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Seylan Bank gifts Rs. 1 m

Two novel promotions on Saturday:

Seylan Bank will literally 'drop' Rs one million from the skies on October 22.

Helicopters from Helitours will hover over different parts of Sri Lanka between 8.30 am and 3.00 pm on October 22 and drop coupons with a special serial number and individualised barcode to the public below.

The areas to be covered are Ambalangoda, Anuradhapura, Piliyandala, Galle, Gampola, Gampaha, Kandy, Kalutara, Kiribathgoda, Kurunegala, Matale, Matara, Nawalapitiya, Nugegoda, Polonnaruwa, Moratuwa, Puttalam, Jaffna and Wattala.

On the same day over 3,000 staffers from Seylan Bank's 131 branches all over Sri Lanka will embark on a door-to-door campaign distributing similar coupons, thus further promoting the savings habit among the public of Sri Lanka.

This tri-lingual promotion is aimed at inculcating the savings habit both in the short term and long term and is expected to touch a majority of the people from all walks of life, across all geographical and ethnic boundaries.

On the night of October 23 a lucky draw will be conducted at 9.30 pm on ITN and the serial numbers of the ten lucky persons, each winning Rs 100,000 will be announced.

All winners will have to go to the nearest Seylan Bank branch and claim their prizes with valid identification before 3.00 pm on or before October 25.

Seylan Bank Chairman Eastman Narangoda said, "We are very excited about this promotion which is, in fact, quite revolutionary and one of a kind. In addition to all the hype and excitement it creates among the public of Sri Lanka, it will also promote the importance of savings. We at Seylan Bank have always paid paramount importance to the savings habit, both among the young and the old. Savings of whatever form, will always come in good stead".

"It is significant that the promotion takes place during the month of World Thrift Day which is observed on October 31 every year. This is a day devoted to the promotion of the savings habit all over the world.

World Thrift Day is a universal reminder of the importance of consistently saving, to have a safety net. This promotion is, in fact, a precursor to a much bigger and even more revolutionary promotion which Seylan Bank will roll out before the end of this month," he said.

Dave Tractors marks decade of excellence with John Deere

Dave Tractors concluded their dealer convention for 2011 in a grand scale at Cinnamon Lakeside last week. The Principals of John Deere Tractors, dealers and other dignitaries, attended this occasion. The evening was filled with entertainment that included Sunil Perera, the local Brand Ambassador for John Deere, who made a guest appearance. At this occasion, Dave Tractors paid tribute to financial organizations that collaborated over the years, dealers and their employees. Outstanding performers were presented with awards. The latest four-wheel drive tractor from John Deere, 5D MFWD was also launched at this event.

Dave Tractors has been the sole agent for the technologically superior American tractor Brand John Deere, for over a decade. John Deere has won the reputation of 'world's number 1 tractor' for its technical superiority. Due to the tireless research and development efforts of John Deere America and John Deere Asia, the company has maintained technological superiority for over a century.

As such, it is the only tractor in Sri Lanka that offers power steering and disk brakes enabling smooth functioning in muddy surfaces. The ability to support the functioning of a 42-blade rotavator is another unique feature in the tractor.

Dave Tractors Managing Director said, "in comparison with other tractors in the market, it is with great pride we announce that John Deere is the only tractor that offers horse power ranging from 35 to 560 giving customers from the agriculture and other industrial segments a choice depending on their need. As we offer a two-year warranty, I am confident that John Deere is the most trusted brand in Sri Lanka. I also wish to state that Dave Tractors is committed to a superior after sales service and many new plans will be implemented in the near future with the objective of raising the bar. We have also made available ample spare parts at affordable prices".

Dave Tractors, a subsidiary of the Dave Group has been in operation for over two decades and is in the forefront of providing high quality farming related equipment.

Brandix engages Virtusa

Virtusa Corporation carried out performance testing on interface components for an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system for the Sri Lankan apparel heavyweight Brandix. Virtusa was chosen by Brandix based on their in-depth technical understanding and industry leadership in successfully managing and implementing testing solutions especially amongst global giants.

From left - Brandix IT Assistant Manager Gaurika Wijerathne, Brandix Group IT Head Manoj Pilimatalawwe and Virtusa Sri Lanka Client Services Head Fawaz Ashraff.

Virtusa, after a two month comprehensive testing programme, provided key technological improvements and suggestions which ensured the rapid future demand forecast rate of Brandix.

Brandix Group ICT Head Manoj Pilimatalawwe, said "The dependency on the interfaces to the ERP is immense at Brandix. Much of our focus has been on the ERP itself, as for us the interfaces are of equal importance. Downtime or a drop in performance of certain ERP interfaces is unacceptable, and could be considered detrimental to operations." He further added, "After carefully evaluating the capabilities of the software testing centres accessible to us, we selected Virtusa as our preferred partner for this engagement. We were confident of Virtusa's capabilities with the strong track record it holds in the global software development and testing arena".

Virtusa utilized its proven global best practices framework on performance testing to analyzes the performance of the software system under various operational situations, avoiding any potential loss of business worth millions of rupees.

"It was extremely easy to work with Brandix, especially because of the trust they placed on Virtusa. The relationship was clearly of two thought leaders sharing their expertise to accelerate their business outcomes to the market" said, Client Services Sri Lanka Head, Fawaz Ashraff.

Performance testing is essential for every major system rollout, but is often missed or carried out as an afterthought. Virtusa's methods call for early performance testing to identify performance and scalability issues and architectural problems up front to ensure smooth scaling of production applications. The decision made by Brandix clearly portrays the concern they have as an organization to deliver the best to all its stakeholders.

Virtusa gains its expertise in software testing from a variety of sectors that include Healthcare, banking, financial, telecommunications, retail, and media and entertainment.

MBSL Savings Bank launches special promotion for children

MBSL Saving Bank 's Punchi savings account, was introduced with the aim of motivating children to save more for their future. The bank is now launching a special promotion from October 1 to November 30, where any account holder that opens a Punchi Savings account within this period , is eligible to be included in the competition where they have the chance of winning the first prize of Rs 25,000 or the second and third prizes of Rs 20,000 and Rs 15,000 respectively. In addition, 10 more accountholders also have the chance of winning Rs. 1,000 each.

With attractive interest rates and an initial deposit of Rs 100 the Punchi savings account offers gifts such as mountain bikes, cameras, children's computers, toys, school bags, umbrellas, caps, tills and many more items.

It also offers additional benefits for the Punchi account , that include free children's health insurance policy to the value of Rs 50,000 when the account balance reaches Rs 20,000 with a 6% interest component.

Further, the Punchi Star Account which can be opened with Rs 500 which can earn an interest of 10% p.a. includes free children's health insurance policy as well.

The interest for both the Punchi Savings Account and the Punchi Star account is calculated on the daily balance and credited to the account at the end of each month.

The bank currently has a large customer base and operates 12 branches, where parents can conveniently open Punchi Savings Accounts for their children, which will ensure a safe and secured financial backing for their children.

PCH expands branch network to Nuwara Eliya, Moneragala

PC House PLC (PCH), opened its 24th and 25th branches in Nuwara Eliya and Moneragala, respectively, further widening their retail and distribution network.

PC House Retail and Regional Head Thufail Musadeen said, "The opening of these two retail branches truly shows the speed in which PCH is growing.

It also shows the growth in demand for ICT in these locations which is indicative of the growing demand for technological development in areas outside Colombo."

These new branches of the PCH regional network offer the same high quality products and services as well as world renowned brands and true value for money.

Furthermore, customers from these areas will not have to travel long distances to avail themselves of these services making ICT purchasing hassle free. PCH is emerging to regional markets in the island, bringing the customers convenience and more choice, with a near perfect ICT product portfolio that will satisfy all IT needs - from IT accessories to laptops - offered by world renowned brands.

PCH also ensures elimination of other related costs incurred, being compelled to purchase products in Colombo, by even distribution of latest technologies in ICT throughout the island.

Customers at the Nuwara Eliya and Moneragala branches will be able to receive free services from these outlets including repairs and training demonstrations for hardware and software as part of branch opening promotions.

There will also be training programmes offered to school children on the basics of IT.

Several schools have already been identified for this training programme.

PCH Chairman S.H.M. Rishan said, "The opening of these branches is a significant step in our plans to expand our ICT regional network across the island.

This is our continued progress towards our vision of providing ICT access and availability across the nation."

PCH this year alone has taken its offerings to seven new towns across the island. Earlier this year the company opened its Galle and Batticaloa branches, followed by the branch opening in Mullaitivu. In May and June, PCH opened branches in Kegalle and Matale respectively.

With the recently opened branches in Nuwara Eliya and Moneragala, their total regional branch network stands at 25, with another 13 retail showrooms situated within Colombo City limits making the total strength to 38.