Manager Finance Costing: 2012

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Tier Technologies, Inc., Changes its Name to Official Payments Holdings, Inc., Effective January 3, 2012

Tier Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: TIER), a leading provider of
electronic payment solutions for the biller direct market, today
announced that it has completed its name change to Official
Payments Holdings, Inc. The name change was previously approved by
shareholders. Effective Wednesday, January 4, 2012, Official
Payments Holdings, Inc., will trade under the new Nasdaq ticker
symbol OPAY. Official Payments Corporation remains a wholly owned
subsidiary of Official Payments Holdings, Inc. Adopting our new
name completes the transition to a company that is singularly
focused on providing enhanced payment solutions, said Alex P. Hart,
President and CEO. Most of our clients and customers have known us
by our Official Payments brand for years. This new corporate name
both simplifies and strengthens our branding and builds on our
established market leadership. About Official Payments Holdings
Official Payments Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: OPAY) is a leading
provider of electronic payment solutions in the biller direct
market. Headquartered in Norcross, Georgia, the company provides
enhanced electronic payment services that include multiple payment
choices, payment channels, and bill payment products and services
to over 4,600 clients in all 50 states and the District of
Columbia. Official Payments serves clients in multiple markets
including federal, state, and local governments, educational
institutions, and utilities. Consumers may pay federal taxes, state
and local taxes, property taxes, and other bills such as utilities
and college tuition with credit cards, debit cards, electronic
checks and alternative payment methods via online, telephone, point
of sale and other channels by visiting www.OfficialPayments.com.
Corporate information is available at
www.OPAY.OfficialPayments.com.

7-Eleven Australia Chooses KSS Fuels Pricing Solution

KSS Fuels announced today that 7-Eleven Australia will
implement PriceNet within its recently expanded Australian retail
network of over 400 fuel sites. PriceNet will streamline the fuels
pricing process and deliver the real-time information needed to
enhance fuel pricing decisions at every store. KSS Fuels PriceNet
is a complete end to end pricing solution capable of meeting
7-Elevens business needs in one of the most dynamic and challenging
retail markets in the world. In addition to the core PriceNet fuel
price management system, 7-Eleven Australia will implement PriceNet
Web, to facilitate rapid communication with store personnel and the
KSS Analytics dashboards for continuous performance monitoring.
This is a significant milestone in our growth in Asia-Pacific and
follows a major commitment of resources to enhancing our business
in the region, stated Huw Carey, vice president account sales
responsible for KSS Fuels business in Asia-Pacific. "Were delighted
to welcome 7-Eleven Australia, a global leader in petroleum and
convenience retailing, as our latest PriceNet customer," said Bob
Stein, president and chief executive officer of KSS Fuels. This new
partnership strengthens our presence in Australia, a key part of
our growth strategy to deliver KSS Fuels pricing and location
intelligence products and services to retailers in the Asia-Pacific
region. As the leading convenience retailer in Australia we are
constantly looking for business solutions that help enhance the
customer experience as well as deliver on our corporate performance
goals. PriceNet will significantly improve our fuel price
management capabilities and enable us to respond quickly and more
effectively to market changes, stated Warren Wilmot, Chief
Executive Officer of 7-Eleven Australia. PriceNet is a
comprehensive pricing solution that streamlines the pricing
process, from competitor surveys to price change at POS, pump and
sign, delivering pricing in minutes. High levels of automation and
an exception-based approach ensure a rapid response to competitors
and market conditions and allow pricing analysts to leverage the
power of price optimization. A family of products, PriceNet
includes modules for increased mobility and analytic dashboards to
support real-time fuels pricing and performance monitoring via
handheld mobile devices. About 7-Eleven Australia 7-Eleven Pty Ltd,
Australias First choice in convenience, is a private company owned
by the Withers/Barlow family. The company has a license to operate
and franchise 7-Eleven stores in Australia from the US based
7-Eleven Inc. The first Australian store was opened in August 1977.
Today 7-Eleven Pty Ltd. operates more than 600 stores along the
eastern seaboard, including over 200 recently acquired Mobil/Quix
sites that are being progressively converted into 7-Eleven stores.
Worldwide 7-Eleven operates more than 40,000 stores in 16
countries, and is opening approximately six stores per day
somewhere in the world. Through its 600+ stores, 7-Eleven Pty Ltd.
will conduct more than 160 million transactions a year, serving an
average 6 customers per second, generating sales of approximately
$3 billion. About KSS Fuels KSS Fuels is the leading global
provider of fuels pricing and retail network planning software,
analytics and consulting services to companies in the oil gas,
convenience store, grocery and retail industries. KSS Fuels helps
fuel retailers, distributors and marketers implement effective
pricing solutions to increase profitability and analyze retail
networks to pinpoint growth opportunities and optimize capital
investment to enhance operational performance. The company has
North American headquarters in Florham Park, NJ as well as regional
offices in Florida, Illinois, Ohio, Oklahoma and Texas and
international operations in Brazil, Canada, China, India, Japan,
Korea and Africa, with headquarters in Manchester, United Kingdom.
For more information about KSS Fuels, please visit
www.kssfuels.com.

CyberSource Payment Management Services Achieve Oracle Validated Integration with Oracles ATG Commerce Suite 10

CyberSource, a Visa company (NYSE: V) and a gold-level member
of the Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN), today announced it has achieved
Oracle Validated Integration of CyberSource Payment Management
Services with Oracles ATG Commerce Suite 10. Oracle ATG customers
can now more rapidly adopt CyberSources industry leading portfolio
of payment management services, helping them to get to market
faster and grow with less cost and complexity. Services include:
Global payment services to accept and transact payments
worldwideincluding global tax calculation services; Fraud
management services to reduce the risk of payment fraud and
increase operating efficiency; Payment tokenization services to
protect payment data and reduce the scope of PCI DSS compliance.
This announcement highlights the latest in a long history of
technical and business collaboration with Oracles ATG Commerce
group, said Carolyn Brackett, CyberSources Vice President, Channels
and Alliances. Oracles ATG Commerce Suite is broadly recognized as
one of the leading commerce platforms, worldwide. We are pleased to
be a trusted component of this premier commerce solution. To
achieve Oracle Validated Integration, Oracle partners are required
to meet a stringent set of requirements that are based on the needs
and priorities of the customers. The Oracle Validated Integration
applies a rigorous technical review and test process, said Kevin
OBrien, Senior Director, ISV and SaaS Strategy, Oracle. Achieving
Oracle Validated Integration through Oracle PartnerNetwork gives
our customers confidence that the integration between CyberSource
Payment Management Services and Oracle ATGs Commerce Suite 10 has
been validated, and that the products work together as designed.
This reduces risk and improves the implementation cycle for our
joint customers. About Oracle Validated Integration Oracle
Validated Integration through the Oracle PartnerNetwork gives
customers confidence that the integration of complementary partner
software products with Oracle Applications and Oracle Technology
(including Oracle Enterprise Manager, Oracle Content Management,
and Oracle Identity Management) have been validated and the
products work together as designed. This can help reduce risk,
improve system implementation cycles, and provide for smoother
upgrades and simpler maintenance. Oracle Validated Integration
applies a rigorous technical process to review the integrations of
third-party software to Oracle Applications and Technology
products, including productized repeatable integrations from system
integrators. Oracle provides access to Oracle Applications and
Technology software, tools, technical resources and training to
assist partners in developing integrations based on Oracle
standards and best practices. Partners who have successfully
validated their integrations are authorized to use the Oracle
Validated Integration logo. For more information, please visit
Oracle.com at
http://www.oracle.com/us/partnerships/solutions/index.html. About
Oracle PartnerNetwork Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN) Specialized is
the latest version of Oracle's partner program that provides
partners with tools to better develop, sell and implement Oracle
solutions. OPN Specialized offers resources to train and support
specialized knowledge of Oracle products and solutions and has
evolved to recognize Oracle's growing product portfolio, partner
base and business opportunity. Key to the latest enhancements to
OPN is the ability for partners to differentiate through
Specializations. Specializations are achieved through competency
development, business results, expertise and proven success. To
find out more visit http://www.oracle.com/partners. About
CyberSource CyberSource, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Visa Inc., is
a payment management company. Over 390,000 businesses worldwide use
CyberSource and Authorize.Net brand solutions to process online
payments, streamline fraud management, and simplify payment
security. The company is headquartered in San Francisco and
maintains offices throughout the world, with regional headquarters
in Singapore (Asia Pacific); Tokyo (Japan), Miami/Sao Paulo (Latin
America and the Caribbean), and Reading, U.K. (Europe/Middle
East/Africa). CyberSource operates in Europe under agreement with
Visa Europe. For more information, please visit
www.cybersource.com.

IRS Angel: Local Angel Helping the Community Solve Their Tax Problems

Yael Lazar wears the same piece of statement jewelry every
daya necklace with an angel charm. Yael is an attorney who
specializes in tax resolution, tax preparation and audit
representation. The necklace was a thank you present given to her
by one of her very elated clients. After a few of her clients
dubbed her their IRSAngel, it stuck and became the name of her
firm. Yael says, Thats what Im about. Im here to save you, protect
you and resolve your IRS issues in a positive way. When a call is
placed to IRSAngel, Yael herself often answers the phone. Her warm
nature and infectious laugh immediately puts one at ease. According
to Yael, My clients are great people who have gotten themselves
into an unfortunate situation. They may not know how to find a
solution, which is where I come in. A typical IRSAngel client is
someone who prepares a tax return, realizes theyre going to owe
money and delays filing because they simply dont have the money.
Many of them say they wont file now because theyre going to save up
the money to pay. More often than not, it becomes difficult to save
the money and the situation snowballs. What many people dont
realize is that there are payment options. In many cases, a monthly
payment to the IRS may be less expensive than a credit card bill.
Since IRSAngel is a local firm, Yael has clients that hand deliver
sensitive financial information. Not only do they feel more at
ease, but it also allows them to have a more personal relationship
with her. Yael can look out her office window and see the IRS
building. Knowing many of the revenue officers personally allows
her to pick up the phone or meet with them to come up with a
solution that works for her clients. But Yael doesnt just solve the
immediate issue. She counsels her clients on sound financial
practices and helps them develop a financial plan. At the end of
the case, Yael frequently hears I feel so much better from her
clients. She says, I love seeing a happy client with their IRS
problems resolved in a way that exceeded their expectations. Read
More:
http://www.irsangel.com/irs-angel-local-angel-helping-the-community-solve-their-tax-problems/

ISS Recommends ChinaCast Stockholders Vote the Green Proxy for Sherwood Director Nominees at ChinaCasts Annual Meeting

Ned Sherwood, a major stockholder of ChinaCast Education
Corporation (Nasdaq GS: CAST), announced today that the nations
leading independent proxy firm, ISS Proxy Advisory Services, has
recommended that all of its institutional stockholder clients
owning shares of ChinaCast vote Mr. Sherwoods GREEN proxy card and
not vote ChinaCasts blue proxy card at the annual meeting of
stockholders scheduled to be held on January 10, 2012 at 9:00 a.m.
Beijing Standard Time (which is January 9, 2012 at 8:00 p.m. U.S.
Eastern Standard Time). ISS recommended that stockholders vote the
GREEN proxy FOR Ned Sherwood and Daniel Tseung. The analyses and
reports of ISS are relied upon by hundreds of major institutional
investment firms, mutual and pension funds and other fiduciaries.
In making its recommendation that ChinaCast stockholders vote on
the GREEN proxy card FOR Messrs. Sherwood and Tseung, ISS stated:
the ability of external directors to think and act independently of
management is a core tenet of corporate governance, and perhaps the
most robust response available to mitigate the agency risk inherent
in publicly-held corporations. ISS also noted that: the boards
argument against Sherwoods candidacy and particularly against
Tseungs seem particularly thin. The boards willingness to allow
Sherwood onto the management slate initially, the 11th hour
decision to drop him, and its still-unexplained removal of Tseung
from his committee assignments, are generally more supportive of
Sherwoods view that he was being rebuked for being too independent
than the boards. For unaffiliated shareholders, the more
significant question is whether Mr. Sherwood is effective in
advocating their cause. Given the Chairmans own example of what
makes Sherwood a difficult director Sherwoods demands that the
company come up with a better process for acting on opportunistic
stock buybacks it seem plausible the answer is yes, and that his
candidacy deserves their support.* Ned Sherwood commented: We are
pleased with ISSs reasoned recommendations. ISS has done
significant due diligence on the nominees and the company, and its
conclusions underscore the importance of having board members who
are truly independent and can best represent stockholders
interests. My slate of three highly qualified independent nominees
which includes Daniel Tseung, Derek Feng and myself remains fully
committed to acting independently of management and running a full,
thorough and transparent process to seek the best buyer for the
company. ChinaCasts annual meeting of stockholdersscheduled to be
held on Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 9:00 a.m. Beijing Standard
Time (which is Monday, January 9, 2012 at 8:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern
Standard Time)is just days away. ChinaCast stockholders are urged
to protect their best interests by electing the three highly
qualified, independent nominees on the GREEN proxy card TODAY.
Stockholders with any questions or that need assistance in voting
the GREEN proxy card, should please call the firm assisting in the
solicitation of GREEN proxies, Innisfree MA Incorporated, toll-free
at (888) 750-5834 (banks and brokers call collect at (212)
750-5833). Gibson, Dunn Crutcher LLP is acting as legal advisor to
Mr. Sherwood. * Permission to include published material in this
press release was neither sought nor obtained. Important
Information SECURITY HOLDERS ARE ADVISED TO READ THE DEFINITIVE
PROXY STATEMENT FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
(THE SEC) AND OTHER DOCUMENTS RELATED TO THE SOLICITATION OF
PROXIES BY NED SHERWOOD, ZS EDU L.P., ZS EDU GP LLC, ROBERT HORNE
AND THE NOMINEES FROM THE STOCKHOLDERS OF CHINACAST EDUCATION
CORPORATION (THE ISSUER) FOR USE AT THE ISSUERS ANNUAL MEETING
BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN OR WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION.
INVESTORS CAN GET THE DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT AND OTHER RELEVANT
DOCUMENTS, AT NO CHARGE AT THE SECS WEBSITE AT
HTTP://WWW.SEC.GOV.

A.M. Best Places Ratings of Optima Insurance Company Under Review with Positive Implications

A.M. Best Co. has placed under review with positive
implications the financial strength rating of B++ (Good) and issuer
credit rating of bbb of Optima Insurance Company (Optima) (San
Juan, PR), following the recent announcement that a subsidiary of
QBE Insurance Group Limited (QBE) (Sydney, Australia) has agreed to
acquire Optima Insurance Group, Inc., the parent company of Optima.
The under review with positive implications status reflects
confirmation of an executed stock purchase agreement between the
parties, and that 100% of the stock of Puerto Rico-based Optima
Insurance Group, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiary, Optima, will
be acquired by QBE through QBE Latin America Insurance Holdings,
S.L. QBE also acquired an affiliated agency, Colonial Insurance
Agency, through which Optima derives approximately 85% of its
written premium. Additionally, QBE purchased New Century Finance
Corp, a premium finance agency. Neither of these entities is owned
by Optima Insurance Group, Inc., however; they are owned by common
stockholders of Optima. While the agreement remains subject to
regulatory approval, both parties anticipate the transaction to
close during the first quarter of 2012. The ratings will remain
under review with positive implications pending regulatory
approval, the completion of a planned intercompany quota share
agreement provided by the QBE organization and additional
discussions with the new ownership to determine Optimas strategic
fit within QBE, a much larger, more diversified organization. The
principal methodology used in determining these ratings is Bests
Credit Rating Methodology -- Global Life and Non-Life Insurance
Edition, which provides a comprehensive explanation of A.M. Bests
rating process and highlights the different rating criteria
employed. Additional key criteria utilized include: Risk Management
and the Rating Process for Insurance Companies; Understanding BCAR
for Property/Casualty Insurers; A.M. Bests Ratings The Treatment of
Debt; Equity Credit for Hybrid Securities; and Natural Catastrophe
Stress Test Methodology. Methodologies can be found at
www.ambest.com/ratings/methodology. Founded in 1899, A.M. Best
Company is the worlds oldest and most authoritative insurance
rating and information source. For more information, visit
www.ambest.com. Copyright 2012 by A.M. Best Company, Inc. ALL
RIGHTS RESERVED.

Beyond the Arc, Attensity Help Businesses Turn Social Media Data and Customer Feedback into Actionable Insights

Beyond the Arc, Inc., a customer experience consulting firm
that helps financial services companies use social media to meet
concrete business objectives, announced today the expansion of
Social Customer Insights to take advantage of the social analytics
capabilities of Attensity, a leading provider of text analytics
solutions for Customer Experience Management (CEM). In October,
Beyond the Arc launched Social Customer Insights, which combines
social media data mining, strategic marketing and Voice of the
Customer strategy for banks, credit unions, insurance companies and
credit card issuers with the goal of uncovering and acting on
valuable customer insights. Beyond the Arc, as a result of the new
relationship, can create solutions for financial institutions using
Attensity's CEM applications. Beyond the Arc's Social Customer
Insights helps financial institutions gain customer insight,
monitor their competitive landscape and accelerate social media
return on investment by reaching well-defined business objectives,
said Steven J. Ramirez, CEO of Beyond the Arc. Financial
institutions can now benefit from Attensity's social analytics
capabilities, as we develop specialized solutions on their platform
to help clients drive increases in customer satisfaction and
loyalty. Beyond the Arc collects millions of social media posts
from a variety of social media platforms, applies its proprietary
Social Analytics Development Kit and data mining algorithms, and
creates a highly refined social data set for financial services.
Attensity helps exclude irrelevant noise, including spam posts,
which can make social media analytics time-consuming and
unproductive and provides a highly scalable, multi-channel platform
that enables organizations to implement and deploy customer
experience solutions across the enterprise. IT leaders need a
single, integrated solution for enterprise-class customer
experience management that is both robust and scalable in order to
fulfill the different technology and communications needs of an
organization, said Rebecca MacDonald, vice president of marketing
at Attensity. Attensitys Consulting Partners provide expertise,
methodologies and services that apply our products to solve
specific business problems for our customers. Beyond the Arc was
carefully selected for their proven ability to provide value-added
services that help our customers get maximum value from their
Attensitys products in our customers environments, ensuring
complete customer satisfaction. About Beyond the Arc, Inc.
Headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, Beyond the Arc, Inc.
combines strategy consulting with advanced analytics to help
financial services clients identify opportunities to differentiate
themselves in the marketplace. The companys social media data
mining helps clients improve their customer experience across
products, channels, and touch points. For more information about
Beyond the Arc and its solutions visit http://beyondthearc.com or
call 1-877-676-3743. Insights on social media, financial services,
and more are shared on their blog, or follow them on Twitter at
@beyondthearc. About Attensity Attensitys text analytics solutions
are the choice of the worlds leading brands for Customer Experience
Management (CEM). Attensity is the only company that gives business
users the ability to analyze millions of real-time customer
conversations from any online, social media or internal source, and
extract the industrys most accurate insights to drive business
decisions. From its headquarters in Palo Alto, Calif., and
Kaiserslautern, Germany, Attensity is powering the customer
experience strategies of companies such as ATT, Charles Schwab,
Citigroup, JetBlue, Lloyds Banking Group, Siemens, Starwood
Resorts, Travelocity and Whirlpool. Visit www.attensity.com and
follow the company at blog.attensity.com, on Twitter @Attensity,
and on facebook.com/Attensity. 2011 Attensity Group. Attensity is a
trademark of Attensity Group in the United States and/or other
countries. Other brand and product names are trademarks or
registered trademarks of their respective holders. Information is
subject to change without notice. All rights reserved.

A.M. Best Places Ratings of Optima Insurance Company Under Review with Positive Implications

Cost Plus World Markets Ultimate Football Fan Sweepstakes Gives Fans a Chance to Win Tickets to the Game on February 5, 2012

From now through January 20, 2012, Cost Plus World Market
(www.worldmarket.com) will be running the Ultimate Football Fan
Sweepstakes, a Facebook-only promotion
(www.facebook.com/worldmarket) inviting all sports fans to enter
for a chance to be at the game in Indianapolis, Indiana on February
5, 2012. This annual showdown is one of the most highly anticipated
professional football games in the U.S., and World Market Facebook
fans have an opportunity to see it live by entering the sweepstakes
at www.facebook.com/worldmarket. One grand prize winner will
receive two tickets to the game, two tickets to the official VIP
Hospitality Party, airfare for two, four-night hotel
accommodations, car service to and from the game, and a $1,000
World Market gift card. One first prize winner will receive a $500
World Market gift card to purchase items for the ultimate viewing
party from World Markets extensive gourmet food and beverage
offerings, including savory snack mixes, chips dips, sweet treats,
wines and craft beers, serveware and other home entertaining
essentials for the big game. Also, a second prize winner will
receive a $250 World Market gift card. With a great variety of
affordable finds, World Market has all the ingredients to host a
perfect party for any budget! For information about World Markets
current promotions and events, please go to www.worldmarket.com.
Keep up with World Market by following us on
www.facebook.com/worldmarket and www.twitter.com/worldmarket. About
Cost Plus World Market Cost Plus World Market operates 258 stores
in 30 states under the names World Market and Cost Plus World
Market. The store features an ever-changing selection of casual
home furnishings, decor, housewares, gifts, jewelry, decorative
accessories, over 500 international wines, gourmet foods and
beverages offered at affordable prices and are imported from more
than 50 countries. Many items are unique and exclusive to World
Market and are regularly supplied by an international network of
individual and regional artisans developed over the Companys more
than 50 years in the import business.

IRS Angel: Local Angel Helping the Community Solve Their Tax Problems

Janus Launches Janus Protected Series Growth for Insurance Channel

Janus Capital Group Inc. (NYSE: JNS) today announced the
launch of Janus Aspen Protected Series Growth, which aims to
balance potential capital appreciation with a measure of downside
protection. The portfolios capital protection is provided by BNP
Paribas, one of the worlds largest banks. Janus Aspen Protected
Series Growth, which was launched on January 3, 2012, is managed by
Janus portfolio manager Jonathan Coleman. Coleman also serves as
Co-Chief Investment Officer, Equities, of Janus Capital Management.
With the market volatility weve experienced over the last 2 years,
our insurance partners are seeking risk-managed investment
solutions that help them lessen their capital requirements burden,
said Chris Furman, vice president and managing director, financial
institutions. We specifically designed this product with our
clients needs in mind. According to Furman, Janus Aspen Protected
Series Growth is the logical next step in the build-out of Janus
variable insurance trust series. Janus Aspen Moderate Allocation
Portfolio was launched August 31, 2011 as part of a longer-term
product development strategy to bring new solutions to market in an
effort to address Janus clients actuarial risk-management needs.
Janus Aspen Protected Series Growth aims to balance capital
appreciation and capital protection by actively allocating its
assets between and within domestic large cap equities, cash and
cash equivalents, U.S. Treasuries or other instruments that have
the potential to reduce risk such as short index futures, assisted
by BNP Paribas risk allocation methodology. The portfolio is
designed to provide investors with a protected NAV of no less than
80% of the highest NAV ever achieved by each individual share class
of the portfolio, reduced for dividends, distributions,
extraordinary items and extraordinary expenses. If the NAV per
share for any share class is less than the protected NAV, the
portfolio would liquidate. When Janus Aspen Protected Series
Growths NAV is above its protected NAV, the portfolios equity
exposure could be up to 100%. In the event that the portfolios NAV
approaches its protected NAV, the equity exposure could be as low
as 0%. The portfolio may also lag other similarly managed growth
portfolios that do not pay a capital protection fee. There is no
guarantee that the investment techniques used by the portfolio
manager and the risk allocation methodology employed by the capital
protection provider will produce the desired results. The
allocation process can result in the portfolio underperforming or
lagging its benchmark or similarly managed portfolios during rising
markets, particularly following a period of market decline. For
more information, please visit www.janus.com/variable-insurance.
About Janus Capital Group Inc. Janus Capital Group Inc. (JCG) is a
global investment firm offering strategies from three individual
investment boutiques: Janus Capital Management LLC (Janus), INTECH
Investment Management LLC (INTECH) and Perkins Investment
Management LLC (Perkins). Each manager employs a research-intensive
approach that is distinct within its respective asset class. This
multi-boutique approach enables the firm to provide style-specific
expertise across an array of strategies, including growth, value
and risk-managed equities, fixed income and alternatives through
one common distribution platform. At the end of September 2011, JCG
managed $141.0 billion in assets for shareholders, clients and
institutions around the globe. Based in Denver, JCG also has
offices in London, Milan, Munich, Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo and
Melbourne. About BNP Paribas BNP Paribas (www.bnpparibas.com) is
among the strongest banks in the world*. The Group has a presence
in more than 80 countries and more than 200,000 employees,
including more than 160,000 in Europe. It ranks highly in its three
core activities: Retail Banking, Investment Solutions and Corporate
Investment Banking. In Europe, the Group has four domestic markets
(Belgium, France, Italy and Luxembourg) and BNP Paribas Personal
Finance is the leader in consumer lending. BNP Paribas is rolling
out its integrated retail banking model across the
Europe-Mediterranean zone and boasts a large network in the western
part of the United States. In its Corporate Investment Banking and
Investment Solutions activities, BNP Paribas also enjoys top
positions in Europe, a strong presence in the Americas and solid
and fast-growing businesses in Asia. *Rated AA- by Standard Poors
i.e. 4th rating level on a scale of 22. Rating is subject to
change. Please consider the charges, risks, expenses and investment
objectives carefully before investing. For a prospectus, or if
available a summary prospectus containing this and other
information, please call Janus at 1-877-335-2687 or download the
file from janus.com. Read it carefully before you invest or send
money. Janus Aspen Protected Series-Growth is not a capital
guaranteed or insured product. As with all investments, there are
inherent risks when investing in it including, but not limited to,
allocation risk, maximum settlement amount risk, turnover risk,
liquidation risk, opportunity cost risk, capital protection
termination risk, underperformance risk and counterparty risk, each
as disclosed in the Portfolios Prospectuses. The protection feature
is subject to various conditions and the financial payment
capabilities of BNP Paribas. See the Prospectus for further
details. Portfolio distributed by Janus Distributors LLC
(12/11)

Beyond the Arc, Attensity Help Businesses Turn Social Media Data and Customer Feedback into Actionable Insights

AisleBuyer CEO to Present on the Potential of Mobile Payments at the Consumer Electronics Show

AisleBuyer Founder and CEO Andrew Paradise will deliver a
presentation on the future of mobile payments, highlighting the
power of mobile self-checkout, at the 2012 International Consumer
Electronics Show (CES) being held next week in Las Vegas. Paradise
will participate in the panel discussion: Mobile Payment Basics:
How the Technology Works, joining executives from Visa, PayPal,
Ericcson and the Double Diamond Group to discuss how the wireless
ecosystem promises to turn smartphones into credit cards and how
this will affect the in-store customer experience. Panelists will
present on cutting edge technologies, including near-field
communications, mobile wallets and mobile self-checkout, as well as
discuss best practices for driving the implementation of mobile
payments in retail. Who: Andrew Paradise, founder CEO,
AisleBuyer What: Mobile Payment Basics: How the Technology
Works" presentation When: Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at
10a.m. PT Where: Las Vegas Convention Center North Hall Room
#N260 To register for CES, click here. About AisleBuyer
AisleBuyer offers a revolutionary mobile commerce platform for
retailers, brands and quick service restaurants. Only AisleBuyer
provides mobile self-checkout capabilities for improving the
in-store shopping experience, conversion rates and average cart
size by delivering targeted product recommendations, promotions and
coupons to smartphone users while they shop. AisleBuyer includes
powerful analytics for collecting detailed data on in-store
shopping behavior that was previously unattainable to
retailers.

7-Eleven Australia Chooses KSS Fuels Pricing Solution

VeriFone Completes Acquisition of Point

VeriFone Systems, Inc. (NYSE: PAY), today announced it has
completed the acquisition of Point, Northern Europes largest
provider of payment and gateway services and solutions for
retailers. Point, based in Stockholm, has operations in 11 European
countries and serves a captive network encompassing almost 475,000
merchant contracts. Through this network, Point offers retailers a
full range of multi-channel services and solutions, including
point-of-sale technology and support, gateway services, card
encryption services, and e-commerce processing. This acquisition
supports our vision of offering retailers everywhere a managed
service to easily accept all existing payment types, including the
evolving alternative and mobile payment methods being offered by
traditional card brands and new entrants such as Google, PayPal,
Groupon and Isis, said VeriFone CEO Douglas G. Bergeron. The new
entrants can take advantage of easy and accelerated access to
VeriFones worldwide installation of more than 20 million merchant
lanes. Point will operate as a VeriFone company. VeriFone intends
to extend the Point platform throughout the region and beyond, with
the aim of creating the worlds largest infrastructure for rapid
deployment of alternative payments and NFC mobile commerce. To
finance the Point acquisition and refinance existing debt, VeriFone
has executed a credit agreement for $1.5 billion led by J.P. Morgan
Securities LLC, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner Smith Incorporated,
Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, Barclays Capital and RBC Capital
Markets. The facility provides VeriFone with long-term debt capital
at economical interest rates. The debt consists of 5-year Term A
Loans for $918.5 million, a 5-year revolving line of credit for
$350.0 million, and 7-year Term B Loans for $231.5 million. The
companys previously arranged credit facility has been repaid in
full; a portion of the proceeds will also be used to repay
VeriFones outstanding 1.375% Convertible Notes due June 2012. Safe
Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995 for VeriFone Systems, Inc. This press release includes
certain forward-looking statements related to VeriFone Systems,
Inc. within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform
Act of 1995. These statements are based on management's current
expectations or beliefs and are subject to uncertainty and changes
in circumstances. Actual results may vary materially from those
expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements herein due
to changes in economic, business, competitive, technological and/or
regulatory factors, and other risks and uncertainties affecting the
operation of the business of VeriFone Systems, Inc. These risks and
uncertainties include whether the successful integration of Point
with VeriFone and the anticipated benefits of the transaction can
be achieved. For a further list and description of risks and
uncertainties, see our periodic filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. VeriFone and Point are under no obligation to,
and expressly disclaim any obligation to, update or alter their
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information,
future events, changes in assumptions or otherwise. About VeriFone
Systems, Inc. (www.verifone.com) VeriFone Systems, Inc. (VeriFone)
(NYSE: PAY) is the global leader in secure electronic payment
solutions. VeriFone provides expertise, solutions and services that
add value to the point of sale with merchant-operated,
consumer-facing and self-service payment systems for the financial,
retail, hospitality, petroleum, government and healthcare vertical
markets. VeriFone solutions are designed to meet the needs of
merchants, processors and acquirers in developed and emerging
economies worldwide. Additional Resources:
http://ir.verifone.com

Citi Introduces First Facebook App to Make Rewards Social

Citi today announced the first Facebook application from a
loyalty program that is both a rewarding and social experience: the
Citi ThankYou Point Sharing App. This new Facebook app makes it
quick and easy for ThankYou Rewards members who are Facebook
friends to pool their points together, and use their points
collective value towards a shared goal or reward. ThankYou members
on Facebook can combine their points to make a charitable donation,
or choose from millions of rewards on www.thankyou.com, from travel
to electronics. As our ThankYou members imagine all the ways to use
their points this year, this app extends the possibilities, said
Ralph Andretta, Head of Co Brands and Loyalty at Citi Cards. With
the new ability to pool points together through their social
networks, ThankYou members can rally their friends towards a bigger
reward whether they are interested in combining points to book a
weekend getaway or supporting a common cause. Citi Gives Away 10
Million Points In Celebration of ThankYou Point Sharing App To
celebrate the ThankYou Point Sharing App launch, Citi is giving 10
million ThankYou points to qualifying ThankYou members on Facebook.
The first 4,000 ThankYou members to link the ThankYou Point Sharing
App to their personal Facebook page before 11:59 p.m. ET on
February 3, 2012 will receive 2,500 ThankYou points courtesy of
Citi. They can use the 2,500 points towards a number of individual
rewards, such as digital books and music downloads. To participate,
individuals must be a Citi ThankYou Rewards member and link the
ThankYou Point Sharing App to their personal Facebook page.
ThankYou members who are awarded 2,500 points will see them in
their ThankYou account within 72 hours after it has been linked to
the Facebook app. Citi ThankYou Point Sharing App Heres how the
Citi ThankYou Point Sharing App works: Visit the Citibank Facebook
page (www.facebook.com/citibank/) and view the ThankYou Point
Sharing tab to link the app to your ThankYou account. ThankYou
members will be prompted to enter their username and password to
log in to their accounts. Start a pool of points for an individual,
group or cause and set a goal. For example, the goal could be for a
large group donation to a charitable organization, or points
required for a specific reward from the ThankYou catalog. The app
also enables members to highlight a desired item on their ThankYou
Wishlist when setting a goal for the pool. Members can select a
specific amount of ThankYou points they would like to contribute to
the pool. They can invite any number of Facebook friends who are
ThankYou members to join the pool. All participants in a point pool
must have the Facebook app linked to their ThankYou account. They
also have the option to share a Facebook wall post after creating a
point pool to encourage friends and family to join and contribute.
Members can track progress towards the goal for their points pool
on the app, which displays a percentage of each goal reached. Citi
is constantly listening to our clients as part of our commitment to
deliver rewarding experiences that fit into their increasingly
digital world. This new app is a first in the marketplace and a
fun, flexible way to share ThankYou points as well as rewarding
experiences with friends and family, said Andretta. In order to
participate in a point pool by sharing or contributing points, or
to receive ThankYou points, you must be a registered ThankYou
member. Any person with a Citi credit card with ThankYou Rewards or
a Citibank checking account that has been enrolled in ThankYou
Rewards can easily register by visiting www.thankyou.com. For
information on how to become a ThankYou member please visit How it
Works at www.thankyou.com. About Citi Thank You Citi ThankYou
Rewards provides Citi clients with multiple ways to earn points
quickly and flexibility to choose from more than a million rewards.
Last year, Citi introduced several features to enhance the ThankYou
experience including: an expanded Bonus Center, a Travel Center
featuring no blackout dates, and the ability to transfer points to
friends and family who are ThankYou members free of charge. Citi
also recently introduced the ThankYou Rewards App, which lets
members browse and redeem rewards on their mobile phone and pick up
Best Buy merchandise at any U.S. Best Buy store location on the
same day. In addition to the ThankYou rewards catalog, members can
also work with a Wish Specialist(SM) to custom build rewards based
on their needs and interests ranging from home entertainment
systems to kayak lessons. For more information, please visit
www.thankyou.com. About Citi Citi, the leading global financial
services company, has approximately 200 million customer accounts
and does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions.
Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions
with a broad range of financial products and services, including
consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking,
securities brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management.
Links: Follow us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/citibank/
Citi ThankYou Rewards: thankyou.com/ Follow us on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/citibank/ Citi, Citi with Arc Design, ThankYou,
Citi ThankYou and Citi ThankYou Rewards Design are registered
service marks, and Wish Specialist is a service mark, of Citigroup
Inc.

Research and Markets: Polish Contactless Payments Market 2011: Issuance, Transactions and Innovations

Research and Markets
(http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/4bc157/polish_contactless)
has announced the addition of the "Polish Contactless Payments
Market 2011: Issuance, Transactions and Innovations" report to
their offering. This report concerns the latest state of the Polish
contactless payment market and presents detailed analysis of the
determinants of its development. It is based on surveys carried out
among all banks issuing contactless payment instruments and
acquirers that operated contactless payments on the Polish market.
Undoubtedly, the breakthrough on the Polish contactless payment
market occurred in 2010. There was a radical acceleration in the
issuance of contactless cards and the development of the acceptance
network as well as the rapid growth in the number of transactions
performed by customers. The first half of the 2011 brought a
continuation of the dynamic growth trend. Thanks to that, the
Polish market became an important example in the European context,
confirming the validity of contactless technology use as a main
payment solution for the low-value transactions. The Report: is 25
pages long (a two-column text); contains 28 charts and figures;
presents interviews with 13 experts; presents data concerning the
number of contactless cards and terminals as well as the number and
value of contactless transactions in Poland as for 2010 and first
half of 2011; is based on a survey. Replies were received from 14
banks (that hold 93% of all contactless cards issued in Poland) and
5 acquirers representing the entire Polish contactless POS
terminals network; respondents answered a series of questions about
factors influencing the development of the market, i.e. the
activity of customers, development of acceptance network and the
future of the mobile NFC payments; report contains forecasts for
the market development. The following companies participated in the
Report: 14 banks, issuers of contactless cards, 5 acquirers,
MasterCard Europe, Visa Europe, and IKEA. The Report is addressed
to: commercial and cooperative banks; acquirers and card
organisations; supermarkets and other retail chains; academic
centres; public transport companies and local governments. Key
Topics Covered: ISSUANCE AND ACCEPTANCE OF CONTACTLESS PAYMENT
CARDS TRANSACTIONS WITH CONTACTLESS CARDS PERSPECTIVES OF
CONTACTLESS PAYMENTS IN POLAND BEYOND 2011 CONCLUSIONS Companies
Mentioned: Visa MasterCard First Data Polska IKEA McDonald's
T-Mobile Orange Citibank Bank Zachodni WBK SA Zabka Polska Alior
Bank ING Bank Slaski PKO BP SA Pekao SA eService Inteligo bank
Alter Art For more information visit
http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/4bc157/polish_contactless

Facebook is Good, but Personal Face Time is Better, Say MIT Sloan MBAs

They may need regular Facebook fixes and are literally joined
at the hip to their smart phones, but some MIT Sloan School of
Management MBAs see big added value in using the good old-fashioned
personal touch as they embark on job-hunting, network-building Tech
Treks to Seattle, Silicon Valley, and Boston this month. Social
networks facilitate connections, but when deciding where you may
begin your career, theres no replacement for face-to-face meetings
and conversations, said Michael Smouha, a native of Montreal who
will join about 30 classmates on this weeks Trek to Silicon Valley
to meet with MIT Sloan alumni and officials at firms such as eBay,
Intel, LinkedIn, Symantec, Facebook, and Google. Other MBA Sloan
students will visit technology and other companies in the Boston
and Seattle areas during the January Treks that have become an
annual MIT Sloan event. Although a simple contact can be gained
from an online search or a social media connection, the connections
that we make during our treks have the potential to be much more
powerful, said Margaret Draughon, who grew up in Milwaukee and is
participating in all three trips. Its a way to meet people in the
industry and have a chance to hear their perspective on the roles
or companies first hand. Most importantly, our trek gives the
participants the chance to see these cities and companies in person
and attempt to answer the question, Do I fit here? While todays
employers assume that job applicants are fully savvy in social
media, they are also increasingly looking for people who are
comfortable with ambiguity and who can navigate through ups and
downs, said Konstantina Georgaki, who is from Greece and is
participating in the Boston trek, which will include stops at
companies such as Nokia, Zipcar, and Akamai. Being technologically
savvy is almost a given, so firms are now looking for more evidence
of creativity and innovation. The question is not if you can follow
the curve, but if you can invent the next one. Would-be employers
are also seeking changing skill sets, said Boston-native Kousha
Bautista-Saeyan, who is joining the Trek in Boston, which is a
hotbed for lots of startups. The business landscape always evolves.
Where tech is concerned, big data and analytics seem like the next
big trends. The more versed job-seekers are in those skills, the
more luck they may have on the job market. That job market may also
be improving, said several Trekkers. While economic recovery may
still be a ways off, recruitment on campus is back to previous
levels, said Bautista-Saeyan. Im confident that we will all find
jobs as long as we put the effort in to get what we want. For
Smouha, who co-founded a pop culture portal called Velvetpanda at
the age of 16, the Treks offer ways to learn not only about
employers, but places. I want to find out what the culture is like
in a tech hub such as Silicon Valley, and whether I can see myself
living there for the long haul. But for someone with little
exposure to big tech, it seems like Google is Nirvana for the
creative, entrepreneurial type. Any company that produces
self-driving cars is one I need to seriously consider as a career
choice. While the Trekkers will visit major players such as Google,
they will also meet MIT Sloan alumni and others at lesser-known
companies and in different business sectors. I feel that in a short
span of time I will get exposure to everything from gaming and
e-commerce to cloud computing and enterprise services, said
Draughon.

Janus Launches Janus Protected Series Growth for Insurance Channel

Research and Markets: Polish Contactless Payments Market 2011: Issuance, Transactions and Innovations

Cost Plus World Markets Ultimate Football Fan Sweepstakes Gives Fans a Chance to Win Tickets to the Game on February 5, 2012

Facebook is Good, but Personal Face Time is Better, Say MIT Sloan MBAs

Lexington Wealth Management Kicks Off 2012 With Senior Team Additions

Lexington Wealth Management announced today that the firm
made three key additions to its senior team in Mark Carley,
Managing Director, Frank Censullo, Senior Relationship Manager, and
Scott Klein, Senior Relationship Manager. Even in the midst of a
volatile market, 2011 was an exciting year for Lexington Wealth as
we met the needs of our clients while expanding the firm, said Mike
Tucci, President of Lexington Wealth Management. As we enter 2012,
we are thrilled to keep the momentum going. Mark, Frank, and Scott
all bring unique strengths to the firm. They have outstanding
experience that further strengthens our offering for our core base
of clients with net worth from $2 to $20 million, but also greatly
enhances our presence for more complex work with families in the
ultra-high net worth category. We look forward to working with them
for years to come. Mr. Carley, Mr. Censullo, and Mr. Klein joined
Lexington Wealth from Wells Fargo. They were also part of the
original team at Tanager Financial Services, and each have served
in the wealth management, and financial services industries for
more than two decades, with significant ties to the Boston area.
When we all started at Tanager, we were inspired by the boutique
feel and the ability to truly work as a team to help our clients
handle all phases of wealth, from investments to managing transfers
to future generations to simply making the most out of their
financial situation, said Mr. Carley. Lexington Wealth brings us
back to that feeling, and were thrilled to have found a unique,
intelligent firm that recaptures the elements that brought us
together in the first place. This announcement follows on news of
Lexington Wealths move in September 2011 into larger offices to
accommodate growth as the firm continues to attract more clients
and professional staff. About Lexington Wealth Management Lexington
Wealth Management is a boutique, fee-only, independent investment
and financial advisory firm that goes beyond the constraints of
traditional wealth management to help clients balance strategy and
emotion as they face important decisions in life. Based in Boston
and Manhattan, the firm is nationally recognized for uncovering the
best, most intelligent path for clients to travel from their
distinct point A to point B. For more information, please visit
www.lexingtonwealth.com.