading-edge software, advisory services and research for credit and economic analysis and financial risk management. The Corporation, which reported revenue of $3.0 billion in 2013, employs approximately 9,500 people worldwide and maintains a presence in 33 countries. Further information is available at www.moodys.com.
“Safe Harbor” Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995
Certain statements contained in this release are forward-looking statements and are based on future expectations, plans and prospects for Moody’s business and operations that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Moody’s outlook for 2014 and other forward-looking statements in this release are made as of September 30, 2014, and the Company disclaims any duty to supplement, update or revise such statements on a going-forward basis, whether as a result of subsequent developments, changed expectations or otherwise. In connection with the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, the Company is identifying certain factors that could cause actual results to differ, perhaps materially, from those indicated by these forward-looking statements. Those factors, risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the current world-wide credit market disruptions and economic slowdown, which is affecting and could continue to affect the volume of debt and other securities issued in domestic and/or global capital markets; other matters that could affect the volume of debt and other securities issued in domestic and/or global capital markets, including credit quality concerns, changes in interest rates and other volatility in the financial markets; the level of merger and acquisition activity in the US and abroad; the uncertain effectiveness and possible collateral consequences of U.S. and foreign government initiatives to respond to the current world-wide credit disruptions and economic slowdown; concerns in the marketplace affecting our credibility or otherwise affecting market perceptions of the integrity or utility of independent agency ratings; the introduction of competing products or technologies by other companies; pricing pressure from competitors and/or customers; the level of success of new product development and global expansion; the impact of regulation as an NRSRO, the potential for new U.S., state and local legislation and regulations, including provisions in the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and anticipated regulations resulting from that Act; the potential for increased competition and regulation in the EU and other foreign jurisdictions; exposure to litigation related to our rating opinions, as well as any other litigation to which the Company may be subject from time to time; provisions in the Dodd-Frank Act legislation modifying the pleading standards, and EU regulations modifying the liability standards, applicable to credit rating agencies in a manner adverse to credit rating agencies; provisions of EU regulations imposing additional procedural and substantive requirements on the pricing of services; the possible loss of key employees; failures or malfunctions of our operations and infrastructure; any vulnerabilities to cyber threats or other cybersecurity concerns; the outcome of any review by controlling tax authorities of the Company’s global tax planning initiatives; the outcome of those legacy tax matters and legal contingencies that relate to the Company, its predecessors and their affiliated companies for which Moody’s has assumed portions of the financial responsibility; the impact of mergers, acquisitions or other business combinations and the ability of the Company to successfully integrate acquired businesses; currency and foreign exchange volatility; the levels of capital investments; a decline in the demand for credit risk management tools by financial institutions; and other risk factors as discussed in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013 and in other filings made by the Company from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Contacts
Michael Adler, 212-553-4667
Senior Vice President
Corporate Communications
michael.adler@moodys.com
or
Salli Schwartz, 212-553-4862
Global Head of Investor Relations
sallilyn.schwartz@moodys.com
Permalink: http://www.me-newswire.net/news/12272/en
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