Ub News Press Release

For most people car insurance is the largest insurance expense after health insurance, as rates are high and one pays a chunk of money every year. Yet, you needn’t spend so much on it! You can really save money on car insurance, and there are ways to do it.

First of all, shop around and find out what rates are offered by insurance carriers. You will probably be glad to learn that some insurance company makes a more affordable offer than yours, which will save money for you. Sometimes, switching insurance carriers could save a boatload each year.

Insure4USA.com strongly believes that in times of worldwide economic trouble everyone can have affordable car insurance. “In the course of the financial instability that now is taking place worldwide, everyone deserves a better offer, not overpaying for it,” founder Alex T. stated.

Insure4USA.com suggests choosing an insurer that a consumer is looking for, with free insurance quotes from their local insurance agents, and then the local insurance agents contact the consumer and find out his/her needs. Thus, the consumer can choose the best offer from the received ones.

“Insure4USA.com was created to help consumers in choosing affordable car insurance; we made a list of basic tips that will help to save more than one hundred dollars on car insurance,” Alex T. added.

Insure4USA.com recommends following these tips that will help you to save a bundle on car insurance:

1. Don’t stop at what you have found: try and shop around to find the best offer, however confusing that may be. To narrow down the list of possible insurers (since there are lots of them) just make inquiries about an insurer’s ratings and consumers’ complaints.

2. Car insurance premiums are based upon: a) your driving record (make sure it’s ok), b) type of a car you drive, c) credit rating, d) running costs for repairs, e) general safety record, and, f) the likelihood of theft. For example, cars, having certain safety features such as anti-lock brakes, airbags, and alarms, are considered as more insurable; and make your insurer aware of these features.

3. Think before you buy a car. You may be a keen devotee of expensive sporty cars, but remember that such a car can drive your rates through the roof!

4. Purchasing more than one type of policy with the same insurance carrier (for example, auto and life insurance policies), or taking driver training and/or driver safety courses, etc., may be a good option to save. Find out what you can figure on.

5. Many insurers offer discounts for various things, e.g., for low mileage.

6. If your car is worth less than 2,000 or 3,000 dollars, consider dropping collision and comprehensive coverage.

About Insure4USA.com

Insure4USA.com is an online marketplace that allows consumers the compare insurance quotes from top insurance companies.

Insure4USA.com offers auto, life, health, renters, and home insurance quotes online. For more information, visit Insure4USA.com (http://www.insure4usa.com).

MetricStream to Host a Webinar with Forrester Research on Trends in Enterprise GRC:

Palo Alto, California – MetricStream, Inc., the market leader in enterprise-wide Governance, Risk, Compliance (GRC) and Quality Management solutions, today announced that it is hosting a complimentary webinar with Forrester Research titled “GRC at its Inflection Point: How Risk, Compliance and Internal Audit Will Change Business in 2009” on Tuesday, March 24, 2009 at 10:00am Pacific. The interactive session will feature Forrester Research Analyst, Chris McClean, a thought leader on GRC and related issues of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability.

Those responsible for risk management, compliance and internal audit are being asked to take on greater leadership roles to help their companies weather deep economic challenges. As organizations consider new techniques to succeed in managing risks, compliance and controls, what role can integrated Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) play in meeting the evolving needs of global corporations and the rising expectations of investors, regulators and the board? How can companies adopt a more inclusive approach to audit, risk management and regulatory compliance that extends beyond the traditional focus on controls and guides corporate strategy and decision-making?

The seminar will include discussion on issues such as:

• Creating a GRC program that focuses on business value
• Linking GRC performance metrics to strategic goals
• Managing increasing scrutiny and oversight of business practices
• Supporting role of internal audit
• Reducing GRC cost and complexity

Mr. McClean will be joined by Gaurav Kapoor, CFO and General Manager at MetricStream.

To register for this webinar, go to: http://www.metricstream.com/webinars/webinar_24mar09.htm

About MetricStream
MetricStream is a market leader in Enterprise-wide Governance, Risk, Compliance (GRC) and Quality Solutions for global corporations. MetricStream solutions are used by leading corporations such as Pfizer, Philips, NASDAQ, Sandisk, BP, Entergy, Subway, Fairchild Semiconductor, Hitachi and TaylorMade-Adidas Golf in diverse industries such as Pharmaceuticals, Medical Devices, Automotive, Food, High Tech Manufacturing, Energy and Financial Services to manage their quality processes, regulatory and industry-mandated compliance and corporate governance initiatives, as well as by over a million compliance professionals worldwide via the ComplianceOnline.com portal. MetricStream is headquartered in Palo Alto, California and can be reached at www.metricstream.com.

Media contact:
MetricStream, Inc.
2600 E. Bayshore Road
Palo Alto, California 94303
United States
phone: 650-620-2900
www.metricstream.com
pr@metricstream.com

Fresenius Kabi Oncology, Formerly Dabur Pharma, Selects MetricStream for Quality and Compliance: Bangalore, India and Palo Alto, California – MetricStream, Inc., the market leader in enterprise-wide Governance, Risk, Compliance (GRC) and Quality Management solutions, today announced Fresenius Kabi Oncology as a new customer for its quality and compliance management solutions.

Dabur Pharma, a leading company for cancer research and oncology drugs, was renamed  Fresenius Kabi Oncology after its acquisition by Fresenius Kabi, the leader in infusion therapy and clinical nutrition in Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific as well as in the US, where it is a leading supplier of IV generic drugs. Fresenius Kabi has more than 20,000 employees worldwide achieved sales of € 2,030 million in 2007.

“We are pleased to have Fresenius Kabi Oncology as a customer,” said Shankar Bhaskaran, Senior Director and Head of International at MetricStream. “We look forward to working with Fresenius Kabi Oncology to make this initiative a success.”

Deployed at major life science companies across the globe, MetricStream provides an industry leading platform to drive regulatory compliance and quality management programs through configurable workflows, real-time reporting and embedded best practices.

About MetricStream
MetricStream is a market leader in Enterprise-wide Governance, Risk, Compliance (GRC) and Quality Solutions for global corporations. MetricStream solutions are used by leading corporations such as Pfizer, Philips, NASDAQ, Sandisk, BP, Entergy, Subway, Fairchild Semiconductor, Hitachi and TaylorMade-Adidas Golf in diverse industries such as Pharmaceuticals, Medical Devices, Automotive, Food, High Tech Manufacturing, Energy and Financial Services to manage their quality processes, regulatory and industry-mandated compliance and corporate governance initiatives, as well as by over a million compliance professionals worldwide via the http://www.complianceonline.com portal. MetricStream is headquartered in Palo Alto, California and can be reached at www.metricstream.com.

Media contact:MetricStream, Inc.
2600 E. Bayshore Road
Palo Alto, California 94303
United States
phone: 650-620-2900
www.metricstream.com
pr@metricstream.com

Alexander Ineichen, Swiss asset managers say hedge fund of funds not done yet:

Zurich, March 24th 2009 — Alexander Ineichen, Managing Director and Senior Investment Officer, Alternative Investment Solutions, UBS Global Asset Management, voiced support for the hedge fund and the hedge fund of funds industry at a recent Opalesque Roundtable in Zurich. The Roundtable participants agreed with Ineichen’s comment that the hedge fund of funds model remains “quite strong”.

According to Ineichen, “you can hear right now a lot of people criticizing the fund of funds model. They argue that its hey days are over. However, I have a different view on that. I believe it is mainly fund of hedge funds are in the business of constructing conservative portfolios, not hedge funds.

Hedge funds are the building blocks of a conservative portfolio. With a fund of funds, you have risk management on two levels. The hedge fund manager controls risk on a securities and markets level, while the fund of hedge funds manager controls risk on a single manager level. Given the uncertainty we are discussing, with the markets where they are today – assuming that they normalize somewhat – I would advocate that the fund of funds model is
actually quite strong.”

Ineichen authored UBS’s most re-printed research reports: “In Search of Alpha”, and “The Search for Alpha Continues” and published “Asymmetric Returns: The Future of Active Asset Management” and “Absolute Returns: The Risk and Opportunities of Hedge Fund Investing”.

Opalesque is now publishing the script of the Opalesque Zurich Roundtable. The event took place on February 26th 2009 at Man Group/ RMF’s offices in Pfäffikon and was sponsored by Taussig Capital. Apart from Ineichen, the following experts participated:

Frederic Berney. Chief Risk Officer, Harcourt Investment Consulting
Christopher Brodie, Co-founder and senior fund manager, Krom River
Jaime Castán, Head of Hedge Fund Research, RMF
Uwe Eberle, Head of Institutional Relationship Management, Member of the Management Committee, Man Investments
Prof. Dr. Peter Meier, Zurich University
Jim Mitchell, Senior Managing Director and Co-founder, EWM Global
Dr. Christian Raubach, Managing Partner of Wegelin & Co. Private Bankers
Philippe Pillonel, Managing Partner, Constellation Capital Advisors
Ernesto Prado, Co-founder and Chief Investment Officer, Areca Investment Management
Joseph (Joe) Taussig, Founder, Taussig Capital

The Opalesque Zurich Roundtable can be downloaded here:
http://www.opalesque.com/Roundtable/RoundtableZH.html

This Opalesque Roundtable is with 31 pages the largest Roundtable script ever published by Opalesque. The discussion included various hot topics such as how Sharpe ratios can fool investors, why investors still shun managed futures, a discussion on the value of transparency and risk factors as well as suggestions how to restructure hedge fund fees.

In addition, the experts discuss:
Which strategies and opportunities Swiss hedge fund managers and investors are pursuing in this recessionary environment
That going forward, RMF will be handling close to 80% of US and Europe L/S hedge fund investments via managed accounts
That while managed accounts are the biggest demand from end-investors, this trend could actually exacerbate the problems which may be brewing for the next crisis
How the Swiss hedge fund industry aims to rebuild investor confidence
Where the Swiss regulators failed during the 2008 crisis
That there are already a couple of initiatives within the Swiss hedge fund investor community to get together, and which interests they are pursuing
And share an exemplary story how one hedge fund manager changed the way a mainstream newspaper writes about hedge funds.

The Opalesque Zurich Roundtable can be downloaded here:
http://www.opalesque.com/Roundtable/RoundtableZH.html

All other previously published Opalesque Roundtable Scripts can be accessed here:
http://www.opalesque.com/index.php?act=archiveRT

About Opalesque:
Matthias Knab, Director of Opalesque Ltd, moderates the Opalesque Roundtables. Matthias Knab is an internationally recognized expert on hedge funds and alternatives.

In 2003, with the publication of its daily Alternative Market Briefing, Opalesque successfully launched an information revolution in the hedge fund media space: “Opalesque changed the world by bringing transparency where there was opacity and by delivering an accurate professional reporting service.” – Nigel Blanchard, Culross. This hybrid financial news service, which combines proprietary industry news stories and filtered third party reports, has been credited by many industry insiders with delivering precise, accurate, and vital information to a notoriously guarded audience.

Each week, Opalesque publications are read by more than 600,000 industry professionals in over 130 countries. Opalesque is the only daily hedge fund publisher which is actually read by the elite managers themselves (http://www.opalesque.com/op_testimonials.html).

Opalesque Ltd
nisha@opalesque.com

http://www.opalesque.com

AXIGEN Mail Server 7.0, Push Email, PIM Syncronization and more:

AXIGEN Mail Server 7.0 is now available, introducing a series of features and enhancements such as built-in support for Microsoft® Exchange ActiveSync®, LDAP and Active Directory Synchronization.

AXIGEN ( http://www.axigen.com ), the professional messaging solution vendor, released today a new commercial version of its messaging solution, Axigen Mail Server 7.0. Freshly added features in version 7.0 include built-in support for Microsoft® Exchange ActiveSync®, LDAP and Active Directory synchronization and much more.

- Push email & PIM synchronization (via ActiveSync®) – provides business travellers with instant access to relevant data such as messages, contacts or tasks, enabling them to increase productivity and efficiency.

- LDAP and Active Directory synchronization – makes it easier for service providers to centrally manage customer accounts settings, add new services, deploy centralized security policies etc. The Active Directory Management Console integration provides enterprises with increased manageability of domain accounts and control over group membership, reducing time and costs associated with administrative operations.

To get a full description of all the new features and enhancements introduced by version 7.0 of the Axigen Mail Server, please visit: http://www.axigen.com/new-features/axigen-70b.html

To find out more on AXIGEN’s comprehensive set of mobile email services please read the new “Mobile Email Solutions Using Push Email & PIM Synchronization” whitepaper or join the soon to come live webinar, “Mobility Services for Medium and Large Scale Solutions”

About Gecad Technologies and AXIGEN
Gecad Technologies SA is the vendor of AXIGEN, a professional messaging solution that ensures an efficient and secure worldwide communication environment and business growth for both service providers and companies of all sizes. Our cutting-edge products, based on proprietary architectures such as AXIGENGrowSecure™, AXIGEN SmartProcessing™ and AXIGEN UltraStorage™, are currently distributed internationally by over 170 partners from 80 countries, managing email traffic for more than 11,000 companies with 6 million end-users. For further details, please visit: www.axigen.com

Gecad Technologies
10A Dimitrie Pompei Blvd, Bucharest 2, 020337, Romania
Phone:  40-21-303-2080
Fax:  40-21-303-2081
Media Contact: Alina Popescu, PR Manager, alina.popescu@axigen.com

W&T Offshore is Apparent High Bidder on Four Outer Continental Shelf Blocks in Gulf of Mexico: 

HOUSTON – W&T Offshore, Inc. today announces that it was the apparent high bidder on four Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) blocks in the Central Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale 208 held on March 18, 2009 by the U.S. Minerals Management Service (MMS). The four apparent high bids were on Ship Shoal Block 360, Ship Shoal Block 367, South Timbalier Block 304 and Main Pass Block 284, all on the conventional shelf. Three of the four blocks are near existing infrastructure. W&T Offshore’s investment on the high bids will be approximately $0.7 million, which reflects a 100% working interest. High bids are subject to MMS review and acceptance.

About W&T Offshore

W&T Offshore is an independent oil and natural gas company focused primarily in the Gulf of Mexico, including exploration in the deepwater and deep shelf regions, where it has developed significant technical expertise. W&T has grown through acquisition, exploitation and exploration and now holds working interests in over 148 fields in federal and state waters and a majority of its daily production is derived from wells it operates. For more information on W&T Offshore, please visit its Web site at www.wtoffshore.com.

Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements reflect our current views with respect to future events, based on what we believe are reasonable assumptions. No assurance can be given, however, that these events will occur. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially including, among other things, market conditions, oil and gas price volatility, uncertainties inherent in oil and gas production operations and estimating reserves, unexpected future capital expenditures, competition, the success of our risk management activities, governmental regulations, uncertainties and other factors discussed in our Annual Report on 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008 (www.sec.gov).

    Contacts:
    Manuel Mondragon, Vice President, Finance
    investorrelations@wtoffshore.com
    713-297-8024

    Ken Dennard  / ksdennard@drg-e.com
    Lisa Elliott / lelliott@drg-e.com
    DRG&E / 713-529-6600

RESTON, Va. – Pierre Bennett, founder of Virginia-based LifeSource Foundation, has announced a recent partnership with local Washington, DC ministries to expand his organization’s reach in the DC metro area. The collaborative effort will enable LifeSource to leverage its efforts and further impact the local community. 

“We’re excited to be working alongside other organizations in the area,” says Pierre Bennett, who founded LifeSource in 1999.

“We are committed to reaching all Americans who are struggling with poverty and our growing relationships will give us a greater ability to reach this objective,” Pierre Bennett adds.

The LifeSource Foundation works across the country to tackle poverty by providing housing, offering food, shelter and assisting in job-skills training efforts. To date, Pierre Bennett and his organization have helped countless families across the country.

In addition to the DC efforts, Pierre Bennett has also announced a partnership with a youth ministry on the island of Trinidad. This is significant because it marks the beginning of a growing presence developing outside of the United States.

With a commitment to aggressive growth in the coming years, Pastor Pierre Bennett is currently seeking others across the country who would like to establish partnerships through financial support, volunteer opportunities or community organization efforts.

“We are looking for others with an entrepreneurial spirit that are seeking to touch hearts and change lives,” Pierre says.

For more information, visit http://www.lifesourcefoundation.org or http://www.linkedin.com/in/pierrebennett .

NEW YORK – Most new car buyers need to borrow to pay for a new car, but the mortgage meltdown has tightened available credit, and has also led to dramatically lower new car sales. Despite challenging credit conditions in the auto industry over the past year, carmakers say financing availability has improved in 2009 as banks have received financial relief from the government. So credit-worthy buyers are getting approved.

See video from General Motors (NYSE: GM) at:

http://inr.mediaseed.tv/oneClip_C/?feed=kcMG1XwgFlKrwH79NSKxMQWDoIOY1QAO

The good news, according to Edmunds.com, is that now is a fantastic time to shop for a new car. Most manufacturers are offering great deals, making new cars better deals than many used cars.

To ensure getting great financing options like zero percent offers, or bank or credit union loans, Edmunds advises checking your credit rating before you shop, and make as big a down payment as you can.

Registered journalists can access video, audio, text, graphics and photos for free and unrestricted use at http://www.mediaseed.tv.

2009 New York International Automobile Show Announces 33 Vehicles Scheduled: 

NEW YORK – For over a century, the New York International Automobile Show has ignited the passion and stirred the souls of car lovers with its mix of futuristic concept cars and all-new vehicles, and 2009 is no exception. The Show has already received press conference requests from more than twenty automakers wishing to unveil 33 new vehicles to the media during this year’s press preview on April 8 and 9. 

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090318/NY85720 )

This year’s lineup of world and North American debuts will come from companies such as Acura, Bentley, BMW, Chrysler, Ford, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Jeep, Kia, Land Rover, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Porsche, Saleen, Scion, Subaru, Volkswagen, and Volvo.

“The tremendous number of new vehicle launches and the overwhelmingly positive feedback that we’ve had from all the automakers taking space at this year’s Show is very encouraging. It is not only testimony to the global importance of North America’s oldest auto show as one the most effective marketing opportunities for exhibitors, but the fact that we are at the heart of the nation’s largest DMA for most automobile brands,” said Mark Schienberg, president of the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association, which owns and operates NYIAS.

“We know that the majority of visitors come to make car buying decisions and that auto shows are the only place that they can really compare and research every new vehicle on their own without interruption or pressure to buy,” Schienberg added.

There is also no better place to explain new technology or safety equipment

“I know that during the 10-days of the Show, we will see hundreds of thousands of people comparing models, folding seats down, checking trunk space and looking under the hood of their next new car,” said show chairman John LaSorsa. “In our exit surveys, a majority of those who have previously attended the New York Auto Show say the show has influenced a vehicle purchase they’ve made.”

About the 2009 New York International Automobile Show

Ushering in the latest motor trends, the 2009 New York International Automobile Show will unveil an expansive collection of cutting-edge design and extraordinary innovation. More than four floors of displays from the world’s automakers will feature the newest vehicles and futuristic concept cars. More than 1,000 cars and trucks will be on display. NYIAS is owned and produced by the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association.

Important Show Dates

    Press Preview              April 8 and 9
    Public Sneak Preview       April 10
    Public Show Dates          April 10 - 19

www.autoshowny.com

Ireland’s Avaeon Solutions Selected by Safeway Insurance Group to Automate Policy Lifecycle Functions for Company’s Homeowner Insurance Program:

GALWAY, Ireland and WASHINGTON — Avaeon Solutions, an Ireland-based provider of software solutions to companies in multiple market segments, today announced that it has been chosen by Chicago-based Safeway Insurance Group to provide a comprehensive policy-management system for administering homeowner insurance in Safeway’s home state of IL. Safeway selected Avaeon’s award-winning .NET-based application framework Topoix for its robust architecture which will achieve substantial cost savings over the lifetime of the application. Utilizing the Topoix development framework dramatically reduces source code. This, in turn reduces application development time.

The deal extends a partnership that began with Safeway’s deployment of Avaeon’s Topoix for its Calif. automobile operations in early 2008. It coincides with Safeway’s entrance into the homeowner insurance market in IL.

The news coincides with a business reception today in Washington, DC hosted by Enterprise Ireland, the Government Agency responsible for driving leadership and growth for innovative Irish companies in international markets. The event was one of several associated with a trade mission to the U.S. led by Ireland’s Prime Minister, Brian Cowen.

The successful deployment of Topoix for Safeway’s Calif. automobile operations paved the way for the application’s use by the customer in seven additional markets. The system offers Safeway’s 450 insurance professionals and 2,000 independent producers with an industry-leading system to service more than 250,000 policyholders. The system manages all aspects of the policy lifecycle, including automated underwriting, rating, policy issuance, policy change and myriad additional functions, including regulatory compliance, as well as electronic interfaces to over thirty external systems ranging from comparative raters, banks, fraud detection systems and law enforcement.

According to Safeway’s chief information officer, Donna Jonynas, “Even with two relatively dissimilar insurance products of automobile and homeowner insurance, there is a significant amount of business rule reuse, ranging from simple zip code edits to complex billing functionality. With Avaeon’s solution, we will shorten the development time and end up with a combined application that will have a much smaller code base than a traditional approach. This will result in significant savings to Safeway beyond the initial deployment.”

Avaeon’s managing director, Anthony Derham noted that in addition to providing a feature-rich application, Safeway needed a solution that is highly scalable, secure, and available 24/7/365. “Unless otherwise planned, the currently deployed Topoix applications have never been unavailable since first deployed more than two years ago. This uptime availability was a significant factor in Safeway’s decision to select Topoix as the platform-of-choice for this strategically important project.”

Avaeon also partners with developers using Topoix to develop their web-based applications.

About Avaeon Solutions

For more information on Avaeon Solutions, please visit www.avaeon.com

About Safeway Insurance

For more information on Safeway Insurance Group, please visit www.safewayinsurance.com