If you have been trying hard to find easy clues to understand search engine algorithms, you may be left disappointed to learn that search engines may be speedy but they lack preciseness.

Search engines such as Wolfram Alpha have employed the model of delivering answers and not pointing to the direction unlike Google and others that start providing hints as soon as a word is typed in the search box.

From Timesofindia.indiatimes.com:

There are no easy answers. Search engines like Google are based on an algorithm mechanism. This is a complex mathematical formula that crawls through billions of sites on the net and ranks its pages, thereby creating a vast index that is tapped to deliver search results. “Considering that the internet is growing at a frantic pace, and new pages are continuously being added, it’s a challenge to constantly index fresh pages and produce results that are new and pertinent,” admits Dod.

Often, experimentation is the key. Google has experimented with what it terms the Universal search. This blends listings from its news, video, images, local and book search engines to deliver comprehensive results. Vinay Goel, head of products, Google India, says that Universal search is an important first step in exploring the full range of what can be achieved. “Users today are looking at compact and personalized results. Search engines have to understand this and be more intuitive. The future will see radical advances in modes of search. Our goal is to take advantage of these and keep evolving the interface design and user experience.”

Bing, Microsoft’s search portal, launched last year as the “decision engine” has similar aspirations of developing as a search engine that can offer solutions, not just plain vanilla search results. Eventually, say Microsoft sources, the idea is to pull out specific bits of information from different web pages and serve them up as one result. This will be quite different from the way it works now, where an engine lists a choice of many pages, each of which contains the keywords searched for.

Kapil Gupta of Synapse India, a software firm that specializes in SEO, said search engine algorithms have become smarter with integrated artificial intelligence and search domain has surely got more user-oriented than ever and will continue to do so.

Tags: artificial intelligence, Google, images, keywords, news, search engine algorithms, SEO, video, Wolfram Alpha

The ongoing tussle between the Indian government and maker of BlackBerry phones, Research In Motion (RIM), has adversely affected the sales of BlackBerry communication devices that are considered to be one of the most admired fashion accessories by the Indian corporate executives.

It is worthwhile to note here that some of grey market dealers in Mumbai have already stopped ordering fresh stock of BlackBerry models till RIM sorts out the issue with the government.

From Timesofindia.indiatimes.com:

“After I exhausted my stock, I decided to wait till we get a better idea of what is going to happen with BlackBerry in India,” a grey market dealer in Mumbai’s Fort area said. A few other unofficial dealers promised to source required models, provided a deposit was made for the device. “Our margins are pretty thin on such goods, and I don’t want hassles that might arise at a later date if the government’s decision goes against RIM,” a shopowner explained.

BlackBerry sales have similarly seen a dip in Bangalore. “I sold 35 handsets in July, but this month I haven’t been able to sell more than 15,” said a dealer on Brigade Road. A shopkeeper in Dubai Plaza echoed his words, saying he had sold 60 handsets in July, but only 10 in August. “People want to wait till the August 31 deadline and then decide,” he said. But someone’s loss is always someone else’s gain, and other brands such as Nokia, Samsung and Apple are benefiting from the decline in Blackberry sales.

Currently, there are an estimated 1.1 million BlackBerry users in India.

Tags: Apple, BlackBerry, BlackBerry communication, BlackBerry in India, BlackBerry sales, Nokia, Research In Motion, Samsung

Graham Sim, previously the marketing director for HMV, has been appointed by the HMV Group as the first group marketing director working across the HMV and Waterstone’s brands.

In addition to this appointment, the group marketing function has been restructured with three new departments: group CRM; brand creative; and brand marketing.

From Brandrepublic.com:

Waterstone’s head of marketing and customer insight, Lee Bannister, is promoted to head of brand marketing, overseeing advertising and promotions for Waterstone’s, HMV and music chain Fopp.

Mark Robertson has been given responsibility for managing the Waterstone’s design studio along with HMV design and display, as head of the brand creative team.

Each head will have teams from HMV and Waterstone’s reporting to them. The company stressed that it remained committed to developing the HMV and Waterstone’s brands separately. The offices will also remain separate.

In 2008, HMV Group consolidated its media buying with OMD UK. Across the group it uses Venturethree for brand and campaign creative development. Other agencies it retains are Libertine, QD and Linney.

Sim said although the aim was to optimise access to resources across the group, he was “fully conscious of the need to do this in a way that will preserve their individual identity and associated values”.

As part of the restructuring process by the HMV Group, Matt Button has been promoted from head of CRM at HMV to lead the group CRM function.

Tags: advertising, brand marketing, creative development, HMV Group, marketing, marketing function

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Tags: Custom wheel solutions, custom wheels, quality custom wheels, vehicle solutions

A new research has found that men and women who wed three or more times are apparently a third more likely to face death before their time when compared to those who marry for life.

It is believed that early death may be because of the stress involving multiple marriage break-ups or bereavements that may prove too much for the body to bear.

From in.news.yahoo.com:

Famous names with three marriages under their belt include 65-year-old Rod Stewart and Tom Cruise, 48.

The U.S. researchers studied the health and personal lives of almost 9,000 men and women in their 60s and 70s. Most had married at least once.

Echoing previous research, the analysis found that those who had been married fared better than bachelors and spinsters.

This could be because people who are married take better care of themselves, perhaps because they feel they have more to live for.

They also benefit from the added support and from expanding their network of friends.

But, delving deeper, it became apparent that too many trips down the aisle are bad for health.

In general, those who had clocked up at least three weddings were 34 per cent more likely to die at any given time after the age of 50 than those who had limited themselves to just one union.

While it is not clear why this happens, it could be related to the stress of break-ups, divorces or the death of a spouse.

It is also possible that those who fail to take care of their marriage also fail to take care of their health.

The research supported a past research by disclosing that married people fared better than bachelors and spinsters.

Tags: bachelors, divorces, marriage, Rod Stewart, spinsters, Tom Cruise

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Tags: marketing plan, marketing strategies, online marketers, YouTube video

A clarification has issued by the Finance Ministry to suggest that no income tax at source can be deducted if banks have only made a provision for interest on fixed deposits and not made the actual payment to the depositor.

Till now, banks were following the practice of deducting tax even if only provision was accounted for interest payments.

From Economictimes.indiatimes.com:

The Indian Banks’ Association in a representation to the Income Tax department had said that for banks using the CBS software, interest payable on fixed deposits is calculated generally on a daily or a monthly basis but is parked in the provisioning account for monitoring only.

The interest is actually credited to the depositor’s account either at the end of the financial year or at periodic intervals or on maturity of the deposits.

The matter was considered by the Central Board of Direct Taxes to plug this loophole.

According to a Finance Ministry official, CBDT clarified that since no credit is given to the depositors while calculating interest on fixed deposits on daily or monthly basis in the CBS software used by banks, tax need not be deducted at source on such provisioning of interest.

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) remarked that tax need not be deducted at source on such provisioning of interest since no credit is given to the depositors while calculating interest on fixed deposits on daily or monthly basis by banks.

Tags: CBS software, Central Board of Direct Taxes, deducting tax, income tax at source, Income Tax department, interest on fixed deposits

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Tags: car exhaust systems, comfort, gas mileage, performance, performance of your vehicle, quality, stainless steel exhaust systems, these exhaust systems

Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) will now be acquired by Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) in India with a gross value of $1.8 billion as decided on 31 March 2010. Although the number of RBS branches are still not transferred and the clearance will be done by Reserve Bank of India. The regulatory approvals will be completed in the first half of 2011. 1,800 RBS staff employees will be transferred to HSBC.

From: in.biz.yahoo.com

Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) announced on Friday that it has decided to acquire the retail and commercial banking businesses of Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) in India with a gross asset value of $1.8 billion as on 31 March 2010. The total consideration will comprise a premium of up to $95 million over the tangible net asset value of the businesses being acquired at the closing of the transaction, less an adjustment equal to 90% of any credit losses incurred on the unsecured lending portfolio in the two years subsequent to the completion of the deal. HSBC has not disclosed the number of branches of RBS that are to be transferred to it after getting clearance from the Reserve Bank of India. RBS’s retail and commercial banking businesses in India currently have 1.1 million customers, about 1,800 staff and 31 branches.

In connection with seeking the required regulatory approvals, HSBC will apply to the RBI for branch licences required to support the acquired businesses.

As on March 31, 2010, the retail and commercial banking businesses comprised gross assets of 1.2bn ($1.8bn) and the risk weightage assets stood at 0.7bn ($1.1bn). The transaction will be effected by way of an asset and liability transfer.

RBS plans to retain some of its branches in India to carry out the range of businesses which it is retaining. The acquisition, which is subject to regulatory approvals, is expected to be completed in the first half of 2011.

The bank said, “For now, it is business as usual for retail and commercial businesses. The businesses, which would be handed over to HSBC, will be valued once we get a clearance from the RBI.”

“The branding exercise will start only after we get an approval from the Indian regulator,” said a HSBC spokesperson. HSBC Global Banking and Markets advised HSBC on this transaction.

RBS said 1,800 staff employed by it will be absorbed by HSBC after completion of the deal.

Following the exit of the retail and commercial businesses in India, RBS will continue to retain a strong footprint in the sub-continent as it will remain on one of the bank’s core markets for global banking & markets, global transaction services business and RBS private banking, which employs over 280 people.

RBS is a leading global wholesale and investment bank, transaction and private bank in Asia Pacific with a significant presence in 11 markets, including India.

India is one of four key locations globally for business services hubs with centres in Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai employing over 8,000 people.

RBS is seen to be one of the leading global wholesale and investment bank in Asia Pacific with 8,000 people as employers. The branding exercise will start only after the regulatory approvals by RBI. The total consideration comprises of $95 million over the net tangible assets.

Tags: Hongkong & Shanghai Banking Corporation, investment bank, Reserve Bank of India., Royal Bank of Scotland Group

Jackson Health System announced that its international marketing program brought in an extra $37.6 million over the past four years.

A committee of the Public Health Trust was told by Barbara Ronda, corporate director of planning and program integration, that a study by a nonprofit, Foundation Health Services, has confirmed the numbers.

From Miamiherald.com:

Ronda’s figures showed that, because of FHS efforts, Jackson collected $113.9 million in cash from 2006 through 2009. After medical costs calculated at $59.5 million and FHS expenses of $16.9 million, that left a return to the system of $37.6 million.

UM had proposed a joint marketing effort because most international patients at Jackson are treated by UM doctors. Medical School Dean Pascal Goldschmidt said, “We bring the lion’s share of elective patients,” because they come to be treated by UM’s doctors.

He said UM proposed the marketing effort because he knew Jackson is trying to save money.

Rodriguez said he strongly supported collaboration, but his solution was to offer UM a seat on the FHS board.

Board Treasurer Marcos Lapciuc said he thought the Trust should explore the idea of getting “more bang for the buck,” by discussing the joint effort with UM.

There was enthusiasm among most of the trust members as the return on every dollar brought returns of $2.23.

Tags: international marketing program, marketing, nonprofit, program integration