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Samlink Turns to IBM for New Services Agreement

By Guest PostNovember 24, 2010Technologydata center operations, finland, heikki sirve, ibm, information technology, infrastructure, it, johan sandell, pc, personal computer, samlink

*IBM to manage the IT infrastructure of over 400 bank branch offices and deploy a cloud learning environment*

HELSINKI, Finland, – 24 Nov 2010: IBM announced today it has signed a new agreement with Samlink to manage the information technology (IT) infrastructure for the company’s more than 400 bank branch offices across Finland. The five-year, EURO 28 million agreement signed this month follows the IT agreement between the two companies inked one year ago in November 2009 in which IBM enabled Samlink to achieve greater efficiency in its data center operations.

IBM will manage overall IT operations and internal workstations for Samlink and its clients including self-service kiosks, wireless networks, workstation and maintenance, desktop, servers, and printers. (more…)

Shrubby Crops Can Help Fuel Africa’s Green Revolution

By Guest PostNovember 24, 2010Economy, Environment, Generalafrica, agricultural revolution, calorie-rich food, crop diversification, green revolution, malawi, nutrient-enriched grain, peanuts, rotating corn, shrubby legumes, sieglinde snapp, soybean

Rotating corn with shrubby legumes holds a key for fueling Africa's green revolution. Image credit: Michigan State University

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Crop diversification with shrubby legumes mixed with soybean and peanuts could be the key to sustaining the green revolution in Africa, according to a Michigan State University study.

The study, which appears in the Nov. 22 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, states that diversifying crops would boost production of nutrient-enriched grain by 12 percent to 23 percent, said Sieglinde Snapp, a crop and soil scientist at Michigan State University’s Kellogg Biological Station who led the study.

Malawi has been called the cradle of Africa’s green revolution. Through its government subsidizing 90 percent of fertilizer and superior corn seed costs, Malawi has reaped substantial gains in productivity of calorie-rich food. The successful program has had some unintended consequences, though, such as reliance on starchy cereals, expensive fertilizer and depleted soils. (more…)

Predicting Sea Level Rise: Understanding How Icebergs Form Could Lead to Better Forecasts

By Guest PostNovember 23, 2010Environmentamery ice shelf, Antarctica, climate warms, east antarctica statistical methodology, glaciers, ice sheets, ice-retreat process, iceberg calving, icebergs, jeremy bassis, larsen b ice shelf, NASA, predictions, sea-level rise, shrinking ice sheets

ANN ARBOR, Mich.— In an effort to understand how fast sea level could rise as the climate warms, a University of Michigan researcher has developed a new theory to describe how icebergs detach from ice sheets and glaciers.

This process of “iceberg calving” isn’t well understood. While scientists believe it currently accounts for roughly half of the mass lost in shrinking ice sheets, current sea level rise models don’t take changes in iceberg calving into account in their predictions, says Jeremy Bassis, an assistant professor in the Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences. (more…)

Dealt a Bad Hand: Pathological Gamblers Are Also at Risk for Mental Health Disorders

By Guest PostNovember 23, 2010Culture, Healthalain lesage, montreal, pathological gamblers, personality disorders, psychiatric disorders, richard boyer, risk, statistics, suicide, suicide prevention programs, western world, world health organization

Richard Boyer. Image credit : University of Montreal

Pathological gamblers are risking more than their money, they are also three times more likely to commit suicide than non-betters. A new Montreal inter-university study has shown these gamblers are also plagued by personality disorders. These findings, published in a recent issue of the Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, may have implications for developing improved targeted suicide prevention programs.

“The World Health Organization estimates that suicide is one of the top ten causes of death in the Western world,” says study co-author, Richard Boyer a Université de Montréal professor and researcher at the Centre de recherche Fernand-Seguin at the Louis-H. Lafontaine Hospital. “In addition, pathological gamblers account for five percent of all suicides. These staggering statistics motivated us to study the difference between gamblers and non-gamblers.” (more…)

IGH Solutions Drives User Adoption Up by 246 Percent by Switching From Salesforce.com to Microsoft Dynamics CRM

By Guest PostNovember 23, 2010Technologybrad wilson, drew climer, igh solutions, Microsoft, microsoft dynamics, microsoft dynamics crm, microsoft outlook, microsoft sharepoint, microsoft sql server, salesforce, software

*With new deployment, company increases ROI by 595 percent and resolves data entry issues.*

REDMOND, Wash. — Nov. 23, 2010 — Microsoft Corp. today highlighted the benefits attained by IGH Solutions, a world leader in developing and delivering innovative solutions for specialty and dimensional printing, in three years since switching from Salesforce.com to Microsoft Dynamics CRM. They include an increase in sales-team productivity valued at $1.2 million, nearly $400,000 in reduced costs for licensing fees, a 246 percent increase in user adoption, and an ROI of 595 percent — all realized by establishing a cost-effective and standardized sales-force automation solution for use across the enterprise.

With Microsoft Dynamics CRM, IGH Solutions also resolved integration and data entry issues that had plagued the company because Salesforce.com could not integrate with its Hagen ERP system. In addition, the company was able to capitalize on its existing investment in Microsoft business productivity software, including Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft SharePoint, Microsoft Office, Microsoft InfoPath and Microsoft SQL Server, because of the interoperability Microsoft Dynamics CRM has with these applications. (more…)

Amazon.it Launches Today, Providing Vast Selection, Significant Savings and Great Convenience for Italian Online Shoppers

By Guest PostNovember 23, 2010TechnologyAmazon, amazon web site, bestsellers, books, ceo, diego piacentini, dvds, italian customers, italian-language website, jeff bezos, music, ranks of bronze, smartphones, video games

New Site Offers Everyday Low Prices on Books, DVD, Music, Video Games and Consumer Electronics – just in time for Christmas shopping
Amazon Prime membership program is available with unlimited free guaranteed 2-3-day delivery at an annual fee of 9.99 Euros
Introductory offer includes 30% discount on the vast selection of over 2 million Italian- and foreign-language books

SEATTLE, Nov 23, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Amazon.com today launched Amazon.it (www.amazon.it), an Italian-language website offering customers a vast selection of books, DVDs, video games, music and consumer electronics at everyday low prices. Launching with more categories than any other Amazon web site has launched with, the selection also includes computers, software, small home appliances, watches and toys. Amazon.it’s convenient services include Amazon Prime, the membership program with unlimited free guaranteed 2-3-day delivery at an annual fee of 9.99 Euros. (more…)

Late-preterm Babies at Greater Risk for Problems Later in Childhood

By Guest PostNovember 23, 2010Healthbehavioral problem, cognitive problem, emotional problem, late-preterm babies, lower iq, maternal iq

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Late-preterm babies – those born between 34 and 36 weeks – are at an increased risk for cognitive and emotional problems, regardless of maternal IQ or demographics, according to new research published by Michigan State University researchers in the current edition of the journal Pediatrics. (more…)

Tightwads and Spendthrifts: A Black Friday Tradition

By Guest PostNovember 22, 2010Culture, Economyblack friday, characteristics, holiday shopping season, obama chia pet, pain, professor, psychological pain, scott rick, spending decisions, spendthrift, spendthrift-tightwad scale, thanksgiving, tightwad

ANN ARBOR, Mich.— Every year about this time, on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving that traditionally begins the holiday shopping season, early-morning consumers stand in long lines eager to purchase some sought after prize. From the outside, it looks as if these holiday shoppers can’t wait to plunk down their cash, but Ross School marketing professor Scott Rick says consumers often behave differently than they would ideally like to behave.

“Some consumers chronically spend more than they would like, and some consumers chronically spend less than they would like,” he said. “Where an individual falls within the range of desiring to spend more or less largely determines whether he or she is a tightwad or a spendthrift, characteristics that determine quite a bit about a person’s spending habits.” (more…)

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