An interesting item from the Booksellers Association Feature by Marcus Greville.
We’ve all got our gripes about distributors, but we save the deep grumbles for UBD. When Random House’s Auckland warehouse closed we lost a significant resource, consequently we became hyper-aware of any stuff-ups from UBD – I was like an angry vampiric meerkat whenever a TOLL courier arrived – but it may be time to cool our jets, note the changes, and start spreading our distribution grumps around in a fairer and more constructive way.
I had a talk to Colin Pinfold, National Operations and Logistics Manager for Penguin Random House NZ, who got some stats from Gavin Schwarz at UBD for this feature. Read on to see what I found out.
Robot warehouses and relativityI was working in London in 2004 when Penguin changed to a robotised warehouse – a truly spectacular failure, a failure that became a story to scare baby logistics managers. I’ve heard tell of Baker & Taylor’s vast Momence warehouse in Illinois – they added a football-field sized wing just for a Harry Potter release. I’ve read about the organising principles behind massive distribution hubs with a fascination and relish that has somehow eclipsed my anger at not getting that damn order I placed 10 days ago. This stuff, in short, is my jam.
Continue to the full article here
An interesting item from the Booksellers Association Feature by Marcus Greville.
We’ve all got our gripes about distributors, but we save the deep grumbles for UBD. When Random House’s Auckland warehouse closed we lost a significant resource, consequently we became hyper-aware of any stuff-ups from UBD – I was like an angry vampiric meerkat whenever a TOLL courier arrived – but it may be time to cool our jets, note the changes, and start spreading our distribution grumps around in a fairer and more constructive way.
I had a talk to Colin Pinfold, National Operations and Logistics Manager for Penguin Random House NZ, who got some stats from Gavin Schwarz at UBD for this feature. Read on to see what I found out.
Robot warehouses and relativityI was working in London in 2004 when Penguin changed to a robotised warehouse – a truly spectacular failure, a failure that became a story to scare baby logistics managers. I’ve heard tell of Baker & Taylor’s vast Momence warehouse in Illinois – they added a football-field sized wing just for a Harry Potter release. I’ve read about the organising principles behind massive distribution hubs with a fascination and relish that has somehow eclipsed my anger at not getting that damn order I placed 10 days ago. This stuff, in short, is my jam.
Continue to the full article here
As Autodesk continue our transition to a fully subscription-based business, we remain committed to providing you greater value, more flexibility and a simpler way to access the Autodesk software you need.
On 1 August 2016, we will introduce Autodesk industry collections and end the sale of Autodesk Design & Creation Suites.
Industry collections will provide you access to a wide selection of essential Autodesk software for your profession. They will offer immediate access to new technology, cloud services and several licensing options. In short, industry collections will give you the freedom to access the software products you want, when you want them. Learn more about the industry collections here.
To make way for industry collections, we will end the sale of new Design & Creation Suite subscriptions and perpetual licences after 31 July 2016.
If you wish to purchase more Design & Creation Suites before 1 August 2016, we encourage you to subscribe now and rest assured that we will provide you with a simple way to switch to an industry collection in the future, if you so choose. If you prefer, you can purchase perpetual licences of a Design & Creation Suite with a maintenance plan before 1 August.
If you wish to continue receiving updates, support and other benefits for your Design & Creation Suites, you can do so for as long as you continue your existing subscription or maintenance plan.
To learn more about Autodesk industry collections and options for switching your subscription (if you choose to do so), please read our Frequently Asked Questions.
We want to thank you for being an Autodesk and A2K Technologies customer, and hope you share our excitement about these important enhancements to Autodesk’s offerings.
An A2K Technologies release For moe information go to www.a2ktechnologies.co.nz
Frequent flyers may have used the Skybus to get from Auckland airport to the city (or vice versa) since October 2015, and also may have noticed that the bus now has a new name, but is also much more connected.
The airport-city bus service, formerly known as Airbus, was purchased in October 2016 by Melbourne-based company, Skybus. The company increased the frequency to a 24-hour services, and brought Spark Digital on board to provide on-board wi-fi.
Michael Sewards, Skybus director, believes it was Spark's tech and innovation that encouraged his company to invest in the transport service.
More than 200,000 passengers been using on average 16 MB of data, which Spark says is the equivalent of using wi-fi for 30 minutes of Spotify, sending 200 work emails and 50 photo uploads.
In addition, Skybus has also used curbside concierge services equipped with tablets to speed up paperless ticketing and give visitor advice.
Spark's mobile app design unit, Putti, developed a smartphone/mobile device-based ticketing service, which eliminates paper ticketing completely. Skybus was impressed with the design and will also use the technology in Melbourne for its airport services.
Sewards believes that his company's work researching ticketing innovation and how Airbus previously ran was important when choosing Spark Digital as their wi-fi and technology provider.
"It was important to find a local technology partner with the expertise to help us realise our vision. Above everything else we were looking for innovation and an ability to deliver. Not only did we find that partner in Spark Digital, but we found Spark's technology is better than anything we have experienced back in Australia. So much better that we're planning to take some of that technology back to Melbourne and then possibly roll it out elsewhere in the world," says Sewards.
Skybus recognises that they must serve both incoming tourists who expect to use internet services, as it is standard practise in the northern hemisphere, so a quality provider was important.
"We have the depth of capability to deal with the unique requests from the SkyBus team. It brings together our 4G mobile network, onboard WiFi solution, and Putti-designed apps along with the smarts required behind the scenes to make the services ‘sing’ together. We’ve managed to put every part of the puzzle together quickly for a very tech-savvy customer," says Spark Digital business manager Stuart Little.
Skybus aims to expand the service, increase service frequency to every 10 minutes during peak hours, and add another seven buses to its fleet in 2017.
Manufacturers are pleased with today’s announcement by James Shaw and the Green Party to include a Minster for Manufacturing in any future cabinet. This is a vital step for ensuring government understands manufacturing and can effectively help unleash the potential of the sector. This is a solid idea that we hope can be embraced by any and all political parties, say the New Zealand Manufacturers and Exporters Association (NZMEA).
NZMEA Chief Executive Dieter Adam says, “Manufacturing remains one of the biggest providers of quality jobs with wages higher than the average, economic growth and export income into New Zealand. Yet manufacturing has been undervalued and not well understood by governments for a long time – this is a stark contrast to the focus and representation most other sectors find within government.
“When we consider the importance of manufacturing to New Zealand’s future, introducing a Minister for Manufacturing is a common sense decision. This will help government and manufacturing businesses better work together to achieve our goals of sustainable high-value growth, increased export income and more well paid jobs for our people.
“A specific focus on manufacturing and industry in government is an idea that is being increasingly embraced by governments around the world. The new UK Prime Minister has introduced a new industrial strategy, as well as the U.S, Australian and German Governments all putting considerable effort into strategy’s to understand and improve their high-value manufacturing sectors into the future. New Zealand cannot stand idle while our competitors take manufacturing seriously.
“Manufacturing also faces significant changes in the future that will act as threats, as well as huge opportunities for New Zealand if we can get ahead, such as Industry 4.0, automation and other technologies like 3D printing. A more focused view of manufacturing, through a Minister for Manufacturing, will help develop more effective responses to these changes.” says Dieter.
An MZMEA press release
Emirates today unveiled plans to increase capacity on the Dubai-Milan route with the deployment of a second daily A380. The migration from a Boeing 777-300ER to the iconic double decker represents a capacity increase of 1,834 seats per week between the two cities; enabling more A380 to A380 connections to and from key destinations in Australia, China, South Korea and South East Asia with just one stop in Dubai.
Commencing 1st October 2016, Emirates flights EK91/92 will be operated by an Airbus A380 aircraft in a 3-class configuration with 14 Private Suites in First Class, 76 flat-bed seats in Business Class and 401 comfortable seats in Economy Class. Passengers in all classes will enjoy access to free Wi-Fi and over 2500 channels of films, TV shows, music and games, with an impressive selection in Italian, through ice Digital Widescreen, Emirates’ award-winning inflight entertainment system. They will also experience the famed hospitality of the airline’s multi-cultural cabin crew, with Italian speakers on all flights to and from Italy, as well as fine Italian wines and regionally inspired cuisine prepared using the finest ingredients.
What’s more, First and Business Class passengers can travel to and from the airport in style with Emirates complimentary Chauffeur-drive service as well as enjoy Emirates exclusive lounges. Once onboard, passengers in premium class seating receive a luxurious amenity kit featuring Italian-made Bvlgari products and can enjoy the Emirates Onboard Lounge; First Class passengers can also take advantage of the Emirates Shower Spa to prepare for their arrival. At Milan Malpensa, Emirates offers an arrivals lounge where premium passengers can freshen up before being driven to their final destination.
Emirates’ flight EK91 departs from Dubai International Airport at 15:45hrs and arrives in Milan at 20:30hrs. The outbound flight EK92 departs from Milan at 22:20hrs and arrives in Dubai at 0625hrs the following day. The airline currently operates three daily services between Dubai and Milan, as well as a daily flight from Milan to New York JFK. From the airport, Emirates also enables seamless rail connections to over 700 train stations across Italy through its partnership with Trenitalia.
The links between Milan and Emirates extend far beyond the airline’s triple daily service. Emirates has been a proud sponsor of AC Milan since 2010, with the current shirt sponsorship contract in place until the end of the 2019/20 season.
Through its SkyCargo division, Emirates also facilitates the import and export of key products, connecting Italian companies to the world. In 2015, Emirates transported 22,000 tonnes of cargo from Milan including cars, marble, food products like cheese and olive oil, pharmaceuticals, clothing and shoes bound for the UAE, India, Hong Kong, USA, Australia and Mexico.
An emirates press release Wednesday 20 July 2016
ContainerCo (NZL) Limited (ContainerCo), the container depot operator, today announced that it will develop a major new container services facility in Hawke’s Bay as reported earlier in the year on MSCNewsWire
The new purpose built facility will be developed on a five hectare site in Mersey Street, within the Napier City Council’s industrial zone. Over time, it is expected that $5-10m will be invested in the site development.
ContainerCo’s managing director Ken Harris said that the investment both reflects and supports the growth of exports and imports in Hawke’s Bay as well as the continued success of Napier Port in attracting cargo to and from the wider region.
"The new site will future proof our presence in Hawke’s Bay. We have seen significant growth in the need for shipping company and shipper related services in recent years and we expect this to continue," he said.
The Mersey Street depot will accommodate more than 5,000 TEU (20 foot equivalent container units) and include onsite rail facilities that will reduce the regions reliance on road transport. It will also have specialist facilities suited for the horticultural sector.
The company has signed a long-term lease through to August 2036.
Ken Harris said, "The long term lease secures the land ContainerCo needs to expand its operations in order to be able to handle an expected increase in container movements in the future. It also enables us to replace two of the company’s current Napier facilities, the Battery Road and Austin Street container depots, and consolidate operations at Mersey Street.
ContainerCo is New Zealand’s largest independent container depot operator with depots in Tauranga, Auckland, Napier and Christchurch; adjacent to the country’s four largest container ports. Its customers include some of the world’s largest shipping lines.
The sector is expected to generate further demand for services, with container volumes experiencing compound annual growth of 4.3% over the last 5 years. This growth is projected to accelerate due to the increasing containerisation of New Zealand’s bulk cargo. Since 2012, 40 foot and 20 foot container volumes entering and leaving New Zealand have grown by 16% and 8%, respectively. The increase in container volumes is putting pressure on port facilities, creating demand for standalone container storage and repair depots.
Ken Harris said, "Demand for off-port container processing and storage has steadily grown and this site is important as it is near port and rail infrastructure, reducing truck movements and exporter and importer costs.
"The cost of container handling needs to be as low as possible to ensure that exporters are competitive and costs are minimised, therefore container parks need to be as close to the port and rail as possible."
A ContainerCo press release
ContainerCo (NZL) Limited (ContainerCo), the container depot operator, today announced that it will develop a major new container services facility in Hawke’s Bay as reported earlier in the year on MSCNewsWire
The new purpose built facility will be developed on a five hectare site in Mersey Street, within the Napier City Council’s industrial zone. Over time, it is expected that $5-10m will be invested in the site development.
ContainerCo’s managing director Ken Harris said that the investment both reflects and supports the growth of exports and imports in Hawke’s Bay as well as the continued success of Napier Port in attracting cargo to and from the wider region.
"The new site will future proof our presence in Hawke’s Bay. We have seen significant growth in the need for shipping company and shipper related services in recent years and we expect this to continue," he said.
The Mersey Street depot will accommodate more than 5,000 TEU (20 foot equivalent container units) and include onsite rail facilities that will reduce the regions reliance on road transport. It will also have specialist facilities suited for the horticultural sector.
The company has signed a long-term lease through to August 2036.
Ken Harris said, "The long term lease secures the land ContainerCo needs to expand its operations in order to be able to handle an expected increase in container movements in the future. It also enables us to replace two of the company’s current Napier facilities, the Battery Road and Austin Street container depots, and consolidate operations at Mersey Street.
ContainerCo is New Zealand’s largest independent container depot operator with depots in Tauranga, Auckland, Napier and Christchurch; adjacent to the country’s four largest container ports. Its customers include some of the world’s largest shipping lines.
The sector is expected to generate further demand for services, with container volumes experiencing compound annual growth of 4.3% over the last 5 years. This growth is projected to accelerate due to the increasing containerisation of New Zealand’s bulk cargo. Since 2012, 40 foot and 20 foot container volumes entering and leaving New Zealand have grown by 16% and 8%, respectively. The increase in container volumes is putting pressure on port facilities, creating demand for standalone container storage and repair depots.
Ken Harris said, "Demand for off-port container processing and storage has steadily grown and this site is important as it is near port and rail infrastructure, reducing truck movements and exporter and importer costs.
"The cost of container handling needs to be as low as possible to ensure that exporters are competitive and costs are minimised, therefore container parks need to be as close to the port and rail as possible."
A ContainerCo press release
New Zealand’s first Grand Millennium hotel will open in Auckland on 7 September.
The Grand Millennium, on Mayoral Drive and currently operating as Rendezvous Grand Hotel, joins the already established Millennium, Copthorne and Kingsgate portfolio in New Zealand.
Alison Smith, director of conferences and incentives with Millennium Hotels and Resorts, says Rendezvous has done a great job at the hotel. ‘We are looking forward to working with the staff there. We are excited at the prospect of having such a great hotel with large conference facilities in our portfolio.’
The hotel, the largest in New Zealand with a total of 452 guestrooms, will join Grand Millennium Hotels in Beijing, Shanghai, Al Wahda, Amman, Dubai, Muscat, Sulaimani, Kuala Lumpur as well as the international network of Millennium and Copthorne properties in Asia, Middle East, Europe and the USA.
The hotel facilities include 1,619 square metres of conference space comprising an 830 square metre ballroom and various meeting venues. It has two restaurants, lounge bar, swimming pool, gym and covered car parks.
The centrally located Grand Millennium Auckland is close to Aotea Square, Auckland Town Hall and the city’s main arterial routes. The development in the immediate vicinity of the New Zealand International Convention Centre, City Rail Link and Aotea Square Station is expected to add significant value to the hotel in coming years.
Source: meeting newz
Background
The telecommunications industry is the backbone of today’s mobile landscape, deploying voice, data, graphics and video at ever increasing speeds and in a growing number of ways. Wireline telephone communication was once the primary service of the industry, now wireless communication and satellite distribution are becoming increasingly dominant. Specialists in telecommunications engineering, are needed to keep up with this ever changing fast-paced industry.The basics of telecommunications
Telecommunications engineering is a discipline founded around the exchange of information across channels via wired or wireless means. It brings together all of the elements of electrical engineering including computer engineering and system engineering to create and improve telecommunications systems.
Telecom engineers work to develop, design and maintain voice and data communications systems including fiber, satellite, wired and unwired, as well as the encoding, encryption and compression of data. Put simply, telecommunications engineering can be found in just about every aspect of our lives, from GPS navigation to the internet.
telecommunications engineering
The work of a telecommunications engineer ranges from creating basic circuit designs to deploying wireless networks. They are responsible for designing and overseeing the installation of telecommunications equipment and facilities, such as complex electronic switching systems, copper wire telephone facilities, fiber optics cabling or IP data systems.
Some of the main areas of focus for telecommunications engineers are the installation of high-speed broadband computer networks, optical communications and wireless or satellite communications. To give a better idea of the scope of work a telecom engineer operates within, here are some career opportunities for individuals working within the discipline, according to the University of Texas at Dallas.
Roles
Telecommunications engineers are part of every process of creating a telecom system, dealing with both software and hardware. Here are some roles a telecom engineer might take on.
Design – electronic components, software, products, or systems for commercial, industrial, medical, military or scientific applications;
Develop – maintenance and testing procedures for electronic components and equipment;
Test – Evaluate systems and recommend design modifications or equipment repair;
Debug – Inspect electronic equipment, instruments and systems to make sure that they are safe.The future
With 5G and the expansion of the internet of things (IoT) ahead, telecommunications engineering will be as important as ever. The discipline will help expand both LPWAN networks and networks that produce data speeds never before seen. Telecom engineers will have the important task of ensuring that telecommunications systems, from small components to entire networks, are running as effectively and efficiently as possible.
Source: By Phillip Tracy on July 20, 2016 Fundamentals, Network Infrastructure, Software
Palace of the Alhambra, Spain
By: Charles Nathaniel Worsley (1862-1923)
From the collection of Sir Heaton Rhodes
Oil on canvas - 118cm x 162cm
Valued $12,000 - $18,000
Offers invited over $9,000
Contact: Henry Newrick – (+64 ) 27 471 2242
Mount Egmont with Lake
By: John Philemon Backhouse (1845-1908)
Oil on Sea Shell - 13cm x 14cm
Valued $2,000-$3,000
Offers invited over $1,500
Contact: Henry Newrick – (+64 ) 27 471 2242