VIC:Baillieu govt sacks Ambulance Vic board

AAP General News (Australia)
08-24-2011
VIC:Baillieu govt sacks Ambulance Vic board

The Victorian government has sacked the board of Ambulance Victoria.

Health Minister DAVID DAVIS made the announcement today, arguing a new board is needed
to turn around the poor financial and operational performance of the organisation.

Former Southern Health chief executive Professor JUST STOELWINDER will chair the new
board, which also includes Liberal CHARLES GILLIES, former Barwon Health chair CLAIRE
HIGGINS and former Ballarat Health Service chair LYNNE MCCLENNAN.

Auditor-General DES PEARSON slammed Ambulance Victoria in a report last year, noting
it's never met its targets for response times to code one emergencies.

AAP RTV mj/mn/wf

KEYWORD: AMBULANCE VIC (MELBOURNE)

� 2011 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

SA: Backwater Adelaide now a town of "whingers"

AAP General News (Australia)
02-22-2008
SA: Backwater Adelaide now a town of "whingers"

By Tim Dornin

ADELAIDE, Feb 22 AAP - The people of Adelaide might be forgiven for feeling a little
down at present.

After recently having their city described as a backwater by Victorian Premier John
Brumby, their own state treasurer has now dubbed them a bunch of whingers.

Mr Foley took the swipe at his own taxpayers at a business conference in Adelaide yesterday
as he outlined the government's vision for the future.

He said the government might not be the "sexiest" administration around - but it had
delivered stability.

…

FED:Chaser chasing alternative for wedding

AAP General News (Australia)
04-28-2011
FED:Chaser chasing alternative for wedding

Chaser fans could have expected light-hearted and occasionally tasteless jokes about
Prince PHILIP .. and a comparison of the speed it'll take CATHERINE MIDDLETON to reach
the altar .. compared to DIANA SPENCER and SARAH FERGUSON.

Chaser executive producer JULIAN MORROW says the national broadcaster is continuing
to seek an alternative television feed .. following the palace's threat to can the entire
ABC coverage if it proceeds with The Chaser's wedding special on ABC2.

But he isn't too optimistic .. and says the palace has done the Chaser team a favour
by inserting a clause preventing any satirical use of the live footage.

MORROW says their show was going to be a light-hearted .. occasionally tasteless commentary
.. but says he was always appalled by the prospect of having to cover the wedding .. and
he's glad the palace stepped in to stop the outrage.

AAP RTV mb/jcd/psm/

KEYWORD: WEDDING CHASER (CANBERRA)

� 2011 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Research and Markets Adds Report: Asia Pacific IPTV Market

Wireless News
02-15-2011
Research and Markets Adds Report: Asia Pacific IPTV Market
Type: News

Research and Markets has announced the addition of Frost & Sullivan's new report "Asia Pacific IPTV Market" to its offerings.

In a release, Research and Markets noted that report highlights include:
This study provides key insights on the IPTV market in Asia Pacific. The top 15 markets of the Asia Pacific for IPTV service are: Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. IPTV has now become a mainstream Pay TV service in markets like France and Hong Kong, which have been early adopters of the technology. In Asia Pacific, telecom providers in the developed markets as well as the developing markets have launched IPTV service to reinvigorate their fixed / broadband lines.

Research Overview

This Frost & Sullivan research service titled Asia Pacific IPTV Market provides an in-depth analysis of the market drivers and restraints, industry trends, and competitive environment in addition to the challenges and issues faced by participants. With extensive primary and secondary research, the study also provides vendors with a detailed look at the dynamics of the fast-evolving market.

Market Overview

Asia Pacific IPTV Market Gains Strong Traction in the Wake of Successful Deployments in the Developed Markets

The Asia Pacific Internet protocol television market is undergoing the rapid growth phase, with subscribers being added in both the developing and developed markets. Some IPTV providers in the developed markets have been successful in premium content acquisition, enabling them to pose serious competition to the incumbent pay TV providers in those markets. In the developed markets, providers need to overcome the challenge of service roll out over their low-throughput broadband networks. Roll outs of fiber- based high-speed broadband networks in many markets have facilitated the deployment of IPTV services that can compete with traditional pay TV services. IPTV subscriber growth is being fueled by the expanding broadband subscriber base in Asia Pacific. IPTV has now become a mainstream Pay TV service in markets such as France and Hong Kong, which have been early adopters of the technology, said the analyst of this research service. In Asia Pacific, telecom providers in the developed markets as well as the developing markets have launched IPTV service to reinvigorate their fixed/broadband lines. The developed markets such as Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Japan have nationwide IPTV service availability. The emerging markets, including China, India, and Thailand, have IPTV service availability in urban areas where the broadband infrastructure is sufficient. By the third quarter of 2010, 15 markets in Asia Pacific had IPTV services.

Although the prospects for the market are bright, there are some impediments stalling its momentum. Content acquisition remains a stumbling block for IPTV providers. Most markets in Asia Pacific do not ban content exclusivity, and this makes acquiring content challenging and investment heavy. It is an uphill task for service providers to ready their networks for IPTV. A reliable IPTV service requires throughput of at least 3-4 Mbps, and the low average revenue per user (ARPU) in these markets makes it difficult for operators to upgrade their entire infrastructure to support this speed.

Observations reveal that subscribers have displayed a preference for bundled broadband and TV offerings. IPTV providers in the region have also been able to acquire premium content for their services. Successful IPTV service providers have aggressively acquired content and rolled out high-speed broadband networks, bundling broadband, TV, and voice, to rev up the attraction quotient for their services. By 2016, IPTV will be a significant service in the overall pay TV market accounting for 5.2 percent of all the pay TV subscribers in the region. Out of the 187 million broadband subscribers in Asia Pacific at the end of 2009, less than 6 percent were IPTV subscribers. Going forward, the broadband subscriber base will remain the key addressable market for IPTV services. Service providers are also pushed to offer IPTV to their broadband subscribers as a means to search for additional revenue streams. "For a successful IPTV service, providers must offer IPTV with quality of service greater than that of or at least equal to that of the incumbent pay TV provider," said the analyst. "In terms of content, the offering must also be appealing to pay TV consumers." Bundling and complementing with internet TV can be the key differentiators. Providers can also introduce additional interactive features to complement their service.

Report information:

http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/61c8e4/ asia_pacific_iptv

((Comments on this story may be sent to newsdesk@closeupmedia.com))

Copyright 2011 Close-Up Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
n/a

WA:Higher density Perth needed: WA govt

AAP General News (Australia)
08-30-2010
WA:Higher density Perth needed: WA govt

PERTH, Aug 30 AAP - The sprawling city of Perth must tighten up and plan for higher
density living and greater public transport use, Western Australia's planning minister
says.

Launching a strategy for the city's growth to 2031, John Day said a big boost in infill
housing (whereby additional units were added to an already approved subdivision or neighbourhood)
was needed to help accommodate the 550,000 extra residents expected in that time.

Mr Day launched Directions 2031 and Beyond at a Planning Institute of Australia business
lunch on Monday.

The 20-year strategy set a target of 47 per cent for infill development, with the other
53 per cent coming from greenfields developments (whereby new land is allocated for projects),
he said.

The infill target was well above the 30 to 35 per cent achieved over the past decade
or so, Mr Day told reporters.

"We cannot continue simply to focus on more urban sprawl," the minister said.

"That has high costs in providing infrastructure, high social costs, high transport costs.

"So, we do need to become a more compact city than we have been in the past."

Mr Day said some people would still want larger blocks and that should be provided
for, but a greater choice of apartments was needed in well-located areas.

The WA government wasn't looking at 20-storey blocks, more at five- to six-storey structures
along major public transport routes or highways, he said.

The aim was smaller homes on average and greater use of public transport while ensuring
Perth remained one of the most livable cities in the world.

"We also need to get areas of employment, industrial land developments and other commercial
developments, so that people can, hopefully, live not too far from where they are working,"

Mr Day said.

Under the plan, housing growth targets would be set for each local government in the
Perth and Peel regions.

Following recent law changes the state government was in a stronger position to enforce
planning requirements such as housing density targets on local government, Mr Day said.

"It is possible for the state, through the planning commission and the minister for
planning, to be able to require certain things to be done, more so than in the past,"

he said.

AAP ldj/mp/cdh

KEYWORD: CITY

� 2010 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

SA: Plane lands in paddock near Port Pirie

AAP General News (Australia)
04-22-2010
SA: Plane lands in paddock near Port Pirie

ADELAIDE, April 22 AAP - A light plane crashed into a fence after landing in a paddock
near Port Pirie, north of Adelaide, on Thursday.

Police said the Cessna had two people on board and both were uninjured.

The plane suffered only minor damage.

It came down in a paddock near the intersection of Old Broughton and Wandearah roads,
about 23km south of Port Pirie.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau was expected to investigate the incident.

AAP tjd/maur

KEYWORD: PLANE UPDATE

� 2010 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Qld: Two new residential towers for Surfers Paradise

AAP General News (Australia)
12-09-2009
Qld: Two new residential towers for Surfers Paradise

Another huge residential tower project on the Gold Coast has been given the green light.

The project involves two new apartment towers in the heart of Surfers Paradise .. in
what will be the largest residential high rise project on the Gold Coast.

The 700 million dollar development will cover nearly 11-thousand-500 square metres
of land just north of the Gold Coast International Hotel .. delivering a major economic
boost.

The complex will include 715 apartments .. 419 in a 55 storey tower .. and 296 in the
40-storey tower.

AAP RTV bart/ahe/wz/af

KEYWORD: TOWERS (GOLD COAST)

2009 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

BAIDU PLANS TO SHARE MUSIC SEARCH REVENUE WITH MUSIC FIRMS

AsiaInfo Services
05-15-2009
Baidu Plans to Share Music Search Revenue with Music Firms

BEIJING, May 15, 2009 (SinoCast Daily Business Beat via COMTEX) -- Baidu, Inc. (Nasdaq: BIDU) will launch a revenue sharing model with recording companies for its music download service in the future, said Ye Peng, chief operating officer for the Chinese-language online search service company, on May 14.

Baidu is trying to work with recording companies to seek a beneficial and sustainable cooperation model that will be somewhat different from the one initiated by Google Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOG), according to Mr. Ye.

Google announced on March 30 that it would roll out free licensed music search and download services in China in partnership with global music firms, a move widely considered to pose a great threat to Baidu, its archrival in the country.

The Chinese online search titan used to provide unauthorized music search and download services to court for users, disgruntling music firms at home and abroad. Requests for music search account for 20%-30% of the searches on Baidu, according to China Market Research Group.

Source: www.beijingtimes.com.cn (May 15, 2009)

KEYWORD: BEIJING INDUSTRY KEYWORD: Internet & Online Services & Media SUBJECT CODE: Internet & Online Services
Internet Search Engines
SinoCast China Business Daily news
revenue sharing
cooperation
model
music download
search
music firm

Copyright 2009 AsiaInfo Services (via Comtex). All rights reserved

NSW: Jockey cuddles sister after 10 days in a coma

AAP General News (Australia)
12-25-2008
NSW: Jockey cuddles sister after 10 days in a coma

SYDNEY, Dec 25 AAP - The family of Lachlan Fyfe has received an unexpected Christmas
present when the injured apprentice jockey awoke from a coma to give his sister a cuddle.

The 23-year-old was rushed to Nepean Hospital following a sickening fall in a barrier
trial at Hawkesbury on Monday, December 15.

He was put in an induced coma and attached to a life-support system, a Racing NSW official
said after the fall.

Initial scans did not show any brain injury but doctors described his condition as
serious after the fall from an unraced two-year-old in the last of eight trials.

A spokesman for trainer Graeme Rogerson, to whom Fyfe is indentured, confirmed the
young jockey had "woken up" on Thursday.

"He's woken up twice so far," the spokesman said.

"He gave his sister a cuddle and then went back to sleep again."

Friend and fellow jockey Peter Wells expects Fyfe to recover and return to racing.

"He's such a strong person and such a fighter," Wells told Macquarie Radio.

"And you know he's an extremely talented rider and it would be a shame for him not
to go back to it.

"I'm sure he will, I'm sure he'll get back into it as soon as he can."

Fyfe's family from the NSW Central Coast have remained at the jockey's bedside since
his hospitalisation.

AAP vpm/jj

KEYWORD: GALLOPS FYFE UPDATE

2008 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Tra: Germany's Frodeno in shock triathlon win

AAP General News (Australia)
08-19-2008
Tra: Germany's Frodeno in shock triathlon win

BEIJING, Aug 19 AFP - Germany's Jan Frodeno sprinted down the final straight to claim
a shock win after a thrilling Olympic Games men's triathlon today.

Frodeno, 27, passed Canada's 2000 gold medallist Simon Whitfield with just metres left,
finishing in one hour 48 minutes 53 seconds.

Athens silver-medallist Bevan Docherty of New Zealand took bronze while there was heartbreak
for hot favourite Javier Gomez, triathlon's "Tiger Woods," who was relegated to fourth.

The 1.94m Frodeno was nobody's pre-race tip with a relatively modest record including
13 top-10 World Cup finishes and last year's German national title.

But he put on a devastating burst of speed to run down Whitfield and leave Gomez and
Docherty trailing.

The four had been neck-and-neck entering the stadium but world champion Gomez faded
at the final turn, dashing the Spaniard's hopes of a first Olympic medal.

Earlier, Russia's Alexander Bryukhankov led out the swim but it was New Zealander Shane
Reed who landed first and made it through the transition followed by Frederic Belaube
of France with Gomez not far behind.

Luxembourg's Dirk Bockel and Axel Zeebroek of Belgium broke away on the bike leg and
established a lead of nearly a minute on the favourites going into the run.

Their advantage was chopped to just 20 seconds by the end of lap one and it disappeared
entirely in the next lap as Gomez and Spanish team-mate Ivan Rana hit the front.

The smart money was on Gomez, 25, who has four World Cup victories this season after
winning the series for the past two years running. He also won last year's World Cup race
on this course.

But the expected surge never came as he was tracked all the way by Frodeno, Whitfield
and Docherty, and ran out of steam at the last.

The 1.5km swim, 40km cycle and 10km run was held at the scenic Ming Tomb Reservoir
near Beijing in steamy temperatures of about 28 degrees.

Australia's Emma Snowsill took women's gold yesterday in a time of 1:58:27.

AFP tb

KEYWORD: OLY08 TRA MEN LEAD

2008 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NSW: Officer injured in fight - police

AAP General News (Australia)
04-12-2008
NSW: Officer injured in fight - police

SYDNEY, April 12 AAP - Sydney police say an officer has been bitten during a fight
in inner-Sydney.

The female constable was bitten and police were forced to use capsicum spray when a
fight broke out during an arrest in Chippendale at about 3.25am (AEST) today.

A woman and four men have been charged over the incident, which started when the woman
flagged down a police car in Knox Street and allegedly spat at it.

Officers were arresting the woman when four men, one allegedly armed with a knife,
tried to intervene.

A 21-year-old Erskine Park woman has been charged with resisting arrest, causing malicious
damage, assaulting police and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

A 20-year-old Camperdown man and a 18-year-old Newtown man have each been charged with
hindering police.

A 28-year-old St Peters man has been charged with possession of a prohibited drug believed
to be ecstasy, possession of a knife and offensive language.

All four have been bailed to appear at Downing Centre Local Court on May 9.

AAP kd/jec/

KEYWORD: OFFICER

2008 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Vic: Man dies after falling from roof

AAP General News (Australia)
12-09-2007
Vic: Man dies after falling from roof

A Victorian man has died after falling from the roof of his house.

The 63-year-old man was working on the roof over the verandah at his house in Stawell
.. in the state's west .. when he slipped and fell several metres to the ground .. around
11.15 this morning (AEDT).

Ambos say the man died at the scene after suffering head injuries.

AAP RTV sjm/crh

KEYWORD: ROOF (MELBOURNE)

2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

SA: Schools to get faster internet access

AAP General News (Australia)
04-26-2007
SA: Schools to get faster internet access

ADELAIDE, April 26 AAP - The South Australian government will spend $16 million to
give schools faster internet access.

Education Minister Jane Lomax-Smith said today service providers Telstra and Soul would
roll out the new broadband services over the next few months.

The upgrades would give students easier, more reliable and faster access to the world
wide web and its resources.

"This gives schools a tremendous opportunity to make online learning a big part of
the daily education of students, in addition to learning in the traditional classroom,"

the minister said.

"Faster internet access will make downloading information quicker and online lessons
will be easier for students to view."

Ms Lomax-Smith said faster internet access would be particularly beneficial to schools
in remote area, allowing the faster expansion of virtual classrooms where lessons are
beamed direct to students and teachers.

AAP tjd/cjh/jlw

KEYWORD: INTERNET

2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NSW: Private health care set to boom

AAP General News (Australia)
12-26-2006
NSW: Private health care set to boom

SYDNEY, Dec 26 AAP - Private health care is set to boom following expectations of the
lowest premium rise in six years.

The likely four per cent increase, which equates to $1.50 per week extra on a typical
annual family rebated premium of $1750, will come into effect in April, Fairfax reported.

Health Minister Tony Abbott is putting pressure on healthcare funds, which generated
nearly $1 billion in profits this year, to keep premiums down in the lead-up to the federal
election.

Increases being sought by individual funds are expected to be between 3.5 and six per
cent with the average between four and five per cent.

Membership is expected to grow as health cover broadens in April to include treatments
at home, metal health programs, post-operative care and widens payments for "wellness"

programs for patients with cardiac and other conditions.

AAP sk/it

KEYWORD: PRIVATE

2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

VIC: Main stories in today's Melbourne newspapers

AAP General News (Australia)
08-18-2006
VIC: Main stories in today's Melbourne newspapers

MELBOURNE, Aug 18 AAP - The main stories in today's Melbourne newspapers:



HERALD SUN

Page 1: A teacher accused of murdering US child beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey says he
loved her but killed her by accident.

Page 2: The man arrested for the murder of JonBenet Ramsey was given access to young
children around the world and had visited Sydney in recent years.

Page 3: Leaked documents reportedly show the number of police patrols in Victoria have
been cut despite the government's claims of more police on the beat; Qantas will hit its
international passengers with another fuel levy rise; Schapelle Corby has had two months
shaved off her 20-year drug-smuggling sentence.

World: The plot to blow up jets over the Atlantic was intended to mark the September
11 anniversary, intelligence sources have revealed; Former Paraguayan dictator Alfredo
Stroessner has died in exile; Singer Grace Jones sued by her landlords who say she wrecked
a $3.7m flat in London.

Finance: Coles Myer has emerged as a takeover target, while Bluescope Steel has weighed
into the battle for control of the local steel sector; Qantas plans to tough out the latest
fuel crisis by slashing 1,000 jobs and ridding its balance sheet of loss-making businesses.

Sport: Essendon boss Kevin Sheedy has no plans to place James Hird in cotton wool in
his final AFL season next year; Anthony Koutoufides signs one-year Carlton contract for
$250,000.

More ks

KEYWORD: MONITOR FRONTERS VIC

) 2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: Red tape won't tie up aged care under reforms: Santoro

AAP General News (Australia)
04-11-2006
Fed: Red tape won't tie up aged care under reforms: Santoro

The federal government says aged care won't become tied up in red tape .. under reforms
aimed at stamping out abuse of the elderly.

The workers will have to report physical and sexual abuse of elderly people and have
criminal history checks .. under the plans.

The changes .. which also require mandatory reporting of suspected abuse .. follow
a series of nursing home scandals.

Federal Aged Care Minister SANTO SANTORO says details of the reforms are yet to be
ironed out .. but the sector shouldn't be worried over concerns the changes are confusing
and unclear.

AAP RTV rm/ch/goc/bart

KEYWORD: AGED (BRISBANE)

2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Technology Solutions for the Life Sciences Take Center Stage At BioITWorld Conference & EXPO.

Business/Technology Editors and Health/Medical Writers

BioITWorld San Diego 2002

FRAMINGHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 5, 2002

Next week's event will highlight companies, individuals helping to

speed life sciences discovery and development

IDG World Expo, the leading producer of world-class tradeshows, conferences and events for IT markets, today announced that next week's BioITWorld Conference & Expo will showcase new technology products and services from scores of companies developing solutions for the life sciences. Pharmaceutical and biotechnology professionals at BioITWorld will have the opportunity to explore technology designed specifically for their needs, including storage, data analysis, and knowledge management solutions.

BioITWorld Conference & Expo is the only event exclusively focused on technology tools for the life sciences, providing guidance on how these tools drive efficiences and profitability within pharmaceutical and biotechnology organizations. The event will make its West Coast debut at the San Diego Convention Center, November 12-14, 2002. The exhibit floor opens November 13.

New Products

Exhibitors showcasing new products at BioITWorld Conference & Expo include the following:

Accelrys Inc. (booth 119) will feature the latest additions to its Discovery Studio family of software products, including DS Modeling, a life science molecular modeling and simulation research environment for PCs, and DS SeqStore, which manages, analyzes and visualizes genomic and proteomic sequence data

Acom, Inc. (booth 621) will showcase Securit-e-Doc(TM) 3.0, a server-based software security product that helps healthcare facilities become HIPAA compliant for the transport, storage and management of files or messages over the open Internet, with no client-side software other than a Web browser

geneticXchange (booth 605) will introduce discoveryBuilder, a powerful query building interface for scientists conducting drug research, which allows users to create and run their own ad-hoc queries and link workflows graphically against complex, heterogeneous sources

Humon (booth 332) will introduce Geneassist 1.0, a powerful integration tool for hospitals and genetic clinics to provide the highest level of care for patients by linking genetic findings to existing clinical data

InforMax, Inc. (booth 429) will showcase Vector PathBlazer, which provides a unique capability enabling researchers to build, visualize and analyze biological pathways using metabolic and protein-protein interaction data from multiple sources, for the discovery of novel biological connections

Linux NetworX (booth 526) will feature the Evolocity(TM) Life Sciences Cluster, a supercomputer designed specifically for bioinformatic and genomic researchers, which offers improved performance over traditional supercomputer platforms at a significantly better price/performance ratio

Medidata Solutions (booth 132) will showcase 4sight, an industry leading electronic data capture (EDC) product designed solely for Phase IV clinical trials and registries

MolSoft (booth 625) will showcase ICM 3.0, an integrated, multiplatform suite of software products for bioinformatics, homology modeling, compound screening, flexible docking, protein design and visualization

Personal Chemistry (booth 327) will showcase Emrys PathFinder, a knowledge-based product that enables medicinal chemists to use microwave-assisted synthesis

Ross Systems (booth 609) will launch iRenaissance Validator, an integrated Web-based application for streamlining the validation of materials management, quality control and formula-based manufacturing systems

SciTegic, Inc. (booth 518) will introduce Pipeline Pilot version 2.5, an update to the company's software system that allows researchers to define and automate complex analysis and processing operations on large data sets in real time

Strand Genomics (booth 130) will introduce its end-to-end microarray suite, comprised of Soochika, a data analysis, mining and knowledge management product; Sarani, its oligo probe design software; and Chitraka, a microarray image analysis product

BioITWorld Venture Summit

The industry's newest start-ups will also enjoy the spotlight as they present their business plans at the BioITWorld Venture Summit, hosted by Ernst & Young and IDG Ventures. The Summit offers an opportunity for emerging life science technology companies and venture capitalists to engage each other in an environment that encourages education and networking. This one-day event, taking place on November 13, will include industry perspectives presented by Ernst & Young and IDG Ventures, as well as business plan presentations from pre-selected early stage companies, including Avaki Corporation, Blackstone Computing, Bright Cluster, Callida Genomics, Coprindm, Gene Network Services, geneticXchange, Inc., Incellico and Predix Pharmaceuticals.

Best of Show Awards

The event's top products will be recognized in the first BioITWorld Conference & Expo "Best of Show" Awards, presented in conjunction with Bio-ITWorld magazine. The awards will identify exceptional bio-IT innovations in four technology categories, including Information Technology Infrastructure, Knowledge Management & Collaboration Applications, Informatics Tools & Data and Supporting Applications. Finalists in each of the four categories will be named prior to the event, and winners will be announced in a ceremony taking place the evening of November 13.

Keynotes & Symposia

Attendees will also learn from the top minds in the industry during BioITWorld's full schedule of keynotes, symposia and conference sessions. Highlights include:

 -- "Advancing the Revolution: The Role of Supercomputing and Bioinformatics in Genomics," presented by Dr. J. Craig Venter, president of The Center for the Advancement of Genomics; November 13 at 9 a.m.  -- "The Unique IT Needs of the Life Sciences Community," presented by Howard Asher, director of Global Life Sciences at Sun Microsystems, Inc.; November 14 at 9 a.m.  -- "IDC's State of the Marketplace on the Convergence of Biology and IT," presented by Debra Goldfarb, group vice president of Worldwide Systems and Life Sciences Research at IDC; November 13 at 2:15 p.m.  -- "Organization and Governance of Life Science Informatics - Ingredients for Success," a panel discussion chaired by Dr. Rainer Fuchs, vice president of Research Informatics at Biogen, Inc., with panelists from Accenture, Roche, GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, Aventis and Bristol-Myers Squibb; November 14 at 11 a.m. 

For a full schedule of event activities or for more information, visit www.bioitworldexpo.com.

About BioITWorld Conference & Expo

BioITWorld Conference & Expo (www.bioitworldexpo.com), produced by IDG World Expo, is the largest event to demonstrate how information technology is transforming the life sciences throughout all discovery and development processes. IDG World Expo designed BioITWorld for life science professionals looking to evaluate and understand advanced IT solutions and bioinformatics that speed, store, analyze and interpret the flood of information being produced by the life sciences industry. Visionaries from the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, academic and government markets will convene at BioITWorld to learn how the latest tools, services and training will help revolutionize our health, our environment and our society.

For more information on BioITWorld Conference & Expo please contact Ryan Colby, Product Manager at (508) 424-4811 or via email at ryan_colby@idg.com. More information is also available by calling (800) 560-7612.

About IDG World Expo

IDG World Expo (www.idgworldexpo.com) produces IT-focused tradeshows, conferences and events for professionals seeking world-class education, peer-to-peer networking and one-stop comparison shopping. As the leading IT event management company, IDG World Expo leverages its experience and knowledge of IT-focused events and conferences, enabling technology companies to capture the attention and loyalty of influential buyers. IDG World Expo's portfolio of conferences and events includes Macworld Conference & Expo, LinuxWorld Conference & Expo, BioITWorld Conference & Expo, COMNET Conference & Expo, Integrated Security Conference & Expo and BiometricsWorld Conference & Expo. IDG World Expo is a business unit of IDG, the world's leading technology media, research and event company.

About IDG

IDG publishes more than 300 magazines and newspapers and offers online users the largest network of technology-specific sites around the world through IDG.net (www.idg.net), which comprises more than 300 targeted Web sites in 70 countries. IDG is also a leading producer of 168 computer-related events worldwide, and provides IT market analysis through 51 offices in 43 countries worldwide. Company information is available at www.idg.com.

So they say...(Company Business and Marketing)

"We resisted the 'Do something! Do anything!' approach and therefore did the company no harm."

Janey Place, executive vice president of e-commerce at Pittsburgh-based Mellon Financial Corp., explaining why Mellon has taken a slow, careful approach to Internet adoption.

"I think the services will deliver enhanced value to the customers, but also allow us to focus more on valuable transactions. The customer would rather spend time speaking to somebody about things that they are concerned about, rather than just ask questions."

Matthias Autrata, senior vice president of Chicago-based ABN Amro North America Inc.'s information technology services unit, commenting on how its new wireless services will cut call center costs.

"We believe we'll get some fans, but we're using his network to get to high- end individuals."

Courtney McCashland, executive vice president and chief marketing officer of 1st Virtual Bank, Palm Beach, FL, speaking of Dan Marino and the company's Marino Virtual Bank.

"Limiting the survey to mobile phone users might pass over people who have a great online relationship with their financial institution."

James Van Dyke, a senior analyst with New York-based Jupiter Media Metrix, criticizing a "Mobinet Index" poll that found only 3% of American mobile phone users are interested in shopping via these devices-down from 34% a year earlier. The poll was conducted by Chicago-based consultancy A.T. Kearney Inc. and Cambridge University's business school, the Judge Institute of Management.

Copyright c 2001 Thomson Financial. All Rights Reserved.

Electric Lightwave Reports Financial Results for the Second Quarter of 2000.

Business Editors

STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 8, 2000

Electric Lightwave, Inc. (NASDAQ:ELIX), a facilities-based competitive local exchange carrier, today announced financial results for the second quarter of 2000.

Revenue for the quarter ended June 30, 2000 was $60.6 million, 32% above revenue of $46.1 million in the second quarter of 1999. The company's EBITDA loss declined to $1.4 million in the second quarter of 2000, compared to a $16.7 million loss in the second quarter of 1999, an improvement of $15.3 million. The net loss in the 2000 second quarter was $35.0 million, or $0.69 per share, compared to a net loss of $33.2 million or $0.67 per share in the second quarter of 1999.

Revenue for the first six months of 2000 was $117.4 million, up 39% from $84.3 million during the comparable period last year. The company's six-month EBITDA loss declined to $8.1 million compared to a $39.5 million loss for the prior year period. The net loss for the first six months of 2000 was $70.1 million, or $1.39 per share, compared to a net loss of $68.2 million or $1.37 per share for the first six months of 1999.

"Revenue in every category of our current product mix has grown significantly at solid margins," said Rudy J. Graf, chief executive officer of Electric Lightwave. "We continue to make excellent progress toward our goal of positive EBITDA in the second half of this year."

Electric Lightwave, Inc. is a broadband integrated communications company providing Internet, data, voice and dedicated access services to communications-intensive businesses and the growing e-commerce market. The company owns and operates high-speed fiber optic networks that interconnect major markets in the West and operates a leading national Internet and data network. Headquartered in Vancouver, Washington, Electric Lightwave is on the World Wide Web at www.eli.net. The company is 83% owned by Citizens Communications (NYSE:CZN).

This press release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the statements. All forward-looking statements are only predictions or statements of current plans, which are constantly under review by Electric Lightwave (the Company). All forward-looking statements may differ from actual future results due to, but not limited to, changes in the local and overall economy, the nature and pace of technological changes, the number and effectiveness of competitors in the Company's markets, success in overall strategy, changes in legal and regulatory policy, relations with Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers (ILECs) and their ability to provide delivery of services including interoffice trunking, implementation of back office service delivery systems, the Company's ability to identify future markets and successfully expand existing ones and the mix of products and services offered in the Company's target markets. Readers should consider these important factors in evaluating any statement contained herein and/or made by the Company or on its behalf. The Company has no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect the occurrence of future events or circumstances.

                          Electric Lightwave, Inc.                        Statements of Operations                  (In thousands, except per share data)                                              Three Months Ended                                     06/30/2000  03/31/2000  06/30/1999                                    ----------  ----------  ---------- Revenue:   Network Services                  $  17,173   $  16,004   $  12,983   Local Telephone Services             25,951      24,274      18,600   Long Distance Services                4,265       4,596       9,245   Data Services                        13,231      11,904       5,267                                     ---------   ---------   ---------      Total Revenues                    60,620      56,778      46,095                                     ---------   ---------   ---------  Operating Expenses:   Network Access                       18,294      20,696      23,702   Operations                           13,446      11,575       9,633   Selling, General and Administrative  30,315      31,172      29,447   Depreciation and Amortization        14,721      12,755       8,150                                     ---------   ---------   ---------      Total Operating Expenses          76,776      76,198      70,932                                     ---------   ---------   ---------  Loss from Operations                  (16,156)    (19,420)    (24,837)  Interest Expense and Other             18,556      15,484       8,068                                     ---------   ---------   ---------    Net Loss Before Income Taxes        (34,712)    (34,904)    (32,905)  Income Tax Expense                        246         235         300                                     ---------   ---------   ---------    Net Loss                          $ (34,958)  $ (35,139)  $ (33,205)                                     =========   =========   =========    EBITDA                            $  (1,435)  $  (6,665)  $ (16,687)                                     =========   =========   =========  Weighted average shares outstanding    50,418      50,183      49,822  Net Loss Per Common Share:   Basic                             $   (0.69)  $   (0.70)  $   (0.67)   Diluted                           $   (0.69)  $   (0.70)  $   (0.67)                          Electric Lightwave, Inc.                        Statements of Operations                  (In thousands, except per share data)                                                 Six Months Ended                                            06/30/2000   06/30/1999                                           ----------   ---------- Revenue:   Network Services                         $  33,177    $  23,407   Local Telephone Services                    50,225       32,908   Long Distance Services                       8,862       17,775   Data Services                               25,134       10,221                                            ---------    ---------      Total Revenues                          117,398       84,311                                            ---------    ---------  Operating Expenses:   Network Access                              38,990       48,926   Operations                                  25,021       18,667   Selling, General and Administrative         61,487       56,214   Depreciation and Amortization               27,476       15,144                                            ---------    ---------      Total Operating Expenses                152,974      138,951                                            ---------    ---------  Loss from Operations                         (35,576)     (54,640)  Interest Expense and Other                    34,040       12,847                                            ---------    ---------    Net Loss Before Income Taxes               (69,616)     (67,487)  Income Tax Expense                               481          670                                            ---------    ---------    Net Loss                                 $ (70,097)   $ (68,157)                                            =========    =========    EBITDA                                   $  (8,100)   $ (39,496)                                            =========    =========  Weighted average shares outstanding           50,289       49,812   Net Loss Per Common Share:   Basic                                    $   (1.39)   $   (1.37)   Diluted                                  $   (1.39)   $   (1.37)                          Electric Lightwave, Inc.                   Selected Financial & Operating Data              (In thousands except selected operating data)                                      06/30/2000  03/31/2000  06/30/1999                                    ----------  ----------  ---------- Selected Financial Data  Gross Property Plant & Equipment Owned or under capital lease       $  936,368  $  824,671  $  693,449 Under operating lease              $  108,541  $  108,541  $  108,541                                    ----------  ----------  ----------      Total                         $1,044,909  $  933,212  $  801,990  Selected Operating Data Markets                                    25          25          25 Route Miles                             5,911       5,905       3,128 Fiber Miles                           295,157     293,687     192,213 Buildings Connected On-Net                838         834         795 Switches and Routers:      Internet Routers                      63          62          42      ATM Switches                          23          23          22      Frame Relay Switches                  32          32          31      Voice Switches                         8           8           7 Access Line Equivalents               196,259     180,935     121,516 Access Line Equivalents/Voice Switch   22,526      21,712      17,359 % on Switch                               92%         96%         99% Employees                               1,195       1,182       1,233 Customers                               2,788       2,593       1,961