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2014年2月27日 星期四

Five Questions with DuPont CEO Ellen Kullman

Ecocentric

Five Questions with DuPont CEO Ellen Kullman

DuPont has long been known as a chemical company, but Kullman is shifting the 211-year-old corporation towards innovation and agriculture
140129-ellen-kullman-dupont
Tomohiro Ohsumi/Bloomberg via Getty Images
CEO Ellen Kullman has transitioned DuPont towards high-tech agriculture
There’s never a bad time to be named CEO of a Fortune 500 company, but when Ellen Kullman took over the 211-year-old DuPont at the beginning of 2009, things could have been better. The global economy was tanking, sales were dropping and the future was hazy. Fast forward five years later, though, and DuPont is surging. Kullman has transitioned the company away from some of its traditional fields—including the performance chemicals business, best known for its nonstick frying pans and paints—and towards higher growth sectors in high-tech agriculture and nutrition. That shift has worked so far—last month DuPont announced that its fourth-quarter profits had doubled on the back of brisk sales of high-tech seeds and pesticides. I spoke recently with Kullman about the changes at one of America’s iconic companies, the global demographic shifts driving them and the big business of feeding the world’s 7 billion-plus people
TIME: You have been spinning off some business, investing in new ones. How do you see the company changing and what is driving those changes?
Kullman: I started right in the midst of the global financial crisis, so volumes were falling, and the world was not a very secure place. That gave me an opportunity to reflect on the portfolio, to reflect on how science was making a difference for us, how we were connecting to the market. We evolved to a strategy that is focused on science, and ag and nutrition, extending our advanced materials area and then really bringing to life areas like industrial biosciences that I was engaged in over a decade ago.
(MORE: Industrial Farming Slows Climate Change?)
The more I travel around the globe, the more I’m convinced that this strategy is going to lead to higher growth, higher value, greater shareholder value, because of the amount of change that is going on in the world today. We started in sustainability 20 years ago. That’s three CEOs ago. Basically then it was all about footprint reduction. You think about it now with the stressors on the world, sustainability is really important for the future of civilization, if you think about the climate, if you think about food and energy. And we think science can play a huge role in solving some of these problems, in a way that creates shareholder value. We’re much more energy efficient today than we were a decade ago, and we saved billions of dollars by not spending it on energy. But more importantly we can help airframe manufacturers lighten their vehicles or planes, and get higher efficiency out of the energy they’re using. We can help farmers utilize water much more efficiently, like through our AquaMax product, to increase yields in water stressed conditions
TIME: When it comes to ag and science and technology, and especially when it comes to biotech, you see different levels of public acceptance in different countries. How do you deal with the concern people might have for the impacts of bioscience agriculture, which is so basic to human life?
Kullman: I’m believe that countries and people make choices for themselves about what science they accept or don’t accept. And it should be fact based, so they understand [the science] and make those decisions. We as a company need to be relevant whether they choose to utilize the technology or not. I believe in the science. When you think about GMOs, I spend a lot of time on them, and I understand them. But I understand that my telling people on faith may not carry the day. They need to see it, understand it, [and we need to] arm them with facts, educate them, and let them make their choices.
We have a large business in agriculture in non-GMO seed in Europe [where GMO technology is less accepted]. We’ll be relevant there, regardless of the technology choices they make. We’ll ensure that they have the right studies and tests done to help that.
TIME: How do you deal with the differing regulation on this issue around the world, on biotech and on things like biofuel, where policy has a big impact on how the business grows?
Kullman: We are operating in an increasingly regulated world. We would certainly love to see a more harmonized regulatory environment around the world, to see that getting something approved in India is the same as getting it approved in America or China. That’s just more efficient. But I do think that we do have to participate in the process from a regulatory standpoint. We workwith different governments around the world to share information and to inform them, so when they consider laws and regulations, they do so from a standpoint of data and information that helps them make the right decision.

(MORE: Can Urban Beekeeping Stop the Beepocalypse?)
TIME: Within agriculture, you mentioned this enormous demand coming from parts of the developing world, and this yield gap, between what farms can do in Iowa versus farms in places like eastern Europe or sub-Saharan Africa. Is the aim eventually that farming in those parts of the world will come to resemble farming in America, or will there still be regional differences?
Kullman: Food is phenomenally local, and there are cultural differences that you have to comprehend. We need a common language, because people talk about this area in so many different ways. In the fall I was in an area in northeast China, above North Korea, part of the corn belt there. You drive along a road and you’re seeing an area that looks damn close to what you might find in the rolling hills [of Iowa], and then you find out the corn is all hand sown and hand harvested. That each farmer owns or gets the ability to farm a certain number of mous—about a tenth of an acre. And you go sit with a farmer or a family and you talk about farming, and they’re doing pretty well under their historic methodology in farming that is very labor intensive. But they know that has to change, and they know they need to mechanize. And that is very different there than what you’d find in India, or in Tanzania. It will always be different, but there’s a big gap that can be crossed from a productivity standpoint in agriculture that shouldn’t be lost on us. And I think it creates huge economic opportunity in places like sub-Saharan Africa, as farmers go from subsistence farming to farming with an income.

TIME: You mentioned sustainability as a big part of what you do. That word has a lot of different meaning for a lot of different people. When you say sustainability, what does it mean? Is it just efficiency or does it go beyond that?
Kullman: Sustainable means selecting for a long time, so [what you produce] can withstand the rigors of the world, while allowing the environment to continue to be plentiful and grow. I think that whole area is evolving greatly, and as the regulatory environment changes, people become concerned about how the future looks, and the part that each of us plays. There’s real opportunity. Think about cellulosic biofuels. First generation biofuels are in use, but what’s really sustainable are second or third generation biofuels that utilize plant waste and things like that. This is an area that is not just something to do to create real value for our customers and for our company going forward. We don’t have all the answers but I think there’s a lot of opportunity there.
(MORE: Can Urban Beekeeping Stop the Beepocalypse?)

林肯的治國之道 /Ten Ways to Judge a President ./回顧過去尋求指導、大膽表達、開懷大笑、立場堅定、廣結同盟

努力追求歷史地位的總統,必自侮之Ten Ways to Judge a President

 
林肯選集 北京:商務
2014年 02月 26日 07:20

林肯的治國之道



Richard Brookhiser
Richard Strauss/Smithsonian
圖為美國總統亞伯拉罕‧林肯于1865年4月14日在福特劇院(Ford's Theater)被暗殺那晚所戴的高頂禮帽,現在被存放在史密森尼學會(Smithsonian Institution)。林肯曾說:“在這個國家,民意就是一切。”

他 之前幾乎任何一位總統相比,亞伯拉罕‧林肯(Abraham Lincoln)都沒有多少領導經驗。喬治‧華盛頓(George Washingto)和安德魯‧杰克遜(Andrew Jackson)曾當過將軍,其他一些總統曾出任過州長,所有南方總統都擁有過種植園。他們經營過機構,管理過人。相比之下,林肯在就任總統前只擔任過州 議員、一期國會議員以及一個由兩人組成的法律公司的高級合伙人。他常將自己最重要的文件藏在帽子中。

但林肯極其出色地完成了總統的職責,因此常常被歷史學家評為最偉大的總統。

當然,另外有所幫助的一點是,他是美國最偉大的作家之一,無疑也是有史以來入主白宮的最偉大的作家(杰斐遜在其鼎盛時期可與之相當,但范圍更窄一些)。除去這些非凡的才能,林肯還有哪些行事準則可以用來指導后來的繼任者們呢?

援引先例。林肯在做律師時就非常注意先例。而小時候,林肯和他精力充沛、不好讀書的父親關系一直不太密切,因此一直在尋找父親角色的替代者。在美國的開國元勛當中,他找到了先例和可以尊敬的人。

林 肯的事業成熟期——從1854年廢除《密蘇里妥協案》(Missouri Compromise)至1865年去世——還有其它一些事情,都是他證明自己在奴隸制問題上和那些開國元勛們站在同一立場上的一個長期努力的過程。(林 肯希望奴隸制得到遏制并最終被消滅;他這樣說過,那些開國元勛們也這樣說過。)1854年在皮奧里亞(Peoria)長達三個小時的演講中,林肯首次說出 了這個想法,并對這一主題進行了反復強調;在1858年和伊利諾伊州民主黨人史蒂芬‧道格拉斯(Stephen Douglas)辯論時他又再次重申了這個觀點;1860年他受邀在紐約庫珀聯合學院(Cooper Union)發表演講,演講中有一半都是在證明,“我們的開國元勛,那些創建了我們現在這個政府的人”是贊同他的。他說道:“國父們將奴隸制定性為不可再 繼續的惡行,讓我們再次重申這一點。”

林肯希望將自己包圍在開國元勛們的光環中——也希望這種關聯能為自己鍍金——并且認為他們在人性、自由和平等這些問題上一直是正確的。他希望與他們站在同一陣營,也希望他們能夠為己助力。

表述自己的觀點。王 國和帝國的歷史常常就是宮廷史——誰對誰說了什么悄悄話。令人沮喪的是,許多現代政治報道也是如此:誰賄賂了白宮幕僚長?那個參議員是如何得知此事的?如 果記錄太陽王(Sun King)的凡爾賽宮的聖西蒙(Saint-Simon)依然在世,他會就此開個專欄或脫口秀。
The Granger Collection
回顧過去:1860年喬治‧希利(George Peter Alexander Healy)為林肯畫的一幅肖像。
林 肯會在必要的時候玩內部戰,進行交易,操控同事。但他明白,民主國家最終并不是靠這些小伎倆來統治的,而是由人民來統治的。他曾在1859年直白地說過: “在這個國家,民意就是一切。”那意味著,一切都要依靠爭取、引導和培養民意。反過來,這也要求領導者將自己展示出來。當然,如果他們的論點清晰,他們的 執政綱要易于理解,也會助其一臂之力。但即使是最杰出的哲人政治家也必須明確表述自己的觀點。

幽默的力量。林肯有一肚子的 笑話和故事,其中還有些黃色笑話。對于那些他覺得自己不能立刻滿足的人,他常常通過講笑話和故事來轉移其注意力。他的伊利諾伊州密友倫納德‧斯韋特 (Leonard Swett)在回憶起林肯1860年贏得共和黨提名后在該州斯普林菲爾德(Springfield)接待訪客的經歷時說:“他給他們所有人講了個故事,然 后其它什么都沒說,就送他們走了。”

但林肯的幽默是更深層次的,是為了使方方面面達到平衡。他最喜歡的一個笑話——他最后一個法律搭檔威 廉‧赫恩登(William Herndon)說他“時不時”聽到林肯講起它——是關于一個大膽、聰明的家伙在一個聚會上切火雞時放了個屁的故事,而這個屁響到所有人都能清楚地聽到。 笑話中的主角最后還是想方設法切完了火雞。

但笑話中滑稽的情境、粗俗的轉折,足以提醒林肯和他的聽眾:生活總是充滿了意外和(更糟的)尷尬。沒人應該為此而驚訝、悲傷,或是感覺受到了侮辱;你應該做的就是繼續前行,如果可以的話,繼續保持信心和活力。對于充滿挫折和危機的政治生涯來說,這是非常重要的一課。

原則第一。林 肯成長于一個主要政黨,但這個政黨的生命力卻不及他長。輝格黨是19世紀30年代早期為了對抗安德魯‧杰克遜(Andrew Jackson)而成立的一個政黨。安德魯‧杰克遜將托馬斯‧杰斐遜(Thomas Jefferson)和詹姆斯‧麥迪遜(James Madison)的民主共和黨轉變成了今天的民主黨。杰克遜很有個性——好斗而且容易激動——但他也有原則:小政府、維護普通人的利益(后者現在依然是民 主黨人的一個口號)。

輝格黨有自已形象鮮明的領袖——亨利‧克萊(Henry Clay)和丹尼爾‧韋伯斯特(Daniel Webster)——以及原則:他們希望有中央銀行、保護性關稅和經濟發展。但那個時代并沒有善待輝格黨和他們的原則。在1832年至1833年的拒行聯邦法危機(Nullification Crisis)后,克萊自己取消了保護性關稅;美國第二銀行(Second Bank of the United States)的營業授權在1836年過期后也未能再獲得延長。輝格黨退而求其次,試圖通過推選戰爭英雄來贏得總統選舉。其中兩人——威廉‧亨利‧哈里森 (William Henry Harrison)和扎卡里‧泰勒(Zachary Taylor)——分別于1840年和1848年獲選總統。但第三位,溫菲爾德‧斯科特(Winfield Scott)在參加1852年總統大選時敗下陣來。輝格黨大勢已去。

但一個新的問題開始困擾大家。前輝格黨議員、林肯的第一個法律合作伙 伴同時也是導師的約翰‧斯圖爾特(John Stuart)有一天對他說:“林肯,最后的時刻已經來臨,我們得要么成為廢奴主義者,要么成為民主黨人。”林肯回答道:“我已經想好了,我相信在奴隸制 問題上,折中方案是行不通的。”

林肯曾經置身于一個將奴隸制問題擯除在原則之外的政黨中。他不會再重蹈覆轍。1860年,他在庫珀聯合學院演講結束時向他的共和黨同仁們發出了響亮的訴求:“讓我們相信,正義產生力量。讓我們懷著這種信念,勇于像我們所相信的那樣,將職責履行到底。”

廣結同盟。原則并非脫離現實的東西,它們需要能將其付諸實現的人。林肯為此廣結同盟。

這 也是需要一個新政黨的部分原因。共和黨于1854年至1856年間合并而成,黨內有長期的廢奴主義者、輝格黨人、民主黨人和一無所知黨(Know Nothings)人(他們討厭奴隸制,但對移民的厭惡只比對奴隸制稍微少一點點)。林肯和有著各色背景的人合作。他還和有著不同性格的人合作。他的國務 卿威廉‧H. 蘇厄德(William H. Seward)親切幽默。他的財政部長薩蒙‧P. 蔡斯(Salmon P. Chase)手腕利落,并且總是一而再再而三地提請辭職。他的第一任戰爭部長西蒙‧卡梅倫(Simon Cameron)在道德上倍受挑戰(林肯曾使他免于一項國會調查)。

多麗斯‧卡恩斯‧古德溫(Doris Kearns Goodwin)在研究林肯的內閣時創造了一個詞語“對手團隊”。這樣說也許更恰當:林肯忽視敵對的一面,而將精力集中在自己和這些常常才能出眾、頗具爭 議之人的共同點上。林肯在1854年皮奧里亞演講中闡述了他的經驗法則:“和任何站在對的一方的人站在一起。當他正確時,和他站在一起;當他錯誤時,與他分離。”

回顧過去尋求指導、大膽表達、開懷大笑、立場堅定、廣結同盟。對林肯有用的東西也許對你也會有所裨益。

(本 文作者是Basic Books出版的《詹姆斯‧麥迪遜》(James Madison)以及Free Press出版的《國父:重新發現喬治‧華盛頓》(Founding Father: Rediscovering George Washington)的作者。)

2014年2月24日 星期一

大數據處理的局限 (約翰•凱)

大數據處理的局限英國《金融時報》專欄作家 約翰•凱
週一,法國南部又在下雨(編者註:此文英文發表於2月11日)。
不過,此前一天卻是晴天。
上週三也很乾燥,但隨後的周四到週六差不多一直在下雨。
讓人稍感安慰的是,對於暴風雨和晴天之間的時間間隔,幾天前就已有了精確的預報。這正是我為何在周一而不是前一天寫這篇專欄文章的原因。如今天氣預報的準確性已經大大改善了。
英國廣播公司(BBC)再一次公佈了其歷史上最糟糕的那次天氣預報。 1987年,邁克爾•菲什(Michael Fish)曾在電視上向觀眾保證,颶風即將到來的謠言是毫無根據的。然而,幾小時之後,幾十年不遇的大風席捲了整個英國,掀翻了各地的屋頂,吹倒了許多大樹。
不過,現在出現這種烏龍的可能性小多了。短期天氣預報是大數據領域的一項巨大成就——也許是最大的一項成就。超級計算機提供了大數據處理的機遇,其所處理數據集合的規模和復雜度都令人難以置信。據我所知,最新的超級計算機能處理1EB(艾字節,指2的60次方字節——譯者註)的數據,大約是我手頭這台蘋果公司(Apple)的Mac機處理能力的2000萬倍。英國氣象局(British Meteorological Office)聲稱,比起菲什那個年代最成功的預報,如今的三天期天氣預報和當時的一天期預報一樣準——不過,要想描述預報能力的提高程度,這可能不是一種最令人信服的方式。
然而,一個依然存在的事實是,預報時間提前得越多,預報準確度下降得越厲害。天氣預報人員能向我們提供今明兩天足夠準確的預報。對於更長時間,他們仍然不能準確預報。兩者之間形成了鮮明對比。比如,今年冬天異常的天氣狀況就在預料之外。
預報短期的天氣狀況是可能的。這是因為從某種意義上說,決定明天天氣狀況的多數因素已經出現了。如果你去YouTube網站上看看菲什那次災難性預報的視頻,你會在他給出的圖上看到引發1987年颶風的超低氣壓區。當時的預報員只是在分析現有數據時出了錯。只要提高分析能力,這種錯誤出現的可能性就會降低。不過,如果你預測的時間更提前一些,你會遭遇一個難以應對的問題:在非線性系統中,如果初始條件發生細微變化,時間過得越久,結果發生的變化就越大。在這種情況下,對初始狀況了解得不夠全面根本就和一無所知是一回事。
這個道理在很大程度上對經濟和商業領域也是適用的。就像明天下不下雨或1987年颶風的問題一樣,對於明天的國內生產總值(GDP)將是多少的問題,答案或多或少已經擺在了那裡:明天的產品已在生產之中,明天的商品已擺上貨架,明天的業務已安排妥當。大數據處理將有助於我們分析這類信息。借助大數據處理,我們將更準確、更迅速地知道GDP是多少,我們將能更成功地預測下季度的產出,我們的前景預測需要調整的次數將會更少。
在大數據處理的幫助下,對沖基金經理人將能在英國國家統計局(Office for National Statistics)自己都不知道統計數字之前,準確預測出他們將發布什麼樣的數據。實現這一目標能為他們自身帶來極大的盈利能力,但對社會來說沒什麼用。大數據處理能令他們得到非常全面的信息,其全面性不亞於​​英國央行貨幣政策委員會(MPC)調整利率時手頭持有的信息。不過,大數據處理無法幫助他們了解貨幣政策委員會將做出何種決策。也無法幫助他們了解美國財政部長漢克•鮑爾森(Hank Paulson)和雷曼兄弟公司(Lehman Brothers)首席執行官迪克•富爾德(Dick Fuld)對於該行即將出現的破產將如何應對。
大數據有助於我們理解過去和現在。然而,它能在多大程度上幫助我們理解未來,要取決於未來在多大程度上通過某種相關性被包含在現在之中。這種相關性要求事件背後的運轉機制恆定不變。對於部分物理過程來說,這一原則是成立的。而對於這個包括了希特勒(Hitler)和拿破崙(Napoleon)、亨利•福特(Henry Ford)和史蒂夫•喬布斯(Steve Jobs)的世界來說,這一原則永遠都不成立。在這個世界裡,那些做出重大決策或發現的過程擁有先天的不可預測性,也無法進行定量描述。
在這個世界裡,少一枚釘子也能輸掉一場戰爭,問題描述中的細微差別也能導致大相徑庭的結果。對於這樣的世界,以上原則也是不成立的。不過,在大數據處理的幫助下,我知道明天將再一次陽光普照。
譯者/簡易

科技部: 無給職審議會委員

國科會走入歷史 科技部設"審議會"


國科會最後一次委員會
3月3號將升格為科技部的行政院國家科學委員會,今天(24號)召開最後一次委員會議,並通過「科技部科技發展計畫及預算審議會」規畫草案,負責國家型等科技計畫的評量考核及預算審議。


行政院國科會3月3號將升格為科技部,在國科會最後一次委員會後記者會上,副主委孫以瀚表示,斟酌之前國科會委員會審議國家科技發展計劃與預算的功能,未 來科技部將仿照目前委員會形式,成立不具法定職掌、任務的審議會,功能和現行的委員會相仿,也就是將來各部會和科技相關的計畫案都送來科技部審查,由審議 會進行計劃案的審核與科技預算的審議,確定後再送往行政院科技會報做最後核定。至於對學界的學術研究補助,將來依舊是以綜合規劃司為收件窗口,交由各學術司審查,之後由科技部內部的業務會議審議並核定補助經費。


科技部未來成立的審議會,將設置14至16人,除科技部長及科技政委為委員及共同召集人,其餘委員包含中研院院長、經濟部、衛福部、農委會、教育部、交通 部、主計總處等機關首長及學者專家。審議會委員任期為2年,為無給職,原則上每3個月由科技部長召開一次會議。主要任務包含了政府科技發展計畫的規畫及協 調、政府科技發展計畫(含國家型科技計畫)的評量考核、科技預算的審議、科技白皮書及全國科技會議議題的審議,以及其他經科技部長核定提會或委員提案的審 議事項。

(2014-02-24 17:02:21 林宜箴)






2014年2月22日 星期六

馬上辦理比「得來速」 報案更重要


法國警局「得來速」 報案像點餐

(取自英國每日郵報網站)
〔編譯陳伃軒/綜合報導〕位在坎城附近的法國小鎮勒卡內(Le Cannet)設立法國第一座「得來速」警察局,讓報案手續和在速食店「得來速」購買餐點一樣便利,不需離開自己的車子就能完成!
靈感來自身障報案亭
「得來速」警察局的點子來自鎮內負責安全和犯罪預防的薛奇,他認為原本針對殘障人士設置的警局報案亭,可以開放給大眾使用,同時受理多種行政業務,加速行政程序和資訊匯集速度。
這個擁有3公尺寬大窗戶的「得來速」警察局夜間也不會休息,民眾可利用無線電對講機進行報案。這項新設施仍在裝修,目前尚不知啟用時間,「得來速」警察局的構想也將被推廣至鎮上其他地區。


2014年2月21日 星期五

Sony 高層語出驚人:2015年全球裁員5000人.......績效考核毀了索尼!2007.1/大學間的學習



2014年2月6日,脫下產品發表會上的休閒裝扮,索尼(Sony)社長平井一夫換上西裝,在記者會上宣布了2014年的三大改變:索尼將出售旗下個人計算機品牌Vaio,將電視部門獨立為全資子公司,並且在2015年全球裁員5000人……

Sony 高層語出驚人:績效考核毀了索尼!2007.1

2014年2月19日 星期三

『醜聞』如何不再是新聞



『醜聞』如何不再是新聞
周日開會,我提到董事會與校方之間的不信任,譬如說, 201311月某監事跟我說,以前農牧場每年虧數千萬,經董事會找人主持,轉虧為盈。
與會者多知道,這是約20年前的老故事,認為不應該再用這當藉口 (又據說,此事是某常務董事的偉業;此監事是此偉大的董事之同學)
現在我們要問;醜聞如何不再是董監事或校友等人口中的新聞呢?
一種可能就是讓『醜聞』公開,成為個案,而不再是某些人可利用,或可津津樂道的珍藏版故事。

『綠色博雅』口號的兩難

 hc『綠色博雅』口號的兩難

不相信校方的『綠色博雅』口號的校友,如何自處呢?
我就是不相信『綠色博雅』口號 (可美其名為vision)的人。
一個月前,我發現自己陷於兩難: 你愛東海,卻不愛東海的代表人的治校方針。
這種惱人的事可能經常發生。譬如說今晨袁祝平學長邀我下月台北校友會的餐會。 (1000元不是問題的) 他還說有長官會來詳細解釋什麼greeEn……等於是交錢去受刑。
所以, 有什麼不禮貌的事,請學長諒解。 (我在16日的東海大學開《我看東海校園的發展》座談會已說過, 讓蔡副校長臉色不太好……)

 ***** 我請教徐錚教授,這兩難有何解法?
他的回答: 


You know how to handle this dilemma better than I can. I would try either to focus on some specific issues/aspects of the university (a kind of "functional" attitude) or to keep an arm's distance to the university administration, including their PR activities.
 
I always believe that we can have only two approaches to the problem of Tunghai: 1. fine-tuning, one issue and one step at a time (bottom-up), and 2. transforming vision and big drive (top-down). 『綠 色博雅』does not seem to be either - I don't know what pressing issues (e.g., student-faculty ratio) it addresses, and what transforming strategies it bestows (e.g., developing the under-used land assets and integrate/expand the core campus)? Without concrete and compelling substance, it could destine to be only a 口號 - a buffer to protect the administration and shield off criticism? 
 
This slogan does have one immediate effect: it distinguishes for the administration who are friends and who are foes. If one does not embrace it, then not only one could feel aliened (like you), but one could also be kept at an arm's distance by the administration.
 
Thanks for sharing pointers. I will find time to read them as soon as I can.  


2014年2月17日 星期一

大學出版社的資訊系統:《中國詩學》台北: 國立臺灣大學出版中心,2014例

2014.2.18 買葉維廉《中國詩學》(台北: 國立臺灣大學出版中心,2014), 不過農產品中心新月台的櫃台資訊系統還沒此書之資料。我還是與服務職員談好先買書,以後補取發票。《中國詩學》不是什麼了不起的書, 我將買書過程當成管理學之一例子。

中国诗学

作者: 叶维廉
出版年: 2007-9
页数: 386
定价: 26.00元/400

2014年2月15日 星期六

Why Google Kept Motorola’s Research Lab

http://www.technologyreview.com/news/524086/why-google-kept-motorolas-research-lab/
Why Google Kept Motorola’s Research Lab
Motorola Mobility’s sale to Lenovo only looks like a loss—the patents were cheap, and Google might yet advance wearables, home devices, and modular phone hardware.
Google’s $2.9 billion sale of Motorola Mobility to Chinese PC maker Lenovo might seem like lousy business, given Google’s $12.5 billion purchase in 2012 and losses in the interim. But it leaves Google with a mobile research unit and a war chest of patents arguably bought at a very good price. And it gives a boost to Android in developing countries.
Google earlier sold off the Motorola Mobility Home unit for $2.35 billion (see “Why Google Wants Motorola”). With losses and other factors also considered, the cost to Google for the research lab and Motorola’s 17,000 patents represented a much better value than the $4.5 billion that Apple, Microsoft, and other tech companies paid two and a half years ago for 6,000 patents from Nortel Networks, a now defunct Canadian telecommunications maker.
“If you were looking at it as patent acquisition, they got those patents for a lot less than the per-patent charge of the Nortel deal,” says Joseph Hadzima, a senior lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management and cofounder of IP Vision, a patent strategy and analysis firm in Cambridge, Massachusetts. “I think they achieved what people were thinking their strategic purpose was.”
The sale doesn’t necessarily mean Google is out of the hardware business either (see “Motorola Reveals First Google-Era Phone, the Moto X”). It is retaining Motorola’s secretive research division, Advanced Research and Projects (ATAP), headed by Regina Dugan, a former director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA.
One effort at that unit, called Project Ara, centers on creating modular phone hardware. The idea is that components like batteries, sensors, wireless transmitters, and cameras could be swapped at will by consumers—which has the potential to do for smartphone hardware what Apple did for software when it created a market for software applications, or “apps.” ATAP is pursuing other far-out ideas, too, including doing away with passwords using, for example, electronic tattoos or even a pill that, once ingested, starts generating a tiny wireless signal with an ID code. Google’s existing research efforts also include energy-efficient LCD screens and ways of detecting energy leaks in smartphone apps.
In the past, Google CEO Larry Page has used earnings calls to drop hints about possible advanced-mobile-focused research efforts, including ones for more-durable screens or longer-lived batteries (see “A Longer Lasting Phone? Google’s Larry Page Says It’s Coming” and “What New Ideas Does Google Have Brewing at Motorola?”). Page didn’t join an earnings call last week, but he wrote in a blog post that Google would focus its hardware efforts on other areas ripe for innovation, namely wearable computing and the home market—not a surprising statement given Google’s fresh acquisition of smart-thermostat maker Nest (see “Nest Acquisition Is Like Apple and Google Teamed Up”). ATAP may be retooled to fit into that vision.
Besides the research lab, Google is retaining a stockpile of patents to position itself nicely against Apple and Samsung. And Lenovo will be able to build and distribute Android-powered phones cheaply to more areas of the world, potentially giving Google an even larger search and advertising reach.
“They are in the core business of Android and ads, and achieved what people thought their strategic goals were. It sounds like a directional win-win for them,” Hadzima says.
Though Google would find it hard to get back into manufacturing, it could start selling licenses to various things it’s ginning up in research. With hardware manufacturing capacity now gone, “I am a little hard pressed to see how they are going to say, ‘We are going to make any kind of awesome new devices,’ unless they become a company that licenses IP,” says Carl Howe, vice president of Yankee Group, an analyst firm in Boston.

2014年2月14日 星期五

戶政癱、內政部說謊 /「環安達、惠陽、安慶喜」交相借殻還魂!


 

 

段宜康再爆 戶政系統硬體過期、內政部說謊 【15:07】

新聞圖片
段宜康說新戶政系統由「外行領導內行」是個大問題。(圖擷取自段宜康臉書)
新聞圖片
段宜康痛批,行政機關先是濫擲公帑、胡亂採購,事後又驗收不實且一再規避國會監督;他要求當時的內政部長的江宜樺和內政部長李鴻源,必須出面說清楚。(資料照)
〔本報訊〕新戶政系統上路後,頻出包惹民怨。民進黨立委段宜康今天指控,前內政部長江宜樺為了搶4年5000億方案,花費10億元買硬體,在98、99年 搶先購買新系統「主要」電腦設備,2年後又花費5億多元完成「戶政新系統」軟體,新戶政系統今年2月上路,但當初買的那批硬體早已過期。

 段宜康說,電腦軟硬體設備日新月異,應先開發軟體,再去採購合適硬體,就好比「會根據身材買衣,而非先買衣服,再找人穿。」

 段宜康點出新戶政系統第二個問題是「外行領導內行」。他說,內政部有個電腦專業的資訊中心,但這案子卻由外行的內政部戶政司主導,建制過程才會發生問題。

 另外,他認為戶政系統測試過程都不完備,他曾向內政部要壓力測試報告,卻都被拒絕,他說,內政部對外宣稱內部做過12次的壓力測試,並委託德商迪悌公司進行,但這些測試並非獨立壓力測試,是內政部自行進行的「系統測試」,質疑內政部公然說謊。

 段宜康痛批,行政機關先是濫擲公帑、胡亂採購,事後又驗收不實且一再規避國會監督;他要求當時的內政部長的江宜樺和內政部長李鴻源,必須出面說清楚。

 

新系統花6億 遭批測試敷衍





行政院二○○九年核定新戶政系統,內政部開了數百次會議,做過二十四次系統測試、十次壓力測試,軟體建置花近六億元,誰知一上路就出包。東華大學資訊工程系教授張瑞雄質疑,政府上路前的測試應只是敷衍了事,才造成新系統「大塞車」。

已知漏洞修復差

內政部戶政司長謝愛齡說,系統大塞車是因中介軟體介面出問題,前天已找到解決方案,但處理成效不好,因工程師對中介軟體等系統程式進行微調時,不能動到其餘程式,之後還要戶政同仁再行實測,但實測不見得與實際上線狀況吻合,故須不斷持續修復。
張瑞雄指,設計資訊系統軟體時,為解決不同作業系統同時在資料庫取資料,會加強中介軟體(Middleware)效度,因此中介軟體最容易出錯。 戶政系統與民眾切身相關,政府上線前應充分測試,現資料傳輸中斷,可能當初測試只從單端聯結單端,忽略上線後將是多端線路同時聯結的複雜情況。

將究責最重解約

中 介軟體出錯,須由硬體廠商負責找國外原廠維修,所以三家廠商大同公司、環安達實業、資拓宏宇公司都有責任。內政部次長蕭家淇說,將依合約追究責任,包括記 點、罰款,若違規或設計瑕疵,最重可終止合約。資拓宏宇公司董事長馮定國昨說,實際執行要問執行長沈安石,《蘋果》昨無法連繫上沈。
記者王家俊、李英婷

戶政癱 問題包商承攬的

列拒絕往來 卻攬93件政府標案





《蘋果》昨午赴環安達公司,辦公室僅兩人辦公。葉志明攝

【王 家俊、黃揚明╱台北報導】立委段宜康前晚在臉書爆料,承包今年新戶政系統硬體維護的環安達科技公司,資本額兩百萬元,員工五、六人,懷疑標案有弊端,導致 系統出包。環安達成立一年多,承攬政府機關標案為主,但被公共工程委員會等列為拒絕往來廠商。內政部長李鴻源昨盛怒,指示政風單位徹查當初已有問題的環安 達以最低價搶標,是否有弊端。
內政部新戶政系統 農曆年後上路連癱三天,近日才趨穩。內政部次長蕭家淇昨說,去年十二月招標的今年度戶政硬體維修案,第一次僅環安達投標,因此流標,第二次環安達與大同公 司競標,環安達以一千零七十一萬元得標。蕭坦承,內政部採價格標(最低標),未限制廠商資格,「的確太冒險」,兩百萬元資本額公司,是否適合取得逾千萬元 標案,應檢討。
段宜康在臉書形容,這麼一家小公司,本事可大了,承攬九十三件政府資訊系統維修案。段昨解釋,業界友人指環安達員工少,專門承攬政府資訊系統硬體維護標案後,轉包給其他公司。



環安達負責人劉文寬已發傳真給段,限三天內登報道歉。葉志明攝

嗆告段宜康亂爆料

環安達負責人劉文寬昨痛批段宜康隨便發言,已發傳真給段,限三天內登報道歉,保留法律追訴權。劉並出示員工投保資料,公司人數至少五十二人;這次承包內政部新戶政系統硬體維修,合法取得,目前都很正常,「有問題,要去問軟體廠商!」
《蘋果》昨還接獲爆料,指劉文寬曾任惠陽電腦負責人,惠陽目前被工程會列為政府招標拒絕往來戶。據政府電子採購網揭露資訊,惠陽電腦負責人現為謝依純,惠陽去年就被自來水公司、台中市政府消防局列為拒絕往來廠商。




環安達今年承攬政府標案摘錄

辦公室僅兩人上班

段宜康昨晚再爆,劉文寬與謝依純是夫妻,兩人成立環安達、安慶喜、惠陽電腦、環球維安等公司低價搶標政府標案。
段宜康依據政府電子採購網,指環安達、惠陽、安慶喜目前都被列為政府採購拒絕往來廠商,政府招標單位承辦人私下說,幾乎可成立惠陽電腦受難協會!
《蘋 果》昨查訪,環安達在北市富錦街登記兩處地址,其中五百零三號是不到十人辦公室,內僅兩人辦公,隔條街另一處地址鐵門深鎖,但貼紙條要郵差把惠陽電腦、安 慶喜科技、環安達科技實業、環球維安科技實業等公司的信件轉至五百零三號。是否開過惠陽公司、遭列拒絕往來戶?劉文寬說不置評,指與本案無關。
 *****
段宜康

戶政電腦系統怪談繼續上演!

內政部去年12/31發包的「強化戶役政資訊系統電腦軟硬體設備維修案」,
得標廠商叫「環安達科技」。

這家公司成立才15個月,資本額不過2百萬;員工呢,只有5、6個人。

這麼一家不知打哪冒出來的小公司,本事可大了;短短時間,承攬了93件政府和軍方的資
訊系統維修案,包括立法院的會議影音系統。

最新的業績,就是全國役戶政電腦系統的維護!



「環安達、惠陽、安慶喜」交相借殻還魂!

環安達的負責人劉文寬  跟惠陽電腦、安慶喜科技負責人謝依純其實是夫妻

這對夫妻陸續成立「環安達科技實業有限公司」、「安慶喜科技實業有限公司」、「惠陽電腦有限公司」、「環球維安科技實業有限公司」低價搶標政府標案!

標案搶到手後,履約爭議層出不窮,根本是慣犯。

各級政府辦理招標單位承辦人私下表示,幾乎都可以成立惠陽電腦受難協會了!

更可惡的是:

2月10日內政部公告環安達得標成為「戶役政資訊系統電腦軟硬體設備維護案」得標商時,行政院公共工程委員會已於1月22日宣布,環安達為政府拒絕往來戶!
「環安達、惠陽、安慶喜」交相借殻還魂!

環安達的負責人劉文寬 跟惠陽電腦、安慶喜科技負責人謝依純其實是夫妻

這對夫妻陸續成立「環安達科技實業有限公司」、「安慶喜科技實業有限公司」、「惠陽電腦有限公司」、「環球維安科技實業有限公司」低價搶標政府標案!

標案搶到手後,履約爭議層出不窮,根本是慣犯。

各級政府辦理招標單位承辦人私下表示,幾乎都可以成立惠陽電腦受難協會了!

更可惡的是:

2月10日內政部公告環安達得標成為「戶役政資訊系統電腦軟硬體設備維護案」得標商時,行政院公共工程委員會已於1月22日宣布,環安達為政府拒絕往來戶!

2014年2月13日 星期四

1個月2萬 1家投標 立院拒蘋果轉播視訊

點擊圖片可瀏覽相關圖片
立法院議事處拒絕蘋果日報承攬議事視訊轉播服務。圖:翻拍自陳裕鑫臉書
新頭殼newtalk2013.02.13 林朝億/台北報導

應公督盟要求,立法院從2009年起,在網路提供會議實況轉播服務,不過常因頻寬不足,導致塞車。去年底,立院資訊處招標,徵求與國內各ISP、網路服務業者及新聞業者合作議事轉播分流機制,但1個月才給2萬元費用。結果,僅有蘋果日報1家投標,卻遭拒絕。

蘋果日報社長陳裕鑫今(13)晚在臉書貼文「被拒絕的滋味」指出,蘋果日報從創報第一天開始,就公布每天發行量及銷售量,內外一致,完全透明。蘋果日報即時新聞每日瀏覽量,本來也是每天將報表電郵給社內主管們,幾天前更確定,把數字對社會公布,既是徵信,也是自我惕勵。

他說,瀏覽率當然是商業媒體很重要的目標,但它不是唯一的目標。除了瀏覽率,有沒有什麼是蘋果日報網站可以多做一點?在今年1月,他們收到立法院的通知,他們向立法院提出轉播立法院議事的服務提案被否決了。

陳裕鑫指出,這是立法院去年下半年的一次標案,只有蘋果日報一家參與投標。也許得標後,有「無形的價值,或無形的廣告利益」,但只有蘋果日報一家投標,就知道這個「無形」,真的是無形到無法觀察。

陳裕鑫強調,他們的技術沒有問題。立法院付給得標網站,只有一個月不到台幣2萬元的頻寬補助,而且轉播介面不准有任何廣告。他們評估,每月直播立法院議事,頻寬費用至少在10萬元以上,投入的維護人力成本不少,但也是在可以忍受範圍,別的地方多努力賺些就好。

他說,立法院否決他們的標案,當然有點令人沮喪。不計算重複IP,蘋果日報網站每天有140萬人以上造訪,如果可以讓這些網友有更好的介面,更好的新聞報導與直播連結,這不是更有效的國會監督嗎?不是可讓國會更透明嗎?

他表示,今天看到政府的標案,有利可圖的招蜂引蝶,被拒絕往來戶竟也可低價搶標。無利可圖,只有一家投標卻被拒絕。結論,就是感嘆二字。

‪#‎立法院‬ ‪#‎媒體‬ ‪#‎蘋果日報‬

2014年2月12日 星期三

美強生集團 (Johnson & Johnson) 董事長兼CEOWilliam Weldon 晚節不保






企業人士通常很難全身而退,雖然有的幸運地領到退休/離職金,可能名譽大受損。朋馳游先生的這篇,就是一例。

美強生集團 (Johnson & Johnson)
董事長兼CEO
韋登(William Weldon)

談全球化下的在地化公司 分權治理(Decentralization)

賓州大學的華頓商學院,和哈佛大學齊名,經常在各項商學院聲望評比,分居冠亞軍;賓州大學和台灣又令有一番因緣,因為台灣的和信集團辜家,曾長期以全額獎 學金贊助台灣留學生去華頓商學院攻讀學位,30年下來,不僅辜家子弟紛紛進入賓州大學拿MBA,連台灣產、官、學各界菁英,受惠於這項和信與華頓的學術合 作專案,也所在多有。
華頓商學院經年累月邀約【財經五百大企業集團】(Fortune 500)的最高主管,錄製「華頓知識庫」(Knowledge@ Wharton)系列,全部開放給世界的網路閱聽大眾。
最近美國最大的清潔品/俗名藥生產集團美強生(Johnson & Johnson)的董事長兼執行長韋登,接受賓州大學邀約,錄製了17分鐘的管理心得分享,主題是「全球化經營的企業集團分權治理」。
從2002年就接掌這家日用品與藥品巨人的韋登,從介紹這家年營業額高達619億美元的製藥業集團(過去10年來,長期賴以成名的美強生嬰兒用品,反而逐 步成為集團比較小的事業部)介紹起。美強生在全球有200個營業單位,因此,韋登說,他們亟需戰將,至少要努力培養全球200個總經理。該集團分為清潔日 用品(嬰兒衛生用品)、醫療器材(診斷器材、外科手術用品、隱形眼鏡藥水、葡萄糖等)、製藥業三大事業部。其中第三事業部的製藥事業,是專門生產「專利過 期」的「俗名藥」(generics,例如阿斯匹靈),而且市場佔有率高達40%,是美國第一大俗名藥藥廠。
韋登最自豪的管理架構是美強生的全球200個分公司或子公司的「分權治理」(decentralization)模式。他解釋,所謂分權治理首要是地方的 領導人,這點,美強生非常強調「本土化人才」;因為幾乎現有200位全球的分、子公司的總經理都是經由美強生訓練多年,並且是土生土長的在地菁英,「因為 他們長期活在當地文化中,是跟著本地顧客一起成長,能迅速了解該地顧客最深層的需求。」
這項分權的管理策略,韋登指出,主要是為了「發展人才」。
而且當美強生集團不斷提拔本地出身的總經理,這些專業經理人的親身示範「由基層往上爬」的奮鬥成功過程,對美強生總部要塑造全球員工高向心力的企業文化,也有相當大的助益。
韋登總裁還非常強調美強生十分驕傲的「內部創業」(Internal Venture)的創新機制。尤其在醫療器材和製藥二個事業部,特別鼓勵,凡是員工有創新的創業構想,經公司核可,就可以在公司的羽翼下創業,除了公司所 有權不屬於這個剛誕生的創業團隊之外,其餘的創業條件,幾乎是給予充分的資源。
韋登解釋,其實在這樣鼓勵自由「內部創業」(Internal Venture)的創新機制,其實也算是內部競爭。尤其對於競爭激烈的醫療器材和製藥,同時瞄準醫療、保健市場,業務團隊經常會面對面廝殺,當同屬於美強 生集團的團隊在市場遭遇兄弟鬩牆,這時,太過「大鍋飯」的業務誘因設計,反而會讓公司失去生意;唯有鼓勵義無反顧,讓業務團隊深切覺得:「我就是公司負責 人,我一定要拿到這筆生意。」才有可能成功。所以,儘管美強生是年營業額710億美元的恐龍身形,但是其靈活應變,以顧客為導向、搶業務不講情面的高度競 爭文化,能幫助它避開「反應慢」的陷阱。
很多人質疑,美強生過度「分權」,總公司會失去控制權,韋登不以為然。他認為,世界市場變化的很快,分權、尊重在地市場的差異,才能搶在趨勢的前端,成為 贏家;他甚至大談全世界正夯的「個人化醫藥大趨勢」(personalized medicine),由於進入21世紀後,高齡化社會從西北歐、日本、北美等昔日「三極區域」,向外延伸到以中國大陸為主的龐大東亞市場,這些國家人口既 多,壽命也逐漸加強,所以對「個人化醫藥」的需求也日趨殷切。
以心血管疾病為例,固然年年有新藥研發出來,但是治療慢性病(例如高血壓)每一種藥品對每一個病人的反應都不同,需要極為細緻的長期服藥和追蹤治療,美強 生在歐洲已經導入成功的「個人化醫藥系統」,會追蹤哪一種藥物對哪一個病人有什麼副作用,然後還會結合以「無線射頻」的電子手環的設計隨時提供病人按時吃 藥的提醒、追蹤裝置,這項成功的醫療器材業務,美強生集團也打算逐步擴散到其他經濟比較發達的國家。
但是分權還有一個關鍵性成功要素:協調。韋登承認,協調是一個大挑戰,但是以美強生最近在歐洲成立的「心血管疾病的專案小組」為例,就是由美強生召集相關 研究團隊的工程師、藥師、研究人員,然而結合醫療器材和製藥二大事業部的業務團隊,尤其業務部門要確認歐洲任務團隊新研發出來的成果,是病人確實需要的, 因此第一線與醫院、醫師、病人接觸的業務角色就至為重要。
「我們看到了管理專案的管理技巧(skills)(skills)、醫藥科技(technology)、人才、市場,四個要素『匯流』 (convergence),這個時代,總部管理者沒有辦法由上而下指揮,因為市場分眾得太厲害,反而是第一線的團隊,可以迅速掌握正確資訊,所以美強生 以全球200個分公司或子公司的「分權治理」(decentralization)模式,才是對的,針對差異性很大的不同市場、不同顧客,提出不同的產品 策略,」韋登強調。
由於全權分權戰略正確,美強生近年來在市場上贏得很多好評,表現在股市也非常受到投資人肯定。韋登接受賓州大學華頓學院邀約專訪時,是2008年6月18 日。當時,集團財報反應的是2007年最高速成長的一年,當年美強生的股票總市值高達1800億美元,是該公司前一 (2006) 年營業額的三倍,營收業績比2006年大幅成長14.6%,以年營業額超過600億美元的「巨人」,還能有2位數字的的高度成長,可以說是非常難,
顯示這是一家備受資本市場肯定的績優、資深公司。
作為全球商學院的泰山北斗,華頓商學院持續為該校MBA學生尋找最佳管理實務的案例,美強生就是一個成功的案例,而華頓又不吝與全球分享。在華頓商學院數 以千計的錄影帶教學檔案庫中,只要點選各大企業的領導人的姓名,都可以索引出令人難忘的經典演講或專訪,值得大家上網,到美國費城的這所古老的知名學府挖 寶。賓州大學的官網頁面,老班(Old Ben,指費城的代表性先賢,美國憲法起草人之一的富蘭克林 Benjamin Frankline)的巨幅銅像正在招呼著全球的網友。歡迎大家來這家也屬於八家長春藤名校的知識殿堂來取經。


*****
In 2011, the New York Times named him on its list of "The Worst C.E.O.'s of 2011" for the increased number of Johnson & Johnson product recalls under his leadership.[7] Additionally, as of 2013, his story is a case of study at the Leadership & Corporate Accountability course at Harvard Business School as an example of unethical leadership in business.[8]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_C._Weldon

2014年2月11日 星期二

HTC 可能時不我予, the Dilemma of the Low-Cost Phone



Feb 10, 2014

Asia

For HTC, the Dilemma of the Low-Cost Phone


Two years ago, HTC’s Chief Executive Peter Chou was still adamant that the high-end smartphone maker would not tarnish its brand by selling low-cost phones.
REUTERS
“We don’t want to destroy our brand image,” he told The Wall Street Journal at the time.
Since then, the Taiwanese smartphone maker has seen a steady sales slide. The company forecast on Monday its second net loss on record, with revenue expected to hit its lowest in more than four years.
Which all means that HTC can no longer afford to cling to its former lofty strategy. On Monday, Chief Financial Officer Chang Chialin said that the company was pushing into lower price bands than ever before, with plans to roll out smartphones that cost $150 to $200. Last year, HTC’s cheapest smartphone sold in China for $230.
It’s a sharp contrast with two years ago, when Mr. Chou said that the company wouldn’t release any models that sell for 1,000 Chinese yuan ($165) or less, saying, “we won’t have good products at that price level.”
It’s a different person talking now, too. The changes come as Mr. Chang, a cost-conscious CFO who joined from Goldman Sachs, is gaining a larger say in the company’s direction. Mr. Chang had global sales added on to his responsibilities in December, and has since been speaking more publically on behalf of the company.
Monday marked his first solo sit-down meeting with reporters in Taipei, following the company’s release of grim first-quarter guidance. In person interviews about the company’s direction were primarily done by Mr. Chou or Chairwoman Cher Wang previously. The 46-year-old Mr. Chang was relaxed and congenial as he discussed the company’s strategy.
“Volume is more important to us this year than last year,” he said.
The $150 to $200 phones will be sold not only in China, but also in developed markets like the U.S. and Europe.
“It may come up in the retail environment, it may come up in the prepaid environment,” he said.
However, he added that the company still believed its strength came from its high-end flagship line.
The shift at HTC comes in response to a changing competitive landscape. Cheaper Chinese smartphone makers have been growing in strength, putting pressure on the rest of the market. Since last year, Huawei’s global smartphone market share has climbed to 4.9% from 4.0%, and Lenovo’s has risen to 4.5% from 3.3%, according to research firm IDC.  HTC fell out of the ranks of the top 10 smartphone makers last year, and market researcher firms like Gartner and IDC no longer publish the company’s market share.
Even market leader Samsung has felt the squeeze, saying last month its fourth quarter mobile division earnings remained flat from a year earlier.
At HTC, the shift toward lower segments also comes after previous strategies have come up empty. The company last year tried to streamline its product lines with a focus on its flagship, saying it had previously spread itself too thin. Last year, 30% of its sales volume came from the flagship line, Mr. Chang said. HTC will launch more lower-cost models this year than last year, he said.

Foxconn Is Quietly Working With Google on Robotics

4:12 am
Feb 11, 2014

Asia

Foxconn Is Quietly Working With Google on Robotics

Foxconn has long been associated as the partner for Apple, assembling the majority of the U.S. company’s iPhones and iPads.
A man walks past a logo of a Foxconn factory in Wuhan, Hubei province, in this August 31, 2012, file photo.
Reuters
But few people know the Taiwanese contract manufacturer, also known as Hon Hai Precision industry, has been quietly working with Google.
People familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal that Foxconn has been working with former Android executive Andy Rubin since last year to carry out the U.S. company’s vision for robotics.
To speed up robot deployment at its own factories, Foxconn Chairman Terry Gou met with Rubin in Taipei recently and they discussed new robotic technologies, they said.
At the meeting, Gou expressed excitement over new automation technologies demonstrated by Rubin, they said. Rubin also asked Gou to help integrate a technology company that Google is acquiring as Foxconn’s strength lies in mechanical engineering.
Google set up a new robotics group and acquired eight robotics companies last year, including Boston Dynamics, an engineering company that has designed mobile research robots for the Pentagon. The New York Times first reported Google’s robotics efforts and the acquisitions in December.
The report also said the targets of Google’s new robotics team are in manufacturing — such as electronics assembly, which is now largely manual — and competing with companies like Amazon in retailing.
The cooperation comes as Foxconn has been striving to accelerate automation efforts at its factories amid challenges of rising labor costs and workplace disputes in China, where it has more than a million workers. Foxconn’s chairman has reiterated his ambitions to build factories with robots in recent years as the company seeks to transform itself into a high-tech manufacturer focusing on high-margin, capital-intensive products such as automobile and medical equipment.
Analysts said the partnership makes sense as Foxconn, the world’s largest contract manufacturer of electronics devices, can provide Google the best testing ground for its new robotics technology. They said Google is expected to build a new robotic operating system for manufacturers, just like the Android operating system for mobile computing devices. A successful robotics operating system would further strengthen Google’s position in the technology industry.
“Foxconn needs Google’s help to step up automation at its factories as the company has the lowest sales per employee among the contract makers, given its large workforce,” said Wanli Wang, an analyst at CIMB Securities. “Using robots to replace human workers would be the next big thing in the technology industry. Not just Google, other major technology companies such as Microsoft and Amazon also have been developing robotics technology to capture the future growth opportunities.”
Online retailer Amazon.com has said it is developing pilotless flying vehicles that can deliver packages within a half hour of customers placing an order.
Separately, Foxconn has been actively seeking locations for research and technology investment in the U.S. In November, the company said it might invest $40 million in manufacturing and research facilities in Pennsylvania. The company also sent some engineers to Massachusetts Institute of Technology to learn the latest manufacturing and automation technology, the people said.
The Taiwan-based company has been seeking new avenues of growth as revenue from contract manufacturing slows. It has been making a push into software development and telecom services, and has also branched out into the retail market by selling its own-brand mobile accessories. On Monday, Foxconn reported its January revenue edged up just 0.3% from a year earlier to 314.55 billion New Taiwan dollars ($10.37 billion), further highlighting the need to diversify its revenue stream.

2014年2月10日 星期一

屏東基督教醫院:奉獻一萬公里非洲路;吳宗樹,黃兆聖.......

屏東基督教醫院:奉獻一萬公里非洲路



2014-01-22 天下雜誌 540期 作者:陳一姍
屏東基督教醫院:奉獻一萬公里非洲路 圖片來源:吳宗樹提供 台灣醫界之光,照亮了一萬公里外的窮困斷交國馬拉威,和那裡四萬多名愛滋病患的希望。自己籌錢、自願前往、自掏腰包,不求回報的奉獻,改變了世界,也改變了自己的人生。
台灣派出醫療團,邁入第十三個年頭,哪個醫療團最好?
台大?榮總?還是長庚?
答案,以上皆非。
醫界一致公認的台灣之光,是由挪威宣教士傅德蘭、畢嘉士創辦,坐落在南台灣的屏東基督教醫院。它只是間地區級醫院。
○二年,屏基接下國際合作發展基金會的任務,出國到沒人要去的世界第六窮國馬拉威。○八年,馬拉威突然宣布與我斷交,屏基撤團。半年後,卻因放不下五千位愛滋病人,屏基決定自己籌錢回去。
在斷交國,一位二十七歲的台大公衛學院流行病學研究所畢業生,將醫療團由七人帶到今日的二十人,迄今已治療四萬多名愛滋病患。他們雖然隱身為挪威路克機構,但所有馬拉威人、跟屏基合作的美國疾病控制與預防中心、歐盟與挪威人都知道,屏基來自台灣。
「他們是台灣唯一能夠拿到國際資源的醫療團,」過去三年,擔任衛福部非洲首席代表的連加恩說。
相較於援外全部靠政府經費的醫院,屏基是唯一一所醫院,願意拿自己的錢做國際醫療團。屏基馬拉威醫療團也是台灣醫學院中,唯一願意給實習學分的國際醫療站。今年,屏基醫療隊在南非設立新據點,吸引連加恩辭掉公職加入。
能負擔就去做
讓世界看見台灣的屏基,在台灣的「能見度」卻很低。
「門面小到很容易錯過,」前聯合勸募、現任屏基附屬畢嘉士基金會執行長周文珍形容,兩年前,她第一次到屏基,就錯過了緊鄰著大馬路的大門。
屏基五棟醫療大樓,簡直像個蛇狀迷宮。只有不到一千八百位醫護人員的屏基,已獲得十一座醫療奉獻獎,台灣第一,也很少人知道。
 
只要能負擔就去做。屏基重回馬拉威的過程,單純而直覺。首屆馬拉威醫療團團長、現任屏基院長余廣亮回憶,斷交後緊急撤團,他回到台灣後,跟屏基董事會報告時說,沒把握這五千名愛滋病人能繼續用藥。
「那就繼續啊!」作家劉俠的弟弟、屏基董事長劉侃當場不假思索說。屏基董事會毫無懸念地決議,只要當初在馬拉威姆祖祖中央醫院建立的病歷系統還能用,屏基回去有意義。
問劉侃,屏基不富有,台灣還有這麼多人需要幫助,為什麼要重回背叛台灣的斷交國?
「我們醫院也是從無到有出來的啊。當年,挪威來幫台灣,也是不求回報的,他們那時有問,『我為何要幫你嗎?』」劉侃反問。
表面上,錢是重回馬拉威的關鍵。但劉侃透露,真正播下重回馬拉威種子的,其實是余廣亮。余廣亮是香港僑生,高雄醫學院畢業後留台,一路當到高醫麻醉科主任。○二年,他借調屏基並到馬拉威。
撤團時,余廣亮為了讓當地團員有半年時間找工作,自掏腰包,留給每個人六張支票。這六張支票,讓撤團後的六個月內,病歷系統意外有人維護。
「挪威到台灣的距離是一萬零三百公里,六十年後,台灣到馬拉威的距離一萬零五百公里,」周文珍說得玄妙,「台灣今日偏鄉醫療的發展,就是由與台灣無關的人,奉獻一生帶來的。對外協助就是屏基的DNA(基因)。」
有趣的是,對奉獻體會愈深,愈覺得「他益」與「自益」的界限模糊。表面上,醫療團是台灣幫馬拉威,但其實,許許多多的台灣年輕人,卻從中改變了人生。
誰奉獻給誰?

已經在馬拉威待了六年的主任吳宗樹,是連加恩口中,醫療團的靈魂人物。因為他願意在當地長期經營,才能與世界各國團隊合作。
外面人看馬拉威,日日等水、等電,日子艱辛。吳宗樹卻不以為苦,反而覺得學公共衛生的自己,找到需要自己的地方。
他是屏基派回馬拉威評估的先遣部隊。生性活潑、大膽,吳宗樹憑藉著替代役男時,陪余廣亮去開會,常幫美國疾控中心當義工時認識的人脈,隻身一人,拜訪了各方領袖,得到屏基回馬拉威的綠燈。
他帶著太太、小孩走馬上任。六年來,屏基或後來畢嘉士基金會給的錢,都只夠醫療團基本開支。新業務,吳宗樹就得自己想辦法。
於是,他跟美國、歐盟學,怎麼寫五年計劃,順利拿下美國疾控中心的委託案、歐盟的研究案。「已開發國家如何協助開發中國家制定衛生政策,這是在台灣的課堂上都沒有教的,」吳宗樹接受電訪時說。電話那頭,馬拉威的烏鴉叫得好響。
問他在馬拉威做到了什麼?他自豪地說,他做到的是讓台灣與全球發展接軌。
這幾年,吳宗樹不大的宿舍,招待過無數醫學院學生。在星空下,許多醫師知道,除了抱怨健保,台灣醫生還有好多事情可以做。
「馬拉威改變了我的人生,」北醫醫學資訊研究所畢業、現任屏基研發處主任黃兆聖就說。
三十二歲的黃兆聖,念研究所時,因為做專案認識了就讀台大流行病學研究所的吳宗樹。為了印證教科書寫的「醫療導入資訊可以降低誤診率五五%」,也為了嘗試跟資訊工程師不一樣的路,已在台創業的黃兆聖,決定跟吳宗樹一起到馬拉威,負責愛滋病病歷系統升級。

沒想到,這一去,竟然整整一年後才領到薪水,讓他跟爸媽很難交代。更沒想到,這段經驗讓他從此離不開馬拉威。
黃兆聖說,從馬拉威回到台灣,他都在思考,有什麼方法,可以用很低的預算,卻能導入醫療資源到很窮的國家。
「台灣外交局勢不樂觀,而資訊是台灣的強項,從馬拉威回來之後,總覺得我們可以do something(做些什麼),」黃兆聖笑著說,「而且,馬拉威從什麼都沒有,到每一年計劃與預算都一直翻倍。那段經驗讓我不怕從零開始。」
「我要幫台灣找到位置,要讓台灣用已開發國家的身分,真的可以對世界產生貢獻,」還在馬拉威努力的吳宗樹也說。
六十年前,挪威畢嘉士落腳屏東,在這塊陌生土地上,他奉獻一生,見證台灣擺脫貧窮的改變。
真的,改變的可能永遠存在,唯有行動。

商總選舉瑕疵 內政部拒發賴正鎰當選證書

點擊圖片可瀏覽相關圖片
內政部次長蕭家淇今(10)日宣布,將要求商總重選。圖:謝莉慧/攝
新頭殼newtalk2014.02.10 謝莉慧/台北報導

全國商業總會去年12/17舉行第9屆理、監事選舉,但內政部次日即接到檢舉,指「選舉過程顯有瑕疵及爭議」,內政部查證屬實,由次長蕭家淇今(10)日 宣布,依人民團體法第32條、第58條及商業團體法第61條、67條,決定當天的選舉結果不予核備,且不發給新任理事長及理監事的當選證明書,將要求商總 重選;若無法執行,內政部將指派1名理事主持重選。不過,商總也可以藉由向行政院提出訴願或以訴訟方式解決。

對此,商總理事長賴正鎰批評內政部不負責任,應該先發當選證書;至於是否當選無效,應由司法機關裁定。但內政部認為,在該選舉過程中,顯有重大瑕疵,主管機關即可認定,不需訴諸司法。

這次商總理監事選舉所引發的爭議主要在於商總章程規定理事45人、監事15人,之前呈報給內政部的選舉章程也是這個數字,但是在去年12/17選舉當天, 卻選出理事51人、監事17人,再加上當選人與選前規劃的名單有所出入,新任理監事遭新任理事長、鄉林集團董事長賴正鎰「全面掌控」,引發落選當事人王應 傑隨後即向內政部提出選舉無效之訴,在經過內政部調查後,今天宣布決定結果。

內政部表示,去年12/18即函請商總儘速依法檢視並釐清說明,並將大會記錄及選舉結果儘速報送核處,其間並請張平沼與相關人士之異議分別查復說明。

但據商總函復內政部表示,選舉程序一切依法辦理。不過,經內政部審慎比對商總所送第9屆理監事選舉案2次會議(大會、理事及監事會議)記錄內容,向商總及 相關人士多次進行查證,並對大會當日監票人員施予問卷調查後,發現商總函復內政部事項及其所提供的資料,似有不完整揭露全部事實之虞,致無法釐清當日事 實。

內政部指出,該選舉過程主要瑕疵包括:1、商總於王朝大飯店另外租用電腦設備進行電腦開票計票工作,至少應該有電腦科技公司人員在場協助(協助程式設定、 故障排除及設備使用等),但商總函復是由推定的會員代表及該會會務工作人員擔任開票計票工作部分,與監票人問卷調查結果有所出入,顯有疑義。其次,有關會 議當日是否有錄影(音)資料,商總僅表示無該資料,且並未向內政部說明理由,而且與其他3方說法顯有差異。僅監事部分提供全部候選人的得票統計表,理事部 分僅提供當選及候補理事的得票統計表,常務理、監事及理事長選舉部分,則全部未提供,也未說明理由。

內政部決定,因為主席的宣布違反法律規定,有誤導會員代表的投票行為,損害會員代表之選舉權與被選舉權,造成選舉不公正,影響選舉結果之虞。參酌監票人的 問卷調查結果顯示選舉票有無效之連記人數認定,而商總迄今仍無法提供具體事證,因此,有關商總第9屆第1次會員代表大會會議記錄中,選舉決議部分不予核 備。

另外,當日召集的第9屆第1次理事會議選舉的常務理事、理事長及同屆次監事會議選舉之常務監事等,分別有「候補」理、監事參與領票、投票及「候補」理、監 事當選為常務理、監事之情事,事實上,被列為「候補」的理監事並沒有資格參與選舉事務,甚至還當選常務理事,如張平沼即為明顯案例。

內政部強調,商總這次選舉過程顯有瑕疵及爭議,決定不予發給理事長當選證明書,並要求商總重選,如果商總無法舉行重選,內政部可指定1名理事主持重選會議,若商總無法接受這個決定,也可以提出訴願或循司法途徑解決。

2014年2月9日 星期日

聞IBM 要賣其晶片製造廠


十年前,IBM 的晶片製造廠代工業務仍有競爭力。現在他們要賣其晶片製造廠。
由於它們有國防因素考量, 所以可能的買者可能只有韓國和台灣廠商。
台灣的台積電當然可考慮、另外諸如鴻海等公司,或許......


IBM Looking to Sell Chip Manufacturing Operations
Feb. 6, 2014 10:13 p.m. ET
International Business Machines Corp. is exploring the sale of its semiconductor manufacturing operations, said a person familiar with the matter.
IBM operates factories that make computer chips for its own high-end server systems as well as for external customers. The company is looking for a buyer for its manufacturing operations, but plans to retain its chip-design capability, this person said.
Chip manufacturing is a very...

2014年2月7日 星期五

戶政 新系統上路3天持續塞車

戶政癱「他們不讓我嫁你」

跑3趟 暴走姊:大家都等死嗎

戶政系統大當機,新竹一對新婚夫妻登記結婚不成,妻笑:「是他們不讓我嫁給你喔!」侯力元攝
【綜 合報導】內政部新戶政系統上線3天持續塞車,民眾飆罵連連。新竹一對新人昨原本要辦結婚登記,未料新娘戶籍不在新竹,系統找不到資料害兩人登記不成,新娘 對老公苦笑說,「是他們不讓我嫁給你喔!」中巿一名婦人前天為辦遷移戶口,連跑3趟戶政事務所還辦不好,發飆痛罵:「大家都等死嗎?」
新戶政系統5日上路,標榜能跨縣市、遠距異地連線,一上路卻因無法負荷民眾農曆年後爆量申辦業務,頻傳塞車。

蕭家淇三度致歉

蕭家淇昨三度致歉,並赴北市士林、大同戶政事務所了解狀況,蕭說,已將資料送到美國IBM總公司判讀,相信很快能解決,未來會追究廠商與戶政司督導責任。
雖 然內政部努力找原因,但民眾昨申辦業務仍困難重重。新竹一位年輕爸爸去年底喜獲麟兒,因工作忙碌,直到上月29日才有空辦理出生登記,未料碰上系統更換無 法辦理,年後再來申辦,又碰到電腦當機,至昨已連跑4次撲空,焦急說:「法定60天要登記,快超過時間,要被罰錢了!」
高雄新手媽媽蔡筱瑜為辦出生登記,昨特地請假回戶籍地屏東辦登記,等1小時還沒辦成,戶政人員卻反問:「你沒看新聞,系統無法運作。」
一對20多歲年輕夫妻農曆年前結婚,昨到新竹市戶政事務所辦理結婚登記,因新娘戶籍不在新竹,電腦資料搜尋半天,配偶欄名字仍是空白,承辦員無奈請兩人擇日再來,新娘看著老公笑說:「不是我不嫁給你,是他們不讓我嫁給你喔!」

女子因無法完成跨縣市戶口遷移,在豐原戶政事務所內發飆。翻攝畫面

缺資料影響訴訟

新竹王小姐下周一開庭,要趕辦新的戶口名簿卻碰到電腦當機,無奈說:「資料不全恐影響訴訟,屆時誰幫忙向法官求情?」承辦員只能安慰:「戶政當機新聞鬧這麼大,相信法官能理解。」
一名40歲婦人前天為了遷移戶口,連跑三趟中市豐原戶政事務所,仍無法順利辦理,氣得在戶政事務所發飆:「我都不用休息嗎」、「我已經跑了三趟了」、「大家都等死嗎」,過程被身旁林姓女子拍下上傳網路,戲稱婦人為「暴走姊」。
豐原戶政事務所主任劉賢智昨向《蘋果》證實,婦人從新竹跨縣市遷移戶口到台中市,因戶政系統出問題,女子跑了好幾趟,迄今仍未完成,以致情緒失控,不怪民眾發飆。

新戶政系統建制

計劃核定:2009年
上路時間:2014年2月5日起
所需經費:5.6億元(不含硬體)
負責廠商:
˙硬體廠商:大同公司、環安達實業公司
˙軟體廠商:資拓宏宇公司
測試及轉換:新系統上路前曾做24次測試、10次壓力測試;1/28至2/4還停辦戶政業務,進行系統轉換。
上路結果:新系統上路3天持續塞車,民眾申辦業務大排長龍枯等;內政部全力檢修,預計10日修復
資料來源:內政部

2014年2月6日 星期四

The upside to being let go by Nokia / 轉職銜接計畫(Bridge programme)




芬蘭式裁員:看看 Nokia 如何照顧待走路員工

作者

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Nokia 曾是芬蘭的驕傲,更是芬蘭經濟支柱之一,2000 年時,Nokia 的營業利益達 80 億歐元,佔了芬蘭 GDP 的 4%,不過隨著 Nokia 在智慧型手機潮流中江河日下,2011 年降到了剩下芬蘭 GDP 的 0.5%,最後更淪落到將手機業務和部分專利組合以 74 億美元賣給微軟的下場。

而在此過程中,Nokia 也免不了裁員的陣痛, 在2012 年以前,Nokia 都是芬蘭最大的雇主,2000 年時,Nokia 在芬蘭有 2 萬 4,000 名員工,到 2013 年年底,只剩下 1 萬零 600 名員工。若再加上芬蘭以外的員工,人數就更驚人了。
那麼 Nokia 是怎麼對待這些員工呢?
就在裁員的決定一開始,Nokia 從董事長到資深主管們,就開始規劃轉職銜接計畫(Bridge programme),他們認為,要對離職的員工,做到職業道德上的最大照顧,而非只達到法律上的最低標準。
轉職銜接計畫適用於 1 萬 8,000 名 Nokia 全球裁員員工,幫助他們找到新的工作,包括為了幫助他們轉職到全新工作所提供的教育訓練,以及如果員工打算創業,則協助他們成立新創事業。如電視錄影及分 享 App,Tellyo 就得到 Nokia 投資 2 萬 5,000 歐元。
在芬蘭,轉職銜接計畫幫助了 5,000 名員工,並協助成立 400 家新創事業。許多 Nokia 專業人員,產生無數新創事業,如開發 App 遊戲《部落戰爭》(Clash of Clans)的 Supercell,也是前 Nokia 員工所創辦。
除了投資以外,Nokia 也授權員工 Nokia 的技術專利,如新創事業 PulseOn 就取用了 Nokia 的運動脈搏測量技術,5 個股東中有4個是前 Nokia 員工,而 Nokia 不但投資數萬歐元,還幫助新公司取得銀行貸款,這筆資金讓 PulseOn 撐過了前 10 個月的草創時期,之後獲得創投的投資,規模擴大到 13 人,將於今年推出產品。
甚至若 Nokia 已不需要的部分,如 MeeGo 作業系統,則直接由員工帶去創業,為它開創新機會。MeeGo 由前 Nokia 員工創立的新創公司 Jolla Mobile 取用其中的元素後,改寫為 Sailfish 手機作業系統。Nokia 大可拒絕授權,或是要員工簽下競業禁止條款,就可活生生的扼殺 MeeGo的 新應用,但是 Nokia 卻是鼓勵而非阻止。
Nokia的人才與轉職資助,使得芬蘭新創企業百花齊放,不僅沒有讓芬蘭因為 Nokia 倒下而「亡國」,許多芬蘭人反而認為 Nokia 的衰退,使得芬蘭經濟結構更為健全,由眾多新創公司簇擁,不再只依賴 Nokia 單一支柱。
而 Nokia 的裁員方式,更成為「芬蘭作風」的典範,Nokia 過去以經營上的成功成為芬蘭驕傲,現在雖然衰退,對待離職員工的高規格待遇,闡揚了芬蘭人道精神,一樣是芬蘭的驕傲;過去 Nokia 本身是芬蘭經濟支柱,如今化為數百新創企業,一樣支持著芬蘭的永續發展。
雖然 Nokia 強調,這個轉職銜接計畫,第一要務,是要照顧離職員工個人的利益,第二要務,是善盡對社會的責任,至於公司的利益,不在考慮範圍之內。但是,誰說這樣的作風,最後許多有形無形利益,不會回歸到 Nokia 身上呢?

(圖片來源:BBC)

The upside to being let go by Nokia

Staff leave a Nokia building in 2012 after a briefing to announce redundancies Staff leave a Nokia building in Finland in 2012, after a briefing to announce thousands of redundancies
During the years of Nokia's decline, culminating in the sale of its mobile phone division to Microsoft in September, thousands of workers were made redundant. But the ex-Nokians have now created hundreds of new companies - thanks partly to a very Finnish level of support from the employer to its departing staff.
Like many university graduates in Finland, Kimmo Koivisto only wanted to work for Nokia - the country's biggest and most successful company. He fondly recalls the four years he spent working in its research strategy team in Helsinki.
"Working for Nokia was my dream job. It was good fun, having the geek inside me enjoying all the geeky stuff that was happening," he says.
Nokia once dominated the worldwide mobile phone market. It also dominated Finnish life.
Up until 2012 it was Finland's biggest employer, with more than 24,000 workers at its peak in 2000 (and another 36,000 overseas). It had an operating profit of 8bn euros and accounted for 4% of the country's GDP.

Start Quote

People knew they were going to be laid off and were able to stay at Nokia - with a Nokia email address and laptop - and spend time applying for new things”
Ari Tulla Founder of BetterDoctor
But in 2007 Nokia found itself losing ground rapidly against Apple and Samsung, and their hugely successful smartphones.
By the end of 2013 the number of employees in Finland had fallen by over half to 10,600. Its operating profit in 2012 was minus 2.3bn euros.
Kimmo left Nokia of his own accord, but he says it has been hard for him to watch the company's change in fortunes.
"Nokia gave us so much. You really grew there, learning so much and taking the opportunities it provided," he says.
"Then, in a few years everything is disappearing. It's very sad and difficult to see that happening."
In February 2011 Nokia announced that it was replacing its operating system with Microsoft Windows. The company restructured, shedding staff.
But about the same time, the company launched the Bridge programme, a scheme offering financial help and training to the workers who were about to leave.
"The company decided - all the way from the board to the senior management - that we wanted to do career responsibility as well as we can, beyond what the legal minimum is," says Matti Vanska, the head of the Bridge programme.
Two separate photos: One of Kimmo Koivisto; The other of Nokia's Matti Vanska Ex-Nokian Kimmo Koivisto (left) and Matti Vanska, of Nokia's Bridge programme
The scheme - available to 18,000 employees across 13 countries - helped people to find a new job, offered training for a completely new profession, or helped entrepreneurs set up their own companies.
In Finland 5,000 people received help and 400 new companies have now been created by around 500 entrepreneurs.
Kimmo was not eligible for Bridge funding because he left Nokia voluntarily. But he launched Tellyo - an app which allows people to instantly record and share TV clips with friends - with two other ex-Nokians who were.
Jakub Majkowski and Justyna Kowalska each received the maximum grant amount of 25,000 euros (£20,770) which was immediately invested in Tellyo.
Since it started up in January 2012, it has signed deals with broadcasters in Finland, Spain and Poland.
"The company would never have started without the Bridge programme," says Kimmo.
An aerial view of Nokia's headquarters near Helsinki, showing a big building complex surrounded by water Nokia's headquarters in Espoo, near Helsinki
"We couldn't believe that you could get so much support. It was an unbelievably good opportunity."
Nokia is not prepared to reveal how much the Bridge programme has cost but says it is "in the tens of millions of euros".
Some new companies have - with permission - taken licensed technologies from Nokia. Others - like Jolla Mobile - have given new life to ideas which were no longer considered part of Nokia's strategy, such as the MeeGo operating system.

Five ex-Nokian startups

Kimmo Saarela, CEA of Trelab
  • Tellyo - allows users to instantly record and share TV clips
  • PulseOn - claims to make the most accurate sports heart-rate monitor
  • BetterDoctor - allows users to find suitable local doctors based on their insurance plan and type of care needed
  • Runteq - measures, analyses and interprets running technique with two small wearable sensors
  • TreLab - manufactures wireless measurement systems and localisation devices
"We saw this perfect opportunity to take the people, the asset and the know-how to create something new," says Jolla's co-founder Marc Dillon.
Dillon had intended to work at Nokia for the rest of his life but was made redundant after 10 years working for the company in San Diego and Helsinki. The majority of Jolla's 90 employees also worked at Nokia.
Based in a former Nokia research centre in Helsinki, Jolla used elements of Nokia's MeeGo system to create a new operating system called Sailfish, and launched its first mobile phone in November.
Dillon says "agreements and things" don't allow him to say if his company received money from Nokia. But he says that Nokia is not an investor in Jolla.
"The most important thing was that they encouraged and they did not block. They could have said No, citing anti-competition or something like that.
"Instead we were open with them and they were open with us and we were able to take MeeGo and do something with it."
Another company that was allowed to take technology out of Nokia and develop it is PulseOn, which claims to have created the world's most accurate and easy-to-use sport heart-rate monitor.
A sign of the operating system MeeGo Nokia has allowed some companies to use its technologies
PulseOn describes itself as being a Nokia spin-off company. Four out of its five shareholders are ex-Nokians, including Tero Mennander who spent five years heading a business development team.
"We saw a fantastic opportunity to commercialise a technology where the foundations were developed within Nokia," says Tero.

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Nokia gave the company a grant of tens of thousands of euros, and helped arranged a credit guarantee from a bank.
The grant enabled PulseOn to fund itself for 10 months, allowing it to further develop the technology before getting venture capital investment. The company now has 13 employees and will launch its first commercial product this year.
"It would have been very challenging to start it from scratch," says Tero.
"We're extremely grateful that this opportunity was given to us."
Some may argue that Nokia has done all this for its ex-staff to generate good publicity. This is denied by Matti Vanska.
"We said the individual priority is first, the community priority is second and the Nokia interest is third. I believe that when you do the right thing, Nokia will also benefit - but that was not the primary driver."

Start Quote

If you think about the Finnish psyche, it's a very fair culture”
Ari Tulla Founder of BetterDoctor
Ari Tulla is another one who benefited. He was Nokia's Head of App studios, working in Helsinki and San Francisco, but opted to leave when Nokia decided to switch to the Windows phone in February 2011.
He and Tapio Tolvanen - who also took redundancy - set up a company called BetterDoctor in San Francisco. Its app allows users to quickly find a suitable local doctor based on their insurance plan and the type of care they need.
Ari says the Bridge programme gave BetterDoctor "a few tens of thousands of dollars" but believes the gesture was about far more than money.
"Nokia has been - and is still today - a Finnish company and if you think about the Finnish psyche, it's a very fair culture," says Ari.
"When we do something we always want to see it through. You don't see Finns bailing out, that's not part of the culture so I think you would expect that from Nokia.
"For workers in America, if you worked at a company like General Electric it's more like you get the package - a month's salary - and go. They lock the doors on the day you are fired.
"At Nokia there were people who knew they were going to be laid off in six months and they were able to stay at Nokia with a Nokia email address with the Nokia laptop and spend time applying for new things and Nokia helped them. That's pretty fair."

看廣告;數則


(1)廣告業是西方產業中的要角。紐約時報有廣告的專欄, 並發行電子周報

Stuart Elliott's
In Advertising

上周美國Super Bowl,是年度廣告大事, 因為廣告費率最高。In Advertising 有一則說明;

A Budweiser ad about the bond between a dog and a horse was a hit even before the game.
 
Advertising

After Risqué Years, Super Bowl Commercials Go Warm and Fuzzy

By STUART ELLIOTT
Most commercials during Super Bowl XLVIII put on a decidedly happy face, using upbeat themes and positive images to attract viewers.

 (2) 
樓下有西雅圖極品咖啡的分店。
我前一陣子在電視上看到他們"三合一咖啡包"廣告。 幾年前我姪女嚐一下ˋ, 說很好喝。
不過, 我想這說不定是全世界少 有的咖啡廣告; 因為糖加多了, 人家說你賣糖。

(3)  雲林的農業博覽會之廣告,在東森有線電視台51台----不知道為何選此台呢。
政府活動當然要廣告。 我們看過都內疚春節返鄉忘記去一遊,有點罪惡趕。



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