November 16, 2006
US AIRWAYS PROPOSES TO MERGE WITH DELTA
Transaction Valued at Approximately $8.0 Billion in Cash and Stock.
Consumers Will Have the Advantages of a Larger, Full-Service Provider with the Cost Structure of a Low-Fare Carrier.
US Airways Group, Inc. (NYSE: LCC) announced yesterday that it has made a merger proposal to Delta Air Lines, Inc. (OTC: DALRQ.PK) under which both companies would combine upon Delta’s emergence from bankruptcy. The proposal would provide approximately $8.0 billion of value in cash and stock to Delta’s unsecured creditors.
PHOTO: US Airways proposes an $8 billion takeover of bankrupt Delta Airlines on November 15, 2006. (Kamenko Pajic/UPI Photo)
The combination of US Airways and Delta would create one of the world’s largest airlines and would operate under the Delta name. Customers would benefit from expanded choice as well as the reach and services of a large-scale provider within the cost structure of a low-fare carrier. As a combined company, the “New” Delta would be the number one airline across the Atlantic and the second largest airline to the Caribbean. The New Delta would reach more than 350 destinations across five continents, including North and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. In the U.S., the combination would create a leading competitor in the Eastern U.S. and an enhanced position in the Western U.S. The combined company would be the number one airline at 155 airports.
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Posted by Editors at 9:29 AM
November 15, 2006
Alamo Launches First-of-a-Kind Rental Car Check in Kiosks Throughout the U.S.
An Industry First, Kiosk Cuts Average Transaction Time in Half.
An industry first, Alamo Rent A Car announced today it will roll out new self-service kiosks at rental locations throughout the United States. The new system cuts check in time for customers by about 50 percent when compared to average counter check in times.
PHOTO: VANGUARD CAR RENTAL ALAMO RENT A CAR KIOSK
The kiosk roll out comes after successful testing by customers in Dallas, Las Vegas and Jacksonville, Fla.
The touch-screen kiosk allows any customer with a valid driver's license, major credit card and an existing reservation to skip the rental counter and check in directly at the kiosk. After a customer agrees to the terms and conditions, a receipt-sized rental agreement is printed from the kiosk and the customer is directed to his or her rental car on the lot. At the exit booth, the customer simply shows the booth agent his or her rental agreement and driver's license and then drives away.
Alamo Rent A Car is one of the largest car rental brands in the world, with locations throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, the Caribbean, Latin America, Asia, the Pacific Rim, Africa, the Middle East and Australia.
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Posted by Editors at 12:35 PM
November 14, 2006
AIRTRAN AIRWAYS AND FRONTIER AIRLINES MARKETING PARTNERSHIP
A Tail of Two Partners.
PHOTO: Plane tails for AirTran Airways and Frontier Airlines lined up at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport before the Low Cost Carriers announced a marketing partnership on Nov. 14, 2006. The relationship enables passengers to earn frequent flyer rewards between both airlines through AirTran Airways' A+ Rewards program and Frontier's Early Returns program. (Terri Hanson Photography)
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Posted by Editors at 1:06 PM
October 12, 2006
Northwest Announces European Expansion
Airline to Add Six Trans-Atlantic Flights and Two New European Destinations to Its Global Network.
Northwest Airlines today announced an expansion of its European flight network with new service to Brussels, Belgium and Dusseldorf, Germany, as well as the first and only nonstop service between Hartford, Conn. and Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
The airline, in cooperation with its joint venture partner, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, also announced that it will add more flights in the Detroit - Amsterdam and Boston - Amsterdam markets.
Northwest will add to its existing service to Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London and Paris by offering new flights.
Through its Amsterdam hub, Northwest and KLM connect North America to Europe through daily service from Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Houston (Intercontinental), Los Angeles, Memphis, Tenn., Mexico City, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Montreal, New York (JFK), Newark, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto, Vancouver, British Columbia and Washington D.C.
Northwest Airlines is the world's fifth largest airline with hubs at Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Memphis, Tokyo and Amsterdam, and approximately 1,400 daily departures. Northwest is a member of SkyTeam, an airline alliance that offers customers one of the world's most extensive global networks. Northwest and its travel partners serve more than 900 cities in excess of 160 countries on six continents.
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Posted by Editors at 8:46 PM
September 4, 2006
Siemens Motor Control System Makes Trains More Reliable
Siemens has developed Sitrac, a new system for controlling the drive motors of rail vehicles. Sitrac requires fewer sensors, which reduces down time of the drive units and ultimately increases availability of trains. The system developed by Siemens rail technology experts in Erlangen is equipped with very robust control technology. The system recognizes the motor’s rotational speed, without requiring a rotational speed sensor, and uses the current converter to adjust the torque, and therefore also the rail vehicle’s traction. The picture above shows a commuter train in Shanghai which uses Sitrac.
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Posted by Editors at 6:14 AM
May 14, 2006
UPS Upgrades Technology Tools to Simplify International Trade
ATLANTA, GA, USA – UPS has announced enhancements to a variety of Web-based technology tools to simplify the complexities of global trade.
To address the needs of small businesses, UPS has enhanced the functionality of “My UPS” on ups.com. Any registered UPS customer can have quick access to package tracking, delivery services, billing and international shipping forms specific to their preferred origins and destinations, all from a single web page at MyUPS.com®. The new My UPS also is more intuitive, remembering preferences, drop-off locations, saved tracking numbers or a Quick List of frequently ordered UPS supplies.
My UPS registrants can easily access, complete online and store for 90 days all the necessary forms required for international shipping. International Forms help My UPS registrants, UPS CampusShip™ and UPS Internet Shipping users determine which forms are needed for a given shipment and enables them to create templates for reuse.
UPS is the world’s largest package delivery company and a global leader in supply chain services, offering an extensive range of options for synchronizing the movement of goods, information and funds. Headquartered in Atlanta, UPS serves more than 200 countries and territories worldwide.
“Businesses of all sizes count on UPS to bridge the distance around the globe,” said Dave Barnes, UPS senior vice president and CIO. “Technology is the key to helping them demystify international trade and optimize global supply chains.”
International Payment
In July, small businesses (and other customers) will be able to use a credit card to pay for international shipments. UPS also is enhancing its international billing options in UPS Internet Shipping, UPS CampusShip and the UPS Shipping Tool to allow a customer to determine who pays shipping charges and who pays duties and taxes when processing an international shipment.
Shipping charges may be paid by the shipper’s UPS account, a credit card, the receiver or a third party while duties and taxes may be paid by the shipper’s UPS account, the receiver or a third party. Users can even split up payment for duties and taxes if needed.
Managing Imports/Exports
For larger small package shippers, UPS is expanding the reach of Quantum View Manage™ from 23 countries and 16 languages to 31 countries and 20 languages. Quantum View Manage is a visibility tool that provides inbound and outbound shipment information for both domestic and import/export shipments. The Imports feature, currently available in the U.S., provides access to UPS customs brokerage data and clearance document images as well as tools (such as email alerts) to help facilitate customs clearance and compliance.
Beginning in July and throughout 2006, UPS will expand the Imports feature of Quantum View Manage to additional markets in a controlled, phased deployment. The markets involved in this expansion include Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Netherlands, Norway, Puerto Rico, Portugal, Spain, Singapore, Switzerland, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand and the United Kingdom. The exact timing of deployments is subject to change depending upon market variables.
The Imports feature also is being enhanced in July to enable users to search up to one year of Imports data and to provide shipment tracking from the Import Shipment Detail screen.
“Over the last decade, UPS has invested billions of dollars in technology to help integrate the three flows of commerce – boxes, bytes and bucks – for our customers,” said Barnes. “We must continue to innovate and move fast to answer the growing demands of the global marketplace.”
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Posted by Editors at 7:10 PM
March 19, 2006
Motorola, Pininfarina and Maserati: Technological Concept Car at Geneva International Motor Show
Italian designer and mobile phone manufacturer are collaborating on futuristic dream car.
GENEVA -- Motorola, Inc. and Pininfarina, the design company behind such iconic cars as Maserati and Ferrari, had announced together with Maserati the world premiere of a technological concept car equipped with futuristic automotive and mobile technologies at the 2005 Geneva International Motor Show. This new creation, a tribute to the Maserati of the future based on its heritage and on its advanced mechanicals, is a rolling high-tech sculpture that demonstrates technologies that are imaginary but possible.
Motorola is a Fortune 100 global communications leader that provides seamless mobility products and solutions across broadband, embedded systems and wireless networks. In your home, auto, workplace and all spaces in between, seamless mobility means you can reach the people, things and information you need, anywhere, anytime. Seamless mobility harnesses the power of technology convergence and enables smarter, faster, cost-effective and flexible communication. Motorola had sales of US $31.3 billion in 2004.
The prototype demonstrates Motorola’s concept of “seamless mobility”: the ability to reach the people you need, the entertainment you love, and the information you can’t live without, whether you are at the office, at home, or even in your car. The integration of Motorola’s technology in the car realizes the seamless mobility theory: the car itself becomes an intelligent moving network, able to interact with its passengers and keep them constantly and seamlessly connected to all the aspects of their lives. This concept is translated even into the car’s interior, which is physically seamless.
The technologies integrated into the Maserati dream car include a transparent heads-up display revealing the intelligent core of the vehicle. Through a central mounted navigation device, drivers can navigate through a personalized array of functions and menus. The numerous cameras positioned on the car allow drivers to share their driving experience with others. The car was created completely from renewable resources, using recycled components rather than natural materials. It also features a swappable drive system that transfers from gasoline to hybrid drive in six minutes.
The idea to build a technological dream car with Motorola came as Pininfarina Extra, the division of the Pininfarina Group, began designing Motorola’s latest line of iDEN® handsets. Pininfarina Extra, which has partnered with Motorola on the design of its latest mobile phones, thought about how they could integrate Motorola’s concept of ‘seamless mobility’ within a technologically advanced car. This challenge was taken up and carried forward by Pininfarina Extra through its cooperation in the design of the cabin and the accessories of the concept car.
“This Maserati illustrates some of Motorola’s future technologies in a way that visitors to the Geneva International Motor Show can experience first-hand,” said Sam Desai, senior vice president and general manager, Motorola’s iDEN® Networks and Handsets. “It is another example of how Motorola and Pininfarina are working together to bring exciting designs to new products.”
Motorola and Pininfarina also demonstrated several cutting-edge products designed for automotive enthusiasts, including the Pininfarina Limited Edition Motorola i833 handset as well as Motorola’s line of NASCAR phones, mobile phone car kits, and other phones and accessories.
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Posted by Editors at 1:22 PM
May 24, 2005
Development of high-speed trains
In the presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Federal Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, Siemens Transportation Systems (TS) and Russian Railways (RZD) today in Hanover signed a contract for the development of high-speed trains for Russia. This contract governs such aspects as development and configuration of the high-speed trains, the localization concept and the structure of the delivery contract. The delivery contract comprises a project volume up to € 1.5 billion and is scheduled for signing in the summer of this year. RZD intends to place orders for sixty of these trains, which can travel at up to 300 kilometers per hour. An agreement to this effect was reached in December 2004.
The Velaro platform is based on a distributed traction system concept, which means that the drive train and all technical modules are distributed beneath the bottom of the train. As a result, the entire length of the train is available for passengers, resulting in 20 percent more space. The ICE 3 for Deutsche Bahn AG and the Velaro E in Spain are the first European high-speed, distributed-traction trains. Velaro’s concept enables the seamless integration of European train safety and communication systems. The world’s fastest series-built train reaches a top speed of 350 km/h and offers comfort and technology of the highest class.
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Posted by Editors at 2:58 PM
