TV Giants Are Outsourcing More Manufacturing

To outsource or not to outsource. That's a question TV manufacturers face these days as they revamp their supply chains to cope with the drop in demand caused by the global downturn.

The trend is toward outsourcing. Market researcher DisplaySearch says one in four flat-panel TVs sold globally from January to March were made by a contract manufacturer, not the company whose brand is on the set. By next year nearly a third of all TVs will be outsourced, DisplaySearch predicts.

TV makers are betting they can save a lot by letting someone else spend huge sums on new factories filled with state-of-the-art equipment. They figure it doesn't make sense for top brands to add factories only to sell small, low-cost liquid-crystal-display TVs—the sector of the market where TVs are a commodity, competition is the most cutthroat, and prices are most attractive to consumers.

Ramping Up ProductionConsider the diverging paths of two companies: Sharp and Sony. On July 9, Sharp said it was ramping up production in Japan of LCD panels for flat-screen TVs. By August, the company will boost monthly output by 11% at one of its panel-making plants in Kameyama, in central Japan. That plant is already running at full steam, producing 90,000 of the huge specialized glass sheets each month. Each of the 2.2-meter-by-2.5-meter sheets is cut to make 18 32-inch, eight 46-inch, or six 52-inch displays.

Sharp wouldn't specify how the company expects to accomplish this feat. But a company spokeswoman did say why: We've been getting requests from other LCD TV makers, says Miyuki Nakayama. Sharp realized that its current output falls short of meeting those demands. By October, Sharp will rush a gargantuan new factory in Osaka into service to keep the supply of panels flowing to its customers.

Sharp has said its unit sales of TVs will be flat at 10 million this year despite its panel-making buildup. That's partly because roughly half of the panels Sharp will make are expected to end up in other companies' TVs. Last year the company sold 20% of its panels to others. The focus on panels helps to blunt the declining volume sales and sinking prices that have hit every TV maker in the industry. Here's the evidence: Sharp expects revenues from LCD panels to dip 5% from last year but predicts that revenues from TVs will fall 10%. (Analysts expect operating losses from TVs of nearly $350 million but $250 million in operating profits from LCD panels.)

Sony  sells more TVs than Sharp—and is less insulated from the pain. Although the panel factory it runs in a joint venture with Korean rival Samsung Electronics is thought to be profitable, Sony has to share the output, unlike Sharp. And Sony's TV business continues to lose money: A DisplaySearch graph showed that Sony likely outsourced about 15% of its TVs in the first quarter of 2009. In recent months, Sony and Samsung added an assembly line to their factory in Korea.

Coming WaveBut unlike Sharp, which makes nearly all of its own sets, Sony appears to be looking to outsource more of its TVs. Macquarie Securities analyst David Gibson has done some digging and has come up with an estimate: Sony could outsource as much as 50% of its LCD TVs, compared with 10% to 20% last fiscal year.

Outsourcing won't solve all of Sony's problems. Although last year's $1.32 billion loss from TVs could shrink this year, it won't disappear. Gibson predicts that this year's loss is likely to be $580 million.

Source: http://www.financial24.org/asia/tv-giants-are-outsourcing-more-manufacturing/

Canonical Releases Launchpad Source Code

A major advantage of open source software development is the communication between the members of any given project. But what happens when communication must take place between projects? That's where a web-based collaboration service like Launchpad comes in.

Today, over two years after it was launched as a public beta, Canonical, Ltd. has released the source code for Launchpad, which will allow the development community to work on the Launchpad tool itself.

Launchpad not only allows project teams to work with each other, but also facilitates upstream and downstream communications between different projects. The service helps projects collaborate through a set of six integrated tools: team management, bug tracking, code hosting, translating, blueprint tracking, and answer tracking. The service can be examined and used at Launchpad.net.

Using Launchpad, developers host and share code for free--using the Bazaar version control system integrated into Launchpad. Translators can collaborate on translations across many different projects, and end-users identify bugs affecting one or more projects so developers can then triage and resolve those bugs. Contributors can write, propose, and manage software specifications.

In addition, Launchpad erases barriers to collaboration and enables people to support each other’s efforts across different project hosting services--essentially making Launchpad a social network with a purpose. Launchpad has everything software projects, open source or not, need to be successful.

“Launchpad is designed to accelerate collaboration between open source projects,” said Canonical founder Mark Shuttleworth in a press release. “Collaboration is the engine of innovation in free software development, and our intent in creating Launchpad is to support one of the key strengths of free software compared with the traditional proprietary development process. Projects that are hosted on Launchpad are immediately connected to every other project hosted there in a way that makes it easy to collaborate on code, translations, bug fixes and feature design across project boundaries. Rather than hosting individual projects, we host a massive and connected community that collaborates together across many projects. Making Launchpad itself open source fulfills a long term intention to give the users of Launchpad the ability to improve the service they use every day.”

Launchpad hosts open source projects for free, but closed source projects use the service for a fee. This means that projects can utilize the features that Launchpad provides but do not need to share code if that is not desirable. The privacy features are currently in beta, and will be added to the commercial service as these become available.

Source: http://www.linux.com/news/software/developer/29342-canonical-releases-launchpad-source-code

Gomez aims to simplify RIA scripts

Web application company Gomez has added a new performance metrics recorder to and increased the mobile capabilities of its namesake platform.

The Gomez Platform Summer 2009 release, announced today, has a new feature called Gomez Recorder, which is aimed at simplifying the maintenance of test scripts for Web transactions, including rich Internet application transactions. The recorder automatically collects performance metrics of each transaction.

“With the new recorder, you can quickly record multi-step business processes and more easily update and maintain scripts when applications change,” said Imad Mouline, CTO of Gomez. “You can insert measurement points to create precise performance timing data and easily set up custom content validation for objects and third-party content.”

There are new testing agents that reveal data on how Web applications perform in different browsers. Users can now test and monitor mobile applications and resolve performance problems for those applications. Gomez claims its platform can now work with 5,000 mobile devices in addition to more than 500 combinations of standard browsers, devices and screen sizes, according to company executives.

Mouline said software developers today must deal with more complex Web applications and the emergence of multiple browsers with different performance characteristics. They must be able to “ensure quality Web application performance along the entire Web application delivery chain, from the data center to the browser, which also includes getting an accurate read on how load will impact end users' response times,” he said.

Source: http://www.sdtimes.com/link/33626

Cobra Announces Partnership with ProMiles and TruckDown On New Navigation System for the Professional Driver

Professional Driver Navigation & Routing Device Available in September 2009

Cobra Electronics today announced a partnership with ProMiles(R) Software Development Corporation, in association with TruckDown Info International, Inc., in the development of a new navigation system specifically for the professional driver. With this agreement, ProMiles’ and TruckDown’s national database of vendor and professional driver-specific Points of Interest (POI) will be available in the new Cobra navigation unit.

Available in September 2009 at travel centers nationwide, the new Cobra navigation unit designed specifically for professional drivers will include ProMiles and TruckDown vendor locations and POI data. Important information such as routable travel center locations including an extensive list of travel center amenities, fueling stations, restaurants, heavy duty towing, truck repair, trailer shops, truck friendly hotels, welding and weigh scales to name a few will be available as part of the product.

“As a leader in the professional driver market, we want to provide drivers with the highest quality of products that aid them in their everyday business,” explained Tony Mirabelli, senior vice president of marketing and sales, Cobra Electronics. “With ProMiles, a leader in professional driver-specific data, we are providing drivers with the information they need to optimize their routes and get them to their destination the fastest and most profitable way possible.”

“The Cobra name is synonymous with quality among professional drivers,” said Tim Pilcher, president of ProMiles, “and we are looking to forward to working with Cobra on developing this new GPS unit and making drivers’ already tough job a little easier.”

The Cobra Professional navigation unit will be available for a sneak peek at the Great American Trucking Show in Dallas, TX at Cobra booth, #13098 and the ProMiles booth, #14065.

Source: http://www.truckdriversnews.com/2009/07/21/cobra-announces-partnership-with-promiles-and-truckdown-on-new-navigation-system-for-the-professional-driver/

BizCom Releases Update to Website Content Management Tool

Content Management System Gives Non-Technical Users the Ability to Manage Their Sites

BizCom Web Services, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, announces the release of version 2.5 of their website Content Management System (CMS). The new system utilizes the Microsoft .NET 3.5 framework and SQL Server 2008 to provide a powerful, lightweight and user-friendly toolset for complete website management.

“We’ve implemented several new tools in this release, including full audit trail cataloging for businesses that must meet strict compliance requirements, an Event Registration System (w/ multiple merchant system plug-ins), enhanced Search Engine Optimization tools and a powerful new Form Builder,” said Don Rodger, VP of Technology and Principal of BizCom.

Rodger continued, “This new version of our CMS software makes it even easier for non-technical people to manage the most complex websites with just a few clicks of their mouse. We added valuable features that allows the customer to effectively manage their site rather than having to depend on a developer.”

“Since December 2008, we have engaged the services of BizCom for the design and hosting of our program’s website, TAP-IN.ORG. The success of our site can be directly tied to the efforts of BizCom and their innovative Content Management System toolset. With relative ease and speed, we are able to distribute our organization’s message throughout the Internet. We effectively manage site content by simply utilizing the BizCom CMS facility,” said Joseph Petrino, Information Technology Manager, American Health Initiative (http://www.tap-in.org).

BizCom’s Website Content Management System comes standard with every website designed and built by BizCom. Their base CMS includes a single user account, text editing, change audits and a file manager. Additional modules can be added to expand functionality - such as Timed Content Management, Event Registration system and page versioning with roll-back.

BizCom Web Services, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and a full-service Web Design and Development company, offers custom website design and web application development services. Additionally, they offer web and email hosting services and a full line of hosted Microsoft solutions, including hosted Microsoft Exchange, SharePoint, Office Communication Server (OCS) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM). Additional services include Email Archiving and various SaaS products.

Source: http://www.ereleases.com/pr/bizcom-releases-update-website-content-management-tool-23268

IT firms find payroll outsourcing a good bet

Amid the ongoing slump in the financial service industry, payroll outsourcing has emerged as a better bet for Indian IT firms looking to provide the entire gamut of HR solutions to the US and European clients.

Companies like Infosys, TCS and Caliber Point are relying on pay roll outsourcing to achieve faster growth. No wonder, payroll outsourcing has tipped its subset human resource outsourcing in terms of growth.

A recent study shows that while payroll outsourcing registered a growth of 50 per cent, HR outsourcing grew only at 12 per cent.

“We have started to see payroll services getting more interest from larger and organized suppliers,” Gaurav Gupta, principal and country head of Everest Group.

Payroll outsourcing market pegged at $250 million is much smaller compared to HR outsourcing market at $1.3 billion.

But a large part of HR outsourcing requires onshore or near shore presence for understanding tax and regulatory issues, negating the cost advantage.

In contrast, payroll outsourcing provides immediate and quick cost reduction. It also provides simplification and standardization of the payroll process with quicker access to information.

Out of 104 multi-country, HRO deals signed as of December 2008 only 30 deals included Asia Pacific, but out of 78 multi country payroll deals, 58 were signed in the Asia-Pacific region. Realizing the opportunity Indian players are now getting aggressive to acquire more deals.

“Infosys has partnered with a niche player for providing these payroll solutions in many different geographies and that is the trend going forward,” Gupta said.

The US recession has proved that dependence on just one vertical, BFSI, which accounts for 50 per cent of the outsourcing market can be risky.

So, payroll outsourcing is now emerging as the new opportunity for Indian BPO/ITO companies to leverage on.

Source: http://profit.ndtv.com/2009/05/24212809/IT-firms-find-payroll-outsourc.html

Airline Rule Threatens Pact With EU

The US House of Representatives passed a measure aimed at boosting air safety that threatens to disrupt cooperation with Europe.

The provision, passed as part of a bill to fund the Federal Aviation Administration, requires for the first time that FAA experts inspect at least twice annually any overseas maintenance facility handling American airliners. Currently, the FAA relies heavily on inspections by its foreign counterparts.

The bill's sponsor, House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman James Oberstar, said he added the provision because US carriers are increasingly outsourcing maintenance work overseas. Inspections of these facilities would "ensure that foreign entities conducting repair work on US aircraft adhere to US safety standards and regulations," he recently told a gathering in Washington.

Opponents say the current system works fine, and the provision is an effort to protect US jobs. They say it will duplicate inspections.

Final passage of the FAA act could take months, as it must next go to the Senate, which could remove the inspection provision.

But the new provision has already prompted the European Union to freeze enactment of a safety accord signed last June with the US And EU officials say that if the US demands FAA inspection of European repair stations, they will respond by requiring European inspections of repair facilities in the US The overlapping inspections could cost millions of dollars for each side.

The new provision "goes against the spirit and the wording of the US-EU Aviation Safety Agreement," said Daniel Hoeltgen, spokesman for the European Aviation Safety Agency, or EASA, the EU's counterpart to the FAA. The accord would boost cooperation, in part by establishing a joint US-EU board to oversee maintenance and certification. EU officials say such mutual assistance can't work if the US is acting unilaterally.

An FAA spokeswoman declined to comment.

Air safety is a delicate topic now, as accidents in the US and Europe -- two of the world's safest aviation markets -- killed 220 people and destroyed seven airliners between August and February, significantly more than in recent years.

Backers of the provision say that maintenance outsourcing poses big safety risks. Robert Roach Jr., general vice president of the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers, which represents US maintenance workers, recently told a congressional hearing that his members had repaired planes returning from overseas flights that had "departed with obvious mechanical problems."

Under current rules, the FAA works with foreign air-safety regulators to ensure their inspections of local repair shops are on par with what the FAA would do. FAA experts then use the foreign reviews -- plus FAA spot checks -- to certify repair stations for US airliners.

Some 700 facilities outside the US now maintain American planes, about 400 of them in Europe. In the US, more than 1,200 repair shops have certification by foreign aviation authorities on top of that from the FAA.

Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124291388570643335.html?mod=googlenews_wsj