MILWAUKEE, Aug. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- In a recent survey of 412 employers offering retirement plans, nearly half expect U.S. companies to benefit from baby boomer employees who prolong their careers past age 65. Only 4% of respondents believe employees who postpone retirement will be a negative for companies, whereas 45% anticipate that protracted careers will yield a positive result for employers.

The survey was conducted by an independent market research firm on behalf of BMO Retirement Services.

"Although some companies will continue to offer buyouts and retirement packages to their older staff, our survey suggests that many businesses will be pleased to retain selected boomer employees," said Todd Perala, Director of Relationship Management at BMO Retirement Services."There appears to be a growing recognition in corporate America that employees in their sixties possess valuable institutional experience and expertise."

Perala noted that older employees were once widely perceived to create a greater burden on a company's health plan, limit the job opportunities of younger workers and be less proficient using new technologies. "Despite these common perceptions, our findings suggest that a significant contingent of today's companies see value in maximizing experience," he said.

Among the other survey results, close to a quarter of surveyed employers estimate that the percentage of working boomers who postpone retirement could exceed 50% in the years ahead. Nearly half of respondents predict that more than 30% of boomers will fall into this category.

Perala also observed that some boomers may be motivated to work longer due to insufficient savings, but believes many others find work personally fulfilling. "As life spans increase, retirement at age 65 may increasingly be seen by employers and employees alike as a relic from the prior century," he added.

The survey also reported the Net Promoter Scores for BMO Retirement Services, a client loyalty metric introduced in the Harvard Business Review in 2003. Derived from client feedback analysis by the independent research firm, the score once again placed BMO Retirement Services within the "star performer" range.

The Net Promoter Score for BMO Retirement Services has generally trended upward since 2007, and this year was significantly above the level required for the star performer designation, according to Phil Enochs, Managing Director and Head of Relationship Management. "The score validates our intensive client service model and confirms that clients value our efforts," he said.

The survey is based on interviews with 412 retirement plan sponsors that have a minimum of $2 million in trust assets and use the BMO Retirement Services recordkeeping platform.

About BMO Financial GroupBMO Retirement Services is a part of BMO Global Asset Management and is a premiere, award-winning provider of retirement, trust and custody services.

The rest is here:
BMO Retirement Services Survey: Many U.S. Employers Want Boomers to Continue Working Past Retirement Age

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Citrix today announced the release of Citrix VDI-in-a-Box 5.1, which just won the 2012 Best of Interop award for delivering a simple, affordable yet complete VDI solution with personalized end-user experiences. The latest release of VDI-in-a-Box delivers complete end-user personalization with personal vDisk technology that allows end-user applications and data to be preserved while giving IT the ability to manage only a single instance of the master image - saving time and cost. This version also includes several feature enhancements to improve ease-of-use, flexibility, and performance such as optimizations for Google Earth, support for Active Directory failover, and beta support for the upcoming Windows 8 operating system.

The industry is rapidly moving from the PC era to the cloud era. Businesses of all sizes want to adopt desktop virtualization and realize its benefits of driving efficiencies, adopting mobile workstyles and improving continuity, but many face tight budget and resource challenges. Citrix VDI-in-a-Box address these needs head on. The VDI-in-a-Box design eliminates multiple moving parts that run up the cost and complexity of VDI. The all-in-one grid architecture runs on inexpensive off-the-shelf servers. Scaling simply involves adding another server, with nothing to rearchitect or reconfigure. Citrix is building on the success of VDI-in-a-Box by further simplifying the purchase and rapid adoption of desktop virtualization with these new additions:

Growing Partner Ecosystem

With the growing popularity of VDI-in-a-Box, partners are joining forces with Citrix to make virtual desktops easy with validated hardware appliances and configurations that eliminate guesswork and deliver predictable, repeatable performance at affordable prices.

Extending Desktop Virtualization Beyond VDI

Citrix has also made available a license migration path from VDI-in-a-Box to XenDesktop for customers that want to extend beyond VDI to leverage the full flexibility of XenDesktop. The end-user experience is consistent across both products as both VDI-in-a-Box and XenDesktop use the same Citrix HDX stack and Citrix Receiver.

Quote

Kumar Goswami, Vice President, Products, VDI-in-a-Box, Citrix

As customers are growing their deployments on VDI-in-a-Box, they are looking to increase the level of personalization offered to end-users without increasing complexity or costs. With VDI-in-a-Box 5.1, we offer customers a simple and affordable approach to delivering personalized virtual desktops, helping businesses of all sizes leverage the power of desktop virtualization to deliver employee mobility and flexibility.

Continue reading here:
New Citrix VDI-in-a-Box Release Makes Simple, Affordable Virtual Desktops More Personal

FOSTER CITY, CA--(Marketwire -08/21/12)- Funambol, the leader of white-label personal cloud solutions for mobile providers, today published the results of a global survey of consumers asking about their views on personal cloud storage (PCS) services. The survey asked 42,500 consumers about PCS services and whether they would use a PCS service from mobile operators. Seventy-four percent said they would use a PCS service from their operator. Seventy-seven percent responded that if they used their operator's PCS service, this would make them less likely to switch operators. Seventy-four percent indicated that if they used an operator family cloud, this would make them less likely to change operators. The findings underscore the importance of operators providing a PCS service and how their window of opportunity is limited to deploy a PCS service before others capture their subscribers' content.

The free survey report can be downloaded instantly at http://funambol.com/solutions/library.php with registration. The survey results will be presented during a free webinar entitled "Personal Cloud Crystal Ball: What's Next for Users & the Industry?" on Thursday, August 23 @ 8am PDT / 11am EDT /4pm UK with registration at https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/684115688. The webinar also discusses a Funambol forecast of how the number of PCS service accounts is expected to reach one billion by 2016.

"Operators face mounting pressure to reduce churn and increase loyalty, and many are considering personal clouds to do both," said Hal Steger, Funambol VP Marketing. "This report provides further proof that operator personal clouds can significantly increase loyalty and reduce churn and that the financial benefits can be enormous. Based on these results and market conditions, operators need to move quickly before it's too late."

The PCS market is changing rapidly and offers consumers more choice than ever. The survey polled consumers on a range of personal cloud questions. In addition to the aforementioned results, it found:

Funambol's webinar will discuss the survey report and key trends that will accelerate user adoption in coming years. It will also describe important technology innovations and the evolution of the prevailing freemium business model. The webinar is for anyone interested in learning more about the personal cloud and its future direction.

About FunambolFunambol is the leader of white-label personal cloud solutions for mobile providers. Funambol solutions have been deployed by leading companies in mobile, including operators, device manufacturers (OEMs), internet firms, content companies and system integrators. Visit http://www.funambol.com for details.

Link:
Survey: Operator Personal Cloud Storage Critical for Consumers and Building Customer Loyalty

"What an excellent way to make use of old PCs," said Slashdot blogger Gerhard Mack, referring to Robert Litt's free computer lab project. "Of course, the next thing he needs to do is start teaching the kids how to install and maintain these things. As a geek who spent his early teen years piecing together old computers just to have something to work on, I know how good a learning experience it would be."

Well it was a dark, dark week in the Linux blogosphere last week, as further evidence of the economy's sickly state spread across the land.

Tale after tale of personal tragedy has popped up on Google+ and beyond, in fact, making it more clear than ever that the magnitude of this economic crisis has reached nothing short of epic proportions.

Perhaps most notable among all the heart-wrenching stories, however, was the saddening news of the Linux community's very own Ken Starks.

For those who don't know him, Starks is a Linux advocate who has worked tirelessly for years equipping underprivileged kids with refurbished and Linux-powered PCs through the HeliOS Project, which has figured on LinuxInsider's virtual pages on several occasions in the past.

Today, however, Starks is fighting for his life in a brave battle against cancer.

"Ken's cancer has just recently begun to spread to his right lymph node, but his Oncologist has assured us that this is 80 percent curative if he gets the needed surgery in time," wrote Starks' life partner, Diane, in a blog post on Thursday.

"Unfortunately, his 1100 dollar a month SSI disability disqualifies him for Medicaid care and the local county low-income insurance he was receiving," Diane added. "This leaves us with about 2 weeks to either raise enough money for at least the OR for the surgery (we are hopeful of finding a surgeon to do the work pro bono) or raise enough money for the entire procedure."

It's heart-breaking enough to hear a tale like this even when the person in question is a stranger. When it's our own Starks -- a true hero who has done so much good for the world -- it's simply unbearable.

An Indiegogo campaign is now under way to raise funds for Starks' surgery.

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Linux and Kids: A Tale of Success as a Hero Battles for Life

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/v9pw7k/chanel_sa_in_beaut) has announced the addition of the "Chanel SA in Beauty And Personal Care (World)" company profile to their offering.

The world's sixth largest premium fragrances manufacturer, Chanel faces the challenge of expanding its consumer base and its geographic reach without undermining the prestige status of its core eponymous brand. This profile analyses the most promising opportunities available for Chanel to target luxury trends in major emerging markets and highlights pockets of premium potential in core developed markets, as well as considering opportunities for the development of Chanel's mass cosmetics offer.

Euromonitor International's Chanel SA in Beauty And Personal Care (World) Company Profile offers detailed strategic analysis of the company's business, examining its performance in Beauty and Personal Care industry. The report examines company shares by region and sector, product developments, market and distribution strategies, challenges from the competition and future prospects. Use it to understand opportunities and threats facing the business and the factors driving success.

Why Buy This Report?

- Get a detailed picture of the Beauty and Personal Care market;

- Pinpoint growth sectors and identify factors driving change;

- Understand the competitive environment, the market's major players and leading brands;

- Use five-year forecasts to assess how the market is predicted to develop.

Key Topics Covered:

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Research and Markets: Chanel SA in Beauty And Personal Care (World) - Discover the Most Promising Opportunities ...

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Professional Development Center (PDC) at The University of Texas at Austin is proud to announce an exciting travel and educational expedition to Guatemala. On October 3-7, PDC hosts "Tour of Guatemala," a cultural journey from Austin to Antigua that includes a series of lectures and tours covering the culture, history and architecture of the region. UT PDC is an enterprise of the university's Division of Continuing and Innovative Education.

"I'm so proud to offer this unique opportunity for both students and travelers to join us on this one-of-a-kind educational tour to historic Antigua, Guatemala and the surrounding area," says Liliya Spinazzola, director of the Professional Development Center. "This offering allows participants to truly experience the rich culture and history of this Latin American region. It's one thing to be a tourist, it's quite another to visit a foreign country side-by-side with world-class educators and experts to add depth to the experience."

This tour is based at Casa Herrera, a fully restored 17th century Spanish Colonial property located in the heart of Antigua. The Casa is operated by the Mesoamerica Center, a program of the university's Department of Art and Art History in the College of Fine Arts.

The extensive agenda for "Tour of Guatemala" includes:

Registration for Tour of Guatemala, including hotel accommodations and most meals, costs $875 and is open at http://www.utexas.edu/ce/pdc//antigua-guatemala-tour/ or by calling 512-232-2234. Airfare is not included.

Please visit our website to view a video and photo gallery from the first Tour of Guatemala with interviews from participants and coordinators: http://www.utexas.edu/ce/stories/detail/cie-hosts-tour-guatemala.

For more information, contact Maureen Schwartz at (512) 232-2234 or maureen.schwartz@austin.utexas.edu.

About the Professional Development Center:

The Professional Development Center (PDC), an enterprise of the Division of Continuing and Innovative Education at The University of Texas at Austin, provides innovative and agile continuing education learning solutions that maximize professional performance. PDC offers a wide range of programs and courses designed to help individuals and organizations around the world improve personal, professional and organizational performance. To meet this goal, PDC offers high quality non-credit courses, professional certificate programs, consulting, coaching, and facilitation services, both online and on the university campus. http://www.utexas.edu/ce/pdc/

Contact: Maureen Schwartz, Professional Development Center, The University of Texas at Austin, (512) 232-2234, maureen.schwartz@austin.utexas.edu

Excerpt from:
Professional Development Center at The University of Texas at Austin Presents Travel and Lecture Tour in Guatemala

irishtimes.com - Last Updated: Tuesday, August 21, 2012, 12:47 Related External The Irish Times takes no responsibility for the content or availability of other websites

SEN FLYNN, Education Editor

The Leaving Cert exam and the CAO points system do not promote positive education values or personal development, university presidents have advised Minister for Education Ruair Quinn.

In a report presented to the Minister today, they conclude the selection process for higher education is having "disproportionate and undesirable effects on student learning . . . at second level."

The presidents back a new ranking system for Leaving Cert scores, common entry routes into college, a reduction in Leaving Cert grades and new efforts to "incentivise strategically important subjects".

However, they stress there is no perfect system and no perfect solution. A task force, chaired by NUI president Dr Philip Nolan will tease out the proposals and report back before the end of the year. The report states: We do not wish to be prescriptive in regard to the issues to be dressed by the task force."

The document backs moving away from awarding CAO points for absolute scores in the Leaving Cert and focusing on the relative performance in the subject. Essentially, it says, the highest points would be awarded to the cohort of students who perform best relative to their peers in the specific subject.

"The most obvious way to convert merit ranking into points is to use percentiles with those in the top 1 per cent getting 100 points, those in the next 1 per cent getting 99 points, and so on, with those in the bottom 1 per cent getting 1 point. . . . An advantage of this option is that it is independent of subject workload, marking differences, grade distribution, etc. It could therefore be considered a fairer system of rewarding student effort and performance. It could incentivise students to take what are currently regarded as the harder subjects."

Continued here:
Universities call for changes to Leaving, points system

Five years ago, Ken Eklund turned online to tackle the issues raised by the future peak oil crisis with the alternate reality game World Without Oil. Now, Eklund has partnered up with Andi McDaniel and turned his attention on education with Ed Zed Omega, a game hoping to reimagine the educational system by following the stories of six fictional teens who choose to drop out of school.

By Brandie Minchew, originally posted at ARGNet

Theres this expression, zed omega. It means so over. When you go zed omega, you are done. -Ed Zed Omega Revealed

When it comes to public or private education, everyone has an experience, everyone has a story, and everyone has an opinion. The internet is rife with pointed discussions about the problems in education, and full of suggestions on how to solve them. While education issues vary broadly from state to state and nation to nation, they share at least one commonality: solutions tend to be easy to propose but difficult to implement. Education reform is an ongoing conversation amongst government officials, educators, and the public, and conversations between these groups are often politically charged and riddled with miscommunication and misunderstandings.

Andi McDaniel and Ken Eklund have brought something new to the conversation about education with their freshly-launched project, Ed Zed Omega. The project focuses on a set of voices that often gets lost in the cacophony that pervades the education discussion: the voices of those most directly affected by our education systems, the people currently subject to the state of being educated. Ed Zed Omega features the stories of six fictional teens who have decided that they are done with education, and that theyre not going back. Their guidance counselor, Mary Johnson, has convinced them to use the time they would have spent in school to complete one more assignment, exploring solutions to the problems they perceive in education.Ed Zed Omega launched on August 15, 2012 and will run through November 15, 2012 to follow their journey.

Several people and organizations are involved in the creation of Ed Zed Omega. The Association of Independents in Radio (AIR) put out a call to producers working on innovative storytelling through their Localoreinitiative. Ken Eklund and Andi McDaniel were matched up through Localore to create a proposal for one of ten projects to be featured by AIR/Localore. The project is funded through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPC) and presented by Twin Cities Public Television (TPT).

Eklund is no stranger to interactive narratives and serious games. In 2007, he created World Without Oil, the award-winning alternate reality game that jump-started a conversation about a near-future crisis where oil was in short supply. McDaniel is an interactive media producer for TPT, and her work in photography, print, radio and video span a wide range of topics and themes. When the pair first got together to start discussing their proposal, they didnt know that the focus would be education. However, TPT had historically done programming for kids and parents, as well as several documentaries on education. The subject of the high school dropout rate came up 1.2 million kids dropping out of school every year for myriad reasons and Eklund and McDaniel recognized the narrative power of teens who have disengaged with the education system. They envisioned the Zed Omegas, teens who feel let down by education and who want to try something different. They call it dropping out loud.

Ed Zed Omega focuses on the specific stories of six teens. Edwina, Nicole, Xavier, Lizabeth, Clare and Jeremy each have a different reason for wanting to drop out of high school and go their own way. They call themselves the Zed Omegas totally done with high school and reluctant to re-enter the education system as the summer draws to a close. Their guidance counselor, Mary Johnson, identified them as at risk teens and, rather than trying to convince them they are wrong to drop out, she is trying to re-engage them with a self-directed study on education. She is aided by homeschooled teen Nora Rose Melendy, along with Alan Greye and Zephyr Yilmaz who keep the Ed Zed Omega website up and running. August 15 is the day they dont return from their summer vacations, and when their exploration of education begins.

The Ed Zed Omega audience can interact with these teens and their support system through a wide variety of social media while following along with their progress in addressing the problems of education and as they deal with the consequences of dropping out of school. The audience is invited to influence and become part of the Ed Zed Omega story through sharing their thoughts, opinions, and experiences with the Zed Omegas. The games website makes it easy to follow the story using a Tumblr format with snapshots of character activity across the social media landscape.

Read the rest here:
Reinventing Education for the Disaffected with Ed Zed Omega

Read the full text

21 August 2012This study focuses on attitudes and practices related to all aspects of online education including views on the quality of learning outcomes, issues of institutional support, and institutional rewards. Even as online enrollments have grown exponentially, attitudes about online learning have remained conflicted.The study is based on the results of two related, but separate, surveys. The first is a nationally representative sample of higher education faculty members who are teaching at least one course during the current academic year. The second focused on academic administrators in particular those responsible for academic technology at their institutions.

Online learning has experienced consistent growth in the 10 years that the Babson Survey Research Group has been tracking and producing annual reports on the enterprise. The number of students enrolling in one or more online course has increased at rates far in excess of the growth of overall higher education enrollments. The proportion of students taking at least one online course has increased from fewer than 1 in 10 in 2002 to nearly one-third by 2010, with the number of online students growing from 1.6 million to over 6.1 million over the same period an 18.3 percent compound annual growth rate.

Originally posted here:
Faculty and online education, 2012

Yoga classes will be offered in Kilgore, Longview

Kilgore College will once again offer yoga as a kinesiology elective this fall.

Beginning yoga courses will be offered both in Kilgore and Longview, and the courses will count toward physical education requirements to graduate with an associates degree.

Kilgore yoga classes will be offered in Parks Fitness Center, and Longview classes will be offered at Good Shepherd Medical Centers Institute for Healthy Living on Hawkins Parkway.

Cecile Craft, KCs yoga instructor, said she is excited that the college has made yoga a part of its kinesiology curriculum.

Yoga is a true healing art, Craft said. It increases lung capacity, lengthens muscles and improves balance and coordination.

Kilgore yoga classes will be offered this fall from 9 to 10 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Longview yoga classes will be offered this fall from 3 to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Also, at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, a non-credit yoga class will be held at Parks Fitness Center called Yoga Stretch.

For more information, contact Craft at 903-315-8805 or e-mail her:ccraft@gsmc.org.

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Yoga classes will be offered in Kilgore, Longview