The Failure Factors of Private Finance Initiative (PFI) Projects.

The degree of success of PFI project varies according to the type of project, with the most successful projects being roads. This do not typically involve a clear division between “core” and “ancillary” services to be provided under the PFI deal. Hospitals and university, in contrast, are more complicated in this respect.

The key to concluding a PFI deal that will deliver efficiency savings and a good quality public service at the same time lies in harnessing that experience to maximum effect. Too often, however, this simply has not happened. A lack of clarity about the desired outcome of the public sector purchaser, excessive delays in negotiation, poor project management on the part of the public sector and a lack of understanding of some of the key concepts of PFI have all combined to produce some cases where the taxpayer has definitely not received best value for money; and where the users of the public service have not received the level of service they are entitled to.

One of the key lessons to be drawn from the history of PFI deals to date is the need to improve the expertise of the public service and its advisers in negotiating and concluding PFI deals. Too often, public sector managers conclude a PFI deal and then move back into their normal day job, thus failing to capture what expertise has been built up. The major factors contribute to the failure of PFI projects are :-

(a) Ineffective management by the public sector, and a failure to control costs.

In a number of cases, a lack of expertise and poor project management skills on the public sector side have led to procurement processes being run inefficiently. As a result, costs, particularly those relating to professional advice, have not been sufficiently well-controlled and have escalated.

(b) Poor end product specification by the public sector.

The lack of clarity on the public sector side about what is required, and indeed what is attainable in respect of any particular project, has led to increased costs and unnecessary work, in other words, insufficient thought has been put into the exact specification and requirements at an early stage.

(c) Use of inappropriate measurements

It is almost impossible to calculate how much the public sector option would have cost over the long term. With the benefit of their greater commercial and PFI experience, private sector bidders will tend to be more accurate with their long-term cost estimates. Basing PFI decisions on apparently spurious calculations does not enhance the credibility of the PFI concept.

(d) Ineffective contingency planning.

Many PFI deals get into difficulty because of the lack of contingency planning in the public sector, particularly in relation to large government IT contracts.

FM News

• I-FM
• Construction News & Information
• FM Link
• IFMA online
• Today's Facility Manager

Facilities Management Magazines

• www.fmxmagazine.co.uk - FMX is a leading publication for facilities management, office management, property and building services.
• www.fm-world.co.uk - FM World is the magazine of the British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM).
• www.pfmonthenet.net - For more than 20 years, Premises & Facilities Management (PFM) has been the FM sector's source of best practice guidance, service suppliers, product and applications, news and jobs.
• www.fmjdata.com - FMJ, the magazine for the Facilities Management Profession.
• www.fmonline.co.uk - The largest, free to view News Distribution Service / Product / Service Supplier Locator for the UK based Facilities Manager.
• www.fmlink.com - a facilities management magazine resource.
• www.tomorrowsfm.com - Online Facilities Management magazine.

Facilities Management Directory

• BIFM - British Institute of Facilities Management - BIFM is the UK’s lead institute representing the interests of those who practise Facilities Management and those who work in organisations supplying Facilities Management related goods or services.
• www.fmonline.co.uk - The Facilities Management Online Magazine.
• FMLink - provides a valuable facilities management resource, registration is required.
• FM Pages - FM Pages - an online source to find facilities management products and services
• FMUK - FMUK is a publication that is placed to offer companies the opportunity to promote themselves in a rapidly expanding and lucrative market
• HSE - Responsible for the regulation of almost all the risks to health and safety arising from work activity in Britain
• Occupier - Occupier.org is a research web page showing information linking real estate and facilities with corporate output and productivity
• Workplacelaw Network - The Workplacelaw Network provides legal support, information and consultancy to BIFM members on health and safety, premises and employment issues. Keep yourself up-to-date with facilities management legal issues.

Advantages of Private Finance Initiative (PFI) Procurement for Government Project.

The reason for growth in the number of PFI projects emerging in Malaysia especially in higher education sector can be attributed to the advantages include:

• allowing capital to be accessed immediately (at a time when governments often claim a scarcity of public funds);

• focusing upon output specifications provides an opportunity for greater innovation;

• taking long-term assets of a department's balance sheets;

• allowing an asset to be delivered more cheaply and efficiently (due to private sector capital and management expertise);

• the transference of risks normally borne by the public sector (including the obligation to invest in the development of new technology or attempt new innovations to meet output specifications);

• imposing the obligation on the private sector to maintain and operate the facility, provides the private sector partner with the incentive to construct the facility using high quality materials, and design the facility so that it can be run economically;

• overcoming the potential for major infrastructure projects being severely curtailed or cancelled following the election of a new government looking for financial savings;

• because the private sector partner must hand the asset back to the public sector at the end of the concession period in the condition it was in on the first day of the concession period, the private sector partner is compelled to maintain the asset properly;

• long term projects provide the service provider with long term capital as well as avoiding the costly process of re-tendering; and

• allowing a public sector body to transfer its non-core functions to a private provider (and thereby allow the public sector body to concentrate on its core functions, facilitating the delivery of higher standards of service and greater value for money).

The advantages of PFI are even more far-reaching than the above. For the structure of PFI itself is also a reason for the growth in PFI. Well drafted output specifications and contract documents which provide for operation, life cycle and routine maintenance and facilities management services will mean that a PFI contractor should (as discussed above) take a whole of life costing approach and formulate an integrated approach to design, financing, construction and the operation of facilities. This should increase economic efficiency as a whole by addressing issues of maintainability, durability and operability from the outset of a project. If all of the above factors can be achieved, then the parties will have gone a considerable way to ensuring that the best overall value is achieved.

Jom Ceria Edisi Jan 2012 Pejabat Pembangunan, Pejabat Fasiliti dan Infotech UiTM Menceriakan.

Penolong Naib Canselor Pembangunan,Fasiliti dan ICT, Prof. Dr. Ir. Sr. Suhaimi Abdul Talib dalam ucapannya semasa program Jom Ceria Edisi Jan 2012 di DATC sebentar tadi menegaskan bahawa adalah menjadi tangungjawab semua kakitangan UiTM untuk memastikan semua keperluan keselamatan dan kesihatan pekerja dipatuhi didalam menjalankan tugas sebagaimana yang termaktub dalam Akta Keselamatan dan Kesihatan Pekerjaan 1994.

UiTM mempunyai Bahagian Khas yang bertanggungjawab terhadap hal ehwal keselamatan dan kesihatan pekerja yang dinamakan Bahagian Keselamatan dan Kesihatan Pekerjaan (BKKP) di Pejabat Pengurusan Fasiliti.

Beliau juga memberikan penekanan mengenai isu integriti semua kakitangan dibawah penyeliaan beliau supaya sentiasa mematuhi semua arahan dan pekeliling kerajaan serta mengikut prosedur kerja yang telah ditetapkan oleh kerajaan. Konsep ihsan perlu diterapkan dalam menjalankan tugas dengan menganggap Tuhan sentiasa melihat kita dimanapun kita berada dan mengetahui apa sahaja yang kita lakukan sepanjang masa.

Sr. Hajah Zuraida Hj. Yahya, Pengarah Pejabat Pengurusan Fasiliti dalam ucapannya menekan betapa kakitangan pejabat pengurusan fasiliti perlu merancang kerja terutama yang berkaitan dengan penyelenggaraan supaya kakitangan PPF berkerja secara sistematik dan terancang. Budaya kerja secara 'fire fighting' telah berlalu ujar beliau.

Hj. Alias Taib, Pengarah Pejabat Pembangunan dalam ucapannya menekan tentang perlunya kakitangan merancang pembangunan diri sendiri supaya menjadi insan lebih baik dimasa akan datang.

Prof. Madya Rahidzab Talib, Pengarah Infotech dalam ucapannya menegaskan dalam kesibukan menjalankan tugas, semua kakitangan tidak mengabaikan kesihatan masing-masing. Beliau mencadangkan supaya semua kakitangan membuat pemeriksaan kesihatan untuk memastikan kesihatan kita berada ditahap yang baik.

Jom Ceria edisi Jan 2012 kali ini diursetiakan oleh Bahagian Projek dan Rekabentuk, Pejabat Pengurusan Fasiliti.

Kodak Files for Bankruptcy

By Isabella Steger

REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

The event Deal Journal has been anticipating for weeks is finally here – Kodak is filing for bankruptcy.

The company released a statement in the wee hours Thursday confirming that it’s filed for Chapter 11, and said it’s secured $950 million in so-called debtor-in-possession financing to keep the company operating in bankruptcy court.

The full statement here:

Eastman Kodak Company and Its U.S. Subsidiaries Commence Voluntary Chapter 11 Business Reorganization

Flow of Goods and Services to Customers to Continue Globally in Ordinary Course

Non-U.S. Subsidiaries Are Not Included in U.S. Filing and Are Not Subject to Court Supervision

Company Secures $950 million in Debtor-in-Possession Financing in U.S. Kodak’s Reorganization to Facilitate Emergence as Profitable and Sustainable Enterprise

ROCHESTER, N.Y.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–January 19, 2012– Eastman Kodak Company (“Kodak” or the “Company”) announced today that it and its U.S. subsidiaries filed voluntary petitions for chapter 11 business reorganization in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.

The business reorganization is intended to bolster liquidity in the U.S. and abroad, monetize non-strategic intellectual property, fairly resolve legacy liabilities, and enable the Company to focus on its most valuable business lines. The Company has made pioneering investments in digital and materials deposition technologies in recent years, generating approximately 75% of its revenue from digital businesses in 2011.

Kodak has obtained a fully-committed, $950 million debtor-in-possession credit facility with an 18-month maturity from Citigroup to enhance liquidity and working capital. The credit facility is subject to Court approval and other conditions precedent. The Company believes that it has sufficient liquidity to operate its business during chapter 11, and to continue the flow of goods and services to its customers in the ordinary course.

Kodak expects to pay employee wages and benefits and continue customer programs. Subsidiaries outside of the U.S. are not subject to proceedings and will honor all obligations to suppliers, whenever incurred. Kodak and its U.S. subsidiaries will honor all post-petition obligations to suppliers in the ordinary course.

“Kodak is taking a significant step toward enabling our enterprise to complete its transformation,” said Antonio M. Perez, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “At the same time as we have created our digital business, we have also already effectively exited certain traditional operations, closing 13 manufacturing plants and 130 processing labs, and reducing our workforce by 47,000 since 2003. Now we must complete the transformation by further addressing our cost structure and effectively monetizing non-core IP assets. We look forward to working with our stakeholders to emerge a lean, world-class, digital imaging and materials science company.”

“After considering the advantages of chapter 11 at this time, the Board of Directors and the entire senior management team unanimously believe that this is a necessary step and the right thing to do for the future of Kodak,” Mr. Perez continued. “Our goal is to maximize value for stakeholders, including our employees, retirees, creditors, and pension trustees. We are also committed to working with our valued customers.

“Chapter 11 gives us the best opportunities to maximize the value in two critical parts of our technology portfolio: our digital capture patents, which are essential for a wide range of mobile and other consumer electronic devices that capture digital images and have generated over $3 billion of licensing revenues since 2003; and our breakthrough printing and deposition technologies, which give Kodak a competitive advantage in our growing digital businesses.”

Mr. Perez concluded, “The Board of Directors, the senior management team and I would like to underscore our appreciation for the hard work and loyalty of our employees. Kodak exemplifies a culture of collaboration and innovation. Our employees embody that culture and are essential to our future success.”

Kodak has taken this step after preliminary discussions with key constituencies and intends to work toward a consensual reorganization in the best interests of its stakeholders. Kodak expects to complete its U.S.-based restructuring during 2013.

The Company and its Board of Directors are being advised by Lazard, FTI Consulting Inc. and Sullivan & Cromwell LLP. In addition, Dominic DiNapoli, Vice Chairman of FTI Consulting, will serve as Chief Restructuring Officer to support the management team as to restructuring matters during the chapter 11 case.

More information about Kodak’s Chapter 11 filing is available on the Internet at www.kodaktransforms.com. Information for suppliers and vendors is available at (800) 544-7009 or (585) 724-6100.

Kodak will be filing monthly operating reports with the Bankruptcy Court and also plans to post these monthly operating reports on the Investor Relations section of Kodak.com. The Company will continue to file quarterly and annual reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which will also be available in the Investor Relations section of Kodak.com.

(Sources - http://blogs.wsj.com)

What people say about IPV6

World IPv6 Launch will mark the largest industry commitment to and deployment of IPv6 in the history of the Internet, with ISPs, home networking equipment manufacturers and web companies around the world permanently enabling IPv6 within their products and services.

We welcome additional participants to join this year’s World IPv6 Launch.

Akamai

“Web-enabled businesses will need to ensure their applications are available over IPv6 in order to keep pace with the Internet’s ever-expanding audience. Akamai is committed to helping our customers with a smooth transition to IPv6 without impacting performance or requiring disruptive changes to their origin networking infrastructure. The global breadth of our IPv6 deployment helped enable a seamless experience for content providers during World IPv6 Day last year, and we stand ready to support this next important, and permanent, step in the evolution of the Internet.”

– Tom Leighton, Co-Founder & Chief Scientist, Akamai

AT&T

“We’ve seen unprecedented growth in network traffic over the past several years, and IPv6 is critical to the continuation of that growth. AT&T has been a leader in the transition to IPv6 for many years, and we’re excited to participate in World IPv6 Launch by enabling IPv6 services for new and existing residential customers, in addition to the enterprise customers we support with IPv6 today.”

– John Donovan, CTO, AT&T

Cisco

“IPv6 is important to all of us. It is critical to the continued growth of the Internet, bringing together people and devices around the globe. As a leader in the development of IPv6 since its inception, Cisco is excited to be an integral part of the industry working together toward the World IPv6 Launch organized by the Internet Society. In addition to the continued support for IPv6 we have in our products today, we will be joining other websites around the world by permanently enabling IPv6 on www.cisco.com, as well as enabling IPv6 by default on our new line of E-series home routers.”

– John Chambers, Chairman and CEO, Cisco

Comcast

“IPv6 deployment is a key priority for Comcast in 2012, and we’re excited to participate in this Internet Society event that will help catalyze action around the world on this important transition.”

– John Schanz, EVP and Chief Network Officer, Comcast

D-Link

“D-Link recently completed a new round of IPv6 interoperability testing, underscoring our commitment to customers when the transition from IPv4 takes place. As we continue to develop new and innovative networking products, D-Link will provide support across all of our solutions to ensure a smooth transition to IPv6 for service providers and end users.”

– William Brown, associate vice president of product development, D-Link North America

Facebook

“Last year’s industry-wide test of IPv6 successfully showed that the global adoption of IPv6 is the best way to keep web devices communicating in the future. Permanently enabling IPv6 is vital to keeping the Internet open and ensuring people stay connected online as the number of web users and devices continues to grow.”

– Jay Parikh, VP of Infrastructure Engineering at Facebook

Google

“World IPv6 Launch marks a watershed moment in Internet history. It breaks the limits of the original address space to open a vast new territory, trillions upon trillions of times larger, and reinforces the end-to-end architecture that made the Internet so powerful at the beginning. Google strongly supports this upgrade. We’re happy to see that everyone is moving to the 21st-century Internet!”

– Vint Cerf, Chief Internet Evangelist at Google

Internode

“We are at the stage in IPv6 deployment where it’s time for major Internet Service Providers to make it a transparent part of their customers’ experience. Internode has enabled native IPv6 by default for all new customers, and all the routers we sell all come with ‘IPv6 Inside’. Our experience shows us that IPv6 is now fully capable of providing seamless, uninterrupted and efficient access to the Internet, dual-stacked with IPv4. It’s time to jump in – the water is fine.”

– Simon Hackett, Managing Director at Internode

KDDI

“Last year, in the event of the World IPv6 Day, KDDI’s IPv6 networks worked well when the major websites around the world had IPv6 enabled. KDDI is now operating the networks accommodating more than 600,000 dual stack users. We are promoting the launch of IPv6, in order that the Internet may continue to maintain its key role in society.”

–Mr.Yoshiharu Shimatani, Senior Vice President of KDDI

Limelight Networks

“We are proud to participate in the transition towards IPv6, as one of the first fully IPv6-enabled content delivery networks. IPv6 is a crucial step in facilitating the continued growth and improved performance of IP networks globally. The success of last year’s World IPv6 Day motivated many participants to permanently IPv6 enable their sites. Limelight Networks is committed to working with the industry to increase the level of preparation so that we can accelerate our move to a more scalable, flexible and interoperable Internet.”

–Todd Braning, VP of Network Architecture and Engineering for Limelight Networks

Microsoft Bing

“Bing is excited to bring the next-generation search to the next generation of the Internet. Microsoft has been pleased to partner with so many industry leading technology companies to usher in the next evolution of the Internet.”

– Derrick Connell, corporate vice president of Bing at Microsoft Corporation

Time Warner Cable

“The time to permanently enable IPv6 has arrived. Time Warner Cable is committed to the World IPv6 Launch in June, our customers should be reassured that the platform is ready and our partners should be including IPv6 in all their products and services.”

– Mike Lajoie, CTO of Time Warner Cable

Yahoo!

“The Internet has grown to be an essential part of our daily lives. It connects our devices to our apps; more importantly, it connects us to each other. Yahoo! is proud to be a part of the World IPv6 Launch – an event that marks the next chapter of our Internet. IPv6 enables the Internet to grow, while remaining open and accessible to new applications and new ideas.”

– Jason Fesler, Distinguished Architect and IPv6 Evangelist, Yahoo!

(Sources - http://www.worldipv6launch.org/support)

Azwan Ali Ditahan Polis Kerana Mahu Membunuh Ummi Hafilda.

Azwan Ali telah ditahan polis setelah satu laporan polis dibuat oleh Adiknya Umi Hafilda.

KUALA LUMPUR: Personaliti hiburan tanah air, Azwan Ali, 46, yang sering mencetuskan pelbagai kontroversi kini disiasat polis atas dakwaan mengugut mahu membunuh dan membakar adiknya, Ummi Hafilda Ali melalui laman twitternya.

Mendedahkan perkara berkenaan, Ummi berkata, dia menyedari ugutan dibuat abangnya itu pada minggu lalu apabila dimaklumkan anak saudaranya dan selepas mendapati ia benar sejurus membacanya sendiri, dia membuat laporan polis pada jam 6 petang Jumaat lalu.

Menurutnya, selama ini dia bersabar dengan cacian serta pelbagai tuduhan yang dilemparkan terhadapnya, namun ugutan itu sudah keterlaluan dan menggugat keselamatan diri, apatah lagi ia dilakukan abangnya.

“Siapa tidak sedih bila darah daging sendiri memburukkan dan mencaci kita hanya kerana perbezaan pendapat serta pendirian politik. Sebelum ini, saya masih mampu bersabar dan berdiam namun kini ia sudah melampau.

“Azwan mengajak pengikut twitternya membunuh saya dengan menulis ‘Jom ramai-ramai kita tangkap perempuan neraka ini...kita kerat-kerat dan kemudian kita bakar’.

“Begitulah lebih kurang ugutan Azwan terhadap saya. Ia sudah keterlaluan dan saya perlu diambil tindakan,” katanya ketika dihubungi, semalam.

Berikut adalah petikan dari twitter @AzwanNur berkenaan ugutan beliau untuk membunuh dan membakar Umi Hafilda.

Aneesh Chopra - U.S Chief Technology Officer

"Our mission is to assist the President in harnessing the power and potential of technology, data and innovation to transform the Nation's economy and improve the lives of everyday Americans." – Aneesh Chopra, U.S. CTO

Aneesh Chopra is the United States Chief Technology Officer and in this role serves as an Assistant to the President and Associate Director for Technology within the Office of Science & Technology Policy.

He works to advance the President’s technology agenda by fostering new ideas and encouraging government-wide coordination to help the country meet its goals from job creation, to reducing health care costs, to protecting the homeland.

He was sworn in on May 22nd, 2009. Prior to his appointment, he served as Secretary of Technology for the Commonwealth of Virginia from January 2006 until April 2009. He previously served as Managing Director with the Advisory Board Company, a publicly-traded healthcare think tank.

Chopra was named to Government Technology magazine’s Top 25 in their Doers, Dreamers, and Drivers issue in 2008. Aneesh Chopra received his B.A. from The Johns Hopkins University and his M.P.P. from Harvard’s Kennedy School.

Open source needed to save democracy

Open-source software developers face greater risks today than they ever have, to the point where the constraints inherent in proprietary software now represent a risk to democracy, according to one of the movement's leading figures.

"News and political discourse are mediated by software, and they're going to be more mediated in Apple TV than they are today in your computer. And we trust an astonishingly few companies to be the intermediaries between information and the user," said Bruce Perens, creator of the Open Source Definition, at the Linux.conf.au 2012 conference in Ballarat yesterday.

"People love their iPhones, because their iPhones enable them in so many ways, [but] they don't always understand that their iPhones also constrain them," he said.

"People are increasingly slaves of their tools. Part of their function is to not do what they want when their action might reduce the profit of Apple or a media company, or upset a cellular carrier, a government or even when some action is the wrong choice for the computer-naive user — for example, running [Adobe] Flash on an iPhone."

"Open source is the only credible producer of software and now hardware that isn't bound to a single company's economic interest," Perens said.

Despite open software's popularity in some sectors of the community, and the success of some projects, the movement as a whole has failed to defend its own future against the threat of laws designed to regulate the flow of information, such as the US Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), and, before it, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).

In part, that's because many open-source developers have an attitude problem, says Perens. "Let's face it; most of us don't even like users. We call them 'lusers'. We make the software for ourselves and the other developers. Why should we like them?"

Nothing is more annoying, said Perens, than the complaining user who says that the software stinks, when he's never contributed anything himself.

"We haven't yet developed any sympathy for users that is manifested by companies like Apple ...A good many of us, unfortunately, match the stereotype of socially impaired programmers."

Perens cited the Mozilla Foundation, creators of the Firefox web browser, and Wikipedia as examples of open-source projects that showed the "tremendous self-discipline" needed to appeal to ordinary users.

"Wikipedia [is] intrinsically more accessible to the common person than most of the things that we do ...When our work gratified only ourselves and our community, it's self-limiting,"

Perens said that the open-source movement's goal should be to establish a continuing legal freedom to create, modify and distribute open-source hardware and software.

"It's a simple goal. Open source should be legal. We're at risk from laws that weren't directed at us when we weren't economically significant, for example, software patenting; we've been really lucky with that, because at least in the [United] States it could have shut us down, and it hasn't been used that way," he said.

"We need to be able to make changes if we're going to be able to help ourselves ...We have no reason to trust companies or governments to do this job for us."

(Source - http://www.zdnet.com.au)

Wikipedia to go dark in SOPA protest, Twitter declines by John Ribeiro (IDG News Service)

Wikipedia's co-founder Jimmy Wales said the controversial legislation is far from dead

Wikipedia has decided to black out the English version of the online encyclopedia for 24 hours on Wednesday to protest against controversial legislation in the US, following a cue given by some other Internet sites including social news site, Reddit, which will black out its site for 12 hours on the same day.

Twitter's CEO Dick Costolo however said in a message on Twitter that "Closing a global business in reaction to single-issue national politics is foolish".He later clarified that he was talking about Twitter and not about Wikipedia's decision.

Wikimedia Foundation said on Monday that the Wikipedia community had chosen to black out its English version to protest against the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the U.S. House of Representatives, and the Protect IP Act (PIPA) in the U.S. Senate.

[ Get the latest IT news on the Australian government and businesses in omputerworld's Business & Government newsletter ]

"If passed, this legislation will harm the free and open Internet and bring about new tools for censorship of international websites inside the United States," Wikimedia Foundation, which operates Wikipedia, said in a statement on its website.

Three officials of U.S. President Barack Obama's administration issued a statement on Saturday on legislation including SOPA, the Protect IP Act (PIPA), and the Online Protection and Digital ENforcement Act (OPEN), in response to petitions.

"While we believe that online piracy by foreign websites is a serious problem that requires a serious legislative response, we will not support legislation that reduces freedom of expression, increases cybersecurity risk, or undermines the dynamic, innovative global Internet," said the statement which was signed by Victoria Espinel, the White House intellectual property enforcement coordinator, Aneesh Chopra, U.S. chief technology officer, and Howard Schmidt, special assistant to the president and cybersecurity coordinator for the National Security Staff.

The statement did not directly say whether the White House opposes SOPA or PIPA.

Trevor Timm, an activist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said on Monday that the Obama administration drew "an important line in the sand" by stating that it will not support legislation "that reduces freedom of expression, increases cybersecurity risk, or undermines the dynamic, innovative global Internet".

Yet, the fight is still far from over, he said, as the Senate is still poised to bring PIPA to the floor next week, and SOPA proponents in the House are likely to try to revive the legislation, unless they get the message that these initiatives must stop.

Jimmy Wales, Wikipedia's cofounder, said on Twitter on Monday that "Rumors of the death of SOPA may be premature" and added that "PIPA is still going strong". "But the best action for twitter might be to let us continue to use the service to organize our protests", he said.

Wikipedia urged readers in the U.S. to contact their elected representatives in Washington, or the foreign ministries of their countries, if they are users outside the U.S., to tell them that "you oppose SOPA and PIPA, and want the internet to remain open and free".

Reddit said last week that instead of the "user-curated chaos of reddit", it will be displaying a message about "how the PIPA/SOPA legislation would shut down sites like reddit, link to resources to learn more, and suggest ways to take action".

Google, Yahoo, Facebook, legislators, and some key personalities like Internet pioneer Vint Cerf have opposed the SOPA legislation.

John Ribeiro covers outsourcing and general technology breaking news from India for The IDG News Service. Follow John on Twitter at @Johnribeiro. John's e-mail address is john_ribeiro@idg.com

(Source - http://www.computerworld.com.au)

GUIDE TO SWITCHGEAR & FORMS OF SEPARATION

FORMS OF SEPARATION

FORM 1 An enclosed assembly to provide protection against contact with internal parts, where no internal separation is provided.

FORM 2 As Form 1, but with separation of all functional units from one another

FORM 3 As Form 2, but with separation of all functional units from one another

FORM 4 As Form 3, but the incoming and outgoing terminals are also required to be separated from the Busbar system, and from one another

IP RATINGS EXPLAINED

DIN VDE 0470 PART 1 /EN 60529 / IEC 529 IP XX X First Digit: This indicates the degree of protection of persons against contact with, or approach to, hazardous internal components, and protection of the equipment against ingress of solid foreign bodies and dust. X Second Digit: This indicates the degree of protection of the equipment inside the enclosure from ingress of water.

1st Digit Protection Explanation 0 No protection - 1 Protection against large foreign bodies Protection of persons from accidental large area direct contact with active or internal moving parts (e.g. hand contact), nut no guarding against intentional access to such parts. Protection of the object from access of solid foreign matter larger than Ø50mm. 2 Protection against medium-size foreign bodies Protection of persons from finger contact with active or internal moving parts. Protection of the object from access of solid foreign matter larger than Ø12mm. 3 Protection against small foreign bodies Protection of persons from contact with active or internal moving parts with tools, wires or similar foreign matter thicker than Ø2.5mm. Protection of the object from access of solid foreign matter larger than Ø2.5mm. 4 Protection against granular foreign bodies Protection of persons from contact with active or internal moving parts with tools, wires or similar foreign matter thicker than > than Ø1mm. 5 Protection against deposits of dust Total protection of persons from contact with voltage carrying or internal moving parts. Protection of the object from harmful deposits of dust. Ingress of dust is not completely prevented, but dust is prevented from entering in a quantity that would impair the functioning of the object. 6 Protection against ingress of dust Total protection of persons from contact with voltage carrying or internal moving parts. Protection of the object from ingress of dust.

2nd Digit Protection Explanation 0 No protection - 1 Protection against water dripping vertically Water drops falling vertically must not have any harmful effect. 2 Protection against water dripping up to 15° Water drops falling at any angle up to 15° from vertical must not have any harmful effect. 3 Protection against spray water Water hitting the object at any angle up to 60° from vertical must not have any harmful effect. 4 Protection against splash water Water splashing against the object from all directions must not have any harmful effect. 5 Protection against jet water A jet of water nozzeled against the object from all directions must not have any harmful effect. 6 Protection against flooding Water of temporary flooding, as in heavy seas, must not enter the object in any harmful quantity. 7 Protection against dipped state If the object is dipped into water (150mm to 1000mm), under the defined conditions of pressure and time, water must not enter the object in any harmful quantity. 8 Protection during submerged state If the object is submerged in water under defined extreme conditions, water must not enter the object in any harmful quantity.

OKW PRODUCT RATINGS IP Rating Product Range DESK CASE DIN-BOX A DIN-BOX B - without snap-on cover EURO CASE FLAT-PACK HAND-HELD KEYBOARD LUX CASE METTEC-EURO METTEC 19" MOTEC MULTITEC PLUG CASE POTTING BOX RAILTEC B RAILTEC C SHELL-TYPE - V, O; G without sealing kit UNICASE UNIMET UNIMET 19" UNITEC IP 40 ART-CASE MEDITEC SMART-CASE XS TOPTEC IP 41 COMTEC MINITEC SENSO-CASE SMART-CASE M, L, XL - without sealing kit WALL CASE - without hinged transp. cover IP 51 WALL CASE - with hinged transp. cover IP 53 DIN-BOX B - with snap-on cover IP 54 DATEC-CONTROL M, L - with sealing kit DATEC-POCKET S, M - with sealing DATEC-TERMINAL - with sealing ERGO-CASE - with sealing kit INTERFACE-TERMINAL - with cover SOFT-CASE - with intermediate protection ring UNIDESK - with sealing & PCB holes plugged VARIO-BOX - with front panel IP 64 VARIO-BOX - with front frame and front panel VARIO-BOX - with front cover IP 65 DATEC-CONTROL XS, S - with sealing kit DATEC-KEYBOARD - with sealing kit DATEC-MOBIL - with sealing kit DATEC-POCKET L - with sealing HAND-TERMINAL - with sealing kits (case+front panel) SHELL-TYPE G - with sealing kit (cases without batt. comp't) SMART-CASE L, XL - with sealing kit (cases no batt. comp't) IP 66 ROBUST-BOX SMART-BOX