| Atmos Energy Corporation Purchases a License under the Ronald A. Katz Technology Licensing, L.P. Patents
LOS ANGELES, BUSINESS WIRE -- Atmos Energy Corporation, the country's largest natural gas-only distributor, (NYSE:ATO) headquartered in Dallas, has purchased a license under the patent portfolio held by Ronald A. Katz Technology Licensing, L.P. and licensed through its affiliate, NNOVIA Replacement Battery for Quickcapture A2D
B&H Photo-Video-$119.95
');" onMouseOut="setTimeout('hideLayer()',500);" class=hotlink2>A2D, L.P. The nonexclusive license covers services offered by Atmos in the "Energy and Utility Services" Field of Use, including customer service provided via automated systems and live agents. Other terms of the license were not disclosed. The patents held by Ronald A. Katz Technology Licensing, L.P. cover a wide range of interactive technology including automated forms of: customer service, securities trading, prescription refill services, merchandising, prepaid services, telephone conferences, registration, home shopping, as well as functions involved in securing information from databases by telephone, interactive cable transactions, and various other uses of toll free and local numbers.
Program deals with employee loyalty
Gaining employee commitment and loyalty in today's mobile work environment is challenging, but it can be done by combining business fundamentals and psychology, according to two Greensboro work-force training consultants. John and Deana Ryan became so convinced of their advice they recently self-published a book on the subject, Employee Buy-In: A Manager's Guide to Achieving Results through Increased Employee Commitment. The book is available for $19.95 at www.amazon.com. They also have a Web site on the subject at www.EmployeeBuy-In.com. The Ryans operate John Ryan & Associates, which provides coaching, consulting and training services to businesses. They are graduates of the Babcock Graduate School of Management at Wake Forest University. The Ryans took time out to talk about their book and employment trends.
Check It Out
Bob in Pittsboro continues to defend the lame Bank of America greeter. (If you're new to this debate, a couple of weeks ago we wrote about being faux customer-serviced by a BOA greeter, who pretended to be concerned about our needs. Bob shot back that we were a "grouch" for not appreciating BOA's interest in us, its valued customer. We responded with a list of things we could have done in the 15 minutes we had to wait to see our senior personal banker.) Today, Bob continues to portray BOA as the victim."Not only a grouch," writes Bob, "but a poor planner. From BOA's Web site, here's what you could have done online ... . " He goes on to list several things that can be done with online banking -- which we have and use, thank you very much, Bob. Several things except what we needed to do, which was transfer funds from a CD account to checking, a simple task that we should not have to enlist the aid of an SPB in the first place! Which adds to our, yes, grouchiness!Bob concludes by offering one more thing we could have done in the 15 minutes we waited to see our SPB: "Try doing the 15-Minute Desk Workout (www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKCPcRcJmqc) in the bank lobby.
Health Care and Banking
Bank of Nevada, the state's largest community bank, hit the $3 billion mark. The largest community bank in the state, and the fourth largest overall in local deposits, Nevada State Bank is keeping its sights on one day being the top dog in the market, overall, Bank of Nevada President Bruce Hendricks said. The community bank was established 13 years ago, and, during that time, has acquired other community banks, instrumental in pushing it toward its $3 billion. In 2006, the bank strengthened its position in the market when the bank, then BankWest of Nevada, acquired Bank of Nevada, which brought over $300 million in assets. That same year, the bank also acquired Nevada First Bank, with $500 million in assets, Hendricks said. This means, of course, that the bank is open to other opportunities to merge, he said.
Firms could face big payouts over forced retirement at 65
Lawyers are warning employers that they could be laying themselves open to large compensation claims if they force workers to retire at 65 - even though the current law allows them to do so. Age discrimination rules introduced in October 2006 allow workers to stay on past 65, but put bosses under no obligation to keep them. A challenge by Heyday, part of Age Concern, to the legality of the 65 retirement age has gone before the European court of justice in Luxembourg but may not be decided before spring 2009 - too late for those forced to retire this year or next. But a ruling this month by the employment appeals tribunal (EAT) raises the possibility that people made to retire in the meantime can bring claims to tribunals and have them stayed, pending the outcome of the Heyday case.
|
