Senates Unemployment Benefits Fail US

Over the last week there have been countless stories covering the filibustering on the unemployment extension legislation, the Senate's fourth attempt this month to pass an extension of federal unemployment benefits which also failed a cloture vote.

The standalone bill would have extended benefits for six months, but how do HR departments deal with the concerns over the influx of applications for roles and employee concerns?

As the economy begins to improve, thanks to government pay outs, companies are once again beginning to re-grow staffing levels. The demand for highly skilled staff is at an all time high and recruiters can, at last, pick and choose from record breaking numbers of applicants.

Companies such as those who are set to make up the NG HR US committee are now focusing on doing more with less - attracting and retaining talent. Those leading companies who rode the wave of the economic crash also want to achieve a positive work life balance to ensure both sustainability and growth in order to remain competitive.

“It was a commitment that we made, because keeping people focused on creative work and keeping people focused on innovation, inherently requires them to take risks. In an environment where people are fearful they will not take risks, and we just cannot afford to let the creativity or innovation that drives this entire company in any way be affected by the uncertainty and fear that the outside world has created over the last 18 months.” Dan Satterthwaite – Head of HR for DreamWorks
Executives such as Capital One - Brian Gruber, VP HR Technology, Coca-Cola Enterprises - Pam Kimmet, SVP HR, McDonald's - Rich Floersch, EVP HR, Virgin America - Frances Fiorillo, SVP People, Hilton Worldwide - Matthew Schuyler, Chief HR Officer will be speaking out at the NG HR US summit (hosted by GDS International) on the challenges they are faced with in the US; they state that the key to formulating a successful organization is aligning both HR and organizational strategy while minimizing costs.

“The most important asset a company has is its manpower, and as the economy begins to bounce back, the war for talent will be more prevalent than ever. In order to remain competitive, forward thinking companies must stay ahead of the game and implement strategies and solutions that address these pressing challenges.”

Capital One’s representative also argued that there will be an increased rise in the use of software-as-service products within HR. This will take more than 20 percent of market share by the end of 2010, with challenging implications for well-known ERP suppliers such as Oracle and SAP. Cheaper, more flexible systems that are easier to set up and use can only be good news for HR professionals and help them to automate processes and focus on more strategic goals.

The last 18 months have been full of trials and tribulations for most CHROs (Chief Human Resource Officers). They were at the front and center of their companies’ crucial cost cutting initiatives, in part leading to the debates over the recent refusal of the unemployment extension legislation. It will now be down to them to capitalize on the business opportunities from the improved economic environment.

Growth a given in Africa?

Mzolisi (Zoli) Diliza – Chief Executive, Chamber of Mines of South Africa, spoke out last week at the Next Generation Mining Summit on mining futures within the continent.

The Chamber exists as the Principal advocate of major policy positions endorsed by the mining employers and represents these to various organs of South African national and provincial governments, they spoke to the ultimate objectives of a so-called "New Approach" to the development of effective strategies for the sustainable growth and meaningful transformation of the South African mining sector.

Forecasts predict that South Africa’s mining sector will reach a value in excess of US$37bn by 2014. Africa is expected to be one of the first to bounce back from the depressed levels of 2009, and is likely to be among the first to benefit when the global economy returns to strength. Mining remains a key economic sector for South Africa, contributing some 8% to GDP. What the long-term future holds for the South African mining industry depends a lot on the result of exploration activities and any future changes made to mining regulations by the government.

Urgent discussions and negotiations aimed at producing the required strategies are currently taking place between major, tripartite industry stakeholders announced the NGM Committee – Government, business and organised labor. These strategies will provide a comprehensive process that has been established to arrive at a new and productive economic policy for the country. Functioning in the correct environment the business of mining in South Africa retains considerable potential to assist Government in the achievement of critical public policy imperatives which include expanded economic growth, job creation and the alleviation of poverty.

The continent's is also embracing foreign investment agreed representatives from African Diamonds Plc - James Campbell, Managing Director , Banro Corporation - Michael Prinsloo, President & CEO , Ghana Chamber of Mines - Joyce Aryee, CEO and the Xstrata Group - Andile Sangqu, CEO Africa Executive Director, the mining industry is continually expanding and adapting to changing conditions with more international companies scrambling for a piece of the continent's resources.

Although underexplored, Africa hosts about 30% of the planet's mineral reserves, including 40% of gold, 60% of cobalt and 90% of the world's PGM reserves - making it a truly strategic producer of these precious metals. Most recently Russia is ready to invest US$1 billion (R7.5 billion) in uranium exploration in Namibia, as well as investment from Brazil, Australia and China.

South Africa has readied itself for a lucrative future and it seems that the rest of the world has taken heed.

Customer is Key for Retail Growth

US retail sales have seen a rise for the seventh consecutive month in April amid economic recovery. Sales picked up 0.4 percent, higher than the 0.2 percent expected by most economists, according to data from the Commerce Department.

A new research study shows retail demand intelligence (RDI) as the most pressing investment issue currently facing retailers and this is agreed by the elite members who form the NGR US committee. According to the new report, retailers are not only implementing advanced demand-forecasting tools, but are using RDI as a foundational retail technology, tightly integrated with retail planning systems, supply chain applications, and customer selling systems.

In today’s economy, consumers are increasingly demanding. They require customized, targeted promotions carrying personalized benefits and incentives, highly automated and easy-to-use multi-channel technology, and rapid response times to their changing preferences. The retailer needs to be apparent, with accessible product information, clear communications, brand-appropriate service levels, and consumer-centric multi-channel support – all without being intrusive.

To properly address these requirements executives which make up the NG Retail US summit (hosted by GDS International) will look at the best way to deliver a truly improved shopping experience, and gain competitive advantage, retailers must fine-tune their business processes to be able to make quick decisions. Demand trends change rapidly, and consumers expect companies to be always up to date and ready to deliver whatever they want in the shortest amount of time.

Representatives from Amazon - Rick Batye, VP Retail Systems, eBay - James Barrese, VP Architecture, Platforms, Systems, Best Buy - Jeff Peterson, VP Store Operations, Lowes - Ron Blahnik, VP IT Engineering and Starbucks - Elizabeth King, VP Global HR Solutions & Services hope to discuss practical steps and approaches for RDI, identifying common failings to ensure success and how to initiate RDI programs.

With the retail sectors future already picking up it is now to invest in securing growth and remembering the customer is always right.

Australia’s Green Supply could be the Envy of the World

Despite the global recovery, sixteen countries have had their ratings downgraded since the start of 2010 showing a prevalent commercial risk. However, Australia has bucked the trend with its risk grade being upgraded and even championed as the “safest country to invest”.

However, to maintain strong trading relationships and to continue to attract foreign investment to their shores, Australia must at the very minimum be building a secure supply chain that matches their inevitable growth. So Australia’s business leaders are uniting with their global partners with this in mind at the illustrious Next Generation Supply Chain congress scheduled to be held in Queensland. The closed private committee, which includes thought leaders from Australia’s Divisions of Coca-Cola, McDonalds, Bayer, BlueScope Steel and Quantas are set to re-evaluate existing processes to ensure that their infrastructure can not only open up further distribution channels to Europe/US for their growth in product output, but to also give the world a competitive route to a burgeoning consumer market.

“As the rest of the world recovers, global competition will intensify. Therefore, we need to ensure our focus on reform, and strong economic management through global supply and demand channels must continue, and that is why a meeting such as the NG Supply Chain Summit (run by GDS International) is vital to our development,” said a source from the NG Supply visionary committee.

Such reform obviously comes at a cost so the consortium wants to ensure that the right processes are in place for the “long-term” focused discussions on sustainability.

“Sustainability is more than just a hot topic in the world of supply chain: it’s a standard of practice that can be used to not only differentiate oneself from the competition, but become more lean and efficient in the process.”

Such analysis into various sustainability techniques and processes can create a whole new factor of competitive advantage for supply chain in the enterprise and such a meeting could allow for Australia’s Green supply chain model to be the envy of the world.

“The critical factor now is how Australia’s executives respond to this improving environment. We need to maintain our growth momentum in the quarters ahead if we are to continue to perform, it has been a pleasure to be invited to oversee this meeting which will lead to further growth in the region,” Summit Director Australia Tyron McGurgan.

Time is Money in Healthcare

The healthcare industry in the US has been a bone of contention for some time now. The reform and economic crisis have taken their effect. Job losses are ripping out the heart and health of America and improved systems to deal with the changes bring their own challenges to the community. The NG Healthcare Summit which has just taken place in Florida has been key the sort of future planning which will protect the industry into the future.

The United States spends around $2 trillion a year on healthcare expenses, more than any other country across the globe, but critics are still questioning if the country’s finances will be able to support the reform. Despite original predictions that costs would be initially reduced it would do little to stem healthcare expenditure, something which executives from the industry are determined not to let happen.

Electronic medical records (EMR) have been named as key technology innovation to improving patient care and reducing medical errors say the NG Healthcare committees who have just had their latest meeting. This has been backed through federal stimulus money that along with legislation can reshape the healthcare industry.

Still, talk to people in healthcare and it is clear that there are myriad issues that need to be resolved before there is unanimous adoption of electronic records. Key challenges include financing the conversion from paper to computerized records, designing the work flow, making systems easier to use, integrating files from multiple sources and, of course, ongoing technical support.

“Staff time is valuable especially within the healthcare industry where understaffing can mean the difference between life and death. Rather than paying trained staff overtime to enter data at the end of their shift it allows them to update as they go along without having to input the same thing multiple times” The discussion was moderated by Greg Caressi —the SVP of Healthcare and Life Sciences at Frost and Sullivan—and is was used as an exercise to openly discuss the common challenges that the group is facing as they move their respective hospital systems to a more digitally-centric future. Participants included, Mark Elmer, the CTO of Texas Health Resources; Paul Brown, the CIO of Trinity Health; Tom Doyle, the VP & Chief Architect from HCA; Eric Paternoster, SVP and Unit Head—Insurance, Healthcare & Life Sciences at Infosys Technologies; Jeff Gartland, VP of Business Development for RelayHealth and Diana Nole, President of Digital Medical Solutions for Carestream Health.

The Federal stimulus Bill has promised anywhere from $44,000 and $65,000 to doctors who convert to electronic records but the funds will be paid in increments over a span of a few years and there are still questions the committee wants answered.

“We must also remember that a shift to electronic files will not just be a financial strain but will require an overhaul of the processes used for treating patients, to make this a smooth transition is key to success”Continued the committee “With the targets set it is now up to us to implement the strategies to achieve greatness within the industry.

Despite the concerns it has never been argued that change isn’t hard but with a united industry and the budget to support the future seems set.

Sustainability key to growth in Africa

Africa is the most mineral rich continent on earth and open for business in a big way, this has not gone unnoticed by the industry’s executives who have announced their meeting at the latest NG Mining Africa summit.

The continent's mining industry is continually expanding and adapting to changing conditions with more international companies scrambling for a piece of the continent's resources. But is now the time to start considering the environmental impact.

For good reasons, the mining sector has come under more scrutiny globally than any other in the past two decades. Whereas mining has attracted considerable foreign direct investment into Africa, has generated ancillary infrastructure, and boosted export earnings, it’s environmental, developmental and governance records have been highly uneven, ranging from the exemplary to the corrupt, unscrupulous and destructive.

Yet the mining sector has and continues to reform itself in significant respects and a new genre of mining operation is evident in Africa. Its role is to not just be a good Corporate Citizen but also a potential driver of local, regional and national development.

New age mining in Africa is not only possible, it is essential for long-term sustainability and a need for real, rather than nominal, trilateral partnerships between mining houses, government and local communities are fundamental to success, a committee of African Mining Execs has now been formed to confront the environmental impacts while sustaining profitable growth. The Committee consisting of executives from African Diamonds Plc - James Campbell, Managing Director , Banro Corporation - Michael Prinsloo, President & CEO , Ghana Chamber of Mines - Joyce Aryee, CEO and the Xstrata Group - Andile Sangqu, CEO Africa Executive Director, will meet at the NG Mining Africa summit (hosted by GDS International) to discuss the future.

With considerable environmental complications, including chronic soil degradation, chemical contamination, and air pollution it is the responsibility of a few to protect the many and the sustainability of Africa’s mining future will be key in its viability. Is the industry ready to face its responsibilities?

EHM – Probable problem or Serious Solution

Electronic medical records (EMR) have been named as key technology innovation to improving patient care and reducing medical errors say the NG Healthcare committee Meeting in May in Dallas. This has been backed through federal stimulus money that along with legislation can reshape the healthcare industry.

Still, talk to people in healthcare and it is clear that there are myriad issues that need to be resolved before there is unanimous adoption of electronic records. Key challenges include financing the conversion from paper to computerized records, designing the work flow, making systems easier to use, integrating files from multiple sources and, of course, ongoing technical support.

The NG Healthcare Committee believe it is the responsibility of the healthcare Giants to support the smaller midsized companies and a meeting such as the NG Healthcare summit (hosted by GDS International) by openly discussing there implementation techniques.

Key challenges to be faced as raised by representatives from Mark Eimer – CTO, Texas Health Resources, Steve Heilman – CMIO, Norton Healthcare, Will Showalter – VP and CIO, Sisters of Mercy Health System, Mark Gilliam – VP and CIO, Ardent Health Services are the obvious fiscal responsibilities. To convert the millions of paper files to digital records will be expensive. The Federal stimulus Bill has promised anywhere from $44,000 and $65,000 to doctors who convert to electronic records but the funds will be paid in increments over a span of a few years and there are still questions the committee wants answered.

“We must also remember that a shift to electronic files will not just be a financial strain but will require an overhaul of the processes used for treating patients, to make this a smooth transition is key to success”

So, leading executives from the healthcare industry will address some of the key barriers to adoption and standardization is the federal support enough to back the change?

Australia’s Smart Grid Opportunity

Australia is now considered to be one of the world leaders in a technology, comparable only to the United States in terms of smart grid innovation. Last year received the Federal Government for a National Energy Efficiency Initiative granted AU$100 million to develop a smart-grid energy network.

A recent study, conducted by IDC, polled utility leaders from Australia, about their major initiatives, objectives, expected payback, readiness and challenges.

The study noted that smart utility technologies are generating vast amounts of data and analytics, although less than half of the top 20 utilities are applying analytics to energy consumption. Even so, utilities executives worldwide believe that with the proper organization, companies can reach profitability goals in a relatively short amount of time and with the coming together of some of the top names in the utilities industry across Australia the future is looking bright.

Key to the debates will be representatives from Horizon Power, Ergon Energy, Western Power, Energy Australia, and Power Link focusing on key topics such as Distribution Management which is currently one of the most crucial elements to smart grid implementation, what have been the primary innovative achievements in the Australian smart grid sector since investment has begun to roll in and where they expect to have developed by the end of the year.

With huge investment and endless possibilities are the industry Ready?

From Challenge to Opportunity

The economic volatility of the past few years has undoubtedly transformed the scope of technology for business, creating enormous pressure for CIOs globally. While market giants in the US and Europe struggle to weather the storm, Australia is in an enviable position, with forecasted growth significantly higher than other regions. Executives from across the technology industry believe now is the time to act and plan for the future. Opportunity is rife and the time to invest is now. So the NG CIO summit (hosted by GDS International) has been set in Queensland at the end of July to discuss who will be leading the way in shaping Australia’s technology future.

The role of IT in the next few years is crucial for any organization seeking to gain strides over the competition. CIOs in Australia recognize 2010 as an opportunity to explore IT best practices, which will not only optimize infrastructure in a cost-effective manner, but create opportunities for innovation and growth within the organization.

Within Australia, IT spend is anticipated to surpass 4% growth overall, with some technology areas like CRM and Virtualization catapulting to over 15% increase in sales. Initiatives such as the National Broadband Network in Australia will provide tremendous opportunities to organizations within the region looking to bring innovative platforms to their businesses and this has not goe unnoticed by the NG CIO Australia Committee.

Representatives from Adecco - Dominic Panzera, CIO , Australia Department of Immigration - Peter McKeon, Head of IT , Kiwi Bank - Ron van de Riet, GM IT , PepsiCo - Jackie Montado, CIO and Energy Australia - Sharron Kennedy, CIO expect a boost in Q3 and Q4 of 2010 and government tenders to drive considerable spending over the next 12 months. Key focus areas will include Regulatory compliance and the to need spend as a result of intense competition in the retail sector, spurring spending on customer relationship management (CRM) and back office systems.

New government projects in sectors such as e-government, healthcare and education are also a driving force for meetings such as the NG CIO Australia summit offering significant opportunities for IT vendors. In mid-2010, the Australian government is expected to launch a standardised reporting system scheme. Australia's National E-Health Transition Authority has the goal to create a paperless environment in Australia's health sector, including public hospitals and influenced the NG CIO committee to set there next meeting date for the end of July.
With so much change on the horizon who will be the first to capitalize.

Solar: From small-scale experiment to utility-scale solution

The US has set itself some tough targets to combat climate change, but which is the right solution? Officials have been experimenting with solar solutions, smart grids, tidal and wind power, but the latest polls – and market developments – have shown solar is the choice for the wise.

Solar power has been backed by leading executives at the Next Generation Utility North America (NGU NA) committee (hosted by GDS International), who will be meeting to hear from Julia Hamm, Executive Director of the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) on the future of solar in the US and the ways which electric utilities must prepare. As the level of distributed solar increases there will be a need for photovoltaic (PV) systems to provide their host utility with much greater awareness, control and grid support functions than what is being implemented today. Utilities also need to explore business models that incorporate solar in a way that adds value for shareholders, stakeholders, and society at large.

In 2009, for instance, the solar industry continued to grow significantly, despite the economic downturn, which is an indication of the technology's staying power. From single-panel micro-systems and residential and commercial rooftops, to the opening of the country's largest photovoltaic power plant, the solar industry continued to expand to over 2 gigawatts of generating capacity in the US.

“We expect 2010 to be a breakout year for the US solar industry,” says the NGU NA committee, “The right policies and industry innovation continues to drive solar growth across America. Now we’re talking gigawatts of solar, not megawatts.”
The best strategies and how to implement them are sure to create much debate, and with energy giants clashing at the latest NGT NA summit, we wait expectedly for the results.

Great ideas have come and gone, and with environmental impacts top of the list for governments across the globe, the implementation of these ‘ideas’ need to be discussed amongst industry professionals.

SEPA is dedicated to helping utilities make smart solar decisions, which will decrease environmental impact as well as reduce energy costs in the long-term. With energy conservation and other green practices emerging as a critical part of day-to-day utility operations, SEPA hopes to lead the NGU Committee towards a more sustainable tomorrow.

Vodafone Qatar plans to go far

The recent announcement that Vodafone Qatar will finally be able to offer fixed broadband and telephone services has been a revelation for the Middle Eastern Telecoms industry and the NGT MENA conglomerate. The countries telecoms regulator has issued them with the countries second public fixed networks and services License.
Commenting on the license award, Vodafone Qatar CEO Grahame Maher told Trade Arabia: “Vodafone is delighted as this will strengthen our ability to make a world of difference for all the people in Qatar. The combined strengths provided by the mobile and fixed services will allow us to deliver total communications services to our customers, whilst delivering value to our customers and shareholders.”

Vodafone's final approval for the license has been dogged by delays due to complications with the fixed-line consortium's shareholding structure. But finally Maher will be able to deliver the long awaited news at the NGT MENA Summit (hosted by GDS International) to an expectant crowd including representatives from Du, Asiacell, Etisalat and Zain.

Vodafone Qatar has epitomized innovation since the UK telecom giant entered the market in 2009. They were the first to install hybrid powered Base Stations in Qatar, using an integration of solar and wind energy. This initiative is part of a wider green technology program led by Vodafone Group to deploy green energy sources in all of its affiliates worldwide it is no surprise that its competitors are gathering to hear how they have achieved such dominance in the competitive market.

Qatar’s economy has emerged as one of the fastest growing in the world. Telecoms Execs are ready to take advantage of this but can they follow the example set by Vodafone or be chasing the tails of the telecom Giant. ?

Healthcare Reform - Curse or Cure

Last month some of the leading names in the healthcare finance industry announced an urgent meeting in the wake of the new Healthcare Reform in Arizona at the CFO Healthcare summit (hosted by GDS International) . So what happened and how will this affect the industries Future?

Nearly two-thirds of the US CFO’s believe that it is of utmost importance for congress to address the cost of healthcare over security issues. Very few times has the American Government become so involved in private business? Executives at the CFO Healthcare Summit on the whole in agreement with the reform but openly discussed their concerns over the rising cost of healthcare.

"I can certainly see the benefits of making health-care more readily available to everyone, but as of yet we are still to see the real issue being addressed, a continued increase in healthcare costs”.

If we look at the performance of healthcare stocks over the year and the consensus of the CFO Healthcare committee, the chance that the reform will cut into profits is still regarded as “very possible”.

“to lower costs requires a combination of both fewer treatments or lower cost per treatment, neither of these solutions offer the same profit margins we have become accustomed to”……….

The committee was not all doom and gloom, they discussed in detail the indirect effects of the reform which could lead to increased cost savings. One such discussion looked at how hospitals will see less ‘bad debt’ from the services provided to those people who are not insured, they could see their rates fall from anywhere from 5% to 20%. Not to mention the reconciliation bill which was mentioned several times by the CFO committee, this allows for a greater variation in premiums for people who refuse to take part in ‘wellness programs’ and ultimately lead to a healthier population.

Hospitals have promised to cut more than $150 billion in costs over the next decade, and the implication is that they will need to pressure suppliers to lower costs to do so. Drug manufacturers have agreed to contribute $80 billion over the same time period to helping fund Medicare benefits. This was backed by representatives from such as Vince Schmidt SVP and CFO of Multicare Health System, Mark Spafford CFO and VP of Health Management Associates, Robert Booth CFO of Summit Medical Group, and Larry Dupper CFO of Valley View Hospital.

Can costs be managed or is the diagnosis terminal?

Dowtec PTE sign letter of intent with First Crude Oil

The frightening reality of the world’s inevitable oil depletion is being faced at the pumps with prices sky rocketing, and with most of the existing oilfields entering a mature phase, oil companies are opting for secondary injection or tertiary EOR projects to extend the oilfields lifespan to meet demand.

To ensure a unified approach to the meeting senior executives such as Farouk Al Zanki MD and Chairman of Kuwait National Petroleum Company, Randy Clark CEO of Energistics and Hamed Ibrahim Karim, GM Exploration and PICO Petroleum met at the NGOG Summit in Doha to discuss the volatile future of the oil and gas industry and the depleting resources, which is attributable for the entire regions wealth.

The NG Oil and Gas Summit was once again hailed as the industry voice for the region, where here (once again) the exciting advances were announced first to the illustrious body of attendees. This included the unification of huge Asian and Norwegian companies DowTec and First Crude Oil Ltd who secured a working relationship as a direct result of the meeting at the summit.

First Crude Oil’s Jan Storm and Dowtecs’ Arief Razak were both invited as thought leaders to this year’s NG union, First Crude Oil shared their latest developments in subsea technology, revealing their new ‘ Aurora subsea production system’, which could revolutionize the face of the Middle East/North Africa oil industry.

First Crude Oil together with Dowtec Pte will finalize the development of a common system for the handling of drill cuttings and drill fluids. The system will be made available to the international oil and gas industry to solve the environmental problems which come with disposal.

Such a joint venture between First Crude Oil, and DowTec offers environmentally friendly subsea concepts for regeneration projects and will help alleviate the high demand for oil.

Fighting talk unites Pharma

The NGP union, held in the Netherlands last week saw over 50 visionaries gathered for the Supreme Court verdict against Myriad Genetics given on March 29th. They voted against their patent claims and a storm is brewing in the biotech community. The Court ruled that the patents should have never been granted because genes are “a law of nature.” With the majority of industry outsiders in agreement, how will pharmaceutical world reacted?

Now the NGP US summit (held by GDS International) has been called for the end of the month in Arizona. Jerry Lanchbury, EVP of Myriad Genetics will lead a discussion looking at the decision and the obvious effects it has given with Myriads Stock prices tumbling.

On ‘decision day’ Myriad saw its stocks fall by as much as 7% when patents on two human genes associated with breast and ovarian cancer were revoked. The company remains confident that the verdict will not have a material impact on its operations, and with 160 remaining patents unchallenged they are confident in the company’s future. But are we to believe the PR Hype? The recent annulment of a company’s ability to hold patents over human genes does not just affect Myriad hence why Jeffery will be joined by such esteemed colleagues as Earl Sands, VP Research and Development Abbott Laboratories, Karen Smith, Global Product VP, AstraZeneca, Darrell Abernethy, Associate Director for Drug Safety, FDA and Steve Romano, VP and Medical Affairs Head of Primary Care Business Unit, Pfizer , who expect heated debates from typically competitive companies now fighting the common enemy.

Pharmaceutical Patenting has been a bone of contention between the industry and consumer for some time. Monopolistic policies do not work in favor of the general public. Those companies, such as Myriad, who own patents related to genes, will be able to control costs ultimately leading to increased consumer prices. From an industry perspective, without patenting a company is unable to cover the costs of research and development of key drugs and groundbreaking pharmaceutical advancements in medicine, this ‘swing and roundabout’ approach to business has lead to the birth of this key gathering - NGP US Summit.

With the first round over, and a ruling in favor of the consumer, the industry is preparing for more appeals. With the battle won the question begged to be asked is who will win the war?

The Secret of Libya’s Liquid Gold

An infinite wealth of treasure lies in The Elephant Field, 800km south of Tripoli, which was discovered by the Italian company ‘Eni’ in 2006. The Elephant Field drew a renewed focus upon MENA oil and gas, and showed that there are new possibilities waiting to be found in the face of a global oil crisis.

Booming investment within China and India has created a vast amount of pressure on MENA oil reserves, but Libya could hold the solution. There are doubts over Libyan official records regarding their oil and gas reserves; oil and gas experts insist Libya has much higher amount than they are currently prepared to say. Although Libya hopes to reach a target of three million bpd by 2013, this is impossible without foreign investment. Therefore Libya might be a key port of call for the struggling oil and gas industry, which is set to be one of the items up for discussion at the illustrious NGO&G MENA Summit being held this week in Doha.

The heads of oil companies, and important industry players such as Farouk Al Zanki MD and Chairman of Kuwait National Petroleum Company, Randy Clark CEO of Energistics and Hamed Ibrahim Karim, GM Exploration and PICO Petroleum have united once again at the NGO&G MENA summit to discuss the volatile future of the oil and gas industry. Behind the closed doors of this union the various difficulties faced by erratic regulatory compliance laws, and the ever-important topic of finding more efficient ways to recover oil are up for discussion. Khalid Al-Faleh CFO of Aramco called for oil companies to financially share the burden of the investment required to meet expected demand for oil.

Libya is a magnet for oil discovery, and offers not only better routes to Europe and America than The Gulf, but it also could become the final frontier for the entire oil and gas industry. Industry leaders hope that the collaboration at the NGO&G Mena Summit (run by GDS International) will encourage Libya to be more transparent about their natural resources, and whether the technology solutions discussed increase efficiencies in established oil fields.

Healthcare CFO’s V-tach on Obama’s Healthcare Reform

Urgent meetings are being held by the financial leaders of American Healthcare companies in the wake of Obama’s Healthcare Reform being passed 219 – 212 in the House of Representatives. The introduction of this policy heralds a transformation in the fabric of American society, and the way U.S citizens receive medical care has suddenly been revolutionalised in a direction which healthcare CFO’s cannot afford to ignore.

Obama states: “[It] answers the prayers of every American who has hoped deeply for something to be done about a healthcare system that works for insurance companies, but not for ordinary people.”

As miraculous as this sounds, the campaigns against the bill have been vehement, and during these unstable economic times not everyone is content with Obama’s changes. CFO’s need to strategize together to implement a plan that ensures the successful revenue cycle of their organizations. Industry leaders such as Vince Schmidt SVP and CFO of Multicare Health System, Mark Spafford CFO and VP of Health Management Associates, Robert Booth CFO of Summit Medical Group, and Larry Dupper CFO of Valley View Hospital are attending a series of closed door meetings at the ‘CFO Healthcare Summit US 2010’ in Arizona to discuss at this illustrious occurrence what action needs to be taken, and how.

A leading source, who wished to remain anonymous stated, “ I think most CFO’s feel thrown in at the deep end like never before. It is sink or swim, and we need a consistent approach to tackle these difficulties so the ‘CFO Healthcare Summit US 2010’ is a crucial event for our company, and for the American Healthcare industry as a whole.”

Obama’s greatest allies and fiercest critics await the outcome of the ‘CFO Healthcare Summit US 2010’ with baited breath, as not only the financial future of the American Healthcare system will be decided, but also the sagacity of the bill which Obama fought so hard to win will be revealed.

$18bn African Investment – but can the Middle East take the call?

Since 2001, Investment into the African telecommunications sector has hit $18bn, however Africa has missed many opportunities to deploy cable infrastructure to the same extent as its competitive continents such as the Middle East and Asia.
Nevertheless leading authorities understand that such an infrastructure is vital for the continents development and they are planning to announce future moves into 4G at NGT Africa summit hosted by GDS international.
South Africa’s international connectivity received a major boost last year with the launch of the Seacom cable, a high-bandwidth data link connecting Africa with India and Europe. Two further major cables, the West African Cable System and the East African Submarine Cable, are due to come into operation over the next two years.

Africa can offer competitive prices to emerging companies and has obvious mass growth potential. Recent infrastructure improvements throughout the African Markets have allowed the continent to rival the likes of Dubai. As a direct result of the NGT meetings regions such as East Africa are now the choice of many multinationals as a gateway to the Middle East and Africa.

“So far, technology has been a strong point for Dubai. But the arrival of the new submarine cables will allow Africa to run services at a reduced cost.” Will Gary Austin, NGT Director

With so much growth potential and increased investments into the African telecoms market it comes as no surprise that the Middle East telecoms elite have been quick to announce their attendance at the NGT MENA summit to discuss how they plan to maintain their dominance within the market and provide the best services possible to outside investors.
Representatives confirmed to attend the NGT Discussions include Tony Shakib – VP Service provider Emerging Markets from CISCO and Knut Aasrud GM Communications Sector EMEA who will be on hand to share their thought leadership as technology innovators with Ghana Telecom (Vodafone Ghana) - Eric Valentine, Head of Technology Core Networks Orange Uganda - Phillipe Luxey, CEO MTN Group - Sifiso Dabengwa , COO Telkom SA - Charlotte Mokoena, CEO Vodacom Group - Vujani Jarana, Ex. Director Operations Virgin Mobile South Africa - Steve Bailey, CEO

"Cisco and SEACOM share a common goal to enable accessible broadband across Africa while lowering the cost of communication to spur growth within urban and rural communities. We're working with SEACOM to help transform Africa by outlining process change, building networks, and then providing the application services and expertise that support key services for citizens, such as education, healthcare, public safety, economic development, and national security. SEACOM will provide the catalyst for African consumers, business and government to realise the benefits of connectivity and collaboration across the globe." Courtesy of CISCO Systems Inc

Big Banks Back Paperless Push

Finance Giants have met at the recent FST US summit to discuss ECM – practical solutions to a green problem.

The banking world has been under pressure for the last 12 months, if we put aside the global credit crunch, something which isn’t easy to do, banks have been facing a well documented consumer dispute over bank charges and clerical expenses, the need to review an extended history of client’s accounts is now a necessity. Government and consumer pressure to go green also means that traditional business practices must be re thought to meet sustainable demand.

“The ability to examine appropriate paperwork for an increasing number of client claims over extended periods of time is now a daily challenge. We must also consider the environmental impact of paper intensive banking.” Rein Hofstra – Bank of America

Discussions at the FST US summit (hosted by GDS International) quickly turned to the need for green solutions; top of the list was pushing the consumer to back paperless banking, how to create a system which allows easy options for the consumer to choose the green solution, and encouraging in house paper saving.

If we were to argue that big business is interested in the bottom line then switching to ECM is the sensible choice, printing and mailing costs can reach anywhere up to $3.50 per customer but the preparation and delivery of and electronic statement is a snip at $0.15 per customer.
“Data Document automation will aid in freeing up staff, reducing costs and maintaining 100% data accuracy. Changing compliance regulations, non-integrated technologies, and the complexity of the document life cycle are the main document management challenges integral to the financial services industry. Big business discussed how they would reduce costs and eliminate wasted resources ultimately saving money and streamlining processes.” Madhavan Rhagamacharvi – Morgan Stanley
We could become enamored with the glamorous savings, an environmentally sustainable banking system and improved customer relations but ultimately the test will come when implementing the technology to reach the consumer majority and digital storage capabilities.

Jeanne Capachin – Research VP, Global Banking, IDC Financial Insights led the 50 strong conglomerate including Rein Hofstra – Bank of America, Leon Wilson – BB&T and Madhavan Rhagamacharvi – Morgan Stanley discussing Enterprise Content Management (ECM), Streamlining information sharing and information access across all business lines, Eliminate paper waste and the costs associated with it and supporting green initiatives that promote environmentally responsible practices.
If we are to reach the ultimate goal of a green banking future and consumer control of digital banking solutions meetings such as the FST US summit must remain an open discussion platform for financial executives to discuss as an industry and not as a sole corporation.

Consumer Confusion Push for industry labeling agreement

The European Committee has just voted against consumer pressure to introduce a traffic light colour code for food labeling. But how has the industry reacted. Coca Cola, Kellogg’s, DANONE, Kraft Foods and Nestle among many other industry leading representatives meet at the illustrious NGF Summit at the Grand Hotel Huis ter Duin, The Netherlands to discuss action plans.

The new system already adopted in the UK has been unanimously agreed upon by consumer boards as the best way to combat global health concerns for obesity. It is no secret that this was widely rejected by the industry with growing fears of reduced competitiveness and unfairly portraying certain food products such as cheese and pâté as an unhealthy choice.

As in many other areas of food manufacturing, the rules have changed for packaging and labeling. Regulations surrounding ingredient and nutrition disclosure as well as allergen labeling necessitate changes in labeling operations, while sustainability and security in packaging become increasingly challenging. The attendees at the NGF EU summit hosted by GDS International will explore the innovative technologies and practices to enable both compliance and efficiency within the areas of packaging and labeling and debate the widely controversial subject of honest and clear fat, salt, calorie and sugar content labelling.

Under the system – a version of which is in use in the UK – food companies would be required to label the front of their packages with red, amber or green icons to denote the amounts of fat, saturated fat, salt and sugar they contain.

Despite the rejection BEUC, Europe’s largest consumer organisation, called the vote “a severe blow” for public health. A unified strategy is expected to be reached at the next NGH EU summit with representatives from Coca – Cola enterprises, Danone, Kellogs Europe, Kraft Foods, Nestle all of which who have openly stated their concerns with the traffic light.

With the consumer struggling with a mix match of food labeling solutions and confusing information an ever growing health conscious society is pushing for a standard solution. Although voluntary use of the traffic light system has been embraced by stores such as Waitrose and Marks and Spencer’s other companies are using different percentage break downs and varying colour coding systems. But can a viable solution be agreed upon given consumer pressure?

MENA versus APAC in the Battle for Limited Commodities

The MENA region has lead the way in the global oil and gas industry for some time now, but has this level of dominance made them complacent? Are they still in a position to compete with the emerging APAC region?
Well this week leading oil and gas executives from the APAC region met at the illustrious NG O&G APAC summit at Sentosa to discuss new technology and innovation which will allow them to close the gap on the Middle East supply.
2009 saw the biggest pullback in oil demand in history and the economic downturn saw oil consumption drop by 3 million barrels per day (bpd). 2010 has seen the global market splutter back towards relative normality, offering investment opportunities across the industry, which has been capitalized on by the attendees at the recent NG O&G APAC summit hosted by GDS International.
Industrialization and population growth in developing countries drive demand in the oil and gas industry, but a stable economy is a necessity for development, something that is finally beginning to appear on the horizon.
Growth also needs support, a good infrastructure and the harnessing of new and emerging technologies, a debate which will be key at the NG O&G MENA summit set in April.
The consortium looking to maintain the Middle East's hold on the market is chaired by Ali Singab, GM Exploration & Production at Emirates National Oil Company; Farouk Hussein Al Zanki, Chairman, Kuwait National Petroleum; Yousef Al Taher, Board Members, Operations; Dr. Mirza, Minister of Oil & Gas for Bahrain and Nabi Mukhtar, Head of Drilling at BAPCO. They are all looking at how we can improve business and operational performance while transforming data into actionable intelligence.
Business and operational leaders face a number of challenges related to diverse and non-integrated technologies and informational systems. Quite often they are overwhelmed by data overload and technology obsolescence issues. Such scenarios can lead to low ROI and missed business opportunities. In addition, emerging technologies and enhanced regulatory and safety compliance are adding to the complexity at a time of dwindling skilled resource bases.
“Consolidation in the sector is inevitable as larger companies take advantage of strategic opportunities. The positive trends that we have seen in recent months are likely to continue this year and the outlook for oil and gas transactions is healthy in upstream and oilfield services. This is a pattern which emerges globally by the Middle East, Africa and Asia – Pacific” Summit Director
Economically, more cooperation between the oils and gas sector's ‘big businesses’ would reduce the economic costs for the Asia–Pacific region thus reducing their reliance on the Middle East.