He also said that most of the services providers, who relied heavily on government incentives, had yet to achieve international competitiveness. The research report, entitled “Strategic planning & tactical road maps for Malaysian organizations to become leading global outsourcing providers”, revealed that Malaysia’s outsourcing sector still lagged behind in several sectors.“For instance, in the BPO segment, we are still on the mild-side as we have just created a foothold in outsourcing such as for human resources and customer care,” it said, adding that the Philippines was already ahead of Malaysia with multiple outsourcing.

The Obama administration on Monday will propose in its new budget spending billions of dollars to encourage private companies to build, launch and operate spacecraft for NASA and others. The US space agency would buy its astronauts a ride into space just like hopping in a taxi.

The idea is that getting astronauts into orbit, which the National Aeronautics and Space Administration has been doing for 49 years, is getting to be so old hat that someone other than the government can do it. Going private would free the space agency to do other things, such as explore beyond Earth’s orbit, do more research and study the Earth with better satellites. And it would spur a new generation of private companies – even some with Internet roots – to innovate.

But there’s some concern about that – from former NASA officials worried about safety and from congressional leaders worried about lost jobs. Some believe space is still a tough, dangerous enterprise not to be left to private companies out to make money. Government would lose vital knowledge and control, critics fear.

Proponents of private space, an idea that has been kicking around for nearly 20 years, point to the airline industry in its infancy. Initially the Army flew most planes. But private companies eventually started building and operating aircraft, especially when they got a guaranteed customer in the US government to deliver air mail. That’s what NASA would be: a guaranteed customer to ferry astronauts to the International Space Station through 2020.

The White House has said it will be adding US$5.9 billion to the overall NASA budget over five years; Gedmark believes most or all will go to commercial space initiatives.

But it must be noted here that Infosys’ margins rose largely because of a write-back of provisions for doubtful debts and after-sales client support. Adjusted for this, its margins would have dropped by about 80 basis points. Considering the appreciation in the rupee last quarter, Wipro has done reasonably well to maintain margins. One basis point is one-hundredth of a percentage point.

In fact, the firm has improved margins in its core IT services business by at least 300 basis points in the past one year. Besides, it has a relatively large exposure to emerging markets, especially India, which are growing at rates higher than the industry average. Last quarter, revenues from the India and West Asia region grew in excess of 12% sequentially.

Coupled with the strong hiring and the sanguine revenue guidance, it seems like Wipro is on a strong footing. Its valuations, meanwhile, are at around 10% discount to Infosys and at par with TCS’, based on annualized earnings for the December quarter.

The need to improve clinical processes or workflow efficiency, quality of care, sharing of patient record information, reduction of medical errors, access to patient records at remote locations, improved clinical documentation, improved clinical data capture, clinical decision support, containment and reduction of healthcare delivery costs are all valid reasons to consider digitized healthcare solutions seriously.

Benefits of digitized records include perpetual preservation of vulnerable physical documents, easy storing advantages, effortless duplication of data, quick and easy retrieval, easy access, easy portability and sharing solutions, reduced administrative costs, increased information security and control, consolidation of records from multiple sources, minimized storage costs, increased information security and improved organization output and efficiency. Savings associated with photocopy, faxing or using courier services to transport patient information are also achieved by leveraging the internet. Digitized files can also be uploaded to an FTP server, or any other web-based storage site for immediate online retrieval. File protection from possible disasters, such as fire, theft, or water damage, are also all important considerations. Alternate backup copies can be readily created providing multiple tiers of security.

Hospitals, multi-physician practices, solo-physician practices, pharmacies, drug manufacturers, healthcare plans, dentists, assisted living facilities, nursing homes, optometrists, and insurance providers can all benefit. Accessing electronic data is much faster and efficient, enabling instant access to patient information, leading to more accurate diagnosis and ultimately improved healthcare.

Demerg offers a simple and secure range of document digitizing and archiving solutions to convert documents, medical records, archives and images into high-quality digital files. The company offers the easiest, safest and most affordable way to take control of your document imaging and information management challenges, within Goa, India. As an industry leader in document digitization and archiving, the company provides a comprehensive suite of services, including, archival preservation, microfilming and microfiche digitizing, digitization and electronic document processing, high quality digital images from all types of materials and high speed document scanning. Demerg also takes the hassle out of document management. The company can offer pick-up and delivery of your documents, files and images anywhere within Goa, or alternatively, the company also offers easy and convenient, on-site services, at healthcare facilities throughout Goa.

Goodrich Corporation’s (NYSE: GR) ISR Systems business has experienced a number of successes since it was launched at the 2008 Singapore Airshow. Some highlights include, completing two strategic acquisitions – Cloud Cap Technology, provider of low-cost microgimbals and autopilots for the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) market, in 2009; and assets of Recon/Optical, Inc., provider of medium altitude reconnaissance cameras and day/night wide area persistent imaging cameras, in 2008.

Designing, developing and now building the first satellite in the U.S. Defense Department’s Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) program.
Providing the shortwave infrared (SWIR) cameras that helped NASA’s Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) mission determine the existence of water on the Moon;
Seeing the unprecedented success of its DB-110 reconnaissance system in theater and adding more nations to the family of DB-110 users on F-16 aircraft;
Delivering the 500th advanced laser warning system to the U.S. Army for its AH-64 Apache and UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, ahead of schedule.

Tom Bergeron, president, ISR Systems at Goodrich, said, “In the two years since we launched ISR Systems, we have developed a powerful integrated team that leverages its capabilities to better serve our customers. With the strategic acquisitions of Cloud Cap Technology and Recon/Optical, Inc., together with the work on the ORS Sat-1 program, we now cover a much broader spectrum of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. This goes from Space to high, medium and low aerial altitudes, and also ground-based systems. This spectrum of coverage means that our customers have the ability to track, identify, and address multiple challenges of supplying information to the warfighter.

“One of the most satisfying events for everyone on our team has been seeing the success of our DB-110 reconnaissance system operating in Afghanistan on the UK RAF’s Tornado aircraft,” Bergeron said. “The RAF has reported that since the system’s arrival in June 2009, it has proven to be invaluable at helping allied forces find improvised explosive devices, or IEDs. It is well known that the Taliban use IEDs without regard for the innocent children killed or maimed by these devices, so we truly feel a sense of pride when our products can help eliminate this dangerous weapon of terror.

“A competitive discriminator for Goodrich ISR Systems is our innovative ground station that brings a huge amount of intelligence data together for the warfighter into a format that he can use very quickly and easily,” Bergeron said. “This system provides a single version of reality by combining images and data from not only all the Goodrich ISR products but from those of other manufacturers as well. We merge this data in our Intelligence Reference Library to present a full and accurate picture to analysts as well as commanders for both strategic and tactical missions. Our ground station eliminates the ’soda straw’ effect where the warfighter feels he is looking at only small bits of data from a number of unrelated systems. Because the ground station provides a three-dimensional image, the user has the ability to see things like wall heights, valley depths, and other critical information that has not been available up until now.”

“The Rad-Hard BRE440 PowerPC CPU is fully developed, in stock and ready to serve in radiation-rich environments ranging from on-orbit and interplanetary space to nuclear, defense and medical applications,” said Broad Reach CEO Chris McCormick. “With its combination of memory controllers, Ethernet, high speed and low power consumption, the BRE440 chip represents one of the most significant system-on-a-chip advancements for space flight in more than a decade, and is poised to enable a new generation in high-reliability processing solutions. We are currently using this chip on our next-generation GPS receivers and our Mirideon 3U single board computer.”

The device is constructed on Honeywell’s rad-hard HX5000 150nm SOI process and is based on a PowerPC 440 core licensed from IBM. The BRE440 processor design includes on-chip floating point unit, memory controllers, L2 cache, two Ethernet ports, two serial ports, four DMA channels, EDAC controller and PCI interface. Speed is configurable up to 133MHz and is 2 MIPS/MHz.

This achievement is a significant risk-reduction milestone for the company’s small tactical unmanned aircraft system (STUAS)/Tier II offer, the Integrator unmanned aircraft system (UAS). The EFI HFE technology will be incorporated into Insitu’s entire family of UAS.
Introduction of EFI into the HFE is a technological leap in small engine UAS performance, providing overall improvements—especially in extreme temperatures and at high altitudes, including mountainous terrain. In addition to providing accurate fuel metering under varying atmospheric and engine conditions, important engine data and system status are provided by the EFI controller to the ground station. This allows for improved engine performance monitoring and more effective control of the aircraft to achieve mission success.

“Electronic fueling enhances the overall performance and reliability of our unmanned systems,” said Insitu Chief Technology Officer Charlie Guthrie. “We have been researching and evaluating electronic fuel systems for a couple of years, and we now have the key components in place to support this development. This technology will be incorporated into our entire family of unmanned systems.”

The HFE EFI conversion is a field-level upgrade and will be available for existing ScanEagle UAS early in the summer of 2010. This technology is also being incorporated into the development of the Integrator UAS for the STUAS/Tier II program and Insitu’s commercial release of Integrator.

Heavy fuel, a kerosene-based fuel commonly used in jet aircraft engines, is used as a safer alternative to gasoline and is more readily available and cost-effective in theater on both land and sea. Insitu’s HFE aircraft recently logged more than 3,800 operational flight hours meeting the system safety and logistics requirements aboard maritime vessels, while increasing system endurance. The HFE technology was a critical requirement of the U.S. Navy when deciding to place Insitu UAS on DDG-class ships.

Insitu Inc., located in Bingen, Washington, is a wholly owned independent subsidiary of The Boeing Company. Insitu designs, develops and manufactures UAS and provides associated services for commercial and military applications. With a small footprint and expeditionary focus for both land and sea operations, the company’s family of UAS solutions is serving the needs of the global defense community, achieving more than 265,000 operational flight hours and 33,000 sorties to date.

Appoints Matt Lane as Director of Healthcare to Lead Strategic Sales Efforts

Red River, an integrator of information technology solutions with expertise in the public sector and healthcare markets, announced today the expansion of its healthcare practice with the formation of its Healthcare Division. The company has recently hired Matt Lane as Director of Healthcare to lead the division in its efforts to deliver process-driven IT solutions to meet the challenges facing healthcare providers and administrators nationwide.

Red River has been serving the needs of healthcare organizations for several years and has carefully assembled a team of seasoned, healthcare industry veterans to examine provider and administrator processes and recommend IT solutions that streamline workflow, simplify IT management, lower costs and increase mobility. Mr. Lane comes to Red River from InfoLogix, where he managed large healthcare systems in the eastern U.S. Mr. Lane will implement a nationwide healthcare coverage model and will focus his team on quality of patient care and provider enablement.

Red River CEO Rick Bolduc stated, “With the assembly of this Division and strategic new hires, we have the healthcare knowledge, experience and vision to recommend technology solutions that cater to the people and processes organizations have in place. It is our goal to implement solutions that maximize existing investments and streamline provider workflow and offer return on investments that benefit patients, providers, administrators and IT professionals.”

Red River carefully selects its healthcare information system (HIS) vendors and designs IT solutions and integration/rollout plans to meet hospital operations requirements. Red River has achieved the highest levels of certification with key technology and HIS partners in order to best serve its clients. Leveraging the latest in IP and mobility technologies available, Red River is excited to offer true healthcare solutions to this ever important segment of the American economy.

About Red River

Red River is a leading provider of information technology solutions to the federal, state and local governments, higher education and the health care marketplace. Using a consultative approach we address our customer’s expectations to integrate and collaborate on the solution that will provide innovative and practical results. For more information please call 800-769-3060.

Source: Red River

Helicopter Support Inc. (HSI) today announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Goodrich Corporation to collaboratively promote an advanced aircraft maintenance solution to the worldwide rotary aircraft market. HSI is a support and distribution company of Sikorsky Aerospace Services (SAS), the aftermarket business of Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. Sikorsky Aircraft is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. ( UTX).

The Health and Usage Monitoring Systems (HUMS) developed by Goodrich’s Sensors and Integrated Systems business is a series of networked diagnostic sensors that continuously and comprehensively monitors the mechanical performance of the entire aircraft. This powerful system provides real-time data that enhances predictive maintenance.  Integrating the HUMS data with Sikorsky Aerospace Services’ OEM installation expertise and support capabilities enables a breakthrough, proactive maintenance system that lowers operating costs and increases fleet availability.

“Our global OEM expertise, diverse specialties and experience position SAS as the premiere one-stop service provider in today’s demanding market,” said David Adler, President of Sikorsky Aerospace Services. “We are able to sell, support and maintain the Goodrich HUMS, and this full capacity exemplifies the unparalleled value we offer our customers worldwide.”

“We are the leading supplier of Vehicle Health Management Systems to the U.S. military,” said Jan Mathiesen, Vice-President of Goodrich Sensors and Integrated Systems. “Our systems have been validated on multiple aircraft including the Sikorsky BLACK HAWK helicopter, with documented reduction in maintenance time and costs. It’s a natural progression to offer our HUMS systems for international BLACK HAWK helicopter fleets, and we are pleased to collaborate with Sikorsky Aerospace Services and HSI to enable international customers to benefit from the total aircraft care package they can provide.”

Goodrich Corporation is a Fortune 500 company and global supplier of systems and services to aerospace, defense and homeland security markets. With one of the most strategically diversified portfolios of products in the industry, Goodrich serves a global customer base with significant worldwide manufacturing and service facilities.

Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., based in Stratford, Conn., is a world leader in helicopter design, manufacture and service. Its Sikorsky Aerospace Services business designs and applies advanced logistics and supply chain solutions for commercial rotary, military rotary and fixed wing customers. United Technologies Corp., based in Hartford, Conn., provides a broad range of high technology products and support services to the aerospace and building systems industries worldwide.

Source: Sikorsky Aerospace Services