Bizbits

PictureTel bags major AP order

MUMBAI: Picturetel Corporation, the leading providers of video conferencing and visual collaboration tools in India, has announced that it has received a state-wide vide conferencing order of Rs 5.4 crore from Andhra Pradesh Technology Service Ltd APTS. This order, the first and largest of its kind in India, will link upthe chief minister8217;s office with 25 other key locations in AP. APTS has placed an order Rs 5.4 crore with Siemens Private Communication System division which is one of the three distributors with whom PictureTel conducts its business through in India for the supply and commissioning of multi-party video conferencing equipment.

Boshu-TecKnowledge business tie-up

MUMBAI: Canadian telemedicine major TecKnowledge Healthcare Systems has commissioned Boshu8217;s document imaging and management system 8211; DigiOffice 2000. TecKnowledge has a province wide network in Nova Scotia with 55 telehealth systems, the largest PC-based network in the world. In addition to clinical applications, the company8217;s telehealth networks across the globe also needed to support and manage a wide variety of specialized database information such as multimedia patient record. By using Boshu8217;s DigiOffice 2000 software, TecKnowledge will now be able to significantly enhance its information management systems.

Contract Advertisingbags award

MUMBAI: Contract Advertising has bagged as many as 25 awards in the recently held 50th Communication Arts Guild CAG awards and the Advertising Agencies Association of India AAAI Triple-A award. In the AAAI awards, Contract Advertising bagged 17 awards, including four gold, five silver and eight bronze awards.

BSE, commodity markets closed

MUMBAI: The principal markets in the city including the Bombay Stock Exchange BSE, foreign exchange, bullion, oils, cotton, sugar, metal and spices remained officially closed on Thursday on account of Gudi Padwa8217;.

HC directive on telecom

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court today permitted the Department of Telecom DoT to realise 20 per cent bank guarantee BG from a cellular company towards annual licence fee while allowing it to keep the remaining 80 per cent amount on hold with the bank till July 12.

A division bench comprising Justice Arun Kumar and Justice Manmohan Sarin allowing a plea of Birla ATamp;T, a cellular serviceprovider company that it was ready to pay interest on the remaining amount, said DoT could realise Rs 69.03 crore as 20 per cent of BG towards the annual licence fee from the company. While adjourning hearing to July 12, the court said DoT would not insist on encashing the remaining amount till further order, subject to the company8217;s depositing of Rs 69.03 crore. The order came after bankers of Birla ATamp;T filed an affidavit in the court giving status of the BG with them.

Kale Consultant

MUMBAI: Kale Consultants Ltd has recently received an order for the supply of its passenger revenue accounting system 8211; Praxis 8211; from Cyprus Airways, Cyprus. With the addition of Cyprus Airways, the company8217;s airline clientele has reached 14, with at least one client in every continent. Cyprus Airways is Kale8217;s second airline client in Europe. The installation of Praxis at Cyprus Airways commences in March 1999. Praxis is a completely integrated back-office system offering high level of automation in upliftsprocessing, sales accounting, interline billing, proration and MIS.

Sail power unit

NEW DELHI: Consolidated Electric Co of the US and UK8217;s National Power have pulled out from the race for managing the Steel Authority of India8217;s over 500 MW power plants, leaving the field open for the remaining two shortlisted players BSES and Enron.

Four companies were shortlised by the state owned steel major for final selection of the partner to manage power plants in Bokaro, Rourkela and Durgapur, according to a Sail release. The withdrawal by Consolidated Electric and National Power comes after a stiff agitation by Sail employees who felt the power plants were being privatised, a Sail release said here today. These power plants were to be transferred to a subsidiary company, Sail Power Supply Co Ltd with 49 per cent of the equity to be held by the chosen partner.