Daily News Online
 

Friday, 23 July 2010

Home

 | SHARE MARKET  | EXCHANGE RATE  | TRADING  | SUPPLEMENTS  | PICTURE GALLERY  | ARCHIVES | 

dailynews
 ONLINE


OTHER PUBLICATIONS


OTHER LINKS

Marriage Proposals
Classified
Government Gazette

Advertorial

Viva, NBTS to 'Gift Life'

Viva, a brand of GlaxoSmith Kline Consumer Healthcare renewed its partnership with the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) to create wider awareness of the importance of blood donation, give tribute to blood donors and potential donors and highlight the presence of people who are in need of blood in order to survive certain illnesses.


GSK Consumer Healthcare, Marketing Director Srikanth Selladurai handing over the agreement documents to Health Ministry Secretary, Dr. Ravindra Ruberu. National Blood Transfusion Service, Director Dr. Ananda Goonasekera, Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena and Health Services Director General Dr. Ajith Mendis look on. Picture by Rukmal Gamage

The partnership, titled 'VIVA Gift of Life' enters its second consecutive year.

The 2009 VIVA blood drive collected 1000 pints of blood in a span of 12 days.

Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena stated that many people are of the opinion that demand for blood diminished with the end of war, but the need for blood is a continuous and ongoing critical national requirement.

National Blood Transfusion Service Director Dr. Ananda Gunesekara said the National Blood Transfusion Service is pleased to partner with VIVA as the energy partner.

This initiative will help create awareness and support our efforts in this important need of the country, he said.

VIVA's involvement will span from the provision of VIVA energy to those giving blood islandwide as part of official National Blood Transfusion Service blood donor drives and the sponsoring of key propaganda activities marking World Blood Donor Day on June 14.

The National Blood Transfusion Service on its part, will provide skilled staff and medical facilities in order to effectively implement blood donor drives and awareness programs.

GSK Consumer Healthcare - Sri Lanka Marketing Director Srikanth Selladurai said VIVA enters into this agreement for the second consecutive year in support of this worthy cause.

The need for blood is a never ending societal requirement and VIVA is thus poised to act as a pillar to the National Blood Transfusion Service as it aims to raise awareness and engage in critical blood drives across the nation, he said.

The first step of this new partnership will be to embark on an awareness drive, in the form of a parade, commencing from the National Blood Transfusion Service headquarters in Colombo that will make its way to Polonnaruwa on Friday July 30.

The procession will make promotional stops in Kadawatha, Nittambuwa, Warakapola, Polgahawela, Kurunegala, Dambulla and Habarana along the way to raise awareness of this national need. The event reflects remarkable significance as it is the initiative to forming a 'National Blood Force'. The day's events will draw to a conclusion with handing over the 'national Blood Force' decree to the honourable minister and also a cultural show depicting the many diverse cultural backgrounds of Sri Lanka at the Thopawewa Grounds in Polonnaruwa.

This event sponsored by VIVA, will attempt to highlight the fact that no matter what the social or cultural background, all citizens of the nation can contribute in aiding this national need.


Nokia launches mobile phones

Nokia launched the Nokia C1-00 Double SIM and Nokia X2 devices at a recently held media conference in Colombo. The devices are designed to suit two diverse lifestyles: the C1-00 being more apt for consumers who can benefit from the two SIM device and the Nokia X2 for the trendy music lovers, the device being the latest 'musical maestro' to join the X series.


Models display newly launched mobile phones. Picture by Saliya Rupasinghe

The C1-00, a C series device, is the first Nokia mobile phone to feature a two-in-1 double SIM solution, enabling the users to benefit from reduced call rates, flexibility when traveling from one country to another, and sharing a phone within a family and still use individual SIMs. By holding down a key, consumers are able to switch between SIM cards with ease. The C1-00 has the longest battery life in a Nokia produced device and can last up to six weeks on standby.

With support for up to 16 GB of storage, dedicated music keys, radio, digital music player and a 3.5mm AV connector for the headphones, the Nokia X2 is aptly designed for music lovers. The X2 is also inclusive of a five megapixel camera, enabling the user to capture clear images and videos of friends and family. The X2 also offers direct access to Facebook from the home screen and comes with Nokia messaging for email and Instant Messaging.

Nokia's Business Development Manager, Abu Daud Khan said, "One of Nokia's greatest strengths is our rich portfolio. We take pride in offering our consumers a comprehensive portfolio of products and mobile services catering to their everyday communication and entertainment needs. Nokia believes each individual is unique and our portfolio speaks for it. We are glad to introduce two very different products in the Sri Lankan market which will cater to both the cost conscious and the youth segment in the market.

Sri Lanka is a crucial market for us in the South East Asia Pacific region and we are committed to offer value adding mobile solutions to the Sri Lankan consumers."

 

 


Sampath Bank in Karapitiya


Sampath Bank Director Ranjith Samaranayake opening the Karapitiya branch. Branch Manager Sanjeewa Ratnayake, Senior Operations Manager Maheel Kurugama and Sampath Centre Director S.P. Kannangara look on.

Sampath Bank, opened their 141st branch at Karapitiya last week strengthening their presence in the Southern Sri Lanka.

The fully fledged branch is geared to cater to all the financial needs of the people of the Karapitiya area in their personal and business requirements.

The branch is equipped with ATM facilities, internet banking services to facilitate convenient banking access any time of the day.

The branch is electronically linked with all the other branches of Sampath Bank, spread throughout the island, making possible real time fund transfers and transactions even from the remotest part of the country.

With a comprehensive product portfolio including several ingenious savings options, personal, educational, home and trade loan facilities, senior citizen's and children's savings, lease and pawning facilities, foreign currency services, trade services, credit card facilities, e-banking services and 24 hour banking services through automated teller machine facilities, Sampath Bank is well equipped to serve any financial or banking requirement of their customers.


NTB privileges to current account holders

Nations Trust Bank offers its current account holders a host of privileges and benefits to execute their business transactions with ease.

Customers are able to access their accounts through branches that provide 365 Day Banking with extended banking hours. This provides account holders the opportunity to perform their transactions even during holidays. Additionally, account holders also enjoy faster cheque clearing with extended banking hours. A Nations personal current account can be opened with an initial deposit of Rs 5,000/- and a Business Banking Account with Rs 50,000/-. Customers also receive a host of other benefits such as Bank-At-Your-Doorstep service, Account Relationship Officers and access to a 24-hour call centre.

Nations Trust Bank PLC is one of the fastest growing banks in Sri Lanka today. Its market positioning of being the benchmark of convenience is now ably supported by a host of financial services products and services that cater to the needs of the individual, corporate or institutional clients.

The Bank has 40 branches, nine leasing centres, 43 ATMs, six Personal Banking Centres.


HNB at Kandy City Centre


HNB, Specialized Financial Services Assistant General Manager R M P Dayawansa accepting the first deposit. HNB, Human Resources and Administration Deputy General Manager J R P M Paiva looks on.

Hatton National Bank PLC (HNB) opened the 190th Customer Centre at the new Kandy City Centre (KCC) recently. The customer centre is located at Shop No. L1-16 on Level One at the Kandy City Centre.This is the second HNB customer centre in the Kandy town. The Kandy City Centre (KCC) is poised to become a popular shopping mall in the Central Region and is situated at the heart of the Kandy city with easy access from any part of the town.

The new HNB Customer Centre at KCC will provide extended banking hours on seven days of the week from 10 AM to 6 PM. The new Customer Centre was opened by HNB Human Resources and Administration Deputy General Manager, JRPM Paiva.

 

 

 


Mobitel SMART Recharge Bonanza

Grand winner from Galle


Mobitel, Sales and Distribution Senior General Manager, Chandika Vitharana and Retail Sales Head, Pubudu Indathissa, handing over the keys to A.R. Nilanka Sampath.

The Mobitel SMART Recharge Bonanza seventh winner of a Maruti Suzuki Alto Sportz car, for April 2010 was A.R. Nilanka Sampath from Galle. The presentation was held at the Urban Council Grounds in Galle. H.M.R. Kumara Herath of Mawanella, Nimal Hetti Arachchi of Andigama, A. P.G.N. G. G. C. V.P. Jayasekara of Muruthalawa and A.R. Kingsly Herath of Kurunegala were selected as the winners of Asus laptops with Mobitel M3 high Speed internet dongles for April 2010.

Mobitel rewarded their retailers at the same event.

Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel Marketing and Distribution Senior General Manager Sales Chandika Vitharana said.

"We are proud to be here in the hometown of the winner to hand over the seventh brand new car in this series of the Mobitel SMART Recharge Bonanza.

Our presence in the winner's home town of Galle is an indication of our involvement and commitment towards caring for our valued customers."

R. Nilanka Sampath, the winner of the Maruti Suzuki Alto Sportz car, said: "I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Mobitel for making me the proud recipient of a brand new car."


Park Hospital unveils new facilities

The motto of newly refurbished Park Hospital situated at 186 Park Road, Narahenpita, Colombo 5 launched their new facilities recently to provide quality and affordable medical services.

Park Hospital Chairman Dr. Sanjey Munasinghe said that some of the new facilities offered together with upgrading of the existing facilities are the pharmacy, laboratory, channel consultations, OPD and emergency treatment, indoor treatment, eye and dental surgery, fertility and the immunization clinics. These facilities will undoubtedly enable providing better and a more efficient service to the sick and the needy, he said.

Dr.Munasinghe said that channelling consultants has never been this quick and easy. Park Hospital is one of the leading partners in providing paediatric channel consultations with more than 15 consultant paediatricians visiting seven days a week.

The newly re-launched pharmacy is stocked with a range of drugs and other allied pharmaceutical products and is open 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. All pharmaceutical items are stocked and dispensed by qualified and registered pharmacists in keeping with international standards. A new feature of the Pharmacy is the door to door delivery of pharmaceutical products which makes it convenient for the patients to get their medicine delivered, he said.

The new Immunization Centre is managed by a Consultant Paediatrician, especially assigned for that purpose, who provides an extensive medical examination including development assessment of a child prior to all routine immunization, in keeping with international standards. A full range of vaccines for infants and adults is available and record keeping storage, distribution and quality assurance are all carried out based on international guidelines.

Dr. Munasinghe said one of the main inward facilities at the hospital is the counselling and treatment of psychiatric disorders. Park Hospital provides a service base for those afflicted with these disorders, enabling psychiatrists to make early interventions and effect appropriate therapeutic modalities so that any further deterioration and subsequent stigmatization are thereby minimized.

Park Hospital has also introduced an affordable post operative and geriatric care unit with round-the-clock monitoring by a medical officer and the nursing staff.

Dr. Munasinghe said that another new feature at the Park Hospital is the fertility clinic, fertility counselling, fertility investigations and IUI - intra uterine insemination, which are all handled by senior consultants in obstetrics and gynaecology. At present they are negotiating with the world renowned Uppsala University and St Yorens Hospital, Sweden to build a state of the art IVF clinic with Swedish technology.

The mobile service of the Park Hospital has also been revamped and open to the public 24 hours a day. This includes emergency treatments by doctors and nurses, sample, collection, delivery of pharmaceuticals. These services are limited to Colombo and the suburbs. The Hospital also undertakes transportation of patients to any part of Sri Lanka, he said.

Dr. Munasinghe said with the launching, the Park Hospital has introduced a Loyalty Card with VIP facilities and attractive discount schemes open for the public.


SLA deploys messaging solution from Microsoft

E-mail forms the basis of the corporate-wide communication platform for SriLankan Airlines (SLA) via which the company shares business information and collaborates globally, connecting all 44 destinations to which Sri Lankan flies. This platform integrates key business applications such as Internet Booking, E-ticketing, online check-in, loyalty member management, contact centre operations, accounting and revenue management. E-mail is a key enabler for the Airline to provide a world class service that exceeds its customers' travel expectations. By deploying Microsoft Exchange Server 2010, SLA is now geared to step up its service quality -putting it far ahead of the competition.


From left - Microsoft Services, Technical Account Manager, Ruwan Dissanayake, SLA Senior Messaging Engineer Chandika Luniwila, SLA IT Infrastructure Network Engineer Indika Wasala, SLA End User Computing Manager Pavitra Karunananda, Microsoft Sri Lanka Corporate Account Manager Himali Nawalage, SLA Chief Network Engineer (Desktop Environment), Jeevani Jayalath, SLA IT Head Kamal Nanayakkara and Microsoft Sri Lanka Country Manager, Sriyan D.S. Wiyeyaratne.

A need to address the demands of its users and address the ever evolving needs of information management, information systems governance and compliance prompted SLA to upgrade its existing Exchange Server environment. The solution was designed with Microsoft to cater to more than 5000 users with an expected growth. "We realize high availability and better managed mailboxes with very little maintenance and administration, are the main factors we need to achieve from the new e-mail system- based on past experience", said SLA Chief Network Engineer Jeevani Jayalath "Exchange Server 2010 is more reliable, this means that administrators have fewer issues to resolve and end users have a much better experience," Jeevani said.

"SriLankan Airlines always looks at new technology and processes objectively to improve the business approach with the intention of simplifying the business for our valued customers. Hence we are geared for the latest technology to be competitive. Microsoft being the airline's corporate platform, it is timely that we migrated to Exchange Server 2010 as a leader in the industry," said SLA Information Technology Head Kamal Nanayakkara. "This was made possible as a result of the decision taken last year to embark on Server Consolidation and Application Virtualization at the datacenter, a project successfully accomplished a few months back emphasizing the contributions of these efforts towards reducing SLA's carbon footprint and cost of ownership while bringing-in greater flexibility and sustainability" he said.

Microsoft Sri Lanka Country Manager Sriyan de Silva Wijeyeratne said "The engagement between SLA and Microsoft started more than a decade ago. Both companies have worked very closely during this period in technology adoption to support the growth of SLA. SLA is destined to grow and expand very rapidly in the future, as a long standing partner; we believe the deployments planned for the future will help the organization grow and maintain high standards in service which SLA is renowned for. The upgrade to Exchange Server 2010 is another step in this relationship to ensure that SLA is always a step ahead of the curve. This upgrade is the first of many planned collaborations between SLA and Microsoft which will take place in the near future."


ODEL relocates 'Delight' section

ODEL has relocated the 'Delight' section at its Alexandra Place flagship store to an area with three times more space to enlarge the offering to the 'foodies' among its customers.

The new Delight Department extends to 322 square-feet of tantalizing food and beverage items and condiments that beckon to the young and old alike.

New additions to the range include sparkling Blackcurrant and Red Grape juice from Spain; a new range of biscuits, cereals and breakfast bars; the 'Willie Wonka' kids' sweet range; organic tea, coffee, kithul treacle, spices, cashew, and dried fruit in easy-to-travel cartons; Chinese cooking sauces including chillie, fish and oyster; dried vegetables such as Screwpine (Rampe), curry leaves (Karapincha), Gotukola, Jak Fruit and Thumba Karawila and Sri Lankan chocolates.

"The Delight section always attracts people, from the genuine gourmets to the curious. The range on offer continues to grow, and more space was needed to accommodate this popular department," a spokesperson for ODEL said.

The ODEL chain of distinctive fashion and lifestyle stores now comprises 12 outlets at Alexandra Place, Kohuwala, Mount Lavinia, Moratuwa, Panadura, Maharagama, Nugegoda (Warehouse), Dickman's Road, Ja-ela, Majestic City, Crescat (Backstage) and at the Bandaranaike International Airport.

EMAIL |   PRINTABLE VIEW | FEEDBACK

www.apiwenuwenapi.co.uk
LANKAPUVATH - National News Agency of Sri Lanka
www.peaceinsrilanka.org
www.army.lk
Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL)
www.news.lk
www.defence.lk
Donate Now | defence.lk

| News | Editorial | Business | Features | Political | Security | Sport | World | Letters | Obituaries |

Produced by Lake House Copyright © 2010 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.

Comments and suggestions to : Web Editor