Massive Donation of Electrolyte-rich ZICO Pure Premium Coconut Water Aims to Keep Haiti Earthquake Survivors Hydrated and Nourished

Massive Donation of Electrolyte-rich ZICO Pure Premium Coconut Water Aims to Keep Haiti Earthquake Survivors Hydrated and Nourished

ZICO Beverages, LLC is donating more than 10,000 cases (128,000 liters) of ZICO Pure Premium Coconut Water to survivors and relief workers. ZICO Pure Premium Coconut Water, a naturally pure and isotonic liquid found inside young “green” coconuts, contains a variety of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other nutrients. It contains major minerals like magnesium and calcium and is particularly rich in potassium, an essential nutrient; one 8-ounce cup of coconut water has more potassium than a banana.

Hermosa Beach, CA (PRWEB) January 15, 2010

In response to the colossal earthquake that struck Haiti earlier this week and devastated its capital, Port-au-Prince, ZICO Beverages, LLC is donating more than 10,000 cases (128,000 liters) of ZICO Pure Premium Coconut Water to survivors and relief workers. ZICO will be giving through the ONEXONE Foundation, a non-profit foundation that provides global support to people in need of water, food, health care, education and athletic programs. ONEXONE is collecting donations of all kinds, including monetary gifts. To contribute, go to http://www. onexone. org (http://www. onexone. org) and click on “Haiti Earthquake Relief”.

ZICO Pure Premium Coconut Water, a naturally pure and isotonic liquid found inside young “green” coconuts, contains a variety of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other nutrients. It contains major minerals like magnesium and calcium and is particularly rich in potassium, an essential nutrient; one 8-ounce cup of coconut water has more potassium than a banana.

“Our hearts and prayers go out to the people of Haiti. Like the rest of the world, we are using our resources to do whatever we can to help,” said ZICO founder and chief executive officer, Mark Rampolla. “The devastation is incomprehensible, but we do know that drinking water is extremely limited. Coconut water is far more effective in relieving symptoms associated with dehydration than plain water. Its unique chemical composition can rehydrate the body naturally, giving the strength and energy it needs. We encourage others to do what they can to assist survivors.”

According to the World Health Organization, immediate health priorities for the area include the provision of clean water and sanitation. Control of communicable diseases, such as diarrheal diseases and respiratory infections, will be another major concern in coming days. According to Dr. Bruce Fife, coconut water is currently being used around the world to save lives and consumption of coconut water increases the survival rate of cholera victims by as much as 97 percent.*

About ZICO Beverages, LLC.
Founded in 2004 by Mark Rampolla, ZICO Beverages, LLC. (pronounced Zee-co) is the maker of ZICO Pure Premium Coconut Water, a 100% pure coconut water with natural flavor essences. With more potassium than a banana and four other essential electrolytes, low acidity, no fat, no sugar added, and no cholesterol, ZICO is the natural, refreshing way to rehydrate and replenish. The unique processing and packaging system captures and retains the exotic flavor and nutritional benefits of coconut water so you can enjoy ZICO anytime and everywhere. ZICO can be found at leading yoga studios, gyms, natural food stores and gourmet grocers in select markets across the country. ZICO is headquartered in Hermosa Beach, Calif. For more information, visit http://www. zico. com (http://www. zico. com).

*Coconut Water for Health and Healing, by Dr. Bruce Fife

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The Health Insurance IndustryÂ’s Dilemma

The Health Insurance IndustryÂ’s Dilemma

An agent and consumer primer on what to consider when attempting to find low cost health insurance.

(PRWEB) July 30, 2005

In this day and age, it is becoming increasingly difficult for the American public to find low cost health insurance. Individual health plans require squeaky clean health histories, and rates are increasing at unprecedented percentages annually. In addition, there are many plans and brokers that simply donÂ’t fully disclose plan details to the consumer. This leads to many people listening to what they want to hear and subsequently purchasing health plans without factual knowledge of all benefits and exclusions.

How does the public and the broker community combat these obstacles in order to find low cost health insurance? Following are a few ideas that may lead to a better understanding of whatÂ’s involved in the research and decision process:

•Brokers need to periodically attend training seminars sponsored by their respective health carriers in order to keep abreast of the latest health plans and industry changes.

•Brokers should not only focus on the benefits of the plans but also provide understanding of the major coverage exclusions.

•The consumer should work with a knowledgeable professional who understands the plans he represents and can guide the consumer to the plan that best suits his or her individual needs and budget.

•When researching on the internet, the consumer should be aware that many lead generation sources sell the information to a variety of brokers, and that said consumer may wind up being called by multiple agents selling the same plans.

•In most states, it costs the same for a consumer to work with an independent broker as it does if he or she deals directly with a health insurance carrier. Costs of plans are, in the majority of cases, regulated by state law.

•The consumer should understand four major coverage areas of his or her policy: major medical deductible, coinsurance percentage and maximum, doctor visit copays, and prescription benefits as well as be aware of major policy exclusions.

•Basically, the consumer should discuss his or her needs with a broker or representative with whom they feel comfortable and who will provide coverage details in writing prior to the final decision process.

•Finally, the consumer should stay in touch with their broker and periodically evaluate his or her health plan in order to keep costs under control and/or stay aware of any new plan entries in the marketplace.

Obtaining low cost health insurance is a challenging but necessary function in todayÂ’s society. By forming the right partnership, the consumer and the broker can work together to overcome the obstacles and obtain proper and affordable health coverage.

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Numeracy in the Spotlight with the Development of a New Content Theme from Excellence Gateway

Numeracy in the Spotlight with the Development of a New Content Theme from Excellence Gateway

Leading online service for those working in the post-16 learning and skills sector has developed a new content theme to support numeracy.

London, (PRWEB) February 10, 2010

To achieve the ambitious numeracy targets required by the Government, training, resources and support for educators are needed. The new content theme from Excellence Gateway provides background information, links to resources and ideas that will be useful for managers, organisations and educators.

Limitations in staff capacity, lack of numeracy training for teachers, lack of suitable resources and time for preparation challenge the effective delivery of numeracy programmes. However, numeracy can be delivered within a range of contexts and settings as well as in discrete and embedded provision. "Numeracy in the Spotlight" is of interest to all educators and CPD programme coordinators, including those working in the areas of family learning, financial education and health education, as the focus of the theme is on embedded delivery and delivery of numeracy within contexts.

"Numeracy in the Spotlight" includes topics on:
1. Background to numeracy provision and the targets;
2. Using the Excellence Gateway to support numeracy;
3. Assessment and learning;
4. Workforce development and Programmes to deliver numeracy.

Each topic offers useful learning resources (http://www. excellencegateway. org. uk/page. aspx? o=nav-resources) and ideas to help you attain your numeracy targets and deliver effective numeracy teaching. Each of the subsections within the theme provides a brief outline, information and links to resources that can provide you with further information.

For example, Topic 2, offers free resources to support teaching, including : Learning Mathematics in context - part of the Teaching and Learning programme resources, which provide ideas and information on teaching maths within subject and vocational areas; Numeracy learners - which provides a list of websites of useful numeracy resources for use with learners, and Teaching and Learning Mathematics - part of the Teaching and Learning programme, which provides a starting point for maths (numeracy) teachers to engage with other practitioners, providing access to teaching resources (http://www. excellencegateway. org. uk/), CPD, links to research and policy papers.

The Skills for Life (http://www. excellencegateway. org. uk/page. aspx? o=sfl) strategy 'Changing Lives' (2009) made a commitment to provide training and professional development to train and support fully trained teachers to meet the growth in demand for numeracy courses. Topic 4 provides information and resources to support this commitment as well as suggestions for embedding numeracy within family learning, financial education or health education.

Registering on the Excellence Gateway also allows you to use all tools and resources, including:
Over 75,000 pages of relevant and searchable content
Forums and collaborative workrooms
Excellence Gateway TV channel and news services
The Ofsted Good Practice Database

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BIP Opportunities Fund Invests in Tropical Smoothie Caf&#233

BIP Opportunities Fund Invests in Tropical Smoothie Café

BIP Opportunities Fund Invests $4.4 million in Tropical Smoothie Café. Capital infusion to finance buy-back of targeted franchised territories from area developers and to fuel franchise growth ultimately bringing Tropical Smoothie Café to new cities across the country.

Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) May 17, 2010

BIP Opportunities Fund (BIP) announced a $4.4 million growth capital investment into Tropical Smoothie Café (TSC) enabling the company to accelerate its franchise development efforts. The BIP investment will allow TSC to begin the ‘buy-back’ of certain franchised territories operated by area developers providing those franchisees a direct link to TSC’s corporate office support. In addition, the capital infusion will allow TSC to invest in new technologies, personnel and operational infrastructure to significantly ramp up their franchise sales and support efforts.

“Tropical Smoothie Café is not your traditional smoothie concept but rather an attractive quick casual restaurant brand that continues to derive greater than 50% of their revenues from a creative assortment of gourmet wraps, signature sandwiches, flatbreads and salads,” said Scott Pressly, a managing partner at BIP. “Consumers love the mix of freshly made sandwiches and real fruit smoothies. Now we can build the infrastructure required to significantly accelerate the franchise growth of the business and bring Tropical Smoothie Café to new cities across the country.”

“BIP brings so much to the table – experience, contacts and capital in one shop,” said Eric Jenrich, CEO and co-founder of TSC. “With their counsel and resources, we’ve clearly defined our growth strategy and are putting into place the right people and infrastructure to substantially expand the Tropical Smoothie Café brand.”

About Tropical Smoothie Café®
Tropical Smoothie Café® franchises a chain of more than 270 quick casual restaurants in 34 states offering fresh, made to order food and real fruit smoothies served in our unique tropical environment. Customers can taste the bold flavors in our freshly prepared toasted wraps, bistro sandwiches, grilled flatbreads and gourmet salads. We offer breakfast, lunch and dinner and our fresh food and smoothies are the perfect escape from everyday food. We use only the highest quality products including artisan breads, premium meats and cheeses, bold and flavorful sauces, and fresh produce. Our smoothies have always been made with real fruit and our unique combinations are packed with flavor and nutrition. For more information, visit www. tropicalsmoothiecafe. com.

About BIP Opportunities Fund, LP
BIP Opportunities Fund is an Atlanta-based investment firm focused on providing capital and operational support to emerging, high-growth companies. We seek to invest between $2 million to $5 million in companies with revenues up to $15 million. Investments will generally be based within the Southeast but we remain opportunistic to other domestically-based investment opportunities. Industry sectors covered include technology, healthcare, business services, franchising, and specialty finance. Please contact Shawn Welch on 404.495.5233 or visit www. bipfund. com for more information on BIP Opportunities Fund.

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Hays IT Survey Puts Management Skills Under the Microscope

Hays IT Survey Puts Management Skills Under the Microscope

Hays IT has conducted a new survey that reveals many Heads of IT are concerned that their IT departments don't have the right people and technical skills to cope in todays business landscape.

London, UK (PRWEB) January 21, 2009

Hays IT has revealed that more than one in four Heads of IT and Chief Information Officers (CIOs) are concerned that their IT departments do not have the right blend of people and technical skills needed to cope with today's changing business landscape. The information was revealed in a new survey of senior technology professionals conducted by Hays IT.

Leadership and technical knowledge are the most important skills sought by hiring managers, which re-affirms the requirement for individuals who can inspire, influence and motivate. The need for senior and middle IT management to influence decision making and communicate their knowledge to non-technical stakeholders has never been greater, especially in the current climate where cost control and productivity gains are so important.

Over half of survey respondents (54%) cited the ability to simplify IT jargon as the most important skill they are looking for in their senior managers, followed by the ability to apply IT strategy to the benefit of the business, which 40% of survey respondents cited as a key skill. The majority of respondents (59%) agreed that IT has a very significant role to play in business strategy with 44% believing it to be important commerically.

James Lloyd-Townshend, Managing Director of Hays IT, noted: "People tend to automoatically associate strong technical skills with IT professionals. But as our survey shows, people and comminication skills are equally, if not more, important than industry knowledge, particularly at the senior end of IT jobs (http://www. hays. com/it/ (http://www. hays. com/it/)) market."

The abiding message from employers is that IT professionals whose interpersonal skills are not up to scratch cannot simply rest on their 'technical' laurels and expect that this alone will be enough to be offered the IT job for which they have been interviewed.

About Hays IT
Hays IT is part of Hays plc, the global specialist recruitment group. It is the market leader in the UK and Australia and one of the market leaders in Continental Europe. As of 30th June 2008, the group employed 8,872 staff operating from 393 offices in 27 countries across 17 specialisms from engineering jobs (http://www. hays. com/engineering/ (http://www. hays. com/engineering/)) and PA jobs (http://www. hays. com/secretarial/ (http://www. hays. com/secretarial/)) through to nursing jobs (http://www. hays. com/healthcare/Nurse/ (http://www. hays. com/healthcare/Nurse/)). For the year ending 30th June, 2008 the Group had revenues of £2.5 billion, net fees of £786.8 million and operating profit before exceptional items of £253.8 million. The Group placed around 80,000 candidates into permanent jobs and around 300,000 people into temporary assignments. The temporary placement business represented 49% of net fees and the permanent placement business represented 51% of net fees.

PR Contact:
Sarah Swailes
PR Executive
Hays Plc.
Charter House
13 - 15 Carteret Street
London
SW1H 9DJ
020 7222 6543
Www. hays. com

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SolarWinds Expands Orion Network Management Family to Tackle Performance Challenges of Larger Networks

SolarWinds Expands Orion Network Management Family to Tackle Performance Challenges of Larger Networks

SolarWinds' new Orion Enterprise Operations Console and Updated Orion Network Performance Monitor are ideal for administrators of complex, distributed networks. The new additions extend the ease of use and quick deployment benefits of the suite for companies that run large or geographically distributed networks. Available now from the SolarWinds website, Orion v9 and Orion EOC deliver comprehensive fault and network performance management that easily scales with network growth and network monitoring needs.

Austin, TX (PRWEB) July 1, 2008

SolarWinds, a leader in downloadable network management software, today announced new additions to its flagship Orion software family that extend the ease of use and quick deployment benefits of the suite for companies that run large or geographically distributed networks.

The new Orion Enterprise Operations Console (EOC) and updated Orion Network Performance Monitor (NPM) version 9, available now from the SolarWinds website (http://www. solarwinds. com), deliver comprehensive fault and network performance management that easily scales with network growth and network monitoring needs.

As the company network becomes more critical to everyday success for businesses of all sizes, network engineers need to maintain stability and quickly react to issues. Ensuring optimal network performance while managing and troubleshooting the proliferation of new devices is no small task, particularly for administrators of large, geographically distributed networks. The latest Orion offerings directly tackle this challenge without adding to the complexity - users can simply download the software and typically be up and running in around an hour.

"Solutions built to manage networks for companies with hundreds of employees to tens of thousands of employees, in multiple locations, are usually expensive and difficult to deploy," said Kenny Van Zant, chief product strategist. "Our latest additions to the Orion product family deliver on the promise of enterprise-class performance and retain the same easy to deploy, easy to use and easy to afford attributes that are the hallmark of SolarWinds' products."

Orion Offers Holistic View of the Network Performance

The Orion family of products (http://www. solarwinds. com/products/orion/index. aspx) allows network engineers to monitor, collect and analyze data from SNMP and WMI-enabled devices, providing them with a comprehensive view of their network's health. Users can view the real-time statistics and availability of their network from any Web browser, providing a convenient way for administrators to stay up to date 24/7.

The new Orion Enterprise Operations Console (EOC) provides a consolidated command center from which users can monitor the entire enterprise network. Through a single dashboard, engineers can track as few as a hundred to more than several hundred thousand network interfaces, consolidating information from remote Orion servers running Orion NPM and any of its modules. Orion Enterprise Operations Console's WAN-optimized architecture
Enables large scale network monitoring without impacting WAN performance.

Orion EOC, like all SolarWinds' solutions, can be downloaded, installed and configured by any network engineer in less than an hour. Unlike complex framework solutions, this solution is designed to maximize the user's productivity immediately after install without requiring costly professional consulting support and customization.

Easy deployment means that network engineers can begin reporting critical data and updates to executives within hours instead of weeks.

Orion NPM v9 provides enhanced overall performance and functionality as well as the following new features:
Universal Device Poller - Easily collect virtually any statistic available on an SNMP-enabled device, including information stored in device MIB tables. Users can convert and combine the data using the MIB Transformation Wizard to choose how they want to see the data displayed. Intuitive Web Administration - Use Orion's award-winning, intuitive interface to add, delete, and modify nodes from anywhere in the network. The Web-based console allows users to complete a range of node administration tasks, such as assigning custom properties to a node or editing multiple nodes at once.

Pricing and Availability
The Orion Enterprise Operations Console and Orion NPM v9 are available now. Pricing for Orion EOC is $4,995 (USD) for any number of monitored Orion servers. First year maintenance is included free. Pricing for Orion NPM starts at $2,475 (USD) for 100 monitored elements including first year maintenance. For more information, visit SolarWinds Resource Center (http://www. solarwinds. com/resources/) , download a free 30-day evaluation, or call 866.530.8100.

Users can find more information, tips from SolarWinds company experts as well as peer support and perspectives on all of the SolarWinds network management products, including Orion NPM v9 and Enterprise Operations Console at Thwack. com (http://www. thwack. com), the SolarWinds online community site.

About SolarWinds
SolarWinds provides downloadable, enterprise-class network management software that is affordable, easy to use, and guided by a large and growing user community. Focused on the real-world needs of network professionals, SolarWinds products are simple to try, simple to use, and simple to maintain, while providing the power, scale, and flexibility needed by companies of all sizes. More than 50,000 customers from small businesses to the largest enterprises rely on SolarWinds products to take the complexity out of managing their networks. Learn more today at http://www. solarwinds. com (http://www. solarwinds. com).

SolarWinds, SolarWinds. com, Thwack. com, and Orion are registered trademarks of SolarWinds. All other company and product names mentioned are used only for identification purposes and may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

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Metafile Asks Nonprofit Organizations, "Is Your Fundraising Software Fiscally Responsible?"

Metafile Asks Nonprofit Organizations, "Is Your Fundraising Software Fiscally Responsible?"

Charging extra for basic software features at odds with missions of nonprofit organizations

Rochester, MN (PRWEB) July 30, 2009

http://www. ResultsplusSoftware. com (http://www. ResultsplusSoftware. com)] - Metafile, creators of fundraising software (http://www. resultsplussoftware. com/ittrium/visit? path=A1x507x1x79y1x531x1x67) solution ResultsPlus, asks nonprofit organizations: "Is your fundraising software fiscally responsible?" By asking this question, ResultsPlus provides its own answer as it illustrates its total cost of ownership compared to competing providers of fundraising software.

Unlike its closest competitors, ResultsPlus fundraising software from Metafile includes many features typically offered as add-ons. By including features such as volunteer and membership tracking in its cost of services, ResultsPlus has saved some nonprofit organizations thousands in yearly software costs.

"From employees to resources, everything that works for a nonprofit has to be dedicated to the goal of supporting the mission of the organization," states Mark Gerber, regional account manager with Metafile. "By developing and supporting fundraising software at a reasonable price, ResultsPlus is as dedicated to supporting the missions of nonprofits as each of the organizations' employees."

Dollars nonprofits spend on fundraising software, in addition to the time needed for IT maintenance, are resources that are directed away from supporting an organization's mission. Because many nonprofits operate lean, better supporting missions by using as few resources as possible, it is absolutely vital the fundraising software these nonprofits select operates with the same parameters.

ResultsPlus fundraising software from Metafile supports the mission of nonprofit organizations by:
 Charging minimal start-up fees, saving capital in the short-term  Requiring nominal maintenance, saving IT costs in the long term  Offering unparalleled ease-of-use, saving employees time typically reserved for software training and management  Providing continued savings year after year with reasonable annual support fees

"Quite simply, nonprofit organizations depend on fundraising software that is functional and operates effectively with minimal financial and human resources," continues Gerber. "We are proud to offer ResultsPlus to nonprofits as perhaps the most fiscally responsible and functional platform available."

"One healthcare organization switched to ResultsPlus and plans to save more than 27k over the next five years," states Nick Sprau, VP of Marketing with Metafile. "With ResultsPlus you can replace your current software for the price of your annual maintenance; then continue to save thousands every year after!"

Nonprofit fundraisers are invited to view a complimentary demo of ResultsPlus (http://www. resultsplussoftware. com/ittrium/visit? path=A1x507x1x79y1x527x1x66y1x609x1x65y1x60bx1x65y1x7e7x1x8c) by visiting the ResultsPlus website.

About ResultsPlus by Metafile:
For over 25 years Metafile's ResultsPlus has existed as the premier non-profit fundraising software (http://www. resultsplussoftware. com/ittrium/visit? path=A1x507x1x79y1x537x1x67) providing firms like Ronald McDonald House, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, and Habitat for Humanity the tools necessary to readily achieve their missions. Metafile, located in Rochester, MN, provides solutions to firms worldwide. For more information on Metafile's ResultsPlus and a sample of client success stories, please visit http://www. resultsplussoftware. com (http://www. resultsplussoftware. com)

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