Press Releases & News

Chicago, October 30, 2008 (word count: 579)

High-resolution pictures and logo are available on request.

Working on a PC is no longer a matter of confined spaces at the office or a home desk. The general trend is to take mobile devices everywhere, both for professional and personal life. Yet mobility risks costly and time-consuming damage, and sometimes even replacement of the device itself. According to a research at International Data Corporation, about 34% of mobile IT devices suffer damages, with an average cost of 1,500 USD (components, direct labor, transport, productivity losses, etc.). Since 1993, Mobilis has been protecting mobile devices with its flagship product: the Protectis permanent protective case. These custom-made cases cover IT devices like laptops, tablet PCs, handheld scanning terminals and PDAs 100% of the time as a second skin, enhancing safety and productivity.

Protectis cases are available in four levels of increasing protection: Skin, Performance, Ultra, and Optimum. Each level is meant to stay on the device permanently for the best protection, and each has a series of additional accessories and customizing options for company logos and more.

“Mobilis provides the perfect solution for mobile users on the go, offering the ultimate notebook protection,” says Dejan Draguljevic, North America Sales Manager at Mobilis. “We’re evolving with the market, but what hasn’t changed in 15 years of activity is our commitment to making the mobile devices experience a better and easier one for customers, and to provide leadership in developing solutions for new technologies as they emerge.”

All Protectis products are IK norm tested. IK is an index for protection against mechanical impacts certified by independent labs. Protectis notebook cases are rated IK 10, indicating resistance to a 4.4-pound weight dropped from one foot (equal to a 20-joule impact).

To get such high level of anti-breakage protection, Mobilis constantly works on the development of many patents such as for instance:
- Dynamic Screen Protection: the screen, the most fragile part of laptops, is protected by a particular composite material reinforcement and different variable-density foams for gradually cushion all impacts.
-Shock Wave Absorber: it results from a new thermo-compression technology which it makes possible to absorb shock
- Shock Control System: each Protectis case is equipped with an effective anti-shock system that reduces and distributes the impact effect, protecting the device inside.

Mobilis also offers a 12-month warranty on its Optimum cases (laptop and tablet PC models only), and will cover expenses up to 360 USD for any kind of damage that occurred to the laptop or tablet PC while in the case.

Mobilis boasts a great success in Europe, where its products are appreciated by millions of customers. Two years ago, the company opened the Unites States subsidiary in New Jersey. Here, the French group is already able to rely on important clients in different industries such as, NYPD, UPS, Walt Disney, Fergusson, General Motors, Kraft Foods, and the Dalton School in Manhattan, New York.

For the complete photo gallery of Mobilis products, please click here.

About the company:
Founded 15 years ago, Mobilis® invented the protective cases for IT devices such as laptops, tablet PCs, handheld scanning terminals, and PDAs and continues to advance the mobile accessories category with innovative and relevant solutions for today’s mobile lifestyle. Mobilis® products enhance productivity saving money for reparations and liberating users to work in any and all environments with the utmost protection and ergonomics. Headquartered in Annecy, the French group is operating through seven subsidiaries located in France, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom, Italy and the United States, and boasts more than 15 million USD as turnover.

For more information, please contact:

MOBILIS (USA)
Dejan Draguljevic
1st Newark St.
Hoboken, NJ 07030
Tel.: (201) 222-8241
E-mail: ddraguljevic@mobiliscase.com
Web: www.mobiliscase.com

or:

MOBILIS (FRANCE)
Christophe Brimbeuf
Marketing Manager
Parc Altaïs - 12, rue Véga
B.P. 79014 Chavanod
74990 ANNECY Cedex 9
France
Tel.: +33 (0)4 50 63 24 07
E-mail: cbrimbeuf@mobiliscase.com
Web: www.mobiliscase.com

or:

FRENCH TECHNOLOGY PRESS OFFICE
205 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 3740
Chicago, IL 60601
Fax: (312) 327-5261
E-mail: contact.ftpo@ubifrance.fr

Employee Performance Management report praises Cornerstone’s software suite for global capabilities, user experience, breadth and configurability.

In the most thorough analysis to date of employee performance management systems, a new study from industry analyst firm Bersin & Associates reinforces Cornerstone OnDemand’s position as a leading solution provider in the category. The report praises Cornerstone not only for the company’s impressive growth, extensive global capabilities and committed client focus, but also for the exceptional comprehensiveness, configurability and user experience of Cornerstone’s performance module, part of its on-demand integrated learning and talent management software suite.

Bersin & Associates estimates that employee performance management will reach more than $520 million this year and projects a nearly 250 per cent increase in sales by 2011, making it one of the fastest growing segments in the human capital management market.

This growth is due in part to what the study calls ‘the year of globalisation’. The Bersin & Associates study singles out Cornerstone among the few solution providers with deep experience in large-scale global implementations – including support for multiple languages, highly sophisticated configuration and distributed administration.

Cornerstone clients use localised configurations of its performance and succession management products in 141 countries around the globe.

“Cornerstone is one of the fastest-growing talent management software companies in the market,” said Leighanne Levensaler, director of talent management research for Bersin & Associates. “We believe organisations will be particularly impressed with the configurability, global capabilities and user experience of Cornerstone’s 100 per cent on-demand solution.

“With its up-coming fall (autumn) product enhancements, coupled with its integrated learning and development platform, Cornerstone offers customers comprehensive and robust talent management support.”

Of the solution providers evaluated, Cornerstone also was commended for having above-average customer references.

The study notes that: ‘All of the customers we interviewed for this evaluation view Cornerstone as a key partner in their journeys’. It adds that these clients ‘can now point to measurable business impact’ from using Cornerstone’s technology platform to support critical talent initiatives.

“Being a trusted partner of our clients is paramount, not only to ensuring the success of our clients’ implementations, but also to our software’s innovation,” commented Adam Miller, President and CEO of Cornerstone OnDemand. “More of our clients are dealing with globalisation and geographically distributed employees, requiring a fresher and more strategic approach to managing performance and development.

“Using our comprehensive integrated solution, and leveraging the flexibility and scalability of Software-as-a-Service delivery, ensures our clients are maximising their technology investment and positioning themselves for success as their workforce evolves.”

Emphasising Cornerstone’s homegrown integrated talent management solution as a key differentiator from its competitors, the Bersin & Associates study reveals that organisations with integrated talent management suites – including performance management, career development, compensation management and succession planning – cite two to three times the ROI than organisations implementing point solutions.

Additional accolades received by Cornerstone’s software suite in the report include:

• Comprehensive Solution Set: Cornerstone is among select providers recognised for having a comprehensive solution in the core areas of performance management, including performance management, goals management, competency management, performance planning, development planning and performance reviews.

• Industry-Leading User Experience: The report identifies Cornerstone as an industry leader for its manager and employee user experience. Bersin & Associates cites user experience as a key differentiator for solution providers.

• Pure, 100 Percent SaaS Solution: Highlighting Cornerstone’s pure Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) delivery as another key differentiator, the study reveals that SaaS is now the predominant delivery model for performance management systems. More than 62 per cent of organisations with a vendor-provided solution now deploy on-demand solutions, allowing them to enjoy product enhancements without ‘lengthy and expensive’ upgrade processes.

• Superior Flexibility: According to Bersin & Associates, Cornerstone’s platform flexibility distinguishes it from other solution providers, pointing out how clients are able to deploy the system without any programming skills or customisation.

Bersin & Associates’ research is published in two parts.

Part 1, ‘The Essential Guide to Performance Management Practices’, delves into the practices of performance management in corporations today, with a specific focus on their business impact. Part 2, ‘The Essential Guide to of Performance Management Systems’, takes a critical look at the rapidly growing market for performance management systems, examines implementation and adoption trends, and compares and contrasts offerings from 25 solution providers.

More than 700 HR, learning and development, and information technology professionals were surveyed in August 2008 for the report. For more information regarding the report, please visit www.bersin.com.

About Cornerstone OnDemand

Cornerstone OnDemand helps organisations empower their people and optimize workforce productivity with a comprehensive suite of integrated talent management solutions for learning, compliance, performance, compensation and succession management, as well as robust reporting and analytics. Cornerstone also provides more than 30,000 pre-integrated training titles. The Company’s multi-tenant, multi-user software-as-a-service (SaaS) architecture provides customers with rapid deployments, minimal IT costs, greater flexibility, proven reliability and a lower total cost of ownership. Cornerstone’s triple-digit growth has been supported by a market-leading customer retention rate. Leading enterprises such as Aon, Bank of the West, Flextronics, Pearson, Randstad, Ticketmaster and Trend Micro count on Cornerstone to help them achieve organizational excellence and competitive advantage. Cornerstone OnDemand is headquartered in Santa Monica, California and has international offices in London, Paris, Munich and Tel Aviv.

For more information, visit www.cornerstoneondemand.co.uk

Cornerstone^® and Cornerstone OnDemand^® are registered trademarks of Cornerstone OnDemand Inc.

The Magic Quadrant is copyrighted 2008 by Gartner, Inc. and is reused with permission. The Magic Quadrant is a graphical representation of a marketplace at and for a specific time period. It depicts Gartner’s analysis of how certain vendors measure against criteria for that marketplace, as defined by Gartner. Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in the Magic Quadrant, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors placed in the “Leaders” quadrant. The Magic Quadrant is intended solely as a research tool, and is not meant to be a specific guide to action. Gartner disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

Further information from:

Sinead Reynolds-Berti, Cornerstone OnDemand, + 33 (0) 6 28 33 55 66; sberti@cornerstoneondemand.com

Bob Little, Bob Little Press & PR, + 44 (0) 1727 860405; www.boblittlepr.com

Europe’s leading learning and mobile content management solution provider and bespoke content producer, Giunti Labs, has been chosen as one of the limited number of official providers for e-learning content production services for the next two years to the Scandinavia-based, home furnishing products retailer, IKEA.

The continuing growth of e-learning within IKEA prompted the company to identify up to five high quality e-learning suppliers which can provide e-learning materials using learning objects, as well as implement and maintain e-learning programmes.

IKEA carried out a large project when selecting the suppliers for the Global Framework Agreement.

Originally, IKEA identified 60 potential suppliers, from all over the world. IKEA narrowed these down to 16 and, from these, selected five – including Giunti Labs – to be part of its Global Framework agreement.

Ola Badersten, CEO of Giunti Labs Scandinavia, explained: “Giunti Labs has been a preferred supplier to IKEA since 2007.

“In that time, we have developed and ‘localised’ three e-learning programmes, including IKEA’s largest e-learning programme of the past two years. We’re delighted to have been reappointed as one of IKEA’s five approved e-learning content suppliers for the next two years.”

About Giunti Labs

Giunti Group is unique in the international publishing industry. Giunti history goes back to 1841; since then the group has become one of the largest publishers in Italy. Over the years Giunti has built a catalogue of huge dimensions (over 7.000 titles) and acquired new brands in Italy and worldwide.

Giunti Labs, which has its global headquarters in Italy and offices in London (UK), Frankfurt (Germany), Lund (Sweden), Boston (US), as well as Sydney and Perth (Australia), provides a wide range of solutions, in response to any content, learning and knowledge management need, covering:

• Content production
• Technological solutions for content, learning & knowledge management
• Delivery solutions for mobile & wireless
• Consulting and professional services

In 2008, Giunti Labs acquired the HarvestRoad Hive digital repository system, which manages any form of content used in online learning, corporate training and knowledge management initiatives. HarvestRoad Hive can interface with practically any ERP, Learning or Course Management System and is already integrated with several commonly used course management systems, authoring and content assembly tools.

Further information from:

Minna Leikas, Giunti Labs, +39 3474435167, m.leikas@giuntilabs.com
Bob Little, Bob Little Press & PR, +44 (0)1727 860405, bob.little@boblittlepr.com

Chicago, October 29, 2008 (word count: 471)

A high-resolution logo is available on request.

The logistics sector in France has become a powerful economic sector offering consistent market growth year after year. The logistics sector employs approximately 5 million people throughout Europe (1.5 million in France), and has become an economy operating on a continental scale with a global scope.

Various factors have contributed to the sector’s expansion in recent years: globalization, of course, as well as a growing container industry, a high-performance road and rail network, highly efficient port and airport platforms, the numerous options for maritime and land transportation, and IT and telecommunications networks that enable optimal management of transport and storage.

France has been a pioneer in the logistics revolution since the 1980s. The growth in the number of operators is likely to increase with the development of outsourcing. Alongside major French specialist groups such as Norbert Dentressangle, Stef-TFE, Géodis, FM Logistics, various international companies also operate in France: FedEx, DHL, Kuehne & Nagel, Arvato Services, Schenker, Ziegler, Kaoten Natie, Wincanton, Nippon Express, and NYK Logistics, to name a few. These groups have become serial investors, setting up logistics platforms all over France. Recent new investments attest to France’s continued attractiveness: for example, IKEA recently opened its European logistics center at Fos-sur-Mer, creating 500 jobs, and Amazon set up a second distribution center in the Loiret region, creating 200 jobs.

As Philippe Favre, the president of Invest in France Agency, points out, “France has remarkable advantages and can offer numerous development opportunities for companies in this sector: an extremely favorable geographical location that offers a natural gateway into Europe, with easy access to a market of 450 million consumers; a modern, high-performance and safe transport network that is fully interconnected with the main countries in Europe; a mature market that is open to competition and transparent for new arrivals, offering the expertise of players throughout the entire logistics chain; a real estate park managed by local municipal authorities that provides an attractive offer in terms of warehouse rental.” Favre also points out the competitive rental costs, such as €53/m² ($6.30/ft²) in Paris and €50 ($6/ft²) in Lyon, compared to €179/m² ($21/ft²) in London, €109 ($13/ft²) in Barcelona, €63 ($7.50/ft²) in Rotterdam and €70 ($8.40/ft²) in Munich.

Recent developments will further improve the attractiveness of France for investors: reform of autonomous ports and their manpower, based on the principle of the transfer of equipment to private operators, concerning both equipment and salaried worker employment contracts; opening up airport concessions to private operators; deregulation of railway freight transport in Europe and the creation of corridors with improved width; and opening up canal networks to the wide-berth European network (Seine Nord project).

Invest in France Agency (IFA) promotes and facilitates international investment in France. The IFA network operates worldwide. IFA works in partnership with regional development agencies to offer international investors business opportunities and customized services all over France. For more information, please visit www.investinfrance.org.

For more information, please contact:

INVEST IN FRANCE NORTH AMERICA
Amanda Hilson
810 Seventh Ave.
New York, NY 10019
Tel: (212) 757-9340
Fax: (212) 757-1568
E-mail: amanda.hilson@investinfrance.org
Web: www.investinfrance.org/northamerica

or:

FRENCH TECHNOLOGY PRESS OFFICE
205 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 3740
Chicago, IL 60601
Fax: (312) 327-5261
E-mail: contact.ftpo@ubifrance.fr

International hotel and leisure giant to use Cornerstone Learning for training and developing its employees around the world.

Cornerstone OnDemand Inc., a leader in on-demand, integrated talent management software and services, today announced that Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. (NYSE: HOT), one of the world’s largest hotel and leisure companies, will use Cornerstone’s learning and development platform, Cornerstone Learning, to train and develop its employees around the globe.

Starwood owns and manages 900 properties in more than 100 countries under internationally renowned brands such as W®, Westin®, Le Meridien®, Sheraton® and St. Regis®, among others. The initial launch of Cornerstone Learning will include 75,000 users, representing nearly half of the company’s 155,000 global employee base.

Starwood’s dedication to meeting and exceeding the expectations of its customers has earned superior ratings from hotel guests and industry trades. To maintain its high quality standards, the company not only counts “knowledge and growth through learning” among its core values, it also is committed to increasing operational efficiencies through the use of technology.

After encountering issues with its on-premise learning management system (LMS), Starwood’s learning and development team sought a more flexible, scalable and user-friendly solution for training and developing its talent.

“As an international organisation, employee learning initiatives are essential to helping Starwood maintain consistency in service and guest experience at all of our properties,” said Allison Barber, Vice President of Talent Management for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc.

“By using Cornerstone, we are able be more strategic in configuring our learning management system to support our overall business goals and create efficiencies within the organisation. The blend of different course styles, as well as the on-demand access, also allows us to target learners more specifically versus taking a one-size-fits-all approach.”

Cornerstone offers a true Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) on-demand solution, making it a faster and more efficient way for Starwood to deploy, manage and maintain its LMS system. It also means the company won’t have to deal with the hassles of version upgrades, maintenance and hardware/IT costs.

“We are thrilled to add an impressive organisation such as Starwood Hotels & Resorts to our expanding list of global clients,” said Adam Miller, President and CEO of Cornerstone OnDemand.

“Learning and development programs are essential in helping companies in the service industry maintain brand consistency and customer loyalty. And by taking advantage of Cornerstone’s SaaS delivery model, Starwood will be able to roll out its new LMS system in a matter of weeks instead of months and see a more immediate impact on its business.”

One of the platforms of Cornerstone’s integrated talent management offering, Cornerstone Learning allows organisations to strategically and cost-effectively create, manage and deliver personalised training and development activities that bring together targeted, fully blended learning programs for all employees. Organisations can take advantage of different training formats that best meet their needs, such as e-learning, virtual classrooms, instructor-led training and learning content management systems (LCMS).

Cornerstone distributes more than 30,000 online courses in 19 different languages.

Cornerstone recently was positioned in the “Leaders” Quadrant of the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Corporate Learning Systems (CLS) report (June 2008), which positions vendors according to their ability to execute and their completeness of vision.

End

Notes for Editors

About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with approximately 900 properties in more than 100 countries and 155,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood Hotels is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, W®, Westin®, Le Meridien®, Sheraton®, Four Points® by Sheraton, and the recently launched Aloft(SM), and Element(SM). Starwood Hotels also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts. For more information, please visit www.starwoodhotels.com.

About Cornerstone OnDemand
Cornerstone OnDemand helps organisations empower their people and optimize workforce productivity with a comprehensive suite of integrated talent management solutions for learning, compliance, performance, compensation and succession management, as well as robust reporting and analytics. Cornerstone also provides more than 30,000 pre-integrated training titles. The Company’s multi-tenant, multi-user software-as-a-service (SaaS) architecture provides customers with rapid deployments, minimal IT costs, greater flexibility, proven reliability and a lower total cost of ownership. Cornerstone’s triple-digit growth has been supported by a market-leading customer retention rate. Leading enterprises such as Aon, Bank of the West, Flextronics, Pearson, Randstad, Ticketmaster and Trend Micro count on Cornerstone to help them achieve organizational excellence and competitive advantage. Cornerstone OnDemand is headquartered in Santa Monica, California and has international offices in London, Paris, Munich and Tel Aviv.

For more information, visit www.cornerstoneondemand.co.uk

Cornerstone® and Cornerstone OnDemand® are registered trademarks of Cornerstone OnDemand Inc.

The Magic Quadrant is copyrighted 2008 by Gartner, Inc. and is reused with permission. The Magic Quadrant is a graphical representation of a marketplace at and for a specific time period. It depicts Gartner’s analysis of how certain vendors measure against criteria for that marketplace, as defined by Gartner. Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in the Magic Quadrant, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors placed in the “Leaders” quadrant. The Magic Quadrant is intended solely as a research tool, and is not meant to be a specific guide to action. Gartner disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

Further information from:

Sinead Reynolds-Berti, Cornerstone OnDemand, + 33 (0) 6 28 33 55 66; sberti@cornerstoneondemand.com

Bob Little, Bob Little Press & PR, + 44 (0) 1727 860405; www.boblittlepr.com

Chicago, October 29, 2008 (word count: 579)

Continuing its innovative approach towards animal feed additives, the Evialis Group is about to launch the Neovia range comprising five high-performance products: T5X stimulates natural detoxification, B-Safe boosts the gastrointestinal defense mechanisms, Stimune promotes the transfer of immunity in piglets, Oilis strengthens the intestinal walls and helps to control the risk of coccidiosis and Cap’Acid safeguards digestion via controlled diffusion of these protected acids. The specific technical features of these products will be unveiled during a press conference scheduled for 3 p.m. on November 12, 2008, at the Eurotier Exhibition in Hanover, Germany.

Three of the Neovia additives, T5X, B-Safe, and Stimune, are previewed in this release. The remaining two will be detailed at the press conference.

T5X acts at four complementary stages to help the body combat mycotoxins. It binds mycotoxins by virtue of specific components, stimulates natural detoxification in the liver, prevents oxidative stress in cells, and boosts the immune response. T5X offers an all-round solution for combating a wide range of mycotoxins (not only polar mycotoxins such as aflatoxins, but also less polar groups such as ZEA and DON, etc.).

Based on an entirely innovative and patented mode of action, B-Safe helps to maintain the digestive balance in monogastric animals. Comprising plant extracts and specific clays, it limits the development of pathogenic gastrointestinal flora whilst protecting the intestinal mucosa at the same time. B-Safe enhances the zootechnical performance results of animals and boosts breeding profitability, especially under difficult hygiene conditions.

Stimune guarantees the transfer of passive immunity and induces active immunity in newborn animals to increase the pre-weaning survival rate. Tests carried out by Evialis have highlighted a rise in immunoglobulin levels in the colostrum, milk, and in piglets’ blood. Thanks to greater immunity, the animals are more resistant, resulting in a 45% increase in survival rate in parturition accommodation (based on the mean result of tests carried out) and up to 0.7 piglets saved per litter.

The Neovia supplements range offers original concepts with proven results through natural products that satisfy manufacturers’ requirements. Neovia has boosted powerful research and development resources in order to target individual market needs more effectively. A 100-strong team of international researchers at five locations have been set up across the globe in France, Brazil, Vietnam, Indonesia, and India. This strategic choice provides unparalleled reactivity. Furthermore, Neovia research benefits from close collaboration with universities and independent R&D centres.

In vivo models have been implemented to test the reliability of each innovation under conditions very similar to those encountered in practice: mycotoxin challenge, coccidiosis and enterocolitis models, etc. Granted ISO 9001 (version 2000) and GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) certification, Neovia additives are produced in factories at the cutting edge of technology.

The Evialis Group will exhibit at the Eurotier Exhibition in Hanover, Germany, at booth D20 in Hall 14. The press conference for the launch of the Neovia products will be Wednesday, November 12, 2008, at 3 p.m. in the Leipzig Room in the Convention Center.

For more information, please contact:

NEOVIA, a brand of EVIALIS
Pierre Defalque/ Danièle Marzin
Export Director / Additives Market Manager
B.P. 394
56009 Vannes Cedex
FRANCE
Tel.: +33 (0)2 97 48 53 83
Fax: +33 (0)2 97 48 53 85
E-mail:neovia@evls.net
Web: www.evialis.com

or:

FRENCH TECHNOLOGY PRESS OFFICE
205 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 3740
Chicago, IL 60601
Fax: (312) 327-5261
E-mail: contact.ftpo@ubifrance.fr

In November and December 2008, Dutch artist Jackie Sleper will exhibit “Dulce y Amargo” in the Museo Regional de Durango “El Aguacate”, Durango, Mexico

From 5 November - 19 December 2008, the Museo Regional “El Aguacate” in Durango, Mexico, will host the famous Dutch artist’s, Jackie Sleper, touring exhibition “Dulce y Amargo” inspired by, and dedicated to, Mexico and the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo and curated by Matty Roca.

Jackie Sleper, the winner of the section “Sculpture and Installation” at the Florence Biennale 2007, has always been fascinated by Mexico and the artist Frida Kahlo, for whom she has a profound admiration and so, when she received an offer from Matty Roca to depict her vision of Mexico she readily accepted. Over the course of the following two years, Jackie Sleper spent many months in situ, about which she says “I took in everything around me, spoke with lots of people and, in particular, got a sense of the country. My previous love of Mexico only grew stronger.”

Her works are at times reminiscent of a variety of artists: Rivera, Orozco, Tamayo and Pollock. Jackie Sleper assumes absolute freedom in applying various techniques and introducing experimental elements: her work is characterised by combinations of photography and painting, and the use of mixed media. In addition to painting, Jackie also creates objects using a variety of materials, which she then transforms into wholly a new and surprising entity, such a the wonderful and fun piece “Rocatizada”, dedicated to her curator Matty Roca. The artist other works to be guided by a profound sense of humanity, and she is an artist in the truest sense of the word, her work has always been grounded in her exploration of the human existence and its significance. The art critic, Wim Van der Beek said about Jackie’s work prior to her 2007 Netherlands exhibition: “Jackie Sleper’s aim is not to shock, but to make things tangible and manageable. She does not want to magnify injustices, but to offer solutions in the form of positive and unorthodox ways of seeing.”

The Durango show is the fourth and last step in 2008 of Jackie’s touring exhibition and she is delighted to be holding in a city which she feels has a close link with her own home town of Utrecht. The museum, “El Aguacate“, is known by this name Aguacate, or avocado, due to the avocado tree planted in the garden. It is one of the most beautiful buildings in the city centre, built in 1890 and was the residence of the family of Francisco Gomez Palacio, son of the famous governor.

Jackie’s exhibitions showing throughout Mexico in 2008 and 2009 are all being curated by Matty Roca, art historian, museum curator and art critic. They have so far been a huge success, the first was held at the Museo de la Cultura Maya in Chetumal in March and April of this year, in May-June at the Museo de la Isla in Cozumel, and most recently at the Museum of Modern Art of Gómez Palacio in July and August.

The artist will, as always, be present at the vernissage of “Dulce y Amargo” on 5 November, at the Museo El Aguacate, along with important local personalities from the political, cultural and educational scene in Mexico and from the Dutch and European communities living in the state of Durango.

Jackie Sleper was born in Amsterdam and studied at the Utrecht Academy for Visual Arts. Between 1988 and 1995 she spent time in Ireland, Spain and Prague for study purposes. Works produced in her home country, the Netherlands, include a tile plateau in honour of Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, commissioned by the municipality of Utrecht, and ‘light objects’ for the Kruisheren Hotel, a design establishment that opened in Maastricht in 2005. Outside the Netherlands, she has exhibited in Antwerp (Art-Event), Stockholm (Art Fair), Marbella (Marb Art – Feria Internacional de Arte Contemporáneo), Geneva (Europ’Art), Klagenfurt (Biennale Austria), Salzburg (Mozart Festival), Florence (Museo Diocesano and Biennale Internazionale dell’Arte Contemporanea), Milan (Studio D’Ars), New York (Carrozzini Von Buhler Gallery and CVB Space), and in Mexico. One of her sculptures, “Modestia”, was exhibited during the Venice Biennale, at Open 2007. She won the 1st prize for “Sculpture and Installation” at the Florence Biennale 2007.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

Jackie Sleper
website: http://www.jackiesleper.com

Images:
You can also see images of Jackie’s art at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dulceyamargo

For journalists only:
High resolution files of these images or other press related information can be requested directly from the press office:
Vito Abba press officer
Studio Abba - Corso Italia, 6 - 50123 Florence, Italy
info@studioabba.com
http://www.studioabba.com/

Other images and further information are available at:
http://www.dulceyamargo.com/
It will be possible to follow the various stages of “Dulce y Amargo” thanks to the information and images that will be posted on www.dulceyamargo.com.

Visitors to Jackie’s exhibitions in Mexico can also upload photos taken during the exhibitions on Flickr and share them with
http://www.flickr.com/groups/dulceyamargo
At the end of the exhibition series, the authors of the three photos that Jackie likes most, will each receive a signed lithograph of one of her works.

For general comments contact:
dulceyamargo@yahoo.com

Software developer Live Software Solutions (LSS), which holds Microsoft Certified Partner status and develops and delivers software for, among others, the insurance and publishing sectors, has seen its business expand in recent months. As a result of that expansion, it now needs larger premises and this has prompted it to move its headquarters from St Albans to The Old Forge in Hatfield Park, part of the business complex in the grounds of Hatfield House.

“Not only does this move give us the extra working space and facilities that we need in order to meet our current commitments, it also offers us scope for even further expansion to meet orders which are in the pipeline,” commented LSS’s managing director, James Boother.

The Old Forge – complete with its exposed roof beams - comprises a distinctive and historic site for LSS’s new headquarters.

It is close to Hatfield House, a Jacobean mansion built on the site of the Royal Palace of Hatfield which, among other things, was the childhood home of both the future Edward VI and Queen Elizabeth I. Since 1611, it has been the home of the Cecil family and is currently the home of Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, the 7th Marquess of Salisbury.

Mike Goatly, LSS’s technical director, commented: ““In those days, the forge, or smithy, was the powerhouse of the economy. In many ways, software has taken over that role – so it’s appropriate that our company is now based in the Old Forge.”

About Hatfield House

Hatfield House is built on the site of the Royal Palace of Hatfield which, among other things, was the childhood home of both the future Edward VI and Queen Elizabeth I.

Indeed, the Queen Elizabeth Oak on the grounds of the estate is said to be the location where Elizabeth was told she was Queen following Mary’s death. In November 1558, Elizabeth held her first Council of State in the Great Hall.

The palace, built in 1497 by the Bishop of Ely, was later seized – along with other church properties - by Henry VIII. The present Jacobean house was built in 1611 by Robert Cecil, First Earl of Salisbury and Chief Minister to King James I and it has been the home of the Cecil family ever since. It is currently the home of Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, the 7th Marquess of Salisbury.

The Third Marquess of Salisbury was three times Prime Minister during the closing years of Queen Victoria’s reign.

About Live Software Solutions

Live Software Solutions (LSS) makes software that creates a difference.

Focusing on helping businesses that use Microsoft technologies, LSS – founded in 2004 – uses its business and software expertise to provide end-to-end solutions, from concept to implementation. In addition to software development services and consultancy, LSS also provides off-the-shelf packages. LLS’s approach is based on four core values:

· Service Excellence - achieving client confidence by truly understanding the business drivers and the project requirements, delivering the agreed solution to plan, managing issues and communicating clearly and regularly - while being easy to do business with and enjoyable to work with.
· Integrity - applying professional and technical expertise to ensure the right solution for the right reasons, as well as being open, honest and fair in all of our dealings.
· Teamwork - deploying the right blend of talent and experience to get the job done, and integrating effectively with client and third party personnel and activities.
· Development - continually seeking to enhance our own capabilities and processes, enabling us to remain innovative and challenging - and sharing this with our clients.

Further information from:

Tom Boother, LSS, 07967 633102; tboother@lss.co.uk
Bob Little, Bob Little Press & PR, 01727 860405; bob.little@boblittlepr.com

Cowboy-Up Holiday Book Tour and Fund Raiser
to Benefit Therapeutic Riding and Horse Rescues

After 20 years of working in the horse world as a professional and publishing over 1000 magazine articles and 13 books, Bonnie Marlewski-Probert created the Horse Tales for the Soul series of seven books and most recently, the historic audio series which includes the actual authors reading their own stories.

Last fall Bonnie partnered with NARHA centers around the country to help them raise funds through the sales of the Horse Tales for the Soul books. The tour ran for thirty days and more than 5000 miles, raising thousands of dollars for NARHA centers along the way. We were proud of our success on that tour!

• NARHA and Therapeutic Riding Centers rely on the horse as a therapy tool to enhance the lives of mentally, physically and emotionally challenged individuals. These centers depend on volunteers and fund raising efforts to continue the important, life changing work they do everyday.

• Horse Rescue Facilities are dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, and placing unwanted, neglected and abused horses. The deteriorating economy is causing more and more owners to surrender their horses and these facilities rely heavily on fund raising efforts to continue their important work.

In support of these organizations and their mission, Horse Tales for the Soul has launched the first ever virtual Cowboy-Up Holiday Tour and Fund Raiser in an effort to help hundreds of these wonderful facilities around the country raise the funds they need to continue making a difference in the lives of people and horses everyday. Throughout the tour, our partner facilities will be selling the Horse Tales for the Soul books and brand new audio books to raise money for their organization and we need your participation to make it work!

During the tour, which officially kicks off on October 6 and runs through the end of December 2008, each participating center will earn 20% from the sale of Horse Tales for the Soul books and audio books through their affiliate link or directly from their center and volunteers hands-on fund raising efforts.

• The Horse Tales For The Soul Books and Audio Books make fabulous gifts for yourself and for all the horse-crazy people in your life. Whether you simply enjoy horse-related true stories or are looking for character building, life lessons that will inspire and motivate, these books and Audio Books have both - in each story.

• As a special thank you for your support of the Cowboy-Up Holiday Tour, Bonnie Marlewski-Probert has agreed to personally autograph each and every book purchased through the tour FREE of charge making this a wonderful, personal gift for all horse lovers for the holidays!

We are proud to be working with centers in more than 25 states and we want to encourage you to support the centers in YOUR state. In addition to helping centers around the country financially through the sale of the heart warming Horse Tales for the Soul books and audio books, we are also going to honor the top sellers each week by providing them with special gifts.  Won’t you help YOUR State’s center be next week’s winner by visiting our website at horsetalesforthesoul.com/partners and supporting the center in your state?

To learn more about participating centers in your area and the Horse Tales for the Soul Series and Tour please visit HorsetalesfortheSoul.com or contact Amy Catlin at 330-808-9620 or acatlin@horsetalesforthesoul.com.

When Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council needed to relocate an existing day-care nursery, it immediately contacted Portakabin, leading modular building supplier, to move and extend its existing structure to create a brand new Children’s Centre.

Having worked with Portakabin in the past, Knowsley MBC had been highly impressed with the exceptional service and superior quality of the delivered modular building. Due to the company’s proven track record and excellent reputation, it was asked to submit a proposal, and was later awarded the contract following a competitive tender process.

A suitable site for the nursery re-location had been found in the grounds of Longview Community Primary School, so it was of vital importance the new Children’s Centre complemented the existing architecture of the school.

Portakabin offers an array of design features, architectural structures and aesthetic finishes, which enable its clients to create modular buildings that meet their precise design requirements. Flexible designs include a choice of striking colours to blend in or contrast with existing surroundings along with a wide choice of canopies and distinctive roofs to either match the profile of the surrounding area or create a stunning design statement.

Knowsley MBC chose to finish the modular building with a brick skin and pitched roof to achieve the desired traditional appearance, in keeping with the schools architecture.

Portakabin worked very closely with the project architect to design a modular nursery and community facility that would fulfil the centre’s diverse remit, replicate the exact interior of the original children’s centre and compliment the traditional exterior of the school building.

As well as being replicated to the precise specification of the existing Children’s Centre, the internal features of the building were delivered and fitted to a much higher quality and standard of finish.

Children’s Centre Manager, Barbara Kelly said: “This is a brilliant new facility, which we feel sure will be well used by the community. We’ve only been open a month and already we are very busy. We’ve held a number of open days to enable parents, carers and professionals to view the facility and find out what is available. The building has been very well received by staff and service providers alike.”

The 538m² modular building designed by Portakabin, based around its award-winning Lilliput product, incorporates four nursery rooms covering the spectrum of 0-4 year-old requirements. It includes two multi-purpose rooms for family, education, health and employment support activities, office space, a consulting room for healthcare and employment professionals, a family room, a laundry, full toilet and kitchen facilities and a small reception area.

It was also essential that the new facility connected directly with the school, so Portakabin designed a 15-metre-long corridor linking the two buildings.

The Council opted for a full turn-key package from Portakabin, including everything from groundworks through to service connections and fitting out the building. A Project Manager, supplied by Portakabin was on site at all times to ensure the building was completed on time and to the highest of standards. The individual modules were craned into place in a matter of days, minimising disruption to the daily running of the school.

The Portakabin building was also delivered with a five-year product warranty and 20 year structural warranty¹ as well as the pioneering Portakabin Customer Charter. This states that if Portakabin fails to deliver a project on time and to the agreed contract sum, the customer will be entitled to an additional twelve months product warranty².

To find out how Portakabin can benefit your business call 0845 355 5359 log on at www.portanews.co.uk or email news@portakabin.co.uk

Porta and Portakabin are all trade marks.

For further media information please contact Robert Stebbings or Louise Wylie at Ptarmigan Consultants on 0113 242 1155, or email robert@ptarmiganpr.co.uk / louise@ptarmiganpr.co.uk

¹All Portakabin buildings that are purchased come with a five-year product warranty, which covers the external fabric of the building and a 20-year structural warranty, which covers the load bearing elements of the building.
² Terms and Conditions apply. A copy is available on request.