Print

Mail

wiki links

World Business Quick Take

■ Computers
Lenovo plans new jobs
Chinese computer maker Lenovo Inc (聯想) plans to add 400 jobs and build offices in suburban Raleigh for its international division, the company announced on Thursday. Lenovo, which became the world's third-largest personal computer maker by purchasing IBM Corp's PC division earlier this year, employs 1,820 workers on IBM's campus in the area. Incentive deals with state and local governments could net Lenovo US$11 million or more if the company meets its job creation goals. The 400 jobs, which will include management, research and sales positions, will pay an average of US$70,000 a year, he said. The first 80 positions should be filled next year before the move is complete, according to Lenovo.

■ Telecoms
UK giant buys into India
Vodafone will invest US$1.5 billion for a 10 percent stake in Bharti Televentures, the flagship company of India's largest private telephone group, the British telecommunications giant said yesterday. After the share purchase, "Bharti Enterprises will maintain a controlling stake of 45.9 percent," a company statement said. Vodafone will buy a 4.4 percent stake from Bharti Enterprises and another 5.6 percent from investment firm Warburg Pincus. "We are entering a relationship with a major company which shares our vision and values and understands as we do the enormous potential of mobile telephony in society," Vodafone chief executive Arun Sarin told a press conference. Bharti Televentures had 14 million mobile phone customers as of September last year and owns the largest network of mobile services across India.

■ Electronics
Free chip repairs offered
Electronics companies are offering free repairs for more than 80 models of digital cameras and camcorders that may contain a faulty imaging chip. The defect, affecting mostly older model products, occurs under hot and humid conditions and leads to either distorted or blank images on the viewfinder or liquid-crystal display, the companies say. The defective chip, made by Sony Corp between October 2002 and March last year, was used in an unknown number of cameras, camcorders and handheld computers. Camera makers and industry analysts say the problem has surfaced in a limited number of cases. Models affected include those made by Sony, Canon Inc, Nikon Corp, Olympus Corp, Ricoh Co, Fuji Photo Film Co, and Konica Minolta Holdings Inc.

■ Electronics
Toshiba's profits soar
Toshiba Corp, the world's second-largest maker of flash-memory chips used in cell phones and music players, said second-quarter profits rose 46 percent because of growing demand for the semiconductors. Net income gained to ¥23.6 billion (US$204 million) in the three months ending Sept. 30, from ¥16.2 billion a year earlier, the company said today in a statement to the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Sales rose to ¥1.601 trillion from ¥1.534 trillion. "Toshiba expects a ¥100 billion operating profit from its chip business in the current fiscal year," Sadazumi Ryu, a vice president, said at a news conference. The company in April had forecast a ¥75 billion profit from chips. For the first half, Toshiba's memory business maintained a 10 percent operating profit margin.

This story has been viewed 1347 times.