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available immediately from IBM.
The acquisition further extends IBM's leadership in enterprise content management, a fast-growing segment of its DB2 Information Management portfolio, enabling customers to electronically develop and manage the entire lifecycle of their business documents across the enterprise to increase efficiencies and make faster business decisions.
Today's news marks IBM's third acquisition in its Enterprise Content Management business since 2002. IBM purchased Tarian's records management software in November 2002 and Aptrix's Web content management software in July 2003.
Green Pasture Software is a leading provider of document management software that enables businesses to take advantage of real-time, high-performance document management capabilities to electronically collaborate, edit and manage multiple documents simultaneously. The software helps organizations more easily develop and manage documents that incorporate interrelated parts, such as spreadsheets, multimedia files and computer aided design (CAD) references.
For example, businesses today use Green Pasture software to automate and streamline document management across multiple business operations including product development, financial reporting, and compliance with governmental requirements. As a result, organizations can more easily create and manage documents such as product manuals, annual reports, and pharmaceutical submissions for clinical trials.
The addition of Green Pasture Software extends IBM's leadership in delivering the most comprehensive enterprise content management infrastructure in the industry, ranging from the development of simple spreadsheets to managing highly complex documents. IBM is the only vendor that supports customers' complete enterprise content management requirements, including support for all forms of information, document and records management, collaboration, digital rights management and storage.
The software is in especially high demand in organizations such as government, financial services, pharmaceutical and chemical and petroleum and other regulated industries that manage massive amounts of information which require long-term data retention.
"IBM is unmatched in the industry in providing customers with the tools they need to leverage their information assets to make better decisions and respond faster to market demands," said Janet Perna, general manager, IBM Data Management Software. "The addition of Green Pasture technology and its expertise in managing complex documents, combined with IBM's comprehensive enterprise content management offerings, brings more value to customers, helping them gain a faster return on their information assets."
"IBM is the recognized leader in helping companies deploy a complete enterprise content management solution" said Charlie Wittenberg, President, Green Pasture Software. "The combination of Green Pasture technology and IBM's Content Management offerings will enable businesses to more easily create and manage their critical information assets to increase productivity and enhance business insight."
About IBM's DB2 Information Management Portfolio
There are more than 60 million DB2 users from 425,000 companies worldwide relying on IBM Information Management Solutions. IBM is the only software vendor to provide customers with integrated solutions for database management, tools, content management, enterprise information integration and business intelligence. For more information please visit http://www.software.ibm.com/data.
Despite the rising unemployment rate and the increasing number of extremely qualified professionals looking for jobs, smart companies continue to place an emphasis on keeping their employees and creating a work environment that prevents “greener pasture” syndrome.
Greener pasture syndrome in the workplace results when employees are not kept engaged and productive or do not have a sense of ownership. It is a major concern for those businesses that accept the paradigm that engaged employees will keep customers happy and that when employees leave or start searching for greener pastures it can be a big problem.
Employees are the face of a business. They build the relationships with customers and know a company from top to bottom. They drive company culture and reinforce this culture with new employees and customers.
Successful companies have embraced the importance of making their pasture the greenest. This approach really proliferated during boom times when the jobs were plentiful and qualified workers were few and far between and faced with many different options. However, now that the pendulum has swung and qualified workers abound while jobs are scarce, companies need to be careful not to contract a case of the “greener pasture” syndrome in regards to their employees.
The attitude that any employee can simply be replaced with someone better, because there are so many good options out there today, reflects a dangerous ideology. Even if this belief is not widespread or disseminated throughout the company – which would be disastrous – its mere presence is enough to trigger cause for concern.
A key factor for keeping employees loyal and in place is engagement and ownership and not money. Money can certainly buy you loyalty and improve employee retention, but without the other factors it is a hollow victory. Financially stable employees may be happy to some extent, but if they are not engaged and do not feel connected to their work this will most certainly be reflected in poor customer relations.
So just in the same way that splashing the cash won’t fix the greener pastures problem, company executives should not let the money issue muddy the value they place on current employees. It is a fact that in today’s economic climate and employment marketplace most businesses could replace employees with outsiders who could do the same job for less money, and would be perfectly willing to do so. But companies are taking a dangerous gamble that the result would be an equal employee, especially on the grounds of engagement and ownership.
How long would it take for the loss of company experience and cultural participation to equal any salary gain made on an equally qualified, but new, employee? How long would it take for the savings on new employees to outweigh the overall cost on company morale and atmosphere the strategy of replacing current workers with new, cheaper workers would bring?
Once employees realize that company executives have fallen prey to the greener pasture syndrome, they will not be far behind in doing so likewise – and company failure will certainly be on the horizon.
TIBETAN PERSONALITY TEST
I got this in my email from my great friend, Steve, today, and I thought it was very interesting. The key is to answer the questions as they come along. I think you'll find the results very informative -- and get this -- Money was at the end of my priority list -- go figure! ha,ha,ha!
Take your time with this test and you will be amazed. Steve did this last
year
when this came around and a spiritual wish he made did happen - in fact
all
year long.
The Dalai Lama suggests you read it to see if it works for you. Very
Interesting.
Just 4 questions and the answers will surprise you.
Be honest and do not cheat by looking up the answers. The mind is like
a
parachute, it works! best when it is opened. This is fun to do, but
you
have to follow the instructions very closely. Do not cheat.
MAKE A WISH BEFORE BEGINNING THE TEST!
A warning! Answer the questions as you go along. There are only 4
questions
and if you see them all before finishing, you will not have honest
results.
Go down slowly, and complete each exercise as you scroll down.
Don't look ahead. Get pencil and paper to write your answers as you go
along.
You will need it at the end. This is an honest questionnaire which
will
tell you a lot about your true self. Give an answer for each item. The
first thing that comes to mind is usually your best answer. Remember -
no
one sees this but you.
1) Put the following 5 animals in the order of your preference:
Cow, Tiger, Sheep, Horse, Pig
2) Write one word that describes each one of the following: Dog, Cat,
Rat, Coffee, Sea.
3) Think of someone, who also knows you and is important to you, which
you
can relate them to the following colors. Do not repeat your answer
twice.
Name just one person for each color:
Yellow, Orange, Red, White, Green.
4) Finally, write down your favorite number, and your favorite day of the week.
FINISHED? Please be sure that your answers are what you REALLY WANT.
Look at the interpretations below: But first before continuing,
REPEAT your wish.
ANSWERS::
1) This will define your priorities in your life.
Cow Signifies CAREER
Tiger Signifies PRIDE
Sheep Signifies LOVE
Horse Signifies FAMILY
Pig Signifies MONEY
2) Your description of dog implies your own personality.
Your description of cat implies the personality of your partner.
Your description of rat implies the personality of your enemies.
Your description of coffee is how you interpret sex.
Your description of the sea implies your own life.
3) Yellow: Someone you will never forget
Orange: Someone you consider your true friend
Red: Someone that you really love
White: Your twin soul
Green: Someone that you will remember for the rest of your life
4) You have to send this message to as many persons as your favorite
number
and your wish will come true on the day that you recorded.
This is what the Dalai Lama has said about the Millennium - just take
a
few
seconds! to look it up, read it and think.
Do not put away this message, the mantra will come out from your hands
in
the next 96 hours. You will have a very pleasant surprise.
This is true, even if you are not superstitious.
Please do this. It is fascinating. SEND THIS E- MAIL MANTRA TO AT
LEAST
FIVE PERSONS AND YOUR LIFE WILL IMPROVE.
0-4 persons: Your life will improve slightly
5-9 persons: Your life will improve to your liking
9-14 persons: You will have at least 5 surprises in the next three
weeks
15 or more persons: Your life will improve drastically and all that
you
wish
will come true.
Tibet is a very large country: a common misunderstanding for tourists wishing to go to Tibet is the notion that Tibet is only the Tibet Autonomous Region. Tibetans regard Tibet as also including most of Qinghai province and parts of Sichuan, Gansu and Yunnan provinces. Tibetans have lived and ruled in these areas for thousands of years. The map below shows all Tibetan inhabited areas. |
| Should You Travel to Tibet? Most Tibetans support tourism because it constitutes a means by which the outside world can learn of conditions in Tibet and the aspirations of Tibetans. Tibetans regard the presence of foreigners in Tibet as a source of hope. The Dalai Lama encourages people to travel to Tibet and bear witness to the suffering of the Tibetans under repressive Chinese policies and to act on this information on their return. However, we recommend that you do not travel to Tibet without appraising yourself of the sensitive political situation or making an effort to ensure, as far as possible, that your visit benefits Tibetans (see below). We also recommend that you continue to support the Tibetan people by joining acampaign organisation on your return. These two alternative guides for prospective travelers to Tibet are a must read: 1. Alternative Travel Guide to Tibet (International Campaign for Tibet; page 49) For up to date information about how to travel to Tibet independently, we recommend purchasing a recently-published guidebook, such as Rough Guide to Tibet. |
International Tibet Support Network recommends the following "dos" for travelers to Tibet: |
1. Do Patronise Tibetan businesses. |
2. Do Avoid Buying Antiques |
3. Do Help Protect Tibet's Wildlife |
4. Do Avoid Putting Tibetans at Risk (Once out of Tibet, if you wish to share information, pass it on to Tibetan Government in Exile, or other legitimate information-gathering organisations such as TCHRD, ICT, SFT, FTC etc.) |
| 5. Do Avoid Putting Yourself at Risk Whilst in Tibet, you should assume that your communication is being monitored (mobile phone calls, emails and so on). A number of foreigners have been deported for political activity, or on suspicion of attempting to carry sensitive political information out of Tibet. If caught, you are likely to be rigorously interrogated and swiftly deported, but there have been instances of foreigners being detained for up to two weeks (for example, for burning a Chinese flag). Any Tibetans whom you have had contact with will face much harsher treatment and risk arrest, torture and imprisonment. Taking photographs of sensitive places could lead to questioning or seizure of your camera. |
The national flag of Tibet, a familiar site on protests outside of China, is illegal in Tibet. Tibetans have been imprisoned for possessing or even making a drawing of the Tibetan flag.
Historical BackgroundDuring the reign of the 7th century king, Songtsen Gampo, Tibet was one of the mightiest empires in Central Asia. Tibet, then, had an army of 2,860,000 men. Each regiment of the army had its own banner. The banner of Ya-ru To regiment had a pair of snow lions facing each other, that of Ya-ru Ma a snow lion standing upright, springing upwards towards the sky, and that of U-ru To a white flame against a red background. This tradition continued until the 13th Dalai Lama designed a new banner and issued a proclamation for its adoption by all the military establishments. This banner became the present Tibetan national flag. Explanation of the Symbolism of the Tibetan National FlagIn the centre stands a magnificient snow-clad mountain, which represents the great nation of Tibet, widely known as the "Land Surrounded by Snow Mountains". The Six red that bands spread across the dark blue sky represent the original ancestors of the Tibetan people: the six tribes called Se, Mu, Dong, Tong, Dru, and Ra which in turn gave rise to the (twelve) descendants. The combination of six red bands (for the tribes) and six dark blue bands (for the sky) represents the unceasing enactment of the virtuous deeds of protection of the spiritual teachings and secular life by the black and red guardian protector deities with which Tibet has been connected since times immemorial. At the top of the snowy mountain, the sun with its rays shining brilliantly in all directions represents the equal enjoyment of freedom, spiritual and material happiness and prosperity by all beings in the land of Tibet. On the slopes of the mountain a pair of snow lions stand proudly, blazing with the manes of fearlessness, which represent the country's victorious accomplishment of a unified spiritual and secular life. The beautiful and radiant three-coloured jewel held aloft represents the ever-present reverence respectfully held by the Tibetan people towards the three supreme gems, the objects of refuge: Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. The two-coloured swirling jewel held between the two lions represents the people's guarding and cherishing of the self discipline of correct ethical behavior, principally represented by the practices of the ten exalted virtues and the 16 humane modes of conduct. Lastly, the adornment with a yellow border symbolises that the teachings of the Buddha, which are like pure, refined gold and unbounded in space and time, are flourishing and spreading. |
