Far EasTone, Disney team up
Far EasTone Telecommunications Co (遠傳電信) yesterday said it has teamed up with the Walt Disney Internet Group of the US in order to better service its customers.
Under the new partnership, Far EasTone mobile phone users are free to download Disney wireless content including graphics and ring tones, said Melissa Chen (陳柔君), a public relations specialist at the company.
Far EasTone, the third-largest mobile phone operator in Taiwan with more than 4 million customers, said it already started to provide the new service on Sept. 1. The Disney content can be accessed through SMS (short message service) codes or a WAP menu on the handset.
The company currently offers more than 5,000 pictures and ring tones for some 40 mobile phone models, said Liang Jin-lin (梁錦琳), vice president of Product Management and Operations.
Transshipments to expand
The Board of Foreign Trade said yesterday it plans to open up the nation's ports for the transshipment of all goods from China to boost business. The government currently allows a limited number of items from China for transshipment in Kaohsiung harbor for other destinations. The board would propose easing trade restrictions on Taiwan-China commerce to allow Chinese products, which are not allowed to be imported to the nation, to pass through Taiwanese ports for transshipment, it said in a statement.
Morris Chang stays silent
Goldman Sachs Group Inc yesterday confirmed a newspaper report that Morris Chang (張忠謀), chairman of the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) has scrapped plans to speak at a Goldman Sachs-backed technology conference on Monday in Shanghai, without elaborating. Local Chinese-language media have speculated that Chang's proposed absence from the gathering in China is aimed to avoid reporters from seeking more information about the company's China investments. TSMC last week said it signed an accord to become the island's first chipmaker in China.
New IPO czar to take over
Minister of Economic Affairs Lin Yi-fu yesterday confirmed that Tsai Lien-sheng (蔡練生), executive secretary of the ministry's Investment Commission, will take over Chen Ming-bang (陳明邦) as new director-general of the Intellectual Property Office. Chen will retire from the current post and Tsai, Chen's successor, will sworn in on Monday, Lin said. Tsai's position will be filled by Huang Ching-tan (黃慶堂), deputy director general of the ministry's commerce department, Lin added.
Starbucks plans more outlets
Local food giant Uni-President Group (統一集團) said yesterday it will open more Starbucks Coffee stores in Taiwan and China to meet rising demand. It has targeted opening 105 Starbucks outlets in Taiwan by the end of the year from 96 stores at present and expanding its Shanghai stores to 30 from the current 27, a group official said. The Starbucks chain operation in Taiwan is a joint venture between Uni-President Enterprises Corp (統一企業), President Chain Store Corp (統一超商) and Starbucks Coffee International with 45 percent, 50 percent and five percent shares respectively.
NT dollar posts gain
The New Taiwan dollar yesterday rose against its US counterpart on the Taipei foreign exchange market, up NT$0.089 to close at NT$34.236. The turnover was US$347.5 million, down from the previous day's US$444.5 million. The unit fluctuated between NT$34.230 and NT$34.319 during the session.
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