Companies news

Honeywell Announces New High Temperature Analog Silicon Chip for Aerospace and Deep Drilling OperationsPrecision Operational Amplifier Designed For Extreme Temperature Environments

PHOENIX, May 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Honeywell announced today that its Aerospace business has unveiled a new high temperature Silicon On Insulator electronic component with dual applications in the aerospace and oil industries.

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The chip can withstand high temperatures and be used in aircraft engines or in deep drilling operations to enhance the nation's energy supply. It was designed and developed as part of Honeywell's diverse suite of aerospace and industrial electronics.

"The aerospace and oil and natural gas industries each require high performance components that operate over wide temperature ranges," said Brian Link, Business Director, Honeywell Defense and Space. "Honeywell's Silicon On Insulator technology is critical for instrumentation and sensor measurements in these environments. The dual precision chip will be used in high temperature zones on jet engines for instrumentation and control, as well as operating in temperatures up to 225 degrees C and at depths exceeding 20,000 feet in deep drilling operations.

Honeywell's high temperature electronics improve system reliability and help to reduce operators' equipment downtime and weight.

The circuits can operate continuously under extreme conditions, and enable instrumentation for measuring parameters such as temperature, vibration, pressure, positioning, inclination and strain.

Honeywell's new high temperature dual precision operational chip model HTOP01 was developed with several industrial partners as part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Deep Trek Program.

Honeywell International is a $37 billion diversified technology and manufacturing leader, serving customers worldwide with aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings, homes and industry; automotive products; turbochargers; and specialty materials. Based in Morris Township, N.J., Honeywell's shares are traded on the New York, London and Chicago Stock Exchanges. For additional information, please visit http://www.honeywell.com/.

Based in Phoenix, Honeywell's $12 billion aerospace business is a leading global provider of integrated avionics, engines, systems and service solutions for aircraft manufacturers, airlines, business and general aviation, military, space and airport operations.

This release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that we or our management intends, expects, projects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Such statements are based upon certain assumptions and assessments made by our management in light of their experience and their perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors they believe to be appropriate. The forward-looking statements included in this release are also subject to a number of material risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to economic, competitive, governmental, and technological factors affecting our operations, markets, products, services and prices. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results, developments and business decisions may differ from those envisaged by such forward-looking statements.

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PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com Honeywell

CONTACT: Cathy Gedvilas of Honeywell, +1-602-365-5930,
Cathy.gedvilas@honeywell.com

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

Teacher Appreciation Week is the Perfect Time to Thank Teachers and Remind Them of the Free, Time-Saving Educational Resources Available on Thinkfinity.org

NEW YORK, May 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Each week, teachers spend hours pouring over textbooks, lesson plans and other materials to create course work that captures the imagination of their students.

As parents, students and communities take time this week, Teacher Appreciation Week, to thank teachers for the wonderful work they do, it's also an ideal time to remind them of the tremendous time- and money-saving educational resources available through thinkfinity.org -- all for free.

Thinkfinity.org is the perfect Web tool for teachers looking for a quick and innovative way to find compelling lesson plans and interactive learning tools to engage today's students.

Thinkfinity.org is the Verizon Foundation's free, comprehensive program and online portal to 55,000 educational resources, including standards-based, grade-specific, K-12 lesson plans and engaging interactive activities provided in partnership with many of the nation's leading educational and literacy organizations. And, Thinkfinity.org requires no downloadable software.

"Teachers are often our unsung heroes, working hours outside of the classroom and often spending their own money on supplies, to prepare the best possible lesson plans to engage their students," said Verizon Foundation President Patrick Gaston. "We truly appreciate the dedication and effort our teachers put forth to help our children develop the skills they need to succeed.

"Through Thinkfinity.org, we're hopeful that we can do our part to help make the lives of teachers easier," Gaston said.

From science to English to mathematics, Thinkfinity.org offers help to teachers from elementary school through high school, across eight academic disciplines, to improve student achievement.

In addition to offering free access to 55,000 educational resources, Thinkfinity.org also offers a comprehensive professional development program that allows teachers to sign up for free online to learn how to best make use of the Thinkfinity.org tools.

Content for Thinkfinity is provided through a partnership between the Verizon Foundation and 11 of the nation's leading organizations in the fields of education and literacy: the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the International Reading Association, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, National Center for Family Literacy, National Council on Economic Education, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Council of Teachers of English, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, National Geographic Society, ProLiteracy Worldwide and the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.

The Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon Communications, supports the advancement of literacy and K-12 education through its signature program, Thinkfinity.org, and fosters awareness and prevention of domestic violence. In 2007, the foundation awarded more than $67.4 million in grants to nonprofit agencies in the United States and abroad. The foundation also matched the charitable donations of Verizon employees and retirees, resulting in $25.1 million in combined contributions. Through Verizon Volunteers, one of the nation's largest employee volunteer programs, Verizon employees and retirees have volunteered more than 3 million hours of community service since Verizon's inception in 2000.

For more information on the foundation, visit http://www.verizon.com/foundation.

Verizon Communications Inc. , headquartered in New York, is a leader in delivering broadband and other wireline and wireless communication innovations to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving more than 67 million customers nationwide. Verizon's Wireline operations include Verizon Business, which delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to customers around the world, and Verizon Telecom, which brings customers the benefits of converged communications, information and entertainment services over the nation's most advanced fiber-optic network. A Dow 30 company, Verizon employed a diverse workforce of approximately 232,000 as of the end of the first quarter 2008 and last year generated consolidated operating revenues of $93.5 billion. For more information, visit http://www.verizon.com/.

VERIZON'S ONLINE NEWS CENTER: Verizon news releases, executive speeches and biographies, media contacts, high quality video and images, and other information are available at Verizon's News Center on the World Wide Web at http://www.verizon.com/news. To receive news releases by e-mail, visit the News Center and register for customized automatic delivery of Verizon news releases.

Verizon Communications Inc.

CONTACT: Brian C. Malina, Verizon Communications Inc., +1-908-559-6434,
brian.c.malina@verizon.com

Web site: http://www.verizon.com/
http://www.verizon.com/foundation
http://www.thinkfinity.org/
http://www.verizon.com/news

Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/094251.html

Match.com Launches 'Insiders' Guide'LARGEST ONLINE DATING SITE TAPS INTO ITS MOST SUCCESSFUL MEMBERS TO DELIVER PROVEN ADVICE ON WHAT IT TAKES TO FIND LOVE ONLINE

DALLAS, May 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Match.com, the world's largest relationship network, announced today the launch of the "Insiders' Guide" -- a new source for singles to get insider secrets and reliable advice from current Match.com members, as well as former members who have already found love on Match.com.

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The tips and advice gathered for the Insiders' Guide were collected from Match.com's community of over 15 million members. The Insiders' Guide, which is free to all Match.com members, aims to enhance member confidence and success with the tips proven to help find love online. Part of this advice includes suggestions on how to write the ideal online profile, as well as how to take the next step once they have met someone they really like.

"At Match.com we understand the impact of word of mouth advice. It's this trusted perspective and expertise of actual members that people take to heart and ultimately act on," said Craig Wax, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Match.com. "The Insiders' Guide brings this concept to life through seven tips, shared by ten successful members in an interactive web-chat format."

Match.com's "insiders" share proven advice throughout the Insider's Guide, including:

1. Make Your Profile Pop (from member 2BADandAG): Describing what makes you tick and what you are looking for in a partner will give others a clearer snapshot of who you are. 2. Be a Good Citizen (from member Sunsusie7): Put your best self forward, be truthful, be courteous and be upfront about who you're looking for. 3. Stay Active, Stay Positive (from Ira and Nancy in Dallas): Updating your profile with interesting facts and photos of things you currently are doing will give fresh information and new reasons for people to contact you. 4. Take a Second Look (from member Milosmom): Be willing to take a second look and expand your search criteria. When you do, you may be pleasantly surprised by the results! 5. Explore the Tools (from member Solman2007): Take advantage of all the ways Match.com gives you to communicate with someone -- anonymous email, instant messenger or use Match.com's MatchTalk to make the first phone call. 6. Pace it Right (from member Denver7476): Take the time to email back and forth through Match.com's double-blind, totally private email system. Then move up to a phone call or two. If you're still interested, plan a time to meet at a coffee shop or restaurant. Visit Match.com today to download your free copy of the Insiders' Guide. Match.com

Match.com pioneered online personals when it launched on the Web in 1995 and continues to lead this exciting and evolving category after more than a decade. Throughout its 13-year history, Match.com has helped redefine the way people meet and fall in love and is credited with more marriages than any other site. Today, millions of people around the world participate in the Match.com relationship network, providing a rich tapestry of ethnicities, interests, goals, ambitions, quirks, looks and personalities from which to choose. Match.com operates some of the leading subscription-based online dating sites in 37 countries, in 15 languages and spanning six continents. Match.com also powers online dating on MSN across Europe, Asia, the United States and Latin America and is the premier provider of personals for Love@AOL. Match.com is an operating business of IAC .

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AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com Match.com

CONTACT: Allison Clark of Match.com, +1-214-576-9321,
allison.clark@match.com; or Ben Therrien of MS&L, +1-212-468-3057,
benjamin.therrien@mslpr.com, for Match.com

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

CIBER Becomes Certified SAP(R) Hosting PartnerAdds Hosting Services to Implementation Offerings in Support of SAP Solutions

ORLANDO, Fla., May 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- CIBER, Inc. , an SAP(R) services partner, announced today that its CIBER Information Technology Outsourcing (ITO) division is now a certified SAP hosting partner for the Americas.

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"The expansion of CIBER's partnership with SAP to now include status as a certified SAP hosting partner is an exciting step forward in our commitment to bring even greater value around ERP solutions to our customers. We are proud of our greatly expanded support capability for SAP solutions," said Mark Perlstein, President of CIBER's Global IT Outsourcing division.

CIBER provides clients with single-source support for the entire solution lifecycle -- from enterprise architecture through application development and integration, to application management and infrastructure support. CIBER develops, enhances, and manages business applications using a global distributed delivery model that focuses on building long-term relationships with its clients.

The hosting partnership was announced at the SAPPHIRE(R) 2008 Orlando conference, which is being held May 4-7 in Orlando, Fla., at the Orange County Convention Center, where CIBER is exhibiting in booth #1718. To learn more about CIBER solutions for users with SAP solutions, please visit http://www.ciber.com/events/sapphire.

CIBER has been a partner of SAP since 1997, offering comprehensive solutions to support SAP applications, including implementations and upgrades, extensions, integrations and customizations.

CIBER was rated the eighth best global IT outsourcing vendor worldwide, and was listed among the top 50 best-managed global outsourcing vendors, according to a June 2007 Brown-Wilson Group survey. The Brown-Wilson Group publishes The Black Book of Outsourcing and conducts annual surveys of CEOs, CFOs, CIOs, and other business decision-makers at Fortune 2000 organizations to understand users' evaluations of global outsourcing service providers.

About CIBER, Inc.

CIBER, Inc. is a pure-play international system integration consultancy with superior value-priced services and reliable delivery for both private and government sector clients. CIBER's services are offered globally on a project- or strategic-staffing basis, in both custom and enterprise resource planning (ERP) package environments, and across all technology platforms, operating systems and infrastructures. Founded in 1974 and headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colo., CIBER now serves client businesses from over 60 U.S. offices, 25 European offices and seven offices in Asia/Pacific. Operating in 18 countries, with more than 8,000 employees and annual revenue over $1 billion, CIBER and its IT specialists continuously build and upgrade clients' systems to "competitive advantage status." CIBER is included in the Russell 2000 Index and the S&P Small Cap 600 Index. CIBER, ALWAYS ABLE. http://www.ciber.com/

Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements

Statements contained in this release may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, as discussed in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. CIBER undertakes neither intention nor obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. CIBER and the CIBER logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of CIBER, Inc. Copyright(C) 2008.

SAP, SAPPHIRE and all SAP logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and in several other countries.

All other product and service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.

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PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com CIBER, Inc.

CONTACT: Diane Stoner, Media Relations, dstoner@ciber.com, or Jennifer
Matuschek, Investor Relations, jmatuschek@ciber.com, both of CIBER, Inc.,
+1-303-220-0100

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

Wireless Age announces April revenues

TORONTO, May 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Wireless Age Communications, Inc. (OTCBB:WLSA), ("Wireless Age") is pleased to announce that April 2008 unaudited consolidated revenues were approximately CAD$3,383,000.

Unaudited consolidated revenues for April 2008 were up approximately 36%, compared to CAD$2,484,000 during April 2007. Retail segment revenues grew by 27% from approximately CAD$1,288,000 in April 2007 to approximately CAD$1,631,000 in 2008. Commercial segment revenues grew by 46% from approximately CAD$1,196,000,000 in April 2007 to approximately CAD$1,752,000 in 2008.

John G. Simmonds, Wireless Age CEO stated; "During the month of April the Company received accolades from both of our carrier partners. Our Broad Street store was our Saskatchewan carrier's number one location for cellular sales in 2007 and our Garden City Tier 2 store in Manitoba achieved highest sales volume growth at the annual dealer awards gala. Our retail staff and management are to be commended for a job exceptionally well done. Corporately we are on target for a record year and we continue to purchase Wireless Age shares for cancellation. During April we acquired 70,300 shares and year to date we have now acquired 849,100 common shares at an average price of approximately $0.22 per share."

About Wireless Age

Wireless Age Communications, through its 99.7% owned subsidiary, Wireless Age Communications Ltd., is in the business of operating retail cellular and telecommunications outlets in cities in western Canada. Through its other wholly owned subsidiary, Wireless Source Distribution Ltd., the company distributes two-way radio products, prepaid phone cards, wireless accessories and various battery and ancillary electronics products in Canada.

Note: This press release contains "forward looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on currently available competitive, financial and economic data and management's views and assumptions regarding future events. Such forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain. Wireless Age Communications, Inc. cannot provide assurances that the matters described in this press release will be successfully completed or that the company will realize the anticipated benefits of any transaction. Actual results may differ materially from those projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to: global economic and market conditions; the war on terrorism and the potential for war or other hostilities in other parts of the world; the availability of financing and lines of credit; successful integration of acquired or merged businesses; changes in interest rates; management's ability to forecast revenues and control expenses, especially on a quarterly basis; unexpected decline in revenues without a corresponding and timely slowdown in expense growth; the company's ability to retain key management and employees; intense competition and the company's ability to meet demand at competitive prices and to continue to introduce new products and new versions of existing products that keep pace with technological developments, satisfy increasingly sophisticated customer requirements and achieve market acceptance; relationships with significant suppliers and customers; as well as other risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those detailed from time to time in Wireless Age Communications, Inc. SEC filings. Wireless Age Communications, Inc. undertakes no obligation to update information contained in this release. For further information regarding risks and uncertainties associated with Wireless Age Communications, Inc.'s business, please refer to the risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in Wireless Age Communications, Inc.'s SEC filings.

For more information contact: John G. Simmonds, Chairman & CEO 905-833-2753 ext. 223 or Andrew Barwicki, Investor Relations 516-662-9461

Wireless Age Communications, Inc.

CONTACT: John G. Simmonds, Chairman & CEO, (905) 833-2753 ext. 223; or
Andrew Barwicki, Investor Relations, (516) 662-9461

Ditech Networks Appoints Karl Brown as VP of Marketing, Luis Roa as VP of Platform EngineeringExperienced Veterans to Spearhead Expansion of Ditech's Core Technologies

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., May 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ditech Networks, Inc. , a leading provider of voice quality solutions to the world's communications industry, has named Karl Brown as Vice President of Marketing, and Luis Roa as Vice President of Platform Engineering, effective immediately. In their new roles, Brown and Roa will lead Ditech's support of its existing markets, as well as the expansion of the company's technology into adjacent markets.

"Karl and Luis both have extensive technology experience and proven leadership ability," said Todd Simpson, President and CEO of Ditech Networks. "Their depth of knowledge about our markets, along with their acute understanding of our technology, will advance Ditech's position as a global leader in voice quality."

Previously Ditech's Senior Director of Product Marketing and Product Management, Brown will be responsible for all product marketing, product management and corporate marketing functions, in addition to directing the development of the company's product offerings for the growing worldwide voice quality market. Brown brings more than 15 years of experience in network communications to his position, spanning the wireline, wireless, voice, and data industries, and has worked for both equipment vendors and service providers. Prior to joining Ditech, Brown held marketing positions at ANDA Networks, Jetstream Communications and Nortel Networks.

Roa will lead the Platform Engineering organization, including all software development. Roa joined Ditech in 2000 as part of the acquisition of Atmosphere Networks. At Ditech he has served as Senior Director of Software Engineering and has managed the development of multiple product families, including the Broadband Voice Processor, Packet Voice Processor and Netconsul (Ditech's element management system). Prior to Ditech, he worked at Paradyne Networks, where he managed the development of Frame Relay and ATM products. Before moving to Paradyne, he was at AT&T Bell Laboratories where he was a software Lead Architect, participating in the design and development of multiple, large-scale switching technologies.

About Ditech Networks

Ditech Networks is shaping the future of voice quality through continuous innovation and leadership for the world's communications companies. Ditech's voice quality solutions are deployed in wireless and wireline networks to optimize every call experience. By delivering consistent, dependable voice quality, Ditech's products help global communications companies meet the multiple challenges of service differentiation, network expansion, and call capacity. Ditech's customers include Verizon, Sprint/Nextel, Orascom Telecom, AT&T, China Unicom, Global Crossing and West Corporation. Ditech Networks is headquartered in Mountain View, California. For more information, visit http://www.ditechnetworks.com/.

Ditech Networks, Broadband Voice Processor, Packet Voice Processor, and Netconsul are trademarks of Ditech Networks, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Ditech Networks, Inc.

CONTACT: press, Rob Adler, +1-415-984-1970, or investors, Bill Tamblyn,
+1-650-623-1309, both for Ditech Networks, Inc.

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

Zions Bank Launches Spanish Version of Web Site

SALT LAKE CITY, May 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Zions Bank today announced the launch of a Spanish language version of its Internet site, http://www.zionsbank.com/espanol. The Web site is targeted at the growing number of Latinos making financial transactions online. Nationally, 76 percent of bilingual Latinos use the Internet, according to a 2007 report by the Pew Hispanic Center. Other studies indicate Hispanic entry into the online marketplace is outpacing that of the general market.

More than 100 individual Web pages on the site allow consumers to compare a variety of personal and business banking products to select the best choices for their unique needs. The site allows users to locate branch offices, read about Spanish-speaking community bankers along the Wasatch Front, and learn financial tips. Also included are "Su Futuro Financiero" consumer education columns written by Zions Bank's Sylvia Haro.

Businesses can take advantage of information about treasury management services and international banking in Spanish. The pages also feature local Latino-owned businesses that have been highlighted on Zions Bank's "Negocios en Accion" weekly radio feature, also hosted by Haro.

"Zions Bank's new Spanish Web site helps reinforce our commitment to serving the Latino community, and its launch coincides with the bank's efforts to expand its services for Hispanics to even more branch locations this year," said Joe Reyna, multicultural retail region president.

Plans are underway to continue expanding the content and features available online in Spanish.

"Because more than half of Zions Bank's personal account holders are enrolled in Internet Banking, we know it is a convenient service that now can be used by our increasingly diverse customer base, including those who prefer making financial transactions in Spanish," said Carl Snyder, president of Zions Internet Banking.

Zions Internet Banking has garnered awards and recognitions for being at the forefront of the online banking industry. In 2007, Zions Internet Banking was named as a finalist in the in the 2007 Computerworld Honors Program and was recognized for its extraordinary use of information technology in the Finance, Insurance and Real Estate category. In addition, Zions Internet Banking received the 2007 Utah Best of State award for computer-related services.

A 2004 study by the consulting firm Speer & Associates ranked Zions Bank's Web site as the No. 1 bank Internet site among regional banks with assets between $15 billion and $25 billion. In the overall ranking of Western Hemisphere banks, Zions ranked No. 7 just after multi-regional and Canadian institutions. In 2004, financial services consulting firm Javelin Strategy & Research published a survey that ranked Zions Bank's online bill payment system (http://www.zionsbank.com/) No. 1 for its services and features. In addition, Javelin ranked Zions Internet Banking No. 3 for its identity fraud prevention, detection and resolution capabilities.

Zions Bank, a subsidiary of Zions Bancorporation , operates 138 full-service branches and nearly 200 ATMs throughout Utah and Idaho. In addition to a wide range of traditional banking services, Zions offers a comprehensive array of investment, mortgage, and insurance services, and has a network of loan origination offices for small businesses nationwide. The company is also a leader in providing electronic banking services, including odd-lot electronic bond trading. Founded in 1873, Zions has been serving the communities of the Intermountain West for 135 years. Additional information on Zions Bank is available at http://www.zionsbank.com/.

Zions Bank

CONTACT: Heidi Prokop, Public Relations Manager, +1-801-844-7915, or
Carl Snyder, Internet Banking President, +1-801-316-1660, or Joe Reyna,
Multicultural Region President, +1-801-524-8810, all of Zions Bank

Web site: http://www.zionsbank.com/espanol
http://www.zionsbank.com/

Texas Instruments' Ultra-Thin Chip Module Enables Production of High-Quality Graphics-Rich Branded Contactless CardsThinnest module available allows use of more durable print stock and improves production yield

DALLAS, May 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Taking its cue from customers and a page out of the fashion magazines where "thin is always in," Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) today announced the availability of its ultra-thin module for contactless payment applications which removes another technology barrier for broader proliferation of contactless payment. Now 26 percent thinner than conventional packaged contactless chip offerings, the new ultra-thin module enables card manufacturers to produce an increasing array of colorful and distinctive products with higher yields as a result of causing fewer visual imperfections than thicker chip modules. (See http://www.ti.com/ultra-thin)

Banks are increasingly offering new graphics-rich contactless cards to differentiate their brand and stay "top of wallet" with consumers. Over the next few years, banks will issue more than 50 million opaque contactless cards annually with the expectation that number will double in 2010 (ABI Research). Using the new TI ultra-thin module, the industry's thinnest contactless payment chip, card manufacturers can create thinner PVC pre-laminate sheets for the contactless layer. The 280um (11mil) ultra-thin module enables the creation of pre-laminates as thin as 345um (13.6 mil). This allows the card manufacturers to print the card's colorful artwork on thicker print stock while maintaining the 680-840um (26.8-33.1 mil) ISO standard for card thickness. Thicker print stock makes these complex cards more durable and able to survive multiple passes through a printing press during standard card manufacturing processes, translating to higher yields of finished cards.

"With the new ultra-thin design of our contactless payment module, card manufacturers can achieve higher production yields, while keeping bank customer satisfaction high and giving them the flexibility to bring to market a new range of exciting new card products," said Trevor Pavey, manager of contactless payment at Texas Instruments.

"The new ultra thin module developed by Texas Instruments will allow printing on much thicker core stocks. This development supports the use of more complicated artwork on contactless cards, thus enabling intricate designs rivaling the best art seen on conventional cards today," said Jean Francois Durand, Vice President of Global Manufacturing Operations for Oberthur Technologies of America Corp. "These powerful designs are extremely important to promoting card and brand recognition in the banking card industry."

TI's ultra-thin module operates at extremely low power, delivers a fast transaction speed (typically 120 milliseconds) and is developed with a highly sensitive radio frequency chip (see http://www.ti.com/waveandgo) to enable a successful transaction the first time a customer taps the card to the payment reader. The module and payment application software operate in dynamic Card Verification Code (CVC) transaction authorization mode which offers issuers the highest level of security available.

"The use of the TI ultra-thin contactless payment module integrates TI's radio frequency performance into a thin new design that enables our banking customers to create unique contactless cards with high-quality, bold new graphics that keep their products 'top of wallet' with consumers," said Matt Smoczynski, VP of Marketing of Perfect Plastic Printing. "We are really excited about the flexibility this ultra-thin packaging brings to our contactless product offering."

The ultra-thin module packaging will be available in MasterCard PayPass(TM) and other contactless payment products. For more information on TI's ultra-thin module and its contactless payment technology and applications, TI will be available to meet at CTST 2008, May 12-15 in Orlando, Florida or visit http://www.ti.com/contactless.

About Texas Instruments

A technology pioneer in secured contactless applications, Texas Instruments delivers many innovative contactless and secure products to the forefront of electronic ID and payments market. ExxonMobil's SpeedPass(TM) and card issuers such as MasterCard leveraged TI's technical expertise in providing the first "pay-at-the-pump" application and the innovative contactless credit card design and form factors. TI is developing faster, more secure smart IC applications for the next generation of contactless electronic government-issued identification. High-performance and low-power contactless applications continue to be evidence of TI's strength in designing robust, yet streamlined products that execute more efficiently. Capitalizing on its competencies in high-volume semiconductor manufacturing and microelectronics packaging, TI is a visionary leader and at the forefront of establishing new markets and international standards for secured contactless applications. For more information, call 1-800-962-7343, or visit http://www.ti.com/contactless.

Texas Instruments helps customers solve problems and develop new electronics that make the world smarter, healthier, safer, greener and more fun. A global semiconductor company, TI innovates through manufacturing, design and sales operations in more than 25 countries. For more information, go to http://www.ti.com/, or visit TI's RFID web site at http://www.ti.com/rfid.

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AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk photodesk@prnewswire.com Texas Instruments Incorporated

CONTACT: Cindy Huff of Texas Instruments Incorporated, +1-214-567-2463,
chuff@ti.com; or Ashley Peterson of Bridgeman Communications, +1-617-742-7270,
ashley@bridgeman.com, for Texas Instruments Incorporated (Please do not
publish these numbers or email addresses.)

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

Alcatel-Lucent Strengthens Leadership in Global Services According to Technology Business ResearchAnalyst Firm Ranks Alcatel-Lucent No. 2 in Fast-Growing Services Market

PARIS, May 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) today announced that a major industry analyst research firm has ranked Alcatel-Lucent's Services business No. 2 in market share in critical segments of its market. Technology Business Research (TBR) ranked Alcatel-Lucent No. 2 in 2007 global telecommunications services market share.

"In the emerging post-merger market, Alcatel-Lucent has steadily increased its share of revenue derived from services, tightening the competition among telecom and IT suppliers," said Michael Sullivan-Trainor, Executive Analyst, Network Business Quarterly, Technology Business Research.

According to a recent report issued by TBR, global suppliers of services for telecom operators saw revenue increases across the board in 2007 as the total market grew to US$70 billion, an 8% increase over 2006. The TBR report said that Alcatel-Lucent ranked No. 2 and held 9% market share in global telecommunications infrastructure services in 2007, noting that in 2007 Alcatel-Lucent and other vendors stepped up their focus on the services businesses.

"This study shows that Alcatel-Lucent is one of the most experienced and knowledgeable services vendors in the industry," said Andy Williams, President of Alcatel-Lucent's Services business. "We are positioned to become the largest global services business in the communications industry because we intimately understand the requirements of our customers who need a 'network integrator' with IT experience and network expertise."

Alcatel-Lucent has one of the most experienced and knowledgeable network services organizations in the industry, with more than 20,000 technicians, network designers, consultants, engineers and project managers. With assets that include ten Network Operations Centers, four IP Transformation Centers, and more than 90 Technical and Welcome centers, Alcatel-Lucent is positioned to become the largest global services business in the communications industry.

To grow the company's overall business, Alcatel-Lucent has been aggressively pursuing the Services business. Focusing on five strategic growth areas, IP network transformation, Network Outsourcing, Multi vendor maintenance, Applications Integration and Industry and Public Sector, the company has announced several key wins over the past year. These contract wins show that the company has a pulse on the macro changes in the market and that carriers have confidence in their ability to solve complex network challenges.

"Network complexity is driving the need for Services," Williams noted. "Conversations with our customers have become more complex. To address these new needs, we have announced new and enhanced solution offerings such as Wireless In-Building and End-to-End Service Availability Support as well as Integrated Turnkey Communications Solutions focused on the Transportation, Energy and e-Government sectors."

About Alcatel-Lucent

Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) provides solutions that enable service providers, enterprise and governments worldwide, to deliver voice, data and video communication services to end-users. As a leader in fixed, mobile and converged broadband networking, IP technologies, applications and services, Alcatel-Lucent offers the end-to-end solutions that enable compelling communications services for people at home, at work and on the move. With operations in more than 130 countries, Alcatel-Lucent is a local partner with global reach. The company has the most experienced global services team in the industry, and one of the largest research, technology and innovation organizations in the telecommunications industry. Alcatel-Lucent achieved revenues of Euro 17.8 billion in 2007 and is incorporated in France, with executive offices located in Paris. For more information, visit Alcatel-Lucent on the Internet: http://www.alcatel-lucent.com/

Alcatel-Lucent

CONTACT: Alcatel-Lucent Press Contacts: Regine Coqueran, Tel:
+33-1-40-76-49-24, regine.coqueran@alcatel-lucent.com., Mary Ward, Tel:
+1-908-582-7658, Mary.ward@alcatel-Lucent.com. Alcatel-Lucent Investor
Relations: Remi Thomas, Tel: +33-1-40-76-50-61,
remi.thomas@alcatel-lucent.com, John DeBono, Tel: +1-908-582-7793,
debono@alcatel-lucent.com, Tony Lucido, Tel: +33-1-40-76-49-80,
alucido@alcatel-lucent.com, Don Sweeney, Tel: +1-908-582-6153,
dsweeney@alcatel-lucent.com

Diebold Ranked in World's Top 100 Outsourcing Service ProvidersIAOP ranking reflects growing success of Diebold Integrated Services(R)

NORTH CANTON, Ohio, May 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The International Association of Outsourcing Professionals (IAOP) recently released its 2008 Global Outsourcing Top 100 award standings, which reflects the world's top 100 outsourcing service providers. Diebold, Incorporated ranked 47 of 100. An award winner for the second consecutive year, the global leader in integrated financial self-service delivery and related services jumped in rank significantly -- moving from 64 in 2007 to 47 in 2008.

Companies that earn the distinction of Top Outsourcing Service Provider from the IAOP are judged on four fundamental categories, including company size and growth, customer satisfaction, depth of competence and management capabilities. In addition, judges consider revenue, customer outcomes, relationship management approaches and management talent and experience.

"The fact that Diebold is an honoree of the IAOP's prestigious award for two consecutive years speaks volumes about the success of our integrated services business. To earn such a substantial gain in award ranking reflects the true representation of Diebold's position as a leader in the model of outsourcing," said Thomas W. Swidarski, Diebold president and chief executive officer.

Not only was Diebold ranked 47th in overall standings, but the company was also presented additional awards in three Top Outsourcing Service Provider subcategories, including: Best 10 companies with the most country presence; Best 20 companies by industry focus; and, Best 20 companies by services offered.

Within the last three years, Diebold has experienced double-digit growth and multiple internationally recognized awards, as well as enhanced customer successes, including the immediate success of Diebold's new Integrated Services Symposiums. Recently introduced, these symposiums are offered in several regions across the nation and are designed to allow current and prospective customers to engage in personalized, in-depth discussions to learn more about Diebold Integrated Services solutions.

"Diebold Integrated Services Symposiums have excelled far beyond our initial expectation; because of this we have extended our traveling symposium schedule to include 10 additional symposiums throughout the United States in 2008," said Greg Steffy, senior director, Diebold Integrated Services. "The total outsourcing solution Diebold provides is top of the line in this industry -- financial institutions and other self-service industries around the globe rely on Diebold to streamline their multi-supplier networks into a seamless, integrated solution, providing a single point of contact to help achieve balance between revenue, efficiency and innovation. Receiving additional recognition from the IAOP in the areas of country presence, industry focus and services offered represents the superior quality Diebold delivers."

The designation of Top Outsourcing Service Provider is given to companies that have defined the standard of excellence for outsourcing within an industry. As a known leader in outsourcing comprehensive, turnkey solutions to the self-service industry including hardware, software, security products and services, Diebold excelled in all award criteria areas.

Diebold's outsourcing solution arrangement provides a mix of technology to make financial institutions more efficient, including self-service devices, deposit automation, security, cash management, debit card processing, software deployment, network management and monitoring, break-fix services, site management, content distribution, configuration management and more.

With Diebold's outsourcing solution, financial institutions can focus on what's most important -- the services and offerings that directly affect their customers -- rather than the many variables required to perform smoothly for efficient operation.

IAOP is a global, membership-based organization that strives to shape the future of outsourcing as a management practice, profession and industry. Formed in early 2005 by a consortium of leading companies involved in outsourcing as customers, providers and advisors, IAOP's global membership includes more than 250 organizations from around the world, representing a cross-section of industries and functional activities. In addition to its many educational and professional programs, every year, IAOP recognizes The Global Outsourcing 100. Past winners of The Global Outsourcing 100 include IBM, Hewlett-Packard and Accenture. To view the full list of 2008 award recipients, visit http://www.outsourcingprofessional.org/content/23/152/1197/ .

About IAOP

The International Association of Outsourcing Professionals (IAOP), with 40,000 corporate, professional and associate members worldwide, is leading the effort to transform the world of business through outsourcing. Its client-side members are, on average, responsible for $60 million per year of outsourcing spending. For more information, visit http://www.outsourcingprofessional.org/ .

About Diebold

Diebold, Incorporated is a global leader in providing integrated self-service delivery and security systems and services. Diebold employs more than 17,000 associates with representation in nearly 90 countries worldwide and is headquartered in Canton, Ohio, USA. Diebold is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol 'DBD.' For more information, visit the company's Web site at http://www.diebold.com/ .

Diebold, Incorporated

CONTACT: Media Relations, DeAnn Zackeroff, +1-330-490-5220,
deann.zackeroff@diebold.com, or Investor Relations, Christopher Bast,
+1-330-490-6908, christopher.bast@diebold.com, both of Diebold, Incorporated

Web site: http://www.diebold.com/
http://www.outsourcingprofessional.org/
http://www.outsourcingprofessional.org/content/23/152/1197

Infosys Technologies and SAP Enter Into Global Services Partner AgreementCompanies to Deliver Joint Business Value Through 'Customer-Focused Ecosystem'

ORLANDO, Fla., May 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Infosys Technologies Ltd. and SAP AG today announced that Infosys has signed up to the SAP Global Service Partner Program in order to strengthen its capabilities to deliver enhanced value to customers. This announcement marks an important milestone in the relationship between the two organizations, which have been working together for more than five years to help companies realize information technology (IT) and business results from their investments in SAP(R) applications. The announcement was made at the co-located events SAPPHIRE(R) 2008 Orlando, SAP's international customer conference, and the ASUG (America's SAP Users' Group) Annual Conference, both being held in Orlando, Florida, May 4-7.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050310/SFTH009LOGO-a)

Through this newly expanded relationship, customers will benefit from bolstered implementation services, enhanced solution delivery and increased global reach. Progressive companies such as ABB Group, one of the world's leading engineering companies, have already realized the benefits of the existing partnership.

"Infosys' SAP implementation approach is highly specialized and in lockstep with industry best practices," said Mauro Romano, internal controlling officer at ABB. "Compliance is assured during every phase of the implementation or upgrade, providing enterprises with ample opportunity to review or realign internal controls to enable better business practices. The end result of this collaborative approach is a reduced year-over-year compliance cost and improved control mechanisms."

Kodak, the global imaging innovator, has also benefited from the partnership. The company selected Infosys to help implement its SAP-enabled transformation globally.

"Infosys' solution and delivery capabilities in the Greater Asia region not only improved the time to market and predictability, but reduced the cost of implementation," said Imran Khan, chief information officer, Consumer Digital Imaging Group & Graphic Communication Group, Kodak

Infosys' SAP Practice has been growing at nearly 70 percent annually over the past five years and is a key contributor to the expansion of the SAP ecosystem. According to the December 2007 report Forrester Wave: SAP Implementation Providers, Q4 2007, "Infosys has the best pre-implementation process consulting expertise of any other pure-play Indian provider, and comes closest to successfully competing against the legacy multinationals in this area ... Infosys' SAP application services practice is aligned along verticals to ensure that clients get the benefit of its deep vertical process expertise."

"Infosys' SAP Practice has grown rapidly as customers globally have responded to our unique value proposition, combining pre-implementation business consulting with delivery excellence," said S.D. Shibulal, chief operating officer and member of the board, Infosys Technologies, Ltd. "Today's partnership expansion underscores our commitment to SAP applications and our vision of enabling businesses to win in a 'flat world.' Through this partnership, we can provide our customers with access to some of the finest expertise in the world. We'll help service their implementations of SAP applications, leading to faster ROI."

Infosys further plans to establish a solution center in Bangalore to help ensure that Infosys' SAP Practice professionals continue to help customers advance to the next generation of SAP solutions. Infosys will also take an instrumental role in enabling customers to access the business benefits of enterprise service-oriented architecture (enterprise SOA), which is designed to provide businesses with an agile, powerful infrastructure required to grow their businesses and adapt rapidly to changing market conditions. With Infosys' newly founded India Business Unit and the collaboration with SAP India, the partnership will support the development of the fast-growing Indian market.

"Having a strong ecosystem is critical to SAP's success and something that has been instrumental in helping SAP extend its global reach," said Zia Yusuf, executive vice president, Global Ecosystem and Partner Group, SAP. "To become an SAP global services partner, a company must not only demonstrate repeated implementation success, but, more importantly, be committed to SAP's vision of enabling enterprise SOA for our global customers. We have found this in Infosys, and look forward to working on future customer collaborations with them."

To learn more about the partnership between Infosys and SAP, please visit: http://www.infosys.com/sap.

SAPPHIRE(R) 2008 Orlando and SAPPHIRE(R) 2008 Berlin

More than 15,000 customers, partners and technical experts are convening at SAPPHIRE 2008 to discover how SAP and its thriving partner ecosystem are delivering IT solutions that create value beyond the four walls of the enterprise, to create "business beyond boundaries." SAP's premier educational and networking event, SAPPHIRE is the one occasion where senior executives, business managers, and decision-makers can come together every year to explore how innovative business solutions foster long-term, profitable growth. SAPPHIRE(R) 2008 is being held in Orlando, Florida, May 4-7, and in Berlin, Germany, May 19-21, 2008. For more information, please visit http://www.sap.com/sapphire.

Based on the success of last year's events, SAP and the Americas' SAP Users' Group (ASUG) are co-locating their premier events in Orlando, where the 2008 ASUG Annual Conference takes place May 4-7.

About SAP

SAP is the world's leading provider of business software(*), offering applications and services that enable companies of all sizes and in more than 25 industries to become best-run businesses. With more than 47,800 customers (excludes customers from the acquisition of Business Objects) in over 120 countries, the company is listed on several exchanges, including the Frankfurt stock exchange and NYSE, under the symbol "SAP." (For more information, visit http://www.sap.com/)

(*) SAP defines business software as comprising enterprise resource planning and related applications.

Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "intend," "may," "plan," "project," "predict," "should" and "will" and similar expressions as they relate to SAP are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. SAP undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations. The factors that could affect SAP's future financial results are discussed more fully in SAP's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including SAP's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates.

SAP, R/3, mySAP, mySAP.com, xApps, xApp, SAP NetWeaver and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and in several other countries all over the world. All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies. Data contained in this document serve informational purposes only. National product specifications may vary.

For customers interested in learning more about SAP products: Global Customer Center: +49 180 534-34-24 United States Only: 1 (800) 872-1SAP (1-800-872-1727) For more information, press only: Iris Eidling, +49 (160) 889-6607, iris.eidling@sap.com CET SAP Press Office, +49 (6227) 7-46315, CET; +1 (610) 661-3200, EDT; press@sap.com About Infosys Technologies Ltd.

Infosys defines, designs and delivers IT-enabled business solutions that help Global 2000 companies win in a Flat World. These solutions focus on providing strategic differentiation and operational superiority to clients. With Infosys, clients are assured of a transparent business partner, world-class processes, speed of execution and the power to stretch their IT budget by leveraging the Global Delivery Model that Infosys pioneered. Infosys has over 91,000 employees in over 40 offices worldwide. Infosys is part of the NASDAQ-100 Index. For more information, visit http://www.infosys.com/.

Statements in connection with this release may include forward-looking statements within the meaning of US Securities laws intended to qualify for the "safe harbor" under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties including those described in our SEC filings available at http://www.sec.gov/ including our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended March 31 2007 and our other recent filings, and actual results may differ materially from those projected by forward-looking statements. We may make additional written and oral forward-looking statements but do not undertake, and disclaim any obligation, to update them.

For further information please contact: Infosys North America Peter McLaughlin, Infosys Technologies, US, +1 (213) 268-9363, peter_mclaughlin@infosys.com Infosys Asia Pacific Bani Paintal Dhawan, Infosys Technologies, India, 080 2852 2408, bani_dhawan@infosys.com

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050310/SFTH009LOGO-a
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk photodesk@prnewswire.com SAP AG

CONTACT: Global Customer Center, +49 180 534-34-24, or United States
Only: 1-800-872-1SAP, 1-800-872-1727, or media, Iris Eidling,
+49 (160) 889-6607, iris.eidling@sap.com CET, or SAP Press Office,
+49 (6227) 7-46315, CET, or +1 (610) 661-3200, EDT, press@sap.com, all of SAP
AG; or Peter McLaughlin, US, of Infosys Technologies Ltd., +1-213-268-9363,
peter_mclaughlin@infosys.com, or Infosys Asia Pacific, Bani Paintal Dhawan,
Infosys Technologies, India, 080 2852 2408, bani_dhawan@infosys.com

Web site: http://www.sap.com/
http://www.infosys.com/

IDO Security to Present at National Investment Banking Association's Upcoming ConferenceCompany President to Present Innovative 'Shoes-On' Security Screening Device

NEW YORK, May 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- IDO Security, Inc. (BULLETIN BOARD: IDOI) , developer of the innovative MagShoe(TM) "shoes-on" metal detector system, today announced that its President, Michael Goldberg, will present at next week's National Investment Banking Association conference, May 7-9 at the Diplomat Hotel in Hollywood, FL.

Mr. Goldberg will present the MagShoe product, a patented security screening device for the lower body that instantly and accurately detects metal items concealed in footwear -- without requiring the removal of shoes. MagShoe is already in testing and in use at international airports, stadiums, government agencies, cruise lines, private homes and other high-security venues around the world.

"We are grateful for the opportunity to build awareness within the investor community as we pursue continued growth for our business internationally, and prepare to market the MagShoe product in the United States," said Mr. Goldberg. "We are looking forward to attending more conferences like NIBA that allow us to showcase MagShoe and share its successes with a larger audience."

About the National Investment Banking Association (NIBA)

The National Investment Banking Association (NIBA) is a national trade association of regional and independent brokerages, investment banking firms, and related capital market service providers. For more information on NIBA, please visit http://www.nibanet.org/.

About IDO Security

Headquartered in New York with a subsidiary in Israel, IDO Security designs, develops and markets the patented MagShoe(TM) metal detector system. MagShoe fills a critical void in today's metal detectors by extending screening to the lower body and feet. MagShoe's "shoes-on" design maximizes security, thoroughness and accuracy while eliminating the need to remove shoes for increased convenience and safety. Ideal for security and loss prevention at virtually any facility, MagShoe is currently in use at international airports, cruise lines, government agencies, private homes and more. http://www.idosecurity.com/

Forward Looking Statements:

A number of statements contained in this press release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. A safe-harbor provision may not be applicable to the forward-looking statements made in this press release because of certain exclusions under Section 27A (b). These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including the sufficiency of existing capital resources, uncertainties related to the development of IDO's business plan, and the ability to secure additional sources of financing. The actual results that IDO may achieve could differ materially from any forward-looking statements due to such risks and uncertainties. IDO encourages the public to read the information provided here in conjunction with its most recent filings on Form 10-KSB and Form 10-QSB.

MEDIA CONTACT Kevin McLaughlin 609-279-0050 x102 kevin@resoundmarketing.com COMPANY CONTACT: Michael Goldberg 646-214-1234 mg@idosecurityinc.com

IDO Security, Inc.

CONTACT: MEDIA, Kevin McLaughlin for IDO Security, Inc., +1-609-279-0050
Ext. 102, kevin@resoundmarketing.com; or COMPANY, Michael Goldberg of IDO
Security, Inc., +1-646-214-1234, mg@idosecurityinc.com

Web site: http://www.idosecurityinc.com/
http://www.nibanet.org/

Love, Passion, Selfless Dedication, and Outstanding Contributions Bring Top Honors to Educator and Author Elfrieda (Freddy) H. Hiebert at IRA Convention

ATLANTA, May 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Elfrieda (Freddy) H. Hiebert, noted author of many influential reading programs, including Pearson's QuickReads, is this year's recipient of the International Reading Association's (IRA) highest award, the William S. Gray Citation of Merit. An adjunct professor at the University of California, Berkeley, Hiebert will also be inducted into the IRA's Reading Hall of Fame.

The Hall of Fame ceremony takes place Tuesday, May 6 and the Gray award will be presented Wednesday, May 7 at the IRA's annual convention in Atlanta, GA.

IRA, one of the premier professional organizations in education, serves members in nearly 100 countries with a worldwide network of more than 300,000 people. The William S. Gray Citation of Merit is awarded to a nationally or internationally known person for outstanding contributions to the field of reading. The Reading Hall of Fame is composed of leaders in the literacy field. Its purpose is to contribute, from the collective experiences of its members, to further improvement in reading instruction through presentations, publications, research, and other means.

"We are thrilled and delighted Elfrieda is being inducted into the Hall of Fame and receiving the Gray Citation," said IRA President Linda Gambrell. "Freddy has done remarkable work throughout her career, and has made significant contributions to our field because her research has strong implications for classroom practice. She continues to do meaningful and influential research that increases our knowledge base about effective classroom reading instruction."

Professor Hiebert holds a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her work and efforts detail nearly 35 years of reading acquisition, as a teacher's aide and teacher of primary-level students in California, as a teacher educator and researcher at the Universities of Kentucky, Colorado-Boulder, Michigan, and now Berkeley. Hiebert's works include over 130 research articles and chapters. Her research attends to texts used in reading programs with beginning and struggling readers, particularly students for whom English is a second language.

Hiebert's work particularly addresses the manner in which fluency, vocabulary, and knowledge can be fostered through appropriate texts. Among her most recent publications are "Vocabulary assessment: What we know and what we need to know" (in press, Reading Research Quarterly, with P. David Pearson & Michael Kamil) and "State reform policies and the reading task for first graders" (2005, Elementary School Journal).

Pearson's QuickReads are exactly that -- short texts to be read quickly and with meaning. The QuickReads program consists of six levels for grades 2-6: A, B, C, D, E, and F. Each level contains three books, and each book contains 30 texts (90 texts per level). These texts support automaticity with the high-frequency words and phonics/syllabic patterns needed to be a successful reader at a particular grade level. Additionally, with topics in two subject areas: social studies and science, texts in the QuickReads program encourage meaning and comprehension.

"Pearson is enormously proud to have an association with Freddy," said Peter Cipkowski, vice president of product management for supplemental literacy. "She possesses a great blend of the best reading research and common sense classroom practice. Dr. Hiebert is revered by teachers, practitioners, and researchers for her brilliant science and remarkable focus on what works for children and reading."

Each year, several new Hall of Fame members are elected by their peers based on outstanding contributions to the field of reading and literacy. As a new inductee, Hiebert will join her colleague and Dean P. David Pearson, Dean of the Graduate School of Education and Professor of Language and Literacy, Society and Culture, at Berkeley who was inducted to the Hall in 1990.

About Pearson

Pearson is the global leader in educational publishing, assessment, information and services, helping people of all ages to learn at their own pace, in their own way. For students preK-12, Pearson provides effective and innovative curriculum products in all available media, educational assessment and measurement for students and teachers, student information systems, and teacher professional development and certification programs. Our respected brands include NovaNET, SuccessMaker, Waterford, KnowledgeBox, Scott Foresman, Prentice Hall, AGS, PowerSchool, TeacherVision and many others. Our comprehensive offerings help inform targeted instruction and intervention so that success is within reach of every student. Pearson's other primary businesses include the Financial Times Group and the Penguin Group.

Pearson

CONTACT: Matt Murphy of Pearson, +1-480-457-6024, or +1-480-294-3959,
Matt.Murphy@Pearson.com

Web site: http://www.pearsoned.com/
http://www.pearsonschool.com/digital

ARRIS to Display DOCSIS 3.0-Qualified Voice and Data, On Demand Video, Addressable Advertising, Assurance, Access and Transport Solutions at ANGA Conference in Cologne

SUWANEE, Ga., May 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ARRIS today announced that it will display DOCSIS(R) 3.0-qualified voice and data services, next generation On Demand Video, Addressable Advertising and Access & Transport end-to-end solutions at Stand # D21 during the ANGA 2008 Exhibition and Conference, May 27-29 in Cologne, Germany. Among its demonstrations:

The DOCSIS 3.0-qualified ARRIS C4(R) CMTS platform, in tandem with the Touchstone(R) WBM750 Wideband Modem and the D5(TM) Universal Edge QAM, delivering carrier grade voice and data at speeds of up to 160 Mbp/s; the ServAssure(TM) Suite for advanced network and service management including DataAssure, VoiceAssure(TM) and the WorkAssure(TM) Suite of automated workforce management applications.

The ARRIS Unified Video on Demand Platform and Addressable Advertising solution, consisting of the n5(TM) Video Server, nABLE(TM) Video Management Solution, SkyVision(TM) Advertising insertion system for Digital Program Insertion (DPI) system. Demos will include Video on Demand, On Demand Management and Addressable Ad Insertion.

The CHP Max Converged Headend Platform, with the CORWave multi-wavelength optical platform, CORView Element Management Software, the Opti Max 3100 1 GHz Segmentable Node, OM2100 Segmentable Deep Fiber Cabinet Nodes and Flex Max(TM) 601B and 222 Distribution Amplifiers.

Additionally, ARRIS will present 2 important technical papers during ANGA:

"Benefits of Using DOCSIS 3.0 Systems to Deliver Residential Video on Demand" -- Mark Bugajski, ARRIS VP, Advanced Technology

"When to Split: Quantitative Measures for Capacity Expansion and Planning" -- Robert Cruickshank, ARRIS VP, Operations and Business Support Strategy

For more information about the ARRIS demos at ANGA, please visit http://www.arrisi.com/get/anga .

About ARRIS

ARRIS is a global communications technology company specializing in the design, engineering and supply of technology supporting triple- and quad-play broadband services for residential and business customers around the world. The company supplies broadband operators with the tools and platforms they need to deliver reliable telephony, demand driven video, next-generation advertising and high-speed data services. ARRIS products expand and help grow network capacity with access and outside plant construction equipment, reliably deliver voice, video and data services and assure optimal service delivery for end customers. Headquartered in Suwanee, GA, USA, ARRIS has R&D centers in Atlanta; Chicago; State College, PA; Beaverton, OR; Wallingford, CT; Cork, Ireland; and Shenzhen, China, and operates support and sales offices throughout the world. Information about ARRIS products and services can be found at http://www.arrisi.com/.

ARRIS

CONTACT: Alex Swan of ARRIS Media Relations, +1-678-473-8327,
alex.swan@arrisi.com

Web site: http://www.arrisi.com/
http://www.arrisi.com/get/anga

Cellular South Launches Mobile Banking with BancorpSouth and Firethorn in a Move that Makes 'Cents' for Consumers and BusinessesConvenient, Secure Application Now Available to Cellular South Customers

JACKSON, Miss., May 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Cellular South and BancorpSouth, Inc. , two Mississippi-based companies who are leaders in the wireless phone and banking services industries, unveiled a mobile banking application today that brings the convenience, flexibility and security of online banking to the wireless phone.

The free wireless application is being offered in collaboration with mobile payments provider Firethorn Holdings, LLC, a Qualcomm company, and allows Cellular South customers to view account balances and history, transfer funds and pay bills from their mobile handsets through a secure, PIN-protected gateway.

"Mobile banking is a convenient and secure method of managing money through your wireless handset," said Cellular South President Hu Meena. "Whether you're a college student or a busy business traveler, our mobile banking application gives you the flexibility to pay bills or transfer funds when you need to make financial decisions on the go."

An estimated 46 million households currently bank online according to Celent, a Boston-based research and consulting firm focused on the application of information technology in the global financial services industry.

Additionally, a new Harris Interactive study of 1,072 U.S. adults shows that the demand for mobile banking services among wireless customers is continuing to grow, with 16 percent already using the services and another 35 percent open to checking bank account balances and transferring funds via their mobile phones, smart phones or personal digital assistants.

Mobile banking users will need to have an account with a participating bank, such as BancorpSouth, along with online access to their account, which is free at most banks.

After signing in, users can initiate the mobile banking process through a "mobile banking" link at the top of the online banking sign in page. The link will take them to a form requesting information including the wireless provider, phone model and phone type. Users can access and monitor multiple bank accounts from the same application and PIN.

The site will provide a secure initialization code once an applicant submits the finished form. To activate mobile banking, users must enter the code into the mobile banking section of their handsets and set up their secure PIN. Processing takes just a few seconds.

"We value our partnership with Cellular South and are excited to offer the option of mobile banking to Cellular South customers," said Aubrey Patterson, BancorpSouth's chairman and chief executive officer. "Managing bank accounts from a wireless device is the next step in the future of banking, and it will make banking more convenient for BancorpSouth and Cellular South customers."

Cellular South will provide mobile banking through Firethorn, which offers a secure application with a simple and easy to use interface. Firethorn also allows users to access their accounts at different banks from a single PIN, making the process more convenient.

"Mobile banking is the first step in introducing mobile commerce to customers," said Tripp Rackley, Firethorn's chief executive officer. "Firethorn is collaborating with these two wireless and banking industry innovators to provide consumers the convenience of mobile banking, which will expand the market and further drive adoption."

Cellular South has been a leader in wireless communications for 20 years. Offering exceptional service and a suite of m-commerce applications to customers across the Southeast, Cellular South continues to make the wireless lifestyle easily accessible. Mobile banking will provide yet another innovative m-commerce solution for Cellular South customers.

About Cellular South

Cellular South is a privately-owned diversified mobile communications company passionately committed to helping customers get the most out of their wireless devices and services. The company accomplishes this goal by providing the most reliable and advanced nationwide wireless voice and data network, offering a full range of industry-leading unlimited flat rate plans, and through the world's first integrated, interactive online and in-store experience that gives customers easy, simple and convenient solutions to all of their wireless lifestyle needs. For more information, visit http://www.cellularsouth.com/.

About BancorpSouth

Headquartered in Tupelo, Mississippi, BancorpSouth Inc. is a $13.2 billion financial holding company that operates 290 commercial banking, mortgage, insurance, trust and broker/dealer locations in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas with a staff of approximately 4,500 full-time employees. BancorpSouth and its subsidiaries provide, in addition to traditional banking services, mortgage origination and servicing, student loans, leasing, credit card, trust and fiduciary services, brokerage, investment and insurance services. For more information, visit http://www.bancorpsouthonline.com/.

About Firethorn

Atlanta-based Firethorn is a mobile banking and payment services enabler that links financial institutions and wireless carriers through a unified, secure and scalable technology platform that seamlessly extends full-service banking and payment capabilities to consumers from any financial institution to virtually any wireless device. By collaborating with Firethorn, financial institutions and wireless carriers gain a competitive service differentiator that improves customer retention, generates revenue and answers customer demands for more product/service convenience. For more information, visit http://www.firethornmobile.com/.

Cellular South

CONTACT: Jim Richmond of Cellular South, +1-601-624-7504,
jrichmond@cellularsouth.com; or Randy Burchfield of BancorpSouth,
+1-662-620-4302, randy.burchfield@bxs.com; or Kelly Harviel Buday of Firethorn
Holdings, LLC, +1-678-507-2555, kbuday@qualcomm.com

Web site: http://www.cellularsouth.com/
http://www.bancorpsouthonline.com/
http://www.firethornmobile.com/

Alcatel-Lucent Strengthens Leadership in Global Services According to Technology Business Research

PARIS, May 5 /PRNewswire/ --

- Analyst Firm Ranks Alcatel-Lucent No. 2 in Fast-Growing Services Market

Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) today announced that a major industry analyst research firm has ranked Alcatel-Lucent's Services business No. 2 in market share in critical segments of its market. Technology Business Research (TBR) ranked Alcatel-Lucent No. 2 in 2007 global telecommunications services market share.

About Alcatel-Lucent

Alcatel-Lucent

Alcatel-Lucent Press Contacts: Régine Coqueran, Tel: +33-1-40-76-49-24, regine.coqueran@alcatel-lucent.com., Mary Ward, Tel: +1-908-582-7658, Mary.ward@alcatel-Lucent.com. Alcatel-Lucent Investor Relations: Rémi Thomas, Tel: +33-1-40-76-50-61, remi.thomas@alcatel-lucent.com, John DeBono, Tel: +1-908-582-7793, debono@alcatel-lucent.com, Tony Lucido, Tel: +33-1-40-76-49-80, alucido@alcatel-lucent.com, Don Sweeney, Tel: +1-908-582-6153, dsweeney@alcatel-lucent.com

SERKO(R) & TRX Launch Global Strategic Alliance For Corporate Online BookingAdvanced corporate online booking tools align to provide Corporations and Travel Management Companies a unified global service experience to customers with international travel programs

ATLANTA and AUCKLAND, New Zealand, May 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- TRX, Inc. , a global technology company that develops and hosts software applications to process data records and automate manual processes and SERKO, the supplier of SERKO Online, today announced the launch of a global sales and marketing alliance for on-line booking.

SERKO's SERKO Online and TRX's RESX are both industry leaders in technology solutions for corporate travel management companies and their clients. SERKO Online and RESX provide real-time internet distribution of travel products to corporate clients via multiple channels that connect to Travel Management Companies (TMC) allowing them to gain further advantage over their competitors and providing corporations with access to content filtered by their own travel policies.

Joint Advantages for Corporations and TMC's

"The newly formed alliance leverages best-of-breed technology providers with in-region expertise to more effectively meet the needs of local clientele requiring a global travel program," said Shane Hammond, President, RESX Technologies.

"In addition the partnership will mean localized development in each region able to support change requests and feature enhancements quickly and cost effectively with an agile approach," added Michael Thorburn, GM Sales & Marketing at SERKO Ltd.

Other benefits offered are instant support coverage, by region, performed in the region, compared to outsourced, out-of-region call centers which can be an issue with the global deployment of a single online solution.

RESX and SERKO will work together to deliver simultaneous and regionally-focused technology development, and to bring new features to the global market faster.

Solutions Found for Common Issues

Both companies agree this approach will eliminate barriers faced by international travel programs such as the balancing technology suppliers often face in managing investment priorities across regions, which ultimately leads to slower time to market for new features.

Where a traditional single solution provider can lack in-region functionality, knowledge, and expertise, the combined SERKO and RESX offering leverages two best-of-breed technology partners within their respective regions.

"Banking on a "one-sized-fits-all" approach to technology investment no longer works in the fast, ever-evolving online travel distribution business," said Thorburn.

"Given the technology challenges many of our customers face globally, SERKO and RESX felt it was time to take action on the opportunity and work with each other to tailor a solution that delivers an innovative, localized solution to enhance the international business of our corporate end customers and travel industry partners with the first global alliance of online self booking tools being the result," concluded Hammond.

Regionally, SERKO will distribute online travel content to corporations throughout the Asia Pacific and RESX will encompass the Americas and Europe.

About TRX, Inc.

As a global technology company, we develop and host software applications that process complex data records and automate manual processes, enabling our clients to optimize performance and control costs. We are a leading provider to the travel industry and are expanding into financial services and healthcare. We deliver our technology applications in an on-demand environment to travel agencies, corporations, travel suppliers, government agencies, credit card associations, credit card issuing banks, and third-party administrators.

More information on TRX, Inc. can be found at http://www.trx.com/ Contact: Kira Perdue Trevelino/Keller Communications Group for TRX, Inc. (404) 214-0722, extension 101 kperdue@trevelinokeller.com About SERKO(R)

SERKO Limited is a software development company specializing in travel technology tools for corporate travel management companies and online business travel management tools for corporate use. The SERKO(R) Online product, delivers a range of essential online travel management facilities including an integrated booking engine, authorization workflow, expense management and reporting engine. Integration of SERKO(R) Online with a travel management company's system allows high adoption rate by corporate users and a significant reduction in unproductive double handling of information. As one of the leading independent travel technology providers in the Asia Pacific region, SERKO(R) handles more than two billion transactions per day through its travel management systems.

More information on SERKO(R) can be found at http://www.serkoonline.com/ Contact: Michael Thorburn GM Sales & Marketing SERKO Limited Office: +64 9 302 9206 Mobile: +64 21 668 045 Email: michaelt@serkoonline.com

TRX, Inc.

CONTACT: Kira Perdue of Trevelino - Keller Communications Group for TRX,
Inc., +1-404-214-0722, extension 101, kperdue@trevelinokeller.com; or Michael
Thorburn, GM Sales & Marketing, SERKO Limited, +64 9 302 9206,
Mobile: +64 21 668 045, michaelt@serkoonline.com

Web site: http://www.trx.com/
http://www.serkoonline.com/

CIBER Launches New Solution for Mid-Market RetailersTurnkey Solution Improves Time-to-Value, Lowers Costs and Risks

ORLANDO, Fla., May 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Mid-market retailers now have another option for solving their business systems challenges. CIBER, Inc. today announced the launch of Rapid Retail(R) Ready-to-Run, a packaged implementation solution that provides retailers with software, implementation, hosting, and support features all in one package. One of the most compelling benefits of Ready-to-Run is that it greatly reduces mid-market retailers' up-front capital and human resource requirements.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20010927/CBRLOGO)

The announcement was made at the SAPPHIRE(R) 2008 Orlando conference being held here May 4 - 7, at which CIBER is exhibiting in booth #1718. To learn more, visit http://www.ciber.com/events/sapphire.

Ready-to-Run is based on the SAP(R) for Retail portfolio of solutions, a leading end-to-end set of solutions for the retail industry, and on CIBER's Rapid Retail(R) solution. Rapid Retail is a pre-configured set of core retail processes based on best practices, and it combines the power of SAP for Retail with CIBER's proven rapid implementation expertise. Rapid Retail enables retailers to reduce the time, cost, and risk of an implementation project, from project start to the realization of business benefits.

CIBER developed its newest retail product -- Ready-to-Run -- in response to numerous client requests for assistance with all aspects of a complex ERP implementation project. As a result, Ready-to-Run includes CIBER's Rapid Retail solution, along with other important components: software, hardware, implementation services, hosting, education and training, and post-production support.

"CIBER is a valued SAP partner and I appreciate their continued thought leadership in the retail marketplace," said Rob Kreft, national vice president, SAP Retail Group, SAP America, Inc. "Ready-to-Run is the latest example of how CIBER is helping to push the envelope in terms of support for SAP retail offerings."

Ready-to-Run is the latest evolution of CIBER's long-standing commitment to excellence and innovation in retail solutions. CIBER has completed more than 60 implementations of SAP for Retail, which helps position CIBER as a market leader.

"Retail is a key industry for both SAP and CIBER," said Dave Siebert, Senior Vice President of CIBER's SAP Practice. "We continually look for ways to provide incremental value to SAP's strong retail offering. Our Ready-to-Run solution accomplishes that. From the client's perspective, this solution operates as a Software as a Service solution; however, each client will have their own dedicated and secure system."

About CIBER, Inc.

Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements

SAP, SAPPHIRE and all SAP logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and in several other countries. All other product and service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.

Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "intend," "may," "plan," "project," "predict," "should" and "will" and similar expressions as they relate to SAP are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. SAP undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations The factors that could affect SAP's future financial results are discussed more fully in SAP's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including SAP's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates.

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20010927/CBRLOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com CIBER, Inc.

CONTACT: Diane Stoner, Media Relations, +1-303-220-0100,
dstoner@ciber.com, or Jennifer Matuschek, Investor Relations, +1-303-220-0100,
jmatuschek@ciber.com, both of CIBER, Inc.

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

Equifax Launches Mortgage Risk Evaluation Tool for Secondary & Capital Markets Analysis

BOSTON, May 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Equifax Inc. today announced at the MBA Secondary Market Conference & Expo the launch of an analytical tool that gives mortgage investors deeper insights into mortgage borrower credit behavior -- with a new level of detail previously unavailable in the market. Equifax Mortgage Market Risk Insight(TM) (MRI) is the industry's first source of mortgage market risk information that enables forward-looking valuations for mortgage-related securities. Investors can use this tool to analyze mortgage loan performance and more accurately assess delinquency and default.

"The real power of Mortgage MRI is its ability to segment the universe of borrowers that are still current on their mortgage loans to help improve mortgage credit risk and cash-flow analytics," said Dann Adams, president, US Consumer Information Solutions, Equifax. "Mortgage MRI is the only tool available that provides aggregated credit data derived from the entirety of borrower credit profiles to gauge credit risk on mortgage debt."

This new tool gives investors updated credit information on mortgage borrowers aggregated at the zip code level. Data then can be segmented to reveal borrower credit health and credit capacity trends for different loan vintages within a zip code. In addition to providing a powerful tool for assessing risk in a trading desk environment, Mortgage MRI also supports strategic market risk analysis, pool and market risk assessment and institutional valuation of mortgage-related assets.

"With increased sensitivity to credit risk in the mortgage secondary and capital markets, the industry must find new ways to leverage information," said Tom Madison, senior vice president, Equifax Mortgage Solutions. "Mortgage MRI provides a new level of understanding about credit health to help improve investor analytics around mortgage loan performance."

To provide this new level of detail for the mortgage market, Mortgage MRI segments zip-level data by vintage, loan type and first mortgage payment status. Once the data is segmented, Mortgage MRI leverages leading indicators and scoring models, including VantageScore(R) and Equifax's Bankruptcy Navigator Index(R) (BNI) to analyze credit risk and the likelihood of a certain borrower profile filing for bankruptcy over the next 24 months. The results are then aggregated and provided to subscribers of this tool.

Mortgage MRI is the latest addition to Equifax's suite of mortgage services. In addition to valuable credit information, Equifax provides the marketing and analytical services mortgage businesses need to help target and close the right customers or buy and sell the right securities. For more information about Mortgage MRI and Equifax Mortgage Services, visit http://www.equifax.com/consumer/industry_specific/mortgage/ .

About Equifax (http://www.equifax.com/)

Equifax empowers businesses and consumers with information they can trust. A global leader in information solutions, we leverage one of the largest sources of consumer and commercial data, along with advanced analytics and proprietary technology, to create customized insights that enrich both the performance of businesses and the lives of consumers.

Customers have trusted Equifax for over 100 years to deliver innovative solutions with the highest integrity and reliability. Businesses -- large and small -- rely on us for consumer and business credit intelligence, portfolio management, fraud detection, decisioning technology, marketing tools, and much more. We empower individual consumers to manage their personal credit information, protect their identity, and maximize their financial well-being.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Equifax Inc. employs approximately 7,000 people in 14 countries through North America, Latin America and Europe. Equifax is a member of Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500(R) Index. Our common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol EFX.

Equifax Inc.

CONTACT: Jennifer Costello of Equifax Inc., +1-404-885-8907,
jennifer.costello@equifax.com

Web site: http://www.equifax.com/
http://www.equifax.com/consumer/industry_specific/mortgage

Plantronics City: New Interactive Website Helps Drivers Prepare for Hands-free LawsCalifornia and Washington Drivers Can 'Cruise' New Site to Gather Hands-free Information, Explore Headset Options and Win a New Bluetooth Headset

SANTA CRUZ, Calif., May 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- To help California and Washington drivers prepare for the upcoming hands-free laws in their states, Plantronics today launched a new interactive Web site called Plantronics City. The Web site provides a one-stop resource for people who want to better understand the headset options available to them, and it includes resources for learning more about laws being adopted across the U.S. and tips for using hands-free devices while driving.

Following hands-free laws in Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and the District of Columbia, California and Washington will enact new legislation on July 1, 2008 that will make it mandatory to use hands-free devices such as headsets when using a cell phone while driving. According to results gathered from a 2008 survey conducted by Plantronics in California and Washington, awareness and the implications of not following the law are widely unknown.

"Plantronics City is a great resource for drivers in California and Washington, as well as drivers in other states across the nation who might soon be affected by hands-free laws," said Clay Hausmann, vice president of corporate marketing, Plantronics. "The goal of the site is to provide a fun, interactive destination where visitors can educate themselves about the laws, select a headset that fits their individual needs, and learn tips and tricks for using hands-free devices while driving."

Web Site Features Information, Music and Store

Plantronics City has a simple, intuitive map topology to make it easy for visitors to access various resource centers (see diagram below).

More than an informational resource, Plantronics City includes interactive sound, "cruising" music and a retail store. Some of the features and resources visitors will find include:

-- Hands-free Info: Information and resource links focused on hands-free legislation. -- Shop Plantronics: Plantronics' hands-free driving product portfolio that accommodates a variety of lifestyles and individual preferences. The site also includes in-car charging adapters for convenient charging and stowage while driving. Some of the products showcased include: -- Plantronics Discovery(R) 925 Bluetooth Headset -- Plantronics Voyager(R) 520 Bluetooth Headset -- Plantronics Explorer(R) 360 Bluetooth Headset -- Bluetooth 101: A "how-to" Bluetooth guide for those trying to find the perfect headset. -- Plantronics Radio: Jam out while exploring Plantronics City.

The site also includes a real-time countdown to the July 1 enactment date, a tour guide feature to help visitors navigate the site, and headset suggestions based on environments (e.g., click on a cafe to learn what headset works best in a noisy, crowded location).

Win a Bluetooth Headset When You Take a Driving Tour of Plantronics City*

Site visitors have a chance to win an award-winning Plantronics Discovery 925 Bluetooth headset. There are 20 "Easter egg" secret locations throughout the site that visitors can try to find as they tour different environments, structures and other elements within the city. The first 20 visitors who click on these hidden locations will each win a headset.

About Plantronics

In 1969, a Plantronics headset carried the historic first words from the moon: "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Since then, Plantronics has become the headset of choice for mission-critical applications such as air traffic control, 911 dispatch and the New York Stock Exchange. Today, this history of Sound Innovation(R) is the basis for every product we build for the office, contact center, personal mobile, entertainment and residential markets. The Plantronics family of brands includes Plantronics, Altec Lansing and Clarity. For more information, go to http://www.plantronics.com/ or call (800) 544-4660.

Altec Lansing, Clarity, Plantronics, Plantronics Discovery, Plantronics Explorer, Plantronics Voyager, and Sound Innovation are trademarks or registered trademarks of Plantronics, Inc. The Bluetooth(R) word mark is owned by the Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of the mark by Plantronics, Inc. is under license.

*Hands-free 925 "Easter Egg" Promotion Terms and Conditions:

Winner must provide their contact information, including shipping address, to receive the free product. Plantronics will ship to shipping addresses within the United States, most U.S. territories, and APO/FPO addresses. Plantronics will not ship to P.O. boxes. Neither resellers of Plantronics products nor Plantronics associates are eligible to participate in this promotion. Winners will be disqualified if the program has malfunctioned or the program has been altered by anyone other than Plantronics. Plantronics reserves the right to end this promotion at its discretion without notice.

Dan Race Lori Tokunaga Plantronics, Inc. The Hoffman Agency 831-458-7005 408-975-3053 dan.race@plantronics.com lori.tokunaga@hoffman.com

Plantronics, Inc.

CONTACT: Dan Race of Plantronics, Inc., +1-831-458-7005,
dan.race@plantronics.com; or Lori Tokunaga of The Hoffman Agency,
+1-408-975-3053, lori.tokunaga@hoffman.com, for Plantronics, Inc.

The American Heart Association and Comcast Team Up to Strike Out StrokeComcast Customers in Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Virginia Provided Access to Educational Programming to Promote Stroke Awareness and Prevention during Stroke Awareness Month

WASHINGTON, May 5 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Heart Association and Comcast have partnered to raise awareness and understanding of the risk factors and signs of stroke by making stroke awareness-related programming available through Comcast's ON DEMAND service. Throughout the month of May, in recognition of Stroke Awareness Month, Comcast Digital Cable customers throughout Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Virginia, can access this special programming ON DEMAND, any time of the day or night.

Delivered through Comcast's signature ON DEMAND service, The American Heart Association will provide videos on stroke prevention and treatment, featuring some of the region's top stroke experts and community leaders including Dr. Frederick Beavers, Chief of Endovascular Surgery of Washington Hospital Center and Dr. E. Gail Anderson Holness, a Power To End Stroke task force member and stroke survivor.

"Through this exciting partnership with Comcast, the American Heart Association's mission to build healthier lives free of cardiovascular disease and stroke is furthered. We are honored to work together and hope that through creative programming the public can become better educated on heart disease and stroke," commented Gabrielle Urquhart, executive director of the American Heart Association, Greater Washington Region.

"Comcast is proud to join the American Heart Association in its effort to promote the importance of heart health awareness," said Noah Kodeck, Director of Local ON DEMAND Programming and Production for Comcast's Eastern Division. "Comcast believes strongly in the power of local ON DEMAND programming and its ability to deliver relevant news and information that has a positive impact on the communities we serve."

To view this special content ON DEMAND, beginning on May 1, Comcast Digital Cable customers can tune to Channel 1 on their Digital Cable lineup or press the ON DEMAND button on their remote control, then click on the "Get Local" section and select the "Strike Out Stroke" folder.

Each year roughly 780,000 people experience a new or recurrent stroke, a translation of one stroke every 40 seconds in the United States. Stroke is the No. 3 cause of death in the U.S.

A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts. Quick action, including recognizing the warning signs and calling 911 immediately, is the key to treating stroke. Stroke is largely preventable through education and awareness of personal risk factors such as weight, blood pressure, nutrition and family history. Because of this, Comcast and the American Heart Association have created this innovative ON DEMAND programming to help the community better understand their risks.

In addition to providing ON DEMAND programming, Comcast will issue public service announcements in May advocating stroke awareness and education. Comcast has also committed to partnering with the American Heart Association to increase the visibility of its local initiatives throughout the year, including the Heart Gala, Celebrity Golf Tournament, Heart's Delight, Lawyers Have Heart 10K and the Start! Heart Walk. These events raise money to fund critical life-saving research.

With more than 10,000 titles per month -- the vast majority of which are free -- Comcast's ON DEMAND service offers a library of information and programming to choose from, available 24/7, with the ability to pause, fast forward and rewind selections. Comcast's "Get Local" ON DEMAND content is tailored to specific market areas and niche interests including health and wellness, politics, high school sports, and more. All "Get Local" content is free to Digital Cable subscribers.

About American Heart Association

Founded in 1924, the American Heart Association today is the nation's oldest and largest voluntary health organization dedicated to building healthier lives, free of heart disease and stroke. These diseases, America's No. 1 and No. 3 killers, and all other cardiovascular diseases claim nearly 870,000 lives a year. In fiscal year 2006-07 the association invested more than $554 million in research, professional and public education, advocacy and community service programs to help all Americans live longer, healthier lives. To learn more, call 1-800-AHA-USA1 or visit americanheart.org.

About Comcast

Headquartered in Philadelphia, Comcast Cable is a division of Comcast Corporation (http://www.comcast.com/), the nation's leading provider of entertainment, information and communications products and services. With 24.7 million cable customers, 14.1 million high-speed Internet customers and 5.2 million voice customers, Comcast is principally involved in the development, management and operation of broadband cable systems and in the delivery of programming content.

Comcast's Eastern Division serves almost 5.4 million customers along the New York to DC corridor, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Washington, DC, Virginia and North Carolina. The Eastern Division also founded and manages CN8, The Comcast Network, one of the nation's largest and most honored regional 24-hour diversified television networks, seen by more than nine million homes on the East Coast. The Eastern Division employs approximately 18,000 people and is based in Oaks, Pennsylvania.

Comcast Corporation

CONTACT: Roxana Hoveyda of American Heart Association, +1-703-248-1712,
Roxana.hoveyda@heart.org, or Jaye Linnen of Comcast, +1-301-625-3512,
Jaye_Linnen@cable.comcast.com

Web site: http://www.comcast.com/
http://www.americanheart.org/

Verizon Wireless Reminds Michigan Nonprofits to Apply for HopeLine GrantsUpcoming Application Deadline is June 30

SOUTHFIELD, Mich., May 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Applications for Verizon Wireless' HopeLine grants are due from community groups by June 30. Michigan non-profit groups are eligible to apply if they directly benefit domestic violence survivors and their families or offer programs that raise awareness of and prevent domestic violence, teen dating violence, partner violence or elder abuse.

Grant applicants must have a 501(c) 3 tax status, and funding requests should not exceed $10,000. Proposals may be submitted in writing to Michelle Gilbert at michelle.gilbert@verizonwireless.com. The deadline for submitting proposals is June 30, 2008. All applicants will be notified between July 1 and Sept. 30.

Verizon Wireless is a recognized corporate leader for its commitment to preventing domestic violence and raising awareness of the issue. In 2007, Verizon Wireless -- along with the Verizon Foundation -- donated more than $420,000 in cash grants, phones and airtime to shelters and other organizations in Michigan working to support victims of domestic violence and their families

"We are here to help those nonprofits that work so hard to combat domestic violence and make our community a safer place to live," said Greg Haller, president -- Michigan/Indiana/Kentucky Region, Verizon Wireless. "I encourage any organization in Michigan that shares our concern over the impact of domestic violence on families and the overall community to apply for a financial grant from Verizon Wireless."

Domestic violence shelters and other non-profit organizations that assist domestic violence survivors may also submit applications to Verizon Wireless' HopeLine(R) program for wireless phones and free airtime to be given to domestic violence survivors who are rebuilding their lives. For more information, please email jennifer.lestor@verizonwireless.com.

Verizon Wireless' HopeLine program turns no-longer-used wireless phones into support for victims of domestic violence. Wireless phones, batteries and other accessories are collected at Verizon Wireless Communications Stores nationwide and in special collections throughout the year. The phones are either refurbished for reuse or recycled in an environmentally sound way.

Since October 2001, when Verizon Wireless launched its national recycling program, HopeLine has collected nearly five million phones. The program has disposed of nearly 1 million phones in an environmentally sound way and refurbished the remaining phones for resale and reuse. Over the last five years, Verizon Wireless also has distributed more than 60,000 phones with airtime and other features valued at more than $13 million to be used by victims of domestic violence.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable wireless voice and data network, serving 67.2 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 69,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). For more information, go to http://www.verizonwireless.com/ . To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at http://www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia .

Verizon Wireless

CONTACT: Michelle Gilbert of Verizon Wireless, +1-248-915-3680,
michelle.gilbert@verizonwireless.com; or Alan Upchurch, +1-248-855-6777,
aupchurch@marxlayne.com, for Verizon Wireless

Web site: http://www.verizonwireless.com/
http://www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia

EDS Becomes Early Adopter of Run SAP(R) MethodologyEDS to Leverage Best Practices for Benefit of Broader SAP Community

PLANO, Texas, May 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- EDS today announced the adoption of the Run SAP(R) methodology for use in its application management services and hosting operations. Through this adoption, EDS also plans to incorporate the methodology into its consulting practice, where it will leverage its leading expertise with SAP applications management, gained through the implementation of SAP solutions by more than 800,000 client users globally. Today's announcement was made at the SAPPHIRE(R) 2008 Orlando conference, where EDS is exhibiting in booth #2212.

EDS is the first SAP hosting partner and SAP services partner to adopt Run SAP, an operations methodology built upon SAP standards for solution operations that will help IT and business process experts harness their IT landscapes and better implement their enterprise service-oriented architecture (enterprise SOA) strategies. The adoption of Run SAP will give EDS access to SAP-developed tools in the global support backbone, including training, services, operations methodology and mission-critical support components. As an early adopter, EDS will have an opportunity to help shape Run SAP and play a key role in the direction of the next-generation applications management offering for SAP customers. Through this level of involvement, EDS will leverage its insight and expertise to help clients be successful.

"Run SAP will provide our clients with lower cost and reduced risk through standardized tools and methodologies, as well as greater agility to manage and innovate their SAP platforms," said Bob Hershey, EDS vice president and SAP Consulting Practice leader for Americas and Asia Pacific. "As our clients' business ally, EDS' adoption of the Run SAP methodology globally will enable us to compete more effectively in the enterprise applications market."

"We are pleased that EDS intends to strengthen its long-standing relationship with SAP by adopting the Run SAP methodology," said Uwe Hommel, executive vice president, SAP AG. "EDS will be among the first SAP hosting partners to adopt the end-to-end solution operations approach provided by Run SAP into its application management services and hosting operations."

To best maximize the benefits promised by enterprise SOA, it is essential to closely manage the integration and management of business processes along with software and system components. The implementation of end-to-end solution operations following the Run SAP methodology, including consulting and training, can be supported by SAP Services and SAP partners. Run SAP will help customers past the go-live phase by focusing on application management, business process operations and administration of the technology platform. The pre-configured operations approach of Run SAP bridges the gap between the technical and functional components of an implementation to guide customers through solution assessment and scoping, defining operations, set up of operations, handover to production and operations and optimization of the system. Customers and partners can also enable their workforce with a specific education curriculum and certifications.

Long-standing Relationship Between EDS and SAP

For more than 17 years, EDS and SAP have partnered to deliver business software solutions that reduce time-to-market and lower clients' total cost of ownership. Since 1997, EDS has deployed SAP solutions to approximately 873,000 users. Furthermore, SAP helps deliver best-in-class enterprise applications as an essential component of the EDS Agile Enterprise Platform and collaborates on industry solutions and enterprise business applications. As a member of the EDS Agility Alliance, SAP provides end-to-end enterprise applications services and the standard underlying applications platform for EDS' leveraged HR, F&A and Procurement BPO utility. The partnership with SAP has helped generate more than $1 billion in total contract sales for EDS.

The EDS Agility Alliance is a coalition of companies globally recognized for their quality, products and value to clients. Its mission is to innovate, develop and deliver the EDS Agile Enterprise Platform - EDS' next-generation global delivery system. Together, EDS and its Agility Alliance partners collaborate to design, build and run a market-leading services platform and develop technology-based services to deliver tangible client results.

About EDS

EDS is a leading global technology services company delivering business solutions to its clients. EDS founded the information technology outsourcing industry more than 45 years ago. Today, EDS delivers a broad portfolio of information technology and business process outsourcing services to clients in the manufacturing, financial services, healthcare, communications, energy, transportation, and consumer and retail industries and to governments around the world. Learn more at http://www.eds.com/.

SAP, SAPPHIRE and all SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and in several other countries.

All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies.

CONTACT: Annabelle Baxter - EDS 972 605 0978 annabelle.baxter@eds.com

Electronic Data Systems Corporation

CONTACT: Annabelle Baxter of EDS, +1-972-605-0978,
annabelle.baxter@eds.com

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

Satyam and SAP Form Global Services PartnershipCompanies Expand Relationship to Help Businesses Accelerate Co-Innovation and Improve Return on Investment

ORLANDO, Fla., May 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- SAP AG and Satyam Computer Services Ltd. today announced a new partnership to help businesses accelerate co-innovation and improve their return on investment. Under a new agreement, Satyam has become an SAP global services partner to help Fortune 1000 companies worldwide to reliably and rapidly implement SAP(R) solutions and transform business processes. The announcement was made at the co-located events SAPPHIRE(R) 2008 Orlando, SAP's international customer conference, and the ASUG (America's SAP Users' Group) Annual Conference, both being held in Orlando, Florida, May 4-7.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050310/SFTH009LOGO-a)

Satyam joins a select group of large consultancies in the "SAP Global Partner - Services" program. As an SAP global services partner, Satyam will further invest in joint marketing resources and strategic planning to support the growth with SAP and serve customers worldwide. The partnership is wholly focused on enhancing value for customer investments in SAP solutions. Satyam has one of the largest SAP practices globally and plans to expand from 5,000 to 6,800 SAP consultants by the end of this year.

"This agreement represents an important milestone for Satyam to be included in this prestigious group of SAP partners," said Manish Mehta, director and senior vice president and global head, SAP/Testing Practices, Satyam. "This SAP partnership status is a testimony to Satyam's commitment and expertise in delivering SAP solutions. We will continue to invest in and grow our already significant SAP business, not only in established markets, but in emerging ones such as the Middle East and Eastern Europe. An example of this is our commitment to have a sizeable pool of consultants trained in SAP value engineering approaches during 2008 to further augment our business transformation services to clients."

SAP will leverage Satyam's deep industry-specific knowledge and technology expertise in creating vertical solutions for customers across various industries. Satyam's strategic investments are in developing composite solutions with an SAP focus on domains such as the automotive, retail, banking, telecom and oil and gas industries.

As announced in March 2008, Satyam signed as one of the first accredited strategic partners for SAP in the Middle East and North Africa region.

"SAP is pleased to take its relationship with Satyam to the next level by making it a global services partner," said Manfred Heil, senior vice president, Global Ecosystem and Partner Group, SAP. "Satyam has a strong track record of transforming customers' business processes together with SAP, and will help extend the value of our customer-focused ecosystem."

SAPPHIRE(R) 2008 Orlando and SAPPHIRE(R) 2008 Berlin

Based on the success of last year's events, SAP and the Americas' SAP Users' Group (ASUG) are co-locating their premier events in Orlando, where the 2008 ASUG Annual Conference takes place May 4-7.

About SAP

(*) SAP defines business software as comprising enterprise resource planning and related applications.

About Satyam

Satyam , a leading global business and information technology services company, delivers consulting, systems integration, and outsourcing solutions to clients in 20* industries and 61* countries.

Satyam leverages deep industry and functional expertise, leading technology practices, and an advanced, global delivery model to help clients transform their highest-value business processes and improve their business performance. The company's 49,199* professionals excel in engineering and product development, supply chain management, client relationship management, business process quality, business intelligence, enterprise integration, and infrastructure management, among other key capabilities.

Satyam development and delivery centers in the US, Canada, Brazil, the UK, Hungary, Egypt, UAE, India, China, Malaysia, Singapore, and Australia serve 630* clients, including more than one third of the Fortune 500. For more information, see http://www.satyam.com/.

* As of Dec. 31, 2007 For customers interested in learning more about SAP products: Global Customer Center: +49 180 534-34-24 United States Only: 1 (800) 872-1SAP (1-800-872-1727) For more information, press only: Iris Eidling, +49 (160) 889-6607, iris.eidling@sap.com CET SAP Press Office, +49 (6227) 7-46315, CET; +1 (610) 661-3200, EST; press@sap.com Maria Cubeta, Burson-Marsteller, +1 (917) 216-4910, maria.cubeta@bm.com, PDT During SAPPHIRE (from May 4 to 7), to speak with press contacts on site, please dial the SAP press room at +1 (610) 661-0469.

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PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com SAP AG

CONTACT: Global Customer Center, +49 180 534-34-24, or United States,
1-800-872-1SAP, (1-800-872-1727), or press, Iris Eidling,
+49 (160) 889-6607, iris.eidling@sap.com, or SAP Press Office,
+49 (6227) 7-46315, +1-610-61-3200, press@sap.com; or Maria Cubeta of
Burson-Marsteller, +1-917-216-4910, maria.cubeta@bm.com, for SAP AG; or During
SAPPHIRE, SAP press room, +1-610-661-0469

Web site: http://www.sap.com/
http://www.sap-tv.com/
http://www.satyam.com/

SAP Embraces Business Objects Partners and Demonstrates Benefits of Expanded Partner EcosystemAward-Winning SAP(R) PartnerEdge(TM) Program Now Available to both SAP Software Solution and Service Partners and Business Objects Technology and Service PartnersNew Business Objects Certification Program Now Available

ORLANDO, Fla., May 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Further delivering on its commitment to provide new opportunities for co-innovation across the ecosystem and advance the integration of Business Objects, SAP AG today announced new benefits for its diverse partner communities -- including Business Objects partners -- and has launched the first certification program for partners that are developing solutions that integrate with Business Objects solutions. Available immediately, the award-winning SAP(R) PartnerEdge(TM) program, previously available only to SAP channel partners, is now being rolled out to all SAP software solution partners and service partners, including technology and service partners from Business Objects. In addition, partners of Business Objects can benefit from a new program that certifies solutions from Business Objects technology partners have been tested and optimally integrate with Business Objects solutions. This certification is based on a proven SAP methodology and will provide an added level of assurance to customers that tested, third-party solutions and Business Objects work together. The announcement was made at the co-located events SAPPHIRE(R) 2008 Orlando, SAP's international customer conference, and the ASUG (America's SAP Users' Group) Annual Conference, both being held in Orlando, Florida, May 4-7.

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Benefits of SAP PartnerEdge Program Delivered to Partners Across Combined SAP and Business Objects Ecosystem

SAP PartnerEdge, introduced to SAP channel partners in May 2005, now includes additional programs designed to provide services partners and software solution partners with a more structured framework for their engagement with SAP, along with a robust set of offerings and resources focused on accelerating both their business and customer deployments. The integration of SAP and Business Objects continues at a rapid pace and today's announcement newly extends these opportunities to Business Objects partners. Continuing to bring Business Objects partners into the SAP ecosystem, now Business Objects service partners (such as systems integrators and consultants) and Business Objects technology partners (defined as software and hardware companies with complementary technology to Business Objects) are invited to join SAP PartnerEdge.

Partners that participated in the SAP PartnerEdge pilot have reported excellent initial results. Paymetric Inc., an award-winning SAP partner and provider of innovative solutions that manage, protect and integrate payment card transactions in SAP systems, is a certified SAP developer and took part in the recent pilot program.

"The expanded SAP PartnerEdge program has already had a meaningful impact on our business," said George Grenrood, director of Strategic Alliances, Paymetric. "Greater access and visibility into SAP resources has yielded several new opportunities to collaborate with SAP to serve our mutual customers and support our go-to-market initiatives."

Latin America-based services partner Polics-Politec has also experienced immediate business benefits as a participant in the SAP PartnerEdge pilot.

"SAP PartnerEdge is extremely efficient," said Alexander Schmitz-Kohlitz, managing director, Polics-Politec Consulting Services. "By making this program available for service partners, SAP is reaffirming its commitment to transparency and business agility."

First Certification Program for Business Objects Partner Solutions Now Available

Building on the proven SAP certification methodology, SAP now offers a program to certify that solutions developed by Business Objects partners integrate seamlessly with Business Objects solutions. APOS Systems Inc. participated in the pilot and successfully completed certification. One of Business Objects' top-performing technology partners, APOS was named "Business Objects Technology Partner of the Year" in January 2008. APOS has created 15 add-on solutions that extend the capabilities of BusinessObjects(TM) XI, the leading business intelligence platform, of which one has now been tested and certified.

"APOS has supported the Business Objects platform for more than 12 years and receiving the 'SAP Certified - Integration with Business Objects' logo is important to us," said Dan Clements, President, APOS. "We foresee many benefits to participating in the SAP PartnerEdge program for software solution partners. For example, the expanded program will help us gain entry into new, untapped markets, better connect with customers and provide the right solutions for their business-integration challenges. This is a great step forward."

"Extending SAP PartnerEdge and introducing a Business Objects certification program are important milestones as we continue to invest in further enabling our partners for success," said Zia Yusuf, executive vice president, Global Ecosystem and Partner Group, SAP AG. "SAP is forging one of the industry's strongest and most vibrant ecosystems, and today's announcement underscores our commitment to drive co-innovation and deliver solutions - together with our partners -- which ultimately help customers optimize business performance."

SAPPHIRE(R) 2008 Orlando and SAPPHIRE(R) 2008 Berlin

Based on the success of last year's events, SAP and the Americas' SAP Users' Group (ASUG) are co-locating their premier events in Orlando, where the 2008 ASUG Annual Conference takes place May 4-7.

Note to Editors: Webcasts, announcements, media roundtables, keynote presentations and podcasts from SAPPHIRE 2008 will be available in the event's virtual newsroom at http://www.sapsapphire.com/usa2008/newsroom/index.htm. To view video stories on diverse topics, visit http://www.sap-tv.com/. From this newly launched site, you also can embed videos into your own Web pages, share video via email links and subscribe to RSS feeds from SAP TV. No registration is required. To preview and request broadcast-standard video digitally or by tape, log on to http://www.thenewsmarket.com/sap, where registration and video is free to the media.

About SAP(R) PartnerEdge(TM)

Launched in 2005, the SAP PartnerEdge program is a flexible partner management framework that empowers SAP partners and supports their business to provide solutions and services that customers need to become best-run businesses. SAP PartnerEdge makes it easy for partners of various types and sizes to do profitable business with SAP, delivering world-class benefits and resources that enable partners to provide superior value and expertise to customers. SAP PartnerEdge provides an innovative and holistic way for partners to be recognized and rewarded for their business, technical and sales skills as well as performance in selling SAP solutions. The program provides a set of benefits designed to help drive partners' business including education, business enablement, technology, development and support, marketing and selling, and events and ongoing communications and enablement tools. (Additional information at http://www.partnerwithsap.com/)

About SAP

(*) SAP defines business software as comprising enterprise resource planning and related applications.

For customers interested in learning more about SAP products: Global Customer Center: +49 180 534-34-24 United States Only: 1 (800) 872-1SAP (1-800-872-1727) For more information, press only: Iris Eidling, +49 (160) 889-6607, iris.eidling@sap.com, PDT SAP Press Office, +49 (6227) 7-46315, CET; +1 (610) 661-3200, EST; press@sap.com Maria Cubeta, Burson-Marsteller, +1 (917) 216-4910, maria.cubeta@bm.com, PDT

During SAPPHIRE (from May 4 to 7), to speak with press contacts on site, please dial the SAP press room at +1 (610) 661-0469.

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AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk photodesk@prnewswire.com SAP AG

CONTACT: Iris Eidling of SAP, +49 (160) 889-6607, iris.eidling@sap.com,
SAP Press Office, +49 (6227) 7-46315, +1-610-661-3200, press@sap.com; or Maria
Cubeta of Burson-Marsteller, +1-917-216-4910, maria.cubeta@bm.com, for SAP

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

SAP Collaborates with HP on All-Inclusive Business Management Solution Targeting Midsize CompaniesReliable and Affordable SAP(R) Business All-in-One Solution with SAP(R) MaxDB(TM) Database and SUSE Linux Enterprise from Novell to Be Preconfigured, Pretested and Preinstalled on HP Systems

ORLANDO, Fla., May 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- SAP AG today announced its intent to introduce preconfigured, pretested and preinstalled SAP(R) Business All-in-One solutions on HP BladeSystem and HP ProLiant server technology. Building upon the recently announced SAP Business All-in-One fast-start program, the new comprehensive, cost-effective turnkey solution will include SAP Business All-in-One and the SAP(R) MaxDB(TM) database, which will be based on SUSE Linux Enterprise from Novell and delivered with systems built on the HP BladeSystem c3000 enclosure. The resulting solution will deliver seamless interoperability, high performance and reliability, lowered costs and an enhanced set of functionality for midsize companies in the manufacturing, service and trade industries. Furthermore, this all-inclusive offering reduces companies' time to value and lowers total cost of ownership (TCO). The announcement was made at the co-located events SAPPHIRE(R) 2008 Orlando, SAP's international customer conference, and the ASUG (America's SAP Users' Group) Annual Conference, both being held in Orlando, Florida, May 4-7.

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The HP BladeSystem c3000 running SAP Business All-in-One integrates computing, networking, management, power and cooling, storage and data protection within a single, affordable and easy-to-manage enclosure designed specifically for midsize businesses. The modular and reliable design of this turnkey solution simplifies setup, operation and change management, while the intelligent tools and built-in management interfaces provide efficient remote solution management. All components of the application and IT infrastructure are tested and documented as an HP Solution Block to provide an extremely reliable and stable environment that helps ensure maximum system availability and productivity. HP Insight Control software further reduces TCO by automating management tasks from a single control.

"This new offering further simplifies the deployment and use of on-premise solutions and helps drive the adoption of integrated business solutions in the SME market," said Robert Vetter, senior vice president, Global SME Business Development, SAP AG.

"The combination of advanced HP BladeSystem technology with SAP Business All-in-One creates a simple, affordable and reliable solution that delivers high availability and performance at low costs," said Urs Renggli, director, Worldwide Small and Midmarket Business, HP. "This powerful combination allows midsize customers to save money while driving growth. Delivered by regional networks of qualified HP partners, the offering can be optimized to meet the needs of specific requirements."

Proven Efficiency

SAP and HP have been collaborating for nearly 20 years to help support their customers' business requirements by creating application environments that help ensure their IT infrastructures work seamlessly. HP is the leading technology provider for SAP customers running SAP MaxDB based on SUSE Linux Enterprise.

PharmLog, a logistic service provider for pharmaceutical companies, is one of several hundred SAP Business All-in-One customers already reaping the benefits of using the HP infrastructure. PharmLog chose the combination of SAP Business All-in-One, SAP MaxDB, SUSE Linux Enterprise and HP infrastructure because it needed a business management system capable of reliably handling the demanding logistics of its business -- up to 1.0 million packaging units per day in the German market -- while still being easy to use and affordable.

"SAP MaxDB is a very stable and easy-to-use database," said Matthias Rempe, SAP administrator at PharmLog. "After the very easy installation, it needs minimal maintenance. Minimal maintenance by the system administrator is much more important than the lower license fees."

Invitation to Joint Ecosystems

Many partners have voiced approval of the availability of HP BladeSystem c-Class as part of the fast-start program.

"We have explored the capabilities of the new installation wizard that is part of the SAP Business All-in-One fast-start program and are very impressed with the reduction of the implementation time of the SAP Business All-in-One solution stack," said Uwe Bohnhorst, COO, itelligence AG. "We can now rely on a proven preconfigured, pretested and preinstalled solution with low TCO. We are convinced that the solution will help us better support midsized companies in all of our markets."

SAP MaxDB Completes a Winning Combination

A recently completed benchmark shows that this solution -- combining SAP, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server and SAP MaxDB on HP hardware -- offers excellent performance on a low-cost basis for midsize customers.

"With SAP MaxDB, we provide our customers with a superior database technology for the SME market, as SAP MaxDB is custom built and tuned for SAP's applications and customers," said Vetter. "For example, since most of its administrative tasks are fully automated, the TCO is low, reliability is high and the database performs very well. By offering SAP Business All-in-One solutions integrated with HP ProLiant server blades and the HP BladeSystem c3000 enclosure via the fast-start program, we keep our promise to further decrease TCO for our customers."

For more information on SAP solutions for small businesses and midsize companies, please visit http://www.sap.com/sme

For more information on the SAP Business All-in-One fast-start program, see http://www.sap.com/solutions/sme/businessallinone/solutionoverview/index.epx?t ab=FastStart

For more information on the SAP's Referral program, see April 3, 2008 press release titled, "SAP Expands and Supports Ecosystem by Rewarding Companies Worldwide for New Business Recommendations."

SAPPHIRE(R) 2008 Orlando and SAPPHIRE(R) 2008 Berlin

Based on the success of last year's events, SAP and the Americas' SAP Users' Group (ASUG) are co-locating their premier events in Orlando, where the 2008 ASUG Annual Conference takes place May 4-7.

Note to Editors:

Webcasts, announcements, media roundtables, keynote presentations and podcasts from SAPPHIRE 2008 will be available in the event's virtual newsroom at http://www.sapsapphire.com/usa2008/newsroom/index.htm. To view video stories on diverse topics, visit http://www.sap-tv.com/. From this newly launched site, you also can embed videos into your own Web pages, share video via email links and subscribe to RSS feeds from SAP TV. No registration is required. To preview and request broadcast-standard video digitally or by tape, log on to http://www.thenewsmarket.com/sap, where registration and video is free to the media.

About SAP

(*) SAP defines business software as comprising enterprise resource planning and related applications.

For customers interested in learning more about SAP products: Global Customer Center: +49 180 534-34-24 United States Only: 1 (800) 872-1SAP (1-800-872-1727) For more information, press only: Astrid Polchen, +49 (6227) 7-47644, astrid.poelchen@sap.com, CET SAP Press Office, +49 (6227) 7-46315, CET; +1 (610) 661-3200, EDT; press@sap.com Torrey Fazen, Burson-Marsteller, +1 (917) 916-6398, torrey.fazen@bm.com, EDT

During SAPPHIRE (from May 4 to 7), to speak with press contacts on site, please dial the SAP press room at +1 (610) 661-0469.

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050310/SFTH009LOGO-a
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk photodesk@prnewswire.com SAP AG

CONTACT: Astrid Polchen of SAP, +49 (6227) 7-47644,
astrid.poelchen@sap.com, SAP Press Office, +49 (6227) 7-46315,
+1-610-661-3200, press@sap.com; or Torrey Fazen, Burson-Marsteller,
+1-917-916-6398, torrey.fazen@bm.com, for SAP

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

SAP and IBM Collaborate to Offer Integrated Business Systems Dedicated to Midsize Companies WorldwideIBM Power Systems, System x and BladeCenter Servers With Pre-Configured SAP(R) Business All-in-One Solution Can Lower TCO for Midmarket Customers

ORLANDO, Fla., May 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- SAP AG today revealed plans to further extend its recently announced fast-start program for SAP(R) Business All-in-One solutions by expanding the strategic partnership with IBM that looks back on a long history of close collaboration in the areas of technology, channel and services. The two companies now take their established, reliable and scalable solutions that are specifically packaged and featured for small and midsize enterprises (SMEs) to achieve optimal implementation times and total cost of ownership (TCO) for customers. The components will include IBM Power Systems, System x and BladeCenter servers, SAP Business All-in-One and an optimized database and operating system. Midsize companies in the services, trade and manufacturing industries are expected to gain significant benefits from these comprehensive offerings, as they allow for quick time to deployment of end-to-end business processes at a low TCO. The announcement was made at the co-located events SAPPHIRE(R) 2008 Orlando, SAP's international customer conference, and the ASUG (America's SAP Users' Group) Annual Conference, both being held in Orlando, Florida, May 4-7.

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SAP and IBM are currently evaluating three potential offerings based on IBM Power Systems, System x and BladeCenter servers to provide customers with the flexibility to fully leverage their existing IT infrastructure, while benefiting from proven and pre-tested combinations optimized to meet the unique demands of midsize customers. For IBM System x, the companies intend to enable customers to choose between System x or BladeCenter servers with either IBM DB2 or SAP(R) MaxDB(TM) with SAP Business All-in-One and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server from Novell. The companies also intend to incorporate the IBM i InstallOption for SAP, dubbed "KOBI," under the fast-start program. Customers will be able to order a preconfigured IBM Power Systems server consisting of SAP Business All-in-One and IBM DB2 running IBM i (formerly i5/OS).

"The joint business relationship between SAP and IBM is in keeping with the interest of midsize businesses in preconfigured and pretested ERP software that runs on preferred hardware types," said Ray Boggs, vice president of SMB research, IDC. "The flexibility in hardware platform choice combined with appropriate software will help encourage midsize firms to invest in ERP and related solutions that are becoming easier to implement."

SAP and IBM Provide a Winning Combination

The expanded relationship will allow SAP, IBM and their respective partner channels to deliver industry-specific, end-to-end solutions based on SAP Business All-in-One and IBM hardware and services. These new offerings for SAP Business All-in-One are designed to combine software, database and hardware into one package, with all components optimized to help midsize companies drive down TCO while protecting their overall IT investment. The offering will

be made available via value-added resellers of SAP and business partners of IBM.

"This agreement represents IBM's continuing commitment to deliver targeted industry solutions for the mid-market," said Rainer Zinn, general manager, Global IBM SAP Alliance. "We look forward to working even closer with SAP to bring innovative business solutions to our joint SME clients."

Evolutionary Innovation

With the easy-to-use solution configurator, prospective customers can quickly configure the SAP Business All-in-One solution according to their needs and immediately receive a cost estimation* for the solution, including database and hardware as well as implementation.

"IBM servers are an excellent platform for innovation and to address new market segments and channels based on open standards and leading edge technology," said Hans-Peter Klaey, president, Global SME and corporate officer, SAP AG. "The intended offering will provide midsize companies with faster access to integrated business and IT solutions that are easy to implement, competitively priced and optimized for each other. I am confident that this package will simplify the deployment and use of on-premise solutions, drive adoption of integrated business solutions in the SME market and further deliver the best value to our customers."

For more information on SAP solutions for small businesses and midsize companies, please visit http://www.sap.com/sme. For more information on the fast-start program for SAP Business All-in-One, see http://www.sap.com/solutions/sme/businessallinone/solutionoverview/index.epx?t ab=FastStart

*Cost estimate is an SAP estimation only and not valid for partners; partners cost estimation may differ

SAPPHIRE(R) 2008 Orlando and SAPPHIRE(R) 2008 Berlin

Based on the success of last year's events, SAP and the Americas' SAP Users' Group (ASUG) are co-locating their premier events in Orlando, where the 2008 ASUG Annual Conference takes place May 4-7.

Note to Editors:

About SAP

(*) SAP defines business software as comprising enterprise resource planning and related applications.

For customers interested in learning more about SAP products: Global Customer Center: +49 180 534-34-24 United States Only: 1 (800) 872-1SAP (1-800-872-1727) For more information, press only: Astrid Polchen, +49 (6227) 7-47644, astrid.poelchen@sap.com, CET SAP Press Office, +49 (6227) 7-46315, CET; +1 (610) 661-3200, EDT; press@sap.com Torrey Fazen, Burson-Marsteller, +1 (917) 916-6398, torrey.fazen@bm.com, EDT

During SAPPHIRE (from May 4 to 7), to speak with press contacts on site, please dial the SAP press room at +1 (610) 661-0469.

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050310/SFTH009LOGO-a
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk photodesk@prnewswire.com SAP AG

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

SAP Takes Big Strides in Small Business and Midmarket SegmentsInternational Customer Event Showcases SAP Partner Strategy and Solution Portfolio Successes in the Small Business and Midsize Company Segment

ORLANDO, Fla., May 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- SAP AG today announced growing adoption of its business software among small businesses and midsize companies across all regions, and in particular from such rapidly growing economies as Brazil, China, India and Russia. The company's world- class portfolio of business software for small businesses and midsize companies -- comprised of SAP(R) Business One, SAP(R) Business ByDesign(TM) and SAP(R) Business All-in-One -- continues to attract an increasing number of customers from the small and midsize market. Currently at about 75 percent of the company's overall customer base, the number of small and midsize enterprise (SME) customers grew by 28 percent in the first quarter of 2008 (year-over-year). The announcement was made at SAPPHIRE(R) 2008 Orlando, SAP's international customer conference, being held in Orlando, Florida, May 4-7. The announcement was made at the co-located events SAPPHIRE(R) 2008 Orlando, SAP's international customer conference, and the ASUG (America's SAP Users' Group) Annual Conference, both being held in Orlando, Florida, May 4-7.

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With a base of more than 35,688 SME customers -- including 11,700 SAP Business All-in-One customers, 18,690 SAP Business One customers and 150 customer engagements of SAP Business ByDesign in the markets where available -- as disclosed for the first quarter of 2008, SAP continues to achieve growth in the SME segment at a high rate. In the first quarter of 2008 alone, SAP gained more than 1,570 new SME customers worldwide, the equivalent of 26 new customers per working day. In particular, Brazil and the Commonwealth of Independent States, including the fast-growing Russia, gained new customers at an impressive rate. India, the fastest-growing country for SAP overall, reported the highest growth rate in SME software revenues for a single country.

SAP SME Partner Ecosystem Expanding

In its successful multi-channel, go-to-market strategy, SAP and partners are equally engaged to help ensure that SME customers benefit from SAP solutions. Approximately 85 percent of the total number of SME customers is generated through partners alone. While SAP continuously develops its distinct solution portfolio for SMEs, SAP partners create added value through their services, local business know-how and, vertical and microvertical expertise. With a solid base of qualified SME partners, the company is well-positioned to meet the growing global market demand in the SME segment. SAP continues to invest in expanding and further enabling its SME partner ecosystem to help its partners' businesses thrive. As an example of how the company empowers channel partners to grow, SAP India has conducted more than 500 SME roadshows together with more than 200 of its partners across the country to help make SAP solutions more accessible to the vast pool of Indian SMEs.

"Our growing customer and partner numbers clearly show that we have the right strategy of supporting small businesses and midsize companies around the world, regardless of their business models or industry, in their quest for success and growth," said Hans-Peter Klaey, president, SME, SAP AG. "We will continue to foster our ecosystem to the benefit of our growing customer base. Together with our partners we offer not only a broad but a deep portfolio of solutions and services that truly makes a difference in our customers' everyday business actions."

SAP Offerings Deliver Instant and Long-Term Value to SMEs

With all its solutions offering evolutionary innovation and flexible growth, SAP actively addresses the heterogeneous requirements of companies of all types and sizes. This becomes possible through the unique design of standardized but highly adaptable business processes based on one single technology platform. SAP has been especially observant in recognizing the specific needs of SMEs, where proven best practices, preconfigured generic and industry-specific -- even microvertical -- business processes together with packaged service offerings help address the major IT challenges for SMEs: low total cost of ownership (TCO), fast time to value and long-term investment protection.

SAP solutions for small businesses and midsize companies include SAP Business One, a single integrated, application for successfully managing small businesses; SAP Business ByDesign, the software industry's most complete, integrated and adaptable on-demand solution for midsize companies, available in a controlled ramp-up process to prospects in six focus countries; and SAP Business All-in-One, a customizable and extensible solution for midsize companies with deep built-in industry best practices. In further lowering TCO for its customers, SAP Business All-in-One solutions are now also available via the recently announced fast-start program in an all-inclusive offering comprised of hardware, database and operating system from selected partners in various markets. Moreover, customers in the midmarket today are able to take advantage of the versatile enterprise services approach to IT that allows for quicker, more flexible adaptation of existing processes, as well as the composition of new and management of all business processes. Based on the most recent versions of SAP(R) ERP and SAP NetWeaver(R), both built in accordance with an enterprise service-oriented architecture (enterprise SOA), SAP Business All-in-One solutions offer a compelling scope of services-enabled business processes. With SAP Business ByDesign, midmarket customers in selected markets can already benefit from an on-demand solution that is completely based on enterprise SOA and deliver core end-to-end processes in the shape of enterprise services. Thus, midmarket companies that select SAP solutions can choose to adopt a true SOA-based business process platform, while making best use of enterprise services today.

SAP Proves Best Fit for Heterogeneous Needs of SMEs Worldwide

With a common desire to globalize operations, drive competitiveness and boost growth, SMEs in growing economies require a wide range of solutions from their software provider, all of which are addressed by SAP. With the rapid growth of the Chinese economy, Chinese SMEs are primarily turning to SAP for solutions that enable them to effectively run and manage businesses, and flexibly transform and adapt the complete value chain in accordance with fast- changing business models. Russian SMEs cite the fast time-to-value and the benefits of creating end-to-end processes when internationalizing their businesses. Midsize enterprises in India are experiencing dramatic growth. Managing growth and transforming themselves to the next level are key strategic priorities for these enterprises, thus they are adopting scaleable and flexible IT platforms from SAP. While small Indian enterprises cite automating business processes and enhancing effectiveness as top priorities, Brazilian SMEs rely on SAP software mainly for achieving operational excellence and establishing integrated business processes that allow them to manage growth.

"SAP Business All-in-One integrates our different internal and external enterprise systems, and supports all operational business activities," said Wang Yun, assistant to the general manager, Chongqing Yinhe Instruments Co. Ltd. "With the leading functionality on the basis of single coding, this integrated business solution ensures that we keep up with the current market information, make correct decisions and implement them effectively. With SAP,

we have now started our second giant leap after the reformation of the economic system in China."

Adding to SAP's success in the SME market segment are companies in countries that are well-developed economically but less so in terms of IT. In countries such as Hungary and South Africa, companies increasingly benefit from globalized business transactions and enhanced business insight by seizing the power of SAP solutions.

Such companies include MASC Solutions Ltd., a solution provider for security and fire protection that was serviced by SAP channel partner Bluekey in South Africa. MASC Solutions Ltd. managed to gain complete control over its business with SAP Business One after a very short time and thus set a solid basis for growth. The ABO Group, a Hungarian holding comprised of businesses in grain and fodder production with subsidiaries throughout Central and Eastern Europe, recently decided to deploy SAP partner Hostlogic's SAP Business All-in-One solution for food processing. According to the company, the most important benefit was a boost in efficiency when member companies of the holding were able to work within a unified business process structure. Further advantages included streamlined administration, precise customer segmentation and organization of sales, management of materials and stocks that have noticeably increased productivity, and competitiveness of the entire corporation.

SAP will lead an SME roundtable hosted by Hans-Peter Klaey on May 5 and a panel discussion by customers running SAP Business ByDesign on May 6 at SAPPHIRE(R) 2008 Orlando. Webcasts of the roundtables will be available on the event's virtual newsroom at http://www.sapsapphire.com/usa2008/newsroom/index.htm. The conversation continues at a special SME focus day at SAPPHIRE(R) 2008 Berlin on May 20.

SAPPHIRE(R) 2008 Orlando and SAPPHIRE(R) 2008 Berlin

Based on the success of last year's events, SAP and the Americas' SAP Users' Group (ASUG) are co-locating their premier events in Orlando, where the 2008 ASUG Annual Conference takes place May 4-7.

Note to Editors:

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(*) SAP defines business software as comprising enterprise resource planning and related applications.

For customers interested in learning more about SAP products: Global Customer Center: +49 180 534-34-24 United States Only: 1 (800) 872-1SAP (1-800-872-1727) For more information, press only: Astrid Polchen, +49 (6227) 7-47644, astrid.poelchen@sap.com, CET SAP Press Office, +49 (6227) 7-46315, CET; +1 (610) 661-3200, EDT; press@sap.com Torrey Fazen, Burson-Marsteller, +1 (917) 916-6398, torrey.fazen@bm.com, EDT

During SAPPHIRE (from May 4 to 7), to speak with press contacts on site, please dial the SAP press room at +1 (610) 661-0469.

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