Archive for the ‘people’ Category

A French developed the mobile wallet Google

May 27, 2011 - 6:36 pm Comments Off

Ingenico is a giant step into the world of contactless payments. The world's leading payment solutions announced on Friday its participation in the Google Wallet, presented yesterday by the Internet giant. This mobile application allows mobile users to pay at once, by housing credit card information in their phone or powering a prepaid card, but also enjoy special offers from merchants, and validate cards fidelity.

"Our common payment solution will transform the traditional payment terminals to an outlet into a true point of care and thereby improve the purchasing for consumers," says Philippe Lazare, Ingenico's CEO in a statement."This new solution will allow consumers not only pay with the electronic purse but Google also benefit from a range of value-added services," he adds.

For Google, this partnership makes sense. With an installed base of more than 15 million handsets worldwide, Ingenico has a large strike force. The French group will therefore support its customers' in the implementation of the electronic wallet based on its new generation of terminals Telium secure. "

At the Paris Bourse, investors welcomed the news. Around 9:30, the track takes off from Ingenico 5.39% to 32.25 euros on a market up 1.28%. He signed the largest increase in the SBF 120.

Ensuring security

In addition, Ingenico, Google has partnered with Mastercard, the bank Citigroup and First Data encryption specialist.The application they offer is only for smartphone Android, including Nexus S designed by Google, equipped with an NFC chip, which transmits the data bank without contact. To finalize their purchases, customers will get their phone while in the merchant's payment terminal. Security level, the application will be locked by a code and the system will be disconnected whenever the screen is off. In case of loss, a call should be enough to disable all the payment function.

With geotagging, merchants partners will alert consumers bargain of the moment. These can be transferred with one click on their phone to benefit at the time of payment. Google will receive a commission on sales, as is already done community sites Facebook and Groupon.In contrast, the Internet giant would levy any commission on the payment themselves.

Google Wallet, currently in testing, should be accessible to mobile users in New York and San Francisco this summer, before an extension to the entire U.S., then Europe and Asia.

Welcome to the "era of Mo Lo

While the experiences of contactless payment multiply without achieving truly convincing, Google hopes to attract consumers and merchants to the technology. "This is a problem of the egg and the chicken. We plan to present convincing arguments that people are getting into, "said Osama Bedier, head of payments at the Internet giant. "We believe that 2011 and beyond will be the era of Mo Lo: Local trade with the Mobile Internet," says Stephanie Tilenius con side, Google sponsors activities related to trade.Google estimates that in 2014, less than half the mobile phones will be equipped with chips to transfer data without contact.

With this application, the Internet giant will gain valuable information on the consumption patterns of mobile users. Like the merchants who benefit from a powerful marketing. But fears about breaches of privacy might just be the main obstacle to the development of this technology.

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Taxation: What you should learn from reform

May 17, 2011 - 3:40 pm Comments Off

Are eagerly bank customers waiting for private management is unveiled details of the proposed tax reform heritage. "They questioned us in pressing for months," says one private banker. Since last week and the presentation of the draft supplementary budget for 2011 in the Council of Ministers, the rules are clear. The schedule also: This year, the declaration and payment of ISF will not take place June 15 as usual, but on September 30. Starting this year, 300,000 taxpayers, those whose heritage is less than 1.3 million euros, will escape the tax.

For others, those with assets less than 3 million euros this year will be the last to engage in the tedious exercise of the declaration of ISF. From 2012, they will transfer the amount of their assets directly on their tax returns.For those whose heritage reaches or exceeds 3 million, the statement remains EWB.

Life insurance is not affected

Engineering heritage, a time in abeyance, will be able to resume its course. Implement a heritage strategy in recent months faced many questions, the exercise becomes easier, the horizon being clarified.

Sales of products défiscalistation (FCIC or FIP to reduce the TFR) should also leave. "Everything was frozen, pending sales were" recognize the asset managers. Same thing for donations to foundations that permit, they also reduce tax liabilities. There remain four and a half months to work and SMEs to raise capital from those who want to reduce the TFR to pay late September.But both the others must expect an ebb this year, since the number of persons subject to the TFR will fall by more than half.

Contrary to what had been feared, the overhaul of the taxation of wealth has not dented the investment fetish of the French life insurance. Its taxation is not cured. "Life insurance has even become an added attraction in terms of succession to the heavier side of the gift and estate," notes the Grandière Bertrand, head of engineering heritage in La Compagnie Financiere Edmond de Rothschild. Indeed, the most important heritages will see fees increase from 35 to 40% for taxable gifts and estates of between 902,838 euros and 1,805,677 euros per share (in excess of this amount, the rate increased from 40 45%).For these taxpayers, the life has more meaning than before.

Fears over the taxation of real estate gains are also lifted. Nothing changes except for non-resident owners of second homes in France. They will now pay a 20% tax on the rental value of housing register. "One way to help finance the national public services," says one at Bercy. For owners subject to the ISF for their principal residence, the reform can erase the boom in property prices.

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These figures make the misfortune of the Greeks

May 16, 2011 - 1:56 pm Comments Off

Manageable or unbearable? Greek debt is the largest in the euro area relative to the size of the country. It represents almost one and a half times its gross domestic product. For the moment, Greece is on life support of the European Union (EU) and International Monetary Fund (IMF). But the aid of EUR 110 billion will be repaid from 2013.

Some, like the IMF, argued that Greece has the means to cope. However, many economists doubt the ability of the Mediterranean country to face the wall of reimbursements that will be overcome in two years. She will need to find 60.9 billion euros in 2013 and 78.4 billion next year and 85 billion in 2015, calculated the International Monetary Fund.

Privatization chain

To finance its debt, Greece has pledged to privatize public enterprises and to sell state assets to the tune of 50 billion euros by 2015. Also to ease the bill for 2015, the EU agreed to extend the duration of its loans from 3 years to 7.5 years. According to analysts at Societe Generale, it could mean that Athens has nothing to repay to the EU by 2017.

LinkedIn valued $ 3 billion

May 10, 2011 - 11:20 am Comments Off

LinkedIn assesses its value to three billion dollars in its IPO issue addressed yesterday with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Constable of overseas markets. American professional social network is about to score this month on the New York Stock Exchange.

The startup has warned that its growth could slow in the future, investment is expected to increase the capacity of the site. The site could not even be beneficial shareholder this year. In 2010, it has recorded fifteen million dollars profit on a turnover of 243 million. This income was 78 million in 2008.It has also surpassed the hundred million registered end-March, with 102 million accounts free credit report and score.

Some analysts remain skeptical of the optimism LinkedIn whose business model is based on recruiting, marketing solutions and profiles "premium" pay, is very different from sites like Facebook or Zynga, very popular with investors, who rather seek to consume their users via their interfaces. Despite these differences, the IPO of LinkedIn will probably be a good barometer for gauging the success of quotations from other social networks, eagerly awaited.

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"There is a risk of dollar crisis"

May 1, 2011 - 4:32 pm Comments Off

Lefigaro.fr – Moral and household consumption in U.S. economic growth and lowered down. Yet financial markets are up sharply since the beginning of the year. How do you explain it?

Francis Mouté – The morale of Americans is not really half-mast. They are even more optimistic, despite rising gasoline prices. Getting back to your question, several factors explain the rising trend of U.S. exchanges: the zero interest rate, the excellent corporate profitability, liquidity held by many investors, the tension on the bond markets. U.S. investors have no other choice but to invest in the shares.

U.S. companies generally show very strong first quarter.What should we expect for the second quarter?

In the first quarter despite soft U.S. growth, U.S. companies that have operations in Europe and around the world have benefited from a favorable currency impact, due to the sharp decline in the dollar. We are more cautious on U.S. equities by the end of the year. We believe that the ticket of green should stabilize or even rise against the euro. And then this exchange will not make a favorable economic growth will remain weak.

What are the priority sectors?

Our portfolio is structured in the context of sluggish growth and high inflation. Thus, we are overweight the oil companies, gold and agricultural products.While rising oil prices do not impact the market price of oil companies due to additional costs (staff, investment, energy) and the next taxation imposed by governments, but the shares remain attractive valuations.

Despite what the President of the U.S. central bank, Ben Bernanke, the dollar remains weak. Is there a risk of the dollar crisis?

Certainly, but the weak dollar also arranges the U.S. for their growth. Hear the Fed saying otherwise is a joke. Given the depreciation of the dollar as investors rush to protect assets such as gold or real estate. U.S. monetary policy remains too loose. The proof is that interest rates are zero in the short term, while inflation is at 2.7%. Ben Bernanke's speech Wednesday was disappointing.Financial markets were expecting a change in language from the last meeting. It is clear he has not changed one iota. He merely found a decrease in growth prospects and rising inflation. Ben Bernanke does not surely expect that U.S. growth is still too soft.

The end of "quantitative easing" * In June he announced a hot summer in the financial markets?

It is not certain. On the one hand, doubts remain about the ability of the U.S. economy to get by without the injections of liquidity of the U.S. central bank (900 billion), which still represent almost 60% of the U.S. budget deficit. Secondly, financial markets know the conditions of release. So do not expect a collapse of financial markets from June.

The continuation of measures to support the U.S. economy is feasible?

Everything will depend on U.S. growth in the second quarter and oil prices. If the upward movement of black gold will continue, U.S. growth will remain sluggish in the second quarter. At this point, anything is possible including further measures to support the economy. The proceeds from maturing U.S. bonds held by the Fed, could thus be used to finance the acquisition of new Treasury bills. Conversely, if U.S. growth in the second quarter is high, the Fed will end its policy accommodation and financial markets will adapt.

The "quantitative easing" Is not the only way to revive the U.S. economy?

The "quantitative easing" is not in any way to revive an economy but to inflate the balance sheet of the Fed.The U.S. central bank can not indefinitely pursue a lax especially when we know that the debt of the United States own more than 30% by foreign investors. If monetary policy remains accommodative for too long, the risk of a bond crash is inevitable but by default support the equity markets. The U.S. financial situation is not very strong. Degradation by Standard and Poor's at the prospect of debt the U.S. is justified. However, the fact that the rating agency has dared to tackle this "monument" that are the United States, is surprising. So much so that the equity markets and bonds do not much mind. Investors do not believe a country like the United States may be degraded. They make it too confident for that.

* The "quantitative easing" (QE) is a monetary policy used by some central banks to increase money supply by increasing the excess reserves of the banking system.

Stalled, setting a new Nintendo console

April 25, 2011 - 1:32 pm Comments Off

Second consecutive year of decline for the Nintendo group. The Japanese video game specialist has published annual results on Monday in freefall. Its net profit fell 66.1% to 77.6 billion yen (648 million). Its operating profit tumbled 52% to 171.1 billion yen (1.43 billion euros) in respect of the 2010-2011 year ending 31 March. Figures well below market expectations.

These poor results are explained by the slowdown in sales of the Wii home console blockbuster, but aging of Nintendo. The group has sold just over 15 million in 2010-2011, against 20.1 million the previous year. In addition, the launch of the new handheld 3DS relief was too late to be able to save the year of manufacturer.

The console manufacturer table for 2012 on the results up, but below analysts' forecasts.Nintendo says count on an operating profit of 175 billion yen for the year 2011-2012, against a consensus of 215.8 billion yen. "The market reaction should be bad," said Yusuke Tsunoda, a financial analyst at Tokai Tokyo Securities, quoted by Bloomberg. "Sales of Wii expected to drop as the group probably provides lower prices on the console."

"New Play"

The Japanese video game giant has tried to reassure. He announced the presentation of the successor to the Wii on June 7 at the electronics show in Los Angeles, E3. The group declined to give details, except that it will offer "a new way of playing at home," said CEO Satoru Iwata.

However, information already leaked to the press.Much more powerful than the Wii, it would be equipped with high definition, like its competitors Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. The Japanese group have also developed a new kind of controller, which is akin to a touch pad. One way to compete with smartphones that break into mobile video games. Nintendo's portable console, the DS has seen its sales plummet by 10 million units this year to 17.5 million.

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In Paris, the anxiety of eating sushi

April 21, 2011 - 10:08 pm Comments Off

At Kiriko, a Japanese restaurant in the ninth arrondissement of Paris, this chef is adamant since the disaster Fukushima, "attendance has dropped from 20 to 30%. A few yards away, in Yokohama, the conclusion is the same. Another borough, figures identical to Kyotori between Place de la Bourse and the Opera, "we lost a third of customers." Even if he refuses to disclose its revenue, the head of another Japanese restaurant says: "In recent days, a lot of customers are asking for certificates on the origin of the fish we use in our sushi. "

Aurelian, a young 26 year old Lille, is one of many suspicious. "Even in normal times, when you see the television reports on Asian restaurants, it makes you skeptical.Where do the fish, seaweed, sauces, rice …? We do not know anything. "

Few Japanese fish imported into France

The ignorance of consumers about the origin of the products they use, just that battle Alain Bailly, Director of Counter ocean, a company based in Rungis, providing no less than 300 sushi restaurants. "The lack of communication and transparency creates among consumers a deep sense of doubt and anxiety, when in reality, almost nothing is anywhere in Japan cash advance." What pushed this company to send a communique to all its customers, recalling that "the salmon comes from Norway, tuna in the Indian Ocean, the Mediterranean sea bream, mackerel and mullet from France …». A reminder that some restaurants have not hesitated to affix labels on their windows.In fact, among the products commonly used in Japanese cooking, only some wasabi and seaweed from the country of the rising sun. "And yet, one can easily find from the USA, China or Korea," says Alain Bailly.

When contacted, the European Commission recalled that on his side since the end of March, all food products from the area near Fukushima are subject to health checks reinforced from Japan, and are re-examined upon arrival on European territory. As the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, services stressed that only 450 tons of marine products in Japan have been imported into France in 2010.

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Hairdressers in low-cost terminals

April 15, 2011 - 8:24 pm Comments Off

One morning, Veronique Skalli has been cutting hair in the subway on her way to work at the Hopital Saint-Antoine in Paris. "I got up and I did not like my head, so I decided to make a cut and I was very happy," she says. The living room (so to speak) Beauty Bubble is installed since Christmas in a row RATP at Gare de Lyon, between metro and RER. 80 000 people pass by every day.

Born last year, the chain offers cut or blow dry for 10 euros in ten minutes flat. This new low-cost hairdressing case prices even further as the sector's pioneers. In recent years they have multiplied. The leader, Tchip, aligns more than 400 rooms, followed by Styling & Co (about 200) or Self'Coiff (37). Their packages range on average from 14 to 21 euros.

Beauty Bubble goes further and distinguishes itself from traditional competitors city.To practice his prices low and ensure returns, he bets on volumes, in places with very high attendance. His first six sites have sprung up in stations (Montparnasse), airports (Lyon-Saint Exupery), malls (Part Dieu) and even hypermarkets, Carrefour Planet in Lyon.

The concept was devised by a young business school graduate, Nicolas Langer, 27 years after a first experience in the cosmetics industry with L'Oreal and Coty, supported by his father, a former marketing specialist in the pub and supermarkets one hour payday loan.

"The market of hairdressing is one of those who have slipped the most in terms of price, said Patrick Lang, the father.We offer a quality, quick delivery. Like easyJet, we have removed a number of parameters to focus on the heart of the trade: the cut. "

No shampoo

Beauty Bubble does not shampoo and we ask our customers to come clean hair, which saves about a water supply, space and time bins. In Self'Coiff, you get yourself a blow dry after cutting. No appointments, no wardrobe, coffee or scalp massage. We go to the essentials.

The Beauty Bubble hairdressers are trained in a dry cutting technique imported from Britain. "They make refreshments, but also a complete change of style, some customers tell us they had the same thing for 45 euros usually" welcomes Ouis Lekhtari, one of ten hairdressers Gare de Lyon .In this space without a door or wall, open from 7 am 30-19 am 30, a hundred cups per day are made.

After its promising start, Beauty Bubble goes into high gear and provides fifty openings this year, including in partnership with the RATP, SNCF and Carrefour. The company is also open to membership by offering contractors a fair concept "turnkey" for an initial investment of 25,000 euros and an annual turnover of 150,000 euros per outlet.

The rent control: a false good idea

April 7, 2011 - 5:00 am Comments Off

Just unveiled the proposal to regulate the PS rents raised an outcry among real estate professionals. First, some believe that rental inflation is not a national problem. "Today, with the exception of the Paris area and some very large cities, rents are down. This is the case, for example, in Clermont-Ferrand, Saint-Etienne and Nantes, slides Jean Perrin, president of the UNPI (National Union of Property Owners) 4500 which brings together property managers and realtors.

"For investors who benefit from Scellier, rents are already capped, argues Guy Nafilyan, CEO of Kaufman & Broad France. In Paris, the square meter is rented more than 21 euros or 35 euros against 34 on the open market. "

As to specificity Paris, Jean Perrin was surprised that the Socialists do not know all the aspects."Each year, the state issued a decree blocking the rents in Paris, says he. But it is not respected. The tenants are so happy to find a home, none complains to justice. "

Above all, most real estate experts believe that rent control will not serve the interests of tenants in the medium term. "The danger is to lead to a shortage of rental properties with the key to a new higher price, said Laurent Vimont, general manager of the network of estate agents Century 21. Should this measure be implemented, those who buy an apartment for rent prefer to sell it online payday loans. As for potential investors who are reluctant, they would turn away from real estate. "

A bad precedent

In fact, many are convinced that this proposal is a false good idea."If the rent freeze was the right solution, we have established long time," said Bernard Cadeau, president of the network of estate agents Orpi. "The 1948 law that blocked the rents did not stop their surge," said Francis Bertière, CEO of Bouygues Immobilier. Others are not convinced that such a policy would be a plus for the national economy.

"If the state was embarking on such an adventure, it would be to restore purchasing power to the French, argues Serge Ivars, President of the USA (Union of Real Estate). However, lowering the rating of the tenants, it would lead to taking money to owners who are often small savers. "

In fact, to avoid an escalation of rents, it would be better to thoroughly review the policy of building."As France has not quite built for forty years, there is a housing deficit estimated at 1.2 million, explains Bernard Cadeau. For the reverse, it would build 500,000 houses per year. However, it does not exceed 300,000, which exacerbates the hole. "And to reverse the trend, it will take more than a miracle solution.

Web heckling the tabloids

April 5, 2011 - 1:20 am Comments Off

Closer, Public, and are not following the party. Down 4% last year, the float people are still on the downside since January. This segment of press, however, represented more than 130 million copies in 2010, by volume, the third family after the titles of magazines and television for women. But, week after week, newsstand sales continue to nosedive, some publishers even going to talk privately with a series of "double-digit stalls.

"The first celebrity magazines suffer from competition from women who came to walk on their turf," says Veronica Priou specialist press in ZenithOptimedia (Publicis). The arrival of the weekly Grazia (Mondadori) or the positioning of "female celebrity premium" Gala (Prisma) or Viewpoint (Roularta) have reworked the maps.To this is added a plethora newsstand, which is likely to recede with the breath of reality TV, but especially the rise of Web hitherto under-invested by the publishers.

For the web, the leaders of the clipboard are far behind with a "pure player" purepeople.com. This site has attracted over three million unique visitors in January, nearly a million more than the following site (2 guaranteed cash advance.1 million) and more than double that of Gala (1,3 million). Closer, Mondadori group and industry leader in paper distribution, has received less than 500,000. As for public.fr (Lagardère Active), it has taken its autonomy in February, after being hosted by the First Portal.

Dispersion of the hearing

While advertising companies minimize the dispersion of the hearing, the phenomenon is worrisome in the wings.Through its websites Disney Co, and Puretrend Pureshopping, which combine 4.5 million unique visitors per month, the publisher Webedia, launched three years ago, shakes boards. The advertising model is simple: the beautiful people as a pretext to talk about shopping and beauty. "Our positioning antitrash allows us to attract advertisers like L'Oreal and Dior," says Cedric Sire, founder of Webedia. This is precisely the profile of advertisers competing publishers, including through special operations that integrate more and more often a mobile flap. "Once we have deployed our entire supply bimédia, we pass by Disney Co, promises Philippe Labi, editor of Voici and Gala at Prisma Presse.