“We Predict Ltd Proves it can Reduce Global Automotive Warranty Costs ... - PR Newswire” plus 4 more

We Predict Ltd Proves it can Reduce Global Automotive Warranty Costs ... - PR Newswire
Automakers to give access to key software; repair shops say deal lacks ... - Prince Edward Island Guardian
Jones and Bartlett Announces Major Upgrade to CDX Automotive - PR Inside
Cypress expands automotive portfolio - Components in Electronics
PRESS DIGEST - Hong Kong - Sept 30 - Reuters

We Predict Ltd Proves it can Reduce Global Automotive Warranty Costs ... - PR Newswire

Posted: 29 Sep 2009 07:06 AM PDT

LONDON, September 29 /PRNewswire/ -- We Predict is the developer of an innovative cost forecasting system called Indico that enables automotive manufacturers to better control their warranty expenses. Taking huge historical sales and warranty claim data sets and processing them with cutting edge actuarial analytical techniques, Indico produces high accuracy warranty claim forecasts that identify emerging product and service issues at a causal part level.

Rob Murdoch, Manager of Warranty & Technical Services at Mazda Canada, said; "The accuracy of Indico has been impressive. Indico reporting has been deployed to our Field staff and issues identified by Indico are discussed in the dealership. Claim irregularities that have been identified and reported have shown significant declines. That's all the proof you need to know that Indico is finding problems.

"Mazda already has some excellent dealer analysis tools; however Indico takes reporting to the root of the issue and allows us to realize additional savings. From the evidence that we have seen savings of 8-15% of total warranty spend are definitely achievable with Indico."

James Davies, Director of We Predict, said car dealerships are being forced to take extreme measures to create extra revenue and making unnecessary warranty claims is an easy option. With automotive warranty costs topping US$35 billion annually, an 8% reduction in annual costs could see savings approaching US$3bn a year.

"In these difficult times neither dealerships nor manufacturers want to be involved in the attempt to recover these excess costs. It is imperative that manufacturers enable their audit departments to identify emerging issues at individual dealers quickly. This way they can prevent dealer overspend in a fair, focused and consistent way.

"By allowing for model mix and vehicle age at the casual part level this reporting perfectly complements standard industry measures of cost per VIN serviced and repairs per thousand. Light touch implementation means that we have minimised the level of input required by Mazda to action the data.

"Nobody else is approaching this problem in this way. We're expecting more world class automotive companies to sign up to this new service in the coming months," he said.

About We Predict Ltd.

We Predict, a Microsoft BizSpark company, is based in the Welsh Assembly Government funded Technium Swansea Innovation Centre for high technology businesses. It provides predictive warranty analytics to some of the worlds largest automotive manufacturers.

http://www.WePredict.co.uk

Contact: James Davies, tel: +44(0)8451-305-521, e-mail jdavies@wepredict.co.uk

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Automakers to give access to key software; repair shops say deal lacks ... - Prince Edward Island Guardian

Posted: 29 Sep 2009 08:42 PM PDT

Automakers to give access to key software; repair shops say deal lacks teeth

The Canadian Press

TORONTO — Automakers have agreed to allow independent garages access to the key software and training needed to repair newer-model cars, but the auto-repair industry says the voluntary agreement has no teeth.
Federal Industry Minister Tony Clement said Tuesday the agreement over what is called the right to repair will cover all Canadian auto manufacturers and distributors and will make for more competition and lower repair bills for consumers.
"The agreement will make information and tools available to independent repair shops . . . for the repair of all vehicles," Clement told a news conference in Ottawa on Tuesday.
"Often, fixing vehicles today is more about the car's computer system than it's about nuts and bolts and so, in order to repair and service newer vehicles, there are highly specialized and specific tools that require technical training and diagnostic information," he added.
Proponents of the agreement say it gives consumers the choice to get their vehicles repaired wherever they want once their warranty has expired, but the independent auto-repair industry says there will be no guarantees unless the right to repair is enshrined in legislation.
The so-called aftermarket shops questioned why the minister pushed ahead with a voluntary agreement when a private-member's bill on the same issue is currently working its way through Parliament.
The Automotive Industries Association of Canada, which bills itself as the largest aftermarket trade association in the country and says it was left out of the consultations, said the voluntary agreement allows carmakers to opt out of sharing their technology with independent repair shops.
Marc Brazeau, president of the association, added that the proposed new system lacks a dispute-resolution mechanism.
"Ultimately this agreement needs to have some checks and balances in order to ensure that people comply, and that's totally lacking," Brazeau said.
"The car companies are not bound by the agreement, there is no arbitration process that's established within this agreement, and really the agreement prohibits the aftermarket from claiming to be competent and able to repair these vehicles."
NDP MP Brian Masse, who introduced the private-member's bill, accused Clement of taking "short cuts" rather than allowing the issue to work its way through the legislative process.
Parliament voted 247 to 18 in May in favour of sending Masse's bill to committee. It's expected to be reviewed within the next couple of weeks.
"My bill will create a rules-based system that, if there's a dispute, it will go through the Competition Bureau so all sides have to play fair and there would be a remedy if the law is not upheld," Masse said.
Matthew Wilson, director of industry and consumer affairs for the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers' Association, which represents the big carmakers and was part of the voluntary agreement, said the auto industry has always complied with voluntary environmental and safety agreements in the past and there's no reason to think the right-to-repair agreement will be any different.
"We do have a firm commitment from all those companies that they're going to participate in the voluntary agreement, and they didn't put in all of this time and effort to back out in the next couple of months," Wilson said. "They're in it for the long haul and they believe in the voluntary process."
He added that a private-member's bill can take a couple of years to work its way through the parliamentary process, if it's passed at all, whereas the voluntary agreement announced Tuesday will be implemented by next May.
In addition, Wilson said voluntary agreements can be amended easily and quickly as the industry changes, whereas changes to legislation can be "onerous."
"This allows us to do things quicker and in a much more flexible fashion," he said.
Clement said the agreement is a compromise that will protect car makers' secrets, while giving independent repair shops what they need to do their jobs.
"It will continue to protect the intellectual property rights of car companies while addressing implementation issues and technical challenges," he said.
The voluntary system is fashioned after a similar agreement in the U.S., although Masse said the American policy is backed by law through the Clean Air Act.
The agreement was negotiated and signed by the Association of International Automobile Manufacturers of Canada and the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers' Association, as well as the National Automotive Trades Association.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Jones and Bartlett Announces Major Upgrade to CDX Automotive - PR Inside

Posted: 22 Sep 2009 02:02 PM PDT

2009-09-22 23:01:01 -

Jones and Bartlett today announced a major new release of CDX Automotive, the world's foremost advanced learning solution for automotive training. CDX Automotive customers already have the most current, relevant and interactive online learning curriculum for automotive technology education available in the market today, and now Jones and Bartlett is adding significantly more media–rich content, features and functionality to further

increase student engagement and improve learning outcomes.

Dean Fossella, Executive VP and Chief Technology Officer of Jones and Bartlett, has overseen strategic development of the innovative CDX Automotive platform since the company's acquisition of CDX Global in March. "This revolutionary learning platform is changing the fundamental nature of how today's students learn," said Fossella. "This is true not only in the areas of vocational and skills-based training, but ultimately across the entire educational landscape around the globe as well."

CDX Automotive improves learning outcomes in automotive education by increasing student engagement and performance through personalized learning. Based on extensive customer feedback, this new release includes the following enhancements.

- Improved user interface with easier and more intuitive navigation
- Over 100 refreshed videos supplementing the rich library of over 850 automotive procedural and demonstration videos, including new content on timely topics such as alternative fuels
- New testing engine with unlimited practice tests, knowledge check exercises, and final exams that are automatically scored and recorded to save time and eliminate human error
- New ASE Core 4 and ASE Core 2 menu options to support enhanced customized curriculum options
- Support for both 2005 and 2008 NATEF standards with task sheets and updated task sheet reporting making ASE recertification even easier for instructors nationwide
- A new diagnostic practice application with an instructional video to reinforce learning concepts
- New CDX Automotive College Access Pack option for students looking to purchase required or recommended access to CDX Automotive from their local college bookstore

CDX Automotive offers a turnkey solution to high schools, vocational schools, community colleges and skill centers wishing to join the e-learning initiative recently announced by The National Automotive Technicians Education Foundations (NATEF) allowing programs to qualify for a reduction in curriculum hour requirements through the implementation of e-learning completed outside of regular program hours.
CDX Automotive now includes easy-to-use and state-of-the-art learning performance management tools to help schools manage and report student performance data that meet NATEF's ASE e-learning certification requirements.

CDX Automotive is the first in a series of CDX products in development aimed at addressing demand for proven, effective e-learning solutions in a wide range of fields, in particular those requiring certification or professional licensure.

About Jones and Bartlett ( www.jbpub.com : )

Founded in 1983, Jones and Bartlett is a world-leading provider of instructional, assessment and learning-performance management solutions for the post-secondary, career and professional markets. We endeavor to develop educational programs and services that improve learning outcomes and enhance student achievement across a broad spectrum of academic, vocational and professional fields. Our products and services uniquely combine authoritative content from academia and industry thought-leaders with innovative, proven and engaging technology applications that enable anytime, anywhere learning—revolutionizing how instructors teach, professionals train, and students learn.

Jones and Bartlett:Alison Pendergast, 978-579-8237Chief
Marketing Officer apendergast@jbpub.com : mailto:apendergast@jbpub.comOffice

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Cypress expands automotive portfolio - Components in Electronics

Posted: 21 Sep 2009 11:57 PM PDT

Cypress Semiconductor has announced it has expanded its automotive-grade portfolio with two USB devices-the EZ-USB(r)-HX2LP 4-port high-speed USB hub and the EZ-Host(tm) full-speed USB host. The AEC-Q100 auto-qualified devices are suitable for automotive applications such as navigation, infotainment, vehicle data recorders (VDRs) and data loggers.

The CY7C65630 EZ-USB HX2LP hub has a single Transaction Translator (1-TT) ideal for low-power applications. The device can connect to all low-speed, full-speed and high-speed USB devices on the downstream, and it supports both self-powered and bus-powered modes. The CY7C67300 EZ-Host device offers up to four host ports and can work both in stand-alone and co-processor modes. In co-processor mode, it can support interfaces such as SPI, HSS and HPI. With 32 general-purpose I/O (GPIO) pins, the EZ-Host device can be configured to provide extended functionalities.

According to Alakesh Chetia, vice president of the USB Business Unit at Cypress: "These USB devices fit in well with our automotive-qualified PSoC devices, memories and clocks in Cypress's expanding automotive portfolio. We will continue to grow our USB products for automotive in the coming years to cater to the ever increasing connectivity requirements of the automotive industry."

Cypress's USB portfolio includes enCoRe and EZ-USB USB controllers, West Bridgeperipheral controllers and WirelessUSB 2.4-GHz radios. Cypress's hallmark USB device, the EZ-USB FX2 controller, continues to provide flexibility to customers seeking to add USB to new applications.

Cypress also provides the industry's most comprehensive USB software support, reference designs and driver suites. This "whole product" support enables customers to bring USB-enabled products to market faster.

Cypress's automotive portfolio includes the PSoC programmable system-on-chip, USB embedded hosts and hubs, timing solutions, fast asynchronous SRAMs, MicroPower asynchronous SRAMs and synchronous SRAMs.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

PRESS DIGEST - Hong Kong - Sept 30 - Reuters

Posted: 29 Sep 2009 07:44 PM PDT

HONG KONG, Sept 30 (Reuters) - These are some of the leading stories in Hong Kong newspapers on Wednesday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy. SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST

-- Far East Golden Resources Group (1188.HK), which is run by mainland fugitive Yang Rong, wants to raise US$7.86 billion from a private placement to make hybrid cars in the United States. Yang, who helped transform Brilliance China Automotive Holdings (1114.HK) from a stagnant state-owned factory into the top maker of mini-vans, fled China in late 2002 after being accused of economic crimes.

-- German chemical giant BASF (BASF.DE) plans to invest more than 1 billion euros ($1.46 billion) in Greater China and hire thousands of employees by 2013, expecting mainland sales to grow rapidly despite the clouded outlook for the global chemical market, said Martin Brudermueller, head of Asia-Pacific operations.

HONG KONG ECONOMIC TIMES

-- Three Chinese property companies received approval from the stock exchange for a Hong Kong listing, but Hengda Real Estate Group decided to postpone its plan amid a clouded IPO market. China South City (1668.HK) saw its shares plunge 30 percent from the offering price in the grey market, becoming the worst IPO in the unofficial market, according to market sources.

HONG KONG ECONOMIC JOURNAL

-- NWS Financial Management Service, a subsidiary of New World Development (0017.HK), bought HK$542 million worth of China Everbright International (0257.HK) shares as the company shifted its business focus to environmental protection, according to data from the stock exchange of Hong Kong.

SING TAO DAILY

-- Property Developer Agile Property (3383.HK) bought land in China's Shenyang city for 822 million yuan for residential and commercial development.

For Chinese newspapers, see...............[PRESS/CN]

For Taiwan newspapers, see............[PRESS/TW] ($1=.6860 Euro)