FTC Charges Online Marketers With $450M Card Scam.(News)

Byline: Darren Waggoner

The Federal Trade Commission has brought a legal action against an online operation that allegedly scammed more than $450 million from consumers in five countries.

Jesse Willms and several companies he controls obtained consumers' credit or debit card account numbers by enticing them with bogus "free" or "risk-free" trial offers that supposedly required only small shipping and handling fees - and also promised "bonus" offers just for signing up, according to the FTC's complaint.

The FTC charges Willms and his companies used deceptive tactics in offering various products online - including acai berry weight-loss pills, teeth whiteners and health supplements containing resveratrol (the supposedly healthful ingredient in red wine) - as well as for a work-at-home scheme, access to government grants and free credit reports. The FTC seeks to stop the operation's practices and make the defendants repay fraud, injured consumers.

Consumers lured into the scam were located in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.

The defendants allegedly contracted with affiliate marketers whose banner ads, pop-ups, sponsored search terms and unsolicited e-mail led consumers to the defendants' Web sites, and the defendants paid the affiliates for each consumer whose credit or debit card was charged.

The defendants allegedly made false claims about the total cost of products, recurring charges and the availability of refunds. They also buried important terms and conditions in fine print, the FTC alleged.

The defendants named in the complaint are Willms, Peter Graver, Adam Sechrist, Brett Callister, Carey L. Milne, 1021018 Alberta Ltd., also doing business as Just Think Media, Credit Report America, eDirect Software, WuLongsource, Wuyi Source, 1016363 Alberta Ltd. - also doing business as eDirect Software, 1524948 Alberta Ltd. - also doing business as Terra Marketing Group, SwipeBids.com, SwipeAuctions.com, Circle Media Bids Limited - also doing business as SwipeBids.com, SwipeAuctions.com, and Selloffauctions.com, Coastwest Holdings Ltd., Farend Services Ltd., JDW Media LLC, Net Soft Media LLC - also doing business as SwipeBids.com, Sphere Media LLC - also doing business as SwipeBids.com and SwipeAuctions.com, and True Net LLC - also doing business as Selloffauctions.com.

Willms could not be immediately reached for contact.

Consumers had no reason to believe they would be charged for the trial product or the extra bonus products, but they were often charged for the trial plus a monthly recurring fee, typically $79.95. Consumers also were charged monthly recurring fees for the so-called bonus offers.

Although the defendants offered a money-back guarantee, consumers were often unsuccessful in canceling the charges or obtaining refunds, and the process involved time-consuming phone calls and other steps that made the deals far from risk-free, the FTC complaint alleged.

"The defendants used the lure of a free offer to open an illegal pipeline to consumers' credit card and bank accounts," says David C. Vladeck, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection. " 'Free' must really mean 'free' no matter where the offer is made."

The FTC worked with Canadian law enforcement, including the Alberta Partnership Against Cross Border Fraud, in investigating this international scheme. Most of the defendants are located in Alberta.

"Internet fraud is a global problem that requires an international enforcement response," says Lisa Campbell, deputy commissioner of Competition for the Competition Bureau of Canada. "International cooperation ensures that fraudsters can't hide behind borders."

The FTC further alleged that the defendants provided merchant banks with false or misleading information, in order to acquire and maintain credit and debit card processing services from the banks in the face of mounting chargeback rates and consumer complaints.

Willms and his companies also allegedly violated the Electronic Fund Transfer Act and Regulation E (issued by the Federal Reserve System's Board of Governors) by debiting consumers' bank accounts without their signed written consent and without providing consumers with a copy of the written authorization.

VISA UNVEILS NEXT GENERATION ELECTRONIC PAYMENTS AND SERVICES.

(Full text of a statement. Contact details below.)

(BW)(CA-VISA)(V.NYSE) Visa Unveils Next Generation Electronic Payments and Services

North American Launch of New Digital Wallet with Click-to-Buy Functionality Scheduled for Fall 2011

Business Editors

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE) - May. 11, 2011-- Visa Inc. (NYSE:V), a global leader in electronic payments, today announced the next generation of payments solutions that will replicate the ease, reliability and security of Visa point-of-sale payments within traditional and digital eCommerce, mobile commerce and burgeoning social networking commerce environments. New offerings are expected to include a secure cross-channel digital wallet and a range of customized mobile payments services that address the specific requirements of geographic markets around the world.

"Our new solutions deliver greater consumer choice, convenience and control while helping our clients grow their businesses. By helping to reduce abandoned online shopping carts and bringing new account holders into the Visa network, we create a win-win-win for merchants, consumers and financial institutions," noted Joseph W. Saunders, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Visa Inc. "In addition, we believe Visa's new payments products and services will help expand financial inclusion to the billions of mobile subscribers today who currently lack access to traditional financial services."

Simplifying Commerce in Complex Economies In certain countries with established electronic payments infrastructures, expansive Internet usage and broad mobile network penetration, Visa will be introducing a digital wallet and services platform. The digital wallet will store Visa and non-Visa payments accounts, support NFC payments through the innovative Visa payWave application and deliver a wide range of transaction services to accommodate multiple commerce scenarios including eCommerce, mobile commerce, micropayments, social networks and person-to-person payments.

Visa is working with leading payments card issuers, community banks, credit unions, acquirers, payments processors and merchants to launch the digital wallet. Among the financial institutions and organizations supporting Visa's wallet strategy are: Barclaycard US BB&T Corporation Card Services for Credit Unions (CSCU) ICBA Bancard First Financial Bank of Ohio Nordstrom fsb Pentagon Federal Credit Union PNC Bank PSCU Financial Services Regions Bank Royal Bank of Canada Scotiabank TD Bank Group (US and Canada) US Bank Visa expects to launch the digital wallet in the U.S. and Canada in fall 2011.

Key features of the wallet are expected to include: Click-to-buy: Shop conveniently and securely by simply entering an email address, alias or online ID and password, instead of a billing address, account number and expiration date. In addition, Visa is exploring dynamic authentication technologies that will bring added layers of security to online purchases.

Cross-channel payments solution: The wallet consolidates multiple Visa and non-Visa payments accounts and can be used in mobile, eCommerce, social network and retail point-of-sale environments.

Preference management: A menu that enables consumers to set preferences for how their wallet will work, allowing them to customize and control the features of their personal wallet from privacy settings to designating which account will be accessed based on merchant type or purchase amount.

Merchant offers: A service that allows consumers to personalize their shopping experience by opting-in to receive money-saving discounts or promotions from participating merchants.

"The widespread adoption of Internet and mobile technology is changing the way people connect and transact across the globe, so we're focused on delivering locally-tailored payments products and services," said Saunders. "We are introducing new solutions for eCommerce and mobile devices that provide the same ?Visa-quality' experience?convenience, reliability and security?people enjoy when using their Visa cards at a retail location. In doing so, we are accelerating the global shift to digital payments by harnessing our brand, products, network and 50-plus years of payments experience."

Mobilizing Payments in Emerging Economies In certain emerging geographic markets with significant mobile penetration, Visa will work with financial institutions and mobile-network operators to provide consumers with a secure, reliable and globally accepted form of payment and the ability to transfer and receive funds, manage financial accounts or top-up wireless air time using their mobile handset. The wide range of features and functions being developed for the digital wallet will allow Visa to pursue a number of strategies to tailor or bundle services to local needs.

In countries like India and Russia, where card issuance and mobile subscriptions are high, but card usage is relatively low, Visa will help drive account activation and usage by working with financial institutions and mobile operators to link existing card portfolios with mobile devices to give handsets payments functionality.

In countries within Africa and the Middle East where mobile device usage is high and traditional electronic payments infrastructure is less developed, Visa will work with mobile network operators to link new virtual mobile prepaid Visa accounts to mobile phone numbers to enable cash-in, cash-out, personal payments and mobile payments ?including bill payments and wireless airtime top-up. Visa also intends to connect existing "closed loop" mobile money services that today provide basic mobile banking and payments services to unbanked and under-banked consumers to its global, open loop network?VisaNet.

The integration will open closed loop systems, and provide consumers and merchants with unprecedented scale, functionality and acceptance beyond their existing local geographic footprints.

Across all emerging geographic markets, Visa's sophisticated payments technology and significant work in establishing global payments standards will aid in navigating the complexity of the myriad of network operators, handset models and operating systems in use globally, helping to enable millions of new and existing Visa account holders to simply use mobile technology for payments services.

Innovation, Acquisitions and Partnerships Expand Capabilities of Visa Network Visa is developing its next generation services by integrating VisaNet, its global processing network, leading credit, debit, prepaid and commercial product platforms, new capabilities it has acquired through its subsidiaries CyberSource, Authorize.net and PlaySpan, and the unique expertise and services of key commercial partners. In deploying flexible solutions that are locally relevant and globally interoperable, Visa aims to attract more participants to its network and better enable them to connect and transact.

"Our build, buy and partner approach puts Visa in a unique position to deliver the speed-to-market and scalable solutions needed to stay ahead of new demands created by the convergence of Internet, mobile and electronic payments technologies," said Saunders. "Visa and our subsidiaries are working with financial institutions, merchants, mobile network operators, and innovative technology providers to bring new ways to pay and be paid to more consumers and merchants around the globe."

Management Webcast Visa's management team will host a live audio webcast beginning at 11:00 a.m. Eastern time (8:00 a.m. Pacific time) today. The dial-in information for the call is 888-790-4410 (within the United States) or 773-756-0127 (international). The conference passcode is 092075. A replay of the call will be available until May 26 and can be accessed by dialing 866-501-8774 (within the United States) or 203-369-1854 (international). The live call and replay, along with supporting materials, can also be accessed through the Investor Relations section of Visa's website at www.investor.visa.com.

About Visa Visa is a global payments technology company that connects consumers, businesses, financial institutions and governments in more than 200 countries and territories to fast, secure and reliable digital currency.

Underpinning digital currency is one of the world's most advanced processing networks VisaNet that is capable of handling more than 20,000 transaction messages a second, with fraud protection for consumers and guaranteed payment for merchants. Visa is not a bank and does not issue cards, extend credit or set rates and fees for consumers. Visa's innovations, however, enable its financial institution customers to offer consumers more choices: pay now with debit, ahead of time with prepaid or later with credit products. For more information, visit www.corporate.visa.com.

Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

These statements can be identified by the terms "will," "expected,"

"intends," "aims," "accelerate," expand," and similar references to the future. Examples of such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the timing, impact, content, reliability, acceptance, implementation and overall success of the new digital wallet and mobile payment, the offerings. By their nature, forward-looking statements: (i) speak only as of the date they are made, (ii)?are neither statements of historical fact nor guarantees of future performance and (iii)?are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict or quantify. Therefore, actual results could differ materially and adversely from those forward-looking statements because of a variety of factors, including: the impact of new laws, regulations and marketplace barriers, particularly those affecting, eCommerce, mobile payments, consumer privacy, and data use and security; macroeconomic factors, such as global economic, political, health environmental conditions; a decline in the growth of e-Commerce and mobile payments activity; inability to keep pace with the innovations of competitors in the eCommerce and mobile payments areas; industry and systemic developments, such as: competitive pressure on pricing; bank and merchant consolidation and their increased focus on costs; adverse changes in our relationships and reputation; disruption of our systems or the inability to process transactions efficiently; account data breaches and increased fraudulent and other illegal activity involving our systems; and issues arising at Visa Europe, including failure to maintain interoperability between our systems; and the other factors discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. You should not place undue reliance on such statements. Unless required to do so by law, we do not intend to update or revise any forward-looking statement because of new information or future developments or otherwise.

Visa Inc.Ryan Donovan, +1-415-932-2564 globalmedia@visa.com

KEYWORD: United States North America California

INDUSTRY KEYWORD: Technology Data Management Internet Software Mobile/Wireless Social Media Professional Services Banking Finance Communications

CATEGORY KEYWORD: Product/Service Webcast

Source: Visa Inc.

Copyright Business Wire 2011

ASIA PULSE cg 12-05 1039

Acer Unveils New All-in-One Desktop - A Picture-Perfect Holiday Gift.(Company overview)

Acer Now Offers Two Svelte AIO Models; Newest Boasts a Compact Modern Design and 21.5-inch HD Display

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Acer is aiming to top holiday wish lists with the expansion of its sleek and stylish all-in-one (AIO) desktop line. Its newest model, the Acer Aspire Z3100 features a 21.5-inch HD display and contemporary aesthetics. Acer has also pumped up the performance on its stylish, state-of-the-art Aspire AZ5700 with an intuitive 23-inch HD multi-touch display.

The new Acer Aspire AZ3100-U3072 all-in-one desktop with an integrated 21.5-inch LCD display provides solid performance in a simple design that's ideal for areas where space is a premium. (Photo: Business Wire)

The new all-in-one desktops flaunt a refined design and the speed needed for efficient multitasking, social networking and high-def entertainment, including the enjoyment of HD movies and immersive audio. Both models are designed for users who appreciate clean aesthetics and want a PC that will eliminate clutter and maximize limited desktop real estate.

"The elegance and convenience of the all-in-one desktop is becoming increasingly popular with consumers," said Steve Smith, senior business manager of consumer desktops for Acer America. "We're pleased to offer our customers more choices for this practical form factor, which is appealing for its unique blend of features and modern architecture. In addition to our premium system with a 23-inch HD display, touch panel and TV tuner, we also offer a smaller, budget-friendly version with a host of features and ample power, ideal for dorm rooms, office nooks and lofts."

Acer Aspire AZ3100-U3072 - Space Maximizer, High-Def Fun

The Acer Aspire AZ3100-U3072 with an integrated 21.5-inch LCD display provides solid performance in a simple design that's ideal for areas where space is a premium. The contemporary look and feel encompasses a gray and black bezel and an illuminated blue accent strip with four brightness settings for lighting the wireless keyboard. Contributing to the crisp aesthetics is a compartment on the side of the chassis for managing cables as well as ample room under the elevated chassis for hiding the keyboard when not in use.

Created for multimedia enjoyment, the combination of the HD display's true 1080p resolution and NVIDIA([R]) GeForce([R]) 9200 graphics enrich entertainment with sharp, lifelike images, smooth video transitions and vibrant colors. It's a beautiful screen for viewing movies, streaming video and digital photography.

An AMD Athlon[TM] II 170u (2.0GHz) processor and 3GB DDR3 SDRAM provide plenty of power for surfing the web, email and casual games. A large 500GB hard drive(1) is big enough to store a vast library of digital media, personal files and software applications. The system has 5.1 channel audio and two built-in speakers for dynamic sound quality as well as an optical drive for enjoying CD music and DVD movies. It also provides an integrated webcam and microphone, HDMI and six USB 2.0 ports for connecting to an array of peripherals and digital devices.

The AZ3100 also comes with Windows([R]) 7 Home Premium, 802.11 b/g/n wireless, Gigabit LAN and a wireless keyboard and mouse. The Aspire AZ3100-U3072 is available at leading retailers with a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $599.

Acer Aspire AZ5700-U3112 - Striking Design, Intuitive Entertainment

The Acer Aspire AZ5700 all-in-one with a stunning 23-inch HD display is a beautiful blend of visual elegance, best-of-breed technology and superb performance. A seamless integration of a desktop PC with the usability of a multi-touch LCD display and a TV tuner makes it an appealing choice for those wanting an easy-to-use entertainment hub for the home.

The AZ5700 boasts chic styling. The sleek, chrome structure accented with a black strip will enhance any room or office. Designed to streamline the workspace, tidy cable management and keyboard storage eliminate clutter.

At the heart of the feature-rich functionality is multi-touch technology, which enables users to intuitively interact with the PC using multiple fingers as they would a mouse. They can open and close programs, browse online newspapers, flick through photo albums and shuffle files and folders, using nothing but their hands.

Fueled by an Intel([R]) Core[TM] i5 650 processor (3.2GHz), 4GB DDR3 SDRAM and Intel([R]) HD graphics, this desktop has enough power for speedy multitasking and realistic imagery for movies, digital video, social networking and casual games. Digital media lovers will appreciate the dynamic high-def 5.1 channel audio, optical drive and 1TB SATA hard drive(1)that can accommodate a huge collection of movies, music, photos and more. In addition to a wireless keyboard and mouse, the system provides HDMI and six USB 2.0 ports.

In addition to Windows([R]) Home 7 Premium, the Aspire Z5700 comes with the Acer TouchPortal, a suite of applications designed to synchronize life, the PC and Internet with all-in-one touch control. These applications include TouchMusic, TouchPhoto, TouchVideo, TouchBrowse, TouchCam, TouchMemo, TimeGadget, WeatherGadget and TouchFriends.

The Acer Aspire Z5700-U3112 is available at leading retailers with a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $1099.

About Acer

Since its founding in 1976, Acer has achieved the goal of breaking the barriers between people and technology. Globally, Acer ranks No. 2 for total PCs and notebooks.(2) A profitable and sustainable Channel Business Model is instrumental to the company's continuing growth, while its multi-brand approach effectively integrates Acer, Gateway, Packard Bell, and eMachines brands in worldwide markets. Acer strives to design environmentally friendly products and establish a green supply chain through collaboration with suppliers. Acer is proud to be a Worldwide Partner of the Olympic Movement, including the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter and London 2012 Olympic Games. The Acer Group employs 7,000 people worldwide. 2009 revenues reached US$17.9 billion. See www.acer-group.com for more information.

[c] 2010 Acer America Corp. All rights reserved. Acer and the Acer logo are registered trademarks of Acer Inc. Other trademarks, registered trademarks and/or service marks, indicated or otherwise, are the property of their respective owners. All offers subject to change without notice or obligation and may not be available through all sales channels. Prices listed are manufacturer suggested retail prices and may vary by retail location. Applicable taxes extra.

1. Accessible capacity varies; MB = 1 million bytes; GB = 1 billion bytes

2. Source: Gartner data, FY 2009

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6445241&lang=en

Prudential Securities and Quote.com Offer New Online Financial Information Service

              Stock Quotes Now Available Through Prudential Online 

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Oct. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Prudential Securities and Quote.com announced today that they will jointly offer financial market data to customers of Prudential Online, the "account access" portion of Prudential Securities' "Virtual Branch Office" Internet site at http://www.prusec.com. Effective immediately, the site will offer price quotations on 15,000 securities. The Dow Jones Industrials, Nasdaq Composite, S&P 500, and other market indices will be included.

The quotes, which will be subject to a 15-minute delay, will be offered through Quote.com, a leading provider of online financial market information (http://www.quote.com). They will include the opening price, high, low, last, price change, volume, bid, ask, exchange, number of ticks, and the four most recent prices.

Stock quotes will also include balance sheet data, including price/earnings ratio, yield, dividend and 52-week price range. The service will be available free to Prudential Online customers who register for it.

"We chose to partner with Quote.com because they are a proven, brand-name provider of quality online financial news and information," said Stanley Witkowski, executive vice president of Prudential Securities. "This alliance brings Quote.com's content-rich financial offering to our customers, providing them with timely information about their investment decisions."

"We are delighted that Prudential Securities has chosen Quote.com as a partner," said Chris Cooper, president of Quote.com. "This alliance moves forward our mission to be the standard offering for online financial market news and information. Working with Prudential Securities helps us build a powerful network of partnerships that help business and individual investors make sound decisions."

One of the most successful subscription services on the Internet, Quote.com's subscriber base has grown steadily to more than 150,000. Quote.com has continually increased the number of features and offerings for its users, and partners, and recently enhanced its content-rich news with QNews, delivering personalized news from 500 leading sources through e-mail, or directly to the screen, live on the Web site (subscribers choose the method they prefer, and indicate a choice of full text, summary news article, or headlines only).

Prudential Securities introduced Prudential Online in January 1996. The site allows clients to review the daily status of their accounts, including their cash balances, the total net worth of their portfolios, and the market value of their securities, their transaction history, portfolio allocation and the funds available for withdrawal.

The web site includes a Virtual Branch Office for web browsers, featuring daily market updates, information on investment products and services, and a Financial Advisor Locator, where browsers find the nearest branch by selecting a state or entering a zip code.

About Prudential Securities

Prudential Securities, Incorporated is a fully diversified, global securities firm based in New York City, serving clients in the U.S. and overseas through approximately 6,000 Financial Advisors. The fifth-largest brokerage firm, Prudential Securities is a subsidiary of The Prudential Insurance Company of America.

About Quote.com

Quote.com, Inc., founded in 1993, is the leading Internet provider of sophisticated financial information for individual, professional and institutional investors. The company delivers a one-stop premier service for stock quotes; detailed market data on options; commodity futures; mutual funds, bonds; real-time business news, market analysis; fundamental financial (balance sheet) data, and company profiles.

Quote.com, Inc. is a privately-held company that is venture funded by Sequoia Capital Corp., of Menlo Park, Calif. Quote.com is based in Santa Clara, Calif., and its services can be accessed via the World Wide Web at http://www.quote.com, by sending a blank e-mail to info@quote.com or by calling 408-327-0700.

SOURCE Quote.com

     -0-                             10/28/96 

/CONTACT: Nola Armijo of the Jona Group, 415-552-1515, or nola@jonagroup.com, for Quote.com; or Susan Atran of Prudential, 212-214-3846, or susan_atran@ccmail.prusec.com/

CO: Quote.com Inc.; Prudential Securities Inc. ST: California IN: MLM FIN SU: PDT

DC-GZ -- SFM037 -- 8971 10/28/96 06:00 EST http://www.prnewswire.com

LETHAL WEAPON; EXCLUSIVE Kids can buy this machete for just pounds 1.47 on Amazon.(News)

Byline: By STEVE SMITH

THIS fearsome machete can be bought for less than pounds 1.50 from online store Amazon.

And the deadly 38cm blade can be snapped up by anyone...even children.

The trade makes a nonsense of new laws brought in last month banning the sale of weapons to under-18s.

It exposes shocking loopholes that allowwebsites to keep selling blades without adequate age checks.

Our investigator managed to buy a machete from Amazon for pounds 1.47 without being asked any questions about age.

We also picked up a serrated hunting knife and a crossbow from the Yin Yang Martial Arts site and knives from Debenhams and John Lewis website.

The weapons were bought weeks after the Government banned their sale to anyone under the age of 18.

But neither Amazon nor the martial arts website asked for any proof of the buyer's age.

The policeman leading Scotland's crackdown on knife crime last night admitted forces were struggling to police the internet.

Detective Chief Superintendent John Carnochan, head of Scotland's Violence Reduction Unit, said: "We try to limit access to weapons as much as possible but policing the internet is fraught with difficulties."

The Amazon machete was delivered to a Scottish address the day after we ordered it.

The online firm - better known for selling books and DVDs - said: "We state clearly in our terms and conditions that our site is for over-18s.

"We also clearly message that this product is not for sale to anyone under the age of 18.

That message, due to an oversight on our part, was missing and we apologise for that."

We bought a razor-sharp 10cm blade for just pounds 12 from the John Lewis website.

It warned that knives could not be sold to anyone under 18.

Yet all they demanded was the buyer enter their date of birth. We used false details and the knife was posted out.

Debenhams sent out an pounds 8 knife - again with no age checks.

Their website simply warns: "It is an offence to sell this item to anyone under the age of 18. Only add this item to basket if you are over 18."

Yin Yang Martial Arts - who sold us a knife and crossbow - warn on their site: "No weapons will be sold to persons under the age of 18 or to anyone not able to supply a M.A.C. licence or a registered club card."

We were asked for neither and the weapons arrived within days.

SUNDAY EMAIL

reporters@sundaymail.co.uk

mailfile Violent Scotland

Scotland's streets have never been more dangerous with violent attacks rocketing. Assaults and muggings have shot up by more than a third.

A three-week campaign to rid Scotland's streets of lethal weapons was launched by police earlier this month.

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill last month announced the Scottish Government were spending an extra pounds 1million to make town and city centres across the country safer.

Proposals for the extra cash include employing late-night marshals to oversee taxi queues and more high-visibility policing.

Officers are carrying out stop-andsearch operations all over the country using airport-style hand-held metal detectors to spot hidden blades.

During a three-week crackdown this year more than 1700 knives were handed in to police and 239 seized during stop-searches.

CAPTION(S):

Horrifying: pounds 1.47 machete can be bought by kids 38cm (14.96inches); Deadly haul: The cache of weapons we bought on the net

Analysys International Says China's Middleware Market Reached RMB 289 Million in Q1 2006.

BEIJING, May 9 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Analysys International, a leading Internet based provider of business information about technology, media and telecom industries in China, says China's middleware market reached RMB 289 million in the first quarter of 2006, representing an increase of 20.6% over the first quarter of 2005 but a decrease of 20.2% over the fourth quarter of 2005, in its recently released report ''China Middleware Market Quarterly Tracker Q1 2006.''

According to the report, IBM, BEA and Chinese domestic player Tongtech continued to be the top 3 middleware vendors in China, with market share accounting for 65.8% of the total in Q1 2006. With strong market development, IBM exceeded BEA in the first quarter with a leading market share of 25.6%. Among Chinese domestic firms, Tongtech achieved the best performance, with market share reaching 15.3%.

   Figure 1 China Middleware Market Breakdown by Vendor Q1 2006    ( http://english.analysys.com.cn/UserFiles/watered/1680.jpg )   

Middleware applications mainly concentrate on industries where business systems are complicated and require simultaneous processing. The telecom industry, finance industry, government, energy and transportation industries accounted for 85.5% of the total middleware market in China.

Integrated development is still the major sales model in China, accounting for 59.3% of the total market. Sales of integrated middleware products accounted for 34.2% of the total.

This subject is further discussed in Analysys International's research report ''China Middleware Market Quarterly Tracker Q1 2006.'' For more information, please check the website: http://english.analysys.com.cn/ .

About Analysys International

Analysys International is the leading Internet based provider of business information about technology, media and telecom (TMT) industries in China with the mission to help their clients make better business decisions. They provide data, information and advice to 50,000 clients worldwide, representing 1,500 distinct organizations; they also deliver over 150 consulting engagements a year, and hold more than 20 events that draw in over 8,000 attendees. Their clients include executives from companies like technology vendors, vertical information technology users, as well as professionals from professional service companies, the investment community and government agencies. For more information, please visit the website at http://english.analysys.com.cn/ .

   For more information, please contact:     Jessica Wang    Overseas Media Manager    Analysys International    Tel:   +86-10-6466-6565 x394    Fax:   +86-10-6466-7102/7103    Email: jessica_wang@analysys.com.cn  

CONTACT: Jessica Wang, Overseas Media Manager of Analysys International, +86-10-6466-6565 x394 or fax +86-10-6466-7102/7103, jessica_wang@analysys.com.cn

Web Site: http://english.analysys.com.cn/

NEW SERVICE MAKES BUYING REGISTERED DOMAIN NAMES EASY.

(Full text of a statement, contact details below)

HERNDON, Va., June 4 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/-- Network Solutions, the first and largest registrar of domain names, today announced the launch of its patent-pending Certified Offer Service, an innovative approach to helping Internet users quickly obtain already-registered domain names. There are approximately 39 million domain names registered using the extensions of .com, .net, .org, .info, .biz and .us; therefore, Network Solutions is giving new hope for those still yearning for a name from among the millions that registrants might want to sell.

In fact, Certified Offer Service changes the whole dynamic of registering a domain name. The majority of those searching for a domain name find that someone else has already registered their first choice. Once a domain name search reveals the name is not available, Certified Offer Service allows someone to make an instant offer for that domain name.

"This is another first-to-market solution which again signals our focus on practical, easy tools for businesses and individuals," said Network Solutions CEO Champ Mitchell. "For buyers, Certified Offer Service compresses the search process, and for sellers Certified Offer Service provides a simple and trusted way to sell a domain name. In short, we have developed a secure service that makes it virtually as easy to buy an already-registered domain name as it is to register a new domain. Anyone in the online community can make a Certified Offer on a .com, .net, .org, .biz or .us domain regardless of their current registrar."

With Certified Offer Service, Network Solutions provides buyers with an exclusive Free Value Assessment to help them determine an offer price. For $19.00, the company presents the buyer's offer to the seller, while the buyer remains completely anonymous. Once an offer is made, the buyer will know within seven days if the current registrant is willing to sell. The seller can accept the original offer or make one counter offer. When an offer or counter offer has been accepted, Network Solutions charges the buyer's credit card for the sale price and applicable processing fee, and manages the domain name transfer. The seller will be paid directly by Network Solutions for the entire accepted offer amount, with no fees or commission.

"The secondary market for domains has historically been extremely confusing for the average registrant seeking to purchase a domain in an efficient and secure way," said Dr. Matthew Zook, president of Zooknic Internet Intelligence. "Certified Offer Service presents a simple, straightforward mechanism that allows any Internet user a chance to quickly obtain the domain name that they seek. It also provides an opportunity to help reallocate existing domains not being used to those that have a specific use for the name."

"Certified Offer Service creates a unique marketplace within a marketplace, benefiting both buyers and sellers," added Mitchell. "We've taken the proven, secure systems already in place at Network Solutions and opened them up to the entire Internet community for fair and secure secondary market transactions."

Network Solutions has created a plain and simple three-step process to manage the sale of the domain name and facilitate the transfer of the name.

This allows buyers to acquire the names they really want quickly and gives sellers a simple and secure way to transfer their names and receive 100 percent of the selling price. Network Solutions processes the transaction and all payments, manages the transfer of the domain name and adds an additional year to the registration.

About Network Solutions

Network Solutions, the first and largest registrar of domain names, offers a full range of Web-related services, including domain names, Web sites and e- mail. We make it simple and affordable for customers to build and manage a Web presence through a single, experienced provider. Network Solutions manages more than seven million domain names. Additional information about Network Solutions' offerings is available at http://www.networksolutions.com

SOURCE: Network Solutions

CONTACT: Jane-Linn Vincent,

+1-202-835-9417,

for Network Solutions

Web site: http://www.networksolutions.com

ASIA PULSE 07-06 1347