STUART, FL--(Marketwire - Oct 8, 2012) - Connectyx Technologies Holdings Group, Inc. ( PINKSHEETS : CTYX ), http://www.connectyx.com, a Healthcare BPO that provides unique products for the healthcare market including MedFlash, the electronic Personal Health Manager (ePHM), Medical Transcription, Disease Management, Revenue Cycle Management, and Medical Consulting - Billing and LifeControl in the Personal Emergency Response Systems/Services (PERS) market, announced the signing of the company's first Business Process Outsourcing contract. Connectyx will be coordinating the project with an offshore call center to screen diabetic patient leads through a BPO program with CallCenterTeam.com. The campaign will include three to ten call center agents with a goal of twenty-five (25) agent seats for the initial project with projected revenue of approximately $65,000 monthly assuming 1.5 sales per hour (SPR). The company is launching the initial test within the next two weeks. Upon reaching the goal of at least 1.5 sales per hour (SPR) being reached, the client will expand to the full twenty-five agent headcount.

Ronn Schuman, CEO of Connectyx Technologies Holdings Group, Inc., said, "We are excited about signing our first BRO contracta mere three weeks after signing a contract with CallCenterTeam.com.With the multi-billion dollar Healthcare BPO market growing at an annual rate of 20%, we are very confident in establishing a market presence that will contribute to our profitability."

Kenneth Schwartz, CEO of CallCenterTeam.com, said, "This is our first joint contract with Connectyx Technologies by tapping into our existing BPO relationships. We fully expect that total revenues from our contract with Connectyx are projected to generate Health Care BPO revenues of a minimum of $3 Million in 2013 for Connectyx."Mr. Schwartz is a Senior CRM/BPO New Business Development & Sales executive having an extensive background in on-shore, near-shore and off-shore contact center services, Healthcare Payer, Healthcare Solutions, Life Sciences, Pharmaceuticals and Strategic Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) with a successful track record of success for over 20 years.

Interested investors and shareholders are invited to be added to the corporate e-mail database for future corporate press releases and industry updates by sending an e-mail to investorrelations@connectyx.com. For more information please visit our website at http://www.connectyx.com.

About Connectyx Technologies Holdings Group, Inc. Connectyx Technologies Holdings Group, Inc. is a Healthcare BPO that provides unique products for the healthcare market including MedFlash, the electronic Personal Health Manager (ePHM),LifeControl, a Personal Emergency Response Services (PERS) product and Medical Transcription, Disease Management, Revenue Cycle Management and Medical Consulting - Billing. Connectyx's consumer product, MedFlash PHM, is an easy to use Personal Health and Lifestyle Manager that is accessible using a powerful web portal suite. The MedFlash PHM provides member benefits including instant access to members' Emergency Medical Profile and Personal Health Record in the event of an accident or a medical emergency. MedFlash also offers lifestyle and wellness features that provide significant health benefits to members and risk mitigation for employers and insurers alike. LifeControl, a Personal Emergency Response Services product for patients and senior citizens who want to live independently, but are concerned about falling and staying in communication with family members or emergency services, if necessary. For more information, please visit our websites at: http://www.connectyx.com, http://www.lifecontrolusa.com, http://www.phrtoday.com and http://www.medflash.com.

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Connectyx Technologies Signs Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) Contract

AvantiKumar | Oct. 10, 2012

Included in the new portfolio of seven printers is the HP Deskjet Ink Advantage high capacity series, which prints up to 1,500 pages at about US$12 a cartridge.

PHOTO - Launch of Ink Advantage portfolio in Malaysia (from left) flanked by models, Wong Yuen Lai, market development manager, Inkjet Supplies, Printing and Personal Systems Group, HP Malaysia; P. V. Viswanath, director, Channel Sales Organization, Printing and Personal Systems, Southeast Asia, Taiwan and Hong Kong; artist 'Red' Hong Yi; and Martin Tan, market development manager, Inkjet Web Solutions Hardware, Printing and Personal Systems Group, HP Malaysia. The backdrop shows Red's artwork called Feathers, which was created with HP printer and basic office supplies.

A new portfolio of seven printers in technology giant HP's Ink Advantage range is the result of the company's R&D team, which responded to quality and reliability needs expressed by home and small business users in Malaysia. One of the new features is the ability to print up to 1,500 pages at RM37 [US$12] a cartridge, said HP Malaysia.

Speaking on 4 October 2012, HP director, channel sales organisation, printing and personal systems, Southeast Asia and Hong Kong, P. V. Viswanath said the company asked analyst firm IDC to identify printer issues in Malaysia.

"The IDC [2012] study showed that Malaysian home users and businesses were seriously concerned that using alternatives such as Continuous Ink Supplies Systems (CISS) may lead to warranty voids, printer breakdowns, increased cost of printer replacement, messy ink leaks and the hassle of having to deal with regular machine failures and maintenance," said Viswanath.

"The realities that consumers face include low quality ink tanks, risked warranties, frequent machine failures," he said. "The study shows that 32 percent of modified printers, using ink feed attachments, broke down. The same research showed a greater frequency of printer refreshes."

Viswanath said HP was the first to introduce the Ink Advantage series that allow users to enjoy high-quality printing at very low running costs and offers the most extensive line-up in Malaysia. "The new portfolio of printers is the result of HP's San Diego research and development team's visit to Malaysia."

The launch also featured Malaysian mixed media artist 'Red' Hong Yi's unveiling of Feather (see photo), an artwork that used 1500 sheets of A4-size paper from one cartridge costing RM37 (US$12) on one of the new HP Ink Advantage printers - 2520hc. Measuring 6.3 metres (W) x 14.7 metres (H), Hong Yi also used office stationery such as 30 binder clips, 300 paper clips, 30 file rings, and 10 rolls of adhesive tape.

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HP R&D team design new range of printers for Malaysia

The chief executive of Reckitt Benckiser (LSE: RB.L - news) pledged millions of pounds of shares in the company to secure a personal loan more than two years ago without investors being told, it has emerged.

Rakesh Kapoor, who earned 736,000 last year, used shares currently worth 7.4m as collateral for a personal loan with Bank of America Merrill Lynch. More shares were added after the loan was taken out in June 2010, taking the total value of the shares to 8.7m at todays prices.

The position was only revealed to shareholders after the company consulted with the Financial Services Authority. Regulations make it clear the market must be informed if shares are used as collateral for loans.

The issue around shares and personal loans received huge publicity in 2008 when the entrepreneur David Ross was forced to step down from the boards of Carphone Warehouse and National Express over similar failings . The Tory party donor failed to make a timely disclosure of how 14.5m of shares in companies he was involved in were used as collateral for more than 100m of loans.

On Monday, Reckitt, which makes household products ranging from Dettol to Gaviscon and Vanish, said the situation had come to light after an internal review.

The company also disclosed that Freddy Caspers, a member of the companys executive committee, sold 200,000 shares in December 2008. The shares are worth 7.3m at todays prices.

Mr Caspars is in charge of Reckitts Latin American and Australasian business. As such he was a person discharging managerial responsibility (PDMR) and obliged to inform the market of all dealings in Reckitt shares.

The company declined to explain how the transaction was almost four years late being reported to the market.

In a statement it said: To ensure timely disclosure going forward for PDMRs the company has reviewed and updated its internal reporting process.

The issue will be particularly embarrassing for Reckitt as it has long been targeted over executive pay.

More:
Reckitt comes clean over millions of pounds of directors' share deals

ScienceDaily (Oct. 7, 2012) Expanding production of palm oil, a common ingredient in processed foods, soaps and personal care products, is driving rainforest destruction and massive carbon dioxide emissions, according to a new study led by researchers at Stanford and Yale universities.

The study, published online Oct. 7 in the journal Nature Climate Change, shows that deforestation for the development of oil palm plantations in Indonesian Borneo is becoming a globally significant source of carbon dioxide emissions.

Plantation expansion is projected to contribute more than 558 million metric tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere in 2020 -- an amount greater than all of Canada's current fossil fuel emissions.

Indonesia is the leading producer of palm and palm kernel oil, which together account for more than 30 percent of the world's vegetable oil use, and which can be used for biodiesel. Most of Indonesia's oil palm plantation expansion is occurring on the island of Borneo, also known as Kalimantan, which occupies a land area nearly the size California and Florida combined. Plantation leases, covering 32 percent of Kalimantan's lowlands outside of protected areas, represent a major land bank that is slated for development over the next decade, according to the study.

In 2010 alone, land-clearing for oil palm plantations in Kalimantan emitted more than 140 million metric tons of carbon dioxide -- an amount equivalent to annual emissions from about 28 million vehicles.

Home to the world's third-largest tropical forest area, Indonesia is also one of the world's largest emitters of greenhouse gasses, due to rapid loss of carbon-rich forests and peatlands. Since 1990, development of oil palm plantations has cleared about 16,000 square kilometers of Kalimantan's primary and logged forested lands -- an area about the size of Hawaii. This accounts for 60 percent of Kalimantan's total forest cover loss in that time, according to the study's authors.

"Despite contentious debate over the types and uses of lands slated for oil palm plantations, the sector has grown rapidly over the past 20 years," said project leader Lisa M. Curran, a professor of ecological anthropology at Stanford and a senior fellow at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. By combining field measurements with analyses of high-resolution satellite images, the study evaluated lands targeted for plantations and documented their carbon emissions when converted to oil palm.

The study's researchers generated the first comprehensive maps of oil palm plantation expansion from 1990 to 2010. Using cutting-edge classification technology, developed by study co-author Gregory Asner from the Carnegie Institution's Department of Global Ecology, researchers quantified the types of land cleared for oil palm plantations, as well as carbon emissions and sequestration from oil palm agriculture.

"A major breakthrough occurred when we were able to discern not only forests and non-forested lands, but also logged forests, as well as mosaics of rice fields, rubber stands, fruit gardens and mature secondary forests used by smallholder farmers for their livelihoods," said Kimberly Carlson, a Yale doctoral student and lead author of the study. "With this information, we were able to develop robust carbon bookkeeping accounts to quantify carbon emissions from oil palm development."

The research team gathered oil palm land lease records during interviews with local and regional governmental agencies. These records identify locations that have received approval and are allocated to oil palm companies. The total allocated leases spanned about 120,000 square kilometers, an area slightly smaller than Greece. Most leases in the study occupied more than 100 square kilometers, an area slightly larger than Manhattan.

Excerpt from:
Oil palm plantations are clearing carbon-rich tropical forests in Borneo, researchers show

Expanding production of palm oil, a common ingredient in processed foods, soaps and personal care products, is driving rainforest destruction and massive carbon dioxide emissions, according to a new study led by researchers at Stanford and Yale universities.

The study, published online Oct. 7 in the journal Nature Climate Change, shows that deforestation for the development of oil palm plantations in Indonesian Borneo is becoming a globally significant source of carbon dioxide emissions.

Plantation expansion is projected to contribute more than 558 million metric tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere in 2020 an amount greater than all of Canada's current fossil fuel emissions.

Indonesia is the leading producer of palm and palm kernel oil, which together account for more than 30 percent of the world's vegetable oil use, and which can be used for biodiesel. Most of Indonesia's oil palm plantation expansion is occurring on the island of Borneo, also known as Kalimantan, which occupies a land area nearly the size California and Florida combined. Plantation leases, covering 32 percent of Kalimantan's lowlands outside of protected areas, represent a major land bank that is slated for development over the next decade, according to the study.

In 2010 alone, land-clearing for oil palm plantations in Kalimantan emitted more than 140 million metric tons of carbon dioxide an amount equivalent to annual emissions from about 28 million vehicles.

Home to the world's third-largest tropical forest area, Indonesia is also one of the world's largest emitters of greenhouse gasses, due to rapid loss of carbon-rich forests and peatlands. Since 1990, development of oil palm plantations has cleared about 16,000 square kilometers of Kalimantan's primary and logged forested lands an area about the size of Hawaii. This accounts for 60 percent of Kalimantan's total forest cover loss in that time, according to the study's authors.

"Despite contentious debate over the types and uses of lands slated for oil palm plantations, the sector has grown rapidly over the past 20 years," said project leader Lisa M. Curran, a professor of ecological anthropology at Stanford and a senior fellow at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. By combining field measurements with analyses of high-resolution satellite images, the study evaluated lands targeted for plantations and documented their carbon emissions when converted to oil palm.

The study's researchers generated the first comprehensive maps of oil palm plantation expansion from 1990 to 2010. Using cutting-edge classification technology, developed by study co-author Gregory Asner from the Carnegie Institution's Department of Global Ecology, researchers quantified the types of land cleared for oil palm plantations, as well as carbon emissions and sequestration from oil palm agriculture.

"A major breakthrough occurred when we were able to discern not only forests and non-forested lands, but also logged forests, as well as mosaics of rice fields, rubber stands, fruit gardens and mature secondary forests used by smallholder farmers for their livelihoods," said Kimberly Carlson, a Yale doctoral student and lead author of the study. "With this information, we were able to develop robust carbon bookkeeping accounts to quantify carbon emissions from oil palm development."

The research team gathered oil palm land lease records during interviews with local and regional governmental agencies. These records identify locations that have received approval and are allocated to oil palm companies. The total allocated leases spanned about 120,000 square kilometers, an area slightly smaller than Greece. Most leases in the study occupied more than 100 square kilometers, an area slightly larger than Manhattan.

Read the rest here:
Scientists show oil palm plantations are clearing carbon-rich tropical forests in Borneo

Sudy Bharadwaj is a co-founder and the CEO of Jackalope Jobs, a web-based platform that combines search, social networking, and the overall users experience to provide relevant job openings. Learn how Sudy and Jackalope Jobs obsess over job seekers by connecting with them on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

[More from Mashable: Tips for Updating Your Companys Social Media Policy]

Call it self-marketing, personal branding, professional development, or any other buzzword you'd like. In any case, both finding a job and climbing the career ladder are all about investing in the business of you.

As a professional, you are a brand unto yourself. The target market for the unique value you provide are employers who are constantly bombarded with messages from your competitors (read: other industry professionals) and also always on the lookout for innovation. Develop and market your personal brand effectively by using traditional marketing techniques.

[More from Mashable: The Beatles Long and Winding Road to Digital]

Though the boundaries of traditional marketing no longer exist due to online media and new digital technologies, its core tactics can be reworked to guide your self-marketing strategy online.

The four Ps of marketing are product, price, promotion and place. In the realm of self-marketing, you are the product that's up for sale, which means you must successfully apply the traditional marketing model to you: the person, the professional and the brand.

To develop an online self-marketing strategy, you must determine who you are as a professional and build a personal brand around your core strengths, skills and experience. What do you bring to the table that others in your industry do not? Know your strengths and play to them by creating a consistent brand around yourself that's complete with mission, objectives and recognizable visual brand elements. Today's hiring managers are social consumers who are more apt to hire you based on the experience you're selling rather than your ability to carry out a few specific tasks.

Just as you instantly know a can of Coca-Cola when you see one (and know what to expect once it's open), your audience should know exactly what you bring to the table and what they're getting by working with you. Whether you've branded yourself as a no-nonsense people mover who's apt at managing staff, or an industry expert and consultant who provides fresh insights and innovates the way a company operates, be consistent. Decide on your core messages and stick to one brand name.

The importance of this element in online self-marketing is twofold. In addition to accounting for the value you add to an organization, you must decide what you, the hard-working professional, are worth and what your bottom line is -- particularly if you ever decide to freelance or become an independent contractor.

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How to Create a Killer Personal Branding Campaign

NOVATO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Firemans Fund Insurance Company announces the appointment of Robert Haibi to the position of personal insurance distribution and agency management executive.

In his new role, Haibi has full distribution responsibility for personal lines business, focusing on the specialized needs of the high net worth market. He will be based in Chicago, IL.

A 15-year veteran of the insurance industry, Robert has experience in claims leadership, business development, sales, and marketing.

Most recently, Haibi was the senior vice president for the central zone at Chartis responsible for development of sales and marketing strategies for 26 states and sales distribution for nearly 500 captive agents. Previously he was a business development manager for AIG Private Client Group in West Palm Beach, FL. He also worked in claims leadership at Progressive Insurance.

Robert will be a tremendous asset to Firemans Fund with his extensive high net worth experience and broad leadership skills in marketing, business development, agency management, and claims. He understands the specialized needs of agents and brokers serving high net worth clients, said Lee Roth, personal insurance executive at Firemans Fund.

Haibi holds a bachelors degree in business management and marketing from Palm Beach Atlantic University.

About Firemans Fund Insurance Company

Founded in 1863, Firemans Fund Insurance Company is a premier property and casualty insurance company providing personal and commercial insurance products backed by industry-leading claims and risk management solutions. Firemans Fund is a leader in high-net-worth, entertainment, and green insurance. Firemans Fund is a member of the Allianz Group, one of the worlds largest providers of property and casualty insurance, ranked 28th on Fortunes Global 500 list of the worlds largest corporations. For additional information, visit http://www.firemansfund.com.

2012 Firemans Fund Insurance Company, Novato, CA 94998

Original post:
Fireman’s Fund Appoints Robert Haibi to Personal Insurance Distribution and Agency Management Executive

Giants' Luke Power is chaired off after playing his 300th game. Source: Getty Images

LUKE Power has added to a bulging trophy cabinet by winning the AFL Players' Association's Madden Medal today.

The medal is awarded to the retiring player who has demonstrated on-field excellence, personal development and growth, as well as community spirit over the course of their playing career.

Power retired at the end of the season after playing 302 matches with Brisbane and GWS, including the Lions' three premierships from 2001-03.

"Not too many players retire with three premiership medals, 300 games and the accolade of captaincy at two different clubs," AFLPA CEO Matt Finnis said.

"The respect he has earned from teammates across the board is testament to his endeavour, values and selfless approach to footy.

The work he has done for his fellow players has been exceptional and having worked closely with Luke during his role as a delegate, board member and eventually the President of the AFL Players Association. I can say he is one of the most impressive individuals I have come across in this game. "

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Power wins Madden Medal

GLENWOOD, Ill., Oct. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Landauer, Inc. (LDR), a recognized leader in personal and environmental radiation measurement and monitoring, outsourced medical physics services and high quality medical consumable accessories, today announced that it appointed Greg Groenke to President of Landauer's IZI Medical Products business effective immediately.

"Greg is an experienced healthcare professional with a proven track record of leadership and strong operating results," said Bill Saxelby, President and Chief Executive Officer of Landauer, Inc. "Greg's demonstrated proficiency in strategy and product development, along with his medical device regulatory and manufacturing experience within the surgical, orthopedic spine and interventional radiology segments, will enable him to make an immediate impact on our organization."

In this role, Mr. Groenke will set and lead the strategic and operating direction for the IZI Medical Products business. Prior to Landauer, Mr. Groenke served as Senior Vice President/General Manager of Environmental Technologies at Cardinal Health, where he was responsible for a $650 million global business. He has extensive experience in medical device product development and was responsible for business development earlier in his career with Cardinal Health. Prior to joining Cardinal Health, Greg worked for Johnson and Johnson's Ethicon Endo Surgery business.

Mr. Groenke earned a Master in Business Administration from The University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management and a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from The University of Minnesota.

"Landauer is a world leader in radiation science and services, and I am delighted to join such a dynamic, innovative company," said Mr. Groenke. "I believe there are extraordinary opportunities to grow and build shareholder value as we achieve our strategic growth initiatives. I look forward to working closely with the IZI employees, as well as our customers, shareholders and business partners."

The Company is also very pleased to announce that Helen Shafer, the founder of the IZI business, will continue to work with Greg in a new capacity as Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives. "I am very excited about the opportunity to work with Greg and the Landauer team to help realize the full potential of the IZI business that I have grown over the last 15 years. Greg's arrival will give me an opportunity to balance my personal and professional responsibilities, and I am committed to working with Greg to expand the IZI platform."

"The combination of Helen's experience, knowledge of the industry, and her approach to business development coupled with Greg's product development and marketing capabilities will drive continued product development and market expansion for our Medical Products business segment. IZI Medical Products will be an integral part of Landauer's growth strategy going forward," said Saxelby.

About LandauerLandauer is a leading global provider of technical and analytical services to determine occupational and environmental radiation exposure and is the leading domestic provider of outsourced medical physics services. For more than 50 years, the Company has provided complete radiation dosimetry services to hospitals, medical and dental offices, universities, national laboratories, nuclear facilities and other industries in which radiation poses a potential threat to employees. Landauer's services include the manufacture of various types of radiation detection monitors, the distribution and collection of the monitors to and from customers, and the analysis and reporting of exposure findings. The Company provides its dosimetry services to approximately 1.7 million individuals globally. In addition, through its Global Physics Solutions subsidiary, the Company provides therapeutic and imaging physics services to the medical physics community. Through its IZI Medical Products subsidiary, the Company provides medical consumable accessories used in radiology, radiation therapy, and image guided surgery procedures.

Link:
Landauer, Inc. Appoints Greg Groenke To President Of IZI Medical Products

WELCOME to our monthly series called Bible School Business School (BSBS).

Report by Brett Chulu

BSBS takes insights from the historical culture of the ancient Near East as depicted in the Bible, applying them to business, leadership and personal development.

The instalment, a sequel to last months BSBS article, looks at the role of gathering performance evidence and tying together performance and reward management. Our key thought is that performance management is a leadership imperative.

The parable of talents recorded in Matthew 25:14-30 illustrates the principles of effective performance management within the context of integrated leadership roles.

Two critical lessons for business leaders who want to build an above-average strategy-execution or performance management culture that outlives individual talent and individual leaders are considered.

The New King James Version (NKJV) renders Matthew 25:19 this way: After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. Here is a nugget of wisdom that is often taken as commonsense but is rarely practised.

The lord, who in an organisational setting is a metaphor for the supervisor or leader, must set aside time to settle accounts. It is from this idea of settling accounts that we get the idea of accountability. An effective performance management system leads to a strong accountability culture. Of interest is the manner in which the accounts were settled.

In sharp contrast to prevailing practice in Zimbabwe where the supervisor is the one who normally dominates the performance appraisal conversation, (which in all honesty is more of an interrogation session than a dialogue) the leader in the parable used what we can refer to as the hear the account approach. Matthew 25:20 (NKJV) brings to view this performance appraisal approach: So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them. This pattern is repeated with all servants, showing that this was an established performance appraisal practice in the organisation.

Two key components of the hear the account approach emerge. First, it is the supervisee, who must narrate how they have performed. The supervisors key role is to carefully listen to the supervisee narrating the account of his/her performance. This narrative is not an unfocused monologue. The servants in the parable knew the standards on which to report. The pattern of their narratives is consistent: They began by restating the inputs or resources that were made available to them. This was followed by stating the tangible results they brought.

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Performance management a leadership imperative