■ SOFTWARE
Capgemini to use Google
Technology consultancy Capgemini will begin recommending Google Inc's online suite of office software to its corporate customers, bolstering the Internet search leader's effort to drum up more sales to big businesses. The partnership announced on Monday represents the first time one of the world's top technology consulting services has embraced Google's software bundle, which includes e-mail, word processing, spreadsheets and calendar management. Capgemini, based in Paris, France, influences the type of software used on more than 1 million personal computers in companies worldwide. Its major customers include drug maker Eli Lilly & Co and accounting company PricewaterhouseCoopers.
■ STEEL
ArcelorMittal sales to grow
ArcelorMittal said on Friday it planned to increase steel shipments by more than 20 percent from last year to 2012, as it pushes into Latin America, Africa, Eastern Europe, Russia and Central Asia. This will bring annual sales to 131 million tonnes from last year's 110.5 million tonnes. CEO Lakshmi Mittal said worldwide demand for steel is "buoyant." "We are well positioned to capture growth opportunities, which will permit us to increase shipments from our existing operations by some 23 million tonnes by 2012," he said.
■ AUTOMOBILES
Honda to sell Jazz in India
Honda Motor Co, Japan's second-biggest automaker, plans to sell the Jazz or another "premium" small car to boost sales in India, where almost three-fourths of cars sold are hatchbacks. "Whatever we bring here will be part of our global range, it will be a global model," said Jnaneswar Sen, senior general manager of marketing at Honda Siel Cars India Pvt, the local unit. Honda Motor's market share is a 10th of rival Suzuki Motor Corp in India, where fuel efficiency and cost influence buying decisions more than styling, safety features or brand value. Small cars also enjoy tax advantages in India.
■ OIL
OPEC discussing output
OPEC oil producers were to discuss all options for their production policy at their formal meeting yesterday, the Qatari oil minister said. "We will discuss all options," said Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah as he arrived for a breakfast meeting with his OPEC partners. The oil exporters' group had previously been expected to leave its output unchanged, but there are signs that members might bend to the will of Saudi Arabia and increase output. Pressure by the Saudi kingdom has created doubt about the final outcome of the meeting, but investors appeared to be betting on no change, with oil prices higher in Asia early yesterday.
■ BANKING
Lewis buys major stake
British billionaire Joseph Lewis, a magnate who controls more than 170 companies, has acquired a 7 percent stake in investment bank Bear Stearns Cos, becoming one of its largest shareholders. Lewis, who runs Florida-based investment vehicle Tavistock Group, bought 8.1 million shares for a total of US$860.4 million between Aug. 6 and Sept. 7, according to documents filed on Monday with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Bear Stearns shares have fallen about 30 percent since the beginning of the year amid worries related to the crisis in the mortgage markets.
MORE VISITORS: The Tourism Administration said that it is seeing positive prospects in its efforts to expand the tourism market in North America and Europe Taiwan has been ranked as the cheapest place in the world to travel to this year, based on a list recommended by NerdWallet. The San Francisco-based personal finance company said that Taiwan topped the list of 16 nations it chose for budget travelers because US tourists do not need visas and travelers can easily have a good meal for less than US$10. A bus ride in Taipei costs just under US$0.50, while subway rides start at US$0.60, the firm said, adding that public transportation in Taiwan is easy to navigate. The firm also called Taiwan a “food lover’s paradise,” citing inexpensive breakfast stalls
TRADE: A mandatory declaration of origin for manufactured goods bound for the US is to take effect on May 7 to block China from exploiting Taiwan’s trade channels All products manufactured in Taiwan and exported to the US must include a signed declaration of origin starting on May 7, the Bureau of Foreign Trade announced yesterday. US President Donald Trump on April 2 imposed a 32 percent tariff on imports from Taiwan, but one week later announced a 90-day pause on its implementation. However, a universal 10 percent tariff was immediately applied to most imports from around the world. On April 12, the Trump administration further exempted computers, smartphones and semiconductors from the new tariffs. In response, President William Lai’s (賴清德) administration has introduced a series of countermeasures to support affected
CROSS-STRAIT: The vast majority of Taiwanese support maintaining the ‘status quo,’ while concern is rising about Beijing’s influence operations More than eight out of 10 Taiwanese reject Beijing’s “one country, two systems” framework for cross-strait relations, according to a survey released by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Thursday. The MAC’s latest quarterly survey found that 84.4 percent of respondents opposed Beijing’s “one country, two systems” formula for handling cross-strait relations — a figure consistent with past polling. Over the past three years, opposition to the framework has remained high, ranging from a low of 83.6 percent in April 2023 to a peak of 89.6 percent in April last year. In the most recent poll, 82.5 percent also rejected China’s
PLUGGING HOLES: The amendments would bring the legislation in line with systems found in other countries such as Japan and the US, Legislator Chen Kuan-ting said Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Kuan-ting (陳冠廷) has proposed amending national security legislation amid a spate of espionage cases. Potential gaps in security vetting procedures for personnel with access to sensitive information prompted him to propose the amendments, which would introduce changes to Article 14 of the Classified National Security Information Protection Act (國家機密保護法), Chen said yesterday. The proposal, which aims to enhance interagency vetting procedures and reduce the risk of classified information leaks, would establish a comprehensive security clearance system in Taiwan, he said. The amendment would require character and loyalty checks for civil servants and intelligence personnel prior to
RSS